Since your résumé is basically an advertisement for you and your skills, you should think about the design of your résumé from a marketing standpoint. When you see a well-designed ad, what is the first thing you notice (besides a picture of the product)? The product name, of course. Since you are the product, your name should be the first thing a reader sees and remembers. To accomplish that, there is really only one rule to remember: Your name should be easy to read and it should stand out above the rest of the text. That can be done by using:

A Larger Font in Upper/Lower Case

ALL CAPS

FIRST LETTER LARGER

A Creative Font

In the Sample Resumes Section, you will also notice the use of graphic elements and lines to help define the name and separate it from the rest of the text. Even scanned clip art letters or a signature can be used to enhance a résumé, but the latter only works when you have great handwriting. Your name, however, should not distract the reader from the message. Make it part of the overall design of your résumé but separate it from the body text with lines or spacing.

The most important thing is to make sure the style of your name reflects your personality, tempered by the expectations of your industry. If you are flamboyant and are looking for a job in the arts, then you have a license to be creative. Go for it! If, on the other hand, you work in a conservative industry or you feel uncomfortable with your name printed large, then it is important to tone it down.

Remember to look for the word Scannable if you are trying to design a résumé for a high-tech or large company. Designer fonts, names with graphic elements in the place of letters, reverse boxes, and script names will not scan.