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Professional Resume Writers “Rule of Two” for easy to read resume formatting

Our certified professional resume writers suggest using this rule to maintain formatting that is pleasant to the eye. Unlike in flower arranging were odd numbers rule, in resume writing, we use “two” as the magic number. Unless you are a professional graphic designer, go by the “Rule of Two or less”:

  • No more than 2 fonts.– Defaults like Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are a safe bet, while Georgia and Cambria are great for headers. And don’t go lower than 10 pt in font size. Use the same font for all headlines or other sections that are repeated throughout the resume.
  • No more than 2 colors.– Aside from black or dark grey for the text, you may safely use light blue, grass green, or some other neutral color to embellish section headers. Take care not to pick hues that are too bright, as these are distracting. Now of course there are some exceptions, our executive resume writers can brand a client with a more dynamic presentation but it must be created using a professional designer. Here is a couple of resume examples created by our award-winning resume team. Chief Financial Officer Resume Example, VP of IT Resume Example, and Chief Technology Officer Resume Example.
  • No more than 2 types of bullets.– And only one of them should be fancy (i.e. a checkbox or an arrow). There are a lot of new options available so take some time to really match every element in the resume to your brand. This may seem like a minor detail but you only have one chance to make a first impression. Having a perfect resume might be the one thing that pushes you to the head of the line over the hundreds of other candidates.
  • Boldfacing, italicizing, underlining, and using small caps in a phrase all at once is overdoing it. Combining any two of the above-mentioned formatting tools is okay. We use boldfacing to drive the eye to the results of your achievements. Each of these formattings is used for specific reasons. We know that using all caps and boldfacing while texting is like screaming at your audience, so be careful to use them correctly. We emphasis certain words that we want the reader to remember. Even punctuation is a powerful tool to guide the reader!

And here are a couple of other helpful tips on resume formatting:

  • Regardless of how much (or how little) formatting you decide to apply, make sure you leave enough white space. Again it is about making your resume easy to read while guiding the reader to important sections.
  • Avoid lengthy paragraphs. Opt for bulleted lists and clearly defined sections instead. As stated before, this allows the reader to quickly scan your resume for information. Most recruiters only spend a few seconds to review your resume and will not read the entire document, unless they are very interested.
  • Make sure your formatting is consistent. That means the same design of headers, same font, and size for the main text, same intervals between sections, and so on. A messy resume represents an unreliable candidate. If you cannot take the time to have a perfect resume, then will you take the time to do my job successfully?

A well-formatted resume can help you get an interview!

So just like a spelling mistake on your resume can harm your chances of getting that dream job so will a poorly formatted resume. Take the time to make your resume perfect. If you are struggling reach out to a professional to assist you. Hiring a professional resume writing service can be the best money you spend on your career! For a free resume consultation, contact iCareerSolutions award-winning resume service use this booking link.

Let us help you land your next position by crafting the best ATS optimized resume or by managing your entire job search. Here’s more information about our Resume Writing Services and Reverse Recruitment Service. Book a call today to speak directly with our CEO and Founder, Arno Markus!

About iCareerSolutions

iCareerSolutions, America’s #1 Executive and Professional Resume Writing Services, Reverse Recruitment, and LinkedIn Profile Development Company. 28X award-winning resume writers deliver professional resumes that get interviews. We have successfully landed our executive clients senior-level leadership positions at companies like Apple, Amazon, EA, Oracle, GM, Google, Facebook, DoJ, Gap, and 2U just to name a few. iCareerSolutions has 200+ 5-star reviews and offers a 60-day interview guarantee. Every resume template created is Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) compatible and highly customized to meet your unique needs.

Active Members of The National Resume Writers’ Association (NRWA) │ The Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARW&CC) │ Career Directors International (CDI) │ Career Professionals (CPC) │ Forbes Coaches Council

One of the Top Multi-Award-Winning Resume Writing Services in the country.

Book a complimentary consultation for your Professionally Managed Job Search now!

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Here are some of our Top Resume Testimonials

Regina Wong
I met Arno through my husband when I was trying to update my resume. He was extremely helpful and gave a real insight in today’s industry standards. He was direct and to the point and guided me in what needs to happen and what I need to do. I am pleased with my interaction with him.
Regina WongQuality Control Officer
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Hi Arno, Thank you so much! I think it looks great.
Mohamed DarwishProject Administrator at Tech Data
Natoya Hylton
Arno Markus is a consummate professional and an excellent wordsmith. He did an amazing job writing my resume and cover letter capturing the essence of who I am, highlighting my strengths and showcasing my accomplishments. Simply put, his work is top notch!
Natoya HyltonCommunity Care Coordinator
Emmanuel Auta
If you are looking at using the right words to connect with your skills and strengths, besides leveraging a skillfully curated resume, CL, and LinkedIn profile, that creates visibility and attracts recruiters to you, then look no further. Arno Markus came through for me, I encourage you to work with the best wordsmith of our time. Arno, is proficient and detailed in building a customized solution,…
Emmanuel AutaSenior Business System Analyst
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I met Arno through my husband when I was trying to update my resume. He was extremely helpful and gave a real insight in today’s industry standards. He was direct and to the point and guided me in what needs to happen and what I need to do. I am pleased with my interaction with him.
Dawn Baker
miran
“I highly recommend Arno of iCareers for his outstanding highly professional time-efficient performance and assistance in professional powerful CV and LinkedIn-profile writing! His insightful advices and approaches based on his rich industry experience are invaluable. Do you need an efficient effective true professional helping you with your high-level CV and LinkedIn profile and more, do not hes…
Miran PleterskiDirector of Advisory Services
Ciprian Porutiu 1
Arno’s structured approach to eliciting details of my professional and personal background allow me to obtain a classy “business card” (aka Resume) that I have used as a template for my career advancement. Thanks Arno for the great way to connect with your clients and the outcome of your work. I would definitely recommend his professional resume writing services….
Ciprian PorutiuVice President
John Certo
Very happy with the process, feedback and support provided by Markus. Highly recommend!!
John CertoVice President
Kerry P. Dolan
Arno was highly professional in how he met my needs in producing an effective professional covering letter and resume so that I can jumpstart my job search. He was always available to answer my questions and provided great advice and feedback. The turnaround time in delivering my draft and final version of my resume was swift and done in a timely manner. I wholeheartedly recommend Arno for coverin…
Kerry P. DolanEnvironmental Compliance Officer
Raihan Zaidi
I went through a few “experts” in this field before I found Arno. He is very savvy, is a critical thinker and the work he did for me has produced very good results. I highly recommend him for resume and Linked-in re-dos.
Raihan Zaidi

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