Request a Consultation from an Award-Winning Recruiter and Resume Writer

(Board, C-Level, VP, Director & Mid-Career Professionals)

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!

Forbes Coaches Council
60 Day Interview Guarantee

Here are some of our Top Resume Testimonials

blank profile picture 1
I reviewed both and I love everything! Thank you so much for the incredible resume/cover letter and quick turnaround. I couldn’t be happier with the results. Thank you
Tiffanie Veldman
Nimo Abdulle
Arno is phenomenal. He was immensely helpful in helping me return to the world of Marketing. He helped me develop a resume that was effectively geared to Marketing roles and eased the transition from financial services. As a result of his professional coaching and resume services, I exponentially received more calls from interested employers and recruiters. I am happy to note that I’m currently g…
Nimo AbdulleClient Services
Sarp Tuncay
Nice to work with Arno. Helped me out to put my resume together from scratch
Sarp TunçayMarketing Manager
blank profile picture 1
I would strongly recommend Arno Markus. I came across his name on LinkedIn and his credentials caught my attention. I decided to give him a try and was impressed right away with his ability to listen, understand my situation and help. His level of industry knowledge, communication skills and end-product output impressed me tremendously. Looking forward to working with Arno in the future. If you hi…
Oksana PoznakVice President
blank profile picture 1
Arno, You are a magician mate. I have never seen anything like this. You are worth every bloody penny and more. I can’t wait to see what you will do with my Linkedin. I only have thing to ask of you and if it’s too much I can live with it. You see where you have a quote from one of my clients “Kyle can sell you the brooklyn bridge”. Is it too much to ask to change the font color to light blu…
Kyle KianiSenior Client Relationship Manager
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
Nitin Gogtay
Arno was very helpful in helping with with creating a linkedin profile, resume as well as his guidance and tips on how to make myself visible. He was always responsive, knowledgeable and fun to work with. I highly recommend him for his services
Nitin GogtayBoard Certified Psychiatrist
blank profile picture
Arno and his team have a great framwork for success. Arno listens to your objectives and then tailors your expereiences with an update to date and appealing CV.
Ed
blank profile picture 1
I have no comments. This looks great. You have captured everything.
Heather Adams
Glen
Working with Arno and his team has significantly changed the trajectory of my career and life. Financially speaking, I have seen a 500x+ return on my investment. Learning about what recruiters and companies look for and optimizing my resume to give me a leg up on my competition has provided me with several opportunities over the past few years. His methodology and process is insightful and very ef…
Glenn BrodskyAVP, Talent Development

Top Resume Writing Awards

Employers who have Onboarded Our Clients

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top