I recently applied for a campus job as a lab proctor. Even though it probably didn't require much (entry level, high school degree, computer skills, good disposition for friendly service* [*that last one is actually a scalable quality--for an ethical individual it demands as much as you can put forth and, in my opinion, can make a huge difference ]), I decided to explore some new ideas with my resume.
It worked so well, I got an interview before I even finished writing the resume! Actually, a miraculous set of coincidences and other events resulted in getting an interview date set up as I was still typing the resume--a story worth telling in itself--but I digress. I hastily incorporated these ideas into my #1 resume (for longer-term employment prospects in corporate sustainability consulting) and the image above captures the outcome.
There are four new(ish) things I feel somewhat successful in implementing/addressing with this new edition of resume:
With that said, I shift this post's focus into something I call the reality aesthetic (or the art of real life): it certainly communicates information, the content should be authentic, and a good resume should inspire wonder from its audience.
Julie Kell-Wolf, a counselor from UM-Dearborn's Career Center is one of the first people I've met whom openly admitted that she enjoys seeing some resumes as an art piece, and I agree.
It worked so well, I got an interview before I even finished writing the resume! Actually, a miraculous set of coincidences and other events resulted in getting an interview date set up as I was still typing the resume--a story worth telling in itself--but I digress. I hastily incorporated these ideas into my #1 resume (for longer-term employment prospects in corporate sustainability consulting) and the image above captures the outcome.
There are four new(ish) things I feel somewhat successful in implementing/addressing with this new edition of resume:
- Can you make your name more memorable? This part was inspired by Rachel Dearborn's wonderful resume--a real eye opener in so many ways for me.
- How can you organize your information better? I'll attribute this to a friend, Sarai Richter, whose resume utilized a two column layout (it almost blew my mind when I first saw it--"You can use the page like that!?! Wonderful!").
- Can people check out what you've done? This is my own innovation--perhaps other people have done it elsewhere, and credit to them, but I came across this on my own.
- Serif/Sans Serif font use. Huh? I've got Palatino Linotype and Calibri (or maybe Shruti, I don't remember which I chose for this) in the same document. Sans serif fonts tend to be associated with futuristic things, and seem to read more quickly. In a way, it reminds me of handwriting: people who write in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS TEND TO GET THINGS DONE WITH A STEADFAST, BLUDGEONING STYlE, while those with all lower case characters tend to have a more subtle approach. Yet those who do BOTH seem likely to mix it up in moderation.
With that said, I shift this post's focus into something I call the reality aesthetic (or the art of real life): it certainly communicates information, the content should be authentic, and a good resume should inspire wonder from its audience.
Julie Kell-Wolf, a counselor from UM-Dearborn's Career Center is one of the first people I've met whom openly admitted that she enjoys seeing some resumes as an art piece, and I agree.
Resumes are, in certain arenas of professional development, a common venture that everyone must create. Most importantly, they must meaningfully communicate part of your life history, interests, and ambitions. That's a lot of profound information for a few sheets of paper, but isn't that what many visual art pieces strive to achieve? Why not strive to make one of your best works then?
Visual intelligence (composition for color and arrangement) can be crucial to making information more digestible. Literary proficiency is important for concisely communicating ideas in words. While a resume may rely more on the written word, the subtleties of visual impact should not be ignored.
Visual intelligence (composition for color and arrangement) can be crucial to making information more digestible. Literary proficiency is important for concisely communicating ideas in words. While a resume may rely more on the written word, the subtleties of visual impact should not be ignored.
Happy creating and good luck with your life ventures!
1 comment:
Drat, I thought Orange would lean enough toward the yellow that it would be distinguishable for colorblind people, time to revise my color choices.
Tangent: I'm hoping to make some legislative recommendation to standardize the traffic lights nationwide (especially the sideways ones) so that they can be distinguished by brightness. If anyone has insight on drafting legislative recommendations, or color blindness/other visual impairments, please let me know!
Here's a good example of what goes on when color blind:
http://www.colourblindawareness.org/
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