The $10 Job-Hunting Secret You May Not Know About
Your resume is the first chance you have to leave a good impression on a potential employer and should be treated accordingly. Think about it: If you’re a tough and creative worker with an impeccable attention to detail, does a standard Word template really reflect all that you have to offer? While the actual content of your resume is key, the format—AKA the design, graphics, and style of text—still has the power to help you stand out on the job hunt.
Thankfully, we discovered that you can buy and download chic customizable templates on Etsy for super cheap—which makes upgrading your resume (and making a good impression) all the easier. For help picking out the best resume templates on Etsy, we called on Dana Leavy-Detrick of Brooklyn Resume Studio for advice. Read ahead for a few of her favorite resume templates and her tips on what to look for when deciding on yours.
Dana’s Top 3 Template Picks:
1. Landed Design Studio Professional Resume Template, $10: “This resume template is simple but attractive,” says Leavy-Detrick. “Graphical elements, like lines and borders, should be used sparingly and only to break up sections, highlight key information, and improve the overall readability of the resume.”
2. Post DIY Professional Minimalist Resume Template, $8: “Cramming too much information onto a page will make it difficult to read,” Leavy-Detrick explains. “This minimalist resume template looks clean without having too much white space to diminish the presentation.”
3. Lean and Clean 1 Page Resume, $11: The emphasis of your resume should be content and presentation,” says Leavy-Detrick. “The lines and font styles of this template are consistent and follow a type hierarchy in terms of the headlines, contact information, and body text.”
Honorable Mentions:
4. The Stand Out Resume Template, $5: If you ask Leavy-Detrick, too many graphics can distract from what’s really important on your resume—the content. “Avoid bold photographs, logos, or other imagery,” she explains. “It detracts from your message and may interfere with how the resume is processed through an ATS (applicant tracking system).”
5. Olympia Resume Professional Template, $7.50: “Be mindful of clean margins and spacing,” Leavy-Detrick says “Whether that’s between lines, between sections, or between your headers and body paragraphs, evenly spaced resumes will stand out nicely.”
6. Resume Template Pro Resume Template Designer, $10: A little color goes a long way on a resume. Leavy-Detrick suggests “sticking to one color that is both easy to read on screen and that will print out effectively.” This template offers a touch of soft blue-green and will only set you back a buck.
7. Careerist Design Co. Classic Resume Template, $8.99: Above all else, Leavy-Detrick says your resume should be easy to scan. This means a good resume template should read clear and concise, without too many distracting formatting details. “Look for templates that allow the information to flow through the page,” she explains. “Is the content justified along the same lines, or does your eye bounce around the page?”