The use of bold print on your resume helps to distinguish headings (“Education”) and can be helpful in drawing the attention of hiring managers and recruiters to important facts and accomplishments (“increased revenue 20% in two years”).
Italics are a different matter, as they sometimes do not scan well. While italics are necessary for the titles of books or magazines you have written or contributed to, in general they should be avoided.
You don’t want hiring managers and recruiters to give up on your resume because CAPITAL LETTERS make them feel they are being SHOUTED AT. However, capital letters can be useful to highlight keywords, especially for Applicant Tracking Systems, or to indicate major headlines. You need to use capital letters appropriately.
Be conservative throughout your resume in the use of bold, italics, capitals and other effects. They lose their impact if they appear on every line. Italics and capitals in particular are difficult to read for any length of time.
If your resume is full of bolding, italics, small caps, and capital letters – and you are not sure you are doing this right, please contact me. There are better ways to emphasize your accomplishments and to communicate what a valuable employee you will be.