How to Write a Resume from Scratch

Before you type a single word, you need to decide how to structure your resume. There are three main resume formats, and picking the right one depends on your career history. Chronological format is the most common and widely preferred by employers. It lists your work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent job. This format is ideal for professionals with a consistent work history in a specific field. Functional format focuses on your skills and abilities rather than your chronological work history. This is often used by career changers or people with significant employment gaps, though it is generally less preferred by recruiters and ATS software. Combination (hybrid) format blends the best of both, highlighting your relevant skills at the top while still providing a chronological work history below. This is great for seasoned professionals with diverse skill sets.

Your contact information should be the easiest thing to find on your resume, placed right at the top in the header. If recruiters cannot contact you, your great experience will not matter. You must include your full name (in the largest font size on the page), your phone number, and a professional email address (stick to [email protected]). You should also include a link to your customized LinkedIn profile URL or an online portfolio if relevant to your industry. Do NOT include: your full mailing address (City and State/Country is enough), a photograph (unless applying in a country where it is standard, like parts of Europe), your age, marital status, or any other overly personal details that could invite bias.

The professional summary sits right below your contact information and serves as your elevator pitch. It is a 2-4 sentence paragraph that highlights your most relevant qualifications, years of experience, and top achievements. Think of it as a highlight reel. Instead of a generic objective statement ("Seeking a role as a software engineer to utilize my skills"), use a summary that adds value: "Detail-oriented Software Engineer with 5+ years of experience developing scalable web applications in React and Node.js. Reduced application load time by 30% and mentored a team of 3 junior developers." Tailor this section for every job application. Look at the job description and make sure the key skills and experiences they are looking for are reflected right here at the top of your resume.

The work experience section is the core of your resume. For each role, include your job title, the company name, location, and the dates of employment (Month and Year). But the most important part is how you describe what you did. Do not just list your daily duties. Instead, focus on your accomplishments and the impact you made. Use strong action verbs to start each bullet point (e.g., "Spearheaded," "Developed," "Optimized") rather than passive phrases like "Responsible for." Whenever possible, quantify your achievements. Numbers provide context and scale. Did you manage a budget? How big was it? Did you increase sales? By what percentage? Did you train people? How many? (e.g., "Increased quarterly sales by 15% through the implementation of a new CRM system").

How you list your education depends on where you are in your career. If you are a recent graduate (less than 2-3 years of experience), your education should be featured prominently, possibly even above your work experience. You can include relevant coursework, honors (like cum laude), and your GPA (if it is 3.5 or higher). If you are an experienced professional, keep the education section brief and place it below your work experience. Simply list your degree, your major, the name of the university, and the location. You do not need to include your graduation year if you are concerned about age discrimination. Be sure to also include any relevant certifications or licenses in this section or in a separate "Certifications" section.

A dedicated skills section allows you to quickly show recruiters and ATS software that you have the specific abilities required for the job. You should include a mix of hard skills (technical abilities specific to the job, like Python, SEO, Data Analysis) and soft skills (interpersonal traits, like Leadership, Communication, Problem Solving). However, avoid listing generic soft skills like "Hard Worker" or "Team Player." Instead, prove those soft skills in your work experience bullet points. Group your skills logically if you have many, such as "Technical Skills," "Languages," and "Tools." Most importantly, look at the job description for the role you want, extract the keywords they use, and incorporate those exact phrases into your skills section (assuming you actually possess those skills!).