Infographics and Personal PR

Infographics, or information graphics, are making a comeback across the Web. Have you thought about using an infographic for your resume? Linda explores this option in this article.

The Next Resume

Moving on, scroll down the page to Jesse Burton's resume:

The resume above caught my eye simply because it was striking in contrast (see larger version). But, I had trouble reading the white type on the black background (I'm into my fifth decade of living, and my eyes aren't what they used to be, even with corrective lenses). You might think about usability and accessibility when you create your graphic resume, too, as some employers are – like me – older than many applicants. What may seem cool to you and your peers may be detrimental when your audience changes.

Despite that white-type-black-background issue, I love the layout simplicity that Burton used on his resume. This is the classic "Z" layout, with a line across the top that leads the English-speaking and reading viewer from left to right, and the slanted copy and bottom line that takes the eye from top right to bottom left and back to the right again. This layout was used a lot in newspaper and magazine advertising, and it's used today in sparing amounts...which is too bad, as this layout is proven to work time and time again.

I'm also experiencing a bit of trouble reading the white type on the coloured bands at bottom left. Be sure to make your type read easily with contrast...black type would have worked here, and I would not have a problem seeing black type on the green or yellow compared to the white type on the purple. No problem at all. Other items I really like about this graphic include the "Hello!" at top left (very open, friendly and casual) and the resemblance of the colours against the black that remind me of black lights (re: sixties), a retrograde design that works for me.

As you can tell from the above paragraph, the problem (or solution) created by a graphic resume is that you really are putting yourself on the line. By choosing a specific graphic style, you show me who you are more so than if you used a simple typed page for your resume. With that in mind, I think it might be a wise idea to have several designs on hand to fit the potential client's likes and dislikes (some things that are good to know before you ship off a resume – you may learn that you don't want to work for a specific person any more than that person would want you to work for him or her). Plus, it is handy for employers to have a print resume as well, to file with your personal information if you are hired or if they want to keep your information in a 'tickle' file for future work.

The Third Resume

Greg Dizzia's resume is a great example of how to use keys to display information:

Playing with keys is like playing with game pieces, and Dizzia handles those pieces with skill – instead of scattering them all over the board, he places them in sequence, making this resume easy to "read." He uses hot and cool colours for contrast, but they're in pastel shades, which make them easy on the eyes. Once again, however, I wonder about using white type on that light green. It would not have bothered me in the least that the type on the green was black for high contrast.

The nice thing about Dizzia's keys is that they resemble signs that might be used in an airport or along a roadside. And, he mixes those symbols up with what appears to be element signs on the green. The resume is clean, neat, clear and useful; however, in returning to look at it again, I wish he had put his name at the top, rather than using the "Curriculum Vitae." That way, with one glance, I could tell who I was dealing with rather than have to search for his name at the bottom left.

Don't be shy – shout out your name so it's heard! "Shouting" your name with bold type also makes it easier for viewers to remember your name.