How to Write a Resume That Recruiters Actually Read

Start with the reader, not with yourself

A resume is not a personal history. It's a marketing document whose only job is to convince one specific reader that you can do one specific job well. Everything else — every line, every bullet, every formatting decision — serves that single purpose.

Before you write, answer three questions:

• Who will read this? (Recruiter, hiring manager, or both?)
• What role is this resume for? Be specific.
• What are the top three things the reader needs to see in the first ten seconds?

When you know the answers, the resume practically writes itself.

Choose the right format

Three formats exist. Chronological is the default, works for 80% of job seekers, and is easiest for ATS to parse. Functional (skills-first) is useful for career changes or long gaps but often reads as evasive. Combination lists skills first and experience second — good for candidates with a clear specialty.

Unless you have a specific reason to use something else, go chronological. Reverse-order your experience. Recruiters expect it and ATS software handles it best.

Header and contact information

The header must be boring and complete. Include:

• Your full name as it appears in your official documents.
• A professional email address — firstname.lastname@ is a good pattern.
• A phone number you actually answer.
• Your city and country (state is usually enough; skip the full street address).
• LinkedIn, GitHub, or portfolio URLs if they're relevant and current.

Skip photos, birthdates, marital status, and full street addresses. They aren't expected in most markets and can cause ATS parsing problems.

Professional summary

A summary is two to four sentences that answer three questions: who you are, what you're good at, and what value you bring. Write it last — after you know what your experience section actually says.

A strong summary is specific and metric-driven. Compare these two:

• Weak: "Results-driven marketing professional with strong communication skills and a passion for growth."
• Strong: "Marketing manager with seven years of experience leading B2B SaaS demand generation. Owned a $1.2M annual paid budget, cutting cost per qualified lead by 45%. Seeking a role where I can build a pipeline engine from scratch."

The second version is longer but every clause carries weight. The reader immediately knows what this person does, how successful they've been, and what they want next.

Work experience

This is the section recruiters read first and the section where most resumes fail. Follow these rules.

Each role needs, in order:

• Company name, your title, location, and dates.
• A one-line scope description if the title doesn't make it clear.
• Three to five achievement bullets — one line each, action verb first, outcome second.

Focus on achievements, not responsibilities. A responsibility says what you were supposed to do. An achievement says what actually happened because of what you did.

• Weak: "Responsible for managing the customer support team."
• Strong: "Led a customer support team of eight, cutting average resolution time by 40% across two quarters."

Quantify whenever possible. Percentages, dollar amounts, time saved, users reached — numbers make claims credible. If your role doesn't produce obvious metrics, look for scale, quality, adoption, or recognition instead.

Education

Education goes above your experience if you graduated within the past three years. Otherwise, list it after.

Include degree, institution, location, and graduation year. Include GPA if it's 3.5 or above. Skip high school once you have a college degree. Add relevant coursework only if you're a recent graduate and it strengthens your case.

Skills

Keep the skills section focused and scannable. Ten to fifteen skills grouped by type works best:

• Languages — JavaScript, Python, Go
• Frameworks — React, Django
• Tools — Git, Docker, Figma
• Cloud — AWS, GCP

Skip skill ratings (percentage bars, five-star scales). They're subjective, hard to parse, and rarely help.

Optional sections that add value

Add sections only if they strengthen your case:

• Projects — essential for engineers, designers, and career changers.
• Certifications — especially licenses and credentials the role requires.
• Volunteer work — shows initiative and values.
• Languages — with proficiency levels.
• Publications — mandatory for research and academic roles.

Final formatting checks

Before you export:

• Consistent date formats across every role.
• Font 10.5 pt or larger. One font family throughout.
• Margins between 0.5 and 1 inch on all sides.
• Single column layout, no tables or text boxes with important content.
• Exported as a text-based PDF (not a scan).
• File name: Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf.

The bottom line

A good resume is focused, specific, and honest. It targets one role, tells a coherent story, and gives the reader enough evidence to justify an interview. Anything that doesn't serve those goals should be cut.