A resume is a visual representation of your career, strengths, and accomplishments to date. Given that the average employer generally spends less than a minute perusing any one resume, it’s important to ensure that your resume not only has current information, but also a current look. So, how do you ensure that your resume has a keeper design? Here are a few basic tips:

  1. Make sure your name is the focal point – you’re selling yourself and prospective employers need to know who that is.
  2. Construct your resume so that the visual layout guides the seeker to your qualifications and strengths – employers tend to skim and scan resumes rather than read every word, so design your resume to maximise this.
  3. Have consistent and polished formatting – use clear titles and headings, use one typeface in no more than three styles or sizes and ensure there is plenty of whitespace or use of contrast to enhance readability.
  4. Align left or justify your paragraphing – it’s important that the reader’s eye has clean lines to follow.

Resume design alone won’t ensure you the job, but it will make sure your resume gets a closer look. Stay tuned for how to write about your career strengths and how to devise a career summary.