Who should use a chronological resume format?
- Anyone who is applying for an executive-level position.
- Job seekers who have 10+ years of experience in the same industry.
- Applicants who want to show off an impressive career progression.
How to Write a Resume in 2024 (Examples & Guide)
Learn how to make a resume that showcases your unique strengths by following this step-by-step writing guide, advice and tips.
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Every job advertisement receives around 250 applications on average, meaning a professional resume is crucial.
If you want to get a callback for an interview, check out this step-by-step guide on how to make a resume that stands out to recruiters and gets you that coveted interview.
Our detailed step-by-step resume guide will include the following:
However, if time is of the essence and you want to apply for a job ASAP, head to our Resume Builder, which writes a personalized and professional resume for you in minutes.
How to make a resume step-by-step
Writing a great resume is the key to impressing hiring managers and getting interviews. Here, we show you how to make a resume for a job that gets noticed!
STEP 1
Choose the right resume format
Choosing the right resume format and how you organize your information is just as crucial as what you include in a resume.
Here’s how to choose the best resume format for you:
Chronological resume format
Functional resume format
Who should use a functional resume format?
- Job seekers who have little to no work experience.
- Applicants who want to emphasize skills and education over work history.
- Those with gaps in their employment history.
Combination resume format
Who should use a combination resume format?
- Applicants who want to give equal focus to their skills and experience.
- Job seekers who have five to eight years of experience.
- Those changing careers, applying for a promotion or returning to the workforce after a break.
PRO TIP
Although the chronological resume is the most popular, it’s not ideal for every job seeker. Opt for the functional or combination formats if you have less than 10 years of experience.
STEP 2
Add your contact information
Employers must know how to contact you, especially if you’ve secured an interview.
Share your essential contact information in the header section of your resume.
Contact information you should include:
- Name: Include your first and last name.
- Phone number: The best option is your cellphone number so recruiters can reach you easily.
- Email: Make sure it’s appropriate, simple and free of nicknames. Unprofessional email addresses comprise 35% of the most common resume mistakes — which we discuss further down the page.
- Location: Share the city and state where you reside.
- Social media accounts: A link to your professional social media account, like LinkedIn or portfolio, if you have them.
STEP 3
Include a resume headline for extra impact
A resume headline is an optional section that states your most attention-grabbing qualifications and your intentions as a job seeker.
This section should be high in your resume, ideally between the contact information and resume summary.
Check out these examples of resume headlines to get a better idea of what to include in one:
Administrative assistant resume headline
Efficient Administrative Assistant with Exceptional Organizational Skills and Project Management Certification
Teacher resume headline
3x Award-Winning Educator with MS in Educational Leadership Recognized for Empowering Diverse Student Populations
Licensed practical nurse resume headline
LPN with 11+ Years of Experience in Patient-Centric Care and Proven Clinical Excellence
STEP 4
Write a strong resume summary or objective statement
Recruiters spend around 7 seconds scanning your resume, so include a brief but impactful opening statement. It should only be a few sentences long and show employers your resume matches the role.
You can opt for a resume summary or a resume objective. But what’s the difference between them, and which should you use?
What is a resume summary?
The resume summary, also called a summary statement or professional summary, is the recommended approach because it concisely summarizes characteristics that make you ideal for a specific job.
Your resume summary should include some of your most job-relevant skills and feature at least one career achievement. Include keywords from the job description and use action verbs; avoid phrases with “I” or “my” pronouns.
Formula to write a resume summary:
[Soft skills to describe you as a professional] + [job title and years of experience] in [area of expertise as stated in the job description]. Adept at [two or three of your best, job-relevant hard skills]. [One impressive career accomplishment and any other skills or qualifications.]
Resume summary examples
Graphic designer resume summary:
“Creative graphic designer with seven years of experience creating brand identities for over 15 clients. Experienced in creating logo typography and color palettes using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and After Effects. Created augmented reality (AR) graphics for a mobile smartphone game application which reached an audience of 2 million people.”
Accountant resume summary:
“Diligent Accountant with three years of experience working in the public and private sectors. Adept at creating detailed financial reports and establishing and maintaining budgets. Provided strategic financial planning consultations to corporate clients like Unilever and Walmart.”
In need of a stronger resume summary? Have our Resume Builder suggest a resume summary for your desired role.
What is a resume objective?
The resume objective, or career objective, communicates your goals for a job and the skills and education you have to achieve them. This statement is ideal for less experienced candidates, such as students and those relocating or changing careers.
This paragraph should contain two or three sentences mentioning job-relevant qualifications and skills that compensate for your lack of formal experience.
Formula to write a resume objective:
[Your profession] + [education or experience and top skills] seeking [desired job and company] to [your goals] with [professional skills and knowledge required in job description]. [Mention two or three soft skills and any additional qualifications].
Strong resume objective examples
Blogger resume objective:
“Blogger with experience in fashion, beauty and lifestyle writing for personal blogs and digital publications seeking affiliate writer position at Teen Vogue to provide engaging and informative shopping advice with excellent copywriting, research and trends analysis. Possess social media management skills and basic graphic design abilities.”
Physical therapy aide resume objective:
“Physical therapy aide certified by Borough of Manhattan Community College seeking physical therapy assistant job at HD Physical Therapy Clinic to offer my PTA services in recordkeeping, equipment setup and data monetization. Self-motivated, organized and responsible PTA that works with initiative.”
STEP 5
Showcase your work experience
Hiring managers will pay close attention to your work history section, so a big part of your success will lie in your work experience.
Your work history section will include the bulk of your professional achievements.
You must organize this section in reverse chronological order so employers first see your most recent or current job.
When you’re listing each job, include:
- Your job title
- Name of employer or company
- Location of company (city and state)
- Employment dates (month and year)
- Three to five bullet points describing your achievements within the job
We are hiring a dynamic and motivated sales associate for our new location in Altamonte Mall.
You will be responsible for various tasks on the sales floor, cash registers, fitting rooms and stockroom.
Key Responsibilities:
- Deliver outstanding customer service.
- Offer fashion styling assistance and recommendations to customers.
- Replenish the shop floor.
- Organize stockroom and keep inventory of items.
- Process cash and card payments.
- Process, restock, label and tag items delivered to the store.
- Greet customers in a friendly manner and inform them of promotions and store credit cards.
Qualifications:
- Prior retail experience
- Leadership abilities
- Basic math skills
- Computer skills
- Knowledge of POS systems
- Attention to detail
- U.S. work authorization
Once you’ve noted all the keywords in the job ad, pick the ones that accurately describe your professional experience and skill set. Check out how to use the keywords when describing your work history:
Sales associate work history example:
Work History
Sales Associate | Urban Outfitters – Tampa, FL
November 2021 – Current
- Unload, process, restock, label and tag over 300 weekly items.
- Organize stockroom and keep inventory of 2,000+ items, reducing out-of-stock items frequency by 39%.
- Replenish store floor, assist clients in locating items, and organize store floor with great attention to detail.
Cashier | AVO Boutique – Tampa, FL
August 2019 – November 2021
- Operated cash registers and processed cash and card payments for 20+ daily purchases.
- Handled cash flow of over $7,000, ensuring register was balanced. Utilized computer skills to log sales onto spreadsheets for financial reports.
- Utilized Clover and Shopify POS systems and trained new employees to use them.
Sales Associate | The Gap – Tampa, FL
January 2019 – August 2019
- Greeted customers in a friendly manner and informed them of daily promotions and specials.
- Replenished shop floor and located items for over 250 daily clients.
- Offered styling assistance and personalized fashion recommendations to customers in the fitting room and shop floor.
Use strong action verbs
Start sentences with strong action verbs when you begin to write your work history. For example, “Developed new social media strategy” has more impact than “Was responsible for our social accounts.”
Make sure you use different action verbs throughout your work history. If you need inspiration, check out this list:
- Acquired
- Analyzed
- Assembled
- Budgeted
- Boosted
- Collaborated
- Conceptualized
- Conducted
- Delivered
- Debugged
- Designed
- Edited
- Evaluated
- Facilitated
- Financed
- Forecasted
- Generated
- Handled
- Identified
- Implemented
- Increased
- Launched
- Led
- Leveraged
- Managed
- Maximized
- Negotiated
- Outsourced
- Planned
- Prevented
- Prioritized
- Remodeled
- Resolved
- Regained
- Simplified
- Sold
- Staffed
- Transferred
- Undertook
- Updated
STEP 6
Add a resume skills section
Your skills section should include a bulleted list of six to eight skills describing your expertise for the desired role. Add a variety of soft, hard and technical skills that show you’re a well-rounded candidate.
10 hard skills examples
- Copywriting
- Graphic design
- Artificial intelligence (AI)
- Project management
- Cloud computing
- SEO marketing
- Data analysis
- Computer programming
- UX design
- Foreign languages
10 soft skills examples
- Adaptability
- Resolving conflicts
- Active listening
- Time management
- Innovative thinking
- Fostering inclusiveness
- Collaboration
- Stress Management
- Leadership
- Empathy
10 technical skills examples
- Adobe tools
- Programming languages (Java, Python)
- Google Analytics
- Microsoft Excel
- Email marketing tools (Mailchimp)
- Project management tools (Trello, Monday.com)
- Microsoft Teams
- POS systems (Clover, TouchBistro)
- QuickBooks
- CAD engineering software
STEP 7
List your education correctly
Your education section will communicate that you have the academic training to perform your job. Always list your education, even if you don’t have a college degree.
Example elements of an education section:
- Program name: B.A. in Special Needs Education
- Name of the university or institution: Ohio State University
- Location of university or institution: Columbus, OH
- Graduation or attendance dates: Class of 2013; August 2014 – December 2016
Example of a high school student education section:
Lincoln High School
Dallas, TX – June 2019
High School Diploma
GPA 4.0
Example of a GED graduate education section:
General Educational Development Diploma (GED)
San Diego, CA – 08/2019
Tips to make the most of your education section:
- If you hold two or more degrees, list them in reverse-chronological order.
- Only include your GPA if you’ve had a consistently impressive academic record (GPA of 3.5 or more).
- If you have a university degree, omit your high school diploma.
PRO TIP
If your degree is older than five years, consider removing the graduation date to avoid unfair hiring bias from employers determining your age.
STEP 8
Consider including additional resume sections
You don’t have to limit your resume’s content to these sections!
Once you’ve mastered these five main resume sections, you can customize your resume with additional sections. In fact, including these extra resume sections is one of the many easy and quick ways to update your existing resume.
Some examples of additional resume sections are:
Certifications and licenses
Some jobs like nurse, EMT or physical therapist require a license to practice legally.
You can create a separate section to list any licenses or certifications you possess.
Example of licenses on a resume:
- Registered Nurse – License #000000
- Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
- Expires in 2024
Example of certifications on a resume:
- RPR: Registered Professional Reporter
- National Court Reporters Association (NCRA)
- January 2018
Honors and awards
You can add an honors or awards section for any academic or professional recognition you’ve received.
“Honors” relates to academic achievements, whereas “awards” refer to academic and professional accolades.
Example of an honors resume section:
Honors
- Dean’s List (2019 -2021)
- The Regents Scholarship – University System of Maryland (2019-2021)
Example of an awards resume section:
Awards
- Clio Awards (2017)
- Cannes Lions Awards (2022)
Projects
You can add a section in your resume to showcase any large-scale projects you’ve led or participated in your company or even personal side projects.
Example of a projects resume section:
Projects
- Led developers in creating an app that used mapping and market data to provide users with a list of the nearest gas stations with the lowest prices.
- Participated as software engineer in app development project for Microsoft from 2019-2022.
Publications
If you’re a writer or an academic investigator, showcase any publications you’ve written during your career.
For a long list of publications, you might be better off with a curriculum vitae (CV) instead of a resume. If so, we can also show you how to write a CV.
Example of a publications resume section:
Publications
- Zhang, M. (2019) Breathe in: Holistic coping mechanisms in anxious children during COVID-19 pandemic. Holistic Health, 13(3),10-12.
- Zhang, M. (2016) How acupuncture affects children ages 6-12 with ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 17(8), 21-25.
Volunteer work
Sharing volunteer work in your resume is a great way to show you mesh well with a company’s culture and have developed skills to help you professionally. Volunteer work can also be a gread addition to you resume if you’re an inexperienced candidate. You can learn more about this in our article How to Make a Resume With No Experience.
Example of a volunteer work resume section:
Volunteer Work
Digital Marketing Volunteer
Habitat for Humanity-Restore
East Bay/Silicon Valley, CA
02/2022 – 03/2023
Languages
Including your fluency in various languages in your resume can be an excellent asset for customer service, retail and health care positions.
Writing this section is as straightforward as listing the languages you can speak. However, you can add extra information, such as your fluency level.
Example of a languages resume section:
Languages
English: Fluent
Spanish: Native language
Portuguese: Conversational
Internships
Including a section for internships is a great addition to your resume if you’re a new job seeker just starting your career.
Example of an internships resume section:
Internship
Full-stack Developer Intern | Onyx, Miami, FL
01/2023 – Current
- Implemented RESTful APIs and integrated front-end components with Node.js and Express.js.
- Developed responsive user interfaces using React and contributed to performance optimization.
Software Testing Intern | DEF Software Solutions, Miami, FL
08/2022 – 11/2022t
- Conducted comprehensive testing of desktop applications and documented test cases.
- Assisted in automating test cases with Selenium and gained experience in Agile testing methodologies.
PRO TIP
Include additional sections if they showcase relevant skills and experience for your desired job. Don’t overstuff your resume and extend it beyond two pages with information that won’t benefit recruiters.
STEP 9
Proofread your resume and fact-check the details
Double-check information like dates and the spelling of company or school names, and ensure your contact information is accurate and current.
It won’t matter if you’re the most qualified candidate in the world if your resume contains spelling and grammatical errors.
Check each of your resume sections for typos and formatting errors. Read the page from top to bottom, run it through an online spell-checker like Grammarly or have a copyeditor friend review it before deeming it ready for recruiters.
PRO TIP
Take advantage of our Resume Builder which has a built-in spell-checker that revises your grammar and syntax as you write.
Resume formatting tips
- Your resume should be one page long. You can include a second page to fit all your work experience if your career exceeds 10 years. The standard rule is one page every 10 years of your career, but try to keep it to a maximum of two pages.
- Pick a font size between 11 and 12. Your section titles can be between 14 and 16 points in size.
- Refrain from using eccentric fonts. Stick to fonts like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman and Georgia.
- Resume margins should be 1 inch on all sides. This allows for a balance between text and white space, making the document easy on the eyes.
- The line spacing should range between 1 and 1.15 inches to fit all your text without looking cramped.
- The ideal file format for your resume is PDF. PDF is the most accessible file format for all computer systems and can be opened by virtually anyone. Also, identify your name in the document’s file name. For example, “tom_jones_resume.pdf.”
- Use a professional resume template: A resume template that comes pre-formatted with all these guidelines will make your life easier when applying for jobs. Find dozens of recruiter-approved designs on our resume templates library.
Great resume examples by job title
Now that you’ve learned each step of the resume writing process, the result should be a perfect resume.
Check out these resume examples for various jobs and career scenarios to help you visualize how yours should look.
Write a cover letter that complements your resume
Write a cover letter that complements your resume
A cover letter helps you sell yourself to the employer by providing more context to the career accomplishments showcased in your resume.
We already covered how important it is to tailor your resume for every job application to increase your chances of getting hired.
The same goes for the cover letter, another document you should continually customize to show different employers how you can fulfill the role’s specific demands.
Don’t know how to make a cover letter for a resume? Our Cover Letter Builder writes full-page letters according to your desired job, matches your working style, and accounts for any gaps in your work history in mere minutes.
Key takeaways
Let’s review the major steps for how to write a resume and the most important tips for a successful job hunt:
- When writing your resume, pick a resume format that works for your experience level and will spotlight your unique strengths.
- Always ensure your resume has the five main sections: contact information, professional summary or objective, work history, skills and education.
- Introduce yourself to employers with a resume profile that shares your most relevant qualifications for your desired role.
- When writing your work experience section, focus on accomplishments instead of responsibilities. Quantifying your accomplishments is a great attention-grabber.
- List your education with the necessary details like the name of your degree and the school or university. As a general rule, leave out your graduation date to prevent hiring bias.
- Double-check your resume for any grammatical errors and inconsistencies.
- Tailor your resume to the job description, and consider having different resumes for each job application, depending on how diverse the roles are.
- Use a resume maker like our Resume Builder to simplify and speed up the writing process.
- If you want more personalized resume help, consult a professional resume writer by requesting our resume writing services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a resume for a first job?
When writing a resume for your first job, choose a functional or combination resume format which focus on your skill set instead of work history. Boost your education section by adding honors or relevant coursework, and include additional sections like Certifications or Projects to compensate for a minimal work experience.
How do I write a resume to pass an applicant tracking system (ATS)?
Here are the most important tips for writing an ATS-compliant resume:
- Ensure your resume has impeccable and simple formatting.
- Incorporate keywords from the job ad. The ATS will be looking out for these.
- Fix every grammar mistake before you submit your resume.
How much work experience should I include in my resume?
You should aim to include all the relevant work experience in your resume since there’s not exactly a limit. The general rule is to have one page for every ten years of experience. You can leave out any early jobs that don’t relate to your career.
How to write a functional skills section?
When you’re writing a functional resume, the skills section becomes the place where you’ll share details about your career achievements. You will pick three core skills and for each one you’ll share a few bullet points describing achievements that pertain to that specific skill.
How do I write a summary of qualifications?
The summary of qualifications is an additional section that’s exclusive to functional or combination resumes. This section goes underneath your career objective and consists of a bulleted list of phrases describing relevant skills within the context of your target role. You can learn more in our combination resume format guide.
How do I make a resume for free?
You can easily make a resume for free by following the advice on this comprehensive resume-writing guide. If you’re in need of a free resume template, you can find a few on our resume templates library.
How do I make a resume on Google Docs?
Google Docs offers an easy and free way to make a resume. With a Gmail account, you may access GDrive and GDocs, where you’ll be able to choose from a library of resume templates you can fill out. For more details check out our Google Docs resume templates page.
What is a resume?
A resume is the standard and most popular job application document in the U.S. It consists of a summary of your academic background, work experience and professional qualifications.
More resources for writing your resume
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