We're ready to share another little tip for your resume this May!
Resume Tip #41 - Personal vs Professional
A lot of modern resume templates and advisors recommend giving your resume a personal touch. There is definitely something to be said for making your personality part of your resume but it should ultimately be professional.
Color and format are a small way to show your personality to a potential employer, though you may not even think about it. Using a stock template from a website or word processor is fine, but it will not make you standout from other candidates. They may be using the exact same one after all!
Think about it this way, your next manager could be sifting through a big pile of resumes they printed for review and see the same one over and over again. But there's one with a unique set up and maybe a dash of color that catches their eyes. It could be yours. We recommend not overdoing it though. Keep your format in simple and easy to read sections with paragraphs or bullet points, all on one page. But make sure it looks clean and clear. And if you add a splash of color, don't overdo it. Avoid rainbows and overly bright colors like yellow, red, or pink. Stick to muted ones like blues, greens, purples, or maybe an orange. Don't put any words in color but you can have boxes or lines separating your sections.
Don't put your personal details anywhere but the summary or bottom of your resume. It will be the last thing on your possible employer's mind. It could form a connection but it could also work against your. There's nothing wrong with putting a simple "soccer mom who loves binge-watching tv on the weekends" under a section of your hobbies or interests. But that shouldn't be the focus of your resume.
Come back in June for another hopefully helpful resume tip and remember to check in with your local library if you need help with your job search!
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