How to Write a Resume Header

Your header is the first block an ATS extracts. It should contain everything needed to contact you — nothing more. Recruiters spend 6–10 seconds on an initial scan; your name and current target role must be immediately visible.

Required elements

• Full legal name (or professional name you use on LinkedIn)
• Phone number with country code if applying internationally (+1 for US)
• Professional email — firstname.lastname@domain.com preferred
• City and state (or country) — full street address is optional and often omitted for privacy
• LinkedIn URL — use linkedin.com/in/your-custom-url

Optional elements

• Portfolio or GitHub for technical roles
• Professional certification badge numbers (CPA, PMP) — can also go in Certifications section
• Visa status only when legally required or explicitly requested

What to omit

• Date of birth, marital status, religion, nationality (unless required in your country)
• Multiple phone numbers or personal social media
• Unprofessional email addresses (party123@gmail.com)
• 'References available upon request' — outdated and wastes space

Formatting tips

• Name: largest text on the page (18–24pt equivalent)
• Contact line: one or two lines, separated by middle dots (·) or pipes (|)
• Do not put contact info only in a Word/PDF header — keep it in the document body