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3 Free Resume Outline Examples
Download one of our free resume outline examples to quickly grasp how to structure your resume. We offer several options to suit your needs:
- Resume for First-Time Jobseekers: If you have no work experience, this outline template is perfect for your first resume.
- Entry-Level Resume: Just starting your career? Use our entry-level template to create a strong resume outline.
- Mid-Level Resume: If you have some work experience, our mid-level resume outline template will help you effectively highlight your skills.
Try using a resume outline on Google Docs or Microsoft Word today to elevate your job application.
For more options, check out our other free resume templates and professional examples. Or, save even more time by using our resume builder!
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Resume outline for first-time jobseekers
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Entry-level resume outline
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Mid-level resume outline
How to Outline a Resume: Choose a Format
The first step in outlining a resume is selecting the right format based on your level of relevant job experience.
Here are three main formats:
Chronological Resume Outline
The chronological resume focuses on your work history, listing your most recent job positions in reverse chronological order.
- Job Titles: List your job titles with bullets detailing responsibilities and accomplishments.
- Quantifiable Information: Use quantifiable data to showcase your qualifications.
Career experts recommend the chronological resume as it emphasizes work experience, which employers highly value. This format is also applicant tracking system (ATS) friendly, making it easier for automated processes to filter your application based on qualifications.
Functional Resume Outline
The functional resume highlights your skills rather than job experience, ideal for those with little experience or changing careers.
- Skills Summary: Follows the resume summary or objective. Briefly describe your top skills, keeping it concise (under 100 words) and using keywords from the job description.
- Skills Section: Comes before the work history section. List three to five top skills with detailed examples and results to validate your claims.
In the work experience section, simply list your job title, employer name, location, and dates of employment.
Combination (Hybrid) Resume Outline
The combination resume balances the focus between skills and experience, blending elements of both chronological and functional formats.
- Skills Summary: Placed just after the resume summary or objective.
- Skills Section: Briefly lists skills.
- Work Experience: Formatted like a reverse chronological resume.
By using this format, you can effectively highlight both your skills and experience.
Try using these formats in Google Docs or Microsoft Word to see how you can improve your job application. For more options, check out our other free resume examples!
Free Resume Outline Templates
How to Outline a Resume
A resume outline consists of at least five main sections, with the option to include additional sections if relevant to the job description.
Here’s what a basic resume outline includes:
- Contact Information
- Resume Summary or Objective
- Work History
- Skills
- Education
- Additional Information (Optional)
- Contact Information
- Resume Profile: Summary or Objective
- Work History
- Skills
- Education
- Additional information (optional)
Contact Information
The header of your resume should contain your personal contact information, including:
- First and last name
- Location (city and state)
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- LinkedIn or other professional
- social media profiles (optional)
The contact information section needs to be clear and prominent without taking up too much space. Ensure your information stands out and is easy to find.
Example of a Personal Contact Information Header:
Patrick Brown
Chicago, IL
(555) – 555 – 5555
p.brown@fakemail.com
Resume Profile: Summary or Objective
After your contact information, the next section of your resume should be a profile of either a resume summary or an objective.
Each serves a distinct purpose, so choose the one that best fits your situation:
Resume Summary: A resume summary is your pitch to the reader, efficiently highlighting your most important qualifications. Include quantifiable achievements that demonstrate how your top skills align with the job requirements.
Resume Objective: A resume objective is ideal if you have little experience or are switching careers. It declares your professional goals, showing that you are a serious candidate who offers value.
Generally, a resume summary is preferred over an objective, as recruiters and hiring managers are more interested in evidence of your qualifications.
Example of a Resume Summary:
Dedicated marketing associate with 5+ years of experience developing and executing consumer brand marketing campaigns, achieving an aggregate revenue growth rate of 5%. Expert in market research, data analytics, and customer acquisition. Seeking a leadership position to leverage my skills in maximizing ROI.
Example of a Resume Objective:
Seeking a challenging entry-level finance position where I can apply my analytical skills and passion for numbers. My degree in business administration and experience as a finance intern have motivated me to grow in the dynamic field of finance.
Work History
In the work experience section of your resume, you should list the following for each position:
- Job title
- Name of employer
- Dates employed
- Location
Underneath each job title, include bullet points that detail your responsibilities and achievements.
Be sure to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible. Metrics help your resume stand out and provide context for the reader to better assess your skills.
Example of the Work Experience Section:
Marketing Associate, ABC-123 Inc.
08/2020 to Present
- Assisted in developing and implementing 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month marketing strategies for over 50 clients.
- Managed social media accounts and created content calendars, increasing engagement by 75% over 12 months.
- Conducted weekly competitive research and data analysis to suggest strategic pivots.
- Planned 15 fundraising events, resulting in an additional $1 million in revenue.
- Oversaw digital asset creation on 20 projects, generating 100 new brand outlets and increasing the customer base by 25%.
Skills
There are two types of skills you can include on your resume:
- Hard Skills: Specific abilities that can be easily quantified or proven, such as technical skills. Prioritize these on your resume since they are more straightforward for a reader to understand.
- Soft Skills: Interpersonal and professional skills that relate to how someone behaves in the workplace. These are harder to prove on a resume but are still valuable.
Choose between five to ten skills, focusing on those mentioned in the job description.
If you don’t have the exact skills required, rephrase them as transferable skills and demonstrate their relevance to the job.
Example of a Skills Section on a Resume:
- Technical Skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, Google Analytics.
- Project Management: Expert with Trello software for resource allocation and collaboration.
- Digital Marketing: Familiarity with SEO, SEM, social media marketing, email marketing.
- Languages: Fluent in English and Spanish, conversational in French.
- Analytical Skills: Expert with Tableau, Microsoft Excel, and Google Sheets for data analysis.
Education
In the education section of your resume you will include the following:
- The name of the institution.
- Type of degree.
- Area of focus.
- Location.
- GPA (optional).
- Years attended (optional).
Only include your GPA or any honors if they are particularly impressive.
Example of an Education Section on a Resume:
Boston University
Bachelor of Science
Boston, MA
Business Administration
Additional Sections
A resume outline can include additional sections if the information is relevant to demonstrating your qualifications.
Such sections include:
- Awards.
- Certifications.
- Trainings.
- Links to a portfolio of work.
- Volunteer experience.
- Languages.
- Projects.
- Relevant hobbies.
Remember, additional sections are only helpful if they help you stand out as a qualified candidate.
Refrain from adding anything irrelevant because the reader will ignore it, and it will take up valuable space.
Example of an Additional Section: Certifications
Including relevant certifications in your resume can demonstrate your qualifications and set you apart from other candidates.
Certifications:
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) – Project Management Institute – Issued: June 2021
- Google Analytics Certification – Google – Issued: January 2022
- Certified Digital Marketing Professional (CDMP) – Digital Marketing Institute – Issued: March 2020
By following this outline, you will be well on your way to knowing how to write an effective resume!
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Why You Should Use A Resume Outline
There are several compelling reasons to use a resume outline when creating your resume:
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Professional standards: A resume outline provides the basic, clear structure that recruiters and hiring managers expect. By adhering to professional standards, you present your qualifications in a well-organized manner, making a positive impression from the start.
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Easy to read: Using a well-structured resume outline makes your resume easier to read. It allows hiring managers to quickly scan and identify your key qualifications and experiences. Clear sections and logical flow help ensure that nothing important is overlooked.
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ATS-friendly: Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are widely used by employers to filter resumes. A properly formatted resume outline ensures that your resume can be effectively scanned by these systems, increasing the chances of your application being seen by human eyes.
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Know what to write: A resume outline serves as a guide, showing you exactly what sections you need to cover. This helps ensure that you include all the necessary information, such as contact details, work history, skills, and education. By following a structured outline, you can be confident that your resume is complete and comprehensive.
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Consistency and cohesiveness: Using a resume outline helps maintain consistency throughout your document. Each section will follow a uniform format, making your resume look polished and professional. This cohesiveness can make a significant difference in how potential employers perceive your resume.
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Saves time and reduces stress: Creating a resume from scratch can be overwhelming. A resume outline simplifies the process by providing a ready-made template that you can fill in with your specific information. This saves you time and reduces the stress associated with resume writing, allowing you to focus more on tailoring your content to the job you’re applying for.
In short, by using a resume outline, you ensure that your resume meets professional standards, is easy to read, ATS-friendly, comprehensive, consistent, and less stressful to create.
Key Takeaways
- A resume outline is divided into five main sections: contact information, resume summary, work history, skills, and education.
- Choose a format, like the chronological resume format, that best showcases your qualifications.
- Using a resume outline helps ensure you have the format expected by recruiters, hiring managers, and applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Pro Tip:
In most circumstances you will want to use the chronological format for your resume outline because it is the most ATS-friendly template.
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Resume Outline FAQ
Updated: August 02, 2024
A resume outline is a structured template that guides you in organizing your resume content. It includes sections such as contact information, resume summary or objective, work history, skills, education, and additional sections like certifications or awards.
Using a resume outline ensures your resume is professionally structured, easy to read, and ATS-friendly. It helps you cover all necessary sections and present your qualifications in a clear and organized manner.
The five parts of a resume are:
- Personal contact information.
- Resume summary or objective.
- Work history.
- Skills.
- Education.
Each section provides important information to the reader to help them determine whether they want to interview and hire you.
Your resume should be consistent from start to finish. Do not change any font or format. Make sure to provide the five resume sections that the reader expects.
The right format depends on your work experience and career goals. The three main formats are:
- Chronological: Focuses on work history, ideal for those with consistent job experience.
- Functional: Highlights skills over job history, suitable for those with limited experience or changing careers.
- Combination: Balances skills and work history, good for those with relevant experience and skills.
List your work experience in reverse chronological order. Include your job title, employer’s name, dates of employment, location, and bullet points detailing your responsibilities and achievements. Use quantifiable metrics to highlight your accomplishments.
Yes, you can include additional sections such as awards, certifications, trainings, links to a portfolio, volunteer experience, languages, projects, and relevant hobbies. Ensure these sections are relevant to the job and demonstrate your qualifications.
Common mistakes include using an unorganized format, including irrelevant information, not quantifying achievements, using overly complex language, and failing to tailor the resume to the job description. Ensure your resume is professional, clear, and targeted to the specific role you are applying for.
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