Resume

[Karleen77]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for comments on my resume. I have included a link to the file. Any comments would be great.

http://www.karleentorrance.com/KarleenTorranceResume.PDF

Thanks,
Karleen

[DesignerScott]

Here's my observations: (mostly typography related)
1) There's too much leading between the headers and the body
2) Right-aligned type is artsy, but less functional and harder to read, especially mixed with left-aligned type. It says "I'm hard to read" | "I'm easy to read" or in other words "Ignore me" | "I'm important"
3) Bullets and right-aligned type don't mix, and bullets throughout paragraphs, get lost.
4) Bullets and quotes hang outside the margin.
5) For the Current and Previous Employment sections you don't need the extra space after the dates of employment.
6) The only periods are in the phone number, website, and abbreviations.
7) All in all, I like the top 1/4 of the page though.

[Rasmusbp]

I agree with DesignerScott... (especially on number 2 and 3)... A resume should be one of the easiest things you'd read, and if you're applying for a job as a designer, your resume must be absolutely flawless...

[typographics]

letter spacing is out of control. why is "address" stretched out so far you could park a car between the letters? same question for all your headlines.

dont use bullets.

things you dont need to include: design ability (your portfolio will demonstrate your design ability), managerial skills (unnecessary), awards and memberships (again, your portfolio will communicate your skill level). you could probably lose computer skills also. everyone expects you to be proficient with the major software titles...no good reason to list them. if you remove these unneeded catagories, it will give you more room to lay out an effective design.

the biggest problem right now is how boring it is. if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to spice this up. there are some great resources for resume design at the bookstore or online. do some research in order to get inspired and motivated.

[milano.design]

I like it overall. and its ok (to me) to split it up like you have it. major concern is too much info in the space allowed. This would be nicer if there was more white space.

If you track out words in large point (your name) and use the exact same tracking # amount for littler things (ie. address) it doesn't look right. visually looks bad. it needs to be done visually, not mathematically. Same with headers and sub heads.

i wouldn't track out the names of the company but could keep the headers tracked out if you like that.

Spacing above and below the headers make it difficult to understand where it belongs. and when you have the company name right below it again too much. give everything a hierarchy. And importance. by utilizing the space between lines better.

if you are going to use bullets to break out sentences, don't use on the very first one. and make it work the same on all. ie. managerial skills has them all in front while others are broken up. maybe change to the blue? (not sure this would help define them better and what you are doing).

changing the font on the copy to a sans serif might soften things up a bit. and solve some difficulty in the read. and give you the ability to keep the look.

as a personal gripe, why do people even do Objectives any more. Its obvious!!

Remember this resume needs to stand out from 100's just like it. all sent via fax or email or mail. Why should someone keep yours upon first glance. When employers get so many first glances on style and overall use of space might be what keeps it in the IN pile vs. OUT pile.

[Tea]

I think the reason the objective is there is if the resume is kept on file for a period of time, the employer can have the resume filed by the job vs. one large mass of resumes lumped together.

[milano.design]

good point tea... i just don't do it anymore. then again i haven't sent a resume off in a few years... :) luckily.

[emmerse]

its extremely hard to read. too wordy the tracking on the headers is killing me. I'd research the hell out of other designers' resumes to find some creative approaches to the task of setting yourself apart.

[mattbing]

Yeah letter spacing seems a little all over the place and for no reason (nothing lines up etc.), and the fonts are so similar that the differations are slight (head and subhead). I like the idea that you've got but the overall typesetting is off.

Don't try and be too cute or overthink your resume.

[budafist]

Eeek! That's not your real contact details is it? You might find some stalkers!

[daSnarf]

Two things that jumped out at me..

I think there should be more space between bullet points and having ragged right justifications AND bullets seems whacky to me. Just doesnt seem to go well together IMO.



Also, I think I remember hearing some advice on Objectives once before. Basically, when you say "to gain professional growth as a designer" that tells them you want to get paid while still learning the trade. I know what ya mean...You never stop learning and all that...was just something I heard once.

[Ben Kessler]

I think the attempt to do something different and eye-catching with your resume is noteworthy and will eventually pay off, once you incorporate some of the comments here. I think the most important thing for you to do is pare the page down to the essentials. Once you do that, you'll find the format that works best for you.