Resumes have seen some dramatic changes in the past few years. Especially with all the technology available to us today, job seekers are constantly finding new and different ways to set themselves apart from the rest. One way this is done is through creative resumes.

Rather than the standard one-page list of skills and experiences that is the format traditional for a resume, people are starting to use different mediums and taking more visually appealing approaches than ever before. Someone looking to go into graphic design, for example, might benefit greatly from having a visually appealing resume filled with designs they created. Similarly, someone in video production might benefit from a video resume.

But because fields like writing, English, literature, linguistics, and even journalism are largely about text and content, these eye-catching resumes may be irrelevant to aspiring professionals seeking employment in one of these fields because they don’t communicate linguistic skill.

So, what do you do if you are seeking to appeal to the linguistic mode of your potential employers rather than the visual?

One way to incorporate writing skill into resume materials is through the personal biography. Because this element is mostly text and can be brief or detailed, it is a great opportunity to show writing prowess. For example, a poet looking for work might write,

“I went to Stanford U,
Where I learned to write haikus.
I graduated in 2002,
And now I want to work for you!”

Meanwhile, a creative writer might submit something like this:

“I stood triumphantly with my diploma in one hand, waving to the crowd with the other. My journey was finally complete, or so I thought. But really it was just beginning.”

Another way to optimize your professional presence for writing is through social media. This applies especially to blogs, which can be a great place to showcase your writing skills. So long as your posts are well-articulated, seamlessly edited, and non-controversial, blogs can be an easy and widely-accessible way to show your writing chops.

Of course, even in writing-based professions there are still some visual elements to be considered. Playing with text and layouts can get you noticed while still showing off relevant skills. Use of attention-grabbing colors, unique fonts, eye-catching text effects, and appealing spacial designs can be beneficial in making your resume stand out at first glance. Examples of resumes using text-centered approaches are below.