All About Margins
Margins
When it comes to computers and applicant tracking systems, even a 0.1-inch or 0.25-centimeter difference is critical and is considered different. You should confirm that you use margins consistently throughout your resume, and you may even want to play around with the margin settings to find the best fit. You might need to check that your margins are consistent, and test using different types of settings.
Use this
article to help you double-check your margins in Microsoft Word.
For Word Documents
Use these instructions to check your margins before converting your resume to PDF format:
- Click Layout on the toolbar.
- Select the Margins dropdown arrow.
- Select margins with the same top/bottom and left/right margins OR select Custom margins.
- Ensure that the margins you create are between 0.55-1.5 or 1.3-3.8 centimeters.
Please Note: Do not make your margins any larger than 0.55-1.5 or 1.3-3.8 centimeters.
For Google Documents
Use these instructions to check your margins before converting your resume to PDF format:
- Click File on the toolbar.
- Select Page Layout on the dropdown.
- Make sure your margins are consistent on top/bottom and left/right margins.
- Margins need to be between 0.55-1.5 inches or 1.3-3.8 centimeters (no larger or smaller).
Indentation
Computers and ATS will also read indentations as margins, Quinn may flag your resume for inconsistent margins, or even worse, an applicant tracking system may automatically reject your resume.
For Word Documents
Use these instructions to check your indentation before converting your resume to PDF format:
- Click Layout on the toolbar.
- Locate Indent.
- Verify that the left and right indents are the same.
- If these values are not the same or 0, then you will be flagged for inconsistent margins.
For Google Documents
Use these instructions to check your indentation before converting your resume to PDF format:
- Click Help on the toolbar.
- Search Indentation and select Indentation options.
- Verify that the left and right indents are the same.
- If these values are not the same or 0, then you will be flagged for inconsistent margins.