When it comes to job searching, the process can feel a bit stuffy, redundant, and bureaucratic. Let’s be honest, this process doesn’t necessarily scream, “Get creative!”
However, the competition for jobs is fierce, especially with the pandemic. In fact, each corporate job opening attracts an average of 250 resumes. Each time a recruiter or hiring manager considers you for a position, you are up against 249 resumes—or more.
So how do you get your resume noticed?
In this post, we’ll share unique resume templates that will help you stand out from all the others.
Don’t Go Overboard
Before we dive in with these templates, we also want to note that choosing your top resume templates is a nuanced process. There are no “one-size-fits-all” solutions. That’s why you need to think about your industry, the type of job you are pursuing, and how you want recruiters and hiring managers to perceive you.
If you work in the creative industry, a more decorative resume would most likely work for you. However, if you work in engineering or a more data-based role, you want to take that into consideration when choosing a resume template.
Unique resume templates will capture recruiters’ and hiring managers’ attention, but they certainly aren’t the only way. For example, networking will also get you noticed even if you feel as if your resume needs to stay fairly formal.
But if you do feel as if your industry or even the company culture permits you to highlight your creativity, then the resume templates below might be for you.
Canva’s Free Resume Templates
Canva features a myriad of free unique resume templates you can use. They are all creative, colorful, and will easily capture the attention of those skimming resumes. We chose the template featured above because it covers the main resume format, even though it presents the information in a more creative way. However, we recommend including a resume summary statement in the “About” section.
This particular resume template was also chosen because it does not feature a photo. Again, we do not recommend including a photo of yourself in your resume. That’s because including a photo could create a conflict for hiring managers who are trying to avoid discrimination and unconscious bias. Also, images are not ATS-friendly, and some hiring managers view them as unprofessional.
You can find this template here.
Creative Market, Simple Resume Template
This resume template from Creative Market isn’t free, but it is one that demands attention. The design is simple—as the name implies—but it includes the information that is needed in a resume. Again, the “Personal Profile” section can function as your resume summary statement. And while you’d need to keep your past experience brief, there is room to include what you need in there.
Two sections that stood out in particular with this unique resume template were the “Personal Skills” and “Professional Skills.” We recommend interpreting these as soft skills (personal skills) and hard skills (professional skills). We also recommend only including “Personal Skills” if the scale included next to the particular skill is greater than 50 percent.
You can purchase this sleek, minimalist design here.
Free Resumes, The Intelligent Applicant Resume Template
