While content is clearly the name of the game when it comes to resumes, format is also important. What looks good to you on your computer may come out looking entirely different on someone else’s machine. Though there is a variety of word-processing software out there, there are some general guidelines to go by. We’ll use Microsoft Word as our example since that is the most commonly used program for creating resumes.
Often odd formatting things occur when you start cutting and pasting to import information into your Word document. In order to avoid a royal mess, try taking the following steps to ensure your resume is well-formatted.
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Margins. Start with 1-inch margins all around the page. Word defaults to a 1-inch margin on the top and bottom and 1.25 inches on the left and right, so you will need to click on Page Layout — Margins — Normal. It’s fine to stick with the automatic setting, but this will give you a bit of extra space should you need it. Don’t extend past 1-inch margins because it’s imperative to have some white space on the page.
Alignment. Now you should compose your resume in the default Word document. If you begin copying and pasting from other locations, you run the risk of altering the formatting, which often takes longer to undo. Stick with the default line spacing. Once you’re finished typing your content, you may find that you need to reformat some parts of your resume in order to fit everything. Don’t play around with the settings until you know if you need to or not.
Font. There’s a lot of talk about proper resume font, and many people think using a unique one helps them stand out. What is more important than fancy font is that it is readable. Some good choices are Garamond, Cambria, Arial, and Times New Roman. Stick with 11- or 12-point black font. Avoid over-using bold, italics and underlined text. Generally, bold font should only be used for your name at the top of the resume, your section headers, and organization name and job title for each job description.
Tables. Many people use tables to feature their skills or competencies. Do not use tables of any kind. They can ruin formatting and likely will not show up correctly on someone else’s computer or when printed. In addition, some automatic tracking systems that filter resumes do not recognize tables, so you run the risk of your resume not uploading in those human resources systems correctly or at all.
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Graphics and Callout Boxes. In order to highlight a part of your background, you may be using a callout box or two. While these make your resume look different, it can also cramp it, causing you to use smaller font type or squeeze information elsewhere. Unless you can fit everything in an appropriate, readable way, it’s best to stay away from callout boxes. Graphics should be avoided entirely unless you happen to be in a very creative field like web design. These can also show up in an unintended way and distract from the substance of your resume.
Pages. Your resume should not be more than two pages. The second page should include your name and page number. Whether you do that in the header, footer or simply at the top of the page, is up to you as long as it’s there. If your resume does go past two pages, first review your text and decide what words or information can be discarded. Then consider how you can condense spacing. It may mean changing the space size between sections or job descriptions. To do this, you can right-click on your mouse and select Paragraph. Then go to Spacing where you’ll see a Before and After selection. That’s where you can play around with spacing. Make sure you use the same setting throughout your resume and not only in that one spot!
Justifying. You may have used the tab or space bar keys to get over to the right side of the page to record dates of employment. That is going to cause major trouble and uneven alignment when it comes to others uploading, viewing and printing your resume. Instead, double-click on the ruler at the top of your page. A tiny black arrow should appear. Under Alignment, click on the bubble next to “Right.” Now you should be able to drag the black arrow over to the edge of the page at the right. Do this for each date entry to keep formatting even along the right side.
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When you’re finished with your formatted resume, click on Save As and select PDF format to save it. Open the PDF and check to see if your formatting has remained consistent. If not, make the necessary adjustments. You may find there’s an extra blank page hanging on at the end. If that’s the case, you need to go back into Word and delete it.
When you send your resume to employers or upload it on a site, send it as a Word file (unless directed otherwise), as some automatic tracking systems will not upload a PDF properly. Formatting takes time but it’s well worth your while. If your resume has formatting mistakes, you may lose your chance of being considered for a job.
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Is Your Resume Formatted Correctly? originally appeared on usnews.com
