Appearances Count
Overall appearance is the first thing people notice about a resume: a two-second glance is enough to distinguish an attractive resume from an uninspiring one. The two examples below contain identical information but they look very different. Which one do you find more appealing?
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Remember, your resume is a reflection of yourself. If you create a resume that is top-notch, or average, or sub-par, you’re making a statement about yourself in each case. That statement – be it good, bad, or mediocre – helps an employer make a decision on whether to grant you a job interview. If you don’t get an interview, you don’t get the job.
A resume’s appearance is not its most important characteristic (content is) but it’s the first important one. Within two seconds, the resume on the left has already made a poor impression in the eyes of an employer, and now faces an uphill battle attempting to reverse that impression. By contrast, the resume on the right makes an employer think “Ah, what have we here?” Bingo!