If you work in a creative field, adding some color, charts, or unique design elements to your resume can be a fun way to get a hiring manager’s attention in a crowded candidate pool.
Our free-to-use resume builder can make you a resume in as little as 5 minutes. Just pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.
What is a visual resume?
A visual resume is a resume that incorporates visual elements such as infographics, illustrations, and designs to make the resume more engaging and unique.
Similar to an infographic resume, a visual resume uses graphic elements to communicate key information about a candidate’s skills, experience, and qualifications to employers.
When to use a visual resume
Visual resumes aren’t for everyone. While they’re a great way to stand out when applying for work in creative industries, visual resumes aren’t a good choice if you’re applying for a more traditional job.
Many hiring managers prefer that candidates use a traditional, easy-to-read chronological resume format that clearly presents your skills and qualifications.
But if you’re applying for work in creative industries, using a visual resume can help you show off your creative skill sets.
A visual resume can be particularly effective at showing employers your strengths if you work in:
- Content creation
- Graphic design
- Tech
- Art & illustration
- Marketing
The best resume templates for 2024
One of the best ways to make your resume is by filling out one of our free resume templates. All our templates are designed by experts and free to download for Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
6 visual resume templates
Looking for a visual resume but don’t want to take the time to design one yourself? Here are six visual resume templates you can download and fill out with your own information:
1. Elegant typography
Our Westminster resume template combines beautifully handwritten headers with classic print to create an appealing contrast.
Additionally, the design of this resume leaves plenty of space to include detailed information about your qualifications so you don’t have to worry about the design detracting from the functionality.
The Westminster resume comes in a variety of colors so you can choose the one you love most. If you love using fancy fonts, then this is the visual resume template for you.
2. Infographic resume
Our Social resume template comes in a variety of colors (including multi-colored) and keeps your resume clean and simple, with infographics to show employers your strengths. It features a bubble chart and percentage graphs that allow you to focus on showing off your skills and work experience rather than writing detailed bullet points.
If you want to break down your primary job responsibilities and highlight your soft skills as well as your technical skills, then this visual resume is for you.
3. Resume timeline
Our Standard resume template features a resume timeline that emphasizes your career progression, so it’s perfect for highlighting how you’ve advanced professionally – especially if you’ve earned any promotions you want to showcase.
In addition to an eye-catching color scheme and graphic icons that accentuate your contact information, this template includes skill bars so that you can show employers your technical skill levels.
4. Donut charts
Our Millennial resume template provides two different sections to feature your skills, with two different infographic charts to show off your proficiency in each skill. If you’re looking for work in tech or marketing, this resume template can help you show employers how comfortable you are with specific tools, software, or programming languages.
The unique three-column layout adds visual appeal while creating a clear delineation between your resume sections, and the sleek design is sure to catch a hiring manager’s eye.
5. Charts and timelines
Our Visual resume template uses infographics to communicate your strengths as a candidate.
Featuring a donut chart and slidable bars to represent your skills, as well as a timeline to track your work experience, this resume is perfect for those who want to showcase their technical skills.
If you’ve already said it all on your traditional resume, an infographic-heavy visual resume offers you the opportunity to back up your qualifications with persuasive and straightforward charts.
6. Sleek and subtle
The Photo resume template uses light colors to bring a fresh aesthetic while keeping your resume neatly organized. A timeline feature helps you emphasize your career growth, while skills bars help you demonstrate your proficiency levels for important skills.
A visually appealing resume, this template is bound to get the attention of potential employers and help you communicate your expertise.
6 visual resume examples
Here are six examples of visual resumes for you to use as inspiration for your own:
1. A non-traditional format
If you’re planning to use your visual resume as part of an online portfolio, or to send to a recruiter digitally, then you have freedom to play with your resume layout.
There’s no reason your visual resume needs to be letter size or to follow all the same formatting rules as a traditional resume.
This resume from Envato Elements uses a landscape orientation to emulate a postcard, creating a unique viewing experience for employers. If you use this format, just make sure your font is big enough to read.
While many of the examples and templates you see here include a photo, we usually recommend skipping the photo on your resume if you live in the US, UK, or Canada.
2. Beautiful borders
If you want to stick with a mostly traditional resume format, but add some flair, consider a resume template with a decorative border.
This resume from Easil uses a beautiful floral design as a border, bringing some vibrancy to the content and showing off some personality.
Adding a border is an effective way to add visual appeal to your resume without affecting the individual sections or the overall content. Plus, the border design possibilities are virtually endless.
3. Minimalist illustration
This resume from Fotor uses a very simple resume layout with minimal but pleasing design elements. Using only three sections centered between a mirrored header and footer, this resume design feels spacious and modern, and shows off the candidate’s abilities as a designer.
Incorporating fun elements into your visual resume, like the whimsical design of this header and footer, is a great way to show some personality and style.
Minimalist resumes are a great choice if you want a sleek, easy-to-read, and professional-looking resume that only includes essential information about your experience and qualifications.
4. Part portfolio
This resume template from Fotor for a photographer prominently features a photograph in the header. Making the header a central element of the document is one example of how you can showcase your artistic work on a visual resume.
The sections below the header are centered on the page, offering a unique resume format that focuses only on the essentials.
5. Black and white
This other resume from Fotor uses a simple two-column design with all the essential resume parts. Meanwhile, the black and white illustrations create a striking contrast, guiding the eye towards the periphery and adding some extra personality.
Your visual resume doesn’t have to include a lot of color to be creative and exciting. If you’re looking for a more toned-down but eye-catching design, consider using a template with a black-and-white design.
6. Clear sections
This visual resume template from CvDesignCo is clean and elegant. Its clear structure and organization are visually appealing (particularly for those who love order). It provides ample room for your resume introduction, work history, education, and skills.
This resume has the added visual elements without any of the worries over whether or not it’s professional enough, making it ideal for a variety of job seekers.
Tips for making a good visual resume
If you’ve decided to use a visual resume, it’s important to get it right so you can make sure it adds value to your application rather than detracts from it. Follow our tips below to make sure your visual resume makes a good impression.
Use space wisely
Space is an essential element of design, and how you use it changes the flow and experience of your resume by organizing and giving structure to the page.
For instance, by putting sections or shapes close to each other, you can indicate their connectedness. By making good use of negative space, you provide a place for the eyes to rest, and generate more interest in the content on the page.
Because your visual resume is a supplemental document, you don’t need to include everything that’s on your traditional resume. There’s no point in saying it twice, and you don’t want your visual resume to be overcrowded with text and visual elements.
Figure out what you really want to highlight on your visual resume for your employers, whether it’s your technical skill set, your eye for design, or your talent for illustration, and make sure it draws the eye.
Keep it appropriate
Standards for what is acceptable will vary by industry and company, so do your research on the company culture beforehand to make sure that your visual resume is appropriate for your target employer.
Generally speaking, it’s best to avoid including silly or overly-casual photos of yourself that may come across as unprofessional.
Don’t sacrifice content
A well-executed visual resume should be both visually appealing and full of your most impressive content. It should highlight your greatest qualifications as a candidate, with the visual elements backing up those qualifications.
If a hiring manager receives a beautiful visual resume, but it only contains information about a candidate’s hobbies and interests, it’s unlikely to make much of an impact.
Look at your visual resume as a chance to put a spotlight on what you really want employers to know about you as a potential employee, and make sure it communicates these qualities.
Frequently asked questions about visual resumes
Want to know more about visual resumes? Check out our answers to some of the most commonly asked questions below.
How do you visually format a resume?
Visual formatting involves incorporating design elements such as infographics, illustrations, and unique layouts to make the resume more engaging.
Here are some pointers:
- Incorporate elements like borders, typography, and color schemes to enhance visual appeal
- Use negative space wisely to guide the reader’s focus
- Pay attention to the overall aesthetics, spacing, and organization of sections, making sure your resume is cohesive and well-structured
What is a visually appealing resume?
A visually appealing resume combines aesthetic design with clear communication of key qualifications and professional experience, incorporating visually pleasing elements such as well-chosen fonts, resume color schemes, and infographics.
The design should complement the content, making it easy for the reader to navigate through the resume while creating a positive and memorable impression.
What is the disadvantage of using a visual resume?
The main disadvantage of using a visual resume is that it’s not suitable for all industries or job applications, and could hurt your chances of making it past the application stage by coming across as unprofessional.
Additionally, visual resumes can easily prioritize design over content if not created carefully, which might cause employers to miss out on key information about your professional history.
In which situation a visual resume can be used effectively?
A visual resume is most effective when you’re applying for jobs in creative industries such as content creation, graphic design, technology, art, illustration, or marketing. It can help you showcase relevant skills and capture the attention of employers who appreciate creativity.
However, it’s crucial to research the company and its culture to determine if a visual resume is appropriate for the specific job application. We also recommend using a visual resume as a supplementary document alongside a traditional resume.
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