How to create a visual resume… and stand out to employers
Paul Gordon Brown, PhD
Speaker, Author, and Educator specializing in Digital Student Learning and Residential Curriculum in Higher Education.
Cross-posted at www.PaulGordonBrown.com
I’ve been searching for a one year part-time job while I finish off my dissertation (HINT, HINT) and I quickly came to the realization that I needed something to make me stand out. For the past couple of years I’ve been encouraging the students I teach in the Higher Education master’s programs at Boston College and Merrimack College to create their own digital presence. I have done it with this website and it has produced many dividends and opportunities for me. Wanting to take some next steps, I designed a “visual resume†or “resume infographic†for myself (see above). I designed this in Adobe Illustrator, which requires a relatively advanced skill set and design sensibility, but there are a number of sites that will help create an online visual resume for you. It requires very little technical skill and can greatly enhance your job search prospects. I wanted to share a few of my personal favorites. (Note, the “info graphic resume†is a popular trend, and not everyone believes it is a good idea. Think if this is the right move for you and your experience and skills.)
Simple Online Presence Landing Pages:
About.me
This is a classic. It allows you to create a quick one page landing site that can incorporate a photo, a bio, and links out to your social media accounts. Best of all, an easy to remember URL: about.me/NAME
Flavors.me
Very similar to About.me, I prefer Flavors.me’s design tools and sensibilities. (Although About.me has been catching up quickly in this regard.
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Creating a Full-Blown Webpage:
WordPress.com
This is for the more adventuresome. It creates a full-blown webpage for you. I personally use WordPress to host this site. If you’re looking at creating a sustained presence online, this is my suggestion for the route to go. It’s free, but with restrictions.
Infographic-Style Resume Builders:
Re.vu
This is a different variant from the above websites. It creates an infographic of your resume. You can import your LinkedIn information to give yourself a headstart and then modify it as you see fit.
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Vizualize.me
This is very similar to Re.vu, but offers some different design options. Check out both and determine which you like best.
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Kinzaa.com
I haven’t had a chance to play around with this one yet, but it’s in a similar vein. Note that it’s in beta.
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Accenture Infographic Resume Builder
Again, this is another tool that I haven’t used. Since Accenture isn’t a company focused solely on infographics, I’m guessing it’s somewhat limited.
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Infogr.am
This isn’t a resume info graphic builder, per se, but it does help you create infographics and you can use it to create a visual resume. This requires a bit more technical skill, but gives you a lot more control.
Other sites:
The following are some other sites I haven’t had the chance to play with, but thought you might find of interest:
Is there a site you like that I didn’t list here? Add it in the comments.
Cross-posted at www.PaulGordonBrown.com