Your resume creates an impact in two chief ways: that of content and the visual impact. Your resume must therefore, score highly on both counts because in many situations that resume is the first impression of yourself that you create on a person, so you should make it count. You should avoid making the oft made mistake when creating a resume, of concentrating only on content and not the overall design and layout.

Typeface / Font: When you talk about visual impact, one of the main things to take care of is the kind of typeface or font to use. Of course what is very important in determining what typeface to use is its legibility. The clearer and more legible the font, the easier it is to read. Fancy flourishes and stylish fonts are not for your sample resume. Perception of your level of professionalism, maturity and trustworthiness is based on typeface appropriateness. So if the typeface used in your resume sample is inappropriate it can have a negative visual impact on the reader. Choose a standard font or typeface, which is streamlined and straightforward rather than decorative, and keep it consistent throughout the whole document.

Layout: The resume has to be clear, appealing and easy to read at first glance, thereby prompting the reader to read further. Rather than structure long paragraphs, make it easier for the reader to read by making short to the point itemized paragraphs which can be separated by bullet points. Bullet points can be used to great effect when drafting your sample resume, they make clear and concise points, and differentiate items with clarity, increasing the level of readability for your resume. However you can err on the side of too much bulleting, bullet only those points which you want to draw the reader’s attention to at once. So it is a good idea to combine the paragraph and bullet layout for the resume.

Spacing: The text of the resume should be well spaced, in a sufficiently large and easy to read font size. A page crowded with words is both unappealing and difficult to read, thereby making it a turn off for the reader. It is a good idea to strike a correct balance between white space and text so that neither appears dominant on the page. Also if you can, try and make your resume concise enough to fit into one page; however if this is not possible let it carry on to the next page (or 2) rather than cram it all into one page.

Choose good quality stationery: This is an investment that will be worth its while: that of top quality stationery. Good quality stationery makes an immediate and positive visual impact, instantly conveying a good impression, which in turn makes the reader more willing to read your resume. You should also be carrying several pristine copies of your resume, lest you are found wanting when in need of an extra copy.

Put some effort into the visual impact that your resume will make and make that first impression count for something!