Presentation & Formatting Tips

What does a good resume look like?

Here are a few necessities to keep your resume professional:

• Use standard margins. Typically the top margin is 1 inch, and the other three sides are 1.5 inches.
• Use left aligned formatting so that the right edge is ragged. The words do not have to be hyphenated, as they would be with justified formatting. Hyphens interrupt the flow when reading.
• Use single spacing between listings and double spacing between sections.
• The resume should be laser printed or typeset.
• Highlight items using boldface rather than changing fonts. Items such as your name, employer’s name, name of institution that you wish to standout can be bolded.
• Do not overdo usage of underlining or capitalization. Minimize use of section changes as it slows a reader’s eye.
• Use bullets to highlight accomplishments. Keep bulleted information down to one or two lines. Bullets make information appear crisp and clear. If the bulleted information is lengthy, this effect is undermined.
• Keep the presentation of information consistent throughout your resume. Lack of consistency gives a resume an unprofessional look and indicates lack of organizational capability.
• Succinct - language is clear, concise and precise.
• Generally, a resume should be no more than two pages. Often when one is longer than two pages, the employer will not read the entire resume.  A long resume gives the employer the indication that you lack communication skills. Most resumes are one page long.
• If your resume is more than one page, in the header of the second page, include your name and "page 2" (just in case the pages become separated when in the hands of prospective employers).
• No spelling, grammar, punctuation, or typographical errors.