Build a Resume That Gets You Noticed
Learn from the career experts. Discover the proven strategies that help resumes pass ATS systems and land interviews.
Parsable Resumes
Don't fail ATS screening. Learn what systems look for.
Grab recruiters attention
Make every word count. Learn what companies look for.
Interview Ready
Learn how to make your resume stand out amongst 100+ applicants.
Resume Sections Breakdown
A detailed guide to each section of your resume and what makes each one effective
Contact Information
Allow recruiters to reach you easily. This is often the first thing a hiring manager sees.
✓ What to Include:
- •Full name (at the top, largest font)
- •Professional email address
- •Phone number
- •LinkedIn URL (optional but recommended)
- •Portfolio or website (if relevant)
💡 Best Practices:
- Use a professional email (avoid nicknames or unprofessional addresses)
- Include LinkedIn if it's complete and professional
- Don't include physical address (modern convention)
- Add portfolio link only if it's polished and relevant
⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Using an outdated or unprofessional email
- Including photo or physical address
- Multiple phone numbers or unclear contact info
- Dead links or incomplete portfolio URLs
Professional Summary / Objective
Give recruiters a quick snapshot of who you are and what you bring. First impression matters.
✓ What to Include:
- •2-3 key accomplishments or strengths
- •Years of experience in the field
- •Key skills or specializations
- •Career goal or value proposition
💡 Best Practices:
- Keep it to 2-4 sentences (40-80 words)
- Tailor it to the specific job you're applying for
- Use strong language and quantifiable achievements
- Avoid generic statements like 'hardworking team player'
⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Generic objective that could apply to any role
- Making it too long (should be quick to scan)
- Focusing on what you want rather than what you offer
- Not tailoring for each job application
Work Experience
Show your track record, responsibilities, and achievements. Usually the most important section for most roles.
✓ What to Include:
- •Job title and company name
- •Dates of employment (month and year)
- •3-6 bullet points per role (more recent = more detail)
- •Quantified achievements and impact
- •Relevant skills demonstrated
💡 Best Practices:
- List in reverse chronological order (most recent first)
- Use action verbs and focus on achievements, not duties
- Quantify results with numbers, percentages, or metrics
- Spend more detail on recent roles than older ones
- Emphasize achievements relevant to target role
⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Listing job duties instead of achievements
- Using weak verbs or passive language
- No numbers or metrics to prove impact
- Too much space on irrelevant old jobs
Education
Demonstrate your academic credentials and specialized knowledge. Critical for some industries (law, medicine, academia).
✓ What to Include:
- •Degree earned (e.g., Bachelor of Science in Computer Science)
- •University or school name
- •Graduation date (month and year)
- •GPA (only if 3.5+)
- •Relevant honors or achievements (Dean's List, scholarships)
💡 Best Practices:
- List in reverse chronological order
- Include only relevant degrees (drop high school if you have college)
- For recent graduates, include key courses or projects
- Highlight scholarships or academic honors
- Include anticipated graduation date if not yet graduated
⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Including high school if you have higher education
- Poor GPA is optional (don't include if below 3.5)
- Incomplete information (missing school or graduation date)
- Too much detail on old degrees
Skills
Give recruiters a quick scan of your key competencies. Often used by ATS systems for keyword matching.
✓ What to Include:
- •Technical skills (software, languages, tools)
- •Professional skills (leadership, project management, communication)
- •Industry-specific expertise
- •Language proficiencies
- •Certifications or technical qualifications
💡 Best Practices:
- Organize by category (Technical, Leadership, Languages, etc.)
- Include skills mentioned in the job description
- List only skills you actually have and can discuss
- Put more relevant/advanced skills first
- Use 8-12 skills total (not too many, not too few)
⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Listing skills you don't actually have
- No organization or structure
- Including skills irrelevant to target role
- Burying skills in text instead of clear list
Certifications & Awards
Highlight special qualifications, achievements, and credentials that set you apart.
✓ What to Include:
- •Professional certifications (PMP, AWS, etc.)
- •Industry awards or recognition
- •Specialized training or courses
- •Speaking engagements or publications
- •Volunteer experience (if relevant)
💡 Best Practices:
- Include only recent and relevant certifications (within 5-7 years)
- Add expiration dates if applicable
- List high-impact awards and recognition
- Include if they're relevant to the target role
- Keep this section brief unless certifications are critical to the role
⚠ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Including outdated or irrelevant certifications
- Listing too many minor awards
- Forgetting to renew certifications
- Taking up too much space for optional items
Good vs Bad Resumes: Examples
See exactly what makes a resume strong or weak
Professional Summary
Weak Resume
Objective: To find a job in marketing and use my skills.
Strong Resume
Marketing professional with 5+ years driving brand growth and 40% average increase in customer engagement. Proven expertise in digital strategy, content creation, and cross-functional team leadership.
Why it matters: The good version immediately communicates value, includes metrics, and shows what you can do for the employer.
ATS Optimization Guide
75% of resumes are screened by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) before a human sees them.
Here's how to pass the automated screening.
Use Standard Section Headings
ATS systems are trained to recognize standard resume sections. Unusual formatting can cause data to be missed.
DO THIS:
Use standard headings: Experience, Education, Skills, Summary, Certifications
AVOID THIS:
Don't use creative headers like "Professional Highlights" or "Key Competencies" instead of standard names
Match Keywords from Job Description
ATS performs keyword matching. If the job posting mentions specific tools or terms, include them if you genuinely have that experience.
DO THIS:
Review the job description and incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your resume
AVOID THIS:
Don't stuff keywords unnaturally or lie about skills you don't have
Use Simple Formatting
Complex formatting (tables, text boxes, columns, graphics) can confuse ATS parsing and cause data loss.
DO THIS:
Use simple bullet points, standard fonts, and basic text formatting. Save as .PDF or .DOCX in standard format
AVOID THIS:
Don't use fancy designs, embedded images, columns, or creative layouts
Avoid Headers and Footers
ATS systems often skip or misread content in headers and footers, losing important information.
DO THIS:
Put all important information in the main body of your resume
AVOID THIS:
Don't place your name, contact info, or key content in headers or footers
Use Proper Dates Format
Inconsistent date formats can be misinterpreted by ATS systems, affecting sorting and filtering.
DO THIS:
Use consistent date format: Month Year (e.g., January 2023) or MM/YYYY throughout
AVOID THIS:
Don't mix formats like 1/2023, Jan 23, 2023, or abbreviations
Include a Skills Section
ATS systems specifically look for a dedicated skills section to extract technical and professional competencies.
DO THIS:
Create a separate 'Skills' section with relevant technical, software, and professional skills
AVOID THIS:
Don't scatter skills throughout the document or skip this section entirely
Pro Tip: After optimizing for ATS, review your resume on a desktop computer to ensure it looks good to human eyes as well. Your resume needs to pass both systems.
Resume Format Comparison
Choose the right format for your career situation
Chronological Resume
The most common format. Lists work experience in reverse chronological order (most recent first).
Structure:
- • Contact Info
- • Professional Summary
- • Work Experience
- • Education
- • Skills
Best For:
- • Career growth/progression
- • Consistent employment
- • Industry experience
Avoid If:
- • Frequent job changes
- • Employment gaps
- • Career changers
Pros:
- ✓ ATS-friendly
- ✓ Shows career trajectory
- ✓ Familiar to recruiters
Cons:
- ✕ Highlights gaps
- ✕ Shows job-hopping
- ✕ De-emphasizes skills
Functional Resume
Focuses on skills and qualifications rather than work history. Organized by skill or competency area.
Structure:
- • Contact Info
- • Professional Summary
- • Core Skills/Competencies
- • Work Experience (brief)
- • Education
Best For:
- • Career changers
- • Employment gaps
- • Limited work history
- • Freelancers
Avoid If:
- • Corporate roles
- • Companies that use ATS heavily
- • Roles valuing work progression
Pros:
- ✓ Highlights relevant skills
- ✓ Hides employment gaps
- ✓ Good for career transitions
Cons:
- ✕ ATS struggles with it
- ✕ Recruiters are suspicious
- ✕ Less common in corporate
Hybrid (Combination) Resume
Blends chronological and functional formats. Shows skills prominently while maintaining work history timeline.
Structure:
- • Contact Info
- • Professional Summary
- • Core Skills
- • Work Experience (with achievements)
- • Education
Best For:
- • Most modern roles
- • Showcasing both skills and progression
- • Career transitions with relevant experience
Avoid If:
- • Very sparse experience
- • No relevant transferable skills
Pros:
- ✓ ATS-friendly
- ✓ Shows skills and experience
- ✓ Most versatile
- ✓ Modern preference
Cons:
- ✕ Can be longer
- ✕ Requires careful balance
Recommendation: For most job seekers, the Hybrid format is the best choice. It combines the ATS-friendliness of chronological resumes with the skill-showcasing power of functional resumes.
Powerful Action Verbs
Replace weak verbs with these powerful alternatives to make your resume stand out
Leadership & Management
Development & Innovation
Performance & Growth
Analysis & Strategy
Communication & Collaboration
Achievement & Results
💡 Tip 1
Use one action verb per bullet point. Avoid repeating the same verb in adjacent bullets.
💡 Tip 2
Start every achievement with a past-tense action verb (if role is past) or present-tense (if current).
💡 Tip 3
Match verbs to the job description. If the posting says "drive growth," use "Drove" instead of "Created."
6-Step Action Plan
Follow this proven process to create a resume that lands interviews
Review & Research
Carefully read the job description. Highlight 10-15 key skills, responsibilities, and keywords you see.
Select Relevant Experience
Choose only the experiences that directly relate to the position. Focus on the last 10-15 years.
Use the STAR Method
For each achievement: describe the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Include metrics when possible.
Add Relevant Keywords
Weave job description keywords naturally into your experience and skills sections.
Polish & Proofread
Check for grammar, spelling, and formatting consistency. Ask 2-3 people to review it.
Customize Before Sending
Don't send the same resume to every company. Adjust to match each position's priorities.
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