25 Nov Things To Consider While Deciding The Best Resume Format

Making a resume can be a daunting task, whether you are making a resume for freshers or professionals. Especially when you are new to it or have too much on your plate already. In several ways, it is your professional image. You want it to be nothing less than perfect. After all, your resume is the precursor to your interview. It is also the only parameter that suggests to a recruiter if you are fit for a job or not. Apart from the content, using the best resume format is equally important.

Without a formatted document, your resume can fail to leave the desired impact. A well-formatted resume will catch the eye of the recruiter and help you stand out from your competition. Moreover, formatting makes your resume readable and easy to skim through.

The goal for deciding the best resume format should be to demonstrate your information in a presentable manner and help the recruiter look for relevant details in a short time frame.

In this guide, we have drawn up a list of best practices to format your resume. You can decide on a few of these before you start making the document to make your task easier.

Chronological Order

Did you know that recruiters spend only six seconds on every resume? Within such a short span, your resume should follow all the guidelines to be the perfect one and catch their attention. The reverse chronological format for a resume is the best resume format for experienced candidates to share their information. As a result, recruiters are also used to it and will find it easier to look for the necessary details when you follow this order.

Following this resume format means your experience and education section should contain information in the reverse order. It means your latest experience should come first and then the one before that. This way, you keep going till the first. Similarly, your education section should demonstrate your latest academic program first.

This resume format for experienced candidates allows them to show their career trajectory. It demonstrates how you have grown consistently in the career and held a more senior position than the previous one. Besides, it will be easy for the hiring manager to understand the current responsibilities and identify if it matches the job on offer.

Use Bullet Points

A resume is your professional image, and you want it to be concise and to the point. Using bullet points in the resume can help you with just that. It will help the recruiters find the information they are looking for. You can use bullet points in your responsibilities and achievements section to differentiate different points.

Use Appropriate Margins

Selecting the right margin for a resume ensures that your text fits into a readable space. It makes your resume look professional with no text protruding out unnecessarily. Ideally, you can leave an inch of space to the left of the margin. If you are a beginner and do not have much to present on your resume, you can increase this space to 1.5 inches. Doing so will make your resume appear fuller.

For experienced professionals, the format for a resume can consist of a shorter margin that equals three-fourths of an inch. It will keep the length of the document in check.

Also Read: Dos and Don’ts Tips to Make Resumes

Select a Professional Font

One of the most common mistakes that candidates make is selecting an unprofessional font. For instance, although comic sans is a fun font, it should never be used in your resume. An appropriate format for a resume calls for a professional and readable font. Georgia, Times New Roman, Calibri, Helvetica and Garamond are a few examples of acceptable fonts you can use.

Try to steer clear of intricate or cursive fonts. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by employers may not be designed to read them. Lastly, make sure you do not select thin fonts as they may be difficult to read.

Readable Font Size

Selecting a readable font size also plays a crucial part in making your resume easily readable. The ideal font size should be between 10-12 to make it look fuller. If you have lesser text to fill in your resume, opt for a size 12. If you have considerable experience under your belt and don’t want to exceed the length of the document, stick to a font size of 10.

It is inadvisable to reduce the font size any further, or it will become too cramped or text-heavy. A better alternative is to reduce the text in your resume. You can always explain your point in detail while you are at the interview.

As for the section headers, you can use a larger font size of 12, 14 or 16 points, depending upon the font size for the rest of the document. You can use bold font for the headers to further highlight them.

For any information you want to highlight in your resume, you can make the font bold there too.

To Wrap Up

Your resume is a representation of your professional journey. Choosing the best resume format can differentiate you from other candidates and enhance your chances of selection for an interview call. Create your resume now.