How Should Your Resume Really Look Like?

Resumes have long been the cornerstone of job applications, serving as that all-important snapshot of a candidate's qualifications. But what does a resume that truly works look like in today's market? Most job seekers default to templates that are aesthetically pleasing and laden with buzzwords, but if you stop there, you're merely skimming the surface.

Pretty vs. Practical

It’s tempting to think that a flashy, ornate design will grab attention, but recruiters are often inundated with dozens—if not hundreds—of resumes a day. They spend an average of 7.4 seconds reviewing each one .

Instead, prioritize readability and functionality over extravagance. Think: traditional fonts like Garamond or Calibri, plenty of white space, and a structured layout. In fact, minimalist design has a powerful psychological effect—it signals a clear, organized mind.

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity,” said Plato.

Interestingly enough, a simple resume structure can paradoxically stand out more in a sea of creative chaos. This design philosophy is akin to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid), a concept coined by the U.S. Navy in the 1960s . If it works for military systems, it can certainly work for your resume.

Keywords

Gone are the days when your resume was merely scanned by human eyes. Today, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) rule the roost. These systems parse your resume for keywords to assess whether you’re a fit before it even reaches the hands of a hiring manager. Without these, your resume could be relegated to the digital slush pile—regardless of how competent you are.

But don’t overdo it. ATS algorithms have evolved to detect "keyword stuffing." Instead, you need to subtly embed keywords that correspond to the job posting. If you're applying for a software development role, for instance, words like JavaScript, React, or Agile might be essential . A useful strategy is to perform a frequency analysis on job postings in your field. Online tools such as Jobscan help measure how closely your resume aligns with specific postings .

Show, Don’t Tell

Your work experience is where the magic happens, and yet, most resumes are chock-full of bland descriptions like:

"Responsible for managing a team of software engineers."

What does that actually tell an employer? Not much. Instead, every bullet point under each job should convey impact, not merely activity. For example:

"Led a team of 10 software engineers to develop a CRM platform that reduced customer service response times by 40%."

Notice how this version gives specifics (team size, CRM platform) and results (40% reduction in response time)? The recruiter now has an actionable understanding of what you’ve achieved and how it benefited your previous employer.

A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that recruiters are more likely to shortlist candidates whose resumes explicitly quantify their impact .

Skills Section

A Skills section is not a laundry list of everything you’ve ever learned; it’s a gallery of your most relevant abilities. This is the place where hard skills like SQL, Python, or machine learning should shine. Soft skills are a bit trickier—phrases like "communication" and "team player" are overused and vague. Instead, provide context: demonstrate how these skills were applied in real-world scenarios throughout your work experience section.

Recruiters place heavy value on soft skills, but they want to see evidence of these in action. According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 92% of talent professionals and hiring managers said that soft skills are just as important—or more important—than hard skills .

Education

If you graduated more than a decade ago, chances are your Education section should be brief and to the point. Degrees from prestigious institutions still carry weight, but recruiters care far more about what you've done in recent years than your GPA from the early 2000s.

However, if you’re a recent graduate or transitioning into a new field, education may need to be a bit more prominent. You can bolster this section by including relevant coursework, projects, or thesis work.

In this way, your education becomes less about a mere credential and more about your specific preparation for the role at hand.

Unconventional Resumes That Worked

Now, for a strange but true story: A few years ago, Nina Mufleh, frustrated by her attempts to land a job at Airbnb, designed her entire resume to mimic Airbnb’s website. The move was so bold that it caught the attention of the company’s executives, leading to interviews—not only at Airbnb but also at Uber and LinkedIn .

Another equally unorthodox approach came from Alec Brownstein, a New York-based copywriter who bought Google Ads for the names of five creative directors at top agencies. Every time they Googled themselves, they saw Brownstein’s ad asking for a job. This resulted in multiple job offers .

While you don’t need to go to such extremes, creativity in resume design (when applied thoughtfully) can yield surprisingly positive outcomes.

Final Note

Your resume should be treated as a living document—constantly evolving alongside your career. The market changes, your skillset grows, and the way recruiters evaluate candidates transforms. To stay competitive, update your resume every six months, even if you're not actively job hunting. This keeps your achievements fresh in your mind and prevents you from scrambling to recall details years later.

Also, stay updated on the latest trends in resume-building. For instance, some industries are now seeing a rise in video resumes or even infographic resumes. While these are far from mainstream, they might give you an edge in creative fields.