Don't be too creative

It's a competitive job market. Even in prosperous economic times, some industries are hard to break into. Job seekers often attempt to develop creative ways to get themselves noticed, but it is possible to get too crafty when building a resume. It is true that unique cover letters, resumes and portfolios can be effective, but if they require too much examination, they will be thrown to the side. Hiring managers simply do not have enough time to interact with each resume as much as the designer would like. When creating a resume, it is important to strike a balance between uniqueness and functionality.

One of the more important things to remember when designing a resume is that content is still king. The provided information is what will land an individual the job. Of course, in some cases, an overly creative resume will get a job seeker an interview. Though, if there is no experience to back it up, the individual will be turned away.

A good rule of thumb is that unique resumes work best for creative fields. Sending an interactive document to a financial firm and expecting them to positively respond is a bit foolish. An industry that heavily relies on numbers and equations won't find use out of a colorful resume. In fact, it will likely distract from its original purpose. Even in creative firms, it is important to not get too out of control. Art direction jobs, illustration jobs and brand management jobs want to see that an individual can think out-of-the-box. However, in each industry, the art also needs to be functional.

Creative resumes are more likely to win an interview in a smaller company. Larger organizations take less risks, which could help job seekers understand where to focus their creative juices. Small businesses want to see that an individual has a direction, one that will shine through their efforts. A timid employee can easily be manipulated by needy clients, and that won't help an agency succeed.

No matter the creative track an individual wishes to take, it is important to use design toward an end goal. A resume is the first impression an employer has of an individual, and while creativity can be an added bonus, making a hiring manager work harder than he has to in order to understand an individual's qualifications won't result in a successfully won interview.