Today, infographic resumes are tremendously popular. Some professionals think that they soon will be an indelible part of every applicant’s life. This is not only a great way to draw an HR manager’s attention, but also a powerful tool to save time.
However, there is also an opinion that such resumes are just another trend that won’t last long. Video resumes seem quite ridiculous now, and so might the visual ones one day. In this infographic resume guide, we are going to try and find the answer to whether infographic resumes are a sound way to promote oneself.
The Logic Behind a Visual Resume. Why are They So Popular?
It is not a secret that writing an effective resume is not a piece of cake. HR managers are difficult to impress, and one should find an extraordinary way to get a job. So, the knowledge of a human’s psychology might be handy.
People usually prefer visual elements of conveying any types of data. The reason is in the ability of our brain to respond to visual information more quickly. Images and bright icons grab our attention in no time, and we don’t even notice it. In general, you have about three seconds to get an HR manager involved, and visuals are a great way to do that.
Pictures, graphs, diagrams, bright charts, etc. – all these remain in the memory longer than words. That’s why visuals help us stand out from a great number of applicants. You’ll get closer attention. On the other hand, your infographic resume should be flawless for the same reason, as it will highlight both your pros and cons.
It is not enough just to create an infographic resume. The next key point in using a visual resume is the ability to place it on different web resources. The Internet gives us a great number of opportunities to share it via various professional platforms.
The first one you think of is LinkedIn, but there are many other ways to present and promote yourself. We’d like to introduce you the list of the most popular ones:
Choose whatever you like according to your goal and the professional sphere you want to work in.
Types of Infographic Resumes
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Before enumerating types of a visual resume, it will be reasonable to distinguish its definition first. A visual resume is a brief story of one’s professional life told through pictures, symbols, and charts. It has to consist of keywords and pictures that are of great interest to the employer and the company in general.
Today’s infographic resumes have their predecessor, entirely replaced by the new ones. It is a video resume. This type was first used back in the 1980’s. This method of attracting attention provided one with the opportunity to be creative and promote oneself to the masses. Its main features were that it helped potential employers hear why this person should be given the position and see if this person was a good fit for work and corporate style of the company. As DVDs,
As DVDs, Blu-ray and YouTube were invented, the conventional VHS was discarded and forgotten forever. And then, everybody switched from video resumes to visual presentations.
Nowadays, there are 3 common types of visual resume:
A classic resume with bolder imagery. This is one of the most popular and the safest solutions today. It combines the features of a classic resume and an impressive visual presentation.
Chart flow. This is the most visual type of a resume. The point is to make it as informative as possible because it doesn’t really have much text in it. With its help, we can present and structure the information required in building blocks, which should be logically organized.
Mixed type. It is the golden middle decision that combines text, charts, and icons. The easiest way to make this type of visual resume is to divide into standard parts and to add a visually appealing chart to each of them.
Although each of these methods can be looked at as an independent one, they have some traits and features in common:
- Key dates. Infographic resumes usually consist of a clear timeline aimed at presenting work experience, professional achievements, career milestones and traits of character.
- Quotes/References. With the help of a visual resume, it is possible to include testimonials and quotes from current and former employers, clients, or colleagues. Press mentions can also be used for your promotion. These are strong cornerstones to reach your goal.
- Pictures/Photos. People respond to photos – this is an established fact. In case you’ve got some suitable photos, include them without a moment’s hesitation.
- Tags. A headline format will perfectly summarize your professional or personal data. It is up to you whether to focus on the professional points only or add a bit of personality.
So, as you may see it is not as limited in its variety as you might have thought. With the help of new technologies, we are able to pick up a type of promoting ourselves in a quite simple, though effective way.
Tools that Can Help You Build Infographic Resumes
With the computer at hand and basic knowledge of different software, it will be easy to create something worth manager’s attention. Here are some useful tools:
Creately. It is an online diagram software for drawing flowcharts, diagrams, infographics etc. It provides an array of user-friendly features to create your infographic resumes and export it as a PDF.
Doc.It. This software was developed for document management. This technology has the most flexibility and adaptability targeted to answer your requirements. It works both on Windows and MacOSX;
Excel & Numbers spreadsheets. These tools are very convenient in operating and maintaining.
Google suite. It is a brand of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, software and products aimed at storing and sharing information.
Canva. The easiest design program with a huge scope of options. Editing of your resume with it is easy and enjoyable.
PowerPoint. This application is designed for making, editing and viewing presentations.
Thus, you have plenty of options to present and promote yourself.
Industries Where Visuals are Encouraged
As a rule, infographic resumes are especially popular among programmers, designers, marketers, journalists, etc. It goes without saying that these spheres welcome creativity, smart ideas, quick mind and ability to impress. That’s why many people are afraid not to show these particular qualities.
And there are some factors supporting their uncertainty and fears. For instance, some HR managers are sure that bright colors, change of font, fancy icons, personal photos are symptoms of bad taste. Fortunately, no matter how hard it is for them, innovative industries specialists are getting used to this tendency.
Industries Where Visuals are Discouraged
Infographic resumes in all the traditional industries such as banking, finance, politics, etc. are not worth looking at, or so they say. This fact is largely due to the restricted classical structure of those economic spheres. In spite of it, everything depends on the company profile.
Infographic Resume Guide: The Takeaway
Having read our infographic resume guide, you have got much more than general information about their definition and types. You’ve also learned the possible effective resources to promote yourself. You might even come to a conclusion that this is the best way for you.
Indeed, creativity, non-standard presentation, and vivid structure are among visual resume advantages. But it has disadvantages as well: an abundance of pictures, chart or flows taking away the manager’s attention from your career skills, etc. So, consider all the pros and cons before starting to work on your visual resume – after all, this solution is not for everyone.
Author Bio: Lori Wade is a freelance content writer for Professional Resume Solutions who is interested in a wide range of spheres from education and online marketing to entrepreneurship. She is also an aspiring tutor striving to bring education to another level like we all do. If you are interested in writing, you can find her on Twitter or Google+ or find her on other social media. Read and take over Lori’s useful insights!
Wow! Never thought how Infographic types of resumes can be so helpful. Thanks a lot for this!