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Creative resumes: Worth the risk or career suicide?
December 11, 2009 | Tagged job hunting, resumes | 2 Comments
I have a confession to make: I added a splash of color to my resume.
I know, I know; many people say not to, but I couldn’t help myself. I just learned the basics of using InDesign this semester and wanted to practice my skills.
And while there are those out there who warn against the evils of getting creative with your resume, I stand by my decision because I think of it as a way of branding myself.
Along with presenting myself as a solid, detail-oriented public relations writer and team player, I also want to show employers that I am a creative thinker.
Now I may be wrong – and feel free to tell me so – but I plan to incorporate a clean, original and unobtrusive design into every form of communication I use during my future job hunt (i.e., my resume, cover letter, Web site and blog). This way I can show employers that I put into practice what I’ve learned about design and branding.
I would never send out an uninspired news release plugged into a tired template to promote a client. Why would I do that with my resume to promote myself?
The way I see it, if an employer picks up my resume and automatically throws it in the trash because of a bit of color, then that organization is probably not right for me anyway.
I understand that with a down economy, I should probably take the advice of professionals who say I’m making a common mistake. But with so much conflicting advice swirling around, I’m willing to trust my instincts, take a risk and see where it might take me.
-Brittany Hopkins
Comments
2 Comments so far
I wanna see the resume!
If I were you, I will search for very good online writing jobs to receive a lot of smashing releases close to this topic!