Paper Size for Resume: Letter or A4, With 6 Samples
By CVBooster Team · Published · Updated
5 min read
The paper size for a resume is US Letter (8.5 by 11 inches) in the United States and Canada, and A4 (210 by 297 mm) in the UK, Europe, Australia and most other countries. Set the page size to match where the employer is, not where you are. Below are six complete samples, checked in November 2026, each with the page setup that goes with it, then the margin, PDF and conversion steps.
Your resume can be perfect and still arrive with the last bullet on a page of its own, because Word quietly chose the paper of the country that sold you the laptop. Check the page size before you check the verbs.
Example 1: a US resume on Letter
For a US employer, open Page Setup, choose Letter and keep margins between 0.7 and 1 inch.
Entry level: US marketing coordinator (Letter, 8.5 x 11 in) (79 words)
Taylor Morgan Boston, MA | taylor.morgan@example.com | 617-555-0127
Summary Marketing coordinator with two years of social and email experience for a regional retailer.
Experience Marketing Coordinator, Harbor Outfitters, 2024 to Present - Schedule 12 social posts a week across 3 channels - Send a monthly email to 18,000 subscribers and report the open rate to the team
Marketing Intern, Beacon Print Shop, 2023 to 2024 - Wrote product descriptions for 40 catalog items
Education B.A. Communications, Boston University, 2023
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Why the size matters
Paper sizes differ, and a file built for one can break on the other. The London School of Economics careers team puts it plainly: "Paper sizes in North America are different to those used as standard in the UK." Polk State College's global resume guide warns about the cost of ignoring it: "Otherwise, when they print it out on their end, half of your material will be missing."
The University of Cambridge's page on international paper sizes gives the exact gap: A4 is 6 mm narrower and 18 mm taller than Letter. Its warning matches the one above: "Word processing documents with an A4 layout can often not be printed without loss of information on" Letter paper. LSE's advice on resumes for North America tells UK graduates to switch to Letter for US roles.
Five more samples, five more countries
Mid level: Canadian project coordinator (Letter, 8.5 x 11 in) (73 words)
Amira Haddad Toronto, ON | amira.haddad@example.com | 416-555-0189
Summary Project coordinator with four years in construction administration, bilingual English and Arabic.
Experience Project Coordinator, Lakeshore Builders, 2022 to Present - Track permits, submittals and change orders for 6 active sites - Prepare weekly status reports for a team of 14
Document Controller, Northgate Engineering, 2020 to 2022 - Managed 2,000 drawings in the document system
Education Diploma, Construction Engineering Technology, Seneca College, 2020
Mid level: UK CV for an accounts assistant (A4, 210 x 297 mm) (72 words)
Oliver Hughes Leeds | oliver.hughes@example.com | 07700 900123
Personal statement Accounts assistant with three years in purchase ledger, AAT Level 3, looking for a role with more month-end responsibility.
Employment Accounts Assistant, Pennine Foods Ltd, 2022 to Present - Process around 250 supplier invoices a month - Reconcile supplier statements and clear queries within two days
Qualifications AAT Level 3 Diploma in Accounting, 2022 GCSE Maths and English, grade 5 and above
Entry level: German-market graduate CV in English (A4, 210 x 297 mm) (60 words)
Lena Fischer Munich | lena.fischer@example.com | +49 151 5550 0143
Education M.Sc. Industrial Engineering, Technical University of Munich, 2025 Thesis: reducing changeover time in a packaging line, grade 1.3
Practical experience Working Student, Bavaria Packaging, 2023 to 2025 - Mapped 5 changeover steps and cut the planned time by 12 minutes
Languages German (native), English (C1), French (B1)
Mid level: Australian nurse (A4, 210 x 297 mm) (73 words)
Jessica Nguyen Melbourne, VIC | jessica.nguyen@example.com | 0400 555 018
Profile Registered nurse with five years in acute medical care, AHPRA registered.
Experience Registered Nurse, Southern Cross Hospital, 2021 to Present - Care for 5 patients per shift on a 28-bed medical ward - Complete medication rounds, wound care and discharge planning
Enrolled Nurse, Bayview Aged Care, 2019 to 2021 - Delivered care for 20 residents
Education Bachelor of Nursing, Monash University, 2019
Senior: Regional manager applying in the Gulf (A4, 210 x 297 mm) (76 words)
Khalid Rahman Dubai, UAE | khalid.rahman@example.com | +971 50 555 0172
Profile Regional sales manager with twelve years in building materials, leading teams of 15 to 40 across the Gulf.
Experience Regional Sales Manager, Al Noor Trading, 2019 to Present - Lead 22 sales staff across 3 countries - Grew regional revenue by 18% over three years
Senior Account Manager, Gulf Materials Group, 2014 to 2019 - Managed 60 contractor accounts
Education B.Com., Cairo University, 2011
How to set and check the page size
- Choose the size first. Letter for the US and Canada, A4 for most other countries. If you are unsure, ask the recruiter or look at the country of the employer.
- Set margins. About 1 inch (25 mm) all round is safe. Go no smaller than 0.5 inch (13 mm) or the printer may clip text.
- Convert before you send. Change the page size, then read the whole file again, because line breaks and page breaks move.
- Save as PDF. A PDF freezes the layout, so the other side sees the page you built. See our guide to PDF or Word for a resume.
- Print one test page. If the footer is cut off, the margin is too small.
For how much fits on the page, see our resume length guide, the one page resume guide and the two page resume guide. If you plan to hand over paper as well, our printed resume guide covers paper weight.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the default. Software often defaults to the size of the country it was bought in.
- Resizing without reading. One extra line can push a bullet to a second page.
- Mixing sizes in one file. Pick one size for the whole document.
- Tiny margins to force a fit. Cut words instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard paper size for a resume?
US Letter, 8.5 by 11 inches, in the United States and Canada. A4, 210 by 297 mm, in most of the rest of the world.
Should I use A4 or Letter for a US job?
Letter. If you live outside the US, convert the file and recheck the page breaks before you apply.
What paper size should a UK CV be?
A4. That is the standard in the UK and in Europe.
Does paper size matter when I send a PDF?
Yes. The PDF keeps the size you set, and a recruiter who prints it will get cut-off text if it does not match their paper.
What margins should a resume have?
About 1 inch on all sides is safe, and 0.7 inch works when you need a little more room. Do not go below 0.5 inch.
Can I use one file for both sizes?
Not safely. Keep one Letter version and one A4 version, and check each for page breaks.
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