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Resume Formats That Help Get You Job Interviews

Find out how to choose the best resume format to showcase your skills, experience, and achievements.

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A good resume format organizes your skills, experience, and achievements. It tells hiring managers what they need to know.

Having a good resume format is important for another reason. It helps applicant tracking systems (ATS) read and understand your resume.

ATS is a computer software that most companies use today to help them hire employees. One of the main jobs of ATS is to screen the hundreds of resumes that come in for every job opening.

If your resume isn’t formatted the right way, the ATS will have trouble reading it. This makes it far less likely that a hiring manager will see your resume.

Don’t worry! Choosing a resume format isn’t as hard as it sounds. This article will guide you through the process.

By the end of it, you’ll know which resume format is best for your situation.

The 3 basic resume formats

There are three basic resume formats to choose from. They are:

• Chronological – Lists your work history in order, starting with your most recent job first.
• Functional – Focuses on your skills and accomplishments instead of your work history.
• Hybrid – Places your skills and accomplishments at the top, before your work history.

It’s important to understand the pros and cons of each format. This allows you to choose the one that best suits your specific situation and career goals.

After choosing a format, consider using a resume template to help create your resume. A template is a pre-designed layout that provides a structured framework for presenting your skills and experience. All you have to do is fill in your information.

Jobscan has a variety of free resume templates you can use. Our templates come in all three resume formats and each one is ATS-friendly.

Chronological

The chronological resume format

Also known as the “reverse chronological” resume, this is the most common type of format. You’re most likely already familiar with it.

As the name suggests, this format lists your most recent job first. Then your second-most recent job, your third-most recent job, etc…

Why do hiring managers like the chronological resume?

Hiring managers often prefer the chronological resume format for several reasons:

• It’s easy to follow – Recruiters can scan through your resume. It’s easy for them to find the companies you’ve worked for and the positions you’ve held.
• It’s the most traditional – Hiring managers are very familiar with this format. It won’t confuse them.
• It shows your career growth – Your work history makes it easy for recruiters to see how your career is going.

Who should use the chronological resume format?

Because this resume format focuses on work experience, it’s often used by job seekers who:

Have a strong work history

This format is ideal for job seekers who have lots of relevant work experience. It allows recruiters to see your career trajectory at a glance. They can get a good sense of the breadth and depth of your expertise.

Work in traditional industries

Many traditional industries prefer the chronological format. These industries include finance, engineering, healthcare, and legal professions. These sectors generally place a strong emphasis on a candidate’s work history.

Have a stable career path

The chronological resume is good at showing steady career growth within an industry. Hiring managers like to see this because it shows commitment.

How to set up a chronological resume

The reverse chronological resume contains the following sections, from top to bottom:

• Contact Information : Begin your resume with your name, phone number, and email address. You can also include a professional website or LinkedIn profile (if applicable).
• Resume Summary : This is a short statement about your goals, qualifications, and experience. It should provide a snapshot of your professional profile.
• Work Experience : This is the heart of the chronological resume. List your jobs in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position. Include the company name, job title, and dates of employment. Add a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments for each role.
• Education : This section should also be in reverse chronological order. List degrees earned, school names, and graduation dates. You may also want to list academic honors or certifications relevant to your field.
• Skills : This section allows you to highlight relevant skills. Include both hard and soft skills.
• Additional Sections : Depending on your background, you may choose to include more sections. These could include volunteer work, hobbies, publications, or foreign languages.

You don’t have to create your resume from scratch. You can use a resume template. This is a pre-designed layout that includes all the sections listed above. All you have to do is fill in your information.

Jobscan has free resume templates . Each one is ATS-friendly and can be easily customized to suit your needs.

Pros and cons of the chronological resume format

• Emphasizes career progression – Highlights promotions, increased responsibilities, and relevant experience.
• Preferred by recruiters – This makes it easy for them to assess your work history.
• Shows career stability – A stable career shows commitment to a job or industry.
• ATS-friendly – Applicant tracking systems are familiar with this format. They should have no problem reading and understanding your information.
• Draws attention to employment gaps – Shows if you’ve had periods of unemployment or job breaks.
• Not ideal for career changers – Does not highlight your transferable skills. These are important if you are making a significant career change.
• Less focus on skills – Does not immediately highlight your specific skills. These are listed later in a separate skills section.

Functional resume format

This is also known as the skills-based resume format. It’s quite different from the chronological resume format.

The chronological format focuses on your work history. The functional format focuses on your skills and achievements. It minimizes your work experience.

This has several advantages:

• Focusing on your skills helps recruiters see if you can do the job.
• This format downplays negatives like employment gaps, career changes, and limited work experience. Instead, it focuses on positives, such as your transferable skills.
• This format also focuses on achievements that are relevant to the job you’re applying to. This makes it easier for recruiters to assess your capabilities.

Why do hiring managers like the functional format?

Actually, hiring managers don’t like the functional resume format!

This is because the lack of work experience makes it hard for them to understand your career. The functional format can also hide periods of unemployment. Hiring managers prefer transparency.

Another big reason why you shouldn’t use the functional resume format is that it’s not ATS-friendly.

ATS scan resumes for specific keywords, job titles, and dates. They use this information to assess an applicant’s qualifications for a specific job.

But functional resumes don’t focus on job titles and dates. So the ATS might have trouble reading and understanding them. As a result, functional resumes may not receive high rankings from an ATS.

Who should use the functional resume format?

While we don’t recommend using a functional resume, it can help certain job seekers. Especially those who:

Have transferable skills

Are you considering a career change? The functional format might be for you. It emphasizes your transferable skills that are relevant to the desired role.

Transferable skills are abilities that you can use in any job in any field or industry. They include things like communication, problem-solving, leadership, time management, organization, and adaptability.

Have limited work experience

The functional resume is for recent graduates or people with limited work experience. This is because it highlights things like your school achievements, hobbies, and volunteering.

Have employment gaps

The functional format downplays gaps in your work history. It redirects the focus of hiring managers toward your skills.

How to set up a functional resume

When creating a functional resume, follow this structure:

• Contact Information: This is the same regardless of which resume format you choose. Include your name, phone number, email address, and location.
• Resume Summary: The resume summary provides a concise snapshot of your qualifications. It should touch upon your unique skills, expertise, and accomplishments. The goal is to attract the reader’s interest.
• Skills Section : This is the heart of your functional (or skills-based) resume. This section should include a combination of hard skills (technical abilities specific to the job) and soft skills (transferable skills like communication , leadership , problem-solving , etc.).
• Use bullet points when creating your skills section. List your most relevant skills first. Whenever possible, try to include achievements that display relevant skills.
• Work Experience: Whatever work experience you have should come after your skills section. Don’t list detailed job descriptions. Instead, focus on the accomplishments, projects, and experiences that show your skills.
• Education : Include information about your educational background. This includes degrees earned, institution names, and graduation dates. Also include relevant coursework, certifications , or academic achievements.

If you don’t want to build your functional resume from scratch, try Jobscan’s free resume templates . They’re easy to customize and each one is ATS-friendly.

Pros and cons of the functional resume format

• Highlights skills and achievements – This shows employers that you have what it takes to do the job.
• Good for career changers – This format focuses on your transferable skills. These give recruiters a good idea of your potential.
• Hides employment gaps – This format can lessen concerns about gaps in your work history.
• Lack of detailed work history – Employers often want to see your work experience to see if you can do the job.
• No career timeline – Recruiters may find it hard to grasp the chronology of your work experience. This is because the focus is on your skills.
• Less suitable for established industries – Some industries focus more on work history.

Hybrid resume format

The hybrid resume format is becoming more popular. It combines the best aspects of the chronological and functional resume formats.

That’s why it’s called a hybrid .

The hybrid resume emphasizes both skills and work history. It features a dedicated skills section at the top of the resume. Below that is a chronological work experience section.

This format is especially helpful when you have lots of work experience but also want to show off your skills and accomplishments.

Why do hiring managers like the hybrid format?

Hiring managers appreciate the hybrid resume format for several reasons:

• It strikes a balance – Recruiters can see your skills and your work experience.
• It focuses on key skills – Sometimes recruiters want to make sure you have the skills to do the job. This resume format tells them immediately.
• It shows career progression – The hybrid resume provides a clear overview of your career path.

Who should use the hybrid resume format?

Anyone can use the hybrid resume format to great advantage. It’s especially suited to job seekers who:

Have a diverse skill set

You might have the perfect skills for the job. But your work experience is a little weak. This format allows you to feature your skills while downplaying your work experience.

Want to emphasize achievements

The hybrid format allows you to showcase achievements as well as skills at the top of your resume.

Are changing careers

The hybrid is good if you are transitioning to a new field. It focuses more on your transferable skills and slightly less on your work history.

How to set up a hybrid resume

When creating a hybrid resume, follow this structure:

• Contact Information : Begin with your name, contact details, phone number, and email address. You can also include your professional website or LinkedIn profile (if applicable).
• Resume Summary: Try to distill your entire resume into a short, easy-to-read blurb. Summaries can help career changers who need a place to explain a shift in career trajectory.
• Skills Section : Use bullet points to list your skills and achievements. Include both hard skills and soft skills.
• Work Experience: List your jobs in reverse chronological order. Start with your most recent or current position. Include the company name, job title, and dates of employment. Also, include a brief description of your responsibilities and accomplishments for each role.
• Education : List your education as you would on a chronological resume. Include degrees earned, school names, and graduation dates. You may also want to list academic honors or certifications relevant to your field.

If you don’t want to build your hybrid resume from scratch, try Jobscan’s free resume templates . They’re easy to customize and each one is ATS-friendly.

Pros and cons of the hybrid resume format

• Highlights your skills – By showing your skills first, this format captures the attention of hiring managers who are looking for them.
• Showcases your career progression – This format includes a chronological work experience section. This gives employers a good sense of your professional background and experience.
• Adaptable – The hybrid resume is flexible and easy to customize for specific jobs.
• ATS-friendly – ATS should have no problem reading this type of resume format.
• Can result in a longer resume – The hybrid format may result in a longer resume. This is due to the inclusion of both a skills section and a detailed work history. But this shouldn’t be a problem as long as your resume isn’t more than two pages.
• Requires more thought – It can be hard to achieve the right balance between skills and work history. It requires thoughtful consideration and planning.

If you’re still not sure which format to use for your resume, follow this flowchart to help you decide based on your situation.

How to format your resume so an ATS can read it

It’s important to choose the right resume format. But it’s also important to optimize your resume layout and content for an ATS.

If your resume is not optimized for an ATS, it’s less likely to make it into the hands of a hiring manager. Even if you have relevant skills and experience.

Here are some tips for creating a resume that will get past the initial screening of an ATS.

• Use standard fonts – Stick to common fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Avoid fancy or decorative fonts. The ATS may not recognize them.
• Keep it simple – Avoid excessive formattings, such as tables, images, or graphics, as they may confuse the ATS.
• Use simple headings – Use headings like “Work Experience,” “Education,” and “Skills”. The ATS can read these without a problem.
• Use plain text – Stick to basic formatting like bullet points and simple indentation. Avoid using headers or footers, text boxes, columns, or special characters.
• Use a font size that is easy to read – The recommended font size is 11-12 pt for regular text and 14-16 pt for section titles.
• Use the right margin – Make sure that the margins on all sides of your resume are 1 inch so that it doesn’t look too crowded.
• Include relevant keywords – Read the job description and pick out prominent keywords. Incorporate these keywords throughout your resume. This helps the ATS recognize your qualifications. It will then rank your resume higher in the search results.
• Use standard file formats – Save your resume as a .docx or .pdf file. These formats are widely compatible with most ATS systems.
• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms – Spell out acronyms and avoid excessive abbreviations. The ATS may not recognize uncommon abbreviations.
• Keep the file name simple – When saving your resume, use a simple file name. You could use the word “resume” for example. This makes it easier for the ATS and hiring managers to identify and organize your file.

Pro Tip : Use Jobscan’s free resume templates to start building your resume. All our templates are ATS-friendly and easy to customize.

5 tips for writing a resume that will get you interviews

Here are some additional tips that will help you create an effective resume:

Tailor each resume to the job you are applying for

Don’t make the mistake of sending out the exact same resume with every application. Yes, it’s easy. It’s also ineffective.

Instead, read the job description to find out which skills and qualifications are most important. Then try to include those skills on your resume.

When you use the same language on your resume that’s found in the job description, you increase your chances of getting an interview.

Highlight achievements as well as responsibilities

While it’s important to list your job responsibilities on your resume, you also want to highlight accomplishments .

Responsibilities are what you did. Accomplishments are how well you did it.

For example, if you increased sales or reduced costs, be sure to mention these accomplishments.

Use action verbs

Action verbs paint a clearer picture of your qualifications. They increase the overall impact of your resume.

Instead of simply stating that you were “responsible for” a certain task or project, explain how you took charge and made it happen.

For example, you could say that you “spearheaded a new initiative” or “coordinated a complex team effort.”

Use numbers

Try to use numbers whenever possible. Numbers show the true scope of your accomplishments to hiring managers.

Instead of saying that you “Created marketing campaigns” you could say that you “Created 10 successful marketing campaigns that generated a 20% increase in leads.”

Use active voice, not passive

Always try to use active voice instead of passive voice when writing your resume. Active voice is more direct, concise, and easier to read.

In active voice, the subject of the sentence is doing the verb. In passive voice, the subject is being acted upon by the verb.

If you’re not sure whether your resume is using active or passive voice, try running it through the Hemingway editor . It’s free and will tell you if you’re using passive voice.

Additional resume resources

Selecting the right resume format is the first step to creating an impactful resume. To learn more about how to create a resume that will stand out, check out these additional resources:

• How to Write a Resume That Recruiters Will Really Love – This step-by-step resume guide will teach you how to write a resume that stands out.
• How to Add Work Experience to Your Resume – Learn how to create a work experience section that will grab the attention of hiring managers.
• 8 Things You Need to Know About Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) – Here’s everything you need to know about ATS. What they are, how they work, and especially how you can “beat” them!
• How to Write a Strong Resume Skills Section – Here are the top resume skills employers are looking for. Learn how to list them on your resume.
• Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills – Learn the difference between hard and soft skills and why you need both on your resume.
• Free Professional Resume Templates – These ATS-friendly resume templates feature sleek, minimalist designs.

FAQs about resume formats

What does ats-friendly resume format mean.

An ATS-friendly resume format is one that can be read by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Employers use these systems to manage and filter large volumes of resumes.

When you use an ATS-friendly format , it increases the chances that a hiring manager will find your resume.

Is a resume format the same as a resume template?

No, they are two different things.

Resume format refers to the structure and organization of the content in a resume. A resume template refers to a pre-designed layout you can use to create a resume.

Is there a separate student resume format?

There isn’t a specific “student resume format” per se. Students generally use the same resume formats as other job seekers. But they may emphasize different sections or information.

A student’s resume highlights coursework, internships, part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and academic achievements.

What is the best resume format for 2023?

The best resume format for you depends on your specific circumstances. This includes your work experience, career goals, and the industry you’re targeting.

Having said that, we like the hybrid resume format .

Employers are looking for job candidates who have the right skills. And the hybrid resume features skills right at the top of the resume. Employers also want to see a work experience section on a resume. The hybrid has that as well.

This powerful combination of skills and experiences makes the hybrid resume our top choice for 2023 and beyond.

Free Professional Resume Templates

Jobscan’s free Microsoft Word compatible resume templates feature sleek, minimalist designs and are formatted for the applicant tracking systems that virtually all major companies use.

Explore more resume resources

How to write a resume

Resume Templates

Resume Examples

Resume Builder

The Best Resume Format Guide

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

By now, as a seasoned job hunter and student of The Interview Guys , you should know there are a few essentials you should have in your arsenal: business cards , a solid cover letter , your elevator pitch , and your well-formatted resume .

Hang on, haven’t we already gone over all this in that other article, How to Make a Resume 101 ?

Yes…and no.

In that article we did go over how to write a resume, but in this article, we’re going to take you to the next step and focus specifically on one seemingly small but massively huge part of resume building: resume format and how to select which one is right for you.

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Why Is Resume Format So Important?

As any good “Interview Guys student” will tell you, a resume is a document used by job seekers (you) to quickly and easily let a hiring manager know what skills they have, what their work history is, and any accomplishments they might have.

Seems simple, right?

Well, it is, but only if you know what you’re doing. The tricky part of writing your own resume is it’s a deceptive document .

No, not deceptive as in you use it to lie to an employer about what you can do (don’t EVER do that!), but deceptive in that it seems like it should be really easy to write.

Trust me, it’s much easier to write a bad resume than a good one…and there are a LOT of bad ones out there, which, believe it or not, is a good thing.

Wait. It’s good that there are bad resumes out there? That doesn’t make any sense!

Yes, and the reason is, when a recruiter or hiring manager has to slog through a mountain of bad resumes, seeing a good resume is like a breath of fresh air. It stands out!

And if you follow our guide, that breath of fresh air resume is going to be yours!

But first, we need to figure out what type of resume format you need .

Types of Resume Formats

Once upon a time, many moons ago, there was just one way to write a resume, reverse-chronologically.

Chronological Resume Format

The reverse-chronological resume (simply called the “chronological”) was just that, a chronological listing of everything you’d done up to that point, starting with your most recent and working backwards.

According to the resume experts over at ResumeGenius.com , a chronological resume “…shows recruiters that your most recent work experience is relevant to their needs, presents yourself in terms of promotions and upward career mobility and demonstrates that you’ve had a normal career without work gaps or terminations.”

We agree that these are some of the benefits of this style of resume, which is why, during the heyday of the chronological resume, everyone used it. It wasn’t just industry standard, it was global standard.

Brain surgeons and tax accountants used the same chronological format as plumbers and babysitters – and for the time, it was fine.

Then someone said, “Hmm. These jobs aren’t all exactly the same..so why are the resumes being used exactly the same? Shouldn’t they be specific to the job you’re seeking? Shouldn’t it be more…functional?”

And in that moment, the functional resume was born.

Functional Resume Format

Rather than just simply listing what you’ve done (chronological), a functional resume specifically targets the job you’re going after and makes sure that it highlight the skills and abilities you have that relate to that position.

Rather than listing a ton of stuff that might not relate to what you’ve done, it highlights what is most relevant for the position you’re going after.

Whereas a chronological resume can seem cold and impersonal, almost a ‘shopping list’ of skills, promotions and upward mobility, a functional resume allows you to interject a little of “who” you are into the conversation, not just “what you do.”

And then someone said “I can’t decide…what works better for me? Chronological or functional? Ugh, why do I have to decide? Why can’t I use both?!”

And thus the combination resume was born.

Combination Resume Format

The combination resume takes all the best parts of a functional resume (relevant skills, qualifications and specifically targeted information) and combines it with the chronological resume (everything you’ve done in the past that’s gotten you to where you are right now.)

But which of the three resume formats is right for me?

How To Choose the Best Resume Format For You

The first thing you have to do when settling on what type of resume you plan to write ( chronological , functional or combination ), is figure out which resume format or resume layout matches your needs and who you are. While it’s true you tend to see less chronological resumes out there, the fact is your resume format choice should depend more on your experience and situation more than anything.

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMES are great for people who have had a steady career path in the same field for a long period of time or are applying for jobs in similar fields and has few, if any, gaps in their employment history.

Employers like chronological resumes because it’s easy to see, at a glance, what an employee has done in the past. For people who have stayed within the same industry their whole career and haven’t moved around much, it’s a great option as it shows a potential employer quickly and easily your progression.

For example, executives who have had a steady progression to the top would benefit from a chronological resume.

Chronological resumes are also great for people who are just starting out or find themselves in the mid-level of their careers.

When organizing your chronological resume, you want to make sure you keep the following categories in this order (see, I told you we’d come back to categories in resume formats!)

• Objective Statement or Summary Statement

Experience/Qualifications

FUNCTIONAL RESUMES are great for people who have started and stopped their careers and are facing gaps in their work history or are making a significant career change. Functional resumes are also great for people who are targeting a particular position and need a resume that highlight specific skills and abilities that directly relate.

People just entering the job market can also benefit from a functional resume as it focuses more on skills than past work history.

When organizing your functional resume, you want to make sure you keep the following categories in this order:

• Achievements/Accomplishments

COMBINATION RESUMES are great for people who are looking to make a career change and move from one industry to another. It’s also a great format for highlighting well-developed skills and talents that are relevant to a specific position. This is the best resume format for someone considered a master within their field.

When organizing your combination resume, you want to make sure you keep the following categories in this order:

Best Practices For Formatting Your Resume

Now that we’ve gone over different resume formats, it’s time to go over formatting the resume format (?) you have selected. Tongue twisters and confusing sentences aside, let’s start with the basics!

How Long Should A Resume Be?

No matter which of the three formats you decide to go with, it should fit neatly onto one single sided page without crowding .

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, and in some (rare) cases (career changes, highly advanced technical fields, or individuals at the senior/executive level), a slightly longer resume is acceptable.

Anything longer than that and you’ve moved out of the world of resumes and into the world of CV’s (hey, we have an article for those! Check out our CV article here! ) which are acceptable, but ONLY in VERY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES. (If you’ve been asked for your resume, make sure that’s what you give them or you run the risk of it being tossed.)

Keep in mind this isn’t your autobiography! 

This is meant to give a hiring manager just enough information about you that they feel compelled to call you in and meet you face to face!

To put it bluntly, the average hiring manager spends initially between 10-20 seconds on each resume which means you have 10-20 seconds to catch their eye. The last thing you want to do is give them something that’s messy, confusing, or unorganized.

Rather than spend an additional 10 seconds trying to figure out your resume, most hiring manager will just throw it away…and we don’t want that!

Ok, so what about fonts, margins, paper, etc?

Let’s start with fonts.

Best Resume Fonts To Use

Choosing the right resume font can seem like an impossible task, especially as there are hundreds of choices available. Making sure your resume is readable is step number one.

You want to make sure that a potential employer can easily read it regardless of if it’s printed out or on a computer screen. Speaking of computer screens, not everyone is on the same operating system which means a unique or quirky font on your screen might show up as code or nonsense on someone else’s.

And nobody’s hiring nonsense.

Your resume is a professional representation of who you are, and as such, should look professional.

Many companies these days use an automated applicant tracking software to first pre-qualify candidates and the last thing you want to do is get sorted to the bottom of the pile, or worse, rejected, because the computer program didn’t recognize your font or had difficulty reading it.

Sans Serifs fonts are fonts which are clean, crisp, sleek, and most importantly, scanner-friendly! They’re also “eyeball-friendly” which means a hiring manager reading it won’t have any issues trying to figure out what they’re looking at or run into eye-strain.

Stick to fonts like Arial , Verdana , Trebuchet MS , Century Gothic , Gill Sans MT (but NEVER Comic Sans), Lucida Sans and Tahoma .

Of course, over here at The Interview Guys, we’ll confess that we’re partial to Helvetica . It’s a flawless blend of style and clarity.

Another thing to keep in mind with fonts is the size you’re using. Shrinking everything down to the size of an ant just so you can fit it all onto a single page won’t win you any points. Again, you want to ensure that your resume is readable.

Try to stay between 10.5 and 12 points. Any smaller and it’s hard to read.

Formatting Your Margins and Spacing

When you format your resume you want to make sure that your leave enough margin space to allow for printing . If you try to adjust your margins and make them too narrow in order to fit more into your page, you run the risk of critical information being cut off if an employer prints it out.

Inversely, making your margins too large will leave your resume looking boxed in and squished. The general rule is to set your margins at one inch on all sides .

Think of your resume as a piece of fine artwork. Your margins should create a beautiful frame around it. If you’re truly desperate for space, you can slightly adjust your top and bottom margins but try to avoid adjusting your side margins.

In terms of the spacing, keep your resume to single-spaced with a blank line between each section of your content.

When you turn a resume into a potential employer, you want to make sure you’re using paper that helps convey the message that you’re a professional.

Of course, if you’re using an online submission system, you don’t get to choose what sort of paper an employer might potentially print your resume out on, but in the instances when you’re physically turning something in, it’s a good idea to put some extra time and thought into the paper you’re using.

Try to always print your resumes out using a laser printer or inkjet printer that produces crisp, high-quality results. You want to print on paper heavier than what you traditionally find in photocopiers.

Generally copier paper is considered 20 lb. weight. This is a lighter, flimsier paper which is perfect for running through a Xerox in high quantity at high speeds, but for a resume comes across as unprofessional and sloppy.

Aim for paper that’s slightly heavier. Most resume paper is rated at 24 lb. If you’re using paper with a watermark, make sure it’s facing the correct way relative to your resume.

When selecting the color of paper you’re using, it’s always a safe bet to stick to white or neutrals. Off-white, cream, ivory and light gray are acceptable for most professional jobs.

Finally, make sure you’re always using 8 ½ x 11 paper.

Which Resume Categories Do I Include?

Organizing your resume is just as important as formatting it. Many resumes are put together by job seekers who aren’t sure of how to organize their information, resulting in a resume that lacks focus.

You always want to make sure that your categories are well defined and organized appropriately for not only who you are, but the type of resume that you’re using (don’t worry, we’ll go into that further in just a bit!).

Here are the categories that you need to include on your resume:

The first thing you need to do is make sure that a potential employer knows whose resume they’re looking at!

Make sure you include your personal information at the TOP of your resume. Include your full name, phone number, email and personal branding website (if you have one, which as an Interview Guys student you should!) You can also include your mailing address, but this is purely optional.

Resume Objective Statement

An objective statement is a quick outline of your employment goals with the company you’re applying to and should take up no more than a sentence or two.

For our in-depth article on how to write a  resume objective statement, click here .

Resume Summary Statement

A resume summary is a quick recap of your skills and experiences and, like an objective statement, should be no more than a sentence or two.

For our in-depth article on how to write a  resume summary statement, click here .

This section is where you talk about your work history and highlight not only who you worked for but what you did as well as how long you did it. Be sure to include your job title as well as a bulleted list of your duties and/or responsibilities.

***This is listed in reverse chronological order with your most recent job first.

Skills & Abilities

This is where you want to highlight your relevant skills that relate directly to the position or job you’re applying to. Make sure you list things here that set you apart and help show a potential employer that you’re the perfect candidate for the job!

These can include things like technical skills, language skills, computer skills, anything and everything that sets you apart and fits exactly what the employer is looking for.

Check out our skills to put on a resume article for more information .

For recent graduates and people just entering the job market, this would mean where you went to school. For people in technical fields or fields where outside training is either required or encouraged, you would include this information here.

Once upon a time references were always included. These days, however, references are no longer a must have on resumes. That doesn’t mean you don’t need them… instead, have them as a separate list, and if requested, you can provide it.

Check out our articles on professional reference letters and character reference letter 101 if you need more info.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Spelling and grammar mistakes (and typos).

Always proofread your resume before you send it out! This includes double checking your contact information. It won’t do you any good if you have the perfect resume and employers who want to hire you if they keep calling the wrong number or emailing the wrong email. Double check! Then…check again!

Similarly, don’t forget about punctuation! According to the Cawley Career Education Center at Georgetown University , “… be consistent in your use of punctuation throughout the document. For instance, either use periods at the end of all your bullets or not.” Great advice!

Not Targeting Your Resume

Blanketing the job market with a one-resume-fits-all approach not only makes you look lazy, but it shows an employer that you’re comfortable doing the bare minimum rather than going the extra step to make sure your resume is targeted to the job you’re specifically seeking.

Remember, you’re one candidate out of hundreds, if not thousands. Submitting a resume that’s long, rambling, confusing or poorly organized isn’t going to get you anything except dumped. This includes padding your resume with unnecessary information. Keep your resume targeted, clear, concise, and clean.

Personal Information

Religious affiliations, social security numbers, personal social media contact, birthday (or age), marital status, or anything else that’s personal has no place on your resume. This also includes photos or headshots. All a potential employer needs to know is what your name is, how to contact you, and why you’re the perfect candidate based off of your skills, experience, and qualifications.

Salary Information

Save that for a personal discussion with the hiring manager a little further down the road. Putting your salary requirements on your resume is never a good idea. Check out the article we wrote on “When and How to Negotiate Your Salary” here .

Top 5 Resume Formatting Tips

1. Keep your format simple : Remember, you have 10-20 seconds to snag a hiring managers attention. Presenting them with a resume that’s overly crowded, hard to read, confusing or just plain messy isn’t going to get you the job…it’s going to get you thrown out. Watch your spacing, font size and margins. Keep it legible!

2. Keep it professional : Avoid cute fonts, gimmicks, scented paper, glitter, odd shapes, or anything that could potentially make an employer look at your resume and question your sanity. Don’t print on cheap paper. Show an employer you’re serious about the job.

3. Focus on what you did for past employers, not just the job you held . Anyone can push a button. Why were you the best button pusher there was? What set you apart from every other button pusher who came before you and will come after you? Don’t just outline the job description. What were your accomplishments while doing that job?

4. Make sure you’re selecting the resume format that best reflects who you are, your work history, and the job you’re applying for . Keep in mind employment gaps, career trajectory, where you are in your industry, and where you plan on going. Make sure you’re selecting the right format resume (chronological, functional or combination).

5. Be honest : I know we’ve said this again and again in multiple articles on this site, but it’s a sentiment that bears repeating. Be honest. Don’t pad your resume with jobs or duties you’ve never held or exaggerate ones you have just to impress an employer. The last thing you want to do is get a job you can’t do. Not only will you look bad, but it’ll haunt you down the line with other future potential employers. Be honest!

Finding the Best Resume Format Examples

Of course, reading about it is one thing, but seeing how these resumes look is another. If you’re interested in seeing examples of how these resumes look in person, head on over to our How to Make a Resume 101 article. Just make sure, no matter which format you choose, that you’re targeting it for the job you’re applying to.

We also have to give some credit where credit is due. Our pals over at NovoResume have put together some really great content about resume format over on their site, along with a few great examples. This will be a great companion to the information we have already taught you here!

Putting It All Together

Whew! Did you get all that?!?

We promised you a much deeper look into resume formats and I think we’ve managed to deliver just that!

Making sure you have the right resume for the right job means more than just filling in your qualifications, it means selecting the right format and ensuring that you’re organizing it properly…and now, thanks to this article, you shouldn’t have any problems!

And as always…good luck! (One final thought. How is your cover letter looking? Are you confident that it is formatted properly? Because we have created a companion guide just like this one called “Best Cover Letter Format Guide Click the link to read it now!)

FREE : "Perfect Resume" PDF Checklist

Ok the next thing you should do is download our handy "Perfect Resume" Checklist PDF ".

In it you'll get a 38 point checklist that will let you overhaul your resume and make sure you aren't missing any critical components.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE "PERFECT RESUME" CHECKLIST

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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Best Resume Format to Use in 2023 (Tips and Examples)

So you want to write a resume for yourself, but you’re not sure how to format it. What is the most popular resume format in 2023? Which resume format do recruiters like to see? You feel like making one wrong step can cost you that interview.

Maybe you came here to double-check which of the three standard resume formats you should pick. Maybe you want to learn about the basics of resume styling, layout, and typography. Either way, we’ve got you covered.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to pick the best resume format (reverse chronological, functional, combination)
• How to format a resume in terms of design and layout: which fonts to pair, what font size to use, how to set margins, and so on
• How to format a resume in terms of the structure: which sections to include, the order of sections, and how much information to provide
• Which file format to use when saving a resume (PDF, DOC, DOCX, etc.)

You’ll end up with an eye-catching, professionally formatted resume that will make you look good in the eyes of recruiters and hiring managers.

The Three Main Resume Formats

There are three standard resume formats, each highlighting a different set of your biggest achievements.

You can choose between them based on several factors: the type of job you’re applying for, the industry, and your work experience. The three resume formats are:

Reverse chronological resume format

• Functional (or skills-based) resume format

Combination resume format

Let’s take a look at some resume examples.

Reverse chronological resume sample

Functional resume sample

Combination (hybrid) resume sample

You’ve seen pitch-perfect examples of resumes written in each of the standard formats. Now, see which one suits your current career situation best.

The key area of focus in this resume format is your work history section. You list your work experience in reverse chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent position, followed by the one before it, then another one, and so on.

This format is the safest (and usually the best) pick for virtually any candidate. You’ll find out why in a moment.

Here’s an example of the reverse chronological resume format:

Why the reverse chronological resume format is the best

This is, by far, the most common resume format. In addition, in 95% of cases, it’ll be the best format for you. This is because:

1. Recruiters are familiar with it. 

And they really like it! The reverse chronological resume highlights what matters the most for recruiters. It makes their job easier because it takes them less time to spot your key skills and accomplishments. Plus, from a purely psychological point of view, humans love familiarity because it means comfort. Therefore, using a familiar resume format might increase your chances with recruiters.

2. It highlights your best achievements.

Your work experience and achievements are often key things that recruiters search for in a resume. This resume format makes them readily available in the top third of your resume, showcasing just how successful you are.

3. It’s ATS-friendly.

A lot of companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) — a software that scans your resume and looks for key information before any human lays eyes on it. Consider it a pre-step in recruiting. If you don’t pass it, a recruiter will never get the chance to check out your resume and you’ll never land an interview. That’s why it’s best practice to use a reverse chronological resume, as ATS is “used to it” and it’ll increase your chances of getting noticed.

Sections to include in a reverse chronological resume

Here’s what you need to include in your reverse chronological resume format, in this exact order:

1. Contact information

Here’s where your name goes, along with your email address, phone number, location, LinkedIn URL, and optionally other information such as a blog, portfolio, or relevant social media. You can also include your job title below your name, but it’s optional.

Don’t add your photo and date of birth (in most countries it’s frowned upon, in the US it’s plain illegal).

Additionally, use a professional email address containing only your name and surname, and make sure there are no typos in your email address and phone number.

2. Resume summary or resume objective

Summarize the most important information about yourself in 2–4 sentences. Include your role and years of experience, key accomplishments and skills, and what you can bring to the table. If you don’t have a lot of experience, focus on your transferable skills, education, certifications, and the desired goal (again, with a focus on what you bring to the table). If you’re a student, learn how to acquire skills for your resume .

3. Work experience

Without a doubt, this is the key section.

Here, try to focus on achievements rather than duties. List your positions in reverse chronological order and format it like this:

• Company name and location
• Employment dates
• Main responsibilities (list them in bullet points and make sure you list key achievements, both qualitative and quantitative)
• For your current or most recent position, include up to 7 bullet points
• As you go back in time, limit the number of bullets per entry

For more details and a ton of examples, see our article: Work Experience on a Resume .

4. Education

Start with your highest degree. If you have a bachelor’s degree, there’s no need to list high school. If you have an MA or an MSc, list it alongside your bachelor’s.

If you have little experience, feel free to place the education section at the top, before the work history section. Here is how to format this section:

• Include your degree, field of study, and major
• University name and location
• Years attended
• GPA (only if 3.5 or higher)
• Awards and honors (if any)

For a super-detailed guide on how to list education on a resume (and a ton of examples and templates to copy), check out this article: Education Section on a Resume: How to Structure It for Greatest Impact .

Don’t disregard this section just because you think that work experience and education are more important. Listing your hard and soft skills on a resume can make you stand out, as they are a testament to why you’d be a great fit for a certain position.

Figure out what skills are needed for the position you are applying for and then include them in case you have them. You’ll want to list them in bullet points, as single items.

Obviously, don’t list skills you know you don’t have. Recruiters are trained to spot resume liars. They will find out.

For more info on why resume skills matter and what the best hard and soft skill combos are, check out Which Skills to Put on a Resume , no matter your job and industry.

6. Additional sections (optional)

This is a place for you to list all the things that can prove your worth and set you apart from the competition. Think awards, certificates, conferences, projects, publications, volunteer work (especially if you’re a recent grad!), languages, and hobbies. Spice it up!

Listing these is great because they show your personality and values, how you spend your free time , if you’re a lifelong learner, what skills you develop through your hobbies, and much more.

For more details on what to include in these sections, take a look at our How to Write a Resume article — it’s full of useful tips and examples.

Reverse chronological resume format: pros and cons

• ATS-friendly
• Recruiters are familiar with it
• It highlights the biggest successes in your career so far
• It’s easy to skim and pick up the key points quickly
• Employment gaps are noticeable immediately
• Not ideal for career changers
• If you don’t have a lot of experience, it might be hard to fill out
• It’s very common so it might be harder to stand out

Functional resume format

This type of resume format focuses on your skills rather than your experience. If you’re applying for a highly creative position and your portfolio is more important than your resume, you could pull the functional resume format off.

In all other cases, this is usually the worst option you can choose, as it’s not particularly liked by recruiters, it’s not ATS-friendly, it can conceal the most important information about you and your experience, and it might make you look like you’re trying to hide something.

However, we don’t do discrimination here at Big Interview, and that’s why we’re going to lay out all the functional resume format details for you. 😉

Here’s a functional resume example.

Sections to include using the functional resume format

The main principles remain the same as for the reverse chronological resume format, but there are slight twists.

Here’s what to include in a functional resume format:

Include the basics here: first and last name, phone number, location, email address, LinkedIn URL. You can also add (although it’s optional) the following: portfolio, blog, social media with content relevant to the position… (Remember that you shouldn’t add your headshot and date of birth.)

2. Resume summary or resume objective

In 2–4 sentences, include your role and years of experience, key accomplishments and skills, and how you can contribute to the company you’re applying to. In case you’re inexperienced, focus on your education, desired goal (how you can contribute), certifications, or (transferable) skills.

3. Skills summary

This is the most important section in the functional resume format! Think of this as the main things you’re bringing to the table, the key skills that are guaranteed to make you successful in the position and “sell you” to the recruiter.

Make sure to carefully pick out key hard and soft skills relevant to the position.

Above, you can see a bad example of the skills summary section in the functional resume format for the position of Product Designer. The candidate listed the skills without elaborating on each; in addition, the skills listed here are not specific enough and don’t provide the full picture of this person’s abilities.

Below, you’ll see a good example of the same section for the same position. The candidate picked out key hard and soft skills, elaborating on each. This way, a recruiter will be able to see that the candidate is experienced and suitable for the position.

4. Work experience

List your positions in reverse chronological order and format them in this order:

• Job title, company name, and location
• Main responsibilities (in bullet points; list crucial achievements, both qualitative and quantitative). If you don’t have relevant work experience, include volunteer work here, as well as internships.

5. Education

List your highest degree first. Then, go back in reverse chronological order. If you have a BA or a BSc, don’t list high school. If you have an MA or an MSc, list both your master’s and bachelor’s.

Here is how to format this section. Include your:

• Degree, field of study, and major

Functional resume format: pros and cons

• Good for highly creative candidates and positions, as well as freelancers
• Good for highlighting transferable skills
• Difficult to quickly scan
• Disliked by recruiters

As the name suggests, the combination resume format is a combination of reverse chronological and functional resume formats.

In theory, it’s awesome and tempting, because it highlights your experience and skills and validates them immediately.

But in practice, it’s really hard to pull off because it’s suitable only for highly experienced candidates.

Still, if you have a lot of experience and you’re fairly sure the company you’re applying to is not using an old-school ATS (this resume format is somewhat ATS-friendly but older types of software might not parse it properly), it might be a decent choice.

Take a look at the combination resume example below.

Sections to include with a combination resume format

This resume format includes 2 different skill-related sections. Here’s what to include and in which order:

Your name, email address, phone number, location, LinkedIn URL, and optionally other information such as a blog, portfolio, relevant social media, and similar. (Don’t add your photo and date of birth!)

2. Skills summary

Again, this is the key section using the combination resume format. List the crucial skills that have shaped you into the professional that you are today and that will help you nail your new job on a day-to-day basis. Don’t forget to include quantitative/qualitative proof of the great work you did with those skills, don’t just theorize about them without evidence to support it.

3. Additional skill sets

Here, you’re adding complementary skills. These can be additional, but less relevant hard skills important for the position, or complementary soft skills that will seal the deal and make you the perfect candidate.

You don’t need to be as detailed here as in the Skills summary section.

Keep it short and sweet, list your positions in reverse chronological order and format it like this:

• Main responsibilities (in bullet points and make sure you list key achievements, both qualitative and quantitative). If you don’t have relevant work experience, don’t opt for this resume format.

Same as with any other resume format. The highest degree of education you’ve completed at the top, followed by previous ones. If you have a bachelor’s, skip high school.

When formatting this section, include:

• Your degree, field of study, and major

Combination resume format: pros and cons

• Focuses on both experience and skills
• Good for highly experienced candidates
• Not convenient for the majority of candidates
• Difficult to write

How to choose the best resume format for you

Wondering which resume format might be the best for you? It’s simple.

Use the reverse chronological resume format if you’re:

• An experienced candidate with linear career progression and without employment gaps
• Mid-level professional
• Entry-level job seeker (in this case, rearrange Work Experience and Education sections)

Use the functional resume format if you’re:

• A creative worker (copywriter, designer, musician) or in any role where a portfolio matters more than a resume
• An ex-military professional transitioning to a civilian job

However, use the functional resume format at your own risk.

Finally, use the combination resume format if you’re:

• A highly experienced professional or a specialized candidate
• A career changer (with many years of experience nonetheless)

And now… let’s break down the remaining ambiguities of the phrase “resume format!”

The Basics of Resume Formatting

The resume layout, that is, your resume’s formatting, affects its appearance the most. You need to format your resume so that it’s easily scannable, clean, organized, and clutter-free. Here’s how.

For an elegant look that’s neither too empty nor too cluttered, set the margins to one inch on all sides . In case you need some extra space, there’s an option to reduce them slightly, but don’t go below ½ of an inch, otherwise your resume will look stuffy.

Fonts and font sizes

You’ll want modern and easily readable fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Verdana, Calibri, or Roboto . Avoid Comic Sans, Courier New, and Lucinda Console.

Pair two different fonts (one for normal text, one for headers) to stand out: for example, one Serif font and one Sans Serif font to make your resume interesting and balanced.

Use bold and italics to highlight certain parts of your resume; you can bold the headings and italicize subheadings or previous job titles and dates in a company.

As for the font size, use 11–12pt for normal text and 14–16pt for headers and section titles.

Whatever option you choose, make sure to use it consistently throughout your resume.

Line spacing

Things are fairly simple here: use a single-spaced format up to 1.5-point spacing.

Header with contact information

This is the very first section at the top of your resume.

It contains your name, email address (make sure it’s a professional one, not the one you’ve been using since high school!), phone number, location, LinkedIn URL, and other relevant information such as a blog, portfolio, relevant social media, and similar.

What’s important to remember here is that, if you’re applying for a job at an American company, you should not add your date of birth and your photo to the header with contact information. There’s really no need for recruiters and hiring managers to know what you look like, as your experience and achievements will speak for themselves. The same goes for the UK and Ireland.

However, in South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, adding a photo is desirable. In Western Europe, resume photos are acceptable but gradually going out of fashion.

Visually highlighted headers

The headers are the main pointers towards key things in your resume. You need to use them carefully to direct recruiters to the stuff you want to highlight.

Make them stand out by using a different font (one font for all the headings, one font for normal text) and font size ( 14–16pt ).

Many resume builders will let you choose between several different looks which style headers in various ways, so you can pick the one you like best.

The proper order of sections

A rule of thumb is to use the reverse chronological order format, which calls for this order of sections:

• Contact information
• Resume summary or resume objective
• Work experience
• Additional sections (optional): certifications, volunteer work, publications, etc.

If you don’t have relevant work experience, or you’re still a student or a recent graduate, you can put education information before work experience:

If you opt for a functional resume format , this is your order of sections:

• Skills summary

Finally, if you chose a combination resume format , it goes like this:

• Additional skills set

Bullet points

Use bullet points to list work experience and education. Don’t go above 7 bullet points per entry. Remember to focus on key achievements rather than day-to-day duties when listing work experience in bullet points.

How to format dates

When listing work experience, you can list only years when you were employed at a certain company. Alternatively, you can use months and years, but there’s no need to add days too.

When listing education, you can list years attended or only graduation year. If you wish to, you can add a month.

You can also add dates when you obtained certain certificates, completed projects, gave a lecture, and similar.

When adding months, make sure to spell them out and not use numbers (03 for March, for example). Using a number is not incorrect per se, but it might make it more difficult for ATS and recruiters to extract information.

Proper File Formats to Use for Saving Resumes

Here’s the final disambiguation of the phrase “resume format.”

Which file format should you use when saving your resume?

In short, it’s recommended to use a PDF file. It’s a safe bet, as your resume will look the same across all devices. Alternatively, you can use .docx , or another file format, if a recruiter requests it.

When saving your file, avoid random names such as “Resume_01.pdf” or “Resume_download_Mike”. Instead, list your name like this: “Mike-Davidson-Resume” or “Mike-Davidson-Operations-Manager-Resume.”

For bonus points, add the name of the company you’re applying to: “Mike-Davidson-Resume-Acme” will surely make the hiring manager feel that tiny bit more special.

FAQ: Additional Tips for a Flawlessly Formatted Resume

How long should my resume be.

Ideally, it should be a single page, especially if you have fewer than 5 years of experience and if you’re a recent graduate (or still a student).

If you’re experienced (5+ years), you can make it two pages long, but only if you feel it’s the only way to include what really matters.

The key thing to remember is that you can be detailed around positions that are relevant to the one you’re applying for; all others should not take up too much space and you can list only key things.

What’s the best file format to send my resume in?

As already mentioned, PDF. In rare cases when a recruiter asks you otherwise, you can use a .docx or .txt format, depending on what they want.

What about those super creative resume formats that go viral from time to time?

Yeah, we all remember that guy who styled his resume as a Google’s results page (he was applying to Google, you guessed it).

If you’re a highly creative person, like a graphic designer or a creative director, or similar, you might be tempted to showcase your design skills in your resume.

Still, it would be better to keep it simple. This is because you have ATS rounds to go through before a human eye looks at your resume. And even if you pass the ATS test, if your resume is too colorful it might be distracting or draw attention away from useful information.

So the best approach would be to keep it fairly simple and straightforward, and then include a link to your portfolio and showcase your genius there. 😉

What’s the best resume format in 2023?

The reverse chronological resume format is the best resume format to use in 2023. It’s the most ATS-friendly one, recruiters are familiar with it, and it’s candidate-friendly, as it lets you easily highlight your best achievements.

As a student, which resume format should I use?

Your best bet is the reverse chronological resume format with a slight twist: you can rearrange the work experience and education sections, placing education at the top, therefore highlighting your strongest points.

Maja Stojanovic

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3 Best Resume Formats for 2024 [W/ 5+ Professional Templates]

How you format your resume matters . 

When reviewing your resume, the first thing hiring managers notice is how your resume looks , not what it contains .

And if the first thing they see is a messy, cluttered, crowded resume, chances are you won’t make a great first impression.

So, this begs the question: what are the best resume formats, and which one should YOU use? 

That’s exactly what we’re here to explain! In this article, we’re going to cover:

• Resume Formatting Guidelines
• 5+ Resume Templates (You Can Steal)
• 3 Main Resume Formats (With Examples)
• Resume Format Pros and Cons
• How to Choose a Resume Format
• 7 Other Resume Resources 

Let’s dive right in! 

Resume Formatting Guidelines 

If you’re formatting your resume from scratch, you’ll first want to pay attention to the layout.  

That involves setting the margins, picking the font size, and determining your resume’s length. 

To create a professional-looking resume, follow these general formatting guidelines: 

• Don’t make your resume longer than one page . Unless you have 5+ years of relevant work experience, there’s no reason for your resume to be two or three pages long. 
• Pick an 11 or 12-pt font size and stick with it throughout your resume.
• Pick an attention-grabbing (but professional) font . We recommend Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass.  
• Use standard and legible resume sections . For example, your work experience should be called just that “Work Experience” and not “work history” or something else. 
• Leverage bullet points to list information such as work achievements and responsibilities, academic details , etc. They help make the resume much more reader-friendly. 
• Be consistent with resume formatting (e.g. use the same date format everywhere, instead of using 11.2018 in one place and November 2018 in another). 
• Have good line spacing. You don’t want the information on your resume to look all cramped up. 
• Always save your resume as a PDF file . It’s the safest choice, as it guarantees your resume layout will stay intact no matter what device opens it. Only save your resume as MS Word if the job you’re applying for specifically requires you to and never, ever, submit a JPEG or PNG of your resume.

New to resume-making? Give our resumes 101 video a watch before diving into the article!

6 Free Resume Templates (You Can Start Usign Now!) 

Formatting a resume from start to finish can be a time and energy-consuming process.

 If you’re building your resume with Word, for example, you’ll have to spend at least an hour tweaking the margins, making the headers and body text uniform, picking a font, and so on. You’ll spend an hour or two before you can even start filling in the resume contents!

And if all of that wasn’t enough, one misplaced sentence here or a wrong click there, and your resume layout starts spilling over to page 2!

Want to skip all the hassle of resume formatting? Check out some of our free, tried-and-tested resume templates , pick out your favorite, and fill it in as you go: 

#1. Basic Resume Template

Good for conservative, traditional industries. 

If you want to focus on your resume’s contents rather than its design, then the Basic template is for you. With a concise and well-organized layout, this resume format highlights everything the hiring manager wants to see. 

#2. College Resume Template

Good for university students, recent graduates, and entry-level professionals.

If you’re applying for internships or entry-level jobs, you’ll want to show off your skills, academic achievements, and whatever work experience you have. Well, that’s exactly what this template does! 

Not to mention, its contemporary style is perfect for younger candidates who want their resume to be as visually appealing as it is professional. 

#3. Executive Resume Template

Good for senior executives who may be applying in creative or green industries . While very professionally formatted, it also shows off a tinge of personality with its blue color scheme. 

#4. Modern Resume Template

Good for professionals in the business world or IT industries. 

Square brackets, bullet lists, infographics, and icons work together in this template to attract the hiring manager’s attention and get them to go over your work experience and achievements in depth. 

#5. Creative Resume Template

Good for anyone applying to creative industries such as marketing , design, publishing, and entry-level professionals. 

If you’re looking to stand out visually as much as through your skills and achievements, this is the template for you. Creative is designed to be a stylish resume that makes a stunning first impression while remaining professional. 

#6. Simple Resume Template

Good for senior professionals with a lot of work experience who are in conservative industries such as law or banking. 

The well-organized and professional formatting in this resume template is visually modest, allowing your achievements to do the talking. 

What Are the 3 Main Resume Formats? 

Now that we covered all the basics, let’s talk about resume formats in detail . 

The first thing you want to know is that there are three main resume formats out there, namely:

• The reverse-chronological resume format. This is the most common and practical resume format in 2024.
• The functional resume format is also known as the skills-based resume format.
• The combination resume format , or hybrid resume format, is a combination of the other two formats.

At this point, you’re probably asking yourself how these 3 formats are different from each other. 

Well, the main difference is that they focus on different parts of an applicant’s experience by listing sections in different orders.

Here is what we mean by that: 

So, in a nutshell: 

• The reverse-chronological resume format focuses on your work experience , listing them from most to least recent.
• The functional resume format focuses on your skills that are relevant to the job.
• The combination resume format focuses on your experience and skills by aiming to prove that you possess the skills you list through your work achievements.

What’s the Best Resume Format For Me? 

So far so good - you now know all about the three main resume formats and how they’re different from each other. 

Now, you probably want to know what the optimal format is for YOUR resume. 

Well, mainly, that depends on what point you’re at in your career. Meaning: 

• If you’re a seasoned professional or if you’re looking to get hired in an industry where you have tons of experience, you should pick the reverse-chronological format.
• If you’re applying in a creative industry or for a position that prioritizes your skillset instead of your work history, then you can go for the functional resume format.
• If you’re looking to get hired in a position that requires both experienced and skilled applicants, then the combination format is your best bet.

And now, let’s go over each resume format to see how you can use them to your advantage, based on some real-life examples: 

#1. Reverse Chronological Resume Format

As we mentioned before, the reverse-chronological resume format is the most popular format in 2024.

It usually looks like this:

The main thing about this resume format is that it’s useful for practically every job-seeker.

The reverse-chronological format has a very simple structure, it’s easy to skim, and overall, it’s the most popular format around the globe.

For this reason alone, we typically recommend using this format to most people  - even if using one of the other formats also makes sense. 

Here’s what you’d include in a reverse-chronological resume:

• Contact Information - Your name, phone number, location, and email address. In some cases, you can include useful links such as a LinkedIn or GitHub profile. 
• Resume Summary or Objective - A brief 2-4 sentence summary of your work experience, or your objective for applying for a given position.
• Professional Title - Your title. This should mirror the exact position you’re applying for.
• Work Experience - Your work experience in reverse-chronological order. When possible, talk about achievements over responsibilities.
• Skills Section - Skills relevant to the position you’re applying for.
• Education - Your educational history. Pro tip - if you have a B.A., feel free to skip your high school education.
• Optional Sections - Sections like volunteering, projects, portfolio, hobbies , etc. While they’re not a game-changer, they can help fill up some space on your resume.

As we already mentioned, this resume format primarily focuses on the one part that’s relevant to most hiring managers - your work history . 

As such, the key to making the most out of this resume format is nailing the work experience section. To do that, here’s how you should structure it: 

• Start with your most recent job and go backward from there. 
• Tailor the section to the job description. This means that you shouldn’t list every job you ever worked - only the ones that are relevant for this one. 
• For each job that you list, include your job title , the name of the company, the location, and the time period you worked there. 
• Below, add four to five bullet points for recent jobs and two to three bullet points for earlier jobs. 
• Focus on your achievements instead of your responsibilities. Hiring managers already know the basic responsibilities of the jobs they’re hiring for. So, rather than your responsibilities, they want to learn about your achievements. 
• Whenever possible, quantify your achievements. Facts and numbers are more convincing than words. 
• Use action verbs and power words . (E.g. “created” instead of “was responsible for creating” ). 

Reverse-Chronological Format Example

As we already mentioned, the best thing about the reverse-chronological format is that it’s a great choice whether you’re an entry-level worker or a seasoned professional. 

Any relevant experience you’ve got, the chronological experience will highlight effectively. 

For example, here’s a digital marketer’s resume work experience section created using the reverse-chronological format:

Digital Marketing Manager

Wonderfull Agency Inc. 

06/2017 - Present 

• Created a new format for reporting and presenting the sales, customer engagement and Google Ads reports that decreased the number of meetings by 24% in the last three quarters.
• Updated and monitored the Bid Strategy in Google Ads and Bing Ads which resulted in a CTR increase of 3.2% in the first month.
• Redesigned the webpage UX, decreasing customer turnover by 25% within a period of two months. 
• Conducted keyword research for updating the product pages on the online shop, increasing the organic keywords in the Top 100 by 5.600 and in the Top 10 by 315 for high-volume searches. 

Digital Marketing Specialist 

Company X  

02/2015 - 05/2017 

• Collaborated with a copywriter and designer to update landing pages based on search intent, increasing conversion rates by 20% on average for select clients. 
• Worked directly with company clients, handling their Google Ads accounts. 
• Managed a total of $40,000 in ad spend per month. 
• Achieved an average of 200% ROAS overall ad accounts. 

Reverse Chronological Resume Format Pros & Cons

Still not sure if the reverse-chronological resume format is the right choice for you? See our pros and cons below!

• Recruiters and HR managers prefer this format.
• It will definitely “beat” Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software.
• Provides a reader-friendly chronological history of your work experience.
• The most popular resume format in 2024.
• You need to make your work achievements stand out to catch the recruiter’s attention. 
• Hard to fill in for a recent graduate with no work experience. 
• Makes career gaps very obvious. If you’re a career changer, you need to explain those employment gaps on your resume.

#2. Functional Resume Format 

As we already mentioned, the functional resume format is also known as the skills-based resume format. Here’s an example of what it looks like: 

As the name suggests, the functional resume format focuses on your skills and your key strengths. 

In a nutshell, this resume format takes the spotlight away from your work experience by highlighting what you’re good at instead. 

As such, this resume format is perfect for recent graduates or career changers who have little-to-no experience in a particular field. 

Here’s what to include in a functional resume:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary or Objective
• Professional Title
• Skills Summary
• Additional Skills
• Work Experience

As you can see, the main difference from the reverse-chronological format is that the focus of the functional resume is the skills summary and the resume objective that’s placed right at the top of the resume. 

Here is exactly how you should write them to impress the hiring manager: 

• Use your resume objective to state your career intent and explain what makes you the ideal candidate for the job. 
• Start off your resume objective by mentioning a skill, education, or certification relevant to the job, mention the responsibilities you could handle, and include your motivation for working that particular job. 
• In the skills summary, include four or five skills that are most relevant to the position. 
• Instead of just listing your skills, be descriptive. In bullet points or in plain paragraphs, give examples of how you applied these skills in practice and try to make them as quantifiable as possible. 

Functional Format Example

Let’s assume that you’re an entry-level journalist. 

Since you graduated, you’ve worked as a part-time intern at a magazine and published a dozen articles online and in print. You also run a blog that has a modest but loyal readership. 

Now, you want to apply for an actual journalism position at a recently founded newspaper. So, you’re using the functional resume format. 

Here’s why it’s the right choice: 

• It highlights your skills. In this case, you don’t have the experience to apply for the job, but you may have all the right skills. 
• It allows you to prove your skills. There’s ample space to show exactly how you can put your skills to use for the upcoming job. 

Now let’s see what your resume objective and skills summary (or areas of strength) would look like in this case: 

Resume Objective

Driven and hardworking journalism graduate looking to get hired as a reporter in The Daily Prophet. I interned at Who Magazine for six months, where I gained hands-on experience in research, fact-checking, and interviewing. Passionate blogger at Fake Blog Website, which is currently followed by over two thousand readers. 

Skills Summary 

Research & Fact checking

• Able to systematically look for information, resources, data, etc. through a variety of sources, such as books, online directories, or social media. 
• Careful to always ensure that every claim and data that gets published is accurate and legitimate. 

Interviewing

• Full knowledge of journalism ethics and standards that are required to conduct successful and dignified interviews. 
• Skilled at connecting with interviewees on a deeper level to ensure comprehensive and detailed interviews. 
• Excel at several types of journalistic writing, including news, feature writing, columns, and reviews.
• Have published over 15 articles in different newspapers and magazines since graduating. 

Considering that the functional resume focuses solely on a candidate’s skills, the only groups of candidates who should consider using it are: 

• Freelancers with impressive portfolios 
• Professionals in creative industries
• Career changers 
• Recent graduates, and entry-level professionals
• Military veterans passing into civilian roles

So, to sum it all up: 

Functional Resume Format Pros & Cons

• Good for highlighting specific skills.
• Useful if you’re switching careers since you can explain how your skills transfer to the new job.
• Useful if you’re a recent graduate with practical skills but not much work experience.
• The functional resume format is not very popular in 2024, and most recruiters and hiring managers aren’t familiar with it, so using this format carries a bit of a risk.
• Since the functional resume has less focus on work experience, recruiters might think you’re trying to hide something.
• Applicant tracking systems (ATS) have difficulties reading functional resumes.

#3. Combination Resume Format

The combination resume format , also known as the “hybrid,” is a mixture of the functional and the reverse-chronological format.

This resume format gives equal attention to an applicant’s skills section and work experience. As such, you end up including both the Skill Summary and the Work Experience sections:

• Skill Summary

The focal point here is the skills summary. Placed right after the contact information section, this is where you list the skills that are required for the job and then prove that you have them through your professional experience and achievements. 

Here is exactly how you should write it: 

• List the skills that are required for the position you’re applying for and that you actually possess. 
• Add up to 4 professional achievements underneath each skill to prove that you possess it. 
• Make your achievements as descriptive and quantifiable as possible. 

Combination Format Example

Say you’re a senior program manager with over a decade of experience in your field. 

You can plan, execute, evaluate programs and projects across diverse industries, and inspire your team to do great work. 

Recently, someone told you about an opening for a program director in an international company. To apply, you’re putting together a hybrid resume format. 

Here’s what makes it the best choice: 

• Saves space. For highly competitive positions, you want your resume to be able to cut through the noise. The hybrid format allows you to do that by bringing into focus your most relevant achievements right from the start.
• Combines the best parts of the other two resume formats, which is perfect for senior professionals or executives that have plenty to show for both experience and skills. 

For example, some of the skills required for the program director gig mentioned above may include interpersonal skills , budget management, and project management. 

Here’s what the skills summary in your hybrid resume would look like in practice: 

Interpersonal Skills

• Initiated formal and informal coaching and mentorship to 50+ team members regarding project charter development, resource planning, best practices of project management, and appropriate delivery of project outcomes. 
• Coordinated all project inputs with several functional/technical directors, managers, and project core teams, to formulate appropriate project tools and methodologies. 

Budget Management 

• Oversaw the implementation of the enterprise’s multi-year, multi-million dollar research system software that benefited employees company-wide. 
• Analysis of financial and statistical data reduced operational costs by 12%.
• Strategically supervised the project execution teams to ensure the timely and cost-effective completion of projects, saving the company $250K in project costs. 

Project Management

• Provided strategic direction, leadership, and project governance for a multimillion-dollar application project portfolio, which successfully supported a population of 60K+ end-users across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
• Streamlined project management methodologies and communication in the IT division, which increased efficiency by 90%. 
• Accurately report on project status throughout its life cycle to 20+ project teams, stakeholders, and sponsors, encompassing budget estimation, scheduling, and resource planning.

Combination Resume Format Pros and Cons 

• Allows you to show off more of your experience and skills using less space.
• Useful for very senior professionals or executives who need to highlight more than just their work experience.
• Good for applicants who may have a noticeable employment gap but plenty of work experience nonetheless.
• As with the functional resume format, applicant tracking systems have difficulties reading combination resumes.
• If you’re a recent graduate or don’t have much work experience, this resume format is not very useful.
• As is the case with the functional resume, most hiring managers aren’t very familiar with this format, which might cause some confusion in the process.

The Verdict: What Is the Best Resume Format?  

Now that we’ve covered all 3 of the common resume formats, you’re probably wondering which one's best resume format out there .

Here’s our verdict:

In 90%+ of the cases, we’d recommend going with a reverse-chronological resume format.

In 2024, it’s the most common and useful format:

• Applicant tracking systems can read it without any problems.
• All recruiters and hiring managers are familiar with this format.
• Whether you’re a recent graduate or a senior professional, it’s the easiest format to work with.

So, even if you’re a career changer, a highly-qualified professional, or a college student, it’s risky to choose one of the other two formats over the reverse-chronological one.

There’s a good chance that the applicant tracking system won’t be able to read your resume and automatically discard it - after all the time you put into creating the resume!

At the same time, recruiters might just not be familiar with these resume formats, or think that you’re just trying to hide the fact that you’re not experienced, and disqualify you based on that.

So, the rule of thumb - when in doubt, go for the reverse-chronological resume.

Looking for CV writing tips instead? Here's our full guide on how to write a CV !

How to Beat the ATS Software

Did you know that 75% of resumes don’t even make it to the hiring manager ? 

Instead, they get scanned by ATS software, which evaluates your resume and decides whether it’s relevant enough for the hiring manager to give it a look.

At first, ATS software was used by larger companies that receive thousands of applications daily as a way to filter out irrelevant applicants. Today, though, studies show that most companies use ATS to evaluate applicants. 

As worrying as this thought may be, you’ll be glad to know there is a way to beat ATS and get your resume on top of the hiring manager’s desk:

Creating an ATS-friendly resume ! 

Here is a handy list of our top tips for making a resume that beats applicant tracking systems: 

• Place your contact information at the top of your resume. 
• Sprinkle specific keywords from the job description throughout your resume. 
• Avoid using graphics or charts as part of your resume. 
• Save your resume in PDF format. 

7 Other Resume Resources

Picking the right resume format is just the first step in creating a convincing resume.

Want to learn how to make a resume that lands you the job?

Check out some of our best career resources!

• Job Search Masterclass - This one’s our flagship e-book. It covers literally everything you need to know about job-search: how to make a resume, how to write a cover letter, how to apply for jobs effectively, what are the most common job interview questions, and a LOT more. The book is jam-packed with value, and illustrated, making it an extremely easy read.
• How to Make a Resume - Our comprehensive guide on how to make a resume from A to Z.
• Interview Questions And Answers - Have a hard time with job interviews? This guide features ALL the most common job interview questions that you might encounter.
• How to Write a Cover Letter - Our ultimate guide on writing a cover letter (free templates included!)
• 50+ Resume Examples - Need some inspiration with your resume? Check out our resume examples for 50+ different positions and fields.
• 43+ Resume Tips - A complete list of all our resume tips, ordered by importance.
• 26+ Interview Mistakes - Whatever you do, avoid making these common interview mistakes.

And of course, for more industry-leading job-search advice, make sure to follow our career blog !

FAQ on Resume Formats

Do you still have some questions about resume formatting? We’ll get them answered here!

1. What’s the best resume format in 2024?  

For the majority of job-seekers, the best resume format in 2024 is the reverse-chronological resume format. This resume format involves listing your resume information (e.g. your work experience and your education) starting with the most recent one and going backward through relevant jobs, degrees, or qualifications. 

Here’s why the reverse chronological resume format is the best choice: 

• It’s easy to read and skim through
• Hiring managers are familiar with it because it’s the most commonly used one
• It’s ATS-friendly, which means Applicant Tracking Systems can scan it with ease
• It brings your career progression and professional achievements into the spotlight

2. What is the correct format for a college student resume? 

The best resume format for a college student resume is the reverse-chronological format .

While it is true that a functional resume can help you emphasize your skills more than work experience, it comes with two serious problems:

• Recruiters aren’t familiar with it, and they might think you’re trying to hide the fact that you don’t have work experience.
• Applicant tracking systems have trouble reading this resume format. 

So, unless you have absolutely no experience to show for it (meaning, not even unpaid internships, or even college projects with relevant responsibilities for the job you’re applying for), then you should still choose the reverse-chronological resume format over the skills-based one. 

If you’re worried about your lack of work experience , don’t. For most entry-level positions and internships, you’re not required to have work experience. 

3. What is the best resume format for a job seeker with experience? 

The best resume format for a job-seeker with plenty of experience in the industry they’re applying for is the reverse-chronological format. 

Here’s what makes the reverse-chronological format the best choice: 

• It puts emphasis on your strengths as an applicant, namely your professional experience. 
• It shows recruiters exactly what they’re looking for (your achievements and qualifications) from the get-go. 

4. Is resume format important? 

Yes, the resume format you choose is important. Basically, the resume format involves the type of information listed on the resume and the way this information is organized and presented. 

When they’re evaluating your resume, hiring managers expect to see information that will help them assess whether you’re the right person for the job (i.e. your experience, skills, and qualifications, among others). If, for example, you have five years of work experience but your resume format focuses on your education, the hiring manager may have trouble realizing that you’re the right person for the job. 

At the same time, hiring managers want to spend as little time as possible reading your resume. This means that a disorganized, chaotic resume may get them to throw your resume in the “rejected” pile without giving it a second thought. 

That’s why it’s super important to choose the right resume format that highlights your strengths and that recruiters know and like. 

5. What is an ATS-friendly resume format?

Applicant Tracking System software is software that companies use to sort through the countless applications they receive daily. 

What ATS does is scan resumes for specific keywords mentioned in the job description (e.g. necessary skills for the job), and filter out those applications it deems irrelevant. 

As such, an ATS-friendly resume format is the kind of format that lists information in plain text and organizes it in clear sections, making it easier to be read by applicant tracking systems.

This is important because ATS software is typically unable to read text within images or scan infographics.  

6. What resume format is most ATS-friendly?

The most ATS-friendly resume format is the reverse-chronological format. 

That’s because it allows you to use ATS-specific keywords in your skills section and doesn’t use too many visuals such as graphs, infographics, etc.

7. Are hand-written resumes still used?

No, hand-written resumes are barely used in 2024. As such, you should not submit a handwritten resume when you’re applying for jobs. 

Here are some of the most important reasons why: 

• ATS software is unable to scan hand-written resumes. This means that if the company to which you’re applying uses an ATS, your resume will get disqualified.
• Your handwriting might be difficult to understand. Not just that, but you’ll have trouble differentiating one section from the other and keeping everything uniform, which means your resume will be the opposite of reader-friendly.
• We’re technically living online now. Gone are the days when you’d look up job openings in a newspaper or apply by mail. Everything has moved online, so it only makes sense for your resume to do the same.

8. Is the resume format the same as the resume template?

No, a resume format is not the same thing as a resume template. 

Resume format refers to the layout of the resume, namely, the kind of information, its order, and the way it's organized on the resume. Basic document settings, such as line spacing, fonts, and margins, are also part of resume formatting. 

A resume template, on the other hand, is a pre-designed, blank document that you can fill in as you go. Using a resume template to create your resume is a much easier and less time-consuming process than formatting your resume from scratch. 

9. What is the easiest way to build my resume?

The easiest, most efficient way to create a resume is through a resume builder .

If you use a text editor, you could spend hours trying to format your resume, but the moment you make a tiny design change, the whole resume layout gets completely messed up!

Using a resume builder, on the other hand, comes with a ton of benefits:

• Recruiter-friendly layout. All of our resume templates are created with recruiters in mind - they’re extremely easy to read and skim.
• Easy to build. Our resume builder is extremely easy to use. All YOU have to do is fill in the content - we take care of all the resume formatting.
• ATS-friendly . Applicant tracking systems can read our resumes perfectly fine, ensuring that you don’t get automatically disqualified when applying for positions.
• Free (with premium features). Our base builder is completely free without any hidden paywalls! If you’re looking to upgrade the resume design, though, or get access to several awesome features, you can always upgrade to Premium.

10. What are the 7 resume types?

The 7 types of resume formats include the reverse-chronological resume, the combination resume, the resume with profile, the non-traditional resume, the infographic resume, the functional resume, and the targeted resume.

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap on resume formats! 

By now, you should know everything there is to know about the most popular resume formats and regarding what the best resume format is for YOU. 

Before you go, let’s do a recap of the most important points covered in this article: 

• There are 3 common resume formats - reverse-chronological, functional, and combination (also known as the hybrid).
• The reverse-chronological format is the most popular one in 2024, and we always recommend you go with that one.
• A functional resume focuses more on skills rather than work experience and is usually used by career changers or students.
• A combination resume is a mix of functional and reverse-chronological formats and puts equal emphasis on work experience and skill set.
• Both functional and combination resumes are not too popular, and applicant tracking systems have trouble reading them.

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What is an ideal job interview resume format?

Everyone knows that the information you put in your resume must present the best of your career trajectory.

But, what if the recruiters don’t even bat an eye to read it because your resume looks unprofessional and unorganized?

Studies show that recruiters receive at least 118 applications for a single job and out of which, only 20% of them get shortlisted for an interview.

These statistics emphasize how important it is for your resume to make a good first impression. So, how can you possibly achieve that?

One approach to making your resume look professional and enhancing its readability is by using a resume format for job interviews that highlights the best of your skills and experiences.

Read on to get an insight into the different job interview resume formats and get clarity on the following related questions:

• What is a job interview resume format?
• What are the 3 effective resume formats that you can follow?
• What is a combination resume format?
• How to format your resume for a job interview?

What is a Job Interview Resume Format?

A resume format for job interviews refers to the design, layout, and structure that make up a resume.

• A well-formatted resume has distinct sections for different information like header, skills, professional experience, summary, and educational background of a candidate organized in a way that highlights the best of their potential.

Using a good resume format also allows recruiters to scan through the candidate’s resume easily and makes the resume look crisp and professional.

Some of the elements of the best professional resume format for job interviews include:

• Distinct sections with labeled headers
• Use of bullet points and action verbs
• Quantified achievements
• Correct spacing and margins
• Resume saved in PDF format
• Use of professional and easy-to-read fonts
• Minimal use of colors
• Consistent date format (DD/YYYY or DD/YY)
• Absence of grammatical errors

Also Read: What are the best resume formats to use in 2023?

What are the 3 Resume Formats for Job Interviews?

Depending on the order of information and which section is highlighted the most, there are 3 types of resume formats that are commonly used by job seekers.

They are - reverse chronological resume format, functional resume format, and combination resume format.

Let’s take a look at the features and differences between the 3 resume formats:

Reverse Chronological Resume Format for Job Interviews

• The reverse chronological resume format is a format that showcases the candidate’s most recent work experience or education qualification at the top, followed by the older ones.

It is the most commonly used format as it makes it easier for recruiters to scan through the candidate’s most relevant and recent experiences & skills.

Its popularity stems from the fact that it is ATS-friendly, easy to create, and is preferred by recruiters as well.

However, since this resume format highlights your recent work experience the most, it is not suitable for candidates with career gaps and career changes.

Functional Resume Format for Job Interviews

Also known as a skill-based resume format, the functional resume format highlights the candidate’s skills over their work experiences.

Instead of a detailed work experience section, a resume that follows this format includes a section for a summary of skills, wherein the candidate’s use of skills is elaborated.

The work experience section on the other hand only includes details like job title, employer name, location, and dates of employment.

A functional resume format is suitable for those who have career gaps, multiple job changes, and a lack of professional experience.

However, many Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by recruiters to filter resumes are not able to parse resumes with this format.

Combination Resume Format for Job Interviews

A combination resume format, as the name suggests, is a combination or hybrid of the reverse chronological and functional resume formats.

It combines the elements of the two formats and highlights both the work experience and skills of the candidate. However, it is time-consuming to create and is not suitable for freshers who lack work experience.

But, on the positive side, it is ATS-friendly and can be used by candidates who have career gaps and multiple job changes.

Also Read: How to create a two-page resume format?

Job Interview Resume Writing Tips

Given below are some tips that you can follow while formatting resumes using any of the commonly used resume formats:

Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description

Understanding the needs of the recruiters from the job description provided in the listing will give you a better idea of which information you need to highlight in your resume.

By tailoring your resume to the requirements of the recruiters, you will have better chances of getting shortlisted for the role.

Use Bullet Points and Action Verbs

When describing your professional experience, consider using bullet points and one-liners instead of bulky paragraphs to make it crisp and concise.

Also, using action verbs like “managed”, “led”, “organized”, “increased” etc. while writing bullet points can make it more impactful.

As for describing your achievements and duties, ensure to quantify whenever possible as using numbers will give the recruiters a clear idea of how you can add value to their company as well if they hire you.

Use Professional Design Elements

The format of a resume not only includes its layout, sections, and content, but also includes design elements such as fonts, spacing, margins, and colors.

Ensure to use professional and easy-to-read fonts like Ariel, Times New Roman, & Calibri instead of fancy fonts with special characters that can’t be parsed by the ATS as well.

As for the spacing and margins, keep a 1” margin on all sides of your resume and keep adequate white space between sections so that your resume doesn’t look cluttered.

Proofread and Save it in PDF Format

Once you’re done drafting your resume, make sure that you proofread it to avoid any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

You can either proofread it manually or use tools like Grammarly to detect any errors or typos.

And if you’re sharing your resume through an email or on any online repository, save it in a PDF format so that your resume remains intact.

Also Read: What is a simple resume format that you can use for jobs?

Key Points from the Blog

• A resume format for job interviews refers to the design, layout, and structure that makes up a resume.
• Depending on the order of information and which section is highlighted the most, there are 3 types of resume formats that are commonly used by job seekers - reverse chronological, functional, and combination resume format.
• The functional resume format highlights the candidate’s skills over their work experiences.
• A combination resume format as the name suggests, is a combination or hybrid of the reverse chronological and functional resume formats.
• The format of a resume not only includes its layout, sections, and content, but it also includes design elements such as fonts, spacing, margins, and colors.
• If you’re sharing your resume through an email or on any online repository, save it in a PDF format so that your resume remains intact.

Use Hiration’s AI-powered Resume Builder with 24x7 chat support to build a resume that is sure to get you shortlisted for an interview. If you have any questions, write us at [email protected] .

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Best Resume Formats + 7 Formatting FAQs for 2024

• Best Resume Formats and Examples

What’s the Best Resume Format for Me?

How to format your resume, formatting faqs, formatting your resume in 2024.

A resume is more than just a summary of your employment history and associated experience, skills, and education; it’s a marketing tool [1] . A recruiter will tend to pass over applicants who provide only the boring basics. Instead, they would rather see your accomplishments and what you can do for the company.

Your resume is the ticket to an interview, so it’s important that your resume template shows the best you possible to a potential employer. Because times change, you can’t simply use the resume you wrote a few years back or, possibly, even last year. Choosing the right format and providing the proper information can land you that interview for your dream job.

3 Best Resume Formats and Examples for 2024

The format you choose for your resume is just as important as what information is actually provided within. The way your resume is set up can either help or hinder a potential employer’s ability to quickly scan to see what they’re looking for in a candidate.

Imagine getting between 75 and 250 resumes for one position [2] . There’s no way you’re going to have the time to read each and everyone to select just a few candidates for interviews. Although part of a recruiter’s job is to go through resumes, they have other responsibilities as well. This means that they’ll only be able to scan through resumes and select a handful to read more thoroughly. A properly formatted resume is more likely to be read.

When you don’t choose an appropriate format for the position that you’re applying for, recruiters get a negative impression of you and your ability to do the job, no matter how qualified you may actually be. Not only that, but a recruiter will skim to see if you actually want the specific position within their company rather than just any ol’ job.

Furthermore, an improperly formatted resume looks messy and unprofessional when information isn’t organized into appropriate sections. It can make it difficult for a recruiter to find the specific information that they’re seeking as a good match for the position they’re offering. With more and more employers turning to applicant tracking systems to filter through large numbers of resumes, improper formatting becomes an ATS nightmare that will cause your resume to be dismissed before human eyes ever have a chance to look at it [3] .

While there are many formatting options that can be used, these three resume formats are typically the most popular for 2024:

Reverse-chronological format

Functional format.

• Combination, or hybrid, format

When a resume is written in a reverse-chronological format, your past employment and experience are what stand out. A prospective employer can readily see a progression of your work history and how long you stayed with each company or organization.

• The most popular format for 2024
• Preferred by recruiters
• Chronological timeline that’s easy to skim
• Limited options for those with little work history
• Highlighted gaps in employment
• Varying positions or multiple career path changes are easily noticed

When using a reverse-chronological resume, you should include certain sections in the following order:

• Contact information : This should include your name, job title, phone number, city, state, and email address. If you have an online employment profile, such as on LinkedIn, you can include it here as well.
• Career objective : We recommend including this if you’re changing career fields or looking for an entry-level position. Using two to four sentences, provide the reason you’re applying for the position or a  professional summary  of how your previous work qualifies you for the position.
• Work experience : Beginning with your most recent job, list your previous work experience. Here you’ll list the achievements that you’ve accomplished at each position you’ve held.
• Skills : This is the area where you’ll list a few hard and soft skills that are relevant to the position you’re seeking.
• Education : In reverse-chronological order, list your education. If you have a college degree, there’s no need to include your high school diploma.
• Additional accomplishments : If you need to fill up space, you can add volunteer work or projects as long as you can reasonably relate it to the position.

The functional resume highlights the skill sets that qualify you for the position. You’ll still include your employment history, but the main focus for recruiters is the skills that you bring to the table.

• Position-related skills are emphasized
• Employment gaps are minimized
• Transferable skills are utilized when you are changing careers or have little job experience
• Unfamiliar to many recruiters in 2024
• Red flags pop up for potential employers
• Difficulty passing through some applicant tracking systems

When creating a functional resume, these are the sections to include in the preferred order.

• Contact information : This is the same as for a reverse-chronological resume.
• Resume summary : Use the career objective placeholder as a resume summary that bundles all your skills, showing how they could easily transfer to the position that you’re applying for.
• General skills : This is where you’ll list some of your basic transferable hard and soft skills.
• Skills summary : List a few specific roles and accomplishments from projects and positions where you used those skills.
• Work history : List any work history with just the details concerning the place of employment in reverse-chronological order.
• Education : Complete this section the same as you would for a reverse-chronological resume.
• Additional accomplishments : These can be added if they’re relevant and you have extra space.

Combination/hybrid format

A combination, or hybrid, resume places equal focus on your skills and your job history. The in-depth skills section comes first to grab the potential employer’s attention before showing your previous employment. This format is often used by those with extensive experience in one field to show how they stand out from other applicants or for those who are changing careers that require a similar skill set.

• Most valuable skills are corroborated with related work history
• Skills from various types of employment are related with the new position
• Employment gaps are minimized as long as there is still significant work experience
• Limited employment history is obvious
• Trouble passing through applicant tracking systems
• Difficult to format properly

Creating a combination/hybrid resume requires these sections in the following order:

• Contact information : See previous resume types for specific information.
• Skills summary : This is where you’ll list relevant skills, and then provide specific examples of your accomplishments using these skills at your previous jobs.
• Additional skills : You may wish to add other pertinent skills that you don’t have concrete examples for here.
• Work experience : As with other resume formats, list your employment history in reverse-chronological order.
• Education : Complete this section the way you would for the other two resume formats.

Depending on your situation, you may think that a specific resume format would work better than the others to show off your skills and experience. Honestly, in today’s job market, the reverse-chronological resume is the top choice for just about everyone. This is, in part, because this format gives you the best chance of passing through ATS systems and making its way to human eyes. With other resume formats, ATS may reject your resume on the first pass.

Additionally, recruiters prefer the reverse-chronological resume because it gives them the information they’re looking for in the areas where they expect to see it, making their jobs easier [4] . Instead of looking at other resume styles as a way for you to better showcase your fit with the company, hiring managers see red flags when viewing other formats because they wonder whether you’re trying to hide something.

It can be really helpful to consult with a professional to help you  build a resume  that works. Right now, we’ll walk you through each resume format, taking into account skills and employment history. However, at the end of the day, we still recommend the reverse-chronological format, and we’re here to help you overcome potential obstacles that you may face in your specific situation.

I have years of traditional work experience

If you’ve worked in similar fields and have a consistent employment history, you might be tempted to go with a combination/hybrid format for your resume to help you stand out from other applicants. Unfortunately, this style may not pass through ATS, and it’s very difficult to pull off correctly.

Whether you’ve only been working a few years or for decades, the reverse-chronological resume format is going to be your best choice. While recruiters are looking for proof of steady employment over the years, they’re also looking for job progression. They want to see if you’ve changed jobs because you’ve acquired additional skills or if you’ve simply moved laterally from one job to the next. With the reverse-chronological resume, you’re able to tell a story of job growth that potential employers want to see.

Furthermore, the reverse-chronological format makes it easier for recruiters to see your specific work accomplishments so that they know what you can bring to the position. Your short sections of skills can be easily verified with this format. You’ll also avoid the potential red flags that could prevent a recruiter from actually looking at your resume.

Don’t worry—if you feel you have more to offer your prospective employer than other applicants, you can still let your skills and experience shine with a reverse-chronological resume by writing job experience bullet points that reflect your  specific skill set . We can help you arrange your skills and employment in the preferred reverse-chronological format to maximize your resume’s impact with recruiters.

I’m a student or looking for an entry-level position

In the past, you may have been encouraged to use the functional format for your resume. Unfortunately, these days, it simply makes potential employers wonder why you’re not using a reverse-chronological style. What are you trying to hide? Instead of reading the relevant skills you can provide, they may just pass over your resume completely, especially if they’re limited on time or have other qualified candidates already on the interview list. This is all assuming your functionally formatted resume even makes it past ATS.

Recruiters understand that you may lack an employment history because you’re new to the job market. Instead, they want to see if you’ve been spending your time preparing for entering the workforce rather than goofing off or procrastinating. To the potential employer, what you’ve done in the time before work can tell a lot about what type of employee you’ll be.

You may not know how to use your previous activities in place of work history, but that’s okay. We’ll show you how you can use any volunteer work or completed projects in place of employment in the preferred reverse-chronological format. Fortunately,  the career objective  near the top of your resume can also be used to your advantage when you have little or no actual work experience.

Functional vs reverse-chronological resume format

I don’t have traditional work experience, or I have career gaps

If you’ve had non-traditional work experience, such as serving in the military, or you have career gaps, you might think the combination/hybrid format will work best for you. This will allow you to showcase the skills you’ve gained that are relevant to the position you’re applying for while then providing evidence for those skills with your previous experience.

While this resume type does have advantages in cases such as these, you should still be concerned if you try to use this style. It’s very difficult to make a combination/hybrid resume look professional and to use the appropriate keywords to draw the reader in. Furthermore, this format typically won’t make it past the first ATS scan. Also, many potential employers will assume you have something you’re trying to hide when you use a different format. Why put all of your thoughtful work to waste if someone isn’t going to be able to get their hands on your resume and read it?

It is more than possible to place your accomplishments and work skills in a chronological order that’s easy for recruiters to skim. We can help you make the most of your abilities using the reverse-chronological format in a way that fits with the proposed job position. Additionally, an  attention-grabbing career objective  can effectively highlight your skill set to portray you as a valuable asset to the company or organization.

Combination vs reverse-chronological resume format

In addition to the basic resume formats described, you need to think about formatting your information for visual appeal and ease of access to specific key points. The best way to do this is to put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter. What layout will be the easiest to get the information across as quickly and organized as possible? Remember that hiring personnel only take about six or seven seconds to gather information from your resume, so it’s vital to make your important information easy to access [5] .

Although you want to stand out, the layout isn’t the place to get over-the-top creative. If your information isn’t organized or set up in a logical sequence, would you want to waste your time reading it when you have so many other documents to sort through? In all truthfulness, you’d probably give up on that resume and move on to someone else with an easier-to-read document.

Let’s walk through the following points to keep in mind when creating your resume:

Format to impress

• Include must-haves on your resume
• Learn how  not  to format your resume
• Format to beat ATS

The design of your resume determines whether someone will continue to read it after the introductory six-to-seven-second skim. It will help if you remember these key principles in formatting:

• Consistency : Keep each section similar in layout, including the use (or lack) of punctuation. Use the same font and font size for main content and the same font and font size for headers. 

• Repetition : Repeat the use of bullet points throughout each job experience. If you use a color or underline a heading, make sure that it’s repeated throughout your resume. These tiny, repetitive details help consistency and keep your document looking organized and professional. 

• Alignment : Use left alignment for the body of your document. Centered text is difficult to read and appears unorganized on a resume. As an exception, though, your name and title may be centered.

• Proximity : Place each section in the appropriate order on the page so that it creates a natural progression to each consecutive section. Likewise, keep similar things grouped together. For example, don’t include volunteer experience with your education or skills as it will fit better within work experience (or even under a new section you title “Projects” or “Volunteer Experience”). 

To professionalize your resume, begin by using one-inch margins and single or 1.5-inch spacing in between each section. If you need more space, you can reduce the margins to 0.75; however, avoid using less than 0.50 of an inch because it’s too crowded and information can get lost through ATS translation.

You can choose serif or sans serif for your font, but stick with just one in a style that’s not too cramped or ornate. As a good rule of thumb, you can aim between 10- and 12- point font throughout the document, though you can increase font size for your name, title, and section headers.

Adding a splash of color gives personality and highlights pertinent information. Using the company’s main color can be a plus and subtly demonstrates your initiative to research the company. Also, take advantage of bullet points, but use simple, round bullets because other characters may not translate well through ATS.

Must-haves on your resume

Recruiters have clear expectations of what they expect a resume to look like and what should be included within it. First and foremost, your contact information and job title should be the first thing they see; they shouldn’t have to hunt for it. Include your name, job title, phone number, and a professional-sounding email address. Unfortunately, [email protected] can land your resume in the trash bin before the recruiter reads any further.

Keep your resume to one page, and use a recognized file format, preferably pdf. An appropriate amount of white space breaks up the content into easy-to-find sections. Use bold font or underline the font for section headers. Increasing header fonts to 12 or 14 provides contrast that makes them easier to spot. If you don’t have a lot of color in the rest of the document, consider using it in header text.

Along with color and font style, you have some leeway on being creative with your sections. However, you need to format with both yourself and the potential employer in mind. If you work in a professional field, your resume should demonstrate this through its layout as well as the wording you choose. On the other hand, an artist may look for a more creative approach, though professionalism will always be king.

Don’t just list your job title or job duties at your previous places of employment. Use action words that promote achievement in a way that is factual and quantifiable, such as with numbers, percentages, or dollar amounts.

Editing and proofreading are essential. Recruiters believe you’re going to put your best effort into a resume, so be sure that it’s free of errors and is grammatically correct. If there are any typos in a document that’s supposed to show you at your best, they’ll assume you’ll make even more mistakes when you’re on the job. You only have one chance to make a good first impression.

If all of this sounds complicated, it’s because it can be. That’s why our  free resume checker  will enable you to show your best self while still portraying the level of professionalism that recruiters expect to see.

Line Cook Resume

This line cook resume includes all you’ll need in a successful resume format, and by clicking below, you can start editing your own copy now:

How  not  to format your resume

Knowing what not to do when creating your resume can be just as important as knowing what to include. Poor formatting provides potential employers with a disorganized mess that they’ll simply toss rather than try to puzzle out.

Many issues affect your resume immediately while others may not be seen without further inspection, so it’s important that you don’t take any chances. Be aware of the following:

• Added photos : Pictures, photos, and other graphics won’t pass through ATS, and they take up valuable space that can be better used to sell yourself.
• Too much color : While a conservative amount of color can add personality and effective design elements, using too much distracts the reader from what’s important and depicts you as immature and inexperienced.
• Unprofessional fonts : Although you may wish to show your sense of style, avoid scripted or detailed fonts since these can slow down the recruiter’s ability to read your information and mix up ATS.
• Missing information : It’s important to include all sections required for the resume format you choose because missing information is a red flag to a potential employer and makes you look scattered and disorganized.
• Personal information : Hiring personnel don’t want to know too much about your personal life (plus, they can run into legal issues if they start asking those kinds of questions), so stick with facts that relate to your work history. However, depending on your field, it may be appropriate to include  hobbies and interests  on your resume.

Formatting to beat ATS

ATS is used to simplify recruiters’ jobs by narrowing down the number of resumes that they have to physically look through. Unfortunately, 75 percent of resumes never make their way to an actual person [6] .

In addition to a clear format, ATS scans for certain keywords related to the position and will give you a rating based on how these keywords are included in your resume. Don’t overuse keywords because your resume will be read by a real person if it passes through ATS.

Investment Banking Resume

Click on this ATS-friendly resume below to build and edit your own resume now:

Here are some considerations when creating your resume for ATS:

• Use the right file format : The most acceptable formats are .pdf and .doc, so you may want to keep a copy of your resume in both formats.
• Keep it simple : Use appropriate spacing and sections for readability.
• Avoid graphics : Pictures, lines, and other graphics will be seen as a garbled mess of text by ATS.
• Check your formatting : Copy the contents of your resume and paste into a plain text document. The results are basically how ATS will process it, so look for odd characters and sections that are out of place.
• Use traditional headers : The ATS is programmed to look for basic word combinations, so don’t get too creative in the wording of your section headers.
• Optimize keywords : ATS will look for the job title of the position and key industry terms. Look at the job description to see what words the hiring personnel used to get some ideas.

ATS-nightmare resume example

ATS-friendly resume example

Although there’s plenty of information here to help you get started, you may have additional questions. Please see our FAQs section below to learn more about formatting your best resume in 2024. However, we understand that there’s no way for us to anticipate every question, so if you’re still unsure about anything, feel free to contact us directly at [email protected] .

What’s the difference between a resume format and a resume template?

The resume format is  how  you put your information on the page while a resume template is typically a downloadable document that you can put the information into. A basic template will let you put your information into a simple, readable format. However, these templates (like what you might find in Microsoft Word) are often fixed, providing you with little flexibility (and lots of headaches). These resumes may all look the same.

On the other hand, a great template will allow you to rearrange the format to suit your specific needs. We offer  different resume templates  that fall within recommended guidelines while leaving room for your personality to shine through. Every template can be edited in our resume builder for you to create the perfect document to save and share with potential employers.

Also, we don’t leave you on your own. Our  resume maker offers you suggestions and tips for both your formatting and writing needs.

Don’t recruiters get tired of seeing the same format?

Recruiters sort through up to 250 resumes for one open position [2] . While it might seem that hiring personnel would get tired of seeing the same old format over and over again, it actually makes their job faster and easier because they know exactly where to find the information they’re looking for if the document passes through ATS and into their hands.

However, we understand that you want your resume to catch the recruiter’s attention, so we offer  resume template variations  of tried-and-true formats that hiring managers have come to know while providing you with a chance to show your unique brand. There’s no reason to risk your resume making its way to the circular file because it’s unorganized, illogical, or doesn’t appear to make sense to the recruiter or to the ATS.

Can I write my resume in chronological order instead of reverse-chronological order?

In the end, how you decide to create your resume is completely up to you. However, it’s important to remember that you have just six or seven seconds to make the recruiter want to read more. If they have to search for your most recent, and generally most relevant, employment, they may just give up and move on to the next applicant.

When you use reverse-chronological order, hiring personnel see your most recent job position right near the top of the page where their eyes are typically scanning for what information they’re looking for [7] . If they see the first job you ever had fifteen years ago, not only may the position be unrelated to the current one, the recruiter may assume there are gaps in your employment because they’re accustomed to seeing the most recent job listed first.

How much “personality” should be in my resume?

While it’s important to allow for creativity in how you word and format your resume, professionalism is still key. Feel free to use terms and wording that are outside the box because many recruiters are tired of seeing the same old basic terms such as “team player.” However, it’s imperative that everything you include in your resume is easy to read, placed in a logical order, and makes sense to the reader.

Also, remember that ATS and employers are looking for specific keywords, so only show off your style to the point that it doesn’t interfere or distract from finding relevant information. For more information on this topic, check out question No. 2 in our FAQs section.

What’s the easiest and quickest way to format a resume?

Because there’s so much detailed information that you need to know to effectively format a resume for ATS and human eyes, it’s best to go with a  the best resume builder  that offers  customizable resume templates  to suit your needs. You could always try your hand at making your own with a template or blank document from word processing software such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. If you’d like to try this method, go back to the section on How to Format Your Resume, so you’ll be sure not to forget any pertinent details.

Better yet, you can alleviate the guesswork by using BeamJob’s  resume builder and checker . We offer plenty of  free resume templates for download , which you can edit. We’re here to save you hours of time and frustration.

What should I name my resume file?

Gone are the days of blindly tossing around mass-produced, hard-copy resumes. Your resume should be specifically tailored to the job position you’re applying for. This means that, ideally, you’ll have more than one resume if you’re hunting the job market to fit with different positions. You want to make it easy to find the specific resume you’re looking for.

Name your file with your first name followed by a period, your last name followed by a period, the job position title with no spaces followed by a period, and 2024. Use the format first.last.jobpositiontitle.2024 or something similar. Here is an example: john.smith.accountssupervisor.2024. Not only will this help you find the exact resume you want for each job application, but it’s also easier for job recruiters to find when they want to re-evaluate your resume to invite you to an interview. Don’t let something as simple as a file name keep a recruiter from contacting you for an interview!

How do I make a good resume?

Be confident in your abilities when  writing a resume . Also, take advantage of the tools available on BeamJob’s resume builder to make the time you spend creating your resume easier and faster. Remember, no matter how great a fit you are for the position, it won’t matter if improper formatting prevents your resume from being read.

Once you have edited and proofread your resume and have it the way you want, it is extremely helpful to have someone else evaluate your work and provide feedback on something you may have missed. Great sources can include colleagues, friends in a similar field, close contacts who have extensive grammar skills, or even your favorite college professor.

If any of these contacts suggest that you make changes, you can just go back to the resume builder without risk of having to reformat your entire document as everything is automatically saved for you after you make a  free account  with us. You can make as many copies as you like, so you always have the best, most updated version to send to potential employers.

Your resume opens the door for interviews (or closes it!), so it’s important that it’s properly formatted and includes relevant information in a way that’s easy for recruiters to view in the limited time they have available. Although reverse-chronological format is the most preferred style and is absolutely our recommendation, you know yourself and your experiences best, so choose what you believe will benefit you the most. 

However, you need to remember that only a fraction of resumes pass through ATS and into the hands of recruiters, so take your time to get the right layout. Format to impress with white space, an appropriate font, concise information, and related keywords. Contact information should be at the top of your resume followed by the career objective as this is where recruiters will look first. Avoid obstacles that detract the reader from getting the information they need and want.

Create a resume for each position you’re applying for, name each one appropriately and save them in .pdf and .doc format. Keep it simple yet professional, and emphasize actual, quantifiable achievements. Always edit and proofread your resume, and utilize friends and associates for feedback.

Remember to take advantage of BeamJob’s  downloadable resume templates  that you can edit for individuality while staying within the recommended guidelines. To make the task even simpler, try out our  free AI resume builder  and  resume checker  tools that can save you time and headaches throughout the process—and don’t forget—you may need to write a cover letter , too!

[1] Recruiter.com. (2016 February 5). 6 things employers want to see in your resume.

[2] Workopolis. (2015, January 20). Application revelation: What really happens to your resume after you apply for a job?

[3] Kerri Anne Renzulli. (2019 February 28). 75% of resumes are never read by a human – here’s how to make sure your resume beats the bots. CNBC Make It.

[4] Dawn Graham. (2018 February 6). Ready, set, switch: Make your resume and cover letter stand out. Forbes.

[5] Ladders, Inc. (2018 November 6). Ladders updates popular eye-tracking study with new key insights on how job seekers can improve their resumes. PR Newswire.

[6] Robyn Ryan. (2021 February 9). Want to be noticed by recruiters? Try this resume strategy to get through the applicant tracking system. Forbes.

[7] Katie Bindley. (2012 May 9). Resume design: Eye-tracking study finds job seekers have six seconds to make an impression. Huffington Post.

24 Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

A resume summary statement usually comes right after a job seeker’s contact info and before other resume sections such as skills and work experience. It provides employers with a brief overview of a candidate’s career accomplishments and qualifications before they read further. Because of how early it appears on the document, your resume summary statement (or your CV “profile” in the UK) is one of the first places recruiters and employers look. And without the right information, they’ll doubt that you’re qualified and may move to another resume.

So I got in touch with a select group of professional resume writers, coaches and career experts to get their best resume summary examples you can use and adapt to write a resume summary that stands out and gets interviews.

As a former recruiter myself, I’ll also share my best tips to write your resume summary effectively.

Why the Resume/CV Summary is Important

You may have heard that recruiters only spend 8-10 seconds looking at your resume. The truth is: they spend that long deciding whether to read more. They do glance that quickly at first and may move on if your background doesn’t look like a fit. However, if you grab their attention, they’ll read far more. Recruiters aren’t deciding to interview you in 8-10 seconds, but they are ruling people out in 8-10 seconds. And this is why your resume summary is so crucial. It appears high up on your resume (usually right after your header/contact info) and is one of the first sections employers see. So it’s part of what they’ll see in the first 8-10 seconds.

Your resume summary statement is one of your first (and one of very few) chances to get the employer to stop skimming through their pile of resumes and focus on YOU.

Watch: Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

10 resume summary examples:.

These career summary examples will help you at any experience level – whether you’re writing a professional summary after a long executive career, or writing your first resume summary without any experience! After you finish this article you’re NEVER going to have to send out a limp, weak resume summary statement again (and you’ll get far more interviews  because of it).

1. Healthcare Sales Executive Resume Summary Example:

Turnaround & Ground Up Leadership – Concept-to-execution strategies for untapped products, markets + solutions that yield 110% revenue growth – Negotiates partnerships with leading distributors + hospitals—Medline to Centara + Novant Health to Mayo Clinic –  Revitalizes underperforming sales organizations via scalable, sustainable infrastructures emulated as best practice –  C-Level networks of clinical + supply chain leadership acquired during tenures with XXX, XXX and XXX

Why this resume summary is good:

This resumes summary example’s strength lies in the detailed, unique information that has been included. By including revenue stats, names of past employers and partners, the reader right away sees that this person will bring to the role a strong networking ability with key players in his industry, and more importantly can build, grow and revitalize a sales organization, market or product.

By:  Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes  and Forbes contributor.

2. 15+ Year Business Owner Resume Summary Statement:

Dynamic and motivated marketing professional with a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from concept to completion, designing educational strategies, and coaching individuals to success. Skilled in building cross-functional teams, demonstrating exceptional communication skills, and making critical decisions during challenges. Adaptable and transformational leader with an ability to work independently, creating effective presentations, and developing opportunities that further establish organizational goals.

Why this is a good summary section:

This is a resume summary statement that was for  a candidate returning to work after having her own business for 15+ years. Because of this, we needed to emphasize her soft skills and what she can bring to this potential position. In addition, we highlighted the skills she has honed as a business owner so that she can utilize these qualifications as a sales professional, account manager , and someone knowledgeable about nutrition, medicine, and the overall sales process.

By: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish. MBA, Ph.D., CPRW, and Founder of Feather Communications

3. Human Resources Generalist Resume Summary Example:

Human Resources Generalist with progressive experience managing employee benefits & compliance, employee hiring & onboarding, performance management processes, licensure tracking and HR records. Dependable and organized team player with the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. Skilled at building relationships with employees across all levels of an organization. Proficient with HRIS, applicant tracking and benefits management.

Why this is a good resume summary:

The applicant highlights their experience across a wide range of HR functions from the very first sentence, and continues this pattern throughout the rest of the summary. They then use easily digestible langue to showcase their hard skills (in the first & fourth sentences) and soft skills (in the second & third sentences). They also integrate a variety of keywords to get past automated job application systems , without sounding spammy or without overdoing it.

By: Kyle Elliott, MPA/CHES,  Career Coach and Consultant

4. Social Media Marketing CV Profile Example (UK):

Social media expert with successes in the creation and management of social media strategies and campaigns for global retail organisations. Extensive experience in the commercial utilisation of multiple social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; I build successful social strategies that increase brand awareness, promote customer engagement and ultimately drive web traffic and conversions.

Why this summary is good:

This summary is well-written, short, sharp, and gives recruiters a high-level explanation of the candidate’s core offerings in a persuasive and punchy style. A quick scan of this profile tells you the exact type of social media platforms the candidate is an expert in, as well as the campaigns they have experience running and types of organizations they have worked for. Most importantly, the summary is rounded off by showing the results that this person achieves for their employers, such as increased web traffic and conversions.

Editor’s note: This CV profile summary was written for the UK market… this is a great one to use/copy, but make sure you put it through a spell-checker if you’re applying for jobs in the US (utilisation vs. utilization, etc.)

By: Andrew Fennell, Director at StandOut CV , contributor for The Guardian and Business Insider

5. Marketing Manager Professional Summary Example:

Marketing Manager with over eight years of experience. Proven success in running email marketing campaigns and implementing marketing strategies that have pulled in a 20% increase in qualified leads. Proficient in content, social media and inbound marketing strategies. Skilled, creative and innovative.

This resume summary stands out because it gets straight to the point. By immediately introducing the number of years of experience the candidate has, the HR manager doesn’t need to spend time adding up years. The candidate also jumps right into his or her strongest skill, provides a statistic , then gives additional skills.

By: Sarah Landrum, career expert and contributor at Entrepreneur.com and Forbes

6. Warehouse Supervisor Resume Summary Example:

Warehouse Supervisor with Management, Customer Service, & Forklift Experience –  Dependable manager with 15+ years of experience in warehouse management and employee supervision. –  Skilled at managing inventory control, shipping & receiving, customer relations and safety & compliance. –  Certified Power Equipment Trainer, Forklift Operator and Reach Operator skilled at coaching other staff. –  Promoted to positions of increased responsibility given strong people and project management skills.

The applicant was applying for a warehouse supervisor position that required them to have demonstrated management, customer service and forklift experience. As such, the applicant showcased their experience in these areas with a few keywords in the title, followed by additional details in the accompanying bullet points. Their final bullet shows a record of promotions, while reinforcing the applicant’s customer service and project management skills.

7. IT Project Manager Resume Summary Example:

Experienced Project Manager with vast IT experience. Skills include computer networking, analytical thinking and creative problem solving. Able to apply customer service concepts to IT to improve user experience for clients, employees and administration.

Because this candidate is switching career paths, it’s important he or she take skills used for previous positions and apply those skills to the new job listing. This is a great example because the candidate makes it clear that his or her experience is not in the new field, but that they are still able to bring relevant experience to the table. When writing your resume summary, keep these tips in mind: Use writing that is straight to the point, clear and concise, you’ll have a higher chance of getting noticed by the hiring manager.

8. Career-Changer Resume Summary Example:

Earn trust, uncover key business drivers and find common ground as chief negotiator and identifier of revenue opportunities in sales, leadership and account management roles spanning e-Commerce, air travel and high-tech retail. Navigate cultural challenges while jumping time zones, lead international airline crews and manage corporate accounts to deliver an exceptional customer experience. A self-taught techie sought after as a go-to for complex billing systems and SaaS platforms alike—bridging the divide between technology and plain-speak. – Tenacious Quest for Success + Learning . Earned MBA and BS in just 3 years while working full-time – gaining hands-on experience in research- and data-driven product roadmap development, pricing and positioning. – Results-Driven Leadership. Whether leading Baby Boomers, Gen X or Millennials—figures out what makes teams tick, trains and transforms individuals into top-performers. – Challenger of Conventional Wisdom. Always ask the WHY. Improve the user experience through smart, strategic thinking that anticipates outcomes. Present cases that influence, and lead change that drives efficiency and profitability.

This client was eager for a career change and had moved from role to role and industry to industry. After completing her Master’s degree, she was eager to tie her skills together to land a role – which she did – as a Senior Technology Account Strategist for a global travel company. Although a bit longer than a traditional summary, its strength lies in the details. Without ever getting to the experience section, the reader gets a clear idea of the scope of responsibility, and hard and soft skills the candidate brings to the table.

By: Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes  and Forbes contributor.

9. Project Management Executive Professional Summary Example:

15+ years of initiating and delivering sustained results and effective change for Fortune 500 firms across a wide range of industries including enterprise software, digital marketing, advertising technology, e-commerce and government. Major experience lies in strategizing and leading cross-functional teams to bring about fundamental change and improvement in strategy, process, and profitability – both as a leader and expert consultant.

Why this resume summary is good:

“Project Manager” is one of those job titles that’s REALLY broad. You can find project managers earning $50K, and others earning $250K. The client I wrote this for was at the Director level, and had worked for some of the biggest and best tech companies in her city. So this resume profile section shows her level and experience, and the wide array of areas she has responsibility for in her current work. You can borrow or use some of the phrasing here to show that you’ve been responsible for many important areas in your past work.

By: Biron Clark, Founder of  CareerSidekick.com.

10. Startup And Finance Management Consultant Career Summary Example:

Experienced strategist, entrepreneur and startup enthusiast with a passion for building businesses and challenging the status quo. 8+ year track record of defining new business strategies, launching new ventures, and delivering operational impact, both as a co-founder and management consultant. 

Why this resume summary example is good:

This summary was for a highly-talented management consultant looking to break out of finance, and into trendier tech companies like Uber . His track record and educational background were great, so the goal of this summary section was to stand out and show he’s more than just the typical consultant with a finance background. So we emphasized his passion for startups, and his ability to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. That’s something that companies like Uber and other “disruptive” tech companies look for.

14 Resume Summary Examples for Various Industries

Compassionate and effective 5th-grade teacher with experience overseeing the classroom and preparing lessons. Extensive experience encouraging students through positive reinforcement and motivational techniques. Collaborate well with school administration and other members of the teaching team. Ensure all students meet learning requirements, including literacy, social, and arithmetic skills.

2. Teacher’s Assistant

Goal-oriented teacher’s assistant with ten years of experience working with elementary school children. Aid teachers with lesson planning, classroom settings, and group instruction. Model positive behavior and maintain order in the classroom. Willingness to take on additional responsibilities to meet learning objectives.

Tech Industry

3. computer programmer.

Innovative computer programmer with a proven track record of writing high-quality code and supporting team needs with subject matter expertise. Adept in multiple programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and C++. Ability to troubleshoot complex programming issues with inventive solutions. 

4. Cybersecurity Analyst

Dedicated cybersecurity analyst with ten years of experience in online security research, execution, planning, and maintenance. Proven track record of identifying business risks and proactively resolving them. Experience designing and instituting layered network security for large-scale organizations. Train users and other staff members on IT safety procedures and preventive techniques.

Skilled healthcare professional with ten years of experience in patient care, diagnosis, and providing appropriate treatments and medical services. Manage medical staff and resolve complex medical cases with maximum efficiency. Communicate the patient’s condition and treatment plan in easily understood terminology. Remain current with the latest advancements in medicine and research to ensure patients receive proper care.

6. Registered Nurse

Seasoned registered nurse offering comprehensive patient care in emergency room settings. Experience handling diverse patient populations and caring for various conditions. Proven leadership managing nursing teams and other staff. Focus on enhancing patient care and satisfaction through empathetic communication and excellent customer service. 

7. Digital Marketing Manager

Forward-thinking digital marketing manager experienced in all facets of digital marketing, including social media management, PPC advertising, SEO, and email marketing. Proven experience creating comprehensive marketing plans that improve lead prospecting and enhance brand awareness. Up to date with the newest tools available for digital marketing campaigns.

8. Marketing Analyst

Industrious marketing analyst well-versed in analyzing marketing campaign analytics and making recommendations to improve performance. Collaborate with account managers and use KPI metrics to explain the results of marketing initiatives. Meticulous with a strong work ethic and robust communication skills.

Food and Service Industry

Experienced wait staff member capable of managing orders, processing payments, and upselling menu items. Ensure restaurant guests feel welcome with attentive service catered to their needs. Remain current on updates to the menu and assist guests with selecting orders to meet their dietary requirements. Maintain a positive attitude and focus during busy restaurant periods.

10. Hotel Receptionist

Friendly hotel receptionist with extensive experience handling guest check-ins, check-out, and payments. Facilitate a positive guest experience with polished customer service skills and a readiness to address common inquiries and complaints. Collaborate well with other hotel team members, including executive administration and on-site restaurant staff.

Business/Office Jobs

11. financial analyst.

Highly motivated financial analyst with a proven track record of recommending appropriate financial plans based on financial monitoring, data collection, and business strategizing. Experienced in qualitative and quantitative analysis, forecasting, and financial modeling. Excellent communication skills for building and fostering long-term business relationships across the organization.

12. Tax Accountant

Experienced tax accountant with ten years of experience preparing federal and state tax returns for corporations and partnerships. Monitor changes in laws to ensure the organization properly complies with reporting requirements. Assist with tax audits, ensuring the team receives proper supporting evidence for tax positions. Analyze and resolve complex tax issues. Look for available tax savings opportunities for corporations with an aggregate savings of $500K last year. Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.

Sales and Customer Service

13. sales representative.

Enthusiastic sales representative with expertise in identifying prospects and converting qualified leads to paying customers. Provide quality customer service and contribute to team sales success. Offer exceptional communication skills and seek to understand client needs before making the appropriate product recommendations. Continually meet and exceed sales goals. Leverage extensive knowledge of available products to provide appropriate client solutions and enhance customer loyalty and retention.

14. Customer Service Associate

Knowledgeable customer service professional with extensive experience in the insurance industry. Known as a team player with a friendly demeanor and proven ability to develop positive rapport with clients. Maintain ongoing customer satisfaction that contributes to overall company success. Highly articulate, with a results-oriented approach that addresses client inquiries and issues while maintaining strong partnerships. Collaborate well with the customer service team while also engaging independent decision-making skills.

Now you have 24 professional resume summary statements and some explanations of why they’re effective. Next, I’ll share tips for how to write your own in case you’re still unsure how to begin based on these examples above.

How to Write a Resume Summary: Steps and Hints

We’ve looked at 10 great resume summary examples above. As you begin writing a resume summary for yourself, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

• Read the employer’s job description. Your career summary shouldn’t be a long list of everything you’ve done; it should be a refined list of skills and experiences that demonstrate you’re a fit for their job.
• Mention your current job title if relevant. One common way to begin your resume summary is to state your current job title.
• Explain how you can help employers achieve their goals or solve their problems.
• Consider using bold text to emphasize one or two key phrases.
• Include any relevant metrics and data like dollar amounts, years of experience, size of teams led, etc. This helps your resume stand out.
• Focus on making the employer want to read more. The goal of your resume summary isn’t to show everything you can do, but to grab their attention and show enough that they continue reading.

Creating a Customized Resume Summary

While general summaries are appropriate when applying for jobs requiring similar skills and experience, a customized resume summary can enhance your chances of moving on to the next step in the hiring process. 

That’s because most companies use automated tracking systems (ATS) to review submitted resumes for content directly related to the job posting. If you use keywords and natural language phrases in your summary that interlink to the job description, you’ll have a much higher chance of passing the ATS review.

Let’s look at an example of a resume summary that is customized for the specific job description below:

“Highly motivated social media specialist with strong project management skills. Creative marketer skilled in crafting innovative social media campaigns that resonate with a target audience. Regularly develop compelling copy and social media content to enhance lead generation and brand awareness. Detail-oriented with extensive project management skills that ensure proper prioritization of tasks and projects. Work with various social media management and analytics tools to examine results and make adjustments as necessary.”

This summary directly addresses the key points in the job description but rewrites them so the customization is natural and flows well. It’s personalized for the open role and uses similar terms with a few strategically placed keywords, such as “social media content” and “project management.”  

How Long Should a Resume Summary Be?

As you read the resume summaries above, you probably noticed there are some short single-paragraph resume summary examples and much longer career summaries that are two to three paragraphs plus bullet points. So how long should YOUR professional summary be? If you have relevant work experience, keep your summary to one or two paragraphs. The piece you really want the hiring manager to read is your most recent work experience (and you should make sure you tailored that info to fit the job description). The resume summary is just a “bridge” to get the hiring manager into your experience.

If I were writing my own career summary right now, I’d likely use one single paragraph packed with skills, accomplishments, and exactly why I’m ready to step into the job I’ve applied for and be successful!

Even for a manager resume summary, I recommend a very short length. However, if you’re changing careers, or you’re looking for jobs without any work experience , the summary section needs to stand on its own, and should be longer. That’s why some examples above are a bit longer.

Formatting Your Resume/CV Career Summary

You may have noticed a variety of different formats in the career summary examples above. There isn’t one “right” way to format this section on your resume or CV. However, I recommend either using one or two brief paragraphs, or combining a short sentence or paragraph with bullets. Avoid writing three or four long paragraphs with no special formatting like bullet points. That’s simply too much text for your summary section and will cause recruiters and hiring managers to skip over it in some cases.

Should You Include a Resume Objective?

You do not need to include an objective on your resume, and doing so can make your resume appear outdated. Use a resume summary instead of an objective. Follow the resume summary examples above and focus on discussing your skills, qualifications, and achievements, rather than stating your objective. Employers know that your objective is to obtain the position you’ve applied for, and the resume objective has no place on a modern resume/CV in today’s job market.

Examples of Bad Resume Summaries

Now that we’ve seen a few exemplary resume summaries, let’s look at some that you should avoid at all cost.

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

“Experienced cashier who knows how to run the register cash. Responsible with the money and can talk with the customer. Knows when to stoc up the invenory and checks it all the time. Can count change and run credit card tranactions. Get the customer happy by good service. I am always cheerful and organized.”

Why this resume summary is bad:

If you read the summary carefully, you’ll notice several spelling errors. The words “stock,” “inventory,” and “transactions” are all spelled wrong. Grammatical errors make the summary choppy and difficult to follow (“Get the customer happy by good service”).  A summary like this probably won’t fly with a company looking for a detail-oriented cashier responsible for managing in-person sales.

2. Lacks Relevant Keywords

“Talented worker with experience managing a team of staff. Creative and responsible with knowledge of organizational processes. Can keep up with the busiest of environments. Stays focused when at work, ensuring prompt task completion. Dependable and willing to collaborate with a team to get things done.”  

In this example, the chef doesn’t use keywords relevant to cooking, restaurants, or kitchens. The summary is very generic and can apply to nearly any job. A manager who receives the application isn’t likely to understand what value the candidate can bring to the restaurant.  To fix the summary, the applicant must rewrite it to include relevant keywords and phrases. 

3. No Numbers to Quantify Achievements

“An experienced and hardworking manager ready to align procedures for maximum revenue and profits. Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in higher sales and better customer satisfaction. Collaborate well with sales team members, ensuring they have the resources and knowledge to support customer purchases and inquiries. Develop strong rapport with clients and maintain ongoing relationships.”

This isn’t a terrible summary for a sales manager, but it has room for improvement. For one, the first two sentences essentially duplicate each other, mentioning an aptitude for improving processes with the objective of higher sales. The other issue is a lack of quantifying achievements. 

The applicant mentions they have a proven record of increasing sales, but they could strengthen the summary by quantifying their results. For example, they might say, “Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in a 25% increase in sales over the past year.” The quantifier provides additional credibility. 

4. Not Targeting the Specific Job

“Looking for work in a role that requires great customer service, project management, and communication skills. Able to collaborate with people from diverse and varying backgrounds. Highly organized and reliable worker with a strong work ethic. Responsible and reliable worker you can count on.”

While the candidate lists various skills they have, including customer service and project management, there’s no indication of prior roles held or what position they’re applying for. The summary could apply to numerous positions in a variety of industries. To improve the resume summary, the applicant must specify the job they’re applying for and indicate their prior experience in a similar role, if they have any.

After You Start Getting Interviews, Make Sure to Take Advantage…

If you follow the advice above, you’ll have a great professional resume summary to make your qualifications stand out to employers. But landing the interview is only half the battle… So make sure you go into every interview ready to convince employers that they should hire you, too! If you write a great resume summary example that gets employers excited to interview you, they’re going to ask you questions like, “tell me about yourself” early in the interview to learn more about your background. So make sure you’re prepared with an answer.

I also recommend you review the top 20 interview questions and answers here.

Your resume caught their interest, so naturally, they’re going to follow up with a variety of questions to learn more about your professional background.

The bottom line is: A strong professional resume summary, followed up by other well-written resume sections will get you the interview, but your interview performance is what determines whether you get the job offer!

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

More Resume Tips & Guides

Crafting the perfect resume for teens (template & expert advice), are resume writers worth it, don’t say you’re a quick learner on your resume, what do recruiters look for in a resume, chronological resume: the best format (and how to write it), the 3 best colors for a resume, career change resume: examples and tips from experts, what makes a good resume 9 ways to know, how long should a resume be, walk me through your resume: answer examples, 41 thoughts on “24 resume summary examples that get interviews”.

I would recommend to customise the skills section of your resume, and ensure that it matches the job posting. The higher the number of phrases within the resume matching the job requirements the more are the chances that the recruiter will pick you for the job.

I just wanted to say, “thank you!”. This was very helpful. Instead of jumping from one website to the next there’s so much useful, relevant information right here.

Hi, I have been having trouble creating a resume as My old one is so long, I’ve worked for a government agency for the past 14 years and held multiple positions doing many different duties for each and now I have to relocate to another area where they do not have an agency like mine in my new area within a 3 hour drive, how can I squeeze all my experience and duties on one page and where do I even start, I’m so nervous, it’s been so long since I’ve attempted the job hunt. So I’m wondering, I do not want to cut anything out that may hurt my chances and I can’t afford to have my resume rewritten by a professional. Can you guide me as to where you think would be a good place to start, I’ve been staring at this laptop for weeks trying to decide on a resume template, there are so many. I thank you for your time and any input will help.

Hi, I am a new graduate and do not have any experience in my field which is Nursing. I want to apply for the jobs but I have no idea about what to mention in my resume.

Hi, this article should help with the resume summary, at least: https://careersidekick.com/summary-for-resume-no-experience/

Other than that, you need to put your academic experience. And internships/part-time jobs if you’ve had any.

Dear Biron,, Thanks for sharing the 10 examples of professional summaries in your article, and especially the reasons why they were considered to be good. However, as a HR professional, I would most likely skip over most of them and would not read much past the first or second sentence. The summaries were mostly too wordy and boring, and did not demonstrate ‘oomph’ at first cursory reading. Simply indicating certain skills or behaviors does not give an idea of the level of expertise, and could simply be wishful thinking on the part of the resume writer.

Just goes to show that there are many ways to see what makes a good summary.

I am a chemical engineer and project management professional with 15+years experience. My experience is between process engineering and project management . How can I marry the two in my profile summary?

It’s not about showing everything you’ve done. It’s about showing employers evidence you’ll succeed in their job. You can show a bit of both but focus heavily on what’s most relevant for the jobs you’re applying for right now. 80/20.

This was absolutely helpful and amazing! Thank you very much!

Hello, I am an active job seeker. I hold a law degree from a foreign country and currently in college for an associate degree. My question is, how do I blend both my foreign job experience with that of the United States in my resume. Thank you.

I’d put your work history in chronological order, starting with the most recent up top. That’s what I’d recommend for 95% of people actually. Then it doesn’t matter where you held each job.

And then in your Education section, I’d include your foreign degree and the current degree you’re pursuing in the US, too (for the US degree, you can say “in progress” or “graduating May 2019” for example).

I am 40 years old & B.A degree holder I have experience in many fields.I would like to join any one fields

I am a fresh graduate, who has five years teaching experience and some months customer service representative experience. Pls kindly assist me to put the resume summary together

I’m an active duty service member and finding in a little difficult creating a good transitional summary from 20 year profession in tactical communications to a drug and alcohol counselor. Do you have any recommendations how I should approach this? Any assistance would be helpful. Thanks

Great piece

How to write the CAREER ABSTRACT in resume for ware super visor retail business?

Just wanted to say thank you.Your advise and information was clear and easy to understand , sometimes there is nothing pertaining to what im looking fot in particular, buy you have sermed to cover everything I n a short quick easy to understand method.It will help tremendously.

Thanks! Glad to hear it helped :)

Very informational

What if you have work experience, but the job your going for(teachingeducation) has nothing to do with warehouse work? How should I build my resume?

In the summary, describe yourself and then say, “…looking to transition into ___” (the type of work you want to be doing now).

This is a bit like a resume “Objective”. I normally don’t recommend an Objective section (and I recommend a Summary section instead), however the one time an Objective does make sense is when you’re trying to change industries or make a big change in the type of role you have.

So that’s why my advice here might seem like I’m telling you to combine an Objective with your resume Summary.

Then “tailor” your previous work to be as relevant as possible. Even if you worked in a different industry you can still show things like leadership, accountability, progress/improvement, hard work, achieving goals, strong teamwork skills, etc. You can do all of that in your resume bullets and work history.

Don’t u have Resume Summary of legal secretary/legal assistant?

No, sorry about that. There are hundreds of different professions/job titles, and we aren’t able to include an example for every scenario out there. These resume summary examples are designed to give you a general idea of how to write yours.

The summaries listed are excellent example and have helped me develop a stand out summary for a new position.

Hello, I been trying to land the job of my dreams. I need help with my resume if i want the recruiters in airlines to notice me. I’ve applied before but haven’t had complete success to making it to a face-to Face Interview. It is a career change – yet i feel i am a great candidate bc i have had many customer service and I even attended an academy for that specific position. Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong on my resume ?

what if i never had a job experience?

Great question. If you don’t have any work experience, take one of the formats/examples above and put your accomplishments and qualifications from your academic studies.

Your headline could say: “Motivated Bio-Sciences Graduate With Expertise in ____”.

And then you might talk about accomplishments in school, group projects you worked on or led, etc.

Basically, when you have no work experience, your school/studies BECOMES your recent work. You should talk about that like it’s a job, because that’s the experience you do have.

really amazing article and too useful , thanks

Hi Mr. Clark, I have been out of the work force for about 18+years and I have been a small business owner for the same number of years. However, I want to go back to the work force. But my problem is that, I don’t know how to prepare my resume or resume summary statement. I had a degree in Communication,Arts and Sciences and a postgraduate degree in Public Administration. I’m a bit confused as to how to incorporate all these experiences into my resume. Please can you help?

Hi Dorothy, I can recommend a professional resume writer if you want. But they’re typically not cheap, so it’s something you’d have to be willing to invest in. If not, there’s a lot of free info online about how to “tailor” your resume for specific jobs. I can’t help one-on-one unfortunately, but I’d recommend thinking about which type of jobs you want, and think of what experience you have that is most relevant. that’s what to put on your resume. Your resume isn’t only about you, it’s about them – what do they want/need? (if you want to get a ton of interviews, that’s how to do it :) ).

Can I have a professional resume writer?

I use a similar format when writing my opening statement for my coverletter. How do you recommend differentiating the two? Or is it ok to use largely the same language?

I think it’s okay to use something similar. I might be more brief in the cover letter… it needs to be about them just as much as it’s about you. Whereas the resume is all about you, at least in the summary section. (The later sections should still be tailored to THEIR needs..)

Struggling to write a Summary Statement for a Secretary/Administrative Assistant position. I have 15 years government experience but have been away from the government since 9/1993 and have spent 15 years as a Substitute Teacher after taking off for 10 years to raise my children.

Hiya! I am a mother of three attempting to return to the workforce. I have been a stay at mom for about 13 years, so I have a (large) gap in my employment history; which doesn’t look great. I have a college education and have obtained a few certifications whilst not employed, plus many volunteer hours. I know that I should probably use a functional resume format. Would love some advice on what I should include in my summary statement.

Hi Juniper,

I rarely like functional resumes, but it might be worth trying. I’d “split-test” it (a marketing term). Create two resume styles, send out 50% one way, 50% the other way, and track results for a week.

I’d treat the resume summary statement just like any other resume. Highlight your skills and past wins/accomplishments.

how do i explain long term gaps in employment? leave them out?

Hi Paulette,

Don’t mention them on a resume summary. But do mention the gaps on a cover letter or lower down on the resume. Here’s an article on how to explain gaps in employment:

https://careersidekick.com/explaining-gaps-in-employment/

I am student in civil engineering field. Have 1.5 yrs of work ex. How should i structure my resume. Thanks.

Hello My name is Shataka and I’m a current job seeker trying to land my dream job as a Counselor. I have Master degree in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. My experience lies in many different fields. I’m currently a Substance Abuse Counselor, with a teaching background and over 5 years of social service experience. I guess my question is how would I sum up all my experience to help me find a job as a Counselor.

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Resume Format: What’s The Best Resume Format For 2024? (+Resume Templates)

• Klara Cervenanska , 
• Updated January 16, 2024 6 min read

Different resume formats are best-suited for different kinds of job seekers , depending on their experience level or what they want to achieve.

The three most commonly used resume formats are:

• Chronological
• Combination (hybrid)

By choosing a suitable format, you can easily steer the HR manager's attention to certain sections and away from others.

Whether you’re a recent graduate, an experienced professional, or someone looking to change careers, there’s a format that will help highlight your unique strengths, qualifications, and work history.

This article will explore the different types of resume formats, help you decide which one is right for YOU, and show you examples of well-formatted resumes that you can use as your first draft. 

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

Three standard resume formats

How to choose the best resume format for you, how to organize each resume format, fresher resume format , tips for how to format any resume, key takeaways: choosing the best resume format in 2024.

There are three standard resume formats that are most commonly used when applying for jobs:

• Chronological resume
• Functional resume
• Combination (hybrid) resume

Each of them has different attributes and serves a different purpose. Here's a chart with a quick overview of each format .

Chronological resume format 

The chronological resume format is the most widely used of the bunch. In fact, if you try to think of a traditional resume, you probably think of one written in this format. 

What's the main focus of a chronological resume?

This format puts the most emphasis on your work experience section , which should form the bulk of your resume. The individual work experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order (from most recent to oldest). Apart from the names and dates, include a list of your tasks, key (quantifiable) accomplishments, and skills/knowledge gained from the job.

Who is a chronological resume for?  

• Experienced professionals who have a steady work history and are looking for another job in the same field.  
• Those with no (or few) periods of unemployment . 
• Those who want to demonstrate their career growth and highlight their promotions or achievements. 

Here's an example:

Chronological resume template

This job seeker has 4+ years of experience in the given industry, making them an experienced professional. The work experience section is the main focus of this resume and apart from the key information about the employer, they also include a list of their tasks, quantifiable achievements, and other accomplishments.

This resume was written by our experienced resume writers specifically for this profession.

Functional resume format

A functional resume is a lot less common than its chronological counterpart. However, it still has a place in the recruitment process and can be an ideal option for certain people. It's also referred to as a skills based resume, and here's why.

What's the main focus of a functional resume?

The functional resume format highlights your relevant and transferable skills and accomplishments, rather than focusing on your chronological work history. The skills section should be placed at the top of your resume and be quite detailed.

Who is a functional resume for?

• It's typically used by job seekers who have gaps in their employment history (e.g. when coming back from a leave of absence or maternity leave).
• For job seekers who are changing careers , or have limited work experience (like recent graduates ). 

Functional resume template

This is a perfect example of how a functional resume can make up for the lack of work experience. This person is a student, which is why they don't have much work experience.

Hence, the skills section is right at the top of their resume. It's also divided into 3 categories to really highlight their capabilities. The profile section nicely complements it, touching upon some of the transferable skills.

Combined resume format

Finally, this combined resume format (also called a hybrid format) combines several aspects of the chronological and functional resume formats. Thanks to its versatility, it helps you incorporate a variety of sections into a single document.

What's the main focus of a combined resume?

As the name suggests, this resume format combines the best of both worlds. It places equal focus on work experience and skills and also engages the reader with a professional summary . It allows you to effectively highlight your diverse skill set and demonstrate it in the work experience section. 

Who is a combined resume for?  

• It's suitable for anyone who has both relevant work experience and skills that they want to emphasize on their resume. 
• Professionals who are transitioning between similar roles or industries may also find this format very effective. 
• It's perfect for those changing careers with transferable skills, such as project management, communication, or leadership, that may be applicable to multiple fields. 

Combined resume template

This is an exemplary combination resume. Right at the top is a resume summary that engages the reader. The work experience and skills sections form the bulk of this resume and are both very elaborate. Finally, the person also added a volunteering and certificates section as a cherry on top. 

Combination resume template

Consider these key things to pick the resume format that best tells your story:

• Are you a seasoned professional looking to stay in the same field? If so, go for a chronological resume. A combined resume is also an option. 
• Are you a fresh graduate? Then use a functional resume to highlight any transferable skills you’ve acquired during your studies or internships.
• Do you have less than 2 years of experience? A functional or combined resume are the most suited.
• Are you changing careers? A combination and functional resume formats will produce the best results. 
• Are there any gaps in your employment? If the gap is short, opt for a combination resume. If it's longer, a functional resume is the better option. 
• Looking to get a promotion or grow your career? A combination or chronological resume will work best. 

Furthermore, think about which sections you’d like to emphasize. Is it your recent work history? Or would you rather emphasize your hard skills? Or both at the same time?

The modern combination resume is likely to be the most effective resume format to use in 2024 , as it allows you to display all of your skills , qualifications , and past work experience . However , the best resume format remains one that best showcases your unique career path and objectives.

This flowchart will help you with your decision-making if you're more of a visual person:

Each resume, despite what format it uses, should include a few key resume sections . 

However, depending on which resume format you choose, the order and content of those sections will vary. 

With Kickresume's resume builder , you can re-order your resume sections however you want them. Simply click on Re-order (left from the resume sections) and drag them to the desired order. 

Let's have a look at how to order the sections in each resume format:

How is a chronological resume organized?

• Contact information. First, include your name, email, location, and LinkedIn profile . 
• Professional summary. Briefly reflect on the most relevant qualifications and experience.
• Work experience. It should be very detailed. Include all key information about employers, dates, your daily tasks, as well as your key accomplishments, quantifiable achievements, and any knowledge/skills acquired.
• Education. Mention the name of the institution, dates, courses, and relevant projects.
• Skills. Mention your main skills, but there's no need to go into too much detail.
• Optional sections*. These include awards , certifications, references, volunteering, etc.

*Include any optional sections that are relevant to the job or if it's anything you want to highlight. 

How is a functional resume organized?

• Contact information. Name, email, location, LinkedIn profile, or other relevant socials.
• Resume objective. It briefly states your career goals and creates a connection between your skills and abilities and the position you're applying for. 
• Skills. Carefully study the job description and think of skills that are desirable. If you have any, list them. In addition to listing the skills, you should also describe how you've used (or gained) them. Some of the best transferable skills to have include conflict resolution, critical thinking, and technical skills.
• Work experience. List the job titles and dates and add a key accomplishment (1 bullet point).
• Education. Names, dates, courses, and relevant projects.
• Optional sections*. These include awards, certifications, references , volunteering, etc.

How is a combined resume organized?

• Contact information. Include your name, email, location, and LinkedIn profile. 
• Professional summary. A concise overview of your experience and accomplishments.
• Skills. Study the job description and try to cherry-pick the most relevant skills. Ideally, divide them into soft & hard skills.
• Work experience. In reverse-chronological order, include all of the key information about the employers, the dates, your daily tasks, key (quantifiable) accomplishments, and any knowledge/skills acquired. You shouldn't be repetitive, so try to vary the language. 
• Other sections.  You should include another section that highlights your experience or is relevant to the job. These include: awards , certifications , professional references , publications , etc.

Need help with writing your resume?

Create your resume with AI in seconds thanks to our GPT-4 powered writer.

And what if you're still a student or you're a graduate fresh out of college? Well, then you should prioritize your education section by placing it before work experience . 

In the education section, make sure to highlight relevant coursework and other projects that demonstrate the skills and attributes the hiring managers are looking for and are relevant for the specific job or internship.

Provided that you don’t have much professional experience, consider adding a section about volunteer experiences or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your capabilities.

Here's a sample of a fresher resume format, belonging to a student hired for an internship at Philips:

Fresher resume template

This resume sample was contributed by a real person who got hired with Kickresume’s help.

Additionally, apart from choosing the right resume format, your overall resume formatting should also meet the standards. 

Here's a brief summary of the resume formatting recommendations:

• Use a standard font. Ensure your resume is easy to read by using a standard font like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri and a font size of 11 to 12 points. 
• Use bullet points. Use bullet points to make your resume easier to scan and highlight important information quickly. 
• Think about the margins . Strike a good balance between not leaving too much white space and making your resume seem cluttered. 
• Keep it to one-two pages . Unless you have extensive work experience, you should generally aim to keep your resume to one page. 
• Consistency is key. In all aspects of your resume, including the spacing, font, margins, etc.
• Use a professional template or layout which helps to structure the information effectively and makes it easy to read. 

However, if you don't want to bother with manually formatting your resume, you can opt for a pre-formatted resume template.

Kickresume offers resume templates that were carefully designed by professional typographers and approved by HR experts to create the perfect resume hassle-free and quickly.

All templates are already pre-formatted, so you can go directly to filling in the content.

Have a look at some resume templates that got the formatting just right and got hired by Accenture and Amazon :

Software Engineering Team Lead Resume (hired by Accenture)

Amazon systems administrator resume sample (hired by amazon).

In 2024, the modern combination resume may prove to be the most effective resume format  as it allows you to highlight your skills, qualifications, and past work experience all at once.

However, the most suitable resume format for you is one that best reflects your individual objectives and career stage.

Your ultimate goal is to help recruiters extract key information about you as quickly as possible. The resume format is the tool that helps you do that. 

What's more, the proper layout of a resume with well-defined individual sections will make your resume look good and professional.

Let’s recap 3 main points concerning the resume format:

• Make that format choice. Think about things you’re proud of. Is it your extensive work history or a broad array of skills ? If it’s a no-brainer, use either a chronological or functional resume. If it's all closely intertwined, go for a combined resume format.
• Put the best parts first. The top one-third of your resume is where the most important stuff is. Whether it’s your skills, work history, or education, make it stand out.
• Use resume templates. These are already pre-formatted for you, and you can re-order the sections simply by dragging.

FAQ: Resume format

The combination resume is the most effective resume format  as it allows you to highlight your skills, qualifications, and past work experience all at once.

1. Include standard resume sections. Contact information, resume summary, work experience, education, skills. 2. Include optional resume sections. Awards, references, certifications, publications, projects, etc. 3. Choose a resume format. The three standard are: chronological, functional, combination. 4. Use bullet points. Use bullet points to make your resume easier to scan and highlight important information quickly.  6. Think about the margins . Strike a good balance between not leaving too much white space and making your resume seem cluttered.  7. Keep it to one-two pages . Unless you have extensive work experience, you should generally aim to keep your resume to one page.  8. Consistency is key. In all aspects of your resume, including the spacing, font, margins, etc. 9. Use a professional resume template or layout which helps to structure the information effectively and makes it easy to read. 

Here's what you should list for each reference: 1. Their full name 2. Their current job title and organization 3. Their contact details (email and phone number will do) 4. Your relationship with them (e.g., Former Supervisor)

This article was recently updated. The original article was written by Jakub Kaprál in 2020 .

Klara graduated from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After having written resumes for many of her fellow students, she began writing full-time for Kickresume. Klara is our go-to person for all things related to student or 'no experience resumes'. At the same time, she has written some of the most popular resume advice articles on this blog. Her pieces were featured in multiple CNBC articles. When she's not writing, you'll probably find her chasing dogs or people-watching while sipping on a cup of coffee.

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10 Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

• Vicky Oliver

Use this guide to stand out from the crowd and land the role you want.

Interviews can be high stress, anxiety-driving situations, especially if it’s your first interview. A little practice and preparation always pays off. While we can’t know exactly what an employer will ask, here are 10 common interview questions along with advice on how to answer them. The questions include:

• Could you tell me something about yourself and describe your background in brief? : Interviewers like to hear stories about candidates. Make sure your story has a great beginning, a riveting middle, and an end that makes the interviewer root for you to win the job.
• How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? : Share an instance when you remained calm despite the turmoil. If it’s a skill you’re developing, acknowledge it and include the steps you’re taking to respond better to pressure in the future.
• What are your salary expectations? : Before you walk in for your first interview, you should already know what the salary is for the position you’re applying to. Check out websites such as Glassdoor, Fishbowl, or Vault.com for salary information. You could also ask people in the field by reaching out to your community on LinkedIn.

Resignation numbers have remained abnormally high in the U.S. between July 2021 and October 2021, with millions of Americans quitting their jobs  — which also means there are millions of new openings up for grabs. If you’re entering the market for the first time, or just looking to make a change, use this guide to prepare for your next interview.

• Vicky Oliver is a leading career development expert and the multi-best-selling author of five books, including  301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions , named in the top 10 list of “Best Books for HR Interview Prep.” She’s a sought-after speaker and seminar presenter and a popular media source, having made over 900 appearances in broadcast, print, and online outlets.    

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How To Write a Resume for Your First Job

Imagine yourself stumbling across your dream job listing. You’re reading through the responsibilities and job tasks and you find yourself getting more and more excited as the list goes on. Then, it’s time to apply. But you have no real-world job experience. You’re just a student! How will you ever write a resume for your first job when you haven’t had one yet?

Knowing how to write a resume for your first job does not come naturally. In fact, it feels like a daunting task. If you have little applicable experience yet, or you’re just entering the workforce, how can you prove you’re the right fit for the position? 

Resumes are an excellent way to tout your knowledge, training and (if applicable) skills in the field. You can create an attractive resume highlighting your candidacy without any direct experience or prior work history.

We’ll show you how to write a resume for your first job so you can kick off your work experience with preparedness and confidence.

• Do you need a resume?
• What should you put on a resume?

Crafting a resume with no experience

Finalizing your first job resume, quick guide: write your first resume in 6 steps, do you need a resume for your first job.

While a resume may not be required to apply for your first job, it is highly recommended that you do so, and it will undoubtedly set you apart from the other applicants. A resume reflects your professionalism and commitment to the job application process. It showcases your knowledge, skills, training and prior experience in an easy-to-digest and relatively standard format, making it easy for potential employers to decipher between candidates to choose the best person for the job.

Even for entry-level positions, when many applicants don’t have a prior work history, sharing a resume will give you a competitive edge when written persuasively.

The role of a resume in job applications

A resume plays an important role when applying for jobs. It serves as an introduction to potential employers and those in the company who will decide whether or not to move forward with your application. It also provides a summary of what you bring to the table for those who will be interviewing you during the application process.

The resume is essential for showcasing your skills. A well-crafted and persuasive resume can highlight your achievements and knowledge, even if you have limited work experience in the field you’re applying to. Because your resume is the first contact point between you and a potential employer, it’s crucial to understand how to write a resume for your first job – and how to write it well.

What should you put on a resume for your first job?

There are a few things every resume must include – and those are some of the most essential details.

Contact information

We’d be remiss if we didn’t include the most important part of your resume – sharing your contact information. Start by listing your full name, phone number, email address and a link to your LinkedIn profile. Without your contact information, potential employers will have a hard time contacting you, which can prevent you from getting an interview.

Why share a link to your LinkedIn profile ? LinkedIn is now an essential part of the job search market. It serves as a shareable resume in addition to showcasing your network. Employers can see if you have any professionals in common from work or personal life, which may help build your credibility as a candidate.

Be sure to act professionally on LinkedIn. Share relevant news and insights to highlight your interest and knowledge of an industry, but be wary of getting too personal or engaging in inappropriate dialogue. Behave on LinkedIn as you would in an office setting with colleagues.

Educational background and achievements

Start by listing your educational information, such as schools attended, graduation dates and relevant academic achievements or awards. Include your major and minor, field of study and GPA. If you were enrolled in courses, projects or study abroad programs relevant to the job, include details to show your knowledge and interests.

Skills section

While you likely have some combination of hard and soft skills, a skills section will showcase the hard skills you’ve learned to prepare you for the job. Soft skills are best to be included in the bullet points to describe your accomplishments in your experience section.

• Hard skills include specific technical skills you’ve learned along the way. For example, computer proficiency, language skills, lab skills or specific training or certifications.
• Soft skills , or human skills, include job aspects that apply to many (if not all) job roles. These include communication, teamwork and problem-solving. If you’re particularly adept in any of these, showcase them and be prepared to share real examples of these skills in action.

Extracurricular activities and volunteer work

Employers look for candidates who go the extra mile to be involved in extracurricular activities. This demonstrates your commitment to becoming a well-rounded human being. Highlight clubs, sports or volunteer activities that you were involved in, especially emphasizing leadership roles or particular responsibilities you had in these activities. This extracurricular activity showcases your ability to multi-task, prioritize time and develop skills and interests.

Example Resume & Writing Guide

See a real-life example of a strong resume, including tips for gathering your own persuasive experience and skills using our Resume Writing Guide !

As a young adult or new graduate, you may wonder how to write a resume for your first job with no real-world experience. Don’t fear – there have been many in your shoes before you!

What does a resume look like for a first job?

Your resume should be straightforward with a clean and concise design. It should be easy to read with a simple flow highlighting information from most important to nice-to-have details. Do not go overboard with design details, fonts or graphics. 

Furman recommends that you use Microsoft Word to build your resume as it can be easier to make changes to a Word document than it is to change a template. However, you can use free resume builder tools online to build your resume in standard formats.

• Myperfectresume.com
• Resumenerd.com

Using strong action words and job-specific keywords in your resume for your first job will significantly impact you. Describe experiences and achievements using strong action verbs, such as:

• Collaborated
• Volunteered

What to put on a resume with no experience?

You can learn how to write a resume for your first job that impresses potential employers, even without relevant work experience, by emphasizing relevant coursework. Doing this demonstrates skills learned in a classroom or group project setting. Highlight personal or academic projects showcasing your abilities, such as experiences where you took the lead as a group or team leader.

Before submitting your first job resume, review and edit the document for mistakes or improvements.

Proofreading and editing

Attention to detail is critical to potential employers. Check your resume for typos and grammatical errors. Mistakes on your resume may eliminate you as a candidate, especially if grammatical adeptness or attention to detail is essential to the job.

Similarly, ensure a consistent design throughout your resume. Stick to one format, using one legible font and minimal design details. A professional resume appearance can set you apart from other applicants’ resumes that may appear messy or disorganized.

Seeking feedback

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from friends, mentors or even career services at schools or community centers. A peer review from your fellow students, teachers or mentors can provide invaluable input on skills you may be forgetting, plus the extra set of eyes can help detect errors and typos.

Career services at your school or library also serve as an excellent third-party validation and review resource. Furman’s Malone Center for Career Engagement offers in-depth career preparation services for students, such as resume and cover letter assistance , career fairs and networking , personalized advice from advisors and interview prep – just to name a few.

Webinar: Polishing Your Resume & Preparing Your Pitch

Watch the free Polishing Your Resume & Preparing Your Pitch webinar for an in-depth look at creating your resume and preparing a pitch to potential employers straight from a Furman career advisor.

Now, do you feel ready and excited to write a resume for your first job? We hope you jotted down notes specific to your experience as you read through the post, but in case you didn’t, writing your resume can be simplified to these simple steps.

• Start with your contact information , including full name, phone number and email address. Consider adding a link to your LinkedIn profile.
• List your education experience , including relevant projects, courses and extracurricular activities.
• List both hard skills and soft skills relevant to the job.
• Explain your roles and responsibilities in your projects and extracurricular activities, especially those where you acted in a leadership capacity, using strong action verbs.
• Proofread and gather feedback.

If this is your first time writing a resume for your first job, approach the process with confidence and positivity. Your attitude will shine through the resume, so stay positive!

The perspectives and thoughts shared in the Furman Blog belong solely to the author and may not align with the official stance or policies of Furman University. All referenced sources were accurate as of the date of publication.

What Is the Purpose of a Cover Letter? (And How to Write One)

How to study abroad: a full guide for students, what can you do with a chemistry degree.

6 things you could be doing wrong if you're struggling to get a job

• The labor market is softening, and it might be harder to get a job compared to the past.
• Business Insider talked to job experts about why applicants might struggle to get hired for a role.
• A poorly organized résumé or not learning about a company during interview prep could be issues.

If you're not hearing back after applying for jobs , you may need to make some changes to your résumé, interview prep, or search strategy.

A cooler labor market means it could be harder to find a job now than a couple of years ago. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows there were 1.2 job openings per unemployed person this past June compared to 1.5 job openings per unemployed person in June 2023.

"It's remaining steady, but it's definitely softer than it was several years back," Leanne Getz, vice president of tech staffing firm Experis's delivery channels, said about the labor market. "So, not surprising that applicants are having a little bit more of a challenge to identify opportunities."

Stacie Haller, the chief career advisor with ResumeBuilder.com , said she thinks "people aren't necessarily as prepared when they enter a job search today" because they may think the job market is the same as it was many years ago.

But for job seekers who are struggling, there are ways you can try to improve your odds. Below are some things that you may want to change if you aren't landing a job .

You are sending out way too many résumés

One issue could be you're sending out a bunch of résumés , including for jobs you don't even want or for jobs where you don't have the desired experience. Haller suggested having most of what an employer is looking for before applying to the role.

"I would prefer people to not send out 800 résumés just throwing spaghetti against the wall," Haller said. "That's when you hear from people, 'It's a horrible market, and I can't get a job.'"

Gabrielle Davis, a career trends expert at Indeed, told Business Insider people should first consider the things that matter to them in a job beyond a paycheck, such as the benefits and whether it's remote, instead of first applying to many roles.

"I think that when job seekers function from maybe a place of slight panic, they don't do that because they feel like, 'I just have to move fast because the market's moving fast. I have to get all the stuff in, and I'm just going to see what sticks,'" Davis said. "And that's not always really fruitful for them. So I think that it's better to take a much more intentional approach to the actual job search."

You are waiting too long to apply

OK, so you have decided to send out fewer résumés that are more focused on gigs you want. Now, don't wait too long to actually apply.

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Haller said job seekers should reply to a job posting within 24 hours "to at least have a shot to be in the mix."

Haller said people come to her and say, "'Oh, I saw a job posting that I'm interested in.' And they take days, if not a week, to reply."

She added, "By the time they send their résumé out, that company's probably on final interviews."

You might need to reconsider the contents or format of your résumé

Six seconds. That's how long Haller said job seekers have "to capture somebody's attention by your résumé or by your profile."

Formatting could be important to consider when putting together a résumé in hopes of successfully landing work.

"You need to know how to create and format a résumé that works in today's job search process," Haller said, adding this "means the formatting should be cleaned, standardized, and easy to read."

Getz said the résumé should also be similar to things noted on a candidate's online profile, like on LinkedIn. She also said résumés should be accurate and be in their own words.

"We're seeing candidates utilizing certain AI tools to generate the résumé, and it's fine to use it to help guide or give you suggestions, but you want to be careful about having something like ChatGPT design your whole résumé," Getz said. "It's easy for recruiters to pick up on that. It doesn't seem authentic."

You are not considering your connections

There's more that can be done than uploading a résumé to a job application. Haller said job seekers may want to see who they can contact at the company beforehand.

Haller said, "The last thing you want to do is dump your résumé into" an applicant tracking system "if you have another way to make contact inside that company."

Getz noted people could consider who they may know at the place they're hoping to get a job when they are applying.

"It is often about the network and who you know, but it also is sometimes just a game of numbers," Getz said. "There are so many applicants. You have to just keep applying, be consistent, be persistent, be patient."

You are not doing sufficient prep for an interview

If you get the good news that an employer is interested in interviewing you, it's probably best to prepare for the interview with some research.

Haller said people should know the company's mission, why they even want to work for the employer, and prepare questions to ask during the interview.

"I've interviewed people as a hiring manager with people who have no idea what the company does or why they're even interested in a job," Haller said. "That's a waste of everybody's time."

Some helpful hints of what to say during the interview are in the job posting itself.

"The job posting tells you exactly what they're looking for," Haller said. "That's where your prep starts. So if you know what they're looking for, you want to prepare as many examples that you can about what they might ask in reference to what they're looking for in the person they hire."

Getz also talked about being prepared and other basics of interviewing. Getz said to make "sure that you're dressed professional, that you've prepared, that you've done your research on the company that you're interviewing with, that you have strong questions to ask, that you're prepared to answer behavioral style questions."

Don't do an interview from a car and eliminate any background noise, Getz also advised. Getz emphasized the basics of doing an interview because "it could be one of those minor, little things that knock you out of consideration that could have been overcome by simply being prepared, dressed for the interview."

Davis suggested preparing a few main points that you want to reiterate in every interview round. "If you're speaking to maybe two or three people at a company, just because you've spoken to the same people at one company doesn't always mean that they are sharing exactly what you've spoken about to their colleagues," Davis said.

She added those main points can help show your prep, and she said, "Any sign of preparedness to an employer means, OK, this person is showing up. They're here. They're taking it seriously."

You aren't sending a thank-you note, or you're following up too much

Davis said a handwritten thank-you note could be good if you did an in-person interview. Even if it was not an in-person interview, Davis said sending a simple thank-you note on the same day could be good.

Davis said the note should thank the person for their time and include something personal from the interview to show you were listening.

"I think that really goes a long way," Davis said. "And after that, it's kind out of your hands, so waiting to hear back from the recruiter or hiring manager and then going from there."

Getz said "to be cautious about how often you're following up" because you're not the only job candidate a hiring manager is talking to. She said people don't want to overdo their reach out, and it should be professional.

How long did it take you to find a job, or how long have you been unemployed? Reach out to this reporter to share your experience at [email protected] .

Watch: "Don't run too fast" – the best advice Delta CMO Alicia Tillman received

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10 expert-recommended online resume writing services to use in 2024.

In the mix of college assignments and perhaps your 9-to-5, piecing together an attractive resume for employers can be a difficult feat.

Not only is this one-pager the bread and butter of what will lead to a first-round interview (fingers crossed!), but it’s an excellent portrayal of your skillset, employment history and unique skills that help a company’s HR department gauge if you’re the right fit.

Let’s cut to the chase — more specifically, let’s answer the question, “ How can I make my application stand out? ” One of the most influential steps is, without a doubt, rendering your resume to tip-top shape. And fortunately, there are some of the best online resume services like TopResume and Resumble out there to help.

Best Overall: TopResume

Best budget: resume companion, best optimization for applicant tracking systems: resumeble.

• Best Customizable : Brand Resumes
• Best with Career Consulting: Top Stack Resumes
• Best for Quick Hiring : ZipJob
• Best One-on-One Collaboration : Upwork
• Best for Cover Letters : ResumeSpice
• Best Budget : Craft Resumes

Whether you’re a senior in college applying for your first full-time job or you’ve been in the biz for years and are looking to segue into a different role, we rounded up the top online resume writing services you can use to help get your application in tip-top shape. Plus, we’ve enlisted Shannon Conklin, director of career and leadership development at The College of New Jersey to help!

Hop to her picks below or check out our FAQ for more details on things to look for when picking the right resume builder for you.

• Packages with unlimited resume revisions
• Free resume review
• 60-day interview guarantee
• Several customers who wrote reviews on Trustpilot mention having poor communication with their resume writers

TopResume is a beloved favorite — and for a good reason. It has four different packages depending on your career goals, some of which include unlimited revisions, a LinkedIn makeover, a cover letter and two interview prep sessions.

“TopResume continues to be a solid option,” Conklin shared. “It has strong descriptions, where the website and interface are easy to navigate to understand its process, its three packages, as well as testimonials.”

She also loves TopResume’s FAQ section, coupled with the various packages, that make its process clear and timeline. “There is also plenty of mention about AI and ATS technology,” she added. “If you need a resume quickly, one that accounts for technology, and a budget of only about $150, it looks like this service would be one to strongly consider.”

With TopResume, you’ll also get a 60-day interview guarantee. If you don’t get twice as many interviews, the platform will rewrite your resume for free. It’s pretty top tier, to say the least, and is a minimal investment for those hoping to find free resume-writing services.

• Self-directed service
• Template-based
• Must renew a subscription to edit resume in the future

“Resume Companion is a clean website with a clear message — build a resume quickly!” Conklin highlighted. “It offers templates, examples and advice on how to craft a resume, as well as a cover letter, as a self-directed service within about 15-minutes.”

What’s more, the service also makes it clear it offers a variety of templates based on industries and functions. “This can really help if you are trying to transition to a new field or your resume needs to be updated to reflect the latest in your industry,” she added.

With Resume Companion, you’ll be able to build your resume step by step, from selecting a professional template to answering a few simple questions to have your experience and skills added directly to your digital file. Namely, if you’re not much of a writer, you’ll appreciate its pre-written work experience bullet points to craft your resume in minutes and then apply away.

Not to mention, it’s only $8 a month, so if you want a one-and-done service, this one’s your best bet. Keep in mind that you will have to renew your subscription to edit in the future, but it’s a great budget-friendly option to pursue if you don’t want to be completely in the dark.

• 4-day turnover on resume drafts
• Three free revisions with standard resume package
• Only the premium resume package includes a job guarantee

Resumeble is not only has a fun name, but it includes a resume and cover letter in its baseline package. If you’d like to upgrade, you can receive a LinkedIn write-up, a second resume version, thank you and follow-up notes and cold emails to recruiters.

“Have you applied to dozens of jobs, only to never get through?” Conklin questioned. “If this resonates because your resume is not optimized for ATS platforms, Resumeble might be the choice for you. Mention of ‘ATS,’ as well as their outcomes and ROI, are weaved throughout its site.”

Conklin told The Post that she’s seen many clients apply to dozens and dozens of companies, only to be vetted out due to ATS. “When that happens, I often advise networking to complement a revised, ATS-optimized resume.” she tipped off. “This brings me to one other noteworthy element to their various packages, they support your full professional profile; resume to LinkedIn to recruiter communication support.”

For those who want to spend less than $200 for online resume writing services, this all-in-one option is fairly priced, making it one of the best affordable resume writing services. If you’re only looking to refresh your LinkedIn, you’ll just pay a one-time $99 fee. For just your resume, it’s a one-time purchase of $129 for the service.

Best Customizable: BrandResumes

• Has a self pace job search course
• Helpful step by step resume building guide
• Some customers who reviewed the service on Trustpilot report time delays in receiving their resume

BrandResumes made the cut as one of our top choices for online resume services for a few reasons: it’s one of the platforms best for ATS keyword optimization and formatting for interviews, LinkedIn branding and a customizable interface. If you buy the deluxe package, you’ll have your resume distributed across the 60 top job boards (including industry-specific ones), so you’ll spend less time applying.

“Learning the fundamentals of resume writing is a skill that will carry you throughout your career, and BrandResumes offers courses and resources to accomplish just that,” Conklin highlighted. “Once you understand how to format a strong bullet point, or the style you find reflects your story and values, you can start crafting various resumes to appeal to different audiences and fields.”

BrandResumes also offers resources to launch your own resume writing business — a tool that can be valuable for career experts seeking professional resume writing services. “If you’re seeking to dig into how to revamp your resume, or you find yourself (like many in HR or career services) consistently asked to help a friend or family member with their materials, this service will align with your goals,” she added.

Best with Career Consulting: TopStack Resume

• Pay only after you’re satisfied with the resume
• According to TopStack Resume’s site, resume complete takes up to 2 weeks

TopStack Resume is a force to be reckoned with in the career development sphere. Notably, it’s one of the only services that provides career consulting. So, in addition to resume and cover letter formatting, you have the option to partake in one-on-one sessions with a career advisor.

“Five steps is all you need to follow for your resume review by TopStack,” Conklin put it simply. “The simplicity of this service and the range of offerings (from a resume for $139 to career consulting for its Premium Package ) can be valuable for any job seeker or career explorer.”

Moreover, if you find yourself in need of more career support, maybe you’re changing fields or returning to work after time off, this is a strong contender. “Be mindful of your budget and timeline, so you take full advantage of a career consultant; a solid service should focus on the process, as much as a strong career outcome,” she added.

Plus, TopStack Resume is unique in that it has a team of well-qualified writers to ensure your one-pager is the best it can be. At a fair price point, you can always upgrade to add on more benefits in the future.

Best for Quick Hiring: ZipJob

• Fairly priced for the quality and swiftness of deliverables
• Optimizes for ATS so you’ll have better odds of visibility before your resume lands in human hands
• May be more difficult to ask for revisions if need be, due to the service’s robust turnaround time and automation

While no resume writing service can guarantee you landing your dream job, ZipJob has a unique offering in one of its packages that makes it a standout from the rest.

Ideal for candidates who are rapidly seeking their next role in a flash, ZipJob combines expert resume writers with the exact same tech employers to optimize your one-pager. The kicker? Its most popular plan, Fast Track, includes a professionally written resume, ATS optimization and direct writer messaging — but that’s not all.

Impressively, the Fast Track package for $189 also includes a cover letter and a 60-day interview guarantee. That’s how confident ZipJob is that you’ll get hired, and get hired quickly.

For $299, its Premium package includes a LinkedIn profile update to help maximize your chances and expedited delivery for super speed. If you want swiftness but don’t wish to compromise the quality of your application, you won’t have to worry with ZipJob.

Best One-on-One Collaboration: Upwork

• Several projects to choose from with unique writing strengths you may desire
• Typically budget-friendly
• Some options will have your resume written in only one business day
• Price points vary and quality of work varies depending on which project provider you select, so take caution and read reviews before working with a given person

Individual-driven platforms like Upwork allow you to shop around for a resume writing service that matches your specific needs and budget. Similar to platforms like Skillshare where talented, qualified creators host a course offering or a service, Upwork allows you to select from a variety of different projects where you’ll have one-on-one attention. Consider it akin to being matched with an online counselor.

Generally budget-friendly, most of Upwork’s providers only take one business day to deliver. The majority of providers also have thousands of positive, near-five-star reviews, so it’s surely a service to consider.

The one downside to Upwork is that quality of work may differ slightly, though that’s a given with its platform structure. This differs from some other services like TopResume where the company at large has its own writing structure, so it’s just something to take note of. However, for its affordability and speed, it’s a great dip into the pool of resume writing and related services, without spending more on a professional-grade platform.

Best for Cover Letters: ResumeSpice

• The baseline package offers a lot more than competitors, including phone consult, optimized draft and two edits
• Cover and thank-you letters are added to packages at an additional charge

ResumeSpice is ready to add that much-needed spice to your resume. It doesn’t just provide three different package options, but it specifically tells you which one would work best for you. For example, if you have no more than two years in the workforce, you should select its baseline package ($449). This package includes a phone consultation, an eye-catching resume format, keyword optimization, a personalized draft, two rounds of revisions based on your feedback and finalized versions in both Microsoft Word and PDF formats.

“Solid service is evident across ResumeSpice, and its focus on Executive Resume stands out from others,” Conklin pinpointed. “If you find yourself wanting to get to that next level in your career, you really do need to consider an executive coach with an eye towards that goal for your materials.”

You might, for example, realize you have decades of experience and are unsure where to start to consolidate — Conklin offered. “This is one of the most frequent concerns when making this transition, and a third party like ResumeSpice can be an invaluable resource and sounding board,” she added. “Finally, its site is clear in terms of turnaround, which shows they value your time and manage expectations — a positive sign on what you can expect service-wise.”

ResumeSpice offers other à la carte services, too, including cover letter help, LinkedIn profile revamping, interview preparation and career coaching.

Best Budget: Craft Resumes

• Unlimited revisions
• 5 day delivery
• Some reviewers mention time delays

Craft Resumes has an engaging, user-friendly interface that makes resume-building a fun, less stressful process. With ATS keyword optimization and a dedicated writer on your resume, rest assured that it will be in a healthy state to pass along to recruiters and job posters.

“Craft Resumes cleary focus on the ‘craft’ and design of writing resumes, where a distinguishing factor that caught my eye is their unlimited evaluation ‘at any reason’ for four days,” Conklin said, recommending the service. “This is valuable for job or graduate school seekers and career explorers, as you’ll likely have questions once you find an opportunity of interest.”

Similar to other services here, there is a one-on-one aspect that can be quite valuable, especially if you have the time. “There are also a variety of services and prices, not just resume writing,” she noted. “This is helpful for you budget, and evolving needs. Often times once you get a resume underway you start to realize that you’ll want other materials to be updated and aligned with your personal brand.”

For its most popular package, The Basic, you’ll have access to a single writer and unlimited revisions (which is a score compared to some other services on this list), strong and optimized words, unique formatting and a cover letter to increase your chances of landing an interview. However, Craft Resumes has other great packages worth exploring.

Best Resume Writing: Let’s Eat, Grandma Resume Service

• Consultation included with every package
• Executive Concierge Service that includes 10 days of unlimited revisions
• Quality writers and customer service, based off reviews
• No academic CVs or federal resumes

Humorous name aside, resume service Let’s Eat, Grandma has a laser focus on punctuation (as you can tell because nobody intends to write that they’d like to eat their grandmother on a professional document) — as well as resume formatting. What’s great about this platform, specifically, is its vast packages, ranging from drafting your resume to offering cover letters and networking services to help boost your career trajectory.

“Let’s Eat, Grandma hones in immediately on its ‘custom-tailored’ approach,” Conklin said. “While every resume review should be tailored to account for your story (as mentioned above), it’s clear this is a value of this service. Client outcomes are also front and center, where a mix of employers and schools are listed; this is notable if continuing education is a goal of yours.”

With four packages available, and FAQs on the homepage highlighting its range (i.e. academic, federal government and more), Conklin appreciates how it’s clear that this service is distinguishing itself from others, especially given the range of specialty materials they can help you create. 

What’s more, you’ll be assisted by a team of highly skilled writers who create targeted documents to help boost your chances of getting an interview. They’ll also speak to your unique strengths — and, therefore, amplify them on your resume — to tie your entire professional portfolio of experience together. They also have a package tailored for executives, making the platform a solid option for those needing executive resume writing services.

Which resume service is best?

The golden question, right? This depends mostly on your career goals. A range of services are available, and many are now even offered through LinkedIn. 

“When considering a resume service, it is important to consider the extent of guidance you are seeking,” Conklin, who has 15 years of experience in higher education — told The Post.

“Are you overhauling your resume? Are you transitioning industries and need to consider a different format or approach? What are your financial resources to pay for one, or should you explore services offered from your alma mater or current institution if you are a current or graduate of higher education?,” she questioned.

You’ll also want to consider the resume services’ reputation, Conklin suggested: Are there reviews or endorsements of a service, especially if you are paying for one? What is the background, and is the resume service aligned with your industry of interest? 

Is it worth paying for a resume service?

“It depends on the service and one’s circumstances as to whether it is ‘worth’ paying for the service,” Conklin said. “There are very reputable services out there, especially for more experienced career seekers. If you’re transitioning to a new field, or you are seeking to move to a senior or executive level, it could definitely be worth the cost.”

As a preliminary step, Conklin advised to really make sure you are an informed consumer when considering a resume service, and if you should pay or if you have a network or connections you can leverage for advice first. 

How much does it cost to have someone write your resume?

“When an individual pays for a resume service, there may be a flat rate, or it is calculated on an hourly rate and requires at least two sessions,” Conklin explained. “For example, it could cost $150 for a single session.”

However, there are resume services that can significantly exceed that rate and are part of a package that might include a quick return and other support, from LinkedIn to interview coaching, that is over $600, she highlights.

What to include on your resume, according to an expert

“Your story is the focus of your resume, and it is critical to be honest and reflect on how you want to tell that, ultimately,” Conklin noted. “The order also depends on the stage of your career (early, mid, senior, executive) and the industry you are seeking.”

In academia, for example, you’ll see a curriculum vitae (CV) that is pages long to reflect one’s research, publications, and roles held. In financial services, you would have a one-page resume until you have significant work experience. Or, in the creative fields, you may have a one-page resume and then an online portfolio or website that exhibits your work to complement your resume, she explains.

“No matter the field you are pursuing, you always want to make sure you list your experiences in reverse chronological order, you include your education/training, think of the keywords and skills (and make sure those are prominently displayed and included), and also think of what is most relevant,” she listed. “The most relevant should be at the top.”

It is also key to consider Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), automated review systems that scan resumes as part of an organization’s vetting process. “The format could align or cause issues with an ATS system,” Conklin added. “This is why it’s important to do your research, leverage any connections you have to gain insights into a field and their preferred format and get advice on keywords, skills and experiences to include.”

“If you do your homework, you should find clues to answer the questions above and guide your resume writing approach,” Conklin shared.

How we chose resume services

At Post Wanted, here’s what we keep in mind when researching and hand-selecting resume services:

• Customization : The best online resume services offer tailored resumes with personalized resume writing, in contrast to generic templates you can find for free.
• Consultation : Some services offer a one-on-one consultation with your writer so they can scope out your specific attributes, career highlights and other aspects to your curriculum vitae you want to spotlight.
• Comprehensive Packages : In addition to resumes, some services offer cover letters, LinkedIn profile optimization and career coaching. To some, this is worth the investment, though it may come with a higher price tag.
• ATS Optimization : A great benefit to online resume services is the focus on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), as human recruiters typically use this software use these screening systems before it lands in their hands.
• Turnaround Time : For some, there’s no time to be wasted when it comes to hunting for a new job. Looking at flexibility and speed is important; some services offer rush options for individuals who need a complete and optimized resume quickly.

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How to Prepare Resume for Freshers: Tips and Templates

Quick Summary

• The process of learning how to prepare resumes for freshers can start by writing a professional summary highlighting your education and skills. Then, you can list your education, internships, and projects. Finally, you can add relevant tools, languages, and achievements to complete your resume tailored to your dream job.
• Highlight your achievements and showcase your interests by mentioning relevant hobbies or activities that demonstrate your skills.
• By tailoring the job description and quantifying achievements to showcase impact, we can create resume for freshers. Integrate relevant keywords to pass ATS screenings and start with a compelling summary that highlights credentials and career goals.

Table of Contents

How to prepare resumes for freshers:  aiming for success.

As a fresher, crafting a standout resume for freshers is vital to landing your dream job. If you are wondering “How to prepare resume for freshers”, then be assured that you have come to the right place. Writing a resume with no formal work experience means emphasising other aspects of your life that’ll showcase your skills and passions, like your education and involvement in activities like extracurriculars or volunteering.

A professional summary, education, skills, work experience, and extracurricular activities are included in the resume for freshers. Tailor each section to the job you’re applying for to make a strong impression.

If you follow the tips, you’ll increase your chances of moving on to the interview stage of the hiring process and landing the job of your dreams. The resume is a very subjective thing and it can be changed according to the user’s needs.

But one thing you need to keep in mind is the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) system. Most companies or industries pass your resume through the ATS scanner, where most resumes get rejected. In this article, we’ll guide you through the essential steps to create a resume for freshers that grabs the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

How to prepare resumes for freshers

Making your fresher resume stand out is essential when you’re just starting your career and may not have much work experience. Here are the steps for how to write resume for fresher:

Steps to create a resume from scratch

Here are some steps to help you create an impressive fresher resume, including contact information, Objective, Education, Experience, Skills, Achievements, Interests, and Declaration.

• Choose the Right Resume Format: Consider using a combination or functional resume format instead of a traditional chronological one. This allows you to highlight your skills, education, and relevant coursework at the forefront. Use a simple, professional font (e.g., Arial, Calibri) and a consistent formatting style throughout.
• Contact Information: Include your full name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile to ensure recruiters can easily reach you.
• Strong Resume Objective: Begin your resume with a well-crafted objective or summary statement. Mention your career goals, key skills, and what you bring to the table.
• Highlight Education: Emphasize your educational qualifications, including your degree, university, GPA (if it’s strong), and any relevant coursework or academic achievements.
• Include Relevant Projects and Internships: If you have completed internships, projects, or part-time jobs related to your field, highlight them in a separate section. Describe your responsibilities, accomplishments, and the skills you gained.
• Showcase Relevant Skills: List skills that are directly related to the job you’re applying for. This could include technical skills, language proficiency, or soft skills like communication and teamwork.
• Quantify Your Achievements: Whenever possible, use quantifiable data to showcase your accomplishments. For example, “Increased website traffic by 30% through social media marketing.
• Include Relevant Certifications: If you have earned any relevant certifications or completed online courses, list them in a dedicated section.
• Proofread Thoroughly: Eliminate typos, grammar errors, and formatting issues. Consider asking a friend or mentor to review your resume as well.
• Declaration: A statement declaring the authenticity of the information provided, followed by your signature and date, to reinforce your credibility and honesty.

Tips for organizing and formatting the resume

• Add a Personal Touch: Mention any hobbies or interests that are relevant to the job or reflect your personality positively. This can help humanise your resume.
• Keep it Concise: A one-page resume is typically sufficient for most entry-level positions. Be concise and focus on the most relevant information.
• Use Action Verbs: Start bullet points with strong action verbs to make your accomplishments more dynamic. Words like “achieved,” “implemented,” “managed,” and “designed” can be effective.
• Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume for each job application. Carefully read the job description and align your skills and experiences with the requirements of the position.

Fresher Resume Format for Job Interview

• Best formats for fresher resumes

The ideal fresher resume format for job interview is a chronological resume. This format gives hiring managers a clear overview of their educational background and relevant experience by listing each position, starting with their most recently held positions at the top.

Follow this simple format when you create a resume for freshers:

• Contact information
• Resume Introduction
• Relevant experience
• Additional resume sections (projects, hobbies, interests, extracurricular activities, etc.)
• Chronological vs. Functional vs. Hybrid Formats

Here are the popular resume formatting styles – chronological, functional, and hybrid – and discover when each is the most appropriate choice.

• The Chronological Resume: The chronological resume is your go-to format if you have a consistent work history with clear career progression. It’s ideal for those who want to highlight their stability and steady climb up the career ladder. Your work history is listed in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job and working backwards. T
• The Functional Resume: Opt for the functional format when you want to emphasize your skills and qualifications over your work history. This format is perfect if you have employment gaps, are changing careers, or have diverse skills.
• The Hybrid Resume: When to Use: The hybrid (or combination) resume combines elements of both chronological and functional formats. It’s an excellent choice if you want to showcase your skills while providing a clear work history (ex, a recent graduate whose coursework and extracurriculars are related to your desired career path but not work history).
• Tips for choosing the right format for specific job types.

Consider your unique circumstances, career goals, and the job you’re applying for when choosing the format that best suits your needs. Whether you opt for the clarity of the chronological format, the skill-focused functional format, or the balanced approach of the hybrid format, remember that your resume is your professional story choose the format that tells it best.

Resume Heading and Summary for Fresher

Examples of effective resume headings.

A good resume heading and summary for fresher, helps to build a positive impression of the candidate and increases your chances of getting your resume profile noticed by the recruiter. Here are some examples that may help one write a resume title for freshers.

• Dynamic and Motivated Graduate in Electrical Engineering Seeking Entry-Level Job Position
• Results-Driven Recent Civil Engineering Graduate Seeking to Make a Career in the Construction Industry.
• Eager and Enthusiastic Fresher Seeking to Kickstart Career in Customer Service.
• Passionate and Detail-Oriented Entry-Level Professional with BTech in Chemical Engineering
• Ambitious and Dedicated Fresh Graduate with Strong Communication and Analytical Skills
• Self-motivated and Fast-Learning Graduate Seeking a Challenging Position
• Creative and Innovative Graduate Ready to Make an Impact in Digital Marketing
• How to Write a Compelling Summary Statement

A summary statement is your first chance to tell the recruiter why you’re the best fit for the job. It summarises your top achievements and skills relevant to the target job.

• Use resume summary examples for inspiration and guidance when crafting your own.
• Keep your professional summary for a resume short. It should never be longer than five sentences.
• Tailor each resume summary statement to your target job by using keywords and phrases from the job description.
• A professional summary should follow this formula: [Descriptive word] [your job title] [Experience level] [Work experience] [Skills] [Achievement].

Example : Recent computer science graduate with a solid foundation in software development and a passion for problem-solving. Experienced in Python, Java, and web technologies. Seeking an entry-level software engineering position to leverage technical skills and contribute to innovative projects. Highly motivated, quick learner, and eager to work in a collaborative environment to develop cutting-edge solutions.

Professional Summary In Resume for Freshers

Importance of a professional summary.

You want to grab the recruiter’s attention from the get-go. You’ll make their life a bit easier by immediately telling them who you are. The thing is, recruiters are busy people. They go through dozens, sometimes hundreds, of resumes before they can find a few qualified candidates. At first, recruiters will skim resumes in search of specific keywords and phrases that align with what the company is searching for.

That’s why you want to include the best resume summary you can come up with because a good summary section consists of nothing but these juicy bite-size phrases and keywords that a recruiter can spot at a glance. In short, a professional summary in resume for freshersallows you to turn a recruiter’s time limitation into an advantage.

• How to write an effective summary

A good professional summary should compel an employer to read the next section of your resume.  If it manages to do that, then it has accomplished its purpose. There are a few tips and tricks you can use to craft an impressive resume summary.

• In the first bullet point, write your professional title.
• Pick the 3-4 most impressive parts of your resume and reword them into snappy bullet points.
• Translate each achievement into numbers. Each bullet point should contain at least one piece of quantifiable data. Use percentages, numbers, or impressive sales figures.
• Sum up what you have to offer. Instead of saying what you want, keep in mind what they want. Make clear what values you can bring to the company. Look for common threads in your work history and skills that most apply to the job.

Example summaries for different fields.

• Profile summary for Marketing freshers: Seeking an entry-level position in Marketing where I can utilize my superior understanding of the domain gained during the Master’s.
• Profile Summary for Data Analyst Resume Fresher:  A highly skilled, competent, and diligent individual is seeking an opportunity to establish a career as a Data Analyst. Certified with a Diploma in Data Analytics from ABC University.
• Profile summary for Banking freshers: Looking to secure an entry-level position in a progressive financial organization providing ample opportunities to freshers.
• Resume Summary Example for Sales Freshers: A dedicated and reliable individual seeking an opportunity for a Sales Executive.

Achievements in Resume for Fresher

What to include in the achievements section..

Crafting a compelling resume involves more than just listing achievements; it requires effective communication skills and presentation. Follow these steps to write achievements in resume for fresherthat stand out:

• Academic Excellence
• Internship Contributions
• Extracurricular Achievements
• Skill Development
• Volunteer Experience
• Coding Competitions

Examples of Achievements for Freshers

For freshers entering the job market, showcasing achievements can be challenging but not impossible. While you may lack extensive work experience, there are still numerous ways to highlight your skills and accomplishments.

Consider including achievements such as:

Tips for quantifying achievements

• Use Action Verbs: Begin each Achievement in resume for fresher with a strong action verb to convey a sense of accomplishment. For example, “Implemented,” “Led,” “Achieved,” or “Improved.”
• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, quantify your achievements with specific numbers or percentages. This adds credibility and provides a clear understanding of your impact.
• Be Specific and Concise: Clearly articulate what you accomplished concisely. Avoid vague statements and focus on the key details that highlight your contribution.
• Use the STAR Method: Structure your achievements using the STAR method to provide context and showcase your problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Interests in Resume for Freshers

How to list interests related to the job:.

When listinginterest in resume for freshers, choose ones that exhibit talents or attributes relevant to the job you’re looking for. Tailor your hobbies to demonstrate affinity with the company’s culture or the job’s needs.

Examples of Interests That Can Increase Value

• Tech Jobs: Tech jobs include coding personal projects, participating in hackathons, and contributing to open-source software.
• Marketing Roles: Marketing roles include blogging about industry trends, graphic design, and social media management.
• Finance Positions: Finance positions include stock market analysis, financial modelling, and reading financial news.

Tips to Make the Interests Section Stand Out

• Be specific: Instead of using broad terms like “reading,” use “reading financial blogs” or “reading technology journals.
• Show Involvement: Highlight any active participation, such as “organizing community tech meetups” or “volunteering as a financial literacy coach.
• Connect to Skills: Choose interests that reinforce skills mentioned in your resume, showing a well-rounded and passionate candidate.

Skills in Resume for Freshers

When crafting your skills section as a fresher, focus on highlighting key abilities that align with the job description and demonstrate your readiness for the role. Carefully review the job posting and identify the skills and qualifications the employer is seeking. Tailor your skills section to reflect these requirements, emphasising your strongest capabilities. Incorporate industry-specific keywords and buzzwords from the job description. For example, if the role requires proficiency in Python programming or customer relationship management (CRM), make sure these keywords are prominently featured. 

Include Measurable Achievements to Showcase Skill Proficiency. Where possible, quantify your skills with measurable achievements. For instance, mention completing a project that improved efficiency by a certain percentage or receiving recognition for outstanding teamwork. Organize your skills in a clear and structured manner. Consider categorizing them into technical skills (e.g., programming languages, software proficiency) and soft skills (e.g., communication, teamwork). This makes it easier for recruiters to assess your qualifications quickly.

• Technical Skills: Proficient in Python, Java, and SQL. Familiar with HTML/CSS for web development.
• Soft Skills: Strong communication skills demonstrated through leadership roles in student organizations. Proven ability to work effectively in teams, as evidenced by successful group projects.

Declaration for Resume for Freshers

Purpose of the declaration section.

The declaration section serves the purpose of confirming the veracity of the data you submitted on your resume. It supports your candidacy’s honesty and integrity.

Examples of Standard Declarations

Here are the examples of declaration for resume for freshers :

• “I hereby declare that all of the information furnished above is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.”
• “I certify that the details provided in this resume are accurate and complete.”

When and How to Include a Declaration on a Resume

Place the declaration just before your signature at the very end of your resume. It should be succinct and direct, highlighting your dedication to integrity and openness.

Mastering Your First Resume: A Fresh Graduate’s Guide to Standing Out

Students who want to stand out in the job market must learn how to prepare resumes for freshers . By creating a resume for freshers, you can significantly improve your chances of standing out from the competition by tailoring your resume to the job description, showcasing pertinent skills and experiences, highlighting academic successes and extracurricular activities, optimising for keywords and ATS, and using an eye-catching design. With these tactics, you’ll have no trouble being hired as a fresher for your ideal career.

This blog post has provided you with valuable tips and strategies for creating a winning resume that sets you apart from other candidates. From crafting a compelling summary to showcasing relevant skills and experiences, we have covered everything you need to know about preparing a resume for freshers to create an impressive resume that increases your chances of landing your dream job.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

What should a fresher include in their resume.

The resume of a fresher should include contact details, a career objective or summary statement, education details, pertinent courses or projects, skills, internships or part-time work, achievements (such as academic awards or certifications), and optional extracurricular activities that highlight relevant skills or personal traits.

How can I make my fresher resume stand out?

Display your education prominently to emphasis your readiness for the job. On resumes with no experience, especially student resumes with no experience, highlight relevant coursework, academic awards, honors, scholarships, or participation in study abroad programs in this section.

Are there any free resume templates available for freshers?

Yes, there are plenty of resume designs to choose from, like simple resume templates and modern resume templates. Each resume template is fully customizable in Microsoft Word, so you can personalize each design element and add your text.

What is the best format for a fresher resume?

The chronological CV format is the most common and widely accepted. It lists your work experiences in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job or internship. This format is suitable for freshers who have relevant work experience to showcase.

How important is a declaration in a fresher’s resume?

Declaration in the Resume is necessary to confirm that the provided information given by the candidate is correct and accurate. Here are the reasons why a declaration is required in a resume: It works as a catalyst to prove and verify the authenticity of the information given in a resume, thus preventing misconception, confusion, and fraud in the recruitment process. This is important for your referral as it gives your reference a chance to prove that all the details mentioned on your resume are entirely true.

No Resume Required

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Music Interviews

Pianist chad lawson's new album is an 'invitation to decompress', harris picks her running mate and other political news, from the newsmakers themselves, a lesser-known aspect of trump rallies: they all begin with prayer, middle east, the u.s. is bracing for an iranian response to the killing of a senior hamas leader, in ferguson, some businesses destroyed during the 2014 protests are still rebuilding.

by  Eric Schmid

Amateur runners will get the chance to compete on the same course as Olympic athletes

by  Juana Summers

Protests against Kenya's president have sparked a new wave of music, poetry and art

by  Emmanuel Igunza

Author Interviews

Gabino iglesias on his book 'house of bone and rain'.

Ruaridh Mollica in Sebastian. Kino Lorber hide caption

‘Sebastian’ re-writes the sex work movie

by  Ryan Benk ,  Ayesha Rascoe

In 'Sebastian', an author in search of inspiration turns sex worker

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