Resume Header: What to Include and How to Format It

Your Resume Header Is Your First Impression

The header is the first thing a recruiter sees. It needs to communicate your identity, contact information, and professional brand in a compact, scannable format. A cluttered or missing header can cost you credibility before anyone reads your first bullet point.

What to Include in Your Resume Header

Essential Elements

Full name — Use the name you go by professionally. If your legal name differs from your preferred name, use what appears on your LinkedIn and professional profiles

Phone number — One number only, with a professional voicemail

Professional email — firstname.lastname@email.com. Avoid outdated domains (aol.com, hotmail.com) or unprofessional addresses (partyguy99@gmail.com)

City and state — Full street address is no longer necessary and can raise privacy concerns. "Austin, TX" or "San Francisco Bay Area" is sufficient

LinkedIn profile URL — Customize your URL (linkedin.com/in/yourname). This is expected in 2026

Optional Elements (Include When Relevant)

GitHub profile — Essential for software engineers and developers

Portfolio URL — Important for designers, writers, and marketers

Professional website — If you have a personal site showcasing your work

Professional credentials — "Jane Smith, CPA" or "Michael Chen, PE, PMP"

What NOT to Include

Full street address — Unnecessary and a privacy risk

Date of birth — Not appropriate in the US, Canada, or UK

Photo or headshot — Standard practice in some countries but not in the US (it can trigger bias)

Social media handles — Unless directly relevant (e.g., a social media manager might include Twitter)

"References available upon request" — Outdated and wastes space. See our resume references guide

Marital status, nationality, or religion — Never include personal demographics

Header Formatting Best Practices

Name Formatting

Your name should be the largest text on the page:

Font size: 18-24pt

Style: Bold

Case: Title case (John Smith, not JOHN SMITH or john smith)

Contact Information Layout

Arrange contact details in a single line or two lines below your name: Single line: Austin, TX | (512) 555-0192 | john.smith@email.com | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith Two lines: (512) 555-0192 | john.smith@email.com Austin, TX | linkedin.com/in/johnsmith | github.com/johnsmith

Use separator characters (pipes, bullets, or vertical bars) to keep items visually distinct.

ATS Compatibility

Some ATS systems cannot read text placed in headers or footers of Word documents. To be safe:

Place your name and contact information in the main body of the document, not in the Word header/footer area

Avoid using text boxes for your header — ATS may skip them entirely

Do not place contact information in a sidebar or multi-column layout

For more ATS formatting tips, read our ATS-friendly resume format guide.

Header Examples by Career Level

Entry-Level

Sarah Johnson Boston, MA | (617) 555-0134 | sarah.johnson@email.com | linkedin.com/in/sarahjohnson

Mid-Career Professional

Michael Chen, PMP Seattle, WA | (206) 555-0187 | m.chen@email.com | linkedin.com/in/michaelchen

Senior Executive

Dr. Emily Rodriguez, MBA New York, NY | (212) 555-0198 | e.rodriguez@email.com | linkedin.com/in/emilyrodriguez

Software Engineer

Alex Kim San Francisco, CA | (415) 555-0142 | alexkim@email.com linkedin.com/in/alexkim | github.com/alexkim | alexkim.dev

Common Header Mistakes

Using a nickname — "Bobby" instead of "Robert" may seem unprofessional depending on the industry

Including two phone numbers — Pick one and make sure it has a professional voicemail

Outdated LinkedIn URL — Update your URL and make sure your profile is complete

Mismatched information — Your email, LinkedIn, and resume should all use consistent contact details

Too much visual flair — Colored backgrounds, icons, and decorative borders can confuse ATS parsers

Choose the Right Font for Your Header

Your header font should match or complement your body text font. Use a slightly larger size for your name and the same font for contact details. For recommended fonts, see our resume font guide.

Format Your Header Perfectly

A polished header sets the tone for your entire resume. Keep it clean, complete, and ATS-compatible.

Build your resume with a professionally formatted header using our AI resume builder, then verify everything parses correctly with our free ATS checker.