How to Write a Resume

Step 1 — Gather your materials first

Before you open a template, pull together everything you need in one place. This avoids the awkward back-and-forth of remembering dates mid-write.

• A list of every role you've held, with company, title, location, and start/end dates.
• Two or three concrete accomplishments for each role, ideally with numbers.
• Any certifications, courses, or awards with their dates.
• Names, titles, and contact details for two or three references.
• The job description for the role you're targeting (or a close approximation).

Step 2 — Choose the right format

Most job seekers should use a chronological format, listing experience in reverse-chronological order. This is what recruiters expect and what ATS software parses best.

Choose a functional format only if you're making a significant career change and want to lead with skills. Choose a combination format if you have a strong mix of both. When in doubt, go chronological.

Step 3 — Write your contact information

Keep this simple and prominent. You need:

• Your full name (as you want it to appear in your new role).
• A professional email address. Firstname.lastname@ is a safe pattern.
• A phone number you actually answer.
• Your city and country (state is usually enough). You do not need a full street address.
• LinkedIn and GitHub URLs if they're relevant and up to date.

Skip photos, birth dates, and marital status unless you are applying in a market where they're expected (some parts of Europe and Asia).

Step 4 — Write your summary or objective

A professional summary is two to four sentences that describe who you are, what you do well, and what value you bring. Write it last, after you know what your experience section says. Keep it specific:

• Lead with your role and years of experience.
• Name one or two areas of focus.
• Close with a proof point or a target.

Use a career objective instead if you're a recent graduate, a career changer, or returning to work after a break.

Step 5 — Add your work experience

This is the most important section. Follow these rules for each role:

• Company, title, location, and dates on the first two lines.
• One sentence describing the role's scope if it isn't obvious from the title.
• Three to five achievement bullets. Each starts with a strong action verb.
• Every bullet should show an outcome, not just an activity.

Focus on your most recent ten years. Include older roles in a shorter form if they're still relevant.

Step 6 — Add your education

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

Include your degree, institution, location, graduation year, and GPA if it is 3.5 or above. Skip high school once you have a degree. Add relevant coursework only if you are a recent graduate.

Step 7 — Add skills, projects, and other sections

Choose sections based on what strengthens your case. Strong additions include:

• Skills — tools, languages, technologies, or domain expertise. Group them.
• Projects — especially useful for engineers, designers, and career changers.
• Certifications — licenses and credentials, with issuer and date.
• Volunteer experience — shows initiative and values.
• Languages — with proficiency levels.

Skip sections that don't add anything. Every line should help the reader decide to call you.

Step 8 — Proofread and export

Read the resume out loud. Ask a friend to read it. Then run through this short checklist before you export:

• Every date is consistent in format (e.g., Jan 2022 not January '22 in one place and Jan 2022 in another).
• No widowed headings, no orphaned single lines at the top of a new page.
• Company names spelled exactly as they appear on the company's own website.
• File name is professional: Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf.
• Exported as a text-based PDF, not a scanned image.

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