Resume Format: How to Choose and Lay Out Your Resume

"Resume format" can mean two things: the structure of your resume (the order of the sections) and the layout (fonts, margins, columns and length). Both affect how quickly a reader finds what matters. This guide covers each in turn.

The three main resume formats

Reverse-chronological resume

This is the default choice. Your most recent job appears first, so the reader immediately sees what you are doing now and how your career has progressed. It is also the format applicant tracking systems parse most reliably. If you have worked in your field for a few years without long gaps, use this format.

Hybrid resume

A hybrid resume keeps the chronological work history but adds a skills or "key achievements" section near the top. This helps when your most relevant experience is not your most recent job, or when you are changing careers and want to highlight transferable skills first. Read the career change resume guide for examples.

Functional resume

A functional resume groups experience by skill and lists employers only briefly, often without dates. Because it makes it hard to see where and when you used each skill, many hiring managers view it with suspicion. If you want to de-emphasize a gap, a hybrid format with honest dates usually works better.

Recommended section order

For most experienced candidates:

1. Name and contact details
2. Professional summary
3. Work experience
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Optional sections such as certifications, projects, languages or volunteer work

For students and recent graduates, move Education above experience and add Projects. See the student resume guide.

Layout and design basics

Fonts and size

Choose a clean, widely available font such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia or Garamond. Use 10 to 12 points for body text and 14 to 20 points for your name. Stick to one or two fonts in total.

Margins and spacing

Margins between 0.5 and 1 inch (about 12 to 25 mm) keep the page from looking crowded. Leave a little space between sections and between jobs so the reader can scan easily. Reducing margins to squeeze in more text usually makes a resume harder to read.

Columns

Single-column layouts are the safest for online applications because every system reads them in the right order. Two-column designs can look polished and are fine when you hand a resume to a person, but some older applicant tracking systems read columns out of order.

Headings and dates

• Use standard headings: Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications
• Pick one date format and use it everywhere, such as Jan 2023 – Present or 01/2023 – Present
• Line up dates consistently, usually on the right

Resume length

One page suits most students, graduates and people with under 10 years of experience. Two pages suit experienced professionals when every section is relevant. Read more in the one-page and two-page resume guides.

Paper size by country

The United States and Canada use Letter (8.5 × 11 in). Most other countries, including the UK, Europe, India and Australia, use A4 (210 × 297 mm). The resume builder sets the page size automatically when you choose a target country, and you can change it at any time.

File format

Send a PDF unless the employer asks for something else. It keeps your layout intact on any device. Some application systems prefer Word (DOCX) files. The resume file formats guide explains when to use PDF, DOCX and plain text.

Frequently asked questions