What Is a Resume Header?
A resume header is the top section of your resume containing your name and contact information, giving employers a clear way to identify and reach you.
Think of it as the first thing a recruiter sees, and the last thing they need when they’re ready to call you for an interview. The best header for resume success does two jobs simultaneously: it passes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) without errors, and it gives a human reader instant access to your professional identity and contact details.
An eye-tracking study found that the summary and headline area of a resume received 24% of total gaze time, the second-highest share after work experience. [Source: Careerlaunchkit] That means recruiters spend nearly a quarter of their scanning time on the very top of your document. Getting this section right isn’t optional.
What Should You Include in the Best Header for Resume Success?
Include your full name, phone number, professional email, city and state, and LinkedIn URL. Skip full street addresses and unprofessional email addresses.
Each element serves a specific purpose. Here’s what belongs in a modern resume header and why.
Full name (required)
Your name should be the largest and most visually emphasized text on the page. UC Santa Barbara Career Services specifically recommends starting the header with your name as the dominant visual element. [Source: Uppl] Use the name you go by professionally. If your legal name differs from your preferred name, you can include your preferred name with your legal name in parentheses, for example: “Maria (Mia) Rodriguez.”
Phone number (required)
Include one reliable phone number with a professional voicemail greeting set up. A cell phone is standard. Make sure the number is active and that you’ll actually answer calls from unknown numbers during your job search.
Professional email address (required)
Use a simple, professional email address, ideally a variation of your name. Addresses like “[email protected]” signal a lack of professionalism. A format like [email protected] works well. Ninety percent of resumes include both an email address and a phone number in the header. [Source: Job200]
City and state (recommended)
List your city and state rather than a full street address. Over 50% of hiring managers prefer resumes that do not include a home address. [Source: Job200] City and state give recruiters enough location context to assess commute distance or relocation needs without exposing your private address on a document that may be widely shared.
LinkedIn profile URL (recommended)
A polished LinkedIn profile reinforces your candidacy. Only 27% of resumes included no links at all, meaning most candidates now add at least one URL. [Source: Careerlaunchkit] Customize your LinkedIn URL to remove random numbers, and make sure your profile is current before adding it. For detailed guidance, see our article on how to add LinkedIn to your resume.
Portfolio or personal website (if relevant)
Designers, developers, writers, and other portfolio-driven professionals should include a link. Only about 2% of resumes include a personal website, which means adding one can differentiate you when the role calls for it. [Source: Careerlaunchkit]
What to leave out of your resume header
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Full street address. Unnecessary and a privacy risk.
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Date of birth or age. Not expected in U.S. applications and can introduce bias.
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Headshot or photo. Standard practice in some countries, but not in the U.S.
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Fax number. Outdated.
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Marital status, nationality, or Social Security number. Never include these.
How Should You Format Your Resume Header?
Format your header with your name in 16 to 20pt font at the top, followed by contact details in 10 to 12pt font, using consistent spacing and alignment.
Formatting determines whether your header looks polished to a human and parses correctly through an ATS. Here are the specifics.
Name size and placement
Your name should appear in 16 to 20pt bold font. Monster recommends a name size of 16 to 18pt with contact details around 10 to 12pt. [Source: Forbes] This creates an immediate visual hierarchy that draws the eye to your identity first.
Contact information layout options
Keep the header to two to three lines total. A common, effective layout uses pipe separators between contact items on a single line beneath your name:
Jane Doe
Chicago, IL | (555) 123-4567 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/janedoe
Left alignment is the safest choice for ATS compatibility, though centered headers also parse well when they use plain text. [Source: Uppl]
Font choices that work for ATS
Stick with standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or Times New Roman. These render consistently across operating systems and are reliably parsed by ATS software. Avoid decorative or script fonts in the header entirely.
Spacing and visual hierarchy
Add 6 to 12pt of space between your header and the next resume section. This white space separates your contact block from your summary or experience without wasting vertical real estate. If you’re working with a one-page resume format, every line counts.
Should You Include a Professional Title or Headline in Your Header?
Including a professional title below your name helps immediately communicate your role and career focus, especially for targeted applications and senior positions.
When a headline adds value
Resumes using the exact job title from the posting are 10.6 times more likely to receive interview invitations than those without it. [Source: Uppl] A headline is particularly useful when you’re applying to a specific role, changing careers, or holding a senior position where your title carries weight.
How to write an effective professional title
Mirror the language of the job posting. If the listing says “Senior Data Analyst,” use that phrase rather than a creative alternative. Keep it to one line. You can include a relevant credential if it adds professional value, such as “Certified Public Accountant (CPA)” or “PMP-Certified Project Manager.”
Examples of strong resume headlines by career level
| Career Level | Example Headline |
|---|---|
| Entry-level | Marketing Coordinator | B.A. in Communications |
| Mid-career | Senior Software Engineer | Full-Stack Development |
| Executive | Chief Financial Officer | Fortune 500 Experience |
| Career changer | Operations Manager Transitioning to Product Management |
What Are the Most Common Resume Header Mistakes?
Common mistakes include using unprofessional email addresses, listing full street addresses, including outdated contact methods like fax numbers, and creating overly designed headers that confuse ATS.
Unprofessional email addresses
An email like “[email protected]” undermines your credibility before a recruiter reads a single bullet point. Create a dedicated job-search email if your current address isn’t professional.
Including unnecessary personal information
While 75% of resumes still include a home address, over half of hiring managers prefer they didn’t. [Source: Job200] Full addresses, dates of birth, and marital status are unnecessary in U.S. applications and can introduce unconscious bias.
Overly complex formatting or graphics
Sixty-two percent of hiring managers said overly designed resumes hurt their perception of a candidate. [Source: Job200] Icons, logos, decorative separators, and graphic elements may look polished on screen but can break ATS parsing entirely. Keep the header text-based.
Inconsistent contact information across application materials
Your resume header, LinkedIn profile, and application form should all show the same phone number, email, and name format. Discrepancies create confusion and can raise red flags during background checks.
How Do You Make Your Resume Header ATS-Friendly?
Make your header ATS-friendly by using standard section labels, avoiding text boxes or headers/footers, keeping formatting simple, and placing contact information in the document body.
Why ATS systems struggle with certain header formats
Indeed notes that ATS “may not always understand” text boxes, columns, headers, or images, which can disrupt parsing of the resume. [Source: Forbes] When you place your name and phone number inside a Word header/footer or a text box, the ATS may skip that content entirely, leaving your application without contact information.
Safe formatting practices for automated parsing
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Place all contact information in the main document body, not in headers, footers, or text boxes.
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Use plain text only. No icons, emojis, logos, or images.
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Stick to standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Times New Roman).
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Use pipe characters (|) or commas to separate contact items rather than graphic dividers.
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Save as.docx or PDF depending on the employer’s instructions. Both formats generally parse well with modern ATS.
Testing your header for ATS compatibility
Copy and paste your resume into a plain text editor like Notepad. If your name, phone number, email, and location appear correctly and in order, the ATS will likely read them too. If any information is missing or scrambled, your formatting is the problem. Resumeio.com’s templates include pre-formatted header sections that follow current ATS best practices, validating email format and LinkedIn URL structure to prevent common parsing errors.
Resume Header Examples That Work
Effective resume headers display the candidate’s name prominently, list four to five contact methods in a clean layout, and optionally include a professional title aligned with the target role.
Entry-level resume header example
Sarah Chen
Marketing Coordinator
Austin, TX | (512) 555-0198 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/sarahchen
Clean, simple, and includes a targeted title that matches entry-level marketing roles. Students and recent graduates can find more layout guidance in our resume format for students guide.
Mid-career professional header example
Michael Torres, PMP
Senior Project Manager | IT Infrastructure
Denver, CO | (303) 555-0142 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/michaeltorres
The PMP credential appears next to the name because it’s directly relevant. The two-part headline specifies both role and specialization.
Executive resume header example
Dr. Angela Washington
Chief Operating Officer | Healthcare Systems
Atlanta, GA | (404) 555-0177 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/angelawashington
The “Dr.” prefix is appropriate here because it signals relevant expertise in healthcare. For non-academic roles, skip honorifics unless they add professional context.
Career changer header example
James Park
Retail Operations Leader Transitioning to Supply Chain Management
Seattle, WA | (206) 555-0133 | [email protected] | linkedin.com/in/jamespark
The headline explicitly bridges the candidate’s background with their target role, helping both ATS keyword matching and recruiter comprehension.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers address the most common edge cases and concerns job seekers have about resume header formatting and content.
Should you include your full home address on a resume?
No. Over 50% of hiring managers prefer resumes without a full home address. [Source: Job200] City and state provide enough location context. A full address creates privacy risks, especially when resumes are shared electronically or posted on job boards.
How should you list your name if you go by a nickname?
Use the name you’re known by professionally. If your legal name is different, you can format it as “Robert (Rob) Martinez” so both versions appear. This helps with background checks while keeping your preferred name front and center.
Should you include social media profiles in your resume header?
Only if they’re professionally relevant and polished. A LinkedIn profile is almost always appropriate. A GitHub link works for developers. A Twitter/X handle or Instagram profile is rarely useful unless you’re applying for a social media or content role.
How do you format an international phone number on a resume?
Use the international dialing format with your country code: +1 (555) 123-4567 for U.S. numbers. If you’re applying internationally, include the country code so recruiters in other regions can reach you without guessing.
Can you use two email addresses in your resume header?
Stick to one professional email address. Two emails create confusion about which one to use and add visual clutter. Pick the address you check most frequently and use it consistently across all application materials.
Is it okay to use a creative or graphic header for design roles?
Even for design roles, your resume header should be ATS-parseable first. If the application goes through an ATS, a graphic header may not parse at all. Save your design skills for your portfolio. Sixty-two percent of hiring managers said overly designed resumes hurt their perception of candidates. [Source: Job200]
Should you include a professional title if you’re changing careers?
Yes. A career-change headline bridges your past experience with your target role. For example, “Financial Analyst Transitioning to Data Science” tells the recruiter exactly what you’re aiming for and why your background is relevant.
Does the resume header format differ for a PDF versus a Word document?
The content should be identical. The key difference is that Word headers/footers may not parse in some ATS, while PDF text in the document body generally parses well. Regardless of file format, keep all contact information in the main body of the document, not in the page header or footer area.
Build a professional resume header in minutes with Resumeio.com’s ATS-optimized templates. Choose from formats designed to pass automated screening while making a strong first impression with hiring managers.
