Creative Résumé for Event Planners
Q. Dear Deb,
I am an event planner and have been having a debate with my husband about whether or not it is appropriate to use color and possibly even a few graphics on my résumé. He is a financial professional on Wall Street and thinks I should absolutely not use any color or images. I disagree and would like your opinion on the topic. - ML, Nyack, NY
A. The answer is that you are both right and both wrong. If the résumé were for him, I would tend to agree that color and images should be left completely off. Financial professionals should employ a more conservative approach, opting for a résumé with clean lines. They can use lightly shaded gray boxes to bring attention to certain sections as long as it is done with a good level of aesthetic appeal.
Your résumé is another story. As someone who works in a creative field, you can certainly use some color and even a few graphic images, which should be done in a visually pleasing manner. Keep in mind that some companies do not have color printers; so be certain that the document still looks reasonably good when printed in black and white.
The use of color on a résumé can be a great marketing tool to help you stand out from the crowd and differentiate yourself from other candidates. However, color should be used carefully; it cannot interfere with the delivery of all-important content. When using images, they should be simple and not overpowering. It is best to get the advice of a professional résumé writer if you have any doubts about how to create an appealing visual presentation.
We have a graphic artist on our team who helps candidates create eye-catching online digital résumés. Digital résumés are more common arenas for full color presentations. However, a hint of color, done in a tasteful manner, is completely acceptable in many instances.
If you have a question for Deb, please email Debra@careersdonewrite.com and she will answer your question in the weekly Ask Deb column which appears on the Careers Done Write Blog every Friday. http://www.careersdonewrite.com