Images

Keep in mind that the graphic should be directly related to your industry. You wouldn't put a world globe on a waitress's resume or drafting tools on a paramedic's. In some more conservative professions (banking, accounting, upper management, etc.) graphics on a resume are not recommended, even if they are small and conservative.

By becoming a little more inventive, you can incorporate scanned letters or figures that reflect your personality more than the industry. The use of the graphics is fine on a scannable resume. The scanning software will ignore your graphics as long as they don't touch any of the words on the page. However, using a graphic image as the first initial of your name will cause your name to be spelled wrong in the electronic database after scanning. Avoid such graphic images that are part of your name in a scannable resume.

Those in more creative industries--the arts, entertainment, advertising, graphic design--have a license to be even more creative.

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From Designing the Perfect Resume,by Pat Criscito.
Copyright 2000. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.