I need to write a resume, but don't know how to set margins or what the page should look like?

Answer 1

The page layout, including margins, and the kind of paper and everything, depends on many variables. What is standard in your industry, or is the "standard" to be creative, as for web site designers? How much material do you have? Ideally, it should fit on one page. But if you have to condense too much to make that fit, see if you can remove one segment (typically publications for a person in academia) and make it an attachment.

If on the other hand you have too little information, fluff it out by using a somewhat large or spread out font, some kerning or other spacing adjustments to make everything neat, and margins wide enough to make the page look full. You can also give more wordy descriptions of the jobs you have held in the past, but don't make them obviously padded. Just include more detail than you would if space were at a premium.

You can also format things in lists (typically the software you know how to run, or the machines on which you have had experience) when you need to fill up the page, break them into two or three columns if you need to save space.

Answer 2

There is usually flexibility as far as format. The best format is often dependent of your experience and what job you are applying.

There is specific information that you should include. For ideas you can look on the web (see for below for some examples)