Standard Resume Margins (Size + Formatting)

How to Adjust Margins in Google Docs

Click on “File” gt; “Page Set Up”

You can adjust all of the margins from this window as needed.

Resume Text Alignment

To make the best use of your space, align the most important text of your resume to the left. This would include information like your previous employers, job titles, achievements, and responsibilities.

The right side of your resume should be reserved for additional information, like dates and job locations. This will ensure a balanced resume feng-shui.

Rules for Creative Resumes

If you’re considering mixing it up and throwing a creative resume at your next employer, here’s a tip — just don’t!

Employers prefer traditional resumes over creative ones because it’s difficult to design a creative resume that successfully communicates your message. Plus, all the fancy bells and whistles of your creative resume will distract from your experience and qualifications.

Also, creative resumes are hard for robots to read. Applicant tracking systems parse through resumes to make sure that candidates meet certain qualifications before they get passed along to a human reader. Creative formatting can make it harder for ATS to find your relevant information, which may lead to your application being weeded out.

So if you’re submitting your resume online, you’re better off sticking with a traditional resume format. Sorry to stifle your creativity, but we just want to help you get the job of your dreams.

Resume Formatting Tips

1. Stick with standard formatting. You want your job application to stand out, but that doesn’t mean your resume’s formatting should look wildly different than the norm. Hiring managers and recruiters are used to seeing one-inch margins, and it’s usually best practice to give them what they expect.

   Most of these settings are the default in Microsoft Word and Google Docs anyway, so you don’t have to think about it too much.

2. Use a standard font. Choose between one of the classic fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, and Helvetica. One pro tip is to look at the company’s preferred font for customer-facing documents and then copy it, or at least adopt a Serif (with tails) or Sans Serif (without tails) font based on the style that the company uses.

3. Stick to 10-12 point font. Ideally, your font should be between 10 and 12-point. If it’s any smaller, hiring managers may have a tough time reading it, and if it’s any larger, it will look childish and unprofessional.

4. Use standard bullet points and graphical elements. Bullet points are great for highlighting your most significant accomplishments at each job.

   About 2-4 bullet points are usually sufficient for each job title entry. You can also use standard graphical elements like lines to make your resume more attractive without making it impossible for an applicant tracking system to parse.

5. Don’t be afraid of white space. Some people fear their resume looks empty and try to fill in all the blank space. Having a bit of white space is actually easier on the eyes than a jam-packed, text-filled resume.

6. Use good printing materials. Use one of the best resume papers we suggest here and print on a laser printer if you’re producing physical copies of your resume. This will avoid smudges and give your resume a polished, professional appearance.

7. Avoid special graphics and unique formatting. If you have to download a font, bullet-point design, or graphics, then chances are that the applicant tracking system (ATS) that the employer uses won’t be able to parse your resume.

   That means your resume will be thrown out before a hiring manager or recruiter even looks at it. Ditch the fancy formatting and stick with the basics to increase your odds of passing the robot gatekeepers.

8. Save your resume as a PDF file. Once you’ve perfected your resume’s format, save the document as a PDF file. This will ensure that all of your formatting stays consistent across platforms and operating systems. The only caveat is if the employer specifically asks for your resume in a file type other than PDF (usually .doc or .docx).

Final Thoughts

When you’re writing your resume that will surely get you all the jobs you ever apply for, remember to use the size of your margins to your advantage.

If you don’t have a lot of experience, bigger margins will make your resume look more full. If you’ve already piled up some work experience but don’t want to exceed a certain length, smaller margins can make your work history and qualifications fit into a certain amount of space.

Just remember — no bigger than 1 inch, and no smaller than ½ inch, and you’re good to go!