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I've been looking up some ways to spice up my resume, since it's currently pretty dull. I've checked some other questions about boring resumes, with people saying that dull doesn't really matter, the relevant items just need to be clear so the readers don't waste their time. Being a web and application developer I've used Material Design quite a lot, so I've spiked some interest in somehow incorporating it in my resume. Googling this gives a lot of examples, let's take a random one:

Al Rayhan Material Design Resume

Note: credits of this resume go to Al Rayhan, check the Dribble.

This spices things up nicely, but keeps the layout clear and easy to scan for relevant parts. Another major concern for me is that it looks good on the computer in pdf format, but printed is another story. First off, it uses a lot of ink. Printing in color would be a total waste, and printing in grayscale would probably be bad for readability. On top of that there would be a white border around the resume. If you print them yourself to hand out, you can cut these off, but if you provide one to a company and they print it this is an issue.

Despite these drawbacks I'm still torn between this and my current dull resume. Are my concerns about the printing borders and color valid? Do they outweigh the possible benefits of being less dull? Or do designs like these make less of an impression?

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    The icons for interests are confusing (do you like cooking or eating), flying or are you a pilot. A ball can mean a multitude of sports or various standard. The pencil is that writing, drawing?
    – Ed Heal
    Oct 3, 2015 at 10:57
  • @EdHeal I agree that the icons for interests aren't really a good fit. The icons for education, phone etc however are useful.
    – jdepypere
    Oct 3, 2015 at 11:07
  • PS: Just have one email address
    – Ed Heal
    Oct 3, 2015 at 11:07
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    For some reason, not sure why, the sliders indicating proficiency in the skills leave a negative impression. It's probably just me, but my mind focuses on the part of the line that isn't covered, and it puts the candidate at a disadvantage to others who have not identified their "limitations" so clearly. It's at least a risk to be aware of.
    – Kent A.
    Oct 3, 2015 at 13:56
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    It makes sense for a UI and UX designer to make a resume like this, as his feel for UI and UX are shown. This is not something you need as a web/app dev.
    – freekvd
    Oct 3, 2015 at 15:02

2 Answers 2

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Personally, I think the concept is wrong. Some people will love a fancy resume, some people will hate it - but you don't know who will read it. You only have one resume - so it's a hit or miss thing. If you keep the resume plain and add references or a separate portfolio, you have the best of both worlds. You can compete with those fancy resumes, because people can see your skill via the portfolio, without making the impression that design is more important for you than usability.

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    Haven't thought about it that way. Not much a fan of a portfolio, but I guess some reference to other work could be helpful. A simple resume it is!
    – jdepypere
    Oct 3, 2015 at 11:08
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    Another good thing about a portfolio is that you can check if your CV has been read when they look at your web site :-) Bit sneaky though.
    – Ed Heal
    Oct 3, 2015 at 11:16
  • Not sure if plain is the best of both worlds. Those who would be wowed by this may not bother checking the supplemental material if something shiny didn't catch their attention to begin with.
    – Myles
    Oct 3, 2015 at 13:44
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    @Myles There is a fair chance that any company that can afford a web designer and where you face enough competition that you might be overlooked, already has a HR department that has absolutely nothing to do with design and has a rather decent attention span. HR is not looking for the best designer, they are looking for the best value for money, which means they compare resumes by content first.
    – John Hammond
    Oct 3, 2015 at 16:59
  • If you don't have a portfolio yet, start with a blog where you can start showcasing some of your ideas, and build your portfolio slowly as time goes on. Don't depend on your former clients and former employers to keep your work around forever. This is even truer if you were part of a team, and the parts you were responsible for aren't very clear to begin. A portfolio can clarify and explain in detail the parts you were responsible for. A publicly posted portfolio is even better, since you're less likely to lie and take the credit for someone else's work if it's posted publicly under your name.
    – Stephan Branczyk
    Oct 3, 2015 at 18:02
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So you came up with a resume design that:

  • when printed by the company look bad.
  • when printed with colors wastes a lot of ink
  • when printed in gray scale is unreadable
  • when you print it, you have to trim the edge.

Congratulations you have now designed a good way to post your vital info on a website.

You still need resume format that:

  • you can quickly print;
  • people you email can print;
  • companies that insist on having you upload it as a PDF or word document so they a search for keywords, can use;
  • you can quickly cut and paste into little text boxes when applying for a job.
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    I guess my concerns were valid then, and apparently highly outweigh possible benefits.
    – jdepypere
    Oct 4, 2015 at 11:10

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