White space on a resume: Yae or Nay?

You would think that the more information you can cram into your resume the better, wouldn’t you? Although it might seem like a great achievement to have a resume chock full of information, it will negatively affect your chances of getting picked out by a hiring manager.

Did you know that white space is an asset to a resume? In fact, when a resume has the right balance between text and white space, it becomes a few times more attractive for hiring managers.

What is this white space?

The white space in a resume is simply the empty areas between design elements of the document. These are the areas that are unused when you have filled in all your information on the resume. The gaps between resume sections, the gaps between text blocks, the margins around the document, and even the blank lines that separate subheadings fall under white space. White space is a strategic design element that allows you to bring out important information on your resume such as your contact details, skills, and achievements.

Why is white space important for a resume?

White space helps you accentuate the content on your resume. This makes it easier for hiring managers and recruiters to spot important information at first glance. Hiring managers often review a resume in just a few seconds. If they can’t separate between different resume sections, headings, and individual elements within that short time, the hiring manager will not be tempted to read your resume through. There are many advantages to using white space on your resume, such as:

• Enhanced readability
• Professional and polished appearance
• Improved focus and attention
• Increased scalability
• Clearer organization
• Functional structure
• Improved visual appeal

How much of white space should your resume have?

There is no rule to determine exactly how much white space your resume should have. However, you can experiment with your resume to see which amount of white space suits your unique purpose the best. Let us look at how you should create white space in your resume to achieve this:

• Line spacing – Line spacing makes all the difference in the world to the text on your resume. Keep your line spacing between 1.1 and 1.15.
• Paragraph spacing – Adjust the paragraph spacing until there is sufficient space between different paragraphs and headings. Your resume section headings must stand out so that they are easy to spot.
• Font style and size – Use font sizes between 10 and 12 pt for your resume. Your section headings can get a little bit larger. Avoid using smaller font sizes and font styles that give a narrow, crammed impression.
• Bullet points – Use bullet points instead of paragraphs on your resume to add more white space to the document. Use simple bullets and keep your sentences short. Break up large blocks of text into several bullet points.
• Margins – Leave uniform margins on all sides of your document. When creating an executive resume, it is customary to leave 0.5 inch margins all around. For resumes of other professional levels, anything between 0.5 and 1.0 inches is sufficient.

What happens if you use too much or too little white space on your resume?

Adding too much white space to your resume will have your resume looking blank and empty. This will make you appear inexperienced for the role. If there is almost half a page of emptiness on your resume, or if the information seems to be cramped at a corner of the document, you have not used white space properly.

If there is too little white space on your resume, a hiring manager can’t review your resume efficiently. All your information will be jam-packed, making it difficult to spot individual pieces of information. If the hiring manager is in a rush, your resume might get rejected from the competition then and there.