Is this article for you?
In this article, I provide you with tips on how to make your Resume concise, visually appealing, and compatible with ATS (Applicant Tracking System) software checks. If you are wondering which Fonts and Font Sizes to use for the various sections on your Resume, and how to arrange the order of sections, read on!
What are the general rules for choosing Fonts and Font Sizes when formatting my Resume?
Before reading the rest of the answer to this question, note that “body text” refers to the general body of text under each sub-heading, including the text in each bullet point. “Headers” refer to the titles of each section; for example, “Employment Experiences” is a Header. “Sub-Headers” refer to items such as the job title or the employer’s name of a prior employment experience.
While the most commonly used font for Resumes in North America is Times New Roman in font size 12 for body text, I personally stick to Calibri in font size 11 for body text. Calibri in font size 11 for body text allows me to present a wealth of information across 2-paged Resumes while still keeping the document readable and visually appealing. Other acceptable fonts that would give your Resume a professional outlook include Georgie, Arial and Century Gothic. Regardless of the font chosen, be sure to apply the same font throughout the entire Resume, across headers, sub-headers and body text. While body text is kept at a font size between 11 and 12, your headers should be larger (font size 13-14) with the added bold/italicized/underlined effects where required, and your sub-headers would either stay the same font size as the body text or they would be 1 size larger. In terms of the length of your entire Resume document, it is perfectly fine to have the document span 2 pages.
What are the general guidelines for arranging the various sections in my Resume?
As a rule of thumb, the most important information should always come first in the Resume. As such, the first page is always kicked off by your Contact Information: Name (Bold, Centred and in an extra-large font size between 20-30), Address (City and Country will suffice; your street address and postal code are generally not required on the Resume) and Phone Number.
After your Contact Information is stated on your Resume, this is usually followed by your Objective Statement. This should be 2-3 sentences highlighting your key accomplishments and qualifications that directly relate to the job posting that you are applying to.
I would usually have a Skills & Qualifications section follow the Objective Statement. This is where you provide at least 5 bullet points, each containing a detailed description of specific skill-sets that pertain to your field of practice and the job posting that you are applying to. Where possible, add metrics to applicable bullet points to create a greater impact on employers.
What follows is either the Education section or the Employment Experiences section. If you graduated from a post-secondary institution within the last 10 years, I would generally put the Education section first; otherwise if you graduated from a post-secondary institution more than 10 years ago, I would list all your Employment Experiences before the Education section. Of course, exceptions arise on occasion. For instance, if you graduated from a post-secondary institution more than 10 years ago but completed a supplementary diploma or certification recently (and if this certification pertains to the job you are applying to), it could be beneficial to have the Education section come first, and even leave out the dates for the post secondary education experiences.
Many Resume Writers have a stand-alone section for Honours & Awards. Personally, I usually don’t have a section for these; I highlight each of these achievements under the associated educational institution or employment experience.
Conclusion
While the content of your Resume is important, as a job applicant, you should never under-estimate the value of submitting a well-formatted and sharp looking Resume to your prospective employer. Send me an email at jonathanseah.87@gmail.com if you would like advice tailored to your individual circumstances!