resume building tips 2022

20 Best Resume Writing Tips and Tricks 2022 (with Free Checklist)

Knowing the best ways to write a resume with efficiency and legibility goes a long way. These simple tips and tricks can be the driving factor towards successfully landing a job interview.

Competition in the job market is tougher than ever.

Having the proper skills and know-how for crafting the ideal resume will give you a leg up on the competition.

In this article, we’ve listed 20 resume tips with helpful insights, tricks, and advice for putting together an effective resume that stands out to employers.

Here they are at a glance.

• Keep your resume specific
• Use bullet points
• Have a professional email address
• Include both hard and soft skills
• Tailor your resume to the job description
• Choose a simple and readable font
• Make sure it's always relevant
• Include achievements when appropriate
• Use an active voice
• Use a two-column layout
• Provide quantifiable descriptions
• Always tailor your resume to the job
• Double-check contact information
• Make sure you’re using the right resume format
• Know when to provide references
• Use strong action verbs
• Showcase your job promotions
• List relevant education and certifications
• Create your resume with a template
• Review professional resume examples

Keep reading to see recommended examples and usage for each one of these resume tips.

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

Free resume writing checklist

Writing a resume has a lot of different elements that you always need to keep in mind.

However, it might be hard to keep track of it all.

That's why we made this handy checklist that will help you write a more perfect resume .

Feel free to download the resume checklist by right-clicking on the image and clicking Save.

Now you can always have this to refer back to — but let's keep reading to see how start incorporating some of these resume tips.

1. Keep your resume specific

Flowy and intricate writing has a proper time and place…and on your resume is not it. Save it for your memoirs.

When writing out the sections and headings on your resume, it's crucial to keep your wording simple and concise.

Most hiring managers won't read through every single resume they receive. That means, you'll want to keep your resume pretty concise, which makes it easier for recruiters to skim through and find the most important details quickly. 

While you don’t want the language you choose to make your resume sound too boring, the key is to stick to simple sentences with clear explanations. 

For example, when writing job descriptions, be as specific as possible without writing complex sentences. 

☹️ Incorrect: 

• In this position I was responsible for a multitude of important tasks, from training new staff and completing onboarding paperwork to assisting with administrative work and bookkeeping.

The issue with this description is that the sentence is too long and complex, plus it covers too many responsibilities.

To correct this, focus in one particular action or achievement and include the additional achievements in later sentences or bullet points. 

☺️ Correct:

• Trained and on-boarded over 30+ employees on company policy and conduct-code. • Assisted with handling administrative work and bookkeeping every quarter.

See? That's much easier to parse now.

2. Use bullet points

Bullet points go hand-in-hand with being specific.

Plus, they give your resume a clean and organized appearance that is much easier to read through quickly.

Remember, the goal is to get the recruiters attention.

You want to make it easy as possible for someone to read your resume.

Using bullet points is mostly recommended when listing out your work experience history.

To do that, summarize your main responsibilities and achievements at the job in a bulleted list. 

For example, rather than writing a job description as one long paragraph, break it up into specific bullet points that focus on your biggest or most relevant accomplishments.

Shift Lead, Mellow Mushroom January 01, 2018 – June 30, 2020 As the shift lead at this restaurant, I was responsible for opening and closing the restaurant, end-of-the-night bookkeeping, and customer complaint resolutions. 

Shift Lead, Mellow Mushroom January 01, 2018 – June 30, 2020 • Led the opening and closing crews through essential morning and nighttime tasks • Completed end-of-shift bookkeeping and created daily sales reports • Resolved customer complaints with efficiency and professionalism 

Notice how this is much easier to read.

3. Have a professional email address

All of us at one time or another have had a funky email address with some random combination of words, nicknames, and numbers.

But we're no longer teenagers. It's time for a more professional approach.

If your email falls into the category of silliness, it could be off-putting to potential employers.

When including contact information on your resume, ditch the childhood or university email address in exchange for a more professional one.

We'd also recommend using Gmail if you can. It's the most widely used email address .

How to create a professional email address?

When creating a professional email address, generally you will want to avoid numbers. This makes it harder to distinguish and remember.

Instead, try including your name if possible (or initials). Another option is to include keywords having to do with your work, which is great if your name is unavailable.

For instance, let’s say a man named Patrick Smith is applying for a writing position. Here are examples of good and bad email addresses he could use on his resume:

☹️ Incorrect (feels too playful):

[email protected] 

☹️ Also incorrect (not personalized):

[email protected] 

☺️ Correct (using a name):

[email protected]

☺️ Also correct (incorporating a job function):

[email protected] 

The correct examples present you with much more maturity and professionalism.

See the following resume example of a 3D animator , notice how simple and professional the email looks:

‍ 4. Include both hard and soft skills

For those unfamiliar, hard skills are skills that are teachable and quantifiable, while soft skills have more to do with personality traits and people skills. 

It is important to show both hard and soft skills on a resume . Keep in mind that because hard skills are easily quantifiable, they can be written plainly.

Comparatively for soft skills, such as communication, will need to be shown through other means, such as highlighting changes to a teamwork dynamic you initiated. 

Examples of Hard Skills:

• Computer Programming
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Microsoft Office
• Google Suite
• Math Skills
• Copywriting
• CRM Software
• Lead Generation

Examples of Soft Skills:

• Communication
• Time Management
• Detail-Oriented
• Presentation Skills
• Network Skills
• Organization
• Decision-Making
• Adaptability

If you need more help in this section, we've listed over 100+ skills for you to choose from.

5. Tailor your resume to the job description

Job descriptions actually contain a good amount of information that can be useful to you when crafting your resume.

Within a job description will be keywords that reflect the company’s values and the characteristics they are looking for in a candidate. 

Locating those keywords and finding ways to repeat them in your resume is a good way to show hiring managers that you are attentive to detail and took note of what they were specifically looking for.

This also greatly increases your chances of passing an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) screening.

Quick Tip: When searching for keywords within job descriptions, a good place to start looking is in the section that details what the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate.  For instance, if a job description states they are looking for a “natural leader,” proof of your leadership skills and experience would be smart to include.

Curious for more insights on this topic? Take a look at our article on how to tailor your resume to job descriptions .

6. Choose a simple and readable font

Nowadays, there are so many fonts to choose. It's almost too easy (and risky!) for candidates to go a little wild with their font selections.

However, choosing an inappropriate font can actually kill your chances of receiving a callback or invite to an interview. Not fun anymore is it?

The font you use on your resume should be simple and easy to read. Avoid using any intricate embellishments or unusual design elements.

Additionally, the font you select should be kept consistent throughout so don't use a variety of fonts for a single resume. 

The exception to the rule is your resume heading. You can try using a louder heading font to draw attention to your name and summary.

5 good fonts to use on a resume:

• Times New Roman

Types of fonts to avoid on a resume:

• Cursive fonts
• Large, chunky texts that fill up a lot of space
• Fonts with symbols or images

We wrote up a well-detailed guide on choosing readable fonts that you can read here .

7. Make sure it's always relevant

Whether you’re writing about your work experience, education, or any other section, you have to prioritize relevancy . 

For instance, if you are applying for a job as a paramedic , you would want to place greater emphasis on relevant experiences such as prior jobs as a "first responder" or other medically-related positions.

However, don't try to list your work experience out of chronological order too drastically — it can risk making your resume too long. See our guide on how long your resume length should be , but in summary, try to keep it to a single page with only relevant information.

How can we make your resume more relevant?

Let's say you were applying to an HR Manager job that lists in the description that it is " looking for someone with administrative and computer skills ".

You have two prior job experiences that you held simultaneously – 1)  office manager and 2) server .

You wouldn't want to write a summary about your serving experience.

Those skills are not really transferable nor directly relevant to the job being applied to.

Instead, focusing your resume summary and skills as an office manager is much more effective, since those skills are more relevant to the position. 

However, if you have other experiences that are somewhat more relevant, then it would be best to list those instead and leave your server position out entirely.

8. Include achievements when appropriate 

When submitting a resume to a hiring manager, remember that they'll potentially be receiving hundreds of resumes that may all look and sound similar. 

How are you going to stand out from the crowd?

One effective way is to show achievements in your work history.

Including achievements or accomplishments on your resume is a great way to show not only that you have relevant work experience, but that you also have the talent and potential for growth in that specific field. 

Quick tip: When including achievements on your resume, try to first include them under the specific job descriptions within your work experience before making a dedicated accomplishments section. This will make your work experience section more compelling and attention-grabbing. 

To learn more about how to show accomplishments on your resume, check out our guide on listing achievements.

9. Use an active voice

An "active voice" and "passive voice" are the two main types of perspectives you can write in that affect the tone of your work.

When you write a resume, you should use the active voice. It's more commanding and ultimately ends up helping you focus on your talents and accomplishments.

Here is an example of the same statement on a resume written in passive voice vs. active voice:

• Passive Voice: The company’s revenue grew by 40 percent over time through my efforts.
• Active Active: Increased company revenue by 40 percent.

You can pair your active voice with strong action verbs to make for a more impactful statement.

10. Use a two-column layout

Making your resume eye-catching is crucial.

But not only should it be attention-grabbing, it should also contain elements that make it appear more visually organized and easy to read through quickly.

A hiring manager should be able to effortlessly find the information they are looking for without spending too much time on it.

Two column-layouts are great for this because you get to see more at a glance.

Take a look at this two-column resume example for a security guard , you're able to see work experience, resume summary, skill, education and hobbies effectively at a glance.

‍ 11. Provide quantifiable descriptions

When listing out objectives that you accomplished in previous jobs, being specific is highly important as mentioned earlier.

Most hiring managers don’t want to be told what you are capable of doing. They want to be shown examples of that through numbers or statistics. 

Whenever possible, use exact numbers (25,00,000), percents (24%), monetary values ($5,214) and other quantities to describe your achievements within a previous job. 

How can you quantify your experience?

First, you'll want to know how much you've helped improve certain initiatives. But, what are some ways you can find that out?

Let's say you helped to reduce operational costs at a company.

You can ask questions like:

• How much we did we decrease _______ from [x%]?
• How much we did we increase _______ from [x%]?
• How much time we did we save doing ______?
• How much money did we spend acquiring ______?

Once you find that out, here's what it looks like when actually quantifying those operational reductions:

‍ Decreased operational costs while serving in this position.

☺️ Correct: ‍

Decreased operational costs by 15 percent by adopting and implementing a new point-of-sales system.

That feels a lot better.

We wrote up a guide on listing your work experience to write the most effective job descriptions .

12. Always tailor your resume to the job

Like we mentioned above, a hiring manager is going to to be looking through A LOT of resumes.

This might mean they'll see many of the same, cookie-cutter formatted documents that contain basically the same information.

You can stand out by taking the extra time to edit your resume to be tailored specifically for the job your are applying to.

You can do this by using similar keywords from the job descriptions on your resume.

Hiring managers are likely to take notice of this since it'll feel way more relevant to the role.

Need to know more about how to tailor a resume for a specific job? See our 4-step guide on tailoring your resume to any job.

13. Double-check contact information

There’s nothing that will ruin your chances of landing a job or interview more than providing incorrect contact information. Like an e-mail address typo or incorrect phone-number.

Proof-reading your resume is a crucial step that can be easy to skip. But it might save the day if there's any critical errors on your resume.

Quick Tip: After double-checking your personal contact information, it's also a good idea to check the rest of your resume for any grammatical errors. Online tools like Grammarly can be very helpful for finding and correcting mistakes you may have missed!

14. Make sure you’re using the right resume format

Most job applicants use the standard resume format, also known as reverse-chronological format.

‍ It's the most common and often what recruiters expect to see.

However, there are actually additional formats that serve different purposes.

For instance, a standard resume may not be best suited for someone with large employment gaps, making a different format more preferable.

Knowing what formatting options you have is key to ensuring you are using the right one for your own needs.

Overall, are the 3 main resume formats:

1) Reverse-Chronological

This usually the most standard resume format, as it focuses primarily on your work experience. Jobs should be listed with the most recent companies first followed chronologically by other relevant past work experiences.

2) Functional

A functional resume is focused on skills rather than experience. It is a great format for people who are recently graduated with minimal work experience or for those who have large gaps in their employment history.

3) Hybrid (Combination)

For job applicants who may have some work experience but not enough to fill an entire resume, the hybrid format combines elements of both the reverse-chronological and the functional resumes for this very purpose.

There is also a fourth resume format – the Curriculum Vitae, or CV. This is specifically intended as a long-form resume for use by professionals in the fields of academia and science.

Not sure if you’re using the right resume format? Take a look at our guide on choosing the best resume format.

15. Know when to provide references

The general rule-of-thumb is to not provide references unless specially asked to do so .

Most companies have their own hiring methods, but typically reference stages come much later in the process, and way after your resume is reviewed.

So including references ultimately ends up wasting space on your resume that could've been better used for showcasing accomplishments or skills instead.

Quick Tip: If an employer does request references, be sure to know how to format them properly. We recommend creating an entirely separate page dedicated to your references to conserve space on the first page.

16. Use strong action verbs

One of the best ways to ensure you are using an active voice, as mentioned above , in your job descriptions is to utilize action verbs at the start of your sentences. 

Action verbs are also known as dynamic verbs and are used to describe physical or mental actions.

For resume purposes, this can include words like “increased”, “coordinated”, “implemented,” or an array of other verbs that describe an achievement or activity.

For example, let’s say you increased your department’s sales by 25 percent .

You would want to start that description with an action verb in order to place the emphasis on what you specifically accomplished. 

• My department’s sales were increased by 25 percent thanks to my help.

• Increased departmental sales by a 25 percent margin.

Check out our list of 350 action verbs for your resume to brainstorm more action verbs for your own resume. 

‍ 17. Showcase your job promotions

If you worked for a business or company for a long period of time and earned promotions over the course of your employment, this is essential information to provide in a resume. 

Showcasing promotions on your resume lets hiring managers know that you have a strong work ethic and ability for growth that has been previously recognized by former employers. 

When showing promotions on a resume, you should include them within your work experience section.

There are two main ways to list a promotion on a resume:

1) Stacking job promotions

‍ If you held multiple positions in the same company, but the highest position is the most relevant and important, you can stack the different positions within the same job description and describe only the highest and most recent position.

Art Director, Tiny Bee Agency New York, NY • March 2015 – Present ‍ • Promoted to current position of Art Director in 2017.

Art Director, Tiny Bee Agency • June 2017 – Present • New York, NY Associate Art Director , Tiny Bee Agency • March 2015 – 2017 • New York, NY

2) Separate Entries

If you held multiple positions that involved different responsibilities and demonstrate multiple talents, it can be beneficial to separate these positions into individual entries. 

Art Director and Marketing Manager, Tiny Bee Agency New York, NY• March 2015 – Present

Art Director, Tiny Bee Agency New York, NY • June 2017 – Present • Description • Description • Description ‍ Marketing Manager , Tiny Bee Agency New York, NY • March 2015 – 2017 • Description • Description • Description

18. List relevant education and certifications

Education and certifications shows hiring managers your academic credentials that you earned through degree programs, trade school, or other types of training. 

Your resume should always have a short and concise education section that summarizes your academic background and degrees.

Here's the information you should include within the education section of your resume :

• The name of the school — "e.g. Georgia Institute of Technology"
• The location of the school
• Your degree ( high-school diploma, GED, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, etc. )
• Graduation year ( if applicable )
• Major field or department of study (if applicable )
• Minor field or department of study (if applicable and relevant )
• GPA ( If you're a student or graduates who held lower GPAs, this bit of information may be good to omit unless specifically requested by the employer )

As for certifications, these should only be included if they are relevant to the job.

Depending on how many relevant certifications you have, you can choose whether or not you have enough for their own dedicated section on your resume. See our guide on listing certifications correctly on your resume .

19. Create your resume with a template

If you're new to creating resumes or not quite sure how to structure your existing resume to be more effective, using an online template is a great way to ensure your resume looks good and contains all the required details.

Check out our own resume templates available for editing and download here on Easy Resume.

You can choose from the following types of templates that we have available:

• CV Templates
• Downloadable Resume Templates
• Printable Resume Templates
• PDF Resume Templates
• ATS-Friendly Resume Templates
• One-Column Resume Templates
• Two-Column Resume Templates
• Fresher Resume Templates
• Executive Resume Templates
• Academic Resume Templates
• Clean Resume Templates
• Basic Resume Templates
• Photo Resume Templates
• Unique Resume Templates
• Traditional Resume Templates
• Elegant Resume Templates
• Reverse Chronological Resume Templates
• Combination Resume Templates
• Functional Resume Templates
• One Page Resume Templates
• Minimalist Resume Templates
• Simple Resume Templates
• Modern Resume Templates
• Creative Resume Templates
• Professional Resume Templates

20. Review professional resume examples

Resumes will differ depending on what field or industry the job being applied to resides in. Taking the time to review examples of resumes made by professionals within your own industry or niche is essential for figuring out how to tailor your resume and make it stand out to the hiring manager. 

Here at Easy Resume, we offer a variety of free resume samples to look through.

From 3D animators and accountants to civil engineers and content writers – we’ve got you covered.

Take a look at a few of our resume examples:

• Chef Resume Example
• Barista Resume Example
• Graphic Designer Resume Example
• Mechanical Engineer Resume Example
• Medical Assistant Resume Example
• Account Manager Resume Example
• Software Engineer Resume Example
• IT Specialist Resume Example
• Elementary School Teacher Resume Example
• Marketing Manager Resume Example
• Physician Assistant Resume Example
• Clinic Coordinator Resume Example
• Office Manager Resume Example
• Financial Advisor Resume Example
• Event Planner Resume Example

Final takeaways 

Your resume can be your golden ticket that gets your foot in the door at the job of your dreams. Using the tips discussed here will greatly help you in optimizing your document to be noticed by more hiring managers and land you a spot in the crucial interview process.

Our main takeaways for you are as follows:

• Always be mindful of the relevancy of the information you are sharing.
• Use conciseness and structural elements, such as bullet points and headings, to give your resume visual organization and an easy-to-read flow.
• Always double-check your resume to confirm you have provided the right information.
• Active voice and action verbs will make your resume read with more confidence

Get to writing your perfect resume today, and don’t be shy of checking out our free resources for a bit of help along the way!

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

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

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How to Write Your Resume in Reverse-Chronological Order

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How to Write a Resume That Stands Out

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TOP 8 Tips on How to Write a Resume in 2022

• Career Advice
• Industry Insights

Posted On 03 Dec 2021

Resume writing is far from a static or two-dimensional practice. In fact, like a true art form, it evolves with the times, so trends may work in the past may no longer be effective in today’s job market environment. If your resume fails to keep up with the times, you could soon find your application filed away in favor of another candidate. If you want to get hired quickly next year, here are eight “worth it” tips on how to write a resume in 2022.

1. Include a LinkedIn profile

Potential employers will want to know more about you beyond your resume. Make the research easier for them by including a link to your LinkedIn profile in your resume. As the social media platform of choice for professionals, LinkedIn has become an essential component in how to write a resume. By linking your LinkedIn account, you allow interested recruiters to learn more about you and make it easier to confirm that you are a good fit for the company. So make sure your LinkedIn profile is polished and professional, then attach a working link to your resume heading.

2. Write a compelling summary

Yes, you’re supposed to showcase your accomplishments in your resume summary, but you don’t want to sound too arrogant, otherwise, your resume will only serve to annoy rather than impress. It’s all about mastering how to ‘humblebrag’, a method of how to write a resume wherein you communicate your achievements in a confident instead of a conceited manner.

3. How to write an objective for a resume

Writing a summary objective is one of the most challenging aspects of resume writing. To make your summary compelling, it has to provide three key pieces of information:

• The challenges you resolved

• The skills you used

• The results you achieved

Focus on answering these before you start developing your resume summary objective. If you find it difficult how to write an objective for your resume relating to your qualifications and achievements, an expert resume writer like the ones we have here at Resumeble can help you develop the right words to say this coming 2022.

4. Quantify your achievements

One effective way to humblebrag is to let numbers do the talking for you. Good numbers immediately tell potential employers how effective you’ve been at your previous roles and responsibilities. Use percentages, statistics, and ratios to help them understand your work performance better. For instance, instead of simply saying that you “managed a team,” you can say something like “led a team of five in planning and executing skills monthly training seminars that boosted employee retention by 45 percent and profits by 25 percent.”

Here are further examples of how to quantify your achievements this 2022.

• Developed and launched a Mathematics curriculum that resulted in a 92 percent passing rate for students, while helping them achieve a 4.5 average on AP testing.

• Oversaw five-man HR staff responsible for upholding the relationships, retention and production of 450 employees.

• Introduced innovative policies that yielded a 20 percent year-on-year profitability improvement for the company.

5. Make it two pages long

Though the one-page resume is still the widely accepted format, more and more recruiters and hiring managers are preferring application papers to be two pages long , with a prominent career expert calling it “the new norm.” Not only that, recruiters today are more inclined to read resumes that are two pages in length, study showed.

Especially if you have plenty of relevant work experience, a two-page resume should provide you with enough space to expound on your skills and experience and provide concrete, quantifiable examples. Of course, not everyone will benefit from a two-page resume—recent graduates, those with lengthy employment gaps, and career changers will still be better off limiting their resume to just one page.

6. Use modern font and formatting

Are you still using the Times New Roman font for your resume? You could very well be killing your chances of getting interviewed or hired. This 2022, using modern fonts and formatting not only gives your application a youthful vibe, it also tells the reader that you are excited about your career. Some of the best modern fonts to use on your resume include Avenir, Garamond, Avant Garde, and of course, Calibri.

With regards to format, the safe bet is to list your work experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with your latest job role. Try to strike a good balance between print and white space to give your resume a neat and orderly appearance, and practice proper use of sections to effectively sort out details and information.

7. Use similar keywords as the job posting

Now more than ever, it’s important to write prominent words and phrases in your resume exactly as they appear in the job posting. Today’s businesses are increasingly relying on automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) to shortlist resume applications, which rely mainly on keywords. Unless these systems detect specific terms in your resume, they will think that you don’t have the qualifications sought after by the company, and your application will end up getting rejected.

To avoid this particular problem on how to write a resume, comb over the job posting thoroughly for important keywords, and use them “as is” in your resume. Of course, you shouldn’t include skills and experience that you don’t have. Ultimately, you want every piece of info to be honest and accurate as possible.

8. Tailor for the job

Sending out a generic resume will only hurt your chances of getting hired. You need to make sure your resume is customized solely for the job and company you’re applying to. And once again, to customize your resume successfully, you’ll have to thoroughly research the job requirements, making sure to only include information that is relevant to the job in question. Additionally, make an effort to use words that clearly describe and define your expertise, qualifications, and skills. This will help get your resume over the hurdle of getting shortlisted as the HR people assess the value of your resume.

Want more resume writing tips for next year?

As a leading professional resume writing service, Resumeble has plenty of other articles and blog posts filled with tips to make your application stand out in 2022. Feel free to browse through our website for more articles relating to resume writing tips including how to write references on a resume, how to write skills on a resume, how to write a resume summary, how to write an objective for a resume, and more.

Better yet, you can have us write your resume 2022 for you. Just send us your current resume for a free, no obligation evaluation and let’s get you started on your way to getting landing your dream job next year.

• 7 seconds: this is how long your resume has either to impress or be ignored by the recruiter 
• 300+: average number of applications one corporate job opening posted online receives 
• 3%: number of sent resumes that result in interviews 

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

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

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

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

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

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

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

….and more!

So, let’s dive right in.

How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

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

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

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

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

#1. Pick the Right Resume Format

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

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

Start by choosing the right resume format.

There are three types of resume formats out there:

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

So, which one should you go for?

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

Fix Your Resume’s Layout

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

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

Here are some of the best practices you should apply:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#2. Add Your Contact Information

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

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

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

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

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

Must-Have Information

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

Optional Information

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is where the resume headline comes in.

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

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

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

Resume Summary

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

Here’s what your resume summary should include:

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

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

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

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

Resume Objective

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

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

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

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

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

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

#4. Prioritize Your Work Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a real-life example:

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

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

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

Focus on Achievements Whenever Possible

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your day-to-day responsibilities probably include:

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

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

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

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

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

Tailor Your Resume to the Job

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Include the Right Amount of Work Experience

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

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

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

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

Consider Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#5. List Your Education

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

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

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

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

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

Resume Education Tips

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

Just follow these expert tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are a few essential steps you need to follow:

Always List Hard and Soft Skills Separately

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

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

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

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

Methodologies & Tools

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

Soft Skills

• Team Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation

Tailor Your Skills to the Job

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

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

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

Qualifications:

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

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

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

List Hard Skills with Experience Levels

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

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

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

Include Transferable Skills

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

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

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

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

#7. Leverage Optional Resume Sections

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

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

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

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

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

• Intermediate

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

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

Hobbies and Interests

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

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

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

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

Volunteering Experience

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

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

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

Certifications

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

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

Certifications can also show employers how much expertise you have.

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

Awards and Recognitions

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

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

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

Publications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Extracurricular Activities

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

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

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

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

11+ Expert Resume Tips

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

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

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

FREE Resume Checklist

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

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

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

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

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

9 Resume Templates for Different Industries

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

#1. Traditional Resume Template

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

#2. Modern Resume Template

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

#3. Creative Resume Template

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

#4. Minimalistic Resume Template

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

#5. IT Resume Template

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

#6. Tech Resume Template

Good for the tech industry and everything it encompasses.

#7. College Resume Template

Good for college students and recent graduates alike.

#8. General Resume Template

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

#9. Executive Resume Template

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

17+ Resumes for Different Jobs

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

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

#1. Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

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

#2. Data Scientist Resume Example

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

#3. Business Analyst Resume Example

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

#4. Digital Marketing Resume Example

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

#5. Software Engineer Resume Example

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

#6. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

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

#7. Customer Service Resume Example

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

#8. High School Resume Example

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

#9. Student Resume Example

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

#10. Server Resume Example

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

#11. Actor Resume Example

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

#12. Web Developer Resume Example

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

#13. Engineering Resume Example

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

#14. Computer Science Resume Example

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

#15. Architect Resume Example 

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

#17. Remote Job Resume Example

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

#18. Sales Associate Resume Example

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

#19. Receptionist Resume Example

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

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

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

Next Steps After Your Resume

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

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

#1. How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter

The companion piece to every resume is the cover letter.

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

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

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

Just follow this structure:

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

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

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

#2. How to Ace Your Next Interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

FAQs on How to Make a Resume

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#5. What kind of resume do employers prefer?

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

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

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

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

You should only include relevant job positions on your resume.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#9. Is a resume a CV?

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

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

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

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

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

#10. Should I write my own resume?

Yes, you should always write your own resume.

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

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

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

#11. Can a resume be two pages?

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

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

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

#12. Is a simple resume okay?

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

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

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

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

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30 Resume Tips And Advice For 2024 [With Expert Insights]

In This Guide:

Resume writing tips

Tips on resume formatting

Tips on how to design a resume that gets noticed

Tips on research and application

Common mistakes to avoid when crafting your resume

Tips on what a good resume includes

Tips on how to write a resume if don't have much experience

Quick Answer: Follow these 30 resume tips to craft a standout resume. Show passion, be specific about impact, exude confidence, tailor to each job, use a master resume, seek feedback, include social media links, highlight promotions, use power words, explain job gaps, use quantifiable numbers, mention career changes, utilize achievements, use colors strategically, research the company, follow up, and avoid common mistakes.

At the end of every year, we sit down at the Enhancv headquarters, and we analyze our database to come up with the best resume tips. This year is no different. We spent a week or so sifting through data, speaking with resume writing experts, and infusing some Enhancv know-how to craft the 2023s ultimate list of resume tips.

There’s a lot to read, so I’ll keep this intro short. Below you’ll find a list of twenty-six resume writing tips that will get you an interview. We’ll also go through a few important questions like “ Will the video resume take over? ” and “Will the traditional resume finally die?”.

The TLDR answer to both, for now, is definitely “No.”, but recruitment is changing, and so is the traditional resume.

Resume writing tips: Write a resume like a professional.

Writing a great resume is no easy task. You have a lot of work in order to transform a good resume into a great one.

How you write is how recruiters picture you. We’ve gone in-depth on the topic of how to write an impressive resume , but we’re also going a step further with the tips below to ensure your resume stands out .

Tip #1. Show your passion (project).

This tip is for: Job seekers with little or no experience.

Every employer wants you to be passionate about what you do. To grab their attention right from the start of your job search, you need to show a passion for the industry you’d like to join or the job you’re aiming to get. The most effective way we’ve seen this done is by sharing a side-project connected to the position you’re applying for.

Let’s take a look at Louis, for example. Louis used an Enhancv resume to get a job at HotJar .

When he applied for a Content Marketer position at Hotjar, Louis featured his side project on his resume. Having interviewed over 10 of the top marketers on his podcast, he knew this would catch the HotJar team’s attention.

Featuring his passion project was vital to get him an interview. He was as specific as possible, including his results. Louis believes this moved the needle for him.

Every Enhancv resume template supports a specific passion project section that you can use to showcase projects you’ve worked on, but aren’t necessarily related to employment.

Further reading

• Programming projects for resume: tips & examples
• How to list projects on a resume: a concise approach

Tip #2. Be specific and show your impact.

This tip is for: Experienced applicants.

You’ve probably heard this advice before, but “be specific” and “show impact” is pretty vague. What exactly means to “show impact?”

It boils down to ensuring every bullet in your experience section answers this question: “What was the result of my involvement?”.

Doing this ensures your resume will instantly stand out from the rest, particularly those which only list responsibilities.

In addition, instead of 10 bullets per job position, focus on 3-5 but make them count. They should be short, concise, and as specific as possible. You can also use Laszlo Bock’s formula: Accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z .

What does that mean in practice? Here’s Laszlo Block’s (Google’s SVP People Operations) explanation :

Start with an active verb, numerically measure what you accomplished, provide a baseline for comparison, and detail what you did to achieve your goal.

Good example

In 2024, companies want candidates who can have a positive impact on their business. So show them what you can bring to the table. And keep in mind that this can be volunteer work as well.

• How to use volunteer experience to make your resume stand out
• 125 Easy resume action verbs to make your resume better

Tip #3. Be confident.

This tip is for: Everyone.

Your resume is a document that represents not only your areas of expertise but also you as a person. it needs to come across on your resume that you’re proud of who you are and what you’ve achieved. You can do this by keeping your resume consistent, specific, and balancing the professional (experience, education, projects, etc.) with the personal (passions, most proud of, life philosophy).

• Resume sections: everything you need to know
• Perfecting the education section on your resume

Tip #4. Don’t copy-paste the keywords.

Our friends from Fairygodboss (a career blog for women) shared their top resume advice for 2024:

Always tailor your resume! Your generic, send-to-everyone resume won’t land you a competitive job (or even get you in the door for an interview).

Here’s what you can do: Take a highlighter, either physical or digital, and mark each word in your resume that relates to the job you’re applying for. Within the job description, you should find each skill and responsibility and then see if you have something that corresponds to your resume.

While you don’t want to copy and paste all these words in arbitrarily, you do have to demonstrate—with your resume—that you’ve read the job description, have the relevant work experience and history, and have the required skills.

• Resume keywords to land interviews and get hired

Tip #5. Use a master resume to speed up the resume tailoring.

This tip is for: Everyone

Another helpful tip is to create a master resume which has all the relevant skills, job experience and volunteer work listed. A master resume is a general resume template that includes all your work history, volunteer experience , education , and skills . It's basically a generic resume with a record of all the details of your career.

You may find that your master resume is chock-full of information, which is okay because you can pull the most relevant information to create tailored resumes. Job seekers find that using a master resume can actually cut down on the time that it takes to create each resume.

Tip #6. Let someone else review your resume.

It’s never a bad idea to ask someone to look at your resume . Especially if it’s someone who knows you well. Often, they can give you a hand by identifying your strengths and spotting mistakes.

Make your resume with Enhancv make sure to go to the “Share” menu and choose “Get comments from friends” – you can get immediate feedback straight in our resume builder.

Tip #7. Add links to your social media profiles.

Once recruiters receive a resume, many of them go ahead and check your social media accounts, 38% of them to be exact . Why not make it easier for hiring managers and share links to your LinkedIn or Dribble or StackOverflow?

If you share your LinkedIn profile , make sure it’s updated, so it’s in line with your resume. It's in your best interest to update it with a personalized "About Me" section.

You can be a little more personal in your LinkedIn profile, highlighting your key motivations and sharing the challenges you enjoy taking on. You also can write it in the 1st person, rather than the more formal 3rd person, and this helps to share your own unique perspective on your career progression.

Don’t share your personal Instagram or Facebook. Only add those networks if they’re related to your profession. Personal social media accounts aren’t meant for professional use.

Tip #8. Include other relevant links.

Biron from Career Sidekick shared his best advice for creating a resume with us:

Add a link! Most employers and recruiters read resumes digitally, so 2021 is a great time to start adding a link or two.

Putting a link will show them you’re tech-savvy, make your resume stand out at first glance, and increase the time employers spend looking at your background overall.

Here are three ideas of what you can link to:

• A case study showing a before-and-after of a past project. What results did you achieve? How did your past employer benefit from the work you did? Talk about real results, metrics and benefits to that employer, and how you got those results. You can create this as a Google Doc and share the link in your resume “Work History” section underneath your bullet points for that role.
• Create a short, 1-2 minute video explaining why you applied for their job and why you’re a great fit. Walk them through the most relevant pieces of your background and show them that you really took the time to read their job description before applying. You can upload this as an “Unlisted” video on YouTube, so only people you’ve shared the link with can view it.
• Put a link to your online portfolio. If you’re a writer, graphic designer, programmer, or anyone else who could showcase past work in a portfolio, consider creating one and putting a link to it on your resume. If you have a website or blog, you can link to that. If not, you can create a one-page portfolio as a Google Doc for free.

Tip #9. Choose which experience to share wisely.

This tip is for: Mid– to very experienced applicants.

We also reached out to Jon from Jobscan . Here’s what he had to add:

Tailoring your resume to the job description isn’t only about matching keywords and trying to beat applicant tracking systems.

Emphasize the responsibilities and accomplishments within your relevant experience that are most important to the job for which you’re applying, even if they weren’t where you spent most of your time.

For example, let’s say you had a job in which you spent 27 hours per week fulfilling orders and managing inventory for the company’s online store. You spent the other 13 hours providing customer support.

When you apply for a new job as a Customer Service Representative, you don’t need to begin your work experience section with the fulfillment and inventory duties that took up most of your time.

Instead, start with and emphasize your customer support skills and experience because it’s what the employer needs to see in order to qualify you for the role.

Your other relevant experience can still be mentioned, but it doesn’t need to take up 70% of your resume space just because it took up 70% of your week.

Tip #10. Use power words.

Keywords are the nouns–skills, background, experience, achievements—employers look for when filtering candidates.

Power words, on the other hand, are the verbs that emphasize your chosen keywords. Both play a role in helping you win a job.

Weak language like “responsible for” or “accomplished” does your achievements a disservice.

Go for more creative power words that not only emphasize what you did but also tell a story .

Power words to use on your resume

• Implemented

Tip #11. Use a professional email address.

Don’t use the cutesy email you had in high school or college. Use a professional email address instead, with your first and last name as the username.

More tenured applicants should stop using old emails from older providers like Hotmail, Livewire, or AOL.

No one uses a Verizon email address in 2024 – instead stick with Gmail.

Tip #12. Hire a professional resume writer.

Holly from The Work At Home Woman mentioned:

If you’re having trouble crafting your resume, or worse yet, you’re not landing any interviews, it may be time to hire a professional resume writer .

Resume writers are often trained career coaches who write persuasively and can help you eloquently showcase your skills and expertise.

And since they do this for a living, they know all the strategies, resume pointers, and layouts that will make your application stand out.

Resume writers can also help if you’re switching careers, as they know how to spin your current talents into attributes for the new occupation you’re trying to break into. This small investment may help you land your dream job a lot faster.

Get critiques from multiple resume writers first before choosing one. Most offer free critiques, so this is a great way to test if you’ll like how they would approach your application before actually committing to one.

If you don’t want to hire a professional resume writer, we have an amazing resume grader baked into our resume builder .

Tip #13. Keep your resume subheadings simple.

There’s such a thing as being too clever.

Regardless of your chosen resume format or layout, you should always keep your subheadings straight to the point and easy to understand.

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will parse all the text from your resume, often stripping it of its design and fancy formatting.

But… and this is huge but, the ATS will use the subheadings listed to interpret the text underneath it.

Avoid catchy but ATS-confusing subheadings like:

• Qualifications
• Accreditations
• Professional background
• Academic Achievements

Tip #14. Use quantifiable numbers.

Use quantifiable figures to paint a clear picture of your achievements. While this is harder than the other resume tips here, especially if you don’t make it a habit to track your work, it certainly is the most impactful.

This applies not only to job-specific technical skills like sales, programming, or operations, but also in terms of soft skills .

Ways to add quantifiable figures to your resume

• Money or resources saved
• Profit earned
• Labor hours saved
• Sales growth
• Manpower growth

Time and dollar figures, of course, aren’t the only ways to add numbers to your resume. You can also talk numbers in terms of:

• Range: Great way to use numbers if you can’t give an exact figure
• Frequency: Show how often you did something to prove mastery
• Size: Team size, number of app downloads, restaurant size, or basically anything that could show the scale of your success or responsibilities

Tip #15. Explain job gaps.

This tip is for: People with experience.

Maybe you were laid off; maybe you were sick, perhaps you had to take care of your ailing parents. Whatever it is, the important thing is how you present yourself. Your resume is where you control the narrative, so it’s only natural that you control this part of your professional history, too. Don’t let recruiters judge you based on incomplete information. Tell them what happened by including a short note on your resume. There’s no need to dress it up. A one-liner in between job entries, or at the end of a short job in case of furloughs or company closure, is fine.

You could write:

• Company closed
• Layoff due to downsizing
• Maternity leave
• Relocated to a new city

Sure, this isn’t like the many boost-up-your-credentials resume tips listed here. But if you have a job gap, it needs to be addressed.

If you are on furlough due to COVID-19 or have been laid off due to this situation, then make a line item on your resume that says you were placed on furlough or the company closed. Because everyone has been affected by the pandemic, it is okay to mention it on your resume.

Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, Certified Professional Resume Writer

It’s better than waiting and finding out after the recruiter doesn’t call you because of the unexplained job gap in your resume.

Tip #16. Mention career changes in your work history.

This tip is for: Those switching careers

When you're branching out into a new career, be sure to mention your previous work history, while also highlighting that you're jumping headfirst into a new career. By mentioning the career change, you can show hiring managers you're changing careers, rather than just applying to any new position.

U/StageOne 2591 , shares in their Reddit post that they've reviewed over 1000 resumes. They've found that it's better to be upfront with a shift in careers, while highlighting relevant skills related to each career, both the one that you're transitioning out of and the one you're entering. Addressing is your switch in careers is better than leaving it left unexplained. U/StageOne 2591 shares a great example of how to spin a career transition to highlight transferable skills:

“Sales professional with 5 years+ years of experience looking to transition into the position of a front-end web developer. Previous experience developing websites for 3 local business clients.”

This shows that you’re not just applying to random jobs — you’re ACTUALLY trying to transition into a new field.

• How to write a career change resume

Tip #17. Recent graduates should use their accolades in school.

This tip is for: Students or recent graduates

Many job seekers who are fresh out of college struggle to fill their resume, as they don't have a ton of experience in their field. If that's you, then you can share additional relevant information about the awards and accolades that you picked up throughout your college career in your educational background section.

Receiving honors in your degree or a Summa Cum Laude distinction may set you apart from other job applicants. This is especially true if you're applying for an internship or other entry-level position. You may also choose to highlight other skills, including the ability to speak a foreign language.

Tip #18. Include promotions in your resume if you’re applying for an internal position.

This tip is for: experienced professionals

If you're applying for a new position within your company with a new hiring manager, you should share promotions you received while working for said company. You can share this helpful bit of information when you list your responsibilities, highlighting how you've received additional duties while you advanced within the company.

Tip #19. Make sure you properly write each job description in your experience section.

For the most part, the experience section on a resume takes up most of your application. That’s prime real estate. Unfortunately, most applicants waste it by describing their day-to-day activities, while they can make it much more impactful. The secret is to highlight achievements rather than job duties. We already mentioned the importance of talking numbers, so if you skimmed the article so far, jump back to Tip #14. Use quantifiable numbers .

Resume building tips: how to format a resume

While how you write your resume is important, you want the hiring managers actually to read your resume to the very end.

That’s why we’ve packed some resume best practices on formatting that will make sure your resume gets read.

• The best resume formats you need to consider (5+ examples included)

Tip #20. Make every section count.

Having onely one page to fit your whole professional career is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you have extensive professional experience. For this reason, make sure you include only relevant information and sections that will increase the value of your resume.

You can also achieve this by leaving some of your experience out, especially anything which isn’t relevant to the job or company you’re applying for. (Like that waitressing job you did in college.)

Tip #21. Use a reverse chronological format.

This tip is for: Applicants with experience.

When you write your experience section, another rule of thumb is to use a reverse chronological resume template . This means starting from the most recent position first.

Keep your dates consistent, e.g. if you decide to specify months, make sure you mention months everywhere.

We have a pretty in-depth guide on reverse chronological resumes order resumes too.

Tip #22. Keep your resume one to two pages long.

This tip is for: For mid–to very experienced applicants.

Generally, resume experts agree on the fact that resumes should be a page long. While we’re all fine and dandy with one-page resumes, we should also have to admit that two pages are pretty great too. Make sure you keep your resume no longer than two pages. It doesn’t matter how much of an experience you have, truth be told, you can probably shorten it to two pages.

We’ve written a very in-depth guide on resume length that gives you all the information on the topic. Furthermore, you can learn how to fit a lot of experience in a single page in our one-page resume guide or how to properly build a two-page resume .

Tip #23. Create a separate section for notable achievements.

Add a section specifically for your achievements . This is yet another way to tailor your resume to a specific job.

Doing this allows you to minimize the editing work you have to do. Just select two to three achievements most relevant for your desired job, then put it in a separate section.

Use bolding, italics, and all caps to highlight other achievements, such as those related to soft skills for your job.

Resume design tips: How to design a resume that gets noticed

How you write and format your resume may be the difference between getting called for an interview or not, but the design of your resume is what ultimately will get you remembered by the hiring manager.

One of the best resume building pointers we could give you is to make sure that the design of your resume is just perfect. After all, you want to choose a font that makes your resume easy to read and complement it with a color scheme that gets noticed.

We’ve built Enhancv with a focus on creating the most beautiful resumes in the world – focusing on keeping the design professional and ATS-friendly, while ensuring hiring managers can understand why you’re the best person for the job.

Tip #24. Use colors to stand out.

Applying for a job in the 21st century can’t be done with a black and white resume. One of the resume tips the designers and creatives in our readers will like – use colors. We should emphasize that making your resume more colorful means that you should use colors that complement each other and keep your resume looking professional. Having a bit of color on your resume can help you stand out from the pile of black and white sheets of paper that’s already sitting on the desk. If you use the colors of the company you’re applying for, it will instantly signal that you’ve done your research and that it’s not just another position you’re applying for—you really care and want this one.

If you’re applying for a highly corporate or a governmental job, stick to a traditional resume template . If you decide to use colors, use combinations of gray and black, or navy. Check out Enhancv’s resume builder for different color combinations to choose from.

Research and application tips: How to make sure your resume gets you an interview.

And last but not least, you’ll have to be smart when you apply for a job.

Depending on where you live, you may apply alongside 500 other people for the same job position. This can be quite daunting, that’s why you want to make sure your resume gets to the right person.

Here are our pointers to make sure your resume gets read–from networking to research and application.

Tip #25. Analyze the job ad and include the skills they’re looking for within your resume.

Companies get hundreds of applications per position and hiring managers use applicant tracking systems to help them go through the pool of applicants faster. That’s why each job ad a recruiter publishes contains keywords – these job ads are later put into the ATS and the software screens the resumes looking for particular keywords from the job ad.

It’s mandatory that you include the skills from the job description. This means that you meet the job requirements and you’ve read the job description thoroughly.

Before you start writing your resume, analyze the job description and write down these things:

• Keywords describing skills (both soft and hard skills)
• Keywords describing your experience (years, responsibilities, etc.)
• Keywords describing culture (“tight-knit team”, etc.)
• Why you believe you’d be a good fit.
• After you do this, make sure you use those keywords in your resume. The key here is to make it look natural rather than stuff every section with keywords.

Other keywords to look out for:

• Certifications – read our job-specific guides and resume examples for relevant job certifications.
• Tools or programs required for the job.
• Education and degree – Ph.D., master’s, or specific bachelor’s degree.
• Location – companies often use city names or zip codes to narrow down candidates for local-specific jobs.

Tip #26. Send your resume to the right person.

Send your resume to a relevant person instead of just blindly submitting it through a website or job portal.

Yes, many vacancies posted on job platforms don’t reveal the name of the recruiter or hiring manager. But that’s no excuse not to do your research and find the relevant person.

If you’re like many of the candidates who tout “online research” as one of their skills, this should be an effortless task for you.

Here’s how to prove it:

• Copy a couple of sentences from the job ad and paste it on Google. Chances are, the job ad is also posted on their website or LinkedIn. If it’s on LinkedIn, the job ad will show the name of the recruiter at the bottom.
• If the Google search doesn’t yield any results, look up the company’s website and visit their team’s about page. Find the company recruiter and the manager of the department you want to join, then look up their names on LinkedIn and other social media. For startups or small companies, find the CEO, and send your resume directly to them. These extra little steps can really help you stand out.

To find a recruiter or CEO’s email, you can use some free tools such as Hunter or Voila Norbert. Also, you can check their social media profiles or send them a LinkedIn message.

Tip #27. Research your potential colleagues.

It’s easier than ever to find your potential employer and their team members on social media. Right after you read the job description thoroughly, get to know the potential employer. See what their values are, what’s the company all about, etc.

Then try to mirror their language into your resume. When your potential employer reads it, they’ll feel like you already know each other.

Granted, this isn’t one of the resume hints you can easily pull off with ten minutes of work.

But the extra prep work you do here will pay off in dividends once your resume catches their attention.

Plus, you can use your research to do well on the interview.

Tip #29. Give yourself enough time.

Honestly, when it comes to resumes, what most of us want is to spend five minutes on it and have a resume that will get us that dream job.

But good things take time and so does the writing of a good resume. Remember, the upside is getting the job you want, so spending a bit more effort is worth it.

If you try to rush things, it may result in more mistakes, and you might overlook some important things. Think about resume writing as a creative process of self-discovery.

Turn on the music you like and check out some amazing resume examples for 2021. Once you have enough inspiration, go ahead and start writing.

Tip #30. Name your resume PDF or Word file properly.

When you send your resume and your cover letter to a potential employer, they often put them all in one place. That’s why it’s best to name your files properly, including your first and last name, as well as your target job.

In practice, this means: Elon-Musk-Engineer-resume / Elon-Musk-Engineer-cover-letter

This way, if your resume ends up in a file with many others, your potential employer will be able to spot your name straightaway.

Common mistakes to avoid when crafting your resume.

Some of the most common reasons applicants don’t get called for an interview for their dream job position are actually quite minuscule. They just leave a bad impression.

By far, the most common mistakes are typos. Can you believe you did not get a call for a job interview because you made a typo?

Typos alongside length and design are the most common resume mistakes . Luckily, the Enhancv resume builder takes care of all this while you focus on the more important things.

What should a good resume include?

A good resume should be packed with everything that’s needed to show your experience, passions, and know-how.

In other words, a good resume should clearly showcase your experience and know-how . This means that it’s not necessary to include every job you’ve ever had, just the ones that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

What to include in your resume if you don't have any experience?

But how to craft a powerful resume if you don’t have the experience you may wonder. After all, with no experience, even the best resume tips won’t help you, right?

Fret not, because a resume is not only about experience. People gravitate towards showing how many years they’ve worked and where they’ve worked, because that is what they know how to do best.

The real strength in a resume lies when you show the impact you’ve made. Whether it was a side-project, or at your first job that has nothing to do with the position you’re applying for, impact shows that you’re proactive and result-driven.

We’ve made an in-depth guide on how to craft a powerful resume if you don’t have much experience .

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The 16 best resume builders for every situation

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What makes a great resume?

What’s a resume builder, the 16 best resume builders, choosing a resume builder: 5 tips, prepare for your dream job.

A resume is often a potential employer’s first impression of you. But unlike a face-to-face meet and greet, this document has to hype you up almost immediately.

On average, recruiters spend seven seconds deciding whether a resume goes in the “Yes” or “No” pile. The perfect resume quickly tells a hiring manager what they need to know to make this decision.

An excellent way to ensure your resume catches a recruiter's attention is with an effective design that isn’t too crowded. If you’re not a graphic design whiz, a resume-building platform is the best way to create this document fast. 

Here’s more about the qualities of a great resume and some of the best resume builders so you can choose the right one for you.

A great resume summarizes your skills, education, and experience. It’s a straightforward document that’s easy to follow and gives readers a good first impression of your background. 

A cluttered resume reflects poorly on important traits such as attention to detail , organizational skills , and communication skills . That may cost you an interview, and it also increases the chance that applicant tracking systems (ATS) can’t understand or analyze your resume effectively. 

When you upload a resume, most companies use an ATS to filter applicants based on details like specific soft or hard skills or keywords like “communicative” or “ ambitious .” If this document isn’t clear, concise, and organized, the tracker might dismiss your qualified application. 

Hiring managers also often sort through hundreds of candidates, so being as clear and concise as possible is essential. A resume differs from a curriculum vitae (CV) , which is a detailed explanation of your career and academic history. Instead, a resume should focus on the highlights most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Keep this in mind when prioritizing clarity and consistency. 

Certain qualities are worth including to make a resume stand out. Your resume should also be up-to-date, descriptive, and specific. You may have to demonstrate those skill proficiencies or career accomplishments in an interview , so always include accurate information.

An online resume builder is an interactive platform that allows you to build from resume templates. Most online resume makers offer several customization options and professional templates to guide you through the writing process and follow key dos and don’ts .

Depending on the platform’s interactive features, pricing ranges from free resume templates for basic documents to paid services for more customizable features. Before you choose one, decide what you’re looking for and what you want to prioritize. If you’re a graphic designer looking to show off your creativity, more detailed or colorful templates might be a key selling point for you.

Job seekers have a variety of resume builders at their disposal. Here are six of our favorites, with pros and cons to help you decide which is best for you:

Zety offers 18 professional resume templates highlighting different color palettes, types of resumes such as chronological and functional resumes , and bar graphs and infographics to give your skills a visual element.

The platform is excellent for people without an existing resume or who want to start from scratch. The site walks you through the entire process, prompting you to include essential information in every section with tips to write more effectively. There are also cover letter and CV templates so you can finish every document in the same place.

Pros: Zety has intuitive ease of use, with plenty of helpful tips to write compelling job descriptions and optimize your skills and experience.

Cons: Zety’s free plan only allows you to download your resume in a TXT file and charges for different file types. Some templates also use graphics or colors incompatible with ATS.

2. My Perfect Resume

My Perfect Resume is excellent for more experienced resume writers. While it offers dozens of resume formats with different styles, you can also start from scratch with a blank template or edit an existing resume. There’s also a feature that suggests ATS-optimized language for work experience and skills to help you get through automated resume-reading programs. And if you’re stuck, you can work with one of My Perfect Resume’s experts to perfect your writing.

Pros: It’s easy to use and has a responsive chat feature to walk you through the process. The platform also has additional resume sections like certifications, social media, or public speaking experiences that benefit entry-level workers with less background.

Cons: The free version lets you download your resume in a TXT file. To download a DOCX or PDF, you must sign up for a 14-day trial.

Canva has a free resume builder feature with hundreds of templates from graphic designers with a flair for the creative. Although this platform is meant for people in any industry, it's ideal for those looking to express themselves through visual design.

Pros: It’s infinitely customizable with an expansive library of fonts, text sizes, and colors, and includes photo editing capabilities to crop and add filters. Canva also allows you to edit and save multiple versions to build new resumes for different jobs.

Cons: Canva doesn’t offer the option to upload your resume, so you must start from scratch. Many fonts and templates also aren’t ATS-friendly.

4. Resume.io

Resume.io offers 18 classic resume templates emphasizing clean and simple design. Job seekers going after more senior positions or in more corporate or formal industries, like law, accounting, or engineering, might find Resume.io to be a great option.

Pros: The platform is easy to use, intuitive, and has hundreds of examples to give you ideas for your resume. It also suggests action verbs and phrases that vary based on your job title and includes a built-in grammar checker.

Cons: You can’t modify the templates. The free version of Resume.io allows you to download your resume in a TXT file. To download a DOCX or PDF, you have to sign up for a seven-day trial.

5. LiveCareer

LiveCareer has a selection of around 30 resume templates that professional job recruiters have screened and approved. The platform's templates emphasize clean organization and straightforward design, and you can customize the colors to make them a little more personal.

LiveCareer is designed for social media sites, and you can upload your resume directly to your LinkedIn profile .

Pros: This resume builder software allows you to import your own resume to edit directly, so you don't have to re-enter all your information to use the platform's tools.

Cons : LiveCareer requires you to sign up for a trial package to download your document.

6. Resume Genius

Resume Genius is a free resume builder with a selection of conventional-looking templates. The platform is easy to use and ideal for job seekers applying for more senior, corporate, or specialized positions.

Pros: Resume Genius has 50,000 pre-written bullet points for every industry, making it easier to sell your skills — like active listening or trustworthy leadership — when you lack inspiration . You can also download DOCX or PDF files.

Cons: Resume Genius has limited visual components.

7. Resume.com

Resume.com has several straightforward templates, all of which are free. The platform is user-friendly, with resume examples from various industries and job levels to guide your design. 

Pros: The platform partners with Indeed, which is one of the top job sites in the world . You can access both services with a single account, allowing you to upload your resume to Indeed’s website easily.

Cons: While the platform boasts specialized templates for different job markets, free templates have a basic design and little variation. For creatives, the basic layouts may not stand out from other candidates.

8. Kick Resume

Kick Resume stands out from other resume builder sites for its AI-powered system that helps you string together the right words. The platform simplifies the process by providing a first draft, letting you quickly create a competitive resume. 

Pros: It has more than 400 job-specific resume and cover letter examples from human resource and design experts. A resume checker service, designed by recruiters, compares your resume to successful job seekers’. 

Cons: The platform's most advanced features require a monthly membership. 

Jobscan is a job-hunting service that doubles as a resume builder focused on optimizing your resume and cover letters to past ATS. It shows you exactly how searchable and accessible your resume is, giving unique insight into how recruiters might react.

Pros: This resume checker lets you analyze your resume against your target job application and how it’ll perform on an ATS. 

Cons: JobScan isn’t a comprehensive resume builder. It’s best for optimizing your existing resume. Be sure to take word suggestions with a grain of salt to avoid creating a resume full of relevant keywords but lacking cohesive writing. 

10. CakeResume

Cake Resume stands out from other resume builders for its free online portfolio builder , ideal for creatives who need eye-catching design across materials. The platform has an extensive library of career advice articles and step-by-step tutorials to perfect your writing, like how to build a 3D artist portfolio, write a career objective , or include teamwork skills . 

Pros: The resume builder is highly customizable without sacrificing usability. 

Cons: The free plan only includes a single resume. Active job seekers will need to sign up for a quarterly subscription to tailor resumes to different job postings. 

11. Adobe Express

You might know Adobe for its creative design platforms like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom. But Adobe Express’ resume builder allows you to add the same eye for design without being an expert in traditional design programs. 

Pros: The resume builder has a wide selection of fonts, colors, and templates to capture your personal brand within a one-page resume.

Cons: Job seekers in less creative industries may find the service overwhelming and unnecessary. 

12. NovoRésumé

NovoRésumé’s customizable templates are excellent for resume writing novices or non-tech-savvy job seekers who want to create unique, design-forward resumes. Despite its many customization options, the platform is intuitive. 

Pros: Customizations like resume icons, spacing, and color create dynamic resumes that can still get through an ATS. Live feedback walks you through a step-by-step process to help you avoid writer’s block. 

Cons: Novo Résumé only offers a downloadable PDF. Double-check the hiring manager’s preferences (like a Microsoft Word format) to ensure compatibility.

13. VisualCV

VisualCV is the world’s top resume and CV builder , with more than 4 million users. It’s a straightforward, user-friendly platform with ready-made templates and analytic tools to help you craft a competitive resume. 

Pros: The platform allows you to build your own resume or CV from scratch or import an existing one to edit. You can also share it on social media quickly and manage several resumes for different job applications. 

Cons: The best features, like building several resumes and accessing analytics, are only available with a premium account.

14. Do You Buzz

Do You Buzz is an excellent choice for resume-writing beginners. It breaks the writing process down into clear section-by-section instructions. With a $4.90 monthly premium subscription, you can join live video workshops to get the best out of your resume. 

Pros: The live resume writing service helps you make the most out of the platform. 

Cons: Do You Buzz offers 15 templates, meaning there’s little variation in style and design.

It makes sense that Indeed, the world’s largest job site, has its own resume builder . If you use Indeed for job searching, this is a convenient way to upload your resume to your existing account. 

Pros: The platform is free and easy to use with simple formatting. 

Cons: There are just sight templates with no options to customize different sections. For example, the education section doesn’t allow you to differentiate between types of degrees like a BS or BA.

16. Resume Now

Resume Now has over 900 real resume examples reviewed by professional resume writers. Once you find the industry-relevant option that inspires you, the platform customizes it to your needs.

Pros: Thousands of pre-written phrases help you find the right words to catch a hiring manager’s eye. Extra features like corrections from a human resume reviewer can help you craft the perfect resume. 

Cons: What is and isn’t included in free and paid plans may confuse some users, according to reviews .  

The right resume for you depends on what types of jobs you’re applying for and what you want to highlight — whether skills, experiences, or professional accomplishments. Consider the following when picking a platform:

• Price: If you’re looking for a free online resume builder, pay careful attention to the fine print. Many free services only offer downloads in file types that recruiters don't want — like plain TXT files. Check the pricing for other options before spending hours designing a resume.
• Functionality: A great resume fits the job you’re applying for. Choose a platform that allows you to easily edit and download various resumes. 
• Design: A digital designer will likely want a different template than a recent law graduate. Based on your industry or the company you’re applying to, decide whether you want a clean and straightforward resume design or a template with more visual embellishments. Choose a site with templates most suitable to those needs.
• Consistency: Most resume-building services provide cover letter builders and CV templates. If your job search requires all three, choose a platform where the aesthetic is consistent for each document.
• Customization : If you’re an entry-level job seeker, look for resume builders that allow you to customize different sections like certifications, honors and awards , or professional skills to bolster your resume.

You’ve got the experience, demeanor, and skills necessary to handle the job. The best resume builders can help you deliver this information effectively. Tailor this document to company values and the job description, using a more visually creative or basic resume design when applicable. This will help your resume stand out from the crowd, increasing your chances of getting an interview. That means you’re one step closer to applying for — and hopefully starting — your dream job.

Ace your job search

Explore effective job search techniques, interview strategies, and ways to overcome job-related challenges. Our coaches specialize in helping you land your dream job.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

How to create a resume with ChatGPT

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How do I update my resume to help land that job? Ask HR

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world's largest HR professional society and author of "Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”

Have a question? Submit it here .

Question: Since leaving a job I have had for almost a decade, I have primarily conducted my job search online. I have used the same resume design since I started working 12 years ago. Should I update my resume design to be more effective? What do you recommend for building a modern resume? – Sandra

Answer: Updating your resume design can indeed be a wise move, especially if you've been using the same format for a long time. A fresh, modern design can help your resume stand out and leave a positive impression on recruiters and hiring managers. Here’s what I recommend for building a modern resume:

◾ Clean, professional layout: Opt for a layout that’s visually appealing and easy to read. Avoid cluttered designs and overly decorative elements that may distract from your content.

◾ Font selection: Stick to standard, easy-to-read fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. These fonts are widely accepted and compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), ensuring your résumé is easily scannable by both humans and software.

◾ Incorporate keywords: Tailor your resume to each job application by incorporating industry-specific keywords and phrases relevant to the position. Many companies use ATS to screen résumés, so this will increase the likelihood of your resume being noticed.

◾ Organized sections: Structure your resume into clear sections, including Contact Information, Summary or Objective, Work Experience, Skills, Education and any additional relevant sections such as Certifications or Volunteer Work. This organization makes it easy for recruiters to quickly find the information they need.

◾ Summary/objective statement: Start your résumé with a summary that highlights your key qualifications and career goals. Keep it concise, focusing on what sets you apart and what you aim to achieve in your career.

◾ Accomplishment-oriented experience: When listing your work experience, focus on highlighting your accomplishments, rather than just listing job duties. Use quantifiable achievements whenever possible, to demonstrate your impact, such as increasing sales by a certain percentage or leading successful projects.

◾ Skills section: Dedicate a section to showcasing your key skills and competencies, including both technical skills and soft skills relevant to the job. This section provides recruiters with a quick overview of your capabilities.

◾ Proofreading: Before submitting your resume, thoroughly proofread it to ensure there are no grammatical errors, typos, or formatting issues. Consider having someone else review your resume for feedback and additional insights.

By updating your resuméewith a modern design and incorporating these key elements, you can increase your chances of making a strong impression in today’s competitive job market. Good luck with your job search!

Ghosting a job Is it bad to ghost low priority potential employers? Ask HR

I've been denied PTO requests on multiple occasions, which is becoming increasingly frustrating. Most of them are denied on the grounds of staffing needs. Do I have any recourse in fighting these denials? What can I do to ensure PTO approvals? – Chanette

You may indeed have some recourse in addressing these denied paid time off requests. Start by reviewing your company's PTO policy and procedures. Many employers have specific guidelines regarding PTO requests, including deadlines for submission and limits on the number of employees who can be on leave simultaneously, to ensure adequate staffing levels.

First, check if your PTO requests were made in accordance with company policy. If they were not, ensure that you adhere to the established procedures for future requests, to increase the likelihood of approval.

However, if you followed company policy and your requests were still denied, consider discussing the matter with your manager or the human resources team. Seek clarification on the reasons for the denials and inquire about potential strategies to improve the approval rate for your requests.

It's also essential to consider whether your state mandates sick leave, and if your company uses PTO to fulfill those requirements. If so, your employer may be obligated to approve leave requests that align with qualifying reasons for sick leave under the law. If you’re uncertain about your state’s sick leave requirements, consult your HR team for clarification.

Ultimately, unless there is a contractual agreement or policy stating otherwise, employers typically have discretion in managing PTO usage. However, by following company procedures and addressing your concerns with management or HR, you may increase the likelihood of having your PTO requests approved more frequently.

Salaried, nonexempt What does that mean? Ask HR