/resume-formatter

name: resume-formatter
description: Ensure ATS-friendly formatting and create clean scannable layouts

Resume Formatter

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user:

• Needs help with resume layout and formatting
• Has a messy or hard-to-read resume
• Wants to ensure ATS compatibility through formatting
• Needs a clean, professional design
• Mentions: "format resume", "resume layout", "resume design", "clean resume", "professional format"

Core Capabilities

• Structure resumes for optimal readability
• Ensure ATS compatibility through formatting
• Create visual hierarchy
• Optimize white space and margins
• Select appropriate fonts and sizes
• Balance aesthetic appeal with functionality

Formatting Fundamentals

The Dual Audience Challenge

Your resume must work for: 1. **ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems)** - Robots that parse text 2. **Human Readers** - Recruiters who scan quickly

**The Solution:** Clean, simple formatting that satisfies both.

Document Setup

Page Length

• **Entry Level (0-5 years):** 1 page
• **Mid-Level (5-15 years):** 1-2 pages
• **Senior/Executive (15+ years):** 2 pages (max 3 for executives)

Margins

• **Recommended:** 0.5" - 1" all sides
• **Minimum:** 0.5" (don't go smaller)
• **Maximum:** 1" (don't waste space)

Font Selection

**Safe, ATS-Friendly Fonts:**

• **Sans-serif:** Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Verdana
• **Serif:** Times New Roman, Georgia, Garamond

**Font Sizes:**

• **Name:** 16-20pt
• **Section Headers:** 12-14pt
• **Body Text:** 10-12pt
• **Minimum readable:** 10pt

Spacing

• **Line spacing:** 1.0 to 1.15
• **Space after paragraphs:** 6-12pt
• **Section spacing:** 12-16pt between sections

ATS-Safe Formatting Rules

DO:

• ✅ Use standard fonts
• ✅ Use simple bullet points (•, -, *)
• ✅ Use bold and italic sparingly
• ✅ Use standard section headers
• ✅ Save as .docx or text-based .pdf
• ✅ Put contact info in body (not header)
• ✅ Use single column layout
• ✅ Use consistent formatting throughout

DON'T:

• ❌ Use tables (except simple ones for contact info)
• ❌ Use text boxes
• ❌ Use columns (multi-column layouts)
• ❌ Use headers/footers for important info
• ❌ Use images or graphics
• ❌ Use unusual fonts
• ❌ Use skill bars or progress indicators
• ❌ Use special characters or emojis
• ❌ Use color for essential information

Section Organization

Standard Section Order

1. Contact Information
2. Professional Summary (optional)
3. Skills/Technical Skills
4. Professional Experience
5. Education
6. Certifications (if relevant)
7. Additional (volunteer, languages, etc.)

Section Header Formatting

**ATS-Recognized Headers:**

• PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE or WORK EXPERIENCE
• EDUCATION
• SKILLS or TECHNICAL SKILLS
• PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY or SUMMARY
• CERTIFICATIONS
• PROJECTS

**Format Options:**

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

or

Professional Experience
_______________________

or

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Contact Information Layout

Recommended Format

JOHN SMITH
john.smith@email.com | (555) 123-4567 | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith
San Francisco, CA

Alternative Format

JOHN SMITH
San Francisco, CA
john.smith@email.com | (555) 123-4567
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | GitHub: github.com/johnsmith

What to Include

• ✅ Full name
• ✅ Professional email
• ✅ Phone number
• ✅ City, State (no full address needed)
• ✅ LinkedIn URL
• ✅ Portfolio/GitHub (if relevant)

What to Exclude

• ❌ Full street address
• ❌ Photo
• ❌ Date of birth
• ❌ Marital status
• ❌ Multiple phone numbers
• ❌ Personal social media

Experience Section Formatting

Standard Format

COMPANY NAME | City, ST
Job Title | Month Year - Month Year

• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results

Alternative Format

Job Title
COMPANY NAME, City, ST                    Month Year - Month Year

• Achievement bullet with metrics and results
• Achievement bullet with metrics and results

Date Formatting

• **Consistent format:** Use same format throughout
• **Recommended:** Month Year (Jan 2020 - Present)
• **Also acceptable:** MM/YYYY (01/2020 - Present)
• **Avoid:** Full dates (January 15, 2020)

Bullet Point Guidelines

• **Length:** 1-2 lines each
• **Format:** Start with action verb, end with result
• **Quantity:** 3-6 bullets per role (more for recent, fewer for old)
• **Symbol:** Use standard bullets (•, -, *)

Skills Section Formatting

Option 1: Simple List

SKILLS
Python, JavaScript, SQL, React, Node.js, AWS, Docker, Git, Agile, JIRA

Option 2: Categorized

TECHNICAL SKILLS
Languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL
Frameworks: React, Node.js, Django, Flask
Tools: AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Git, Jenkins

Option 3: Columns (Careful with ATS)

SKILLS
Languages        Frameworks       Tools
Python           React            AWS
JavaScript       Node.js          Docker
SQL              Django           Git

**Note:** Multi-column layouts may cause ATS issues. Test before using.

Education Section Formatting

Standard Format

EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley | 2018
GPA: 3.8/4.0 (include if 3.5+)

With Honors/Details

EDUCATION
MBA, Finance & Strategy | Stanford Graduate School of Business | 2020
• Graduated with Distinction
• Relevant Coursework: Corporate Finance, M&A Strategy

Visual Hierarchy Principles

Hierarchy Order

1. **Name** - Largest, most prominent 2. **Section Headers** - Clear divisions 3. **Job Titles/Company Names** - Easy to scan 4. **Bullet Points** - The details

Creating Hierarchy

• Use font SIZE to create levels
• Use **BOLD** for emphasis (names, titles, headers)
• Use CAPS for section headers
• Use consistent spacing to separate sections

White Space Management

Good White Space:

• Between sections (c