3 key takeaways
- Learn the definition of an infographic resume
- Discover which situations are appropriate for using an infographic resume
- Understand how Teal’s AI Resume Builder can help you check your infographic resume content
Modern resumes average 300 to 500 words. That's not much room to convince someone to hire you.
Fortunately, you can use the idea a picture is worth a thousand words to create a resume with impact. Using pictures and words can give your resume a more complete snapshot of who you are—depending on your situation.
A resume that incorporates graphics is called an infographic resume. With the right mix of color, images, and data, you can showcase your skills in a fun and memorable format.
Infographic resumes can be super effective, but they aren't right for every person...or job. You have to use extreme caution. So let's go over what an infographic resume is, when to actually use one, and how to make one if it's best for your needs.
What is an infographic resume?
An infographic resume is a type of resume that combines visual design with text to present your skills, experience, and personality in a unique format.
There isn’t a standard infographic resume template. Some templates use star ratings, bar charts, or timelines. Whenever you see icons and images, you’re looking at an infographic resume.
There are a few limited instances when an infographic resume is appropriate:
- In-person interviews as a visual aid to better explain data related to your work experience after a prospective employer has seen your skills and experience
- Networking events or career fairs where an unusual printed resume can stand out
- Personal website or online profiles when you have a captive audience to read your resume
- Informal jobs like dog-walker or math tutor
If you're a creative professional, like a graphic designer, leverage both formats: standard resumes for online portals, then bring your infographic version to showcase at in-person interviews.
Pro Tip: Certain industries, like banking, medicine, and federal, don't use creative resumes at all. You should always reference resume examples and best practices in your industry to apply correctly and with confidence.
How to create an infographic resume
If you've decided an infographic resume is something that makes sense for you, here's a 12-step guide on how to do it.
1. Plan your strategy
When creating an infographic resume, you can be bold, confident, and creative—but you should still remember this is a resume, not a high-end graphic design project.
Use your LinkedIn profile or existing resume as a reference for what to include. Working from a list will help keep the focus on your qualifications, not just a fancy resume template.
Then consider:
- What's the most important story you want to tell?
- What's the best way to tell it?
- Your job target
- A list of preferred resume template services
- Budget range
2. Choose the right information to include
To create a good infographic resume, choose the right information to showcase. Follow the basics of how to make a resume, even when you’re using an infographic resume format.
3. Select an appropriate infographic resume template
There are countless options for resume builders and resume templates, and it’s easy to get caught up in the sheer number of resume examples online.
Evaluate your search results to see if they are playful, polished, or professional. Pick a design and layout that makes sense for you and your job target.
4. Research your template or builder service
You can either download a template or use an infographic resume builder. Before you invest your time adding your information, make sure you can customize the resume template exactly how you want. Read resume builder reviews to determine if users liked this infographic resume template or found it challenging.
Make sure you know how much it will cost to download your resume. Many options appear free but require a small fee to download your resume.
5. Plan your layout to showcase your best qualifications
Use infographics sparingly. Leverage your graphic design skills to highlight your most important information. Balance visual elements like art and charts with text and white space.
6. Add your information
Start with your contact information and location. Most infographic resume builder tools and resume templates will have common resume sections for your skills, education, and work experience.
7. Customize your infographic resume
Use the right colors and fonts to complement your resume content. Don’t overload it with too many visuals—that can make a graphic resume overwhelming instead of engaging.
Your work experience is often a good opportunity to substitute complex bullet points with simple infographics.
8. Optimize for readability
Use bullet points, stylized fonts, and contrasting resume colors to ensure your resume is easy to read.
9. Proofread
Many templates and professional infographic resume services don't have a built-in spellcheck. Edit carefully!
10. Review and evaluate
Keep your infographic resume achievement-focused. Your infographic elements should enhance your qualifications not detract from them.
11. Ask for feedback
Can a recruiter pick this up and understand what makes you special? Ask for impartial feedback.
Five infographic resume examples
1. Contemporary infographic resume example
This resume from Venngage works really well for a contemporary feel. The challenge with using this resume template is that your information might not fit as neatly into the provided space.
- Pros: Eye-catching design, clear key points, and a good amount of space for job experience similar to a plain text resume.
- Cons: The social media icons at the top appear to be designed for links when this resume would actually be best suited for printing out to give to potential employers.
2. Creative infographic resume format
Another example from Venngage, this UX designer infographic resume example incorporates a color gradient and corresponding color for the headshot background. The language fluency charts are a nice representation of the applicant's skills. This resume template isn't the right choice for an online application, but it might be appropriate to send it to a contact in the tech industry for an informational interview.
- Pros: Balanced use of graphic elements and text, and the color is bold without being overpowering.
- Cons: Too much resume real estate is devoted to certifications and skills ratings, while not enough space is left for the professional work history.
3. Aesthetic infographic resume sample
This infographic example resume from Visme is the type of resume you could email to a potential client. It uses too much color to print but successfully integrates graphic design elements, like shapes and contrasting colors, with information.
- Pros: The colored box for the awards draws a reader's eye for an aestetic feel. The contact details are clear and easy to find.
- Cons: The resume layout doesn't allow for enough relevant information or explain this person's career progression. The section header font choice and color is hard to read at a glance; one font would be better.
4. Polished example of infographic resume
This infographic resume from Piktochart is an example of something you could bring to an interview. The hiring manager will already have seen your full resume—that's how you landed the interview! This version gives you something to reference during your interview and leave behind as a reminder of who you are and what you do.
- Pros: Plenty of room for you to explain your work history. The design is simple and professional yet refreshing, with round icons and one accent color. The bar graphs compare foreign language fluency concisely.
- Cons: A US resume format doesn’t normally include a headshot, but you can include one on an infographic resume for networking or interviews.
5. Bold infographic resume example
This resume template by Canva is bold and distinctive yet keeps the design simple. This is a useful visual resume template for when you don't want to say too much. The timeline is a creative way to explain some career milestones, for example, if you earned a degree during your career.
- Pros: The black background makes the rainbow color scheme feel subtle and sleek.
- Cons: It's missing a work history and an education section, so this isn't one of the best infographic resume templates for job seekers. There's only room for four skills. This template is fun but unlikely to catch recruiters' attention.
Infographic resume templates
If you're looking for an infographic resume template, websites like Canva have a variety of template options like the ones below.
Vibrant infographic resume template
Organic template for an infographic resume
Dynamic infographics resume template
Infographic resume tips
Your infographic resume needs to be simple and readable. Ensure your resume is easy to read with a big enough font, clear headings, and logical organization.
Use design effectively and efficiently
As author Robin Williams notes in The Non-Designers Design Book, “Design should communicate its message effectively and efficiently.” When applied to resume writing, this means your overall design should still convey that you want a job and are qualified to have that job.
Limit icons and graphics
Limit your use of logos, icons, and graphics to ensure they’re helping people understand your resume, not distracting them.
Normally, you shouldn't put a headshot on a US resume format due to ATS compatibility issues and discrimination concerns. However, you should put an image on a resume in certain countries or, in limited situations, some jobs.
Test for ATS compatibility
Use a simple copy-paste test to check your resume’s electronic readability. If you can copy plain text onto a blank document and read the information, you pass the copy-paste test!
When your resume doesn't pass this test, that's still ok for certain direct communication settings.
Keep the design consistent
Double-check that your font and stylistic design elements are the same from top to bottom. Inconsistent formatting comes across as unprofessional.
Pro Tip: Once you upload your resume, you can try out the smart template options in Teal to preview your resume in other, ATS-friendly formats.
With Teal’s AI Resume Builder, you can rest assured your resume’s design and formatting are consistently perfect—without manual work.
