How should you present your resume?

Your resume tells an employer a lot about you, such as:

  • how well you organise information
  • how much attention you pay to detail
  • how good you are at written communication
  • how much care you take with your work.

An organised, complete, up-to-date and well-presented resume tells an employer that you are competent and keen to get the job.

Keep it simple

Use A4 sized paper. It should be white or off-white—don't use coloured paper.

The paper should be clean and new, as if it has just been taken from a freshly opened packet.

Don’t send a resume that is photocopied, faded, crookedly printed, stained, discoloured or marked with pencil, pen or correction fluid or tape.

Print your resume in black ink using a common font such as: 

  • Times New Roman
  • Palatino
  • Garamond
  • Arial
  • Verdana
  • Tahoma
  • Lucida Sans.

Set out the text with plenty of white space at the top and bottom and on either side, and with a clear line space between each paragraph or section.

Make it easy for the receiver

Don’t include a title page or cover sheet. If the recruiter has a lot of applications to deal with, the sooner they get to your information, the better.

Don’t use binders or presentation folders. Just neatly staple the pages of your resume together, using a single staple at the top left corner. At most, use a paper clip to attach your covering letter, if you’re sending one, to the front of the resume; it’s quite acceptable not to attach it in any way.

Fold your resume as little as possible. If it can’t be folded into a DL size envelope (one-third the size of an A4 page) use an A4 envelope. If you’ve folded it and then discover that it won’t fit into the envelope, it’s better to print it out afresh rather than sending a creased copy or wedging it into the too-small envelope.