Plain & Simple

I'd like to address the subject of resumes.  This is my opinion (and the opinion of most of my clients and industry experts) and just an opinion, but KEEP IT SIMPLE!  The boxes and lines and shading and litany of bullets and sub-bullets simply take away from what recruiters and hiring managers really need to see.  Additionally, if you are submitting a resume through a web site, the program can't read all of this crap and may not allow the pertinent information to download, i.e. you may not be discovered by the internal recruiter, HR, etc.

Pretend you are a hiring manager - what will compel you to want to talk to a potential candidate? 
1.  A description of each role they've held (brief paragraph using key words).
2. A list of specific, impact accomplishments (listed in bullets underneath the paragraph is my advice).
3. Company name, location, title and date in the position listed above the paragraph.
4.  Education listed under your contact information at the top of the page.
5.  Training, awards, certifications, a brief list of important publications, etc. at the bottom of the page.

Some folks add a section with key words in bullet form at the top of the page - I can tell you I don't pay attention to that stuff - it should be included somewhere in your paragraph description.  If you've actually done these things, they'll show up in your position descriptions.  We want to see what you've done, what you've accomplished and to a point, how you did it.  We want the guts - and guts aren't as pretty as lines and colors and bullets made of diamonds and stars, but they are what makes everything happen.