Formatting articles

Guides tagged formatting: practical steps, examples, and templates.

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Job seeker drafting a resume on a laptop with handwritten notes beside the keyboard

Resume Writing22 min read

How to Write a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide With Examples

Learn how to write a resume step by step, from format and header to bullets, summary, and proofreading, with before-and-after rewrites and a final checklist.

Recruiter at an office desk reviewing a list of candidate resumes on a large computer monitor

ATS & Keywords18 min read

How to Make an ATS-Friendly Resume: Formatting Rules That Actually Matter

Make an ATS friendly resume with five formatting rules, a full one-page example, a template checklist, and a five-minute parse test for any file.

College graduate in a cap and gown holding a diploma folder and transcript outside a campus building

Students & Entry Level18 min read

Should You Put Your GPA on Your Resume? Rules and Examples

Decide whether to put your GPA on your resume, how to format and round it, when to use major GPA, and what to do if it's low, with current employer data.

Person completing an online job application on a laptop at a kitchen table with printed documents beside them

Formats & Templates23 min read

Federal Resume: How to Write a USAJOBS Resume

Write a federal resume that meets the two-page USAJOBS rule, with a fill-in template, the required fields, specialized experience tips, and two examples.

A two-page printed resume laid side by side on a wooden desk next to a cup of coffee

Resume Writing17 min read

How Long Should a Resume Be? Page Length by Career Stage

How long should a resume be? Get page-length rules by career stage, years of experience, industry, and country, plus a simple test to settle your own length.

Close-up of a printed resume on a desk showing the candidate's name and contact details at the top of the page

Resume Sections19 min read

Resume Header: What to Include in Your Contact Section

Build a resume header that parses cleanly: what to include, what to leave out, how much address to show, a copyable template, and examples for every situation.

A printed one-page business letter with a pen resting on top, laid on a clean white desk

Cover Letters16 min read

Cover Letter Format: Layout, Length, Spacing, and Templates

Cover letter format: one page, 1-inch margins, a 10-12 pt font, single spacing, block layout, PDF. Plus Google Docs and Word setup, email and text-box versions.

Experienced professional reviewing a printed resume with a pen and marking older jobs to trim

Resume Writing19 min read

How Far Back Should a Resume Go? The 10–15 Year Rule Explained

How far back should a resume go? Use the 10–15 year rule, a career-stage table, and worked examples for handling older jobs, dates, and age bias.

Job seeker at a home desk reviewing a resume score report on a laptop screen with notes beside it

ATS & Keywords16 min read

What Is an ATS Score? How Resume Scores Work and How to Raise Yours

Learn what an ATS score measures, what a good ATS score is, and the edits that raise it, with a real before-and-after test run and score bands.

Close-up of a printed resume page on a desk showing clean typography, section headings, and bullet points

Resume Writing20 min read

Best Resume Fonts and Font Sizes for Readability and ATS

The best font for a resume is one recruiters read at a glance. Compare 12 fonts, exact sizes, spacing, and margins, and keep them intact in your PDF.

Recruiter at an office desk comparing printed resumes beside a computer showing an applicant list

ATS & Keywords16 min read

ATS Myths: What Applicant Tracking Systems Really Do to Your Resume

ATS myths tested: the 75% rejection stat, auto-rejection, the white-text trick (we ran it), PDFs, and keyword stuffing, plus what gets your resume seen.

Job seeker researching a company's team page on a laptop while taking notes in a notebook

Cover Letters17 min read

How to Address a Cover Letter (When You Don't Know the Name)

Learn how to address a cover letter: use the most specific greeting you can confirm, or Dear Hiring Manager. Covers titles, no-name, school and UK cases.