Scoring an internship is a huge deal – it’s very exciting to learn what it will be like working in your chosen field. Bonus: it also counts towards your credits needed to graduate! Before you get that opportunity though, you need to nail your interview. And before you do that, you need to catch the eye of your possible future employer, which is not achieved by having the same old, boring resume template that almost every other candidate will have. Did you know you can be creative and professional? There are a few extra steps you can make to ensure your resume stands out. You can add color, create a personal logo, and even arrange your information in an unusual but exciting new format.
When it comes to stepping out of the typical black and white box resumes usually fall in, there are multiple ways in which you can brighten yours up. For example, you can add fun colored shapes to the background of your resume like the one below:
The extra colors do not take away from any of the information that Nathalie has on her resume, instead they give it a lot of personality.
Another thing you can do is create a personal logo for yourself. This will usually include your initials and/or something you are known for or really like. You can certainly incorporate some color into it as well! Whatever it takes to make the logo scream you, do it. That being said, don’t go overboard with designs that are too fancy, or else it might not be clear what exactly it is when it’s on your resume. Keep it simple, but let your creativity shine. There are tons and tons of examples of personal logos online, especially on Pinterest, if you need something to jumpstart your brain for ideas. They are also fairly easy to make. If you don’t have access to something like Photoshop or Illustrator, you can use the free website canva.com to create a logo. Here are some examples below:
The final thing you can do to add some pizzazz to your resume is organize your information in a fun way. The possibilities are endless here! You can use graphs as a measure of your skills in certain areas, charts to lay them all out, anything you can imagine! A professor here at Delaware Valley University even has a timeline on his resume that explains where he worked and when/how long he had that job. There is so much you can do when it comes to getting creative with how your information is presented.
You don’t have to have the standard boring resume. If you want a better chance at potential employers reaching out to you, you have to be different from everyone else! One of the best and easiest ways to do that is by creating a fun, eye-catching resume that will stand out to those reviewing them. These are only a few methods of sprucing your resume up, but there are a million and one other ways to do it too! Feel free to look for more inspiration online too, as there are thousands of creative resume examples right on Google. Good luck!
Written by: Brynn Miller