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How to Create a Resume in Microsoft Word (Step-by-Step Guide)

If this is your first time creating a resume in Microsoft Word, the process may seem overwhelming. Luckily, this article is here to help! In this step-by-step guide, we will cover how to create an effective resume from start to finish using Microsoft Word.

How Do I Make a Resume in Microsoft Word?

There are two primary methods for making a resume in Microsoft Word:

• ‍ From Scratch: This gives you the ultimate creative control. However, it also requires you to familiarize yourself with all of Microsoft Word’s tools and layout options. Building a resume from scratch can be more time-consuming but also more customizable.
• ‍ From a Template: Microsoft Word offers several pre-made resume templates. By using these, all the formatting and layout creation is handled for you. You simply have to fill in your own information.

To use a template, go to File > New and then select a template from the Resume and Cover Letter section.

How Should I Format My Resume in Microsoft Word?

The format you choose will depend on your experience level!

There are 3 basic resume formats to choose between:

• ‍ Reverse-Chronological: Details your most recent job and works backwards from there. This format focuses heavily on work experience. ‍
• Functional: Focuses on skills and education rather than work experience. This is a good option for recent graduates or applicants with minimal work experience. ‍
• Hybrid/Combination: Combines elements of both the Reverse-Chronological and the Functional. This is a good option for applicants with gaps in their employment history.

Choosing the best format for your needs is key. For more help on this subject, check out our guide on How to Choose the Correct Resume Format in 2024 !

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Make a Resume in Microsoft Word in 7 Easy Steps

First, let’s make sure you can navigate the Microsoft Word ribbon!

The ribbon is the toolbar found at the top of the screen.

It should look something like this:

The main parts of the ribbon you should familiarize yourself with on the Home tab are Font , Paragraph , and Styles .

These are how you will edit the appearance of your text and headers.

You should also familiarize yourself with the Layout tab .

This tab is where you will adjust your margins and add columns!

Once you have taken your time to figure out where all of your tools are, it’s time to begin building your resume!

Important Note: These steps detail how to create a resume in Microsoft Word from scratch. By using one of the program’s pre-made templates, you can bypass many of these steps and simply fill in the pre-made format.

Step 1: Create Your Layout

Let’s begin by visiting the Layout tab .

Here, you can set your margin size and decide if you want to use columns.

Here is a breakdown of these two elements:

‍ We recommend using 1-inch margins on all sides.

This will give you enough white space to keep your resume looking neat without sacrificing too much space.

It will also ensure your formatting looks good on printed versions of your resume. ‍

Columns and Sidebars:

‍ From the columns tab, you will find five options:

• The One , Two , and Three options are how you will create separate columns.
• The Left and Right options are how you will create sidebars! Sidebars are useful because they leave more room for the main text and sections.

From the Home tab , you can edit the following elements of your layout:

‍ Alignment:

‍ Choose between left, center, or right alignment.

We recommend using the left alignment.

Whichever you choose, it is a good idea to keep your alignment consistent across the board. ‍

Line Spacing:

‍ We recommend using 1.15 – 1.5 line spacing for the body text.

For section titles and headers, use 1.5 – 2.0 spacing to help them stand out from the rest of the text. ‍

‍ Use a simple and highly legible font. Try to use only 1-2 fonts throughout your resume.

We recommend the following seven fonts:

• Times New Roman

Step 2: Make Your Title Header

Your title header should contain the following information:

• Your Job Title
• Contact Information
• Professional Social Media Links

Use an H1 header to write your name at the very top.

Use the Normal style to write the rest of your information (see “How Do I Add Different Sections of the Resume on Microsoft Word” below for more information on header styles).

It should come out looking similar to this:

Copywriter Email: [email protected] Phone: (123) 456-7890 Website: Janesmith.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janesmith

Check out some of our free resume examples to see alternative ways of formatting your title header!

Step 3: Write an Objective or Summary

Following your title header will be your resume objective or summary.

This will be a short statement between 1-5 sentences detailing your desired job title, experience, and career goals.

You will want to write this statement in the Normal style .

However, you may want to use a slightly larger font than the rest of the text in other sections.

This will help your objective or summary statement to stand out.

Here is an example of how this might look with the title header example from before:

Resume Objective: I am a copywriter with over 5 years of experience. working with corporate clients. I am seeking the position of Head Copywriter at your company, bringing with me over 10 major corporate clients.

Step 4: Create Your Base Format

By creating a base format, you can save the document as a separate file to return to and fill in again and again.

This will help you to tailor your resume to fit specific jobs!

The idea of the base format is to provide outlined sections with the correct spacing and number of bullet points.

You are essentially creating a skeleton for your resume that you can edit and adjust over time.

By doing so, you ensure you have already allocated the proper amount of space on the resume for each section.

For example, this is what your base Work Experience section may look like:

Work Experience

Job Title 1 , Company Name Date – Date · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence Job Title 2 , Company Name Date – Date · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence ‍ Job Title 3 , Company Name Date – Date · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence · Descriptive Sentence

As you gain more work experience, you can return to this base format and make changes as need be.

Because you have already outlined the section, you won’t have to worry about reformatting the entire resume to make a few simple changes.

Step 5: Determine Your Section Organization

Once you have built the base format of your resume, it’s time to determine if your sections are in the optimal location.

For instance, if you are creating a Reverse-Chronological style resume you will want your Work Experience section to come first.

Comparatively, if you are creating a Functional style resume you may want your Skills or Education section to come first.

The order and organization of your sections will impact the impression your resume makes on hiring managers.

Step 6: Fill in the Information

Now that you have created the base format of your resume and chosen the optimal organization, it’s time to fill in your information!

When filling in your information, be mindful of the following 3 factors:

• ‍ Be Concise: Always use simple sentences that clearly describe your strengths and accomplishments. Avoid complex sentences or overly complicated vocabulary and jargon. ‍
• Use Bullet-Points: In each section, use bullet points to separate each thought or idea. This will make your resume more visually appealing and easier to read. ‍
• Choose Compelling Language: Try to avoid repeating the same words or phrases over and over. Mix it up, use keywords, and find the best action verbs to make your resume sound even better!

Not sure how to make your language more compelling on your resume? Take a look at our list of 350+ Action Verbs to Make Your Resume More Effective in 2024 .

Step 7: Double-Check Your Sections

Once you have completed steps 1-6, look back over your resume and make sure you have included all of the key sections.

You should also take some time to consider what additional sections you could include.

Here are the key sections every resume should have:

• A title header with your name and contact information
• An objective or summary statement
• Work experience

As we have covered, the order of these sections will vary depending on the format you have chosen.

However, each of these sections should always be included in your resume.

There are also some additional sections to consider adding.

Here is a quick list of extra sections that can add some extra flair to your resume:

• Awards and achievements
• Certifications
• Unpaid experiences, such as volunteer work or internships
• Relevant hobbies

How Do I Add Different Sections to a Resume on Microsoft Word?

The way to create different sections on your resume comes in two parts:

• Use an H2 header to create the section titles (Work Experience, Education, Skills, etc.)
• Use the Normal style to create the body of text below the H2 header

Here is a breakdown of how to use the H1, H2, H3, and Normal styles within your resume:

Select the Styles window from the Home tab .

From here, you will have options to create headers.

Your heading options are as follows:

• ‍ Heading 1: Use this heading as your largest title. This is what you will use to write your name at the top of the page. Use a bolded font between 16 to 20 pt in size. Use 1.5 to 2.0 line spacing to help the title heading stand out. ‍
• Heading 2: Use this heading to create your section titles. Use a bolded font size between 14 to 16 pt. in size. Make sure these headings are smaller than your title heading. Use 1.5 to 2.0 line spacing to help these headings stand out from the rest of the text. ‍
• Heading 3: Use this heading to create your job titles. Your job titles should be only slightly bigger than the rest of the text. Use a bolded font between 12 to 14 pt. in size. Use between 1.15 to 1.5 line spacing. ‍
• Normal: Use the Normal style to create the body text underneath the heading. Use a regular font between 11 – 12 pt. in size. Use between 1.15 to 1.5 line spacing.

What are the Pros and Cons of Using Microsoft Word to Craft Your Resume?

Microsoft Word is a handy tool to have, especially if your computer comes with the program pre-installed.

Here are 3 pros and 3 cons to using Microsoft Word to create your resume:

• ‍ Total Creative Control: When creating a resume on Microsoft Word directly from your computer, you have total control over the design and format. ‍
• More ATS Friendly: Applicant Tracking Systems are designed to read .doc files, the file format used by Microsoft Word. ‍
• Can be Edited by Recruiters: If you are using a recruitment agency, a Microsoft Word file can be easy to edit by recruiters before sending it off to employers.
• ‍ The Microsoft Word Learning Curve: If you are unfamiliar with Microsoft Word, there can be a pretty steep learning curve that can cause you frustration. ‍
• Time Consuming: Building a resume from scratch can be highly beneficial, but also highly time-consuming. This can become problematic if you need to create a resume quickly. ‍
• Temperamental Templates: Microsoft Word offers tons of free resume templates. On the surface, this is super useful. However, these templates can be tricky to use. One wrong move can mess up the formatting in a big way and be an even bigger headache to try and fix.

Why Should I Use an Online Resume Template or Resume Builder?

By using a resume template from an online provider, such as Easy Resume, you are more likely to find a template that fits your exact needs.

Plus, online resume templates and resume builders often have more design elements that are easier to use compared to Microsoft Word.

Are you interested in using our online templates or resume builder? Check out our beautifully designed resume templates to build your optimal resume!

Final Takeaways

Microsoft Word offers a lot of capabilities to help you build your ideal resume.

Here are five key takeaways for creating a resume on the program:

• Create a base skeleton for your resume that you can use again and again for different jobs.
• Use different heading styles to help your resume title and section titles to stand out.
• Use the column tool under the Layout tab to create sidebars. Sidebars are great for smaller sections, such as certifications or awards!
• Always use concise and compelling language.
• Consider using a template to build your resume faster.

At Easy Resume, we have designed our resume templates and online resume builder to fit your needs. No matter your level of experience or skill at making resumes, we have the tools to help.

Don’t forget to check out our expansive collection of FREE resume guides and examples while you’re here!

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Ed is a co-founder of Easy Resume. His background in scaling teams at tech startups over the last decade has given him extensive experience and knowledge around how to hire top talent and build successful teams. He enjoys mentoring, coaching, and helping others reach their career goals. When he's not writing about career-related advice, he's playing with his dog, Lilo, or going on long hikes in upstate New York.

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Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect Resume (With Examples!)

Your resume is arguably the most valuable piece of paper for your career. But this document can be daunting for many. Maybe you’re not sure how to fit in all your information onto one page. Maybe you’re not sure about the right way to format and write your resume. Maybe you don’t even know what the heck a resume is!

Whatever your concern, we’ll break down everything you need to know about making the perfect resume, from scratch.

What Is a Resume?

What are employers looking for in a resume.

• Pick Your Format
• Start With Your Basic Information
• Add in Your Work Experience
• Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience
• Don’t Forget Your Education
• Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests
• Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)
• Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)
• Edit and Refine It

What Are Some Examples of a Good Resume?

A resume is a summary of your career, whether yours is just getting started or has been going on for years. Coming in at around one page in length (two only under specific circumstances), it showcases the jobs you’ve held and currently hold, the responsibilities you’ve taken on, the skills you’ve developed, and the qualities you bring to the table as an employee. Together, those things make it super easy for any hiring manager to see your qualifications and fit for a role.

For all the work you may put into writing one, hiring managers actually spend very little time—mere seconds in many cases—looking at your resume. But despite this sad fact, it’s safe to say that creating a great resume (rather than hastily throwing one together) still matters.

“If you miss the mark, your resume may never be read. Even worse, you might be removed from the applicant pool by a computer before a human even knows you exist,” says Muse career coach Heather Yurovsky , founder of Shatter & Shine. So you want to get it right because, as she explains, isn’t the goal to “spend less time looking for a job and more time in a role you love?”

You might be wondering if you can lean on your LinkedIn profile instead of writing a resume. The answer, sadly, is no. Most hiring managers still expect you to submit a resume, even if they also look at your LinkedIn. Even if you don’t need a resume for a job you’re applying for now, you’re going to need one at some point in your career—they’re not anywhere close to going out of style. So it’s best to always have one at the ready should an opportunity pop up.

And although LinkedIn has plenty of benefits, a resume has one clear advantage: While your LinkedIn is usually a broader picture of your career trajectory, your resume gives you the opportunity to tailor your career story to a specific role or company (more on that later).

Oh, and you’ve probably heard of something called a CV? It’s slightly different from a resume , and usually more common with academics and job seekers outside the U.S.

Hiring managers look for three things on your resume, “What did you do? Why did you do it? And what was the result?” says Muse career coach Martin McGovern , owner of Career Therapy. “If you can answer all three of these questions in...your resume bullet points, you’re going to be on the right track.”

Clear, easy-to-understand language is key. “The truth is that most resumes make no sense. They are stuffed with jargon, they are too technical, and they are filled with redundancies. Try to read a resume that isn’t yours and you will quickly realize that it feels like an alien wrote it,” McGovern adds. Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter who has no idea how your role works—how can you make your resume accessible to them?

The hiring manager also cares about more than just you and you alone—they care about you in relation to them. “Hiring managers want to see if a candidate matches the requirements” of the role they’re hiring for, Yurovsky explains. “Your resume should paint this picture so the hiring manager not only knows what day-to-day responsibilities you can handle, but why you, above other[s], bring value to their organization.”

How Do You Write a Resume?

Whether you’re someone who’s never written a resume in your life, or you need a nice, thorough refresher on the process of creating one, follow these steps to go from a blank page to a complete—and dare I say beautiful—document.

Related: This Free Worksheet Makes It Easy to Create (or Update) Your Resume

1. Pick Your Format

Before you start typing one single thing, you have to decide what you want the overall resume to look like.

Resume builders can be helpful for this step—they’ll take all your basic information and organize it for you, eliminating some of the legwork. You can also use a pre-made outline, such as one of these free Google Docs templates .

But it’s often safest to start with a clean slate all on your own and eventually upgrade to a more advanced layout. (If you'd still like a place to write all the relevant information before you get started, check out our resume outline .) This allows you to course correct, edit and re-edit, and choose a resume format that best fits your particular situation (after all, not everyone has a career trajectory that’s easy to compartmentalize).

In general, you’re most likely to cover and/or include sections on the following:

• Your work experience
• Your non-work experience, including professional organizations, community involvement, or side projects
• Your education and certifications
• Your skills (specifically hard skills) and interests

So how do you format and organize all of that information?

By far the most common (and safest, if you’re not sure which route to take) option is reverse chronological order . This means you organize your experiences from most recent to least recent. So your work experiences would go above your education, and your current role would go above previous roles you’ve held. This of course has its exceptions—maybe you went back to grad school between jobs, or your most recent role is irrelevant to the job you’re applying for. So the whole page may not be exactly in reverse chronological order depending on your situation. It’s just a guideline.

There’s also something called a functional or skills-based resume . This is used pretty rarely, mainly with career changers and those with limited or complicated work histories. It gets its name because it’s primarily about listing your skills rather than experiences, and showcases them above your work history and education.

You can also opt for a combination resume , which is a mix between a reverse chronological resume and skills-based resume. It highlights your skills at the top, but allows just as much room below to cover your job and school experience.

Use caution when choosing these two formats: “Combo and skills-based [resumes] can be hard to follow, because [they force] the reader to hunt for connections between your skills and experience, and [don’t] provide the full context of your work,” says Muse Career Coach Angela Smith , founder of Loft Consulting. “I’ve also heard a lot of recruiters say that they automatically discount skill-based resumes because they feel the candidate is trying to hide something. I don’t necessarily believe that, but I think it’s important for job-seekers to know that perception is out there.”

2. Start With Your Basic Information

Your contact information should always go at the top of your resume. In this header you’ll want to include anything that could be helpful for a recruiter to get in touch with you. Usually, this means adding in:

• Your full name (preferably the name you use across the web)
• Your phone number
• Your personal email address

You might also choose to include other basic information, such as your LinkedIn or personal website URL, your GitHub (for technical roles), your social media profiles (if relevant to the job), or your address. If you’re looking to move for a job, you may choose to leave out your address or write “open to relocating” to better your chances of getting an interview.

The key is to make this part as clear as possible. If a hiring manager can’t reach you, there’s no point in perfecting the rest of your resume.

3. Add in Your Work Experience

This section will most likely be the bulk of your resume. Even if you’re changing careers, employers still want to see where you’ve worked, what you’ve done, and the impact of that work to get a sense of your background and expertise.

Your “Work Experience” might be one entire category, or you might choose to break it up into “Relevant Experience” and “Additional Experience” to highlight the jobs that are most important for hiring managers to focus on. Either way, you’ll almost always want to have your most recent experience at the top and your older experience down below.

Within your work experience, you’ll want to include each official job title, the company (and possibly its location), and the years you worked there. Below that, you’ll add in two to four bullet points explaining what you did in that job, the skills you built and exercised, the tools you used, and the results of what you did. If you accomplished a lot during your time there, focus on the responsibilities that made the most impact or you’re the most proud of, as well as the ones that best align you with the job you’re applying for (more on that in the following sections). It’s key here to list, if relevant, quantitative as well as qualitative accomplishments.

For example, you might write:

Associate Accountant, Finances and Co., Ann Arbor, MI September 2017 – Present

• Manage billing and invoicing for more than 50 clients, ensuring the deadlines and needs of our enterprise partners, including Big Company and Super Star Org, are met
• Collaborate closely with sales, account management, and project management teams on project setup, maintenance, and invoice management
• Assist in the streamlining of invoicing guidelines and procedures through documentation and the implementation of new software, resulting in an average two-week decrease in total time spent per client

Your resume bullets should be in past tense if you’re referring to past jobs and present tense if you’re talking about your current roles. In addition, your bullets should always start with a strong action verb that best describes what you did. And if you have examples of your work, consider hyperlinking them here as well.

If you have a ton of experience and this category is starting to run long (read: over one page), consider kicking out your oldest jobs unless they’re super relevant to the job you’re applying for, or extra impressive for your field.

Not sure where to start? “It’s helpful to do a brain dump and create a document that has everything and anything you consider as experience or an achievement,” says Yurovsky. From there, she explains, you can start to whittle down what is and isn’t important. And you can refer to this document later if you ever decide to update your resume for a specific role.

Need more specific advice on listing your work experience on your resume? Check out these additional resources:

• When you’ve held multiple jobs at the same company: 2 Jobs, 1 Company: How to Show Multiple Positions on Your Resume
• When you’re not sure what your accomplishments are or how to explain them: Resume Revamp: How to Turn Your Duties Into Accomplishments
• When you want to spruce up a boring or insignificant job: How to Make Your Most Boring Jobs Sound More Interesting on Your Resume
• When you’re considering fudging a job title: The Answer to “Can I Change My Job Title on My Resume to Make It More Accurate?”
• When you’ve had a bunch of short-term gigs: How to List Temporary Jobs on Your Resume

4. Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience

Anything you’ve done that’s not work experience—your side gig, volunteer work, special projects—can be hosted under clearly-labeled sections (“Volunteer Experience” or “Activities,” for example). Depending on how robust your work experience is, these things may be worth including, particularly if they’ve helped you level up your skill set or better align you with your dream job. Plus, they make you look that much more well-rounded, passionate, and hardworking.

If you’re a recent grad, you might also build out a section for on-campus activities, such as clubs, organizations, or leadership experience. This can be a great supplement if you’re lacking in the jobs department. You can frame these just as you would professional jobs—including your title, the organization’s name, and bullets describing what your role was and what you accomplished.

Read More: This Is Exactly How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume

5. Don’t Forget Your Education

If you’re still in school or just graduated, your education can go at the top of your resume, but for pretty much everyone else, this goes near the bottom. Most people include their school, graduation year (for folks less up to about a decade out of school), major, and degree. Brand-new grads might also write in their GPA, honors and awards, study abroad, thesis, or other notable achievements. But keep this section super simple, as you don’t want it to take up too much space over your work experience.

It’s possible you have unique education experience, such as taking an online course or certification. If you did this specifically as a way to boost yourself within your industry, definitely include it. Again, list everything more or less reverse chronologically—so a grad school degree would go above an undergrad degree, and a more recent relevant online course would go above that.

Learn more about the ins and outs of listing your education on your resume:

• How to (and How Not to) List Education on Your Resume
• How to List Online Courses on Your Resume the Right Way (Because Yes, There Is a Wrong Way)

6. Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests

The skills section of a resume gets a bad rap, but it’s just as important as the rest of the stuff you include. It’s a quick list a recruiter can scan to see if your skill set aligns with what they’re hiring for. And it’s super ATS-friendly (ATS stands for “applicant tracking system,” the robot that in some cases reads your resume before a human does) because it allows you to add in keywords the machine is scanning for.

Usually this section goes at the bottom of your resume, but in special cases—such as a skills-based resume or when someone’s switching fields—you may place it further up.

What exactly do you throw in here? You’ll want to list any hard skills and applications you’re familiar with (Photoshop, SEO, JavaScript, to name a few examples), and, if relevant, your level of expertise. Avoid including soft skills here, like time management or public speaking—save those for your bullet points instead.

Be strategic when filling in your skills. Don’t list things you actually couldn’t do at a high competence level (I’m looking at those of you who say you’re “great” at Excel), and maybe nix skills that are completely irrelevant to the job you want. For example, you may not even need to include Excel if you’re applying for say, a design position, unless it’s listed as a job requirement.

Maybe you’re thinking, I’m a really good volleyball player, but that’s not a “skill,” right? No, it’s not, but it is a hobby. Adding in a hobby section at the bottom of your resume is underrated, and frequently a smart choice. It can be a great conversation starter with a hiring manager, and it can show that you’re a good culture fit—or a culture add—for the company. Also, it’s just a nice way to add in some of your personality. So tack on a bullet point listing out some of your interests, such as hiking, rowing, or crafting (no more than five to seven work-appropriate verbs), and you’re all set here.

7. Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)

You may have heard of a resume summary statement . They’re not super common, but they can be useful to include near the top of your resume if you’re looking to add clarity or context to your resume. If you’re a career changer, you might find a summary statement helpful in explaining your leap and tying your experience to your new path. Or if you’re a more experienced professional, you can use a summary statement to highlight a theme that brings your career trajectory together.

Overall, you probably won’t need a summary statement if your career is pretty linear and your bullet points do a great job of emphasizing what you have to offer in terms of skills and experience. But if you think it makes sense to include one, “Take the time to think about what the person reading your summary wants to know before you write it,” says McGovern. “Good summaries explain why you do what you do and how it can help. For instance: Merging a background in ABC, I help companies improve XYZ through 123. Summaries shouldn’t be any more complicated than that.”

So, taking McGovern’s example, you might say:

Merging a background in social media marketing and PR with seven years in the consumer tech space, I help companies improve their internal and external communication and brand awareness through data-driven, quality content and strategies that align with the modern trends of the space.

Yurovsky adds that “you don’t want your summary statement to be a dense paragraph with too much information. You want it to be easy to read, concise, and memorable. Almost like a tagline.”

Read More: 3 Resume Summary Examples That’ll Make Writing Your Own Easier

8. Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)

Once you have your resume written out—you’ve broken down your work experience, tagged on some activities and additional experiences, and listed out your skills—it’s important to go back to the job description (or multiple job descriptions, if you’re applying to several similar jobs) and make sure that what your resume says matches up with the kind of candidate the employers are looking for. In other words, tailor it .

Let’s explain further. You’ll want to begin by tackling the ATS . This means combing the job description to see if individual words and phrases line up. What skills are they asking for, and have you listed them (so long as you actually have them)? What words are they using to describe their ideal hire, and do you use similar language in your resume?

Next, take a bird’s-eye view. If you were the hiring manager for the role, where on your resume would your eyes be drawn to? And what would you be looking for? Whatever you think will be most important for the recruiter, make sure it’s near the top of your resume, or otherwise emphasized.

Finally, dig into the role and responsibilities of the job. Does your resume reflect similar experience? If not, is there a way you can spin it so that it’s clear you’re capable of doing the job (and doing it well)?

These articles can help you if the word “tailoring” makes you start to sweat:

• What It Really Means to “Tailor Your Resume”
• Your Guide to Making Unrelated Experience Look Relevant on Your Resume
• A Cool Trick: How to Spin 1 Resume Bullet 5 Different Ways

9. Edit and Refine It

Please, please don’t just write your resume and shoot it out without giving it a second glance. Hiring managers may not spend hours browsing it, but if there’s one thing that sticks out more than anything else it’s a glaring typo.

The best approach? Write a rough draft, then leave and come back to it later with fresh eyes to give it an edit.

Cover the basics: Is your contact information correct and updated? Are you using the right verb tenses? Does everything look consistent and accurate in terms of spelling and grammar?

Then do some cutting if your resume’s quite long. It’s no longer a hard-and-fast rule that all resumes must be only one page—but consider it a smart guideline for most applicants, especially if you've got less than 10 years work experience. The exception is if you’re very senior or very established in your career; in this scenario, a two-page resume isn’t completely out of the question. Everyone else, read this article for advice on how to cut your resume down.

Formatting-wise, it’s key to consider a couple things. First, what font are you using , and is it legible (for a human and a robot)? When in doubt, go with one of these simple, but sleek, options: Arial, Arial Narrow, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond, or Helvetica.

Second, are you going to save it as a Word document or PDF ? Neither option is wrong, although a PDF helps ensure that your formatting is maintained, no matter what type of computer the hiring manager uses to open the document.

Third, is your resume formatted in a way that it’s skimmable? If it’s feeling crowded or overrun with words, read this: 12 Tiny Changes That Make Your Resume Easy for Recruiters to Skim .

Once you’ve given it a few good looks, it may be worth sending it to a friend or colleague (or even a career coach ) to get a second opinion. Don’t just have them edit it for spelling and grammar—they should dig into your bullets and offer feedback on whether or not your resume is showing you in the best possible light (it’s smart to also send them the job description for something to compare it to).

Here’s the thing: Your resume won’t ever look exactly like someone else’s, nor should it. How you choose to format it, organize your information, and talk about specific experiences depends not just on your career path, but on your field, the job you’re applying for, the company that job is at, and more.

So there isn’t a universal way to do a resume. But there are common themes. To give you some context as to how yours might turn out, here are three examples of different kinds of resumes.

The Most Popular: A Reverse Chronological Resume

As previously mentioned, a reverse chronological resume is preferred by many coaches and HR experts, mainly because it’s super readable. When everything’s in a clear order, it’s easy to skim and even easier to draw lines between experiences.

Who it’s good for: Just about everyone—from students applying to internships all the way up to senior-level executives (with an optional resume summary statement)

Download an Example Chronological Resume for a Software Engineer

The Unorthodox Route: A Functional or Skills-Based Resume

Rather than listing out your experience in reverse chronological order, a functional or skills-based resume has bullet points that reflect how each of your skills is demonstrated by the work you’ve done over the course of your career. At the bottom, you’ll include everything else, such as your education, job history, professional achievements, community involvement, and other technical skills. This is a good option if you have a somewhat all-over-the-place work history and want to tie everything together neatly.

Who it’s good for: Career changers whose work experiences may not appear to be relevant and people with an abundance of temporary jobs or gaps in their work histories.

Download an Example Functional Resume for a Project Manager

The Creative Angle: An Infographic Resume or Resume Website

This resume type is characterized by how it’s formatted visually. You may choose a reverse chronological order or skills-based style to organize your information, but also use graphics, colors, unique fonts, and even multimedia elements to help that information pop. Keep in mind that any creative resume is still likely subject to an ATS—and certain elements may be unreadable by a robot. So consider going this route only if you know a human will be reading your resume (and that said human might enjoy it).

Who it’s good for: People applying to creative roles (designers, editors, writers, marketers, video producers, for example), startups, or fun companies, or to jobs where a creative resume is encouraged, if not required.

Download an Example Infographic Resume for a Designer

Not a designer but want your resume to look just as pretty as this example? Check out these articles:

• 5 Sites to Create an Awesome Infographic Resume (Even if You’re the Least Creative Person Ever)
• How to Build a Resume Website That Will Impress Every Hiring Manager Who Sees It
• 5 Digital Tools That Will Make Your Resume Infinitely More Beautiful

Your resume is a living, breathing document. So while you won’t go through this whole process every time you apply for a job, you should be thinking about all these things as you go to update your resume for your next career step. You might decide later on to switch up the order, or remove or add things, or even get creative and try out a whole new format. If you’re not getting the calls back you expect, you may decide to scrap it and start over —and that’s totally OK.

Regardless of where this piece of paper goes and how it grows, when you give it the care and attention it deserves, you set yourself up for success. And you’ll make it that much more likely that you’ll land an interview and get the chance to prove to the hiring manager—over the phone or in person—what you’ve got to offer.

How to Write a Resume from Scratch

Eating, sleeping, dying, and resume writing; these are all the things that all humans end up having to deal with regardless of age, gender or social status.

Thought about as frequently as fire extinguisher batteries and tornado/hurricane/earthquake emergency plans, many job seekers are left flat footed and desperate when they lose their job or need to switch careers.

Fortunately, like developing emergency preparedness plans, writing a resume is not that scary of a thing once you know what kind of information to include.

Below is a comprehensive guide, one of the most complete in the world actually, on everything you will need to know to help get your resume written.

From the different types and how to choose the perfect format, to the order of the information required and how to write it in a way that gets HR attention, this guide will set you straight.

Use the table of contents above to help skip directly to any section if you have any particularly burning questions.

Additionally, if there is something that was missed or you would like more clarification on, please let us know in the comments at the very end of this page and one of our retired HR professionals will help sort you out!

Best Methods for Composing a Resume

One of the primary reasons resume writing remains such a mystery for many is simply because there are a myriad of options when it comes to creating the actual document.

In this section we outline the 4 primary methods used to create an effective resume, the pro’s and con’s of each and how best to go about approaching each method.

How to Write From Scratch

Perhaps the most difficult but also potentially one of the most impressive methods is creating a resume completely from scratch.

Of course, “ from scratch ” isn’t quite accurate, as formatting an entire resume out of a completely blank Word document is an almost impossible task.

Instead of trying to perform the impossible of Microsoft formatting, it is best to start with a pre-formatted template in which you can fill in all of your own personal details.

The benefits of starting with a template include saving a massive load of time that would otherwise be spent trying to get line spacing and margins just right.

Another benefit, if using one of the resume templates that come pre-installed with Microsoft Word or if downloading a professionally formatted template from a site like Copy My Resume, is that you know the formatting will be standardized and HR approved.

The downsides of starting with nothing is the substance of the resume will all have to come from you.

This can create truly unique resumes, but be careful to double check your final product to other resumes to make sure your verbiage, formatting and details are all “in line” with proven successful resumes.

Selecting and Using Resume Building Tool

Nowadays perhaps the most efficient way to craft a resume in the shortest amount of possible time would be to use one of the many resume builder web apps available online.

There are a wide variety of tools, both free and paid, that do most of the heavy lifting for you, as well as the formatting and proofreading, which can save literally hours off your total composition time.

Free tools usually have less features, such as only exporting in .txt file type, which isn’t ideal, or feature only a few basic styles to choose from when creating.

Still, these free options will get you started and you can always modify them more once you save them from the builder tool.

Paid resume builders are increasingly sophisticated, often using primitive forms of artificial intelligence to pre-populate sections of your resume like work experience bullet points and additional skills.

Many of these online resume makers simply ask your job title and then provide you details from which you can select the most relevant. This ensures a high quality of writing that is generally error-free.

Use caution though when vetting various builder tools online. There are a whole range of price points and billing options, from one-time payments to monthly subscriptions . Read the fine print before paying for anything!

Paying a Professional Resume Writer

Another option for those pressed on time would be to pay a professional resume writer to take care of the whole thing for you.

This process usually involves a quick interview/survey so the writer or writers can collect necessary information from the applicant. They then input this information into a template and improve upon the existing experiences.

Quality resume writing services are not cheap, as they employ only CPRW certified resume writers to hand-craft the resumes.

A few things to keep in mind when vetting resume writing services:

• Make sure the writers are association certified (CPRW, NCRW, PARW, or CARW).
• Make sure the company is locally based, using only native writers.
• Make sure you have the ability to communicate directly with your writer.
• Make sure the service allows for revisions upon completion.

Once you’ve found a company do some background research to see if there are positive/negative reviews.

Writers are great because truly talented ones know how to make even the must mundane resumes shine.

On the other hand the cost usually runs anywhere between $100-300 dollars per resume, which can be quite pricey.

For this reason writers are most often utilized by executives who are crunched for time and have the money to spend on a boutique service.

Copying a Friend’s Resume

Asking a friend who has been successfully hired who is at a similar career level (beginning, mid, senior) to borrow their resume to base your own off of is one of the most popular ways to get a resume on the cheap.

The benefits from using a friends resume for inspiration is that it has already passed all the hurdles required of an effective resume, including being error free, properly formatted and impressive to hiring managers.

It cannot be stressed enough that copying a friends resume still requires the writer to customize all of the sections, from the obvious name and address, through the experiences, education and additional skills sections.

This option is great for recent graduates and those just starting their careers who don’t have the money to pay a resume writer or to pay for an online resume builder.

Understanding Resume Design Fundamentals

The design aspect of the resume, while important, is one that many job seekers invest too much time in.

Hiring managers are first and foremost looking for qualified applicants and despite rumors, they look at all resumes sent their way.

They do not selectively pull a handful from a pile based on aesthetic appeal, or at least they shouldn’t be.

Most documents are never even printed during the screening process, with documents being downloaded, filtered and reviewed online, often with the assistance of ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems.

For this reason the color, font, and styling elements are of relatively minimal importance.

These aspects should only receive about 5% of your time , with the remaining 95% being invested in the actual writing and editing process .

Making your resume aesthetically pleasing and professional looking is still worth the effort however, and will stand out should you be invited for an interview, at which point the document will be printed, passed around and more closely scrutinized by non HR types.

Below we break down the main aspects of resume design and cover what is acceptable and what is not when stylizing your document.

Selecting Impactful Yes Appropriate Colors

All body fonts of your resume should be black and only black. The only text on the whole document that can ever be colored is the name at the top and that is only best done when in conjunction with other colored styling elements such as line breaks.

Styling elements should be kept to a minimum, with a line break between the name/contact section and body of the resume or a line running vertically separating subheadings are the two most common applications of stylized color.

If your resume theme has the options for color try to choose something that is relatively muted. No neon colors, no bright primary colors, these give resumes a less mature, less professional feel.

Instead of primarily orange, look for a “burnt orange” or “rust orange”. Instead of bright blue look for a “navy blue” or “midnight blue”.

It is important to remember that colors and styling elements are there to augment , not detract from the core focus of the text.

Selecting Appropriate Fonts

Font selection can be one of the trickiest things to get right with a resume, especially given the thousands of various font families available online today.

Contrary to popular belief, you are not limited to just Helvetica, Arial and Times Roman. You can select any font you wish as long as it looks professional.

What constitutes professional? Well, if you can’t imagine the font being printed on a business card or used in an instruction manual on an airplane, then it probably won’t fly (pun intended).

Never use overly stylized fonts, hand-written style fonts or character based fonts as these simply detract from the body and confuse resume processing software.

Selecting an Font Style

For style you will can go both serif and sans-serif. Serif simply means stylized, so these fonts will have tiny little twists and subtle additions to the end of lines to add a bit of character. A common example of a serif font is Times New Roman,

Sans-serif simply means no styling. These fonts are made with straight lies exclusively. A common example of a popular sans-serif font is Helvetica or Arial.

Selecting the Correct Font Size

Many experts contend that only sized 12pt font should be used on resumes. The fact of the matter though is that sizes can range anywhere between 10pt and 12pt.

The best rule of thumb when choosing a size is to start out with 12pt and write out the whole resume.

Once you have completed writing use the length of the document to determine font size modification.

For example, if your resume is just under one page with a glaring white space at the bottom you can increase font size to the nearest tenth decimal place to help beef things up a bit, in addition to “filling out” existing bullet points with a bit more detail.

If your resume is just over a page, so for example, one page and 1/4 th of a second page you can again adjust your font size down from 12pt by the tenth decimal place to try to squeeze the document onto one page.

Understanding the Perfect Resume Length

First, let us clear up the most widely perpetuated myth in resume writing. Resumes do not always need to be only one page in length.

This is not a rule but simply logic as fewer pages means simpler uploading/attaching, fewer instances of potentially forgetting the second page and easier printing/carrying/distribution for interviews.

Resumes exceeding one page in length are however no less impactful than their shorter cousins.

Ultimately, the total length of the document should be dictated by both your profession and your total years of experience.

Some professions expect multi-page resumes, like academic positions where research and publications need to be cited, or executives where various advisory or board member roles need inclusion.

For entry-level candidates, students and mid-level candidates with only a few work experiences then one page is definitely optimal as you never want to artificially inflate the length just for lengths sake.

Refining a resume mostly revolves around distillation, that is, the process of subtracting and condensing to make things as accurate and succinct as possible.

Adding fluff to artificially inflate your resumes length will only dilute the relevant/valuable experiences you have, making it more difficult for the reader to discern and appraise your value as a candidate.

Popular Format Types

If you are using a resume writer or an online resume builder you don’t have to worry about formatting your resume as these will both do it for you.

If you are trying to determine the best type of pre-formatted template to use, or writing your document from scratch, then understanding the main resume format types will greatly assist you in crafting the most impactful document possible.

Reverse Chronological

Reverse chronological resume formatting puts your oldest experiences towards the bottom and your newest experiences towards the top, thus as the reader moves down the page they go back in time through your professional history.

This type of format is by far the most common and works for probably 80-90% of applicants.

The benefits of a reverse chronological format is that it puts your most recent, and thus usually most relevant experiences at the top of the page for the reader to immediately process.

It also puts older and less relevant experiences towards the bottom so as not to distract from more relevant work.

Entry-level candidates, mid-career level candidates and even some managers are all prime candidates for this particular layout.

Reverse chronological is not advised for:

• People who have switched between multiple industries that don’t have much overlap
• People who are executive level in experience
• People in academics where experiences in the form of research and publications need more space for listing.

Functional/skills-based Format

Functional or “skills-based” resumes do not follow the a traditional timeline throughout the document.

Skills based resumes often start out with a summary of qualifications or skills section at the top of the resume where targeted skills relevant to the position being applied to are listed.

The second part of the resume will include work experiences, but since the skills are already listed at the top, they usually then only list employer name, location and date under the employment history section.

The education section will then close the resume unless there is are certifications or accreditations to mention.

Functional style resumes are good for technical workers, such as specialized construction workers, or people who work internationally as foreign employers may not be as useful to the reader as the skills achieved while under said employment.

Combination Format

A combination style resume is any mix and match part of a chronological resume and a skills-based resume. These resumes will have clearly defined sections, but not necessarily in chronological order and not necessary with skills listed first.

Combination resumes are used for unique cases where people have big gaps in their work history or are transferring from something like the military to public employment.

This resume format is best left to the experts, or built around a template at the very least to avoid creating a confusing and thus ineffective document.

Writing Introductions & Openings

The introduction to your resume is the second thing the person doing the hiring will read after the cover letter, which makes it quite important indeed.

Cover letter’s are openers, usually written in paragraph form and only containing one or two select bullet points highlighting why your resume should be considered for a specific position.

The resume opener re-affirms the more broadly mentioned relevant experience of the cover letter but in a shorter more succinct form.

There are two main types of openers for resumes, they are:

Writing Career Objectives

The career objective is the most common type of resume opener and is used for applicants of all experience levels.

Limited to just a couple of sentences, with 3 being the maximum, the humble career objective only has to accomplish two things.

First, it has to state the relevant experience you have as an applicant for a specific position. This will be in the first sentence. Some examples include:

Veteran Sales Manager with 10+ years in the automotive industry seeking a satisfying management role at…

Recent Columbia graduate with degree in microbiology seeking a research position at…

Notice how both examples identify the writers background which is relevant to the position applied to.

Avoid providing experience or background that is not directly applicable or transferable to the position and industry to which you are applying.

Also note that if you have work experience, stating how much in numerical form is suggested as it stands out and is immediately noticed by the reader.

If you are an entry level applicant you can lean on your relevant education/degree as an opener if it is applicable to the job.

If your degree is not directly relevant you can open with previous part-time work experience, volunteer experience or skills that are applicable.

Writing Summary of Qualifications/Professional Summaries

The summary of qualifications and professional summary are interchangeable resume introductions used by upper-middle to senior level applicants.

These usually open with one or two sentences and include 2-4 highly relevant bullet points. Bullet points are always an even number to balance the page, as 1 or 3 bullet points would make for awkward formatting.

Professional Summaries in particular tend to feature less bullet points and more sentences, sometimes up to 4 or 5 in length.

The idea is that because of the candidate’s deep expertise in an industry or regarding a position, he/she needs more space to expand upon them.

An example of a Summary of Qualifications might look like:

Chief Financial Officer with over 20 years of experience attracting funding form venture capital, managing business expansion and optimizing product/service price positioning strategies. A few of my particular expertise include: [one_half]Vetted 50+ VC Offers Quarterly Increased Company Reserves to $14B Reduced Employee Turnover by 32%[/one_half] [one_half_last]Expanded Acquisitions Department 2X Continued Company Legacy of Dependability Entered 5 New Emerging Markets[/one_half_last]

An example of a Professional Summary/Career Summary might look like:

Outgoing and results-driven Executive Assistant with over 12 years of administrative and client relationship management experience in a multitude of finance-based industries. Excels at leveraging interpersonal leadership skills as well as financial acumen to build, sustain and foster peak-performing teams. Experienced trainer with demonstrated success in confidential communications and CRM management. Proficient with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Suites, Outlook Enterprise, FileMaker Pro, Salesforce,  and Fundamental C Language Programming. Proficient in English and Spanish. Intermediate Mandarin abilities.

Professional Experience Section

The biggest and most central part of the resume, the “body” is the professional experience section. This is where all the claims made or outlined in the cover letter and career objective are substantiated by real world experience.

Comprising 50-70% of the resume this section should take the longest to write as it requires not just thoughtful composition but also the clear recollection of past experiences, particularly those relevant to the position being applied to at the time.

It is a good idea to start the process on a piece of scratch paper, listing your relevant work experiences and as many achievements/special duties as possible under each.

Then go back and cross out anything that can be considered “generic” or an “every-day task” as these wont’ stand out to potential employers. Remember, you want to look as uniquely suited for the position as possible.

Don’t worry about experiences that are more than 12 years old, unless you are an executive level candidate, in which case you can include these in a Functional or Combination formatted resume.

Make sure most recent experiences are at the top and older are near the bottom. The more recent experience, the more bullet points you can include.

The number of bullet points under each experience should taper as the time goes by, with least emphasis being placed on the oldest experiences.

Types of Experience- Relevant Jobs & Internships

One common misconception is that every single past experience needs to be included in the professional experience section.

While this may be the case for entry-level candidates for only one or two experiences, for most experienced candidates it is simply not always necessary.

Experiences aren’t listed just for the sake of being listed, they are supposed to qualify the candidate for the position being applied for.

Thus, including non-relevant experiences and bullet points that don’t lend themselves to qualifying the applicant are just a waste of space.

Always look to include experience bullet points that are either directly applicable to the job applied to or are at least transferable across industries.

In addition to only including relevant jobs and bullet points other work like volunteer-based positions and internships can also be included in the professional experience section.

Adding non-compensated work is especially useful for entry-level applicants and recent college graduates as they often times are lacking relevant professional experiences.

Importance of Reverse Chronological Order

With the exclusion of Functional resume formats, all professional experiences will be listed in reverse chronological order as the most recent experiences will also most likely be the most relevant.

If you are a senior level applicant, that is someone with 15+ years of experience you can be selective in the detail listed under each experience, with less detail and fewer bullet points included under older and less-relevant positions.

How Far Should I Go Back?

How far back in time an applicant should go when writing their professional experience section depends on:

• The seniority of the applicant
• The industry being applied to
• The overall working length of the resume

First, a veteran careerist with over 15 years of experience will naturally have more experience sections than a more entry-level applicant. These veterans can have 5 or more unique employment sections in their employment history section.

Second, some industries require more detail than others. If you work in a highly technical field, such as engineering or academics, then including your entire track record along with notable achievements/hallmark projects and publications is required when applying to new positions.

Finally, the overall length of your resume can influence how many professional experience subheadings are included.

For example, if the resume is already well over one page, like 1.5 pages, then keeping a more lengthy experience section isn’t an issue as the resume will likely be unable to be shrunken to one page anyways.

How Many Bullet Points Should Be In Each Section?

It is a common misconception that all professional experiences require the exact same amount of detail and thus the same number of descriptive bullet points.

This is simply not the case. More recent experiences deserve a lion’s share of attention and thus can have more bullet points whereas older experiences, simply because of their age, tend to have fewer bullet points.

A standard resume for example may have 5 or 6 bullet points under the most current experience, 4-5 under the second newest, 3-4 under the third newest, and 2-3 under the third newest.

After the 3rd experience, or for experiences exceeding 10 years in age, bullet points are not even necessary and just the employer, location, date and job title will suffice.

The Importance Quantifying Numerically

One of the biggest missed opportunities for applicants to immediately grasp hold of the readers attention is the lack of numerical quantification.

Numerical quantification is simply stating achievements or outcomes in number form, often in dollar terms, percentage increases or running totals.

For example stating how much a Sales Manager increased quarterly profit in % or $ terms will both grab the readers attention as well as re-enforce the claim.

A bullet point that reads “increased quarterly revenue by 48% by deploying optimized multi-channel sales strategies” looks much more targeted and valid than simply “increased quarterly revenue via expansion optimized multi-channel sales strategies”.

Besides piquing human resources attention numbers are what managers and CEOs will want to see when screened resumes are forwarded to them.

Business leaders care much less about formatting and traditional resume elements than HRs. These people instead are numbers people and a resume without numbers is vague and lacking in qualification.

Always try to add numerical quantification whenever possible. If this requires digging back into company history or asking previous managers/coworkers to confirm figures then it is worth doing.

Double checking figures is important. While you can safeguard your claims by stating “approximately”, it is still important to have figures based in reality as if interviewed and questioned you will need to be able to back up the claims made in your resume.

Perfecting the Education Section

The education section is an oft-unsung hero of the resume. While the section holds different importance for different levels of applicants, it is a critical element to all.

For senior level applicants the education section can be a common tie between a hiring manager who may be an alumni of the same university as the applicant.

For entry-level applicants the educational section holds much more importance as it is the most relevant and recent experience used to qualify the candidate for the position being applied to.

Writing University History

For many applicants today having a university degree is critical for career advancement. Whether from a traditional 4 year school or a technical college, including your degree and area of academic expertise or training is key in reassuring HRs of your ability to perform the job.

Including relevant educational experiences re-affirms your understanding of industry fundamentals which serve as a kind of insurance policy for companies as they know at the end of the day their applicant can be trained and education built off to mold them into a role model employee.

Like professional experience, educational experiences should also be listed in reverse chronological order. For many people this puts university experience at the top of the list.

Include the university name, the location, the dates attended, the major/minor/focus of study as well as your GPA if it was impressive.

For example, a 3.0/4.0 isn’t a particularly impressive GPA so in this case the applicant would not provide that detail, which is completely acceptable.

However anything above a 3.5 is considered impressive and can then be included as an added little achievement bonus.

If you have a post-graduate degree you will include this above your 4 year degree experience as a stand alone experience within the educational section.

If your graduate degree was obtained from the same university as your undergraduate degree you can include them both under the same heading with two subheadings, one for undergraduate achievement and one for graduate achievements.

High School Details

High school experience is not usually as relevant if the applicant has a university education. However for those working in skills-based industries like construction or as administrative assistants then this should still be included as having a high school diploma still helps qualify applicants.

As with university, the high school section should include school name, location, dates attended and the affirmation of receipt of a diploma.

If you did attend technical college or university then you can omit the high school education section altogether as it will be less important as well as an assumed achievement.

Training/Vocational School

Vocational and technical training should be listed in the same format as 4 years university experiences.

This means the inclusion of the school name, location, dates attended and program studied.

Additional accomplishments like Deans List, academic achievement awards and the like can either be included directly in the educational section or included in a separate “Awards and Achievements” section at the bottom of the resume, preceding or supplanting an “Additional Skills” section.

Additional Skills & Certifications

As the traditional “closer” of the resume the additional skills and certifications section is often written as an after thought as opposed to being viewed as a critically important element of the resume.

Copy My Resume is more of a believer in the inclusion of certifications, awards and achievements sections over the traditionally vague “additional skills” section.

All relevant skills worth sharing should theoretically be included under the professional experience and educational sections they were obtained/utilized at.

Adding certifications and training like first aid, special licensure, company awards on the other hand are a great way to finish a resume on a high note.

If working in an industry that prizes certifications and training, such as construction, engineering, medicine and education then make sure to include industry-expected certifications.

It is also important to make sure your training and certifications are up to date.

It will be easier for a company to hire someone with current training so they can begin working immediately as opposed to a candidate who will require more time and financial investment to get caught up to speed before they can even begin working.

Also, don’t be afraid to customize this section depending on your industry.

For example designers can include a “Software Expertise” section instead of an “Additional Skills” section where they can list all the multitude of software and hardware experience they have that may be viewed as a necessity for design positions.

References: When to Include/Exclude

References are one of the most misunderstood elements of a job application. For most applicants having references is not a requirement for application.

Unless specifically asked for in the job posting you do not include references along with a resume. However if the job posting specifically states it requires references then they cannot be absent.

It is always good to have a few people in mind you could use as references so that in case the potential employer asks for them you can provide them without much time delay.

Additionally, if you are providing references, such as a name, title and phone number of previous manager, it is important to alert the person ahead of time that you are applying for a job and used them as a reference so that they are not caught off-guard should somebody from HR phone them.

Uploading & Submitting Your Resume

Once you’ve finalized a document it will be time to submit it to the employer for review.

There are a few tricks to making sure your resume retains all the professionalism that went into crafting it so that is viewed exactly as it should be when received by the employer.

Always Save in PDF Format

While resumes are usually crafted in Microsoft Word or perhaps online using a piece of resume software, it is important to save the FINAL draft in PDF form so that none of the formatting or styling will deteriorate or change upon submission.

The reasons for Microsoft Word files changing formatting are endless, from conflicting versions of the software between sender and receiver, to odd resume upload functions that change how the resume is viewed.

Saving in PDF format ensures nothing changes and the only changes that can occur on the employers end will be annotations.

Printing Your Physical Resume

While a majority of applications are all online now, meaning documents are submitted digitally (in PDF format), it may still be necessary to print a physical copy of your resume should you be asked in for an interview.

While employers will usually print your resume and distribute it to interview participants themselves it is still a good idea to print 4-5 copies yourself to bring to the interview on the off chance that one of the interviewers does not have a hard copy to reference.

Do not skimp when printing. Only use black ink and invest in some quality heavier weight paper. Paper weight simply refers to the thickness of the sheet.

Standard printer paper can be quite light, shiny and cheap feeling. Buying a pack of heavier weight paper will only cost you a few dollars but make a world of difference in the “official” feeling of the final printed document.

Additionally, heavier weighted paper often comes in classy yet subtle off-white hues. A very light cream or ivory tint can add some sophistication to your resume.

There are also papers with very subtle texture too which may not be a bad idea if applying to a more prestigious position or within an industry that values aesthetics such as design, engineering or fashion.

Sending a Thank You Letter & Following Up

Once your resume is submitted and your interview is completed it is important to follow up with a thank you letter.

This is not only simply a matter of being polite, it also serves as a reminder to the hiring company that you are waiting to hear back from them and are excited about the prospects of working for their company.

Thank you letters can be sent via email or by letter, although email is preferable as it is more immediate.

The standard wait time before sending a thank you letter is about one day. Sending a thank you in the same day is a bit ambitious and may not receive the same attention as a letter sent the next day.

If you are not contacted within 2-3 business days after the interview and if a thank you letter was already sent then you may want to consider sending a follow up letter.

These are usually quite short, often consisting of a simple greeting an closure, sandwiching a couple sentences again thanking the employer for their time, expressing your interest and wondering if any developments have occurred regarding your application.

Follow up letters are perfectly acceptable as applications are sometimes lost or get side-lined in day-to-day operations at busy companies. Follow up letters also show you really want the job and haven’t stopped thinking about it.

Never send more than one follow up letter however, as if the company hasn’t bothered responding then you are most definitely not in contention for the position any longer.

This is a rarity however as companies today are usually pretty good about getting back to applicants they interviewed to update them about their status.

Review & Conclusion

There you have it, the complete guide to resume writing. The practice is old and can seem quite boring however no one document may hold as much power in determining your future than the humble resume.

Respect it, cherish it, nurture it, water it frequently, be proud of it and distribute it widely and your resume will feed you, clothe you and provide you a solid future.

If you have any questions about resume writing that we failed to mention in this guide please let us know in our Community Forum section.

You can also ask specific questions pertaining to your individual situation in the Forum and one of our volunteer HR professionals will try their best to follow up with a constructive answer.

How To Make A Resume Step-bye-Step

A resume is one of the most important documents that you will ever write in your professional life. It is a document that showcases your skills, experience, and qualifications to potential employers. A well-written resume can help you stand out from the crowd and get the job that you want. In this guide, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to write a resume that will impress employers.

The perfect resume is basic and well-summarized. The perfection lies in its simplicity and attention to detail.

We try to make this resume guide simple and to the point.

Be accurate, be fair.

Step 1: Choose the Right Format

The first step in writing a great resume is to choose the right format. There are three main types of resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. Each of these formats has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you should choose the one that best suits your experience and career goals.

Chronological Format:

A chronological resume format is the most common and traditional type of resume. It lists your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job and working backwards. This format is ideal for job seekers who have a steady work history and are looking for a job in a similar field.

Pros:  Traditional resume style, familiar to potential employers.

Cons:  Very common, not the most creative resume design format.

Functional Format:

A functional resume format is ideal for jobseekers who have gaps in their employment history or are looking to switch careers. Instead of listing your work experience in chronological order, this format focuses on your skills and accomplishments. It is divided into sections such as skills, accomplishments, and qualifications.

Pros:  Entry-level job hunters can emphasize skills over lack of experience.

Cons:  HR managers may think you're hiding something.

Combination Format:

A combination resume format combines elements of the chronological and functional formats. It lists your work experience in reverse chronological order, but also includes sections for skills and accomplishments. This format is ideal for job seekers who have a strong work history and want to highlight their skills and accomplishments.

Pros:  Great for experienced pros and career changers for highlighting transferable skills.

Cons:  Uncommon type, not as familiar, not recommended for entry-level jobseekers.

Step 2: Choose the Right Font and Formatting

Once you have chosen the right resume format, it is important to choose the right font and formatting. Your resume should be easy to read and visually appealing. The font should be easy to read and not too small. Arial, Times New Roman, and Calibri are all good options. The font size should be between 10 and 12 points .

Formatting is also important. Your resume should be well-organized and easy to scan. Use bullet points to highlight your skills and accomplishments. Use bold and italic fonts to draw attention to important information. Use plenty of white space to make your resume easy to read.

Step 3: Include the Right Sections

Your resume should include the following sections:

Table of Contents:

1. Contact information 2. Profile Summary 3. Employment History 4. Education section 5. Extracurricular activities 6. Courses & Training 7. Skills 8. Languages 9. Hobbies and Interests (optional)

Contact Information

The first section of your resume should be your contact information. This includes your full name, address, phone number, and email address. It's important to make sure that your contact information is accurate and up-to-date so that potential employers can easily get in touch with you.

• Name & Surname
• Telephone number
• Links to online profiles (optional)
• Driver's license (optional)
• Nationality(optional)

John Doe 123 Main Street Anytown, USA 12345 (555) 555-5555 [email protected]

Profile summary

The profile summary is a brief statement that highlights your skills, experience, and qualifications. It's typically placed at the beginning of the resume and should be tailored to the job that you are applying for. Your profile summary should be a snapshot of your career and showcase your unique selling points.

Your profile summary should include the following information:

• Your current job title or area of expertise
• The number of years of experience you have in your field
• Your top skills and achievements
• Any relevant certifications or awards

Highly motivated and skilled sales professional with over 5 years of experience in the retail industry. Proven track record of exceeding sales targets and providing exceptional customer service. Possesses strong communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Marketing professional with 5+ years of experience in digital marketing, SEO, and social media. Strong analytical skills with a proven track record of increasing website traffic and driving sales. Certified in Google Analytics and AdWords.

Employment history

The employment history section of your resume should detail your work experience. This includes your job title, the name of the company you worked for, the dates you worked there, and your key responsibilities and achievements. It's important to include relevant work experience that demonstrates your skills and qualifications for the job that you are applying for.

For each job, include the following information:

• The name of the company and your job title
• The dates you were employed
• A brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments
• Any notable achievements or awards

Use bullet points to make this section easy to read and scan. Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb to showcase your accomplishments.

Here are examples of employment history:

Marketing Manager ABC Company, Anytown USA June 2018 – Present

• Developed and executed marketing campaigns that increased website traffic by 30% and generated over $500,000 in revenue
• Managed a team of three marketing specialists, providing training and guidance to help them achieve their goals
• Analyzed data from Google Analytics and AdWords to optimize campaigns and improve ROI
• Awarded “Marketing Campaign of the Year” at the 2020 Marketing Excellence Awards

Sales Associate ABC Retail Store June 2018 – Present

• Achieved sales targets of $500,000 per quarter
• Provided exceptional customer service, resulting in a 98% customer satisfaction rating
• Trained new employees on product knowledge and sales techniques
• Conducted daily inventory and restocked merchandise as necessary

Education Section

The education section of your resume should detail your academic qualifications in reverse chronological order. This means starting with your most recent degree or certification and working backward. It's important to include relevant academic achievements that demonstrate your skills and qualifications for the job that you are applying for.

For each degree or certification, include the following information:

• The name of the institution
• The degree or certification you earned
• The dates you attended
• Any academic honors or awards

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration XYZ University September 2014 – June 2018

• Graduated with honors (Cum Laude)
• Majored in Marketing
• Completed courses in Consumer Behavior, Marketing Research, and Advertising

Bachelor of Science in Marketing University of Anytown, Anytown USA August 2014 – May 2018 GPA: 3.8/4.0 Dean's List (all semesters)

Extracurricular Activities

The extracurricular activities section of your resume should detail any relevant activities or volunteer work that you have participated in. This includes clubs, organizations, or volunteer work that demonstrate your skills and qualifications for the job that you are applying for. It's important to highlight your leadership and teamwork skills in this section.

Volunteer Local Food Bank June 2022 – Present

• Coordinated and organized food drives
• Managed a team of 10 volunteers
• Participated in fundraising events
• Contributed to selecting and sorting of incoming food & donations

Courses & Training

Including courses and training on your resume can demonstrate your dedication to improving your skills and knowledge. This section should include any relevant courses or certifications you have completed, as well as any professional development activities you have undertaken.

When listing courses and training, make sure to include the name of the course or program, the institution where you completed it, the date of completion, and any relevant certifications or degrees earned. If the course or program is ongoing, indicate this by including the phrase “in progress” after the date.

For example:

• Certificate in Project Management, University of XYZ, May 2022
• Advanced Excel Training, Online Course, in progress

Make sure to only include courses and training that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Including irrelevant courses or training can take up valuable space on your resume and may not be of interest to potential employers.

The skills section of your resume is where you can showcase your abilities and strengths. This section should include both hard skills (such as proficiency in a particular software program) and soft skills (such as communication or leadership skills).

When listing skills, make sure to use specific examples to demonstrate your abilities. For example, instead of simply listing “communication skills,” provide an example in the job interview of a time when you effectively communicated with a team or a client.

Make sure to tailor your skills section to the job you are applying for. Look at the job description and identify the key skills required for the position . Make sure to include those skills in your resume, using specific examples to demonstrate your abilities.

If you are fluent in a language other than your native language, it can be beneficial to include this on your resume. This section should include the languages you are proficient in, as well as your level of proficiency (such as “fluent,” “proficient,” or “basic”).

If you have taken any language courses or have any relevant certifications, make sure to include this information as well.

Hobbies and Interests (optional)

Including a section on hobbies and interests is optional, but it can provide potential employers with a glimpse into your personality and interests outside of work.

When listing hobbies and interests, make sure to choose activities that are relevant to the job or demonstrate skills that could be useful in the workplace. For example, if you are applying for a job in marketing, including activities such as blogging or social media management could be beneficial.

Make sure to keep your hobbies and interests brief and to the point. Only include activities that are relevant and showcase your strengths or abilities.

Overall, writing a great resume requires attention to detail and a strong understanding of what potential employers are looking for. By following these steps and tailoring your resume to the job you are applying for, you can create a compelling and effective resume that showcases your strengths and experience.

Step 4: Tailor Your Resume to the Job

One of the most important things you can do when writing a resume is to tailor it to the job that you are applying for. This means that you should carefully read the job description and make sure that your resume reflects the skills and experience that the employer is looking for.

Use the language from the job description in your resume. If the job description uses specific keywords, make sure to include them in your resume. This will help your resume get past automated screening systems and into the hands of a real human being.

Step 5: Proofread and Edit Your Resume

Before you send your resume to potential employers, it is important to proofread and edit it carefully. Typos and grammatical errors can make you look unprofessional and careless. Here are some tips for proofreading and editing your resume:

• Read your resume backwards. This will help you catch any errors that you might have missed when reading it forwards.
• Use spell check and grammar check. However, don't rely solely on these tools as they may miss some errors.
• Print out your resume and read it on paper. This will help you catch errors that you might have missed on a computer screen.
• Ask a friend or family member to review your resume. They can provide feedback and catch errors that you might have missed.

Step 6: Customize Your Resume for Different Jobs

Finally, it's important to customize your resume for each job that you apply for. This means that you should create a new resume for each job, highlighting the skills and experience that are most relevant to that position.

Here are some tips for customizing your resume:

• Use the job description as a guide. Highlight the skills and experience that the employer is looking for.
• Include keywords from the job description in your resume.
• Tailor your objective or summary statement to the job that you are applying for.
• Highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant to the job.
• Remove any information that is not relevant to the job.

In conclusion, writing a great resume is essential to landing your dream job. By following these steps and tailoring your resume to each job that you apply for, you can increase your chances of getting hired. Remember to choose the right format, use the right font and formatting, include the right sections, tailor your resume to the job, proofread and edit your resume, and customize your resume for different jobs. Good luck with your job search!

Example Resume & CV's

Nutrition consultant resume.

Vet Tech Resume Example

Architect CV

Web Developer Resume

DevOps Manager Resume

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How to Write a Resume (From Scratch)

If you haven't kept your resume up to date, no worries. here's how to get the best rã©sumã© out there in no time..

I received the following email:

Since you have worked in the industry for a while now, I'm wondering if you would be able to recommend any strong professional resume writers in the tri- state area. I am looking for someone to help my dad who has worked in the logistics field for over 20 years and is looking for a change. Unfortunately he has not put together a resume to document all of his hard work and experience throughout his career since he entered the workforce.

Truth be told, I don't know any resume writers to recommend, but I can tell you how to write your own resume. Personally, I'm of the opinion that writing your own resume and then having someone edit it is the best way to go. Additionally, the hard part of writing a resume is figuring out what you've done, and the resume writer can't do that for you. But, how to get started? Here you go.

Begin with a brain dump. Sit down with a piece of paper and a pencil (or a computer if you must, but I find brainstorming works better with paper), and create columns for each job you've had over the past 20 years. It doesn't matter if one of those jobs was cleaning toilets at the Circle K and you never intend to put that on your resume. Write that job down too.

Include any volunteer positions as well. Did you coach your kid's soccer team? Teach Sunday School ? Campaign for a local politician? Remember, you may or may not end up using these on your final resume, but the idea is to get everything down.

List everything you did under each job/volunteer position. And by everything, I mean everything. Excel spreadsheets created? Write that. Meetings attended? Write that. Projects headed? Teams served on? People managed? Products sold? Software used? Write all of that down. Every little bit. So, for instance, if I was writing down everything I did at Inc, I wouldn't just write "wrote articles." I'd write, "wrote articles, researched information, interviewed people, coordinated with PR people, selected photos for illustrations, ran social media, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera." Now, no one in their right mind is going to say, "Oh! I want to hire Suzanne because she has experience selecting stock photos!" but the idea is to get everything out.

List every number you can come up with. How many people did you supervise? How big was the budget you managed? What was your sales target? Did you meet that? Exceed? By how much? How many reports did you make a week? Numbers, numbers, numbers.

Why do numbers matter? Because they give a much fuller picture of what you've accomplished. I can say, "Managed a team," and that leaves the recruiter/hiring manager going, "a team? 2 people? 10 people? 150 people?" There's a huge difference in that, right? Someone who manages a budget of $150,000 is very different than someone who has managed a $10,000 budget.

Pretend you are your mom. Assuming your mom is one of those braggy-competitive types, that is. If she's not, then pretend your mom is braggy and competitive and then pretend that's who you are. What would your mom say about you if she knew what you did at work. List every brag. Every award, every time you beat out your competitors, every time you received a pat on the back, every promotion, every raise, et cetera. This is a time to let go of all humility and write everything down.

Go to LinkedIn. Look up your old co-workers and people who do similar jobs to yours. Read their profiles and write down anything that they've listed that you haven't--as long as you've done that as well. So, if Marge's profile says, "Quantitative Business Analysis" and you've done that as well, write it down. But, if you haven't, don't even think about writing it down.

Now begin the editing. You have everything you've ever done staring you in the face. Get out your computer and write your job title, the company you work for and the dates you worked there. Go through your list and write the 10 most important or impressive accomplishments from each job. If you don't have 10 for a job, write down all of them.

When you have finished putting your 10 most impressive qualifications down for each job, you have your master resume written. But wait! It's not pretty and it's not got flowery language. That's fine. This is just your base document.

List accomplishments, not responsibilities. One of the big mistakes people make is to list their tasks--so that the resume reads like a job description instead of list of accomplishments. Go back and look at your base document and make sure you've listed things you've accomplished, not just assigned tasks.

Create a final resume. Take your draft and add the requisite name, phone number, address and email address to the top. Add your education to the bottom (unless you're a new grad, then education goes at the top). In the middle? All that stuff about your jobs.

Go through each job and delete any bullet points that don't add value to the job you're applying for. For instance, you'll probably never, ever, use that information about being a Sunday School teacher. But, you have it in case you decide to apply for a job leading a summer camp, in which case it would be relevant experience.

Keep it to two pages, unless you're a new grad, in which case it should be one.

Get someone to edit it. Even if you're an English major who specializes in grammar, get someone to read and edit your resume. If you're not a native English speaker, make sure your editor is a native English speaker. Some things that are perfectly correctly grammatically aren't perfectly correct in day to day usage. While some people don't mind a typo here and there, others have crazy high expectations .

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Winning Resume from Scratch

A well-crafted resume can reveal your experience and expertise in a particular domain. It can also provide hook points for the interviewer to ask questions during the interview process. 

This article will provide some invaluable insights into the resume-building tips and techniques.

How to Build a Resume?

Following are some important tips on how to build a resume: 

Make Sure To Utilize Fonts that are Appropriate For Professional Use  

Employers have limited time to review resumes, so ensure yours is easy to read. Choose a simple font such as Arial or Times New Roman and set the size between 10 and 12 points. Doing this will give your resume a professional look.

Make sure to reduce or eliminate any unnecessary white space in your resume. 

More blank space can make your resume look sparse and may cause concern for the reader. To prevent this, increase the font size to 12 points and consider adding an extra section such as "Skills" or "Awards and Achievements". 

This will make it easier for the reader to focus solely on the content of your resume instead of the white spaces.

Express Yourself With Action Words  

Use strong, active language for an effective resume and avoid unnecessary words. Include powerful action verbs such as “achieved,” “earned,” “completed,” or “accomplished.” To improve readability, ensure succinct sentences and ideas are clear and concise.  

Begin Constructing Your Resume By Including The Essential Information

When constructing a resume, begin by adding the essential details. Incorporate a header with your contact info, such as your telephone number, email address, and location (just city and state will suffice, no need for full address).

If you have a personal website, you can include it on your resume. To maximise impact, you should focus on the responsibilities and achievements of each role.  

Describe The Successes And Achievements You Have Achieved  

Although it may seem daunting, writing bullets for your previous job experiences does not require documenting every detail. Instead, highlight the responsibilities and accomplishments you are most proud of. 

You don't need a long list of bullets - a few key points should be sufficient to demonstrate your capabilities to potential employers. To ensure that the impact of your work is felt, include numbers when possible - this will help to illustrate the scope of your accomplishments.  

Provide a List of the Experiences You Have Had in The Relevant Field  

Begin by arranging the positions on your resume in reverse chronological order within each section so that your most recent experience is listed first. 

You should also be open to more than just paid, full-time work experiences; other applicable factors, such as volunteer roles, extracurricular leadership experiences, and side hustles, should also be included.   

Do Not Forget To Mention Your Achievements And Certifications  

Adding certifications and specialised training to your resume can be a powerful way to make it stand out. Even if you have yet to attain official certifications, any internal training, online courses, or tutorials can be included. 

For example, Skill-Lync offers many free online engineering courses with certificates through the Grow platform. Any kind of training that gives you an edge and furthers your academic standing can be mentioned on a resume.  

Ensure That You Only Include Subheadings and Sections That Are Necessary  

When constructing a resume, certain sections are recommended; however, you may not need all of them. For instance, resume building for freshers ; if you are a recent college or high school graduate who has yet to hold a professional position, it is best not to include an empty work history section.

Instead, substitute the experience section with details of any coursework, academic successes, internships, or extracurricular activities demonstrating your achievements.  

Be Sure To Proofread and Edit Your Work  

Prior to submitting your resume, it is good to proofread it to guarantee that there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. 

You can use a few programs and tools for this purpose, yet it is also useful to ask dependable acquaintances or colleagues to examine your resume.  

Select Margins That Are Suitable For Your Document  

Generally, when formatting your resume, stick to one-inch margins on all sides and single-spacing between the lines. If there is too much white space, you can adjust the line spacing to 1.15 or 1.5. If you find it hard to fill the page, you can increase the margins, but they should be at most two inches.

Final Check  

Before submitting any job resume, ask yourself, "Have I made it as simple as possible for this employer to ascertain that I'm a suitable candidate?"

If the vacancy has distinctive criteria, you may need to create another version of your resume to demonstrate you meet the criteria. 

Crafting a well-structured, attention-grabbing resume is an essential step. Ensure you include the most pertinent details, structure it to accentuate the vital information, and thoroughly check for mistakes. 

To help you build your resume, Skill-Lync provides special training sessions for students enrolling in PG Programs . We refine the resume and ensure that all the important points are highlighted. We also conduct mock interviews and provide placement assistance for eligible candidates to make them ace the interview.

Talk to our experts to know more about our career-building courses.

Anup KumarH S

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How to Create a Resume in Microsoft Word

Last Updated: September 25, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Alyson Garrido, PCC . Alyson Garrido is an International Coach Federation accredited Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Facilitator, and Speaker. Using a strengths-based approach, she supports her clients with job search and career advancement. Alyson provides coaching for career direction, interview preparation, salary negotiation, and performance reviews as well as customized communication and leadership strategies. She is a Founding Partner of the Systemic Coach Academy of New Zealand. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,638,873 times.

Resumes detail a person’s work experience, education, skills and achievements. A good resume that is clear, concise and easy to read is essential when looking for a job. Resumes should be word processed and should be neat and tidy. Microsoft Word offers you the option of creating your resume through templates, but you can also create your resume from scratch using Word's formatting features.

Sample Resumes

Creating a Resume from a Template (Word 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013)

• In Word 2007 you will have to click on “installed templates.”
• In Word 2010 it will be “sample templates.”
• In Word 2011 it will be “new from template.” [1] X Research source
• In Word 2013 the templates will be displayed when you click on “New.”

• In Word 2013, after clicking on “New” you will see a number of templates and a search bar which says “search for online templates.”
• After searching you will see a number of different resume templates to try out.

• Here you will be able to look through a number of templates for resumes and cover letters that you can download for free and edit in Word.
• You may have to sign in with your Microsoft online account to use these templates. [2] X Research source

• Be sure to look carefully at the detail of your resume and proofread it thoroughly.
• All of the versions of Word from 2003 to 2013 all come with some pre-installed templates for resumes.

• Click on the “Other Documents” tab, and then select “Resume Wizard.”
• Follow the wizard's instructions. The wizard will walk you through the resume creation process step-by-step
• If you do not see this option, it was not installed when you installed Word, and you will need to run the installation program again to install it.

Creating a Resume Without a Template

• Education and qualifications.
• Work and volunteer experience.
• Skills and qualities.
• It should also include your full contact details and state that references are available upon request.

• Most chronological resumes only cover the last 5 to 10 years of your employment history.
• You may wish to include positions earlier than this if they are appropriate to the job you're seeking.
• This is the format most American employers prefer to see resumes in.

• A combination resume might list your key skills at the top before providing a short account of your experiences.
• This type of resume can be helpful for those entering the job market with little work experience, or for those trying to change careers. [6] X Research source

• The CV is commonly used when applying for positions in Europe, and also when applying for positions at colleges and universities worldwide.
• CVs can be thought of as living documents that records all your work and achievements, which will generally grow and develop over time more than a resume. [7] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

Writing Your Resume

• If your resume extends beyond one page, ensure that your name is in a header on every page.
• Your email address should appropriate for a job application. Use your own name or initials if possible.
• Don’t use something jokey such as "sly-dude," "foxymama," or "smokinhot."

• For example, you might write that your objective is “To contribute to the design of new word processing software.”
• Alternatively it may state the position you hope to attain, such as “A position as in healthcare policy and research.”
• Objectives have become less common, and you may prefer to provide this information in your covering letter . [8] X Research source

• You can include a bullet point or two to provide a little further information on your specialism, if it is appropriate for the position you are applying for.
• If you achieved any honours or awards as part of your studying or training include these here.

• Use bullet points to make sure it is clear and easy to read or scan through for key words relating to the position you are applying.
• You can include volunteer positions if they relate to the job you're seeking or if you have little paid experience. [9] X Research source

• You can title this section as “Other Relevant Skills”, or just “Skills.”
• This could include proficiency in foreign languages, knowledge of particular computer software and programmes, and any other specific skills not previously mentioned. [10] X Research source
• Take care to avoid repeating yourself. You don’t need to say you have “excellent communication skills” more than once.

• Allow reasonable margins around the edges of the page. Word's default settings are usually sufficient for this.
• Left-align your section headings. You can use single-spacing after a heading and before the section content, and double-spacing before a heading.
• Get your resume down to one page if at all possible. You can try adjusting your line spacing in the Paragraph dialog box, but don’t lose your neat formatting trying to get it down to one page.
• Rethink your words and try to express yourself more concisely.

Expert Q&A

• Don't wait until you're looking for work to update your resume. Any time you have a promotion or significant accomplishment, add the new information to your resume. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1
• Always tailor your resume to the type of position you're seeking. You may have to add, rearrange, or delete accomplishments or entire sections according to what the position requires. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 2

• The appearance and format of your resume is a reflection of your competence; be sure it represents you at your best. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1
• Be sure that all the statements in your resume are both factually and grammatically correct and that all words are spelled correctly. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://kb.iu.edu/d/agst
• ↑ https://templates.office.com/en-us/Resumes-and-Cover-Letters
• ↑ http://cla.umn.edu/student-services-advising/career-internship-services/job-search-resources/resume-guide/formatting-0
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/curricula-vitae-cvs-versus-resumes/
• ↑ http://www.career.cornell.edu/story/resumes/parts.cfm

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How to Write a Resume from Scratch – 3 Simple Steps

No resume? No problem. Discover how to create a professional resume in three simple steps.

Writing a resume for the first time? Knowing how to write a resume from scratch can be difficult. Where should you start?

Maybe you’ve recently graduated. Maybe you’ve made it through a successful career without ever needing to write a resume. Either way, there are some key steps to take to ensure you get your resume right first time.

I’m going to guide you through the process of writing a resume in 3 simple steps!

Disclosure: We are affiliates for some of the products and services mentioned on this page.  Learn more

How to write a resume step 1: Identify your target role

It’s important to know what position you are targeting before writing a resume. When a recruiter opens your resume, it should be crystal clear what role you are suited to.

If you are simply listing your experience with no ideal role in mind, it will come across as confusing. It is unlikely to be a close match to any role.

I’m going to show you how to write a resume for a job that you actually want and are suited to.

Research available roles before you start writing your resume

Select a handful of job adverts that are a good fit for what you are looking for. Ideally, there should be plenty of overlap between these roles, with common themes.

Make note of the key requirements, skills and experience required for these roles. This is the information you’ll need to focus on highlighting in your new resume.

As well as the target job descriptions, consider what type of company you want to work for. Different companies/industries will communicate with varying levels of formality.

When targeting modern or creative industries, a modern resume may be most appropriate. If you are targeting a traditional industry, then it would be beneficial to match their style.

How to write a resume step 2: Gather important details

There are some key details that you’re going to need before you start writing your resume.

If you’ve had a long career, it may take some time to collate everything you need. It’s best to get started as soon as possible.

Helpful details for writing your resume

• Dates of employment/promotions
• Education credentials including any special achievements. If you are newly-graduated, and have to make a resume with no experience, then you will need more details here.
• Job descriptions for each of your roles i.e. what were your day-to-day responsibilities?
• Key accomplishments including metrics. e.g. Did you improve sales year-on-year, if so by how much?
• Any industry recognition/positive press?
• Have you completed any training/courses?
• Relevant volunteer experience (particularly important if you don’t have formal work experience)

How to write a resume step 3: Use a modern resume template

We’ve talked about how to write a good resume, now we’ll explore how to make your resume look great!

When creating a resume from scratch, it can help to start with a professional resume template. A professional resume template will guide you through which sections to include. It will also save you time figuring out how to format an attractive document.

There are lots of resume templates to suit every career stage and industry. It’s important to choose a professional resume template that is well-matched to your target roles.

We have a huge selection of professional resume templates to download

All of our professional resume templates have been designed by experienced resume writers. You’ll find designs for every stage of your career. Each and every one of them is ATS-friendly and includes detailed instructions to guide you.

Click here to explore our range of professional resume templates.

3 things to avoid when choosing a professional resume template

Avoid a resume template with sidebars.

Resumes with a 2-column format are generally quite restrictive and can make it difficult for you to highlight your value. They are also difficult to read as people read left-to-right and top-to-bottom. Sometimes 2-column resumes do not parse through Applicant Tracking Systems correctly. More on this later.

Don’t use a resume template that has too many graphics

Yes, an attractive resume does make a stronger first impression but that doesn’t mean you need to overcomplicate it. Most recruiters prefer a simple, clean layout with consistent formatting.

This allows them to quickly find the information they are looking for and focus on the content. The content of your resume will always be the most important thing. Recruiters are not fooled by fancy graphics, in fact, they find them frustrating.

Avoid restrictive sections on a resume template

Every person and every career is unique. A resume template should fit around you and the story you want to tell.

You should be able to add or remove sections as needed, change heading titles and include as much, or as little, information in each section as needed. Avoid templates with text boxes that limit how much you can write.

What about Application Tracking Systems? (ATS)

Most job portals and companies use some form of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to organize the resumes they receive. Some ATS have features that allow the recruiter to sort the applicants from least to most relevant, or conduct keyword searches to find candidates.

Despite popular folklore, ATS does not automatically reject resumes.

But, choosing a resume format that will parse through ATS will help recruiters find you.

When a resume is ATS-friendly, information will pull through automatically. So you won’t need to re-input your details a second time!

These tips will help your resume be more ATS-friendly:

Don’t forget to write all the important information in the text. Information in graphs or images will not parse through ATS.

An easy way to check your resume is to highlight all the text and copy it into another document in plain text format. If you can still read your resume and it makes sense then you shouldn’t have any issues with ATS.

Writing a good resume from scratch can be difficult, especially when you have years of experience to sort through.

Take it one step at a time and keep focused on including the right information.

Not everything needs to go into a resume, but knowing what the recruiter will be looking for will help you to be selective.

About the author

Hannah Mason is an International Resume Writer at The English Meeting Room.

Hannah Mason

Hannah Mason is an International Executive Resume Writer and Job Search Coach. She is the founder of The English Meeting Room and Co-Owner of Job Search Journey.

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18 Résumé Writing Tips to Help You Stand Out

By  Allison Pohle

Updated May 11, 2021 2:15 pm ET

• A résumé isn’t just a list of every job you’ve ever had. It should demonstrate your accomplishments.
• Mirror language used in the job posting so your résumé isn’t discarded by an applicant tracking system.
• Use a clean and simple format. 

Companies increasingly  rely on software  to sort through applicants, which is why it is essential to tailor your résumé to ensure it makes the cut. Applicant tracking systems sort, scan and rank applicants by looking for keywords in applications. Although these programs can save time and money for employers, about 60% said such tools cause them to miss some qualified candidates, according to a 2016 survey of 1,200 job seekers and managers by CareerArc, a human-resources technology company, and Future Workplace, a research firm. Here’s how to make your résumé stand out to robots and humans alike. 

1. Highlight your achievements in your résumé. 

A common mistake job seekers make is believing a résumé is a recap of your career, when in reality, it should convey what you have accomplished, says Christy Noel, a career expert and author of “Your Personal Career Coach.” 

“I always say, spend less of your real estate describing your job, and more time describing your results,” says Ms. Noel.  

2. Customize your résumé.

Read over the job posting, and think about the work experience you have had that is most directly relevant to the position you are pursuing. You can leave out some past jobs and internships if the experience you had wasn’t related. Whatever you do: Don’t submit a generic résumé to dozens of postings. “Even if you have the best experience, if your résumé isn’t speaking directly to the position in which you are applying, there is a strong chance you’ll never even get an interview,” says Demisha Jennings, a certified professional résumé writer and founder and owner of She Assists LLC.  

The same applies to your cover letter. It is your chance to provide more detail on how your experience will help you succeed in the job.  Read our cover letter guide  for how to write one that makes you stand out.

3. Decide how to format your résumé.

Most of the time, a chronological résumé will work well for communicating your past experience. But, in some cases, a functional or hybrid résumé might be more appropriate.  Read more about résumé formats here.

4. Make your contact information easy to find.

Include your name, phone number, email address, city and state. It may also be appropriate to include the URL to your LinkedIn profile. You want it to be easy for hiring managers to reach out.

In addition to making it easy to connect with you, it is important to your job search that you grow your network.  Read our networking guide  for tips on how to do so.

5. Consider adding a summary. 

Many résumé templates leave space for an objective statement, outlining career goals, but that approach is outdated, says Ms. Jennings. Instead, consider a carefully worded summary. The summary is often the first place a hiring manager will look, and gives you an opportunity to introduce your skills high up on the page. You can also work in relevant keywords from the job description. “Recruiters are looking for what you can bring to the table and what you’ve done, rather than you saying, ‘I’m seeking a position,’” Ms. Jennings says. 

6. Great résumés should stand out to skim readers.

Most recruiters spend just a few seconds skimming through a résumé—with an average in one study of  7.4 seconds.  

To have the best chance of making an impression, ensure your job titles, company names and dates of employment are easy to read. The sections of your résumé should be adequately spaced, too, says Dana Leavy-Detrick, founder and director of Brooklyn Resume Studio. 

For additional ways to make a good impression on recruiters and headhunters, read  our guide on how to work with headhunters .

7. Make your résumé robot-friendly. 

Structure your résumé to meet the requirements of an applicant tracking system to give yourself the best chance of having it reach an actual human. Ms. Leavy-Detrick suggests the following:

• Optimize keywords.  Use the same words and language that are in the job description. For example, three different companies might describe the same role as “programmer,” “developer” or “software engineer.” 
• Use a straightforward format.  Avoid tables and text-based graphics, which might not get picked up by a scan of the résumé. Sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica are also best to ensure readability.
• Think about order.  When formatting each line item of work experience, list the company name first, followed by the job location (city, state), your job title, and your start and end dates. Some résumés can get lost if the dates are listed before the job title. 

8. Prioritize relevant keywords. 

Tailoring your skills to include language from the job posting is an important way to let both the applicant tracking system and, eventually, a hiring manager, see how your prior qualifications tie into the job requirements. But just because you have a résumé full of keywords doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get an interview. “The ATS isn’t there to help the job seeker, it is there to help the employer review your skills against their most important qualifications,” says Ashley Watkins, a career coach and résumé writer with Write Step Résumés LLC. 

9. Craft compelling and concise bullet points.

The goal of a résumé is to list your accomplishments, rather than every duty you performed in the role. Résumé-writing experts recommend including no more than five bullet points per prior job listed. 

• Don’t focus on tasks.  Many job seekers describe what they did every day, such as answering phones or creating marketing materials, Ms. Watkins says. “Simply copying and pasting the job description doesn’t account for the things you did great, that you did above and beyond your peers,” she says.
• Instead, explain what those tasks achieved.  Emphasize your results. Ms. Watkins suggests asking yourself “Did I save [the employer] money? Did I save time? Did I improve a process? Did I build a relationship?” These will help you format your bullet points.
• Use metrics.  Say what you achieved, then contextualize it—with figures if possible. You might not be able to put a monetary value on every accomplishment, but you can frame it by sharing details like the time it took or how many people were involved. “If you raised sales 50% in two months, that means a whole lot more than ‘I’m in charge of sales,’” Ms. Watkins says. 
• Don’t omit accomplishments that aren’t quantifiable.  Not every achievement will have metrics to show success. If there are figures, you might not always have access to them. But that shouldn’t stop you from including them, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. Perhaps you had a positive impact on the culture of an organization, or improved a struggling relationship with a client. These efforts could help to demonstrate your  soft skills.

10. Focus on transferable skills if you lack experience.

If you are applying for a job in a new field or you are an entry-level applicant and don’t have much direct experience, don’t worry. Highlight transferable skills you have developed in the past that will serve you well in the position, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. For example, you could play up leadership skills you developed participating in an extracurricular activity or time-management skills you learned in a prior job.

11. Go beyond your work history, and include all relevant experience.

If you are new to the workforce, or are job-hunting after being laid off, you could also include related experience that was outside of a traditional full-time job, says Ms. Watkins. For example, you can highlight volunteer work, consulting projects or educational training, all as part of making the case for your unique value, she says.

12. Don’t worry too much about gaps in your résumé.

The Covid-19 pandemic economy resulted in many people being laid off or furloughed. Ms. Watkins says the 2020 job market reminds her of 2008, when she worked as a recruiter. The expectation at that time, she says, was that candidates would have  gaps  on their résumés or list more short-term positions. While it isn’t necessary to directly address the gaps in your résumé, you should be  prepared to talk about them in an interview . “The focus should not be centered on the fact that you were furloughed or laid off, it should be focused on you and your skills and what you do that impacts the company’s bottom line in a positive way,” Ms. Watkins says.

While it is common to list the months and years you started and ended positions in the job history section, you could just use years. This will draw less attention to a six- or eight-month gap, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. 

13. Highlight relevant skills.

It is common to  add a skills section to your résumé , outlining expertise relevant to the position. You can include languages you speak, technical skills or courses you have done. If you lack experience, you can also complete some trainings, which you can find on LinkedIn and elsewhere, related to the job you are applying for and add the courses in this section, says Ms. Jennings.

14. Prioritize work experience over education.

The professional experience you have had is often more relevant to the position than your education history, which is why the work experience should be listed first. In the “Education” section, you should list where you attended college, if applicable, or the highest level of education you have attained. If you graduated with honors, you can flag that, but it isn’t necessary to list your GPA.

15. If you are early on in your career, a key résumé tip is to limit it to one page. 

If you are early on in your career, you should limit your résumé to one page. It is OK to start spilling onto a second page after you have eight to 10 years of experience, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. 

16. Add some color for a stylish résumé that sets you apart. 

Your résumé should look clean and professional and you should keep applicant tracking systems in mind when formatting the document. But, if it is appropriate, you can add subtle accents of color in the section headings or in bars that separate sections as a way to differentiate your résumé. Ms. Leavy-Detrick doesn’t overstress the need for good design with her clients. “But it can definitely help,” she says. “When I say design, I don’t mean crazy graphic design. I mean having a polished application,” she says. “Think of it the same way you would coming dressed to an interview, it is part of your presentation, and so many people overlook this on the résumé.”

It may be appropriate to incorporate a more creative and graphic-based layout depending on the field in which you work and where you are applying. If you are applying for a position in a creative field, and you are emailing your résumé directly to a hiring manager, then it can be appropriate to use more designs, says Ms. Jennings. But if you are applying to a large company that uses an applicant tracking system or job portal, she says it is best to avoid using graphics unless you are working with a résumé writer who can help you get your resume through the system.

17. Proofread and double-check the formatting.

You may be eager to send your résumé or submit your application, but you should take the time to first check for typos and grammatical errors. You could also have a friend or family member look over it. When you are checking for errors, be sure to double-check the formatting. Sometimes the spacing can get thrown off when you save the file, so check how it looks as a saved document and, if you can, save it as a PDF before sending. 

18. Make sure the saved file name includes your name. 

Make less work for the hiring manager by including your full name in the file name of the résumé document.

What to read next

• How to Prepare for a Job Interview
• What Questions to Ask During a Job Interview
• Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
• How to Dress for a Job Interview
• How to Write a Thank-You Email After a Job Interview  
• How to Negotiate and Counter a Job Offer
• How to Negotiate Salary for a New Job: The Do’s and Don’ts
• Severance Pay: What It Is and Why You Should Negotiate a Package Before Accepting a Job

Corrections & Amplifications Ashley Watkins is a résumé writer with Write Step Résumés LLC. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Write Steps LLC. (Corrected on Nov. 20)

Copyright ©2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Appeared in the November 23, 2020, print edition as '11 Résumé Tips to Help You Get Noticed

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