Regarding different fonts, formats, lines, boxes etc., I personally feel you can be as free as you want
as long as you don't sacrifice legibility, readability, or professionalism. And as previously mentioned, there are liberties you can take in some areas of employment that you can't. I'm really big on readability of resumes. I like white space in mine. But please, if ou choose a different font, don't stray too much. Readability is the most important thing and serifs (that look a lot like Times) are some of the easiest to read.
The old NT post was very good, but some of my thoughts:
Make sure your e-mail is professional. Nothing stupid like "
[email protected]" or something equivalent for the males.
I always thought the objective part was stupid, I never include it. However, if you do include it, change your objective with each employer you apply. Don't have a general objective you use on every resume.
If you use periods n the end of your bullets, be consistent and use them in
every bullet point. Either do it or don't. Don't mix.
I understood the rationale behind a one page resume, but I never quite followed it. Some people are in the school of thought that it's a must, I just think it's a nice to have.
Your resume is to get you the interview. Don't include your life story. Include just enough to inform and impress, then tell the rest during your interview (detail varies from job to job)
I like that Ernie Salazar resume. Personally, though I think it's a bit packed in (that's just personal taste) and wish there was a bit more white space - but I'd have to take a look at it on paper to really see if it's a problem in my eyes. The headings are clearly demarcated and it's very easy to understand. I like how he quantified his results and included what was needed to get an interview. I think some stuff could be changed a bit (after a brief skim) but that's more personal preference than anything.