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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