Creativity and Resumes: Creative marketing with a memorable advantage or create a memorable pass to instant exclusion?

Including pictures on resumes, is this a controversy worth discussing? Adding quotes from past supervisors speaking to a candidate’s character or ability to do well, is it unique and advantageous?  Highlighting information by using color, is it punchy or distracting? Are traditional resumes a thing of the past?  A discussion that was sparked in a recent meeting in our office started a debate on this topic.  It seems while it is our practice in the Center to discourage non-traditional formats and additions, including pictures on resumes, some felt that there could potentially be arguable exceptions based on the industry.  Could it be that a candidate may have an advantage if they put a more creative spin to their resume such as, a picture or including more color or quotes? It seems that there could be potential for a resume to stand out and demonstrate a candidate’s creativity and ability to market themselves.  However, in the traditional business sense, keeping it simple has always been the “norm”,  it has been argued that it is unethical to include things, such as pictures on the resume. Why? Is it because it may give a false sense of the candidate’s ability to do the job well, perhaps their resume may distract the employer from determining if they are a fit for the job based on their skills and qualifications? Is it strictly because of EEO regulations? In some countries pictures are required and expected to be included with an application packet and a resume.  Do people include pictures because they feel it will offer an advantage? Ethically, if a candidate includes a picture with their resume, that should not prove or indicate that he or she is a more qualified candidate than one not including a picture. And the debate continued…

As an employer, what are your thoughts on a candidate making themselves more visible and does it really make a difference in a positive way? What is your practice with resumes that are submitted with pictures?  Do you think quotes and colors are appropriate and show creativity or is it distracting and unappealing? Let me know your thoughts, e-mail me at neb5@uakron.edu