What's your approach to organizing a resume's layout to ensure it's both visually appealing and easy to navigate?

I have the approach I call the F-Layout.

The F-Layout shows the sections of the resume in an imaginary F-shape, having the Profile/Summary at the top, the Skills by the side and the job titles, descriptions chronologically written just below the Profile/Summary section.

This approach makes the resume easily readable and navigable as well as visually appealing.

I've yet to meet anyone who has been picked for an interview, based on how their resume looks vs. the content, but with that said, you still want your resume to look like a modern-day marketing tool. 

Refrain from:

• Using outdated fonts like Times New Roman
• Using Canva to create your resume template.
  • The ATS can not read columns, text boxes, or content in the header and footer.
• Using outdated styling like a color block at the top with your name and then a single line under it to separate the info section. It looks like it was built in 1999. 

Best practices:

• Use standard section headers after your value proposition (Skills/Competencies, Experience/Work History, Certifications, Education) in that exact order. Studies show that recruiters scan to the bottom to look at your education. The exception is if you are a recent graduate, then have your Education immediately after your value proposition. 
• Use a modern font like Calibri Light or Montserrat.
• Use a consistent font throughout the resume. 
• Use consistent font sizes. (All headers should be the same font, format, and size, all position titles, date ranges, locations, etc. should be the same font, format, and size, and all work history should be the same font, format, and size.)
• Use a single-column format
• Do not put information in text boxes, headers, or footers.
• If you decide to use color, use it sparingly (name and contact info only).
• Do not use a font size smaller than 10.

Resume writing is a mix of aesthetics and functionality. It's important your resume isn't FULL of text with no white space. What's more important is the readability of your resume which ensures a recruiter can scan over the most important aspects of your experience quickly. Remember your resume is a highlight reel of your career-- not just a list of responsibilities. 

This is quite easy and straightforward;

PLEASE NOTE: YOU DON'T NEED to have COMPLICATED DESIGN TO HAVE A VISUALLY APPEALING RESUME/CV!

To create a visually appealing and easily navigable resume layout:

1. Use clear section headings to guide the reader
2. Employ consistent formatting for each section
3. Utilize white space effectively to avoid clutter
4. Choose a clean, professional font
5. Prioritize information with the most important details at the top
6. Use bullet points for easy scanning
7. Limit the resume to one or two pages
8. Incorporate subtle design elements for visual interest
9. Ensure alignment and spacing are consistent throughout
10. Use bold or italics sparingly to highlight key information

This approach creates a structure that's both aesthetically pleasing and functional, allowing hiring managers to quickly find relevant information while forming a positive impression of your organizational skills.

If you have more questions, please ask me directly

I believe simplicity is highly underrated when it comes to resumes, and remove all graphics, fancy fonts/formatting, colors and photos. A designed resume looks nice, but actually hurts your chances. Embellishments are distracting, unprofessional and outdated. They take up valuable real estate on the page, and can cause weird re-formatting errors when opening in different applications. More importantly, you run the risk of applicant tracking systems (ATS) mis-parsing or misinterpreting. Unless you’re a graphic designer and your resume is actually part of your portfolio, keep it simple (one column, Arial font size 11) and let your content speak for itself.