5-Minute Resume (CV) Makeover: From Plain to Eye-Catching in 3 Easy Steps

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The 5-Minute Resume (CV) Makeover: From Plain to Eye-Catching in 3 Easy Steps!

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My Resume Philosophy: A Few Initial Thoughts on Cruciality of Appearance

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I’ve said these two things before as pertains to resumes and I’ll say them again:

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1) When it comes to resumes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression!

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2) In these ultra-competitive times when every job-opening elicits hundreds of resumes, in addition to proper structure and descriptive, well-written content, a resume must stand out from the crowd in an eye-catching manner.

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The Numbers Game:

When one thinks of the sheer volume of resumes which arrive in the inbox of a Human Resources manager, it is essential to make this potentially door-opening document of salesmanship and marketing stand out! It’s vital to never forget that each and every time you send out your resume, you are attempting to sell yourself!

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You will certainly find those purists in the resume-writing community who balk at the idea of going beyond the traditional, those who state that resumes should be based entirely on merit and not on eye-catching extras. I agree completely that resumes should present merit in the form of experience, education, skills and abilities. The problem is that all of your competitors for the position are also presenting meritorious resumes. Something extra might be called for, but the key word here is “subtle.”

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By way of links, you will find “Page 1” of two resumes in this blog article and learn how to write a CV with no experience. In terms of wording, they are 100% identical…absolutely no differences whatsoever. It is a fictitious resume which I have designed for illustrative purposes only. The point here is to see what some subtle, easy-to-make changes can do to make a resume more attention-grabbing.

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Resume #1: Well-Written and Descriptive but Risks Getting Lost in the Crowd

The first resume is in the form of the vast majority which are both submitted for job-openings and submitted to me for proofreading, editing and general “fixing.”  As you can see by clicking the following link and viewing the document, there is really nothing about its appearance which makes it stand out; it is one which for all intents and purposes risks getting lost among the hordes of others. It is black and white and written in “Times New Roman” font throughout.

Link:  http://bit.ly/dvYcCH(When page loads…could take 15 seconds… press “Open”)

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Resume #2: Same Wording, Brand-New Look!

The second resume, identical to the first in all written aspects, has been slightly and subtly altered to give a more eye-catching appearance. As such, the following changes have been implemented:

1) Fonts have been changed from “Times New Roman” to “Baskerville Old Face” and “Book Antiqua,” font styles which I personally find very eye-pleasing when it comes to resumes. They are easily readable and go beyond the blandness of NTR. I have gotten some great feedback from HR people regarding these choices.

2) The white background has been changed to one which contains subtle color and texture. This can be done very easily in WORD by clicking “Format” – “Background” – “Fill Effects.”

3) A watermark of the resume-owner’s name has been inserted. On printed resumes and documents of the past, a watermark has always been seen as an official mark, one which signifies importance and a bit of adornment. It is the reason why, in times past, people would spend significantly more for watermarked paper. Applied to an electronic document, the effect is no-less eye-catching. Nothing like your very own name splashed across your resume to instill some instant name recognition among the HR staff. A watermark can easily be applied to any resume with the following steps in WORD: “Format” – “Background” – “Printed Watermark.”

By clicking the following link, you can see the effect that the subtle changes listed above have had on the original document:

Link:  http://bit.ly/a1NZGm (When page loads, press “Open”)

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I hope that you have found the tips and advice contained in this posting to be useful. If so, you are cordially invited to read my previous post “Yonatan’s 5 Fundamental Principles for Constructing That Winning Resume” by clicking the following link: http://jobshuk.com/yoni67/blog/2010/02/11/5-tips-for-constructing-that-winning-resume/

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And as always, “Thank You” for visiting my blog and for taking the time to read what I have written!

 

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“Change Ahead” roadsign courtesy of www.flickr.com

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Having difficulty getting your resume in order? Overwhelmed and completely frustrated by the task ahead? Just don’t have the time? Then…

 

 Worrying. 

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My name is Yonatan Maisel. I am a professional writer, published author and business blogger.

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If you are seeking an experienced, proficient, skilled writer for your writing needs, I believe that you have come to the right place! I specialize in giving my clients that “personal touch” and in injecting vibrancy, vitality, enthusiasm and creativity into all of my written work! From resumes to corporate bios, from research to speeches, from ghost-blogging to web-content and much more…I will deliver a quality product at a very reasonable price. By clicking the following link http://jobshuk.com/yoni67 you will be redirected to my profile where you will find a summary of the services which I provide as well as a link to my website where my portfolio, testimonials and pricing can be found.