tips on how to write a good resume

30 Resume Tips And Advice For 2024 [With Expert Insights]

In This Guide:

Resume writing tips

Tips on resume formatting

Tips on how to design a resume that gets noticed

Tips on research and application

Common mistakes to avoid when crafting your resume

Tips on what a good resume includes

Tips on how to write a resume if don't have much experience

Quick Answer: Follow these 30 resume tips to craft a standout resume. Show passion, be specific about impact, exude confidence, tailor to each job, use a master resume, seek feedback, include social media links, highlight promotions, use power words, explain job gaps, use quantifiable numbers, mention career changes, utilize achievements, use colors strategically, research the company, follow up, and avoid common mistakes.

At the end of every year, we sit down at the Enhancv headquarters, and we analyze our database to come up with the best resume tips. This year is no different. We spent a week or so sifting through data, speaking with resume writing experts, and infusing some Enhancv know-how to craft the 2023s ultimate list of resume tips.

There’s a lot to read, so I’ll keep this intro short. Below you’ll find a list of twenty-six resume writing tips that will get you an interview. We’ll also go through a few important questions like “ Will the video resume take over? ” and “Will the traditional resume finally die?”.

The TLDR answer to both, for now, is definitely “No.”, but recruitment is changing, and so is the traditional resume.

Resume writing tips: Write a resume like a professional.

Writing a great resume is no easy task. You have a lot of work in order to transform a good resume into a great one.

How you write is how recruiters picture you. We’ve gone in-depth on the topic of how to write an impressive resume , but we’re also going a step further with the tips below to ensure your resume stands out .

Tip #1. Show your passion (project).

This tip is for: Job seekers with little or no experience.

Every employer wants you to be passionate about what you do. To grab their attention right from the start of your job search, you need to show a passion for the industry you’d like to join or the job you’re aiming to get. The most effective way we’ve seen this done is by sharing a side-project connected to the position you’re applying for.

Let’s take a look at Louis, for example. Louis used an Enhancv resume to get a job at HotJar .

When he applied for a Content Marketer position at Hotjar, Louis featured his side project on his resume. Having interviewed over 10 of the top marketers on his podcast, he knew this would catch the HotJar team’s attention.

Featuring his passion project was vital to get him an interview. He was as specific as possible, including his results. Louis believes this moved the needle for him.

Every Enhancv resume template supports a specific passion project section that you can use to showcase projects you’ve worked on, but aren’t necessarily related to employment.

Further reading

• Programming projects for resume: tips & examples
• How to list projects on a resume: a concise approach

Tip #2. Be specific and show your impact.

This tip is for: Experienced applicants.

You’ve probably heard this advice before, but “be specific” and “show impact” is pretty vague. What exactly means to “show impact?”

It boils down to ensuring every bullet in your experience section answers this question: “What was the result of my involvement?”.

Doing this ensures your resume will instantly stand out from the rest, particularly those which only list responsibilities.

In addition, instead of 10 bullets per job position, focus on 3-5 but make them count. They should be short, concise, and as specific as possible. You can also use Laszlo Bock’s formula: Accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z .

What does that mean in practice? Here’s Laszlo Block’s (Google’s SVP People Operations) explanation :

Start with an active verb, numerically measure what you accomplished, provide a baseline for comparison, and detail what you did to achieve your goal.

Good example

In 2024, companies want candidates who can have a positive impact on their business. So show them what you can bring to the table. And keep in mind that this can be volunteer work as well.

• How to use volunteer experience to make your resume stand out
• 125 Easy resume action verbs to make your resume better

Tip #3. Be confident.

This tip is for: Everyone.

Your resume is a document that represents not only your areas of expertise but also you as a person. it needs to come across on your resume that you’re proud of who you are and what you’ve achieved. You can do this by keeping your resume consistent, specific, and balancing the professional (experience, education, projects, etc.) with the personal (passions, most proud of, life philosophy).

• Resume sections: everything you need to know
• Perfecting the education section on your resume

Tip #4. Don’t copy-paste the keywords.

Our friends from Fairygodboss (a career blog for women) shared their top resume advice for 2024:

Always tailor your resume! Your generic, send-to-everyone resume won’t land you a competitive job (or even get you in the door for an interview).

Here’s what you can do: Take a highlighter, either physical or digital, and mark each word in your resume that relates to the job you’re applying for. Within the job description, you should find each skill and responsibility and then see if you have something that corresponds to your resume.

While you don’t want to copy and paste all these words in arbitrarily, you do have to demonstrate—with your resume—that you’ve read the job description, have the relevant work experience and history, and have the required skills.

• Resume keywords to land interviews and get hired

Tip #5. Use a master resume to speed up the resume tailoring.

This tip is for: Everyone

Another helpful tip is to create a master resume which has all the relevant skills, job experience and volunteer work listed. A master resume is a general resume template that includes all your work history, volunteer experience , education , and skills . It's basically a generic resume with a record of all the details of your career.

You may find that your master resume is chock-full of information, which is okay because you can pull the most relevant information to create tailored resumes. Job seekers find that using a master resume can actually cut down on the time that it takes to create each resume.

Tip #6. Let someone else review your resume.

It’s never a bad idea to ask someone to look at your resume . Especially if it’s someone who knows you well. Often, they can give you a hand by identifying your strengths and spotting mistakes.

Make your resume with Enhancv make sure to go to the “Share” menu and choose “Get comments from friends” – you can get immediate feedback straight in our resume builder.

Tip #7. Add links to your social media profiles.

Once recruiters receive a resume, many of them go ahead and check your social media accounts, 38% of them to be exact . Why not make it easier for hiring managers and share links to your LinkedIn or Dribble or StackOverflow?

If you share your LinkedIn profile , make sure it’s updated, so it’s in line with your resume. It's in your best interest to update it with a personalized "About Me" section.

You can be a little more personal in your LinkedIn profile, highlighting your key motivations and sharing the challenges you enjoy taking on. You also can write it in the 1st person, rather than the more formal 3rd person, and this helps to share your own unique perspective on your career progression.

Don’t share your personal Instagram or Facebook. Only add those networks if they’re related to your profession. Personal social media accounts aren’t meant for professional use.

Tip #8. Include other relevant links.

Biron from Career Sidekick shared his best advice for creating a resume with us:

Add a link! Most employers and recruiters read resumes digitally, so 2021 is a great time to start adding a link or two.

Putting a link will show them you’re tech-savvy, make your resume stand out at first glance, and increase the time employers spend looking at your background overall.

Here are three ideas of what you can link to:

• A case study showing a before-and-after of a past project. What results did you achieve? How did your past employer benefit from the work you did? Talk about real results, metrics and benefits to that employer, and how you got those results. You can create this as a Google Doc and share the link in your resume “Work History” section underneath your bullet points for that role.
• Create a short, 1-2 minute video explaining why you applied for their job and why you’re a great fit. Walk them through the most relevant pieces of your background and show them that you really took the time to read their job description before applying. You can upload this as an “Unlisted” video on YouTube, so only people you’ve shared the link with can view it.
• Put a link to your online portfolio. If you’re a writer, graphic designer, programmer, or anyone else who could showcase past work in a portfolio, consider creating one and putting a link to it on your resume. If you have a website or blog, you can link to that. If not, you can create a one-page portfolio as a Google Doc for free.

Tip #9. Choose which experience to share wisely.

This tip is for: Mid– to very experienced applicants.

We also reached out to Jon from Jobscan . Here’s what he had to add:

Tailoring your resume to the job description isn’t only about matching keywords and trying to beat applicant tracking systems.

Emphasize the responsibilities and accomplishments within your relevant experience that are most important to the job for which you’re applying, even if they weren’t where you spent most of your time.

For example, let’s say you had a job in which you spent 27 hours per week fulfilling orders and managing inventory for the company’s online store. You spent the other 13 hours providing customer support.

When you apply for a new job as a Customer Service Representative, you don’t need to begin your work experience section with the fulfillment and inventory duties that took up most of your time.

Instead, start with and emphasize your customer support skills and experience because it’s what the employer needs to see in order to qualify you for the role.

Your other relevant experience can still be mentioned, but it doesn’t need to take up 70% of your resume space just because it took up 70% of your week.

Tip #10. Use power words.

Keywords are the nouns–skills, background, experience, achievements—employers look for when filtering candidates.

Power words, on the other hand, are the verbs that emphasize your chosen keywords. Both play a role in helping you win a job.

Weak language like “responsible for” or “accomplished” does your achievements a disservice.

Go for more creative power words that not only emphasize what you did but also tell a story .

Power words to use on your resume

• Implemented

Tip #11. Use a professional email address.

Don’t use the cutesy email you had in high school or college. Use a professional email address instead, with your first and last name as the username.

More tenured applicants should stop using old emails from older providers like Hotmail, Livewire, or AOL.

No one uses a Verizon email address in 2024 – instead stick with Gmail.

Tip #12. Hire a professional resume writer.

Holly from The Work At Home Woman mentioned:

If you’re having trouble crafting your resume, or worse yet, you’re not landing any interviews, it may be time to hire a professional resume writer .

Resume writers are often trained career coaches who write persuasively and can help you eloquently showcase your skills and expertise.

And since they do this for a living, they know all the strategies, resume pointers, and layouts that will make your application stand out.

Resume writers can also help if you’re switching careers, as they know how to spin your current talents into attributes for the new occupation you’re trying to break into. This small investment may help you land your dream job a lot faster.

Get critiques from multiple resume writers first before choosing one. Most offer free critiques, so this is a great way to test if you’ll like how they would approach your application before actually committing to one.

If you don’t want to hire a professional resume writer, we have an amazing resume grader baked into our resume builder .

Tip #13. Keep your resume subheadings simple.

There’s such a thing as being too clever.

Regardless of your chosen resume format or layout, you should always keep your subheadings straight to the point and easy to understand.

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will parse all the text from your resume, often stripping it of its design and fancy formatting.

But… and this is huge but, the ATS will use the subheadings listed to interpret the text underneath it.

Avoid catchy but ATS-confusing subheadings like:

• Qualifications
• Accreditations
• Professional background
• Academic Achievements

Tip #14. Use quantifiable numbers.

Use quantifiable figures to paint a clear picture of your achievements. While this is harder than the other resume tips here, especially if you don’t make it a habit to track your work, it certainly is the most impactful.

This applies not only to job-specific technical skills like sales, programming, or operations, but also in terms of soft skills .

Ways to add quantifiable figures to your resume

• Money or resources saved
• Profit earned
• Labor hours saved
• Sales growth
• Manpower growth

Time and dollar figures, of course, aren’t the only ways to add numbers to your resume. You can also talk numbers in terms of:

• Range: Great way to use numbers if you can’t give an exact figure
• Frequency: Show how often you did something to prove mastery
• Size: Team size, number of app downloads, restaurant size, or basically anything that could show the scale of your success or responsibilities

Tip #15. Explain job gaps.

This tip is for: People with experience.

Maybe you were laid off; maybe you were sick, perhaps you had to take care of your ailing parents. Whatever it is, the important thing is how you present yourself. Your resume is where you control the narrative, so it’s only natural that you control this part of your professional history, too. Don’t let recruiters judge you based on incomplete information. Tell them what happened by including a short note on your resume. There’s no need to dress it up. A one-liner in between job entries, or at the end of a short job in case of furloughs or company closure, is fine.

You could write:

• Company closed
• Layoff due to downsizing
• Maternity leave
• Relocated to a new city

Sure, this isn’t like the many boost-up-your-credentials resume tips listed here. But if you have a job gap, it needs to be addressed.

If you are on furlough due to COVID-19 or have been laid off due to this situation, then make a line item on your resume that says you were placed on furlough or the company closed. Because everyone has been affected by the pandemic, it is okay to mention it on your resume.

Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, Certified Professional Resume Writer

It’s better than waiting and finding out after the recruiter doesn’t call you because of the unexplained job gap in your resume.

Tip #16. Mention career changes in your work history.

This tip is for: Those switching careers

When you're branching out into a new career, be sure to mention your previous work history, while also highlighting that you're jumping headfirst into a new career. By mentioning the career change, you can show hiring managers you're changing careers, rather than just applying to any new position.

U/StageOne 2591 , shares in their Reddit post that they've reviewed over 1000 resumes. They've found that it's better to be upfront with a shift in careers, while highlighting relevant skills related to each career, both the one that you're transitioning out of and the one you're entering. Addressing is your switch in careers is better than leaving it left unexplained. U/StageOne 2591 shares a great example of how to spin a career transition to highlight transferable skills:

“Sales professional with 5 years+ years of experience looking to transition into the position of a front-end web developer. Previous experience developing websites for 3 local business clients.”

This shows that you’re not just applying to random jobs — you’re ACTUALLY trying to transition into a new field.

• How to write a career change resume

Tip #17. Recent graduates should use their accolades in school.

This tip is for: Students or recent graduates

Many job seekers who are fresh out of college struggle to fill their resume, as they don't have a ton of experience in their field. If that's you, then you can share additional relevant information about the awards and accolades that you picked up throughout your college career in your educational background section.

Receiving honors in your degree or a Summa Cum Laude distinction may set you apart from other job applicants. This is especially true if you're applying for an internship or other entry-level position. You may also choose to highlight other skills, including the ability to speak a foreign language.

Tip #18. Include promotions in your resume if you’re applying for an internal position.

This tip is for: experienced professionals

If you're applying for a new position within your company with a new hiring manager, you should share promotions you received while working for said company. You can share this helpful bit of information when you list your responsibilities, highlighting how you've received additional duties while you advanced within the company.

Tip #19. Make sure you properly write each job description in your experience section.

For the most part, the experience section on a resume takes up most of your application. That’s prime real estate. Unfortunately, most applicants waste it by describing their day-to-day activities, while they can make it much more impactful. The secret is to highlight achievements rather than job duties. We already mentioned the importance of talking numbers, so if you skimmed the article so far, jump back to Tip #14. Use quantifiable numbers .

Resume building tips: how to format a resume

While how you write your resume is important, you want the hiring managers actually to read your resume to the very end.

That’s why we’ve packed some resume best practices on formatting that will make sure your resume gets read.

• The best resume formats you need to consider (5+ examples included)

Tip #20. Make every section count.

Having onely one page to fit your whole professional career is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you have extensive professional experience. For this reason, make sure you include only relevant information and sections that will increase the value of your resume.

You can also achieve this by leaving some of your experience out, especially anything which isn’t relevant to the job or company you’re applying for. (Like that waitressing job you did in college.)

Tip #21. Use a reverse chronological format.

This tip is for: Applicants with experience.

When you write your experience section, another rule of thumb is to use a reverse chronological resume template . This means starting from the most recent position first.

Keep your dates consistent, e.g. if you decide to specify months, make sure you mention months everywhere.

We have a pretty in-depth guide on reverse chronological resumes order resumes too.

Tip #22. Keep your resume one to two pages long.

This tip is for: For mid–to very experienced applicants.

Generally, resume experts agree on the fact that resumes should be a page long. While we’re all fine and dandy with one-page resumes, we should also have to admit that two pages are pretty great too. Make sure you keep your resume no longer than two pages. It doesn’t matter how much of an experience you have, truth be told, you can probably shorten it to two pages.

We’ve written a very in-depth guide on resume length that gives you all the information on the topic. Furthermore, you can learn how to fit a lot of experience in a single page in our one-page resume guide or how to properly build a two-page resume .

Tip #23. Create a separate section for notable achievements.

Add a section specifically for your achievements . This is yet another way to tailor your resume to a specific job.

Doing this allows you to minimize the editing work you have to do. Just select two to three achievements most relevant for your desired job, then put it in a separate section.

Use bolding, italics, and all caps to highlight other achievements, such as those related to soft skills for your job.

Resume design tips: How to design a resume that gets noticed

How you write and format your resume may be the difference between getting called for an interview or not, but the design of your resume is what ultimately will get you remembered by the hiring manager.

One of the best resume building pointers we could give you is to make sure that the design of your resume is just perfect. After all, you want to choose a font that makes your resume easy to read and complement it with a color scheme that gets noticed.

We’ve built Enhancv with a focus on creating the most beautiful resumes in the world – focusing on keeping the design professional and ATS-friendly, while ensuring hiring managers can understand why you’re the best person for the job.

Tip #24. Use colors to stand out.

Applying for a job in the 21st century can’t be done with a black and white resume. One of the resume tips the designers and creatives in our readers will like – use colors. We should emphasize that making your resume more colorful means that you should use colors that complement each other and keep your resume looking professional. Having a bit of color on your resume can help you stand out from the pile of black and white sheets of paper that’s already sitting on the desk. If you use the colors of the company you’re applying for, it will instantly signal that you’ve done your research and that it’s not just another position you’re applying for—you really care and want this one.

If you’re applying for a highly corporate or a governmental job, stick to a traditional resume template . If you decide to use colors, use combinations of gray and black, or navy. Check out Enhancv’s resume builder for different color combinations to choose from.

Research and application tips: How to make sure your resume gets you an interview.

And last but not least, you’ll have to be smart when you apply for a job.

Depending on where you live, you may apply alongside 500 other people for the same job position. This can be quite daunting, that’s why you want to make sure your resume gets to the right person.

Here are our pointers to make sure your resume gets read–from networking to research and application.

Tip #25. Analyze the job ad and include the skills they’re looking for within your resume.

Companies get hundreds of applications per position and hiring managers use applicant tracking systems to help them go through the pool of applicants faster. That’s why each job ad a recruiter publishes contains keywords – these job ads are later put into the ATS and the software screens the resumes looking for particular keywords from the job ad.

It’s mandatory that you include the skills from the job description. This means that you meet the job requirements and you’ve read the job description thoroughly.

Before you start writing your resume, analyze the job description and write down these things:

• Keywords describing skills (both soft and hard skills)
• Keywords describing your experience (years, responsibilities, etc.)
• Keywords describing culture (“tight-knit team”, etc.)
• Why you believe you’d be a good fit.
• After you do this, make sure you use those keywords in your resume. The key here is to make it look natural rather than stuff every section with keywords.

Other keywords to look out for:

• Certifications – read our job-specific guides and resume examples for relevant job certifications.
• Tools or programs required for the job.
• Education and degree – Ph.D., master’s, or specific bachelor’s degree.
• Location – companies often use city names or zip codes to narrow down candidates for local-specific jobs.

Tip #26. Send your resume to the right person.

Send your resume to a relevant person instead of just blindly submitting it through a website or job portal.

Yes, many vacancies posted on job platforms don’t reveal the name of the recruiter or hiring manager. But that’s no excuse not to do your research and find the relevant person.

If you’re like many of the candidates who tout “online research” as one of their skills, this should be an effortless task for you.

Here’s how to prove it:

• Copy a couple of sentences from the job ad and paste it on Google. Chances are, the job ad is also posted on their website or LinkedIn. If it’s on LinkedIn, the job ad will show the name of the recruiter at the bottom.
• If the Google search doesn’t yield any results, look up the company’s website and visit their team’s about page. Find the company recruiter and the manager of the department you want to join, then look up their names on LinkedIn and other social media. For startups or small companies, find the CEO, and send your resume directly to them. These extra little steps can really help you stand out.

To find a recruiter or CEO’s email, you can use some free tools such as Hunter or Voila Norbert. Also, you can check their social media profiles or send them a LinkedIn message.

Tip #27. Research your potential colleagues.

It’s easier than ever to find your potential employer and their team members on social media. Right after you read the job description thoroughly, get to know the potential employer. See what their values are, what’s the company all about, etc.

Then try to mirror their language into your resume. When your potential employer reads it, they’ll feel like you already know each other.

Granted, this isn’t one of the resume hints you can easily pull off with ten minutes of work.

But the extra prep work you do here will pay off in dividends once your resume catches their attention.

Plus, you can use your research to do well on the interview.

Tip #29. Give yourself enough time.

Honestly, when it comes to resumes, what most of us want is to spend five minutes on it and have a resume that will get us that dream job.

But good things take time and so does the writing of a good resume. Remember, the upside is getting the job you want, so spending a bit more effort is worth it.

If you try to rush things, it may result in more mistakes, and you might overlook some important things. Think about resume writing as a creative process of self-discovery.

Turn on the music you like and check out some amazing resume examples for 2021. Once you have enough inspiration, go ahead and start writing.

Tip #30. Name your resume PDF or Word file properly.

When you send your resume and your cover letter to a potential employer, they often put them all in one place. That’s why it’s best to name your files properly, including your first and last name, as well as your target job.

In practice, this means: Elon-Musk-Engineer-resume / Elon-Musk-Engineer-cover-letter

This way, if your resume ends up in a file with many others, your potential employer will be able to spot your name straightaway.

Common mistakes to avoid when crafting your resume.

Some of the most common reasons applicants don’t get called for an interview for their dream job position are actually quite minuscule. They just leave a bad impression.

By far, the most common mistakes are typos. Can you believe you did not get a call for a job interview because you made a typo?

Typos alongside length and design are the most common resume mistakes . Luckily, the Enhancv resume builder takes care of all this while you focus on the more important things.

What should a good resume include?

A good resume should be packed with everything that’s needed to show your experience, passions, and know-how.

In other words, a good resume should clearly showcase your experience and know-how . This means that it’s not necessary to include every job you’ve ever had, just the ones that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

What to include in your resume if you don't have any experience?

But how to craft a powerful resume if you don’t have the experience you may wonder. After all, with no experience, even the best resume tips won’t help you, right?

Fret not, because a resume is not only about experience. People gravitate towards showing how many years they’ve worked and where they’ve worked, because that is what they know how to do best.

The real strength in a resume lies when you show the impact you’ve made. Whether it was a side-project, or at your first job that has nothing to do with the position you’re applying for, impact shows that you’re proactive and result-driven.

We’ve made an in-depth guide on how to craft a powerful resume if you don’t have much experience .

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Switching Careers? Here’s How to Write a Strong Resume.

• Benjamin Laker,
• Vijay Pereira,
• Abhishek Behl,
• Zaheer Khan

Start with a personal statement.

When you’re switching career paths, there’s one essential thing you need to focus on: updating your resume. Crafting a smart resume is key to showing your potential employer why you wish to make a change. While there’s no one right format to write a resume, here are some tips you can follow:

• Begin the resume with a personal statement. This is a short description about who you are, your reasons for changing your career, your new goals, how your previous experience can be transferred to the new industry, and why you’re perfect for the job.
• Next, instead of highlighting your work experience first, showcase the skills you’ve learned throughout your career. That’s because when changing careers, the hiring managers reviewing your application may not always be familiar with the roles and responsibilities of a different industry.
• Below your skills, you can include a more traditional description of your relevant work history. You don’t need to include every job you’ve ever had, especially if you’ve held a number of positions that don’t highlight any essential skills required for this role.
• Finally, end with a chronological list of your educational qualifications. You can also include details about any certifications or courses that you may be undertaking that may be relevant to the position you’re interested in.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Switching career paths and trying something completely new can open you up to exciting opportunities, help you learn new things, and even earn you more money. But it’s not always easy — especially if you’re looking to move into an entirely different field. Apart from doing your research and unearthing opportunities, there’s one essential thing you need to focus on before you make the leap: updating your resume.

• Benjamin Laker is a professor of leadership at Henley Business School, University of Reading. Follow him on Twitter .
• Vijay Pereira is a professor of strategic and international human capital management at NEOMA Business School.
• AB Abhishek Behl is an assistant professor of information management at the Management Development Institute Gurgaon.
• ZK Zaheer Khan is a professor in strategy and international business at the University of Aberdeen.  

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The Best Resume Format: 20+ Examples + How-to Tips

How to format a resume the right way and how to choose the best of the three standard resume formats, depending on your current career circumstances. Plus, examples of well-formatted resumes you can steal.

The term “resume format” might mean different things: 

• For some, it’s about the nuts and bolts of the document—things like margins, fonts, overall structure.
• For others, it’s about picking the right type of the three standard resume formats—reverse-chronological, functional (skills-based), or combination (hybrid).
• Then there are those who think of “format” as the visual design and layout of a resume.

Whichever of those aspects of resume formatting you’re curious about, you’ll get all the answers you need here.

In this guide:

• How to format your resume to make it readable and professional.
• Which resume format to choose, based on your current career situation.
• Recent resume formatting trends you should know (and not always follow).

Just came here for the TL;DR version? Here it goes.

Short answer:

• Consistency is the most important aspect of resume formatting. Use a standard font like Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia, or Garamond. Use 10–12 pt font for the main body and 14–16 pt for headings. Set line spacing for 1–1.15 and margins not below 0.5 inches. For dates, choose one date format and stick to it.
• To save time and effort and make sure your resume looks just right, use an online resume builder. Obviously, I’d love you to take Rezi for a spin because we’re strongly focused on ATS-compliant formats, but if you want alternatives, Wozber, FlowCV, and Teal are also worth a try.
• The reverse-chronological resume format is a safe choice for all jobseekers and the best choice for 9 out of 10 candidates. 
• If you’re fresh out of school and have no work history to showcase, still use the reverse-chronological resume, just put your education section above the work experience part. 
• The combination format might work if you’re changing careers, but only if you’ve had a lot of professional experience in that previous field.
• The functional resume format is usually too risky. Use at your own peril. The only scenario where it might be okay is if you’re applying for a highly-creative role and your portfolio matters more than your resume.

How to Format a Resume?

• Set margins for 1 inch. If a few lines spill over to the next page, you can make your margins slightly smaller, but not smaller than 0.5 inches.
• If you have less than 5 years of experience, make your resume one-page. Two-page resumes are fine for mid-level to senior-level candidates.
• Use one of the standard, recognizable fonts like Arial, Calibri, Merriweather, Helvetica, Georgia, or Garamond. You can use a different font for headings: a combo of serif and sans-serif fonts often looks better.
• Go for 10–12 pt font for the main body and 14–16 pt for section headings.
• Put essential information in bold but don’t overdo it—use it for things like company names, educational institutions, or certifications.
• Use single or 1.15 line spacing for the main body, and 1.5–2.0 for the space between headings and sections.
• Structure your sections in the following order: Contact Information, Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Additional Sections (Certifications, Courses, Conference Participation, Volunteer Work, and similar).
• Use bullet points to describe your duties and achievements in your work experience section. Use up to 7 bullet points per job—the more recent the position, the more bullets you can shoot for.
• Save your resume as a PDF unless the job ad explicitly asks for a different file format. Name the file FirstName_LastName_Resume_TargetCompany , e.g., John_Doe_Resume_Apple.

Formatting your resume right won’t automatically get you hired. Formatting it wrong, though, will automatically get you rejected. 

It’s the bare minimum you need to take care of in your job application. So yeah, don’t mess it up.

These essentials make sure your resume isn’t just professional, but also easy to skim and visually appealing.

Set proper margins

Margins frame your resume, giving it a clean, organized look. Aim for one-inch margins all around. If you’re tight on space, you can squeeze them down a bit—just not below 0.5 inches to avoid a cramped look.

Use respectable fonts

Your choice of font matters a lot. Stick to clear, professional fonts like Arial, Calibri, Merriweather or Times New Roman. Keep the main text between 10 and 12 points, bumping up headings a bit to make them pop. The aim is clarity, ensuring anyone can easily read your resume.

Get your line spacing right

Good line spacing keeps your resume from looking like a wall of text. Use single spacing for your content, with a bit more space between sections (1.5 to 2.0) to break things up visually.

Use clear, descriptive headings

Headings guide readers through your resume, so they need to stand out. Whether you bold them or use a different font, keep it consistent. This helps employers quickly find what they’re looking for.

Put the sections in the right order

How you organize your resume sections can make a big difference. Kick off with your contact info and a punchy summary or objective. After that, what comes next depends on what you want to highlight. Usually, you’ll lead with your work experience, followed by education, skills, and any extra goodies like certifications or awards.

Use bullet points strategically

Avoid using paragraphs to describe previous experience. Bullet points are your best friend for listing achievements and responsibilities. Start each one with a dynamic action verb and, whenever you can, quantify your successes. This format is not just reader-friendly, it also shines a spotlight on your contributions.

Save your resume as a PDF

When saving your resume, PDF is usually your safest bet to keep the formatting consistent across different devices. Name your resume file clearly with your name and the word “resume,” like, John_Doe_Resume.pdf . 

For brownie points, you can add the name of the company you’re applying to: Michael_Tomaszewski_Resume_Rezi.pdf (to be frank, I never got to send one).

Understanding these formatting basics sets a solid foundation for your resume, making it look good and read well. 

But that’s the easy part. Here’s where things get a little more complicated (or do they?).

Which of the Three Resume Formats is the Best?

• The three standard types of resume formats are: reverse-chronological (the most common one, focused on your work history), functional, AKA skills-based (focused on your skills), and combination (highlighting skills while tying them to professional experience).
• Reverse-chronological resume format is the best choice for most candidates, no matter their industry or seniority level.
• Combination resume format can work well for senior professionals with stellar achievements or for career-changers with extensive experience in their previous field.
• Functional resume format is generally risky: most recruiters don’t like it, and it might not pass some ATS scans. You can get away with it when applying for creative roles, where your portfolio matters more than linear work experience.

I’ll go into details right below. But first, consult this handy flowchart.

Below, I’ll break down the three main types to help you pick the best one for your current situation and career goals.

Reverse-chronological resume format

This is the go-to format for most jobseekers. Its main focus is in the work experience section, with jobs you’ve held listed in reverse-chronological order (starting with the current or most recent one, then working your way back in time).

This is the standard order of sections on a reverse-chronological resume:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary or Resume Objective
• Work Experience
• Additional sections (Publications, Courses, Certificates , Volunteer Work , Hobbies and Interests, and similar)

And here’s what a good reverse-chronological resume looks like.

Reverse-chronological resume sample

Pros: it’s a recruiter- and ATS-friendly resume , highlighting your career progression and best achievements. It focuses exactly on what matters the most to potential employers.

Cons: if you’ve had plenty of success over many years of your professional career, some of the best bits might get lost between the cracks of a reverse-chronological resume.

This format is a no-brainer when you’ve had a straightforward career in the same field. 

That said, the reverse-chronological resume will work well even for career-changers, people with career gaps, or recent grads with little to no professional experience. 

Here’s why:

• Career changers: write an effective reverse-chronological resume by expressing your desire for a career switch in the resume summary, then, focus on experience and skills that are transferable to the new industry.
• Employment gaps: a 2014 study has shown that career gaps are far less significant to hiring decision-makers than you’d fear. As long as the gap has been followed by a period of continuous employment, it’s unlikely to bother your potential employer. The same goes for any gap shorter than 9 months. It shouldn’t even be called a “gap” in that case, you were just out of work for a while. Of course, you still need to explain the break, but something as straightforward as “Job Seeking” or “Break for Personal Reasons” will do the trick.
• No relevant work history: still fresh out of school with no work experience? Put your “Education” section above your “Work Experience.” In the education section, elaborate on relevant coursework or extracurricular activities . As for the work experience, list anything that might count, even that part-time cafeteria job or volunteer work.

Note : more recent, post-pandemic studies suggest that Americans do display slightly negative sentiment towards those who were unemployed during the pandemic. That said, those surveys were run on general population, not hiring professionals, so take the results with a grain of salt.

Functional (skills-based) resume format

Here, you focus on your skills rather than when you worked where. 

It’s commonly advertised as *the* resume format for candidates with gaps in employment or who are switching careers and want to highlight transferable skills.

The twist is that, technically, you don’t even have to put in the dates next to your jobs. And that might sound really tempting to those of you who aren’t too confident about your career progression so far.

But it just doesn’t work like that. 

You’ll be much better off honestly addressing any irregularities in work history on your resume than trying to conceal those. A functional resume immediately raises questions.

Honestly, any time I had to write a sample functional resume to show that it MIGHT work, I always ended up creating something closer to a combination resume (more on that in a moment).

This is the standard order of sections on a functional resume:

• Resume Objective
• Skills Summary
• Additional sections

Here’s what it looks like in practice.

Functional resume sample

Pros: it lets you play up your strengths and downplay less relevant positions. Can be a good choice for creative or artistic positions or when applying to small businesses.

Cons: recruiters aren’t fans because it can seem like you’re hiding something. It’s not great for dealing with ATS scans. It conceals what hiring decision-makers are interested in the most—your career progression.

If you’re dead set on using the functional resume format, by this point, I’ve probably run out of options to convince you otherwise. 

My final piece of advice: provide concrete examples that prove the skills you’re listing. And if you have an online portfolio, by all means include a link in the contact information section.

Combination (hybrid) resume format

Also called a chrono-functional resume. A mix of both worlds, this format showcases your skills upfront, followed by a reverse-chronological work history. It’s ideal for highly experienced senior candidates or career-changers who’ve had long stints of employment in their “previous” careers.

• Extensive Skills Summary

Combination resume sample

Pros: highlights your most important skills and achievements up top. The magic sauce is tying a skill you mention to concrete evidence from your work history.

Cons: it’s fairly difficult to write it well. The whole point is compiling the highlights from your career in the skills summary at the top, but you don’t want to repeat all that information all over again in the work experience section.

A great example of someone who benefited from a combination resume comes from my individual client from a few years back, we’ll call him Jose.

Jose had over a dozen jobs throughout his 20-year career. He wasn’t much of a job hopper, more like a jack of all trades, taking a part-time gig here and there or holding two jobs simultaneously at times. 

He spent most of his life as a goalkeeper coach for a soccer club in Florida. Jose also handled some promotional activities for the club, was responsible for fundraising, and worked as a sales rep for a niche goalkeeper gear manufacturer. He was looking for a job in sales. And—

As we started talking, I realized he was an amazing salesperson! 

For instance, he single-handedly closed a sponsorship deal with the then Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper (to those of you in the US—trust me, that’s a huge name in Europe) despite competing with the Nikes and Adidases of this world, and other companies he wouldn’t have been able to outbid. He also did spectacularly well managing sales initiatives for the soccer club.

And yet, if two of his most recent job positions had just read “Head Goalkeeper Coach” and “Goalkeeper Coach,” all of those other relevant achievements would have gotten buried. And recruiters won’t dig for information they don’t have readily available at first glance. 

Long story short, we wrote a combination resume for Jose and quickly landed him his dream sales gig. If your current situation sounds even a bit similar, this might be your cue!

CV format vs. resume format

Just a quick note here. If you’re looking for a job in academia, none of the above holds true. You’ll need to follow a CV format—and it’s an entirely different document.

A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is not just a “fancy” resume. It’s way more detailed and used primarily in higher education teaching and research positions, covering your entire career. 

How to choose the best resume format for you?

Depending on your experience level:.

• Entry-level with no experience: lean towards a modified reverse-chronological resume with the education section above the work experience.
• Mid-level: use the reverse-chronological format, which showcases a solid work history and upward career trajectory.
• Senior-level: go for a combination format as it allows you to display a rich mix of skills and impactful career milestones.
• Career-changers: the combination format is a good bet, letting you emphasize relevant skills over past job titles. You can also use a reverse-chronological resume, but provide some context for your desire to change careers in the resume summary or resume objective.

Depending on other factors:

• Linear work history: when you have a solid, consistent work history in the same field, use the reverse-chronological resume format. If your work history is varied with gaps or changes in career paths, a combination resume format might be better.
• Your industry: creative fields are more open to unique formats and designs. For more traditional fields, stick to the basics of standard resume formatting and, ideally, use the reverse-chronological resume.
• The role’s requirements: no matter the exact structure you end up using in your resume, always tailor any resume format to highlight the skills and experience that the role requires.

Here’s what you need to know about resume formatting and resume formats:

• Make your resume presentable. Treat it as any other formal document. Use an elegant font, single line spacing, 1-inch margins, and clear, visually-distinct headings.
• Always include the following sections: contact information, summary or objective, work experience, education, and skills.
• It’s best practice to throw in additional sections that back your expertise up: certifications, conferences, publications, volunteer work, projects, and similar.
• There are three standard resume formats: reverse-chronological, functional, and combination.
• The reverse-chronological resume is the best pick for a majority of candidates.
• Senior candidates or career-changers with a rich history of employment can benefit from using the combination resume format.
• Functional resumes are a less-than-perfect choice. They’re not exactly ATS-friendly, and they conceal some of the most important information.

Thanks a ton for reading and, as always, keeping my fingers crossed for your job hunt! Got any questions unanswered? Check out the FAQs below or hit me up via a DM on LinkedIn, always happy to talk careers!

Should my resume be one page?

For most early-career professionals, keeping your resume to one page is ideal. It forces you to highlight your most relevant experiences and skills. However, if you’re a mid- to senior-level professional with extensive experience relevant to the job you’re applying for, it’s acceptable to extend to two pages. The key is relevance and value—every section should add something meaningful.

How do I create an outline for my resume?

Start by listing the essential sections: Contact Information, Summary or Objective, Work Experience, Education, Skills, and any other relevant sections like Certifications or Projects. Next, under each category, bullet point the items you plan to include, focusing on achievements and skills. Adjust the order based on the resume format you choose and what you want to emphasize most.

What’s the best resume format for college students?

College students often benefit from a modified reverse-chronological format with education placed above work experience. It allows you to highlight your academic projects, and extracurricular activities, especially if you lack formal work experience. However, if you’ve had significant internships or relevant work, a traditional reverse-chronological format that showcases this experience can also work well.

Can I include a picture on my resume?

Generally, it’s best to avoid including a picture on your resume, especially for jobs in the US and UK, where it can actually work against you due to anti-discrimination laws. However, there are exceptions based on industry (like acting) or geographic location (some countries outside the US expect a photo). Always research the norms for your specific situation.

What’s the best resume format for ATS scans?

A reverse-chronological format is the safest bet for ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) because it’s straightforward and easy for the software to parse. Regardless of format, ensure your resume includes relevant keywords from the job description, uses standard headings (like “Work Experience”), and avoids overly complex layouts or elements that could confuse the ATS.

What should I always include on a resume ?

Always include your contact information, a summary or objective (tailored to the job), your work experience (with achievements and quantifiable results), your education, and relevant skills. Depending on the job, you might also include sections for certifications, languages, volunteer work, or projects. Remember, customization based on the job you’re applying for is key.

Michael Tomaszewski

Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW, is a resume and career advice expert with 7+ years of experience in the hiring industry. He has helped millions of readers and dozens of one-on-one clients create resumes and cover letters that *finally* do their talents and accomplishments justice.

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How to write a good resume.

Your resume must clearly, concisely and strategically present your qualifications to get a recruiter interested in meeting you. It should convey your skills, work experience and assets. The resume is used to describe what you can accomplish professionally in a manner that also illustrates what you can do for an employer. Job opportunities can arise unexpectedly. An updated modern resume is the key to a successful job search. Here are some do's and don'ts of how to write a good resume and what to include.

Resume Writing Do's

An employer takes an average of 30 seconds to skim a resume. You want them to see right away that you are qualified for the position.

Be sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. Have someone else read it over as well. A simple spelling mistake on a resume can give a negative impression to the employer. It can even prevent you from getting the job.

Place the emphasis of your resume on your most recent experience. Older jobs and experience that are more than 15 years old should either be cut out or minimized. This way, the employer can focus on more relevant information.

Specify work experience or achievements that are related to the position you are applying to. This can be done by reviewing the job description or the employer website.

You want to be able to identify the best examples of where you demonstrated your skills. These examples should speak to what you achieved in your role, and should demonstrate what kind of employee you are. It is best to include this information in the "Work experience" section of the resume.

Lying on your resume is never a good idea. You don't want to overstate your skills or results as it will mislead the employer. Have confidence in what you have to offer.

Use firm numbers that the employer will understand and be impressed by. For example, how many people you supervised, how many products you sold, by what percentage you increased sales, etc.

The person reading your resume might not always be the employer. Resumes can be reviewed by recruiters or Human Resources specialists who may not be familiar with your specific field. Use simple and plain language, but also persuasive verbs such as handled, managed, led, developed, increased, accomplished, leveraged, etc.

If you have volunteered with a well-known organization or worked for an important cause, put it in your resume. You should include these experiences under the "Work experience" or the "Volunteer work" section, especially if they are related to the position you are applying for.

Your resume should list your name, address, email and phone number. This information should be placed at the top of the first page. Also, make sure this information is accurate. Otherwise, the employer won't be able to contact you.

Resume Writing Don'ts

Make sure your email is easy to read, easy to type, professional and non offensive. In general, your email address should be based on your name. Exclude any nicknames, numbers, or special characters.

It is best to leave out any personal details such as age, weight, height, marital status, religious preference, political views, or any other personal attributes that could be controversial. This will prevent any potential bias. Most importantly, never include your Social Insurance Number in your resume.

Although in some countries it may be acceptable to include a photo, it is not the norm in Canada. It can actually lower your chances of obtaining a position and divert the whole focus of your resume. You want the employer to focus on your skills and experience, not what you look like.

Make your resume easy to read by limiting each resume section or sub section to 5-7 bullet points. This will make it easier for the employer to scan your resume and identify your potential. Each bullet point should be used wisely by keeping the information relevant and concise.

Do not use "I," "my," or "me". Write your resume in the third person, as if it's being written by someone else.

Your job duties will be obvious from your job title. Instead, highlight your achievements by putting a personal spin on your job duties and providing specific examples.

Steer clear from vague statements that don't highlight your actual contribution. Unclear statements such as, "Responsible for improving efficiencies and making cost savings", does not provide any information to an employer. Personalize your experience!

The main purpose of your resume is to promote you, your skills, experience and achievements. It should be entirely positive, and therefore should not include reasons for leaving as it does not add any value to you as a candidate.

An employer only requires references if they are seriously considering hiring you. Keep references on a separate sheet and provide them only when they are specifically requested.

It is not recommended to mention hobbies because of the judgments potential employers can make. However, if your hobbies relate to the position, you may include them as they can demonstrate to the employer why you are a good fit.

Want to create a professional resume in a few minutes? Sign up for a Job Bank account to use our free Resume Builder tool.

How to Nail your next Technical Interview

You may be missing out on a 66.5% salary hike*, nick camilleri, how many years of coding experience do you have, free course on 'sorting algorithms' by omkar deshpande (stanford phd, head of curriculum, ik).

How to Write a Professional Resume - A Guide

"Your resume says a lot about you; it determines whether you will be called in for an interview or not" – Anonymous .

This scenario must be quite familiar, where you enter your interviewers’ cabin, and they immediately ask for your resume. Not your name, not how your day is going, but your resume. Have you ever wondered why?

Your resume is like certification of your qualities, relevant to the company’s development in the near future. Conversing and finding out is a waste of time; so, every existing organization prefers a resume.

Shannon was facing the same dilemma.

"In her quest to finding a suitable job, Shannon had applied to a number of openings that she felt would be a perfect fit for her. However, as her search progressed and companies started responding, she realized that there was a problem. Although her resume was well-structured, it was still rejected by almost every organization."

What do you think is wrong with her resume?

One mistake that Shannon made was failing to update her resume. Incorporating your knowledge, skills, expertise, and unique professional capabilities in your resume are crucial . So, always make sure that your resume is up-to-date.

You need to be well-aware of how to write a professional resume if you wish to be selected by the big-shots. A professional resume is your key to success.

Keep reading to find out exactly how to write a professional resume that will get you the job you desire. Here's what we'll cover:

- How do you define a resume?

- What companies are looking for in a candidate resume?

- How to create a professional resume ?

- Select the right resume format

• A chronological
• The functional
• The combination

- How to Pick the Right Resume Format?

- Layout of a Resume

How would you define a resume?

You know what a resume looks like and who asks for it, but when asked what it is, can you provide a proper answer? For this, you need to know how to write a professional resume . Many may not be able to describe what a resume is and why they need to create one. Your resume is a document that provides your recruiters with more knowledge about you. They get to learn about your qualification, your hobbies, experience, expertise, etc.

It basically offers your interviewer a short summary about you and how qualified you are for the available job position. This document is a certification of your qualities and ensures to provide recruiters with honest information.  

What are companies looking for in a candidate resume?

"Anyone can find dirt on someone, be the one to find gold" – Haider Ali .

A resume is like an identity certificate that you provide your interviewers with. That is why you need to know how to write a resume if you wish to succeed in landing a job interview. There are certain components that your resume must consist of. These components are what any recruiters will notice first, even before your decorative hobbies. Although the name, address, age, and contact details are mandatory, there are a few others that you will need to add in as well.

No organization likes spending their time training new employees, who have no idea why they are even in that office in the first place. So, missing out on writing your experience may cause your recruiter to frown a little. Know all about how to do a professional resume and mention your experience in different companies to ensure them that you are up-to-date with the knowledge and responsibilities of a particular job position. Mention the exact amount of years as it will help your employer determine your suitability for a job opening.

• Roles and responsibilities

In your career, there may be two to multiple job roles that you have taken up and lived up to. These roles must have come with certain responsibilities that you have fulfilled and exceeded. Mention all about these experiences in your résumé to give your interviewer the impression that you possess the proper professional knowledge to handle any position offered with grace. Know well how to do a professional resume and impress your hiring managers.

• Achievements

No one likes a blunt career path consisting of company changes and qualifications. That is why you need to learn how to do a professional resume . Interviewers love hearing about achievements, so ensure that you mention them in your resume. Any record of outstanding performance or company development that you may have been a part of must be recorded in your resume. The presence of achievements helps you segregate yourself from the crowd of applicants. It also ensures your interviewer to determine that you aim for excellence.

It is pretty evident that education is an aspect that you will need to include in your resume by all means. Your qualification determines if you possess the correct knowledge to take up a particular job role. Qualifications also determine you have proper theoretical knowledge on a particular subject and will be able to tackle any issues that may arise in that department.

Selecting the right resume format

Your resume should be a reflection of your professionalism, making its format an integral part of creating one. On the basis of your career path, choose the format that best relays information about your experience, qualifications, and expertise. Learn how to do a professional resume if you want to know more about the resume format.

Many applicants are unfamiliar with the three kinds of resume formats that they use to professionally convey details about themselves to the interviewer. The functionalities of these three structures are different from one another, so ensure that you use them accordingly.

• A chronological resume

"Andrew is busy sending out resumes for job applications at various organizations. Although there is no shortage in the opening, he is facing constant rounds of rejection from potential companies. He is unable to comprehend the reason for these organizations to reject him. He holds more than five years of experience in the field of data engineering and also possesses the proper educations certificates to back his expertise. "

Why is Andrew failing to get even an interview call?

The reason is his unprofessional resume, as he is unaware of how to do a professional resume . If you, like Andrew, also have a strong background in a particular field, choose to create a chronological resume. Any chronological resume is required to consist of the following factors.

• Name of the candidate
• Contact information of the applicant
• A professional summary, providing a gist of the candidates' skills and expertise.
• The experience section to relay the candidate's previous work history
• A mention of the educational degrees that the candidate possesses.
• What are the different abilities and skills that this applicant has that can help in fulfilling organizational goals?  

Name: Andrew McAllen

Designation: Senior Data Engineer

Contact Details: …

Location: Chicago

Experience:

Data engineer

2016 – Ongoing

XYZ Ltd is an online payment solution that allows consumers to pay securely within and across borders.

• Worked as a 2nd MWD engineer in training
• Developed an app by the name Health Store
• Around 20 data scientists got the data that they wanted and more.

Data Engineering Intern

It was a start-up that mainly focused on behavioral and mental health care

• Revenue increased by 15% through new products
• Used to manage L2 team 24/7
• Helped company save 50% development time by introducing a reusable generic talented system.

Data Engineer

It was a biotechnology company with a head office based in San Francisco that was developing technology to help sequence human microbiomes.

• Introduced automated ETL processes that helped reduce time in wrangling data by 40%
• Offered high-performance data streaming solutions
• Managed a team of technical as well as business consultants

Most Proud of

• Former PMP: Was in charge of global multi-organizational projects of over 500M to 2B dollars in revenue
• Increased gross profit by 25%
• Helped client save 2M dollars in federal taxes
• Created a campaign with several applications that would assist in sending real-time emails and text messages to sales representatives.

Certification

English (Native)

French (Proficient)

Latin (Proficient)

• A functional resume

Unlike a chronological resume that reflects a candidate's experience more than their qualifications, functional resumes talk about the applicant's skills. As you learn more about how to do a professional resume , you will see that it begins with a professional summary of the candidate in question and then proceeds to mention their qualifications and expertise.

There are certain aspects that you need to include when writing a functional resume.

• Name of applicant
• Contact information
• A short professional summary about their career path
• Educational accomplishments of the applicant
• Professional achievements of the candidate in question.

Name: Ryan Mathews

Address: Jackson Street

Contact information: …

A professional data scientist with ten years of experience working with Amazon. Seeking to increase efficiency in the field further. Achievements include being able to assist in predicting stock prices with 3% more accuracy than average. Was also able to achieve a 20% improvement in investment returns.

2013-now: Data Scientist

2017-2012: exchange. Inc

• Fulfilled duty as data scientist while working with high-end firms
• Preserved and created models of potential holding with fund managers
• Was able to achieve 30% better returns
• Created machine learning tools
• Predicted stock prices

2012-2005: Junior data scientist

• Collaborated with health representatives to increase customer relationship
• Assisted in increasing repeat business by 25% for real estate investors
• Reduced wasted email time by 45%

2005-2002: Freelance data analyst

2002-2000 – BS in statistics from XYZ University

• Excelled in data integration and machine learning courses.
• Completed senior project that helped predict tips to waitresses in busy Chicago restaurants.
• President of AI club

Additional Activities: …

Certifications: …

Conferences : …

• A combination resume

A combination resume is a format that applicants usually prefer and go for when trying to create a professional image. The structure places emphasis on aspects including skills, achievements, experience, and expertise of the candidate.

Name: Shannon Grey

Address: Boston, NY

Contact Information : …

A passionate and value-driven product manager who has the experience of leading cross-functional teams in planning, managing, and launching innovation. Has a blend of various technical skills that comes from extensive knowledge in the field, gained through experience. Possesses analytical capabilities and knowledge in market orientation that assist in creating unique product strategies. Capable of prioritizing and managing several projects at a time by following proper specifications and budget.

• Technical product R and D
• Go-to-market launch plans
• UX/ UI designer
• Leadership capabilities
• Agile methodologies
• Troubleshooting capabilities
• Competitor research
• Financial modeling

Professional Experience

Product Manager

• Follows methodologies that led to 20% development
• Launched products that generated 15M dollars in revenue.
• Completed global market launch of SaaS solutions for payment activities.
• Exceeded client expectations.
• Assisted in creating a mobile application that ensures financial institutions with secure payment transactions.
• Excelled in gathering feedback from consumers
• Developed deep comprehension of business objectives possessed by internal as well as external stakeholders

MBA in marketing emphasis from XYZ University

BS (Major in computer science) from ZYX University

Certificate in UX/ UI designs from T College

What NOT to write in a resume?

• Useless and irrelevant information
• How old you are
• Why you despised your previous colleagues and work environment
• An essay on yourself (this is a strict NO)

Do you know what happens to resumes that fail to meet expectations set by interviewers? They end up in the trash can. Try learning more about how to do a professional resume . Imagine your years of hard work and dedication are thrown in the bin simply because the format of your resume wasn’t correct. Doesn’t sit very well with you, does it?

That is why the process of selecting any one of the three resume formats based on your professional development, skills, knowledge, and experience is necessary. Think about how to be a resume writer and settle with anyone the three structures. There are certain simple tips that you can choose to follow when selecting the format.

• Know more about your audience

You need to figure out the mindset of the person who will be receiving your resume and speculating it. Think about how to prepare professional resume . In case they are a firm believer in professionalism, you will need to select a resume format that is more appealing. Although all three resume formats are acceptable by organizations, try figuring out what it is that prospective companies are looking for and select your structure on the basis of your research.

• Don’t make it too complicated

Keep in mind that yours isn’t the only resume that the interviewer or hiring manager will be checking today. They receive thousands of applications upon releasing job opening offers on various portals. That is why; you need to know how to write a resume for experienced professional. Try using simple terminologies and follow a neat structure to not confuse them. A simple format can also reflect professionalism if done right.

• Try being consistent

Inconsistent formatting is not only unappealing but also reflects the lack of professionalism on the part of the applicant. For example, if you choose to bold a certain heading, then do the same for all of them, instead of just one. Know well how to write a professional resume . Often times, this inconsistency tends to determine whether your application will be accepted or rejected.

• Select a font

“Shannon had drafted a resume and was ready to upload it on various job portals until she decided to get someone’s opinion on her resume. One of her friends, who happens to be a human resource manager, speculated on her resume and asked her to re-do it. The suggestion was that while information was input correctly, the font was terrible.”

The issue with Shannon’s resume was its inconsistent font. While many applicants fail to notice these minute details, hiring managers are pretty strict about them. They prefer lucid, well-organized resumes rather than blunt, inconsistent documents.

The layout of a Resume

• Don’t forget to add your name and contact information

Your resume is more like an identification certificate to potential companies informing them about your designation, professionalism, and expertise. It is important that you understand how to write a professional resume . That is why it is mandatory to include personal information such as name and contact details within this document. It not only helps in the process of identification but also assists the interviewer in sending emails or texts in the case of any update.

• Your name : Of course, if you are going to create a resume for yourself, you will have to mention your name; otherwise, they aren’t supposed to whom this nameless resume belongs.
• Location: Once your resume is selected, they will be sending a postal letter informing you about being a new employee of their company. This is only possible if you include your permanent or current address in the resume.
• Contact information : Your telephone number or fax number needs to be present in your resume, solely for the purpose of communication.
• Email: Companies prefer to update applicants about their progress through professional emails, so when writing a resume, always include your email address to ease communication.
• Link to online portfolio: In case you possess an online portfolio, try including a link of the same when creating your resume. It increases the professional conduct of your resume, allowing it to stand out.  
• Profile on LinkedIn: To establish before your potential employers your social presence, try including a link to your LinkedIn profile.
• Professional summary or objectives are a must.

A professional summary talking about your skills and knowledge is mandatory when creating a resume . It is like writing an introduction for an article; if they don’t like the first line, they don’t read it at all.

When a hiring manager reviews your resume, they proceed to read the professional summary to comprehend the potential a candidate holds. There are certain aspects that you will need to include in your professional summary to create an impression.

• If you have more than three years of experience.
• Mention your accomplishments over the years.
• How is it that you plan to assist your potential company.
• Mention your skills

After introducing yourself and your qualifications through the summary, inform your hiring manager next about the skills that you possess. In this section, it is preferable that you provide a proper list of skills that companies desire their employees to possess. What you can do is conduct research on the kind of skills that organizations are demanding from applicants recently and try developing these skills over time before you apply. You can learn these skills by taking up certain Interview preparation courses .

• Soft Skills: When listing soft skills, you usually mention some behavioral or personality traits that you possess, which may assist in company development.
• Reliability
• Clear communication
• Adaptability
• Will to learn
• Troubleshooting
• Analytical thinking
• Hard Skills: When your experience or your qualification assists you in developing certain areas of expertise, they can be regarded as hard skills.
• Grip on language
• Data mining
• Statistical analysis
• Marketing campaign management
• Interface Design
• Mention your experiences, and don’t forget to add keywords

Why do you think you create a resume in the first place? It is for communicating with your hiring manager about your qualifications.

That is why listing your professional experience is necessary when creating a resume , as it allows the prospective company to comprehend your expertise in the field. Try incorporating keywords in your resume, as many companies tend to use ATS or Application Tracking System to scan your resume. By utilizing keywords , making your resume noticeable becomes easier. Keep reading to know more about how to list experience . Useful career advice for you would be to always include keywords.

· Try using the numerical or percentages to create an impact on your experience.

· Job descriptions by companies tend to consist of certain keywords; try using them in your experience listing.

· Don’t write long paragraphs and stick to shorter sentences.

· Try incorporating action when listing experience.

· Try adding a list of major projects that you have been associated with.

· Try adding your current experiences as well to increase the impact of your resume.

Software Engineer

• Led a team of 20 programmers while handling an end-to-end software development life cycle for 27 projects.
• Was in charge of a team that won the 2017 ABC award.
• Slashed any security breach by 67%
• Raised code efficiency by 35%
• Increased client retention by 35%

Senior Software Engineer

• Increased code efficiency by 55%
• Built an infrastructure to handle millions of clients
• Assisted in building security into a new product to achieve 100% compliance.
• Decreased lead time by 30%
• Create a Pro Education Section

“What makes you different or weird, that’s your strength.” – Meryl Streep

While basic education and university degrees need to be present in your resume, you can create a separate area to address your pro educational qualifications. Learn more about how to professional resume . This section will comprise degrees that you have earned for your personal growth and development.

• Mention certain special courses: Provide a list of special courses that you have invested your time to earn so as to increase your educational status and boost your career path.
• Average grade point: In case you are someone who earned a GPA above 3.6, you can consider it to be a part of your academic achievements. Choose to include this particular accomplishment of yours in this section of the resume, if you want to.
• Voluntary participation: In case you were actively part of any club or charitable activity, then you can choose to include it in your resume. This will help you segregate yourself from thousands of other applicants.
• Leadership Qualities: In case you were in charge of any particular team or project in your previous place of work, then do mention so in your resume. Highlight the achievements that you were able to guide your team into earning in this section as well.
• Special achievements: In case you were the recipient of any special award or position, then feel free to state that in your resume as well. This will assist a hiring manager in comprehending your efficiency in the workplace.
• Consider adding optional sections

Since your resume reflects your professional conduct and experience, you can choose to add a certain personalized section as well. Many applicants prefer including special skills such as proficiency in the language as a part of their resume. Keep reading to learn more about how to write a professional resume .

• Hobbies & Interests

Although your hobbies may not have any link with your professional career, mentioning them helps enhance your impression before hiring managers. They can comprehend that you believe in keeping your work and private life separate and dedicate yourself to a particular interest rather than sitting idle.

• Volunteering Experience

If you dedicate yourself to offering services to any particular charitable organization, then include information about the same in your resume. By knowing how to write a professional resume, you can offer your potential company insight on how you believe in giving back to society, allowing you to receive certain moral points.

• Certifications & Awards

In your years of experience, there must have been certain achievements that earned you an award from the organizations you are working with. Feel free to mention the same in this section of your resume.

• Format your resume
• The font of your resume cannot be bigger than size 12.
• Try avoiding stylish fonts and instead choose to select the ones that are clean and easy to comprehend.
• Maintain a margin between 1 and 1.5 inches.
• Keep the name and section headings in bold and at size 14.
• When you choose to list information, try using bullet points as they make your resume more readable.
• Structure your resume in line with the role you're applying to

Try creating resumes as per the job role that you are applying for. Try researching the opening position and the responsibilities that fall under it. Create a resume that is able to meet these pre-set expectations.

To relay that you are an individual who is dedicated and possesses every skill that the company desires, you need to create that perfect resume . Comprehending how to write a professional resume will help you establish your impression before the hiring committee. List your experiences and qualifications in a format that appeals to the hiring managers.

Keep in mind that being able to stand out is as important as being professional when creating a resume. Your goal is to be selected from among thousands of other applicants who are pursuing the same job position.

“Keep trying. It’s only from a valley that the mountain seems high.” – Zig Ziglar .

Dipen Dadhaniya

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Applying for a job at Amazon? Here are 4 ways to improve your resume.

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Amazon receives tens of thousands of resumes a year—so it’s critical that you submit one that really stands out from the crowd. We know that creating the “perfect” resume is easier said than done. The entire process can be nerve-racking and filled with a list of never-ending questions, like “One page or two?”; “Am I providing enough information?”; or “How do I explain professional gaps?” Most people struggle with crafting their resume, but with a bit of guidance, anyone can learn how to best present themselves on paper.

With this in mind, we reached out to several Amazon recruiters to get their best tips. Here’s what they had to say.

While it may seem counterintuitive to lean into design simplicity when you are hoping to create a resume that stands out, it’s truly in your best interest.

At Amazon, we are looking for resumes that are well-organized, use straightforward language, highlight measurable data, and are streamlined for maximum readability. A concise resume allows a recruiter to get a clear idea of who you are as a candidate and what you have to offer through your professional experiences, strengths, and education.

Anna Duong, manager of Americas Stores Tech Talent Acquisition, recommends sticking to the basics. Duong said, “While there are no hard rules, it’s best to keep a resume text-forward, black and white, and simple.” Remember we’re most interested in your accomplishments and less concerned about font styles, decorative borders, and non-essential information.

“A successful resume should focus on your actions and results,” said Bhavishya Lingam, senior recruiting business partner at Amazon Stores. Whenever possible, ensure you are including relevant data to help quantify your success and show how you have been able to drive impact at scale for the business. Focusing on quantifiable actions strengthens your resume significantly.

For example, instead of saying, “Responsible for introducing new tech stack into our organization,” you can make this stronger by saying, “Successfully led the acquisition and integration of innovative efficiency software that reduced errors by 25%, resulting in a reduction of customer complaints by 37% YoY.” We understand that every bullet point on your resume might not have a quantifiable measurement, but Amazon is a data-driven company so the more ways you’re able to quantify your success the better.

“You don’t need a completely different resume for each role you apply to, but it is a good rule of thumb to take the opportunity to align your professional accomplishments with the key elements of the role you’re pursuing,” said Patti Cudney, senior recruiting business partner. To do this, we suggest that you look at the key words and phrases within the “Basic and Preferred Qualifications” sections, and use this as a guide to help you determine what you should focus on in your resume.

Remember that not all experiences and skills are equally relevant to every job opportunity that you will eventually apply to, so continually reference the job description to make sure you’re prioritizing the right information. By taking the additional time to tailor your resume to match the job requirements, you demonstrate your genuine interest and suitability for the position.

Jen Paradise, RC manager talent acquisition, suggests you detail how you made a difference in previous positions. “Be sure to include specific stand-out accomplishments of what you’ve been able to achieve in each role,” she said.

Job responsibilities highlight what you do, while accomplishments showcase the tangible outcomes and results you achieved while fulfilling those responsibilities. At Amazon, we are a company of builders who bring varying backgrounds, ideas, and points of view to decisions and innovations on behalf of our customers. It’s this type of culture that encourages us to seek talented people who are invested in the outcomes of their work and want to deliver results.

Highlighting your accomplishments gives you the opportunity to tell the hiring manager something they don’t already know about you. In most cases, we can easily determine what are the associated responsibilities for a particular job description, but that doesn’t tell us anything about you as a candidate. However, when you provide accomplishments instead of responsibilities, we’re able to clearly see a snapshot of your strengths and ability to drive impact at scale.

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Once you understand how to make your resume stand out, it's time to start crafting the best resume to land your dream job at Amazon! For more information, find interviewing tips and FAQs on Amazon.jobs .

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Resumes, Resumes, Resumes! Makeover Your Resume Template, Today!

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Make a professional resume summary (how-to guide with examples for 2024).

Looking to land more job interviews? So is everyone else. 

In a saturated 2024 job market, how do you stand out?

It can be overwhelming theses days. Getting your resume noticed is challenging. An overwhelming amount of candidates applying for work means that you need the upper hand. Something to get you noticed.

Guess what.

It turns out that your best marketing is your resume. Your resume should have everything an employer needs to hire you.

Your resume is their first impression. First impressions are everything. Turns out your summary is your resume's first impression. It is key.

The key is to immediately grab the attention of the recruiter by writing an enticing summary. It’s the first section and impression on your resume. By highlighting your career achievements at the beginning of your resume in an enticing way, you can make a positive first impression. You can add all this in a section known as “ Resume Summary ”.

You got this. Writing Your First Summary is Easy with a Few Pro Tips!

A professional resume summary should make a strong first impression. It does so by summarizing your work experience and skills in an enticing way. It shows your accomplishments in a brief and impactful sales pitch that makes you a compelling candidate who will succeed and excel at the job position.

Executive Resume  Examples with Most In-Demand Formats for 2024

Learn how to “nail” your resume summary so potential employers will be excited to read your resume in a detail — you got this. A good resume summary because it is an effective way to gain the attention of potential employers.

Here is how you can create a resume summary with examples to land your dream job.

What is Resume Summary?

A resume summary is a brief and concise paragraph highlighting your most relevant skills and experiences located at the top of your resume. It is a brief introductory meant to catch an employer's attention. It help gives the prospective employer a peep into your potential by highlighting how far you have come in your professional career. It can include your years experience, achievements, qualifications, and skills. 

What Makes Your Resume Summary More Effective?

Making an impactful resume summary involves incorporating the following key elements:

• Concise Length: A strong resume summary typically spans two to four sentences and ensures brevity while effectively conveying your qualifications.
• Experience and Job Title: It should highlight your years of experience and your current or most relevant job title to provide context for your professional background.
• Notable Achievements: Incorporate some of your most significant accomplishments to date. It helps in showcasing your ability to deliver tangible results in your previous roles.
• Relevant Skills: Include a couple of your most essential skills that directly align with the requirements of the role you are applying for. It emphasizes your capacity to excel in the position.

Your resume summary will sent the tone of you job application. You must create an attractive introduction that gets the attention of potential employers by adding these elements to your resume summary.

Why You Should Write a Resume Summary Section?

The resume summary section is a crucial section for multiple reasons.

• Firstly, it allows you to concisely showcase your most valuable attributes. It gives hiring managers a quick overview of your talent.
• A crafted summary can capture their attention within seconds even when recruiters are often flooded with resumes. This makes them more likely to delve deeper into your application.
• A resume summary enables you to align your qualifications with the requirements of the job. You can use it to demonstrate your suitability for the role from the beginning.

This can be particularly advantageous if you are transitioning between industries or have a non-linear or longer career path . A resume summary allows you to emphasize relevant skills and experiences that might otherwise be overshadowed in a traditional consecutive resume format.

How to Write a Resume Summary Section with Examples?

A properly created resume summary is a key to unlocking new career opportunities. It is your chance to make a strong first impression. Here are some important tips you must keep in mind when creating a resume summary:

1.  Customize your Resume Summary According to the Job Ad.

Creating an attractive resume summary starts with customizing it to the specific job you are applying for. You should properly understand the job advertisement to identify the requirements and qualifications.

ATS-Friendly Resume Formats for Any Career Examples

Next, you should align your summary with the needs of the employer. Then accentuate your most relevant skills and experiences that closely match the job description. This personalized strategy not only showcases your authentic enthusiasm for the role. It also illustrates how your distinct abilities can contribute to the success of the company.

You demonstrate a focused understanding of the role by tailoring your resume summary in this way. It will help you present yourself as an ideal fit for the position.

2.  Use Your Strong Characteristics and Most Relevant Experience

Your resume summary should quickly tell your strongest characteristics and the most relevant experience that makes you a top candidate. Focus on key achievements, skills, and qualities that make you prominent from other applicants.

It is crucial to align your skills and achievements with the specific requirements of the role when determining your most relevant experiences and strongest points for a job application.

• When communicating your value to a potential employer, emphasize how your experiences and strengths make you a valuable addition to their team.
• Highlight any significant achievements, relevant skills, and certifications that directly relate to the job position. You can use specific examples to prove how your past experiences align with the needs of your employer.
• Tailor your message to the employer's specific needs and ensure that the information you convey is directly relevant to the job description. You should add how your experiences and strengths make you an ideal candidate for the position. You should highlight how you will add to the success of the team and add value to the organization.

You can effectively demonstrate to the employer how you will be a valuable option to their team by carefully selecting and highlighting your most relevant experiences and strongest points.

You should make sure what characteristics make you a suitable asset for the job you are applying whether it is your leadership skills or project management experience.

Resume Summary Example for Teacher Resume

A dedicated and passionate teacher with more than 5 years of experience in creating engaging learning environments for students. I have the skills to develop and implement innovative lesson plans to accommodate different learning styles. I am committed to nurturing a supportive and inclusive classroom environment for students.

3.  Add a Concise Description to Follow up

You can also add a concise description that elaborates on your career goals and what you can bring to the table. This part of the summary should provide a hint into your professional objectives and how they align with the mission and values of the company.

Keep it brief yet impactful.

You should highlight your passion for your field and your commitment to make a meaningful contribution.

*Additional Tip*

An important tip is to incorporate actionable, relevant keywords, positive adjectives, and personal pronouns that directly align with the requirements of the employer. This approach effectively demonstrates your ability to make a positive contribution to their success, showcasing your suitability for the role.

4.  Mention Your Achievements

One of the most effective ways to get the attention of hiring managers is by describing your key achievements. Whether it is reaching your sales targets or leading successful projects, measurable achievements can help you describe your ability to deliver amazing results.

Use specific metrics and numbers to showcase the impact of your accomplishments. This will make it easier for employers to recognize your potential value to their organization.

Ensure to support your accomplishments and achievements with concrete data. Incorporating improvement percentages, customer satisfaction metrics, and client base numbers will substantiate your claims and enhance your credibility.

Customer Service Professional Resume Summary Example Highlighting Achievements.

I am a results-driven customer service professional with a track record of delivering excellent service and resolving complex issues. I got recognition for consistently exceeding performance targets and maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rating. Alo received the 'Employee of the Year' award for demonstrating outstanding problem-solving skills.

5.  Highlight Most In-demand Skills

Employers are looking for candidates with a diverse set of skills in the present evolving work environment. So, you should use your resume summary to highlight the skills relevant to the job you are applying for.

Whether it is technical skills, communication skills, or ability in specific software, highlight the skills that are particularly popular in your industry.

This not only highlights your willingness to perform in the role but also emphasizes your flexibility in a quickly changing professional world.

Realtor Resume Summary Example with Most In-Demand Skills

A seasoned realtor with a strong focus on client satisfaction and a proven ability to close deals. I am proficient in utilizing CRM software and data analytics to identify and target potential buyers and sellers. I have exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to build lasting client relationships.

6.  Aim to Complete Your Resume Summary within 3 to 5 Sentences

Conciseness is necessary when you are creating a powerful resume summary. You should aim to deliver your unique value proposition within three to five brief sentences. This requires you to be selective in your choice of words and ensures that every sentence is delivering its purpose.  

A structured and brief summary can get the attention of busy recruiters who often go through multiple resumes every day.

7.  Get Help from ChatGpt in Resume Summary Development

If you are struggling to describe your strengths and experiences effectively then consider using the help of ChatGPT.

ChatGPT can help you improve your resume summary with its natural language processing capabilities. It can provide valuable insights and suggestions to improve the impact of your resume summary.

As a result, you can enhance the quality of your resume summary and increase your chances of shining in the competitive job market.

How to Write a Resume Summary with No Experience (Or Little)

Creating an attractive resume summary may seem challenging for students with no experience. However, you can use your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, internships, and volunteer work to create a strong impression.

• When writing a resume summary with little or no experience you should focus on highlighting transferable skills and any practical experiences. It must represent your potential to excel in the desired role.
• You can also emphasize your academic accomplishments or any coursework to showcase your relevant skills.

For example, are you a recent graduate applying for an entry-level marketing position? Then you can highlight your coursework in digital marketing and market research. If you have recently completed an internship then you can also add the skills and experiences gained from these opportunities.

If you do not have any practical experience then you can also add soft skills to your resume summary. Employers highly appreciate values like communication and problem-solving skills. That is why these soft skills can significantly contribute to your overall appeal as a potential candidate.

Resume Summary Example for Students. Motivated and enthusiastic individual with a strong academic record and a passion for learning. I have excellent time management and organizational skills. I can adapt to diverse environments and work effectively in team settings. Looking to join as a sales representative at Retail Store XYZ.

Your Professional Resume Design is an Easy Download Away!

Summary about your Resume Summary 😉

Yup. It's that easy.

Keep it simple. Keep it short. Keep them guessing.

Mastering the art of creating an impressive resume summary is a necessary skill. This competitive, evolving job market demands it. Job seekers can effectively present their unique value and expertise to potential employers by following the guidelines and examples provided in this guide. Make your resume summary a powerful tool  - make a memorable first impression. Setting the stage for successful career development is at your fingertips.

When navigating the ever-evolving landscape of job applications you must use the best resume summary practices given in this guide. These practices will certainly help individuals to stand out and secure opportunities that align with their professional ambitions.

Create your Europass CV

The Europass CV builder makes it easy to create your CV online. You can use it to apply for a job, education or training opportunities as well as volunteering.

The best-known CV format in Europe

The Europass CV is one of the best-known CV formats in Europe. It is easy-to-use and familiar to employers and education institutions.

You will first have to create your Europass profile with information on your education, training, work experience and skills. After you complete your Europass profile, you can create as many CVs as you want with just a few clicks. Just select which information you want to include, pick your favourite design and Europass will do the rest. 

You can create, store and share CVs in 31 languages . You can download your Europass CV, store it in your Europass Library share it with employers, with  EURES  or other job boards.

How to create a good CV

Remember that your CV is your first opportunity to communicate your skills and experiences to a future employer. It is a snapshot of who you are, your skills, your educational background, work experiences and other achievements.

Present your experience clearly

Highlight examples of your skills and experiences matching the job you are applying for. Pay close attention to the details published in the vacancy notice.

Tailor your CV

Make sure you update the ‘About Me’ section to highlight why you are the best person for the job. Do not include a full detailed history. Focus on facts and main points that match the job you have in mind.

Make it readable

Make sure your CV is easy to read. Use clear and simple language.  Use strong verbs (e.g. ‘managed’, ‘developed’, ‘increased’).

Use reverse chronological order

Always list the most recent experience on the top followed by previous ones. In case of long gaps in working or learning, include an explanation.

Polish and fine-tune

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes, provide a professional e-mail address, and add a professional photograph of yourself.

Your Europass profile

Your Europass profile is the place to keep a record of all your skills, qualifications and experiences. If you keep your Europass profile up-to-date then you will always have all the information you need to create tailored CVs and job applications quickly.

Good luck with your applications!

Find support through EU services

Eures the european job mobility portal, working abroad in other eu countries, education and training in other eu countries, you may be interested to read.

Create your Europass Cover Letter

Develop your skills through volunteering

Managing your personal information in Europass

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