How to Format a Resume: Fonts, Margins and Layout

To format a resume, use one column, a plain font such as Calibri, Arial or Garamond at 10 to 12 points, margins of 0.5 to 1 inch on all four sides, bold section headings, and the same layout for every job entry. Save it as a PDF unless the employer asks for Word.

Those numbers aren't arbitrary. They match the checklist MIT's career office gives its students: font size "between 10 pt and 12 pt", margins "consistent and between 0.5 and 1.0 inches", bold and italics used for headers and positions, and no underlining. The rest of this guide explains each choice and where you have room to bend.

The Resume Formatting Spec Sheet

How long each career stage's resume should be is covered in how long a resume should be.

Resume Fonts and Font Sizes

Pick a plain, readable font and use it everywhere. Good choices include Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Garamond, Georgia, Cambria and modern sans-serifs like Inter or Source Sans. Avoid script and decorative fonts, very thin weights, and anything that makes a reader squint.

Which fonts are safe depends on the file you send:

• In a PDF, your fonts travel with the file. A well-made PDF embeds the font, so the recruiter sees exactly what you saw, and an applicant tracking system reads the text underneath regardless of the font.
• In a Word file, the font must exist on the reader's computer. If it doesn't, Word swaps it for another one and your spacing shifts. Stick to fonts that ship with Microsoft Office, such as Calibri, Arial, Cambria or Times New Roman.

Our guide to ATS-friendly fonts compares the common options in detail.

Font sizes create the reading order:

• Name: 14 to 18pt. The largest text on the page. Executives can go to 20pt.
• Section headings: 12 to 14pt, bold. "Experience", "Education", "Skills". These are the signposts a scanning reader uses.
• Body text: 10 to 12pt. If your content only fits at 9pt, the fix is cutting words, not shrinking them.
• Contact line: 9.5 to 11pt. It must be easy to find, not loud.

Resume Margins

Use margins between 0.5 and 1 inch, the same on all four sides.

• 1 inch is the default in Word and works for most one-page resumes with moderate content.
• 0.75 inch gives a mid-career resume a little more room without looking crowded.
• 0.5 inch is the minimum. Below it, printers can clip text and the page looks crammed.

Uneven margins (0.5" on the sides, 1" top and bottom) make a page look off-balance even when the reader can't say why. If you need margins under 0.5" to fit everything on one page, that's a sign to edit or to accept a second page.

Section Order

Lead with your strongest evidence for this job. The order changes with your situation:

Student or recent graduate:

1. Contact information
2. Summary or objective
3. Education
4. Experience (internships, part-time work)
5. Projects
6. Skills and certifications

Experienced professional:

1. Contact information
2. Professional summary
3. Experience
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Certifications

Senior or executive:

1. Contact information
2. Executive summary
3. Selected achievements (optional)
4. Experience
5. Board roles, publications or speaking (if relevant)
6. Education

Career changer:

1. Contact information
2. Summary that connects your past to the target role
3. Skills
4. Projects or training in the new field
5. Experience
6. Education

Each section has its own rules. The resume writing guide walks through every section in order, starting with the one that matters most, the experience section.

White Space and Visual Hierarchy

White space is what lets a reader skim. Three spacing rules handle most of it:

• Between sections: 12 to 16pt of space. That separates sections without needing decorative lines.
• Between jobs: 6 to 10pt, so each role reads as its own block.
• Between bullets in one job: normal line spacing, no extra gaps.

Then make the hierarchy obvious: name > section headings > job titles > bullet text > contact details. Bold job titles and headings; leave the rest regular. When everything is bold, nothing stands out. The resume readability score checks whether your text is easy to skim.

PDF or Word?

Send a PDF unless the posting asks for Word. A PDF looks the same on every screen, and modern applicant tracking systems read text-based PDFs. Use .docx when the application form asks for it or only accepts Word files.

Never send a scanned PDF, a JPEG or a PNG: there is no text layer for a system to read. Our comparison of PDF vs. Word for ATS covers the edge cases.

One Column or Two?

One column is the safe choice. Many parsers handle two columns well, but some read straight across the page and mix your sidebar into your job history, and you can't know which system an employer uses. One column also reads naturally on a phone screen. A clean one-column layout with good spacing doesn't look plain. See how columns and tables behave in ATS for the details.

Common Formatting Mistakes

Contact details in the header or footer

Some parsers skip headers and footers. Put your name and contact line in the body of the page, at the top.

Text boxes and layout tables

Content inside text boxes can be skipped or read out of order. Use plain paragraphs and lists instead.

Inconsistent entries

Before:

Google - Software Engineer Product Manager - Meta AMAZON, Senior Developer

After:

Software Engineer | Google | 2023-2025 Product Manager | Meta | 2021-2023 Senior Developer | Amazon | 2019-2021

Pick one pattern and use it for every role. The Harvard career office's resume guide puts it simply: "Be consistent in format and content."

Too much emphasis

Bold your headings and job titles. Use italics sparingly, and don't underline anything except, at most, a link.

Graphics that carry information

Skill bars, star ratings and icons in place of words tell a recruiter little and a parser nothing. Write "Spanish (conversational)" or "Python (advanced)" instead.

Formatting Checklist

1. One column, no text boxes
2. One readable font, 10 to 12pt body text
3. Name 14 to 18pt; bold headings 12 to 14pt
4. Margins 0.5 to 1 inch, equal on all sides
5. Extra space between sections, normal spacing between bullets
6. Contact details in the body, not the header
7. The same title, employer and date layout for every job
8. Saved as a PDF unless Word is requested

Then run the file through the free ATS checker to see how a parser reads it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best font size for a resume?

Use 10 to 12 points for body text, 12 to 14 points for section headings and 14 to 18 points for your name. Below 10 points is hard to read on paper and on a phone.

What margins should a resume have?

Between 0.5 and 1 inch on all four sides. One inch suits most one-page resumes; 0.5 inch is the minimum before a page looks crowded or prints badly.

What is the best font for a resume?

Any plain, readable font used consistently: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, Garamond, Georgia or Cambria are safe. If you send a Word file, use a font that comes with Microsoft Office so it displays correctly.

Should a resume be one or two pages?

One page for most students and early-career candidates; two pages are fine for candidates with extensive experience or an advanced degree. Do not shrink fonts or margins to force one page.

Is it better to send a resume as a PDF or Word document?

A PDF, unless the employer asks for Word. A text-based PDF keeps your formatting and is read by modern applicant tracking systems.

Can I use color on a resume?

Yes, sparingly. One dark accent color for headings or your name is fine. The resume should still read well printed in black and white.