Leveraging MS Word for Résumé Writing

– By Lori A. Jazvac –
Crafting a compelling résumé is a fine art for résumé writers. You can leverage MS Word techniques creatively and take a document from plain to outstanding. While the content of a resume is critical, the presentation is essential in drawing the eye of potential employers and showcasing the client’s brand.
In today’s competitive job market, a compelling résumé is essential for capturing employers’ attention. However, in this competitive labour market, where hiring managers receive numerous applications for a single position, a résumé cannot simply list qualifications and experiences—it must captivate at first glance. By harnessing the full potential of MS Word, résumé writers can design compelling, modern résumés that leave a lasting impression and increase their clients’ chances of getting hired.
Here are eight creative techniques résumé writers can leverage in MS Word for Résumé Writing:
- Boost the Appearance of Résumé: Customize the resume to align with the industry and the client’s personality. For instance, you can adjust the colour scheme, fonts (e.g. Calibri to modern fonts like Roboto and Daytona), and layout to create a unique visual appeal. Try using Canva for design tools or templates and customize them to reflect your client’s personality and style. By adding a personal touch to a résumé, your client’s resume will stand out and maintain a professional appearance.
- Incorporate Visual Elements: Adding visual elements like icons, graphs, or infographics can make a résumé visually appealing and more accessible to scan. For example, employ icons to highlight key skills or achievements or incorporate a graph to display proficiency levels in different software programs. These visual elements make a résumé appealing, and help recruiters quickly and easily pinpoint your client’s strengths and qualifications.
- Use Text Boxes and Shapes Creatively: Text boxes and shapes can draw the eye to distinct sections of the client’s résumé. You can use text boxes to emphasize key qualifications or achievements or shapes to create visually appealing dividers between sections. Word art, design, quick parts, pictures, shapes, icons, symbols, and colour can elevate a plain-looking résumé to one that captivates readers.
- Implement Stylish Fonts and Typography: Experiment with different fonts and typography to give your client’s résumé a modern, professional appearance. However, ensure the chosen fonts are readable and compatible across various devices. For instance, pair a bold font for headings with a clean, sans-serif font for body text to create a visually appealing contrast. Clean fonts include Calibri, Arial, Roboto, and Calibri Light. Some other fonts, like Times New Roman, can appear outdated if overused.
- Highlight Achievements with Smart Formatting: Instead of listing responsibilities, focus on quantifying achievements and applying formatting techniques like bolding, italicizing, or underlining to make them stand out. For example, you can bold key metrics or italicize the company names to draw attention to your client’s accomplishments.
- Create a Visual Timeline: Use MS Word’s SmartArt feature to construct a visual timeline of your career progression. This feature can be especially effective for concisely and visually appealingly showcasing long-term growth and achievements.
- Make the Résumé ATS-Optimized: When leveraging MS Word for résumé writing, it’s essential to be creative, and it’s vital to ensure that the résumé remains compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Use standard fonts, avoid overusing images, tables, or graphics, and incorporate relevant keywords throughout the document. Additionally, save the résumé in a compatible file format, such as .docx, to ensure efficient parsing by ATS.
- Apply Interactive Elements: Consider adding interactive elements for digital résumés, such as hyperlinks to your client’s portfolio, LinkedIn profile, or professional website. This strategy showcases digital literacy while enhancing recruiters’ access to additional information about the candidate. Additionally, embedding multimedia elements such as videos or slideshows provides a more dynamic and engaging presentation of the client’s skills and experiences.
By creatively leveraging MS Word techniques, resume writers can design visually appealing and compelling resumes that effectively showcase a candidate’s skills, experiences, and achievements. Remember, “less is more” in résumé writing and prevents overloading the hiring manager. Spacing, formatting, and design are just as important as content. The goal is to balance creativity and professionalism to form a lasting impression on potential employers while communicating the client’s qualifications and accomplishments.
For more information on creating superior résumés and leveraging MS Word for résumé writing, enrol in CPC’s Certified Resume Strategist course, Resume Writing Course, or the Master Certified Resume Strategist credential.
Example: Creative Resume