What makes a good resume?

I’m in the process of designing a resume for a family member. What makes a good resume? If you’re involved in the hiring process or a recruiter, what do you look for? Resume design feels a lot like fashion week or choosing a movie: everyone has different tastes and you can find 100 different posts about how to approach it differently.

I’ve tried a number of versions to my own resume: something that pops (more design), something with color, a version that includes my devilishly handsome mug, but ultimately settled on a fairly simple one.

I’m a designer, so my inclination is always to make it look as eye-catching as possible, particularly when I’m applying for design positions. But in this day and age of bots that screen resumes using applicant tracking software, what steps can you employ to design a resume that gets past the bots and to the right desk but also doesn’t look like a total dud?

I’d love to hear your suggestions. Share examples if you can by emailing them to davidjackbrowning@gmail.com or tweeting me @davidjackdesign. And just to get in the spirit of sharing, I’m including my own below for you to critique it to high heaven. Full disclosure: I’m not crazy about mine and would love to use some of your suggestions to make it stand out! Get that red pen ready!