How to Write a Resume: Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Learning how to write a resume is the most important step in any job search, according to career experts at SHRM. A strong resume gets you interviews. A weak one gets you silence. Yet most people spend more time choosing a template than writing effective content.

This guide covers everything you need to know about how to write a resume: how to structure it, what to write in each section, how to optimize for ATS, and how to tailor it for every application. Whether you're writing your first resume or rewriting your tenth, follow these steps.

How to Write a Resume: Start With Format

Before writing anything, pick the format that fits your situation:

Use reverse chronological unless you have a specific reason not to. Over 90% of hiring managers prefer it, and ATS systems parse it most reliably.

Step 2: Add Your Contact Information

Place this at the top of your resume:

SARAH CHEN
sarah.chen@email.com | (555) 123-4567 | San Francisco, CA | linkedin.com/in/sarahchen

Include:

• Full name
• Professional email address
• Phone number
• City and state (full address is unnecessary)
• LinkedIn URL (customized)
• Portfolio, GitHub, or personal website (if relevant)

Don't include:

• Photo (standard in the US — can cause bias)
• Date of birth
• Marital status
• Full home address

Step 3: Write a Professional Summary or Objective

This is the first thing a recruiter reads after your name. Make it count.

Professional Summary (for 2+ years of experience)

Formula:

[Job title] with [X years] of experience in [field/specialty].
[Top achievement with metric]. [Key differentiator or certification].

Example:

"Product manager with 6 years of experience leading B2B SaaS products from discovery to launch. Increased user retention by 28% through data-driven onboarding redesign. Experienced in Agile methodologies with a track record of shipping on time across 3 product lines."

Resume Objective (for entry-level or career changers)

Formula:

[Degree/background] with experience in [relevant skill] seeking [target role].
[Key qualification or achievement].

Example:

"Recent computer science graduate from Georgia Tech with a 3.7 GPA seeking a Junior Software Engineer role. Built 4 full-stack applications using React and Node.js, including a hackathon project that won 2nd place at HackGT."

Step 4: List Your Work Experience

This is the core of your resume. Each role should include:

[Job Title] | [Company Name] | [City, State]
[Start Month Year] – [End Month Year or Present]
• Achievement-focused bullet point with metric
• Achievement-focused bullet point with metric
• Achievement-focused bullet point with metric

How to Write Strong Bullet Points

Every bullet point should follow this structure:

[Action verb] + [what you did] + [measurable result]

Weak (duty-based):

"Responsible for managing the marketing team's social media presence"

Strong (achievement-based):

"Grew company Instagram from 5K to 30K followers in 8 months, generating 2,000+ leads through social content strategy"

Bullet Point Tips:

• Start every bullet with an action verb — Led, Built, Increased, Reduced, Designed
• Include a number in every bullet — Percentages, dollar amounts, team sizes, time saved
• Show results, not duties — "Increased sales by 25%" beats "Responsible for sales"
• Use 3-5 bullets per recent role — 2-3 for older positions
• Match language to the job description — If they say "project management," use that phrase

How Many Jobs to Include:

• 10+ years of experience: 3-4 most relevant roles
• 5-10 years: 2-3 roles
• Under 5 years: All relevant positions (including internships)
• General rule: Go back 10-15 years maximum

Step 5: Add Your Education

For most professionals, education goes after experience. For students and recent graduates, it goes before experience.

B.S. Computer Science | Stanford University | 2020
GPA: 3.8/4.0 | Magna Cum Laude | Dean's List (8 semesters)

Include:

• Degree name and major
• University name
• Graduation year
• GPA if 3.0+ (and you graduated within the last 3 years)
• Honors and relevant awards
• Relevant coursework (for students only)

Don't include:

• High school (if you have a college degree)
• GPA below 3.0
• Graduation year (optional if you're concerned about age bias)

Step 6: List Your Skills

A dedicated skills section helps both ATS systems and human readers quickly assess your qualifications.

SKILLS
Technical: Python, JavaScript, React, Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS, Docker
Tools: Jira, Figma, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Tableau
Languages: English (native), Spanish (professional), Mandarin (basic)

Skills Section Rules:

• List 10-15 hard skills relevant to the target role
• Match keywords from the job description — exact phrases
• Group by category for readability
• Don't list basic skills — "Microsoft Word" doesn't differentiate you
• Include both acronyms and full names — "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)"

Step 7: Add Optional Sections

Depending on your background, include:

Certifications

PMP (Project Management Professional) | PMI | 2024
AWS Solutions Architect Associate | Amazon Web Services | 2025
Google Analytics Certified | Google | 2025

Projects

For students, developers, and career changers — showcase hands-on work:

E-Commerce Platform | React, Node.js, PostgreSQL | 2025
• Built full-stack app with user authentication, product search, and
  Stripe payments processing 500+ test transactions

Volunteer Work

Relevant volunteer experience shows initiative:

Web Developer Volunteer | Habitat for Humanity | 2025
• Redesigned chapter website, increasing online donations by 40%

Languages

List spoken languages with proficiency levels:

Languages: English (native), Spanish (professional working proficiency),
Japanese (conversational)

Step 8: Format for ATS

Applicant Tracking Systems scan your resume before any human sees it. Follow these rules:

ATS Keyword Strategy:

1. Read the job description and highlight every skill and qualification
2. Include matching keywords naturally in your summary, experience, and skills
3. Use exact phrases from the posting — not paraphrases
4. Include both spelled-out terms and acronyms

Step 9: Tailor for Each Application

A generic resume won't beat a tailored one. For each application:

1. Read the job description carefully — highlight key requirements
2. Reorder your bullet points — put the most relevant ones first
3. Adjust your summary — reference the specific role and company
4. Match skills — list the exact skills mentioned in the posting
5. Mirror language — if they say "stakeholder management," use that phrase

This takes 15-20 minutes per application but dramatically improves your response rate.

Step 10: Proofread and Review

Before submitting:

• Spell check — Run your resume through a spell checker
• Grammar check — Read every sentence out loud
• Consistency — Same date format, tense, and bullet style throughout
• Numbers — Every bullet has a metric (percentage, dollar, count)
• Contact info — Email and phone are correct and professional
• File name — "FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf" (not "resume_final_v3.pdf")
• Length — 1 page (under 10 years experience) or 2 pages (10+ years)

Resume Writing Mistakes to Avoid

1. Listing duties instead of achievements — "Managed team" vs. "Led 12-person team that shipped 3 features ahead of schedule"
2. Using the same resume for every job — Tailor keywords and emphasis per application
3. Including irrelevant information — Your 2010 retail job doesn't help your engineering application
4. Writing in first person — Don't start bullets with "I." Start with action verbs
5. Overcrowding the page — White space makes your resume readable. Don't shrink fonts to fit more
6. Forgetting the ATS — A beautiful design means nothing if the ATS can't parse it
7. Typos — One typo can disqualify you. Proofread twice, then have someone else read it

Resume Writing Checklist: Before You Submit

Once you understand how to write a resume, the final step is quality control. Run through every item on this list before sending your resume. Missing even one can cost you an interview.

1. Contact information is current — Verify your email, phone number, and LinkedIn URL all work. Send yourself a test email to confirm.
2. Professional email address — Use firstname.lastname@gmail.com, not a novelty handle. Create a new address if needed.
3. Summary matches the target role — Your professional summary references the specific job title and top skills from the posting.
4. Every bullet starts with an action verb — Led, Built, Increased, Reduced, Designed, Managed — not "Responsible for" or "Duties included."
5. Metrics in at least 60% of bullets — Percentages, dollar amounts, team sizes, time frames, or volume numbers. Vague bullets get skipped.
6. Keywords from the job description appear naturally — Compare your resume side-by-side with the posting. Every required skill should appear at least once.
7. Consistent formatting throughout — Same date format, font size, bullet style, and tense (past tense for previous roles, present for current).
8. No orphan sections — Every section has at least two items. A "Certifications" section with one entry looks thin; combine it with Skills instead.
9. Appropriate length — One page for under 10 years of experience, two pages only if every line adds value. Never three pages.
10. Saved as PDF with your name in the file — FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf. Not "resume.pdf" or "final_FINAL.pdf."
11. Spell-checked and proofread by a second person — Spell checkers miss context errors ("manger" vs. "manager"). Have someone else read it aloud.
12. ATS-safe formatting verified — Single column, standard headers, no tables or graphics, standard fonts at 10-12pt.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far back should my work experience go on a resume?

When learning how to write a resume, this is one of the first questions people ask. List the last 10 to 15 years of relevant experience. Older roles can be summarized in a single line ("Earlier career includes roles at IBM and Accenture") or omitted entirely. Hiring managers care most about what you have done recently, and including decades of history can inadvertently signal age bias concerns.

Should I include a photo on my resume?

In the United States, Canada, and the UK, do not include a photo. It introduces potential bias and most ATS systems ignore images entirely. In some European and Asian countries, a professional headshot is expected — check the norms for the country where you are applying.

Build Your Resume Now

Now that you know how to write a resume, it is time to put this guide into practice. Our AI Resume Builder creates a professionally formatted, ATS-optimized resume in minutes. It generates tailored bullet points, matches keywords to your target job, and handles formatting automatically. Browse our 300+ resume examples to see how professionals in your field write their resumes, or start with a free template and follow this guide step by step.

Related Resources

• How to Write a Professional Summary for Your Resume (With 15 Examples)
• Resume Length: Should Your Resume Be 1 Page or 2 Pages?
• Professional Experience Examples for Resumes
• Management Experience Examples for Resumes
• Career Guidance
• Check Your Resume ATS Score

Need a professional resume? Try our AI-powered resume builder to create an ATS-optimized resume in minutes.