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 1. Blog
 2. Resume Help
 3. What Does the Best Resume Look Like in 2023


WHAT DOES THE BEST RESUME LOOK LIKE IN 2023

Not sure what your resume should look like to impress recruiters and land you
that dream interview? You’ve come to the right place to find out. See for
yourself.

Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW
Career Expert
Updated 03/15/2023

As seen in:


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Create a resume now

Let’s face it: we all judge by appearances. And recruiters and hiring managers
are no different. Submitting a good-looking resume is just as important as
dressing sharp for a job interview.

 

The right resume looks and contents are a balm for the recruiter's soul. So what
should a resume look like to make a hiring manager smile?

 

This guide will show you:

 

 * What a resume should look like according to modern hiring standards.
 * Actionable tips and tricks you can use to have the best-looking resume in the
   pile.
 * Bonus resume design resources to make your resume look good and stand out
   like Cindy Crawford in a Dunkin’ Donuts.

 

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume
builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add
with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Create your resume now

 

Use this resume template

Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.

One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:

 

[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not
three. With the same stuff.

 

Let’s break down the most important components of what a perfect resume looks
like.

 


1. PROPER RESUME FORMATTING AND DESIGN

 

To let you fully understand just how critical the looks of your resume are,
let’s see what America’s leading association of professional resume writers has
to say on the subject:

 

The initial impression must be inviting, attractive and professional. This
determination is usually made within just a few seconds, before the reader
actually engages the words on the page. The general layout and format of the
résumé should invite the reader into the text. If the résumé fails in this first
test, chances are the decision-maker won’t go any further.
Official Guidelines, The Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career
Coaches

 

This is how your resume should look:

 


1. GOOD FONT

 

 * Use an easy-to-read typeface. One that’s elegant and formal on the one hand
   (so no Comic Cans) and modern and stylish on the other (so no Times New
   Roman).
 * Keep your font size between 10 and 12 pt.
 * There are many good picks. Some fonts you can consider include: Cambria,
   Calibri, Helvetica, Bookman Old Style.
 * Both serif and sans-serif fonts can look good on a resume so feel free to
   experiment in this area.
 * Once you choose a font, stick to it on the whole document. Ideally, use the
   same font when writing a cover letter for a resume.

 


2. EVENLY-SET MARGINS

 

Resume margins on all four sides should be 1-inch.

 

If you want to fit more into a single-page resume, you can take some margin
space out, but at least half an inch has to stay. Check our resume examples.

 


3. CONSISTENT LINE SPACING

 

Go for single or 1.15 line spacing for all resume sections. Use a double space
before and after each heading, and in between entries in your work experience
and education sections.

 


4. CLEAR SECTION HEADINGS

 

Make your section headings slightly bigger than the rest of the text. You can
also make them visually stand out by typing in ALL CAPS.

 


5. ENOUGH WHITE SPACE

 

Recruiters need some breathing room when reviewing resumes. Jam-packing the
contents won’t make a resume look good.

 

How to check if there’s enough white space on a resume?

 

Print it out and look at it from a bit of distance. Does it feel crammed? If so,
it most likely is.

 


6. NO GRAPHICS, NO PHOTOS

 

Fancy graphics can cause your resume to fail the ATS scan.

 

Photos? You’re looking for a job, not a date. Unless specifically asked for in
the job ad (it might be the case for certain positions), leave pictures off your
resume.

 


7. IDEALLY ONE-PAGE

 

How long should a good-looking resume be?

Go for a single page. Target your resume at a specific job offer and include
only relevant details.

 

Make every word earn its place on your resume. But—

 

If you feel you’ll omit crucial details by trying to make a single-page resume,
don’t force it.

Two-page resumes are OK for experienced candidates.

 



 

If you're in a rush, you might want to check out the following list now: Zety's
Professional Resume Templates

 


2. INCLUDING THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTIONS

 

So you know the basics of what the perfect resume should represent, design-wise.

Now it’s time to take care of the contents. The first thing you have to do is
include all the proper sections in the correct order - see What to Include in a
Resume.

 

While the items order on your resume might vary depending on your career
situations, for more than 9 out of 10 candidates, it’s best to follow the rules
of a standard reverse-chronological resume format.

 

Here’s what sections to include on a good-looking resume.

 

(If you want to learn more about how to write each section, just click on one of
the links below, to see a dedicated guide with examples.)

 


WHAT DOES A RESUME LOOK LIKE? STANDARD TEMPLATE

 

 1. Resume heading with your contact information (remember to include your
    LinkedIn profile)
 2. Resume profile: a professional summary of qualifications or a career
    objective for a resume.
 3. Work experience
 4. Education
 5. Skills
 6. Additional resume information (awards, projects, freelance work,
    certifications, volunteering experience, or hobbies and interests).

 

See what a good resume looks like in practice on our handy infographic.

 


WHAT SHOULD MY RESUME LOOK LIKE? LIKE THIS:

 



 

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and
auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional
resume template here for free.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you
exactly how to make it better.


3. BONUS MATERIALS AND RESUME IDEAS FOR A GOOD-LOOKING RESUME

 

Right—

 

You’ve learned the basics of how to make a resume stand out and attract the best
job offers.

 

The thing is, sometimes the basics won’t do. Your resume can (and should!) have
a personal twist. It should read and look 100% you.

 

The best-looking resume for you, is one that’s specifically designed for your
industry, career history and future goals. One size does not fit all. Neither
does a single resume format or design.

 

Here’s some extra reading that will help you create a standout resume with a
design that reflects your individuality.

 

For starters, learn more about each three types of resumes:

 

 * Chronological Resume
 * Functional Resume
 * Combination Resume

 

Or, see this handy overview of the three above with extra resume tips on how to
pick the perfect one for you: Best Resume Format.

 

I’d love you to give our resume builder a spin, but if you really want to stick
to an MS Word resume, at least pick a beautiful template: Resume Templates for
MS Word

 

Want to explore more options? See one of our galleries and find a resume that
looks the way you want it to:

 

 * One-Page Resume Templates
 * Two-Column Resume Templates
 * Student Resume Templates
 * Creative Resume Templates
 * Simple Resume Templates
 * Best Resume Templates

 

Feel like it’s a lot to process? Still not quite convinced why the looks of your
resume are so important?



Let’s confront this issue with the science of first appearances.

 

This study at UCLA showed that, when it comes to real-life, face-to-face
encounters, only 7% of the message we convey is through words.

 

The remaining 93% boils down to the non-verbal.

 

Apply this knowledge in your job search:

 

Sure, your wording matters, but non-verbal signs are still crucial.

 

Remember: it’s about what you say and how you present it.

 

Keep that motto in mind and you’re sure to land any job you set your sights on.

 

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage
over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's
what it may look like:

 

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.


KEY TAKEAWAY

 

Here’s what a resume should look like:

 

 1. Professional font, such as Cambria, Calibri, Georgia, or Verdana. 11pt to
    12pt size.
 2. Single line spacing.
 3. 1-inch margins on all four sides.
 4. Lots of white space to give readers some breathing room.
 5. Big section headings.
 6. No gimmicky graphics.
 7. No photographs.
 8. Includes a professional summary, work experience, education, skills, and
    extra sections.
 9. Follows a standard format: reverse-chronological, functional, or
    combination.

 

Got more questions? Need further help? Drop me a line in the comments and I’ll
get back to you in no time!

Rate my article: what should a resume look like
Average: 4.6 (63 votes)
Thank you for voting
Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW
Michael is a career writer, Certified Professional Resume Writer, and the
newsletter coordinator at Zety. Apart from sharing his own resume-writing
expertise, Michael reaches out to recruitment and hiring gurus to help you learn
the most effective strategies for managing your career.
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