Originally published in 2008. Updated in 2025 as part of the Personal Branding Blog relaunch under Brown Brothers Media.
This is the third post in the Personal Branding Toolkit series. In Part 1, we covered business cards. In Part 2, we discussed portfolios. Now, let’s look at how to make your resume an extension of your personal brand.
Your personal branding toolkit
1) Business cards
2) Portfolios
3) Resumes
4) Cover letters
If you’ve read my blog for at least a month, you’ll know that I despise resumes. They are important and the standard documents for recruitment, but they don’t do anyone justice. Colleges need to stop passing out standard templates because, let’s face it, students are more interested in partying than developing a resume to get a job.
Even if their intent is great, the aftermath is thousands upon thousands of students with the same looking resume and similar experience. Well today it’s time to break resumes down and tell you how to use them for differentiation.
10 tips for effective resumes
1) Design your brand
Instead of using a standard template, use a branded template. A brand you template! If you’re using Canva, Google Docs, or your preferred résumé builder, take advantage of layouts, shapes, and colors that reflect your personality and target industry. If you don’t already have a website, blog, or business card, think about what colors and style best represent the type of work you want to do.
2) Don’t use your picture
A personal photo can be a distraction, and in many markets, companies are still sensitive to discrimination issues. Recruiters give you about 30 seconds to impress them with your experience and you don’t want 10 of those seconds to be eyes on your picture, do you? Don’t come off as someone who is trying to get a job because of your looks. Companies are scared to deal with your picture because of discrimination laws and lawsuits. Focus on design elements that express personality and professionalism instead — color, typography, and layout can convey just as much as a picture.
3) Links rock
I haven’t seen many resumes with links EVEN from people that have blogs, social network profiles and other websites. It blows my mind! Why not have a link to your site? If the recruiter likes your resume or has further interest in your credentials, a link acts as a supplemental piece of marketing that will help you sell yourself without saying one word.
4) Experience trumps education
Don’t believe for a second that your degree and “deans list” on your resume is going to get you a job. Recruiters are starting to discount GPA for resumes! Listen, a resume is all about showing recruiters that you have had proven success, eliminating risk on the companies part. In life, experience is everything and if you don’t have it, you will leave to lean towards your education. Make a point to put your work experience in the top part of your resume because that’s what employers really care about.
5) Show some class
The quality of your design and presentation shows how serious you are about the position and can be a differentiator. Consider high-quality paper if printing, or a clean, well-formatted digital version that mirrors the professionalism of your brand.
6) Create the multimedia you
How much information can you really get from a traditional resume? Not much. I’ve written about video resumes a lot and believe in them, as long as you are passionate, energetic and have some showmanship. These elements add depth to your brand without replacing the document itself.
7) Use Linked-In as your live résumé
Your LinkedIn profile is essentially a living résumé. It includes your experience, endorsements, portfolio links, and references. It complements your document résumé and gives recruiters a more complete view of your professional brand.
8 ) Grow it
A resume is useless if it shows the brand you from 1938. You need to constantly update it as you grow, finish projects, switch organizations, etc. Always keep it up-to-date so it represents the “present brand you.” An online version or digital résumé with live links can make this easier.
9) Summarize it
If I were recruiting someone for a position I wouldn’t care about a resume. I’d ask for your blog, but for everyone else, I think a summary of your credentials is very very important. At the top of your resume, I’d like to see 3-4 sentences that showcases all your top achievements and your career objectives.
10) Customization
Aside from customizing your resume to fit your brand, you need to tailor it to the position your gunning for. Use language and examples that align with the job description, showing that you understand the role and can deliver specific value.
Conclusion
Your résumé is not just a piece of paper or a PDF. It is a dynamic extension of your personal brand. When you craft it with intention, aligning every section, link, and design choice with your professional identity, you transform it from a document into an ambassador for your reputation.
Keep it current, make it clear, and ensure it reflects who you are today. When your résumé mirrors both your skill and your personality, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your personal branding toolkit.
This article is part of Personal Branding Blog’s Legacy Series — highlighting timeless insights from our archive. Learn more about our story here.
