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The Resume Formatting Trap: Why You're Focusing on the Wrong Things

I saw something wild on LinkedIn last week that made me question everything about resume advice.

A self-proclaimed "career expert" boldly declared that he rejects every resume without enough white space - even if the candidate is perfectly qualified.

Yeah, you read that right.

Apparently, your job prospect might slip away because someone decided your margins weren't wide enough.

I've spent many years reviewing thousands of resumes, and I'll tell you what actually matters (spoiler: it's often not your font choice or spacing).

Every week, I watch talented professionals agonize over resume formatting, tweaking margins and testing different fonts, when they could be focusing on what really moves the needle.

Want to know the truth about resume formatting that no one's talking about?

Here's what I've learned after sitting on both sides of the hiring table: Most of what you're obsessing over doesn't matter.

In fact, it might be hurting your chances.

Let me break down what actually catches a recruiter's eye (and it's not that fancy template you just spent $39.99 on).

Let's talk about why we're all so obsessed with resume formatting in the first place.

I get it - when you're job hunting, formatting feels like something you can control. It's easier to fiddle with margins than to figure out how to explain that 2-year gap in your work history.

Every day, I see smart professionals fall into three common traps:

1. They're terrified their resume will get rejected by ATS systems (those pesky robots that scan your application).

2. They're drowning in conflicting advice from LinkedIn "experts" who insist their way is the only way.

3. They think a beautiful resume will compensate for experience they're worried might not be enough.

Here's the thing though – I've never met a hiring manager who said "Wow, this candidate has an incredible background, but their font size is 11.5 instead of 12, so it's a no."

But I have seen plenty of beautifully formatted resumes get rejected because they couldn't answer one simple question.

Want to know what that question is?

Can someone understand what you do and why you'd be valuable in under 10 seconds?

That's it. That's the magic test.

I review hundreds of resumes all the time, and I'll let you in on a little secret about how recruiters actually work.

They're not sitting there with a ruler measuring your margins or checking if you used the perfect shade of navy blue in your header.

They're scanning - quickly - for evidence that you can solve our problems.

When you're buying a book, do you spend time analyzing the font choices and paragraph spacing?

No - you read the back cover to see if the story hooks you.

Your resume is that back cover.

It's not the whole story - it's just enough to make someone want to learn more.

Here's what catches my attention in those crucial 10 seconds:

• Clear evidence of progression in your career

• Specific achievements (not just job duties)

• Relevant experience that matches what we need

And notice what's not on that list? Fancy formatting.

Here's the simple framework I use when reviewing my own resume (and yes, even recruiters need help with their resumes sometimes).

Ask yourself these three questions:

• Could a stranger understand what you do if they found your resume on a coffee shop table?

• If someone's scanning for relevant achievements, would yours jump off the page in under 10 seconds?

• Is there anything distracting from your core message?

That's it. Everything else is just noise.

Now, I'm not saying formatting doesn't matter at all. There are some basic guidelines worth following:

Make sure your text is consistent in size and spacing (I use 11pt font for most text - nothing smaller).

Create clear breaks between sections so the eye knows where to go.

Use simple bullet points to highlight achievements (think 3-5 per role, not 15).

But here's the key: These are 5-minute fixes, not 5-hour obsessions.

I had a candidate last week who apologized for sending a "poorly formatted" resume. But you

know what? Her experience was so compelling and clearly presented that she got called for an interview within hours.

Want to know what she did differently?

Let me show you the exact action plan she used...

Instead of tweaking formats, here's what top candidates focus on:

They start with a clear headline that matches the job they want (not a vague "Professional seeking opportunities").

They front-load every bullet point with specific results or achievements (numbers work great, but even saying "Led a team of 5" is better than just "Led a team").

They mirror the language used in job descriptions they're targeting (if the job asks for "project management," don't just say "coordinated tasks").

Here's what this looks like in practice:

Instead of:

"Responsible for managing client relationships"

Write:

"Generated $2M in new business by cultivating relationships with 15+ enterprise clients"

Instead of spending an hour adjusting margins, take that time to transform three of your bullet points this way.

Instead of testing five different fonts, spend 15 minutes identifying the key requirements from job descriptions you're targeting.

Think about it: When was the last time someone got hired because their resume had perfect margins?

But showing how you increased team productivity by 40%? That's what gets attention.

Ready to make these changes to your own resume?

Let me leave you with one final thought...

Stop letting the perfect resume formatting be the enemy of getting your next job.

Your experience matters more than your margins.

Your achievements speak louder than your font choice.

And your ability to solve problems is more valuable than perfectly aligned bullet points.

Here's your homework: Take one hour this week to focus on your resume's content instead of its format.

Then send it out.

Because the best resume is the one that actually gets sent, not the one sitting in your drafts folder waiting to be perfect.

Is software engineering as a profession, dead?

The software development job market is experiencing its biggest cooldown in five years, but don't let this discourage you.

Companies are still going to need software engineers, architects, devops and so on.

But while before, you could land a pretty cushy job with a $1XX,XXX compensation package as an average dev, now, you’re going to need to prove your value.

All of the low-level coding work that was previously done by a team of 4-6 can now (or soon) be done by a team of 2 with the help of AI.

You need to be one of those 2.

The key to staying in the game is moving beyond just writing code. AI can handle the grunt work, but companies still need engineers who can design systems, make architectural decisions, and understand the big picture.

Specializing in areas like AI integration, cloud infrastructure, or high-performance computing will make you indispensable.

So what to do?

I’ve said this 1000 times, but networking is more important than ever now.

A lot of roles aren’t even making it to job boards, so you need to tap into referrals, industry events, and direct outreach.

Finally, adaptability is your best asset. If full-time roles are scarce, consider contract work, freelancing, or even building your own projects. The market is shifting, but it’s not disappearing—those who can evolve with it will land on their feet.

Remote work is almost gone – how did this happen?

Remote Work Isn't Dead (But It's Definitely on Life Support)

Something interesting happened in 2023 that nobody saw coming: The great remote work experiment started fizzling out.

The numbers tell a pretty clear story: Only 27% of workers now prefer fully remote work, down from 29% in 2022.

But here's what's really going on behind those headlines:

Companies got nervous. They looked at all those empty office buildings they're paying for and thought, "Well, this is awkward."

Leaders started worrying about things like "culture" and "collaboration" - as if we weren't collaborating just fine over Zoom for the past three years.

And then came the mandates: Amazon, Google, IBM, and others basically said, "Come back to the office, or else."

But here's the plot twist nobody's talking about: Men are heading back to offices faster than women (35% to 28% for men, versus 41.5% to 41% for women).

What does this mean for you?

If you're job hunting in 2025, you might need to adjust your expectations.

Remote work isn't dead, but it's definitely not the default anymore.

The key? Look for companies whose actions match their words about "flexibility."

If you’re still hellbent on remote jobs, here are 10 job boards to check out:

• We Work Remotely

• FlexJobs

• Remote.co 

• Working Nomads

• Hubstaff Talent

• Remote OK

• Arc

• AngelList

• Remote Rocketship

• NoDesk

Worst interview question of the week…

Question: How many jellybeans can fit in a car?

What they’re assessing: Your problem-solving, ability to break down complex problems, and basic math skills (Or they just watched "A Beautiful Mind" last night)

What candidates think they should say: "Well, let me approach this systematically. First, let's calculate the volume of an average car, then subtract space for engine and seats, determine the volume of a single jelly bean, factor in the packing efficiency coefficient..."

What you want to say: "Depends - are we removing the seats? The engine? The interviewer? Because I'm about ready to remove myself from this interview."

What the question actually shows: Whether the interviewer has been binge-watching too many Silicon Valley tech interviews on YouTube.

Remember folks: The actual number doesn't matter. What matters is showing your thought process - unless you're actually applying for a job as a jelly bean car stuffer. In that case, maybe bring a calculator.

This week’s totally serious poll

Speaking of polls…

Last issue, I asked “If you had to be a kitchen appliance, which one would you be?”

37% of respondents said they’d be a coffee maker.

Apparently, we're all running on caffeine and questionable life choices.