Clean, gray blocks of letters on the pages of conventional resumes can only do so much in helping a job applicant stand out to a prospective employer.

In today’s tough job market, grabbing an employer’s attention requires applicants to be creative in every respect.  One segment of the talent pool that does an exceptional “job-seeking job” with its resumes is designers.  These artists have to be creative because design agencies are usually bombarded with hundreds of applications.

Last week, the Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team blogged about “Resume Writing 101.”  This week, the team thought that taking a look at some unusual but effective resumes might help inspire some applicants as they put together their own.  The resumes we’re going to take a look at might not be appropriate when seeking more buttoned-down jobs, but they do hint at possibilities for thinking beyond the ordinary.

For great resumes from people working in various creative fields, here’s a look at some of the best – “100 Most Creative Example Resumes of All Time” posted by Megha on Savedelete.com.

• Temitope Shoda is a London-based designer and aspiring architect.  The concept of his Pocket CV (curriculum vitae) was to create a portable mini portfolio that clearly illustrated his work but was light and easy to carry about.  His aim was to create a resume that expressed the idea of construction and art. He did this by using a “bolt and wash” fixing to hold the CV together. The fixing expresses the idea of construction while the pages express the idea of art.
• Michael Anderson, based in Romney, W. Va., is a designer, photographer and illustrator whose resume is an Infographic—a graphic visual representation of the information, data and knowledge underlying his career.  Anderson’s “resume-as-Infographic” presents complex information quickly and clearly.  In his visually compelling self-presentation, Anderson doesn’t show any of his actual work yet he still succeeds in showing off his talent. Not only can he create great graphics, he also proves he can turn “boring” facts and figures into something exciting.
• Ariane Denise Lunod earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and PR from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in May 2009. She currently works as a home-based copywriter for an international brand of lingerie.  Fashion is her passion and she’s interested in becoming an account executive for a multinational advertising agency or landing a job at a fashion magazine.  Her highly creative, visually graphic resume presents her awards and achievements using arresting images placed on a busy desktop background covered with manual typewriter, paper clips and notes, but with an iPhone thrown in to keep things current.
• Twenty-three-year-old Hong Kong designer Chester, LAU Cheuk Hang created a resume with white text on black background supporting his focus on information design, typography, illustration and branding.
• Sabrina Saccocio is a TV, radio, print and Web producer who created a new kind of CV — resume as Facebook page.  “How brilliant is this?” blogged Steve Pratt, the Director of CBC Radio 3 who received this resume.  “She’s taken a format everyone is familiar with – the Facebook profile page – and totally subverted it into a resume.”
• In his “Curriculum Vitae,” Chicago-based graphic designer Greg Dizzia used colorful graphics to list his history in the design world (some lesser clients have been left out). It took him approximately 15 hours to design and build the resume.  He used Univers, a realist sans-serif typeface, exclusively.  “This is an appendage to a traditional resume, to be included as a forward page in my portfolio.  During an interview … my resume itself was becoming a pivoting point in the negotiation of my position.”  Dizzia says he gets much better reactions from people in creative positions than from people in HR.
• Krista Gregg is a Chicago-based graphics designer and 2005 Westwood College (Chicago) graduate with a b.a. in applied science visual communications.  Krista went noticeably retro with a designed based on letter-sized lined notebook paper universally familiar to students.
• Francis Homo, like Ariane Denise Lunod, earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising and PR from Polytechnic University of the Philippines.  In his highly visual resume, Francis creatively split his career experiences along a right-brain / left brain motif.
• Texas-based Kristian Leigh Walsh was inspired by a childhood game in creating this resume.  The Game of Life, also known simply as LIFE, is a board game originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley, as The Checkered Game of Life (and later produced by the Milton Bradley Company of Springfield, Mass.). The Game of Life, America’s first popular parlor game, simulates a person’s travels through his or her life, from college to retirement, with jobs, marriage and possible children along the way.  Kristian simply followed the game outline as a resume career track.

First impressions are lasting, and in the case of a job application, critical.  The resume is usually one of the first items, along with a cover letter and sometimes job application packet, which a potential employer encounters regarding a job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants.  If the resume is satisfactory, only then will an interview follow.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team has seen many a good resume, and rejected many a poor one.

Having a solid and effective resume can increase your chances of getting a call from a recruiter. Applicants need to be aware that recruiters spend, on average, about 10 seconds reviewing a resume, so having a top-notch resume is critical to land the interview.

A good resume will:

1. Have the basic information listed: At the top of the page, all relevant contact information should be listed which includes your name in larger font as well as phone and email information.  Also, check that your voice mail message is appropriate. If a recruiter calls and hears an inappropriate voicemail message, they may just hang up.
2. Be current:  a recruiter is not in favor of finding out during the pre-screen that the resume they have is not current and is missing relevant information.  So keep your resume current! A current resume demonstrates you are serious about finding a job and is detail oriented.
3. Have a career objective: what is the objective of the applicant’s career path.  Be realistic.  Writing you want to be President of the company but yet have not made it to management is probably not realistic.
4. Use the right key words: Recruiters are now using electronic databases to mine for applicants, which mean they put in key words into a ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and if your resume doesn’t have the key words they are searching for, chances are you are already out of the running.  One way to understand what an employer is looking for is to review the job posting and job description. Identify what the employer is looking for and add those key words into your resume.
5. Include professional accomplishments vs. responsibilities:  What are some significant professional accomplishments that could possibly get the recruiters attention?  Use action verbs and statistics here.  For example, “Project managed a team of board operators to design and implement a new manufacturing process which increased production by 30% resulting in $300k in revenue per quarter.”
6. Include a descriptive past professional experience:  Applicants should list, most recent job title, company name and brief description of the company, City, State and dates of employment.  For example,

Director of Manufacturing

“XYZ Company, a semi-conductor manufacturer “ Ontario, CA

Jan 2009-present

If you have been at one employer for several years, you may want to note all positions you have held there and include the skill sets you developed.  It can also show you are promotable.

1. Demonstrate Continual Education, Professional Development & Professional Memberships:  In this area, the recruiter is looking for educational credentials and looking to see how the applicant is staying current in their profession.
2. Be straightforward and to the point: Save some stuff for the interview, please.  One of the oldest rules of resume writing is “Limit it to one page.”  Also, use bullets; a recruiter does not have time to read a full page of text so keep your thoughts straightforward and to the point.
3. Keep work experience relevant to the job you are applying: Recruiters are looking for applicants that have a solid experience in their profession.  It could create an unfavorable image if you mentioned you were studying culinary but are looking for an accounting job.
4. Proof read your resume:  Recruiters frown upon resumes with typos, and one small typo can decrease your chances of landing that interview.  So proof it a couple times and have someone else proof for you.

Our notoriously litigious society has made it a continuous challenge for employers to defend themselves from “sue-happy” employees. It has become far too easy for employees to sue their employers and as a result many employers are increasingly apprehensive about taking the necessary steps to address disciplinary actions.

HR managers are typically the “progressive discipline gurus” of a company, but let’s not overlook one major detail. Line managers need to be just as proficient in progressive discipline procedures since they are the key discipline agents. In essence, line managers should be viewed as an extension of HR management when dealing with disciplinary actions. There are a few fundamental elements of workplace due process that can improve the employer confidence in taking the appropriate disciplinary actions when needed.

First, in an appropriate, safe atmosphere the employee needs to be informed of what the problem is and what efforts can be taken to rectify the situation. Second, the employee needs to be given the opportunity to fix the problem within a reasonable time line. Lastly, the employee needs to be aware of the consequences if he or she does not show noticeable improvement. These disciplinary actions appear to be reasonable and logical, however, this is far easier said than done, which is why we have progressive discipline procedures.

The strategies of progressive discipline, shifts the sole responsibility for improvement away from the company and toward its employees (where it rightfully belongs). The way to do this is by meeting the employee half way to show equitable accountability for improvement.

How can employers meet employees half way? Well, for starters, there must be a progressive discipline policy in place that provides a clear systematic uniform approach to informing an employee of his or her unsatisfactory performance and/or conduct.

Progressive discipline counters the notion of at-will employment. The concept that employees may quit their jobs at anytime and employers may fire employees at anytime for any reason is a mere delusion of at-will employment even during the so-called “probationary” period. In my humble opinion, having a probationary period is a moot point since employers must still show cause for the termination if they are being sued during that time period.

Well-documented written warnings showing the employer’s intent of meeting the employee half way is the responsible way an employer can demonstrate their use of greater due process. Integrating a progressive discipline system will improve the confidence and skills of line managers to properly address situations that require disciplinary actions.

Ronnie Perez
HR Consultant
RPerez@ghrogroup.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnieperez

Hi,

I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for all your assistance during this hiring process with Job Corps, You have a natural ability to make people feel at ease while talking with you and that makes for a more confident candidate! Normally in my current position I am the one interviewing people for positions so this was a change for me to be on the other end and you deserve a lot of credit for helping me get the position.

So thanks again for a job very well done! I look forward to staying in touch with you via e-mail to let you know how things progress.

Thanks again!

Jason Ayer

In part 1 of this 4 part series we explored the first step of the selection interviewing framework listed below. In part 2 we discussed the preparation of interview questions. In part 3 we explored the correct way to conduct the interview itself. Part 3 addressed the third stage of the framework, name gathering evidence. Finally part 4 will put the entire process together. As always we will refer to the selection interviewing framework shown below. To read the rest of the article, click here the-employment-interview-part-4 

In part 1 of this 4 part series we explored the first step of the selection interviewing framework listed below. In part 2 we discussed the preparation of interview questions. In part 3 we will explore the correct way to conduct the interview itself. As always we will refer to the selection interviewing framework shown below. Part 3 addresses the third stage of the framework, name gathering evidence. To read the rest of the article, click here the-employment-interview-part-3

In part 1 of this 4 part series we explored the first step of the selection interviewing framework listed below. Planning is key to the interviewing process, as it sets the stage for getting the most out of the time available to you and the applicant. In part 2 we will discuss the preparation of interview questions. As always we will refer to the selection interviewing framework shown below. Part 2 addresses the second stage of the framework, namely gathering evidence.  To read the rest of this article, please click here:  the-employment-interview-part-2-2

Most seasoned recruiters understand that there is more to an interview than a series of standardized questions.  Interviews need to be well planned with questions developed to get an understanding if the candidate has the right skill-set for the job and if they are a correct fit for the company. Additionally, the interviewer will need to be able to analyze the candidates answers without bias and come up with an ultimate decision and/or recommendation to proceed with an offer to hire….or, not.  When interviewing is conducted correctly the employment interview is a powerful tool in hiring the right person.  To read the rest of Jeff’s discussion on the Employment Interview, please click here the-employment-interview