Choose the right resume format
Use the reverse-chronological format: your most recent role first. It is what recruiters expect and what applicant tracking systems parse best. Keep it to one page unless you have 10+ years of relevant experience. Use a single-column layout, a readable font at 10–12 pt and clear section headings. Not sure which layout to pick? Start from one of our ATS-friendly templates.
Add your contact information
Include your name, phone, professional email, city and state, and your LinkedIn URL. Add GitHub or a portfolio if it matters for the job. In the US, do not include a photo, date of birth, marital status or full street address.
Example: Priya Shah · (312) 555-0187 · priya.shah@email.com · Chicago, IL · linkedin.com/in/priyashahWrite a short professional summary
Two or three sentences at the top: your title and years of experience, your core skills or tools, and one measurable achievement. Skip clichés like "hard-working team player" — show it instead.
Example: Data analyst with 4 years of experience in retail and e-commerce analytics. Builds SQL pipelines and Tableau dashboards that leadership uses weekly, and identified pricing changes that added $1.4M in annual revenue.More ideas by job in our resume examples.
List your work experience with results
For each role, list the job title, company, location and dates (month and year). Under it, write 3–6 bullet points. Start each bullet with a strong action verb and, where you can, end with a real result: a number, percentage, amount of money or time saved.
Weak: Responsible for weekly reports.Strong: Automated weekly reporting with SQL and Python, saving 12 hours per week.Only use numbers you can explain in an interview. If you do not know an exact figure, describe the scope (team size, number of clients, budget) instead of guessing.
Add the right skills
List 8–15 skills that match the job: tools, software, technical skills and a few soft skills. Use the exact names from the job post (for example "Salesforce" or "GAAP") — but only for skills you genuinely have. Avoid skill bars and ratings; ATS cannot read them and recruiters do not trust them.
Add education and certifications
Include your degree, school and graduation year (you can omit the year if you graduated long ago). Recent graduates can add GPA (3.5+), honors and relevant coursework. List certifications such as PMP, CPA or AWS with the year — and be honest about status ("CPA candidate").
Tailor it and check it before you apply
For each application, adjust your summary, reorder your skills and echo the job post’s language where it truthfully applies. Our job description matcher shows which keywords you are missing, and the resume checker flags ATS problems, weak phrases and spelling mistakes with a transparent score.
The sections of a resume, in order
| Section | What to include | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Name, phone, email, city/state, LinkedIn | Yes |
| Professional summary | 2–3 sentences: title, experience, key skills, one result | Recommended |
| Work experience | Title, company, location, dates, 3–6 result-focused bullets per role | Yes |
| Skills | 8–15 relevant hard and soft skills, matching the job post | Yes |
| Education | Degree, school, graduation year; GPA and honors if recent | Yes |
| Certifications | Name, issuer and year (PMP, CPA, AWS…) | If relevant |
| Projects / volunteering | Especially useful for students, career changers and tech roles | Optional |
Strong action verbs to start your bullets
Varying your verbs keeps your resume readable and makes your contribution clear. A few that work in almost any field:
Pick the verb that honestly describes what you did. "Led" means you were in charge; if you supported someone else’s project, "Supported" or "Contributed to" is more accurate — and easier to defend in an interview.
Before and after: turning duties into achievements
| Before (duty) | After (achievement) |
|---|---|
| Handled customer complaints. | Resolved 40+ customer issues per week, keeping satisfaction above 92%. |
| Worked on the company website. | Redesigned product pages, cutting load time by 45% and lifting conversions 12%. |
| Responsible for inventory. | Tracked inventory for 3 warehouses and reduced stock-outs by 30%. |
The numbers above are illustrations. Use your own figures, and if you do not know an exact number, describe the scope honestly (for example "for 3 warehouses").
Resume or CV?
In the US, a resume is a short, tailored summary of your experience (usually one page). A CV (curriculum vitae) is a longer, complete record used mainly in academia and in many countries outside the US. In the Middle East and much of Europe and Asia, "CV" is the everyday word for what Americans call a resume. If you are applying in Egypt or the Gulf, see our CV examples.
Common resume mistakes to avoid
- Listing duties instead of results ("Responsible for…").
- Typos and inconsistent dates.
- An unprofessional email address.
- Tables, columns and graphics that confuse ATS.
- Claiming skills or results you cannot back up.
- Sending the same generic resume to every job.
Finish with a cover letter
Many employers still read cover letters. Use the free cover letter generator to draft one from your resume and the job description, then edit it in your own voice.