An exceptional product design resume does not only leave an impression, it also gets you the job. Have you wondered why a person is so skilled and most qualified for a job or employment but still doesn’t get the chance at it? 

Well, while undoubtedly other factors come into play such as numbers or applications amongst other personal reasons of the employers or recruiters. In any case, it’s important to understand that qualification at a job doesn’t rely solely on professionalism as much as that’s a major box tick. Today, so much emphasis and orientation on personal branding and presentation have been introduced and getting a product design resume is a vital component of that. Again, the emphasis isn’t on the resume as per the content of the resume but in its presentation and that’s where product resume design comes in. 

It’s a common way of “out of sight is out of mind” and you will agree that there’s a short attention span of people when it comes to looking at a picture or note. Many will only catch glimpses while others will scan through. Don’t get lost here, emphasis is on ensuring you give people something tangible, something to hold on to, it’s important to create a lasting mental image, one that will be the talk of for as long as it can.  

So how can this be done? Again, resumes are great but adding a touch and tweak won’t be bad if you want better results. By the way, the Product at the title can be the skills and services you offer.

Shall we?

1. Choose A Unique Font for your product design resume

Your font tells a lot about your personality. More than often, these employers know nothing about you and will never get to see you physically unless you stand a chance at an online interview with them. If your font looks unreadable, it leaves a not so good impression to your recruiters about you, no matter how good your skill may be and since this is the first thing the recruiters will get to see, it has to be good and leave a great and lasting impression.  

There are no rules for use of fonts except in the academic field that comes with its specifications; however, there are many overlooked yet important guidelines to bear in mind. 

• Ensure any font you use is legible and visible both on a screen and in print. Your font sizes can be between 11 and 13 points and if smaller than that, the font becomes illegible and strenuous to read. 

• Be consistent with the way you use several font sizes. For instance, all headings should be the exact size and the same for the rest of the body text. 

• Sans serif fonts are usually a great choice for extra creative or digital areas. Serif fonts still retain their spot in more traditional or old-school enterprises.

• Avoid utilizing Comic Sans. Not only is it widely detested by people in the design enterprise, but it also gives off an immature vibe. The same can also be asserted for Papyrus.

2. Utilize Visuals to Your Contact Info

It doesn’t make sense that you would be seeking a job and not make an emphasis on your contact info. Your contact which is your tel, email and even social media links as required shouldn’t be placed at the bottom of the page but at the top. Make it easier and faster to locate. Use links for easy click and make it as visually pronounced as it should be. 

There really is no point hiding your details way down. You want to get the job and get it in time and once you qualify, want to be called immediately. It is a turn off that the employers have to search for your contact. Also, when they have to find it at an extreme end of the resume page. 

3. Make Content Skimmable

You’ve probably heard that people don’t read and that is why you should be direct in your resume content. Do not beat around the Bush or attempt writing along with an essay, it’s not some script job! It takes an average of 6-8 seconds for one to take a look and process information. A lot more don’t care, they are only searching for relevant details so don’t bug them with irrelevant information. 

Keep it detailed but straight to the point, tell them what they need to know and save them the stories. It’s impossible to read every single word especially when the human brain is bombarded with too many activities. 

Use columns to help make your resume more skimmable, increasing your chance of actually being read. Columns help accommodate a lot but will also help curb overcrowding of words and pages, making it look neat and presentable. 

You can make use of headings and subheadings, and include bullet points for longer descriptions. Be brief as possible, and take off plenty of white space on the page so it doesn’t look overwhelmingly cluttered.

You want to include information to properly define your professional stamina but you don’t want your resume to become complex. Sometimes keep it short and easy to read.

4. Consider Infographics in your product design resume

Infographics help you virtually explain details the text won’t do adequately. Especially if you’re applying for a graphic design job, infographics are much of what you need in your resume. Infographics are data, information or text but in a graphical representation and it speaks volumes. 

5. Observe Industry Moda Operandi

When it comes to resumes, you have to be open-minded and observant. You don’t hold on to your ideas, you open yourself up to learn differently because activities evolve in this space. 

Do not forget that the kind of job you’re going for influences the kind of resume design you present. For instance, a web design application will require a more colorful element on a print resume, it won’t be plain text only. On the other hand, a secretarial or administrative assistant wouldn’t need design elements.

Conclusion

Agreed it takes a lot of time crafting a well-designed resume suitable for a specific job at a specific company. But it’s important to understand that the time isn’t a waste. 

A carefully designed resume will please the hiring manager and effectively promote you, your skills, and accomplishments (and even a little bit of your personality) will significantly heighten the chances that your resume stands.