Layout
Keep it simple and single-column; optimize for a six-second scan, with generous white space.
A reader's first pass takes about six seconds. Layout decides whether that glance lands on your strongest material or gets lost.
Single column beats multi-column
Two- and three-column layouts look designed, but many ATS parsers read left-to-right across the whole line, scrambling a sidebar's content into the middle of a sentence. A single column reads correctly for both a human and a parser, in the order you intended.
White space is not wasted space
A page crammed edge to edge looks like effort, not clarity. Margins, line spacing, and gaps between sections give the eye somewhere to rest and make the real content easier to find.
One column, consistent margins, section headings that stand out at a glance.
Three columns of tiny text with a sidebar photo, icons, and a skills wheel competing for attention.
Anchor points a six-second scan looks for
- Name and current title, top of the page
- Most recent job title and company
- The first word of each bullet
- Section headings
Put it into practice
Build your resume in Fit The Role and these principles are already built into the editor and templates.