how to make a resume in under 5 minutes

How to Make a Resume in 2024 | Beginner's Guide

For most job-seekers, a good resume is what stands between a dream job and Choice D. Get your resume right, and you’ll be getting replies from every other company you apply to.

If your resume game is weak, though, you’ll end up sitting around for weeks, maybe even months, before you even get a single response.

So you’re probably wondering how you can write a resume that gets you an interview straight up.

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about how to make a resume, including:

• The 8 Essential Steps to Writing a Resume
• 11+ Exclusive Resume Tips to Up Your Resume Game
• 27+ Real-Life Resume Examples for Different Professions

….and more!

So, let’s dive right in.

How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

Before we go into detail about how you should make a resume, here’s a summary of the most important steps and tips to keep in mind:

• Choose a resume format carefully. In 99% of cases, we recommend the reverse-chronological format .
• Add the right contact details. Leave your headshot out and make sure to include your job title , a professional email address, and any relevant links. (E.g.: your LinkedIn profile , online portfolio, personal website, etc.).
• Write an impactful resume summary. Unless you’re an entry-level professional, always go for a resume summary. If you do it right, it’s your chance to get the hiring manager to go through the rest of your resume in detail.
• Pay attention to your work experience section. Take your work experience section from OK-ish to exceptional by tailoring it to the job ad, making your achievements quantifiable, and using action verbs and power words.
• Add the right skills for the job. Keep this section relevant by only including the hard and soft skills that are required for the position.
• Keep your education short and to the point. Your most recent and highest degree is more than enough for a strong education section. You only need to add more details here if you’re a recent graduate with barely any work experience.
• Leverage optional resume sections. Optional sections like languages, hobbies, certifications, independent projects, and others can set you apart from other candidates with similar skills and experience.
• Include a cover letter. That’s right, cover letters matter in 2024, and the best way to supplement your resume is by adding an equally well-crafted cover letter to your job application. To make the most of it, check out our detailed guide on how to write a cover letter .

To get the most out of our tips, you can head over to the resume builder and start building your resume on the go as you read this guide.

New to resume-making? Give our ‘7 Resume Tips’ video a watch before diving into the article!

#1. Pick the Right Resume Format

Before you start filling in the contents of your resume, you have to make sure it’s going to look good. 

After all, the first thing hiring managers notice is what your resume looks like, and then they start reading it. So, this is your best chance to make a great first impression.

Start by choosing the right resume format.

There are three types of resume formats out there:

• Reverse-chronological. This is by far the most popular resume format worldwide and, as such, it’s the best format for most job-seekers.
• Functional. This resume format focuses more on skills than work experience. It’s a good choice if you’re just getting started with your career and have little to no experience in the field.
• Combination. The combination resume format is a great choice for experienced job-seekers with a very diverse skill set. It’s useful if you’re applying for a role that requires expertise in several different fields and you want to show all that in your resume.

So, which one should you go for?

In 99% of cases, you want to stick to the reverse-chronological resume format . It’s the most popular format and what hiring managers expect to see. So, in the rest of this guide, we’re going to focus on teaching you how to make a reverse-chronological resume.

Fix Your Resume’s Layout

With formatting out of the way, let’s talk about your resume’s layout , which determines the overall look of your resume. 

Does it look organized or cluttered? Is it too short or too long? Is it boring and easy to ignore, or is it reader-friendly and attention-grabbing?

Here are some of the best practices you should apply:

• Stick to one page. You should only go for a two-page resume if you have decades of experience and you’re sure the extra space will add significant value. Hiring managers in big companies get hundreds of applications per job opening. They’re not going to spend their valuable time reading your life story!
• Add clear section headings. Pick a heading and use it for all the section headers so the hiring manager can easily navigate through your resume.
• Adjust the margins. Without the right amount of white space, your resume will end up looking overcrowded with information. Set your margins to one inch on all sides so your text fits just right on the page.
• Choose a professional font. We’d recommend sticking to a font that’s professional but not overused. For example, Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass. Avoid Times New Roman, and never use Comic Sans.
• Set the correct font size. As a rule of thumb, go for 11-12 pt for normal text and 14-16 pt for section titles.
• Use a PDF file. Always save your resume as a PDF file, unless the employer specifically requests otherwise. Word files are popular, but there’s a good chance they’ll mess up your resume’s formatting.

Another thing you need to consider in terms of your resume’s layout is whether you’re going for a traditional-looking resume template or something a bit more modern :

If you’re pursuing a career in a more traditional industry, like law , banking , or finance , you might want to stick to the first.

But if you’re applying to a tech company where imagination and innovation are valued, you can pick a more creative resume template .

Want to Save Time? Use a (Free) Resume Template

Anyone who’s ever tried creating a resume from scratch knows how boring the formatting can be.

Before you can even start filling in the contents, you need to tweak the margins, adjust font sizes, and make sure everything fits into one page while still looking good.

What if you could skip past all that and still create a compelling resume?

Try one of our free resume templates . They’re pre-formatted, so all you have to do is fill in the contents.

They’re also created in collaboration with recruiters from around the globe, ensuring that the templates are visually appealing and ATS-friendly!

See for yourself how one of our templates compares to a resume created in a standard text editor:

#2. Add Your Contact Information

Now that we’ve got all the formatting out of the way, let’s get into what your resume is all about— the information you put on it .

The first thing you want to do when filling out the contents of your resume is to add your contact information .

This section is pretty straightforward but crucial. Your contact details belong at the top of your resume in a designated resume header , so the hiring manager can easily find them.

Even if everything else about your resume is perfect, that all flops if you misspell your email address or have a typo in your phone number. If the hiring manager can’t contact you, it’s a missed opportunity.

So, double-check, and even triple-check your contact information section and make sure everything is factually correct and up-to-date.

Must-Have Information

• Full name. Your first and last name should stand out at the top of your resume.
• Email address. Stick to an address that’s professional and easy to spell, like a combination of your first and last name. (E.g.: [email protected])
• Phone number. Add a reliable number where the hiring manager can easily reach you.
• Location. Add your city and state/country. If you plan to relocate for the job or want a remote position, specify it on your resume.

Optional Information

• Job title. Add your professional title underneath. Write it down word for word, whether it’s “Digital Marketing Specialist” or “Junior Data Scientist.” Just don’t make up job titles like “Marketing Wizzard” or “Data Manipulator.” They’re not quirky; they’re just unprofessional. 
• LinkedIn profile . We recommend that you include a link to your updated LinkedIn profile since over 77% of hiring managers use the platform when evaluating a candidate. 
• Relevant links. Include links to personal websites or any social media profiles that are relevant to your field. For example, a developer could include a Github profile, while a graphic designer could link their Behance or Driblle account, and so on.
• Date of birth. Unless this is specifically required in the job ad, the hiring manager doesn’t need to know how old you are. It’s not important for their decision-making, and at worst, it might lead to age-based discrimination.
• Unprofessional email address. Your quirky, old high school email address doesn’t belong on your resume. Instead of [email protected] , go for a [email protected] type of address.
• Headshot. (USA, UK or Ireland) Depending on the country where you’re applying, it might even be illegal to include a picture of yourself on your resume . While it’s the norm to include a picture in most of Europe and Asia, always check the regulations for each specific country or industry you’re applying to.

All clear? Good! Now, let’s look at what a great example of a resume's contact information section looks like:

#3. Write a Resume Headline (Summary or Objective)

It's no secret that recruiters spend an average of less than seven seconds on a resume .

When you receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications daily, it's physically impossible to spend too much time on each.

So, what the hiring managers do to go through resumes more effectively is to skim through each resume and read it in depth only if it piques their interest.

This is where the resume headline comes in.

Placed right next to (or underneath) your contact information, this brief paragraph is the first thing the hiring manager is going to read on your resume.

Now, depending on how far along in your career you are, your resume headline can be either a resume summary or a resume objective.

So, how do you choose between a resume summary and a resume objective? Here’s all you need to know:

Resume Summary

A resume summary, as the name suggests, is a two to three-sentence summary of your career so far. If done right, it shows that you’re a qualified candidate at a glance and gets the hiring manager to give you a chance.

Here’s what your resume summary should include:

• Your job title and years of experience.
• A couple of your greatest professional achievements or core responsibilities.
• Your most relevant skills for the job.

Here’s an example of a well-written resume summary: 

Experienced Java Developer with 5 years of experience in building scalable and efficient applications. Contributed to a major project that enhanced application performance by 25%. Strong background in Spring Framework and microservices. Aiming to apply robust coding skills to develop innovative software solutions at XYZ Tech Solutions.

Unless you’re a recent graduate or amid a career change, we recommend you stick to a resume summary. Otherwise, a resume objective might be a better option for you.

Resume Objective

A resume objective is supposed to express your professional goals and aspirations, academic background, and any relevant skills you may have for the job.

It communicates your motivation for getting into a new field, so it’s the go-to headline for recent graduates and those going through a career change. As with a resume summary, a resume objective should be brief—around two to four sentences long.

So, here’s what it would look like if you’re a student:

Hard-working recent graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design from New York State University seeking new opportunities. 3+ years of practical experience working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, creating illustrations and UX/UI design projects. Looking to grow as a designer and perfect my art at XYZ Design Studio.

Or, on the other hand, if you’re going through a career change, it might look more like this:

IT project manager with 5+ years of experience in software development. Managed a team of developers to create products for several industries, such as FinTech and HR tech. Looking to leverage my experience in managing outsourced products as a Product Owner at Company XYZ.

#4. Prioritize Your Work Experience

The most important part of your resume is your work experience.

This is where you get to sell yourself and show off your previous accomplishments and responsibilities.

If you manage to master this section, you’ll know most of what’s there to know about how to make a resume.

There are plenty of good practices for writing your work experience . But before we dive into all the nits and grits, let's start with the basics.

The standard format for each work experience entry is as follows:

• Job title/position. Your job title goes on top of each work experience entry. When the hiring manager looks at your resume, you want them to know, at a glance, that you have relevant work experience for the job.
• Company name/location/description. Mention the name of the employer and the general location, such as the city and state/country where you worked. In some cases, you may also want to briefly describe the company, like when the organization isn’t particularly well-known.
• Dates employed. Add the approximate timeframe of your employment at each company. You don’t need to give exact dates since the standard format for this is mm/yyyy.
• Achievements and responsibilities. This is the core of each work experience entry. Depending on your field, you want to list either your achievements or responsibilities. List them in bullet points instead of paragraphs, so they’ll be easier to read.

Here’s a real-life example:

Your work experience entries should always be listed in reverse chronological order , starting with your most recent job and working your way back into the past.

Now that you know how to list your experience, we’re going to show you how to write about it in a way that makes you stand out from the competition, starting with: 

Are you a student with no work experience? We’ve got you covered. Check out our guide to writing a resume with no experience here.

Focus on Achievements Whenever Possible

One of the most common resume mistakes is only listing responsibilities in your work experience section.

Here’s the thing—in most cases, the hiring manager knows exactly what your job responsibilities are.

For example, if you’re a sales manager, your responsibilities would be:

• Reach out to potential clients over the phone or email.
• Maintain relationships with existing company clients and upsell relevant products.
• Tracking and reporting on leads in CRM.

Coincidentally, this is also the same list of responsibilities for every sales manager out there. So, 90% of all other resumes probably mention the same thing.

To stand out from the competition, you want to focus on writing achievements in your resume instead. These can be how you helped your previous company grow, reach quarterly quotas, and so on.

Let’s compare how responsibilities hold up next to achievements for the same job:

• Exceeded sales team KPIs by 30%+ for 3 months straight.
• Generated over $24,000 in sales in 1 month.
• Generated leads through cold-calling
• Managed existing company clients

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there just aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you’re a warehouse worker .

Your day-to-day responsibilities probably include:

• Loading, unloading, and setting up equipment daily.
• Packaging finished products and getting them ready for shipping.
• Assisting in opening and closing the warehouse.

In fields like this, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself through achievements, so it’s okay to stick to responsibilities instead. You can still make them shine by following the rest of our advice about listing your work experience.

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you work in a warehouse. Your day-to-day responsibilities probably involve:

• Loading, unloading and setting up equipment on a daily basis.
• Package finished product and get it ready for shipping.
• Assist in opening and closing the warehouse.

In such fields, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself, so it’s totally OK to stick to responsibilities instead.

Tailor Your Resume to the Job

Tailoring is what sets an amazing resume apart from an okay one.

Hiring managers don’t need to know about every single job you’ve ever worked at or every single skill that you have.

They only want to know about your jobs, experiences, or skills that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for a job doing Google Ads, you don’t need to talk about your SEO internship from eight years ago.

By focusing your resume on whatever is important for the specific role, you’re a lot more likely to stand out and catch the hiring manager’s attention.

Let’s take a look at an example of a job ad:

As you can see, we’ve highlighted the most important requirements.

To tailor your resume accordingly, you just need to mention how you meet each of these requirements in your resume.

You can highlight your relevant achievements and qualifications in different parts of your resume, such as:

• In your resume summary, where you should recap your years of experience.
• Throughout your work experience section, where you should list achievements and responsibilities that reflect your social media marketing experience.
• In your education section, where you can let the hiring manager know you have the degree that they’re looking for.

Include the Right Amount of Work Experience

If you’ve got over a decade’s worth of work experience, you’re probably wondering whether all of it belongs on your resume. In most cases, you’d end up writing a novel if you listed everything you’ve ever done, and that’s not how long a resume should be .

If you’re new to the job market, on the other hand, you probably don’t have any experience, and you’re wondering what you could even add to this section.

So, here’s how much information your resume should include, depending on your level of experience:

• No experience. If you’re looking for your first job , you won’t have any work experience to fill this section with. So, you can either keep it empty and focus on all the other sections or fill it up with any experience gained in student organizations, extracurricular activities, volunteering, and other projects.
• Entry-level. List all your work experience so far. While some of it won’t be relevant, it can still show the hiring manager that you do have some actual work experience.
• Mid-level. Only mention relevant work experience to the position you’re applying for. There’s no need to waste space on jobs that aren’t related to what you’re after.
• Senior-level. List up to 15 years of relevant work experience, tops. If your most recent experience is as a marketing executive , the hiring manager doesn’t care how you started your career as a junior marketing specialist 23 years ago.

Consider Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

Did you know that over 70% of resumes don’t even make it to the hiring manager ?

Most companies these days use ATS to evaluate hundreds of resumes instantaneously and automatically filter out the ones that don’t meet their criteria.

For example, if a resume doesn’t mention a specific skill or isn’t formatted correctly, the ATS will automatically reject it.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to make an ATS-friendly resume .

Here are a couple of tips to help you get past those pesky robots:

• Stick to one page. Sometimes employers set a limit on how long a resume should be. This means that if your resume is longer than one page, it might get automatically disqualified.
• Incorporate keywords. Tailoring your resume to the job helps a ton with beating the ATS. Just carefully read the job description to find hints for what the ATS will be looking for. Then, whenever you find keywords related to your responsibilities and achievements, make sure to include them in your work experience section.
• Use an active voice. Passive voice is too vague and unclear, so make sure to use active voice as much as possible when describing your previous jobs. (E.g.: “Managed a team of ten people,” instead of “ A team of ten people was managed by me.” )
• Leverage powerful action words. Instead of starting each of your sentences with “was responsible for," make your work experience impactful by using words that can grab attention. Saying that you “spearheaded” or “facilitated” something sounds a lot more impressive than “helped.”

Want to make sure your resume formatting passes the ATS test? Choose one of our tried and tested ATS-friendly resume templates , and you’ll be good to go! 

#5. List Your Education

The next section on your resume is dedicated to your academic qualifications. Let’s start with the basics!

Here’s how you should format the education section on your resume :

• Program Name. Your major and degree type should be listed. (E.g.: “B.A. in Business Administration” )
• University Name. Add the name of the institution. (E.g.: “New York State University” )
• Dates Attended. Use a mm/yyyy format for the dates you attended. (E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012” )
• Location. If your university is less well-known, you can also add the location. (E.g.: “Stockholm, Sweden” )
• GPA. Use the appropriate grading system for the country you’re applying to work in. (E.g.: In the USA, it would be “3.9 GPA” )
• Honors. Add any honors and distinctions you’ve been given. (E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude )
• Achievements. You can mention interesting papers you’ve written, projects you’ve done, or relevant coursework you’ve excelled in.
• Minor. “Minor in Psychology”

Pretty simple, right? Now let’s see what an education section looks like in practice:

This example includes all the necessary information, plus an eye-catching award and relevant classes this candidate has taken.

Resume Education Tips

Now that you know how to list your education on your resume, let’s take this section to the next level.

Just follow these expert tips:

• If you’re making a resume as a student and don’t have any work experience yet, you can list your education section at the beginning of the page instead of work experience.
• You can add your expected graduation date if you’re still pursuing your degree.
• If you already have relevant work experience, just keep this section short and sweet. Recent graduates can expand on their education more and add optional information like projects, classes, academic achievements, etc.
• Always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your highest degree on top. Your highest and most recent degree is usually enough, so if you have a Master’s degree that’s relevant to the job, there’s no need to mention your earlier degrees.
• Don’t add your high school degree to your resume if you already have a university degree. It doesn’t have as much weight, and you can use the space for something else.
• Only mention your GPA if you had an impressive academic career. Anything below a 3.5 GPA doesn’t need to be on your resume.

Are you in the process of applying for college? Check out our guide to writing a college application resume to wow that admissions officer!

#6. Emphasize Your Know-How in the Skills Section

After your work experience, your skills are the first thing the hiring manager is going to look for. In fact, together, work experience and skills make up 90% of the hiring decision .

So, this is the place where you want to mention all the know-how that makes you the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of skills you can include when writing your resume:

• Hard Skills. These are measurable abilities. What you can list here can be anything from coding in Python to knowing how to cook Thai cuisine.
• Soft Skills. Also known as personal skills, these are a mix of communication skills , personal traits, career attributes, and more. They can include leadership, critical thinking, and time management , just to name a few.

Your resume should always cover both hard skills and soft skills . Here’s an example in action:

Now, let’s discuss how you should list your most important skills on your resume.

There are a few essential steps you need to follow:

Always List Hard and Soft Skills Separately

Your resume should be easy and neat to navigate. The hiring manager shouldn’t have to waste time looking for a specific skill because you didn’t separate it into the appropriate subsection.

So, just create separate categories for your hard and soft skills.

Depending on your field, you could customize the name of your “hard skills” subsection to something like “technical skills," “marketing skills," or something else related to your field.

Let’s look at an example of what skills look like on a project manager’s resume :

Methodologies & Tools

• Agile Methodology
• SCRUM Framework
• Waterfall Project Management
• Microsoft Project
• Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Risk Management

Soft Skills

• Team Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation

Tailor Your Skills to the Job

You might have some awesome skills, but the hiring manager only needs to know about the ones that are relevant to the job.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as an accountant, your gourmet chef skills shouldn’t be on your resume.

Look at the job ad and list at least two to three essential skills you have that are required for the role. Remember—there’s no need to list every skill you have here; just keep it relevant.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Graphic Design or a related field.
• Tech-savvy, with some background in CMS systems such as WordPress.
• Thrives in a stressful environment and juggles multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Self-reliant, with the ability to manage their own work.
• A can-do attitude and an outside-the-box thinker.
• Proficient in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages.
• Basic understanding of Office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

So, the must-have hard skills here are Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages. Other good computer skills to have are WordPress or similar CMS systems.

While you can also mention Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, it’s pretty much assumed that you know how to use them since they’re required for most office jobs.

List Hard Skills with Experience Levels

For each hard skill you list on your resume, you should also mention your proficiency level. This tells employers what they can expect from you and how much training you might need.

• Beginner. You have some experience with the skill, whether it’s from some entry-level practice or classroom education.
• Intermediate. You’ve used the skill in a work environment with good understanding.
• Advanced. You’re the go-to person for this skill in your office. You can coach other employees, and you understand the skill at a high level.
• Expert. You’ve applied this skill to more than a handful of different projects and organizations. You’re the go-to person for advice about the skill, not just in your office but even amongst some of the best professionals in your field.

Just make sure to never lie about your actual skill level. Even if you get the job, once you need those skills you exaggerated, it will be pretty awkward for both you and your employer.

Include Transferable Skills

These are the types of skills that are useful for almost any job out there.

Transferable skills can be both soft skills (e.g.: teamwork, creativity, problem-solving skills, and others) and hard skills (MS Office Suite, HTML, writing, etc.)

Whatever job you’re applying to, chances are you have transferable skills from your experience that can come in handy one way or another. So, feel free to include them, even if they’re not specifically required for the position.

Not sure which skills to mention on your resume for your specific field? Check out our list of 101+ essential skills for inspiration!

#7. Leverage Optional Resume Sections

The sections we’ve covered so far are must-haves for any resume. They’re the bread-and-butter for any job application, and if you get them right, you’ll land any job you apply to.

But if you have some leftover space, there are a few optional sections you can choose from to give your resume a boost!

Are you bi-lingual? Or even better  – multi-lingual? You should always mention that on your resume!

Even if the position doesn’t require you to know a specific language, it can still come in handy at some point. At the end of the day, it’s always better to know more languages than less.

To list languages in your resume , just write them down and assign them the appropriate level:

• Intermediate

You can also use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scales.

As a given, you should never lie about your language skills. You never know—your interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language or even be a native speaker!

Hobbies and Interests

If you want to spice up your resume, hobbies and interests could be just what you need.

While this section isn’t a game-changer, it can help the hiring manager see who you are as an individual.

For example, if you listed “teamwork” as one of your skills, hobbies like team sports can back up your claim.

And who knows? Maybe you and your interviewer have some hobbies or interests in common!

Volunteering Experience

If you’re the type of person who devotes their free time to helping others while expecting nothing in return, chances are that you’re the type of employee who’s in it for more than just the money. 

Seeing volunteer experience on your resume tells hiring managers that you’re a loyal employee who’s after something meaningful.

Several studies show that listing your volunteer experience can boost your chances of getting hired, especially if you have little to no work experience.

Certifications

Hiring managers love candidates who invest in themselves, and that’s exactly what they see when you list certifications on your resume .

If you value continuous learning and strive to expand your skill set, that’s always a plus.

Certifications can also show employers how much expertise you have.

For example, if you’re a Microsoft Cloud Engineer and you specialize in Microsoft Technologies, you should definitely include all essential certifications on your resume, such as the Azure Solutions Architect Expert one.

Awards and Recognitions

There’s no harm in showing off a little on your resume. After all, you want to be a candidate that shines above the rest.

So, if you’ve received any awards or recognitions that make you stand out in your field, make sure to add them.

For example, if you’ve been recognized for your contributions to data science or received a hard-to-come-by scholarship , mention it in your resume. Just keep your entries here relevant to the field you’re applying to.

Publications

Whether you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic, publications are always impressive.

If you have any published works (online or in an academic journal), you can add them to your resume. Just make sure to include a link so the hiring manager knows where to check your work!

Are you looking for a career in academia? Check out our guide to writing the perfect academic CV to get started!

Working on side projects can show off your passion for your field. Whether they’re university class projects or part-time entrepreneurial endeavors, they’re relevant.

For example, if you worked on a mock software product as part of a university competition, it shows you went through every step of product creation, from ideation to creating a marketing strategy.

This project also shows off your organizational skills , and if you mention it in your resume, you stand a better chance of landing the job you had your sights set on.

But projects can also be personal, not academic. For example, you might manage an Etsy store where you sell hand-made arts and crafts to customers online. This is a great opportunity to highlight your creativity, management, and customer service skills .

Overall, hiring managers love employees who do cool work in their free time, so projects are always a great section to add to your resume.

Looking to kickstart your career? Check out our guide on how to get an internship for useful tips and real-life examples!

Extracurricular Activities

Every college freshman knows that extracurricular experience can make a difference in their application.

Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience outside of school, extracurricular activities are a great way to show potential employers your skills and give them insight into you as a person. Different clubs and after-school projects can help you gain real-life skills and considerably increase your chances of landing your first job after college.

For example, joining a student government organization can hone your leadership skills and teach you how to work as part of a team.

For example, if you’re part of a student government or public speaking club, these activities can help you hone your leadership and presentation skills.

11+ Expert Resume Tips

You’ve got the gist of how to make a resume. Now, it’s time to make it really stand out from the crowd!

Follow these exclusive resume tips to take your resume game to the next level:

• Match the professional title underneath your name to the job title of the position you’re applying for. Hiring managers often hire for several roles at once, so giving them this cue about what role you’re after helps things go smoother.
• Mention any promotions from your previous jobs. Use the work experience entries for them to focus on the achievements that helped you earn them.
• Describe your achievements using Laszlo Bock’s formula : accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z . This way, your work experience can go the extra mile and show the hiring manager what you can bring to the table.
• Always list your achievements and responsibilities in concise bullet points. This makes your resume more reader-friendly, and it’s more likely that the hiring manager will see your impressive achievements at a glance.
• Don’t use personal pronouns like “I” or “me,” and don’t refer to yourself by name. Stick to a slightly altered third person, like “managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.” instead of “he managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.”
• Name your resume sections correctly, or it might get rejected by the ATS. Swapping out quirky names like “career history” or “expertise” for “work experience” and "skills" makes it easier for the hiring manager to find what they’re looking for, too.
• Prioritize important keywords instead of adding all of them. Make sure the relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences you add all make sense in context, too. Your goal is to get past the ATS and impress the hiring manager.
• Focus on transferable skills if you don’t have a lot of relevant work experience. Any extracurricular activities or personal projects can help you stand out here.
• Add a strategic pop of color to headings, bullet points, or key elements you want to highlight. It can help your resume stand out, but don’t overdo it—you want the information to be more impressive than the color palette.
• Don’t include the line “references available upon request.” Hiring managers already know they can request a list of references from you, so there’s no need to waste valuable space on it.
• Make sure your resume is optimized for mobile viewing. Most hiring managers use their mobile phones as often as desktop computers, so save your resume to a PDF file and make sure your formatting stays intact across any device.
• Rename the resume file you plan to send so it includes your name and the name of the position you’re applying for. It’s a small detail that can turn into a crucial mistake if you forget it.
• Read your resume out loud when you’re done. This is a great way to catch awkward phrases or spelling mistakes you might have missed otherwise.
• Use a tool like DocSend to track your resume. You’ll get a notification any time someone opens your resume, and you can see how long they spend reading it.

FREE Resume Checklist

Are you already done with your resume? Let’s see how it holds up!

Go through our checklist for perfecting your resume and see where you stand!

If you missed some points, just go through your resume one more time and perfect it.

And if you ☑’d everything—congrats! You’ve learned all there is to know about writing a resume, and you’re good to go with your job search.

Need to write a CV instead of a resume? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a CV with dozens of examples!

9 Resume Templates for Different Industries

Looking to create an effective resume without dealing with the formatting hassle? Just choose one of the templates below.

#1. Traditional Resume Template

Good for traditional industries like finance, banking, law, and manufacturing.

#2. Modern Resume Template

Good for both contemporary and forward-looking industries, including entrepreneurship, medical technology, and engineering.

#3. Creative Resume Template

Good for creative industries, including entertainment, design, and architecture. 

#4. Minimalistic Resume Template

Good for experienced professionals in basically any industry who want to let their achievements do the talking. 

#5. IT Resume Template

Good for any IT-related profession like software development, cyber security, and DevOps engineering.

#6. Tech Resume Template

Good for the tech industry and everything it encompasses.

#7. College Resume Template

Good for college students and recent graduates alike.

#8. General Resume Template

Good for multiple industries, including HR, education, and customer service.

#9. Executive Resume Template

Good for senior professionals across different industries, including hospitality, marketing, and logistics.

17+ Resumes for Different Jobs

Knowing how to write a resume is one thing, but making a resume that stands out is something entirely different. Without inspiration, even top career experts might stumble on a roadblock or two.

Check out the following effective resume examples for specific jobs to get a better sense of what a good resume looks like:

#1. Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a nurse resume here.

#2. Data Scientist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a data scientist resume here.

#3. Business Analyst Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a business analyst resume here.

#4. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a digital marketing resume here.

#5. Software Engineer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer resume here.

#6. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a construction project manager resume here.

#7. Customer Service Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a customer service resume here.

#8. High School Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school resume here.

#9. Student Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a student resume here.

#10. Server Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a server resume here.

#11. Actor Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an actor resume here.

#12. Web Developer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a web developer resume here.

#13. Engineering Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an engineering resume here.

#14. Computer Science Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a computer science resume here.

#15. Architect Resume Example 

Check out our full guide to writing a data analyst resume here.

#17. Remote Job Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a remote job resume here.

#18. Sales Associate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a sales associate resume here.

#19. Receptionist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a receptionist resume here.

Want to see more examples? Check out our compilation of 80+ resume examples for different fields .

• Administrative Assistant Resume
• Bartender Resume
• DevOps Engineer Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Flight Attendant Resume
• Graphic Designer Resume
• Paralegal Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Recruiter Resume
• Supervisor Resume

Next Steps After Your Resume

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about how to make a resume, it’s time to talk about the rest of your job application.

After all, your resume is only the first step in your job search. To land the job you deserve, you also need to write a captivating cover letter and ace that upcoming interview. Here’s how:

#1. How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter

The companion piece to every resume is the cover letter.

Most job-seekers flinch when they hear that they have to write a cover letter. What do you even mention in a cover letter, anyway? If you were good at writing cover letters, you’d be applying for a job as a writer !

In reality, though, writing a cover letter is very simple once you know its purpose.

Think of your cover letter as a direct message to the hiring manager. It’s your chance to briefly explain why you’re such an awesome fit for the position. And with a few cover letter tips to point you in the right direction, you’ll write the perfect cover letter for your job application.

Just follow this structure:

• Add the contact details. Include the same contact information as on your resume, plus additional contact details for the hiring manager, including their name, job title, the company’s name, and location.
• Introduce yourself. Start your cover letter by mentioning who you are, what your work experience is, and why you’re interested in the position. Mention a standout achievement or two, relevant skills, and what you’d like to do for the company you’re applying for.
• Explain why you’d excel at the job. Find the requirements in the job ad that you meet, and elaborate on how you fulfill the most important ones. Research the company so you know what you like about it, and mention it in your cover letter. Make sure to convey your enthusiasm for the job and confidence that you’ll be a great fit for their team.
• Wrap it up politely. Conclude your cover letter by recapping your key selling points and thanking the hiring manager for their time. Then add a call to action, such as “Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the provided phone number so that we can discuss my application in greater detail.” Then, add a closing line and follow it with your full name.

Sounds easy, right? Here’s a real-life example to drive the point home:

Do you need more help perfecting your cover letter? Learn what the most common cover letter mistakes are and check out cover letter examples for all professions here.

#2. How to Ace Your Next Interview

Once you’ve perfected both your resume and cover letter, there’s only one thing left.

It’s time for the final step—the dreaded job interview.

Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, you probably hate the interviewing process. No matter how experienced you are, it can be nerve-wracking. Sitting there while someone’s prodding into your past experiences and judging you isn’t fun.

But did you know that most interviewers ask the same questions?

That’s right—all you have to do is learn how to answer some of the most common interview questions, and you’ll be an interview away from landing your dream job!

Just check out our complete guide to the 35+ Job Interview Questions and Answers and learn how to ace your next interview.

FAQs on How to Make a Resume

Do you still have some questions about making a resume? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions below!

#1. What does a good resume look like in 2024?

For your resume to look good in 2024, make sure it’s organized and clean and isn’t longer than one page.

Be sure to include information that adds value to your application—leave out the focus on your relevant work experience and skills that you can back up, and list as many achievements as possible. 

If you’re using a resume template, choose one based on your industry. Conservative industries like law, banking, and business require more traditional resume templates. But if you’re going for an industry like design, architecture, or marketing, you can go for a creative resume template . 

Remote work is also big in 2024, so if that’s what you’re after, tailor your resume to match the job you want.

#2. How do you make a resume in Word?

The best way to create a resume in Word is to use a pre-designed Microsoft Word template. To access them, you should: 

• Open MS Word
• Click “file” from the menu bar 
• Select “new”
• Type “resume templates” in the search bar 

That said, Word resume templates are generic, hard to personalize, and overall not very stylish.

Want a resume that looks good and is extremely easy to make? Check out resume templates to get started!

#3. How do I write a resume for my first job?

If you’re writing your first-ever resume for an entry-level position, the hiring manager won’t expect you to have any work experience.

However, you can make up for your lack of experience with your skills and academic achievements.

For example, you can take advantage of extracurricular activities, internships, volunteering experiences, and other non-professional experiences. You can use them to highlight the skills you’ve gained and what you’ve achieved so far.

So, your first job resume should have a resume objective, emphasize your education, and replace your work experience with any internships, volunteering, independent projects, or other experiences.

#4. How to make a resume on Google Docs?

You can make a resume on Google Docs by choosing one of their templates and filling it in on the go.

All you have to do is go to your Google Drive’s template gallery, choose your preferred template, fill in your information, and your Google Docs resume is ready to go! 

That said, Google Docs templates aren’t the most user-friendly choice. You don’t have much flexibility with the layout and formatting isn’t that easy. For example, you tweak a section to the slightest, and the whole resume becomes a mess.

If you want an easier option, check out our resume builder !

#5. What kind of resume do employers prefer?

Typically, employers prefer one-page-long resumes that follow the reverse chronological format. 

Hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes every day, so they don't have the time to read three-page resumes. Try one of our one-page resume templates so you don’t go over the recommended resume length.

Meanwhile, the reverse-chronological format is the most popular because it draws attention to your most recent jobs and professional achievements, which is the #1 most important thing hiring managers look at when evaluating a resume.

#6. How many jobs should you put on your resume? 

You should only include relevant job positions on your resume.

This means that your work experience section should be tailored to the job you are applying for. If you’ve worked five different jobs and they can all add value to your current application, then you should include all five. 

If, on the other hand, you’re applying for, say, a customer service position and some of your past jobs don’t have anything to do with customer service, you should skip them.

#7. Should I put my address on my resume? 

You can put your location (city, state, or country) on your resume, but you don’t need to put your entire physical address.

Putting a physical address on a resume was the norm back when companies would contact you via mail. In today’s world, everyone communicates via email, which is why adding a correct and professional email address to your contact information section is far more important than putting your physical address. 

So, just include your location or-–if you’re a remote worker—specify you prefer to work remotely by writing “working remotely from [location].”

#8. What information should I leave out of my resume?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t include your birthday or your headshot on your resume. This norm varies from country to country but it applies to the USA, Canada, and UK.

If you have plenty of achievements to list under your work experience, then you can leave your basic work responsibilities out of your resume. 

In your education section, you should only include your highest and most recent degree. So, if you hold a Ph.D., you can list that and your Master’s degree and leave your Bachelor’s degree and high school diploma out.

Finally, leave out any skills that aren’t relevant to the job you’re applying for.

#9. Is a resume a CV?

Depending on where you are, a CV (Curriculum Vitae) and a resume might be completely different things.

In most of the world, though, including Europe and Asia, they are used interchangeably for the same document. Both CVs and resumes are one to two pages long, and list skills and experiences relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Sometimes more detailed resumes that go over one page are referred to as CVs. These are typically only used by senior professionals, executives, CEOs, etc.

In the USA, however, a CV is a completely different document. Typically, CVs are detailed and comprehensive documents that highlight your entire academic and professional history. They’re often used for academic, scientific, or research positions, which is why this type of CV can also be referred to as an academic CV.

You can create your CV using one of our CV templates !

#10. Should I write my own resume?

Yes, you should always write your own resume.

Your resume is your opportunity to show the hiring manager your communication, writing, and presentation skills . Employers also evaluate you based on how effectively you can convey information about yourself, and there’s no one that can represent you better than yourself.

Writing your own resume lets you introduce yourself authentically. You have the best understanding of your skills and experiences, and you can personalize them to make your resume stand out.

And, as a bonus, the experience of writing your resume yourself can be reflective and insightful, so it might help you understand your professional journey and career goals better.

#11. Can a resume be two pages?

Generally, we strongly recommend that your resume stick to one page.

Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes every day, and keeping your resume to one page increases the odds that they’ll see your qualifications faster.

In some cases, like when you have a lot of relevant experience, your resume can go over two pages. But this exception is reserved for senior professionals with over a decade of relevant experience and tons of skills and achievements that simply can’t fit on one page.

#12. Is a simple resume okay?

Absolutely, a simple resume is often more than okay—it's preferable.

Before your resume even gets to the hiring manager, a complicated layout could get it rejected by the applicant tracking system (ATS). A simple resume template can help get your application straight to the hiring manager.

A clean layout can also make sure that your resume is easily readable and looks professional. This can focus the hiring manager's attention on your work experience and skills without excessive clutter or flashy colors to distract them.

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

If you’ve followed all of our advice until now, congrats! You’re probably an expert on how to make a resume.

To recap, let’s go through some of the most important lessons we’ve learned so far...

• Use the right resume builder to make the process as smooth as possible. You don’t want to mess around with formatting for hours before even starting to work on your resume!
• Focus on your achievements over responsibilities. This can help you stand out from all the other applicants, especially if you back your claims up with data.
• Include all the must-have sections, like the resume summary, work experience, education, and skills. Then leverage optional sections if you have leftover space.
• Tailor your resume for the job you’re applying for. Everything listed on your resume should be relevant to the specific job you’re applying for, and you should write a new resume for every new job application.
• Take the time to perfect your cover letter. It’s just as important as your resume, so make sure you pay as much attention to it!

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We use a password-less authentication, through a link sent to you via email. This means that your account will not be exposed to password-based attacks such as data breaches, hacking or phishing.

Unlike many of our competitors, we are not in the business of selling your data, or providing it to a third party unless you unambiguously request it. Besides, we are based in Europe. This means that we have to comply with GDPR and its strict data privacy laws.

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DocHipo's Free Resume Maker

DocHipo’s free online Resume maker is an easy-to-use Resume maker tool. You get access to a wide variety of ready-to-use Resume templates and a massive collection of stock photos, illustrations, stickers, animations, videos, icons, and fonts. So what are you waiting for? Design an eye-catching Resume today using DocHipo’s best Resume maker online.

Resume Templates

With DocHipo’s beautiful Resume templates, you can create eye-catching Resumes in minutes. The Resume templates are categorized by industries and occasions. You can get started by choosing one of these premade Resume templates or a blank template to design a unique custom Resume using DocHipo’s Resume maker for students and teachers.

Customize Resume

With DocHipo’s Resume maker online free, you can customize your Resume and make it a precise fit for your unique need. The massive collection of design assets, photo-editing capabilities, and one-click background removal help you create the perfect custom Resume design.

Download and Share Resume

With DocHipo’s creative Resume maker, you can download your Resume in various file formats. You can also share your Resume to different social media channels in just one click from within DocHipo. Sounds exciting? Sign up now and create your custom Resume using DocHipo’s Resume maker online free for freshers.

Stunning Resume Templates

Our designers have created Resume templates for a variety of use-cases. Choose a template that fits your use case and customize it with our free resume builder in minutes.

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How to make a resume.

With our wide variety of Resume templates across various categories, creating a stunning Resume has never been easier! Choose the right template, customize using DocHipo’s drag-and-drop editor, publish or download.

Choose the Template

Choose from a wide variety of Resume templates across categories.

Change Content

Customize the template using a drag-and-drop editor.

Publish or Download

Publish to social media or download for sharing it off-line.

All Resources in One Place

Check out these tools and resources that help you create the perfect Resume. Sign up for free and get started right away.

Background Remover

Remove background from images in one click and get more out of every selfie.

Photo Editor

Transform your photo with DocHipo’s built-in online photo editor.

• Text Frames
• Illustrations

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Choose from hundreds of fonts, photos, illustrations, icons, lines and shapes to create the perfect graphic.

Learn how you can use DocHipo to create stunning designs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do i use dochipo’s resume maker.

DocHipo offers hundreds of Resume templates across various categories. Sign up for free, choose a template you like, and start customizing using DocHipo’s drag-and-drop editor.

Can I create a Resume in DocHipo for free?

Yes! You can create a Resume in DocHipo without paying a dime. Please go through the plan descriptions here to know more about what is included in the Free plan.

If I download the Resume, will it leave a watermark?

No. Once you design a Resume inside DocHipo and download the same, we don’t leave any watermark whatsoever, even if you are on the Free plan.

Is DocHipo the best free Resume maker?

Well! We believe so. While other Resume makers are available, what makes DocHipo one of the best Resume makers is its ease of use, uncluttered user interface, and simple design philosophy.

More Resources

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• Select your favorite template.
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• Select from our hundreds of job descriptions and skill examples, or input your own!
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Resume Templates FAQ

What is a Resume?

A resume, sometimes called a CV or curriculum vitae, is a document mostly used to showcase your career background, skills, and accomplishments when searching for a job. Resume Build helps you create professional resumes tailored to the specific industry or job you want in just minutes.

How to Create a High school Student Resume for My First Job?

Resume Build has hundreds of resume templates and pre-written resume examples divided by industry, experience level, and careers. Just follow the simple steps to make a high school resume to help you land your first job in a few minutes.

How to Make a Resume on My Phone?

Resume Build helps you make a job-winning resume on any device with just a few clicks. Follow the easy instructions and start by choosing the template you need for our library of professionally designed resume templates by industries, to create a perfect resume on your phone or computer fast.

How Many Pages Should a Resume Be?

Resumes should grab the recruiter’s attention in just a few seconds, and Resume Build helps you create the perfect resume using expert tips and pre-written resume examples to build it fast and easily. While the length of the resume depends on the career field and experience of the applicant, a two-page resume is ideal, according to employers.

Where Can I Make a Resume for Free?

Resume Build is the simplest resume builder available online to help you create job-winning resumes in no time. Use Resume Build now to create a professional resume for free by just following a few simple steps. Choose from hundreds of industry-specific resume templates and use our pre-written resume examples targeted by job or by careers to make a perfect resume in just a few minutes.

How to Create a Resume in Microsoft Word in UNDER 5 Minutes

Having a perfect first impression is very important in this rapidly advancing world. In the corporate world,... read more

Steps To Follow

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Having a perfect first impression is very important in this rapidly advancing world. In the corporate world, your resume is the first impression that a company gets about you. An outstanding resume has the potential to open doors because it:

• Catches the attention of employers and recruiters
• Sells your most vital talents and accomplishments.

You can easily create a resume in Microsoft Word . You won’t even have to use a template to complete this task. So let’s see how to create a resume in MS Word in just 5 minutes !

Watch it on YouTube and give it a thumbs-up!

So, a resume can be divided into 4 major topics , namely – Contact information , Experience , Skills , and Education .

Contact Information

Let’s start the resume with your contact information. Following aesthetic formatting, you should center align your text. Now you can enter information about yourself like:

• Your phone number
• Your email address
• Your address (State, City, Street, and Zipcode)

Once you have entered your information, go to the next line and left-align your text once again. Write down the remaining sections for your resume.

Follow up the contact information with an Experience section.

Go to Insert and click on the 2×1 table from the menu bar under the Experience section title.

The first column of the table will be of the dates you’ve worked and the second column will be of Job Title, Company & City / State .

Make sure to bold the text “Job Title” so as to add emphasis to it. Press Ctrl + B to make any text!

In the second column, press Enter to go to the next line and then click on the bullets icon from the Home toolbar at the top. This allows you to enter your experience in a bulleted list format .

Once you have finished entering the details of your last job, you can press the Tab button to insert a new row.

To add details of other previous jobs that you had, simply copy the text in the first row and paste it into the second row. This way you can easily follow the format and just edit the text as you want.

Let’s move to the Skills section.

You can similarly insert a table to highlight your skills.

• Go to Insert and click on the table from the menu bar under the Skills section title.
• You can select the number of columns according to your need. Let’s go with a simple 4×1 table.

Now, you can enter the skills that you have picked up. Decide the number of skills that you want to display per column, and then move on to the next column.

Once you have entered your skills, it’s time to enter your Education details.

Following our previous format, we will insert a table to highlight our education details:

• Go to Insert and click on the 2×1 table from the menu bar under the Education section title.
• In the left column , you can enter the year you graduated.
• In the right column , you can enter details such as Degree Name, School Name, City, State, and Awards .
• Make sure to bold the Degree name so as to add emphasis. You can press enter and add any awards that you might have received.

Next, you can hit Tab to insert a new row, where you can enter any certificates or any other degrees or programs that you may have.

Now that the basics of your resume are complete, we can move on to formatting the resume to make it look more attractive.

Under the Experience title , select your table, and go to Home > Borders > No Borders . This will give a cleaner look to your resume. You can apply these same steps to the tables under the Skills and Education titles as well.

You can select your name and increase its size by going to Home > Font size and increasing it. You can even select a different font for your name to highlight it.

You can select your section titles (Experience, Skills, and Education) and insert the Top and Bottom borders by going to Home > Borders . This will give a nice segmented view to your resume and make each section stand out.

You can also select the table under your Experience title and hover your mouse over the center bar until you get the left and right arrows.

You can hold down the left mouse button and drag it to the left to have more room for your experience and less room for the dates.

You can do the same for your Education table as well.

Your resume will have a proper alignment as you have used tables, and it will be easy to edit in case of any additions in the future as well.

Once you have finished these basic formatting, you will notice that your resume now has a clean and concise structure , with important elements gaining the spotlight.

Hopefully, this article has given you insight as to how to build an effective resume, which helps you land your desired jobs!

Click here to download 101 Free Word Templates that you can use and customize!

You can learn more about how to use Excel by viewing our FREE Excel webinar training on Formulas ,  Pivot Tables , and  Macros & VBA !

John Michaloudis

John Michaloudis is a former accountant and finance analyst at General Electric, a Microsoft MVP since 2020, an Amazon #1 bestselling author of 4 Microsoft Excel books and teacher of Microsoft Excel & Office over at his flagship Academy Online Course .

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How To Improve Your Resume in Under 30 Minutes

In This Guide:

How an improved resume can help with your job application, showcase your dragon-slaying stories using various sections, lift the curtain behind who you are beyond the work experience, talk with numbers and results, add in the details, format with the reader in mind, how to improve a resume for my job title, how to improve a resume with no job experience, how to improve a resume to beat ats, improving your resume: gotchas & takeaways.

The famous German politician Helmut Schmidt once said:

“The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.”

The same goes for your job resume. No matter how good your resume is, there is always something you can improve.

We will show you how to do it!

In the article, you will learn:

• How to improve your resume and make it even better than before
• How an improved resume can enhance your chances of getting a new job
• How to tell incredible stories in your resume sections
• How to present yourself in the best possible way
• How to take advantage of numbers and results

Let’s get right into it!

CHECK OUR GREAT RESUME EXAMPLES HERE!

Upload & Check Your Resume

Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

The better your resume is, the bigger your chances of getting the desired position are.

Do you think your resume is good enough?

If your answer is somewhere between not sure and possibly, read on.

We believe that small improvements in each resume section can go a long way.

Adjusting your summary is valuable for not one but many reasons:

• You’ll be more easily noticed
• Your resume will match the job description
• You’ll talk about achievements, not responsibilities
• You’ll be able to describe both your professional life and personality

Highlighting the things, you are proudest of is one of the best ways to bring more value to your resume.

There are various sections where you can do so:

• In the subheading section
• In the experience section
• Most Proud Of

The subheading section is usually right after your Header (the part with your name) and consists of contact information. It’s a great place to catch the eye of the hiring managers.

OK, but isn’t the subheading section too short?

Yes, it is.

Most people think that telling a story requires lots of space and plenty of words.

Ernest Hemingway will disagree.

Rumor says that in 1991, Mr. Hemingway took part in a bet with the Canadian humorist John Robert Colombo, and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.

They bet that he won’t be able to tell a story in just six words.

And they lost…

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” – turned in one of the most famous stories in the world.

Why are we telling you this?

To reassure you that your subheading has enough space to highlight your story!

Check the example below:

Helen used only 4 words to showcase the carrier shift that she has been through. From her subheading, recruiters can learn that she has significant knowledge about fashion, which will be extremely useful in her career as a fashion designer.

That’s what you should be aiming for.

The Experience section is another part of your resume, where you can give valuable information about yourself and your goals.

It is a requirement for virtually all job applications. Without one, employers will assume you’re an amateur who can’t reinforce your listed skills because there’s nothing practical to show for it.

There are plenty of details to share in your experience section:

• Role and responsibilities
• Skills and accomplishments
• Company names
• Dates you’ve worked

Besides that, you can choose between a variety of different resume formats:

• Chronological resume format
• Reverse chronological resume format
• Combination/hybrid resume
• Functional/skills-based resume

Each one has a different goal and specific occasion to be used for, so it’s important you know which is most ideal for your application.

As you can see, there is room for plenty of improvements, so we highly recommend that you read our detailed article on how to perfect the employment experience section along with 5 proven resume work experience samples!

In addition to everything above, Enhancv has 2 special sections to help you tell your resume story even more efficiently:

Both serve a similar purpose and can provide additional information to your future employer.

Take advantage!

Now, you have a great knowledge to improve your resume.

But we won’t stop now!

Besides the factual sections where you can tell your story, there are some Enhancv staple sections that can help the hiring managers see who you are beyond your work experience:

• Life Philosophy
• Favorite reads/podcasts

We already mentioned the Strengths section above, but besides telling your story, it can be used as a way to describe your personality.

The “My Time” section purpose is also to paint a picture of who you are as a whole, not just at work.

The section looks like a pie chart visual graphic and its purpose is to share how you spend your time.

It’s easy to edit and you can find it in our resume builder!

Another great way to improve your resume is by implementing the “Life philosophy” module.

Sheryl Sandberg is not only showing that she works as a COO at Facebook, but wants hiring managers to know her life philosophy.

She believes that more women should be in leadership roles.

That means that she has the courage to lead and wants to help other women in their career development and equality.

Last on the list is the “Favorite reads/podcasts“ section. Similarly, the idea of it is to present your interests and hobbies.

Sometimes, sharing the same hobby with your future colleagues can be the pebble that tilts the scales in your favor.

Numbers have always played a huge role in human history and the way we perceive the world.

In most cases, your future employers will be influenced by the numbers you have added to your summary. This is a powerful tool to improve your resume that you shouldn’t miss.

In the end, highlighting the revenue you achieved with your knowledge and skills is more valuable than a thousand words.

Have a look at the example:

The applicant in the above example not only presents what he did in his previous jobs but also uses numbers to enhance the effect of the results he achieved.

We know that organizing all the data and numbers might be overwhelming…

Don’t worry, we have a solution!

Our  Content Analyzer  can help you in quantifying achievements, while the Bullet Suggestion widget will help you in organizing them by showing quantifiable achievement bullet points from other successful resumes in your field.

Numbers are not the only ones that are important. Words matter too!

Buzzwords are an effective way to improve your resume. They help with readability, as well as your chances of getting your foot in the front door for an interview.

Be careful though.

According to  more than 2,000 hiring managers , overused buzzwords disengage them from the applicant’s resume.

That’s why you need to use them in the right way.

We highly recommend you check our  detailed guide , where we have covered everything related to this topic!

We’ve all heard the popular idiom:

“The devil is in the detail”

The same goes for your resume.

The Volunteering and Projects parts of your summary also deserve special attention. Improving them can significantly increase your chances of getting the position.

According to Deloitte , 82% of the hiring managers prefer applicants with volunteer experience.

Another survey,  this time by LinkedIn , found that 20% of the hiring managers in the U.S. admit that volunteer work tipped the balance in favor of the candidate who had it included in their resume.

LEARN HOW TO USE VOLUNTEERING TO MAKE YOUR RESUME STAND OUT

Furthermore, Projects are also a valuable way to enrich your resume.

By adding side projects and activities that correlate with the position you are applying for, you show your dedication and willingness to develop in your career.

For example, if you are a real estate broker, you can add side projects like:

• Study on Consumer Buying Behavior and Satisfaction Level
• Load Testing of Loan Search
• Gap Analysis of Services offered in Real Estate companies

The design of your resume is just as important as the content in it.

A well-designed summary, with easily scannable text, enough white space, easy to read font, and brand matching colors will surely enhance the chances of getting the desired position!

What to improve in terms of design:

• Consider white space – It can be defined as a break in the copy, that helps the readers better comprehend what you’re trying to say. It also allows recruiters to easily skim the text, sub-headings, bulleted lists, and other elements implemented to your resume.
• Use colors smartly – Match the color scheme of your resume to the branding of the company you are applying for. Enhancv has a  color picker  that will help you with this!
• Choose an easy to read font and consider font hierarchy – Your font choices can easily influence how recruiters and ATS systems read your resume. They could be impressed, or daunted by the way it looks! Again, something less to worry about with  Enhancv resume!

Improving a resume for a specific job title requires time and preparation. It includes everything we mentioned above as well as research about the company and position you are applying for.

We have prepared more than  530 professional Resume Examples and Samples , based on our knowledge and experience in the field.

Each one will provide you with detailed information about the position and how to tailor your resume in the best possible way.

For example, in  Accounting Resume Example  you will learn:

✔ How to choose the right accounting resume template for your experience level

✔ How to include accounting skills on a resume that reflect the job description

✔ Creating the most powerful accounting resume summary or objective you can

✔ Even an entry-level accounting resume can be effective by showing relevant skills

✔ How to include the right certifications on an accounting resume

And many more…

Find your profession and be ready to create your masterpiece – your resume!

If you are in a position where your resume lacks work experience, you may be wondering what to improve then

There are a variety of other sections in your resume where you can focus on to impress the hiring managers.

The most valuable is your education section.

It serves as proof of competence, increases job relevance, and can significantly increase your chances of landing an interview.

That’s why doing it properly is crucial.

It must consist of relevant classes you have taken in college or university as well as activities and projects that are relevant to your future position.

Follow the example below:

In this case, the candidate is not only listing their extra-curricular involvement but explaining in detail what was their role and responsibilities.

Learn more tips for improving your resume without job experience in our  detailed guide  where we have covered:

• How to create a world-class education section of your resume
• 6 Sections to compensate for the lack of employment history
• Real examples of candidates who already got their dream job

ATS for those who are not familiar with the term is software used by recruiters and employers during the hiring process to organize and rank the job applications they receive for their open positions.

Everything you need to do to be on the safe side is to match your skills with the job description. You can do it in the experience, summary, skills section, as well as in every other section in  Enhancv tool  where you can add text content.

Let’s summarize:

• No matter how good your resume is, there is always room for improvement.
• From content to graphics and design – every piece of your resume can be improved.
• Details are important and can tip the balance in your favor.
• Numbers are an important part of your summary that can influence the recruiters.
• You can get your dream job even if you lack work experience.
• Improving a resume is not a one-time thing. It’s a continuous process.

What did you think of this article? Do you feel ready to improve your resume? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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How To Radically Improve Your Resume (In Under 30 Minutes)

A good friend of mine always says ‘ you either have time, or an excuse’ and we’ve all been guilty of having one to many excuses when it comes to improving our resumes.

‘ I need to set aside a good chunk of time’ , ‘ I need some head space to think about what I should write ’, ‘ There’s so much online, it’s confusing’ , are just some of the ‘reasons’ we may be reluctant to sit down and work on what is possibly the single most important document in our professional life.

So, let’s banish those barriers right now: to significantly improve your resume you need just 30 minutes, your old resume open in front of you and these 5 practical tips. Let’s get stuck into it.  

• Transform Your Headline Into Your Mission Statement

Time required: 3 minutes

What I’m talking about here is the professional headline that should appear at the top of your resume, usually under your name. Rather than just stating what it is that you do:

“Chief Executive Officer”

Think about how you can enhance this to demonstrate your value proposition. For example:

“Chief Executive Officer | International Business Leadership | Maximising Return”

• Be Easy On The Eye

Time required: 7 minutes

This is going back to ‘Resume Writing 101’ but so many job seekers underestimate the importance of freshness, font and format when making that first impression.

Freshness – Keep that first page clean and uncluttered. A pop of colour in the header, footer or margin can help to differentiate your resume from the rest of the black and white pile.

Think carefully, however, about your colour section. Researches have long debated the emotional responses that can be invoked by colour, but typically cool hues such as blue and greens are seen to support ideas of calm, trust, reliability and integrity.

Font – Calibri, Arial or Cambria are good style choices. Make sure the font size for the main body is never less than 11pt and if using bold to highlight key words, use sparingly to make sure you maintain the ‘pop’.

Format – Empty space in a written document is almost as important as the words. Don’t over-crowd your page, try to keep spacing at 1.15 and remove those table borders to get rid of any unnecessary clutter.

And finally – ensure that your grammar is perfect .

• Sing Solutions In Your Professional Profile

Time required: 5 minutes

One of the key mistakes I see time and time again is job seekers using their Professional Profile to talk about themselves. Yes, this piece of text needs to succinctly describe who you are, what you do and how you demonstrate credibility, but is also needs to highlight the core organisational problems that you can and have solved.

To improve your resume, change a sentence like this:

‘I am a Senior Sales Leader with over 15 years’ experience leading high-performing teams.’

Into one like this:

‘I am an energetic Senior Sales Leader with over 15 years’ success defining strategies that engage teams in traditionally high-turnover environments to exceed revenue targets and deliver market growth.

• Keyword Conundrums

Time required: 8 minutes

This section plays an important part in shaping your professional brand and/or making you easy to find by recruiters, but the format needs to change depending on your profession, level of experience and role you’re applying for.

Grid Structure – use this approach if you are in a technical field or at a level where a lot of transactional skills are required by recruiters, e.g. solution architecture, project management or financial accounting.

Bullet points – use this style if you have some key competencies and shining achievements to back them up, e.g. C-level management. When structuring these bullet points make sure you keep them to two lines and think “competency, credibility, value”. For example:

Strong people leader [competency], with demonstrable experience coordinating resource pools of 500+ [credibility] to mobilise multimillion-dollar event programs [value].  

• Trim Your Responsibilities

The reality is, at your level, you have a highly complex, multifaceted role. Recruiters know this and the last thing they want (or will bother reading) is a long list of all your responsibilities .

Try to limit these to 5-6 bullet points for you more recent and relevant roles and 3-4 for your earlier or less senior appointments.

When you’re editing these, think about what recruiters need to know to assess your capability for the job. That is, think key competencies, e.g. strategy, finance, communication, people leadership, continuous improvement, project management, etc.

That’s All, Folks.

That’s it! Just 5 simple steps that will significantly improve the effectiveness of your resume by at least 500% in 30 minutes. These are the same techniques which my professional resume writing team uses to craft highly effective resumes for our clients .

If you’ve completed these 5 steps, well done! You’ve banished the excuses and now have a resume that is vastly more impactful than it was before.

And if you haven’t yet started improving your resume but are still reading, I think it’s time to take out your diary and find 30 minutes over the next week to set aside for this critical exercise. The investment will be very much worth it.

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10 Best Resume Builders to Create A Great Resume – 2024 Guide

A re you exhausted from investing endless hours into creating an impeccable CV? This article introduces the top resume builders that will revolutionize your job application approach. Bid farewell to monotonous formatting and greet a remarkable resume that distinguishes itself from the rivalry. Prepare yourself to secure your dream job with self-assurance effortlessly!

>> Unlock Your Career Potential With Super Star Resume

10 Best Resume Writing Services

• Super Star Resume - Best overall
• ZipJob - Best for guarantees
• Resumeble - Best with custom bundles
• Let’s Eat, Grandma - Best for range of career service
• ResumeSpice - Best for job seekers of any level
• TopResume - Best customer service
• Resume Writing Services - Best for affordability
• Craft Resumes - Best for quick turnaround
• Resume Companion - Best value resume writing service
• Resume.com - Best free service

When creating this compilation, we considered different elements such as affordability, ease of use, accessibility, the privacy policies of the companies involved, and more. The highest-rated services offer advice, templates, and tools and allow you to consult with experts who can help you craft an impressive resume highlighting your strengths to potential employers.

Our collection comprises free services and those that make use of professional writers’ skills. Some options require a subscription or one-time payment.

>> Secure Your Dream Job With Super Star Resume

Super Star Resume - Best Resume Builder Overall

Star Rating: 4.9/5

Super Star Resume is an innovative resume builder that completely transforms creating professional resumes. By offering a user-friendly interface and a range of powerful features, Super Star Resume enables individuals to produce exceptional resumes that effectively showcase their abilities, accomplishments, and work history.

• Skilled and seasoned writers
• Customized strategy aligned with unique career objectives
• Timely delivery of resumes
• More significant expense compared to certain other resume writing services
• Restricted selection of additional services
• Availability may be restricted depending on demand and geographic location
• Intuitive resume builder: An intuitive interface that simplifies the resume creation process, offering modern templates for a professional look.
• Customization choices: Users can personalize their resumes by selecting from various font styles, colors, layouts, and sections to align with their unique style.
• Comprehensive content suggestions: Access to a collection of expertly curated bullet points, action verbs, and industry-specific phrases to craft impactful resume content.
• Real-time previews and editing: Real-time previewing and editing capabilities ensure a visually appealing and error-free final resume.
• Integration with professional networking platforms: Integration with LinkedIn allows users to maintain consistency between their online presence and resume.
• Tailored resumes for different job applications: The duplication feature facilitates the creation of multiple resume versions, each customized for specific job applications or industries.
• Resume analytics and tracking: Users can monitor the views and downloads of their resumes, gaining valuable insights to optimize their job search strategies.
• Professional Resume : $169
• Resume With Cover Letter : $199
• All-Included : $199

>> Use Super Star Resume to Secure Your Dream Job

ZipJob - Best Resume Builder for Guarantees

Star Rating: 4.7/5

ZipJob is widely regarded as an excellent option for resume creation, especially for those who value guarantees. Their impressive 60-day assurance ensures that individuals searching for employment will experience a surge in interview invitations within this period.

If this desired outcome cannot materialize, ZipJob proactively offers a complimentary review and revision of your resume. This guarantee highlights their commitment to client contentment and showcases their unwavering belief in the superior quality of their resume writing services.

• The starting package is cost-effective
• Complimentary ATS check included
• 60-day interview assurance with higher-tier packages
• The design and layout made it challenging to read the resume
• The summary section was overly lengthy and filled with clichés
• The formatting of the education and training sections was subpar
• Expert resume writers: ZipJob provides access to a team of expert resume writers with the skills and knowledge to review, evaluate, and optimize your resume for compatibility with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and hiring managers.
• ATS optimization: Meaning they ensure your resume is structured and formatted to navigate and succeed in ATS filters effectively. Employers commonly use these filters to assess and rank resumes during the initial screening process.
• Keyword optimization: The resume builder online offered by ZipJob assists you in identifying and integrating pertinent keywords and industry-specific terminology. This practice heightens the visibility of your resume, making it more likely to capture the attention of hiring managers.
• Job-specific content suggestions: ZipJob provides valuable advice regarding the most relevant and influential content to include in your resume for different job titles and industries. This guidance is invaluable in customizing your resume for specific roles.
• Cover letter writing assistance: ZipJob supports the creation of impactful cover letters that complement your resume, strengthening your overall job application.
• Unlimited revisions: One noteworthy feature of ZipJob is the option for unlimited revisions and updates to your resume. This ensures that your resume not only meets but continues to meet your specific requirements and mirrors your professional growth.
• Collaboration with resume writers: the platform facilitates direct collaboration with the resume writers, enabling you to share additional information, discuss specific requirements, and seek clarifications at any stage of the resume creation process.
• Launch Package: $139 (or $48/mo)
• Fast Track Package: $189 (or $65/mo)
• Premium Package: $299 (or $27/mo)

>> Use ZipJob to Secure Your Dream Job

Resumeble - Best Resume Builder With Custom Bundles

Star Rating: 4.3/5

Resumeble is a highly efficient and user-friendly resume builder that empowers individuals to create professional and compelling resumes. With Resumeble, crafting a standout resume becomes a streamlined process thanks to its intuitive interface and extensive range of customizable templates.

Whether you’re a recent graduate, a seasoned professional, or someone looking to change careers, Resumeble caters to all needs and skill sets. It offers helpful suggestions and expert advice to ensure your resume showcases your unique qualifications and achievements in the best possible light.

• A 60-day interview guarantee is included
• Budget-friendly package deals are available
• It’s more established than some other websites
• Keyword optimization: This feature helps optimize your resume by suggesting relevant keywords aligned with your target industry or job, enhancing your visibility to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and recruiters.
• Content import: Resumeble allows you to import your existing resume or LinkedIn profile, saving you the time and effort of manual data entry.
• Real-time editing: You have the convenience of editing and modifying your resume in real time, providing the flexibility to experiment with various formats, sections, and content.
• ATS compatibility: Resumeble ensures your resume is ATS-compatible, essential for better visibility and a higher chance of being shortlisted by employers using Applicant Tracking Systems.
• Download options: The platform offers various download formats, including PDF, Word, and plain text, ensuring compatibility with diverse application processes.
• Cover letter builder: Resumeble features an integrated cover letter builder, streamlining the creation of professional and personalized cover letters that complement your resume.
• Career Pro Package : $159.00
• Professional Package : $299.00
• Premium Package : $399.00

>> Use Resumeble to Secure Your Dream Job

Let’s Eat, Grandma - Best Resume Builder for Range of Career Service

Star Rating: 4/5

Let’s Eat, Grandma is an inventive and progressive tool for creating impressive resumes. The platform streamlines the resume-building process, making it easier for job seekers to craft exceptional resumes. With Let’s Eat, Grandma, individuals can create unique resumes that catch the eye of employers and set them apart from the competition.

This user-friendly platform offers a range of customizable templates that allow users to tailor their resumes to showcase their specific skills and experiences. Let’s Eat, Grandma also provides expert advice and recommendations to help ensure that your qualifications and achievements are effectively highlighted in your resume.

• Complimentary resume evaluation
• Choices available for individuals from entry-level to executive-level positions
• Extensive collaboration opportunities
• Not specialized in academic CVs or federal resumes
• Relatively higher pricing compared to some other services
• Potential for a longer turnaround time compared to competing services
• Expert choice: You can save your resume in multiple formats (PDF, Word, plain text) or easily share it with potential employers via email or a link, simplifying the distribution of your resume.
• Error highlighting: The builder can identify potential errors, inconsistencies, or missing information within your resume and provide suggestions or alerts for improvement.
• Section prompts: Pre-written prompts for various resume sections (e.g., work experience, education, skills) can help you structure your resume effectively and ensure you include essential details in each area.
• Customizable sections: You can add, remove, or rearrange sections to tailor your resume to emphasize your strengths and relevant experiences.
• Keyword optimization: The resume builder can recommend industry-specific keywords based on the job description, enhancing your resume’s chances of passing through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and grabbing the attention of hiring managers.
• Starter Package : Priced at $439, but there is an anti-inflation sale price of $389.
• Accelerated Package : $549.
• The premium Package : $689, but the anti-inflation sale price is $614.
• Executive Concierge Service : $1,899 or as low as $119/month.

>> Use Let’s Eat, Grandma to Secure Your Dream Job

ResumeSpice - Best Resume Builder for Job Seekers of Any Level

Star Rating: 3.8/5

ResumeSpice , a renowned online resume builder, streamlines crafting professional resumes. This platform provides job seekers with a user-friendly interface and a wide selection of templates, enabling them to create impressive resumes that align with their career objectives.

With ResumeSpice’s seamless experience, users are guided through each resume section effortlessly while receiving valuable tips throughout the process. From personal details and work history to skills and accomplishments, this platform ensures that all crucial aspects of a resume are comprehensively addressed.

• Additional assistance
• Timely service
• ATS optimization
• Guaranteed interviews
• Restricted revisions
• Insufficient customization options
• Restricted refund policy
• User-friendly interface: ResumeSpice boasts an intuitive and user-friendly platform, simplifying the resume creation process and offering a seamless experience to users.
• Extensive template library: The platform offers a vast selection of professionally designed templates tailored to various industries and job positions. Users can explore different styles and layouts to find the perfect match for their needs.
• Import and export options: ResumeSpice enables users to import their existing resumes in formats like PDF or Word for easy editing and updates. Users can conveniently export their finalized resumes in multiple formats, facilitating sharing with employers or uploading to job portals.
• Mobile-friendly design: ResumeSpice is optimized for mobile devices, allowing users to create and modify their resumes using smartphones or tablets.
• Cloud storage: The platform provides secure cloud storage for users’ resumes, ensuring accessibility and updates from any device with an internet connection.
• Resume tracking: ResumeSpice includes tools for tracking the performance of submitted resumes, such as monitoring views, downloads, and application outcomes. These features empower users to evaluate their progress and make data-driven enhancements to their job search strategies.
• Entry Level Resume : $479
• Professional Resume : $589
• Executive Resume : $699

>> Use ResumeSpice to Secure Your Dream Job

TopResume - Best Resume Builder for Customer Service

Star Rating: 3.6/5

TopResume is an outstanding resume builder explicitly tailored for customer service professionals. It offers a seamless and user-friendly experience, enabling users to create exceptional resumes effortlessly. The platform goes beyond just providing a basic resume template, offering valuable suggestions and tips to optimize the content.

This ensures that each resume created on TopResume is unique and attention-grabbing in the highly competitive job market.

Besides its user-friendly interface, TopResume provides expert review services. These services allow skilled professionals to provide personalized feedback on resumes, helping enhance their overall quality further. By leveraging this feedback and incorporating attention to detail, customer service professionals can create compelling resumes that effectively capture the attention of potential employers.

• Streamlined registration process
• Well-designed and formatted one-page resume
• The summary and Job Scope sections were overly extended
• The training section needed to have prominence
• Skill-based sections: The resume builder features dedicated sections highlighting essential customer service skills, including communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and relationship building.
• Expert review services: TopResume provides expert review services where experienced professionals offer personalized feedback and recommendations to enhance the overall quality of your resume.
• ATS compatibility: The platform ensures that the resumes created are compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which employers commonly use for scanning and filtering resumes.
• Download and sharing options: Users can download their resumes in various formats, such as PDF or Word, and easily share them with potential employers or upload them to job portals.
• Industry-Specific Tips: TopResume offers industry-specific tips and guidance to assist users in tailoring their resumes to the customer service field, helping them stand out among competitors.
• Cover letter builder: Besides resume building, TopResume provides a builder that empowers users to craft professional and compelling cover letters customized for customer service roles.
• Mobile accessibility: The platform is mobile-friendly, allowing users to create, edit, and update their resumes while on the go, using their smartphones or tablets.
• Entry level : Up to 200$.
• Professional level : Up to 200$-400$.
• Executive level : Up to $350-$700.

>> Use TopResume to Secure Your Dream Job

Resume Writing Services - Best Resume Builder for Affordability

Star Rating: 3.3/5

While Resumewritingservices.org may be a different size than its competitors, it stands out due to its team of talented and experienced resume writers. The website is user-friendly and provides exceptional service. However, this service’s true strength lies in its writers’ expertise.

Resumewritingservices.org sets itself apart by offering a comprehensive consultation process and goes beyond expectations by providing unlimited calls with its resume writers. This personalized approach distinguishes them from other companies and guarantees each client receives individual attention and support.

• Experienced resume writers of the highest caliber
• Unlimited phone consultations and revisions
• More expensive than rival services
• A limited range of products
• Skilled and experienced resume writers: Resumewritingservices.org takes pride in its team of highly trained and professional resume writers who possess a deep understanding of crafting effective resumes.
• Personalized service: Resumewritingservices.org offers a personal touch by providing unlimited calls with their resume writers. This unique feature allows clients to engage in direct communication and close collaboration with the writers throughout the resume creation process.
• Competitive job market expertise: The writers at Resumewritingservices.org have knowledge of current job market trends. This ensures that the resumes they create are optimized to excel in today’s fiercely competitive job market.
• Quality Assurance: The service maintains a rigorous quality assurance process to guarantee that the resumes delivered to clients meet the highest standards and align with their expectations.
• Timely delivery: Resumewritingservices.org is committed to delivering resumes within the agreed-upon timeframe, ensuring clients receive their documents promptly.
• Client satisfaction guarantee: Resumewritingservices.org offers a client satisfaction guarantee, assuring clients are fully content with the final resume. The service is ready to provide revisions if necessary.
• Affordable pricing: Resumewritingservices.org provides pricing options that are competitive and transparent, making professional resume writing accessible to a wide range of job seekers.

Resumewritingservices.org employs a pricing system that is clear and easy to understand for their resume-building services. The initial package begins at $270 , including a comprehensive consultation with a skilled resume writer and developing an individualized resume.

They offer extra options that enable customers to personalize their packages based on their unique preferences. This adaptable pricing strategy guarantees that clients can choose the services that align with their requirements and financial constraints.

>> Use Resume Writing Services to Secure Your Dream Job

Craft Resumes - Best Resume Builder for Quick-Turnaround

Star Rating: 3/5

Craft Resumes stand out as a well-established writing and editing service known for its ability to deliver effective outcomes. Our dedication to providing a 24-hour turnaround guarantees you’ll receive the initial version of your resume promptly.

Navigating our user-friendly website is effortless, making it easy to use our services. At Craft Resumes, we specialize in crafting customized resumes to match your skills, qualifications, and aspirations for your career.

• Speedy completion
• Customized CVs
• Intuitive site
• Insufficient details
• Absence of assurances
• Quick turnaround: Craft Resumes commits to delivering the initial draft of your resume within 24 hours, ensuring a speedy and efficient service.
• Expert Writers: Craft Resumes prides itself on its team of experienced writers who possess expertise across various industries and stay up-to-date with current hiring trends. They’re dedicated to making your resume stand out and catch the attention of potential employers.
• Unlimited revisions: We provide unlimited revisions to guarantee your complete satisfaction. If you have specific changes or additions in mind, our team will collaborate with you closely to implement the modifications.
• Confidentiality and Privacy: At Craft Resumes, we prioritize the confidentiality and privacy of your personal information. You can trust that your data will be handled securely and with the utmost discretion.
• Tailored resumes: We specialize in tailoring resumes to align with your career objectives, industry, and job requirements. Each resume is personalized to accentuate your unique strengths and qualifications.
• Resume Writing : $229.00
• Basic : $279.99
• Optimal : $339.99
• All-In-One : $499.99

>> Use Craft Resumes to Secure Your Dream Job

Resume Companion - Best Value Resume Builder

Star Rating: 2.8/5

Resume Companion is a virtual platform and service that specializes in aiding individuals in creating resumes that are professional and impactful. It offers an array of resources and tools to assist job seekers in crafting interesting resumes that effectively showcase their skills, experiences, and qualifications.

A prominent feature of Resume Companion is its user-friendly resume builder. This tool allows users to select from various professionally designed templates and personalize them based on their specific requirements.

Users can effortlessly incorporate their personal information, employment history, educational background, skill set, and other pertinent details to produce a customized resume tailored to their needs.

• Intuitive user interface
• High-quality templates
• Efficiency-boosting functions
• Cost-effective choice
• Restricted editing features without subscription
• Absence of extensive customization options
• Limited availability of extra services
• Cover letter builder: Resume Companion goes beyond resumes and provides users with a tool for crafting customized cover letters tailored to specific job applications. This feature guides users through the process, helping them effectively present their qualifications and make a compelling case to prospective employers.
• ATS optimization: In today’s job market, many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Resume Companion helps users ensure their resumes are ATS-friendly. The platform offers valuable tips and insights on incorporating relevant keywords, formatting the document correctly, and increasing the likelihood of passing through the ATS screening process.
• Educational resources: Resume Companion extends its services by offering an informative blog and educational materials that cover various aspects of resume writing, job search strategies, interview techniques, and career development guidance. These resources provide users with valuable insights and advice to help them create impressive resumes and enhance their job search efforts.
• Download and sharing options: Upon completing their resumes, users can conveniently download their documents in multiple formats, including PDF and Word. Resume Companion also makes it easy for users to share their resumes online or print them offline.
• Customer support: Resume Companion values user satisfaction and offers customer support to assist with users’ questions or concerns while utilizing the platform. Users can access support through email or the platform’s contact form.

Resume Companion provides a cost-effective solution for individuals seeking an all-inclusive service. It’s vital to remember subscription renewal is required to access future editing services. In summary, Resume Companion offers a wallet-friendly option for those who desire a user-friendly resume-building experience without needing advanced writing abilities.

>> Use Resume Companion to Secure Your Dream Job

Our Ranking Methodology for Best Resume Writing Services

To comprehensively and objectively rank the top resume writing services, it is essential to have a thorough methodology. The first step in this process was conducting extensive research and analysis. This involved gathering a comprehensive list of reputable resume-writing services from multiple sources such as online searches, customer reviews, industry directories, and personal recommendations.

• Feature analysis: Evaluate the functionalities provided by each resume builder, considering elements like template variety and quality, customization flexibility, user-friendly editing and formatting options, import/export capabilities, spell check and grammar tools, and integration with job search platforms and professional networks.
• Template collection: Examine the assortment and quality of templates. Look for a wide range that suits various industries, job levels, and design preferences, considering these templates’ aesthetics, readability, and contemporary design.
• Editing and customization: Scrutinize the adaptability and user-friendliness of the editing and customization tools each resume builder provides. Assess the capacity to add or modify sections, reorganize content, and tailor resumes to specific job requirements.
• User interface and experience: Analyze the user interface and the overall user experience each resume builder offers. Evaluate the ease of navigation, instruction clarity, guidance or prompts, and the platform’s responsiveness.
• Integration with job search platforms: Determine whether resume builders offer seamless integration with popular job search platforms and professional networks like LinkedIn or ATS systems. Consider how well the resumes can be transferred and their compatibility with these platforms.
• Additional resources: Evaluate if the resume builders provide extra resources such as sample resumes, tools for creating cover letters, interview tips, or career advice. Consider the breadth and practicality of these supplementary resources.
• Mobile-friendliness: Gauge the mobile-friendliness and responsiveness of the resume builders, recognizing the growing trend of mobile job searching and application processes.
• Customer support: Reflect on the accessibility and quality of customer support services, encompassing options like live chat, email support, or knowledge bases. Assess the responsiveness and helpfulness of the support team.
• Pricing and value for money: Appraise the pricing plans presented by the resume builders in terms of the value they offer based on features, usability, and overall service quality.
• Industry reputation: Consider the standing and trustworthiness of the resume builders, considering factors such as awards, recognition, partnerships, and user feedback from reputable sources.

Buyer’s Guide: Why Use a Resume Builder?

Crafting a well-crafted CV comes naturally to particular job seekers. However, even the most seasoned experts may need help in resume writing. If you find yourself in need of help with creating a compelling resume, here are several ways in which the best online resume builder can be beneficial:

Resume builders provide users with pre-designed templates and helpful tips, streamlining the process of writing a resume and alleviating stress.

Offers Writing Tips

Promoting oneself requires considerable effort. Only some people possess writing skills, even if they enjoy self-promotion. To showcase one’s experience and knowledge effectively, a resume builder can help select the most appropriate words and phrases.

Improves Design

In every field, there are unique standards for an impressive resume. If you need to gain knowledge in design or the tools, resume builders can provide free templates to enhance your resume’s visual appeal and quality.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Recruiters often use ATS systems to scan resumes. A good resume builder will help with formatting to ensure that your resume is easy for these systems to read.

What’s the Best Resume Builder?

The ideal resume builder for each individual may differ according to their specific requirements. If you prefer a tool that offers step-by-step guidance in creating your resume, we suggest using a builder that provides helpful tips and recommendations. If you prefer a resume builder that auto-generates a summary, we recommend using a tool that extracts information from your LinkedIn profile.

For those who enjoy having creative control over their resumes, we suggest using a platform with features. By selecting the resume builder that aligns with your needs and suits your industry and personal style, you’ll significantly increase your chances of capturing the attention of hiring managers.

Resume Builder vs. Resume Writing Service: What Matters for You

When it comes to crafting a resume, there are three options available. You can opt to create it independently, use a resume builder tool, or enlist the services of a professional resume writer. Your best choice will depend on your writing abilities, available time, and financial resources.

Do-It-Yourself

You have the choice to construct a resume entirely by yourself. The benefit of this option is that it costs nothing but requires a significant amount of effort. Along with composing all the information, you must possess graphic design skills.

This approach works well if you have these abilities, but with them, your options for creating a resume are unlimited. To overcome this limitation, you can use a resume builder or enlist the help of a resume writing service.

Resume Builder

A tool for creating resumes allows you to input your details into a template, resulting in an original appearance and layout with no design work. The top resume building tools also offer suggestions on enhancing your resume and tailoring it to match the specific job you are applying for.

While you are still responsible for writing the content, once it is written, you can quickly transfer that information into any other template with just a few simple clicks. Some of these services are free and many like to promote themselves as such, but most require a small payment to download your finished resume.

Professional Resume Writing Service

Professional resume writing services are expensive, but they offer the convenience of handling all the work for you. An experienced writer will gather relevant information about your background and transform it into a unique and engaging resume.

The process typically takes a few days, and the level of originality in the outcome largely relies on your choice of company and writer. However, we will not delve into these services further in this guide.

Are Resume Builders Worth It?

Definitely, without a doubt. An effective resume creator will guarantee that your CV is formatted correctly to navigate Applicant Tracking Systems and ultimately reach the hands of recruiters.

Is It Unprofessional to Use a Microsoft Word Resume Template?

Relying on a template will not set you apart, and there is a high likelihood that your application will be dismissed because your resume is identical to those of other job seekers.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right resume builder is crucial in today’s competitive job market. Creating a professional and impactful resume that stands out from the crowd can significantly impact your job search. With the right tool, you can save time, improve your chances of landing an interview, and ultimately secure your dream job.

When selecting a resume builder, consider your specific needs and priorities. Look for features like customizable templates, industry-specific examples, and the ability to export your resume in different formats. Consider user reviews and ratings to ensure you choose a reputable and reliable platform.

Remember, an exceptional tool for crafting resumes should give you the power to present your skills, experience, and accomplishments effectively. It should simplify and expedite creating a resume without hassle. Investing in a reliable resume builder is investing in your professional future.

Therefore, explore the different options available for resume builders. Test out their free trials or demos and choose the best fit for your objectives. Our top recommendation is Super Star Resume . This meticulously designed resume can open doors to exciting career prospects and be a dependable companion on your journey toward success.

Ahad Waseem is a business, blockchain, and cybersecurity writer who often takes on art, politics, and economics too. As a linguistic engineer who writes to solve problems, he’s written for various tech and business publications. When he’s not writing, he’s probably on horseback, caring for his houseplants, or training Bonsai trees. He can be reached at [email protected] . McClatchy’s newsrooms were not involved in the creation of this content. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links.

©2023 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Donald Trump trial day 5 recap: Lawyers make opening plays in sweeping hush money case

Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Donald Trump's criminal trial for Monday, April 22. For the latest news from Trump's hush money trial , keep up with live updates from the courtroom on Tuesday, April 23 .

NEW YORK — The heart of former President Donald Trump 's New York hush money trial, overseen by Judge Juan Merchan , kicked off on Monday with opening statements and witness testimony.

Matthew Colangelo delivered the opening argument for the prosecution, alleging that the former president's actions were "election fraud, pure and simple." Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, criticized accounts from Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen and porn star Stormy Daniels , telling the jury "There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election."

Jurors are deciding whether Trump falsified business records to cover up a hush money payment from Cohen to Daniels.

Trump authorized the payment in order to keep Daniels from hurting his 2016 presidential campaign by going public with her story that the pair had sex, according to the prosecutors. Trump denies Daniels' claim and has pleaded not guilty.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

David Pecker , the former head of the National Enquirer’s parent company, was the first witness called to the stand in the case. He's expected to face further questions about how the company routinely paid for scandalous stories that it didn’t publish, under what others called a “catch-and-kill” strategy.

Catch up with USA TODAY's live updates from inside and outside the Manhattan courthouse:

Donald Trump insists payments were ‘legal expense’ rather than attempt to affect 2016 campaign

After a morning of opening arguments by prosecutors and defense lawyers in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, the former president gave his own eight-minute summary to reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom.

Trump is charged with falsifying business records to pay hush money to silence women before the 2016 election. But he insisted that his payments to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, were correctly marked as legal expenses rather than what prosecutors contend were a reimbursement for the $130,000 paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump said Cohen was imprisoned for other charges dealing with taxi medallions and tax fraud. But Cohen also pleaded guilty to a campaign finance violation for the payment to Daniels. Trump repeated that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s predecessor and federal prosecutors investigated him and declined to prosecute.

“This is what I got indicted for?” Trump asked. “It’s very unfair.

– Bart Jansen

Donald Trump exits courtroom after day 5 of hush money trial

Donald Trump exited the courtroom at 12:43 p.m. ET. Proceedings will resume Tuesday with arguments over whether Trump has violated Judge Juan Merchan's gag order.

Those will be held in the morning outside the presence of the jury. Jurors have been instructed that proceedings involving them will start at 11:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, and will end at 2 p.m. ET in light of the Passover holiday.

– Aysha Bagchi

What is ‘catch-and-kill’?

The National Enquirer, a tabloid, routinely paid sources for stories and sometimes refused to publish them, under what prosecutors and witnesses in the Donald Trump hush money trial called a “catch-and-kill” strategy.

The publication’s parent company, American Media Inc., denied a catch-and-kill policy after The Wall Street Journal revealed a $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claimed a year-long affair with Trump, without ever publishing the story.

But instead, the company put her picture on a couple of magazine covers and had her write a few fitness columns.

AMI later acknowledged spending more than was routine to block McDougal’s story because the company expected to be reimbursed by Trump. The silencing of derogatory stories before the 2016 election is at the heart of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s charges against Trump that he falsified business records to pay hush money.

Lawyers, Judge Juan Merchan talk over lingering trial issues

Although jurors have left for the day, lawyers and the judge are continuing to discuss trial issues, including instructions the judge should give when lawyers introduce newspaper articles later in trial. Trump lawyer Emil Bove also raised concerns about "hearsay" coming into trial that's tied to Dylan Howard, a former editor of The National Enquirer who is unable to travel and come to the trial, according to earlier testimony. 

"Hearsay" is a technical legal term referring to statements that were made outside a courtroom but are introduced in court in order to prove the truth of what was said. Such statements are prohibited unless they fall into specific exceptions.

Jurors excused for rest of day

Judge Juan Merchan said proceedings would need to wrap up for the rest of the day. He earlier said they would need to end by 12:30 p.m. ET for an alternate juror's emergency appointment over a toothache. The jurors have exited the courtroom. The lawyers have approached Merchan's bench for a private conversation.

Prosecutor asks Pecker about former National Enquirer editor, 'juicy stories '

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Pecker about Dylan Howard, who was once the editor of The National Enquirer. Howard now lives in Australia and has a health condition that prevents him from traveling, to the best of Pecker's knowledge, Pecker said. Pecker confirmed Howard would run "juicy stories" by Pecker.

Donald Trump listening intently to David Pecker testimony

Donald Trump has his arms on the table in front of him and is leaning his body forward slightly as he faces David Pecker directly.

Why is David Pecker tied to Donald Trump's hush money case? Publisher says he had 'final say' as former head of tabloid publisher

Pecker is describing his responsibilities when he was chairman, president, and CEO of American Media Inc. or "AMI," which owns The National Enquirer and other publications. He worked there from 1999 to 2020.

Pecker described having say over what would get published, including approving expenditures. He confirmed prosecutor Joshua Steinglass' statement that he would have "final say" over whether to publish an article involving a famous person.

David Pecker called to the stand

We have gotten our first witness in the case: David Pecker, a tabloid publisher. Prosecutors have alleged Pecker was a key member of a "catch-and-kill" conspiracy involving Donald Trump to prevent stories that could hurt his 2016 presidential campaign from becoming public.

Donald Trump returns to courtroom

Donald Trump returned to the courtroom at 12:01 p.m. ET, trailed by members of his defense team. Judge Juan Merchan just asked for jurors to be brought into the courtroom.

Judge Juan Merchan enters courtroom

Juan Merchan re-entered the courtroom at about noon ET. Prosecutors are also in the courtroom. We are waiting for Trump and his defense team to return.

Trump leaves the courtroom

Trump exited the courtroom at about 11:50 a.m. ET for a short break in proceedings.

Trump lawyer ends opening statement

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche ended his opening statement by telling the jurors to "use your common sense." He added: "We're New Yorkers."

Blanche reminded jurors they promised to put aside any views they have about Trump and decide the case based on the evidence presented in the trial. If they do that, there will be a "very swift" not guilty verdict for Trump, Blanche claimed.

Trump lawyer and prosecutors argue over Cohen's alleged lies

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche began telling jurors that Michael Cohen has lied multiple times under oath . But prosecutors objected and there was just a private conversation at the judge's bench. "The objection is sustained," Judge Juan Merchan said.

Blanche then told jurors they will learn Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying under oath. There was no objection – Merchan appears to be allowing that statement to the jurors. 

Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in 2018.

Michael Cohen 'has a goal, an obsession, with getting Trump,' lawyer for Trump says

Todd Blanche in his opening statement has been focusing on Michael Cohen, a potentially key witness for prosecutors.

Michael Cohen "has misrepresented key conversations, where the only witness who was present for the conversation was Mr. Cohen and allegedly President Trump," Blanche told the jurors.

"He has a goal, an obsession, with getting Trump, and you're going to hear that," Blanche added. "I submit to you that he cannot be trusted."

Trump's lawyer says Stormy Daniels' claims are "false" in dramatic moment

Whether Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump actually had sex may be beside the point in this case, which deals with whether Trump falsified business records to cover up an attempt to unlawfully interfere with the 2016 election through the hush money payment to Daniels.

But Trump lawyer Todd Blanche still took his time in emphasizing Trump denies Daniels' claim. Paying Daniels for her agreement to not publicly spread "false – false – claims" about Trump isn't illegal, Blanche told the jurors.

Trump lawyer : 'There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy.'

"There's nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It's called democracy," Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told the jurors. Blanche added that prosecutors have put a "sinister" spin on this, as if it's a crime, but jurors will learn it's not.

Defense lawyer denies Donald Trump was reimbursing Michael Cohen for Stormy Daniels hush money

Donald Trump's defense is beginning to take shape. Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said a series of payments Trump sent to Michael Cohen weren't payback for Cohen paying porn star Stormy Daniels hush money.

That contradicts prosecutors, who say they were reimbursement payments. Blanche said Cohen was Trump's personal attorney. According to prosecutors, Trump falsely labeled his checks to Cohen as being for legal services.

Trump is now looking over in direction of jurors and lawyer

Donald Trump largely looked forward as prosecutor Matthew Colangelo delivered an opening statement to Trump's right, in the direction of the jurors who are also to Trump's right.

Now that Trump lawyer Todd Blanche is addressing jurors, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has turned his body and face toward his right, facing the jurors often and sometimes turning his head to see Blanche, who is standing both to Trump's right and slightly behind him.

'He's a husband. He's a father. He's a person': Trump lawyer addresses jurors

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said his team will refer to Trump as "President Trump" throughout the trial out of respect for the office he held. Blanche added about his client: "He's also a man. He's a husband. He's a father. He's a person, just like you and just like me."

'President Trump is innocent': Trump lawyer begins opening statement

"President Trump is innocent," Trump's defense lawyer said to begin his opening statement on behalf of the former president.

Prosecution ends opening statement in Trump hush money case

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo ended his opening statement by alleging Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records.

Michael Cohen's testimony will be 'backed up by Donald Trump's own words ,' prosecutor says

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors Michael Cohen's testimony in the trial will be backed up by a paper trail that includes phone logs and business documents. It will be "backed up by Donald Trump's own words on tape, in social media posts, in his own books, and in video of his own speeches," Colangelo added.

Will the jury be sequestered in the Trump trial?

No. While Merchan has cautioned the media to refrain from reporting on some personally identifiable attributes of jurors , he has not decided to sequester the jury.

During Trump's defamation trial earlier this year, the jury was sequestered from the public during breaks and transported to the courthouse by the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the Associated Press . 

– Kinsey Crowley

Trump not looking at prosecutor during prosecutor's opening

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is standing at a lectern to the right and slightly behind former President Donald Trump. The lectern is facing the jurors on the right side of the courtroom. Trump has been looking forward through most of the statement, rather than at Colangelo or the jury.

Trump has a screen in front of him that shows live video feeds of the proceedings from different vantage points. He has shaken his head at least once so far during the prosecution's opening. He has also leaned over to communicate with his lawyer, Todd Blanche, at least twice.

Prosecutor: 'It was election fraud, pure and simple.'

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo described the alleged scheme to buy porn star Stormy Daniels' story for $130,000 in order to keep it from American voters: "It was election fraud, pure and simple," Colangelo alleged.

Prosecutors describe flurries of calls surrounding release of scandalous stories

Years before Donald Trump’s trial, FBI investigators uncovered flurries of calls between his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and National Enquirer executives when scandalous stories were breaking.

One cluster of calls happened Oct. 8, 2016, the day after The Washington Post released the now-infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, while negotiations were under way to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Cohen called David Pecker, CEO of the National Enquirer’s parent company, briefly at 7:39 p.m. and again four minutes later. Then Cohen got a call from Dylan Howard, the company’s chief content officer. After conferring with a Trump spokesperson, Cohen got a call from Pecker and then called Trump. Cohen got two more calls from Howard at 8:39 p.m. and 8:57 p.m.

Another group of calls erupted Nov. 4, 2016, before  The Wall Street Journal  reported the National Enquirer paid Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, for her story about the affair and never published it.

Jurors hear Stormy Daniels' story of affair with Donald Trump

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is now describing to jurors the effort to buy the rights to porn star Stormy Daniels' story of an affair with Trump (Trump denies her story).

Cohen sent a $130,000 payment to Daniels' lawyer to kill the story before the 2016 election, Colangelo says. "Cohen made that payment at Donald Trump's direction and for his benefit," he tells the jurors.

Donald Trump asks 'So what do we gotta pay for this, 150?' on tape, prosecutor says

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors about a recorded conversation in which Cohen and Trump are discussing McDougal's story. He said the jurors will hear Trump in his own voice on the tape saying, "So what do we gotta pay for this, 150?"

Cohen recorded the conversation to show David Pecker that Trump planned to pay him back for buying McDougal's story, Colangelo said.

Playboy model's catch-and-kill story

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is describing a "catch-and-kill" effort to secure the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with Trump – a claim Trump denies.

Pecker agreed to have his company pay McDougal $150,000 to keep her quiet. The core reason for the payment was to keep the story from hurting Trump's presidential campaign, Colangelo said.

Who is Matthew Colangelo, the prosecutor starting off opening arguments?

Matthew Colangelo, who is starting off the prosecution’s opening arguments, joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in December 2022 after serving as a senior official at the Justice Department in Washington.

Colangelo,  who was the former acting Associate Attorney General at DOJ, specialized in housing & tenant protection, labor & worker protection and white-collar investigations at the DA’s office.

“Matthew Colangelo brings a wealth of economic justice experience combined with complex white-collar investigations, and he has the sound judgment and integrity needed to pursue justice against powerful people and institutions when they abuse their power,” DA Alvin Bragg said at the time.

  – Josh Meyer

Prosecutor describes three-pronged conspiracy to interfere with 2016 election

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo described to jurors a meeting between Donald Trump, his former lawyer Michael Cohen, and a tabloid publisher, David Pecker. The three agreed to a three-pronged conspiracy to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, Colangelo said:

• Pecker would be the campaign's "eyes and ears," reporting potentially harmful information to Cohen, who would work to keep it quiet. Colangelo described this as the "core" of the conspiracy.
• Pecker would publish flattering stories about Trump.
• Pecker would use his publications to attack Trump's political opponents.

'This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up': Opening statements begin in Trump's hush money trial

"This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up," said Matthew Colangelo, in beginning his opening statement for the prosecution.

Colangelo continued by telling jurors that Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, and covered it up by lying in his New York business records "over and over and over again."

If Trump testifies, prosecutors can inform jurors of Trump civil fraud case, E. Jean Carroll defamation trial

Before jurors entered the courtroom, Judge Juan Merchan said that, should Trump testify, prosecutors would be able to inform jurors that Trump was found liable for violating state law by fraudulently inflating the value of his assets. That determination ties to his civil fraud case, in which Trump is appealing a $454 million judgment against him.

Merchan also said prosecutors could inform jurors that Trump was found liable for defaming New York writer E. Jean Carroll, even though Merchan didn't indicate they can inform jurors about Trump's liability for sexually abusing Carroll.

Merchan also said prosecutors can inform jurors that Trump was found to have violated a gag order twice in his civil fraud case. And prosecutors will be allowed to inform jurors of an agreement that the Trump Foundation would be dissolved as a result of an investigation into self-dealing transactions.

If Trump testifies and prosecutors seek to introduce those determinations, jurors will be instructed to only consider the determinations when it comes to evaluating Trump's credibility.

Jurors not permitted to speak to others about the case

Judge Juan Merchan instructed the jurors that they are not permitted to speak with others about the case because only they are authorized to decide the case.

Jurors instructed on how to approach deliberations at end of trial

Judge Juan Merchan is giving jurors extensive instructions on the trial and their role within it. He tells them not to be influenced by stereotypes or implicit biases, including when it comes to political affiliation.

Who is Stormy Daniels?

Stormy Daniels , born Stephanie Clifford, is an adult film star.

Daniels claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006, months after Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump. Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 to stay quiet about the alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Daniels sued to cancel the non-disclosure agreement signed 11 days before the election, which was  dismissed in 2020  She also  sued Trump for defamation  in 2018 over some of his tweets, but that lawsuit was also thrown out.

What is Trump on trial for?

Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges that he falsified business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels that was designed to unlawfully interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

The payment was made by former  Trump lawyer Michael Cohen  and violated federal campaign finance laws, according to prosecutors. They say Trump authorized the payment to help his presidential campaign, and falsified records to cover up the checks he sent to reimburse Cohen for the hush money.

–  Aysha Bagchi

Will the Trump trial be televised or live streamed?

New York court rules  state that  audio-visual coverage  of trials is not permitted unless a representative of the news media submits an application and the judge allows it, which has not happened for this trial.

–  Kinsey Crowley & Aysha Bagchi

Judge indicates prosecutors can't tell jurors about E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse case

Before the jurors entered, Judge Juan Merchan ruled that prosecutors will be able to inform jurors of six legal determinations against Trump if he chooses to testify. However, Merchan didn't mention a jury's determination in a civil case that Trump sexually abused New York writer E. Jean Carroll, indicating that determination won't be allowed in the criminal case. Trump denies Carroll's claim.

Jurors enter the courtroom

The jurors entered the courtroom at about 9:55 a.m. ET. Judge Merchan is instructing them on how things will unfold, including his plan to give them introductory instructions that will last about 30 minutes.

Trump Media stock price

At open on April 22, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp share price fell to $35, down 3.79% from previous close

Donald Trump attacks officials over hush money trial without offering proof

Donald Trump sharply criticized the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on Monday morning as opening arguments were set to get underway, telling reporters that the hush money case against him amounts to unfair election “interference.”

“Everybody knows it,” Trump said outside of court, claiming that the trial is preventing him from being on the campaign trail.”

“Fortunately, the poll numbers are very good. They've been going up because people understand what's going on. It's a witch hunt and it's a shame. And it comes out of Washington,” Trump said, without offering any proof.

There is no indication that anyone in Washington, including the Biden administration, has played any role in the first criminal prosecution of Trump on charges of paying hush money to two women just before the 2016 election who claimed to have had sex with him.

Who is Judge Juan Merchan? What to know as Donald Trump's hush money trial continues

Judge Juan Merchan is presiding over the  first criminal trial of a former president  in U.S. history. Donald Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the hush money payments issued to  Stormy Daniels .

Merchan has been a felony judge  for 15 years .  

Before that, Merchan served as an assistant attorney general for Nassau County, on suburban Long Island, and in the Manhattan district attorney’s office for five years.

He received his bachelor’s degree is from Baruch College and his law degree is from Hofstra University.

– Kinsey Crowley and Bart Jansen

Juror #9 will remain in trial despite expressing concern over media

Judge Merchan announced that Juror #9, who expressed concern about continuing due to media attention, will remain in the trial. Merchan just met with the juror outside the courtroom. – Aysha Bagchi

Juror expressed concern about continuing due to media attention

A juror called the court expressing concern about attending the trial due to media attention, but the juror is here today, Judge Juan Merchan said. Merchan and members from each legal team are currently meeting with the juror outside the courtroom.

Court to end early at 12:30 p.m. ET due to alternate juror toothache

Judge Merchan announced court will be ending at 12:30 p.m. ET today because an alternate juror needs to get to an emergency appointment due to a toothache. Court was already scheduled to end early at 2 p.m. ET today and tomorrow for the Passover holiday.

Judge Merchan enters the courtroom

Judge Juan Merchan entered the courtroom at 9:31 a.m. ET.

Trump enters the courtroom

Former President Donald Trump entered the courtroom at 9:26 a.m. ET.– Aysha Bagchi

What happens if Trump is found guilty? Will he go to prison?

If Donald Trump is convicted on all counts in his  New York criminal hush money trial  that started last week, he could theoretically face more than a decade in prison.

But most legal experts who spoke to USA TODAY said such a dramatic outcome is unlikely. Instead, he would likely be sentenced to something between probation and four years in prison.

And he would probably still be out, free to campaign for president as the presumptive or actual 2024 Republican nominee, while his all-but-certain appeal was pending.

Donald Trump enters NY courthouse

Donald Trump has entered the Manhattan courthouse as the second week of his hush money trial begins

What is hush money?

Hush money  is a wide-ranging term used to refer to paying someone to not speak publicly about an issue. It's not necessarily illegal, so why is Donald Trump in court over a hush money case?

The former president isn’t actually charged with making a $130,000 payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement. Instead, he's accused of falsifying business records to hide the payment.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin  Bragg described the payments to Daniels  and another woman,  former Playboy model Karen McDougal , as part of a “catch-and-kill” strategy to prevent the women from telling their stories. But the criminal charges are that Trump falsified his company’s business records to conceal the payments.

Who are Donald Trump's lawyers?

Trump's defense team is led by Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles .

Blanche was a federal prosecutor for nine years in the Southern District of New York, which includes Manhattan. As a prominent white-collar defense lawyer he has defended Trump advisor Boris Epshteyn and Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

Necheles is ranked among the top criminal defense lawyers in New York by the legal rating and head-hunting firm Chambers and Partners. She was also a  former counsel to Venero Mangano , the former Genovese crime family underboss known as Benny Eggs..  

–  Josh Meyer

Is the Trump trial being televised?

No, the trial won't be televised or available to watch online or aired on TV.

New York court rules  state that audio-visual coverage of trials is not permitted unless a representative of the news media submits an application and the judge allows it.

Records show an application was submitted to cover the arraignment, but not the trial.  Judge Juan Merchan   rejected the request  to televise the arraignment.

– Kinsey Crowley and Aysha Bagchi

Who is Karen McDougal?

Karen McDougal indirectly received a hush money payment in 2016 after claiming to have an affair with Donald Trump. Cohen funneled the money through the National Enquirer under a  "catch and kill" approach , paying the tabloid to buy rights to her story and prevent her from telling anyone else about it.

The National Enquirer, owned by American Media Inc., was  fined $187,500 by the Federal Election Commission  for paying McDougal $150,000 for exclusive rights to her story with the intent of influencing the election. McDougal  also sued the company . She has since spoken out about her  affair with Trump , saying it lasted for 10 months starting in 2006.

How long will Trump's trial last?

Donald Trump's  hush money trial  that begins Monday in Manhattan could last as long as eight weeks.

It is the first time a former president has been criminally charged, although Trump has now also been charged in three other criminal cases in other jurisdictions for attempting to overturn the 2020 election and hoarding classified documents after leaving office.

In New York, the presumptive  Republican presidential nominee  faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for allegedly disguising  hush money payments  issued to porn star Stormy Daniels. He has pleaded not guilty.

– Aysha Bagchi and Kinsey Crowley

What time does trial start today?

Proceedings in Donald Trump's hush money trial are expected to begin at 9:30 a.m. local time in New York.

– Marina Pitofsky

Who is David Pecker? Here's what to know about the first witness in Donald Trump's trial

David Pecker , the former head of the National Enquirer’s parent company, is expected to be the first witness in Donald Trump’s hush money trial about how the company routinely paid for scandalous stories that it didn’t publish, under what others called a “catch-and-kill” strategy.

Pecker was president and CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI) in August 2015, when he met with Trump and his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to “help deal with negative stories about Trump” by purchasing them and not publishing them, according to a Federal Election Commission agreement with the company.

After a lawyer for Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claimed an affair with Trump, contacted the company, Pecker and Dylan Howard, the company’s vice president and chief content officer, notified Cohen, according to the FEC agreement.

In August 2016, the company McDougal $150,000 for her life story, including about any relationship with “any then-married man” and then didn’t publish the story, according to the FEC agreement.

Wonder what it would be like to watch the Trump trial? Graphics take you inside courtroom.

Opening statements are expected to start at 9:30 a.m. today at Donald Trump's criminal trial. The former president ffaces 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a payment of $130,000 in hush money to an adult film actress ahead of his 2016 presidential campaign.

But where is the trial? Who are the key players? Go deeper with USA TODAY's graphics team:

More: Wonder what it would be like to watch the Trump trial? Graphics take you inside courtroom.

Trump's $175 million appeal bond under scrutiny

While the hush money trial is underway Monday morning, Judge Arthur Engoron will be hearing arguments in a courthouse next door over whether Trump's $175 million appeal bond passes muster in his New York civil fraud case.

The bond, if accepted by Engoron, will prevent New York Attorney General Letitia James from seizing Trump's assets while his appeal over the $454 million judgment against him is pending. James is arguing that Trump hasn't demonstrated he provided enough collateral to truly back up the bond, which was provided by Knight Specialty Insurance Company.

The Knight company is owned by self-proclaimed Trump supporter and California billionaire Don Hankey .

An appeal bond functions as a guarantee that a judgment will be paid once the appeal is over, at least in the amount of the bond. A New York appeals court allowed Trump and his co-defendants to post just $175 million, instead of the full $464 million judgment they face – all but $10 million of which Trump faces personally.