Still dissatisfied with how your resume appears after putting too many details on it? After a thorough review, you found out that the words you used aren’t the ones that bore you. Don’t freak out; you’re normal. Perhaps this is your first time to write a resume. The truth is, even seasoned professionals may not perfect resume writing every time they do it. Alternatively, some hopefuls may be good at writing their personal details but can’t make the output presentable. To help you make a striking piece, here are a few quick tips on resume layout and formatting to make the “perfect resume”.
Relax. Learn. Take it from the expert.
Resume Layout Factors to Consider
Most people ignore the word processor’s default values or just don’t care about how their resume appear. The question is: do they really know how resume should look that hiring managers accept these days? Hence, one or more of the following formatting issues could be the reason why looking at your draft is boring, thus may not interest other readers. Heed our tips for each of these factors so you’ll learn how to layout a resume.
Margin
If you leave the word processor’s default values untouched, it will give you too wide margins (1 inch) on all sides of your resume. This is one thing that you must check. We suggest setting top and bottom margins to 0.3″ and the left and right margins to 0.7″ to keep the sides neat. For us, these make the best margins for resume.
Column
Placing more than one column on your paper may not organize your details well but will only give an uneven alignment between texts. Use a table instead.
Orientation
Never write a resume in landscape orientation.
Size
The resume standard paper size is 8.5 by 11 inches long.
Page Border
Resumes may or may not contain page border. If you opt to have a striking design, don’t look for a resume template with border. You may just place a simple border around the page that doesn’t outshine the texts.
Font
Do not use more than two font styles. If possible, stick to just one type. Choose from Constantia, Book Antiqua, High Tower Text, Californian FB, Georgia, Trebuchet, Palatino Linotype, and Times New Roman. Font size may vary in the entire document (between size 10 and 12 on regular texts and 15 to 24 on the header, depending on the typeface).
These tips on resume writing will not just give you a great resume layout but bring you closer to your desired post.
How Should It Look?
Besides layout-specific factors, you also need to watch out for other elements that affect the overall visual appeal of your piece. Without reading the content of your resume, how will you attract the hiring manager and compel it to spend time reading it further? Here’s how.
Bullet points
Use bullets when itemizing your skills or job descriptions. Just be sure to put minimal amount of bullets so the entire document will not look too busy.
White spaces
Keep a good balance between texts and white spaces throughout the document. This reflects how neat you are as a person, something that could impress the hiring manager.
Alignments
Choose the best alignment for the text in your copy. Most writers prefer left and justified alignments to make the resume easy to read and keep smooth edges.
Nice header
Make each section visible in a glance. This way, it will be easy for the reader to find the details he needs to assess the application quickly.
Arranged sections
One of the best ways to present your qualifications is to write the most important section first. The arrangement depends on the post you intend to pursue.
Still puzzled how to make the perfect resume by just working on its layout? Want to improve your piece without overdoing resume styles? Hire our professional resume writing services.
Photo by Judit Peter from Pexels
