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How to Make a Resume: 11 Easy Steps for 2024

Step 1: choose your resume format, step 2: choose a simple resume template, step 3: decide your resume length.

• Step 4: Include Your Contact Information

Step 5: Describe Your Work Experience

When looking for your dream job, chances are others are, too. That’s why you want to make sure your AI cover letter and resume get noticed.

Starting from scratch is time-consuming and can result in improper formatting that won’t pass the initial ATS, which means your document may never reach a human.

Avoid frustration and know your resume will pass the ATS and grab the eye of a recruiter by using our  AI resume builder . By filling in your information, you’ll have a great resume to showcase your talents in a way that’s appealing to recruiters.

You’ll also save yourself time, potentially up to three hours, over using resume templates for Word or Google Docs . Because relevancy is key to employers when skimming these documents, you’ll need a separate resume for each job you apply for. Our resume maker lets you create multiple resumes quickly. 

While a resume should be a marketing tool to land an interview, it’s hard to know where to start. We’ve boiled it down to 11 steps to make it easier and faster to create the perfect resume for the role you want.

Real Estate Agent Resume

Get started customizing your own resume by clicking on this real estate agent resume below:

Resume format  refers to the way you display pertinent information in your document. You’ll want to include contact information, a job title, work history, skills, education and any other information that will show the potential employer not only how your previous employment qualifies you for the job, but how you will be an asset to their company.

The way you set up this information can make it easier or more difficult for the recruiter. There are multiple ways you can format your resume, but there are three styles that are most common among job seekers.

• Reverse-chronological format  is the preferred style for recruiters as it highlights your most recent relevant employment and accomplishments that relate to the new position. It’s also the best format to pass through ATS.
• Functional format  is good if you have little work experience or employment gaps. It’s great for emphasizing skills for an entry-level position, but it can highlight a lack of actual work experience.
• Hybrid format  is a way to show how your transferable skills relate to the new position, which can be beneficial if you’ve switched fields a time or two over the years.

You may be tempted to choose a resume format based on your experience and the type of job you’re applying for. Just remember that recruiters will only spend about seven seconds skimming your resume before deciding if you deserve additional consideration or if you’ll be passed over without reading further to see if you’re a good fit for the position.

While each format has its pros and cons, nearly anyone can benefit from choosing the reverse-chronological format because it’s well known, and recruiters know exactly where to look for specific information, making their job much easier. When potential employers can see that you’re possibly a good fit in a quick skim, they’re more likely to read further.

Understandably, there are times when you might feel that it’s in your best interest to use one of the other popular resume formats. The other two styles may not pass through ATS, they can be confusing for recruiters who are searching for something in particular, and they definitely raise red flags regarding your work history. If your document passes through ATS and the recruiter can’t find what they’re looking for quickly, you can expect that your resume won’t get a second glance as it makes its way to the circular file. That’s why it’s always a good choice to put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter when formatting your resume.

You don’t want all of your hard work creating the perfect resume to go to waste. Even if you have little or no actual job experience, gaps in your career or various fields of work, the reverse-chronological resume format can be made to work to your advantage. Using a resume builder makes it easier to utilize applicable skills from other areas, such as volunteering, internships, military experience, and even hobbies you pursue on a regular basis.

While format is how you present your information, a resume template is a pre-made guide you can use to input your information in the format you choose. It can be tempting to select a template that uses pictures, diagrams, or complex patterns to portray your unique style, but these features just get in the way and won’t make it past the ATS. It’s best to choose a simple resume template as the words you choose will be what sets you apart from other applicants.

Simple doesn’t mean that your resume will look bland and devoid of character. On the contrary, a resume that’s formatted in a simple layout will pass through ATS with ease and will draw the recruiter’s attention to specific areas of focus for enhanced readability.

Our simple  free resume templates  make it easy for you to add or remove information and manipulate sections for personalization without affecting the overall layout of your resume. If you choose to work with a resume template through a word-processing program, like the creative  Google Docs templates  we just designed, making changes can throw everything off kilter, often causing you to have to start from scratch to correct the problem.

While it’s tempting to include as much of your work-related experience and skills in your resume, keep this information to one page [1] . Knowing this from the start helps you consider only relevant information and decide on ways to keep the information short and sweet. Recruiters have a limited amount of time they can spend reading resumes from quite possibly hundreds of candidates, so a one-page resume is generally the best choice.

A one-page resume

However, if you’ve worked in the same field for more than 10 years, you might find you need to use two pages to show a progression in duties and responsibilities in your field. Additionally, if you’re a high-level executive, scientist or professor, you may need additional room to provide enough information for a potential employer to gain a full understanding of how you’re the best candidate for the position. If you must use two pages, be sure that the second page is full for consistency.

You might notice that some employers ask specifically for a resume, a CV or they use resume and CV interchangeably. Whereas a resume is meant to be short and to the point, a curriculum vitae, or CV, is designed to provide more in-depth information. There are a few  differences between a resume and a CV :

Step 4: Include Your Contact Information in a Header

The contact information section is the easiest part to complete, so its importance is often overlooked.

This is the meat of your resume and the part that’s the most important to potential employers. If you’re wondering what type of information to include in your work history section, a good way to get some ideas is to check out some  resume examples  for your field of expertise and years of experience.

When crafting your document, be sure to include specific information from the job ad but only if you actually have that experience. Because the ATS will automatically search for appropriate keywords and phrases, you can readily find what employers are searching for in other resumes and the ad for the job you’re applying for. Also, look at other ads for similar positions to find industry-specific keyword information to include.

What details should I include about my job?

While recruiters may not take time to read every aspect of your previous work history, there’s some information that’s expected to be included in your resume. As with every other section of your document, make sure the spelling is correct and that there are no errors as this can ruin your chances of getting hired.

What do I write in my job description bullet points?

This is the area in your resume where you can get creative to help you stand apart from other applicants. If you simply list your job duties, your resume will look just like those of everyone else. Additionally, if you’re applying for a position with a similar title, the recruiter already knows the job duties for that position. You want to show the potential employer why you should be chosen for the position. You’ll need to provide specific examples that show a measurable impact.

5 ways to quantify your impact

Numbers represent facts that can’t be denied. When you put numbers on what you’ve accomplished, this stands out in the eyes of recruiters and builds your credibility.

What if I don’t have work experience?

If you don’t have any work experience or have just a little under your belt, don’t worry. You’re not alone. There are many cases where you may not have actual paid work experience. If you’re a student or recent graduate, it’s understood that you’ve likely spent your time and focus on completing your studies rather than dividing your time between school and employment. In the same manner, you may be a homemaker or military personnel who is trying to enter or re-enter the job market, or you may be changing fields.

Volunteer work, freelancing, and odd jobs can be set up just like a paid position in reverse-chronological order along with any work history. Include the company name or use self-employed, the job title, dates of service and location.

Other activities or projects are a little trickier to add to the work experience section, so it’s important to include the appropriate information. Start with the project name, the company or who the activity was completed for and the date of the project. Use the list of bullets to describe the project and the role you played. As with other paid employment, quantifiable information stands out more than generalized statements.

Here are some examples: If you completed a successful project using software such as Java, SQL, or Python, you’ll want to describe this when applying for a technical position. Leadership skills are highly desirable and transferrable, so you’ll want to include any team projects that you spearheaded. If you excelled in a public speaking course, this could be relevant for a position where you’ll have a lot of face-to-face interactions with the public.

Begin by making a master list of your activities and projects. Now choose those that fit in with the job you’re applying for. You’ll go back to the master list to make it easier to find what you need when applying to other positions. Get inspired with more ideas by looking at  resume samples  like the one below that focus on projects and other types of experience.

Projects-based Resume Example

Step 6: add your skills.

The skills section lets you showcase the abilities that make you a perfect match for the job. When considering  skills for your resume , only include those hard and soft skills that are relevant to the job position you’re applying for. The posted ad will most likely let you know at least some of the skills that the company is seeking in an applicant, so you can start with those. If there’s not enough information, look at similar job ads from other companies to fill in the gaps. Better yet, call the company and ask directly. Who knows? You may speak with the job recruiter, making a solid first impression through your initiative to do a little sleuth work.

Hard skills include your know-how and experience that are specific and quantifiable. Soft skills, on the other hand, are those you develop yourself through life experiences. Some hard skills you might want to include involve any software or technical skills you may have, such as bookkeeping, scheduling, content management systems, UX/UI design, foreign languages, data analysis, or even your typing speed. Soft skills employers find desirable consist of time management, leadership, active listening, communication, responsibility, and problem-solving.

Only include skills you actually have. For example, if the job ad states you must be proficient in Jira, don’t include this if you’ve only dabbled in it. You may have to complete a skills test as a part of the interview process, or you could be fired if you’re found out.

Rather than stretch the truth, consider taking online courses or refreshers to stay current with the latest trends. If you don’t have enough of the skills the company is seeking in the job posting, it’s probably wise to look for a position requiring more of the talents you possess.

Step 7: Include Your Education and Certifications

Your education and degrees should be listed in reverse-chronological order just like your work history. If you’ve completed higher education, there’s no need to add high school. Begin with the program name or degree obtained, followed by the name of the institution, the city and state where the institution is located, and the dates you attended. Alternatively, you can just use the year you graduated.

You can include your education even if you’re still in school. Follow the graduation date with “expected” or “anticipated” in parentheses. If you didn’t finish your education, whether high school or college, simply list “years attended” followed by the dates. College coursework you’ve completed that’s related to the position can be listed as well if you’re a recent grad.

Optionally, if you’ve recently graduated, you may wish to add a minor, your GPA if it’s 3.2 or higher, honors, achievements, projects, publications, or extracurricular activities if any of this information is relevant to the position or if you don’t have much in the way of work experience. This extra information gives recruiters more information on why they should choose you over other candidates.

Any certifications or licenses you hold should go in this section if they’re relevant to the job. This is a good opportunity to make sure your certifications and licenses are up to date. Because they vary from state to state and even between different companies within the same field, make sure you don’t disqualify yourself from the position by letting your certifications or licenses lapse.

Step 8: Decide Whether to Include an Objective or Summary

The resume objective or summary can either make the recruiter want to continue reading or pass you over for another applicant, so it’s important to capture employers’ eyes quickly with this section.

It’s best to save the objective or summary until after you’ve written your job bullet points, skills, and education sections, so you can draw information from these. Be sure to select appropriate keywords and phrases to use in the introduction to tie everything together into the position you want. Use the job description to decide on the specific wording combined with your expertise to make it easier for recruiters to make a match. Take a look at some  resume objective examples  or  resume summary examples  to inspire you.

Step 9: Decide Whether to Add Other Resume Sections

Now that you’ve completed the bulk of your resume, it’s time to really stand out. There are some additional resume sections you can add to emphasize your qualifications for the position.

You’ll want to include additional sections if you have limited work experience, are currently in school or recently graduated, are applying in a highly competitive field, or need to provide more information to show how you’re qualified for the job. Additionally, other sections can be used as a way to fill up excessive white space for a more balanced appearance for your resume.

While it can be tempting to include as much additional information as possible, you don’t want to stuff your resume with unnecessary information. Not only does this crowd your document and make it look messy, but it also makes it difficult for recruiters to sift through. Carefully work through any additional sections you’re considering when  outlining your resume , so you can be sure you’ll strengthen what you’ve already included in as further proof that you deserve the position.

Step 10: Tailor Your Resume for the Job

It can’t be stated enough: You must tailor your resume to the specific position that you’re applying for. Don’t forget to search the job description for keywords that you can use in your previous employment bullet points, skills section, and resume objective or summary. You may even need to change your wording in the education and additional sections so they fit.

It’s important to write your resume for the position you want as listed in the job posting to make sure you pass through ATS and then draw the recruiter’s attention once the document reaches human eyes. Even if you’re applying for a single position across the board, you’ll need to create a new resume for each different company because they may all have different requirements and keywords. While this may seem like a lot of work, you don’t want it to look like you’re sending out mass-produced documents to just anyone and everyone.

At this point, you’ll also want to consider the type of field you’re in. If you’re applying to a highly professional position, you’ll want to keep your wording in line and focus on your expertise. Choose a traditional layout for your resume. However, if the position is with a casual startup in its early stages of operation, you can likely include more creativity because the recruiter may be looking for someone innovative and imaginative. In this case, choosing a more modern layout can help you stand out above other applicants.

Make sure your resume fits the bill by using our  free resume checker . You’ll get valuable information and tips on how to improve your document to help you stand out.

Takeaway : Create multiple resumes. Since you’ll need a document that’s specifically tailored to get noticed, you’ll want a separate one for each position you’re applying for.

Step 11: Triple-Check for Spelling and Grammar

Your resume is a snapshot of you and your abilities. Make sure there are no errors. Proofread your document; then, do it again. Set it aside for a while or overnight, and come back to it to check for errors a final time. It’s wise to have a friend, coworker, or family member go through it as well. It’s hard to catch your own mistakes, especially after you’ve spent so much time writing and rewriting your document.

If there are errors, recruiters may assume you’ll make even more mistakes on the job. It’s imperative to put yourself in the shoes of hiring personnel. They have to look through potentially hundreds of resumes for each position, perhaps reading the same information over and over again. They’re looking for any reason to say no rather than yes just to reduce their workload. Don’t let spelling or grammatical errors give them that reason.

As an added benefit, you can choose one of our resume templates or use our resume builder to take the guesswork out of the format and layout for your document. You can easily make changes without messing up the appearance of your entire document. Once again, take advantage of our AI-powered  resume tool  to help you make the most of active voice, verb choice, quantifying your impact, and consistency, so you can quickly proofread your material.

How to Write a Resume in 2024

Writing a resume in 2024 is much different than in years past. Instead of creating a single document that you personalize with a cover letter, recruiters want to see that you have what they’re looking for with a quick skim. Additionally, ATS will search for relevant keywords, so it’s vital to tailor your resume to each specific position by looking at the job posting, similar positions, and completed resumes within your field.

Take a look at how to write each section of your resume, and be sure to include all of the necessary information. If anything is lacking, your resume could end up in the recycle bin before it’s even fully read by a recruiter. In the same manner, don’t add irrelevant information because it detracts from what’s important. Keep your resume to a single page.

Do your research. Specific keywords and phrases can determine if you get past the initial scan or not. The actual job posting contains valuable information that you should use to your advantage. Consider your experience that’s not related to paid employment for additional emphasis or if your work history is sparse. Always be honest with your abilities and what you’ve done because recruiters will check.

Find ways to stand out over other applicants with a simple resume design. You can use a premade template, but choose one that’s easy to personalize. To avoid layout blunders when making changes or passing through ATS, our resume builder will keep everything in its place. Finally, proofread your document. Get help from a third party, and use a  resume checker .

[1] The Muse. (2016, August 10). 20 Basic Resume Writing Rules That’ll Put You Ahead of the Competition.  Forbes .

[2] Caine, A., Gal, S. & Akhtar, A. (2020 November 19). We asked a career expert to build the perfect resume. Here’s a template you can use to update your CV and land a dream job.  Business Insider .

[3] Gallo, A. (2014, December 19). How to Write a Resume that Stands Out.  Harvard Business Review .

[4] Sweetwood, M. (2016 April 19). 13 Social Media Power Tips for Getting the Job You Want.  Entrepreneur .

[5] Jackson, A. E. (2018 October 22). 21 Words to Never Include in Your Resume.  Glassdoor .

How to Make a Resume in 2024 | Beginner's Guide

For most job-seekers, a good resume is what stands between a dream job and Choice D. Get your resume right, and you’ll be getting replies from every other company you apply to.

If your resume game is weak, though, you’ll end up sitting around for weeks, maybe even months, before you even get a single response.

So you’re probably wondering how you can write a resume that gets you an interview straight up.

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about how to make a resume, including:

• The 8 Essential Steps to Writing a Resume
• 11+ Exclusive Resume Tips to Up Your Resume Game
• 27+ Real-Life Resume Examples for Different Professions

….and more!

So, let’s dive right in.

How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

Before we go into detail about how you should make a resume, here’s a summary of the most important steps and tips to keep in mind:

• Choose a resume format carefully. In 99% of cases, we recommend the reverse-chronological format .
• Add the right contact details. Leave your headshot out and make sure to include your job title , a professional email address, and any relevant links. (E.g.: your LinkedIn profile , online portfolio, personal website, etc.).
• Write an impactful resume summary. Unless you’re an entry-level professional, always go for a resume summary. If you do it right, it’s your chance to get the hiring manager to go through the rest of your resume in detail.
• Pay attention to your work experience section. Take your work experience section from OK-ish to exceptional by tailoring it to the job ad, making your achievements quantifiable, and using action verbs and power words.
• Add the right skills for the job. Keep this section relevant by only including the hard and soft skills that are required for the position.
• Keep your education short and to the point. Your most recent and highest degree is more than enough for a strong education section. You only need to add more details here if you’re a recent graduate with barely any work experience.
• Leverage optional resume sections. Optional sections like languages, hobbies, certifications, independent projects, and others can set you apart from other candidates with similar skills and experience.
• Include a cover letter. That’s right, cover letters matter in 2024, and the best way to supplement your resume is by adding an equally well-crafted cover letter to your job application. To make the most of it, check out our detailed guide on how to write a cover letter .

To get the most out of our tips, you can head over to the resume builder and start building your resume on the go as you read this guide.

New to resume-making? Give our ‘7 Resume Tips’ video a watch before diving into the article!

#1. Pick the Right Resume Format

Before you start filling in the contents of your resume, you have to make sure it’s going to look good. 

After all, the first thing hiring managers notice is what your resume looks like, and then they start reading it. So, this is your best chance to make a great first impression.

Start by choosing the right resume format.

There are three types of resume formats out there:

• Reverse-chronological. This is by far the most popular resume format worldwide and, as such, it’s the best format for most job-seekers.
• Functional. This resume format focuses more on skills than work experience. It’s a good choice if you’re just getting started with your career and have little to no experience in the field.
• Combination. The combination resume format is a great choice for experienced job-seekers with a very diverse skill set. It’s useful if you’re applying for a role that requires expertise in several different fields and you want to show all that in your resume.

So, which one should you go for?

In 99% of cases, you want to stick to the reverse-chronological resume format . It’s the most popular format and what hiring managers expect to see. So, in the rest of this guide, we’re going to focus on teaching you how to make a reverse-chronological resume.

Fix Your Resume’s Layout

With formatting out of the way, let’s talk about your resume’s layout , which determines the overall look of your resume. 

Does it look organized or cluttered? Is it too short or too long? Is it boring and easy to ignore, or is it reader-friendly and attention-grabbing?

Here are some of the best practices you should apply:

• Stick to one page. You should only go for a two-page resume if you have decades of experience and you’re sure the extra space will add significant value. Hiring managers in big companies get hundreds of applications per job opening. They’re not going to spend their valuable time reading your life story!
• Add clear section headings. Pick a heading and use it for all the section headers so the hiring manager can easily navigate through your resume.
• Adjust the margins. Without the right amount of white space, your resume will end up looking overcrowded with information. Set your margins to one inch on all sides so your text fits just right on the page.
• Choose a professional font. We’d recommend sticking to a font that’s professional but not overused. For example, Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass. Avoid Times New Roman, and never use Comic Sans.
• Set the correct font size. As a rule of thumb, go for 11-12 pt for normal text and 14-16 pt for section titles.
• Use a PDF file. Always save your resume as a PDF file, unless the employer specifically requests otherwise. Word files are popular, but there’s a good chance they’ll mess up your resume’s formatting.

Another thing you need to consider in terms of your resume’s layout is whether you’re going for a traditional-looking resume template or something a bit more modern :

If you’re pursuing a career in a more traditional industry, like law , banking , or finance , you might want to stick to the first.

But if you’re applying to a tech company where imagination and innovation are valued, you can pick a more creative resume template .

Want to Save Time? Use a (Free) Resume Template

Anyone who’s ever tried creating a resume from scratch knows how boring the formatting can be.

Before you can even start filling in the contents, you need to tweak the margins, adjust font sizes, and make sure everything fits into one page while still looking good.

What if you could skip past all that and still create a compelling resume?

Try one of our free resume templates . They’re pre-formatted, so all you have to do is fill in the contents.

They’re also created in collaboration with recruiters from around the globe, ensuring that the templates are visually appealing and ATS-friendly!

See for yourself how one of our templates compares to a resume created in a standard text editor:

#2. Add Your Contact Information

Now that we’ve got all the formatting out of the way, let’s get into what your resume is all about— the information you put on it .

The first thing you want to do when filling out the contents of your resume is to add your contact information .

This section is pretty straightforward but crucial. Your contact details belong at the top of your resume in a designated resume header , so the hiring manager can easily find them.

Even if everything else about your resume is perfect, that all flops if you misspell your email address or have a typo in your phone number. If the hiring manager can’t contact you, it’s a missed opportunity.

So, double-check, and even triple-check your contact information section and make sure everything is factually correct and up-to-date.

Must-Have Information

• Full name. Your first and last name should stand out at the top of your resume.
• Email address. Stick to an address that’s professional and easy to spell, like a combination of your first and last name. (E.g.: [email protected])
• Phone number. Add a reliable number where the hiring manager can easily reach you.
• Location. Add your city and state/country. If you plan to relocate for the job or want a remote position, specify it on your resume.

Optional Information

• Job title. Add your professional title underneath. Write it down word for word, whether it’s “Digital Marketing Specialist” or “Junior Data Scientist.” Just don’t make up job titles like “Marketing Wizzard” or “Data Manipulator.” They’re not quirky; they’re just unprofessional. 
• LinkedIn profile . We recommend that you include a link to your updated LinkedIn profile since over 77% of hiring managers use the platform when evaluating a candidate. 
• Relevant links. Include links to personal websites or any social media profiles that are relevant to your field. For example, a developer could include a Github profile, while a graphic designer could link their Behance or Driblle account, and so on.
• Date of birth. Unless this is specifically required in the job ad, the hiring manager doesn’t need to know how old you are. It’s not important for their decision-making, and at worst, it might lead to age-based discrimination.
• Unprofessional email address. Your quirky, old high school email address doesn’t belong on your resume. Instead of [email protected] , go for a [email protected] type of address.
• Headshot. (USA, UK or Ireland) Depending on the country where you’re applying, it might even be illegal to include a picture of yourself on your resume . While it’s the norm to include a picture in most of Europe and Asia, always check the regulations for each specific country or industry you’re applying to.

All clear? Good! Now, let’s look at what a great example of a resume's contact information section looks like:

#3. Write a Resume Headline (Summary or Objective)

It's no secret that recruiters spend an average of less than seven seconds on a resume .

When you receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications daily, it's physically impossible to spend too much time on each.

So, what the hiring managers do to go through resumes more effectively is to skim through each resume and read it in depth only if it piques their interest.

This is where the resume headline comes in.

Placed right next to (or underneath) your contact information, this brief paragraph is the first thing the hiring manager is going to read on your resume.

Now, depending on how far along in your career you are, your resume headline can be either a resume summary or a resume objective.

So, how do you choose between a resume summary and a resume objective? Here’s all you need to know:

Resume Summary

A resume summary, as the name suggests, is a two to three-sentence summary of your career so far. If done right, it shows that you’re a qualified candidate at a glance and gets the hiring manager to give you a chance.

Here’s what your resume summary should include:

• Your job title and years of experience.
• A couple of your greatest professional achievements or core responsibilities.
• Your most relevant skills for the job.

Here’s an example of a well-written resume summary: 

Experienced Java Developer with 5 years of experience in building scalable and efficient applications. Contributed to a major project that enhanced application performance by 25%. Strong background in Spring Framework and microservices. Aiming to apply robust coding skills to develop innovative software solutions at XYZ Tech Solutions.

Unless you’re a recent graduate or amid a career change, we recommend you stick to a resume summary. Otherwise, a resume objective might be a better option for you.

Resume Objective

A resume objective is supposed to express your professional goals and aspirations, academic background, and any relevant skills you may have for the job.

It communicates your motivation for getting into a new field, so it’s the go-to headline for recent graduates and those going through a career change. As with a resume summary, a resume objective should be brief—around two to four sentences long.

So, here’s what it would look like if you’re a student:

Hard-working recent graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design from New York State University seeking new opportunities. 3+ years of practical experience working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, creating illustrations and UX/UI design projects. Looking to grow as a designer and perfect my art at XYZ Design Studio.

Or, on the other hand, if you’re going through a career change, it might look more like this:

IT project manager with 5+ years of experience in software development. Managed a team of developers to create products for several industries, such as FinTech and HR tech. Looking to leverage my experience in managing outsourced products as a Product Owner at Company XYZ.

#4. Prioritize Your Work Experience

The most important part of your resume is your work experience.

This is where you get to sell yourself and show off your previous accomplishments and responsibilities.

If you manage to master this section, you’ll know most of what’s there to know about how to make a resume.

There are plenty of good practices for writing your work experience . But before we dive into all the nits and grits, let's start with the basics.

The standard format for each work experience entry is as follows:

• Job title/position. Your job title goes on top of each work experience entry. When the hiring manager looks at your resume, you want them to know, at a glance, that you have relevant work experience for the job.
• Company name/location/description. Mention the name of the employer and the general location, such as the city and state/country where you worked. In some cases, you may also want to briefly describe the company, like when the organization isn’t particularly well-known.
• Dates employed. Add the approximate timeframe of your employment at each company. You don’t need to give exact dates since the standard format for this is mm/yyyy.
• Achievements and responsibilities. This is the core of each work experience entry. Depending on your field, you want to list either your achievements or responsibilities. List them in bullet points instead of paragraphs, so they’ll be easier to read.

Here’s a real-life example:

Your work experience entries should always be listed in reverse chronological order , starting with your most recent job and working your way back into the past.

Now that you know how to list your experience, we’re going to show you how to write about it in a way that makes you stand out from the competition, starting with: 

Are you a student with no work experience? We’ve got you covered. Check out our guide to writing a resume with no experience here.

Focus on Achievements Whenever Possible

One of the most common resume mistakes is only listing responsibilities in your work experience section.

Here’s the thing—in most cases, the hiring manager knows exactly what your job responsibilities are.

For example, if you’re a sales manager, your responsibilities would be:

• Reach out to potential clients over the phone or email.
• Maintain relationships with existing company clients and upsell relevant products.
• Tracking and reporting on leads in CRM.

Coincidentally, this is also the same list of responsibilities for every sales manager out there. So, 90% of all other resumes probably mention the same thing.

To stand out from the competition, you want to focus on writing achievements in your resume instead. These can be how you helped your previous company grow, reach quarterly quotas, and so on.

Let’s compare how responsibilities hold up next to achievements for the same job:

• Exceeded sales team KPIs by 30%+ for 3 months straight.
• Generated over $24,000 in sales in 1 month.
• Generated leads through cold-calling
• Managed existing company clients

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there just aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you’re a warehouse worker .

Your day-to-day responsibilities probably include:

• Loading, unloading, and setting up equipment daily.
• Packaging finished products and getting them ready for shipping.
• Assisting in opening and closing the warehouse.

In fields like this, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself through achievements, so it’s okay to stick to responsibilities instead. You can still make them shine by following the rest of our advice about listing your work experience.

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you work in a warehouse. Your day-to-day responsibilities probably involve:

• Loading, unloading and setting up equipment on a daily basis.
• Package finished product and get it ready for shipping.
• Assist in opening and closing the warehouse.

In such fields, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself, so it’s totally OK to stick to responsibilities instead.

Tailor Your Resume to the Job

Tailoring is what sets an amazing resume apart from an okay one.

Hiring managers don’t need to know about every single job you’ve ever worked at or every single skill that you have.

They only want to know about your jobs, experiences, or skills that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for a job doing Google Ads, you don’t need to talk about your SEO internship from eight years ago.

By focusing your resume on whatever is important for the specific role, you’re a lot more likely to stand out and catch the hiring manager’s attention.

Let’s take a look at an example of a job ad:

As you can see, we’ve highlighted the most important requirements.

To tailor your resume accordingly, you just need to mention how you meet each of these requirements in your resume.

You can highlight your relevant achievements and qualifications in different parts of your resume, such as:

• In your resume summary, where you should recap your years of experience.
• Throughout your work experience section, where you should list achievements and responsibilities that reflect your social media marketing experience.
• In your education section, where you can let the hiring manager know you have the degree that they’re looking for.

Include the Right Amount of Work Experience

If you’ve got over a decade’s worth of work experience, you’re probably wondering whether all of it belongs on your resume. In most cases, you’d end up writing a novel if you listed everything you’ve ever done, and that’s not how long a resume should be .

If you’re new to the job market, on the other hand, you probably don’t have any experience, and you’re wondering what you could even add to this section.

So, here’s how much information your resume should include, depending on your level of experience:

• No experience. If you’re looking for your first job , you won’t have any work experience to fill this section with. So, you can either keep it empty and focus on all the other sections or fill it up with any experience gained in student organizations, extracurricular activities, volunteering, and other projects.
• Entry-level. List all your work experience so far. While some of it won’t be relevant, it can still show the hiring manager that you do have some actual work experience.
• Mid-level. Only mention relevant work experience to the position you’re applying for. There’s no need to waste space on jobs that aren’t related to what you’re after.
• Senior-level. List up to 15 years of relevant work experience, tops. If your most recent experience is as a marketing executive , the hiring manager doesn’t care how you started your career as a junior marketing specialist 23 years ago.

Consider Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

Did you know that over 70% of resumes don’t even make it to the hiring manager ?

Most companies these days use ATS to evaluate hundreds of resumes instantaneously and automatically filter out the ones that don’t meet their criteria.

For example, if a resume doesn’t mention a specific skill or isn’t formatted correctly, the ATS will automatically reject it.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to make an ATS-friendly resume .

Here are a couple of tips to help you get past those pesky robots:

• Stick to one page. Sometimes employers set a limit on how long a resume should be. This means that if your resume is longer than one page, it might get automatically disqualified.
• Incorporate keywords. Tailoring your resume to the job helps a ton with beating the ATS. Just carefully read the job description to find hints for what the ATS will be looking for. Then, whenever you find keywords related to your responsibilities and achievements, make sure to include them in your work experience section.
• Use an active voice. Passive voice is too vague and unclear, so make sure to use active voice as much as possible when describing your previous jobs. (E.g.: “Managed a team of ten people,” instead of “ A team of ten people was managed by me.” )
• Leverage powerful action words. Instead of starting each of your sentences with “was responsible for," make your work experience impactful by using words that can grab attention. Saying that you “spearheaded” or “facilitated” something sounds a lot more impressive than “helped.”

Want to make sure your resume formatting passes the ATS test? Choose one of our tried and tested ATS-friendly resume templates , and you’ll be good to go! 

#5. List Your Education

The next section on your resume is dedicated to your academic qualifications. Let’s start with the basics!

Here’s how you should format the education section on your resume :

• Program Name. Your major and degree type should be listed. (E.g.: “B.A. in Business Administration” )
• University Name. Add the name of the institution. (E.g.: “New York State University” )
• Dates Attended. Use a mm/yyyy format for the dates you attended. (E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012” )
• Location. If your university is less well-known, you can also add the location. (E.g.: “Stockholm, Sweden” )
• GPA. Use the appropriate grading system for the country you’re applying to work in. (E.g.: In the USA, it would be “3.9 GPA” )
• Honors. Add any honors and distinctions you’ve been given. (E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude )
• Achievements. You can mention interesting papers you’ve written, projects you’ve done, or relevant coursework you’ve excelled in.
• Minor. “Minor in Psychology”

Pretty simple, right? Now let’s see what an education section looks like in practice:

This example includes all the necessary information, plus an eye-catching award and relevant classes this candidate has taken.

Resume Education Tips

Now that you know how to list your education on your resume, let’s take this section to the next level.

Just follow these expert tips:

• If you’re making a resume as a student and don’t have any work experience yet, you can list your education section at the beginning of the page instead of work experience.
• You can add your expected graduation date if you’re still pursuing your degree.
• If you already have relevant work experience, just keep this section short and sweet. Recent graduates can expand on their education more and add optional information like projects, classes, academic achievements, etc.
• Always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your highest degree on top. Your highest and most recent degree is usually enough, so if you have a Master’s degree that’s relevant to the job, there’s no need to mention your earlier degrees.
• Don’t add your high school degree to your resume if you already have a university degree. It doesn’t have as much weight, and you can use the space for something else.
• Only mention your GPA if you had an impressive academic career. Anything below a 3.5 GPA doesn’t need to be on your resume.

Are you in the process of applying for college? Check out our guide to writing a college application resume to wow that admissions officer!

#6. Emphasize Your Know-How in the Skills Section

After your work experience, your skills are the first thing the hiring manager is going to look for. In fact, together, work experience and skills make up 90% of the hiring decision .

So, this is the place where you want to mention all the know-how that makes you the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of skills you can include when writing your resume:

• Hard Skills. These are measurable abilities. What you can list here can be anything from coding in Python to knowing how to cook Thai cuisine.
• Soft Skills. Also known as personal skills, these are a mix of communication skills , personal traits, career attributes, and more. They can include leadership, critical thinking, and time management , just to name a few.

Your resume should always cover both hard skills and soft skills . Here’s an example in action:

Now, let’s discuss how you should list your most important skills on your resume.

There are a few essential steps you need to follow:

Always List Hard and Soft Skills Separately

Your resume should be easy and neat to navigate. The hiring manager shouldn’t have to waste time looking for a specific skill because you didn’t separate it into the appropriate subsection.

So, just create separate categories for your hard and soft skills.

Depending on your field, you could customize the name of your “hard skills” subsection to something like “technical skills," “marketing skills," or something else related to your field.

Let’s look at an example of what skills look like on a project manager’s resume :

Methodologies & Tools

• Agile Methodology
• SCRUM Framework
• Waterfall Project Management
• Microsoft Project
• Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Risk Management

Soft Skills

• Team Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation

Tailor Your Skills to the Job

You might have some awesome skills, but the hiring manager only needs to know about the ones that are relevant to the job.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as an accountant, your gourmet chef skills shouldn’t be on your resume.

Look at the job ad and list at least two to three essential skills you have that are required for the role. Remember—there’s no need to list every skill you have here; just keep it relevant.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Graphic Design or a related field.
• Tech-savvy, with some background in CMS systems such as WordPress.
• Thrives in a stressful environment and juggles multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Self-reliant, with the ability to manage their own work.
• A can-do attitude and an outside-the-box thinker.
• Proficient in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages.
• Basic understanding of Office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

So, the must-have hard skills here are Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages. Other good computer skills to have are WordPress or similar CMS systems.

While you can also mention Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, it’s pretty much assumed that you know how to use them since they’re required for most office jobs.

List Hard Skills with Experience Levels

For each hard skill you list on your resume, you should also mention your proficiency level. This tells employers what they can expect from you and how much training you might need.

• Beginner. You have some experience with the skill, whether it’s from some entry-level practice or classroom education.
• Intermediate. You’ve used the skill in a work environment with good understanding.
• Advanced. You’re the go-to person for this skill in your office. You can coach other employees, and you understand the skill at a high level.
• Expert. You’ve applied this skill to more than a handful of different projects and organizations. You’re the go-to person for advice about the skill, not just in your office but even amongst some of the best professionals in your field.

Just make sure to never lie about your actual skill level. Even if you get the job, once you need those skills you exaggerated, it will be pretty awkward for both you and your employer.

Include Transferable Skills

These are the types of skills that are useful for almost any job out there.

Transferable skills can be both soft skills (e.g.: teamwork, creativity, problem-solving skills, and others) and hard skills (MS Office Suite, HTML, writing, etc.)

Whatever job you’re applying to, chances are you have transferable skills from your experience that can come in handy one way or another. So, feel free to include them, even if they’re not specifically required for the position.

Not sure which skills to mention on your resume for your specific field? Check out our list of 101+ essential skills for inspiration!

#7. Leverage Optional Resume Sections

The sections we’ve covered so far are must-haves for any resume. They’re the bread-and-butter for any job application, and if you get them right, you’ll land any job you apply to.

But if you have some leftover space, there are a few optional sections you can choose from to give your resume a boost!

Are you bi-lingual? Or even better  – multi-lingual? You should always mention that on your resume!

Even if the position doesn’t require you to know a specific language, it can still come in handy at some point. At the end of the day, it’s always better to know more languages than less.

To list languages in your resume , just write them down and assign them the appropriate level:

• Intermediate

You can also use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scales.

As a given, you should never lie about your language skills. You never know—your interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language or even be a native speaker!

Hobbies and Interests

If you want to spice up your resume, hobbies and interests could be just what you need.

While this section isn’t a game-changer, it can help the hiring manager see who you are as an individual.

For example, if you listed “teamwork” as one of your skills, hobbies like team sports can back up your claim.

And who knows? Maybe you and your interviewer have some hobbies or interests in common!

Volunteering Experience

If you’re the type of person who devotes their free time to helping others while expecting nothing in return, chances are that you’re the type of employee who’s in it for more than just the money. 

Seeing volunteer experience on your resume tells hiring managers that you’re a loyal employee who’s after something meaningful.

Several studies show that listing your volunteer experience can boost your chances of getting hired, especially if you have little to no work experience.

Certifications

Hiring managers love candidates who invest in themselves, and that’s exactly what they see when you list certifications on your resume .

If you value continuous learning and strive to expand your skill set, that’s always a plus.

Certifications can also show employers how much expertise you have.

For example, if you’re a Microsoft Cloud Engineer and you specialize in Microsoft Technologies, you should definitely include all essential certifications on your resume, such as the Azure Solutions Architect Expert one.

Awards and Recognitions

There’s no harm in showing off a little on your resume. After all, you want to be a candidate that shines above the rest.

So, if you’ve received any awards or recognitions that make you stand out in your field, make sure to add them.

For example, if you’ve been recognized for your contributions to data science or received a hard-to-come-by scholarship , mention it in your resume. Just keep your entries here relevant to the field you’re applying to.

Publications

Whether you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic, publications are always impressive.

If you have any published works (online or in an academic journal), you can add them to your resume. Just make sure to include a link so the hiring manager knows where to check your work!

Are you looking for a career in academia? Check out our guide to writing the perfect academic CV to get started!

Working on side projects can show off your passion for your field. Whether they’re university class projects or part-time entrepreneurial endeavors, they’re relevant.

For example, if you worked on a mock software product as part of a university competition, it shows you went through every step of product creation, from ideation to creating a marketing strategy.

This project also shows off your organizational skills , and if you mention it in your resume, you stand a better chance of landing the job you had your sights set on.

But projects can also be personal, not academic. For example, you might manage an Etsy store where you sell hand-made arts and crafts to customers online. This is a great opportunity to highlight your creativity, management, and customer service skills .

Overall, hiring managers love employees who do cool work in their free time, so projects are always a great section to add to your resume.

Looking to kickstart your career? Check out our guide on how to get an internship for useful tips and real-life examples!

Extracurricular Activities

Every college freshman knows that extracurricular experience can make a difference in their application.

Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience outside of school, extracurricular activities are a great way to show potential employers your skills and give them insight into you as a person. Different clubs and after-school projects can help you gain real-life skills and considerably increase your chances of landing your first job after college.

For example, joining a student government organization can hone your leadership skills and teach you how to work as part of a team.

For example, if you’re part of a student government or public speaking club, these activities can help you hone your leadership and presentation skills.

11+ Expert Resume Tips

You’ve got the gist of how to make a resume. Now, it’s time to make it really stand out from the crowd!

Follow these exclusive resume tips to take your resume game to the next level:

• Match the professional title underneath your name to the job title of the position you’re applying for. Hiring managers often hire for several roles at once, so giving them this cue about what role you’re after helps things go smoother.
• Mention any promotions from your previous jobs. Use the work experience entries for them to focus on the achievements that helped you earn them.
• Describe your achievements using Laszlo Bock’s formula : accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z . This way, your work experience can go the extra mile and show the hiring manager what you can bring to the table.
• Always list your achievements and responsibilities in concise bullet points. This makes your resume more reader-friendly, and it’s more likely that the hiring manager will see your impressive achievements at a glance.
• Don’t use personal pronouns like “I” or “me,” and don’t refer to yourself by name. Stick to a slightly altered third person, like “managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.” instead of “he managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.”
• Name your resume sections correctly, or it might get rejected by the ATS. Swapping out quirky names like “career history” or “expertise” for “work experience” and "skills" makes it easier for the hiring manager to find what they’re looking for, too.
• Prioritize important keywords instead of adding all of them. Make sure the relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences you add all make sense in context, too. Your goal is to get past the ATS and impress the hiring manager.
• Focus on transferable skills if you don’t have a lot of relevant work experience. Any extracurricular activities or personal projects can help you stand out here.
• Add a strategic pop of color to headings, bullet points, or key elements you want to highlight. It can help your resume stand out, but don’t overdo it—you want the information to be more impressive than the color palette.
• Don’t include the line “references available upon request.” Hiring managers already know they can request a list of references from you, so there’s no need to waste valuable space on it.
• Make sure your resume is optimized for mobile viewing. Most hiring managers use their mobile phones as often as desktop computers, so save your resume to a PDF file and make sure your formatting stays intact across any device.
• Rename the resume file you plan to send so it includes your name and the name of the position you’re applying for. It’s a small detail that can turn into a crucial mistake if you forget it.
• Read your resume out loud when you’re done. This is a great way to catch awkward phrases or spelling mistakes you might have missed otherwise.
• Use a tool like DocSend to track your resume. You’ll get a notification any time someone opens your resume, and you can see how long they spend reading it.

FREE Resume Checklist

Are you already done with your resume? Let’s see how it holds up!

Go through our checklist for perfecting your resume and see where you stand!

If you missed some points, just go through your resume one more time and perfect it.

And if you ☑’d everything—congrats! You’ve learned all there is to know about writing a resume, and you’re good to go with your job search.

Need to write a CV instead of a resume? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a CV with dozens of examples!

9 Resume Templates for Different Industries

Looking to create an effective resume without dealing with the formatting hassle? Just choose one of the templates below.

#1. Traditional Resume Template

Good for traditional industries like finance, banking, law, and manufacturing.

#2. Modern Resume Template

Good for both contemporary and forward-looking industries, including entrepreneurship, medical technology, and engineering.

#3. Creative Resume Template

Good for creative industries, including entertainment, design, and architecture. 

#4. Minimalistic Resume Template

Good for experienced professionals in basically any industry who want to let their achievements do the talking. 

#5. IT Resume Template

Good for any IT-related profession like software development, cyber security, and DevOps engineering.

#6. Tech Resume Template

Good for the tech industry and everything it encompasses.

#7. College Resume Template

Good for college students and recent graduates alike.

#8. General Resume Template

Good for multiple industries, including HR, education, and customer service.

#9. Executive Resume Template

Good for senior professionals across different industries, including hospitality, marketing, and logistics.

17+ Resumes for Different Jobs

Knowing how to write a resume is one thing, but making a resume that stands out is something entirely different. Without inspiration, even top career experts might stumble on a roadblock or two.

Check out the following effective resume examples for specific jobs to get a better sense of what a good resume looks like:

#1. Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a nurse resume here.

#2. Data Scientist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a data scientist resume here.

#3. Business Analyst Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a business analyst resume here.

#4. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a digital marketing resume here.

#5. Software Engineer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer resume here.

#6. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a construction project manager resume here.

#7. Customer Service Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a customer service resume here.

#8. High School Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school resume here.

#9. Student Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a student resume here.

#10. Server Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a server resume here.

#11. Actor Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an actor resume here.

#12. Web Developer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a web developer resume here.

#13. Engineering Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an engineering resume here.

#14. Computer Science Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a computer science resume here.

#15. Architect Resume Example 

Check out our full guide to writing a data analyst resume here.

#17. Remote Job Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a remote job resume here.

#18. Sales Associate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a sales associate resume here.

#19. Receptionist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a receptionist resume here.

Want to see more examples? Check out our compilation of 80+ resume examples for different fields .

• Administrative Assistant Resume
• Bartender Resume
• DevOps Engineer Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Flight Attendant Resume
• Graphic Designer Resume
• Paralegal Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Recruiter Resume
• Supervisor Resume

Next Steps After Your Resume

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about how to make a resume, it’s time to talk about the rest of your job application.

After all, your resume is only the first step in your job search. To land the job you deserve, you also need to write a captivating cover letter and ace that upcoming interview. Here’s how:

#1. How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter

The companion piece to every resume is the cover letter.

Most job-seekers flinch when they hear that they have to write a cover letter. What do you even mention in a cover letter, anyway? If you were good at writing cover letters, you’d be applying for a job as a writer !

In reality, though, writing a cover letter is very simple once you know its purpose.

Think of your cover letter as a direct message to the hiring manager. It’s your chance to briefly explain why you’re such an awesome fit for the position. And with a few cover letter tips to point you in the right direction, you’ll write the perfect cover letter for your job application.

Just follow this structure:

• Add the contact details. Include the same contact information as on your resume, plus additional contact details for the hiring manager, including their name, job title, the company’s name, and location.
• Introduce yourself. Start your cover letter by mentioning who you are, what your work experience is, and why you’re interested in the position. Mention a standout achievement or two, relevant skills, and what you’d like to do for the company you’re applying for.
• Explain why you’d excel at the job. Find the requirements in the job ad that you meet, and elaborate on how you fulfill the most important ones. Research the company so you know what you like about it, and mention it in your cover letter. Make sure to convey your enthusiasm for the job and confidence that you’ll be a great fit for their team.
• Wrap it up politely. Conclude your cover letter by recapping your key selling points and thanking the hiring manager for their time. Then add a call to action, such as “Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the provided phone number so that we can discuss my application in greater detail.” Then, add a closing line and follow it with your full name.

Sounds easy, right? Here’s a real-life example to drive the point home:

Do you need more help perfecting your cover letter? Learn what the most common cover letter mistakes are and check out cover letter examples for all professions here.

#2. How to Ace Your Next Interview

Once you’ve perfected both your resume and cover letter, there’s only one thing left.

It’s time for the final step—the dreaded job interview.

Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, you probably hate the interviewing process. No matter how experienced you are, it can be nerve-wracking. Sitting there while someone’s prodding into your past experiences and judging you isn’t fun.

But did you know that most interviewers ask the same questions?

That’s right—all you have to do is learn how to answer some of the most common interview questions, and you’ll be an interview away from landing your dream job!

Just check out our complete guide to the 35+ Job Interview Questions and Answers and learn how to ace your next interview.

FAQs on How to Make a Resume

Do you still have some questions about making a resume? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions below!

#1. What does a good resume look like in 2024?

For your resume to look good in 2024, make sure it’s organized and clean and isn’t longer than one page.

Be sure to include information that adds value to your application—leave out the focus on your relevant work experience and skills that you can back up, and list as many achievements as possible. 

If you’re using a resume template, choose one based on your industry. Conservative industries like law, banking, and business require more traditional resume templates. But if you’re going for an industry like design, architecture, or marketing, you can go for a creative resume template . 

Remote work is also big in 2024, so if that’s what you’re after, tailor your resume to match the job you want.

#2. How do you make a resume in Word?

The best way to create a resume in Word is to use a pre-designed Microsoft Word template. To access them, you should: 

• Open MS Word
• Click “file” from the menu bar 
• Select “new”
• Type “resume templates” in the search bar 

That said, Word resume templates are generic, hard to personalize, and overall not very stylish.

Want a resume that looks good and is extremely easy to make? Check out resume templates to get started!

#3. How do I write a resume for my first job?

If you’re writing your first-ever resume for an entry-level position, the hiring manager won’t expect you to have any work experience.

However, you can make up for your lack of experience with your skills and academic achievements.

For example, you can take advantage of extracurricular activities, internships, volunteering experiences, and other non-professional experiences. You can use them to highlight the skills you’ve gained and what you’ve achieved so far.

So, your first job resume should have a resume objective, emphasize your education, and replace your work experience with any internships, volunteering, independent projects, or other experiences.

#4. How to make a resume on Google Docs?

You can make a resume on Google Docs by choosing one of their templates and filling it in on the go.

All you have to do is go to your Google Drive’s template gallery, choose your preferred template, fill in your information, and your Google Docs resume is ready to go! 

That said, Google Docs templates aren’t the most user-friendly choice. You don’t have much flexibility with the layout and formatting isn’t that easy. For example, you tweak a section to the slightest, and the whole resume becomes a mess.

If you want an easier option, check out our resume builder !

#5. What kind of resume do employers prefer?

Typically, employers prefer one-page-long resumes that follow the reverse chronological format. 

Hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes every day, so they don't have the time to read three-page resumes. Try one of our one-page resume templates so you don’t go over the recommended resume length.

Meanwhile, the reverse-chronological format is the most popular because it draws attention to your most recent jobs and professional achievements, which is the #1 most important thing hiring managers look at when evaluating a resume.

#6. How many jobs should you put on your resume? 

You should only include relevant job positions on your resume.

This means that your work experience section should be tailored to the job you are applying for. If you’ve worked five different jobs and they can all add value to your current application, then you should include all five. 

If, on the other hand, you’re applying for, say, a customer service position and some of your past jobs don’t have anything to do with customer service, you should skip them.

#7. Should I put my address on my resume? 

You can put your location (city, state, or country) on your resume, but you don’t need to put your entire physical address.

Putting a physical address on a resume was the norm back when companies would contact you via mail. In today’s world, everyone communicates via email, which is why adding a correct and professional email address to your contact information section is far more important than putting your physical address. 

So, just include your location or-–if you’re a remote worker—specify you prefer to work remotely by writing “working remotely from [location].”

#8. What information should I leave out of my resume?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t include your birthday or your headshot on your resume. This norm varies from country to country but it applies to the USA, Canada, and UK.

If you have plenty of achievements to list under your work experience, then you can leave your basic work responsibilities out of your resume. 

In your education section, you should only include your highest and most recent degree. So, if you hold a Ph.D., you can list that and your Master’s degree and leave your Bachelor’s degree and high school diploma out.

Finally, leave out any skills that aren’t relevant to the job you’re applying for.

#9. Is a resume a CV?

Depending on where you are, a CV (Curriculum Vitae) and a resume might be completely different things.

In most of the world, though, including Europe and Asia, they are used interchangeably for the same document. Both CVs and resumes are one to two pages long, and list skills and experiences relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Sometimes more detailed resumes that go over one page are referred to as CVs. These are typically only used by senior professionals, executives, CEOs, etc.

In the USA, however, a CV is a completely different document. Typically, CVs are detailed and comprehensive documents that highlight your entire academic and professional history. They’re often used for academic, scientific, or research positions, which is why this type of CV can also be referred to as an academic CV.

You can create your CV using one of our CV templates !

#10. Should I write my own resume?

Yes, you should always write your own resume.

Your resume is your opportunity to show the hiring manager your communication, writing, and presentation skills . Employers also evaluate you based on how effectively you can convey information about yourself, and there’s no one that can represent you better than yourself.

Writing your own resume lets you introduce yourself authentically. You have the best understanding of your skills and experiences, and you can personalize them to make your resume stand out.

And, as a bonus, the experience of writing your resume yourself can be reflective and insightful, so it might help you understand your professional journey and career goals better.

#11. Can a resume be two pages?

Generally, we strongly recommend that your resume stick to one page.

Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes every day, and keeping your resume to one page increases the odds that they’ll see your qualifications faster.

In some cases, like when you have a lot of relevant experience, your resume can go over two pages. But this exception is reserved for senior professionals with over a decade of relevant experience and tons of skills and achievements that simply can’t fit on one page.

#12. Is a simple resume okay?

Absolutely, a simple resume is often more than okay—it's preferable.

Before your resume even gets to the hiring manager, a complicated layout could get it rejected by the applicant tracking system (ATS). A simple resume template can help get your application straight to the hiring manager.

A clean layout can also make sure that your resume is easily readable and looks professional. This can focus the hiring manager's attention on your work experience and skills without excessive clutter or flashy colors to distract them.

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

If you’ve followed all of our advice until now, congrats! You’re probably an expert on how to make a resume.

To recap, let’s go through some of the most important lessons we’ve learned so far...

• Use the right resume builder to make the process as smooth as possible. You don’t want to mess around with formatting for hours before even starting to work on your resume!
• Focus on your achievements over responsibilities. This can help you stand out from all the other applicants, especially if you back your claims up with data.
• Include all the must-have sections, like the resume summary, work experience, education, and skills. Then leverage optional sections if you have leftover space.
• Tailor your resume for the job you’re applying for. Everything listed on your resume should be relevant to the specific job you’re applying for, and you should write a new resume for every new job application.
• Take the time to perfect your cover letter. It’s just as important as your resume, so make sure you pay as much attention to it!

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Resume Examples & Samples

How to make a resume [the visual guide].

Adi Gaskell

Create a Resume in Minutes & Get More Job Interviews

Table of Contents

How do you build a resume, designer vs traditional resume layout, what is the right page count for a resume, choosing the right font for your resume, choosing the right resume format, what is ats and how to beat it, contact information, summary and objective, work experience, accomplishments and numbers, resume tailoring, how to create a student resume, mentioning education, showing your skills, ats tailoring, hobbies on a resume.

Knowing how to make a resume is essential if you'd like to build a solid career, but the process can seem quite complicated.

There are so many rules, best-practices and tips you need to follow - and worst of all, everyone and their favorite blog offers different advice on how to make a resume that gets you hired. This is why we're here to help and guide you through the confusion.

In this guide, we’re going to go through every single step of the process and show you real examples. If you don't have a resume to work with yet, have a look at these resume templates .

How to Use This Guide

There are two ways to use this guide. One is to build your resume section-by-section as you go through the guide. If you already have a resume, you can use this guide as a reference to improve the sections that need work.

You will learn:

• Resume Basics - How to build your resume and what tools to use
• Resume Content - How to turn your resume from a boring document to a killer sales pitch
• Sending the Resume - How to make sure the recruiter actually reads your resume

How to Make a Resume - the Basics

Before we get to the resume content, we’ll need to go through the basics. While the content is important, the technical stuff is what gets your foot in the door.

If your resume is not the right format , for example, it might be sent straight to the shredder.

in this section, we’re going to teach you

• Which tools to use to create your resume
• In which cases you can use a visual resume
• How long should your resume be
• Which fonts to use
• Which formats to go for
• How the Applicant Tracking Systems work, and how to make sure your resume doesn’t get thrown out

# how-do-you-build-a-resume

Today, there are many different ways to build a resume. Traditionally, a resume used to be a piece of paper containing you work experience and written in a very basic manner.

Since technology evolved, however, methods changed accordingly. Now, there are three main ways to create a resume:

Microsoft Word

Word template.

• Online Resume Builder

Let's have a look at the pros and cons of each.

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular resume builders to-date . Let's tak a look at its pros and cons.

• Customization . If you’re good at it, you can customize the resume as much as you want in order to stand out
• Hard to Use . If you want anything other than a basic column-resume , you’ll have to do extensive research on formatting
• It's time-consuming . Creating a resume from scratch using Word might take a while, especially if you’re handling the formatting.

While Word is known for being hard to deal with, the right template can make your job a lot easier.

Some templates are free, while others cost up to $100 . There’s a wide variety in terms of templates, and there are a lot of different designs and formats you could opt for.

Word Template Pros:

• Easy to use . As opposed to building a resume completely from scratch, a template allows you to just fill in the blanks.
• Wide variety of options . There are many templates to choose from.

Word Template Cons:

• Formatting Issues . If your experience section is longer than what the template allows, for example, it will mess up the formatting completely.
• Possibly Expensive . While a lot of templates are free, the good ones can cost quite a lot.

Resume builders

While Word is the most popularway of creating a resume, it wasn't created with that goal in mind. In fact, the most efficient way to create a resume is by using a builder.

Resume builders are created specifically with the purpose if creating a pristine document that gets you hired. They tend to make formatting much easier, as all you have to do is fill in existing forms with your information.

Resume Builder Pros:

• Easy to use with its simple layout
• Structured formatting
• Pre-written Bullet Points
• Changing the design with 1 click
• Inexpensive
• Created with Applicant Tracking Systems in mind

Resume Builder Cons:

• Some resume builders don’t work with applicant tracking systems, but that's only a few

Make the process easier. Give our resume builder a try!

# designer-vs-traditional-resume-layout

Traditionally, the resume is defined by:

• A single column
• Black & White
• Simple format

Lately, however, “designer resumes” have gotten quite popular. Those are either custom-made with Illustrator (or any other relevant tool), or with a resume builder.

While the designer resume looks amazing, you need to know in which case you can use it and when it might end up backfiring on you. Go for a designer resume if you're applying to:

• Small-to-medium sized company or a startup . Bigger companies and corporations tend to use an ATS system (more on that later), which scans the resume for certain keywords. If the resume is not formatted traditionally, the system simply discards it.
• A “trendy” company . Traditional industries have their standards they tend to uphold. That means that if you’re applying to a bank, you should show discretion and professionalism, and stand out with your skills and experience as opposed to how good-looking your resume is.

# what-is-the-right-page-count-for-a-resume

One of the most-debated topics in terms of resumes is how long it should be. While there’s no strict guideline, the rule of thumb is that your resume should be just as long as the recruiter's attention span.

If you can keep their attention for 5 hours, go for it, write a novel!

The best practice, however, is

• Student - 2 years of experience. 1 page maximum.
• 2-5 years of experience - 1 - 2 pages , depending on how much experience you have.
• 5+ years of experience - Maximum of 2 pages .

Want to know why the one-page is the best practice? Check out our guide:

How Long Should a Resume Be: Everything You Need to Know

# choosing-the-right-font-for-your-resume

This one’s pretty straightforward - the font should ensure that the resume is clear, putting emphasis on the content, and doesn't distract. You should never use a font that attracts any attention. Think, anything unusual: Comic Sans, anything that makes your resume look like a medieval scripture, Comic Sans, did we already mention Comic Sans?

Real-life depiction of our HR, reading a resume written in Comic Sans..

Instead, here are thes 22 best resume fonts:

Which is the perfect font for you? Find out in Top 22 Fonts For Your Resume

# choosing-the-right-resume-format

There are 3 typical types of resume formats.

Reverse Chronological

Reverse-chronological is the most common resume format, and it’s also what you’re probably most used to. It details your work experience in a, well, reverse-chronological order, starting from the latest to the oldest.

When to Use It: At Velvetjobs , we tend to recommend the reverse-chronological format, as it’s the most common one. The recruiters know it, you know, and it’s a lot easier to bring to perfection.

Functional , on the other hand, is centered around your skills. Instead of listing out your work history, you write down different “themes.” i.e , you write down “sale,” and under it, mention the type of skills you have with it.

When to Use It: Functional resumes aren’t all that common, so just by using it, you might be taking a risk - it’s possible that the recruiter has never seen this type. You can, however, use a functional resume if you don’t have a lot of experience or if you have a gap in your career that you don’t want to show.

Combination

Combination is the mix of the two formats, including your experience, as well as the skills. It takes the best out of the other two, allowing you to showcase more than your average candidate.

When to Use It: As with the Functional resume, the format isn’t too common. It can be useful, however, if you’re changing industries. It shows that you have a lot of experience in some field, as well as the type of skills you can take with you to your new job.

If you want to save time and find out how to write a good resume for a specific profession, take a look at our guides and examples of resumes here .

Want to experiment with different resume formats, but don't know where to start? Check out The Best Resume Format: Chronological, Functional, & Combo

# what-is-ats-and-how-to-beat-it

Some companies tend to receive hundreds of applications per open position. Obviously, they don’t have an army of HR professionals to go through a giant stack of resumes.

Instead, bigger companies tend to use an Applicant Tracking System to filter through them.

In a nutshell, what ATS does is scan through the resume to detect if you have the right keywords for the job mentioned.

We’ll explain how the keyword work in the ATS Tailoring section . As for the formatting, make sure to:

• Use the company’s preferred resume format . If the company asks for one specific resume format ( PDF , .doc, etc.), it might mean that that’s the only one their ATS reads.
• Use simple formatting . - don't use headings and footers. Keep it simple and well-organized
• Use single-column - no tables or text boxes
• Use a standard font - Arial , Georgia, Tahoma , and Calibri are all great choices

ATS can be pretty sensitive - even the format you save you resume can be important. Learn more about PDF Resume Format vs Word Resume [Which One Wins?] .

How to Make a Resume - the Content

Now that we've got all the basics covered, let's go in depth to see how each section should look.

# contact-information

The contact information is one of the simplest sections on your resume - but it’s also one of the most crucial ones. If you mess something up, the recruiter can end up calling someone else’s number, instantly losing you the job.

On a typical resume, you’ll need to mention:

*Name / Last name

*Phone Number

If you have a portfolio online or relevant social media channels, go ahead and mention them. Here are some popular channels you can use to showcase your skills and experience:

Linkedin - think of LinkedIn as your online resume. Polish it by adding thorough information and a professional photo.

Behance - If you’re a designer, this is the best place to showcase your portfolio.

Github - If you’re a programmer and have contributions to Github , you might want to mention that. Recruiters tend to love candidates who code for fun in their own free time.

Use a professional Email. While “ Casanova6969 ” might be hilarious to your buddies, the recruiter won't be impressed. For work-related matters, create a professional email such as: [First Name] . [Last Name] @ emailprovider . com

It's essential to get your contact information right. Learn more with our How to Include Contact Information on Your Resume guide.

# summary-and-objective

First impressions matter. Give the recruiter a good idea of who you are, where you’re coming from, and why they should be impressed by you by creating a killer resume summary and objective .

Resume Summary

Think of the summary as your elevator pitch. It acts as an introduction to the rest of the resume, letting the recruiter know whether you’re relevant for the job or not. It has to be short, clear and tailored to the job. Otherwise, your resume will end up in the trash.

A good resume summary should mention:

• Years of Experience
• Specific Industry
• Achievements
• Relevant Education
• Managerial Experience

Check out this example:

• Accomplished digital marketer with 10+ years of experience . Track record of success within the tech industry, having created marketing strategies from scratch in 3 SaaS companies . Some managerial experience, having led a team of 6+ marketers, designers, and writers, driving over $ 100 ,000 revenue within the year. Ms. in Digital Marketing

Resume Objective

In most cases, it’s better to just stick to a resume summary . You'll use the objective in these 3 cases:

• If you’re changing industries , and want to showcase how transferable your experience is
• In case you’re targeting a very specific job
• If you just graduated college , and don’t have any experience

If you’re a professional , your resume objective should include:

• Specialization
• Application.
• Operations management consultant with over 5 years of experience. Looking to leverage years of consulting excellence as a full-time Chief Operations Office. MBA with honors from Wharton.

If you’re a student , you probably don't have a lot of experience. Instead, your objective could include:

• University Degree
• Extracurricular Experience
• Application

Let's compare these two examples:

• Recent Business Administration graduate from Boston University. Having managed 10+ people as VP marketing of the Business Club, looking to gain some practical experience in the field of marketing, growing both as a professional and as an individual.
• Recently university graduate looking for his first internship. No pay is fine as long as you just hire me

The right objective shows your dedication to the company you're applying for. Learn more about How to Write a Resume Objective: Guide and 30+ Examples

# work-experience

If you don’t have any work experience, skip to how to create a student resume .

The substance of your work experience is really important, as is the way you list it. This section should be in a reverse-chronological order, starting from your most recent job:

Role + Dates

Company Name

Company Description

• Responsibility or Achievement
• Show progression . What differentiates a high-achiever from your average Joe is their career progression pace. Show how you've developed over the years, and how you managed to get more responsibilities within the company.
• Keep your experience section to the most recent 3 or 4 jobs. Rememeber that your resume is not a biography.
• Under the company name (if not well-known), include a short description. The recruiter would want to know what the company is all about.
• Responsibility: “Oversaw 5+ servers.”
• Accomplishments: “Rated 4.5/5 in customer feedback 2 years in a row.
• Whenever possible, quantify your responsibilities or achievements. It's a lot more impressive to say, “drove 10,000 in monthly traffic” than “worked on driving traffic to the website.”

Restaurant Manager, September 2012 - December 2014

Mark’s Fine Dining.

• Oversaw and coordinated staff of 6 servers and 4 bussers
• Managed the hiring process for client-sided employees
• Interviewed and Evaluated 100+ potential employees over 2 years
• Maintained a 5-star rating for customer service on Yelp

Your work experience is the bulk of your resume. Check out our Step-By-Step Guide to Listing Your Resume Work Experience Section .

# accomplishments-and-numbers

As we’ve mentioned before, the best way to show your experience is through accomplishments or numbers . While responsibilities are important, accomplishments show your “ highlights .”

Compare the following examples:

Increased customer support satisfaction index by 50%

Was in charge of managing the customer support department

Here, the candidate's position is that of a customer support manager. If he or she mentions it again in the responsibilities section, it becomes redundant - we already knew he was a manager.

Saying that they increased the customer support satisfaction index, however, shows how they excel at their job.

If you’re not sure about what your accomplishments are, you can always drop a line to your previous supervisor or manager.

The best way to show your accomplishments is through numbers. If you say that you “did a great job,” that doesn’t really mean anything. The recruiter doesn’t really care whether you worked at the company - they care about how you excelled.

Take the following examples:

Increased monthly website traffic from 1,000 to 10,000 , CR from 2% to 5%

Marketed the company website, resulting in a lot of traffic and conversions

The first shows the exact numbers, which prove how good you are. The second, on the other hand, is vague and says pretty much nothing.

VelvetJobs Expert Tip

If you're currently working, make sure to write down your achievement numbers. If not, you might have to get back to your former boss about that - it's going to be worth the effort.

Not sure what your accomplishments are, or why you're supposed to mention them? Learn about How to Mention Accomplishments on Your Resume (10+ Examples) .

# resume-tailoring

The secret to cracking the recruiter code tends to lie in the job description - all you have to do is learn how to read between the lines.

Let’s take this job ad for example:

MadeUpCompanyInc , your one-stop-shop for everything tech, is looking for its new rockstar sales rep. The successful candidate will be charged with dealing with both new and old clients, ensuring their complete satisfaction.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Identifying and qualifying leads
• Carrying out 100+ calls to warm leads on a daily basis, establishing rapport and driving new business
• Upselling new products and services to existing company clients
• Working with MadeUpCRM , keeping track of the position of each client in the sales cycle

Skills & Qualifications:

• BA in Business Administration
• At least 3+ years of experience in phone sales
• Communicative, with a passion for human interaction
• Listening skills - the best salesman listens, then talks.
• Willing to walk the extra mile. Sales is hard - objections should motivate you, not discourage you.

From here, you've got 2 ways of going about applying:

Disregard the job description & send the same resume you've sent in the past

Customize your resume to the job description, mentioning the skills they're looking for

The right answer is obviously the second. By tailoring your resume to the job description, you’re practically doubling the chances of getting the job. To make this easier, we’ve highlighted all the parts you should pay attention to.

This is what a resume tailored to this ad would look like:

• Charged with identifying & qualifying leads, calling prospective clients and gauging their interest.
• Made over 100 cold calls daily, generating monthly sales of $20,000 and upwards for the company
• Worked with MadeUpCRM , ensuring that no client data would get lost
• Became every client’s best friend - identifying, understanding & catering to their needs, thus establishing long, mutually-beneficial relationships.

Tailoring Your Resume to the Company

While tailoring your resume takes to a job description takes you a long way, there's yet another part of the equation you have to consider.

Even if your resume is the most impressive piece of paper the recruiter has ever seen, you still don't have a shot at the job if you don’t fit into the company culture .

About 89% of hiring failures happen because of a bad culture fit. If you don’t understand or appreciate the values of the company you’re applying to, you’re not getting the job.

This is why it's essential that you show in your resume how you will fit in. Le t’s say, for example, you’re trying to get a job in a trendy startup .

You’d find this in their “About Us” page:

• We’re All Friends Here - MadeUpStartup was founded in the garage of two best friends and went a long way from there. We appreciate and value each employee as a member of our family!
• Innovation - Out with the old, in with the new. We always look for innovative solutions to old problems.
• Be Positive - We try to avoid criticism, complaining and pessimism in every way possible. Feedback is the new criticism!

See the pattern here? Everything yells out “ we’re a modern , breaking-the-rules kind of company.”

Your old-fashioned , 100% work experience banking resume simply won't cut it here. Instead, you’d want to have a section or two specifically tailored to show how you’d fit into the company. Let's take these two examples:

Finance Manager with 10+ years of experience in the banking industry turning a new leaf, finally leaving the corporate life behind for something much warmer and friendlier. Looking to leverage years of excellence in managing company financials to take MadeUpStartup to the new level and beyond.

Or, you could go with the same old:

Highly-recognized and accomplished financial officer, with 10+ years of experience in the banking industry, looking for new opportunities. Known for strong leadership capabilities, having managed teams of 10+ people in a highly efficient manner

The difference between the two here is obvious - the first is directly speaking to the interests of the company. It says, “this is what I have , and this is how it would work with you .”

The second, on the other hand, is your average, conservative professional who's not very likely to be willing to adapt to a new environment.

Mastering resume tailoring is what takes your resume from good to amazing. Learn How and Why To Tailor Your Resume to the Job (10+ Examples) with our complete guide!

# how-to-create-a-student-resume

Work experience can be tricky if you’re a student, since there’s a good chance that you don’t have any professional experience yet .

Even if you do have some experience, seeing how it would fit with the job is not always obvious. How can a part-time job as a server help your career in sales , for example? Is that even something you mention in a resume?

When assessing a university student or graduate, the first thing a recruiter looks for is transferable skills .

You actually don’t need ANY work experience to get an entry-level job. You might even beat someone who has some if you show your skills and experiences well enough.

When it comes to creating a student resume, you want to nail 2 sections: Work Experience and Extracurricular Activities.

As a student, there’s a good chance you have some work experience. A summer job as a server, or a part-time clerk gig during university time still counts.

While that might seem very irrelevant to your career, it doesn't have to be. Employers tend to prefer candidates with at least some work experience, rather than none .

Plus, these jobs have most likely given you some transferable skills. If you’ve worked at a restaurant, for example, you know how to handle a high-pressure environment. If you’re applying for a job in logistics, that skill is very relevant.

• Worked in customer service. Dealt with 100+ different clients per day. Maintained a client-satisfaction score of 4.5+/5 . Promoted to supervisor 5 months into the role

Working in sales requires people skills , something you get from working in customer support. If you deal with hundreds of people on a daily basis, you probably can handle yourself with words.

But again, the key here is relevancy.

If you’re working as a financial analyst, you need math skills, critical thinking skills, etc. If you've worked as a cashier, for example, you don't mention that, as the job doesn't involve any relevant skills.

Still in school & looking for your very first internship? We've got you covered - here's how to write an Internship Resume - Land the Job in 5 Steps .

Extracurricular Activities

If college were a real-life simulation , extracurricular activities would be your simulated career . Taking part in clubs, for example, shows that you’re proactive . A higher-up position in a club, on the other hand, can mean that you’re very achievement-oriented .

You can mention your extracurricular activities as a substitution for the lack of work experience. As with work experience, you want to clearly define your responsibilities and achievements, and quantify whenever possible. Let's look at these two examples:

• Promoted from Team Member to Department VP in university AIESEC chapter, 1 months into being a member of the club
• I’ve heard that extracurricular activities are good for the soul. I was part of the business club, the musical, acting club, and 20 other clubs. Can I get my straight-out-of-college managerial position yet?

If you're a student trying to learn how to make a resume, we've even got a completely separate guide just for you! Learn the ins and outs in our Complete Guide to Writing a Student Resume (10+ Examples)

# mentioning-education

In many cases, having the right education is the baseline requirement for the job.

That's why it’s important to get this right. Begin by writing down your education history in a reverse-chronological order.

Then, the formatting should be as follows:

Type of degree + Field of study

University name + Duration

here's what a right listing would look like:

BA. Business Administration

Boston State University, 2010 September - 2014 May

GPA: 3.79 / 4.00

*Any award or distinction

Other than that, keep in mind that the best practice is to mention your GPA only it if it’s above 3.5 . If your university is highly competitive (think, Ivy League ). Otherwise, strive for above 3.0

You don't have to mention every single one of your degrees, just the most recent or relevant ones.

If you have an MBA , no one cares about your high school diploma , for example. A golden rule here is to mention the past 2 degrees. Think, Ph.D ., MA. Or, Ms, BA.

Have some questions about listing your education? Maybe you didn't graduate from school, and are wondering whether or not you should mention it in your resume?Find out How to List Education on a Resume (10+ Examples and Tips) .

# showing-your-skills

One of the most commonly misused resume sections is "skills." Positioning yourself the right way through skills shows the employer that you’re qualified for the job . Doing it the wrong way, however, makes you seem incompetent .

Take the following example:

Skills: Business Administration. Leadership. Critical Thinking.

“So, what’s wrong with all that,” you might think.

Imagine you saw the keywords we mentioned before on a resume. What exactly did you understand about the writer’s skills? Nothing.

There are 2 types of skills you’ll mention in your resume: technical and soft.

Technical Skills

Tech skills tend to be very important . If the employer is looking for a designer skilled in Photoshop , and you don’t have it mentioned in your resume, you’re going to get skipped .

Even worse, if they’re using an ATS system , then your resume just gets deleted if it doesn’t mention the right words.

Mentioning technical skills is pretty straightforward:

• Beginner - Just starting out, <1 year of experience
• Intermediate - 1 - 3 years of experience.
• Expert - 3+ years of experience, less if you have achievements to back up the claim
• If you’ve worked with Photoshop , for example, you can mention what, exactly, you’ve worked on: “ Banners, Facebook Ads, Article Images .”
• Back it up with experience (if you can) - In the same Photoshop example - if you can direct them to the images you’ve worked on, this will give the recruiter a real idea of your expertise.

DON’T lie about your skill levels. Even if you get the job, you’re going to get asked to do something way out of your league. That’s going to make it pretty awkward for everyone

Soft Skills

Soft skills are a bit tricky While technical skills are easy to measure , that's not the case with soft skills. Take “leadership” or “critical Thinking” for example. They are both very abstract concepts. Soft skills are usually used by recent graduates when they don’t have a lot to mention in their resume, hoping to fill it up.

The only way to make your soft skills count is to back them up with facts. Take these two examples:

• Managed 3 successful software projects teams during my time in university. 2 out of the 3 were completed ahead of schedule.
• My mom says I’m a good leader , and my professors really liked me

Not sure what skills you want to mention on your resume? Check out 50+ Skills to Put on a Resume [Key to Get a Job] .

# ats-tailoring

If you’re applying to any high-demand company, chances are, you’re one out of a thousand applying for the same position. As we’ve mentioned before, those companies tend to use Applicant Tracking Software .

Unless your resume matches the job description, it won’t even get a glance from the recruiter. Instead, the system checks if your resume mentions the skills that the company is looking for. If it does, it greenlights the resume.

You’ll have to mention the exact keywords that you see in the job description. Even if your keywords are slightly different than what the job description mentions(MS Word vs Word), the ATS might not catch that.

Let's say that the position requires:

There are two ways you can list your skills:

• Skills: MS Word, Excel, Photoshop
• Skills: Word, Office 2012, Adobe Photoshop Professional

In both cases, the applicant has the same skillset . The first, however, is more likely to be " liked " by the applicant tracking system because it mentions the skills exactly as stated in the description.

See how well your resume matches the job description using Jobscan.co .

# hobbies-on-a-resume

Some experts tend to recommend creating a hobbies section on your resume. This works for 3 reasons :

• Hobbies make you stand out from the standard resumes
• You offer a bigger picture of you, other than your career
• Hobbies make you more relatable to the recruiter

While the reasons might seem accurate , at the end of the day, it’s all situational . While you might be able to bond with the recruiter over a mutual love of underwater basket-weaving , it sure won’t get you hired.

The hobbies section can still be useful in some cases. If the job is low-skill , a hobbies section will make you stand out.

If the recruiter has 5 equally qualified candidates, they’re going to pick the one they relate to on a spiritual level (over the mutual love for underwater basket-weaving ).

In some cases, your hobbies and aspirations might be what puts you ahead of the competition. Learn How and Why Put Hobbies on a Resume (20+ Real Examples) .

Sending in your Resume - so the Recruiter Loves It

Once you're done with all the resume contents, there are couple of things you might want to take care of before sending in your resume.

Proof-Reading the Resume

You want the recruiter to know that you REALLY care about their job and your career. The best way to forever destroy your chances of getting hired is to send a page riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes.

Before sending your resume in, check it with Grammarly . If you can get a second pair of eyes, then that’s even better - you might be a minor edit away from your dream job.

Creating a Killer Cover Letter

Before you earn the rite of passage for your resume, you’ll have to impress the recruiter with a cover letter.

Think of a cover letter as a resume of your resume - a short document highlighting the resumes best qualities so that it’s invited for a review.

One way to do that is by creating having it summarize the best points of your resume.

To make it easier, use the following as a guideline:

• Introduction [My name is [name], I have X years of experience in [field], and am emailing you about the position in [field]. I know your company from [source].]
• Any specific information about your career
• Big Achievement #1 [Managed a budget with size of X]
• Big Achievement #2 [Led teams of X+ people]
• Why they should care [I can do X and Y for your company]

Tracking Your Job-Search

Looking for a job is a stressful process. You pour your soul into your resume and send out hundreds of emails and applications, but that's just about everything you've got in your power.

While some recruiters are nice enough to let you know that you’re being rejected , most don't have the time. You can’t even know if they received your email - let alone opened the resume.

Here’s some good news: this used to be a big deal years ago. Today, you can track every single step of your job search. Download Bananatag .

The tool sends you an email whenever someone opens your emails. So, if the recruiter doesn’t even take a look at the resume, you’ll know when to send a follow-up . Or, if the resume is what you’re worried about, give DocSend a try.

You get a personalized link for your resume and get data whenever someone opens that link. You’ll know how long the recruiter looked at the resume, and gauge whether they’re interested or not based on that.

Keep in mind that these tools work specifically if you’re reaching out to small and medium businesses , as corporations tend to have their own application forms.

Congratulations!

You’re halfway there to landing your new favorite job, and you didn’t even need to sell your house for it!

Why halfway? Well, you still need to learn how to ace your upcoming interview, of course!

Stay tuned for our all-in-one guide on the interview process and have a look at these resume templates for some extra inspiration.

Now that you know how to make a resume, it's time to get started! Head over to our resume builder & apply everything you just learned.

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40+ Resume Tips to Help You Land a Job in 2024

When you haven’t updated your resume in a while, it can be hard to know where to start. What experiences and accomplishments are relevant for the jobs you’ve got your eye on? What new resume rules and trends should you be following? And seriously, one page or two ?

Well, search no more: We’ve compiled all the resume tips you need into one place. Read on for advice and tricks that’ll help you craft a winning resume—and land your next job.

Maximize your chances by looking for more open jobs on The Muse »

Basic resume tips

Let's start with the basic do's and don'ts when putting your resume together. Listing your skills is not the only thing that matters—choosing the right format and sections is equally crucial. Here are some tips for writing a resume from scratch:

1. Don’t try to cram every skill and work experience onto your resume

Think of your resume not as a comprehensive list of your career history, but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for the role you’re applying to. For each resume you send out, you’ll want to highlight only the accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job at hand (even if that means you don’t include all of your experience ).

This is called tailoring your resume and it helps anyone who reads it see exactly why you’re a match for a specific position.

2. But keep a resume outline with a full list of your qualifications

Since you’ll be swapping different information in and out depending on the job you’re applying to, save a resume outline —or maybe our resume worksheet —on your computer with old positions, bullet points tailored for different applications, and special projects that only sometimes make sense to include. Think of this as your brag file. Then, when you’re crafting each resume, it’s just a matter of cutting and pasting relevant information together.

3. Ditch the objective statement

The only time an objective section makes sense is when you’re making a huge career change and need to explain from the get-go why your experience doesn’t match up with the position you’re applying to. In every other case, resume objectives just make you look old-fashioned or out of touch.

Read More: 3 Reasons You Should Ditch That Resume Objective—and 3 Things You Can Do Instead

4. Put the best, most relevant information first

In journalism speak, “above the fold” refers to what you see on the front half of a folded newspaper (or, in the digital age, before you scroll down on a website)—basically it’s your first impression of a document. In resume speak, it means you should make sure your most relevant qualifications are visible on the top third of your resume.

This top section is what the hiring manager is going to see first—and what will serve as a hook for someone to keep on reading. If your most recent position isn’t the most relevant piece of your candidacy, consider leading with a skills section (such as in a combination resume format ) or writing a resume summary .

5. Choose the right resume format for you

There are lots of different ways to organize the information on your resume—like the functional resume or combination resume. But the good old reverse chronological —where your most recent experience is listed first—is usually your best bet. Unless it’s absolutely necessary in your situation, skip the functional or skills-based resume—hiring managers might wonder what you’re hiding.

6. Keep it concise

The two-page resume is a hotly debated topic, but the bottom line is this—you want the information here to be as short as possible, and keeping it to one page forces you to prioritize what really matters. If you truly have enough relevant and important experience, training, and credentials to showcase on more than one page of your resume, then go for two. But if you can tell the same story in less space? Do it.

Read More: 6 Pro Tips for Cutting Your Resume Down to One Page

7. Include relevant links

Can’t figure out how to tell your whole story on one page, or want to be able to include some visual examples of your work? Instead of trying to have your resume cover everything, cover the most important details on that document. Then, include a link to your personal website , your online portfolio , examples of your work, or a relevant, professional social media profile , where you can dive more into what makes you the ideal candidate.

Just avoid hyperlinking over words that are key to understanding your resume, since it can throw off the tools employers use to store and parse resumes.

8. Be aware of the ATS

You may have heard that employers are using computers to “read” your resume and decide who to hire and reject. That’s not exactly true. But most employers do use software called an applicant tracking system—or ATS—to parse resumes and organize them so that recruiters and hiring managers can search for the most relevant applications.

You should assume your resume will pass through an ATS at some point during your job search, so understanding how it works will help make your hunt more efficient. (All of the tips for resume writing in this list keep ATSs in mind as well!)

Read More: Beat the Robots: How to Get Your Resume Past the System and Into Human Hands

Resume formatting tips

Your resume's format matters as much as the content it holds. Aim for a simple and minimalist layout, without overwhelming columns, colors, or graphic elements. Here are some key resume formatting tips to help you stand out:

9. Keep your resume format simple

We’ll talk about getting creative in order to stand out in a minute. But the most basic principle of good resume formatting and design? Keep it simple. Make your resume easy on hiring managers’ eyes by using a reasonably sized default font like Helvetica or Arial and leaving a healthy amount of white space on the page. Your main focus here should be on readability for the hiring manager (and that pesky ATS).

Read more: The Best Resume Font and Size (No More Agonizing!)

10. Stand out with ATS-friendly design elements

Really want your resume to stand out from the sea of Times New Roman? Yes, creative resumes —like infographics, videos, or presentations can set you apart, but you have to make sure they actually get read. If you’re uploading your resume to a job application site or online portal, use ATS-friendly formatting elements like:

• Bold and italic text
• Underlining (in headings or over hyperlinks)
• Different text alignments
• Columns that can be read straight across

11. Avoid design elements that can’t be “read” by computers

On the flip side, it’s best to avoid design elements that ATSs are known to have trouble with such as:

• Logos and icons
• Images and photos
• Graphics, graphs, or other visuals
• Headers and footers
• Less common fonts
• Columns that can only be read from top to bottom

12. Make your contact info prominent

You don’t need to include your address on your resume anymore (really!), but you do need to make sure to include a phone number and professional-sounding email address (but not one affiliated with another job!) as well as other places the hiring manager can find you on the web, like your LinkedIn profile, plus your pronouns if you’d like to.

Read More: Here's Exactly What Should Be Included in Your Resume's Header

13. Design your resume for skimmability

You’ve probably heard before that hiring managers don’t spend a lot of time on each individual resume. So help them get as much information as possible in as little time as possible, by making your resume easy to skim .

Work experience resume tips

Recruiters nowadays want to know more than a simple description of your responsibilities. They're looking for the results and impacts of your work, as well as the connection between your experience and the position you're applying for now.

That said, let's take a look at some resume writing tips for describing your work experience:

14. Keep your work experience recent and relevant

As a rule, you should only show the most recent 10-15 years of your career and only include the experiences that are relevant to the positions you’re applying to. Remember to allocate real estate on your resume according to importance. If there’s a choice between including one more college internship or going into more detail about your current role, always choose the latter (unless the internship was more relevant to the role you’re applying for).

15. Don’t forget your transferable skills and experiences

Don’t panic if you don’t have any professional experience that fits the bill. Focus your resume on your relevant and transferable skills along with any related side or academic projects , and then make sure to pair it with a strong cover letter telling the narrative of why you’re ideal for the job.

Read more: What to Put on Your Resume When You Have No Relevant Work Experience

16. Write strong, achievement-focused bullet points

The bullet points under each job entry are arguably the most important part of your resume. They tell whoever’s reading it what skills you have, how you’ve used them, and how you’ve helped your employers in the past.

So start with a strong action verb , include relevant skills from the job description , and frame your bullets around your achievements—don’t just list your job duties . Tell them how your work benefitted your boss or company so they know what they stand to gain by hiring you.

Here’s a simple formula to follow:

• Compelling verb + job duty + key skills used = tangible result

So you might say: “ Developed an upgrade to the employee database, ensuring the smooth flow of critical operations, which led to a 35% increase in efficiency. ”

17. Curate your bullet points and experiences

No matter how long you’ve been in a job, or how much you’ve accomplished there, you shouldn’t have more than eight bullet points under it—and that’s only for your most recent and relevant job. Jobs further back should generally be limited to four to six bullets.

Read More: How Many Bullet Points Should Each Job on Your Resume Have?

18. Use as many numbers as you can

Use facts, figures, and numbers whenever possible in your bullet points. How many people were impacted by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals? Quantifying your accomplishments allows the hiring manager to picture the level of work or responsibility you needed to achieve them.

19. Don’t neglect non-traditional work

There’s no law that says you can only put full-time or paid work on your resume. So, if you’ve volunteered , worked part-time or as a temporary or contract worker , freelanced, or interned? Absolutely list these things as their own “jobs” within your career chronology—as long as they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for. The same goes for career breaks . Yes, really.

Read More: 4 Things You Didn't Know You Could Put on Your Resume

20. Use important keywords from the job description

Scan the job description, see what words are used most often, and make sure you’ve included them in your bullet points. For example, does the job description list “CRM” or “Salesforce”? Make sure your resume matches. Not only is this a self-check that you’re targeting your resume to the job, but it’ll also make it easier to search for your resume in an ATS.

Read More: How to Pick Resume Keywords That'll Get Your Job Application Past the ATS

Resume tips for including your education

Most hiring managers will want to know your education level, even if it's not necessarily relevant to the position you're going for. This section is especially important for those changing careers or applying for entry-level jobs—as your education can be an indicator of the skills you have.

Here's some resume tips and tricks for this section:

21. Put experience first, education later

Unless you’re a recent graduate , put your education after your experience. Chances are, your last couple of jobs are more important and relevant to you getting the job than where you went to college.

22. Also keep it in reverse chronological order

Generally, you should list your educational background with the most recent or advanced degree first, working in reverse chronological order. But if older coursework is more specific to the job, list that first to grab the reviewer’s attention.

23. Remove the dates from your education section once you’re a few years into your career

Unless you’re early in your career, don’t list your graduation dates. The reviewer cares more about whether or not you have the degree than when you earned it. And you don’t want to inadvertently open yourself up to age discrimination , which is an unfortunate reality in some job markets.

24. Highlight honors and achievements, not GPA

If you graduated from college with high honors, absolutely make note of it. Showcase that summa cum laude status, the fact that you were in the honors college at your university, a relevant project you completed, or an award you won. You don’t need to list your GPA —employers don’t care as much about GPA as they do what skills you gained in school.

Read More: How to (and How Not to) List Education on Your Resume

25. Include continuing or online education

Feel free to include continuing education, professional development coursework, or online courses in your education section, especially if your resume feels a little light on relevant experience.

Best resume tips for showing off your skills

You shouldn't wait until you get an interview to showcase your skills—your resume can and should have a specific section for them. You can also leverage other sections of the document to incorporate what's relevant for the position.

Here are our tips for making a resume that effectively highlights your skills:

26. Don’t forget your skills section

Be sure to add a section that lists all the relevant skills you have for a position—especially those mentioned in the job description. Include technical skills like software and project management tools or specific knowledge of how to perform relevant tasks. Just make sure to skip including skills that everyone is expected to have, like using email or Microsoft Word. Doing so will make you seem less technologically savvy.

27. But don’t only put your skills in your skills section

Your skills section is an easy way for anyone reading your resume to confirm that you have required qualifications, but that shouldn’t be the only place that your important skills appear. Any skill that’s vital to you being hired should also be in your bullet points—where you can show how you’ve used it in the past.

28. Divvy up your skills for readability

If you have lots of skills that would help you with a job but aren’t necessarily in the same category—say, foreign language, software, and leadership skills—try breaking up your skills sections. Below your “Skills” section, add a subsection titled “Language Skills” or “Software Skills,” for example. Again, we’re going for skimmability here!

29. Show—don’t tell—your soft skills

Describing soft skills on a resume often starts to sound like a list of meaningless buzzwords. But being a “strong leader” or an “effective communicator” are important characteristics you want to get across. Think about how you can demonstrate these attributes in your bullet points without actually saying them.

Read more: The Non-Boring Way to Show Off Your Soft Skills in Your Job Search

Other resume section tips

Resume sections are not fixed like stone-written texts; they can change according to the job position you're applying for or the requirements listed by the company. Here are some examples of sections you can add—and more tips on writing a resume that stand out:

30. Include relevant certifications and licenses

If you have a certification or license that proves you can do some aspect of the job you’re applying for, include it on your resume. This is especially important if that certification or license is legally required to do the job—for example, in nursing, teaching, or driving jobs.

31. Show some (relevant) personality

Feel free to include an “Interests” section on your resume, but only add those that are relevant to the job. Are you a guitar player with your eye on a music company? Definitely include it. But if you’re considering including your scrapbooking hobby for a software developer job at a healthcare company? Best to leave it out.

32. Beware of interests and activities that could be controversial

Maybe you help raise money for your church on the reg. Or perhaps you’re dedicated to canvassing during political campaigns. Yes, these experiences show a good amount of work ethic or possibly other relevant skills—but they could also open you up to be discriminated against by someone who disagrees with the cause. So weigh your decision to include them carefully.

33. Add awards and achievements—when they’re relevant

Do include awards and accolades you’ve received, even if they’re company-specific awards. Just state what you earned them for, e.g., “Earned Golden Salesperson Award for having the company’s top sales record four quarters in a row.” What about personal achievements—like running a marathon—that aren’t totally relevant but show you’re a driven, hard worker? Consider the best way to include them (and if you should).

Resume tips for navigating employment gaps and other sticky situations

If you're an experienced professional, you might have some tricky information to explain. Job hopping, career gap, and short term jobs are examples of things that can make an applicant feel insecure when drafting resumes.

Is that your situation? Check on these good resume tips to explain sticky situations without jeopardizing your chances to get an interview:

34. Cut the short-term jobs

If you stayed at a (non-temporary) job for only a matter of months, consider eliminating it from your resume to avoid looking like a job hopper. Leaving a particularly short-lived job or two off your resume shouldn’t hurt, as long as you’re honest about your experience if asked in an interview. But if the short-term job is super relevant to this job, consider including it anyway.

35. If you have shorter gaps, be strategic about how you list dates

If you have gaps of a few months in your work history, don’t list the usual start and end dates with months and years for each position. Use years only (2018–2020), or just the number of years or months you worked at each position. Just keep it consistent throughout your resume and don’t lie if asked about gaps during an interview.

Read more: How to Explain the Gap in Your Resume With Ease

36. Explain serial job hopping

If you’ve job-hopped frequently, you can include a succinct reason for leaving next to each position like “company closed,” “layoff due to downsizing,” or “relocated to a new city.” By addressing the gaps, you’ll proactively illustrate the reason for your frequent job movement and make it less of an issue.

37. Explain a long break in jobs

Re-entering the workforce after a long hiatus? This is the perfect opportunity for a summary statement at the top, outlining your best skills and accomplishments. Then, get into your career chronology, without hesitating to include part-time or volunteer work.

38. Be intentional about career gaps

While career gaps are becoming increasingly common, you should still frame them in a way that’s relevant to a future employer, by talking about skills you gained or any professional endeavors you took on. If you didn’t focus on professional development, that’s fine too! But not every employer will appreciate it if you get too cutesy about that section of your resume.

For example, if you took time out of the workforce to raise kids, you might not want to creatively describe this parenting experience on your resume, à la “adeptly managed the growing pile of laundry.” Instead state what you did plainly and include any professional skills you may have grown or activities you may have done.

Read More: Stay-at-Home Parent? How to Kill it on Your Comeback Resume

Tips on resume finishing touches

Writing a good resume alone isn't the only thing that matters. How you save and send it can also determine whether the recruiter will even take a look at it. To wrap things up, here are our resume formatting tips and other suggestions to boost your chances of getting noticed:

39. Ditch “References available upon request”

If a hiring manager is interested in you, they’ll ask you for references—and will assume that you have them. There’s no need to address the obvious (and doing so might even make you look a little out of touch!).

40. Proofread, proofread, proofread

It should go without saying, but fully edit your resume and make sure it’s free and clear of typos. And don’t rely on spell check and grammar check alone—step away for a few hours, then read your resume closely again, and ask family or friends to take a look at it for you.

41. Save it as a PDF or Word document

Unless a job posting specifically requests that you do otherwise, your resume should always be submitted as either a PDF or Word document (.docx not .doc). These are the formats that can be most easily opened and most easily parsed by an ATS.

The choice between the two is up to you (again, unless the company you’re applying to requests one format over the other). If you’re emailing your resume, however, PDFs are a bit more likely to maintain your formatting across different computers and programs.

42. Name your file clearly

Ready to save your resume and send it off? Save it as “Jane Smith Resume” instead of “Resume.” The hiring manager is going to have plenty of “Resumes” on their computer, so make it super easy for them to find what they’re looking for. You can even go a bit further and put the position title in your file name (e.g., “Jane Smith Marketing Analyst Resume).

Read More: The (Simple) Guidelines You Should Follow When Naming Your Resume and Cover Letter Files

43. Keep your resume outline fresh

Carve out some time every quarter or so to pull up your resume outline and make some updates. Have you taken on new responsibilities? Learned new skills? Add them. When your resume is updated on a regular basis, you’re always ready to pounce when opportunity presents itself. And even if you’re not job searching, there are plenty of good reasons to keep this document in tip-top shape.

Lay the Groundwork

How to write a resume, last step: proofreading.

• Write a Resume That's Right for You

Frequently Asked Questions

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Forage puts students first. Our blog articles are written independently by our editorial team. They have not been paid for or sponsored by our partners. See our full  editorial guidelines .

Table of Contents

Your resume is a synopsis of your professional achievements and helps a hiring manager or recruiter understand why you’re the best candidate for the job. And while your resume summarizes where you went to school, where you worked, and what you did, writing your resume is so much more than listing your job duties and what you studied.

Learning how to write a resume for a job means mastering the art of explaining what your skills and abilities are and how you’ll use them to help the company achieve its goals. Writing a resume also includes things like proofreading and tailoring your resume to the job posting. It’s a lot to cover, but this guide will get you on your way.

Writing a resume is a lot like building a house. Before you paint the walls, you have to build them. That process starts with a well-thought-out plan and a solid foundation. So, don’t start worrying about what to put on a resume until you’ve laid out a plan and chosen the right framework.

Choose Your Resume Type

The first step is choosing a resume template that presents your skills and abilities in the best light possible — that’s easy to read and makes sense.

For most job seekers, that means using one of these three formats:

• Chronological: The most widely-used format, a chronological resume traces your work history from current (or most recent) position to oldest.
• Functional : This resume emphasizes your skills over chronological work history.
• Hybrid: Also known as a combination resume, a hybrid resume is part chronological and part functional.

And if none of these work for you, that’s OK. There are a seven types of resume templates you can choose from. But if you’re applying for a role in academia, keep in mind that none of these may work, and you might use a CV (curriculum vitae) instead.

Resume Writing Masterclass

Master the tips and tricks of writing a resume that shines in our free Resume Writing Masterclass. You'll learn how to turn your duties into accomplishments and explain why you're the right person for the job.

Avg. Time: 5-6 hours

Skills you’ll build: Professional summary, transferable skills, keywords, identifying job titles

How Many Pages Should a Resume Be?

As a rule, an entry-level job seeker’s resume should be one page long . That said, if you have a lot of work experience or skills that are relevant to the role, you can have a two-page resume.

But what happens if your resume is more than one page but less than two?

You’ve got two options. First, you can edit ruthlessly and get your resume down to one page (without resorting to tricks like using a tiny font or making the margins super-slim). Second, you can consider expanding the second page by including more relevant content, and not using larger fonts or wider margins.

For example, if each role only has three bullet points of information, consider adding a few more relevant and informative points under each. Likewise, you can add in sections like awards or volunteer work if that’s relevant to your situation.

But don’t feel pressured to get exactly two pages. Senior recruiter Jonathan Harbison says a second page that’s only three-quarters filled is fine. Focus on writing a resume that demonstrates you’ve got the skills the recruiter or hiring manager is looking for instead of worrying about how long or short your resume is.

Format Wisely

In most cases, you’ll apply for an open role electronically, often through an applicant tracking system (ATS) . These giant databases don’t rate or rank your resume, but they are searchable by name, skill, and so forth. Some ATSs have trouble reading resumes that use unusual or hard-to-read fonts, columns, or graphic representations of your skills, making it less likely you’ll show up in a recruiter search.

And whether you apply via an ATS or hand your resume to someone at the company, ultimately, a human recruiter reads your resume, and it’s probably not the only one they’re reading that day. Make it as easy on them as possible to read and comprehend yours.

Since you don’t know if the person reading your resume will do so on screen or on paper, choose an easy-to-read font for your resume and stick with 11- or 12-point size to help reduce eye strain. This also makes it easier for the reader to scan your resume on the first pass.

Clearly label each section of your resume, so it’s easy for the reader to jump to the information they’re most interested in. You might use headers like, “Experience” or “Work History,” “Education,” “Skills,” and so forth. And you’ll want to format the headers so they jump out by using bold text or underlining. This way, the reader knows exactly where to look for the information they want.

You’ll also want to use bullet points instead of long blocks of text. While they use up more space and don’t allow you to include as much information, bullet points are generally easier to read than long blocks of text. Plus, the use of “white space” around the bullet points can help reduce eye strain.

Finally, make sure you save your resume in multiple file types. Some companies only accept .pdfs, while others insist on .docs.

With the style issues settled, you can move on to substance. These tips will help you understand how to write a good resume, no matter your situation.

Start With the Job Posting

Your resume summarizes your professional accomplishments and helps the interviewer see you’ve got what it takes to get the job done. But learning how to create a resume means understanding that writing it is not a one-and-done deal. While applying to multiple jobs with the same resume makes your life easier, it doesn’t make it easier for you to get the job.

While these tips will help you create a solid resume template you can use over and over, you still need to customize it each and every time you apply to a job to illustrate how you’ll use your skills in that role at that company.

What the heck does that mean?

Start by examining the job posting. Look it over and see what skills and job duties are at the top. These are likely the critical skills the company is looking for. Does the posting talk about project management skills or data analysis? Make sure you talk up those skills in your resume. Likewise, if the posting mentions collaboration and teamwork , highlight your abilities in those areas, too.

>>MORE: Resume Keywords: What They Are and How to Use Them

As you edit your resume, you can cut the things that are less relevant to these key areas. For example, while knowing HTML is an excellent skill, if it has nothing to do with the job and isn’t mentioned in the job description, you can likely cut this from your resume if you need the space without hurting your chances of landing the interview.

While this is extra work (we won’t deny it!) it’s well worth the effort. Highlighting that you have the attributes the company is looking for will likely improve the chances you’re invited to an interview.

Decide What Goes Where

Technically, you can put your resume in any order you want. There’s no rule that says you have to start with your work history, then your education, and end with your volunteer work. However, this is the order most (if not all) recruiters and hiring managers are used to, which is why you may want to follow suit when you write your resume. Recruiters and hiring managers want to go to a part of the page and find what they’re looking for, whether that’s your work experience, degree, or volunteer positions.

Harbison also advises job seekers to list the most critical information first. In most cases, that’s your work experience, so it should be near the top of your resume. As proud as you might be of being named volunteer of the year, unless it’s critical to the role, it should go toward the bottom of your resume.

As Harbison points out, “A candidate has the attention of the resume reviewer for a limited amount of time,” so it makes sense to make it as easy as possible for them to find whatever they’re looking for and to put the most crucial information front and center. 

>>MORE: How to Write a Resume for an Internship (With Template)

Include the Right Contact Information

Your contact information is, of course, how the recruiter will reach out and schedule you for an initial interview. You never know if that will be a phone interview , zoom interview , or in-person interview, so make sure the company has a few ways to get in touch with you and that the information is correct. A simple typo (like hitting the 1 instead of 2 or typing @gmial.com) could mean you never get an interview.

But when it comes to what to include in a resume, you don’t have to include every bit of your personal contact information. For example, whether you’re applying for a remote job or not, you only need to include your city and state (or country), not your street address. Your exact address is generally irrelevant to the role, and not including it helps protect you from doxxing or identity theft.

>>MORE: 10 Top Remote Jobs for College Students

Likewise, you should include one active phone number with voicemail set up that you check frequently. The same goes for an email address. And it’s better to use a personal email address than a school one, as you may eventually lose access to your school email.

Summarize Your Qualifications 

Up next is the qualifications statement, also known as a professional summary. This is a brief paragraph (meaning no more than a few sentences) that summarizes your relevant skills and abilities. Ideally, this should be just below your contact information. This puts this paragraph “above the fold,” meaning a resume reviewer will likely look at it first.

The trick to writing a killer qualifications statement is highlighting your most important and relevant skills without repeating verbatim what you’re using elsewhere (like in the work history). So, if you mention your coding skills in the qualifications summary, you should make sure that any coding skills mentioned in your work history are associated with specific examples of how you used those skills.

>>MORE: I Asked ChatGPT to Write Resumes, Including Mine. Here’s What Happened.

However, space on a one- or even two-page resume is limited. So, if you need that space for something else, you can omit the professional summary. 

List Your Skills

Just below the qualifications statement is the skills section. This is a general list of your hard and soft skills that gives the reader a high-level overview of your skill set. You’ll provide a few examples of how you use those skills on the job in the experience section. .

In general, the skills section might look like this:

Kanban boards, conflict resolution, data analysis, project management

Your skills section may be longer or shorter depending on your background, but there’s no “right amount” of skills to include. That said, you may not want to include every one of your skills in this section, either due to limited space or because the skill just isn’t relevant to the role (like talking about your product designer skills when you’re applying for a role as an accountant ).

While you’ll include the skills that are most relevant to the role, don’t overlook your transferable skills . For example, a job posting may not specifically state they’re looking for someone with excellent interpersonal skills , but hiring someone who can collaborate with others is likely integral to the company’s success.

>>Learn more about including skills on your resume .

Talk About Your Experience

The next (and probably biggest) section is your work history or work experience.

In general, this is where you list where you worked, how long you worked there, what your job title (or titles) was, and what you did in the role. That sounds simple enough. However, to wow the recruiter and hiring manager, take the “what you did in the role” part to the next level. Instead of listing your duties, explain what you achieved and what that meant for the company.

A great way to do this is utilizing the STAR method . While commonly used to answer behavioral interview questions , you can also use the STAR method to quantify your achievements on a resume. Harbison explains:

“Quantifying an achievement is done by identifying a task, project, or assignment and listing a measurable outcome. Take an action word and add a specific task (including appropriate keywords). Include measurable outcomes and quantify the achievement. Here’s an example:

Improved offer-to-hire ratio and candidate pipeline 45% by effectively using strategic process improvement initiatives and project management.

The action word is improved . The task is to use strategic process improvement and project management . The keywords are related to recruiting: offer-to-hire, candidate pipeline, process improvement, project management . And the outcome is to improve the offer-to-hire ratio and candidate pipeline by 45% .”

While that’s a big example, anyone can turn their duties into accomplishments. Here’s another example.

Say you worked at the pool concession stand over the summer. Your tasks probably included things like serving food, making change, and taking out the garbage. You could say, “Transferred eight bags of trash to the dumpster every night as part of a rodent control plan,” but you may want something that’s more relevant to the job you’re applying for now.

So, consider talking about what you did with the cash register and your customer interactions. While one skill set is related to hard skills and the other to soft skills , both are quantifiable but in different ways. Consider:

• Balanced register drawer at the end of every shift to ensure ledger and receipts were accurate
• Engaged with customers to take orders, receive payment, give correct change, and resolve concerns about service or food

Though these examples don’t include numbers, they show how you contributed to the overall bottom line of the business by balancing the drawer and delighting customers.

Still not sure how to turn your tasks into quantifiable achievements? Harbison offers this exercise. “To stay sharp, I occasionally challenge myself to reword a simple task. ‘I cut the grass so I wouldn’t get grounded,’ becomes, ‘Seasonally manicured residential property biweekly or as instructed by upper management for eight years resulting in weekly compliments related to curb appeal enhancement and avoidance of negative consequences.’ “

Include Your Education

As a rule, this section is limited to where you went to school, the dates you attended, and the degree you received or what you studied. That said, you may be wondering if you should include your GPA or other academic achievements.

“Include them only when it makes sense,” says Harbison. “Remember, this information takes up valuable space on your resume and you need to make it all count. One thing to think about, will your GPA enhance or hinder your application?”

That said, sometimes employers ask for this information, so be prepared to include it. 

Remember the Extras

Finally, if you have room at the bottom of your resume (or need to expand the second page), you can include any other sections you want. This can include things like internships, Forage’s virtual job simulations , volunteering, or awards.

Each of these would go in a separate section, the exception being if you won an award from the place you volunteered with. So, the bottom section might look like this:

With all that education, experience, and achievement on your resume, it seems like the hard work is over. And, it is — mostly.

The last step of writing your resume is proofreading. As noted above, one tiny typo could mean the recruiter never gets in touch with you. So, go over your resume with a fine tooth comb. 

And don’t rely on built-in spelling and grammar checkers for this task. They miss things! For example, if you type “Dear Hiring Manger ,” there’s a chance the bot will miss it. Sometimes it takes a human eye to catch certain errors, so consider using a bot in conjunction with a human proofreader.

Have Someone Else Read It

Along those same lines, when you’ve finished proofreading, consider having someone else read your resume. This step is totally optional (and should only include people you trust), but having a second (or third) set of eyes reviewing your resume can help you catch mistakes you may have missed and provide feedback on how well you’re selling yourself to a potential employer.

Write a Resume That’s Right for You

Writing a resume is equal parts following the rules and breaking them. On the one hand, following the rules, like starting with your work history followed by your education, helps a recruiter or hiring manager easily find what they’re looking for and see why you’re qualified for the role. On the other hand, you need to tailor the resume each time you apply and change up which of your qualifications you feature on your resume.

One other great way to help demonstrate you’ve got the skills for the job is by completing a Forage virtual job simulation. Not only will you develop practical skills that you’ll use on the job, we’ll give you a resume snippet that explains what you accomplished and some tips for talking about your experience in an interview.

You should include everything the employer needs to understand why they should hire you for the role on your resume. That’s where you worked, what your accomplishments were, and how you helped the company achieve its goals. Keep in mind “work” can include a summer job, unpaid internship, and even volunteering.

You should leave any personally identifying information (like your gender or age), confidential information (like your social security number), and anything that isn’t relevant to the role off your resume.

You don’t need your exact street address on your resume. This helps protect you from identity theft. You can include your city and state, so the employer knows where you’re located. You can also include your country if you’re applying for a role based outside your current country.

The best skills to put on a resume are ones that are relevant to the role! Read over the job posting and take note of what the duties and tasks are as well as anything an employer specifically mentions. Highlight your skills that best fit what the employer is looking for.

You can find resume keywords in the job description. They are the skills and abilities the employer is looking for. That can be hard skills (data analysis), soft skills ( conflict resolution ), or experience with something specific (like PowerBI).

Nope! Your LinkedIn profile should support your resume and vice versa. Because space on your LinkedIn profile is virtually unlimited, think of it as the “expanded” version of your resume. It’s a great place for all the things you’d like to include on your resume, but can’t.

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How to Build a Resume in 7 Easy Steps

Tips for Creating an Interview-Winning Resume

Creating a  resume  can be challenging when you start thinking about all the information you need to share with prospective employers.

Your employment history, educational background, skills, and qualifications need to be presented in a way that will help you get selected for a job interview. Rather than a simple list of the jobs you have held, it’s important to include information specific to the positions for which you're applying.

What’s the easiest way to write a resume? If you look at resume building as a step-by-step process, it will be easier to do and much less overwhelming.

Once you’ve created your first resume or refreshed your old one, you can simply  tweak it to match it up with a job  when you’re applying for an open position.

Read on for how to build a resume, the components required in an interview-winning resume, examples of what to include in each section, how to format your resume, options for saving your document, and tips for writing a resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers.

Before You Begin Creating Your Resume

Choose a word processor.

Before you start to work on your resume, you’ll need a word processor. If you don’t have word processing software installed on your computer, here are free online word processors, like Google Docs, you can use. One of the benefits of working online is that you can update, send, and share your resume from any computer or device you’re using. That makes the  application process  much simpler because you’ll be able to easily apply for jobs from anywhere that may be convenient for you.

Plan the Framework of Your Resume

Next, consider the basic framework of your resume. More isn’t necessarily better, so aim for conciseness over length. Employers are looking for a synopsis of your credentials; not everything you have done in your career. In many cases, a  one-page resume is sufficient . If you have extensive experience, longer may be necessary .

In general, shorter is better, with a few bullet points for each job, brief sentences, descriptions that are action and accomplishment oriented, and plenty of white space on the page.

Your goal is to wow the hiring manager and present a document that promotes you as an ideal candidate for the position. Review these tips for building a resume that will help you get job interviews.

Compile Your Personal and Employment Information

awayge / iStock

Collect all the information you need to include before you start writing your resume. It’s much easier to write, edit, and format a document when you have all the details you need in front of you.

Before you get started, make a list of the contact information you want to use, all your jobs, your education, training, certifications, skills, and other credentials. 

Write Your Resume

When you have compiled all the information you need, it should be listed in the following order. Don’t worry about fonts and formatting your document yet. Just get everything you want to include on the page. It will be easier to edit when you can see the full picture of your candidacy.

Once you have everything down on paper, you will be able to adjust the font size and type, spacing, and add formatting options to your resume.

What to List in Each Section

Resume Heading Full Name  (Jane M. Applicant or Jane Applicant) Street Address ( options for listing your address ) City, State, Zip Email Address  (don’t use your work email) Telephone Number  (make sure you have a professional voicemail message for missed calls)

Profile Adding a  profile or an objective to your resume  gives the employer a brief overview of your qualifications. This is an optional component of a resume. If you include it, focus on what prospective employers are seeking rather than what you want in your next job. Hiring managers want to know what you have to offer.

Summary of Qualifications A  summary of qualifications  is another optional section of a resume. It’s a statement that includes your skills, abilities, experience, and what qualifies you for the position.

Experience Your  work history   is the most important component of your resume. Employers will want to know where you have worked, when you worked there, and what responsibilities you held in each role that you had. They will be looking to see how your experience lines up with what they are looking for in prospective employees.

• List the jobs and internships you have held in reverse chronological order, with the most recent positions first.
• For each position, include: job title, company, location, dates of employment, and a bulleted list of the strongest accomplishments for each job.
• Verb tense should be present tense for your current job if you are employed, and past tense for prior employment.

If you’re not sure of employment dates, here’s  how to recreate your employment history . It’s important to be accurate because employers do  conduct background checks .

Volunteer Work If you have volunteer experience that’s related to the jobs you’re applying for, or if you have volunteered to avoid an employment gap, list volunteering as you would the jobs you have held. Review these tips for including  volunteer work on your resume .

Education The education section generally comes next. You need only to list degrees earned, with the highest first, if you have been out of school for a few years.

If you’re a student or recent graduate, the  education section  of your resume can be listed above your employment history. If you have work experience, list it below that section. Education should be listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent and advanced education first. Include the name of the school, the degree earned, and the date you graduated.

Whether you include your GPA on your resume depends on how long ago you graduated and how high your GPA is. Here’s information on  when to list your GPA on your resume .

Certifications The next section of your resume includes any certifications you have.

Awards and Accomplishments Don’t be shy about mentioning awards and achievements you have earned. They show the employer that you are a well-credentialed candidate who has been recognized for your accomplishments.

Skills This  section of a resume  includes the skills you have that are directly related to the job for which you’re applying. Employers typically list required or preferred skills in the job listings when itemizing the qualifications for the position. List your most closely related abilities here, using a bulleted list format.

Personal Interests If you have personal interests that are strongly related to the position you’re applying for, list them here. This can be helpful if you’re applying for jobs where you don’t have a lot of related work experience, but you do have expertise achieved in other ways.

Choose a Resume Layout

 Andrey Popov / iStock

There are three  basic types of resume formats  you can use. The format you select will depend on your employment history and credentials.

• Chronological : This is the most frequently used and presents your work history starting with the most recent job first.
• Functional : If you have a spotty work history, you may want to use a functional resume that focuses on your skills and experience.
• Combination : This resume layout includes both your skills and your chronological work history.

The chronological format is the most common one.

If you choose a functional or combination resume, tailor the information you include accordingly. With a functional resume, you’ll highlight your job qualifications. With a combination resume, your skills will be listed first, followed by your employment history.

Format Your Resume Text

When you’re choosing fonts for your resume, simple works best. The exception to that rule will be if you’re applying for a design-related position where your resume can showcase your design skills.

Choose a Font: A basic font like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or Verdana is a good choice because your resume needs to be easy for a hiring manager to read. Consistency is also important. Use the same font throughout your resume and in your cover letter.

Font Size and Type: The  font style and size  can vary. For example, you can use a larger font for your name and section headings. Use bold and italics to highlight the details of your education and employment history.

Lists vs. Paragraphs: A job description that includes a bulleted list of achievements is easier to read than a paragraph. Each sentence should provide a brief synopsis of your strongest accomplishments in the position.

Tip:   How to Write Job Descriptions for Your Resume

Review an Example of Resume Formatting

In the following example, the applicant’s name and the heading of each component of the resume are a larger font and bold. The job responsibilities are listed, and italics are used to highlight details of employment and education, and differentiate the candidate’s computer skills.

Jane M. Applicant

31 Main Street Anytown, US 11213 janeapplicant@gmail.com | 555-321-4444

Ambleside International, Database Manager January 20XX - Present

Oversee the design, development, maintenance, and management of Ambleside proprietary databases.

• Design and manage corporate financial, networking, and operations databases.
• Test databases and software programs, correct errors, and make modifications and updates.
• Perform regular database and software life-cycle maintenance to ensure the highest level of system performance and compliance with business requirements.
• Implement major database and software upgrades with 0 percent downtime.
• Ensure integrity, security, and availability compliance and scalability.
• Organize, format, and manage data for efficient query and storage processes.

XYZ Institute of Technology, City, State Bachelor of Science , Information Technology

Certifications

• Microsoft Certified Database Administrator
• Oracle Certified Professional

Technical Skills

Languages:  SQL, Java, .Net, C++ Operating Systems:  Windows, Unix, Linux, iOS Database Systems:  MS SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, Ingres

Tip: Review Resume Example and Get Templates

Save the Document

Select a file name for your resume that includes your own name when saving your resume: janeapplicantresume.doc, for example. It will be easier for the hiring manager to track your application materials.

Be prepared to save it in a variety of formats, like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or PDF, for example, so that you can respond to employer requests for a specific type of document.

Tip:  How to Select a File Format for Your Resume

Proofread and Print the Final Version

 Before your resume is finalized, it’s important to carefully proofread it. Then print a copy to make sure what’s on the printed page lines up with what’s on your computer.

Once it’s set, print extra copies to bring to interviews with you. If you don’t have a printer you can use, check with your local library or an office supply store to see if you can access a printer there.

Target Your Resume for Each Job You Apply For

Even though your resume is done, there’s one more quick step that will help your resume get selected by the  applicant tracking systems  that companies use to screen resumes and the hiring managers who read the applications that are selected.

Incorporate the qualifications from the job listing into your resume job descriptions, skills, summary, and objective or profile. It only takes a few minutes, but using the  same words and terms  the employer uses will help ensure you’re a strong match for the job.

Keep Your Resume Current

Once you've got your resume finished, plan to update it regularly. It will be easier to keep it current if you keep track of your accomplishments, rather than having to make a major update all at once.

Related: Best Resume Writing Services

More From Forbes

How to build a crazy effective résumé that gets top results.

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Part of the series “Supporting Today’s Workforce”

Building a stand-out resume that gets real results

One of the most common questions I receive each month in my career coaching work is about how to build a truly compelling résumé that will stand out from all the competition and generate positive responses from the nation’s top organizations.

Today, it’s not nearly as simple and straightforward as it used to be twenty years ago. We have to be very savvy in how we craft our résumés and LinkedIn profiles and in how we talk about ourselves. But we also have to illustrate powerfully our personal brands, and choose carefully the specific words and phrases we use to demonstrate what we do and how we do it, and why that matters.

To gain a better understanding of what you need to know for today’s job search, I was excited to catch up with Austin Belcak, founder of Cultivated Culture , where he helps people land amazing jobs without traditional experience. Austin joined me on my Finding Brave podcast offering powerful advice about how to land a dream job at the salary you deserve and we’ve just recorded a new episode on building the most compelling résumé you can. Belcak is now helping professionals get even better results from their résumés through his free resume builder with ATS-friendly templates approved by recruiters from companies like Google, Microsoft, Barclays, and more. 

Here’s what Belcak shares about how to build a truly stand-out résumé:

Kathy Caprino: Austin, from your work with so many professionals seeking to land great jobs, what are the biggest changes you’re seeing regarding résumés in today’s job market?

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Austin Belcak: The hiring landscape has gone through some remarkable changes over the past 5-10 years. 

We’ve seen a rise in robot-driven candidate processing and a huge jump in online applications. While I personally believe we’re moving out of the résumé era and into the LinkedIn era, résumés still play a major factor in your ability to get hired.

If your primary focus is applying online, you need to make sure you’re using a proven résumé template and that your résumé is optimized for keywords that Applicant Tracking Systems (résumé scanning robots) are looking for.

But even if you beat the robots, your résumé is still going to have to convince a real human if you want to score that interview slot.

I’ve had thousands of résumés come across my desk at Cultivated Culture and the ones that consistently land interviews do two things:

• They don’t summarize; they focus on selling
• They’re naturally keyword optimized

Caprino: What is the ONE the biggest mistake people make when writing their résumés?

Belcak: The absolute worst thing you can do on your résumé is summarize your experience with vague buzzwords and jargon. I’m talking about bullets like:

• “Results-oriented salesperson with a track record of success”
• “Team-focused collaborator with stellar leadership skills”
• “Proven manager focused on servant-leadership to drive results and exceed goals”

None of those bullets tell us anything specific about the candidate.

What does “results-oriented” even mean? That you orient yourself around results? Does that mean you actually get great results? If so, what are they?

I see a lot of people get frustrated because they don’t hear back from their applications, but you need to put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. If you received 10 (or 100) resumes that all say “track record of exceeding goals,” how would you be able to differentiate? 

If you want to stand out and get noticed, you need to focus on selling and driving tangible value in your bullets. Speak about the specific initiatives you drove, the skills and tools you used to drive them, and the results you achieved.

Instead of, “Managed team of salespeople to generate new business and exceed targets”

Try, “Managed team of salespeople who generated $27M in new business last quarter (117% attainment).”

Caprino: What additional steps can people take to “sell” instead of “summarize” on their résumé?

Belcak: If you want your experience to jump off the page, you need to focus on the value you drove.

There’s a field out there called Copywriting which is focused on how written words influence behavior. You come in contact with it daily when you scroll through the news or social media. Those headlines you see have been carefully crafted to grab your attention and earn your click.

With the rise of big data, marketing agencies have been able to put numbers behind the specific tactics and formulas that lead to more clicks and higher engagement.

I’ve spent the past 7 years studying the principles of copywriting and I’ve baked them into a simple, easy to follow Resume Bullet Formula:

Anatomy of a Crazy-Effective Resume Bullet

If your résumé bullet contains a word mix matching that formula, you can bet that it’s going to be much more compelling than the majority of bullets the competition is using to describe their experience.

Let’s look at an example:

Say you’re a marketer who leverages customer data to refine targeting on the company’s digital advertising, increase sales and lower cost-per-lead.

A mediocre bullet describing your experience might look like this:

“Leveraged customer data to run targeted ad campaigns and drive cost- effective leads.”

An awesome bullet leveraging the formula above might look like this:

“Overhauled digital ad targeting based on comprehensive customer data analysis - sales shot up 37% while CPA dropped 18%.”

This bullet is 18 words long and balances out to:

• 17% Action Words (overhauled, comprehensive, shot)
• 39% Uncommon / Industry Related Words (digital, ad, targeting, customer, data, analysis, CPA)
• 33% Common Words (based, on, up, while, dropped, sales)
• 11% Measurable Metrics (37%, 18%)

That’s right in line with our target word mix. See how compelling that is?

Let’s look at another example for a support engineer who helped a company improve its support process to eliminate a ticket backlog.

A mediocre bullet might look like this:

“Helped improve support processes to reduce ticket backlog and better serve customers.”

A strong bullet leveraging our formula might look like this:

“Developed tiered triage system that eliminated 40% of JIRA ticket backlog in less than 8 weeks.”

This bullet is a nice length (16 words) and its word balance comes out to:

• 13% Action Words (developed, eliminated)
• 38% Industry Terms (tiered, triage, system, JIRA, ticket, backlog)
• 38% Common Words (that, of, in, less, than, weeks)
• 11% Measurable Metrics (40%, 8)

Caprino: How can people optimize their résumés’ keywords to get past the robots?

Belcak: When I write résumés, I always work through the advice I mentioned above first. We want to focus on convincing the human that will eventually read our résumé before we work on injecting keywords.

Once all of your bullets are focused on driving value and selling your experience, we can shift gears to keyword optimization.

When it comes to finding the right keywords for your résumé, there are some paid tools out there but I want to give you a free workaround using a site called Wordclouds.com .

This site will help you identify the major words the résumé scanning robots are looking for so you can include them in your résumé. Here’s how:

Step 1: Find the job description for the role you want. Highlight and copy the entire job description.

Step 2: Head over to WordClouds.com and click on the “Word List” button at the top. Towards the top of the pop up box, you should see a link for Paste/Type Text. Go ahead and click that.

Step 3: Now paste the entire job description into the box, then hit “Apply.”

WordClouds is going to spit out an image that showcases every word in the job description. The larger words are the ones that appear most frequently (and the ones you want to make sure to include when writing your résumé). Here’s an example for a data science role:

Sample WordClouds.com image for Date Science Role

You can also get a quantitative view by clicking “Word List” again after creating your cloud. That will show you the number of times each word appeared in the job description:

4 experience

3 Experience

2 Qualifications

2 statistics

2 techniques

2 libraries

2 preferred

When writing your résumé, your goal is to include those words at the same frequency as they appear on the job description.

This approach isn’t foolproof but it will help ensure that your résumé is generally aligned with what the applicant tracking systems are looking for.

Caprino: Outside of the advice above, what’s one thing you’d recommend everyone do with their résumé?

Belcak: Make sure your LinkedIn profile is hyperlinked on your résumé.

ResumeGo , a site for hiring résumé writers, ran an experiment on the effects of including your LinkedIn profile on your resume . They created 24,570 résumés and bucketed them into three categories:

• Résumés that did not contain a link to the candidate’s LinkedIn profile
• Résumés that contained a link to a bare bones LinkedIn profile
• Résumés that contained a link to a comprehensive LinkedIn profile

ResumeGo then submitted these résumés and aimed to measure the callback rates for each. The results showed that applicants who included a link to a comprehensive LinkedIn profile on their résumés received callbacks at a rate of 13.5%, which is 71% higher than the 7.9% callback rate of candidates who didn’t include their LinkedIn profile at all.

This is a super easy tactic that anyone can do in a few seconds to boost their chances.

Caprino: Any last words on what you’ve found are the top keys to a job-winning résumé?

Belcak: Writing résumés can feel like a hopeless task, especially with the low callback rates candidates are seeing from online applications these days.

The main reason most people don’t hear back is because they get caught up in the minutiae of one page vs. two, what font to use, etc. instead of focusing on changes that actually get results.

The tactics in this article aren’t just fluffy suggestions–they’re backed by the results I’ve seen from the thousands of résumés I’ve reviewed at Cultivated Culture. If you take the time to implement them, I promise you’ll see better results.

For more information on creating an awesome résumé that gets results, visit CultivatedCulture.com and check out their free resume builder tool .

To improve your networking and interviewing results, work with Kathy Caprino in her Career Breakthrough programs and her Amazing Career Project 16-week course.

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