How to Write a Resume

A resume has one job: to show an employer, quickly and clearly, that you can do the work they need done. Most recruiters skim a resume first and read it properly only if the first impression is strong. That means structure and clarity matter as much as what you have done.

This guide walks through each step in order. You can follow along in the free resume builder, which saves your work on your device as you type.

Step 1: Collect your information

Before you write, gather everything in one place. It is much easier to choose what to include when you can see it all.

• Jobs, internships and volunteer roles, with employer names, locations and start and end months
• Your main responsibilities and, more importantly, what you achieved in each role
• Numbers you can stand behind: budgets, team sizes, customers served, time saved, targets met
• Degrees, schools, graduation dates, certifications and licenses
• Tools, software, languages and technical skills
• Two or three job postings you plan to apply for

The job postings are your guide. They tell you which skills and experience the employer cares about, and the words they use to describe them.

Step 2: Choose a resume format

Most people should use a reverse-chronological format: your most recent job first, then earlier roles. Recruiters expect it, and applicant tracking systems read it reliably. A hybrid format, which adds a strong skills section near the top, can help career changers and people with gaps. Purely skills-based (functional) resumes are rarely recommended because they hide where and when you used your skills.

Read the resume format guide for a side-by-side comparison.

Step 3: Add your name and contact details

Put your full name at the top in a larger font. Underneath, add:

• Phone number and a professional email address
• City and state or region (a full street address is not necessary)
• A LinkedIn profile, portfolio or GitHub link if it supports your application

Leave out your date of birth, marital status and national ID numbers. Whether to include a photo depends on the country; see the resume photo guide.

Step 4: Write a short professional summary

A summary is two to four lines at the top that explain who you are professionally and what you offer. A good summary includes your job title or target role, your years of experience, two or three strengths and, if possible, one concrete result.

If you are a student or changing careers, a resume objective can work better. See resume summary examples and resume objective examples.

Step 5: Describe your work experience

For each role, list your job title, employer, location and dates. Then add three to six bullet points. Each bullet should start with an action verb and show what you did and what happened as a result.

A simple pattern is action + task + result:

• BeforeResponsible for handling customer complaints.
• AfterResolved an average of 40 customer complaints per day, cutting escalations to supervisors by 25%.

Only use numbers you can explain in an interview. If you do not have exact figures, describe the scope instead: how many people, how large the account, how often. The work experience guide and the list of resume action verbs go into more detail.

Step 6: Add your education

List your degree, field of study, school and graduation year. Recent graduates can add honors, a strong GPA, relevant coursework and major projects. Experienced professionals usually keep this section short and place it after work experience. The education section guide covers special cases such as unfinished degrees.

Step 7: List relevant skills

Include the hard skills the job asks for that you can genuinely demonstrate: software, tools, methods, languages and certifications. Group them if the list is long. Soft skills such as communication are more convincing when you show them in your experience bullets than when you simply list them. The resume skills guide has examples by job type.

Step 8: Add optional sections

Add extra sections only when they strengthen your application for this job:

• Certifications and licenses for regulated or technical roles
• Projects for students, developers, designers and career changers
• Volunteer experience when it shows relevant skills or fills a gap
• Languages with an honest level, such as fluent or conversational
• Awards, publications or professional memberships where relevant

Step 9: Tailor it to each job

Compare your resume with the job posting. Make sure the skills and experience the employer lists most prominently are easy to find, and use the same terms where they accurately describe your experience. For example, if the posting says "accounts payable" and you did that work, use that phrase rather than a vague description.

The job description matcher highlights which keywords from a posting already appear in your resume. It runs in your browser and does not upload either document.

Step 10: Check the design and length

• One page for students, graduates and most people with under 10 years of experience; two pages when your relevant experience needs it
• A readable font at 10 to 12 points, with consistent spacing and headings
• Standard section names such as Experience, Education and Skills
• No important text inside images, text boxes or complex tables
• The same date format throughout

Not sure which length is right? See one-page resumes and two-page resumes.

Step 11: Proofread and save as PDF

Read your resume slowly, then read it again out loud. Check names, dates, phone numbers and links. Ask someone you trust to review it. Save it as a PDF unless the employer asks for a Word document, and give the file a clear name such as jane-smith-resume.pdf. The file format guide explains when to use each format.

Before you send it, run it through the ATS Resume Checker to see your resume completeness and the plain text an applicant tracking system would read.

Frequently asked questions