Here is something fun that you can do with your resume. Take the content that’s in your formal resume and create a word search out of it.

I have had a few friends try this approach and use it for job seeking purposes as well as for business development purposes.

The word search resume is unexpected and just may help you stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of hiring managers and HR professionals and potential clients.

This exercise can also re-energize you and allow you to see your strengths and experience in a whole new light.

Note: because of the unconventional nature of this approach, it does have some risk. You must decide what is appropriate for the situation.

How to Create Your Own Word Search Resume

Instructions:

1. Download the Sample template of the word search resume for job seeking candidates
   
2. Resume your formal resume and identify a list of key words to put in the word search. Try to keep the words short in length, no more than 14 words long. Include your full name in the list of words.
3. Finalize your list of words and type in your keywords in the section of the page with the headline: Can You Easily Find These Skills and Qualities in a Candidate?
4. Next, go to the browser and hit EDIT then CLEAR then CONTENT to remove the letters that are in the sample word search box.
5. Now you are ready to layout your key words in the word search boxes. You can put key words horizontally, vertically or diagonally, backwards or forwards. Be sure to put your full name in the word search boxes.
6. When you are done, you should have some empty boxes. Leave these empty for now.
7. When you are done placing all of your keywords in the boxes and they connect and intersect correctly, you are ready to TEST your word search. Print out the word search and take a pen or highlighter and FIND your words.
8. Have a second person TEST your word search by finding your words.
9. If there are multiple problems, consider starting all over and/or eliminating some of your key words. Fewer and shorter keywords are best in this case.
10. When your tests prove position, you are ready to  fill in the remaining empty boxes with miscellaneous letters. It doesn’t not matter what alphabetical letters you use.
11. Test your final word search one more time with a friend.
12. Finally, you can customize your paragraph below including your full contact information.
13. Have a friend edit the entire page for any typos, grammatical errors or missing information.
14. You can either keep this file as a word document or choose to convert is to a .pdf file format

Congratulations! You have created your own word search resume. Try sending it out to gauge what kind of response you might get. Remember, the word search resume does not replace the formal resume and is not guaranteed to increase your chances of getting interviews and/or job offers. That being said, you may just find that this exercise brings a smile to your face as you see your skills, knowledge and experience in a whole new light!

Good Luck!