How to Set Margins for a Resume

While resume margins seem like a minor detail, they can be major when it comes to a recruiter reviewing your resume. Since the average recruiter only spends 7 seconds per resume, it doesn’t leave much time to make a lasting impression. Proper resume margins help ensure your resume looks polished, while incorrect margins jumble information in a way that would make a recruiter scream.

Setting Resume Margins Based on Your Industry

Depending on your industry, balancing the white space on your resume is the key to setting your margin size. More on margin size below, but first, prioritize which content to share on your one-page resume. Remember, it’s okay to have more than one page if you have 10+ years of experience.

Professional Resumes

For industries like law, healthcare, or finance, the standard one-inch resume margins are best practice to keep your resume looking clean and professional.

Creative Resumes

Make your resume stand out in the oversaturated markets of advertising, graphic design, and digital media by adding narrow or slightly wider resume margins based on the font size you are using.

Executive Resumes

To present your resume in a sophisticated way, incorporate slightly wider margins to elevate your experience and achievements.

Setting Resume Margins Based on the Program

The process for each word-processing software varies, but the goal is the same: effectively set your resume margins for the greatest readability.

Microsoft Word

1. Open your resume in Microsoft Word.
2. Click on the “Layout” tab at the top of the screen.
3. Click on “Margins” and either use one of the predefined options or set your own.
4. If you click “Custom Margins,” add your desired margin values in the “Top,” “Bottom,” “Left,” and “Right” boxes.

Google Docs

1. Open your resume in Google Docs.
2. Click “File” in the top left corner of your screen.
3. Click on “Page Setup.”
4. Enter your desired margin sizes in the “Top,” “Bottom,” “Left,” and “Right” boxes.
5. Select “Ok” to save your changes.

Pages

1. Open your resume in Pages.
2. Select “Document” in the top menu bar.
3. Click “Margins” from the drop-down menu.
4. When the “Document Margins” window pops up, enter your desired margin values in the “Top,” “Bottom,” “Left,” and “Right” boxes.
5. Adjust gutter and mirrored margins if needed.
6. Click “Ok” to save your changes.

Tips to Format Your Resume

Formatting elements beyond resume margins impact the overall visual appeal of your resume.

#1: Fonts: Use a standard font of 10-12 points in classic fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri.

#2: Text Alignment: Align your resume to be left-aligned, or left-justified.

#3: Spacing: To keep your paragraph spacing consistent, use single spacing with an extra space between each section.

#4: Bullet Points: Break up information with bullet points that draw attention to your skills and accomplishments.

#5: Headings: Keep your resume simple with traditional headers like, “Work Experience,” and “Education,” to avoid confusing ATS.

Looking for more opportunities to show recruiters your resume? Check out our open jobs.