Tag: resume template

Should I Use A Resume Template?

Should I use a resume templateThe job search is one of the most important processes you will partake in throughout your career.

Finding ways to perfect this process will be critical to your success.

This post will address the benefits and disadvantages of using resume templates.

Why Should I Use A Resume Template

A good resume allows job seekers to market their skills, abilities, and experiences. Potential employers scrutinize the resume and use it to gauge the connection between what you bring to the table and job requirements. To be successful and land a job, you will need to have a professional resume that will increase your chances of being hired. It can be tedious and time consuming for you to come up with a resume from scratch. However, chances are that you might end up including unnecessary details or excluding important information.  This process can sometimes be daunting.

One option is to use an electronic template (included on installed computer software or acquired online) for a resume. Templates can be handy because they provide an outline for creating a resume.

We advise some clients to be thoughtful before using a template.  It is important to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages before moving forward.

Advantages of using resume templates:

Besides giving you a professional format and making your time easy while putting a resume together, resume templates offer the following benefits:

  • Resume templates provide a professional look – Job search competition is usually intense and competitive. Therefore, your resume needs to have a professional look, so that it can stand out from other candidates. Templates become essential because they can increase your chances of landing a job. You get a variety of formatting features and styles that can be customized. These styles and features are included to make your job applications elegant and stylish.
  • Saves time – Resume templates save time that could be used in other ways vs. the additional time needed to make a resume from scratch.  With templates, you download the most suitable template for the job for which you are applying.
  • Some resume templates are specific to particular industries – A big percentage of resumes are customized and tailored according to specific industries. Subsequently, this gives you the option of downloading templates that best suit your job application needs. With templates, you don’t need to start over again from scratch when applying for a different job in a different sector. It is a big advantage especially for recent graduates who are applying to different fields.
  • Resume templates are designed to match your career stage – There are resumes available for everyone at any level of their career. For example, you will find templates for recent graduates that do not focus on the length of work experience, rather they concentrate on qualifications and skills. However, if you are more experienced you will find templates that focus on your skills and length of employment.  This helps to make a good first impression with potential employers.

Essentially, there is almost every type of style and format when it comes to resume templates.

Disadvantages of resume templates:

  • Resume templates can be too generic in appearance: One of the problems with resume templates is that their styles and formatting are immediately recognizable. It takes just a glance from the potential employer (who view 100’s of applications on a daily basis) to know that you have used a standard resume template. Some employers feel candidates that use templates don’t take the time necessary to adequately prepare a resume. As such, your resume might end up in the shredder even without the employer reading it.
  • They lack personal touch – When you use templates, you are unable to add a personal touch according to your skills, abilities, and specializations. Some templates, do not allow you to accurately showcase your prior accomplishments and positions. In addition, some templates have weird formatting that cannot be fixed. You should be able to customize your resume to ensure you are not playing hide and seek (making the employer work hard to match your skills to the job) with your skills. These types of problems do not help you land the job.
  • Communicating your work history – Due to inflexible formatting, some templates may highlight negative aspects about your background. For example, formatting problems can show that you have not had a stable and steady previous work history. Due to this, potential employers might consider you a job hopper who does not have commitment and discipline to stick to a job position for a long duration of time. You want your resume to be flexible enough to show all of your best attributes.

Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of templates.  Here are some recommendations from YourCareerDoctor:

  1. Taking the time to make a good decision to use templates. This is imperative because it may mean the difference between having a stylish resume and no job or having a custom resume and getting the job.  Most of us prefer to be employed vs. having a good-looking resume.
  2. Do some research on the field, then decide if it is a good idea to use a template. Twenty minutes of research could net a job with a nice yearly salary. Divide the time spent on the resume by the salary and you will see the worth of your time.
  3. Resumes should always be customized to show how your skills and abilities match the position.
  4. We also suggest looking at template formats then creating a custom resume from scratch. Again, the goal is to get hired.

Hopefully, this post will help your decision in creating a resume.  Feel free to post your resume for free on our job board. Feel free to reach out to us if you have questions.  Until next time, good luck with your job search.  And remember to #ownyourcareer!

Sincerely,

Dr. Derrick E. Haynes — YourCareerDoctor

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