The single most important document in your job search hasn’t changed in generations – it’s still your resume. But what has changed is the ability for even those unskilled in graphics design to create a resume that stands out visually, incorporates color and separates you from every other job seeker whose resume format simple blends into the stack.

In a highly competitive job market, you need to exploit every advantage that you can gain in the job search process. Ultimately, you want to be distinctive and memorable, and a creative resume design can provide you with a significant differentiator.

The Hiring Manager’s Perspective
Put yourself behind the hiring manager’s desk. They’ve got a position to fill and a stack of resumes to glance through to pick out a few candidates to invite in for an interview. Assuming that you have the minimum requirements specified, your goal is to have the hiring manager notice your resume, take the time to read about your skills and accomplishments and secure an invitation for an interview.

If the hiring manager has to sift through dozens (or potentially hundreds) of resumes, how can you increase your chances of being noticed? Create a noticeable resume.

Resume Inspiration
There’s a terrific site that collected 36 beautiful resumes that should inspire every job seeker. Most of the resumes on the page are from graphic designers – people who create beautiful and remarkable images for a living. And the resumes they create are different from every resume you’ve ever seen online or in any resume guidebook.

Take this resume sample, for example (click to enlarge). It’s the resume that we adopted as the model for our Job Search Experiment with Tim Krenn. The format is visually distinctive, incorporating blue section headers and a blue vertical separator that are subtle yet compelling.

If you don’t know how to select colors to blend into your resume, you might want to check out an online tool called Color Scheme Designer that will pick complementary colors or even an entire color palette for you.

This second resume (left, click to enlarge) also incorporates creative formatting and subtle elements of color along with a distinctive font selection to stand out from the crowd.

While the use of different fonts may help your resume stand out, you should never use more than two fonts and you should avoid fonts that are cartoonish or whimsical. Your choice of font should connote your professional competence and judgment, so select carefully.

Critical Edge
Every study of hiring manager behavior has demonstrated that they will spend only 15-30 seconds examining each resume. You have just a few seconds to make an impression and gain their attention. The creative application of formatting, font and color can help your resume stand apart from the crowd and give you a distinctive advantage in gaining an interview.