
What Does the Best Resume Look Like in 2023
Not sure what your resume should look like to impress recruiters and land you that dream interview? You’ve come to the right place to find out. See for yourself.
What is a resume (or résumé if you're feeling a bit pretentious), what is its purpose, and how to use it.
It's that document you send to employers, right?
Wait... isn't that a job application? Uhm, CV? A cover letter?!
Confusion abounds, but we're here to help.
This article will show you:
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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume examples here.
Are you looking for a different kind of job application document? See these guides:
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A resume (also spelled résumé) is a formal document that serves to show a person’s career background and skills. In most cases, it’s created in order to help a candidate to land a new job. A traditional resume consists of a professional summary, work history, and education sections. It works like your job hunt marketing document.
Resume, meaning summary, comes from French (though the French themselves call this document a CV).
The purpose of a resume is to introduce yourself to employers, present your qualifications, and secure an interview. The goal of writing a resume is to showcase your experience, education, and skills in a standardized format which is easy for recruiters to read.
Now that you know what it is, here's our guide on How to Build a Resume.
A resume is definitely a must-have. Without it, you can't expect to be invited to a job interview.
But it’s usually sent along with a cover letter. What’s the difference between the two?
If you’re interested in how to write the perfect cover letter, check out our guide: How to Write a Cover Letter for a Resume
Pro Tip: If you came across a job ad that asks for a CV (or Curriculum Vitae), be aware it’s not the same as a resume. CVs include an in-depth description of your career history and are usually used for academic purposes. Check out CV vs. resume differences.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
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Since your future career depends on the quality of your resume, it is important to have it right.
So first, give your resume a clear structure so it pleases the recruiter’s eye right from the beginning.
Follow these simple resume formatting tips:
OK, a great resume template—check.
Now let's learn what resume format will help you convey your uniqueness to the hiring manager.
What are the standard resume formats?
Choose the format which will help you advertise yourself the best to the recruiter. Read more on the Best Resume Format.
That’s about it when it comes to resume structuring. But without the right content, the layout's just an empty frame.
So let’s see what the key components of a resume are.
These resume sections are more than necessary. But you can also list other resume sections depending on the job you’re targeting.
Consider adding extra information to your resume as well:
If you a fresher on the job market? List your education first, and don’t forget about internships, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work. Find out more: First Resume with No Work Experience Samples: Guide + Examples
Remember to double check your resume for grammatical errors and typos. These are always a big no-no.
Plus, keep it short and sweet. According to our HR statistics report, Hiring managers look at each resume only for about six seconds. If your resume feels like a never-ending story with plot twists and turns—it won’t sell well.
It’s much better to tailor your resume to the job post, instead of listing all skills and duties that come to your mind. Targeting your resume for a specific job is what trully makes a good resume.
Pro Tip: Looking at your resume and “responsible for” pops out more than ten times? Avoid weak words and use resume action words instead. These will help your resume go through the Applicant Tracking Software (ATS), used by about 75% of hiring managers according to the Capterra’s survey.
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:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Here’s a recap of what you should know before sending your resume to the future employer:
What do you think about the resume definition above? Does this brief overview answer your resume questions? Give me a shout in the comments!
Not sure what your resume should look like to impress recruiters and land you that dream interview? You’ve come to the right place to find out. See for yourself.
Beautiful design? Amazing layout? Exciting contents? What's the perfect resume really about? This guide explains it all. Just follow the instructions to make your resume perfect.
There’s always room for improvement. Learn our 12 best tips on how to improve your resume to make it one in a million.