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.

Every business has at least one HPE: a habitually problematic employee.  As an owner or HR manager, your lucky day comes when that employee parts ways with the business—lucky, until another employer calls for your opinion of HPE.  Awkward.

So what now?  Do you tell the employer what you really think about HPE?  Do you gloss over HPE’s 2-hour lunches?  Do you fake static and hang up?  Not only is this situation uncomfortable, but it presents potential legal troubles if improperly handled.

Some businesses solve this problem by routing all reference checks through the HR Department.  There, only basic information is verified, such as dates of employment and job title.  This option will definitely keep your business out of legal hot water, but it may displease managers who want to shout HPE’s negative qualities from the rooftops.  In these cases, advise miffed managers how important it is that the business distributes consistent, carefully worded statements.  Even the most truthful statements, if poorly worded, can be twisted into legal ammunition.

Another way to shield personnel from these uncomfortable inquiries is to deal with HPE proactively.  There are two ways to do this.  First, ask HPE for a signed release allowing the business to give out reference information.  If HPE refuses to sign, explain to reference-seekers that HPE did not consent to release information.  Second, tell HPE at the exit interview that the business won’t be able to provide a positive reference.  That should be enough for HPE to look for support elsewhere.

New research from the Economic Policy Institute shows public sector employees may be getting a bad rap.

According to this research, contrary to popular belief, public sector employees are not paid better than private sector employees.  Government workers actually earn an annual average of $6,061 less than their private sector counterparts.  Even including the government’s oft-touted benefits packages, public workers still make $2,001 less per year.  The study also made a point of controlling factors such as education and number of hours worked, since public sector employees tend to be more highly educated and work fewer hours.

These findings may come as a surprise to the half of Americans who, according to a Washington Post poll, think federal government employees are overpaid.  The poll also found a third of Americans think private sector employees are more skilled than government workers.  A whopping three-quarters of Americans believe federal employees receive higher pay and benefits than their private sector counterparts.

It’s clear old stereotypes are hard to break, but an interesting trend may be afoot.  The Washington Post poll noted adults over 65 harbored more negativity toward government workers, while adults under 30 were far more likely to believe government employees were fairly compensated—or better yet, not compensated enough.

In addition to offering payroll services, and managing employee benefits and government compliance issues, GHRO offers recruitment services for businesses looking to outsource their human resources needs. Recently, we received a letter from one of our clients telling us how GHRO was able to help her out.

Hi Margo:

You went above and beyond! I appreciate it.

I am doing great. I have to say I absolutely LOVE working for Job Corps.
The people are fantastic, and the Center Director is amazing. I love her
spirit and she is quite the mover and a shaker.

Working for an organizations whose core values that parallel my own is a
breath of fresh air and the students are absolutely delightful. I think
you did an excellent job of pairing us together and hope this is the
beginning of a very long relationship!

Best,
Renee

If you’re looking to hire professional caliber employees, or you’re looking for the next step in your career, Global Human Resources Outsourcing may be able to help you on your way!

Our society is becoming so inundated with tasks and work-related duties that unhappiness at the office is encroaching on employee health. We all know that having happy workers limits turn-over and the higher the job satisfaction, the more likely employees are to put forth their best effort. By creating a fun and home-like working atmosphere, you’ll make work fun, enjoyable, and ease stress at the same time!

Google was voted the number one company to work for in 2007. It’s no surprise considering life at the search engine giant is very relaxed and stress free; employee benefits abound. While some companies stress time lines and attire, Google emphasizes recreating the home experience at work. Employees can do laundry, work out at the gym, receive a massage and learn a new language. Feeling a little under the weather? Visit Google’s on-site doctor. Buying a hybrid? Google will give you $5,000 towards the purchase price. Expecting a child? They’ll reimburse you up to $500 in take-out food. If you ask any employee what they do at Google they’ll typically respond a personal embodiment of the company’s mission statement- “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” This kind of motivation by employees is rarely seen, but envied by most.

Google’s goal, as often recited by employees, is ambitious (to say the least). Thankfully, Google just happened to find the right people to take it on. By creating a comfortable work environment, employees are not burdened with stress. Instead, employees are motivated to collectively achieve a similar goal; indexing information and making it useful. Google wouldn’t be the tech giant it is today without its bevy of happy employees. The appeal of a work environment that mimics their homes stimulates productivity and increases employee moral, making Google one of the most sought-after employers in the world.

Even if you don’t have the resources of a Silicon Valley titan, you can easily follow Google’s ideology, making your employees happy too. The first step may just be rethinking how you see your company. Simply making the mission statement more accessible and personal will help employees insert more of themselves in to their work and ease stress levels. Extend the home experience to work and rethink the office; would you want to live in it? If you wouldn’t mind spending an evening or weekend at the office because it’s hospitable and welcoming, you’re on the right track. Make the office a place your employees love to be, rather than the place they dread to go.

Employees need to come first in a company, as they are the heart and soul of your business. Creating a comfortable work environment that mimics a home eases stress, raises morale and increases productivity. Even simple changes can greatly affect employee health and happiness in a positive way, which will certainly lead to long-term growth for your business.

It’s usually very clear why a company would invest in hiring an excellent law or accounting firm to represent their interests.  These two industries offer services that save their clients countless amounts of money annually. Business owners easily see the intrinsic value of investing in these firms, yet often have a hard time seeing the benefits of investing in their company’s human resources.

Recruitment Services: Attract Better Talent

It is necessary for a firm to identify the skill set that they are seeking in a potential employee in order to target their search appropriately.  An empowered Human Resources team is able to clearly identify their firm’s hiring needs and is less limited in the tools available when seeking out the best ways to fill those positions.  In the long run, better hiring practices will bring better employees.

Employee/Labor Relations: Minimize Employee Turnover

Maintaining high levels of job satisfaction amongst staff is the key to keeping long-term employees, especially in this tumultuous economy.  By investing in Human Resources, companies are able to stay on the leading edge of benefits; employees can trust that their employer cares about their health and happiness, adding to their overall opinion of their workplace.

Human Resources Management: Increase Productivity

By identifying and targeting productivity goals, firms are able to set realistic expectations for growth and monitor progress over time.  Additionally, maintaining long-term staff allows for growth and development within a position, allowing employees to bring more beneficial skill sets to the table and positively impact their work environment.

By putting these ideas into practice with Human Resources Outsourcing, companies are able to focus directly on the task at hand and become more productive and thus, more profitable. What would your company be capable of accomplishing if you streamlined your operations through HR Outsourcing?

Companies invest a lot of time, money and energy sending recruiters to job fairs conducted all over the world. However many employers are finding they are leaving empty handed, frustrated and without the qualified employees they were seeking.

Although job fairs are not completely unsuccessful, many companies realize that the resumes they collect at such events are far below the standards they were originally searching for. The fact remains that most employers are just not willing to settle, especially in an economy ripe with individuals seeking employment.

Top Reasons Why Job Fairs Fail to Find Talent:

• Low Caliber of Attendees
• Poor Turnout
• Disorganization
• Lack of Strong Candidates
• Insufficient Promotional Efforts

The failure of companies to effectively find strong candidates at job fairs is one of the major reasons they are turning to professional employment organizations as an alternative. By utilizing the staffing and recruiting services of human resourcing outsourcing specialists companies are finding talented employees when they need them. A PEO will provide the expertise to handle recruiting, pre-screening, position placement, training and even HR management.

Top Reasons Why Human Resources Outsourcing Works To Find Talent:

• Large Inventory of Candidates
• Thorough Pre-Screening Procedures
• Highly Skilled
• Invaluable Referrals
• Flexibility

By choosing human resources outsourcing over a job fair for finding talented employees companies can rely on the expert recruitment services of a professional team of HR specialists to assess each candidate ensuring the right fit for employers while saving them both time and money.

Companies who are seeking to expand into technical fields or have taken on a project that requires employees who have special skills are finding solutions in hiring independent contractors and outsourcing agencies.

When expanding into a new arena, utilizing human resources outsourcing is an effective and reliable way to access experts with the technical background and skills needed to complete the project.

Many times retaining a full-time employee would not be profitable. Enlisting the help of an outsourcing vendor is a cost-effective way to achieve short-term staffing flexibility while filling the job to completion. By allotting the responsibility to a team of professionals provided by a professional employment organization, companies can reduce risks associated with the improper execution of additional projects or expansion.

The Advantages of Human Resources Outsourcing for Companies Seeking Skilled Employees:

• Lowered developmental operating costs
• Greater focus on production and implementation
• Access to latest technologies
• Access to employees with technical knowledge
• Efficient employee management

It is estimated by the year 2012 this country will be short three million skilled workers. A recent survey found that over 20 percent of American businesses are having difficulty finding the right people to fill open positions. By using a professional employment organization for recruitment services and HR management, companies can utilize skilled employees for one particular project without having to take on the expense and risks of hiring a full time employee.

The most commonly outsourced skilled labor includes:

• Web Design
• Computer Programming
• Data Entry
• Research and Development
• Creative Services
• Engineering
• Legal Services
• Payroll Services
• Recruitment Services
• Healthcare Services
• Customer Support
• Accounting
• Tax Preparation
• Manufacturing
• HR Management

Staying competitive in today’s marketplace often means expanding into broader arenas. Outsourcing can resolve the problem of recruiting, training and managing skilled labor.

With advancing technologies currently dominating the marketplace, companies are seeking the help of Professional Employee Organizations (PEO’s) to find the qualified employees they need in order for to stay competitive.

Searching for talent can be a big ticket item and many businesses are finding they are coming up empty handed without enlisting the help of human resources specialists whose sole focus is to find, train and retain skilled employees.

The Benson Strategy Group released a 2009 study indicating that as high as 62% of employers reported difficulty finding employees that met the criteria of the positions they needed to fill. Based on the online surveys and telephone polls of 1,000 workers and over 600 employers, findings indicated that the shortage of qualified employees has had, and continues to have, a negative impact on businesses.

As a significant percentage of the jobs that are opening up are in fields such as advancing technologies, medicine, clean energy research, biotech and engineering, many companies are struggling to gain access to a job pool with the required skill set.

The biggest problem seems to be a discrepancy between the supply of qualified applicants and the demand for them. Most of the higher paying jobs with attractive benefits packages once drew plenty experienced candidates, but the tasks of filling these positions has become more time consuming and expensive than many businesses can afford in a down economy.

This is why many small and mid-sized businesses are adapting to the times and hiring PEO’s to do what they can’t: fill open positions for skilled labor. A professional employer organization offers recruitment services and HR management that includes human resources outsourcing, benefits outsourcing, employee/labor relations, employee leasing, HR consulting, payroll services, safety and worker’s compensation and many other HR services.

A full service PEO provides solutions for businesses staffing shortages and specializes in matching the most qualifies employees with the right employers. A PEO’s goal is not only to recruit the best candidates for their clients but also to increase job satisfaction and retention rate.

Utilizing the Hr services of a PEO is the ideal solution for businesses that are experiencing staffing shortages. Many companies are realizing they are not only cost effective, but are an advantage in regards to their production rate as well as to their bottom line.