How to Make a Resume for Any Job in 2025 (Full Guide)

A resume is what gets you through the door (or keeps you out!). But how do you make one that will help you succeed? Whether you're a first-timer or updating an old one, this guide breaks down exactly how to make a resume that gets results.

In this guide, I'll show you the 10 steps you need to take to create a resume for your desired job, along with 10 job-specific examples crafted by Certified Professional Resume Writers.

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.

Create your resume now

Use this resume template

Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.

If you prefer a video format, here’s a great one in which one of our Certified Professional Resume Writers, Caio, explains how to make a resume using our builder.

To give you the best support and perspective, we analyzed 11 million resumes created with our builder to see how your resume compares to others. This data helps you build a resume that stands out.

With these insights in mind, you’re already ahead of the game, equipped with data that shows what a well-crafted resume looks like.

How to Write a Resume for a Job

Creating a resume doesn’t have to be complicated. Follow these 10 easy steps to build a resume that shows off your skills and makes a strong impression. Let’s get started and make a resume you can be proud of!

1. Gather Your Career and Education Details

Take the time to gather all the information about your professional and educational background. This preparation will save you a lot of time and stress, making the resume-writing process smooth and efficient.

Here’s what to prepare:

• Job experience—Include past and current positions with start and end dates, employer names, locations, job titles, and key responsibilities.
• Achievements—Highlight notable accomplishments from work or academics, and quantify them with numbers or data wherever possible.
• Skills—List both hard and soft skills relevant to the workplace, from technical abilities like data analysis to interpersonal skills like public speaking.
• Education—Add your graduation date, school name, location, honors, and any significant coursework.
• Volunteer work & extracurriculars—Mention the organization, your role, dates of involvement, and main duties.
• Certifications—Include the certifying organization, certification title, and date received.
• Awards & honors—List awards with the awarding organization, award title, date received, and a brief description of why you received it.

2. Choose the Right Resume Format

Once you have all the details, you should decide how to organize them on your resume. This will make your resume clear and attractive, increasing your chances of getting interviews. To show that information well, you need to understand how to format a resume. There are three main resume formats:

• Chronological resume—a most common and most popular resume layout that emphasizes your work experience and professional accomplishments, listing it from the most current going backward.
• Functional resume—a skill-based resume with a skills summary as its most important section. Used for writing a creative resume or transitioning to civilian with a military resume.
• Combination resume—a hybrid of the two above, highlighting your experience and skill set. It’s best for professionals with a vast amount of relevant experience in career change resumes and for covering employment gaps if you wish.

As I mentioned, the most popular format is a chronological one. But when making a resume, you should also keep these rules in mind:

• Set even margins (1-inch) on all sides, and use single or 1.15 line spacing. Stick to legible resume font like Calibri or Verdana in 10–12 pts, with 13–14 pts for headings.
• Limit your resume to one page when possible. If you have extensive experience, a two-page resume is acceptable.
• Use a clear resume header that highlights your name and contact information, and organize your sections as follows: Profile, Work Experience, Education, Skills, and Extras.
• Limit bullet points to 6 per section entry. Adding resume icons is optional.
• Check the job ad for preferred file formats (PDF or .docx), then save your resume in PDF format to maintain its layout.
• Name your resume file with the job title, “resume,” and your full name.

Pro Tip: Consistency on your resume draft is crucial, just like your consistency as their future employee. For example, format your dates any way you like (31 Dec, December 31, 12-2020, etc.), but follow the same throughout.

3. Add Contact Information and Personal Details

Your contact information and personal details are essential for any resume—they allow potential employers to reach you and get a quick sense of who you are. Keep this section simple, professional, and relevant. Here’s what to include (and what to leave out):

• Start with your first name and last name first. 
• Include your current or the most recent job title.
• Add your phone number and an email address, but skip your home address as it’s an unnecessary.
• Avoid personal details like date of birth to prevent potential age bias.
• Include your LinkedIn profile, and consider adding a personal website if relevant.
• Skip adding a photo if you’re applying for a job in the US unless it’s an acting or a modeling position.
• Use a resume headline if you prefer not to add a summary or objective—it often serves the same purpose.

See how you could arrange your header and personal details:

Pro Tip: Before a recruiter or hiring manager can look you and your employment history up, you better sanitize your online presence! That means removing any offensive posts and making private things private. While at it, optimize your LinkedIn profile to make it up-to-date and complete.

4. Start With a Resume Summary or Resume Objective

Our HR statistics report says a hiring manager will scan your resume in 7 seconds. That means the top of the page will likely have the most eye time. And that’s where the resume summary or objective statement is.

What’s the difference between these two?

• Resume summary—Best if you have more than a year of relevant experience. This 2-3 sentence paragraph gives recruiters an overview of your experience and highlights key accomplishments. Its purpose is to immediately draw attention to your candidacy and showcase you as a strong fit.
• Resume objective—Ideal if you have little or no relevant experience. This short statement emphasizes the qualities and skills you bring to the company, focusing on what you can help them achieve with your abilities

How to write a resume profile that makes the recruiter stop and stare? Simply follow the formulas below:

Resume Summary Formula

Objective Statement Formula

Let's take a look at how to write a professional summary with right and wrong examples for clarity:

How to Write a Resume: Summary Examples

The second example focuses on everyday duties, whereas the first one shows graphic design skills, achievements, and experience. The right example also mentions the company by name. That is a great way to make sure your resume feels personalized rather than just sent to every company out there.

Now, let's look at another set of right and wrong examples for writing a career objective:

How to Write a Resume: Objective Examples

The first example uses some transferable skills from the previous company and proud achievements, with numbers as they speak louder than words. The second one doesn’t show enough to hold the hiring manager’s attention. Plus, once again, the second example above used the first person. Avoid this in your resume.

Pro Tip: If you have enough experience, consider writing a summary of qualifications instead.

5. Create a Great Work Experience Section

The experience section includes the most important things to put on a resume, such as your work history and impressive achievements. Let me take you through the three most important aspects of creating a great work experience section on your resume.

Build Your Resume Work Experience Section in the Exact Order

• Job title: Start each entry with your job title at the top for easy scanning. Make it bold or slightly larger than the rest.
• Company, city, state: List the company name and location on the second line.
• Dates employed: Add the months and years you worked there—no need for exact days.
• Key responsibilities: List 5–6 main duties relevant to the new job, using present tense for your current role and past tense for previous roles.
• Key achievements: Highlight your accomplishments to show how well you performed. Use action verbs to make them impactful.

Tailor Your Work History Entries to a Job Description 

To tailor a resume means making it as relevant to the job description as possible by including keywords taken from a job ad and scattering them throughout the resume. The idea is to create an ATS-friendly resume that will show the software you have what it takes to take on the role.

You can include the keywords that an ATS will scan and assign you a score. The more relevant keywords, the higher the score you get. That leads to getting your application seen by a recruiter.

Refer to the job description and look for resume keywords related to your responsibilities. They can touch upon the following:

• Duties (coordinate marketing campaigns, plan and implement promotional campaigns, etc.)
• Skills (project management, marketing communications, B2B marketing, etc.)
• Qualifications (5 years of experience, marketing or business-related degree, etc.)
• Qualities (creative mindset, etc.)

Later, when writing your work history section, use (or refer to) as many of the above as possible in your duties and key achievements.

Consider How Much Work Experience to Put on a Resume 

A resume should go back at most 10-15 years. But the more experience you have, the less you should worry about the length of your resume. Don't try to cram everything into a one-page resume if you're a highly experienced candidate. And don’t mention academic achievements unrelated to the role, only to land on a two-page resume.

Let’s go into greater detail:

• First-time job hunters with no work experience can still include other gigs, such as a student organization role, internship, or volunteer experience, to fill out your experience section.
• Entry-level candidates should list and describe all paid work, particularly calling out the most relevant responsibilities and achievements.
• Mid-level job seekers should include detailed job descriptions of relevant positions and mention any other roles briefly.
• Senior-level applicants, such as executives and managers, should list up to 15 years of relevant work experience and introduce each bullet point with powerful action verbs.

Pro Tip: If you don't have relevant experience, emphasize the skills you have that can apply to the job you want.

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our ATS resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better. 

6. List Your Education Like a Pro

Many people view the education section as an afterthought, but it's a key part of your resume structure. It’s an excellent opportunity to prove your qualifications and earn some bonus points for relevancy.

The list below applies to all candidates, especially those with over a year of experience. It covers the essentials:

Create your education section in this order:

• Degree: List your highest degree first. Leave out high school details if you have a college or university degree.
• University: Include the name and location.
• Dates attended: Mention the month and year, but there’s no need to specify exact days.

For entry-level candidates, consider adding these additional details:

• Completed credits if your education is ongoing or unfinished. 
• Relevant coursework and major and minor to demonstrate your subject knowledge.
• Latin honors or your awards (e.g., making the Dean's List) to show your commitment to growth.
• Relevant extracurricular activities to highlight job-related skills.
• Additional information, such as academic projects or memberships (e.g., Phi Kapa Beta).

Your resume education section could look something like this:

This example has it all: the right structure and relevant and impressive achievements backed by numbers. 

Pro tip: As for mentioning your GPA on a resume, it’s only a good idea if you graduated recently and your GPA was high enough to impress employers—at least 3.5. Otherwise, just leave it off your application. Also, don't round your GPA up.

7. Put Relevant Skills That Fit the Job Ad

The skills you include on a resume are essential to making it relevant to the position and appealing to employers. A good resume  tailors these skills to the job ad, showing that you’re a strong fit for the role.

There are two types of skills you can include in your resume:

• Hard skills: These are specific, technical abilities you’ve learned, like Photoshop, data analysis, or cash register operation.
• Soft skills: These are personal attributes you’ve developed over time, such as communication, adaptability, and teamwork.

Together, hard and soft skills make up your skill set, showcasing the full range of abilities you bring to the table.

Best Skills to Include on Your Resume

How to List Skills on a Resume 

1. Create a list of all your soft skills and hard skills examples. Don’t limit yourself; you’ll do it later.
2. Find all the skills mentioned in the job ad. 
3. Visit the company’s website and social media for more skills.
4. Write those skills down.
5. See which skills on those two lists overlap. 
6. Include up to 10 skills on your resume.

Pro Tip: You might be tempted to write your resume in ChatGPT. While AI can be helpful, you still need to put a lot of work to make it right.

8. Include Additional Resume Sections

Every good resume includes those sections above. But how to write a resume that stands out? To have a unique resume, include some extra information.

Those things can include:

• Awards and recognitions demonstrate that you're a standout candidate and a valuable addition to the team.
• Certifications and licenses verify your expertise and proficiency.
• Memberships indicate that you stay current with industry trends.
• Language skills enable you to collaborate with diverse groups.
• Publications and appearances elevate your status from professional to expert.
• Projects you participated in can easily highlight your biggest accomplishments.
• The conferences you attendedhighlight your passion for continuous learning.
• Hobbies and interests showcase your soft skills and add to your personal appeal.
• Volunteer work, according to studies, boosts employability.

Pro Tip: Should you put references on your resume? Most experts say to avoid doing so at the start of job applications, and your resume is the very first stage.

9. Complement Your Resume With a Cover Letter

Submitting a cover letter is a must! Your cover letter lets you expand on points you had to keep brief in your resume and allows you to speak more naturally in complete sentences.

Here’s a quick guide to crafting a standout cover letter::

• Tailor your cover letter just like your resume, making it as relevant to the job ad as possible.
• Start your cover letter with a strong introduction to grab the reader’s attention
• Mention the company’s name and highlight your relevant achievements.
• Explain why you are the perfect fit for this position.
• End with an enthusiastic cover letter conclusion with a powerful call to action, ideally offering a specific date for your interview.

Pro Tip: Keep the correct cover letter length. Don’t submit anything longer than a page.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

10. Proofread and Email Your Resume the Right Way

You've got a good-looking resume, but wait send it off just yet. Here are some resume best practices to keep in mind so you can rest assured that you have the perfect resume:

1. Review your resume with this checklist to tick off all the check marks for formatting and style. 
2. Double-check your resume before sending it out. See if you have all the right sections and whether they have all you need to succeed.
3. Scan your entire application with a tool like Grammarly to check for spelling or grammar mistakes.
4. Ask a friend or family member for help. Better safe than sorry!
5. Personalize your email with the name of the person reading your resume. Sending a resume is much more compelling when you avoid To Whom It May Concern.

Now, you wish you had an email template for emailing a resume? Say no more: 10+ Email Examples for Emailing a Resume.

10 Job-Specific Resume Examples for Inspiration

Now that you know how to make a resume let me show you what you can achieve by following each step in this guide. Below, you’ll find 10 examples created by Certified Professional Resume Writers across different industries. Feel free to use these as inspiration.

1. Accounting Assistant Resume

See Text Version & Guide

2. Data Engineer Resume

See Text Version & Guide

3. IT Specialist Resume

See Text Version & Guide

4. Manager Resume

See Text Version & Guide

5. Office Administrator Resume

See Text Version & Guide

6. Paralegal Resume

See Text Version & Guide

7. Sales Associate Resume

See Text Version & Guide

8. Teacher Resume

See Text Version & Guide

9. Technical Writer Resume

See Text Version & Guide

10. User Experience (UX) Designer Resume

See Text Version & Guide

If you haven’t found your job on the list, here are more examples for different levels of experience and jobs:

• Resume With No Experience
• Teen Resume
• Student Resume
• College Application Resume
• College Student Resume
• Internship Resume
• Resume for a Part-Time Job
• Entry-Level Resume
• Resume With Employment Gaps
• Federal Resume
• US Resume
• Canadian Resume

And if you’re an international reader you can also switch over to: 

• How to Write a CV
• How to Write a Biodata

Pro Tip: In case you wondered! What the US and Canada call a resume, most of the world calls a curriculum vitae (CV). South Africa, India, New Zealand, and Australia interchange the terms resume and CV. Read about the differences between a resume and a CV for more.

Key Takeaways

Creating a standout resume involves more than just listing your experience. Here’s a recap of the essential steps:

1. Collect all relevant career and education information.
2. Choose a resume format that highlights your strengths.
3. Keep contact information professional and relevant.
4. Start with a concise summary or objective to capture attention.
5. Showcase responsibilities and achievements in work experience.
6. Include relevant coursework, honors, and activities in education.
7. Tailor hard and soft skills to fit the job requirements.
8. Add extra sections like certifications or awards for added value.
9. Pair your resume with a cover letter to expand on key points.
10. Proofread and follow application instructions carefully.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your resume preparation!

Have any questions on how to do a resume? Not sure how to make the perfect resume work experience section or how to build a resume list of skills or achievements? Reach me in the comments below, and I'll answer your questions. 

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• Leisurejobs.com, "cognitive trajectories: Analysis from a UK ageing cohort"
• Das.iowa.gov, "Drafting Essential Functions"
• Christopher Spera, Ph.D.; Robin Ghertner, M.P.P.; Anthony Nerino, M.A.; Adrienne DiTommaso, M.P.A., "Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment: Does Volunteering Increase Odds of Finding a Job for the Out of Work?"

How to Write a Resume FAQ

What is a resume? 

A resume, also referred to as a résumé or a CV, is a document summarizing a person’s professional and academic background, relevant skills, and accomplishments. It’s usually used to introduce yourself and present your qualifications to a prospective employer when applying for a job.

Do you need a specific type? Zety’s prepared hundreds of resume examples, from an entry-level resume to a software engineer resume to a video resume. Visit our page to find your own.

How to make a good resume for a job? 

First, read the job ad carefully to pick up keywords for your resume that you’ll target to pass the Applicant Tracking Software test. Next, create resume sections necessary to present yourself, your qualifications, and your strengths. The sections are:

• Personal details
• Professional summary or resume objective
• Employment history
• Education section
• Skills section
• Other, such as awards, certificates and licenses, or language skills

Depending on the industry and experience, you’ll have to think about which additional sections work best. But you definitely can’t write a resume without the other five. You can spare yourself the worry by using our resume maker.

How to write a resume with no experience? 

Write your first resume with transferable skills and resume objective sections. In the work history part, add accomplishments examples that prove your qualities of a valuable employee, such as curiosity, eagerness to learn and assist, and developed communication skills. Internships and volunteering placements fit there perfectly. And most importantly—put your academic achievements right below the objective to highlight your educational advancement.

How to write a resume that stands out?

Creating a standout resume can be tough, but these strategies can help you catch a recruiter's eye. Here are some quick tips:

• Choose the right resume format.
• Target a resume for each job offer.
• Use strong action verbs.
• Showcase measurable achievements.
• Keep the right resume length. 
• Incorporate relevant resume keywords.
• Emphasize your unique strengths.
• Follow a professional resume layout.

How to build a good resume that will impress recruiters? 

An impressive resume is a resume that reads well and looks so, too. So before you get down to writing the nitty-gritty details of your professional and academic achievements, take care of the resume formatting and layout.

Only then move on to adding the biggest successes under each section: resume profile, experience, education, and skills. But—additional parts make the strongest impression, so don’t forget to include awards, certifications or licenses, or extracurricular activities to your resume. Say you’re an achiever, not a doer.

How long should a resume be?

A resume should be one page long: that’s the ideal length of your resume. However, if you have a lot of relevant experience that will impress the recruiter, finding the right one-page resume template might not be enough. In that case, write a two-page resume instead.

What is the format of a resume? 

The chronological format is the most popular resume format suitable for every job applicant—an entry-level position, a specialist, or an executive. By choosing it, you decide to show off your career progression.

Functional format, or skills-based resume, presents you in the best light when changing careers. It concentrates on your skillset and leaves work history in the back seat.

Combination format, aka a hybrid, is a well-blended mixture of chronological and functional formats. It’s the most complex one to write as it includes a skills summary and an extended experience section, which is apt for senior positions.

What is the best resume format?

The reverse-chronological resume format is the best choice. It lists your work experience and education, starting with the most recent and moving backward. Here’s why it works well:

• Recruiters are familiar with it and can easily skim through it.
• It highlights your most relevant experience and achievements at the top.
• It's the most ATS-friendly resume format, making it easy for recruitment software to process.

All of Zety’s modern resume templates use this format. Just fill in the blanks, and you'll be ready to apply for your dream job in minutes!

How to make a resume in Word? 

You can spare yourself the trouble and use a pre-made Word resume template. But if you have quite some experience with text formatting (and plenty of time), start making your resume in Word. Create a clean layout, choose a font that reads well, and limit the number of graphic elements on the page so as not to overwhelm the ATS. Then, add the main and additional resume sections in an order suitable for theresume format. Save it in a Word or PDF file at the end, keeping in mind the instructions from the recruiter.

Or, if you need a top-notch resume that takes just minutes to make and looks better than any Word resume, pick one of Zety’sresume templates, add your info, and land that job.

How to write a resume in Google Docs?

Here's how to access free resume templates in Google Docs:

1. In Google Drive, select “New” → “Google Docs” → “From a template.”
2. Alternatively, in Google Docs, find “Template gallery” in the top right-hand corner.
3. Scroll down and find “Resumes”.

If you can’t see the templates, change your display language to English:

1. Go to “Manage Your Google Account” → “Personal Info” → “General Preferences for the Web/Language.”
2. Click “Edit” and select English.

Choose a Google Docs resume template to build a simple resume. However, if you're looking for a creative resume template, we recommend using our resume builder instead. It allows you to choose color, font, and size, offering great personalization to each document.

What does a good resume look like in 2025? 

In 2025, you need to make an even stronger impression than in previous years. Find the best resume template and include the most important sections: personal information, summary or objective, employment history, education, and skills. Add your best achievements under each section and quantify them. Show your future employer that you’ve had an impact and will continue to bring results.

How to make a free resume?

To create a free resume, try the Zety resume builder. Our online builder provides ready-made content suggestions and an easy-to-use application wizard. You can create and preview your resume to see the final result. Once it’s ready, download it for free in .txt format, or explore our paid plans for more options. Visit our pricing page for details.

Can I use AI to write a resume?

You can use AI for resume writing but don’t rely on it completely. Artificial intelligence can help you edit your document, find mistakes, and shorten it. However, you still need to correct all made-up information. AI won’t know you, your experience, and your achievements as well as you do. Using AI resume builders might help you with writing your resume, but it won’t write a resume for you.