Resume Header
The top section of your resume containing your name, contact information, location, LinkedIn URL, and optionally a portfolio link. It must be accurate, professional, and easy for both humans and ATS systems to parse.
The resume header contains the essential information a recruiter needs to identify and contact you. It appears at the very top of the page and is the first thing a recruiter sees. **What to include:** - Full name (larger font — typically 18-24px — so it's easy to spot) - Professional email address (gmail is fine; firstname.lastname@ format preferred) - Phone number (US format: +1 (555) 123-4567) - Location: City and state only — no street address needed, and no country unless applying internationally - LinkedIn profile URL (customize it in LinkedIn settings to remove the random numbers: linkedin.com/in/firstname-lastname) - Portfolio or GitHub URL (if relevant to your field) **What to leave out:** - Street address (privacy risk, wastes space) - Date of birth (illegal to discriminate on in the US; irrelevant) - Photo (standard in some countries; do NOT include for US applications — discrimination risk) - Marital status or nationality (irrelevant in the US hiring context) **ATS consideration:** Place contact information in the body of the document, not in a header/footer text box. Many ATS systems skip text boxes entirely when parsing.
Why it matters
Your header is the first data ATS extracts when parsing your resume. If your name or email ends up in the wrong field — or is skipped entirely because it's in a text box — your application can appear broken in the recruiter's database.
Candidate tip
Paste your resume into a plain text file and check whether your name, email, and phone appear as the first lines of text — if they don't, your header placement will confuse most ATS parsers.
Put this into practice with the candidate.so Resume Builder.
Learn more →Related terms
LinkedIn Profile
Resume & CVYour professional online presence on LinkedIn, used by recruiters to find and evaluate candidates. A complete, keyword-optimized LinkedIn profile is both a passive job search tool and a critical supplement to your resume.
Resume Format
Resume & CVThe structural layout of your resume — chronological, functional, or combination. Format determines how your experience is organized and how easily an ATS can parse your information. Chronological is the default for most candidates.
ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
Resume & CVSoftware employers use to receive, parse, rank, and filter job applications before a human ever reads them. Most companies with more than 50 employees use an ATS, meaning your resume must survive automated screening before reaching a hiring manager.
Portfolio
Resume & CVA curated collection of your best work samples, projects, or case studies that demonstrates your skills beyond what a resume can describe. Essential for designers, writers, engineers, marketers, and other roles where showing beats telling.
ATS-Friendly Resume
Resume & CVA resume formatted so that ATS software can parse it correctly — clean layout, standard fonts, no graphics or text boxes, proper section headings. An ATS-friendly resume passes machine parsing without losing any content.