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Friday, January 17, 2020
How to Write, Design, & Make a Simple Pro Resume Quickly with Templates
business.tutsplus.com: Do you want to know how to write a simple resume? If you need to know how to make a simple resume, this tutorial can help. You'll learn how using a resume template will help you make a simple professional resume.
11 comments:
Apriah W.
said...
I have always heard that it is not the best idea to use templates. Mainly because someone else (or many someone elses) is going to have the exact same layout and that isn't the best look. The chances of them applying for the same job as you are slim, but it may happen and your resume will not stand out. Though, I'm sure there are ways to personalize it and make it your own. For me, I use templates as a guide. I look at a few and take the things that I think makes that layout a good one and combine it into my own thing. I have also heard that you don't want your resume to look too much like a scrapbook page or a craft project. On that same note, you also don't want it to be bland and boring. It needs some personality while also being professional. What has helped me was to give mine a logo and incorporate my signature color of cornflower blue into it. Blue is a professional enough color, and that shade of blue is very "me." As far as content goes, I feel as though that depends on your audience. I have a different version of my resume depending on who is going to be receiving it. This is all based off of feedback that I have gotten from many different people. Granted, that feedback is always conflicting, so it's a matter of filtering and understanding your target audience.
I've heard that resume templates can be very effective, but I sometimes find them to be unnecessarily complicated. Creating one on Excel or Microsoft Word can be a lot of work at the beginning, but then it is simple to make changes. I also believe that on paperwork less is more and maintaining simplicity is a priority for me. When applying for a job, I want the person hiring to easily scan it and not have to adjust to complicated shapes and headers. I do believe that the examples shown in this article are aethetically pleasing and pretty, but they are not necessarily what I need. Maybe individuals in other professions would benefit from them, as I see some resumes including large chunks of written text. Regardless, I think I'll take some inspiration from the photos in the article on how small changes can improve the resumes I've already created.
I don't think that resume templates are an inherently bad idea, but I think they often fall into traps and bad habits in the interest of being eye-catching, and most templates are not geared towards theatrical resumes, which are usually a little different than 'standard' resumes. Nearly all of the templates in this article are certainly graphically appealing, but they use huge color blocks that waste ink and look bad in black and white. They also don't use space effectively: a resource often invaluable for a theatrical resume because getting a job is dependent not only on your skills, but on who you know. The more productions, theaters, and people on your resume, the better chance you'll have something or someone in common with your potential employer. These templates leave space only for a few skills, a few jobs, and some fancy graphics. Catching someone's eye isn't useful if they aren't impressed by what they see.
Resume templates are nice in some ways, but they definitely can negatively effect how much your resume stands out during a job search process. I personally used a template for my resume, but I chose a simpler one and changed some of the structural elements to make it my own. Overall, templates helped me to put all the information on the page in an easier way than if I had formatted my own. I'm not really great with paperwork because I haven't taken any of those classes yet so it is helpful. I usually enjoy having a resume with a little bit of color, especially since we are designers, but at the same time that can be a pain when you don't have a color printer, and then you are left with random blocks in grey scale. Overall, they are a useful tool in general, however if one has the means it is nice to make your own template to really stand out from the crowd.
I think that this is an extremely helpful article as many different careers, not just theatre, require professional resumes when applying for a job. However, I've personally never really liked the idea of using a template for creating a resume. I suppose that creates the possibility of having multiple resumes look exactly the same, and I think that there should be an element of creativity when creating a resume in order to show more of who you are as a person. With this in mind, I do like that the article does mention multiple times that there are many templates and websites that do allow you to do just that. I think it would be a good idea that, if you were to look for a template in order to make a resume, that you take that template and feel free to change it up. As artists in the theatre industry, taking a template and making it completely different to show your own aesthetic can be helpful in showing who you are as said artist.
I’ve got to be honest—I’m not a fan of resume templates. Sure, they’re pretty, modern, have nice graphics, but in my experiences of searching for an effective way to create my resume, I just don’t understand why they need to be that complicated. The point of a resume is to spell out your qualifications for a position, and the most important thing there is the information presented. If that information is clouded by a bunch of colors or lines or imagery, it’s extremely distracting. I mean, unless you’re applying for a graphic design position or something, I don’t see the draw towards something so complicated, as the majority of templates I’ve seen are. I’ve used templates before to test them out, mostly on the site Canva, and I don’t like how restricted they are in terms of format. I’ve found that I am best able to communicate what I need on my resume by just formatting the document from scratch. I may go searching for inspiration from template examples, but it’s the most effective when I do it myself. Also, not to mention the fault that someone else in that stack of resumes could use your same template, and you’ve lost a bit of originality. Of course, that’s just my opinion. Template sites are useful to a degree, but I support “DIY” resume formats!
While Envato does seem to have some pretty attractive résumé templates, I personally have not ever really vibed with a template. I have a résumé outline that I created now that I am pretty comfortable with, but I know not everyone does. I think that - in a creative industry such as ours - there is sometimes a pressure to completely relay your creative persona on your résumé. I also think that, inevitably, there is almost always a possibility of someone else in an employer’s stack of résumés and cover letters having the exact same (or very close to the same) layout as you. I am very much of the mindset that you are more likely to be able to convey your true personality if you create your résumé yourself. I also think that résumé templates tend to be sort of chunky and almost hard-to-read. I understand that most résumé templates are sort of compartmentalised, but the column tactic - for me - is harder to read than straight-across formats.
Updating my resume template is something I've been meaning to do for a while so this article was very timely. One thing that I've always struggled with when it comes to resumes is the idea of wanting it to all fit on a single side of a single piece of paper. Personally, I think if it's possible it's preferable since it allows people to a sense of who you are in a single glance. This can create a need for an itty-bitty font that has a tendency to look uninviting and cluttered. Like many before me, I also agree that using just a template can set you up for an ordinary look and thus it should be used more for inspiration than finished look. You want to maintain a sense of originality and personality without looking too flowery or unprofessional. It's about the skills you're presenting more than the delivery platform.
I agree that using a resume template can be stifling creatively and problematic in the possibility of the person reviewing your resume may have already seen it. Especially in our field, because this may show a lack of creativity to your interviewer. But, I think if I knew about resume templates (other than the ones on Google Docs) in high-school, my life would have been much easier. I was so lost when I was trying to build my resume for college applications and, honestly, it didn't end up great. I just didn't have a lot of guidance on the industry standards for a resume. I think that learning to build your own resume is really important, but young people need some guidance there. In the end, the content of the resume is really the important part. Of course, it should look professional and polished, but if you have the skills and can manage to avoid ridiculous typos and grammar mistakes, you're probably fine. Like I said, my resume for college applications wasn't very artistic, but I ended up where I wanted to be, so I think the content was the most important thing. Honestly, whether you go with a template or personally created resume, it's going to be fine. Just look professional and everything will work out.
We actually just discussed resume templates in professional preparation on Tuesday. Many negative aspects of a resume were looked at and it was recommended we not use a template for our long term theatrical resumes. The first issue is unnecessary information that promotes judgment based on things other than your skills like age, marital status, picture, birthday, etc. Not only do these items not allow anything but assumptions but they take up precious space. Speaking of space, on a theatrical resume space is usually tough because of the standard collum format. Many modern resume templates take up a precious ⅓ of side space for personal information when that info could be 1-2 lines at the top. Another thing that sometimes appears in those side columns is skills bars. These offer not only a limited amount of skills, but they don’t showcase everything about a skill. If you have skills listed and the interviewer wants to know more they will ask. Finally, a key worry with template resumes is that thousands upon thousands of people use the same resumes to apply to jobs and in an industry so focused on individuality and creativity, a unique resume can set you apart.
11 comments:
I have always heard that it is not the best idea to use templates. Mainly because someone else (or many someone elses) is going to have the exact same layout and that isn't the best look. The chances of them applying for the same job as you are slim, but it may happen and your resume will not stand out. Though, I'm sure there are ways to personalize it and make it your own. For me, I use templates as a guide. I look at a few and take the things that I think makes that layout a good one and combine it into my own thing. I have also heard that you don't want your resume to look too much like a scrapbook page or a craft project. On that same note, you also don't want it to be bland and boring. It needs some personality while also being professional. What has helped me was to give mine a logo and incorporate my signature color of cornflower blue into it. Blue is a professional enough color, and that shade of blue is very "me." As far as content goes, I feel as though that depends on your audience. I have a different version of my resume depending on who is going to be receiving it. This is all based off of feedback that I have gotten from many different people. Granted, that feedback is always conflicting, so it's a matter of filtering and understanding your target audience.
I've heard that resume templates can be very effective, but I sometimes find them to be unnecessarily complicated. Creating one on Excel or Microsoft Word can be a lot of work at the beginning, but then it is simple to make changes. I also believe that on paperwork less is more and maintaining simplicity is a priority for me. When applying for a job, I want the person hiring to easily scan it and not have to adjust to complicated shapes and headers. I do believe that the examples shown in this article are aethetically pleasing and pretty, but they are not necessarily what I need. Maybe individuals in other professions would benefit from them, as I see some resumes including large chunks of written text. Regardless, I think I'll take some inspiration from the photos in the article on how small changes can improve the resumes I've already created.
I don't think that resume templates are an inherently bad idea, but I think they often fall into traps and bad habits in the interest of being eye-catching, and most templates are not geared towards theatrical resumes, which are usually a little different than 'standard' resumes. Nearly all of the templates in this article are certainly graphically appealing, but they use huge color blocks that waste ink and look bad in black and white. They also don't use space effectively: a resource often invaluable for a theatrical resume because getting a job is dependent not only on your skills, but on who you know. The more productions, theaters, and people on your resume, the better chance you'll have something or someone in common with your potential employer. These templates leave space only for a few skills, a few jobs, and some fancy graphics. Catching someone's eye isn't useful if they aren't impressed by what they see.
Resume templates are nice in some ways, but they definitely can negatively effect how much your resume stands out during a job search process. I personally used a template for my resume, but I chose a simpler one and changed some of the structural elements to make it my own. Overall, templates helped me to put all the information on the page in an easier way than if I had formatted my own. I'm not really great with paperwork because I haven't taken any of those classes yet so it is helpful. I usually enjoy having a resume with a little bit of color, especially since we are designers, but at the same time that can be a pain when you don't have a color printer, and then you are left with random blocks in grey scale. Overall, they are a useful tool in general, however if one has the means it is nice to make your own template to really stand out from the crowd.
I think that this is an extremely helpful article as many different careers, not just theatre, require professional resumes when applying for a job. However, I've personally never really liked the idea of using a template for creating a resume. I suppose that creates the possibility of having multiple resumes look exactly the same, and I think that there should be an element of creativity when creating a resume in order to show more of who you are as a person. With this in mind, I do like that the article does mention multiple times that there are many templates and websites that do allow you to do just that. I think it would be a good idea that, if you were to look for a template in order to make a resume, that you take that template and feel free to change it up. As artists in the theatre industry, taking a template and making it completely different to show your own aesthetic can be helpful in showing who you are as said artist.
I’ve got to be honest—I’m not a fan of resume templates. Sure, they’re pretty, modern, have nice graphics, but in my experiences of searching for an effective way to create my resume, I just don’t understand why they need to be that complicated. The point of a resume is to spell out your qualifications for a position, and the most important thing there is the information presented. If that information is clouded by a bunch of colors or lines or imagery, it’s extremely distracting. I mean, unless you’re applying for a graphic design position or something, I don’t see the draw towards something so complicated, as the majority of templates I’ve seen are. I’ve used templates before to test them out, mostly on the site Canva, and I don’t like how restricted they are in terms of format. I’ve found that I am best able to communicate what I need on my resume by just formatting the document from scratch. I may go searching for inspiration from template examples, but it’s the most effective when I do it myself. Also, not to mention the fault that someone else in that stack of resumes could use your same template, and you’ve lost a bit of originality. Of course, that’s just my opinion. Template sites are useful to a degree, but I support “DIY” resume formats!
While Envato does seem to have some pretty attractive résumé templates, I personally have not ever really vibed with a template. I have a résumé outline that I created now that I am pretty comfortable with, but I know not everyone does. I think that - in a creative industry such as ours - there is sometimes a pressure to completely relay your creative persona on your résumé. I also think that, inevitably, there is almost always a possibility of someone else in an employer’s stack of résumés and cover letters having the exact same (or very close to the same) layout as you. I am very much of the mindset that you are more likely to be able to convey your true personality if you create your résumé yourself. I also think that résumé templates tend to be sort of chunky and almost hard-to-read. I understand that most résumé templates are sort of compartmentalised, but the column tactic - for me - is harder to read than straight-across formats.
Updating my resume template is something I've been meaning to do for a while so this article was very timely. One thing that I've always struggled with when it comes to resumes is the idea of wanting it to all fit on a single side of a single piece of paper. Personally, I think if it's possible it's preferable since it allows people to a sense of who you are in a single glance. This can create a need for an itty-bitty font that has a tendency to look uninviting and cluttered. Like many before me, I also agree that using just a template can set you up for an ordinary look and thus it should be used more for inspiration than finished look. You want to maintain a sense of originality and personality without looking too flowery or unprofessional. It's about the skills you're presenting more than the delivery platform.
I agree that using a resume template can be stifling creatively and problematic in the possibility of the person reviewing your resume may have already seen it. Especially in our field, because this may show a lack of creativity to your interviewer. But, I think if I knew about resume templates (other than the ones on Google Docs) in high-school, my life would have been much easier. I was so lost when I was trying to build my resume for college applications and, honestly, it didn't end up great. I just didn't have a lot of guidance on the industry standards for a resume. I think that learning to build your own resume is really important, but young people need some guidance there. In the end, the content of the resume is really the important part. Of course, it should look professional and polished, but if you have the skills and can manage to avoid ridiculous typos and grammar mistakes, you're probably fine. Like I said, my resume for college applications wasn't very artistic, but I ended up where I wanted to be, so I think the content was the most important thing. Honestly, whether you go with a template or personally created resume, it's going to be fine. Just look professional and everything will work out.
We actually just discussed resume templates in professional preparation on Tuesday. Many negative aspects of a resume were looked at and it was recommended we not use a template for our long term theatrical resumes. The first issue is unnecessary information that promotes judgment based on things other than your skills like age, marital status, picture, birthday, etc. Not only do these items not allow anything but assumptions but they take up precious space. Speaking of space, on a theatrical resume space is usually tough because of the standard collum format. Many modern resume templates take up a precious ⅓ of side space for personal information when that info could be 1-2 lines at the top. Another thing that sometimes appears in those side columns is skills bars. These offer not only a limited amount of skills, but they don’t showcase everything about a skill. If you have skills listed and the interviewer wants to know more they will ask. Finally, a key worry with template resumes is that thousands upon thousands of people use the same resumes to apply to jobs and in an industry so focused on individuality and creativity, a unique resume can set you apart.
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