7 Resume Trends for 2015

John Krautzel
Posted by in Career Advice


Technology seems to change everything in the marketplace every few years, and it should be no surprise that resumes are reflecting those changes. To stay up to date in your job search, make sure you too are keeping up with resume trends and career-search innovations. Here are seven of the top resume trends expected to become prevalent in 2015.

Call-out Boxes

One resume trend is the call-out box, in which the most important information on the page is highlighted by being placed inside a box to draw the reader's eye to it. Don't overuse this visual enhancement, but employ it to make sure the hiring manager sees the most vital thing he must know about you.

An Emphasis on Achievement

More than ever, job recruiters want to know what you've actually achieved in your former positions, rather than just seeing job titles and dates of employment. Consider creating a separate section in your resume to provide figures and recognitions highlighting your accomplishments.

Infographics

While an infographic resume isn't for everyone, if you're in a creative or design-oriented field, this is one resume trend you shouldn't ignore. Make sure your infographic resume is beautifully designed and full of content, not just a statement of empty style over substance.

Smartphone Reliance

Human resources trends increasingly rely on technology to bridge the gap between companies and ideal job candidates, and HR departments are aware that many candidates conduct their entire job search via their mobile phones. Take advantage of this human resources trend to create selling materials that transmit easily on a small screen.

A Move Away From Keywords

After several years in which job seekers were told to stuff their resumes full of searchable keywords, hiring managers are seeing the result, namely, too many resumes that look exactly the same. While many companies still rely on searchable keywords, a resume trend for 2015 is the more personal resume that's handed to a job recruiter by someone he knows and that therefore can feel a little less like it came straight from a template.

The Customized Resume

Going along with the retreat from all keywords is the customized resume that's rewritten personally for every job the applicant applies to. This resume trend is one that may be especially useful for job seekers, since it forces them to think about what each employer really needs and figure out how to meet those needs.

The Video Resume

Again, this resume trend isn't one for more conservative industries, but for those in creative fields it can be a wonderful way to connect personally with a hiring manager. Creating a video resume involves providing a link inside an electronic resume that leads to a video of 30 seconds or so in which the applicant introduces himself and provides an advance look at his personality and fit.

Your resume is the best tool you have to show a job recruiter or hiring manager what you have to offer. As technology opens the door to provide a wider range of resume tools, it's no wonder that resume trends for 2015 show increasing numbers of job seekers finding ways to use those tools. Pick what works for you and your industry to show you off to your best advantage.

 

Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net


 

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Melissa I think that employers know this. I am sure that there have been many EEOC claims in the last few years. Surprising though that we don't hear about them. I am 50/50 when it comes to the photo but, unfortunately, it seems to be here to stay. Many employers won't even look at your application if a photo is not included. So you take the chance on not even getting a look because of it. If you don't include a photo they wonder what you are hiding and they move on! So it's a slippery slope to be sure.

  • MELISSA S.
    MELISSA S.

    What employers are not realizing is that job applicants can easily find out who they hired, and based on their qualifications on paper anyone could file an EEOC claim if they believe age, race, etc caused them not to get an interview. Photos on applications is a bad trend, and when employers rack up a few claims, they will see the light. A candidate that is pleasing to the eye does not always equate to the "most qualified" and is "best fit" another term for "you don't look like me or the other employees." How someone looks, does not make them less or better qualified.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Maha if you are currently out of work, have you considered temping? Or even volunteering? I know that not everyone can volunteer their time and talents but, if you are able to, you could add that to your resume. Are you considering going back to school? If so, you could add that to your resume to explain gaps in employment. Employers today know that people are out of work and that they will have gaps. The best you can do is try to find something to fill those gaps - to keep busy and to keep up to date on your skills and talents.

  • MAHA  A.
    MAHA A.

    How to fill employment gab on resume ?

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Melissa it is certainly a catch-22. A few years ago most people did not include a photo but today, with social media so rampant, employers pretty much expect to see a photo - whether on your resume or on your LinkedIn. To turn the tables on your a bit, a lot of employers discard an application if they can't see who you are while they are reading about you. Whether this trend continues or not, only time will tell. I do agree that it could cause discrimination but it would be very difficult to prove.

  • MELISSA S.
    MELISSA S.

    Video resumes and adding your photo to a resume breeds discrimination at the highest level. If your pretty, handsome or young etc., having a photo works for you, sometimes without the experience, but if you fall in the catagory of being a minority, over weight, not so attractive, or over 40, you may not want to provide a photo or video even if you are over qualified. I have submitted a resume and had recruiter ask me for my LinkedIn page---why? They want to see how you will "fit"

  • Emily B.
    Emily B.

    As I read all your tips,I found this to be very useful.Especially what to do with my time unemployed,made me realize to help others.So many people need our time and care just like we need jobs.Thank You

  • Christina Greenway
    Christina Greenway

    Thank you for this up-to-date information to enhance resumes.

  • Shirla C.
    Shirla C.

    Keeping up to date is important when seeking new opportunities. Thanks for the info!

  • Donna R.
    Donna R.

    I found this information to be very useful. Thank You

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    Thanks for all of the comments. It's very interesting to see your differing viewpoints! I have to say that I am very relieved that companies are starting to realize that applicant tracking software is not the best way to go. Anyone can pull keywords from a job posting and slot them in their resume. What does that show? I was happy to see that the personal touch is starting to come back - i.e. actually handing a paper resume to someone to pass on instead of blindly applying to jobs. There are always tricks that you learn such as @Ellen and @Terri indicated. But the bottom line is - make sure that you are qualified for the position and do your best to put your best foot forward when applying for the job. Common sense items such as checking your spelling; checking your format; making sure that you really are qualified for the position before spending the time to modify a resume and apply all the while knowing that it's not the job for you. It's not the number of job apps that counts. It's applying for the right job and then making sure you follow up. I had one job candidate say that he had applied for 400 jobs in 6 months! That's a LOT. Out of 400 apps, how many interviews do you think he got? Answer was 0. Why? Because he just blasted a general resume to as many jobs as he could find. Take your time and apply only for those jobs that you really want to work!

  • Ellen M.
    Ellen M.

    Having filed some 94 online job apps in the last 3.5 months, I have to say 95% of the software used for these apps would not have allowed upload of a video resume because of MB limitations. You may think keyword-coded app software is not prevalent, but my experience says the opposite. At 4 p.m. one Friday, I completed an online job app with a US-based company with global presence. I was eminently qualified for job. At 5:15 p.m.same day, I got email saying I was not qualified and being disregarded. Only way that could have occurred in timeframe is use of key-word software. Since then, I have learned to code keywords into every job app, and voila! no more DQs. I have a beautifully formatted resume in both MS Word and .pdf format. 90% of time, when I upload either version into a job app software online, all the formatting is eliminated, leaving a huge block of run-on text. I take the time to go through and reformat as best I can, which usually means re-inserting paragraph breaks and retyping division headings (i.e., Accomplishments, Experience, etc.). I really fail to see how inset graphic blocks of text have any hope of being preserved once uploaded.

  • Mary P.
    Mary P.

    Very helpful. Nice updated info.

  • Terri Hasman
    Terri Hasman

    I LOVE the video resume portion. I am a professional writer and I am always looking to find a way to creatively add my personality to whatever I am doing. One thing that I have done as of late that has gotten some pretty positive feed back is a list of 10 things that the people who know me best say I am. Often times, I will be in a job interview and the employer will ask that dreadful question :"So, tell me a bit about yourself". UGH. If it was a job I wanted most, that immediately brought the nerves on. So, I went around and asked people what they thought of me. This was an interesting task because I had to hear the bad and the good. I typed up the list and every time I am asked that question, I just hand the list over to the interviewer and tell them that "rather than hear my pinion about myself, here is what others have said about me".It shows my creativity, but also shows them that I care enough about feedback that I am not afraid to ask for it. So the question at hand : has it worked? Its about to at the end of the month as I begin a new position wiht an amazing company!

  • LOUIS B.
    LOUIS B.

    NO! Sorry to say to a certain degree. We reside in South Florida although we wish we could move back to Charlotte, NC. Job promotions had caused me to relocate 11 times since living in Pittsburgh. But I have to admit, Florida is definitely NOT for the working class. Very hard to find jobs, low incomes with high cost of living. I honestly would not recommend permanently living here; Especially not in the Ft. Lauderdale - Miami area. have to get back to my JOB HUNT. Belated happy New Year to you & your husband.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Louis - I have lived in Pittsburgh since about 2001. Grew up a few hours from here. So, did you stay in Collier Township with your beautiful girl? And Louis - thank you for your service.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Mark. I totally agree with you. I think that employers should pay for experience, too. The kind of experience we have after 40 years in the work world is priceless. Unfortunately, since 9/11, employers don't seem to care about our experience. They want more for less. The sad part is that we have to accept "more for less" or be unemployed. I keep waiting for this to turn back around again and I still think that it will - at some point. Right now employers feel that if you don't work out, there are a thousand others who are waiting in the wings and are willing to accept a salary that is not commensurate with their experience and skills. That is how they get away with it.

  • Titra H.
    Titra H.

    Right on, Louis!

  • Mark M.
    Mark M.

    @Nancy During some interviews I may mention that, yes I may cost twice as much as two fresh faces right out of college. But, after almost 40 years, someone else has already paid for my mistakes. If they're serious about engineering, they listen to what I just said. If they don't, I really question whether I'd want to work there or not. Employers need to understand the cold hard reality that they get what they pay for and that this is a two way street they're living on. So, do you want it done, or do you want it done right.

  • LOUIS B.
    LOUIS B.

    Nancy Anderson - Hello there. Upon my return from Viet Nam, I was stationed in the Federal Bldg. in Pittsburgh. Received my degree (BA) thru University of Pittsburgh and married a beautiful Collier Township girl back in 19**.

  • LOUIS B.
    LOUIS B.

    Thank You everyone for agreeing with my comment. Sorry, I had to cut it short yesterday due to a couple of incoming phone calls - - but you got my drift.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Evelyn - check out the Internet for resume examples.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    We all find ourselves here at some point. The generation before ours couldn't understand why they were being let go and why the job was going to a snotty nosed kid (us). Now here we are asking the same question. It's just the circle of life. It is sad that our experience and maturity works against us; that and the salary that we can command. Remember that companies can get a newby for much less. Many times they aren't concerned with what the new employee knows - only that it will save the company money on salary and benefits. All you can do is keep on keeping on. Keep yourself healthy and in shape. Continue to grow your skills so that they are current and up to date and keep on applying. Not all companies are looking for that young hot thing @Alan!

  • EUGEN B.
    EUGEN B.

    Thanks, Lewis for expressing yourself (and myself too, btw…) so well on such an irrational approach that current employers have. I could add a ton more, but in a nutshell you're absolutely spot on !

  • Alan Gilday
    Alan Gilday

    Yes,,,Louis is right...I'm trying to find a job in communications and public relations. I find myself competing against hot young people who have never even seen the inside of a newsroom..
    I've done the video resume a few times, even tailored it to the organization. Didn't hear a peep..

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