The Resume White Space Problem
You might have been told that empty space on a resume is bad. It seems logical: if you have lots of experience, you should fill every part of the page with text to show how good you are. Lots of people make their margins small and use tiny fonts, packing everything in so no success gets left out.
But this plan usually fails the moment a recruiter opens the file. A Resume Genius survey (2024) found that 73% of hiring managers prefer resumes that are visually appealing, and one in four will reject a resume on design alone. When people see a thick wall of text, they want to stop reading. They skip over your biggest achievements because those successes are buried under too many words. The result? You've made it impossible for them to see what matters.
To fix this, you need to stop thinking of blank space as "empty" and start using it on purpose to guide the reader's eyes. Check your document and remove anything unnecessary. Leaving room around your main accomplishments changes the look so the recruiter can scan it quickly and spot what's important. That deliberate spacing stops the recruiter from skimming past your results.
What Is Resume White Space?
Resume white space is the empty area on your resume where no text, graphics, or design elements appear. It includes margins, line spacing, gaps between sections, and blank lines between bullet points. Using white space well makes your resume easier to scan and helps recruiters find your strongest qualifications in seconds.
White space (also called negative space) is not wasted room. It is a design tool that separates content into readable chunks. According to research from Wichita State University, adding white space around text blocks can improve reading comprehension by up to 20%. On a resume, this means your job titles, skills, and achievements become easier to absorb when they have breathing room around them. If you want to take your layout even further, see our guide on creating a simple infographic resume.
Main Points to Remember
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01
From Info Dump -> To Highlight Reel (How to Think) Stop trying to prove your worth by putting in too much stuff. Change your focus from "how much can I fit?" to "how fast can the reader see my value?"
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02
From Text Wall -> To Visual Space (How to Do It) Don't fill every bit of the page with tiny fonts and tight edges. Use empty space on purpose to guide the recruiter's eye to your best achievements.
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03
From Long Details -> To Quick Scanning (What It Achieves) Move away from long stories that tire out the reader. Use clean layouts and lists so your best work can be found in a quick six-second look.
Checklist for Reviewing Your Resume
Check #1: The "Too Much Detail" Mistake
You are making your page margins tiny (like 0.5 inches) and using a small font just to fit in every single task you did over the last ten years.
When you fill every part of the page with text, you make nothing stand out. A recruiter sees a dense "wall of text" as something hard to read, not as a good profile. Too many words hide your best successes under too much information, making it almost impossible for someone to find your "wins."
The 20% Shave Rule
Force yourself to delete the bottom 20% of your least important bullet points and make your margins at least 0.75 inches again. This creates "breathing room" that naturally guides the reader’s eye toward your best results instead of tiring them out with small details.
Check #2: The Long Paragraph Problem
Your job summaries and descriptions are long, thick blocks of text that look like they came from a textbook.
Long paragraphs make it hard for the reader. Recruiters don't read resumes in a straight line; they scan them quickly (like an "F" shape). If your best skills are hidden in the middle of a long block of text, the reader will probably skip over them and look at someone who presents things in smaller, easier-to-digest pieces.
The Quick Scan Format
Change any paragraph that is longer than two lines into short, strong bullet points. Use clear empty space (like an extra line break between different jobs) to help the reader jump from one section to the next without getting confused.
Check #3: Failing the Six-Second Test
You feel your resume is "complete," but you keep getting rejected immediately for jobs you are qualified for.
The job market is fast. A 2018 eye-tracking study by TheLadders found that recruiters spend an average of just 7.4 seconds on an initial resume scan. If your layout is messy and doesn't show the most important things, you get passed over, not because you lack the skills, but because your resume didn't surface them in that narrow window.
Make the Important Things Stand Out Visually
Make your three most important achievements or skills stand out with extra empty space around them. That "padding" stops the recruiter from skimming and forces them to focus on the exact reasons you are the right person for the job.
The Fast Fix: A 3-Step Plan for Better Visuals
To change your resume from a crowded document to a clean, professional map of your career, follow this 3-day plan.
Step 1: Turn Words Into Space
Too many words are the biggest enemy of empty space. You must cut down how much you write before you can fix the layout.
- Cut 20% of Words: Look at every bullet point and delete 20% of the words. Get rid of common filler like "was responsible for" or "helped with."
- Keep Bullets Short: No bullet point should be longer than two lines. If it is longer, split it into two points or cut the unnecessary parts.
- Get Rid of the "Summary" Paragraph: If your introduction is a five-line block of text, delete it. Replace it with 2 or 3 short, strong sentences that leave plenty of white space at the top of the page.
Step 2: Fix the Layout
Now that you have fewer words, you need to place them correctly to make the page look open.
- Set Margins: Make sure your margins (sides, top, and bottom) are at least 0.75 inches. If they are 0.5 inches, your content is too crowded. For more on this, read our guide on making your resume accessible to everyone.
- Use 1.15 Line Spacing: Change your line spacing from "Single" to "1.15." This small change helps the reader’s eye move across the page without getting stuck on the line above or below.
- Add Space Between Sections: Put an extra blank line between your job titles and between the main parts of your resume (like Experience, Education, Skills). This creates clear visual blocks that are easier to follow.
Step 3: Check for Quick Reading
A good resume should be readable in six seconds. Use this final step to make sure your most important facts jump out.
- Bold Only Key Info: Only make bold your Job Title and the Company Name. If you bold too much, nothing stands out.
- The "Arm's Length" Test: Print your resume or look at it shrunk down on your screen. Hold it far away. If you see large gray blocks of text, go back to Step 1 and cut more words. You should see clear white gaps between your bullet points. Check out the latest resume design trends for more visual inspiration.
- Keep Text Left-Aligned: Make sure all your text lines up to the left (except maybe your name). Don't use "Justified" text, as it creates weird gaps between words that look messy.
How Our Tool Helps You Create a Readable Resume
For Clarity
Simple Bullet Point ToolChanges long task lists into short, success-focused points. It automatically balances margins and space for you.
For Matching
Job Match ToolAdjusts your experience to fit specific job ads using formats that are easy for recruiters to read quickly.
For Success
Application TrackerVisually track where you are in the hiring process to see how your resume changes affect your results.
Common Questions
What if my resume looks too empty and makes me look like I haven't done much?
A clean look doesn't mean you lack experience. It means you are clear about what matters most. Empty space signals that you know which parts of your career count. It shows confidence in your biggest successes instead of burying them under too many words.
What if I can't fit all my past jobs on two pages with bigger margins?
If you are running out of space, it usually means you are including old or unnecessary details. Focus on your most recent and important jobs. It’s much better to have two pages of easy-to-read, high-impact information than three pages of text that a recruiter will likely close after five seconds.
Will removing text for more space hurt my chances with computer scanning systems?
No. Resume scanners (ATS) look for specific keywords and job titles, not total word count. Cutting unnecessary words and focusing on key achievements actually makes it easier for both the computer system and the human reader to see you are a strong fit for the role.
What are the best margin sizes for a resume?
Set your margins between 0.75 inches and 1 inch on all sides. Going below 0.5 inches makes the page feel cramped and difficult to scan. If you need more room, cut content instead of shrinking margins. The goal is a page that looks open and organized at first glance.
How much white space should a resume have?
Aim for roughly 40-60% of your page to be white space. That means margins, line gaps, and section breaks should take up almost half the page. This ratio gives recruiters enough breathing room to scan quickly while still showing you have solid experience to share.
What line spacing should I use on my resume?
Use 1.0 to 1.15 line spacing within bullet points and body text, with 8-12 points of paragraph spacing between sections. Single spacing (1.0) works for shorter resumes, while 1.15 spacing adds a bit of openness that helps with readability on longer documents.
Focus on what counts.
A small shift in thinking turns your resume from a cluttered block of text into a powerful sales tool. Cramming achievements into every corner doesn't prove your worth. It hides it. Remove the clutter. Let your best work breathe. When your top results have space around them, you control the message and recruiters see exactly why you belong in the interview. Check your margins and font sizes today. You have the skills. Now make them easy to see.
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