Should You Use Indents When Writing a Resume?

Should You Use Indents When Writing a Resume?There are two main ways of using indentation in your resume, both of which have their pros and cons. Let's take a look at each one and then take a look at the best way to use them.When you use indents when writing a resume the first thing that will catch the eye is the way the title is written. Indent the title one space from the left. The indent can be even more than one space if you want, but for this exercise we will keep it at one. In the future, if you find yourself writing many resumes with different style you will need to adjust the indent as needed.For people who are afraid that a title will show up in the wrong place, that it won't fit in the paragraph, or it doesn't make sense, that you don't have the confidence to write a resume that way, then the traditional two spaces will do just fine. However, it should always be considered in moderation. A resume without a title is not a resume at all!When you use indents in a resume it cre ates an important dividing line between what's called the start and the end of a sentence. We're talking about applying indentations where they make sense to get the point across and make the resume a real work of art. However, we don't want to overindent where it's not needed.There are two reasons that a separation is necessary, so let's look at each one separately. First, if the resume is a list of positions then there is no way that the position name would fit in two spaces on the left side and three spaces on the right.Second, if the position is one that do not require more than one word, but the word is used too often, then having three spaces for it means you might as well use nothing. You don't want to give the reader the false impression that you did not give the position enough thought, or that you don't know what you're doing.The third reason for using indents is that many employers may read a resume and want to know more about you before giving you an interview. If the pe rson looking at the resume is asking for more information, such as why you're leaving an established position, then a nice indent that summarizes the reason for the change might be all they need. In addition, the person looking at the resume may have questions that they're not sure they can ask without taking away from the job you are currently doing.Indent the title of the position, the opening of the body, and the opening of the body and then try it again. It might be helpful to know that after about five or six revisions to a resume, an editor will start to look for that little extra something.