Professional Resume

How To Make a Resume (With Examples)

A resume is a document commonly used in the hiring process. It includes information about your background and qualifications and should communicate the most important, relevant information about you to employers in a clear, easy-to-read format. The goal is to quickly communicate why you are uniquely qualified for the position based on your skills and experiences.

To create a resume that will get noticed by employers, you can follow a few simple steps and best practices. The main goal to keep in mind is to make your resume relevant and readable.

How to create a professional resume

The following steps and examples will help you design a professional resume.

1. Start by choosing the right resume format

Let’s take a closer look at the best ways to write each of these resume sections. For more inspiration when writing or updating your resume, look at resume samples from your industry and job title.

A “format” is the style and order in which you display information on your resume. There are three commonly used resume formats you can choose from depending on which is right for you: chronological (or reverse-chronological), functional or combination.

A chronological resume format places the professional history section first and is a good option if you have a rich professional work history with no gaps in employment.

The functional resume format emphasises the skills section and is a good option if you are switching industries or have some gaps in your work history.

The combination resume format is a good option if you have some professional experience where both skills and work history are equally important.

2. Include your name and contact information

Your resume should begin with your name and contact information including your email address and phone number. You have a choice about whether to include your mailing address. Your name should be highly visible at the top of your resume with a bolded or larger font than the rest of the document but no more than a 14 point size. You might also include a link to your online portfolio if you are applying to creative positions, for example.

3. Add a resume summary or objective

After your contact information, you have the option to include either a resume summary or objective statement. An objective statement quickly explains your career goals and is a good choice for those with limited professional experience such as recent college or high school graduates. A resume summary is a short statement that uses active language to describe your relevant work experience and skills.

4. List your soft and hard skills

Take a moment to consider which skills make you a great fit for the job. Review the job description and highlight keywords that you have had proven success with in the past. Consider hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) skills, as well as transferable skills you can use when changing careers or industries.

Create a skills section with the keywords that are relevant to the employer. List any required skills like certifications or licenses first.

5. List your professional history with keywords

Write your professional history section in reverse-chronological order. Start with your most recent job and provide a short description including the company name, time period in which you were employed, your job title and a few key achievements during your time at the company. You might also include relevant learnings or growth opportunities you experienced while employed there.

When listing your professional history, you should keep a few best practices in mind.

Use numbers to measure your impact when possible. Including specific numerical achievements can help employers understand your direct potential value to their company. Example: “Developed new process for requesting supplies, reducing fulfilment time by 10%.”

Use keywords from the job description. Similar to your skills section, you should also include information from the job description in your job history bullets. For example, if the job description mentions the importance of meeting sales quotas, you could include information about how you’ve met or exceeded quotas in past roles. Example: “Achieved goal of reaching 250% annual sales quota, winning sales MVP two quarters in a row.”

Be brief. Employers have mere seconds to review your resume, so you should keep your descriptions as concise and relevant as possible. Try removing filler words like “and” and “the”. You should also only list key achievements instead of multiple lines describing your role.

Use action verbs. Make a stronger impact by using action verbs to describe your professional achievements. Some examples include “developed”, “saved”, “drove” and “managed”.