Resume Icons: When and How to Use Them
Ever noticed small images and logos like a phone shown under the contact section or a company logo under the work experiences section on resume templates?
These are called “Resume Icons.” They are intentionally used to make various sections visually more appealing and differentiating.
The main purpose of using resume icons is to make your resume look organized and add a modern art feel that helps you stand out.
This blog is your ultimate guide on how to use resume icons. The points that we are going to discuss today are:
- What are resume icons?
- Do you need to use resume icons?
- Resume Icons - pros and cons
- Where to use resume icons?
- Why do you need to use Resume icons cautiously?
- The Right way to use the resume icons
- Additional tips on how to use resume icons
- Resume examples with resume icons on Resumod
What are Resume Icons?
Resume icons are graphical vectors that help the reader distinguish between various elements, making them quite comfortable to read and easy to navigate.
Your resume reflects your personality even before your first meeting. Resume icons distinguish your resume from others without making them look overcrowded or unprofessional.
- Optimized and correct use of resume icons can truly add a high value to your resume in both organized and appealing factors.
- Various types of resume icons are used for each section, like contact us, education, work experience, skills, achievements, etc.
- Each icon signifies some sort of visual memory associated with various things. For example, a small phone icon can be easily associated with your contact number. Similarly, a book icon can be associated with educational background.
Resume icons are widely used in modern resumes, adding an exciting and appealing factor. But again, there is always a right way to do anything. But a question arises here, “Do you need it”? Let’s answer this question.
Do You Need Resume Icons?
One thing that's probably NOT true for a resume is “Never judge a book by its cover.” Recruiters only give just 6 seconds to a resume - which is as good as judging a book by its cover.
Here are where icons come in. They make your resume "interesting" to look at, breaking the monotony of the text.
But using icons in your resume is an entirely personal preference.
Resume Icons - Pros and Cons
The pros and cons of resume icons depend on the question, “how are you going to use it?”
- If you are using resume icons simply to organize and make your resume easy to navigate, then they are a great fit for your resume. They will drive attention to specific information or sections in your resume.
- If your idea is just to make your resume look more visually appealing, it is best to avoid resume icons. You might use a limited resume space by filling it with unnecessary icons.
Why have resume icons on your resume
The primary purpose of using resume icons is to increase visual appeal. They work well only if you chose the right format. Here is why are they a great fit for you:
- Resume icons are great for demarcating sections in the resume without being flashy and over dramatic
- If you are in a creative field like designing, they help you demonstrate design thinking and display your creative capabilities
- Resume icons save space. You can replace long sentences or section headers with icons, making your resume easy and interesting to look at
Why NOT have resume icons on your resume
You are convinced to use resume icons by now.
But before you hop to adding resume icons to your CV, know that resume icons don't work all the time. Yes, they are visual and interesting, but here are a few pointers to understand.
- Resume icons are attractive. This greatest benefit is sometimes done not play in your favor. Readers might get distracted and not read the actual stuff and might end up rejecting you.
- Some professions do not prefer even the tiniest of fancy stuff and perceive them as unprofessional.
- Icons might put off the recruiter if they are not an industry standard
Where to use resume icons?
Resume icons work only when used in moderation and in the right places. Here's where you can put them to the best use without making your resume unprofessional
Demonstrate Contact Information
While used with the contact information as signs pointing to detail.
For instance: an email icon next to your email address.
This is one of the best ways to use resume icons as it's a great balance between visual appeal and professionalism.
Illustrate section headings
This method is the one for you if you want resume icons to be visible across your CV, not just at the top. They help in segregating sections and bring the reader's eye to each section.
Alongside each skill in the skills section
This is the least used method and many don't even know about it.
If you are very confident in your skills and want the recruiter to glance at your competencies, then use icons in the skills section along with each skill.
Note that each icon will be different as per the corresponding skill.
Why Do You Need to Use Resume Icons Cautiously?
Reason in a nutshell: Application Tracking Systems (ATS).
Here are the deets:
Recruiters all around the globe are using ATS to accept or reject applications based on information provided in resumes. ATS picks up all the text in the resume and organizes it into sections. The ATS the matches information text with the job description and requirements to determine the profile's relevancy percentage.
The catch is that ATS doesn’t read images in resumes and only focuses on text. If you are using more than necessary resume icons, the ATS might miss out on crucial information helpful for increasing your job relevancy, ultimately lowering your chances of getting shortlisted.
The Right Way to Use the Resume Icons
Your resume has very limited space. To bank on the limited space effectively, we add only those pieces of information and elements that serve your purpose and get you closer to that one job.
You might probably use images in a way that doesn’t fit the space and looks odd.
To avoid these common mistakes, here are some expert tips on how to resume icons to add outstanding value.
Choose a Style and Keep it Consistent!!
Consistency of design is essential aspect of your resume. It applies to all elements like color, spacing, font size, font style, and icons too.
There are multiple styles in icons: solid shapes, line drawings, clipart style, etc.
For instance, if you are using creative, colorful icons, then stick with them and use the same pack or style throughout your resume.
What type of icons should I avoid for my resume?
Avoid choosing a style that’s too flashy or contains excessive designs as they distract the recruiter.Choose Industry Specific Resume Icons
This is the most effective yet underrated resume tip that we can give you!
Resume icons are available for various industries like finance, investing, etc., or professions like doctors, engineering, technicians, etc. Choose icons that fit your industry.
Choosing industry-specific icons make your resume look aligned for the industry and the recruiter instantly knows about you!
Use resume icons in section headers
The best way to use resume icons is to highlight different sections of your resume. They help you to underline the specific theme of a section. The internet is full of resume icons with specific sections of resumes like contact, skills, education, experiences, languages, etc.
Additional Tips on How to Use Resume Icons
Keep them simple
The go-to style is using vector or minimalist icon packs.
They are sober and serve the purpose of easy navigation quite well without being a distraction to the recruiter.
Ensure the color coding and style of icons are consistent to make your resume look meat and appealing.
Use the Right Size
Using too large or too small icons defeats the purpose of using them. Either they become the "only" point of attraction or they end up serving no purpose at all.
Follow this thumb rule to know the ideal resume icon size based on your resume’s font size – keep the size of the icons same as the font size.
For example, in your font size, if 14, then keep your icons 14X14 pixels. You can easily use online tools to change the size of icons per your requirement.
Don’t overuse icons
Keep your resume icons limited to only 5-8 across various headings and sections. They do look appealing, but overdoing them kills the purpose of resume icons, which is to get attention.
Use high-quality Images
So here's a myth - you can use low-quality images when they are small in size.
The quality of the image (irrespective of its size) contributes to the overall impact the image creates.
Blurry images look unprofessional. The recruiter might find blurry images annoying and the quality of a weak candidate.
What should be the format of my icons?
The best formats of images are jpeg and png, which offer high-quality image output.Decide the right color scheme
Your preference for the icon style depends on personal choice and style.
The only thing to remember is to choose a resume icon style that complements the whole resume layout and your application profile. Also, icons should create some background contrast to help the recruiter differentiate various sections from each other.
Resume examples with resume icons on Resumod
Resume examples with icons in section headings
Resume of Account Receivable Clerk
Check the full resume of A/R Clerk in text format here
Resume of Labour Relations Specialist
Check the full resume of labour relations specialist in text format here
Resume of National Director of Sales
Check the full resume of national director of sales in text format here
Resume of Data Protection Officer
Check the full resume of data protection officer in text format here
Resume of Sourcing Specialist
Check the full resume of sourcing specialist in text format here
Resume examples with icons in section headings
Resume of PGT English
Check the full resume of PGT English in text format here
Resume of Psychiatrist
Check the full resume of psychiatrist in text format here
Resume of Community Health worker
Check the full resume of community health worker in text format here
Resume of Talent Acquisition Manager
Check the full resume of talent acquisition manager in text format here
Resume of Customer Sales Representative
Check the full resume of customer sales representative in text format here
Conclusion and Takeaways
Resume icons are a great way to catch the recruiter’s eye and make it easy to navigate and read your resume, given the limited time of recruiters.
Keep the icons simplistic with a minimalist color tone for best results. If you are looking for professional service for resume writing with industry-specific resume icons, connect with us today!!