My Basic Resume Got Me Nowhere, But This Template Lands Me Interviews
My first resume was just a half-page long and the only feedback I received was that I should’ve included more work experience. When I got home, I immediately did a Google search because I (admittedly) didn’t know what I was doing.
I went the other way for my next attempt and wrote my life story. It didn’t get me a single reply. I hated that feeling and decided to experiment until I found a resume that would give me results.
So, I started designing different templates. I tried various fonts, added images, and played with all sorts of colors and effects, until I created something I felt really proud of. As an arts major with design experience, I wanted to show off my particular skill set.
I sent out the revamped version, and the very same day I got a call for an interview. Fast-forward one month and I was working at a Ritz-Carlton resort. The first thing my manager said was “We don’t often get resumes like this in the hospitality industry, so I was eager to meet you.”
I’ve used this template with every application since. While I’m still relatively early in my career and I’ve shifted from hospitality to content editing, my resume has helped me get my foot in the door each time. I know that because I always get positive comments about it during interviews.
While I can’t guarantee that you’ll have the same results as me—this formatting might not be appropriate for every industry and role—I can share what I learned when I transformed mine from monotonous to eye-catching.
