Helpful Formatting Guidelines for your Resume

Helpful Formatting Guidelines for your Resume

Writing a resume involves familiarizing with various formatting requirements necessary to create a professional document.  The applicant should determine how the resume will look like. The candidate must be effective in presenting important information and highlight critical skills for employers to see. Here are some formatting guidelines that can be helpful.

Customize Your Own Template

One important strategy to consider involves the creation of a resume template. The applicant determines the overall look of the document and makes the necessary adjustments in terms of design and location of texts. It is advisable that one tries to do this from scratch rather than using pre-designed templates from word processing software. This is because of the limitations and potential challenges in editing information. A good strategy is to use pre-designed templates as a starting point to determine the style that will be used. In this way, the applicant has the flexibility to pattern the design according to specific preferences.

Choose the Right Font Type and Size

Resumes are also effective when the document is easily readable. This is why another important formatting guideline is to choose the right font type and size. The font type must be simple and easy to read. One can use well-known, widely accepted fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Tahoma. An applicant can also experiment with other font types (e.g. Calibri, Corbel) but has to keep in mind that the resume text reads well and looks professional. The font size can also vary but the accepted number is no lower than 11 points.

Use Bullets to Emphasize Key Points

Another important formatting style that is helpful in creating resumes is bullets. Bullet lists can be used instead of writing lengthy paragraphs. This approach will help the reader identify points more quickly. Bullets also serve as a guide to information related to a specific idea or to an expansion of strength or qualification. For instance, the most common way bullets are used is in describing the functions and responsibilities related to a specific position.  

Utilize Headers to Organize Information

Creating headers is also another formatting strategy that resumes need. Headers are written to provide organization to content and also divide one section from another. For example, a header can be used prior to giving information about education, employment history, and references. A good way to make use of headers effectively is by making its font size bigger compared to the body text. This helps to organize information easier and aids the reader to find specific sections quickly.

These helpful tips are just some strategies that can be incorporated when writing resumes. It is important to note that one must be consistent in applying these formatting guidelines. Specifically, the body text throughout the resume must have the same font size and type. If capitalization or bold texts are used in a particular section, the same must also apply in the succeeding ones. Learning how to align one’s resume according to these strategies can be useful in emphasizing relevant skills and qualifications.