Resume Formatter

Resume Formatting Rules That Matter

• Layout: single column for online applications; two columns only when you're handing it over in person
• Margins: 0.5–1 inch on all sides
• Line spacing: 1.0–1.15, with clear space between sections
• Alignment: text left-aligned, dates right-aligned
• Consistency: the same date format, bullet style, and heading style everywhere
• No tables, text boxes, or images for important content, since applicant tracking systems may skip them

A template applies all of these automatically. More detail in resume margins.

Best Fonts for a Resume

The best resume fonts are clean and easy to read on screen and paper:

• Sans-serif: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Lato, Roboto
• Serif: Garamond, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman

Use one font family (two at most), and avoid decorative or script fonts. Our full guide covers the best fonts for a resume.

What Font Size Should a Resume Be?

• Body text: 10–12 pt
• Section headings: 12–14 pt
• Your name: 16–24 pt

Fonts like Garamond look smaller at the same size, so use 11–12 pt; wider fonts like Arial work at 10–11 pt. Never shrink below 10 pt to squeeze onto one page. Cut words instead. See resume font size.

How to Format a Resume Header

Your resume header should be one compact block:

Jane Smith
Marketing Coordinator | Chicago, IL | (555) 123-4567 | jane.smith@email.com | linkedin.com/in/janesmith

Skip your full street address, photo (in the US and UK), and date of birth. Put your name in the largest text on the page. See resume heading for more examples.