The Case for Visual Resumes
Like you, I know a thing or two about resumes. Upon graduating college, I submitted โnormalโ resumes and cover letters to more jobs than I could count. Then, I sat on the other side of the desk. Back in my HR days, I did a decent amount of recruiting for both CapitalOne and Merck.
Newsflash: It's No Longer 1998
Today, though, I'm not a big fan of traditional resumes. The way that I see it, my body of work is much larger than a three-page, text-laden document that lists my work experience, qualifications, and skills. To me, they just show that I can follow rules. It turns out that there are plenty of รผber-creative folks who share my thoughts about old-school CVs. As I mentioned in a recent story for Fortune, it behooves applicants to illustrate their experiences in a much more visualโand I'd argue more interestingโway.
Traditional resumes emphasize conformity, not creativity.
To this end, check out this fascinating Pinterest board of visual resumes. And don't get me started on this Amazon-inspired one from a guy also named Phil. Sick.
My current favorite is this Tableau one.
Simon Says
I can tell you that a resume like the one above stands out from the others, especially if recruiting for any type of position requiring design skills and creativity. Although a cool CV alone rarely gets a person a job or interview by itself, it would certainly warrant a second look from many recruiters. And, when you think about it, isn't that exactly what a resume is supposed to do?
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