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.
