Does résumé have too much personality?
Dear Sam: I graduated with a degree in communications four years ago, but after graduation, I ended up outside my field. I’m willing to go back to an entry-level job if it means being able to secure a communications position, but I’m afraid I’ll be overlooked because I don’t have any recent, relevant experience. I’ve revamped my résumé to give it more personality — and have received some advice from friends and family — but I’m still worried. I’ve attached a copy of my résumé. Have I given it too much personality? Is this a résumé that would stand out in a crowd in a good way? — Beth
Dear Beth: You’ve don a great job of stepping outside of the box and thinking about how to present your candidacy in a unique way! I applaud your creativity and willingness to do something bold. I believe the design of your résumé will glean some attention, but I am concerned that hiring managers will not know what you want and who you are.
The key piece you are missing from your well-designed résumé is a positioning statement. Since you do not have a qualifications summary, the reviewer will evaluate you in your current role as a property-management assistant because your résumé opens with information about your current job.
This is exactly what you don’t want. In order to avoid that unfortunate assumption, you must position your candidacy.
Since your field of study was communications, I imagine you know a little about marketing, messaging and positioning information on a page to attract the reader and prioritize his or her scan. Take advantage of this knowledge when you present the value of your candidacy for a communications role. Build a qualifications summary that promotes the transferability of your professional and pre-graduation experiences, combined with the strengths of your academic program and courses of study.
I am certain that paying a little more attention to content and messaging, coupled with your beautiful design, will result in your résumé being exceptionally successful.