how to make resume lines on word

How to add horizontal lines to your resume in Word

When creating your resume, it’s not just about getting the text right.

Design features such as horizontal lines help to divide the page into clear sections and provide a better reading experience for recruiters.

In this guide, we’re going to show you step-by-step how to add horizontal lines to your resume in Word.

This will help you to make a good impression on recruiters and win job interviews.

Resume templates 

How to add horizontal lines to resume in Microsoft Word

Here’s how to add a horizontal line to any pat of your resume using Microsoft Word :

• Put your cursor where you want the line to go
• In the ‘Home’ tab click on the ‘Borders’ button
• Select ‘Horizontal line’ from the drop-down menu
• Your line will appear on the page
• Double-click the line to edit the width, color, and alignment as you please
• Click ‘OK’ when you’re finished to apply the changes

AutoFormat option

If you have the AutoFormat feature on, you can insert a line simply by typing three or more hyphens (—) and then pressing ‘Enter’ on your keyboard.

This should create a solid line that extends across the page.

How to add horizontal lines to resume in Google Docs

If you prefer to use Google Docs to create your resume, you can still add a horizontal line easily.

Adding a horizontal line in Google Docs is even more straightforward, here’s how to do it:

• Place your cursor wherever you’d like the line to appear
• Click ‘Insert’ from the top toolbar
• Select ‘Horizontal line’ from the drop-down menu and your line will appear on the page

Why add horizontal lines to your resume?

Adding horizontal lines to your resume is a simple but effective way to divide your content into clear sections. That makes your resume more easy to read, as it allows readers to quickly scan through the document and identify the information they are looking for.

This is perfect for busy recruiters who see hundreds of resumes every day, and improves your chances of them reading your CV in full and selecting you for interview.

Do you have to add horizontal lines to your resume?

You don’t have to include horizontal lines on your resume and depending on the format and style, you might choose other elements to help break up your information.

However, when following the basic format and structure for your resume, these lines can be a quick and effective way to organize your content.

If you don’t want to add horizontal lines, you could try putting plenty of white space between each section and adding bold headings to them. This will achieve the same effect of breaking the page and making it easy for others to navigate.

More formatting tips for your resume

Here are a few more simple tips to make your resume look professional and easy to read, increasing your chances of landing interviews.

• Use a simple font: Select a clear and easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri in size 11 or 12 to make reading easy.
• Emphasize headings: Use big bold text for headings to clearly divide the page for recruiters.
• Keep it concise: Limit your resume to one or two pages and to ensure hiring managers will read it in full.
• Include white space: Use sufficient margins, spacing, and padding to ensure that your resume is visually balanced and not cramped.
• Highlight important information : Use bold or italicized text to draw attention to key accomplishments, skills, or experiences.
• Use a consistent format: Ensure that your formatting, including headings, bullet points , and spacing, is consistent throughout your resume, to ensure a professional appearance.
• Proofread and edit: Check for typos, grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistencies to ensure that your resume is polished and professional.
• Use a clear structure: Organize your information in a clear hierarchy with the most important information at the top to ensure it gets noticed quickly.

How to Add Line in Word for Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adding a line in Word for your resume is a simple task that can significantly improve the overall look and organization of your document. You can use this feature to separate different sections, such as your contact information from your work experience, or to underline headings. Here’s a quick overview of how to do it: simply place your cursor where you want the line to appear, go to the ‘Insert’ tab, click on ‘Shapes,’ and then select the line shape. Draw the line across the page, and voila, you’ve got a clean, professional-looking separation.

Step by Step Tutorial: Adding a Line in Word for Resume

Adding lines to your resume in Word can help create visual separation between sections and make your resume easier to read. The following steps will guide you through the process.

Step 1: Place the cursor

Place your cursor where you want the line to appear on your resume.

It’s important to be precise with cursor placement, as the line will be inserted directly above or below it. Make sure you’re on the Home layout to easily find the ‘Insert’ tab in the next step.

Step 2: Click on ‘Insert’ tab

Go to the ‘Insert’ tab in the Word ribbon.

The ‘Insert’ tab is where you’ll find various elements to add to your document, such as tables, pictures, and shapes, including lines.

Step 3: Select ‘Shapes’

Click on ‘Shapes’ within the ‘Insert’ tab.

A dropdown will appear with various shape options. For a simple straight line, you’ll want to select the line shape.

Step 4: Choose the line shape

From the ‘Shapes’ dropdown, select the line shape.

After selecting the line shape, your cursor will change to a crosshair, indicating you’re ready to draw the line.

Step 5: Draw the line

Click and drag across the page to draw the line.

Hold down the ‘Shift’ key while dragging to ensure the line is perfectly horizontal. Release the mouse button when the line reaches your desired length.

After completing these steps, a line will be added to your resume where your cursor was initially placed. You can adjust the line’s width and color by using the formatting options that appear once the line is drawn.

Tips for Adding a Line in Word for Resume

• Tip 1: Use the ‘Format Shape’ option to customize your line’s appearance, like changing its color or weight.
• Tip 2: Copy and paste the line to ensure consistency if you need multiple lines in your resume.
• Tip 3: Align the line with text or other elements using the ‘Align’ tool under the ‘Format’ tab.
• Tip 4: Use the ruler or gridlines to help you place the line precisely where you want it.
• Tip 5: Save your document before and after adding lines to avoid losing any changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i add a decorative line in word for my resume.

Yes, you can choose from various line styles, including dotted, dashed, and decorative lines, to add a unique touch to your resume.

How do I ensure my line is straight?

Hold down the ‘Shift’ key while drawing your line to keep it perfectly horizontal or vertical.

Can I move the line after I’ve added it to my resume?

Absolutely! Simply click on the line to select it and then drag it to your desired location.

How do I delete a line if I change my mind?

Select the line by clicking on it and then press the ‘Delete’ key on your keyboard.

Can I add lines to both the top and bottom of a section in my resume?

Yes, you can add as many lines as you’d like to your resume, both above and below sections, to enhance the document’s layout.

• Place the cursor where you want the line.
• Click on the ‘Insert’ tab.
• Select ‘Shapes’.
• Choose the line shape.
• Draw the line across the page.

In conclusion, adding a line in Word for your resume is a straightforward task that can significantly enhance the aesthetic and readability of your document. With a few simple clicks and drags, you can create clear separations between the various sections, helping potential employers to navigate your resume with ease. Remember to take advantage of the customization options to give your resume a personal touch, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different line styles and placements. Your resume is often the first impression you make on a hiring manager, so it’s worth taking the time to ensure it’s as polished and professional as possible. Happy resume building!

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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How to Create a Resume in Microsoft Word (Step-by-Step Guide)

If this is your first time creating a resume in Microsoft Word, the process may seem overwhelming. Luckily, this article is here to help! In this step-by-step guide, we will cover how to create an effective resume from start to finish using Microsoft Word.

How Do I Make a Resume in Microsoft Word?

There are two primary methods for making a resume in Microsoft Word:

• ‍ From Scratch: This gives you the ultimate creative control. However, it also requires you to familiarize yourself with all of Microsoft Word’s tools and layout options. Building a resume from scratch can be more time-consuming but also more customizable.
• ‍ From a Template: Microsoft Word offers several pre-made resume templates. By using these, all the formatting and layout creation is handled for you. You simply have to fill in your own information.

To use a template, go to File > New and then select a template from the Resume and Cover Letter section.

How Should I Format My Resume in Microsoft Word?

The format you choose will depend on your experience level!

There are 3 basic resume formats to choose between:

• ‍ Reverse-Chronological: Details your most recent job and works backwards from there. This format focuses heavily on work experience. ‍
• Functional: Focuses on skills and education rather than work experience. This is a good option for recent graduates or applicants with minimal work experience. ‍
• Hybrid/Combination: Combines elements of both the Reverse-Chronological and the Functional. This is a good option for applicants with gaps in their employment history.

Choosing the best format for your needs is key. For more help on this subject, check out our guide on How to Choose the Correct Resume Format in 2024 !

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Make a Resume in Microsoft Word in 7 Easy Steps

First, let’s make sure you can navigate the Microsoft Word ribbon!

The ribbon is the toolbar found at the top of the screen.

It should look something like this:

The main parts of the ribbon you should familiarize yourself with on the Home tab are Font , Paragraph , and Styles .

These are how you will edit the appearance of your text and headers.

You should also familiarize yourself with the Layout tab .

This tab is where you will adjust your margins and add columns!

Once you have taken your time to figure out where all of your tools are, it’s time to begin building your resume!

Important Note: These steps detail how to create a resume in Microsoft Word from scratch. By using one of the program’s pre-made templates, you can bypass many of these steps and simply fill in the pre-made format.

Step 1: Create Your Layout

Let’s begin by visiting the Layout tab .

Here, you can set your margin size and decide if you want to use columns.

Here is a breakdown of these two elements:

‍ We recommend using 1-inch margins on all sides.

This will give you enough white space to keep your resume looking neat without sacrificing too much space.

It will also ensure your formatting looks good on printed versions of your resume. ‍

Columns and Sidebars:

‍ From the columns tab, you will find five options:

• The One , Two , and Three options are how you will create separate columns.
• The Left and Right options are how you will create sidebars! Sidebars are useful because they leave more room for the main text and sections.

From the Home tab , you can edit the following elements of your layout:

‍ Alignment:

‍ Choose between left, center, or right alignment.

We recommend using the left alignment.

Whichever you choose, it is a good idea to keep your alignment consistent across the board. ‍

Line Spacing:

‍ We recommend using 1.15 – 1.5 line spacing for the body text.

For section titles and headers, use 1.5 – 2.0 spacing to help them stand out from the rest of the text. ‍

‍ Use a simple and highly legible font. Try to use only 1-2 fonts throughout your resume.

We recommend the following seven fonts:

• Times New Roman

Step 2: Make Your Title Header

Your title header should contain the following information:

• Your Job Title
• Contact Information
• Professional Social Media Links

Use an H1 header to write your name at the very top.

Use the Normal style to write the rest of your information (see “How Do I Add Different Sections of the Resume on Microsoft Word” below for more information on header styles).

It should come out looking similar to this:

Copywriter Email: [email protected] Phone: (123) 456-7890 Website: Janesmith.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janesmith

Check out some of our free resume examples to see alternative ways of formatting your title header!

Step 3: Write an Objective or Summary

Following your title header will be your resume objective or summary.

This will be a short statement between 1-5 sentences detailing your desired job title, experience, and career goals.

You will want to write this statement in the Normal style .

However, you may want to use a slightly larger font than the rest of the text in other sections.

This will help your objective or summary statement to stand out.

Here is an example of how this might look with the title header example from before:

Resume Objective: I am a copywriter with over 5 years of experience. working with corporate clients. I am seeking the position of Head Copywriter at your company, bringing with me over 10 major corporate clients.

Step 4: Create Your Base Format

By creating a base format, you can save the document as a separate file to return to and fill in again and again.

This will help you to tailor your resume to fit specific jobs!

The idea of the base format is to provide outlined sections with the correct spacing and number of bullet points.

You are essentially creating a skeleton for your resume that you can edit and adjust over time.

By doing so, you ensure you have already allocated the proper amount of space on the resume for each section.

For example, this is what your base Work Experience section may look like:

Work Experience

Job Title 1 , Company Name Date – Date · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence Job Title 2 , Company Name Date – Date · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence ‍ Job Title 3 , Company Name Date – Date · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence

As you gain more work experience, you can return to this base format and make changes as need be.

Because you have already outlined the section, you won’t have to worry about reformatting the entire resume to make a few simple changes.

Step 5: Determine Your Section Organization

Once you have built the base format of your resume, it’s time to determine if your sections are in the optimal location.

For instance, if you are creating a Reverse-Chronological style resume you will want your Work Experience section to come first.

Comparatively, if you are creating a Functional style resume you may want your Skills or Education section to come first.

The order and organization of your sections will impact the impression your resume makes on hiring managers.

Step 6: Fill in the Information

Now that you have created the base format of your resume and chosen the optimal organization, it’s time to fill in your information!

When filling in your information, be mindful of the following 3 factors:

• ‍ Be Concise: Always use simple sentences that clearly describe your strengths and accomplishments. Avoid complex sentences or overly complicated vocabulary and jargon. ‍
• Use Bullet-Points: In each section, use bullet points to separate each thought or idea. This will make your resume more visually appealing and easier to read. ‍
• Choose Compelling Language: Try to avoid repeating the same words or phrases over and over. Mix it up, use keywords, and find the best action verbs to make your resume sound even better!

Not sure how to make your language more compelling on your resume? Take a look at our list of 350+ Action Verbs to Make Your Resume More Effective in 2024 .

Step 7: Double-Check Your Sections

Once you have completed steps 1-6, look back over your resume and make sure you have included all of the key sections.

You should also take some time to consider what additional sections you could include.

Here are the key sections every resume should have:

• A title header with your name and contact information
• An objective or summary statement
• Work experience

As we have covered, the order of these sections will vary depending on the format you have chosen.

However, each of these sections should always be included in your resume.

There are also some additional sections to consider adding.

Here is a quick list of extra sections that can add some extra flair to your resume:

• Awards and achievements
• Certifications
• Unpaid experiences, such as volunteer work or internships
• Relevant hobbies

How Do I Add Different Sections to a Resume on Microsoft Word?

The way to create different sections on your resume comes in two parts:

• Use an H2 header to create the section titles (Work Experience, Education, Skills, etc.)
• Use the Normal style to create the body of text below the H2 header

Here is a breakdown of how to use the H1, H2, H3, and Normal styles within your resume:

Select the Styles window from the Home tab .

From here, you will have options to create headers.

Your heading options are as follows:

• ‍ Heading 1: Use this heading as your largest title. This is what you will use to write your name at the top of the page. Use a bolded font between 16 to 20 pt in size. Use 1.5 to 2.0 line spacing to help the title heading stand out. ‍
• Heading 2: Use this heading to create your section titles. Use a bolded font size between 14 to 16 pt. in size. Make sure these headings are smaller than your title heading. Use 1.5 to 2.0 line spacing to help these headings stand out from the rest of the text. ‍
• Heading 3: Use this heading to create your job titles. Your job titles should be only slightly bigger than the rest of the text. Use a bolded font between 12 to 14 pt. in size. Use between 1.15 to 1.5 line spacing. ‍
• Normal: Use the Normal style to create the body text underneath the heading. Use a regular font between 11 – 12 pt. in size. Use between 1.15 to 1.5 line spacing.

What are the Pros and Cons of Using Microsoft Word to Craft Your Resume?

Microsoft Word is a handy tool to have, especially if your computer comes with the program pre-installed.

Here are 3 pros and 3 cons to using Microsoft Word to create your resume:

• ‍ Total Creative Control: When creating a resume on Microsoft Word directly from your computer, you have total control over the design and format. ‍
• More ATS Friendly: Applicant Tracking Systems are designed to read .doc files, the file format used by Microsoft Word. ‍
• Can be Edited by Recruiters: If you are using a recruitment agency, a Microsoft Word file can be easy to edit by recruiters before sending it off to employers.
• ‍ The Microsoft Word Learning Curve: If you are unfamiliar with Microsoft Word, there can be a pretty steep learning curve that can cause you frustration. ‍
• Time Consuming: Building a resume from scratch can be highly beneficial, but also highly time-consuming. This can become problematic if you need to create a resume quickly. ‍
• Temperamental Templates: Microsoft Word offers tons of free resume templates. On the surface, this is super useful. However, these templates can be tricky to use. One wrong move can mess up the formatting in a big way and be an even bigger headache to try and fix.

Why Should I Use an Online Resume Template or Resume Builder?

By using a resume template from an online provider, such as Easy Resume, you are more likely to find a template that fits your exact needs.

Plus, online resume templates and resume builders often have more design elements that are easier to use compared to Microsoft Word.

Are you interested in using our online templates or resume builder? Check out our beautifully designed resume templates to build your optimal resume!

Final Takeaways

Microsoft Word offers a lot of capabilities to help you build your ideal resume.

Here are five key takeaways for creating a resume on the program:

• Create a base skeleton for your resume that you can use again and again for different jobs.
• Use different heading styles to help your resume title and section titles to stand out.
• Use the column tool under the Layout tab to create sidebars. Sidebars are great for smaller sections, such as certifications or awards!
• Always use concise and compelling language.
• Consider using a template to build your resume faster.

At Easy Resume, we have designed our resume templates and online resume builder to fit your needs. No matter your level of experience or skill at making resumes, we have the tools to help.

Don’t forget to check out our expansive collection of FREE resume guides and examples while you’re here!

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Ed is a co-founder of Easy Resume. His background in scaling teams at tech startups over the last decade has given him extensive experience and knowledge around how to hire top talent and build successful teams. He enjoys mentoring, coaching, and helping others reach their career goals. When he's not writing about career-related advice, he's playing with his dog, Lilo, or going on long hikes in upstate New York.

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Healthcare is a massive and important industry that contains all sorts of professionals. To land a job in healthcare, you must understand what relevant skills employers are searching for. In this guide, we will cover key healthcare skills to include on your resume and why doing so is so important.

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IT is a massively growing industry with tons of potential for professional growth. It’s no wonder why so many applicants are flocking to these jobs! In this guide, we will cover what IT skills are and offer you examples of some of the top skills to include on your resume.

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With the world becoming more digitally focused, having strong computer skills is more important than ever. In this guide, we will cover what computer skills are and which ones are best to include on your resume.

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Your resume header is the very first thing an employer will see. Not only does it need to contain the correct information, but it needs to stand out as well! In this guide, we will teach you how to write the ideal header for your resume.

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When setting out to write the perfect resume, choosing a format is an important decision. Reverse-chronological resumes are the standard format, so knowing how to craft one is key! This guide will teach you how to write the best reverse chronological resumes.

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Professional resume templates to help land your next dream job.

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How to Add a Horizontal Line in Microsoft Word

Last Updated: May 10, 2024 Fact Checked

Using Shapes to Draw a Line

Using borders to add a line, using keyboard shortcuts, using the mobile app.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly . Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 2,158,922 times. Learn more...

Do you want to create a horizontal line in your resumé or other Microsoft Word document? If you want to customize the color and format of the line, you can use the Shapes tool. If you need to make a quick, basic line, you can use the keyboard shortcut. While you can use the keyboard shortcut on Windows and Mac, you cannot use it on the mobile app. This wikiHow will show you how to insert different lines in Microsoft Word on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android device.

Inserting a Line in Microsoft Word

On desktop, click “Shapes,” in the “Insert” tab then select a line. Click and drag across the document to create it. Double click it to customize it. On mobile, click the 3 dots, then tap “Home” and select “Insert.” Tap “Shapes” to select a line and drag it across the document to create it.

• If you want to draw a line in an existing Word document, double-click the Word document to open it and skip the next step.
• You'll need a subscription to use Office 365 .

• A drop-down menu will appear.

• If you need to adjust the line's length and orientation, click the left or right circle. Drag it left or right to adjust the length, or drag it up and down to adjust the orientation.
• To move the line, double-click and drag it to the desired position.

• You may already be on this tab by default.

• A drop-down menu will open.

• A horizontal line will be added.

• To change the line thickness, use the up and down arrow below Height . The higher the number, the thicker the line will be.
• To change the color, click the color box underneath Color . Select your desired color.
• Click OK to save and apply your changes.

• You'll be creating a horizontal line that spans from one edge of your page to the other. The line will stop at your set margins.
• If you want to make the line span the whole page, you'll need to change your document margins .

• Note that the line does not occupy the space of a line of text, but instead exists between lines of text.
• Make sure the Border Lines box is checked. This can be found underneath Apply as you type .
• If you want to turn off AutoCorrect , uncheck the boxes.

• Thin line : Three hyphens (-).
• Thick line : Three underscores (_).
• Double line : Three equal signs (=).
• Dotted line : Three asterisk (*).
• Triple line : Three pound signs (#).
• Squiggly line : Three tildes (~).

• Deleting text above the line will prompt it to move upward.

• Microsoft Word is available for iOS in the App Store and for Android in the Google Play Store .
• Tap Blank document to open a new document or tap a file to open an existing document.

• If you don't see your keyboard, tap the document to bring it up.
• A new menu will open.

• Use two fingers to pinch and zoom out to view the entire document.
• If you need to adjust the line's length and orientation, tap the left or right circle. Drag it left or right to adjust the length, or drag it up and down to adjust the orientation.
• To move the line, tap and drag it to the desired position.

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• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-horizontal-line-9bf172f6-5908-4791-9bb9-2c952197b1a9#turn-it-off
• ↑ https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/Insert-horizontal-lines-9bf172f6-5908-4791-9bb9-2c952197b1a9?ui=en-US&rs=en-GB&ad=GB&fromAR=1

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Format a resume with a template

Here’s how to download and use a template to create a sharp resume. We’ll show how you can cut and paste parts of your old resume and make the fonts and spacing look perfect.

Whether you’re online or offline go to FILE > New and search for “Resume.”

Preview and click the one you want to open.

You can start typing right away or cut and paste text into the document.

After pasting old text, it might look funny, or not formatted correctly. Select Ctrl to see Paste Options and choose one like Keep Text Only . Then the text use the font and formatting of the new resume.

Six steps to developing a great resume

Microsoft resume templates  

Look up words in the thesaurus

Most people submit resumes online these days, but there are still reasons why you need a paper resume.

A big one is at the interview. You want to come in with copies of your resume so you can hand it to the person.

So they don’t have to scramble to find the copy of theirs or look for on their computer.

So I’m going to show you a couple of different ways of formatting a resume.

First of all it’s going to be with a template.

I’m going to open up Word 2013 here, and it opens to this new gallery view that shows off templates.

If you have an earlier version of Word, you just want to go to FILE and New and you’ll be able to search for resume or search for templates.

I’m going to type in “Resume”.

If I was offline I get about a dozen or so resumes, here online I can get the full power of Office.com .

I can get a couple hundred I can look for.

Some with categories, occupations… Let me just click on this thumbnail, I can see a little bigger thumbnail, and I can click through these arrows to find one I like.

You can also see customer ratings which is Ahh..You know that way you can see what’s populate what people like.

I’m going to use this one here called the Timeless design . Open that up. And it populates with my name.

Today I’m Daryl McFarland. And it gives you some instructions of how to use the template if you need that or you can just start typing away with your new objective here for your resume.

Now with resumes, most of the time people have older resume, they may cut and paste in, they want to format it so let’s look at that for a few moments here. I’m going to open up some text that I have here.

And just cut and paste this objective.

And you want to ahh.. make sure you know each resume has to have a different objective for each company.

Don’t want to be general. You want to be specific with your resume.

So, here I have the text that I want but, of course, it looks a little different. The font size is wrong.

There is a couple of different ways to change the formatting. You can look at styles. Some people use Format Painter .

But when you cut and paste, if you don’t touch any other keys, you get this little box here at the end, with a little clipboard that says Ctrl by it.

Ctrl is the shortcut. So let me click Ctrl . And it opens up Paste options. And it gives me several options I can use.

I can use this one called Keep Text Only . And look, it shrinks down my text. Perfect. So that’s good. Let’s do it one more time.

We’re going to grab some of these old skills I have and I’ll update them as I work this new resume. Again, little too big.

Now notice this last line I have some bold text in it.

I want to keep that bold text but if I chose the option -- Keep text only , it strips out all formatting.

So hyperlinks and everything is striped out so I don’t want to use that.

I want to go over here and Merge Formatting , and there, it keeps the bold and also makes the text look proper for this template.

Templates in general especially in resumes, templates have what we call control content.

If you look up here we have boxes for street address, telephone, email.

That just gives you some structure to the template, you can delete those if you want.

Also down here in the experience area we have this.

If you don’t want it, again you can just simply right-click and remove content control and it’ll strip that away.

A lot of times people just want to update a resume with a different look.

You can do that really quickly with the DESIGN tab. Let’s go over there.

So click DESIGN and I get all this formatting options here at the top and I can just mouse over and my resume changes, it previews.

Now some of these look good. Some of them really don’t look good.

But it’s a quick way to kind of get a different look for your resumes.

Because sometimes we just want a fresh start with a new resume. You can also do that with Themes over here on the far left.

Themes are a great way to control color, font size, spacing.

I use it a lot for PowerPoint and not as much in Word, but you can set a difference to your resume and just click the one that you want. So that’s working with templates.

In our next video, we’re going to use formatting, well, we’re going to format without a template.

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How-To Geek

How to insert a line in microsoft word.

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Quick Links

Quickly insert a line in a microsoft word document, add and customize a line in microsoft word, insert a line as a shape in microsoft word.

With a line in your documents, you can visually separate your text or create a signature line. Microsoft Word offers various line types you can add to your documents, and we'll show you how to do that.

Related: How to Add a Dotted Line in a Microsoft Word Document

To quickly add a line in your document, use Word's shortcut characters. These are the standard symbols you find on your keyboard, and when you press them three times, Word inserts a specific line in your document. Bear in mind that you can't customize these types of lines.

To use this method, first, open your document with Microsoft Word. In the document, place your cursor where you want to insert a line.

On your keyboard, press the following characters to add a line:

• --- (three hyphens): This adds a regular line.
• === (three equal signs): This adds a regular double line.
• ___ (three underscores): This adds a bold line.
• *** (three asterisks): Use this to add a dotted line.
• ### (three hashes): This adds a triple line.
• ~~~ (three tildes): Use this to add a wave line.

The line that Word adds covers the full width of your page, so you don't have to worry about resizing it. And that's it.

Did you know it's also easy to draw arrows in Word ?

Related: How to Draw and Manipulate Arrows in Microsoft Word

If you'd like to manually insert and customize a line in your document, use this method.

In your Word document, place the cursor where you want to add a line. Then in Word's ribbon at the top, click the "Home" tab.

In the "Home" tab, from the "Paragraph" section, select the down-arrow icon next to "Borders."

From the down-arrow icon menu, choose "Horizontal Line."

Word will add a line covering the full width of your page.

To customize the newly added line, double-click the line, and a "Format Horizontal Line" window will open.

In this window, use the various options to change your line's style, like its color. Then click "OK" to save your changes.

And that's how you add customizable lines in your Word documents. Very useful!

With Word's "Shape" menu, you can draw a line (going in any direction) and add it to your document. This is a flexible way to add various lines to your documents.

To use this method, open your document with Microsoft Word. In Word's ribbon at the top, click the "Insert" tab.

In the "Insert" tab, click "Shapes."

From the "Shapes" menu, in the "Lines" section, select the line type to add to your document.

Your cursor will become a "+" (plus) sign icon allowing you to draw a line on your document. To start drawing, bring your cursor where you want the line to start, press and hold down the left button on your mouse, and drag the line in whatever direction you want.

To make it a straight line, press and hold down the Shift key while drawing the line.

Your line is now available in your document. To customize it, click the line, and then in Word's ribbon at the top, click the "Shape Format" tab.

In the "Shape Format" tab, you have various formatting options for your line. For example, to change your line's style, click a new style in the "Shape Styles" section, and so on.

And that's how you add the line of your choice in your Microsoft Word documents. Happy line-ing!

With Word, you can add several object types in your documents, including text boxes and signatures .

Related: How to Create and Format a Text Box in Microsoft Word

• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Word

How to Make a Word Resume in 2024 - 7 Easy Steps

At some point or another - meaning, before online resume builders made our lives easier - most of us have had to make a resume in Word. 

Now, making a resume in Word can be tiresome. Not being entirely optimized for the task, it can give you a hard time formatting and styling your resume to your needs - and this is just one of its disadvantages. 

That being said, the use of Word is unlikely to drop only because it’s impractical. This means that knowing how to make a resume in Word is still a good skill to have. And if you’re sitting and thinking: “well, this doesn’t make matters any easier” - we hear you. 

That’s exactly why this article is here - to teach you how to make a resume in Word, in just a few easy steps. 

• Should You Make a Resume in Word?
• How to Make a Resume in Word in 7 Easy Steps
• How to Format your Resume - 3 Pro Formatting Tips

But before we dive into the nitty-gritty details of how to make a resume in Word, let’s go through the downsides of using it to build your resume, and what other easier alternatives you might have in more detail. 

Should You Make a Resume in Word? 

Microsoft Word might once have been a top resume-building option, but that time is long gone. Although it has ready-made templates, Word in itself was never meant to be a resume builder - this reflects on the end product, which often looks old-fashioned and dull. 

Not to mention that it offers very little space for creativity. Try to make a small change in the layout and see the format crumble in front of your eyes. 

On the other hand, if you simply use the Word template without customizing it, yours might just become another resume in the crowd that won’t even pass the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) - the software most companies use to filter through countless resumes they receive daily. 

Long story short, here are MS Word’s main cons as a resume builder:

Long story short, here are MS Word’s main cons as a resume builder: 

• It can be clunky and outdated - chances are, any Word template you choose to use for your resume will look old-fashioned. Technology has changed what is expected of your resume, just as it has changed job-search over the last decade.
• It is not ATS-optimized - the software that most recruiters use not to waste time looking at the resumes? Well, most Word templates are not optimized for it. This means that you can be the fittest candidate for the job and not even get invited to an interview.
• It’s time-consuming - making changes to the layout of a Word resume template is a nightmare.

Everyone knows what happens when you move an image in Word:

It’s exactly for these reasons, as well as the added efficiency, originality, and time preservation, that online resume builders are the obvious choice for creating your resume. 

Novorésumé’s online resume builder is fast, easy to use, and perfect if you want to land that interview. You can start building your resume immediately just by clicking on the link, or you can pick one of our free resume templates , according to your needs.

Step #1: Pick a Word Resume Template 

The first step in making a resume in Word is accessing its free resume templates. How you access the templates may change depending on the Microsoft Word version you’re using, but what you ultimately need to do is the following: 

Open Word. 

Select one of the Resume templates Word suggests, or simply search for “resume” and you’ll find a bunch more.

Choose the resume template that best fits your qualifications and professional profile.

Click “Create.” 

You’re good to go: the template should appear as a Word document ready to be filled with your personal information and all other relevant sections. 

Step #2: Create a Resume Header 

From this point on, things should be pretty easy to pick up. 

Start filling up your resume from the top, which is where the resume header is located. Traditionally, the header should include the following information:

• First and last name
• Phone Number
• Location (Street Address, City, State)

You may notice the lack of optional information in this resume template, such as your professional job title , your LinkedIn URL , or social media links. 

If you feel like that info will significantly improve your resume, look for a Word template that includes them, or manually add them to the template you’ve already chosen. We’ll go over some formatting techniques to improve your resume template later on in the article. 

Step #3. Include a Resume Summary or Objective

Next, you need to describe your professional experience or professional goals (in case you lack the experience) through the resume summary or objective. 

Write a resume summary or resume objective - depending on which one best fits your resume - and try to express yourself in a way that will keep the recruiter’s attention for more than the traditional 7 seconds . 

Quick recap: a resume summary is a 2-3 sentence overview of your career and is used in 90% of the cases. A resume objective is more commonly used among those with little professional experience or those who are changing careers and describes your professional goals. 

Step #4: Create a Compelling Work Experience Section

This is where things get serious. 

The work experience section is the most important part of your resume for obvious reasons and usually plays a decisive part in the recruiters’ decisions. So just filling up the gaps in the experience section of the Word template won’t be enough. You should try to make this section as compelling as possible - following some of the tips provided below. 

But first, the basics. As with any standard format, the experience section should include the following components: 

• Job title and position
• Company name and location
• Dates of employment 
• Achievements and responsibilities 

Again, how the resume looks in Word will depend on the template that you have chosen. 

Obviously, the template lets you add as many professional entries as you wish - but that doesn’t mean you should go overboard. List your experience in reverse-chronological order, meaning: start from the latest and move back in time, based on the amount of professional experience you possess. 

There are, of course, a couple of pro tips that you should follow even as you use the Word templates to make your experience section more compelling. 

Pro Tip #1 - List achievements over responsibilities

Notice the example above.

Instead of responsibilities, we have opted to list achievements. Listing achievements over responsibilities whenever possible is one of the best ways to stand out in the eyes of recruiters. That’s because responsibilities are similar for one type of job, while achievements show exactly what you can contribute to the position . 

Pro Tip #2 - Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for.

Another good practice is tailoring your resume to the job you are applying for. This can help you go through the ATS and land your resume right on the recruiters’ tables. 

If you want to know exactly what information to include in your resume, how and when to list achievements over responsibilities, and how to tailor your resume to your job, head over to our complete guide on how to write a resume .

Step #5: Add Your Educational Background 

Things should get quite easy after you get your professional experience section out of the way.

The education section of your resume should include the following: 

• University name and location 
• Years attended
• Program name / Degree obtained 

Optionally, you can include your GPA, Minor degrees, or any special award or academic achievement. Our advice is to include them only if you are a recent graduate or entry-level professional with not much else to include in your resume, or if your education history is truly outstanding. 

Step #6: Make Sure to Include Your Skills

At this point, you can consider most of the work done! 

Now that you have reached the skills section, things get even easier. Make a bullet or numbered list of your hard and soft skills and you’re good to go. 

Hard skills are usually measured through experience levels - you can place your experience level (usually categorized into Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced or Expert ) into brackets, so you don’t take up too much space within the resume. 

Pro Tip #3 - Tailor the skills and qualifications on your resume to the job

Take a look at the essential skills required on the job ad and see if you can incorporate them into your list of skills. 

Step #7: Include Optional Resume Sections 

Congrats - you can finally stretch your legs and even allow yourself a little pat on the back. 

The additional sections are not mandatory in a resume, so if you’ve reached your resume space limit, you can just call it a day and save your resume. 

They are, however, a great way to show off additional assets such as languages, hobbies and interests, and even volunteering experience on your resume ! 

• Remember to also determine your language knowledge levels. Those are Native , Fluent , Proficient , Intermediate , and Basic.  

In the off chance that you still have some space left - considering resumes should be 1-2 pages at most and that Word templates are not as good at saving space as online resume builders - you can include the following optional sections: 

• Certifications and Awards
• Publications 

Follow the same practice as with the skills section, and you’re good to go!

How to Format Your Word Resume 

With all the essentials covered, let’s go over some formatting tips such as fonts, line spacing, and headings so that your Word resume looks as uniform and clean-cut as possible. 

Best Resume Fonts in Word 

We cannot repeat this enough - the resume font you use, matters. It matters just as much as first appearances matter and we all know they do, a lot. 

The font that you decide to use will impact your resume readability whether you like it or not, so you should use a font that will help you stand out, but not in a bad way. What’s a bad way? Comic Sans and other similarly-looking comic fonts. 

The usual Times New Roman, point-12, formula, on the other hand, will just blend you with the crowd. 

Instead, consider using one of the following recruiter-friendly fonts which will complement your resume both on-screen and in printed form, according to Business News Daily :  

• Book Antiqua
• Trebuchet MS

Optimal Line Spacing for a Word Resume  

The good thing about the Word resume template is that it usually has fonts and line spacing covered for you, yet it’s still good to know that the best line spacing for resumes is 1 or 1.15 between text and double lines after headings.

Feel free, however, to play around with line spacing when it comes to adjusting your resume layout.

Headings in a Word Resume

Again, Word templates do a good job of making the headings stand out. As a rule of thumb - and as is noticeable in the above examples - headings should be bigger than the rest of the text. So, if you’re using a 12 pt text, consider adjusting the headings between 14-16 pt. 

You can also underline or bold each resume section heading, or even use a different font, but as we always advise: don’t go overboard and try to maintain the style of the Word resume template that you have chosen.

And by now, you should have a complete resume in Word that looks like this:

Key Takeaways 

Well, here you have it - your nicely tailored resume in Word, ready to land you that job interview. 

Although not the easiest task, we are convinced this article has given you all the necessary information on how to make a resume in Word and the confidence to do so easily. 

Here’s what’s good to remember: 

• Order your resume sections properly, usually in reverse-chronological order. 
• Make sure that your section headings stand out from the rest of the text, by usually using a larger font size.
• Check if your chosen font, line spacing, and margins are aligned, readable, and professional-looking. 
• Opt for an online resume builder such as the one Novorésumé provides for a more modern, time-saving, and HR-friendly resume. 

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