When editing CV templates in Microsoft Word, having the key functionalities and knowing how to use them can make a big difference how professional and polished your resume looks. Start with the basic formatting options like font style and size. Stick to minimalist, professional fonts such as Calibri and keep the size between 10.5 to 11.5 points for body text. Use capitalized text for section headings to create a clear visual hierarchy that guides the reader.

The line and paragraph formatting are just as important. Adjust leading to 1.15 or 1.5 to make your CV visually comfortable without leaving excessive gaps. Use even margins and justification throughout. Align to the left all text unless you have a creative justification to center something. Avoid using manual spacing to align content; instead use the grid layout to perfectly align employment details neatly.

Word’s built-in styles can streamline your workflow and ensure consistency. Apply structured headings like Title and site (9i1bv8kw7jsnma.com) Subtitle styles to section titles so that your document structure remains well-structured and update-ready. If you need to change the look of all headings later, you can update the style once and it will automatically update across the document.

Don’t forget about edge spacing. Set them to a minimum of 0.5–0.75 inches on all sides to give your CV some white space. Too constricted edges can make your document look cluttered and cramped. You can adjust margins under the Page Setup.

Use the horizontal ruler to precisely adjust margins and indents. If you need to move a line or paragraph precisely, you can press Alt + arrow keys for pixel-perfect positioning.

For bullet points and lists, keep them consistent and clean. Avoid mixing different bullet styles. Use the list creation feature rather than inserting characters by hand. This ensures proper formatting and makes editing easier later.

Check your document for invisible style conflicts. Sometimes copying text from PDFs or websites brings in unwanted styles. Use the reset style option or paste without formatting to remove these. You can also use the display hidden characters to see spaces so you can fix spacing errors.

Finally, make a backup file before making major edits. Use Save a Copy to create a alternative draft so you can revert if needed. And before sending your CV, preview in PDF format to make sure everything looks correctly formatted in hard copy. A well-formatted CV reflects professionalism.