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How to Write a Professional Resume in 8 Steps

Why is your resume so important? Learning how to make a resume helps you bypass digital tools like applicant tracking systems (ATS) and impress employers. This professional document highlights relevant skills and achievements using tailored language and readable bullets. 

This article covers the following strategies to help you write a persuasive resume! Let’s dive into these eight steps:

  • Research and add accomplishments based on each job.
  • Choose a resume format that highlights your strengths.
  • Format your resume header and contact information.
  • Write an introduction that snags interest in seven seconds.
  • Identify and highlight key resume skills.
  • Strategically share experience and achievements.
  • Add education like degrees or certifications.
  • Add relevant memberships, volunteering or hobbies.

1

Research the Job

Employers use ATS to screen applications and delete most applicants before resumes reach people. To write an ATS-passing resume, you must read the job description carefully to understand what the employer seeks. 

Including keywords from the job post is critical to passing ATS scans and catching the eye of recruiters.

  • Look for specific skills, industry knowledge or past experiences that you can mention in your resume.
  • Look for skills or responsibilities listed under required or preferred. 
  • Prioritize words and phrases in bold, underlined, italicized, or highlighted fonts. 
  • Try to match the same tense and sentence structure in your resume.
Pro Tip

PRO TIP:

Run your resume through an ATS Resume Checker. We reverse-engineered this tool to check your formatting, phrasing, and descriptions and make ATS-optimized suggestions!

2

Choose the Right Resume Format

Three main resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination.

Your resume format dictates how the information in your resume is organized and varies depending on your experience level. There are three main formats to choose from:

  • Chronological resume:

    The reverse-chronological format emphasizes your career progression by placing your work experience section at the top of your resume. It is best for candidates with over 10 years of consistent work experience.

  • Functional resume:

    The functional format highlights your skills section and sets your work history further down the page. It is best for career changers, those with employment gaps, freelancers and recent graduates.

  • Hybrid/combination format:

    Candidates with less than five but more than three years of experience benefit from this hybrid format. This resume format lends equal space to your skills and work experience sections.

3

Add Your Contact Information

Close-up of a resume headers visible on the screen.

Your resume header should always have the following:

  • First and last name
  • Phone number
  • Professional email
  • City, state and ZIP code

 

Carefully read the job description and add this optional information as needed!

  • Personal website
  • Digital portfolio
  • Social media handles
  • License number or professional memberships, like a nursing license.

 

Here's an example:

Tamara Smith
Austin, TX
(512) 555-5555
tamara.smith814@example.com 

4

Write a Professional Summary or Resume Objective

Example of a CV summary and objective section

Since hiring managers have limited time to review your resume, you want to lure them in with a compelling three to four-sentence introduction. There are two types of intros:

  • Professional summary: Concisely outlines the experience, top skills and accomplishments that make you the right fit for the role. Best for seasoned professionals. 
  • Resume objective: Recommended for career changers or recent graduates, it gives an idea of who you are and your career goals and includes any relevant skills or coursework that prepared you for the role.

How to write a resume summary:

  1. Read the job description to identify the employer’s needs and required skills. 
  2. Highlight achievements, work experience, or skills related to the job requirements
  3. Highlight your best selling points in two to four sentences.

Here's an example:

Dedicated and innovative sous chef with eight years of experience in high-volume, fine dining environments. Proven track record of delivering exceptional culinary creations, maintaining high kitchen standards, and leading a team focused on efficiency and creativity. Adept at menu planning, inventory management, and maintaining impeccable hygiene standards. Passionate about culinary arts and committed to enhancing guest satisfaction through exquisite dishes and memorable dining experiences.

How to write a resume objective:

  1. Keep your objective straightforward.
  2. Tailor it to the role you seek.
  3. Focus on transferable skills that meet the job requirements.

Here's an example:

Enthusiastic and creative recent graduate with a degree in communications and a strong foundation in digital media and content creation. Seeking to leverage academic knowledge and hands-on experience gained through internships and freelance projects to contribute to a dynamic team. Eager to apply skills in social media management, video production, and copywriting to help a forward-thinking company grow its online presence and engage audiences through innovative and compelling content.

5

List Relevant Skills

Close-up of a resume skills section visible on the screen.

​​Use bullet points to highlight up to eight skills under your skills section. Use keywords pulled from the job description to prioritize what skills you share. Remember to share both interpersonal soft skills and learned hard skills:

  • Soft skills define how you interact with others and handle yourself in the workplace. For example, interpersonal skills and communication help you work effectively in a team.
  • Hard skills are gained through experience or education. They are specifically about the job knowledge you have. 
  • Technical skills are further specialized hard skills that display your expertise. For example, a UX designer should have proficiency in Figma and Axure RP, which are critical technical skills.

Soft skills examples:

Hard skills examples:

Technical skills examples:

  • POS systems
  • Inventory software
  • Coding language
  • Content management systems
  • CSS frameworks

6

Write Your Work Experience Section

Close-up of a education with bullet points section visible on the screen.

List your employment history chronologically, with your most recent job first. Each work experience entry should include your job title, company location and dates of employment. 

  • Create a bulleted list of short, detailed sentences to describe your job duties and accomplishments. 
  • Add numbers and data to quantify your achievements and help hiring managers calculate your work. 
  • Focus on job-related achievements, specialized skills like foreign language or computer skills, and manager-requested experience from the job description.

Work experience example:

Event Producer, Corporate Events Producer
Denver, CO
08/2016 – 08/2019

  • Successfully produced events for audiences of between 1,200–7,500 attendees.
  • Worked with over 100 vendors in design, production, and staging.
  • Managed 15 breakout productions, experiential activations, and event logistics every month.

 

Event Producer, TED Conference
Monterey, CA
08/2013 – 04/2016

  • Assisted with contracting over 50 approved vendors, including negotiation, contracting and invoicing.
  • Tracked, maintained, reported and reconciled budgets of vendor contracts quarterly.
  • Ensured daily accuracy and quality control for logistics and inventory.

 

Fundraiser Specialist, Second Harvest Food Bank
Monterey, CA
04/2010 – 07/2013

  • Booked artists for mayoral fundraising event, raising over $15,000 in funds within 20 hours.
  • Consistently maintained fundraising goals according to the financial needs of clients.
  • Implemented organizational best practices with recruiting and managing high-level volunteers, revenue generation activities, and expense and fiscal controls.

7

Include Your Education

Example of the education section in a CV with degree information

Start with your highest degrees, then subsequent degrees and diplomas. Add the degree name, school name, location, and graduation or expected graduation date. Only share your high school or GED if that’s your highest level of education.

You can also add the following information to your education section: 

  • Relevant coursework (if you have less than three years of experience).
  • Certifications, with the institution’s name.
  • Licenses, with the institution’s name. 
  • Honors or awards.

Here’s an example:

Cambridge Business Institute | Hempstead, New York
Pharm.D.

University of Florida (UFHealth) | Gainesville, Florida
B.A., Chemistry

8

Add Optional Resume Sections

  • Volunteer work:

    Highlight volunteer experience if you have space on your resume and is relevant to the role you seek. Create a section titled Volunteer Experience. List the name of the company or organization, job title, and dates.

  • Internships:

    To add your internship experience, write the formal title, company, location, and date. List the responsibilities you had and include any achievements.

  • Certifications:

    Certifications demonstrate your skills and industry knowledge and can boost your resume. Include the name of the certification, the awarding organization, and the date you earned your certification.

  • Languages:

    If you’re applying for a customer-facing position, showcasing your multilingual fluency can make your resume stand out.

  • Memberships:

    Joining industry-specific associations shows your commitment. Include the name of the organization and the date your membership started.

  • Awards:

    An accomplished professional is an employee who goes above and beyond their job duties. Write the award title, organization, and date you earned it.

  • Professional development:

    Continuing education and training workshops indicate a candidate is constantly looking to grow. Add the course and institution’s name and date of completion.

5 Resume Examples by Job Title

Check out all our resume examples. 

Customer success manager

Customer success manager
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School administrator

School administrator
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Machine operator

Machine operator
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Interior designer

Interior designer
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Mortgage consultant

Mortgage consultant
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How to Write a Resume FAQ

How do you write a simple resume?

A straightforward resume must include the following: 

  • A resume objective or professional summary
  • Work experience section
  • Skills list
  • Educational background


Those four sections give you the basics to create a simple yet professional resume.

How do you format a resume step by step?

Remember, your resume format depends on your experience level. Choose between a chronological, functional, or hybrid format. All formats should follow the standard resume layout: 

  • 1-inch margins
  • Bullet points 
  • Clear resume headings 
  • Plenty of whitespace 


Our resume templates cover that. Just pick one you like and add your information!

How do you make your resume stand out?

Employers look at resumes for an average of only six or seven seconds. For this reason, keep your resume short. Highlight relevant skills and experiences with metrics. Quantifying your achievements with numbers and data is one of the most effective resume strategies.

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Natalia Merced

Natalia Merced

Content Writer

Natalia holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and a B.A. in Public Relations and Advertising. Her focus on music, pop culture, and its intersections with race and gender led her to publish editorial work in Remezcla, Hasta 'Bajo Project, La Aguja Negra, Diarios Negros and Buena Vibra.

Read more articles by Natalia Merced
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