The Standard Resume vs. Creative Resume
When you seek employment, one of the first things your potential employers will want from you is your resume.

People who are looking for a job in business or retail sales will use a standard resume form. It includes contact information, experience, education information, and other facts about the person.

But what if you are seeking a job as a graphic designer, illustrator, or other position in the arts or media? Does a “standard” looking resume work or should you express some of your creativity in your resume?

If you take a look at the numerous books regarding resume writing, most of them will give you a limited selection of resume styles.

But that’s for “regular” jobs, not necessarily for graphic designers or artists.

Should your resume be different and creative? This question isn’t an easy one to answer because each firm, interviewer, or human resource person is wired differently. If your resume is different or stands out, depending on who is on the other end of that resume, you may get noticed or a frown.

The Examples
We’re not sure if the following resumes landed a job for the applicants or not, but they are certainly eye-catching, and different. Look over these examples and decide if you want to try a few of the ideas.

Perhaps the best bet is to have two resumes available for passing out — one that is “standard” and the other one more “creative.” If possible, you can ask the person who is handling resumes which one is more appropriate.

Without further ado, here are the examples.

Will a resume like this be taken seriously or will it be an attention grabber? Click on the image to see the full-sized resume.
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In our next example, the graphic artist has taken the approach of formatting his resume to look like formula guide cards. Click on the image to see the full- sized resume.
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The next example is based upon an old newspaper ad section. In this case however, the graphic designer is selling himself. The idea is interesting and makes reading his resume fun. Click on the image to see the full- sized resume.

As you can see, the variations of what you can do for a creative resume can be almost limitless. But the question remains, when is it appropriate to try a resume such as the ones displayed?

Next Time
We’ll explore a few more creative resumes and talk about what a successful graphic design resume should include. We’ll also try to answer the question of when it is appropriate to use creative resumes.
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