What's the Best Style for My Résumé?

When you’re applying to jobs, your application is your first impression. It says: “Hey, here I am, and here’s what I can bring to your company”. We can’t say this enough - the way in which you present yourself to a prospective employer means everything.

From the first time they see your name, all the way through the interview process, and continuing through your first day on the job, you need to communicate properly.

The interview process starts when a recruiter or hiring manager picks up your document(s). Ideally, they will look at your cover letter first, but sometimes they will move right to your résumé. In either case, formatting is key!

Pro tip: we strongly recommend matching the header, fonts, etc. on both your résumé and cover letter. This will convey that you are detail-oriented and that you possess professional communication skills. As for specific formatting, there are many factors which will determine what type of style your documents should be written with.

There is a virtually endless number of résumé templates out there. You can Google “résumé template”, and you’ll probably be flooded with dozens of pages that all claim to have “the best” résumé template. Wrong!

Microsoft Office comes with built-in templates, and there are more you can download from their website. Surely, the creators of Word must have it figured out, right? Not necessarily!

You may be thinking: “but they look good, why can’t I use these for my résumé?”. Of course, you can use them. You can also travel from New York to Argentina on horseback. All we’re saying is that there may be options that are better suited to what you’re trying to accomplish.

There is no be all-end all “perfect” résumé style or template. The best style for you is one that best highlights your background and your skill set. Let us remember that the goal of a résumé and cover letter is to get you a great job. So the most effective documents are the ones which give you the most opportunities while reflecting your abilities honestly.

With that said, different styles match different types of experience. A plumber, a neurosurgeon, and an opera singer walk into a bar. Just kidding. But they have very different sets of skills, right? This needs to be reflected in each of their résumés.

There are some rules of thumb:

• An artist or creator can get away with having a more colorful or abstract résumé, as long as it’s still clear what they do for a living. Adding a link to a portfolio or social media profile can be a quick but powerful way to show off your work.

• For highly specialized professions, such as IT, law, or medicine, the résumé should be clear and comprehensive without any abnormalities in formatting. While it’s okay to have a clean-looking, aesthetically pleasing look, you want to make sure these documents are easily read left-to-right. For IT in particular, but also with other fields, it’s crucial to include many relevant keywords so the résumé comes up in as many searches as possible.

• Sales and marketing jobs are results-based. This means success is measured largely in terms of numbers. You want to show growth, increased engagement, and in many cases, the specific monetary impact you’ve had on an organization. The résumé format must highlight these accomplishments, front and center.

• For recent grads, educational background might be more valuable than professional experience. Most résumés would feature experience first, but if you’re new in your career, it’s okay to shift your “Education” section near the top. This is especially true if you had a high GPA, a very relevant degree, or if you were involved on campus with internships or other organizations.

• We covered résumé length in a previous blog, but no matter your line of work, make sure your résumé reflects the amount of experience you have. In general, it’s best to have 10-15 years of relevant experience on your résumé. But it’s important to strike a balance and keep your résumé clear and concise.

The process of picking out a style for your résumé and cover letter can be overwhelming, regardless of your profession. If only there was a friendly team of certified writing professionals who could help you build beautiful and effective documents…

CareerPulse’s certified writers have seen countless résumé styles, and we know how to communicate your experience with a great-looking résumé and cover letter style.

We’re ready to work with you - get started by clicking the link below: