How to Write a Resume

The ultimate step-by-step resume writing guide

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Reviewed by

Lauren Hamer

Career Expert

Updated on January 29, 2025

Written by

RC Team

Resume and Cover Letter Experts

Table of contents:

A resume is a summary of your personal education, professional experience, qualifications, and skills listed in one document and then used as part of a job application. Professionals and first-time job-seekers alike often find it difficult to list everything they’ve ever done professionally in a succinct way, but learning how to write a resume is vital for your career progression.

This resume writing guide will help guide you through the process of writing a resume and debunk every myth you’ve ever heard about how to write an effective resume. Follow along step by step to create a resume that will land you more interviews!

Tips for writing a great resume

An effective resume is a marketing document that advertises YOU: your most relevant and significant qualifications, skills, and experience related to the job at hand.

The purpose of a resume is to convince the potential employer to interview you over another candidate and learn more about how you can succeed in the role!

It is vital to remember that nearly every company requires a resume as part of the hiring process, and the only way to ensure you get a callback is to stand out among the other applicants. You can do this easily with a resume that tells the company why you are the best person for the job clearly and concisely.

Components of a good resume

A good resume can become a great resume by improving its “readability” factor.

A standout resume is one that is easy to read. Resumes that cram too much information in small spaces can be hard for hiring managers to digest. Confusing layouts can force readers to toss your resume in the trash. A good resume has:

• Contact information
• An encompassing list of your current and past employment
• Education history, key skills, and details about your career goals
• A clean, easy-to-read structure
• No grammatical errors or typos

Effective professional resumes, student resumes, graduate, and entry-level resumes are descriptive and intriguing in both format and layout. Keep reading to learn how to structure and write a resume that will help you stand out among the hundreds of other applicants.

How to write a resume step-by-step

A top tip for writing a great resume is by focusing your writing on the needs of the employer. The job advertisement is a great resource for identifying the skills and qualifications to highlight in your resume.

The company job posting usually lists the required skills, experience, and qualifications an applicant needs to be successful in the role. For example, if a job lists the need for data entry and customer service skills, be sure to tailor your resume to communicate any experience you have related to those skills.

Under no circumstance should you lie about your skills. According to research by CareerBuilder, 75% of HR recruiters have caught a lie on a resume, so they’ll likely spot any mistruths you publish.

Instead, you should leverage your unique abilities and achievements to sell your candidacy. This can be done by making use of keywords and phrases from the job description.

The following step-by-step guide for how to make a resume is packed with tips and tricks for listing your professional experience and other details to position yourself as the ideal match for a job.

STEP 1: Choose the right format

There are three different types of resume layouts and formats most common in job searching: Chronological, Functional and Combined. Each format has various advantages and disadvantages associated with them, and you should choose the style that best suits your professional needs and experience

• Chronological resume – Best for jobseekers with steady growth in one sector throughout their career.
• Functional resume – Ideal for job seekers who have been self-employed or have gaps in their job history.
• Combination resume – Perfect for job seekers with a specific skill set or those looking to change career paths.

Learn more: For a more in-depth introduction to resume styles, read our guide on resume formats.

STEP 2: List your contact information and write an introduction

Apply a unique heading with your name and contact information. Usually, this includes your name, phone number, email, and any relevant online links.

Next, you will write an introduction. This may be called a resume objective, summary statement, or qualifications summary depending on the resume format you choose. Remember, the best intros are ones that grab the attention of a potential employer.

Catch the reader’s eye by demonstrating why YOU are the perfect fit for the role and the company in 4-6 sentences. If the reader likes what they read, they’ll continue on to the rest of your document.

You won’t need to write an introduction from scratch. ResumeCoach’s resume builder and resume templates are valuable writing tools and could serve as a basis for your unique resume.

STEP 3: Write your job history in reverse chronological order

Once you’ve got your base, get your resume into shape by filling out the meat of your resume: your employment history.

List each of your past jobs starting with your most recent position and work backward. Include the company name, job title, dates worked, and location.

To optimize what you include in your work history section, research the position offered and the general company rules and environment to better understand the characteristics and attributes that the hiring managers are looking for. Use this information to your advantage by highlighting your skills using strategic keywords taken from the job description or company branding.

Companies may employ Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to review all resumes they receive. This software will sort resumes and identify the ones most relevant to company needs. This software helps businesses save time by eliminating resumes that do not meet predetermined requirements, and therefore, do not need to be reviewed by the hiring team.

Here are a few tips for writing effective resume content:

• Emphasize your industry-specific skills (especially those listed in the job description), but do not just copy and paste keywords from the job ad.
• Use action verbs throughout your resume. Words like “reduced”; “increased”; “saved”; “created”; and launched” can help describe your past contributions.
• Use the active voice to describe job roles and responsibilities for your current position and your introduction. Past tense should be used for previous employment entries.

STEP 4: Add additional sections relevant to your experience

Resumes are much more than your employment history. It is wise to tailor your resume even more by adding other subheadings that pertain to your background and qualifications.

The following list provides examples of additional sections in your resume:

• Skills
• Volunteer Work
• Personal Interests
• Honors and Awards
• Languages
• Internships
• Publications
• Certifications

In each of the sections, include names and dates, as well as a brief description where possible. This information is beneficial for the employer because it allows them to know more about you beyond a list of professional achievements.

Plus, these sections can help add industry-related keywords in your document that will help the Applicant Tracking System score your resume as qualified.

STEP 5: Finetune your document

After you have completed the base of your resume, it is time to review and fine-tune your resume to ensure nothing has been left to chance.

Follow this checklist to ensure your document is error-free and easy on the eyes.

• Create a left-hand margin and align your text. Note: If you used our resume builder or resume template, then the general page set-up is already done for you.
• Double-check readability factor: incorporate font characteristics such as bold, italic, or underline to bring attention to certain facts, define document headings, or differentiate between details.
• Maintain the same structure throughout and do not use more than two varying fonts.
• PROOFREAD your resume! Review and edit your resume as necessary. Ask a peer or mentor to read through your docs to catch mistakes you may have missed.

Resume Length: How long should my resume be?

What is the ideal length for a resume? Professional opinions differ, but they all agree on one thing: relevance is key.

When it comes to resume length, it is important to keep them as brief and to the point as possible. A longer document isn’t always better.

Research by Talentworks shows that resumes over 600 words long are on average 43% worse at getting interviews than other, shorter documents.

The most widely accepted length for a resume is one to two A4 page of text and information as well as one A4 page for a cover letter to accompany the application. Any extra information, certificates, or references can be separately attached.

This does not mean that you cannot write a longer resume, especially as you advance through your career. Some applicants have a long list of relevant projects or have attended countless seminars or conferences. It is OK — welcome even — to include this in your resume as long as the information is suitable for the application.

Remember: you can attach a professional cover letter to your application, which may include additional space to elaborate on specific projects, skills, or experiences.

Using AI to write my resume

If you’re unsure what qualifications to include, our AI-powered resume builder can help make the process easier. Here’s how you can use suggestions given to you in our builder to quickly write your application:

• Write your intro: You can use our builder to suggest content for your objective or summary.

• Fill in different sections: The AI will provide tailored text proposals for your experience and skills. Review these suggestions and choose the ones that best reflect your professional journey.

• Personalize where you see fit: While the AI offers a strong starting point, adding your personal touch is key. Customize the text to align with your unique experiences and achievements more closely.

• Iterate for perfection: Don’t hesitate to experiment with different AI-generated proposals. This process helps in fine-tuning your resume to perfection.

By following these steps, you can create a resume that highlights your qualifications most effectively in minutes.

What should I remove from my resume?

Remember: Not all information is good information.

The following are some of the dos and don’ts to consider when writing a resume and also the information that should NOT be included on a resume.

• Do not use generic statements or cliché phrases in your resume. Be creative and original to make your resume as personalized as possible.
• Do not include unrelated information or experiences.
• Forgot references on your resume. Instead, create a separate document and send only when requested.
• Do not choose intricate fonts that are difficult to read or unprofessional.
• Do not include GPA below 3.0.

A resume maker might help you decide what to include on a resume.

Should I use a resume template?

Resume templates are an excellent tool for job seekers to use to create a winning resume without having to start from scratch.

There are different types of resume templates that are best suited for industry sectors, positions, and levels of experience. You can find resume samples for students, resume templates for professionals or even resume examples for entry-level jobs. The most common resume template follows the chronological resume format.

Resume examples allow applicants to customize their resume using the preformatted sections in the document and usually help applicants cut down on the time they spend creating a document from scratch.

Of course, if you need a little more guidance than simply downloading a resume sample from the web, you could try an online resume builder to help take you through the process step by step and provide practical advice on how to write each section of a resume.

How do I write a cover letter?

A cover letter is essential for any serious job application and a great opportunity for candidates to expand on their experience and achievements.

No job application will be considered complete and professional without an effective, well-written cover letter. Therefore, it is vital you spend additional time and effort to compose a cover letter that will compliment your finished resume.

Roughly 10 percent of recruiters consider missing cover letters a deal-breaking mistake. Don’t ruin your chances of an interview by not creating a personalized cover letter.

A cover letter must be well written with simple, conversational language. No spelling or grammatical errors! The best cover letters are informative and offer a glimpse into your experience listed on your resume.

It’s also a good idea to talk about why you want to work for that company specifically and how you think you can help them achieve greater success. Offer evidence and quantifiable examples of how your knowledge, experience, qualifications, and skill set are beneficial to the company.

Similarly to a purposeful and concise resume, a cover letter should not exceed one A4 page and should include only details that are relevant to the position on offer. Do not go off-topic!

In summary, resumes must be thoughtfully designed to market you as an irreplaceable benefit to a company. Doing so requires paying specific attention to your qualifications and accomplishments. Using a resume template or enlisting the help of an online resume creator can make writing a resume easier.

ResumeCoach has built detailed guides to help you build your resume. Our online resume maker is equipped with tips from expert career advisors and specific instructions for how to create each resume section.