It's not that they are displeased with the Word doc or examining every detail. Just that aesthetically pleasing things attract our good graces on a subconscious

It's not that they are displeased with the Word doc or examining every detail. Just that aesthetically pleasing things attract our good graces on a subconscious level, and CVs are in competition with other CVs. Really we are overcomplicating this. The OP could have fixed the CV in the time it took us to discuss it. I'd say too often what happens is that engineer minded types rebel against unwritten norms like these and derive a sense of moral superiority from being immune to them, when ironically from an engineering POV it would make more sense to just do these little things, iron the shirts, use a template, and call it a day.