How do I balance creativity and readability on my resume?

Decide that readability comes first, then add creative choices only where they do not slow the reader down. A simple order of priorities helps:

• Content: relevant experience, achievements and skills are easy to find.
• Structure: clear section headings in a logical order.
• Readability: body text at a comfortable size, dark on light, enough spacing.
• Style: colour, typeface, layout details that reflect your personality.

Test your design before sending it. Ask a friend to find your current job title, your most recent employer and your top skill in a few seconds. If they hesitate, simplify. Also copy all the text from your PDF into a plain text editor: if it comes out in a jumbled order, software may struggle with it too.