Infographic Resume


A great deal of standing out in the competitive job market comes down to the quality of your resume. When you have six seconds of a recruiter’s attention, a single misstep can cost you a career opportunity. With such tremendous pressure, maybe you’re wondering if there is an additional step you can take that will kick your resume game up a notch. Depending on the circumstances, you can consider creating an infographic resume.

An infographic resume utilizes graphic design elements to tell the same story that a traditional resume (also called a chronological resume) would. In lieu of just text in the standard layout, an infographic resume uses a unique layout with colors, icons, and other stylings to display your information.

Before you embark on creating a resume that relies on visuals, you must be absolutely sure of a couple things. First, your traditional resume is the best it can be. Second, you have the design skills. A poorly created infographic resume will hinder your efforts. If you’re determined to create one, or you’ve been asked to submit one, but lack the high-level design skills required, you will need to ask for help from someone with those capabilities. A successful infographic resume is tricky to create, so don’t hesitate to seek assistance.

Remember, an infographic resume is still telling a story and is a tool that highlights the relevance of your candidacy, meaning it must be professional. The use of colors and graphics and fonts can tempt something that is too bold for a resume. Keep the colors minimal and basic (nothing neon, for example), keep the fonts standard (not comic sans), and don’t add in any cutesy clip art. Similar to a traditional resume that highlights your experience in an organized, sensible flow on the page, an infographic resume must accomplish the same results. You want the graphics to be clean, easy to read, and present a clear timeline of content.

If you need examples of a successful infographic resume, there are plenty of materials available online that can provide guidance. This also includes general design rules to keep in mind, such as kerning, which essentially means the spacing between your words is even.

Most recruiters will ask for a traditional resume, which is why it’s important that your chronological resume is perfect. If you’re not asked for an infographic resume, but want to flaunt some of your creativity, you can submit it as supplemental material to an application, especially if you’re emailing with a recruiter or hiring manager. As with all applications, use your best judgment for the appropriate materials required. You don’t want to submit anything that will hurt your chances, only material that will enhance you as a qualified candidate.

You can visit a no-cost Goodwill Career Center and ask a career advisor for assistance with job preparation, including resume building and interview techniques. Call 602-535-4444 to find a center near you or visit our locations page.

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