Use Rule Lines in your resume

You should use a rule line under your contact information. It both sets off your name and guides your reader’s eye to start reading the résumé. Note how your eye meanders in this Before example, yet quickly finds its way to Qualifications in the After example.

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Before

resume-lines1

After

resume-lines2

Inserting a Rule Line in MS Word

  1. Position your cursor anywhere on the last line of your contact information (in the above case, the e-mail address).
  2. Click on Format, select Borders and Shading, and click the Borders tab.
  3. Select Paragraph from the Apply To options.
  4. In the Preview box above that, simply click your cursor below the shaded text area, and a horizontal rule will appear.
  5. Next, select from among the many Style and Width options to get the desired effect.
  6. To reposition the rule line (add more space above it), click on Options.
  7. Change the default From Text, Bottom setting to 12 points, or simply “grab” it with your cursor and drag it down where you want it.

Inserting a Rule Line in Corel WordPerfect

In Corel WordPerfect 12, follow these steps:

  1. Click Insert, Line, Custom Line.
  2. Explore your many options for Line style, Line color, and Line thickness, as well as Space above line and Space below line. Click OK.
  3. To change any attribute of the line in the future, select the line with a left-click of your mouse. Then right-click and select Edit Horizontal Line. The menu described in step 2 will reappear.

In earlier versions of WordPerfect, follow these steps:

  1. Click on Graphics, Custom Line, and then Line Styles to reveal the same 30-plus options.
  2. Click OK after deciding on the line style.
  3. To add space between the line and text, position your cursor before the graphic line; then follow the steps outlined earlier under “Adding Space Between Paragraphs in Corel WordPerfect.”

Change Line Height

Another method to gain white space is to shift space from one part of the résumé to another. For instance, by slightly compressing the vertical distance between lines within paragraphs, you can then add that space in the vicinity of the Accomplishments section or other important material that needs an extra dose of white space. Shrinking the line height may be all you need to keep a line or two from spilling over to a new page.

As with all special formatting, be consistent. If you compress the line height on one job description, compress all job descriptions the same amount.