Want your resume to be read by employers?
The content of your resume is by far the most important factor. But design is important, too, for a couple of reasons:
- Your resume must be easy to read, and good design makes that possible. Design calls attention to key sections of your resume, such as work experience and education.
- A well-designed resume reflects positively on your skills. Sloppy or careless design may give a negative impression, even if you’re well-qualified.
There are several techniques you can use to create a highly readable, attractive resume. The table below lists some of the most important.
| Technique |
Why It’s Important |
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White space
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Lots of white space makes text easier to read. Text that’s too dense may discourage time-pressed readers from reading further.
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Bullets
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Bulleted text allows you to break down complex information into readable chunks, and also highlight key points.
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Easy-to-scan headings
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Your reader should be able to quickly locate key areas on your resume, such as education, without extensive searching.
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Limited number of fonts
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Use no more than two fonts styles—one for headings and the other for body text. More than that is distracting.
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Selective use of bold
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Use bold carefully and consistently. For example, if you bold the name of one company you’ve worked for, do it in all cases.
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No underlining (except links)
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Reserve underlined text for web links. If you need to emphasize something, use bold or a different font size instead.
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Consistent spacing
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Use the same amount of space before and after headings, between bullets, etc. This gives your resume a uniform look.
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Better-quality paper (print)
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For print resumes, use better-quality paper with a rag content of at least 25% and a watermark.
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Neutral color (print)
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Use white, off-white or pale gray. These are conservative colors that won’t compete with the content of your resume.
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To see examples of the above guidelines in action, view our sample resumes.
Creating a plain-text resume
Although most companies will be able to handle your resume in Word format, occasionally you may need to have a plain-text resume that's been stripped of formatting. To create one, follow these steps:
- Copy your resume into a plain text editor like Notepad, which should be available as an accessory on your computer. Most of the formatting should be gone.
- Change any remaining bullets to asterisks, and space once after the asterisk.
- For your main section headings, such as Work Experience, change to all caps so the headings stand out.
- Add spacing between sections as necessary for readability.
See this sample plain-text resume for Beth Smith, an administrative assistance seeking work as a project coordinator.
Next, learn how to market your resume.