50 shades of resume

50 Shades Of Resume #10: The Iconic

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 Resume 10

Robert Blankenship’s resume is a colorful affair, yet is also a standard resume. In fact, the more you examine it you realize that he’s actually got a literally iconic resume – it makes strong uses of icons, from the software he knows to even “iconifying” a logo for himself. He’s using them stylistically and as a kind of shorthand – and going with a kind of series of circular designs. That makes it stand out and I was glad to analyze it.

What are the advantages of this style – and the other design elements?

  • The icons are an interesting kind of shorthand. Between what they say, the unified style, and the fact it’s clever it quickly stands out.
  • The use of multiple colors is very appealing. This is a resume where the color doesn’t detract from the content.
  • It’s obviously scannable – and again is one of those one-page resumes I rarely see (oddly it seems artists are good at doing them).
  • This is a colorful resume that is also a good, solid, resume. It does the job.
  • Aside from the icons the columnar divisions for his experience are interesting ways to show a lot of information in a small space.
  • Getting this resume to work, from selecting icons to doing layout, shows real attention to detail.

A few things that may be problematic:

  • As I always say, I’d put skills at the top. This would work really well with this approach.  It also would establish his “style” early.
  • The use of the icons is fast, but it may say a bit too little about his skills. he clearly has more skills, and this may undersell him.
  • There’s a bit too much white space on the left column.
  • The “Find me column” doesn’t actually provide all the contact information. It’d be best with links.
  • The use of rectangular icons seems a bit disruptive to the rounded theme. Not sure that’s an issue as it goes with the rectacnular dividers.

I like the idea of using icons and logos on resumes, and Robert takes that pretty far. This is something to explore in designing interesting resumes.

Steve’s Summary: If I got this resume, I’d appreciate the clear design and effective communication – and the attention to detail. I’d want to know more about his skills.

[“50 Shades of Resume” is an analysis of various interesting resumes to celebrate the launch of the second edition of my book “Fan To Pro” and to give our readers inspiration for their own unique creations.]

– Steven Savage

50 Shades Of Resume #9: The Amazon-Alike

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Resume 9

So Phil Dubost created an online resume. But he decided to make sure his resume online didn’t look like a resume. Since people shop around for employes . . . he made it look like Amazon.

Yes, this is basically job applicant as product. On a site you recognize. Down to a redone logo, ratings, and recommendations. Phil went out of the way to put in an insane amount of detail.

What can we learn from Phil, beyond his love of running shoes? Here’s what I take from this resume:

  • It’s funny. Frankly very funny, because as you look at it you see more detail. it makes it almost relaxing to read, like a kind of puzzle or a treasure hunt.
  • There’s a sense of personality, from the humor it takes to do this to the large personal picture. There’s a sense of personal contact here – draws people in.
  • It’s clever. Phil shows his abilities, references, career, and so on in different formats. It’s all there, but in a different way.
  • It is, in the end, a full resume. So you get the entire story to boot.
  • It shows visual and technical skills. But what’s neat is you realize it after the fact – which adds more impact.  You see this, think about it, then go “ooooh!”

Now do I have any issues with this one? Not many, frankly.

  • It’s a bit of a “one-stunt” resume – clever, but essentially it has one major stunt and that’s a show of wit and design. The content in the end is important.
  • Obviously this has to go with a regular resume on a job search.
  • Updating it may be a pain because you have to match new designs.

One thing that might be useful with the resume is to devise it as a web site that lets you re-skin it as a number of other site designs. That’d show off technical skill, design skill, and builds on the humor of it. It’d also be educational as one maintained it.

Steve’s Summary: I’d definitely get a kick out of seeing this – especially as the humor and skill produce an immediate sense of the person. As Phil found a job it must’ve worked!

[“50 Shades of Resume” is an analysis of various interesting resumes to celebrate the launch of the second edition of my book “Fan To Pro” and to give our readers inspiration for their own unique creations.]

– Steven Savage

50 Shades Of Resume #8: The Random

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Resume 8

Many resumes are piles of stuff, especially if they’re not organized right. Sid Santos (who is in the Cool Name club with me apparently), desired to do this deliberately by making his resume look like . . . a pile of things.

Yes, his resume looks like a post-it note, a napkin drawing, and a cup of coffee. They just happen to have his contact information and career information on it.  It’s a clever design.

This is actually a resume that, the more you look at it, the more you see got done. There’s skills and a personal image, contact info and job history, little details and extras. It just looks like something else!

So what stands out?

  • First of all this is artistically brilliant. He has a resume that looks like other things that don’t look like a resume – that come together to be a resume. It’s clever.
  • It’s a great display of artistic skill as well. He makes it look really. it shows raw skill as well as cleverness.
  • It’s got a fun feel too it. Because it looks like an informal pile of things, it has a sense of whimsy. That’s also comforting – and makes me feel he doesn’t take himself overly seriously.
  • The self-illustration adds a personal touch, rounding off the experience.
  • It’s extremely professional and shows this guy knows what he’s doing.
  • In a way, it’s sort of a resume as a small portfolio of skill.

Now, a few things to consider in this resume:

  • It’s not a standard, scan-able resume. It would have to be paired with a regular resume or used appropriately.
  • I’m not sure I’d break the software out of the skills description, but it does work well by allowing him to use yet another medium of portrayal.
  • There’s some unused space that might be a bit too much.

Steve’s Summary: This’d get my attention if I saw this resume, it shows a lot of effort and imagination. I might want a “typical” resume to hand to HR, but it’s pretty clear this guy is the real deal. I’d want to phone interview someone that gave me this.

[“50 Shades of Resume” is an analysis of various interesting resumes to celebrate the launch of the second edition of my book “Fan To Pro” and to give our readers inspiration for their own unique creations.]

– Steven Savage