"How do I make my resume stand out?"
At my last job I worked as a receptionist. We were hiring, and I often had a stack of resumes turned in each day. There are a million and one free templates available online, and yet as I looked at the resumes in front of me they were all plain, standard 12 point Roman font pages. Boring, and nearly identical. If you want to stand out from the crowd, then stand out from the crowd- firstly with your resume.
1. Pick a Design. Please.
Those millions of free resume templates I mentioned? Do a quick Google search and pick one that stands out to you. Love one that costs money? Make it yourself for free in Google Drive-- you don't even need software! Living in a time where there are so many applicants for each job, blending in is not going to cut it. When I designed a resume for a woman with no degree and no work experience she got a job paying over double minimum wage within a week. The hiring agent said he immediately called her because of her resume. It matters. Put forth the effort to make your resume stand out. It will pay off, I promise.
2. Add A Photograph
Did you know that business cards and resumes with photos are less likely to be thrown out? It has to do with psychology and how with a photograph, a resume changed from a piece of paper to the representation of an actual human being. So add a photo. Put an image to your name. But remember, this represents you as a professional. No duck faced selfies, no group shots. A clean professional headshot. Smile, you want them to want to work with you.
3. Add A Pop of Color
Unless you're skilled in design and have a black and white composition that is stellar; an easy way to stand out from all the other black and white resumes is to add a pop of color. Don't overdo it, we don't want it to look like an elementary school teacher's lesson for Kindergartners. But a simply splash of color within your design can make your resume sparkle. So add that color margin.
If you ever need someone to give you tips or look over your resume, send it my way!