Fonts & Bullets
by ResumeEdge.com - The
Net's Premier Resume Writing and Editing Service
Fonts (aka type style or type face) set the tone
for the entire resume. What is a font? It is that little bit of magic that enables humans to
communicate in print. It is the alphabet set to music. It is art. Actually, a font is a set of curved,
straight, or slanted shapes that your brain decodes into letters and then words, but that sounds too
boring for a subject as fascinating as type style.
Every font has its own designer and its own
personality. Each font projects a certain "feel." For instance, serif fonts (the kind with the little
"feet") are considered more traditional. They are usually used as text fonts in books and magazines.
Some samples include:
- Times Roman
- New Century Schoolbook
- Padua
- Bookman
Sans (meaning "without" in French) serif fonts,
on the other hand, have no "feet" and are considered more contemporary, as in:
- Helvetica (Arial)
- Avant Garde
- CG Omega
- Univers
Although serif fonts are commonly used as text
type for the main body of published works, you don't have to restrict yourself to these types of fonts
for resumes. Either style produces equally impressive resumes.
Headline fonts and wild type faces have their
place in design, but only in the headlines and only for very creative professions. Remember, you want
your resume to be easy to read.
In all my years of designing resumes, I have
discovered that my clients don't have to understand the science behind fonts or the difference between
serif and sans serif fonts, and neither do you. It is more important that you look at samples of good
resume fonts and then choose the one that makes your eyes "feel good." In other words, choose the one
you like the best. Again, it comes down to personality.
If you are concerned about the scannability of
your resume, remember that the fonts you choose play a major role. If you haven't read the
Scannable Resume Tips, now is the time to read that section.
Bullets
Bullets are special characters used at the
beginning of indented short sentences to call attention to individual items on a resume. Short,
bulleted sentences are easier to read than long paragraphs of text, and they highlight the information
you want the reader to see quickly. Bullets also add some variety to a resume and make it just a touch
more creative.
In both MS Word and WordPerfect for Windows or
Macintosh, clicking on "Insert" gives you access to a myriad of special characters that are not found
on your keyboard. That is how the bullets in this section were created. Your printing capabilities
might not allow you to have access to all of these dingbats/wingdings/ symbols, but you can still be
creative.
From Designing the
Perfect Resume, by Pat Criscito.
Copyright 2000. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
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