5 Ways To Harness The Power Of Visuals In Your Job Hunt - CareerEnlightenment.com

In terms of formatting the text itself, consider your resume as a visual entity in itself; it should communicate your strengths not just through words but through appearance. The psychology of fonts is well understood, so educate yourself. “It’s hugely important as the world evolves that all of those involved in the future of communication and technology understand the power of type,” says font expert Sarah Hyndman. Want to look organized and clinical? Go for clean Calibri. Want to look creative? Put in a little display text. The options are endless and will not only help to distinguish your resume from alternatives but send an additional, visual message to your recruiter.In terms of formatting, don’t just keep your resume tidy â€" make it sing. A splash of well-judged color can help headings pop, while mixing up your formatting can work wonders. Just go carefully with any innovations; if it’s not readable, it’s not worth your hiring manager’s time.At the far end of the spectrum, infographic resumes can yield fantastic rewards. You’ll have to ensure that your chosen field is suited to a more brand-heavy approach; you’re not going to nab many banking jobs with a spiralling, cartoony creation. But if the role suits, infographics can certainly help you stand out from the crowd. Just ask Ben Matthews, whose foray into visual-heavy resume writing resulted in his perfect job offer.Get some internet real estatePersonal brand is important these days, and nowhere more so than the net. Having a personal website enables you to control to the last word what is said about you online. A link on a resume or LinkedIn ensures that hiring managers can find your work quickly and easily, in the format you would like them to view it.What to include on your personal site? If you’re a creative, a portfolio is essential. If you have copyright-free work from a previous job that you can display, put it up. It’s one thing to claim you can make up this form or compil e that report; it’s another to show you can. You might even consider starting up a blog â€" a neat way to humanize and elevate yourself in the eye of recruiters.Finally, in the land of the internet-savvy, the video is king. Four times as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than to read about it. And what is a candidate but a product, ready to be hired?These days, if you want to maximize your chances of employment, the video resume is a legitimate method of bringing your personality off the page and into a hiring manager’s consciousness. Like infographic resumes, videos only work for some people. If you have few presentation skills or are chronically shy, this probably isn’t the route for you. But if the role you’re applying for is client-facing, presentation- or sales-heavy, a video resume is the perfect way to demonstrate your initiative and people skills.So next time a new acquaintance says you look different to how they imagined, ask yourself why. It’s easier to remember a face than a name, to recall a colour than a word. Worm your way into that recruiter’s visual memory, and you might just end up in the job too.