Resume layout is all about customising your resume in order to maximise its visual impact. It is of utmost importance to spend time on resume layout due to following reasons:
- Recruiters/hiring managers do not spend more than 6 seconds scanning a resume before deciding whether the resume finds itself in trash.
- Your resume contains a lot of information. It is your job to figure out information to be included in the resume to have maximum impact & showcase value you have created for your previous organisations. You cannot expect recruiters to figure out why you are the best person for the job.
- A resume with a good layout is another way of portraying why you are different from better from others.
Information your resume & layout should go hand in hand. You should focus on including only relevant content in your resume. Before deciding to include information/specific achievements, you should be answer the following questions for yourself:
- Does the recruiter/hiring manager expect me to include specific information/achievements in your resume? If yes, & you still do not want to include that information in your resume, do you have a compelling & strong reason to do so.
- How will the recruiter interpret the information?
- Will this information help my candidacy?
Your resume should be able to place emphasis/show your compelling value proposition at the right place. Key & relevant information that puts you on a strong footing for the target role should be placed in your branding paragraph/pitch( also called as executive summary) along with your branding statement with the right emphasis. The rest of information should be placed in order of importance. The information that is not relevant for the target role should be moved at end or omitted. While deciding how to organise your information, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- What resume format should I use- reverse chronological, function wise or hybrid?
- What are my key strengths required for this position? Have I included all of those in core-competencies section in my resume
- How can I present my strengths in a manner that can make an impact.
Now the question arises- Is presenting information on your resume id the final step towards effective resume layout?
Your resume needs to be clear & make a visual impact. Your resume should be easy to read in the first round & should be distinctive. Ask yourself these questions while working on layout:
- Will the recruiter/hiring manager be able to scan your resume easily?
- What does the resume layout say about me?
- Will this resume help me stand out?
- Besides choosing font & font size throughout my resume, have I considered including logo, images ?adding colors & lines?
Remember that the purpose of good resume layout is to highlight your achievements & success stories as opposed to being an end in itself. It is more about effective resume rather than good looking resume
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