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Article updated on May 10, 2024 at 5:00 PM PDT

Best Resume Writing Services for 2024

Whether you need to build a new resume from scratch or want some professional advice, we’ve curated the best websites, apps and services to make you stand out.

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Even you've written a resume before, the job market is always changing and it can be hard to keep up with. Having a fresh resume ready when you aren't searching can make a huge difference if you need it in a pinch. New formats, new terms and making sure your experience is not only up to date but relevant to the job you're applying for can be stressful. Take the pressure off with the best resume writing services.

Some of what you'll need to include in your resume will depend on the industry you want to work in. While it can vary, employers will likely look at your education, work history and skills. We’ve combed through dozens of resume services looking at the most helpful features across a variety of needs. We looked especially closely at the number of custom templates, the amount of guidance the service offered, the ease of navigation and the robustness of the service's privacy policy. Each of these templates and professional writing services will help you create a complete resume that best reflects your skills and experience at an affordable price.

What’s the best resume builder website?

The best resume template and builder should give you a variety of options to customize your resume. Resume.com has many options and customization features that make it a useful tool for almost any candidate applying to any job. You can upload and edit an existing resume, customize an available template from its collection or let the service guide you through creating one from scratch. Resume.com also offers helpful guidance throughout your resume creation process, making sure you include and optimize all your content. Once you’re happy with your resume, you can download it for free in multiple formats.

Depending on where you’re at in the job application process, you might need more guidance than a template. These professional writing services will pair you with experienced writers and coaches to help you craft and perfect resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. These services include more personalized coaching and features, but they tend to be more expensive. We’ve collected a range of options for your budget and needs. Because your resume likely includes your contact information and some personal information, we've also included information about each service's privacy policy.

Best resume templates and builders of 2024

A well-constructed resume can help you stand out during a job search.

• Can create new resume or customize templates
• Many free features, guidance while writing
• Integrated with Indeed job search site
• Difficulty unsubscribing from paid services

Best free resume builder

Resume.com is a free resume writer offering dozens of templates for creating your resume or cover letter, as well as job boards and career advice. You have the option to upload and edit an existing resume, create a new one, or customize one of the sample resumes offered on the site. It's intuitive and easy to use, and it creates a professional-looking final product.

When starting from scratch, you'll go section by section, entering your education, employment history, hobbies and interests, professional skills, languages and references. Resume.com provides question prompts and tips for guidance, as well as career-specific examples you can add if you're struggling to find the right words. You can also choose to forgo any of these sections, rearrange sections and add custom ones depending on what you need. As you update and save each section, you can see how it will appear on the page on your resume preview to the right. You can also change the template, font style and size, or spacing at any time and see it update in real-time in the preview. 

Once you're done, you can download your new resume (in PDF, DocX, RTF or TXT format), create a custom URL or print it out. You also have the option to upload it to Indeed, a job search site that partners with Resume.com . The account you make will work with both Indeed and Resume.com . On the privacy side, the site does collect user information. If you want to delete your account, simply click your profile icon and then Account . Clicking Close My Account deletes your account and your data. If you didn't make an account, you can still choose Delete Guest Data . You can also request your data, and the company will send you an email with what it has collected. 

On the review site Trustpilot , Resume.com only has 38 reviews, but of those, 53% of them awarded the site four or five stars. Some negative reviews speak of difficulty unsubscribing from paid services, so read carefully as you use the free aspects of this service . 

• Guided help writing work experience descriptions
• Cover letter and CV help
• Easy to change layout and color styles
• Must pay to download resume

Best option for your first resume

Resume genius.

The website Resume Genius says you can "make a professional resume in 12 minutes." We tested it out and indeed had a solid first draft of an easy resume completed in about 10 minutes. Resume Genius takes you step-by-step through the process, prompting you with questions about your education and work experience to help you fill out the applicable sections. Resume Genius is particularly helpful because you can search for a job and see prewritten text for the description that you can add or edit. When finished, you can easily toggle between different templates to see what looks best for the final product. You also have the option to directly share your resume with Indeed or Resume Library. 

The site can also help you build cover letters and curriculum vitae. After you input all your information, you can choose different layout styles and colors. It's easy to move through, but you have to do it in order and fill in all the information before continuing. Resume Genius also offers examples of resumes, CVs and cover letters for specific jobs, as well as recommended jobs near you. You can download the resume you create for $3 (which starts a 14-day trial for Resume Genius Pro), or $8 (which kicks off a monthly subscription plan). If you fail to cancel your trial before the 14 days are up, you'll be billed $24 every four weeks, according to the site. 

On Trustpilot at the time of this publication, the site has 4.6 out of 5 stars based on more than 38,000 reviews. Note that if you register on the site, Resume Genius does collect personally identifiable information and may share it with third parties for advertising and other purposes, according to its privacy policy. The account deletion process is buried in the Terms of Service . According to Resume Genius, complete data erasure can take up to 30 days, but they may retain "certain information in accordance with privacy laws."

• Easy to customize
• Free downloads
• Optional paid extra assistance with Indeed professionals
• Unclear how to delete personal information

Easiest resume builder to use

Indeed resume builder.

It's free to create a resume or post your current resume on Indeed. If you're building a new one, you can choose between eight templates. The resume sections are highlighted and when you click, each section expands specific text fields. You can swap templates at any time without losing your work, as well. There are also options for toggling sections on and off, in addition to rearranging them. When you're finished, you can download a free PDF of your work history.

Indeed Resume Builder also offers optional professional advice for your new resume. After you download the resume you created, you'll get a prompt and can click Get Resume Help From a Real Person. Fill out a short questionnaire about what type of help you want and upload your resume (it's OK if you haven't built one). This service usually costs $89 unless you've applied to at least 10 jobs using your Indeed resume. According to Indeed, if you haven't received an interview request within 60 days of receiving your new resume, you can request a one-time rewrite. 

For $19, you can take a quiz and get feedback from a professional to get you started. You can also use Indeed's automated instant report system for free. The system returns quick tips to improve your resume. 

Indeed's privacy policy says that it does collect and share user data with third-party providers to connect job seekers with employers and improve services. According to Indeed's privacy policy, you can request an account or personal data deletion and request that your data not be shared while your account is active. CNET reached out to Indeed for more information and we'll update when we hear back.

• Guides resume creation
• Free resume downloads
• Paid tier offers interview advice and cover letter builder
• Have to pay for additional downloads

Most affordable paid resume builder

Cv engineer.

CV Engineer is an easy-to-use smartphone app that creates a professional-looking resume. With 16 templates to choose from, you can tap to enter information into all of the usual sections and add custom ones. When you tap on each section, you can tap through the bottom toolbar to get advice on what type of information to add, as well as view resume examples to show you how the section could look. 

CV Engineer lets you send or download your first completed resume for free, but upgrading to CV Engineer Pro for a one-time payment of $6 gives you access to unlimited downloads. A Scan My CV feature is also included, which can detect common mistakes and suggest improvements, such as places where you can add more information. The Pro version also offers interview advice and a cover letter builder. 

You can download CV Engineer from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store . CV Engineer does collect personal information and can share it with Google Play Services and Firebase Analytics, according to its privacy policy. The app is free to download and ad-free.

• Strong privacy policy
• Example resumes available
• Only one layout available
• Little guidance during creation

Best free iOS resume builder

Resume star 2: pro cv designer.

Resume Star 2 isn't the most visually stunning resume design app for iOS, but it gets the job done. To use, tap each section of the resume, fill in your information and it will fill in a traditional template (you only get one layout). The app offers some example resumes you can start with and edit as needed, including job-specific ones for a: cashier, dental hygienist, receptionist, waitress, mechanic and senior manager.

You can add or delete any sections you like without needing to hit save every time you add information, and you can see your resume update as you go. The autosave feature makes it easy to toggle quickly between the different sections as well. At the end, you'll have a basic resume ready to go. The app's interface doesn't offer as much guidance about how to write your resume or what types of information to include. If you need extra help, tap the information icon in the bottom left and choose the Resume Writing Guide. This will open up a crash course on resume writing in your mobile browser. It also includes a job search feature. 

The app collects payment via donations after you use the service -- you don’t have to pay if you don’t want to. The app connects to iCloud, and you can export your resume as a PDF to any location on your device(s). If you are happy with the service, you can choose the $6 "helped a bit" tier, a standard donation of $10, or the "really helped me" tier for $25. 

Resume Star 2 has a 4.8 out of 5 rating, and more than 1,800 ratings in the App Store . The first version, Resume Star: Pro CV Maker, which is the same except for the iCloud connection, had a 4.9-star rating and more than 16,000 reviews. The site does not collect personally identifiable information without user consent, which seems to make it one of the more secure options available.

• 42 templates to choose from
• Easily customizable
• Little to no guidance during creation

Best free Android resume writing service

Intelligentcv resume builder app.

Intelligent CV's Resume Builder App offers 42 resume templates and allows you to change font colors. Each resume section appears on a list, and you can move through sections in whichever order you choose, save and go on to another. You also have the option to add, delete or rearrange sections such as education, experience and skills. There’s a Help icon in each section for a little bit of extra guidance. Once you're finished, you can download your document for free as a PDF, which you can then save on your device or send via email or text. 

On the downside, the app is ad-supported and ads for other resume creators do pop up, which can get confusing. The app also offers less guidance than some of the other services, which means it's not a great option if you're new to resumes.

Resume Builder App has one of the strongest privacy policies of the bunch. The app does not collect personally identifiable information , though third-party services (including Google Play services and analytics firms) may collect information. The app has 4.6 out of 5 stars and more than 424,000 Google Play Store ratings and is free to download.

• Easy-to-use interface
• Inclusive premium package

Best range of professional tools

VisualCV has an easy-to-use interface that lets you build your resume in the way that works best for you. After signing up, you can upload an existing resume, begin with a prewritten sample or start entirely from scratch. You can use the basic editor to input information in a list form, the visual editor to edit directly on the resume and preview mode to see changes made on either version in real time. Revision history is also available. 

The free basic edition allows you to select from over a dozen professional templates to create, edit and download one resume as a PDF. You can also create one free cover letter and apply to jobs through its job search feature.

To download or share additional resumes, you’ll need to buy VisualCV Pro for $15 a month quarterly or $24 a month monthly. Upgrading unlocks more templates, unlimited creations, downloading, career tracking and the ability to build a personal resume website. The website URL goes through VisualCV but can be shared online. 

In terms of privacy, VisualCV's policy says that it does not sell, trade, rent or license personal information to third parties. As of publication, VisualCV has 4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot but only 131 reviews.

Best professional resume writing services of 2024

Depending on where you’re at in the job application process, you might need more guidance than a template. These professional writing services will pair you with experienced writers and coaches to help you craft and perfect resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. 

As these services include more personalized coaching and features, they tend to be more expensive. We’ve collected a range of options depending on your budget and needs. Best professional resume writing services of 2024.

• Resume writing and career coaching
• Builds your resume from the ground up
• Quick turnaround
• More expensive options

A premium option for a tailored resume

Resumespice.

Suppose you're totally lost and are willing to invest several hundred dollars into your job search. In that case, ResumeSpice is a resume writing and career coach service created by recruiters that connects you with a "resume expert" to build your CV from scratch. 

Once you choose, you'll fill out a short questionnaire and schedule a phone consultation with a resume expert to discuss your experience, job search and career goals. The expert will take that information and turn around a personalized resume draft within two business days. You can review the draft and request any changes, and you'll get the final version in PDF and Word formats. 

An entry-level resume costs $479, a professional resume costs $589 and an executive resume costs $699. In addition to these packages, you can also add a cover letter, LinkedIn profile, interview coaching or other services to help you be more competitive in the job market.

• 60 day interview guarantee
• Industry-specific advice
• Variety of packages
• Limited non-resume add-ons

A 60-day interview guarantee

Resumewriters.com.

ResumeWriters.com offers a guarantee: If you don't get a job interview with a potential employer within two months of getting your new resume, they'll rewrite it for free. The service claims that in the 20 years and tens of thousands of resumes completed under this guarantee, it averages fewer than five requests for rewrites per year. 

To use the resume writing service, submit your current resume or career information on the site, and an experienced resume writer will contact you to assess your materials and plan out what you need. You'll get a first draft back within 72 hours and can work with the writer on revisions until you're satisfied with the result. 

ResumeWriters offers student, professional, executive and career-change resume services, as well as CV services for those conducting their job search in fields specific to the military, IT and research. The resume services cost $170 for students and $200 for the professional level, with a cover letter, one-on-one consultation and LinkedIn profile. The career change level ($250) is a comprehensive package that includes everything plus a post-interview follow-up letter, and the highest tier is the executive package that guarantees applicants its most experienced writers for $300.

• ATS screening
• Unlimited revisions
• Longer turnaround time (3-7 business days)

A fast pass through HR screening software

Zipjob’s professional resume writers optimize your resume to get through the applicant tracking system (ATS) software used by the majority of employers to automatically scan and sort resumes. An expert writes your resume and scans it through the ATS to ensure it will make it through to the hiring manager's desk. 

To use the service, upload your resume or fill out a form to start from scratch. You'll be matched with a professional resume writer who will work with you to improve it and will then scan the final product to make sure it passes through the screening algorithms. Depending on which package you choose, your resume will be ready in three to seven days. 

You can choose from three packages: Launch (resume writing and unlimited revisions for $139), Fast Track (adds a cover letter and a 60-day interview guarantee for $189) or Premium (adds a top resume writer, LinkedIn profile optimization, future resume updates and expedited delivery for $299).

• Career coaching
• Industry-specific feedback
• Ability to customize packages
• Longer turnaround time (3-5 business days)

An executive resume solution

Find my profession.

Find My Profession offers professional resume writing services as well as career coaching. Every resume gets reviewed by two different consultants. 

You'll find packages that include entry-level, professional, C-level and executive resume writer services, as well as federal. In each, you can choose a base, premium or VIP package depending on your needs. For example, the professional resume package starts at $595 for a resume compatible with automated systems. You can also add help with a cover letter for an additional $119 or a LinkedIn profile for $399. 

You'll get the first draft of your resume within three to five business days after you consult with a writer. Or, upgrade to a priority service for another $149 to get it within 48 hours.

How we tested resume sites and services

When we evaluated the different resume templates and builders, we looked at how each site or app allowed you to create new resumes, browse templates or upload and edit existing resumes. We also looked at how easy or hard it would be to customize different templates and sections, how much guidance was available, how user-friendly it was to navigate, plus reading and understanding each company’s privacy policies.

Some of our picks are free, some enlist the help of professional writers and some require a subscription or one-time payment. When it comes to premium or paid services, we evaluated how inclusive its packages were compared to basic or free versions. In many cases for the professional writing services, these paid tiers included more guidance and additional job search support like a cover letter and LinkedIn editing, suggested jobs to apply to and interview coaching.

Factors to consider when choosing a resume writing service

This was a key factor when compiling this list. Whether you’re looking for a free service to boost your current resume or interested in professional editing services, there’s something for everyone’s price range.

Ease of use

When looking at each website, we looked at how easy it was to navigate, browse templates and add, edit or remove different sections. We also considered whether you can download and share your resume for free and in what format.

Customization options

Customization options were essential, as everyone’s resume is going to look different. Having easy user control over your resume helps you create a resume that meets your industry’s standards and showcases your professional experiences.

Privacy policies

Privacy policies were the final important factor to consider, as many of these are websites and apps that can collect and store your personal information. All of the services and websites included on this list have decent privacy settings, and we noted which ones have exceptionally clear use cases and account deletion policies.

Resume writing FAQs

What is a resume builder.

A resume builder is a company that has a website or app that helps you create and customize your resume. You can use pre-existing templates or create your own from scratch.

What is a resume writing service?

A resume writing service is a company that pairs you with a coach or writer to work with you to create, perfect and tailor your resume, cover letters and other job application materials. These tend to be more inclusive packages and therefore more expensive than simple resume template websites.

What is the best resume format to use?

The best format for your resume is going to depend on the job you are applying to, along with your work experience. Resume templates can help you format and include all the necessary information like your education, work experience, skills and contact information.

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The Best Resume Writing Services Of 2024, Chosen By Our Editors

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A good resume can make a lasting impression on a potential employer, and the best resume writing services can help you get your foot in the door that much faster. Sure, you can tackle the task yourself, but between navigating computerized application tracking systems and adapting to their ever-changing standards, building a modern resume that stands out in the crowd is no easy feat. That’s why we researched dozens of resume writing services to help you land the role you deserve. Our overall favorite is TopResume , which lets you choose from four different packages, but we included seven more options below.

The best resume writing services can help you make a lasting impression on employers.

When selecting our favorite resume services, we considered how easy each was to use, customization options available and turnaround times. Whether you’re looking for a little polish or have no idea where to start, there’s a service on this list for you. After all, why wouldn’t you hire a professional to handle one of the most important documents standing between you and your dream job: a finely-tuned resume? Below, the best resume writing services that cover everything from editing to one-on-one career counseling. And once you get the job, make sure you’re set up for WFH success with our favorite office chairs , standing desks and business laptops .

• Best Overall Resume Writing Service: TopResume
• Best Resume Writing Service With Custom Bundles: Resumeble
• Best Resume Writing Service With Career Consulting: TopStack Resume
• Best Resume Writing Service For Executives: ZipJob
• Best Resume Writing Service Built By Recruiters: ResumeSpice
• Best Quick-Turnaround Resume Writing Service: Craft Resumes
• Best Value Resume Writing Service: ResumeCompanion
• Best Free Resume Building Service: Resume.com

Best Overall Resume Writing Service

A popular service for professionals.

Tiers: Starter, Premium, Ultimate and Executive Elite | Turnaround time: 4 to 7 days

Pros: 

• Free resume review
• Customizes your resume by writers certified in 65+ industries 
• 60-day guarantee; double the job interviews or they’ll rewrite it for free

Cons: 

• Limited to two revisions 

TopResume is a popular option for mid- to high-level professionals seeking resume advice. You can choose from four different packages (Starter, Premium, Ultimate and Elite) that range in price from $149 to $699 and offer a variety of services. No matter which package you choose, you’re guaranteed a professionally written resume from an expert in your chosen industry. If you already have a resume, you can also opt to get a free review on it, and receive feedback on its layout, language and how effectively it communicates your skills.

Best Resume Writing Service With Custom Bundles

A great combo service for your resume and cover letter.

Tiers: Standard, Professional and Premium | Turnaround time: 4 days

• Standard package includes resume and cover letter
• Customizable based on your industry
• 60-day guarantee; receive an interview or rewrite for free
• No refunds on Standard and Professional packages (however, Premium packages include a Money Back Guarantee)

Resumeble offers three package tiers: Standard, Professional and Premium. If you’re just starting your career, the Standard package offers bang for your buck, since it includes a resume and cover letter (most services require you to at least upgrade to the mid-level package for both). Next up, the Professional package is geared toward mid-level employees looking to promote or pivot and includes a LinkedIn profile refresh; and the Premium package, designed for seasoned executives, offers all that plus a back-up resume, cold emails to recruiters and more. While no refunds are offered on Standard and Professional packages, the Premium package comes with a Money Back Guarantee if clients don’t receive at least one job offer within 180 days.

Best Resume Writing Service With Career Consulting

A global platform that focuses on the full professional picture, topstack resume.

Tiers: Basic, Standard, Professional and Premium | Turnaround time: 1 to 2 weeks

Pros:  

• Can view final resume before paying 
• Provides advanced career consultations and interview prep
• Donates 5% of profits to the Fisher House Foundation
• 60-day guarantee limited to Professional and Premium packages
• Longer turnaround time; takes 1 to 2 weeks

TopStack offers four different packages that range from $139 for your basic professional resume to $649 for a more robust selection of services (including career consulting plus help with your resume,​ cover letter and LinkedIn profile). It also focuses on ensuring your resume is ATS-optimized, a must in the modern hiring world.

Best Resume Writing Service For Executives

A service built with leaders in mind.

Tiers: Launch, Fast Track, Premium, Executive | Turnaround time: 3 to 7 business days

• Comprehensive; includes resume, cover letter, thank-you note and LinkedIn profile
• Resumes are ATS-optimized
• 60-day interview guarantee
• On the pricier side

ZipJob is a great choice for professionals at all levels, but its comprehensive executive package makes it especially suited for those at the top of their game. Offerings include an executive-level resume and cover letter, LinkedIn profile optimization and a customizable thank-you letter. To ensure everything is up to standard, you also get a phone consultation with your writer and multiple revisions for all of your documents. And just like ZipJob’s other packages, the executive bundle checks that your resume is ATS-ready (Applicant Tracking Systems), so you can pass early screenings with flying colors.

Best Resume Writing Service Built By Recruiters

A highly rated platform developed by hr and hiring managers, resumespice.

Tiers: Entry Level, Professional and Executive | Turnaround time: 2 days

• Wide range of services offered including for resume, cover letter, Linkedin profile, interview prep and career coaching 
• Quick 2-day turnaround
• 60-day guarantee; rewrite if you don’t get an interview 

Cons:  

• Expensive; $479 for an entry-level resume

ResumeSpice is more expensive than other services. That said, it was developed by recruiters, aka people who’ve truly homed in on what prospective employers are seeking. It’s also one of the highest-rated services on Trustpilot . The company offers a quick two-day turnaround, pre-built packages depending on your experience and the option to tack on its highly rated career-building services. ResumeSpice also has free resume resources and a selection of sample templates, if you’re more interested in the DIY approach.

Best Quick-Turnaround Resume Writing Service

A platform that gets you the fastest first draft, craft resumes.

Tiers: Resume Writing, Basic, Optimal, All-In-One | Turnaround time: 1 day

• 24-hour turnaround time for first draft 
• Writers are PARWCC- or NRWA-certified
• International service; some users experience grammar issues due to language barrier

If you’re in a time crunch, this writing and editing service has a 24-hour turnaround for the first draft of your resume. Craft Resumes features an easy-to-navigate website and delivers resumes tailored to your experiences and desired career path. Like a few other services, Craft Resumes offers a series of à la carte options, such as LinkedIn profile writing, thank-you letters and follow-up letters.

Best Value Resume Writing Service

A subscription-based diy resume builder, resumecompanion.

Tiers: Monthly or 2-week access | Turnaround time: Self-paced

• Affordable; subscription costs $8 a month or 14-day access for $3
• Choose from dozens of professional resume templates
• Offers cover letter, job search and tracking tools
• Self-directed; no hands-on help from writers

This resume builder is a great budget option for a self-starter who wants to learn the ropes and take things into their own hands. You can select from a variety of templates, narrow down the type of job you’re seeking and follow a step-by-step process to perfect your own resume. However, because it’s subscription-based, you’ll have to renew the service if you want to edit your materials in the future.

Best Free Resume Building Service

A robust resume and cover letter resource—at no cost to you.

Tiers: Free | Turnaround time: Self-paced

• Free with dozens of templates to choose from
• Integrated with Indeed; easy to apply to jobs
• Some users say it’s difficult to cancel subscription

If your budget is tight and you don’t mind going the DIY route for your resume, Resume.com is a great resource. It has an intuitive user interface and offers over 20 different resume and cover letter templates to choose from. There’s also an open career advice portal where you can read about career development, interview tips and more.

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The 17 best memorial day mattress sales to shop now, why trust forbes vetted.

The Forbes Vetted team has published a large library of tech guides , including reviews on a variety of online tools and home office essentials like the best document scanners and all-in-one printers .

• Consumer tech editor Rebecca Isaacs and executive editor Dave Johnson oversee this guide and its iterations; they have over a decade of experience in the industry and both enjoy testing and reviewing the latest in tech.
• Assistant editor Jordan Thomas has over four years of experience covering deals and consumer shopping. For this guide, she scoured the web for the most reputable resume writing services and compared each option to find the best.
• We continue to monitor the best resume services and routinely update this guide to provide the most current information about pricing and offerings. It was last updated in May 2024 by tech updates writer Alexandra Garrett to expand our buyer’s guide.

How We Chose The Best Resume Writing Services

To compile this list, we sought out well-known resume writing services with overwhelmingly positive customer reviews and compared key offerings.

• We looked for reputable resume writing services with proven results; each service had to meet our standards in terms of overall value, turnaround time, professionalism and satisfaction guarantees.
• We evaluated each service side-by-side to determine which performs better at writing a robust resume in an accurate, timely manner.
• Everyone has unique needs when it comes to searching for a job, so we made sure to recommend options that span different career goals and budgets, whether that includes getting career consultation or polishing up an existing resume.

What To Look For When Choosing The Best Resume Writing Service

Resume writing services come in a wide range of prices, and the best options for you will largely depend on your needs and budget. Affordable services like ResumeCompanion offer a step-by-step process for building your own resume for $8 a month, while other services provide a more hands-on approach for around $150. Packages typically go up to $250-$300 when you add Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)-optimization, cover letter writing, interview prep and career coaching.

Turnaround Time

If your job application has a set deadline, take a look at the service’s turnaround time before committing. Most services take anywhere from two days to two weeks to provide a finalized resume. Some promise a draft in 24 hours, like Craft Resumes .

Ease Of Use

When deciding on a resume writing service, take a look at how easy the website is to navigate. Is it difficult to browse different templates, download your files or customize your resume? The job application process is often stressful, so a resume writing service should alleviate—not contribute to—some of that stress.

Customization Options

A resume needs to accurately reflect your unique qualifications, skills and industry standards. For this reason, consider which customization options the service provides. Many of our recommendations use writers, recruiters or HR professionals to tailor your application documents to your unique needs.

Writer Qualifications

With AI solutions like ChatGPT readily available, you’ll want to check whether or not your resume writer is qualified to provide the help you need. To do this, take a look at the service’s writer qualifications. Some services use writers certified by the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC) or National Resume Writers Association (NRWA), while others are run by recruiters or HR professionals.

Privacy Policies

Because some websites and apps collect your personal information, it’s important to check the privacy policies before signing up. Look for whether the site stores or shares that information with third parties, and whether you can adjust your privacy settings to opt out of this setting.

Is It Worth Paying For A Resume Writing Service?

Professionally-written resumes through a reputable service can help you stand out from the competition. They’re often designed to highlight your best qualities, and are keyword-optimized for most applicant tracking systems. If you’re struggling with employment gaps or career changes, a resume writing service can help give you a leg up. And some services will also provide reviews for custom cover letters, Linkedin profiles, interview prep and career coaching.

What’s The Best Resume Writing Company?

The best resume writing company is affordable, offers high-quality review and writing services and is easy to use. Our top pick overall— TopResume —provides the professionalism and quality most mid- to high-level job seekers need, from its free resume review to its customizable options.

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

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

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

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

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

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

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

….and more!

So, let’s dive right in.

How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

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

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

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

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

#1. Pick the Right Resume Format

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

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

Start by choosing the right resume format.

There are three types of resume formats out there:

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

So, which one should you go for?

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

Fix Your Resume’s Layout

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

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

Here are some of the best practices you should apply:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#2. Add Your Contact Information

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

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

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

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

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

Must-Have Information

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

Optional Information

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is where the resume headline comes in.

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

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

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

Resume Summary

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

Here’s what your resume summary should include:

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

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

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

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

Resume Objective

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

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

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

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

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

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

#4. Prioritize Your Work Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a real-life example:

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

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

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

Focus on Achievements Whenever Possible

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your day-to-day responsibilities probably include:

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

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

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

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

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

Tailor Your Resume to the Job

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Include the Right Amount of Work Experience

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

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

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

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

Consider Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#5. List Your Education

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

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

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

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

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

Resume Education Tips

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

Just follow these expert tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are a few essential steps you need to follow:

Always List Hard and Soft Skills Separately

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

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

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

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

Methodologies & Tools

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

Soft Skills

• Team Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation

Tailor Your Skills to the Job

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

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

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

Qualifications:

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

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

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

List Hard Skills with Experience Levels

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

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

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

Include Transferable Skills

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

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

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

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

#7. Leverage Optional Resume Sections

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

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

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

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

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

• Intermediate

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

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

Hobbies and Interests

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

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

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

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

Volunteering Experience

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

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

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

Certifications

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

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

Certifications can also show employers how much expertise you have.

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

Awards and Recognitions

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

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

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

Publications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Extracurricular Activities

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

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

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

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

11+ Expert Resume Tips

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

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

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

FREE Resume Checklist

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

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

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

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

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

9 Resume Templates for Different Industries

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

#1. Traditional Resume Template

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

#2. Modern Resume Template

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

#3. Creative Resume Template

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

#4. Minimalistic Resume Template

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

#5. IT Resume Template

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

#6. Tech Resume Template

Good for the tech industry and everything it encompasses.

#7. College Resume Template

Good for college students and recent graduates alike.

#8. General Resume Template

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

#9. Executive Resume Template

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

17+ Resumes for Different Jobs

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

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

#1. Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

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

#2. Data Scientist Resume Example

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

#3. Business Analyst Resume Example

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

#4. Digital Marketing Resume Example

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

#5. Software Engineer Resume Example

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

#6. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

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

#7. Customer Service Resume Example

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

#8. High School Resume Example

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

#9. Student Resume Example

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

#10. Server Resume Example

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

#11. Actor Resume Example

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

#12. Web Developer Resume Example

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

#13. Engineering Resume Example

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

#14. Computer Science Resume Example

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

#15. Architect Resume Example 

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

#17. Remote Job Resume Example

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

#18. Sales Associate Resume Example

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

#19. Receptionist Resume Example

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

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

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

Next Steps After Your Resume

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

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

#1. How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter

The companion piece to every resume is the cover letter.

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

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

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

Just follow this structure:

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

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

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

#2. How to Ace Your Next Interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

FAQs on How to Make a Resume

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#5. What kind of resume do employers prefer?

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

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

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

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

You should only include relevant job positions on your resume.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#9. Is a resume a CV?

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

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

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

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

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

#10. Should I write my own resume?

Yes, you should always write your own resume.

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

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

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

#11. Can a resume be two pages?

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

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

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

#12. Is a simple resume okay?

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

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

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

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

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Top Resume Writing Services Online

Our customers have been hired at: * Foot Note

Writing a resume can be difficult and time-consuming, especially if you don’t know where to start. That’s where resume writing services come in. Professional resume writing services can help you write a resume tailored to your skills and experience to help you stand out. However, knowing which service is right for you can be difficult with so many available. 

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the best resume writing services. We’ll review each service based on various factors, including overall value, price and benefits. Whether you’re looking for a basic resume review or a complete overhaul, we’ve got you covered. 

Top resume writing services

Why use a resume writing service

In today’s competitive job market, having a well-written resume can make all the difference. Resume writing services have the expertise and industry insights to effectively highlight your strengths and accomplishments , presenting you to potential employers in the best possible light. With their assistance, you can stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression that sets you on the path to career success.

Benefits of using professional resume writing services 

Resume writing services can enhance your chances of securing your dream job by highlighting your skills, experience and achievements in a compelling and professional way, showcasing your unique qualifications and maximizing your job search success.

Use professional resume writing services to:

• Match your job qualifications to the job requirements.
• Optimize your resume with keywords to make it ATS-friendly .
• Identify gaps in your experience and highlight your strengths.
• Take the guesswork out of which resume format to use. 
• Format your resume correctly. 
• Save time and focus on your job search. 

Make a resume with My Perfect Resume

Our Resume builder can help you write the perfect resume. Start Now!

Top resume writing services 

Myperfectresume.

Professionally written content in an easy-to-use builder

MyPerfectResume’s Resume Builder simplifies the process of writing a high-quality professional resume, so you don’t have to hire someone to write one for you. Using data-driven algorithms, MyPerfectResume’s builder offers highly targeted content suggestions from certified resume writers to match your skill set with your target job. You can get a professional resume in minutes. Plus, it has additional career resources to help with your job search. 

Key features:

• Resume experts write all content in the MyPerfectResume’s Resume Builder.
• An ATS resume checker to help identify common errors on your resume.
• Customizable and ATS-compatible resume templates take the guesswork out of formatting your resume.
• Professional resume examples provide inspiration and ideas.
• Data-based keyword suggestions help you get your seen by recruiters and hiring managers. 
• A built-in spelling and grammar check feature helps ensure your resume is free from spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Use your resume to generate a corresponding cover letter in minutes.
• An AI-powered interview preparation tool, an exclusive career networking platform and a library of career advice articles to put you on the fast track to your dream job.

Pricing options 

MyPerfectResume’s Resume Builder offers three cost-effective subscription options:

• 14-day trial: $1.45 for 14 days, then $24.95 monthly. This is a great option for trying the builder risk-free. You can download basic resume and cover letter templates for free while exploring the platform. 
• Annual: $5.95 per month, or $71.40 per year. This plan provides full access to the builder’s features, including the ATS resume checker . 

Both plans include unlimited resume and cover letter drafts and downloads, but you must pay to download, print, or send them. You can also pay for additional features, such as:

• Resume critique for $19.95.
• Resume or cover letter written by an expert for $60 or more.

Pros and cons of MyPerfectResume’s Resume Builder

• You can upload an existing resume or start with a fresh resume.
• Ability to revise content suggestions for a personalized touch.
• More affordable than standard resume writing services.
• Results in just minutes.
• Reorder resume sections to fit your changing requirements.
• A full access plan is required for some features.
• Somewhat limited template options.
• Free AI resume builder plan does not have unlimited downloads.
• Not a traditional resume writing service.

One-on-one support from a professional resume writer

Fill out a comprehensive survey, and TopResume will match you with an industry expert who can help you tailor your resume to your chosen job’s requirements. TopResume’s writers will ensure your document gets through ATS to increase your chance of being seen by hiring managers. You should expect your first draft back within a week. TopResume offers a maximum of two rewrites if you aren’t satisfied the first time, and they provide cover letter and LinkedIn profile writing for additional costs. 

• Free critiques of your existing resume.
• Resumes are customized to your industry. 
• Two resume rewrites if you aren’t satisfied the first time. 
• Your resume will be optimized for keywords in your industry to get past ATS. 

TopResume offers three pricing options for their resume writing services: 

• Starter: for $149 USD, you get a professionally written, formatted, keyword-optimized resume with 30-day access to 15 tools and resources to help your job search. 
• Premium: for $219 USD, you get the same professional resume writing services and resources as the basic package, a cover letter, and a 60-day interview guarantee.
• Ultimate: For $349 USD, you get TopResume’s standard and premium resume writing services with an executive resume writer and a complete LinkedIn profile makeover. 
• Elite Executive: For $699 USD, you get all of the above services plus a two-day interview preparation session, two-day resume delivery and unlimited resume revision

Pros and cons of TopResume’s resume writing services

• Free resume reviews.
• 60-day job interview guarantee for Premium and Ultimate subscribers.
• Resumes customized by industry.
• Guarantees 2x more interviews or will rewrite your resume for free.
• Limit of two-resume revisions for most plans.

Professional coaching services and resume updates

The Muse offers a mix of services to suit every budget and skill level, so choosing only the features you need is easy. In addition to personalized resume writing services, The Muse offers career coaching sessions, LinkedIn profile updates, job board postings, cover letter writing services and interview preparation.

Key benefits:

• Personalized attention from a career coach.
• Refunds are available if you are unhappy with your coaching session or resume writing service. 
• Job board with positions across many industries.

The Muse offers three pricing options for their resume writing services: 

• Mentor: For $139 USD, you get a 30-minute chat over Skype or phone, an updated resume from your coach, and one round of edits.
• Coach: For $259 USD, you get a 45-minute chat over Skype or phone, an updated resume from your coach and two rounds of edits.
• Master Coach: For $549 USD, you get a 60-minute chat over Skype or phone, an updated resume from your coach, and unlimited edits for 2 weeks after receiving the first draft.

Pros and cons of The Muse’s resume writing services

• Coaching is available for as low as $56.
• Options for all career levels.
• Focus on career coaching over resume writing services.
• Provides revisions of current resumes instead of new resumes.
• Turnaround can take one to two weeks.
• No refunds if you are dissatisfied with your final resume or cover letter.

Custom resumes, cover letters and job-search services

Resumeble provides personalized, industry-tailored resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profile optimizations. They offer one-on-one access to expert writers hand-picked from HR talent pools in over 80 industries. If you don’t land an interview within 60 days of receiving your new resume, they’ll keep working with you at no extra cost until you do. If you don’t secure a job within 180 days of receiving your new resume, they will keep refining it with you until it delivers the results you need or your money back.

• A wide variety of customizable resume templates customized to your industry.
• One-on-one consultations with professional resume experts.
• Comprehensive job search services, including cover letter, LinkedIn profile optimization and interview coaching services.
• Interview cheat sheet for all service plans. 

Resumeble offers a variety of packages, including:

• Standard: For $157 USD, you get one resume and one cover letter with three free revisions.
• Professional: $297 USD gets you a professional resume, cover letter and an optimized LinkedIn profile with unlimited revisions from the company’s top 25 resume writers and an interview guarantee.
• Premium: For $397 USD, you receive resume writing services from the professional package, access to Resumeble’s top five resume writers, a backup industry resume, follow-up emails, cold emails to recruiters and a job guarantee.

Pros and cons of Resumeble’s resume writing services

• Job interviews are guaranteed with Professional and Premium service plans.
• Unlimited revisions for some service plans.
• Templates with a variety of layouts, fonts, and color schemes.
• One-on-one interactions with a professional resume writer.
• Prices are higher than many other resume writing services.
• No refunds.

TopStack Resume

Career counseling, cover letter and resume writing services

TopStack Resume is a resume writing service that provides personalized, ATS-friendly resumes, career consulting, cover letter writing and LinkedIn profile assistance. TopStack’s resume writing services include writing new resumes, updating outdated resumes and improving current resumes.

• Customizable resume templates.
• Career consulting.
• Interview preparation.

TopStack Resumes offers four packages of resume writing services:

• Basic: For $139 USD, you get a resume and email communication with your writer. 
• Standard: For $199 USD, you will receive a professional resume, cover letter, and email communication. 
• Professional: $279 USD gets you all of the above plus a LinkedIn profile update, access to TopStack Resume’s most experienced writers, phone communication and a 60-day interview guarantee. 
• Premium: $640 USD gets you everything in the professional package plus career consulting. 

Pros and cons of TopStack Resume’s resume writing services

• Pay only if you are satisfied with the first draft of your resume.
• Career consulting services.
• Returning client services.
• Payment options.
• Extra fees for some services.
• Two-week average turnaround time.

5 Tips for using a resume writing service

• Have a budget in mind: Resume writing services range from free to more than $600 USD.
• Consider alternatives to standard resume writing services: For example, resume builders are affordable and allow you to craft your resume using professionally written, customizable content with lightning-fast results. 
• Choose an option that uses certified professional resume writers. 
• Consider turnaround time. Some resume writing services can take weeks, while a builder can take minutes to create an impressive professional resume.
• A cover letter can help set you apart. Look for resume writing services to help you create cover letters to complement your resume.

What should I look for when shopping for the best resume writing services?

When searching for resume writing services, consider the qualifications and experience of the resume writers, the range of services offered, turnaround time and pricing. Look for a service that offers personalized attention and tailored resumes to best showcase your skills and experience. Choose a resume writing service that aligns with your needs and budget to ensure a successful outcome.

How do resume writing services work? 

Professional resume writing services operate by having professional writers create or edit resumes for individuals seeking job opportunities. These services typically involve clients providing their work history, skills, and career goals to the writers, who then craft a customized resume tailored to the client’s needs. Some resume writing services offer additional cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile optimization, and job search assistance to help clients stand out to potential employers.

Should I use a resume writing service or a resume builder?

It depends on your needs and goals. Resume writing services and resume builders have their advantages and disadvantages. 

Use a resume builder if you:

• Are cost-conscious. 
• Want to write your resume in your own words but want expert tips.
• Need an effective resume fast.
• Need to customize your resume for multiple job applications. 
• Want the power of data-driven algorithms to optimize your resume.

Use a resume writing service if you:

• Have more money to spend. 
• Do not need your resume quickly. 
• Are willing to pay extra for a cover letter. 
• Find it hard to describe yourself objectively.
• Want to update your LinkedIn profile.

Are there any free resume writing services?

We have not seen free resume writing services, but there are low-cost resume builders that allow you to download a professional resume for free.

How we reviewed this article

Since 2013, we have helped more than 15 million job seekers. We want to make your career journey accessible and manageable through our services and Career Center’s how-to guides and tips. In our commitment to bring you a transparent process, we present our Editorial Process .

• Ask a Manager. Blog. Green, Allison. Are professional resume writing services worth it?
• CNBC. Article. Yang, Peter. Stressed about your resume? Here are 5 things to know before hiring a resume writing service
• Employment Strategies for Executive Leaders. Blog. Pros and Cons of hiring a resume writer.

Rate this article

5/5 stars with 483 reviews

Kellie Hanna, CPRW

Career advice expert.

Kellie is a Certified Professional Resume Writer with 20+ years of experience in digital media and is passionate about helping job seekers navigate their careers. She earned a B.A. in English and writing from Temple University.

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‡ Results derived from a study responded by 1000 participants of which 287 created a resume online.

*The names and logos of the companies referred to above are all trademarks of their respective holders. Unless specifically stated otherwise, such references are not intended to imply any affiliation or association with MyPerfectResume.

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How to Make a Resume: 2024 Resume Writing Guide

Learn how to identify important resume keywords, format your resume, and write each section in this comprehensive guide.

Your resume is a document that encompasses your entire professional journey, showing where you currently are in your career, how you got there, and where you hope to go next. Since it’s meant to be a concise brief—often condensed to just one page—that can feel like a lot of storytelling for a small space.

To make a resume that fully demonstrates your experiences and goals, it’s important to be strategic with the language, format, and sections you include. In general, there are three broad steps to making your resume:

Identifying keywords and important skills

Choosing a format

Writing each section

In this resume guide, we’ll offer tips and resources to ease you through the process.

Free resume templates

If you’re starting with a blank page, use these free customizable templates for a chronological resume or functional resume to make your resume in a Google Doc. Simply log into your Google account and select the ‘Make a copy’ prompt.

How to write a resume

The key to making an effective resume is keeping your audience in mind. First, consider who the people (and technologies) are that will be reading your resume.

When you’re applying for jobs online, often your first audience member will be an applicant tracking system (ATS) , which is a screening program that uses an algorithm to “read” incoming resumes and sort qualified candidates. After the ATS deems you qualified for a role, a human recruiter—your second audience member—will review your application materials and decide whether to invite you to interview.

Now that we’ve established your likely audience, let’s take a closer look at how to determine the information the ATS and human recruiters may be looking for and how they will best receive that information.

1. Identify keywords and important skills.

You can find a lot of information about a role directly from the job description. Within the listed responsibilities and qualifications, you can get a strong sense of the language and experience that a successful candidate will have on their resume.

As you read a job description, highlight the action words, keywords, and specific workplace and technical skills mentioned. It’s likely that the ATS is programmed to look for the same or similar language as that which appears in the job description, so this analysis can help shape the way you approach writing your resume.

Here are some resources that may help as you research your desired job:

Choosing action words and keywords  

84 Powerful Action Words to Enhance Your Resume

Resume Keywords: How to Find the Right Words to Beat the ATS

Identifying key job skills

What Are Job Skills and Why Do They Matter?

What Skills Should I Include on my Resume?

Transferable Skills: How to Use Them to Land Your Next Job

What Are Technical Skills?

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: What’s the Difference?

7 High-Income Skills Worth Learning

Industry-specific job skills

13 Key Marketing Skills to Boost Your Resume

15 Essential Skills for Cybersecurity Analysts

7 In-Demand Data Analyst Skills to Get Hired

7 In-Demand IT Skills to Boost Your Resume

9 Essential Skills for UX Designers

11 Key Project Management Skills

2. Select a resume format.

When it comes to formatting, there are three common types of resumes—chronological, functional, and combination—along with several more specialized options. With your audience in mind, choose the format that best demonstrates how your experience aligns with your desired role’s job description.

If you’re applying for jobs online, ATS software is generally programmed to interpret chronological resumes. The software may still identify important keywords in alternative formats, but potentially less accurately.

If you’re unsure of the resume format you should choose, a chronological resume with standard 1-inch margins, black text, and a common font like Times New Roman or Arial is typically a safe choice.

For more on resume formats, check out these additional articles:

Types of resumes

Types of Resumes: Choosing the Right Format for Your Needs

Chronological Resume Guide: Template and Tips

Functional Resume Guide: Template and Tips

What Is a CV?

CV vs. Resume: What’s the Difference?

3. Write your resume sections.

Guided by your keyword list and format, you’re ready to start filling out your resume sections. You’ll typically want to include sections for your header, work experience, education, and skills, but there are optional sections you can add to amplify the story you want to tell.

Take a look through the below resources for more specific information about shaping each section:

Resume sections

How to Use Resume Sections to Shape Your Professional Story

How to Write a Resume Objective [+ Templates]

How to Write a Resume Summary [+ Examples]

How to Show Promotions on Your Resume: Guide + Examples

How to List Education on a Resume

When Should You Include Your GPA on Your Resume?

How to List Certifications on Your Resume: Guide + Examples

How to Feature and Format Key Skills on Your Resume

Resume checklist

At this point, you are almost ready to submit your resume. Before you do, let’s do one final check. Ask yourself:

Did I write my resume with my audience in mind?

Did I strategically select action words and keywords?

Have I clearly demonstrated my relevant skills and experience?

Are my margins set to 1-inch on all sides?

Is my font easy to read?

Did I include all of the key resume sections?

Did I edit for proper spelling and grammar?

If you can answer “yes” to all of these questions, save your resume as a PDF file with a title that includes your name and “resume.” Check that the file saved correctly, then prepare to submit your resume!

For any lingering questions, check out these additional tips and specific resume guides:

Additional tips and resources

How to Get Your First Job: A Guide

Job Search Guide: Resources for Your Next Career Move

16 Resume Tips to Help You Apply with Confidence

10 Ways to Enhance Your Resume

How to Add Your Resume to LinkedIn

Specific resume guides

How to Make a Resume for Your First Job (+ Template)

How to Write a Resume with No Experience: 5 Tips

How to Write a Standout Resume When You’re a Stay-at-Home Parent

7 Real UX Designer Resumes and a Template

Add a new credential to your resume with a Professional Certificate from industry leaders like Google, Meta, and IBM on Coursera. Learn key skills to prepare for entry-level roles in digital marketing, web development, data analytics, and more. Sign up for a free 7-day trial and start learning today.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How many pages should a resume be ‎.

Most people aim to fit their resume on one page. However, it’s becoming increasingly common for people with 10 to 15 years of experience to extend their resume to two pages. For professionals with more than 15 years of experience, a three-page resume may be acceptable.

Learn more: How Many Pages Should a Resume Be? Guide + Tips ‎

How far back should your resume go? ‎

Typically, the amount of time you include on your resume depends on your relevant job experience. You should include the experience you have that is relevant to the role you’re applying for. However, if you have 10 or more years of work experience, you may be able to shed some of those earlier experiences from your resume so that you can better highlight your advanced skill set.

Learn more: How Far Back Should Your Resume Go? ‎

Should you list references on a resume? ‎

It’s generally not recommended to list your references directly on your resume . Instead, use that space to highlight what makes you a great candidate. As you progress through the hiring process, the hiring manager or recruiter will request your references when they’re ready to contact them.

Learn more: How to List Resume References: Guide and Sample ‎

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• Your Guide to Writing a...

Your Guide to Writing a Resume in 2023

29 min read · Updated on December 19, 2023

Use this guide to help you craft the perfect resume and finally land your dream job.

Whether you're sprucing up your outdated resume or starting from scratch, the task can quickly become daunting. Not only do you want to clearly convey your experiences and skills, but you also want to present the information in a way that's easy to read and visually appealing. It's easy to get wrapped up in seeking answers to seemingly straightforward questions: Should you include your mailing address? What skills should you list? Is it OK to use two pages? Should you save it as a PDF or a Word document?

Also, don't forget even the smallest of details — and you definitely need to give your resume at least 20 proofreads.

Before you become completely frazzled, go ahead and bookmark this page; this is your ultimate guide to writing a resume. 

In this guide, you'll learn how to: 

Add your contact information 

Create the perfect professional summary 

Craft your skills section 

Compile your work experience 

List your education and professional development

Remove your references 

Determine page length 

Format your resume 

Master your resume design 

Figure out if you need professional help 

Adding your contact information

Starting from the very top of your resume, let's dive in with your contact information . Yes, this might seem straightforward, but there are some details you'll want to note. Here's what you need to know.

Writing your name on your resume may seem simple, but you might be surprised by some of the questions that arise. Do you have to list your legal name, or is it OK to use your nickname? Should you include your middle name or just your middle initial? What about your academic credentials? Or suffixes, like Jr. or III?

There's not necessarily a right or wrong answer here, but you'll want to think about your personal brand. If your name is Katherine, but everyone calls you Kit, then write Kit. You can also include a nickname in quotes between your first and last name. For example, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Smith. Middle initials and names are often deemed unnecessary, but if you have a common name, like Robert Smith, you can include it so you stand out. You don't want to be mistaken for the other Robert Smith, right? Meanwhile, suffixes are definitely unnecessary. Chances are, no one at work is calling you “John William Henry III.”

If your name proves difficult to pronounce during your job search, you can help a recruiter or hiring manager out by including a pronunciation key. Here's an example: Meixiang (may-shang) Li.

When it comes to listing your academic credentials with your name (think: PhD or MD), only list doctorate-level degrees and highly specialized designations that are relevant to the jobs you're applying for. 

Overall, the best rule of thumb is to think about your personal brand. Keep it consistent; you'll want the name on your resume to match the name you use on your cover letter, the name you use to sign your emails, and the name you use on LinkedIn.

Mailing address

Back in the day, including a mailing address on your resume was a given. After all, you were actually mailing your resume. Today, listing your physical mailing address isn't necessary. In fact, because identity theft has become so rampant, many experts suggest simply listing your city, state, and ZIP code. Employers won't actually need your address until the final stages of a job offer.

Listing your city and state is important for employers filling location-dependent positions. Additionally, some companies only hire locally to avoid relocation expenses so if you live in Tampa, Florida, but apply to a job in Charlotte, North Carolina, an employer might automatically toss your resume. However, if you have plans to relocate, you can write, “Relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina, in August 2020.” If you're seeking and writing a resume for a remote job , you can write “Remote” or “Location independent” next to your city and state, as well.

Phone number and email address

These are arguably two of the most important pieces of information on your resume; this is how an employer will get in touch with you after all. In fact, incorrect or missing contact information is one of the top resume mistakes people make .

For your phone number, list the best way to get in touch with you. This should never be a work number; instead, it'll likely be your cell phone number. Before adding your phone number, make sure your voicemail message is professional and states your name. There are a few ways you can format your phone number on your resume:

555-555-5555

(555) 555-5555

555.555.5555

Like your phone number, you don't want to use a work email address. You also don't want to use that old AOL email address you made back in 1999. Your email address should be professional; it'll often be some variation of your name and/or your specialty or job title. For example, [email protected] would work just fine. Also think about upgrading to a modern email provider, like Gmail, and create this email just for your job-search needs, if you haven't already.

Social media and online portfolio

These days, including your LinkedIn URL or a link to your online website or portfolio is standard. If you want to include your LinkedIn, be sure to create a custom LinkedIn URL . This is super simple, and it'll keep your resume looking clean and your online presence easily searchable. You'll also want to make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated and reflects the information on your resume. Take the necessary steps to make sure your LinkedIn profile stands out from the crowd. If you have an updated website or portfolio, you can link that in your contact information as well.

Crafting the perfect professional summary

Now that you've got your contact information down, it's time to dive into perhaps one of the most difficult parts of your resume: your professional summary. If it's been a while since you updated your resume, you might be wondering what this is — what happened to the resume objective statement? Here's the thing: Objective statements are outdated . In fact, they make professional resume writers absolutely cringe. They're generic, unclear, and typically include overused adjectives to vaguely call out your five-year plan. They don't offer any real insight into who you are and what you can offer a potential employer.

Instead, a good professional summary should highlight your achievements, experience level, value, industry, and immediate career goals. To determine what to include in this section of your resume, ask yourself these questions:

Why am I qualified for this position? (Yes, your professional summary should be tailored to each job application.)

What makes me a good candidate for this role? Think about your experience, education, and skills.

How have I used these qualifications in previous roles to create results and provide value?

Sometimes the best way to write a professional summary is to read a few examples. Use these as inspiration:

“Recent graduate of a top-tier university with experience developing and analyzing cost models, performing quality assurance reviews, and building process solutions to improve forecast accuracy and compliance for internal and external clients…”

“Respected human resources leader with more than 10 years of experience overseeing operations, projects, and staff in healthcare organizations. Proven track record in guiding sizable, cross-functional teams in the design, redesign, and launch of cutting-edge business solutions, driving greater efficiency, engagement, and revenue for national organizations…”

Although your professional summary can be difficult to conquer, it'll feel great to get it down on the page. Plus, it'll help set the tone and focus for the rest of your resume, making the resume-writing process much easier.

Mastering your skills section

When crafting your professional summary, you should also start thinking about your relevant skills so you can tackle the skills section of your resume. The skills section gives you the opportunity to list the hard and soft skills you can't necessarily call out in your work experience. It's also a section that's easily scannable and digestible, giving recruiters and hiring managers a quick glimpse into who you are and what you offer.

Hard skills and soft skills to include (or not include)

First thing's first: When it comes to determining what skills to include on your resume, it's important to understand the difference between hard and soft skills . Hard skills are the more technical skills listed on a resume ; they're applied skills you've learned, and they're more easily measured. A few general examples of hard skills include machine operation, computer programming, and accounting.

Showcasing soft skills on a resume , on the other hand, are interpersonal skills you often use each day. They're tied into your emotional intelligence and often describe your more innate, natural abilities that are more difficult to quantify. A few general examples of soft skills include teamwork, leadership, creative problem solving, and time management.

It's important to include both hard and soft skills on your resume. The best way to start brainstorming your skills is to simply brain-dump: grab a piece of paper and start making a list. Think about the skills you've had since you were a child, the skills you've acquired in school and through training, the skills you've used to succeed at your job, and the skills needed to excel in your industry.

Now that you've got a large list, it's time to narrow it down and pick the strongest of the bunch. Use these resume tips to help make your skills section really stand out:

Don't list skills that are a given: For example, if you're a professional content writer, you don't need to list the generic “strong written and verbal communication skills.”

Stay relevant to the job: Include any relevant technical and soft skills called out in the job description; don't waste space by listing irrelevant skills.

Be specific and clear: If you want to highlight your project-management skills, list specific software programs you have experience using, like Asana, Wrike, or Trello.

Organize your list: Try to create some sort of pattern by listing related skills together. The goal is to keep your list coherent and easy to read. You'll also want to list the most important skills toward the top and work your way down.

Don't forget soft skills: It's easy to get hyper-focused on your technical skills, but companies want to see your soft skills, too. This is a great time to offer some insight into who you are and how you might stand out from other candidates who possess the same technical skills as you.

If you're still struggling, use this general list of the top 10 job skills employers look for as inspiration: 

Time management

Collaboration

Emotional intelligence

Adaptability

Adaptive thinking

Service orientation

Cloud computing

Knowledge of new social and digital media

Artificial intelligence

Again, the more specific and unique your skills list, the better. Additionally, you'll want your skills to match the job listing as much as possible, so you'll probably want to update it for each job application.

The importance of keywords

Notice how much of the advice so far encourages you to use the job listing as a tool when creating your list of skills? There are a few reasons for that. First off (and perhaps most obviously), a recruiter or hiring manager wants to see that you have the skills needed to be good at the job. Second off (and perhaps a little less obviously), listing these skills can help you beat the bots .

Now, we haven't mentioned these resume bots — or, more accurately, applicant tracking systems (ATS) —  so now's a good time to debrief you. Many large companies use applicant tracking systems to collect, sort, scan, and rank job applicants' resumes. It's basically an electronic gatekeeper that helps streamline the recruitment process.

So the question becomes: How do you make sure your resume gets past this system and into the hands of a human? One way is to highlight certain keywords on your resume. That's, in part, how these systems will score you. There's no real science to determining what keywords you should include, but here's a good strategy: Gather three to five job descriptions that are similar to the type of job you're pursuing. Run these descriptions through a free word and phrase frequency tool like Online-Utility.org's  Text Analyzer and see which terms are used most often. The words that are generated are some of the words you'll want to weave into your skills sections, if applicable. You should then sprinkle these terms into your career summary and work experience, as well.

Compiling your work experience and professional history

Now it's time to dive into the heart of your resume: your work experience. Chances are, this will take up the majority of your resume's real estate. If you're struggling to get started, remember you've done a lot of the hard work already; revisit your professional summary and your skills section to help guide you.

When it comes to formatting this section, you have a few options — but we'll get to that later. Right now, let's just focus on crafting the bullet points that'll appear under each job title.

In general, each position should include three-to-four bullet points — and no more than six-to-seven. Additionally, you might get stuck if you've held multiple jobs at the same company. How do you format that? You can either stack positions under the company's name or keep them separate on your resume . Now, let's dive into the meat of this section.

Demonstrating your value: Doer vs. achiever

When it comes to listing your professional experience, you'll want to start thinking through the lens of an achiever — not a doer . But what does that mean? A doer is someone who simply lists day-to-day job responsibilities. Sure, they're doing their job, but they're not looking at the big picture and at what they've actually achieved. An achiever, meanwhile, focuses on their accomplishments and how it affected their job performance and company. Here's an example of a doer vs. an achiever statement on a resume:

A doer: “Developed and delivered sales strategies.”

An achiever: “Doubled annual sales volume in two years, from $5 million in 2017 to $10 million in 2019.”

See how the achiever highlights a more specific accomplishment? This will help you stand out and show your value to a potential employer . If you're struggling to get into the achiever mindset, answer these questions first:

What changed at the company because of my work?

How did my projects impact the bottom-line?

How did my work affect the people around me?

When did I take charge and show initiative?

Additionally, as an achiever, it's important to highlight the data behind your accomplishments and results. This will vary from job-to-job and industry-to-industry, but you might include quantitative details such as the number of social media impressions garnered in an ad campaign, revenue earned, number of new members, or the size of the team you managed. The goal is to show  — not just tell. Whenever possible, format your bullet points as “ result by action .” Here are a few examples:

“Reduced turnaround time 23% by streamlining the budgeting process for the organization's five business units.”

“Generated $1.3 million in new business for the online subscription business by developing an integrated marketing campaign that included online ads, targeted emails, social media initiatives, and TV commercials.”

If you're having trouble describing your job positions, look at the company's website and similar job listings to help you get started. And, once again, you'll want to look at the job postings you're interested in and make sure the experiences you list are relevant.

From here on out, you should also make it a goal to track your professional wins throughout the year. This will make updating your resume a whole lot easier in the future — trust us.

Using powerful verbs and the active voice

To help you maintain that achiever mindset, use this simple tip: Start each bullet point under your experiences with a powerful verb while avoiding reusing the same verbs throughout your resume . The more powerful and descriptive the verb, the better. Here are some examples of strong action verbs that are good for resume writing:

Hypothesized

You'll also want to avoid using the passive voice on your resume as much as possible; these sentences tend to be longer and less punchy. Here's an example of passive versus active voice:

Passive: “The ball was thrown by Lisa.”

Active: “Lisa threw the ball.”

As you can see, the active voice gets straight to the point and is more impactful. Identifying passive voice sentences can be tricky — even for grammar wizards — but this simple trick will help. Ask yourself: Can you add “by you” after the verb? If so, that means you're using passive voice. You can also often spot passive voice with “to be” verbs, like “were,” “has been,” or “being.”

By using strong action verbs and avoiding the passive voice, you'll be able to craft a clear and easy-to-read resume that'll stand out from the rest.

Volunteer experience

Wondering if you should include your volunteer experience on your resume ? It's not necessary, but it can be great if you:

Recently graduated and need more professional experience

Want to fill an employment gap

Are changing careers and want to demonstrate skills you didn't use in a previous job

If you do add volunteer experiences to your resume, think about the skills you used and how they'll help you excel in your next career step. Again, make sure it's relevant and ties back to the jobs you're interested in.

You can list your volunteer positions under your professional experience, or, if you're a recent graduate, you might create a new section titled “Leadership and Volunteer Experience,” where you can list any leadership roles you held in clubs and organizations as well as your volunteer experience.

If you don't have enough room on your resume but want to showcase your philanthropic efforts, you can always highlight them on LinkedIn. Chances are, an employer will check out your profile, especially if you included the URL in your contact information.

Sorting out your education and professional development

Now it's time to tackle the education and professional development section of your resume. If you're out of college, you can go ahead and wipe out any mention of your high school activities. If you've only recently graduated and feel as though your degree (or degrees) can help you land a job, feel free to place your education section at the top of your resume . Otherwise, once you've got some experience under your belt, you can move it to the bottom.

Still have a few questions? Here are some answers to a few frequently asked questions in regards to listing your education on your resume:

If you started college at one place but finished at another, only list the college you earned your degree from.

If you didn't finish college, you have a few options. If the job you're applying for requires a high school degree, list your high school. You can also list any relevant coursework.

If you're still in college, you can simply list your expected graduation date.

If you finished college more than 15 years ago or are wary of age discrimination, older job seekers can delete your graduation date.

If you're a recent grad, you might also feel inclined to include your GPA or even major test scores. However, unless the job description mentions these as a requirement, you can leave them off.

In this section, you can also list any professional development courses, programs, or certifications you've received, as long as they're relevant.

Ditching your references on your resume

When it comes to listing references on your resume , the process is simple: Don't do it. Employers typically don't ask for references until you've at least completed an initial phone screen so you're just wasting valuable resume real estate. 

When the time comes to provide references, you can prepare a simple list of at least three references and include your references' names, titles, relationship to you, and contact information. Before you pass this list along, make sure each person is comfortable being your reference and that you have their best contact information. You should also send them a copy of your resume and explain what type of job you're seeking. Then, they'll be fully prepared to speak on your qualifications.

Determining page length

This is perhaps one of the most common resume questions: How long should your resume be? The advice varies. Some people think you should stick to one page, even if you have 20 years of experience. However, if you have 15 or more years of experience, you shouldn't try to squeeze it all onto one page; this will overwhelm the reader. You also don't want to cut relevant experiences that show your career progression so creating a two-page resume is the way to go. 

Do note that if your resume is going to be two pages, make sure you're using more than just a few lines on the second page. If that's the case, cut a few lines and get it all on one page instead.

If you're struggling to keep your resume to two pages, limit your experience to the past 15 years. Really, employers are mostly focused on your recent work —  they don't really care about the internship you had 20 years ago. If you're worried you'll leave something off, feel free to include a “ Career Note” or “Earlier Career History” section . This is a simple way to summarize your work history without taking away valuable space from your most recent experiences.

On the other hand, if you feel like you don't have enough work experience to fill out your resume, think again. Your resume can include internships, fellowships, and skills-based volunteer experiences. Also, break out of the mindset that your experience can only be paid positions. Consider adding any unpaid internships, college research projects, volunteer experiences, part-time jobs or side gigs, and club leadership positions. Think about the skills you've gained from these experiences and how they'll help you succeed in the workforce.

Whether you've got 20 years of experience or zero years of experience, your goal is to include the most relevant information, so don't get caught up in including every single detail of every single job you've ever had.

Formatting your resume

Now that you've got all your information together, it's time to figure out how you want to format it. You've got a few options:

The chronological resume

The chronological resume format is simple: Just list your work history in reverse chronological order with your most recent experiences up top. This is one of the most common ways to format your resume because it's straightforward and easy to follow. It also allows you to show off your career growth.

The chronological resume tends to be best for professionals who have extensive work experience in the industry they're targeting and few employment gaps.

The functional resume

A functional resume is less common these days, but it can still be helpful in a few scenarios. With a functional resume, instead of listing your work history, the focus lands on your skills. With a functional resume, you'll want to include a professional summary at the top, followed by grouping your skills or qualifications into themes. You'll still include your employment history, but this will go at the bottom of your resume.

Functional resumes can work if you're changing careers or have large gaps in your employment history . However, most resume experts agree this isn't the strongest way to write your resume. Instead, a hybrid, or combination resume, can give you the best of both formats.

The hybrid (or combination) resume 

The hybrid resume , sometimes called the combination resume, is a mix of both the chronological and functional resume. It's often the best way to present your work history alongside your skills. It's also the best way to satisfy the applicant tracking system with the important keywords it wants to see. This format is also easier for recruiters and hiring managers to review; they can quickly see your skills and take inventory of your job history.

Tailoring your resume to each job application

Wait! Before you start moaning and groaning because you don't want to write a new resume for each job you apply for, hit pause. Yes, you should be tailoring your resume to specific jobs, but this won't necessarily require you to write an entirely new resume each time. You can easily customize your professional summary, skills section, and work experience to match each specific job.

The best way to write a targeted resume is to consider the job posting. See what skills and experience the company wants, and consider how you fit the description. Call out your most relevant experiences and qualifications in your professional summary, and integrate those keywords into your skills section and job descriptions.

Proofreading your resume (more than once)

The most common resume mistake (and job deal-breaker) is spelling and/or grammatical errors. Since you're knee-deep in writing your resume, you've probably read the same lines approximately 100 times. This will often cause your brain to auto-fill words so you'll read what you meant to write but haven't actually written.

That's why thoroughly editing and proofreading your resume (more than once) is so important. Here are a few strategies to help you eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors:

Have a friend or family member read your resume. They don't have to be editing wizards, but a second set of eyes can help identify easy-to-spot errors or typos your brain didn't process.

Read each line of your resume aloud. Not only will this help you identify errors, but it'll also help you determine if your resume makes sense and is easy to read. If you're stumbling over words, that's a sign you need to spend more time workshopping your sentences.

Temporarily change the font to something drastically different, like Curlz MT or Comic Sans. This will help you see the text differently enough to slow your brain down and process each line. Just remember to change the font back after you're done!

And if you're tailoring your resume to each job listing, that's great! But just remember you're introducing more opportunities for errors. Before you get too eager and click submit, give your resume a final read.

Consistency is key

While you're proofreading your resume, you'll want to keep an eye out for lapses in consistency. These are small details, but if a company is sorting through dozens — or hundreds — of resumes, this can make a huge difference.

To spot inconsistencies, look at repetitive areas on your resume. For example, listing the location of each job. You don't want to write “Denver, Colorado,” for one job, and “St. Louis, MO,” for another.

Dates are also often inconsistently formatted. For example, you don't want the date to read “Feb. 2016 to Jan. 2020” for one job but “August 2015 – January 2016” for another. Note the “to” versus the hyphen and the abbreviated months versus the spelled-out months. Again, these are small details, but nailing this will show off your attention to detail, which is important for just about every job.

Save as a PDF or Word document?

You might've always been taught to save your resume as a PDF, but that's not best practice since it won't make your resume friendly for the applicant tracking systems . Sure, a PDF will help preserve the design and format of your resume, but applicant tracking systems are less likely to read it correctly. Of course, if the job listing says PDF files are acceptable, then you can submit your PDF. However, if a file type isn't specified, play it safe by submitting a word document, saved as a .doc or .docx file.

Mastering the design (without a degree in graphic design)

So far you've carefully selected each word on your resume, and you've decided on your format. Now it's time to make your resume look good . The reality is, recruiters typically spend less than 10 seconds reviewing each resume they receive, so first impressions matter. Here are some important details you need to keep in mind as you lay out your resume.

Creative designs

When it comes to crafting a strong resume, your best bet is to keep things simple with a clean and modern resume design . Sure, you might feel the need to stand out from the crowd by using creative fonts, fancy borders, and custom logos, but the truth is, that will likely work against you. Many recruiters and hiring managers shuffle through hundreds of resumes, and they'll quickly become impatient when they can't readily find the information they need. The key is to focus on the quality of the content, making sure it's easily scannable and digestible. Additional distractions aren't necessary.

Additionally, you want your resume to be ATS-friendly so avoid including anything that could make it difficult to scan and interpret. Keep reading for more specifics on this.

Don't embed images

In the spirit of keeping things simple, you'll want to avoid embedding images on your resume , as well. That means no headshots, logos, or intricate infographics. Again, this can overwhelm the reader and also trip up an applicant-tracking system.

If you want to use images, include them on your personal website, online portfolio, or LinkedIn profile (all linked at the top of your resume). You can show off your creativity more on those platforms.

Avoid using common resume templates

The internet is full of resume templates. A quick Google search will reveal millions of results, with even Microsoft Word offering resume templates . These can be a great guide, but it's often best to start from scratch. Find examples you like and pull elements from each one into your own resume. This is a great way to customize your resume (do you know how many people use downloadable resume templates?) and leverage the design to your advantage, highlighting the most important — and impressive — aspects of your resume.

The importance of margins and white space

When it comes to resumes, margins are important. You might be tempted to adjust your page margins so you can fit more on your resume, but you don't want to make your margins too small. This will eliminate important white space (the empty space on the page) and make your resume look overly crowded. The reader's eyes will likely glaze over.

You'll also want to use obvious headings to call out your various sections (think: career summary, skills, experience). This will make your resume super scannable and add in even more white space so the reader won't feel overloaded with information.

Choosing font type and size

When it comes to choosing a font, keep it simple. Stick to common fonts, like Times New Roman, Arial, or Cambria, and if you want to get “creative,” you can use two fonts. For example, you might use a sans font (like Arial) for headings, then a serif font for the rest of the copy (Serif fonts have little feet on the ends of the letters, like Times New Roman).

No recruiter — or applicant tracking system — wants to see Curlz MT or Comic Sans. Not only does it look unprofessional, it's more difficult to read. You also don't want to make your font too small or too big. If it's too small, it'll be difficult to read. If it's too big, it'll look like you're just trying to fill up the page.

Again, the key is to keep your resume looking clean, simple, and modern.

When in doubt, ask for professional help

How are you feeling about your resume? If you're feeling confident, awesome! It's time to start searching and applying for jobs . If you still have some questions or can't help but wonder if you're on the right track — or simply want to throw your computer across the room at this point — that's OK, too. It might be time to call in a little reinforcement: a professional resume writer.

Signs your resume needs a professional rewrite

A professional resume writer can help you put your best foot forward, beat those resume bots, and save a ton of time (and frustration). Here are five signs it's time to hire a professional resume writer :

You're not the strongest writer: It's OK! Many people aren't, and a professional can make sure your resume is clear, concise, and free of typos.

You're not sure what to include: Whether you're fresh out of college with zero job experience or you've got 25 years under your belt, it can be difficult to decide what to include in your resume. A resume writer can help you figure out what's the most important pieces to keep and how to present your experiences in the best light.

You're bad at bragging: No, you don't want to just brag all over your resume , but you do need to be able to step back and evaluate your accomplishments and gauge your skills. Sometimes this can be difficult, but a resume writer will offer an outsider's perspective and help you understand your greatest strengths.

You never hear back: If you've applied to dozens of jobs with no response, that's frustrating. A resume writer can help you identify your problem areas and sort out any issues you might not be seeing.

You're in a unique situation: If you find yourself wondering what you should actually include on your resume or how to explain certain situations (like an employment gap or even getting fired), a professional resume writer can help guide you.

Is it worth it? The monetary value of a professional resume

If you're considering hiring a professional resume writer, you might wonder if it'll actually be worth the money. Here's the thing: Investing in a professional resume rewrite can save you a ton of time that you could use to network, find open positions, and more. It can also potentially help you earn more money when it comes to negotiating your salary and benefits .

And there's even data that backs up the benefits of a professionally written resume. In a TopResume, industry-first study , job seekers who used a professional resume writing service reported finding a job at a 32 percent higher rate. Plus, those with a professionally written resume reported that they expected to earn seven percent more than applicants who used the DIY approach.

And, hey, the cost of hiring a professional resume writer equates to 36 grande Caffe Mochas from Starbucks. Sure, caffeine is important, but so is getting your dream job.

Think you could benefit from a professionally written resume? Learn more about TopResume's services today and get started on landing your dream job.

Recommended Reading:

5 Signs It's Time to Hire a Professional Resume Writer

What Is an ATS? How to Write a Resume to Beat the Bots

How to Speed Up the Resume-Writing Process

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

From Bland to Beautiful: How We Made This Professional's Resume Shine

See how your resume stacks up.

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Resume Builder FAQ

What is a resume builder.

A resume builder is an online tool that generates a resume in less time than it takes to write it yourself. LiveCareer’s Resume Builder utilizes your desired job title and years of experience to suggest personalized content for all your resume sections, so your effort is minimal.

When you use a Resume Builder , writing a resume can be an easygoing, even exciting process. It removes the pressure from figuring out the right words and empowers you to apply to jobs confidently.

What is the best resume builder?

Here at LiveCareer, we’re confident that we’ve built the industry’s best, most user-friendly and most adaptable Resume Builder. Our Builder offers some of the best features, such as professionally written content suggestions, dozens of resume templates, unlimited cloud storage and even an option to create a cover letter from the contents of your resume with our Cover Letter Builder .

Should I use a resume template? Can I create my own resume template?

Yes. Using a resume template allows you to organize your resume’s content most efficiently. A resume template also shows you possess attractive professional characteristics: You have attention to detail, an eye for aesthetics, and value the importance of putting in that extra effort to make things look professional.

Our Builder has over 30 resume templates in various styles and layouts that you can customize with multiple fonts and colors to make them your own.

What is the best resume template?

The best resume template is the one that best serves your needs and purpose by offering a layout for your resume sections that’s easy for recruiters to follow. A good resume template should always include the five essential resume sections: contact information, resume summary or resume objective, work experience, skills and education.

However, the best resume template is the one that allows you to customize additional sections without ruining the formatting, a key characteristic of our professional resume templates .

How long should a resume be?

As a general rule, most recruiters recommend resumes that are one-page long. A one-page resume is much easier and quicker to read and share with colleagues. However, in recent years, recruiters have become more flexible with page length in favor of resumes that genuinely capture a candidate’s qualifications.

Are you considering a lengthier resume? Check out our article on how long a CV should be or jump straight into writing a CV , which tends to be longer.

You can build a resume with multiple pages in our Resume Builder . The Builder will automatically format your resume to fit all sections seamlessly and replicate the template style on all pages.

How far back should a resume go?

Your resume should go as far back as 10 to 15 years. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to include every job you’ve ever had on your resume.

The type of experience you should include in your resume will depend on your desired job and unique situation. For instance, how you write a resume with no experience will differ vastly from writing a resume for a retired job seeker .

How to add multiple pages to a resume?

Our Resume Builder automatically adds as many pages as needed as you write your resume. Our Builder works like a fill-in form where you type in your information and select our personalized pre-written suggestions.

You’ll see a preview of your resume as you go through each step, and once you finalize all the sections, you will see how many pages long it is. The Builder will format all sections neatly and in the proper order. For instance, if you have a considerably lengthy work history , the Builder will add the appropriate number of pages and organize the rest of the sections afterward.

Should I customize my resume for each job?

Absolutely. You should customize your resume for each job to have the best chance of getting a callback for an interview. A one-size-fits-all resume is a myth, and will likely yield different results than you want. By customizing your resume for each job, you ensure that you highlight the skills and experiences the employer needs for that particular role.

One of the many benefits of our Resume Builder is that it allows you to create a resume by uploading an existing one, making it easier to update your resume with each job application.

How much does a resume builder cost? Is this resume builder free?

Our Builder is free to use, and you can even download your resume for free as a TXT file. But we suggest you opt for the premium version to benefit from our professionally designed resume templates .

We’re so confident that our Resume Builder is a handy tool for a wide range of applicants that you can log in with your email and utilize all the tools without restriction.

Only when you’re entirely convinced in our Builder and choose to download the resume will you have to pay a fee for unlimited access to our Builder, premium resume templates and cloud storage.

Is LiveCareer safe?

LiveCareer is an entirely safe resume and career advice website with the best Resume Builder and Cover Letter Builder. With LiveCareer, you will find hundreds of helpful article resources , professional resume-writing services and be able to access all of these from the convenience of our mobile app .

Learn more about our history and the LiveCareer team on our About Us page .

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If you need help with your resume or help accessing or managing your account, you can contact us by phone, email or chat with one of our customer service representatives. Find all the ways to get in touch with us on our contact information page .

Can I use the same template for my resume and cover letter?

Yes. When you use our Resume Builder and Cover Letter Builder, you get access to 15 template bundles so you can match your resume and cover letter. Using the same template style for both documents gives you a sense of the personal branding characteristic of high-level professionals. Head to our cover letter templates library to see the matching template bundles.

What is the best resume format to use in 2023?

If you’re looking for the best resume format in 2023 , you want to ask yourself what your years of experience are, if you have gaps in your employment and how many relevant skills you possess for your desired role. Depending on your answer, you will pick among the chronological, combination and functional resume formats.

Chronological resumes are the most commonly used format. Recruiters prefer them, and they are ideal for showcasing long and consistent careers.

Functional resumes are less common but benefit inexperienced job seekers since they focus on skills instead of work experience.

Combination resumes are like happy mediums; they equally highlight work experience and skills, making them ideal for mid-level applicants or job seekers looking for a promotion.

I have little to no experience in the workforce. Will your resume builder help me?

Absolutely! Our resume builder can help you whether you’re new to the workforce or an industry veteran.

Its very first prompt asks, “How long have you been working?” This helps generate text suggestions to fit your experience level. Even if you haven’t had a lot of experience, we recommend skills to target for the job!

Plus, if you’re new to the workforce and don’t know how to describe your experience, our builder is full of best-use phrases created by our seasoned career experts. It’s like having someone explain to you what employers want to hear.

I've finished my resume and now I need to download, print, or email it. How do I do this?

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Most jobs request a PDF version of your resume. However, whichever format you need to download it in— a Word doc or plain text file––our builder gives you the option.

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I can't finish my resume right now. Can I save it and come back?

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Your resume content is saved when you click the “Next” button on each section. So, just remember to do that before you exit the screen and all your edits will be saved.

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Resume Examples & Samples You Can Use for Free

Browse our sample resumes for over 280 jobs from various industries and get inspired to create your own job-winning resume.

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Resume Examples by Industry and Job Title

Categories:.

• Accounting & Finance
• Creative Fields, Design & Arts
• Engineering, Tech & Science
• Food Service
• Healthcare & Wellbeing
• Information Technology (IT)
• Law Enforcement & Security Services
• Legal Services
• Maintenance & Repair
• Marketing, Media & Public Relations
• Office & Administrative
• Real Estate
• Sales and Customer Service
• Travel & Hospitality

Accounting & Finance Resume Examples

Even though you are a numbers person, it doesn't mean you can't create an outstanding resume. Follow our accounting resume samples and make a resume that will get you the job.

and more...

• Accounting Assistant Resume
• Accounting Clerk Resume
• Accounting Manager Resume
• Accounts Payable Resume
• Accounts Receivable Resume
• Bank Teller Resume
• Banking Resume
• Billing Specialist Resume
• Bookkeeper Resume
• Budget Analyst Resume
• Business Resume
• Consultant Resume
• Entry-Level Accountant Resume
• Entry-Level Business Analyst Resume
• Entry-Level Financial Analyst Resume
• Finance Resume
• Financial Advisor Resume
• Investment Banking Resume
• Loan Officer Resume
• Medical Billing Resume
• Senior Accountant Resume
• Tax Accountant Resume
• Tax Preparer Resume

Creative Fields, Design & Arts Resume Examples

As an artist, your portfolio is your key to success—but you definitely need a resume, too. Check our creative resume examples and get inspired on how to make your job application a true masterpiece.

• 3D Artist Resume
• Animator Resume
• Art Director Resume
• Artist Resume
• Copywriter Resume
• Creative Director Resume
• Dance Resume
• Fashion Designer Resume
• Fashion Resume
• Film Resume
• Filmmaker Resume
• Freelance Writer Resume
• Freelancer Resume
• Game Design Resume
• Grant Writer Resume
• Interior Design Resume
• Journalist Resume
• Landscape Architect Resume
• Landscaping Resume
• Makeup Artist Resume
• Model Resume
• Music Resume
• Photographer Resume
• Production Assistant Resume
• Technical Writer Resume
• Theater Resume
• Translator Resume
• Video Editor Resume
• Videographer Resume
• Web Designer Resume
• Writer Resume

Education Resume Examples

Resume samples for education that show how to score an A+ job with your resume.

• Academic Advisor Resume
• Art Teacher Resume
• Assistant Principal Resume
• Camp Counselor Resume
• Child Care Resume
• Education Resume
• Elementary Teacher Resume
• English Teacher Resume
• ESL Teacher Resume
• First-Year Teacher Resume
• Instructional Designer Resume
• Librarian Resume
• Math Teacher Resume
• Music Teacher Resume
• Nanny Resume
• Preschool Teacher Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Scholarship Resume
• School Counselor Resume
• Special Education Teacher Resume
• Substitute Teacher Resume
• Teaching Assistant Resume
• Tutor Resume
• Undergraduate Research Resume
• Yoga Teacher Resume

Engineering, Tech & Science Resume Examples

Our engineering resume examples will show you how to create a compelling narrative about your career so that non-technical recruiters will get what you're saying.

• Architecture Resume
• Chemistry Resume
• Civil Engineer Resume
• Clinical Research Coordinator Resume
• Computer Engineer Resume
• Construction Project Manager Resume
• Construction Resume
• Electrical Engineering Resume
• Engineering Internship Resume
• Engineering Student Resume
• Entry Level Mechanical Engineer Resume
• Entry-Level Engineering Resume
• Environmental Science Resume
• HVAC Technician Resume
• Industrial Engineer Resume
• Lab Assistant Resume
• Lab Technician Resume
• Logistics Resume
• Machine Learning Resume
• Machinist Resume
• Manufacturing Engineer Resume
• Mechanical Engineer Resume
• Project Engineer Resume
• Science Research Resume
• Supply Chain Manager Resume

Food Service Resume Examples

It doesn't matter whether you're an experienced chef or it's your first job: our resume samples for food service roles will help you create a well-seasoned resume.

• Baker Resume
• Bar Manager Resume
• Barista Resume
• Busser Resume
• Chef Resume
• Delivery Driver Resume
• Dishwasher Resume
• Fast Food Resume
• Food Runner Resume
• Food Service Resume
• Line Cook Resume
• McDonald's Resume
• Restaurant Resume
• Sous Chef Resume
• Starbucks Resume
• Waiter & Waitress Resume

Healthcare & Wellbeing Resume Examples

Working in healthcare requires a lot of skills and knowledge. With our resume samples, you'll show your new employer that you not only have the right skills, but also proper experience.

• Caregiver Resume
• Cosmetology Resume
• Dental Assistant Resume
• Dental Hygienist Resume
• Dentist Resume
• Doctor Resume
• ER / Emergency Room Nurse Resume
• Esthetician Resume
• Hair Stylist Resume
• Health Coach Resume
• Healthcare Resume
• Home Health Aide Resume
• ICU (Critical Care) Nurse Resume
• LPN (Licensed Practical Nurses) Resume
• Massage Therapist Resume
• Medical Receptionist Resume
• Medical Resume
• Medical School Resume
• Medical Scribe Resume
• Medical Student Resume
• Medical-Surgical Nurse Resume
• New Grad Nursing (NR) Resume
• Nurse Manager Resume
• Nurse Practitioner Resume
• Nursing Student Resume
• Occupational Therapy Resume
• Paramedic / EMT Resume
• Patient Care Technician Resume
• Personal Trainer Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Pharmacy Technician Resume
• Phlebotomist Resume
• Physical Therapy Resume
• Physician Assistant Resume
• Psychology Resume
• Radiology Technologist Resume
• Resident Assistant Resume
• Respiratory Therapist Resume
• RN (Registered Nurse) Resume
• School Nurse Resume
• Veterinarian Resume
• Veterinary Technician Resume

Information Technology (IT) Resume Examples

There are a lot of IT jobs, but the best ones can attract a lot of applicants. That's why your resume needs to be stellar. See our sample resumes and learn how to show your expertise.

• .NET Developer Resume
• Android Developer Resume
• AWS Solutions Architect Resume
• Computer Science Internship Resume
• Computer Science Resume
• Computer Technician Resume
• Cyber Security Resume
• Data Analyst Resume
• Data Engineering Resume
• DevOps Resume
• Entry-Level IT Resume
• Entry-Level Software Engineer Resume
• Front-End Developer Resume
• Full Stack Developer Resume
• Information Security Analyst Resume
• iOS Developer Resume
• IT Director Resume
• IT Manager Resume
• IT Project Manager Resume
• IT Specialist Resume
• IT Support Resume
• IT Technician Resume
• Java Developer Resume
• Manual Tester Resume
• Network Administration
• Network Engineer Resume
• Product Owner Resume
• Programmer Resume
• Quality Assurance Resume
• Quality Engineer Resume
• Salesforce Admin Resume
• Salesforce Resume
• Scrum Master Resume
• Software Engineer Resume
• SQL Developer Resume
• System Administrator Resume
• Systems Engineer Resume
• Tableau Developer Resume
• Tech Support Resume
• Technical Resume
• UI / User Interface Developer Resume
• UX Researcher Resume
• Web Developer Resume

Law Enforcement & Security Services Resume Examples

It's hard to name everything you do in your day-to-day job: catch bad guys, put out fires, transport money. How to put it onto a sheet of paper? Our resume examples will show you how.

• Correctional Officer Resume
• Security Officer Resume

Legal Resume Examples

These legal resume examples will show you how to win the recruitment trial.

• Law Clerk Resume
• Law School Resume
• Legal Resume
• Paralegal Resume

.iconsMaintenance{fill:none;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-width:1px;} Maintenance & Repair Resume Examples

You know how to fix things that no one else can. We know how to write a job-winning resume, and our sample resumes can prove that.

• Carpenter Resume
• Construction Worker Resume
• Factory Worker Resume
• Forklift Operator Resume
• Janitor Resume
• Maintenance Technician Resume
• Mechanic Resume
• Plumber Resume
• Welder Resume

Management Resume Examples

When writing a resume for an executive position, you need to highlight your industry knowledge as well as your leadership skills. With our management resume examples, you'll learn how to do both.

• Account Manager Resume
• Assistant Manager Resume
• Business Manager Resume
• Business Owner Resume
• District Manager Resume
• Entrepreneur Resume
• Executive Resume
• General Manager Resume
• HR Manager Resume
• Management Consultant Resume
• Manager Resume
• Marketing Director Resume
• Marketing Manager Resume
• Office Manager Resume
• Operations Manager Resume
• Production Manager Resume
• Program Manager Resume
• Project Coordinator Resume
• Restaurant Manager Resume
• Retail Manager Resume
• Sales Manager Resume
• Social Media Manager Resume
• Supervisor Resume

Marketing, Media & Public Relations Resume Examples

Regardless if you want to work in an agency or an in-house marketing department, your resume needs to be Super Bowl material. Our resume examples will show you how to do just that.

• Brand Ambassador Resume
• Digital Marketing Resume
• Event Coordinator Resume
• Event Manager Resume
• Marketing Internship Resume
• Public Relations Resume

Office & Administrative Resume Examples

Most resumes for office jobs repeat the phrase “responsible for” a dozen too many times. With our resume examples, you'll find out how to highlight your achievements and make your resume more compelling.

• Attorney Resume
• Business Administration Resume
• Data Entry Resume
• Entry-Level Administrative Assistant Resume
• Federal Resume
• Front Desk Resume
• HR Assistant Resume
• HR Coordinator Resume
• HR Director Resume
• Human Resources Resume
• Legal Assistant Resume
• Office Assistant Resume
• Office Clerk Resume
• Personal Assistant Resume
• Purchasing Agent Resume
• Recruiter Resume
• Secretary Resume
• Social Work Resume
• Virtual Assistant Resume

Real Estate Resume Examples

The best examples of resumes for real estate professionals that will show you how to stand out like Burj Khalifa.

• Leasing Consultant Resume

Sales & Customer Service Resume Examples

Your resume for sales & customer service should not only show off your KPIs and sales results but also highlight your people skills. Find out how from one of these good resume examples.

• Account Executive Resume
• Budtender Resume
• Business Development Resumet
• Call Center Resume
• Case Manager Resume
• Cashier Resume
• Customer Service Manager Resume
• Help Desk Resume
• Hostess Resume
• Pharmaceutical Sales Resume
• Retail Resume
• Sales Representative Resumee
• Store Manager Resume
• Walmart Resume

Students Resume Examples

Being new on the job market can be difficult, but it's much easier when you have a perfect resume. Check out these student resume examples and land your first job fast.

• College Application Resume
• College Freshman Resume
• College Student Resume
• Entry-Level Resume
• Graduate School Resume
• High School Graduate Resume
• Law Student Resume
• MBA Application Resume
• Recent College Graduate Resume
• Undergraduate Student Resume

Travel, Hospitality & Transportation Resume Examples

Shift your career into the next gear with these tailor-made resume examples.

• Bus Driver Resume
• Concierge Resume
• Dispatcher Resume
• Hospitality Resume
• Hotel Manager Resume
• Lifeguard Resume
• Logistics Coordinator Resume
• Truck Driver Resume

Other Resume Examples

Haven't found what you were looking for? Here are some miscellaneous sample resumes for other jobs and people at different stages of their careers.

• American Resume
• Babysitter Resume
• General Resume
• Military to Civilian Resume
• Nonprofit Resume
• Stay at Home Mom
• Targeted Resume
• Teens Resume

The Best Resume Examples. And More.

Making a resume is not rocket science. You just need to know what to put in your document, where to put it, and how to use it to highlight your strengths and achievements. We’re here to help you get it right with our resume samples and step-by-step guides:

• Start with picking the best resume format .
• Craft a compelling resume profile : a career objective statement or a resume summary .
• Nail your work history : use proper resume keywords and highlight your accomplishments over duties and responsibilities.
• Show your education section
• Highlight your relevant skills .
• Tailor your resume with extra resume sections , such as relevant coursework or volunteer experience .

Examples of Resume Templates That Will Land You a Job

These resume samples were all created in our builder. Try it out and see how quickly you can make a professional resume for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions about Resume Examples

What is a sample resume.

An example resume represents how the perfect resume should look when applying for a specific position . It’s targeted precisely to a given job and includes all the vital information you should put on your resume . Resume samples also show how you should describe yourself—show accomplishments backed by the numbers, not a list of duties and responsibilities. They offer a great dose of inspiration and can help you understand what recruiters look for when evaluating a resume.

Is it a good idea to use a resume example?

It’s definitely a good idea. Using a sample resume written by career professionals can ensure that it meets the current recruitment standards . That means you don’t need to worry about using appropriate resume sections , resume margins , and all other technicalities. On the other hand, if you decide not to use a resume example, you are risking wasting a lot of time and making mistakes on your resume that can hurt your chances of getting the dream job.

Are ResumeLab examples the best resume examples for 2024?

Every single resume example on our site is 2024-ready and crafted by a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), so you know you're getting a high-quality sample . What’s more, each guide provides a resume sample for a specific job and a set of practical resume tips and advice , so making your resume will be a piece of cake. We’ve also prepared a list of professional resume templates to help you make sure your resume will stand out from the crowd.

Should I use the same resume example for every job application?

Sending a general resume for every job application will most likely kill your chances of getting the job you want. Having a personalized resume will show that you care about getting the job . A resume should have adequate resume keywords to match the job ad and a professional resume summary (or resume objective ) that proves you’ve got what it takes to succeed in the role. It should also list your skills to back it up. Our resume maker allows you to duplicate and edit your resume in minutes to make the whole process much quicker and easier for you.

What is the best resume format for my resume?

Nowadays, most hiring managers want to see the reverse-chronological resume format . It highlights your work experience and professional accomplishments and conveniently displays them so hiring managers can see all necessary information at first glance. The other two main resume formats are the functional resume format and the combination resume format. The first focuses on your skills rather than experience, while the second is a mix of the other two and works well for very experienced job seekers.

Is there anything I should avoid when using a resume example?

When working with a resume example, you should avoid blindly copying everything from the sample . After all, this is your resume. It should highlight your professional experience as well as personal accomplishments tailored to the job posting. You may use the resume samples we provide to guide you in the right direction, but remember to personalize them.

How should my resume look?

Nowadays, hiring managers prefer resumes that are simple and professional. You no longer need to stuff your resume with unnecessary images and fancy frames . The content, which means your skills, work history, and other sections, should be relevant to the job you’re applying to. When applying for a graphic designer job , it’s not necessary to mention that you like to juggle. Be sure to read our guides on how a resume should look and what hobbies to put on your resume .

Are there also cover letter examples available?

We provide almost a hundred free cover letter examples for different types of jobs and industries . Like with our resume samples, you may use, copy, and edit them without any limitations. Remember that even in 2024, cover letters are important and can significantly boost your chances of getting an interview. If you don’t know how to write one, check our guide on how to write the best cover letter .

Does my resume example need to match my cover letter?

Your resume and cover letter need to match and be coherent . That means they should look alike, and the content should be complementary. While on a resume, you list your skills and accomplishments, on a cover letter, you can explain why you will be a great addition to the team because of those skills. We prepared a list of cover letter templates that match resumes made in our builder to keep visual consistency—you can apply for your dream job with a matching set of documents that looks incredibly professional and highlights your personal brand.

How to write a resume if I don't have any experience?

Starting on a job market when you don’t have any experience might sound scary, but the fact is that, most likely, you already have some experience—even if you were never employed before. You can focus on transferable skills and achievements from your school, personal project, or volunteer work . We’ve prepared a few sample resumes for those with no experience and entry-level positions to make it easier for you.

What is the right length for a resume?

In most cases, one page is the best resume length , although you can have two or more in some situations. When you have more than seven years of experience or many skills and achievements, you can go with a two-page resume . If you have less experience, stick to one page and focus only on things that are directly relevant to the job.

Are these resume examples free?

Yes, all resume examples listed on our page are free to use, edit, and copy without limitations . You may use as many resume samples as you want until you are happy with the result. They go very well with our builder, where you can simply copy and paste the entire content, customize it to your needs and circumstances, and have a resume ready in a few minutes.

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How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
• Anticipated Graduation Date On Resume
• Education Section On Resume
• Contact Information On Resume
• Statement Of Qualifications
• How To List Publications On Resume
• Accomplishments On Resumes
• Awards On Resume
• Dean's List On Resume
• Study Abroad On Resume

Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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• Resume Help

How to Make a Resume in 2024: Writing Guide + Examples

Our customers have been hired by:

Landing an interview is a race against the clock. With many job seekers competing for just one position, you need a resume that has no equal in terms of relevance and clarity.

To achieve your next career goal, make a comprehensive resume document that contains all the key information and addresses the job requirements accurately. Allow me to share with you a step-by-step advice on how to make a resume. 

In this guide, I’ll provide you with:

• 9-step instructions on how to make a resume for your desired job.
• 10 complete resume examples for various jobs and approved by career experts.
• FAQ section to dispel doubts about how to write a resume that hits your career goals.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here .

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How to Make a Resume: Example

Willow Foster

Academic Teacher

123-456-7890

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/willow.foster

Experienced teacher with 10 years of experience in academic education. Passionate about fostering critical thinking and intellectual curiosity in students. Skilled in designing rigorous curricula and implementing effective instructional strategies to meet diverse learning needs. Increased AP exam pass rates by 20% through targeted exam preparation and review sessions.

Summit High School, Idaho Falls, ID

September 2016–Present

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

• Developing and delivering engaging lesson plans in subjects including English Literature, History, and Social Studies.
• Utilizing various instructional methods, including lectures, discussions, and multimedia presentations, to facilitate student learning.
• Incorporating project-based learning and real-world connections to enhance student understanding and application of course material.
• Providing timely feedback and assessment to monitor student progress and adjust instruction as needed.

Key Achievement:

• Increased AP exam pass rates by 20% through targeted exam preparation and review sessions.

Mountain View Academy, Idaho Falls, ID

August 2014–June 2016

• Taught World History, American Literature, and Government courses to high school students.
• Differentiated instruction to accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities within the classroom.
• Utilized technology tools such as online research databases and educational software to enhance instruction and student engagement.
• Collaborated with colleagues to develop interdisciplinary units and cross-curricular projects.

Master of Arts in Education

Idaho State University, ID

August 2012–May 2014

Bachelor of Arts in History

August 2008–May 2012

Relevant extracurricular activities

• Member of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).
• Participated in professional development workshops on inquiry-based learning and historical analysis.

Academic achievements:

• Recipient of the Outstanding Graduate Student Award, 2014.
• Curriculum Development
• Instructional Design
• Classroom Management
• Differentiated Instruction
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Strong Communication and Collaboration
• Quick Problem-solving skills

Certifications

Teaching License, Idaho Department of Education, 2014

English—Native

Spanish—Intermediate

• Attending academic conferences and seminars.
• Engaging in historical research and writing.

Alright, now here's how to make a resume in 9 simple steps: 

1. Choose the Right Resume Format

Before you start writing your resume, you need to take care of the canvas prior to painting your application. It’ll help you organize your document; recruiters will bid in interviews when they see your craftsmanship. 

There are 3 main resume formats :

1. Chronological resume —has a classic resume layout , emphasizing your work experience and professional accomplishments. It lists your work history in reverse order, from the most current going backward. It’s the most popular among all-level candidates and recruiters, and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) can read it, too. 

2. Functional resume —emphasizes your skills and qualities, hence the secondary name, skills-based resume . The most important resume section is the skills summary, whereas your work history takes a back seat. Use it for your creative resume or when transitioning to civilian with a military resume .

3. Combination resume —a hybrid of the two above. It highlights your experience and skill set. It’s best for professionals with a vast amount of relevant experience to show off. But, it’s also a good choice for career change resumes and covering employment gaps if you wish to do so.

Is there any safe bet when writing your resume? Yes, there is—the chronological resume. See Let me show you what it looks like:

Here’s how to format a chronological resume:

Technicalities

• Create even margins on your resume , 1-inch on all sides.
• Set a legible resume font for the text, like Calibri, or Verdana, in 10–12 pts. For headings, use 13–14 pts in font size.
• Use single or 1.15 line spacing. And add an extra line before and after a heading.
• Exceed a resume’s page limit only when unavoidable. Stick to one page for the best results.
• Start with a resume header . Make it distinctive to highlight your name and contact information.
• Organize your resume sections in the following order: summary/objective, work experience, education, skills, and extras.
• Use bullet points for your entries under each section.
• Find resume icons for each section or skip them altogether.

File format

• See what the job ad says. Look for a preferred file formatting (PDF or .docx) in the job description. 
• If the company asks to send resumes in Microsoft Word .docx format, creating your resume in Word and sending it as required is a good idea.
• Format your resume in PDF . PDFs preserve the structure and formatting on all devices.
• Name your resume file by including the job title first, then the word resume, and lastly, your full name, separated by hyphens or underscores—for example, accountant-resume-jane-doe.pdf.

Pro Tip: Consistency on your resume draft is crucial, just like your consistency as their future employee. For example, format your dates any way you'd like (31 Dec, December 31, 12-2020, etc.), but follow the same throughout.

2. Add Contact Information and Personal Details

A career diplomat knows what information to disclose and which is better to hold back. Likewise, there are basic items that you must include in the contact information section, but you should also know what not to put on a resume .

Here’s what to keep in mind when constructing your contact information section :

• Include your first name and last name first. Then, provide your current or the most recent job title .
• Add your phone number and an email address. Don’t mention your second email address, though, as it may confuse the reader.
• Include your LinkedIn profile if you have one. Alternatively, add a personal website; they’re becoming increasingly popular for creatives or jobs in information technology.
• Avoid adding information such as date of birth, as it could lead to ageism. Similarly, leave your home address off your resume unless it’s required.
• If you’re applying for a job in the US, don’t add a photo unless it’s an acting or a modeling position.
• Use a resume headline if you don’t want to go for a resume summary or objective. They usually cover that part.

See how you could arrange your header and personal details:

Pro Tip: Before a recruiter or hiring manager can look you and your employment history up, you better sanitize your online presence ! That means removing any offensive posts and making private things private. While at it, optimize your LinkedIn profile to make it up-to-date and complete.

3. Start With a Resume Summary or Resume Objective

A hiring manager will scan your resume in 7 seconds, our HR statistics report says. That means the top of the page will likely have the most eye time. And that’s where the resume summary or objective statement is.

Here's how to write a resume profile that makes the recruiter stop and stare:

What Is a Resume Summary & When to Choose It

A resume summary is a 2-3 sentence paragraph that gives recruiters a gist of your relevant experience and boasts about your accomplishments in the field. The purpose of a resume and summary is to immediately draw attention to your candidacy and paint a picture of a fit applicant.

Choose the summary if you have enough relevant experience to condense your position-related skills and qualifications.

Let's take a look at how to write a professional summary with right and wrong examples for clarity:

Difference? WRONG focuses on everyday duties, whereas RIGHT shows graphic design skills, achievements, and experience. The RIGHT examples also mention the company by name. That is a great way to make sure your resume feels personalized rather than just sent to every company out there.

Pro Tip: If you have enough experience, consider writing a summary of qualifications instead.

What Is a Resume Objective & When to Choose It

A resume objective is a short statement providing insight into the qualities and skills you can transfer to the company. The goal of an objective is to show your potential employer what you can help them achieve, considering your skill set.

Choose the resume objective statement if you have no work experience or at least none related to the position you're applying for (entry-level applicants, career changers, students, etc.). 

Let's look at another set of right and wrong examples for writing a career objective:

The RIGHT one uses some transferable skills from the previous company and proud achievements, with numbers as they speak louder than words. The WRONG one doesn’t show enough to hold the hiring manager’s attention. Plus, both WRONG examples above used the first person. Avoid this in your resume.

4. List Relevant Work Experience & Key Achievements

If you think of your resume as a fancy meal, the experience section is the main course. It includes the most important things to put on a resume , like your work history and achievements.

Let me take you through the various job history components of the perfect resume experience section now. 

How to Build a Work Experience Section on a Resume

The recommended way to build your work experience section entries is this, in this exact order:

• Job title : This should go at the very top of each work history entry so that it's easy for potential employers to scan and find. Make it bold or increase the font size by 1pt or 2pts from the rest of the entry.
• Company, city, state : In the second line, include the previous employer's company name and the city and state of your location.
• Dates employed : Thirdly, put the timeframe of your employment there. You should add the month and the year, but there's no need to put exact days.
• Key responsibilities : Focus on 5 to 6 essential job duties most relevant to the new job and list them in reverse chronological order. Use present tense to describe current job and past tense to discuss previous experience.
• Key achievements : Often overlooked but super important. Employers know what you did. They need to know how well you did them. Say it using action verbs to reinforce your capabilities.

Think about accomplishments you've had, not necessarily meaning solid sales numbers or percentages. Were you involved in something that had great success? If so, include it! Showing what you've done beyond your daily duties is what will prompt employers to call you. Employers want to hire someone who exhibits motivation, participation, and ambition. Erin Kennedy CEO, Managing Director at Professional Resume Service, Inc.

The work experience section of your resume, where you describe your past jobs, is the most crucial component of your whole job application. Dive deeper to make sure you get it right: Work Experience on a Resume: Job Description Bullets that *Kill* [100+]

How to Tailor Work History Entries to a Job Description

To tailor a resume means to make it as relevant to the job description as possible by including keywords taken out of a job ad and scattering them throughout the resume. The idea is to show the ATS software you have what it takes to take on the role.

You can include the keywords that an ATS will scan and assign you a score. The more relevant keywords, the higher the score you get. That leads to getting your application seen by a recruiter.

To create an ATS-friendly resume , refer to the job description and look for resume keywords related to your responsibilities. They can touch upon the following:

• Duties (coordinate marketing campaigns, plan and implement promotional campaigns, etc.)
• Skills (project management, marketing communications, B2B marketing, etc.)
• Qualifications (5 years of experience, marketing or business-related degree, etc.)
• Qualities (creative mindset, etc.)

Later, when writing your work history section, use (or refer to) as many of the above as possible in your duties and key achievements.

How Much Work Experience to Include on a Resume

A resume should go back at most 10-15 years . But the more experience you have, the less you should worry about the length of your resume . Don't try to cram everything into a one-page resume if you're a highly experienced candidate. And don’t mention academic achievements unrelated to the role, only to land on a two-page resume .

Let’s go into greater detail:

• First-time job hunters with no work experience can still include other gigs, such as a student organization role, internship, or volunteer experience, to fill out your experience section.
• Entry-level candidates should list and describe all paid work, particularly calling out the most relevant responsibilities and achievements.
• Mid-level job seekers should include detailed job descriptions of relevant positions and mention any other roles briefly.
• Senior-level applicants , such as executives and managers, should list up to 15 years of relevant work experience with powerful action verbs to introduce each bullet point.

Experienced a spell of unemployment? Don't worry! Check out our guide: How to Explain Gaps in Your Resume

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check . Start building a professional resume template here for free .

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better. 

5. Reference Your Education Correctly

Many people consider the education section an afterthought, but you shouldn't. It's an essential part of your resume structure . Simply because it’s an excellent opportunity to prove your qualifications and gain some bonus points for relevancy.

See how to list your credentials in the exact order:

• Degree : Place your highest degree first . That means leaving out the high school info if you finished a university or college.
• University : Add the name and location.
• Dates attended : List your dates of attendance, mentioning the month and the year. I advise against being as specific as including the days.

Such an entry entails the essentials, which is the best solution for candidates with more than a year of experience. If you’re writing an entry-level resume , consider adding the following:

• Completed credits if your education is ongoing or unfinished . (Some college on a resume is better than none.)
• Relevant coursework and major and minor to exhibit your knowledge of the subject matter.
• Latin honors or your awards (e.g., making the Dean's List ) to show your commitment to growth.
• Relevant extracurricular activities for proof of job-related skills.

Pro tip: As for mentioning your GPA on a resume , it’s only a good idea if you graduated recently and your GPA was high enough to impress employers—at least 3.5. Otherwise, just leave it off your application. Also, don't round your GPA up.

For example:

What is the proper education section format? Check out our article: How to Put Education on a Resume

6. Put Relevant Skills That Fit the Job Ad

Your skills are crucial to making your resume relevant to the position (and attractive to employers). A good resume uses the job ad as a reference and includes relevant skills to show you're a good fit for the job. There are two types of skills you can include in your resume:

• Hard skills are specific abilities and know-how (e.g., Photoshop, using a cash register).
• Soft skills are self-developed, life-learned attributes (e.g., social skills, adaptability).

These comprise a skill set and a job seeker's range of skills and abilities.

What Skills to Put on a Resume

Remember that job description you had handy from earlier? Reread it, paying attention to any specific skills that it mentions. If you have any of them, great—those are the keywords to put on your resume. 

See what skills the job ad might include:

• Communication skills : These can consist of people skills , non-verbal communication, active listening skills , and interpersonal skills .
• Leadership skills and management skills : An ability to be a good manager, leader, and supervisor.
• Critical thinking skills : Making thought-based decisions and taking the initiative. Includes analytical skills , decision-making skills , and problem-solving skills .
• Organizational skills : A knack for planning, organizing, and seeing initiatives through.
• Transferable skills : For career changers, these are abilities you learned to carry to your new position.
• Technical skills : Knowledge required to perform specific tasks, like computer skills or clerical skills.
• Job-specific skills: Particular prowess the company specifically requires.

Pro Tip: You might be tempted to write your resume in ChatGPT . While AI can be helpful, it still needs a lot of your work to make it right.

How to List Skills on a Resume

There are several ways to include a list of skills. For most, a simple skills section that contains 5-6 key abilities and your proficiency level is enough: 

For specific job titles and technical skills, I recommend listing your particular knowledge per item to give them specific detail into the areas of the skill you excel at:

Looking for inspiration about what skills to put on a resume? There you go: Over 99 Skills for Your Resume

7. Include Additional Resume Sections

Here's the thing—everyone's job resumes include those sections above. But what should a resume have to make it personalized? Make your resume unique by including extra information. 

Here's how to make your resume stand out with extra sections:

Hobbies & Interests 

You might not think that your love of baseball and being the Little League assistant coach would interest a potential employer. However, listing your hobbies and interests subtly proves your ability to work well in a team, and the coaching can verify your leadership and management expertise. 

Volunteer Work

Volunteering boosts employability, studies find . For most job seekers, listing any volunteer experience as one of your additional resume sections is a great way to show your commitment and values. It also lets them know that you don't only care about the money. For entry-level or first-time applicants needing experience, volunteer work is an excellent stand-in .

Internship Experience

Listing internships on your resume is only OK if you're fresh out of school, have had one or two other jobs, or haven't been on the market for longer than 4–5 years.

Certifications and Awards

Got any certificates or licenses to show off on your resume ? If they are relevant to the job and industry, include them!

Placed first in a chili cook-off at the state fair? If you're looking to be a cook, it’ll definitely help. Likewise, a food safety certification or food handler's license that you already have would surely be in your favor.

Speak another language? Impressive! Listing language skills on a resume only extends your usefulness as an employee, particularly in international corporations or localities where a large population speaks that second language. List the language, global variation (Latin American Spanish, for example), and your language fluency levels.

If you've done a bunch, you can include projects as a separate section or simply mention one or two below each job description.

Publications

Have articles written for a blog, newspaper, or scientific journal? Mention those publications on a resume . If your published material isn't online, create a short bibliography of the works you'd like them to acknowledge.

Also, if you've built graphic designs or other creative creations, or if your list of publications or projects needs to be shorter, consider making an online portfolio to document everything. Link to it from the contact section, in this case.

Would you like to read more about additional sections? Go for it: What to Put for Additional Information on a Resume?

8. Complement Your Resume With a Cover Letter

You must most definitely submit a cover letter . Your cover letter or job application letter lets you expand upon things you need to keep brief on your resume. Also, it allows you to speak easily in standard sentences!

Sound like an overkill? Think again. Most employers think more than a resume is needed to make a decision. Follow our guide on making a cover letter (or a cover letter with no experience or a cover letter for an internship ), and you'll knock this out quickly and painlessly.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.  Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

9. Proofread and Email Your Resume the Right Way

You're almost there, but don't send it off just yet. Here are some resume best practices to keep in mind, so you can rest assured that you wrote the perfect resume :

Proofread & Double-Check

How to make a professional resume and be seen as a professional? 

• By double-checking your resume before sending it out. First, review your resume with this checklist to tick off all the check marks for formatting and style. See if you have all the right sections and whether they have all you need to succeed and go through your resume to check your resume content’s relevance. 
• Then, scan your entire application with a tool like Grammarly to check for spelling or grammar mistakes. 
• To triple-check, ask a friend or family member for help. Better safe than sorry!

As for the question of how to spell resume ? It's still a contention, but “resume” without the accents is the best choice.

Do you want more tips and know which common resume mistakes to avoid? See these for more: 50 Best Resume Tips and Resume Dos and Don’ts

Email Your Resume the Right Way

When you send a resume to a catch-all email address such as [email protected], your resume enters a sea of similar emails from other job seekers fighting for the same position as you.

Find the name of the person reading your resume and personalize your email with that information. Sending a resume is much more compelling when you use Dear Mike instead of To Whom It May Concern .

Now, you wish you had an email template for emailing a resume? Say no more: 10+ Email Examples for Emailing a Resume

10+ Resume Examples for Various Jobs

Now that you have the entire theory available at your disposal, let me show you what you can achieve by following it. See the examples depicting how to build a resume for different types of jobs:

1. Accounting Assistant Resume

2. Data Engineer Resume

3. IT Specialist Resume

4. Manager Resume

5. Office Administrator Resume

6. Paralegal Resume

7. Sales Associate Resume

8. Teacher Resume

9. Technical Writer Resume

10. User Experience (UX) Designer Resume

Our guide serves to write a resume for any job. However, making a resume for your specific situation is ideal for maximum efficiency. Check out a few of our guides; they may also apply to you:

• Resume With No Experience
• Teen Resume
• Student Resume
• College Application Resume
• College Student Resume
• Internship Resume
• Resume for a Part-Time Job
• Entry-Level Resume
• Resume With Employment Gaps
• Federal Resume
• Canadian Resume

If you’re an international reader, you can also switch over to:

• How to Write a CV
• How to Write a Biodata

In case you wondered! What the US and Canada call a resume, most of the world calls a curriculum vitae (CV). South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Australia interchange the terms resume and CV. Read about the  differences between a resume and a CV  for more.

Key Takeaway

Time for a quick summary. Here's how to write a professional resume:

Select the correct resume format.

Start with a resume header containing your name and contact information.

Create a summary or an objective, shortly describing your qualifications.

Include your professional experience.

Describe your relevant education.

List your hard and soft skills relevant to the job you’re after.

Add extra sections that will impress the recruiter.

• Use Zety's easy resume helper to write your resume in no time. More than eighteen resume examples and templates are there to guide you, with tips and advice along the way.

Have any questions on how to do a resume? Not sure how to make the perfect resume work experience section or how to build a resume list of skills or achievements? Reach me  in the comments below, and I'll answer your questions. Thanks for reading, and good luck with your resume preparation!

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines . We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

• https://www.ccsu.edu/csc/studentsalumni/files/LinkedInGuideCSC.pdf
• https://das.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/hr/documents/employment/drafting.essential.functions.51915.pdf
• https://www.americorps.gov/sites/default/files/evidenceexchange/FR_2013_VolunteeringasaPathwaytoEmployment_1.pdf
• https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.7113

How to Write a Resume FAQ

What is a resume.

A resume, also referred to as a résumé or a CV, is a document summarizing a person’s professional and academic background, relevant skills, and accomplishments. It’s usually used to introduce yourself and present your qualifications to a prospective employer when applying for a job.

Do you need a specific type? Zety’s prepared hundreds of resume examples , from an entry-level resume to a software engineer resume to a video resume . Visit our page to find your own.

How to make a resume for a job?

First, read the job ad carefully to pick up keywords for your resume that you’ll target to pass the Applicant Tracking Software test. Next, create resume sections necessary to present yourself, your qualifications, and your strengths. The sections are:

• Personal details
• Professional summary or objective
• Employment history
• Other, such as awards, certificates and licenses, or languages

Depending on the industry and experience, you’ll have to think about which additional sections work best. But you definitely can’t write a resume without the other five. You can spare yourself the worry by using our resume maker .

How to write a resume for the first time?

Write your first resume with transferable skills in the skills and resume objective sections. In the work history part, add accomplishments examples that prove your qualities of a valuable employee, such as curiosity, eagerness to learn and assist, and developed communication skills . Internships and volunteering placements fit there perfectly. And most importantly—put your academic achievements right below the objective to highlight your educational advancement.

How to make a good resume that will impress recruiters?

An impressive resume is a resume that reads well and looks so, too. So before you get down to writing the nitty-gritty details of your professional and academic achievements, take care of the resume formatting and layout.

Only then move on to adding the biggest successes under each section: resume profile , experience, education, and skills. But—additional parts make the strongest impression, so don’t forget to include awards, certifications or licenses, or extracurricular activities to your resume . Say you’re an achiever, not a doer.

What is the format of a resume?

The chronological format is the most popular resume format suitable for every job applicant—an entry-level position, a specialist, or an executive. By choosing it, you decide to show off your career progression.

Functional format , or skills-based resume, presents you in the best light when changing careers. It concentrates on your skillset and leaves work history in the back seat.

Combination format , aka a hybrid, is a well-blended mixture of the chronological and functional formats. It’s the most complex one to write as it includes a skills summary and an extended experience section, which is apt for senior positions. 

How to make a resume in Word?

You can spare yourself the trouble and use a pre-made Word resume template . But if you have quite some experience with text formatting (and plenty of time), start making your resume in Word . Create a clean layout, choose a font that reads well, and limit the number of graphic elements on the page not to overwhelm the ATS. Then, add the main and additional resume sections in an order suitable for the resume format . Save it in a Word or PDF file at the end, keeping in mind the instructions from the recruiter. 

Or, if you need a top-notch resume that takes just minutes to make and looks better than any Word resume, pick one of Zety’s resume templates , add your info, and land that job.

What does a good resume look like in 2024?

In 2024, you need to make even a stronger impression than in the previous years. Use a modern resume template and include the most important sections: personal information, summary or objective, employment history, education, and skills. Add your best achievements under each section and quantify them. Show your future employer that you’ve had an impact and will continue to bring results.

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7 Best ChatGPT Prompts To Help You Write Your Resume

Looking for a job? You’re going to want to perfect your resume. The hard thing is that writing a resume is time-consuming, and it seems like tips for writing a resume are always changing. This is where ChatGPT can be of service.

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Experts told GOBankingRates that there are certain prompts that can help craft your resume into something that will catch recruiters’ eyes. Here are the top prompts for ChatGPT to help you write your resume. 

Ask ChatGPT To Create a Custom Resume for a Specific Job

The more specific a resume is, the better. Recruiters are looking to see that you have the exact skills that fulfill the job they’re hiring for.

Career expert Michael Gardon says there’s a simple method to create a specified resume using ChatGPT. “Here is the best prompt: ask ChatGPT to ‘please personalize my resume for [this job] at [this company]. Here is the job description [paste it]. Here is my resume [paste resume],'” Gardon advised.

See Also: 5 Ways To Use AI To Generate Passive Income

Get Keywords Based on the Job Description

The truth is most recruiters — or systems they use — are looking for keywords to separate your resume from those that aren’t qualified. ChatGPT can help you find those keywords.

“You can share a job posting and ask [ChatGPT] to provide you with a list of keywords or skills from the job description,” said Laci Baker, a career advisor at University of Phoenix . “You can then share your resume with [ChatGPT] and ask if all those keywords and skills are present on your resume, which can help with ensuring you are tailoring your resume to the job description.”

Ask ChatGPT To Follow a Resume Template

Found a resume template you like online? Phil Siegel, the founder of AI nonprofit CAPTRS , says you can submit that to ChatGPT and ask for a similar resume based on your experience.

“Start from a template you like (they are all over the web) and give ChatGPT some detailed information about you. Ask it to create a resume using the format and your data. The advantage is it will give a more detailed resume and it can be done fairly quickly,” Siegel said.

Use Your Experience To Create a Professional Summary

Writing the professional summary at the top of your resume can be challenging. It’s hard to know how to speak about your personal experience in a way that hiring managers will gravitate toward.

Baker suggests typing elements of your past job experience into ChatGPT and asking it to write a professional summary. “You can share your past experiences and a target role you are hoping to apply to, and [ChatGPT] can give you a career summary that you can then edit and make your own,” Baker said.

Use ChatGPT as a Career Expert

Siegel says there is a way you can “chat” with ChatGPT that can help it create a resume for you. “‘Pretend’ ChatGPT is a friendly expert and hold a conversation with it about creating your resume. Tell it you’re creating a resume for a job role and ask it to ask you about the most important information to build a strong resume.”

Siegel notes this will take more time than other prompts but will help create a stronger and more focused resume that’s tailored to your strengths.

Change the Tone of Your Resume

Sometimes you know what you want to say, but you’re not sure how to say it in a professional tone. ChatGPT can help tailor your wording to fit what a recruiter is looking for. “[ChatGPT] can rewrite resume elements to be more focused and more formal if those are elements you need assistance with,” Baker said.

You can even prompt ChatGPT to make your resume sound more impressive with this prompt from Juliet Dreamhunter, the founder of Juliety : “Here is the experience section of my resume. Rewrite it in bullet points and use powerful action verbs to highlight my expertise and achievements. Make it sound more impressive and professional.”

Reduce the Length of Your Resume

Generally speaking, you want your resume to be 1-2 pages. If your resume is longer, ChatGPT can help reduce it. “You can ask [ChatGPT] to take the content you already have and rewrite it to reduce the length to 2 pages,” Baker said.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : 7 Best ChatGPT Prompts To Help You Write Your Resume