How To Make A Resume In 2023: Guide, Templates, and Examples

Step One: Contact Information

Your resume contact information goes in the header of your document, which includes:

• • Your full name.
  • Your location (city and state/country).
  • Your phone number.
  • Your professional email address (preferably something that has your name in it).
  • Your LinkedIn profile and/or any other professional social media.

Make sure your contact information stands out and is easy to read without taking up too much valuable space. The reader should be able quickly gather all that they need.

Step Two: Summary or Objective

A resume profile, also known as a resume heading or headline, is a brief statement (one to three sentences long) that provides an overview of who you are and why you are qualified for the job. There are two types of resume headlines you can choose:

• • Resume summary: A resume summary discusses your past work experiences and the most relevant skills or achievements for the job. A resume summary is a good choice for those who have the experience and want it to be made clear right away.
  • Resume objective: A resume objective reveals why you are applying and what transferable skills and experiences you have to offer. Due to this, a resume objective can be used if you don’t have a lot of professional experience or are changing careers.

In both cases, you can also include what value you offer and wish to gain from employment.

Do your best to address your qualifications and the needs of the employer. A well-written resume profile can help the reader quickly understand that you deserve further attention.

Step Three: Work History

When listing your work experience, you will work in reverse chronological order, which means you start with your most recent job title and work backward.

Each entry in the work history section of your resume should include:

• • Job title.
  • Name of employer.
  • Location.
  • Dates employed.
  • Bulleted information about responsibilities and accomplishments (if you are using the reverse chronological or combination resume formats).

The work experience section is one of the most important parts of your resume. It offers credibility that backs up your claims and gives the reader context into what type of employee you are.

Therefore, there are several key points that you want to keep in mind when writing about your work history on your resume:

• • Keep everything relevant: Don’t list any experiences or responsibilities that have nothing to do with the job you are applying for. You may need to provide work experiences to explain gaps in your resume, but even in this case, look for ways to highlight any transferable skills so that you keep your resume focused.
  • Use words and phrases found in the job description: Even if you have the skills and experience, if you don’t match the job description’s wording, the ATS or reader may not make the connection.

For example, a job description may ask for “social media advertising experience” and your resume may say “experience in social media marketing”, which may or may not be picked up by the ATS or reader. In this case, you would want to change your words to reflect the job description exactly.

• Provide quantifiable achievements: Don’t just list off your responsibilities for a job. Show what type of impact you had and what value you brought to the position with specific metrics. This adds excellent context and credibility to your qualifications.

Additionally, it helps your resume stand out because it makes your experience more unique.

Be as specific as you can with your accomplishments. Provide details such as amounts, growth rates, and revenue earned.

• • Use appropriate action verbs: Boring or cliche verbs will make your resume blend in with the rest. The right action verbs can add energy to your words. Pick verbs that appropriately describe your responsibilities. Look in the job description and see if there are any verbs you can use to match.

Together, these key points will help keep your resume ATS-friendly and easy to read. An applicant tracking system works by parsing through a resume for specific criteria, usually based on what is found in the job description. That is why you want to provide the exact terminology.

The recruiter or hiring manager who reads your resume will only be interested in information that shows off your value, so everything should be relevant and stand out from the page. Most readers will skim your resume quickly, so give them a reason to pause and consider you further.

Step Four: Education

The education section of your resume includes:

• • Name of the institution.
  • Location (city, state/country).
  • Type of degree.
  • Area of focus.
  • Years attended or graduated (optional)
  • Honors (optional)
  • Relevant coursework or projects (optional)
  • GPA (if notable)

Generally, you will want to keep this section short. However, if you lack professional experience, you can use the education part of your resume to showcase relevant qualifications, such as coursework or projects.

Step Five: Skills

On your resume you can divide your skills into two different categories:

• • Hard skills: Hard skills relate to specific abilities and are quantifiable. They generally result from specific types of job experiences. Hard skills stand out on resumes, so include your most relevant ones. Examples include technical skills, programming languages, project management software, or certified procedures.
  • Soft skills: Soft skills are transferable interpersonal skills. They are harder to quantify which means they are harder to prove on a resume. Therefore, save most of your soft skills for the job interview. Examples include communication, time management, and empathy.

When you choose which of your skills to list, focus on the ones the job description asks for. It is recommended to list between six to ten skills that help you tailor your resume.

Step Six: Additional Sections

Sometimes you may need to include additional sections to your resume to showcase your qualifications better. Such sections include:

• • Awards.
  • Certifications.
  • Volunteer work.
  • Research projects and publications.
  • Conferences attended.
  • Relevant hobbies.

Only add additional sections if you can justify their relevance. Otherwise, any information should be placed in the work experience section or skills section of your resume.

Step Seven: Proofread & Edit

After writing your resume, you obviously need to review it. Don’t just hand it a resume without checking it for:

• • Spelling mistakes.
  • Grammatical errors.
  • Format issues.
  • Irrelevant information.
  • Information that can be tailored to the job.

Also, consider asking someone to proofread your resume. Another perspective can help spot issues you may have otherwise missed.

If you can, ask someone with experience reviewing resumes, especially if it’s related to the job you are applying to. This could be a family member, a friend, a coworker that you trust or a third-party consultant.

Even if the person doesn’t have the greatest experience reviewing resumes, it is still helpful to get feedback.