Visual Design and Readability

Structure and visual scanning

Neuroscience applied to recruitment has shown that documents are not read line by line in the first instance; they are scanned.

This unconscious behavior follows an "F" shaped pattern, where the reader's gaze begins in the upper left corner, moves horizontally to the right and then descends vertically looking for visual anchors.

Therefore, the design of the resume should facilitate this sweep, placing critical information (such as the current position or summary of competencies) in these "hot zones" of attention.

If we imagine the front page of a prestigious newspaper, the most important headlines are never hidden in the footer.

Similarly, in the resume, the recruiter should not be forced to search for the essential information as if he or she were a detective.

The strategic use of sections serves as a visual guide; for example, if experience is the strong point, it should be placed at the top of the body of the document, while, if it is an academic profile, education should take that preferential place.

The aim is that, in a glance of just six seconds, the recruiter can extract the key data without cognitive effort.

Typography and style

The choice of font and style is not merely a matter of aesthetics, but of accessibility and clarity.

The use of "sans-serif" or dry-letter typefaces, such as Arial, Calibri or Verdana, is recommended, as they facilitate on-screen reading and convey modernity and cleanliness.

The font size should be large enough to be legible without straining the eyes (generally between 10 and 12 points for the body of the text), reserving larger sizes (14-16 points) exclusively to differentiate section headings.

The use of bold and italics should be surgical. Let's imagine that we are underlining a textbook; if we highlight everything, nothing stands out.

Bold should be used to emphasize positions, company names or quantifiable achievements, guiding the reader's eye to the points of greatest value.

On the other hand, the abuse of strident colors or overloaded designs can be counterproductive; a touch of corporate color (navy blue, dark gray) in the dividing lines or headings is acceptable, but turning the document into a rainbow detracts from its seriousness and professionalism.

Appropriate length

The debate over resume length is resolved by the principle of relevance.

For a professional with less than five years of experience or a recent graduate, a single page is the gold standard; longer usually means padding with low-value information.

However, for senior profiles with an extensive track record and multiple significant roles, two pages are perfectly acceptable and sometimes necessary so as not to omit crucial accomplishments.

The exception to this rule is in very specific sectors such as academia or scientific research, where the list of publications and projects justifies a longer length.

However, quality should always take precedence over quantity.

It is preferable to have a page and a half of dense and relevant content than to stretch the text artificially with giant line spacing or excessive margins to reach the full two pages.

At the end, the document should be meticulously reviewed to eliminate redundancies, ensuring that every word adds value to the application.

Summary

Recruiters scan documents following an "F" visual pattern. The design should place critical information in these priority focus areas to facilitate quick, cognitively effortless reading.

Typography should prioritize clarity, using clean fonts and legible sizes. Bold type should be used strategically to highlight key accomplishments, avoiding overloaded designs or strident colors that detract from the seriousness and professionalism of the document.

The ideal length depends on relevance; one page is standard for junior profiles, while two pages is acceptable for long careers. The quality of dense content should always take precedence over unnecessary padding.