Creative resumes are everywhere these days, but you may be reluctant to take the plunge. The truth is, these resumes aren't good for everyone. Here are good ways to know if they're right for you:
1. Know Your Industry - If you're hunting for a job as a nurse, business professional, or HR rep, it's probably best to steer away from resumes filled with bright colors, pictures, or non-traditional formats. These resumes are great for creative job seekers in industries like Marketing, Advertising, Writing, Photography, Web and Graphic Design.
2. Don't Under Sell - Creative resumes generally have less text than traditional ones. Even if they list your achievements, skills, and schools, you may not feel like a creative resume truly captures your worth. If you're not comfortable condensing SO much, then don't!
3. Digital Drawbacks - If you're mailing or directly emailing a creative resume, you're generally fine. If you're uploading a resume through a job search site or company website, it's in your best interest to stick to a traditional format. Many companies use resume scanning software to grab the basic text of your resume. Creative resumes won't fare so well under these conditions.
Other tips to consider:
* If you really like your creative resume, upload your traditional one and fax/mail your creative one.
* If you're trying to beef up your resume, a creative resume may help you focus on your positive points and achievements, rather than looking half-finished.
* Adding personal pictures of yourself on a creative resume is a controversial topic. While it's great to put a name to a face, many major businesses frown upon these images. It makes it more difficult for companies to claim they are following equal hire regulations, if they see what you look like first. Some companies automatically toss those resumes out.
