According to Entrepreneur.com, the wide variety of resume apps out there have started a new trend: infographic resumes. In certain industries, this can help you to stand out, but it can actually work against you in certain situations. It’s important to make sure that you understand the appropriate scenarios in which an infographic resume is appropriate and can even help you to get that coveted interview.
Make Sure the Employer Accepts App Submitted Resumes
One of the most important things that you must have before sending in an infographic resume is a resume app. According to Business Insider, this trend relates more to the flexibility of the resume viewing process as well as the support for a graphic based resume. Submitting an infographic resume to a business that does not accept resume app submissions is a bold and risky move that is not likely to get you the attention you want. If the business accepts emailed resumes, check to find out if they will accept infographic resumes.
Visual Requirements for an Infographic Resume
Your infographic resume must be prepared in a viewable form. In general, it’s best to stick with a .png or .jpeg image rather than going with a less popular version. It is vital that the infographic uses contrasting colors. It doesn’t matter whether the employer could find a software program that would open that file extension. Your potential employer should not have to download something to view your resume any more than he should have to subscribe to multiple recruiting services to find a good selection of candidates.
Make sure that your color scheme is also clear to see and easy to understand. Apps like the Infographic Resume and the Resume App allow you to create a great deal of variety in your resume. You could do it in gray scale. You could do it in pastels. As a general rule though, make sure that you are able to clearly distinguish between the various points on the resume. Also make sure that it is clearly labeled.
Adequate Summary of Your Skills
An infographic resume will allow you to creatively demonstrate the vast strength of your ability over the years. This is actually the main reason that the infographic resume has started to become popular. Through the graphs, you can visually demonstrate the impressive length of time you have spent in the industry. However, if you have not spent that much time in the industry or in a particular area, you may not want to use this form. It looks cool, but the infographic resume generally draws attention to the length of time involved. You don’t want them to leave seeing you as not having sufficient experience.
Make sure that you are also sending it to an employer in an industry that values the creative and the visual. Technology based jobs, youth worker jobs, and the like are all good choices. Medicine and science, on the other hand, tend to be less open to technology based apps, according to “Strange Facts About Key Business Industries.”
