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As you create your resume, your primary objective should be to present data in a clear, easy-to-read manner. Generally speaking, providing Professional Experience and Career Accomplishments in a bulleted format will offer information in an easily digestible format. Why?

In this economy, hiring managers are busier than ever, scanning more and more applicant resumes. When faced with a document that is text heavy, featuring blocks of uninterrupted type, next to one in which that same data is presented in a clean, easy-to-read bulleted format, which do you think the hiring manager will choose?

An example:

Paragraph format

Configured and supported company’s PC’s in heterogeneous LAN environment with over 350 users; supported company LAN/WAN, including installation and configuration of company routers, switches, and hubs. Led three person team supporting operations for Novell 4.11 file, print, Unix, and Windows NT 4.0 servers, as well as Windows NT 4.0 workstations, Windows 95 & 98 desktops, and remote access laptops. Administered and managed security for remote access service through Windows NT 4.0 servers to access corporate LAN/WAN. Designed/developed standard desktop environment and prepared system images for deployment. Supported Lotus Notes 4.6 clients, including remote replication of server databases. Wrote and distributed procedures for end-users and technicians for upgrading and implementing system/software roll-outs.

The same information in a bulleted format

* Configured and supported company’s PC’s in heterogeneous LAN environment with over 350 users; supported company LAN/WAN, including installation and configuration of company routers, switches, and hubs.
* Led three person team supporting operations for Novell 4.11 file, print, Unix, and Windows NT 4.0 servers, as well as Windows NT 4.0 workstations, Windows 95 & 98 desktops, and remote access laptops.
* Administered and managed security for remote access service through Windows NT 4.0 servers to access corporate LAN/WAN.
* Designed/developed standard desktop environment and prepared system images for deployment.
* Supported Lotus Notes 4.6 clients, including remote replication of server databases.
* Wrote and distributed procedures for end-users and technicians for upgrading and implementing system/software roll-outs.

In the first example, the data is uninterrupted, dense, and daunting. The second example, on the other hand, allows the hiring manager to pause and digest the data before moving on to the next sentence.

There is no quicker or more effective way to capture a hiring manager’s attention than by the appropriate use of graphics in a resume.

Graphics can be used to:

1.

Display a logo for a webmaster.
2.

Indicate a certification for someone in the IT field.
3.

Be used as a backdrop to indicate a career field.
4.

Showcase work completed by a graphic designer or an artist candidate.

Fonts

With the advent of computer software and PCs, everyone now has the capability of desktop publishing, complete with fancy fonts.

However, with these innovations come problems, especially if you’re sending your resume via email (as an attachment) to a prospective employer.

Generally speaking, only classic fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial are universal on PCs. Designer fonts like BlackAdder II, Broadway, Mistral, and Stencil must be purchased or downloaded from free font sites on the Internet. Because of this, a resume created using BlackAdder II might look great on your computer, but once it’s transmitted to the employer’s computer, another font will likely be substituted. What does that substitution do? Well, for one, it throws off formatting, potentially stretching your perfect one-page resume onto two or more pages, because fonts differ in height, depth, and the amount of spacing between characters. And while BlackAdder II is a rather elegant, stylish font, the one the computer will substitute may very well be bulky and, quite frankly, ugly.

Therefore, if you’re going to be sending your resume as an attachment to numerous employers, it’s always best to use Times New Roman or Arial. That way, you know your formatting and the overall look of the resume will remain true.

Bullets

Like designer fonts, designer bullets add flair to a resume. And like those fonts, designer bullets are not universal on all PCs. So if you choose one that’s a check mark, a small arrow, a five-pointed star, or anything other than the universal round bullet, those dynamite designs may very well turn up as question marks or numerals on the hiring manager’s computer.

Remember, the best time to use designer fonts and bullets is when you’re “snail” mailing your resume to an employer or handing it to them in person -- that is, when you have a hard copy of your resume for distribution. For those resumes being sent as attachments, it’s best to go with traditional fonts and bullets.