Choose a clean, professional template that highlights projects and planning experience. Use a reverse-chronological layout if you have steady planning roles, and a functional or hybrid layout if you have varied or project-based work. These layouts read well and parse reliably for applicant tracking systems.
Keep length to one page for early or mid-career planners. Use two pages only if you have many large planning projects, publications, or certifications directly related to urban design and policy.
Pick an ATS-friendly font like Calibri, Arial, Georgia, or Garamond. Use 10–12pt for body text and 14–16pt for section headers. That size range stays readable on screens and prints clearly for reviewers.
Keep line spacing at 1.0–1.15 and margins at least 0.5 inches. Use white space to separate sections and make project bullets easy to scan. Simple formatting beats complex layouts for both hiring managers and parsing software.
Avoid common mistakes like multi-column layouts with embedded graphics. Don’t use unusual fonts, heavy colors, or decorative icons that confuse ATS. Trim long paragraphs and turn responsibilities into short, measurable bullet points focused on outcomes.
Use standard section headings like Contact, Summary, Experience, Projects, Education, Certifications, and Skills. For project listings, include your role, scope, notable outcomes, and tools used. Make each bullet start with an action verb and, when possible, a metric.