More Advanced, More Daring Résumés

Creative Format Choices

• Jazzing up the heading. If nowhere else, many writers give the heading of the résumé a bit more dazzle by using different fonts and sizes, perhaps even drawing a line or using an underscore beneath the heading that crosses the entire page.
• Experimenting with tabs and margins. By experimenting with format options for the entire document or for portions, you can change margin settings in order to get more information onto a particular line or onto the entire page. Informal tables and the use of tabs also economize on space. Still, aesthetically, avoid using less than one-inch margins at the page’s edge or more than three different indentations within a single line.
• Providing visual emphasis. Obviously, capitalization, boldface, underscore, and italics enhance both the appearance and hierarchy of information on the résumé. Beware, though, of graphic overkill, and keep in mind the intuitive hierarchy we employ as readers: Capitals and boldface typically represent important information, while underscore and italics imply subordinate material.
• Using a résumé template. Résumé templates, which tend to offer a variety of fonts, preset fields for blocks of text, and even sample text itself, can certainly make a résumé look pretty. Keep in mind, however, that résumé templates do have constraints in format, they often put categories into a different order than they would be on an undergraduate résumé, and the resulting résumé may not be suited to the conventions of your field. If using a template, be sure you manage résumé content and appearance in a way that suits your circumstances and keeps you in charge of form.

Creating Special Sections

• Creating a special section based on specialized experience. Common special categories include “Leadership Experience,” “Military Service,” “Professional Qualifications,” “Communication Skills,” “Teaching Experience,” and “Research Experience.”
• Taking a “skills” approach. Drawing from the model typically used in post-graduate professional résumés, some writers open the body of the résumé with a “Skills Summary” or similarly titled section, detailing their skills and how they acquired them.  A common strategy is to think both quantitatively (“Four years of experience programming computers using . . .”) and qualitatively (“Superior customer relations skills acquired through . . .”). The skills approach can go beyond simply one section, with other section titles including the word “skills” and work experience descriptions focusing on the skills acquired. The focus should be on outcomes and personal and professional attributes that would apply to any job performed, regardless of your field of study.