Here are some tips on making a professional impression with your resume.

Don't get creative. Really. What you want in a font is not a decorative design choice, but a simple, easily read font that shows you mean business. In other words, when looking for a font, think gray suit.

Unacceptable Fonts:

• Courier font: if you didn't have to write your cover letter on a 1930's travel typewriter, why make it look like you did? This font looks like the default font of a malfunctioning computer and is also notorious as the typeface that mediocre high school students use because of its massive, page-filling size. Do you really want such a dishonest font representing your words?

• Say no to anything that looks remotely like handwriting or hints at it, like italicized versions of regular fonts. This is a business document, not a thank you note to a neighbor. And these fonts are difficult to read.

• Avoid any font that looks like it would be more appropriate on a mediaeval manuscript or the label of a malt liquor bottle. No Ye Olde Fonts. No historical-period fonts at all, for that matter. No art-deco twenties, no early-eighties computer geekdom.

Whatever you choose, remember this: what impresses readers the most should not be the letters on the page but the words they spell.

Paper:

A stroll through most business supply stores will reveal a sea of paper choices, from traditional plain white to hot pink and purple. Outlandishly colored resumes are to be used by people whose jobs demand more dramatic visual statements: hairdressers, fashion designers, and clowns. The rest of us need to focus on the understated dignity of whites, light grays, and ecru. Says one career center professional: "White seems to have the most professional feel." Says another: "I like Ecru-White - it has a richness that adds a classy touch to resumes and cover letters." A helpful word advice: "No pastels - ever."

Finally, make sure to use the same paper that you use for your cover letter.