Create a Visual Resume

A visual, or infographic, resume can help you stand out over other applicants who are vying for the same job. Especially if you are applying for a job in design, IT, or the arts, an infographic resume is a great way to showcase your personality, creativity, and skillset. Start by gathering all the information you need about your education, work history, skills, and qualifications. Then, pick a template and start building your visual resume with that content.

Steps

Writing and Organizing Your Resume

1. Plan on including your name and contact info at the top of your resume. You’ll need to give your phone number, email address, and home address. If you have more than 1 phone number, use the one you check the most.
   • If you’re currently in transition and don’t have a home address, it’s okay to leave it off.{{greenbox: Tip: Use a professional email address. If your personal email includes something other than your name, make a second free account to use for your job searches. For example, Bob.Smith@xyz.com looks much more professional than cutiebob123@xyz.com.}}
2. Craft a 2-3 sentence summary of your qualifications. This may be the first impression you get to give when applying for a job, so do your best to make it clear, dynamic, and relevant. Avoid getting too wordy or using run-on sentences.
   • Keep in mind that you can tailor the summary for each job you apply to.
   • Someone applying for a job in social media management might say something like, “Social media expert with 3 years of experience creating, managing, and evaluating social media campaigns and content. Focused on bringing the client’s vision to life on the screen to help their business grow. Have successfully managed and launched 4 major campaigns to help new businesses get off the ground.”
3. Create a section detailing your education and certifications. Include the names of any schools you attained a degree from and include your field of study and the year you graduated. If you didn’t attend a higher learning institution, you could include the name of your high school and the year you graduated or the year you obtained your GED. Additionally, if you received any additional certifications related to your field, include them and the year you got them.
   • For example, you could write the following with each item on a separate line: “College of XYZ, 2001-2005, BA in Communications. XYZ University, 2007-2011, MA in Business. Life Insurance License in the state of NV, 2012.”
4. Detail your work experience in reverse chronological order. Include the company’s name, your job title, and the dates you worked there. You may also want to include 2-3 bullet points highlighting your main responsibilities or accomplishments while at that position. The most recent place you worked should appear first on your resume.
   • For example, you could write “XYZ Communications, Team Leader and Content Creator, 2013-present.”
5. Highlight the skills that will make you more valuable to a company. Include any experience or training you have with programs specific to your industry, like Photoshop if you’re in design or operating a forklift if you’re in manual labor. You can also include your strengths as a worker like “detail-oriented,” “interpersonal skills,” “leadership,” and “oral and written communication.”
   • Consider updating this section with each job you apply to. You’ll have better success if you tailor your skills to a specific job.
   • Write each item on a separate line so it’ll be easier to read and format once you get to creating your visual resume.
6. Make a list of awards, memberships, and volunteer positions. Things like employee of the month, being a board member of your local YMCA, or volunteering with an after-school program are great to include on a resume. They show potential employers that you have diverse interests and skills.
   • It’s okay if you don’t have much to put on your resume! Include what you can and avoid the temptation to stretch the truth to make yourself look more desirable.
7. Consider using a professional headshot in your visual resume. If you decide to include a photo, use one that is in color and that clearly shows your face. If you don’t have a recent headshot, have new ones done or Take Your Own Headshot at home.
   • You don’t have to include a photo of yourself. Sometimes it can add a nice touch, especially if you’re active on networking sites and want someone to be able to recognize you easily. But it can also create a fear that you may be either intentionally or unintentionally judged by your looks during the screening process.

Structuring Your Visual Resume

1. Keep your traditional resume nearby so you can copy from it. All the work you put into compiling your resume will make creating your visual one that much easier. Once you start working on the design of the visual resume, you’ll be free to focus on the creative side of things.
   • Some jobs and companies will only accept traditional resumes or will ask for one in addition to a visual resume, so it’ll be handy to already have it updated.
2. Pick a software or template for your visual resume. Most templates give you a great skeleton to work from but can be edited and customized to your particular vision. There are a lot of free options out there, so there’s no need to shell out a lot of money. Check out these free well-reviewed programs:
   • Powerpoint: offers several templates you can choose from and easily allows you to edit the content. Available on both Apple and Microsoft products.
   • Visual CV: includes over 20 free templates and can upload your information straight from LinkedIn if you want.
   • Resumonk: offers 4 free templates that are minimalistic and streamlined for a clean-looking visual resume.
   • CANVA: includes over 10 free templates and allows you to download a PDF, PNG, or JPG copy of your resume.
   • Easel.ly: offers multiple free templates and is very user-friendly.
3. Use a timeline to show your work history creatively. Timelines are great to visually show your growth. Include transitions to different companies as well as promotions, job title changes, and other important dates, like conference presentations or publications.
   • Consider using company logos in addition to company names. People recognize brands and the visual impact of logos can instantly draw someone’s attention to your work history.
4. Incorporate statistics, pie charts, or graphs to show your qualifications. Use these types of graphics to highlight years of experience, skillset, completed projects, or even awards and commendations. For example, if you have 6 different skills listed on your traditional resume, create a pie chart that shows those skills.
   • If you have more experience with web design than marketing, make web design a bigger slice of the pie chart.
5. Add an endorsement from a former employer for a personal touch. A short 2-3 sentence reference can add a lot to your visual resume. Talk to former employers, mentors, or even clients to see if they’d be willing to write a short commendation for you.
   • Try to stick to just one endorsement. You don’t want to take up too much valuable space with quotes.
6. Edit the background and text colors. Stick to a color scheme rather than using a variety of colors for each section, which can look jarring. Greens, blues, and yellows are great color families to choose from. Opt for a lighter background color so your text is easy to read.
   • For example, you could make the background of your resume a very light green, and then use a brighter green for the section headings.
7. Insert your resume text into the appropriate fields in the template. You may need to edit your text a bit to get it to fit in each section. You can keep the sections in the order the template gave, or you can reorder them.
   • In general, your work history and education should appear on the top half of the page, while skills, awards, and other items should be on the bottom half.Template:Greenbox: '''Tip:''' Keep your visual resume to a single page. Edit the text and rewrite sections until they fit in the available spots.
8. Review and proofread your resume before sending it out. If you can, print out your resume so you can clearly see the entire thing at once. Reread each line to look for spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes. Ask yourself if it looks easy-to-read or if it’s too busy.
   • If you plan on handing out your resume in person, make sure to print it using color and the highest-quality setting possible.
   • Remember that your visual resume is meant to make you stand out and support the qualifications you already have. Make sure the substance of your resume isn’t overshadowed by the style.

Tips

• Have fun with your visual resume! It should be professional, but it’s also an opportunity for you to show more personality than you could in a traditional resume.
• Ask a friend to look over your finished resume to see how it comes across to someone new.

References

See also

• Make a Reference Page
• Write a Follow Up Email to a Resume Submission
• Use Keywords to Strengthen Your Resume
• Write a Psychology Resume
• Write a Forklift Driver's Resume
• Format a Resume for an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
• Prepare a Resume for a Transcriptionist
• Make a Culinary Resume
• Write Good Resumes to Impress the Employers
• Write a Resume for a Medical Imaging Job

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