A lot of people hear the word "resume" and immediately get edgy and nervous. Resumes are a chore to write and it seems to be impossible to get the "real you" down on one page.

It Doesn't Have to be a Chore
And that's precisely why you need to change your view on resumes so you can stand out from the pack and--yes, it's possible--even have fun with your resume. A resume does not have to be a dry recitation of the names of the places you worked, followed by dull generalities about your responsibilities at each job. If a resume is boring for you to write, then think how sleep-inducing it must be for the prospective employer who has to read it.

A good resume can and should be something different. Your resume should be a carefully tailored marketing tool that summarizes your employment qualifications for a pre-defined target audience. You can think of it as a print advertisement, only in this case the product is you and the consumer is your prospective employer. You need to approach your job search like an ad campaign for yourself--because that's what it is.

Determining Resume Style
A resume that would be highly appropriate for one job is likely to be completely inappropriate for another. Whether your chosen field is creative or conservative affects everything about your resume, from language to paper, to fonts, to layout. Moreover, the type of company you are applying to will also have some impact on the way you present yourself on paper; the graphic design department at Nickelodeon is going to respond to a resume on lavender paper in a way that is completely different from the way that the same department at Chase Manhattan will respond.