Resume Icons: How to Use Them and When

By Nilda Melissa Diaz, CPRW, Career Advice Expert •Last Updated: August 30, 2024

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Resume icons can empower your resume. When done correctly, resume icons organize your information, guide the recruiter’s eyes and add visual appeal.

If you’re considering adding icons to your resume, this guide will help you make a decision and find the best resume icons for you.

Here, you’ll find:

Resume examples with icons that work.
How to include icons on a resume.
When you can include resume icons — and when you should not!
Tips to add icons to your resume.

Samples of Resume with Icons

Keep it simple. The Impactful resume template uses icons in the contact information section. It gives the resume a clean look that guides the eye quickly. Find it on our robust resume templates collection.

Top Websites for Free Resume Icons

An icon is a small element that plays a big role. To help it work seamlessly with your resume, find high-quality icon images. These are well-known, reliable and used by designers and everyday people:

Icons8: With over a million available icons, Icons8 has the image you seek. You can search resume icons according to style: from classic black and white to colorful 3D to emoji and beyond. Create a collection to save your favorite icons for later use. Icons8 images are available as PNG, SVG, PFG and Favicon.
Flaticon: If you're familiar with design, Flaticon is the option for you. Created by and for designers, this website boasts 16+ images in a variety of formats, including CSS. Resume users can download PNGs for free. If you're seeking more, Flaticon offers a monthly subscription service.
Vecteezy: Easy to use and search, Vecteezy offers a variety of images in PNGs, PSDs, SVG, vectors and more formats. Jobseekers can simply input "resume icons" onto their search bar and download their favored collection, whether you're looking for a minimalistic style or a futuristic approach. Vecteezy offers a monthly and yearly subscriptions, yet there's no shortage of free resume icons collections to download.
The Noun Project: The Noun Project offers sleek, approachable designs created by designer from 120+ countries. Choose the "View by Set" option to find a complete collection of resume icons according to style. The Noun Projects also provides royalty-free licenses with monthly and yearly subscriptions for unlimited icons downloads. Standard images are available as free downloads.
Google’s Material Symbols Library: This is Google's open source library known mostly for its fonts. The Material Symbols Library does not offer collections, which means you must search for each specific icon; for example, "phone", location", "awards", "education," etc. Once you're ready to download in SVG or PNG format, you can do so as is or change the color using the color picker or the hex color codes. All symbols from the library are free under the SIL Open Font License, Apache License, and the Ubuntu License.

Other simple and easy ways to find icons include:

Choose a professionally designed template with built-in resume icons from a resume builder.
When adding a brand, like including a Bold.pro or LinkedIn on your resume, use the original brand resources by visiting their website’s “About” section.
Do a web search for specific icons using these formulas:
[Brand] Logo [File Type] or [Icon] [File Type].
For example: Instagram logo PNG or phone icon resume.SVG

Popular Icons for a Resume

Whether you're looking for simple, colorful, or minimalistic, you can find the right resume icon style for your resume. These popular and trending examples from Vecteezy show how icons can guide the reader's eye while keeping the focus on your qualifications

Minimalistic Icons

Simple goes a long way. This minimalistic style does not take away from your resume, making your qualifications the star of the show. The resume icons universal clarity will guide the reader's eye and keep it ATS-friendly. Choose

Business Icons in Outline, Glyph and Filled Styles

If you're looking for retro-yet-modern design, these icons with larger and darker borders show personality without distracting the reader. You can choose one of the styles according to the industry you're applying for. For example, the filled styles

Blue Resume Icons

A minimalistic yet colorful icon can help your resume stand out and highlight the resume sections that show your strengths. These blue resume icons show personality while keeping the eye on your experience and skills. Change the colors on your resume template to match these icons and introduce your professional style.

How to Include Icons on a Resume

Decide which icons you want to include in your resume. Remember to overwhelm the document with the designs.
Find a reputable source and download the resume icon as a .PNG or.SVG file format. A good resource, like those above, can provide a quality image.
Use the ' Insert Image' option to insert the icons into your resume header or the section you chose.
Make image adjustments. When using multiple icons, make them the same size to maintain consistency throughout your resume.
Use a resume scanner to confirm your resume format is not altered once parsed by the applicant tracking system.

Not the right icons for you? Search for CV icons, instead of resume icons. These words are often used interchangeably

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.

When to Include Resume Icons

When the icons add value to your resume — Resume icons draw the reader’s eyes to your expertise, a portfolio or whichever professional area you want to highlight.
When you already have a personal brand— Keep it consistent and use your own branding icons and colors when writing a resume.
To improve readability — Resume icons can improve readability by separating sections, making the eye scanning process easier and faster.

When Not to Include Resume Icons

When applying to traditional industries. While every employer is different, industries like medicine, legal and education can be conservative. Play it safe and focus on your resume content and placement instead of adding resume icons.
When the employer uses ATS. CNBC reports more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking software. ATS parses text, and including icons can ruin your resume format. When in doubt, confirm with a resume checker.
When your resume works as it is. While creating a visually appealing resume is important, content is king. Focus on improving resume accomplishments, matching your skills to the job and including optional sections.

Our 800+ resume examples will inspire us to create an effective, professional resume. Search by job, industry, format and experience level.

Resume Icons and the Application Tracking System (ATS)

The applicant tracking system, or ATS, is software designed to streamline the hiring process: from receiving and managing candidates’ resumes to interview scheduling. The ATS is designed to parse text by looking for resume keywords the employer wants. If not done properly, the use of design elements can throw off the resume format on the ATS.

Place icons strategically by using them to highlight important skills and avoid their interference with your content. After all, what interests an employer most is your qualifications.

Our Resume Builder is a useful tool for creating an ATS-friendly resume. It provides professionally designed templates, some of which include resume icons for enhanced readability. These templates have been carefully crafted to ensure compatibility with the ATS and help your resume maintain its structure all the way to the recruiter.

Is your resume ready for the applicant tracking system? Our Resume Checker can confirm and provide feedback for 30 common resume mistakes. Upload, review and optimize for a professional resume.

Tips for Using Resume Icons

Include a resume icon if it adds power to your resume or sets it apart.
Choose a high-quality resume icon from a reputable source.
Include a resume icon if you’ve created a personal brand, and place it next to or near your name.
Do not overwhelm the resume design with icons. Icons are an optional addition to your resume to enhance, not distract from, your content.
Keep consistency by using the same type of icon design throughout your resume, preferably something simple.
Research terms of use and guidelines when using a brand’s logo. For example, Meta does allow the use of their famous “Like” thumbs up.
Test your resume with icons on different devices, such as your computer, phone and tablet to ensure it appears as intended.

Key Takeaways

Resume icons can be a valuable addition to a resume when done correctly.
Only include resume icons when they empower your resume, otherwise, focus on improving and optimizing your resume content and design.
Using high-quality icon images will help the visual appeal of your resume icon.
To include high-quality resume icons, find a reputable source to download.
If using a brand’s logo as a resume icon, you must follow their terms of use and guidelines.
Use our Resume Checker to confirm your resume with icons that can parse the ATS without distorting your format.

FAQ

How to add icons to a resume?

Follow the five steps to include resume icons:

Decide which icons you need to include in your resume.
Find good quality icons through a reputable source.
Use ‘Insert Image’ to add the resume icon.
Adjust the images to maintain consistency throughout the resume.
Confirm the icons stay in place using a resume checker.

When should I use resume icons?

This will depend on what you’re seeking.

For general icons, use our Resume Builder ready-made, ATS-friendly templates with icons.
For specific icons, find a reputable source with high-quality images, like the ones described above.
For brands, visit their media page for a downloadable icon

Do a web search for .svg or .png file formats using this formula: [Brand] Logo [File Type] or [Icon] [File Type] For example, GitHub Logo.PNG or Phone Icon.SVG

How to make icons for a resume?

There is no need to create resume icons — unless you’re a graphic design professional looking to show off!

Everyone else can find a trusted resource or, better yet, the original brand to download a high-quality resume icon that can be resized without losing image resolution.

Can I use logos on my resume?

Yes! You can use icons on your resume. These resume icons must:

Add value to your resume by improving readability or adding to the visual appeal
Keep consistency with your personal brand

Resume icons can be a great addition to your resume, once you’ve optimized your content for the job description and the ATS.

Should I create an icon for my resume?

Resume icons are a completely optional addition. There is no need to include them unless you’ve established that it could help you stand out from other candidates and have taken into consideration that the employer uses the applicant tracking system.

If you’ve already established a personal brand, yes! The ideal place to do so would be the resume header next to your name. Remember to create a resume icon that looks good on a black-and-white resume. While most resumes are seen online, you never know when an employer could print your resume. A messy icon can be distracting.

When should I use resume icons?

Use a resume icon:

When you have an established personal brand.
If the resume icon empowers your resume with visual appeal.
To improve your resume’s readability by guiding the reader’s eyes.

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Nilda Melissa Diaz, CPRW

Career Advice Expert

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Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

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