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How to Make a Resume: 11 Easy Steps for 2024

Step 1: Choose Your Resume Format

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

• Step 4: Include Your Contact Information

Step 5: Describe Your Work Experience

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

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

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

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

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

Real Estate Agent Resume

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A one-page resume

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

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

Step 4: Include Your Contact Information in a Header

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

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

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

What details should I include about my job?

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

What do I write in my job description bullet points?

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

5 ways to quantify your impact

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

What if I don’t have work experience?

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

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

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

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

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

Projects-based Resume Example

Step 6: Add Your Skills

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

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

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

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

Step 7: Include Your Education and Certifications

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

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

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

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

Step 8: Decide Whether to Include an Objective or Summary

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

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

Step 9: Decide Whether to Add Other Resume Sections

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

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

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

Step 10: Tailor Your Resume for the Job

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

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

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

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

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

Step 11: Triple-Check for Spelling and Grammar

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

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

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

How to Write a Resume in 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to write a resume — a step-by-step guide.

A resume is the first piece of information employers get about you.

Explore Adobe Acrobat

JUMP TO SECTION

How to write a resume in 8 simple steps

1. Choose the correct resume format for you

2. Write a resume headline summary or objective

3. How to write your work experience section

4. What to include in a resume education section

5. Skills to put on a resume

6. Formatting for an ATS-friendly resume

7. Proofread your resume

8. Do I need a cover letter

Frequently asked questions

How to write a resume in eight simple steps.

Writing a resume can be overwhelming — especially if you’re not sure what to include or how to make it eye-catching. This short guide will help you know where to start and will answer the questions you may have about writing the perfect resume.

1. Choose the correct resume format for you.

The first thing that you will want to do is to choose the right template and format to summarize your job experience for the specific position you are applying for. There are three standard formats — and although each of them uses the same traditional resume sections, they are organized differently. Learn about the different types and choose the one that emphasizes the skills and experience you want to highlight.

• Chronological resume format. This is the most commonly used format, and it’s ideal for those candidates who want to make their work experience stand out since this section sits front and center. As the standard format, it tends to be the easiest to read and scan. You will list your most recent positions first, and then go back through past jobs in reverse-chronological order.
• Functional resume format. This format highlights your skills and training instead of your work experience and history. This format is usually the best fit for first-time job seekers looking to write a resume with no work experience or for candidates who are changing careers or have employment gaps.
• Combination resume format. This type of resume combines the two previous formats and is great for experienced pros and career changers, as it highlights transferable skills.

If you are not sure what type of resume you want to use, you can seek out some resume template examples online to explore options and what details you should consider including. When you find the one that best fits your needs and interests, you can use a PDF editor to make the necessary changes and make it your own. Depending on the company and position you are applying for, you can choose a more formal or casual style for your template.

Contact information to include and leave out.

When you submit your resume, you want to make sure the hiring manager has the appropriate information to contact you in case you are selected to move forward in the interview process. However, just like there is contact information you need to include on your resume, there is also certain information you will want to leave out for your resume to be professional and not crowded.

Contact information to include in a resume.

• Name. First name, last name (middle name optional).
• Phone number. You will want to include your personal cell phone number over your home phone number.
• Email address. This is likely how a hiring manager will be reaching out to you to follow up after you apply for a position.
• LinkedIn URL. Although it is common that potential employers may look you up on LinkedIn anyway, it may be useful to include this information on your resume to make their job easier.

Contact information to leave off your resume.

• Second email or phone number. Adding an additional email address or phone number will only make the hiring manager confused when it comes to contacting you for follow up.
• Home address. Unless specified on the job post, you shouldn’t need to include your home address on your resume.
• Photo or headshot. Employers may worry about discrimination lawsuits if you include a headshot on your resume, which may lead to them discarding you as a candidate for the position.
• Date of birth. Unless specified on the job post, you shouldn’t need to include your age on your resume.

Optional sections for your resume.

• Social media handles. With the exception of some cases such as social media manager positions, most employers won’t require you to list your social media handles on your resume.
• Personal website. Unless you are applying for a job that requires the hiring manager to review your portfolio or website, you won’t need to add this to your resume.
• Hobbies and interests. Your hobbies can prove other abilities that may be of interest to potential employers, such as the ability to work well on a team or creative thinking ability. Including a couple hobbies on your resume can also help you stand out and be memorable.
• Volunteer work. For most job seekers, listing any volunteer experience as one of your additional resume sections is a great way to show your commitment and values. This can be especially useful to include for entry-level or first-time applicants who have no experience in the field yet.
• Internship experience. Depending on whether you are fresh out of college, have only had one or two other jobs, or have only been in the job market for four to five years, you can consider listing your internship experience on your resume.
• Certifications and awards. If your certifications, licenses, or awards are relevant to the job and industry you are applying for, you can certainly include them on your resume.
• Languages. Listing language skills on a resume only extends your usefulness as an employee, especially if you are applying for a position in an international company where there is a large population speaking that second language.
• Publications. If you have published work or have written articles for a blog, newspaper, or scientific journal, you can mention those on a resume. This can be especially useful if you’re applying for a writer or editor position.

2. Write a resume headline summary or objective.

A resume headline summary is like your social media bio or a company’s mission statement.

Since recruiters and hiring managers usually spend less than two minutes reviewing a resume, a headline summary is likely one of the first things their eyes will land on, as it is at the top of the page.

For a headline summary, your goal is to compose a statement that paints an accurate but attractive picture of your candidacy and expertise. Here’s how to write a professional summary for your resume to stand out:

• Place your resume summary under your contact information. The most effective place to put your resume summary is immediately after your name and contact information. This placement ensures that your key accomplishments are right at the top of the resume, where you are most likely to get the full attention of the recruiter.
• Start with a key adjective for yourself. Choose an adjective that describes you and that is directly related to the position you are applying for.
• Provide evidence of your skills and experience. Use active voice and include key action words to describe your experience.
• Keep it brief. There is so much more information left to read for the hiring manager. Your resume summary should not be too detailed but keep the recruiter interested. Give a glimpse of who you are and what makes you stand out. Keep your resume summary short and concise, between two to three sentences.

You can also write a resume objective right under your name and contact information.

A resume objective is a short introduction of you and your career goals. It is similar to a resume summary in the sense that it includes goals. However, resume objectives usually focus on the applicant’s goals. They’re unlike a summary, which focuses on those goals that match the company’s needs. Resume objectives are usually recommended to candidates who have little work experience.

Here are a few tips for how to make your resume objective hit home:

• Start by naming two to three traits, skills, or qualifications that can translate into the company’s success.
• Write what you hope to do for the company.
• Mention the job title or position you are seeking and why you want to achieve this job.
• Keep it short, preferably under 50 words.
• Remember to tailor your resume objective to the job offer you are applying for.

3. How to write your work experience section.

This is often the most important section of your resume, the heart of your resume, and the section hiring managers will spend most of their time reading.

The first things a recruiter looks at on your resume are the job titles you’ve held and the companies you’ve worked with. Make this information easy to find by listing each job in reverse-chronological order meaning writing your latest job first. Lastly, remember not to go back more than 10–15 years, although the more experience you have, the less you should worry about the length of your resume.

Each job should have its own subheading that includes the following information:

• Company name and location. Include the full name of the company you worked for followed by the city and state of its location.
• Job title. Be as specific as possible to make sure employers know exactly what your role was within the company.
• Start and end dates. Include the month and year for each position.
• Achievements and responsibilities: List the tasks you performed by starting each sentence with action verbs — and using active voice. Write what you accomplished using bullet points. Include hard numbers and metrics wherever possible.

4. What to include in a resume education section.

An education section will be especially helpful and valuable if you have limited work experience or if you’re transferring to a new industry.

You should always include this section, although where it appears depends on your individual circumstances. If you are just starting out in your career, it’s generally a great idea to include your education section near the top of your resume. However, if you’re a few years into your career, your education can appear at the bottom of your resume. This is because your work experience will be more relevant to potential employers at this point in your career. Unless you’re applying to a job where the emphasis is on education — such as academia, law, or medicine — most job seekers will opt for adding this section at the bottom of their resume.

Below you can find what every resume education section must include:

• The name of the university, community college, or school. Put your highest degree first. Only include high school or GED if you’re a high school student or didn’t attend university.
• Location of the school. Write the city and the state.
• The month and year you graduated. If you haven’t graduated yet, then write the expected graduation date.
• The type of degree you received or expect to receive and the program.
• Your GPA. This is good to include if it is higher than 3.5 and you just graduated college or if it’s required. You might also consider adding relevant coursework, honors, scholarships, and recent awards, such as the dean’s list.

How to include certifications, licenses, and training.

Professional certifications are a way to validate your skills and knowledge in a particular area. They can be helpful when you’re looking for a job or trying to move up in your current company. You can list your certifications right under your education information.

To put certifications on your resume , be sure to write the following elements in the order below:

• The title of the certification, course, or license.
• The name of the certifying agency or body.
• The date you obtained each certificate.
• The expiration date of your certificate or, if it is in progress, add the expected date of completion. If the certification is still valid, you can also mention that.

Although it is best to add your certifications to your resume when you’re first creating it, if you earn another relevant certification, you can add it even after converting your resume to a PDF .

Depending on your field, there are different certifications that could potentially benefit your career. Adding a list of certifications to your resume can be a great way to validate that you are qualified for a raise or a prospective new job.

5. Skills to put on a resume.

You can also add a skills section on your resume to mention all the skills and know-how that make you the ideal candidate for the job.

Before you write anything, pay attention to the skills that are listed in the job description of the position you’re applying for. Using these keywords on your resume can greatly increase the chance that your resume will be seen by an actual hiring manager, leading to a job interview.

When doing this, consider both hard technical skills and soft interpersonal skills.

Hard skills vs. soft skills.

Hard skills are the specific skills and knowledge that you need to perform a certain task or job. They are also usually quantifiable and easy to measure. Some examples are:

• Computer programming
• Copywriting
• Data analysis
• Graphic design
• Web development

Soft skills are interpersonal skills that help you interact with others. They are more difficult to quantify but just as important in the workplace. Some examples are:

• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Self management
• Flexibility

You can use the Adobe Express app to create a resume or explore free templates that will best fit your preferences and needs. Adobe Express is the free online resume maker that will help you showcase yourself and your achievements. Using Express is as simple as selecting a template, editing it, and sharing it in any format you choose.

6. Formatting for an ATS-friendly resume.

Formatting your resume correctly is important if you want to get more job interviews. Nowadays, your resume most likely will go straight into Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), a computer database used to manage high volumes of job applicants. ATS scans your resume, scores your qualifications based on the description for that position, and ranks your application.

If your resume can’t be read by the ATS due to formatting issues, then all your hard work may have been for nothing.

Tips for formatting and organizing your resume.

You can follow these formatting tips for the ATS computer database system to easily read your resume:

• Use language that is simple and easy to understand. Jargon or complex language will only confuse the ATS.
• Use a common font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica for optimal readability.
• Use a font size that is easy to read. The recommended size is 11–12 pt for regular text, and 14–16 pt for section titles.
• Make sure that the margins on all sides of your resume are 1 inch so that it doesn’t look too crowded.
• Make sure to proofread your resume for mistakes before you send it off.
• Use bullet points when listing several different pieces of information, like under your education and professional history sections.
• Don’t use special characters or symbols that an ATS might misinterpret.
• Don’t use tables and columns to organize your resume. This can cause important information to get lost when an ATS scans your resume.

As to which format you should use when creating and submitting your resume, PDF can frequently be your best choice for the following reasons:

• PDFs tend to look more professional.
• PDFs are usually easier and less problematic to upload.
• PDFs work with a multitude of software and operating systems.
• PDFs are static and cannot be altered easily, unlike Word documents.

If you’re still wondering whether you should send your resume as a PDF , the answer to this question ultimately depends on your prospective employer’s instructions.

If you don’t already have your resume saved as a PDF file, you can opt for an online tool that enables you to convert Word files to PDFs online .

What is the x, y, z method for resume writing?

The x, y, z method for resume writing consists of including in one sentence: what you’ve accomplished (X) + the qualitative results (Y) + the skills or experience you utilized to achieve the outcome (Z).

This is an easy-to-read, concise, and practical way to provide context and flow. This method is useful and important because it helps you hone in on specific achievements so that your hiring manager can find your accomplishments more easily. It also helps work well with ATS, as you will be able to include specific keywords.

To write your resume using the x, y, z method, follow these simple guidelines:

• X. Start with an active verb that helps provide clarity to the reader about what you achieved.
• Y. Describe how the achievement was measured. Use facts, numbers, or figures to help add credibility and insight into your strengths.
• Z. Following this, write how you achieved it — what you did and how you did it — which helps the reader focus on the most relevant experience and results.

An example of the x, y, z method would be:

Reduced business costs and increased profit (X), reducing food costs by 15% (Y) by reviewing purchased items and negotiating with suppliers (Z).

7. Proofread your resume.

Before you submit your resume to your prospective employer, you should review your resume for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. You can read your resume backward to notice errors you hadn’t identified before, you can have your friends, colleagues, professors, and family members review it as well, or you can use free online proofreading tools.

If, after writing your resume, you notice that it is more than one page, consider ways to consolidate or shorten each section by removing filler words or extraneous information. Remember to proofread and update your resume before sending it off since it could make all the difference in whether or not you get a job interview.

How to tailor your resume to the job.

It’s important to revise your resume to tailor it to each position you apply for. For each different job, you should adjust the keywords in the skills section so that it’s the best fit for what each employer needs or is looking for. Remember to adjust what you emphasize in the professional history and educational experiences sections depending on what’s listed in the job description.

8. Do I need a cover letter?

Although some job posts and companies may list cover letters as optional, it is often best to include one to maximize your chance of securing an interview.

The purposes of a cover letter are to demonstrate to potential employers that you are interested in the position, explain your unique qualifications, and persuade the hiring manager that you are the best fit.

If you choose to submit a cover letter along with your resume, consider adding a greeting, an opening, the body, a closing, and making sure it is not longer than one page.

Frequently asked questions.

How long should a resume be.

While most employers typically consider it best to stick with one-page resumes , they’re not the best for every situation.

If you have tons of experience and achievements that relate directly to the position you’re applying for, you might want to make sure the hiring manager sees every impressive detail. In this case, it’s okay to go onto two or even three pages.

However, before working on that third page of accomplishments, make sure everything you add is completely relevant and impressive. Only include information that will set you apart from the other applicants or that emphasizes your qualifications for that particular position. Most multi-page resumes are for jobs that require 10 or more years of experience, like manager, executive, or other high-level positions.

Recruiters and hiring managers have spoken about this issue, and most of them agree that they won’t really look at a resume that is longer than one page. In fact, a great deal of them spend less than a minute reviewing a resume. If you are just fresh out of college, you will want to make sure your resume is the appropriate length, meaning not longer than one page.

That said, you should also strive to make your one-page resume not crowded but still include enough information to fill the page.

Should I include personal interests on my resume?

If you have the space and you think your personal interests are relevant information for the position you are applying for, it can be a good idea to include them to make your resume stand out and be more personalized. These personal interests or hobbies can help you stand out and be memorable to the hiring managers, as well as say something about you that is not included in your job experience.

How do I address any gaps in employment?

Whether the reason for your gaps in employment were raising your children, going back to school, or traveling, you will most likely need to explain why there is a gap on your resume. Without explaining gaps in employment, a recruiter may assume the worst. To address a gap, simply state in two lines or less that you were doing during that time. You can share the value you picked up along the way by including a list of qualities you learned from that time. Above all, don’t try to hide your employment gap, assume that the hiring manager will find it and get ahead of the game by addressing it briefly.

How do you write a good resume?

Make sure you proofread your resume before you submit it or send it to the hiring manager. A typo or misspelled word can make you come across as unprofessional or not detail-oriented and could potentially cost you the job. You should also update your resume every time you are applying for a new job to include your latest position and accomplishments.

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• Resume Tips

Beginner's Guide to How to Write a Resume

21 min read

For job seekers, few things are more important than making a great first impression on employers. Of course, it’s difficult to accomplish that goal without a compelling resume. 

But what can you do if you’ve never had the opportunity to craft a personalized resume? 

What do you need to know to write a truly convincing resume that can capture an employer’s interest?

In this beginner’s guide, we will provide you with all the information you need to know to learn how to make a resume that can increase your odds of landing an interview. We’ll explain why it’s so important to know how to make a resume and then walk you through the resume creation process step-by-step.

What is a resume?

Before we explain how to make a resume, let’s make sure that we properly define this vital job search tool. A resume is a brief one to two-page document that highlights your most relevant skills, work experience, achievements, and educational qualifications. If you’ve ever filled out a formulaic job application, then you already have some idea about the type of information you’ll need to include in your resume.

But make no mistake; resumes are not just job applications. 

Instead, they are marketing documents designed to highlight your qualifications and potential value as a new hire. Well-crafted resumes should offer more than just a dull recitation of your skills and experiences. A great resume delivers a powerful and compelling narrative that enables prospective employers to envision all the many ways that you might benefit their company.

Why do you need to know how to make a resume?

To understand why it’s so important to know how to make a resume, consider the following job search challenges:

Today’s job market is more competitive than ever before, and you need a way to stand out from the competition.

Most companies expect candidates to provide a resume when they apply for a job. Without a compelling resume, you may have no way to introduce yourself and compete for the role.

You need to be able to convince employers that your experience and skills offer real value to their operations.

Without a resume, you’ll struggle to get the attention you need to earn interview opportunities – interviews that can help you make your best case as a candidate.

The good news is that you can overcome all these challenges by learning how to make a resume that helps you capture employers’ interest. With the right approach and execution, you can craft a resume narrative that not only highlights your qualifications for a job but also demonstrates that you know how to provide value for your employers.

How to make a resume, step-by-step

Now that we’ve explained why it’s so important to have a great resume, it’s time to learn how to make a resume for a job. To simplify this process, we’ve broken everything down into distinct steps that you can follow as you craft your resume document. Just follow along with the steps outlined below, and you’ll quickly learn how to make a great resume that can capture an employer’s attention.

1.     Know your goals

First, you’ll need to figure out your career goals so that you can make a resume that is targeted toward jobs in that industry. Have you given any thought to your career path? 

Some of the key things you’ll want to consider include:

What industry interests you? If you already know which type of job you want, then chances are that you’ve already answered this question. If not, give it some thought.

Which city or state do you want to live in as you pursue your career? Do some research on industries and jobs in that area to make sure that your goal is reasonable.

What position are you seeking? Until you figure out what type of job you want, there’s no reason to create a resume.

What long-term goals do you have for your career? The answer to this question can help you identify short-term job goals as you figure out which career steps you need to take to reach those broader objectives.

Once you’ve answered these questions and formed the broad outline of a career plan, you’ll have a better idea of how to make your resume in a way that speaks to that audience. 

As you craft your resume and continually revise it for each new job throughout your career, knowing your audience can help you focus on creating a professional brand that speaks directly to their hiring needs.

2.     Gather your resume information

The next step in your resume creation process involves preparation – which means getting organized so that all the information you need is readily available before you even begin. This initial preparation can ensure that you don’t waste time looking for key details later and can instead just focus on writing the best resume possible.

Below is a summary of the information you should gather:

A list of your marketable skills. Make sure that you focus on hard and soft skills, including technical abilities, industry-specific knowledge, and key interpersonal skills.

An outline of your employment history. Create a list that includes each job title, the name of the company you worked for, their locations, and your employment dates.

A list of three to five quantifiable achievements for each of those jobs.

Your educational qualifications. Here, we’re talking about any degrees that you’ve earned, the schools you attended, the date you graduated, and relevant coursework or certifications.

You can also gather details about any volunteer work you’ve engaged in – identifying any key skills that you might have learned or used during that experience.

Depending on the job you’re seeking, you may also want to gather information about any accolades you’ve earned – but only if they reinforce your qualifications and past performance.

3.     Choose your format

After gathering your information, you’ll be ready to make your first big resume decision – which format to use. There are three options here, each of which offers a different way to organize and present your information. The choice you make will largely depend on where you are in your career and what you’re trying to achieve. Those three formats include:

The reverse chronological resume format

This format choice is preferred by most hiring managers and job seekers. Its structure and format provide an ideal way to present your work history in a clear and convincing manner by listing your previous jobs in reverse chronological order. That allows employers to focus on your most recent achievements at work while also being able to review your overall career progression.

The functional resume format

The functional resume takes a different approach to organizing your employment information. Instead of focusing on that work history, the functional format emphasizes your skills and education to demonstrate your qualifications for the role. Because it is often used by those with little experience or major gaps in their work history, many employers view this resume format with some degree of skepticism.

The hybrid, or combination, resume format

If you’re looking for a resume format that seeks a happy middle ground between functional and reverse chronological resumes, then the combination option might be ideal. This resume format is often used by people who are changing their careers or who have a great deal of experience that they want to highlight. It is designed to emphasize both skills and relevant experience.

While you are free to choose whichever option you think will work best, we typically recommend the reverse chronological format for most job seekers with any level of experience. 

If you have no work experience, you may be better off relying on the hybrid option. 

Throughout the rest of this post, however, we will focus on helping you learn how to make a resume that uses the most popular formatting option – the reverse chronological format.

4.     Use a solid structure to outline your resume

Fortunately, the reverse chronological resume offers a simple way to organize your resume information to create a solid structure that is easy to follow and scan. That last part is important because very few employers will ever read through your entire resume when it first crosses their desk. Instead, they will scan it, searching for key bits of information that they’re prioritizing for their hiring process.

Knowing that, it’s important to create an outline that provides that scannable structure. To do so, you need to separate different types of resume information into distinct sections. 

Your resume outline should include the following sections:

Contact information

Resume headline

Resume summary

Core competencies or skills

Work experience/Professional experience

Optional sections

We’ll examine each of these important sections as we proceed through the guide, providing examples to help you better understand how to present these details to employers.

5.     List your contact information

Your contact information needs to be placed at the top of your resume. That helps ensure that hiring managers and others can easily find the details they need to know if they want to contact you for an interview or a job offer. 

Include the following information:

Your name . Make sure that it matches the name you use in your cover letter and LinkedIn profile. Also, use both your first and last name, and adjust the font size to a larger font to help it stand out from the rest of your contact information.

Your location . While there is some debate about this, it is still common for job seekers to include their city, state, and zip code in their contact details. Do not list your home address , though.

Phone number . Make sure you include a working phone number that employers can use to reach you. Include all ten digits of the number to ensure that there is no confusion.

Email address . For your email address, try to utilize a professional email rather than a vanity address. For example, you would not want to use an address like [email protected]. Instead, use an address that contains your name and no silly or controversial details. Something like [email protected] would be a far better option.

LinkedIn URL . If you have a LinkedIn account that you use for your professional career, include that URL too. Just make sure you’ve cleaned up your profile and updated it to align with your resume and current career goals.

Website/Portfolio URL . This is an optional contact detail that you may need to include if you have a professional body of work you need employers to see. Website designers, graphic artists, and architects are examples of the type of professionals who often need to rely on their portfolios to demonstrate their skills.

Putting all of that together, your resume contact information section might look something like this:

Tom Thompson

Anytown, Anystate 99999 ∙ 555-555-5555

your email address ∙ Your LinkedIn URL ∙ Portfolio address

6.     Create a dynamic resume headline

If you’re confused about resume headlines, relax – they’re easy to understand. Basically, they’re just a job title with some descriptive language that helps to capture hiring managers’ attention. The headline goes right below your contact details, with the text bolded and centered to give it more prominence on the page.

To create a headline, start with the job title. For example: Marketing Manager. Now add some descriptive language that makes that title more compelling. For example:

Senior Marketing Manager With 10+ Years of Experience in Brand Enhancement

Dynamic Marketing Manager and Digital Marketing Innovator

Strategic Marketing Manager, Focused on Data-Driven Analysis

As you can see, these examples offer more than just a bland recitation of the job title you’re seeking. They provide a more compelling argument for your candidacy while helping solidify your unique professional brand. This can help ensure that you develop a reputation that can contribute to career success and advancement as you provide real results for your employers.

7.     Craft a compelling resume summary

You’ll also need to know how to create a convincing resume summary to serve as your resume’s elevator sales pitch. 

Remember how we mentioned that hiring managers only scan your resume? Well, it’s true. 

And because they don’t read the entire document, you’ll need to work extra hard to make sure that you capture their attention as quickly as possible.

Enter the resume summary. 

This short, three to five-sentence paragraph sits right below your resume headline and acts as a quick introduction to the reader. You’ll want to include a brief description of yourself that emphasizes your experience and most relevant skills, as well as language that shows how you’ve used those skills and character traits to produce measurable results for your previous employers.

You should also include a few keywords from the job description to help guarantee that your resume gets past applicant tracking systems, of course. Just scan the job posting to locate relevant skills, character traits, and other qualifications that the employer is looking for. Those are likely to be ATS keywords you’ll need to have in your resume.

Since this paragraph is designed to serve as a summary of your resume and career, it is usually best to write it after you’ve completed the rest of the document. That can help you to identify key points that you can use in your summary. Regardless of when you write it, though, it always needs to have a prominent place in the top third of your resume.

Here’s an example of what a Marketing Manager resume summary might look like:

Data-driven Marketing Manager with 8+ years of experience crafting and leading high-impact campaigns for more than 200 client companies. Consistently leverage digital campaign expertise to increase client website traffic by an average of 45%, with an 80% boost to customer engagement and 23% average increase in sales funnel activity.  A proven leader focused on creating motivated teams that exceed every expectation.

8.     Highlight your core competencies

Since you’ve already created a list of your core skills, crafting the core competencies or skill section of your resume should be relatively easy. While this is typically one of the smallest sections in any resume, it can also be one of the most effective. After all, this is the one section in which you can include every relevant skill you’ll need to demonstrate your qualifications.

So, let’s start with that list of skills you created. 

You’ll need a total of between 9 and 12 skills for this section, including both hard and soft skills . 

Try to include a balanced mix of each to ensure that employers can see that you not only have the job-related skills needed to fulfill your duties but also possess the key interpersonal skills you’ll need to fit within the company culture.

Hard skills include technical abilities that you’ve learned in school or other formal training venues, while soft skills tend to include traits and abilities that are more difficult to measure. 

For example, consider your ability to analyze data. That is a quantifiable skill that can be easily measured in terms of results. On the other hand, communication or negotiation skills are less tangible and more difficult to measure. Data analysis is thus a hard skill while communication and negotiation abilities are considered soft skills.

As you create your core competencies section, start by reviewing the job description to identify all the skills the employer listed as core qualifications. Then, compare the skills you cull from the job description with the personal skills list you created as you gathered your resume information. 

Fuse the two lists and fine-tune it using language from the job description to create your core competencies list and get past the ATS.

A few things to note here:

This is the first section in your resume that requires a section label. You can label this section Core Competencies or Relevant Skills – or just Skills. It’s up to you.

You’ll want each skill to be listed as a bullet point to help keep them from looking like they’re squished together on the page.

It’s typical to format this section into two or three columns, to help save resume space and create a more appealing presentation.

Make sure that you list the most important skills first and try to group them according to type. For example, if you’re applying for a technical job, list technical skills first, and then your soft interpersonal abilities.

Omit any unnecessary skills that might distract from your more relevant abilities. The goal is to create a compelling list, so quantity is less important than quality.

Here’s an example of what that skill list might look like for our hypothetical Marketing Manager:

CORE COMPETENCIES

Digital Marketing

Strategic Planning

Campaign Budgeting

Project Management

Data Analysis

Brand Management And Enhancement

Team Building

Creative Thinking

Problem Solving

Excellent Communication

Negotiation

Content Management

9.     Document your work experience

If you’ve ever filled out a standard job application, then you already understand the importance of documenting your work experience for a prospective employer. 

Here, you will need to refer to your list of previous jobs and start with your current or most recent position. To begin, start listing every job that you’ve held for the last 10 to 15 years, in reverse order. 

For each of those positions, you should include the following details:

Company name

Company location

Employment dates

Four or five bullet point examples of your most notable and quantifiable achievements

Before we get to examples that show how this section might look on your resume, let’s talk about those bullet point examples for a few minutes. 

While there was a time when job seekers would just list their job duties for every position, that approach rarely works in today’s competitive job market. The reason for that is simple: every employee has duties, regardless of their position. 

Employers are not impressed by a list of your responsibilities; they want to know how you made a positive impact in that role.

By listing measurable achievements that use real numbers to quantify your results, you can demonstrate how you provide value as an employee. That’s one of the easiest ways to prove your capabilities and help any prospective employer quickly understand the type of benefits they can expect if they choose you over rival candidates.

Below is an example of the employment experience section for your imaginary Marketing Manager:

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ABC Marketing – Anytown, Anystate – 2019–Present

Marketing Manager

Successfully created and executed marketing campaigns for 60+ clients, including rebranding strategies, market expansions, and digital engagement, with an average client revenue increase of 22%.

Recruited and trained 3 dozen marketing personnel, boosting company client acquisition by 32% over a 3-year period, with a 95% employee retention rate.

Led negotiations for new vendor contracts, reducing departmental costs by $75,000 per year.

Oversaw digital marketing campaigns that provided $2 million in revenue in 2023.

As you can see, each of these achievement examples highlights the candidate’s various skills, including negotiation, digital marketing, team building, and project management, as well as core leadership abilities that all managers need to possess. Even better, the candidate uses real numbers to demonstrate how those skills helped to add value for his employer.

Adopt this approach to your work experience section by following that same strategy for each of your job role listings. Whenever possible, try to include several skill-based keywords from the job posting in these achievement listings too.

Finally, make sure that you utilize action verbs that demonstrate that you’ve done more than just fulfill your duties in each role. You want employers to see you as a person of action who’s focused on getting results rather than just meeting your responsibilities. 

Avoid boring, meaningless words like “responsible for” or “duties included” and opt instead for action-oriented language like:

Facilitated

Reorganized

Revitalized

Coordinated

Related post : For other great ideas about these types of action words, check out our great post, 101 Power Verbs for Your Resume .

10.   Create an education section

The last required section in your resume is the Education section. This is where you’ll list the degrees you’ve earned that demonstrate you meet the employer’s education requirements for the position. 

Again, refer to the job posting to ensure that you understand what the employer is looking for and make sure that the credentials you list meet those expectations.

This section should include the name of the school you attended and its location, the date you graduated, and your degree. 

Education in progress

You can also include relevant coursework that can help highlight your knowledge base. If you have not yet completed your degree, you can include the anticipated date for graduation. 

The question of whether to include your GPA is a matter of some debate. As a rule, it’s wise to never include it unless you’ve recently finished school – and that GPA is at least 3.5. Of course, some employers may require that information, in which case you’ll need to add it to your resume. In most instances, however, you’ll want to omit it.

Educational awards/honors

Finally, you can include relevant awards or honors if you’re lacking in work experience. If you go that route, make sure that you list the formal award name and include the date that you received it.

So, what does that all look like when you put it together to create a resume section? Let’s return to our Marketing Manager example and see how that resume’s Education section might look:

EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in Marketing Anytown College – Anytown, Anystate – May 2008

Relevant coursework: Advanced Marketing Strategies, Digital Marketing Intelligence, Project Management Insights

11.   Add certifications, training, or license credentials when appropriate

Depending on your chosen career path, you may have certain certifications or licensing requirements for any job you’re seeking. Or perhaps you’ve made a point of continuing to advance your career with continuing education that earned certain certifications. 

If you possess those additional qualifications, and they’re relevant to the position you’re seeking, you may want to include them on your resume.

CERTIFICATIONS / LICENSES Google Analytics Certification – Google, June 2023 (Expires June 2024)

As you can see, you’ll want to include the name of the certification and the organization or entity that provided it. Add in the date you earned the certification. In addition, you should include any relevant expiration date. You’ll also notice that we added a title for this optional section, to help keep it separate from the other sections in your resume.

12.   Volunteer work

Volunteer work is an optional section that you may want to include – but only if the skills you used are relevant for the position you’re seeking. If so, then you can add a separate labeled section for this part of the resume. Include the type of work you did, the organization that you worked for, and any measurable achievements. 

For example:

VOLUNTEER WORK Anytown Food Drive – Budget Manager – 2022

Developed a budget plan for a local food drive, creating a donor campaign that yielded $13,000 in donations in 2022.

Managed team of 9 volunteers who executed donor drive campaign.

Developed offline and online marketing strategies to maximize community outreach, achieving 11% success rate for actionable donor contacts.

Alternatively, you can simply list volunteer work in your work experience section. This option is especially useful if your resume has noticeable gaps in your employment and you spent some of that off-time doing volunteer work. It’s a great way to demonstrate that you were still actively sharpening your skills during a period of unemployment.

If you opt to add volunteer work to your professional experience list, be sure to change the title of that section of your resume from “Professional Experience” to “Professional and Volunteer Experience” so that employers understand you’re mixing the two together.

Once your base resume is complete

Once your resume includes all the core sections and any relevant optional sections, you’ll have a base resume that you can use as your template for any resume submissions. 

But your work isn’t done! 

In fact, there are still some steps that you’ll need to complete before you can confidently send your document off to employers. Let’s examine those additional steps now.

Edit and proofread your resume for content, spelling, and grammar

Obviously, you don’t want to send out a resume that’s filled with misspellings, typos, or inaccurate information. To avoid that, you will need to spend some time editing the document for both content and quality. 

Remember this: employers who spot mistakes in resumes are more likely to toss those documents in the trash than spend any real time reading them.

Here’s the problem, though: it’s difficult to proofread your own writing – especially if you try to do it right after you’re done with your initial draft. 

You see, your brain will remember what it wrote, which means that your eyes will likely miss even obvious mistakes since your brain will interpret what you meant to write vs what’s actually there. To avoid that challenge, try to set the document aside for a few days before you begin your edits. You may need to review it several times after that to get it right.

Even then, though, you shouldn’t rely on your own eyes to serve as the final word on proofreading. Instead, have a friend or family member who’s good with words review it too. Print it out and ask them to look for any confusing language, spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, or formatting lapses.

Tailor your resume to each job you seek

Our final step to making a great resume is an ongoing one that you’ll need to revisit with each new job you seek. It involves tailoring your resume to target a specific job role at a specific company. To complete this step, you need to take your base resume and make modifications that specifically target the role you want. 

The following tips can help.

Begin by making a copy of your base resume on the computer. Give it a different name that identifies it for use in a specific job application.

Go through your resume and compare the different sections to the job posting for the position you’re seeking. As you read through the job posting, identify those skill and qualification requirements that we talked about earlier in this guide. Write down those exact terms on a sheet of paper. Those will be keywords that you need to add to your resume.

Review each section of your resume to ensure that your headline, summary, core competencies, work experience, and education section all align with the core qualifications for the position you want.

Remove any irrelevant skills and replace them with those required for the new job.

Make changes to your work experience achievements as needed to ensure that your accomplishments highlight the right skills for the job.

Once you’re done tailoring the resume, go through your proofreading and editing process again to ensure that it’s as perfect as possible.

With a little effort, you can learn how to make a resume that’s sure to impress!

Learning how to make a resume may seem like a tall mountain to climb, but the challenge can be overcome if you know which steps to take. With the right goals, preparation, and attention to detail, you can quickly learn how to make a professional resume that will capture the attention of any prospective employer.

Good luck in your job search!

Wondering whether your resume has what it takes to land you the interviews you need? Get your free resume review from our resume experts today!

 Recommended reading:

30 Resume Summary Examples that Work in 2024

Communication Skills on a Resume (Examples + Tips)

150 Resume Buzzwords to Use and Clichés to Avoid in 2024

Ken Chase, Freelance Writer

During Ken's two decades as a freelance writer, he has covered everything from banking and fintech to business management and the entertainment industry. His true passion, however, has always been focused on helping others achieve their career goals with timely job search and interview advice or the occasional resume consultation. When he's not working, Ken can usually be found adventuring with family and friends or playing fetch with his demanding German Shepherd. Read more resume advice from Ken on  ZipJob’s blog .

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How to Write a Resume for a Banking Job

Last Updated: January 10, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Kent Lee . Kent Lee is a Career and Executive Coach and the Founder of the Perfect Resume, a career development services company based in Phoenix, Arizona. Kent specializes in creating customized resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters, and thank you letters. Kent has over 15 years of career coaching and consulting experience. Previously, he has worked as a Career Consultant for Yahoo and has worked with thousands of clients including Fortune 500 executives from around the world. His work and career advice have been featured in ABC, NBC, CBS, Yahoo, Career Builder, and Monster.com. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 229,530 times.

Stick to standard formatting.

• People reviewing your resume only spend an average of 30 seconds looking it at. If the page is too crowded, they might not see all the important info that you want to highlight.

Put your name and contact information at the top.

• Feel free to give your resume a unique look by selecting a fun font for your name. Just make sure it’s easy to read and looks professional. Stay away from calligraphy-style fonts or cartoony fonts, for example.

Write an executive summary below your contact info.

• An example of an executive summary is: Finance graduate with a strong foundation in economics and investment analysis, as well as practical experience managing assets. Academic experience in international finance, corporate finance, and financial reporting.

Include a section for your education.

• It is not typically necessary to include high school education, unless you are just beginning your career or it was the only degree you received.
• If your college GPA is not as high as you would like, you can include with it your major-specific GPA or with your 3rd and 4th year GPAs. If these are much higher, it shows either that you improved considerably over time or that your general GPA does not adequately convey how adept you are at your specific career.

Add your relevant work experience.

• Include the name of your employer, when you worked for them, and the location of the job. [7] X Research source
• Even if you haven’t worked in finance before, other jobs can still be relevant to working in a bank. For instance, if you were a cashier at a retail store, you handled money and dealt with customers, which is exactly what bank tellers do!

Use active verbs to describe tasks you've performed.

• For example, use active verbs to describe your experience and responsibilities while you worked at a past job.
• You might write something like “Supervised a team of 10 sales reps.” Or, “Managed a portfolio of 7 commercial clients.”

List any other applicable skills.

• Some examples of skills to include are: communication, financial analysis, retirement investing, collaboration, management, and client relations.

Highlight social abilities and salesmanship.

• Working in a bank often requires you to interact with customers all day and make them feel comfortable, as well as sell them services like mortgages and loans.

Emphasize attention to detail and mathematical ability.

• Highlight any academic awards that are suggestive of mathematical ability. If any of your prior jobs required the counting of money or other mathematical skills, describe these in detail.
• List instances in which you followed stringent workplace rules precisely, proofread text, managed large databases, or in any other way reviewed the work of a coworker to verify accuracy.

Spotlight your computer literacy.

• Make sure to list any formal credentials you might have earned for specific software programs.

Show achievements using numbers.

• For instance, in your work experience section, underneath the title of your role, the company, and the location, you might write something like: “Sold an average of $15,000 in software packages per month, generated over $300,000 of revenue during my employment.”

Limit your resume to 1 page.

• There are lots of free 1-page resume templates online and in Microsoft Office that you can use to help you fit all your info on a single page.

Proofread your resume when you finish it.

• For example, be on the lookout for words that are spelled correctly, but are the wrong choice of word, such as “complaint” and “compliant.”
• Get a friend or a family member to give your resume a look as well as they might notice mistakes that you missed.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Kent Lee. Career & Executive Coach. Expert Interview. 2 April 2020.
• ↑ https://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/free-investment-banking-resume-template/
• ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/investopedia/2013/07/31/how-to-write-an-effective-investment-banking-resume/
• ↑ http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financialcareers/10/investment-banking-resume.asp
• ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/banking-cv
• ↑ http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-resumes/
• ↑ https://www.randstadusa.com/jobs/career-resources/resumes/resume-tips-part-10-proofreading-tips/497/

About This Article

To write a resume for a bank teller job, start by putting together your name and contact information, an executive summary, and your education, work experience, and skills. Try to write up your work experience and skills so that they focus on mathematical ability, computer literacy, and attention to detail, since these are critical to being a teller. Additionally, work on conveying good social skills, which are essential when working with the public. Then, use details to support your claims, and provide evidence of your success in these areas. For tips on how to include "hard" skills like computer proficiency in your resume, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Write a College Resume

Last Updated: March 23, 2022

This article was co-authored by Amber Leima . Amber Leima is a Resumé Consultant and the Founding Editor of Best Words Editing. She has two decades of experience helping people and companies express their unique value. Amber is a master at drawing out what matters from your personal story and promoting it to optimal effect, crafting beautifully clear resumés and on-point personal branding supported by thoughtfully-structured interview coaching. She holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in English Literature from the University of Sussex, England. Her clients have been hired by their employers of choice, including Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and PayPal. This article has been viewed 143,237 times.

Education is a critical factor in the pursuit of a great career, and the competition to get into good colleges is fierce. To gain an edge over other high school students, it is a good idea to include a resume with your application, giving admissions officers a solid summary of who you are and what you've accomplished. Follow this guide to help your resume stand out from the rest.

The Purpose

• Most admissions applications lack the space to enter all the details of your accomplishments and activities. A resume will help fill the gaps.

• Font choice will have little impact on your resume, as long as you keep it professional. While a fancy or funny font may seem like it is speaking to your personality, it will cause admissions officers to dismiss it. Stick to business fonts such as Helvetica, Times New Roman, Calibri, etc.

The Content

• Bad example: “I was on the Student Council, and attended the meetings every week. We had a lot of good debates in these meetings. Most of the debates were about how the school should be run.”
• Good example: “Elected to Student Council, led the council in many debates about school policy.”

• Bad example: “Took Student Council notes.”
• Good example: “Managed all Student Council documents and meeting minutes.”

• Bad example: “In charge of several committees, including the Homecoming and Prom committee.”
• Good example: “Chaired the Homecoming and Prom committees.”

• If you have space, you can list some of the AP and college-level course you have taken.

Expert Q&A

• Be prepared to write more than one resume. Each resume should be written specifically for the college to which you are sending it. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/college-resume-templates
• ↑ Amber Leima. Resumé Consultant. Expert Interview. 18 March 2022.
• ↑ https://www.mass.edu/gearup/documents/WritingaResume.pdf
• ↑ https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/high-school-resume

About this article

To write a college resume, start by centering your name, address, email, phone number(s), high school name, date of birth, and date of submission at the top of the resume. Next, create separate sections for Education, Extracurricular Activities, Leadership, Volunteer Work, Sports, Employment, and Internships. Then, fill In each section with your most recent accomplishments and work backwards to older stuff. Try to be detailed but concise, since a resume should only be 1-2 pages long. For tips on writing good content, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Nov 18, 2017

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