how to write creative in resume

23 Creative Resume Examples for 2024

In This Guide:

Gisele henne creative resume shows results not responsibilities, pierre rogers’ creative resume showcases intense passion, jimmy moore’s resume shows out of the box thinking, emily bain shows how a creative resume can stand out.

Scott McDowell's creative resume is playful and inventive

Linda Nakanishi shows by doing

Deda's resume shows who she is as a person

Matteo Reggi's creative resume showcases style

Stuart Mayhew's resume is a conversation starter

Anton Yermolov has a simple and creative 1-page resume

An extraordinary korean style resume, magnus henriksen is nothing but himself, harrison carter watkins shows off his design philosophy.

Chris Rowe's personality doesn't get lost in the details

Pau Morgan gets the important information across

Jimmy raheriarisoa’s resume is bursting with personality.

Monica Gomes' resume pays tribute to classics

Navdeep Raj's resume divides and conquers

Pam Bailey's resume tells a story

Seth Adler's resume is tailor made for the job he wants

Jonathan Fischer's resume is like nothing you've ever seen

Victor Rodriguez creative resume thinks inside the box

Nick begley thinks way outside the box, should you use a creative resume, how do i make my resume creative (without going overboard).

Gone are the days when a resume was only about showing your work experience.

A great creative resume needs to stand out.

Whether it’s at a career fair or in an HR department, when recruiters have looked at 100s of resumes in a single day, they should remember yours.

But that’s easier said than done.

So we found 23 truly unique creative resume examples to show you just what’s possible.

While each has its strengths and weaknesses, they all have something to teach you about how to create a standout resume.

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

• Browse through unique resume examples and the tactics they use to highlight important info;
• When should you be creative on your resume (and when not);
• Practical tips on how to make your resume more visually appealing.

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We designed most of Enhancv’s features with the applicant’s individuality in mind.

Sure, we could have made a sleuth of simpler, black-on-white resume designs, but for that you’ve already got MS Office.

Some features that make Enhancv a staple creative resume builder include My Time, the 1000s of font, colour and background combos and the ability to rename just about any section of the builder to your liking.

This gives you a starting point to unleash your creativity and do some wondrous things without going overboard:

• Spruce up your headline or any other section;
• Make use of a single page resume ;
• Describe your passions and professional resume story just like we did with Marissa Mayer’s resume .

For the 23 designers below, sending a resume in a black-on-white A4 doc file is a sacrilege.

And, while being creative on your resume has its time and place (read more about that at the end of the article), you can use some of the design choices below to your advantage.

Let’s dive in!

Gisele’s resume does a great job balancing eye-catching design with a strong focus on results. Right away you can’t miss the key metrics here: 20 corporate projects delivered, 40 books managed, 15 years of freelance experience. All that is valuable information you have to pass to the reader right away.

It’s best to focus on results and not responsibilities. This has been a resume writing best practice for years , but it can’t be emphasized enough. Still, what makes this resume stand out is the “creative process” section. It’s designed to get the reader to really understand Gisele’s way of thinking, something a traditional resume wouldn’t be able to convey.

Last but not least, the “Etc.” section is a very smart way to grab employers’ attention and showcase side activities that shaped Gisele as the person. Things like playing the piano and guitar since childhood may be left out of most resumes, but they show qualities like dedication and consistency.

Gisele didn’t play for a few years and then got bored, she stuck with it. Those are qualities employers look for.

Pierre Rogers has incorporated his passion for computer games into his resume. His completed missions are his achievements, his special attributes are his experience and his weapons are his software as a character artist. It’s clear he didn’t get into his field because he couldn’t think of anything better to do.

Showing your passion for your work speaks volumes to employers, making you more memorable and hireable. That’s a lesson Pierre has learned well.

Filmmakers and producers always need to be ready to think outside of the box. From having to reshoot a certain scene when an actor has a new hairstyle to creating a chase sequence on a shoestring budget. Jimmy‘s resume shows he has the mindset to tackle those tough problems by showcasing his creativity. True, it has far fewer career details, but those can always be available on request. What Jimmy has done here is make a strong first impression.

With both of the resumes she uses, Emily starts off with her top professional strengths. Putting them right beneath her name ensures any read will get the main points right off the bat. One resume then focuses on telling her story and giving important context to the rest of the resume while the other gets straight into her work history.

Scott McDowell's creative resume is playful and inventive

Scott’s resume gives you an immediate impression of who he is and how he thinks. What it sacrifices in details it makes up for in personality (plus by including a link to more information, the typical biographical details we expect to see on a resume are all readily available).

The inclusion of subtle background elements encourages readers to take some time to explore the resume, giving it more time to make an impression.

You may have read that recruiters spend 6 seconds on a resume . Well, it’s unfortunately true. Often the choice whoever gets an interview call comes down to who made a quick impression. Linda starts off with two sentences explaining who she is and what she does before breaking down her work and life skills.

The result is a resume that explains the essentials in advance before inviting you to explore more. You can check Linda’s website here .

Deda's resume shows who she is as a person

You have to see the full version of Deda’s remarkable resume ! In it she shares not only the obligatory things (skills, experience, etc.) but also her Design Theory, Life Essentials, Personal Lifestyle Preferences and the Statement of Purpose – things that reveal much more about her personality.

Personality is important enough that even Richard Branson admits that it’s the most important component when hiring. Why? Because tech skills can be learned with time, but being persistent, diligent, and communicative are rare gems in a sea of qualified applicants.

Matteo Reggi's creative resume showcases style

Matteo Reggi’s resume shows he has the mind of a designer. His mind works a bit differently and you may have to tilt your head a bit to get it all. But that’s how interesting and engaging design often works.

The resume may be unconventional, but so is Matteo. Instead of pretending to be something he’s not, he brings his whole self to his resume. If you ask us, it really shows. You can view his work here .

Stuart Mayhew's resume is a conversation starter

We simply love this resume! Stuart Mayhew has combined information regarding his knowledge and experience and has shaped it brilliantly with this design. It paints a picture of a full person, from various life and work experiences to generally how he thinks.

Combined with a powerhouse list of clients, there’s plenty here to make a recruiter want to strike up a conversation and learn more about Stuart. That’s where he can have the chance to make yet another good impression.

He’s produced hundreds of copies of his simple and contemporary 1 page resume to hand out. Besides the design, Anton’s resume stands out by including information that’s hardly typical. Travels, interests, and characteristics bring his personality and experience to the forefront.

A great idea is to change the name of your “tech skills” section to a more job-specific one like Creative Fields or Management Skills, so that it’s more relevant to the position you are applying for. Go & see his work !

Undoubtedly a unique design incorporating Korean elements, this resume actually stands out in more ways than one. The whole resume has a fantastic “My Favorite Things” section which really shows off their design skills. One small issue is using language like “Please contact me…” which can signal a lack of confidence. Otherwise, this resume is memorable.

Magnus Henriksen created this original resume that shows him both as a person and as a professional. It’s simple and straight-forward in a refreshing way while not sacrificing any personality or style. Having such a resume confirms your skills as a designer and makes you stand out. Elements of it may be a bit immature, but Magnus isn’t interested in being anything other than himself.

It’s for the best, as companies should always know what they’re getting when they hire. With Magnus, they’re getting a talented jokester. You can check out some of his work here .

Next up is Harrison Carter Watkins’ Creative Resume . “How I think” is a powerful section to include, especially the way he did it – separate it into two parts – “Thoughts & Method” and “Productivity & Speed” which add a layer of personality alongside the technical one.

Another thing that makes a great impression is the quote featured prominently in the center: “The details don’t make the design, they are the design.”

You get a strong feeling for Harrison’s philosophy of design alongside his work experience and other details. For more of his works check out his Behance profile .

Chris Rowe's personality doesn't get lost in the details

This resume is outstanding not only because of it’s visual appearance but because of the compelling manner Chris has described himself. Including sections like “Clearing the mind” or “The Intangibles” provide a lot of details about your true personality and are a much better way to express what kind of person you are.

Besides, dividing your skill set into 3 parts – Knowledge, Design and Management & Communication, enables the recruiter to immediately see what your main areas of expertise are and gives him an incentive to keep on reading. See all his amazing work here .

Here Pau has visualized his work experience in an easy-to-understand way so that a recruiter can process the information faster. He’s also included the section “Expositions” which, in his case, is pretty important and tells a lot about his abilities. Visit his personal website to enjoy more of his work.

3 things about Jimmy’s resume impressed us – it’s short and concise, extremely well-designed and it emphasizes on the most important information – his title, skills and awards. Plus, it’s bursting with personality. See all of his work here .

Monica Gomes' resume pays tribute to classics

Maybe one of the most stylish resumes we’ve came upon. From its homages to the original macintosh and classic telephones to the classy self portrait, Monica shows her skills and passions with style. Combining her motivation and professional goals into the footer also leaves the reader with an excellent final impression. See her amazing work here .

Navdeep Raj's resume divides and conquers

Navdeep has done an amazing job visually breaking up the different sections in his creative resume . He begins with a simple, straight-forward line about who he is: “I love to design great looking, usable interfaces.”

The other thing we appreciated is that he highlights the fact that he has worked with top companies using a simple “Clients” section. We strongly encourage you to include that information, especially if you have worked for companies like Apple, Disney, MTV or SAP.

Last but not least the way Navdeep divided his skills so that they can be easier to process is very effective – “Practice Areas” and “Technologies”. You can check his work here .

Pam Bailey's resume tells a story

Pam is a professional storyteller whose resume does just what it should: tells her story. Hagan Blount has done a great job turning her resume into a real masterpiece.

Positioning her awards and professional achievements in the middle of her resume is a great idea, especially if you have some numbers and medals to show as she does. They tell the reader that you’re goal-oriented.

The other unique element here is the “Testimonials” section at the bottom.

Seth Adler's resume is tailor made for the job he wants

This is a great example of a performance-based resume by the same person who created Pam Bailey’s resume: Hagan Blount.

Again the content is based on results, not responsibilities, and the design highlights them well. The best part is that the resume is personalized for the VP of Sales position Seth is applying for. For that reason, he’s split his experience into three different categories – Business Development & Strategic Planning, Sales, and Marketing.

That way he stresses the fact that he has what it takes to succeed in that role. Personalizing your resume is one of the best things you could do to raise your chances of getting an interview.

Jonathan Fischer's resume is like nothing you've ever seen

Sometimes a resume just breaks the mold. Jonathan Wakuda Fischer’s is one such example. His resume takes the form of an identity booklet, old Russian style.

Everyone likes seeing absolutely unexpected things and if you read his resume carefully you will realise that Jonathan has gone far beyond the design of his resume and has created a real masterpiece.

Recruiters aren’t going to forget him. Check out his website here .

Victor Rodriguez is clearly being a bit cheeky with his “thinking inside the box” resume . You should never forget that the main goal of your resume is to make a great first impression to the person reading it, no matter whether it’s a word document, infographic, powerpoint presentation or a cereal box.

I can barely think of a better way to grab someone’s attention, especially if this pops up on your table! You can explore Viktor’s creative work here .

We have saved the dessert for last – Nick Begley is the bold man whose resume is a candy bar. When we said these were creative resume ideas, we weren’t kidding.

If you are in a creative industry you already know better as to whether or not sending a creative resume is the right way to go.

How about the rest of us, the non-designers who still want to stand out?

We have to take into consideration the public enemy #1 of creative resumes out there – the Applicant Tracking System, or ATS, for short.

It’s a computer software that is designed to read simple text on resumes and match skills, experiences and keywords to the job description.

This is why it will have a hard time if you encode your key information into graphics and images.

With that being said, the above designers don’t have to pay attention to ATS at all.

They send resumes directly to employers. Which can be the case for many of us.

Small and medium-sized companies aren’t likely to use ATS, either.

Whereas even if you’re applying for a position in a big corporation, you can still incorporate a dash of creativity, as long as you maintain a professional tone.

Here’s a thought – you don’t have to make a cereal box resume to impress recruiters.

Frankly speaking, nobody is expecting you to be creative.

So, if you make a few adjustments here and there, it will come as an added bonus.

Use creative tactics, such as two-colour combinations, adjusted font size, easy-to-read font family, proper resume margin and skimmable layout. ( Enhancv’s resume builder takes care for the lot of it.)

Designers made their infographic resumes to highlight key information in a creative manner. You too can incorporate their tactics described above, albeit in a more down-to-earth way.

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Creative Writer Resume in 2024: Examples and Tips

As a creative writer, you possess a unique set of skills that allow you to craft engaging and thought-provoking pieces of writing that captivate your audience. But how do you convey your abilities effectively on your resume? This article aims to explore the best ways to showcase your creativity and writing expertise on your resume, with examples and tips that will help you land your dream job in the writing industry.

Definition of a Creative Writer

Creative writing is a form of writing that focuses on originality, imagination, and expression, often in the form of poetry, fiction, or non-fiction. A creative writer’s job is to tell stories, evoke emotions, or convey information in an engaging and captivating manner that connects with the reader on a deep level. You are a master at crafting narratives that transport the reader to different worlds or provide them with insights and perspectives they hadn’t previously considered.

Best Practices for Creative Writer Resumes

When it comes to applying for a creative writer position, your resume can be your most valuable asset. It is the first impression a potential employer will have of you, and it needs to be well-crafted. A great resume can help you stand out from the competition and get the job you want. In this section, we’ll discuss the importance of a well-crafted resume, unique considerations for creative writers, and formatting best practices.

Importance of a well-crafted resume

Your resume is essentially your marketing tool. It should be well-written, easy to read, and highlight your strengths as a writer. A well-crafted resume can help you showcase your skills and experience in a clear and concise manner. It can help you land an interview and ultimately, the job.

Remember that a potential employer will have limited time to look over your resume. Try to keep it to one or two pages and make sure it is easy to read. Use bullet points, headings, and subheadings to organize your information. Your resume should also be tailored to the specific job you are applying for.

Unique considerations for creative writers

As a creative writer, your resume should reflect your unique skills and experiences. While traditional resumes focus on work experience, creative writers should also highlight their writing skills. This can include published works, writing awards, or creative writing programs you’ve attended.

Another important consideration is the type of job you are applying for. Creative writing encompasses a wide range of fields, from journalism to marketing to fiction. Make sure you tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for, and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant.

Formatting best practices

Here are some formatting best practices for creative writer resumes:

• Use a simple and clear font such as Times New Roman or Arial
• Keep your resume to one or two pages
• Use bullet points, headings, and subheadings to organize your information
• Make sure your contact information is easy to find and up-to-date
• Tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for
• Use action verbs to describe your experiences and accomplishments
• Highlight your writing experience and skills
• Include any relevant work experience, education, and training

Your resume is your ticket to landing your dream creative writer job. By following these best practices, you can create a resume that showcases your unique skills and experience and helps you stand out from the competition. Remember to tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for, and showcase your writing ability. Good luck!

Key Elements of a Creative Writer Resume

A creative writer resume should include the following key elements: an objective or summary statement, writing experience, education and training, skills and competencies, and awards and achievements. These elements are important because they help showcase your skills, experience, and abilities as a creative writer.

Objective or Summary Statement

The objective or summary statement should be a brief, concise statement that describes your career goals and objectives as a creative writer. This statement should be tailored to the specific job you are applying for and highlight your skills and accomplishments.

Writing Experience

Your writing experience should highlight your professional writing experience, including any published works or writing samples. You should also include any relevant freelance or writing projects you have completed. Be sure to include any experience that demonstrates your ability to write creatively and effectively.

Education and Training

Your education and training should showcase any relevant degrees, certificates or training programs that you have completed. This section should also highlight any specialized courses or seminars that you have attended in creative writing.

Skills and Competencies

Your skills and competencies should showcase your specific abilities, such as storytelling, character development, or dialogue writing. You should also highlight any expertise you have in specific genres or writing styles, such as poetry or screenwriting.

Awards and Achievements

Finally, your awards and achievements should highlight any recognition you have received for your writing. This could include literary awards or accolades, such as publication in literary journals or magazines.

By including these key elements in your creative writer resume, you can effectively showcase your skills, experience, and abilities as a writer. Remember to tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for and highlight your unique strengths as a creative writer.

Creative Writer Resume Example

When it comes to securing a job in the competitive field of creative writing, a well-crafted resume can make all the difference. As a creative writer, you’ll want to showcase your unique style and voice while also highlighting your experience and skillset. Here, we break down the key elements of a successful creative writer resume, providing best practices and tips along the way.

Step-by-step breakdown

Start with a clear objective or summary statement that highlights your relevant experience and qualifications. This should be tailored to the specific job or company you’re applying to.

Create a section devoted to your writing experience, including any published works, articles, or freelance projects. Don’t forget to mention any relevant education or certifications as well.

Highlight your skills and abilities, such as writing proficiency in a particular genre or style, editing skills, or experience with content management systems.

Emphasize your creativity and originality by including a section on your personal projects or writing samples. This can showcase your unique voice and perspective, as well as your ability to think outside the box.

Don’t forget the basics: include your contact information, previous work experience, and education.

Analysis of key elements and best practices

When crafting your creative writer resume, there are a few key elements to keep in mind.

First, it’s important to tailor your resume to the specific job and company you’re applying to. This means customizing your objective statement, focusing on relevant experience and skills, and highlighting any particular strengths that align with the job requirements.

Another important element is highlighting your creativity and originality. As a creative writer, you want to showcase your unique voice and perspective, as well as your ability to bring fresh ideas to the table. Including a section on personal projects or writing samples is a great way to do this.

Finally, be sure to emphasize your writing experience, including any published works or notable freelance projects. This can demonstrate your proficiency in the craft, as well as your dedication and expertise.

In terms of best practices, it’s important to keep your resume clean and concise, while also incorporating some personality and flair. Use bullet points and clear headings to organize your information, and don’t be afraid to showcase your personality through the content and style of your resume.

By following these steps and incorporating these best practices, you can craft a successful creative writer resume that highlights your unique skills and showcases your creativity and expertise.

Crafting a Strong Objective or Summary Statement

As a creative writer, your resume should reflect your unique voice and style in addition to your qualifications and experience. A strong objective or summary statement is your opportunity to capture the attention of potential employers and show them what sets you apart from other applicants. Here are some tips for writing an attention-grabbing statement:

Tips for Writing an Attention-Grabbing Objective or Summary Statement

1. be clear and concise.

Your objective or summary statement should be brief and to the point. Avoid using long or complex sentences that can confuse the reader. Instead, use clear and concise language to convey your message.

2. Highlight Your Unique Qualities

What makes you stand out from other applicants? Highlight your unique qualities in your objective or summary statement to make a strong first impression.

3. Showcase Your Expertise

Use industry-specific keywords and phrases to showcase your expertise and demonstrate your knowledge of the field.

4. Use Active Verbs

Use active verbs to describe your skills and achievements, such as “created,” “developed,” and “produced.” This shows that you are proactive and results-driven.

5. Tailor Your Statement to the Job

Customize your objective or summary statement for each job you apply for to show that you are a good fit for the position and the company culture.

Examples of Effective Statements

Here are some examples of effective objective or summary statements for a creative writer resume:

Creative and detail-oriented writer with five years of experience in digital content creation. Extensive knowledge of SEO best practices and a proven track record of creating engaging and shareable content. Seeking a position as a content marketer with a focus on social media.

Award-winning writer with a passion for storytelling and a talent for creating compelling narratives. Proficient in creative writing, copywriting, and scriptwriting. Seeking a position as a content writer for a reputable publishing company.

Experienced writer with a background in journalism and a strong understanding of current events. Skilled at conducting research, conducting interviews, and writing engaging news stories. Seeking a position as a staff writer for a respected news outlet.

By following these tips and examples, you can craft a strong objective or summary statement that will set you apart from other applicants and capture the attention of potential employers.

Demonstrating Writing Experience

To convince potential employers that you have the writing skills and expertise to excel in a creative writing role, you must demonstrate your writing experience in a clear and effective manner. To help you stand out from the crowd, here are some best practices for showcasing your writing experience on your resume and some examples of how to present it.

Best Practices for Showcasing Writing Experience

Tailor your resume to the specific job: Before applying for a creative writing job, it’s essential to know what skills and writing experience the employer is looking for. Study the job description and highlight the skills that match your experience. Customizing your resume to the specific job will help you to stand out and demonstrate your understanding of the employer’s requirements.

Use quantifiable metrics: If possible, quantify your writing experience in terms of the impact or results of your work. For example, if you wrote content for a company’s website, explain how your writing increased traffic or conversions.

Highlight your writing skills: To showcase your writing skills, create a portfolio of samples that demonstrate your range of writing abilities. Be sure to include samples that show your ability to write in different styles, such as blogs, articles, social media posts, and marketing copy.

Use active verbs: When describing your writing experience, use strong, active verbs that communicate your accomplishments. Instead of saying, “I wrote content for the company website,” say “I developed and executed the content strategy for the company website, increasing traffic by 20%.”

Emphasize collaboration: If you’ve worked with other writers, editors, or creative professionals, highlight your ability to work collaboratively. Many writing jobs require teamwork, so demonstrating your experience with collaboration will show employers that you’re a team player.

Examples of Relevant Experience and How to Present It

• Content Writer: Create a section of your resume that focuses on your experience as a content writer, ensuring to include the following details:
• Note how many years of experience you have
• Highlight your area of expertise, such as blogs, articles, social media posts, product descriptions, or whitepapers.
• Mention your success rate, such as social media ads leading to 15% increased sales, or blog articles generating 500 average views per article.
• Provide samples of your writing or links to the websites or published work.
• Highlight any collaborations with other writers, editors, or creative professionals.
• Freelance Writer: For freelancers, showcase the following:
• Provide a short paragraph about your experience working remotely with clients and projects managed.
• Sources of income, such as how much revenue have you generated from writing/consulting per year.
• Include the type of writing skills that you have in your portfolio, such as scriptwriting, marketing copy, press releases, video script, eBook writing, and research papers.

Highlighting Education and Training

One of the important sections of a creative writer’s resume is their education and training. This section should be placed after the work experience section, and it should include all relevant education and training that the writer has received.

How to Demonstrate Relevant Education and Training

It’s important to only include education and training that is relevant to the creative writing field. For example, if the writer has a degree in business, it may not be as valuable to include that information as it would be to include specific courses that pertain to writing, such as creative writing workshops, literature classes, or writing conferences attended.

It’s best to present this information in chronological order, starting with the most recent educational experience. In addition to the name of the school, degree or certification earned, and dates of attendance, it’s also good to include any honors, awards or recognition received during the educational experience.

Best Practices for Presenting Educational Background

There are several best practices to keep in mind when presenting your educational background. First, keep it concise and to the point. Use bullet points and avoid long paragraphs. Also, focus on specific details that will be valuable to the employer, such as any specialized training, licenses or certificates that are relevant to the job.

Another best practice is to tailor your education and training section to the position you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a writing position at a fashion magazine, highlighting any fashion-related courses or writing projects can help you stand out.

Including your education and training in your creative writer resume can be a valuable tool in helping you land your dream job. By following these best practices, your resume will showcase your educational achievements and qualifications in the most effective way possible.

Showcasing Relevant Skills and Competencies

As a creative writer, there are certain key skills and competencies that you should highlight on your resume. These skills not only demonstrate your writing ability but also show how you stand out from other writers in the field.

Key Skills for Creative Writers

Writing Skills : Your writing skills are your bread and butter as a creative writer. You must be able to create compelling narratives, craft vivid descriptions, and create characters that resonate with your readers.

Research Skills : Good creative writing involves a great deal of research. You must be able to conduct in-depth research to create a realistic and authentic world for your readers.

Editing Skills : Editing is an essential part of the writing process. You must be able to revise and refine your work until it is polished and ready for publication.

Time Management : Creativity doesn’t always come on demand, but deadlines do. You must be able to manage your time effectively to ensure that you deliver your work on time.

Examples of How to Demonstrate These Skills

Writing Skills : Showcase your writing skills by including a writing sample with your resume. Choose a piece that showcases your ability to create compelling narratives and vivid descriptions.

Research Skills : Highlight your research skills by including a project where you had to conduct extensive research. Briefly describe the research you conducted and how it impacted the final product.

Editing Skills : Emphasize your editing skills by showcasing a before and after example of a piece you have edited. Describe the changes you made and how they improved the piece.

Time Management : Demonstrate your time management skills by including a project where you had to juggle multiple deadlines. Highlight how you prioritized your work and delivered your projects on time.

By showcasing these skills and competencies on your resume, you demonstrate that you are a well-rounded creative writer who can deliver high-quality work on time. This will help you stand out from other candidates and land your dream job in the creative writing field.

Including Awards and Achievements

When it comes to creating a resume as a creative writer, it’s important to showcase your accomplishments and recognition within the industry. Including awards and achievements can help set you apart from the competition and demonstrate your expertise. Here are some best practices for presenting awards and achievements on your resume:

Best practices for presenting awards and achievements

Make a separate section for awards and achievements: Consider creating a separate section on your resume specifically for awards and achievements. This will make it easier for potential employers to find and recognize your accomplishments.

Be specific: When listing awards or achievements, be specific about what you earned the recognition for. Include the name of the award, the organization, and the year it was received.

Highlight the most relevant accomplishments: If you have a long list of awards or achievements, consider only including the ones that are the most relevant to the job you’re applying for. This will help demonstrate that you have the skills and experience necessary for the role.

Use bullet points: Create a bullet point list of your awards and achievements to make them easy to read and quickly scan.

Examples of awards and achievements relevant to creative writers

Here are some examples of awards and achievements that could be relevant to a creative writer:

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction: This award recognizes exceptional works of fiction, which would demonstrate your ability to craft compelling stories.

National Book Award: Winning this award demonstrates your expertise in writing and would be a significant accomplishment on a resume.

Pushcart Prize: This award recognizes exceptional short stories, essays, or poems, which would demonstrate your ability to create impactful pieces within a limited timeframe.

Best New Poets: Being selected for this annual anthology showcases your talent as an up-and-coming poet.

Lambda Literary Award: This award honors exceptional LGBTQ literature, which would demonstrate your dedication to inclusivity and representation in your writing.

By including relevant awards and achievements on your resume, you can demonstrate your expertise and catch the attention of potential employers. Remember to be specific, highlight the most relevant accomplishments, and make them easy to read with bullet points.

Creative Writer Resume Tips and Tricks

In addition to the examples and tips already provided, there are further strategies you can use to craft a standout creative writer resume. The following tips and tricks can help you make your resume more competitive and compelling:

Additional Tips for Crafting a Standout Creative Writer Resume

Highlight your unique skills: As a creative writer, you likely have skills that set you apart from other candidates. Whether it’s your ability to develop compelling storylines or your knack for writing vivid descriptions, be sure to showcase what makes you unique in your resume.

Create a portfolio: While your resume should demonstrate your skills and experience, a portfolio of your writing can be invaluable in showcasing your talent. Consider creating a website or online portfolio where you can showcase your best work.

Use active language: Avoid passive phrases such as “responsible for” or “involved in.” Instead, use active language to describe your achievements and responsibilities. For example, rather than saying “assisted with project management,” say “managed project timelines and budgets.”

Cater your resume to the job: When applying for a specific job, it’s important to tailor your resume to the position. Review the job description and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant. Use the language and keywords in the job posting to make sure your resume stands out to the employer.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While there are many things you can do to make your creative writer resume stand out, there are also common mistakes that can hold your resume back. Here are a few things to avoid:

Spelling and grammar errors: As a writer, it’s important to demonstrate strong writing skills in your resume. Spelling and grammar errors can suggest that you lack attention to detail and may not take your work seriously.

Too much information: While it’s important to provide a comprehensive overview of your skills and experience, it’s also important to be concise. Try to limit your resume to one or two pages, and focus on providing the most relevant information.

Lack of specificity: Avoid vague statements such as “worked on various projects” or “contributed to the team.” Instead, be specific about the projects you worked on and the specific contributions you made.

By incorporating these tips and avoiding common mistakes, you can create a creative writer resume that stands out and impresses potential employers.

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Creative Ways to Illustrate Design Skills on Your Resume (25+ Examples)

This in-depth guide from recruiters covers everything you need to know about creating a resume that highlights your creativity and design skills, including essential skills and sample bullet points.

2 years ago   •   8 min read

There’s more to showcasing design skills on your job application than simply handing in a well-designed resume. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who are creative, versatile, and skilled in their area of expertise .

So, how do you prove all that with a single piece of paper? Keep scrolling for:

• Sample creativity and design bullet points for different industries
• Essential hard skills that highlight creativity
• Design-focused action verbs to illustrate soft skills
• How to format your design resume
• Tried and tested examples from real design resumes

Let's dive right in!

How to say you’re creative on a resume

• Start with the job description . Think about what kind of design skills are needed for the role — print, digital, branding, creative direction, etc.
• Do some background research on the company . Try to get a feel for their corporate brand, style, and creative direction.
• Prepare a digital portfolio . This doesn’t need to include every piece you’ve ever completed — limit it to your best and most relevant work.
• Link to your portfolio in your resume header . You can also highlight selected projects in a separate projects section .
• Include 3-6 bullet points for each job in your work experience section , focusing on accomplishments that reflect responsibilities listed in the job ad.
• Focus on the impact of your work , not just the work itself. Use concrete metrics like revenue generated, time saved, and number of projects completed.
• Stick to a clean, simple resume template. The best place to show off your creativity is in your portfolio — not in your resume itself.

Here are examples of some of our favorite bullet points we've seen on resumes for emphasizing your design skills and creativity.

Bullet points to highlight design skills

Your work experience section is the most essential part of your resume and the part that hiring managers pay the most attention to. Here are some examples of bullet points that show your creativity and design skills in action:

• Conceptualized, designed, and developed marketing pages and custom features of e-commerce website, directly contributed to over 140% increase in revenue year over year.
• Designed custom email templates for monthly newsletters and marketing emails, Improved click through rate by 150%.
• Used Google Analytics to track and increase the success of websites by 15%.

Product design

• Conducted 25+ user-testing focus groups leading to 3 new product features in 6 months.
• Led application design sessions with client teams on 20+ projects to develop functional and technical requirements.

UX / UI design

• Revamped website flows and navigation menus, reducing the frequency of misdirected customer service queries by 30% and increasing traffic to previously neglected pages.
• Conducted evaluative testing with 10+ participants using InVision and UserTesting.com; synthesized and designed against findings which reduced bounce rate for primary user flow by 30%.

Branding and advertising

• Created 20+ advertisements for theaters and restaurants for use in print and online advertising.
• Designed and developed branding for 50+ companies, creating logo designs, business cards, stationery, marketing materials, websites, imagery layouts, and electronic books to acquire business productivity/growth.

Graphic design

• Created 10+ graphics, slide templates, and PPT materials for meetings and appropriate mock-ups for clients.
• Planned, created, and developed 20+ graphic materials for conferences, including signages, tent cards, name badges, various handouts, gifts, email and form headers, microsites, flyers, t-shirts, and other program books.

Game design

• Created over 500 game character models with the character effects team requirements.
• Expertly manipulated game characters to interact with the digital environment using Maya.

Film and photography

• Photographed 20+ clients for headshots, holiday cards, and glamor shots.
• Assisted in production of over 50 films and 10 web series throughout the period of 5 years in a variety of roles including production, art design, camera assistance, lighting and script assistance.

Fashion design

• Designed and merchandised 100 styles, 4 seasons per year, using knits, linens, and wovens.
• Created marketing campaigns for 16+ lookbooks, 31+ website updates, 15 monthly newsletters, and collection launches in the first month.

Architecture and interior design

• Created detailed landscape designs for 14 commercial properties, including 23 outdoor seating areas and 120 signages, increasing customer engagement by 39%.
• Guided 200+ clients through the kitchen design process, from on-site measurements and design revisions.

Design leadership

• Created and designed three brand expansions in 2 years.
• Directed and managed 15 assistant designers, graphic designers, and product development staff.
• Strategically oversaw the daily graphic design content from concept to the finished project, regularly working on graphic, layout, and production materials, gaining a 100% success rate on all projects and deliverables.
• Received the 2017 Standout Award for designs that secured a $250,000 contract with an international client.
• Scheduled 10+ meetings per month with clients to discuss project progress and review samples.
• Attended 5+ conferences to maintain brand awareness and industry design trends.
• Monitored the progress on projects and met 100% compliance to publisher standards and schedule.

Essential hard skills for your resume that highlight your creativity and design

Design skills fall into a few different categories. Always check the job ad for details of exactly what skills the position requires, but in general, here are some of the most in demand:

General design skills

• Font Selection
• Storyboarding
• Design Strategy

Print design

• Illustration
• Concept Art
• Color Theory
• Composition
• Background Drawing

Digital design

• Front-end Development
• User Experience (UX)
• User Interface Design
• Prototyping
• Wireframing
• Photography
• Video Production
• Video Editing
• Fashion Design
• Interior Design
• Motion Graphics

Design software

• After Effects
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Dreamweaver
• Affinity Designer
• Brand Development
• Corporate Identity
• Advertising
• Logo Design
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Digital Marketing
• Google Analytics
• Social Media
• Copywriting
• Packaging Design

Creative leadership

• Art Direction
• Film Direction
• Design Thinking
• User-centered Design
• Service Design
• Design Research

An easy way to check if you’ve shown hiring managers your design and creative skills is to upload your resume to the tool below - It’ll tell you if your resume highlights the right hard and soft skills that showcase your creativity and design skills.

Don't list soft skills; use design-focused action verbs instead

Unlike the hard skills listed above, you can’t list skills like creativity or imagination in your skills section . Instead, use your work experience section to point to examples of when you’ve used those skills in the workplace. Try starting your accomplishments with action verbs like:

• Conceptualized
• Illustrated
• Streamlined

How to format your design resume (or, when it's okay to get creative)

The best way to show off your design skills is to create an eye-catching, unique, design-heavy resume, right?

Wrong. A simple resume format is always your best option, even if you're applying for creative roles. But if you're itching to show off your design expertise, here's where it's okay to get a little creative with your resume format — and where it isn't.

Be creative with these elements

Choose a font that reflects your style — but make sure you stick to the standard (pre-installed) options. Downloaded fonts won't always appear correctly on other computers, and hiring managers can't be impressed by your resume if it doesn't make it past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) .

Use white space liberally. Not only does it look visually appealing, it also makes your resume much easier to skim.

Make your section titles stand out. Bold, italics, underline, section breaks, and capitals are all good ways of doing this.

Reflect your personal branding. Using a resume template that reflects your personal style or incorporating a small element that makes you stand out can be a simple but powerful way to give recruiters a sense of your approach to design.

Go easy on these elements

Use color in limited amounts. Choosing a single color for your section titles or resume header is fine, but keep in mind that this formatting may be stripped by ATS.

Using columns is fine. While a single-column layout is more traditional, 2-column resumes are still perfectly acceptable, even to the most traditional recruiters. Just steer clear of using tables to organize your resume, since this doesn't always translate well across different file types.

Stay traditional with these elements

Avoid images, infographics, and other non-text elements. These can't be read by ATS and are harder to skim.

Don't give in to gimmicks. Presenting your resume via a QR code , as a solvable puzzle, or on a t-shirt might all seem like cool ideas, but hiring managers don't want to be entertained by your resume — they want to be able to read it.

List your work experience in chronological order , with your most recent position at the top. Functional or simplified resumes may look cool, but they obfuscate the most important part of your resume — your work experience.

Save your resume as a PDF. This is especially critical if you've incorporated any "extra" design elements, since it preserves your formatting and ensures that your resume looks the same to a recruiter as it does to you.

Design-focused resume templates

Ready to get started? Here are some examples from real design resumes handpicked by recruiters.

Listing creativity and design skills on your resume

Don’t try to pack too much into your skills section — stick to 10-15 of the most relevant skills (matching your industry or the job description). If you have a lot of different skills, use subheadings to keep them organized and make your resume easier to skim.

Here’s a sample skills section for a graphic designer resume that you can copy and paste:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - Techniques: MS Project, Digital Design, Website Graphics, Visual Design - Technical Skills / Software: Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft 365, PC and Mac Platforms - Certifications: Graphic Designer Bootcamp (2016), Passed Resume Worded examinations

If you’re not sure what skills to include in your skills section, search for the job using the tool below and it’ll instantly give you a list of creative and design skills relevant to the role. For example, you can search for Graphic Designer to get skills  that hiring managers in the graphic design industry want to see.

Using metrics to highlight your work

Including numbers, metrics, or other concrete results in your bullet points is the best way to highlight what you actually accomplished — it tells the hiring manager how good you are (so you don't have to).

Linking a digital portfolio

You can link to your portfolio:

• In your resume header
• In a separate projects section
• On your LinkedIn profile

Highlighting creative projects

If you lack traditional work experience in a specific design area, it's easier than you think to make up for that. Including one or two personal or academic projects in a resume projects section shows recruiters what you can do and emphasizes that you're committed to this particular career path.

Tailoring your resume and portfolio

You should tailor your resume for any position, but for design roles, it’s especially important to research the company you’re applying to beforehand. Take some time to get a sense of their house style, brand, and direction, and curate your portfolio to showcase a few of your most relevant samples.

For more advice on how to personalize your resume, you can upload your resume and a copy of the job description to Targeted Resume . The free AI-powered program will then analyze the posting and identify any key skills missing from your resume.

Key takeaways

If nothing else, keep in mind these do’s and don’ts for resumes that need to showcase creativity and design skills.

• Highlight design accomplishments and soft skills in your bullet points
• List technical skills in your skills section
• Include a link to a portfolio that showcases your work
• Add any design-related degrees or short courses to your education section
• Mention any relevant awards, projects, or other activities
• Write a graphic designer resume summary
• Tailor your resume for each company you apply to
• Get too creative with your resume itself — it should be well-designed but simple

Spread the word

Saying you're flexible or adaptable on a resume (without bending over backward), highlight an executive mba with these resume tips, keep reading, how to show bilingualism on your resume (with examples), oops what to do if there’s a mistake on your resume, getting the basics right: resume line spacing, subscribe to our newsletter.

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Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

39 Creative Resume Examples & Templates (Creative CV Ideas)

This page may contain links from our sponsors. Here’s how we make money .

A creative resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is one document you can’t skimp on. This is true for everyone, but especially for designers and other creative professionals.

When applying for a job, the first impression you create is strong and longest-lasting. The same is true when making contact with a new potential client. That first impression has to help you stand out from your competitors.

That first impression is usually made via an online application, your website, an email, or even through social media. Hopefully, you already have a strong portfolio website , either a personal portfolio or your freelance business site. And hopefully, your social media presence continues your personal or business brand look and feel. But what about your resume?

Most job applications ask applicants to attach a CV or a resume. And after initial, brief research on your website or social media accounts, a prospective client will often ask for a resume if they don’t find the information they need or if they need to present a list of freelancers to their boss.

As such, no matter if you’re searching for a job or trying to land new clients, your resume design could be what differentiates you from a competitor with similar skills and level of experience. The right kind of creative resume truly reflects your character and experience in an expressive way.

The following are some excellent creative resume and CV examples to help get ideas flowing for your own resume design. Notice that some tend to remain more straightforward and business-like with a hint of creativity thrown in. Some go over the top in the creative aspect. And others strike a nice balance between the two extremes.

Designers have discovered new methods to showcase their skills and attributes in a bold way with creative CVs and resumes. You can come up with a highly creative resume idea, design it and then showcase your skills and abilities to the whole world.

You’ll need to make a calculated decision on your own resume design. If your brand look and style of work is highly artistic, then, by all means, go all out. If, however, you’re applying for a job in a less creative field, you may want to tone down tons of graphics and colors and stick with a more corporate look that still creatively reflects your personal brand.

Best Creative Resume Examples

We’ve searched to find the most creative resumes available. These creative resume examples and creative CV examples are sure to provide plenty of inspiration. And best of all, if you see a template you like, you can purchase it to save hours of your time.

Creative Resume by Jahangir Alam Jisan

Jisan’s creative CV uses icons, color, and bold banners to add creativity to his resume design. Plus, the unusual layout helps the information to stand out nicely while still maintaining a professional and organized look.

My Resume by Soumitra Saxena

This is another creative resume design that shows off the designer’s humor as well as his wide range of skills. Even with the creative illustration and extra information, the graphic design is still clean and organized, which says a lot about his engineering side as well.

Curriculum Vitae by Anton Yermolov

Both clean and colorful, Yermolov’s CV design stands out with neat columns and colorful icons. His illustrated self-portrait is a nice alternative to a photo and ensures it will look nice even if a client uses their own poor-quality printer to print a copy.

CV – Take a Look Inside by Amber Van Mieghem

Both the format and the fold of this CV design is fantastically creative. Amber does an excellent job of creating intrigue and keeping attention by leading to the next page with the fold.

Shameless Self-Promotion by Kyle Robertson

A personal logo is always a safe way to add some originality to a professional resume that needs to remain more on the corporate side. Robertson doesn’t stop there, though. His beautiful choice of fonts also adds to the appeal of his creative resume design.

My Resume by darthkix

Fitting a lot of information onto a single page is one of the more difficult parts of a resume, but darthkix solves this problem quite beautifully. The silhouette graphic on the background is a brilliant way to break up his information neatly but uniquely.

Resume by Yojna Shetty

I love how this creative resume organizes so much content so neatly onto a single page. At first glance, it is almost overwhelming, but the lines and other graphics help to draw the eye from one section to the next quite easily. It should not take very long for the viewer to go through it so each section and detail should be connected to the next one and everything should be displayed in a rather expressive and creative manner.

Self-Promotion by Syril Bobadilla

The bright colors in this original resume by Bobadilla are stunningly balanced out by the excellent, clean layout of content. Plus, the custom fonts add a very nice, original touch to the entire design.

Curriculum_Vitae by Francisco Hidalgo

I highly urge you to visit Hidalgo’s Behance page to view his curriculum vitae in full effect, as the images above do not do his gorgeous illustration justice. You can build on this idea and design similar creative resumes that are more than just a professional resume. Not only does his design show off his illustration skills, it also keeps his information easy to read and digest in a memorable viewing experience. Beautiful!

Curriculum Vitae by Camila Soto

Handwritten fonts and illustrations are a stunning touch in this creative CV and infographic resume by Soto. I love how each section is divided into boxes. Different calligraphic fonts have been put to use, few items have been sketched and you get a colorful resume for your work.

Resume by Roberta Cicerone

I really love how this website resume could also double as a poster-like print resume design. Roberta does an excellent job of keeping a visitor scrolling with uniquely phrased section headers and dotted lines. Different geometrical figures and calligraphic fonts have been displayed in quite a skeptical and playful way. Her illustrations and custom fonts are stunning!

Matthew Jhon Creative Resume Template

This modern template is perfect for a graphic designer or creative professional who wants a resume that makes a strong first impression on a hiring manager. You’ll have a place for your work experience highlights, as well as your education, skills, and contact info. The header and footer feature a stylish design. It comes as a Microsoft Word file (DOCX) and as a PDF.

This is one of the most creative and unique resume or CV templates you’ll find. It’s colorful and also includes a small illustration, as well as some shapes and icons. It comes in Ai, EPS, and PSD formats.

Alex Buell Template

If you want a resume or CV that stands out, this template is an excellent choice. It features a little bit of color and some subtle but stylish design elements to impress viewers. You can use the template in Word, Illustrator, or Photoshop. It comes in PDF and EPS format.

Colorful Resume Template

Who says resumes have to be boring? This template uses a lot of color, especially in the header, to really stand out. It comes in vector format (Ai and EPS file formats) and includes a template for a cover letter.

Charles Midleton Template

Here is another bright, colorful curriculum vitae template 100% guaranteed to stand out. It can be edited in Word, Photoshop, or Illustrator to quickly and easily create a beautiful resume. Shapes and colors make this design unique, but it also includes all the details needed to be effective.

Anthony Arlo

This colorful template features a large header with a photo and shapes that make a nice background for your bio and contact info. It also displays your relevant experience and skills attractively. Edit the template in Photoshop, Illustrator, or Word.

Lester Chandler

This package includes a two-page creative CV template and a cover letter template. This design features bold black & white, large photos, and a clean design. It’s perfect for creative professionals who want a great-looking resume showcasing their abilities.

Modern CV Resume Template

This template features a stylish design and a big header with a place for your photo. The skills section uses a creative way to display your most essential skills and your level of expertise. It also includes a nice cover letter template.

Darryl Philbin

This creative resume template and CV template is also professional. It’s exceptionally well designed with a lot of style to ensure you stand out. There’s a spot for a photo in the header, and the download even comes with a photo filter, so your photo will match the style shown in the preview above.

Mono Resume

We’ve looked at some examples of colorful resumes, but this one takes a different approach with a monochromatic color scheme. It’s perfect for creative professionals because the header is innovative and interesting, allowing you to enter a photo. It’s also got plenty of room for all the important details about your experience and accomplishments.

Alan Querin

Here is another black & white design that definitely stands out from the typical resume template or CV template. It uses typography and some well-designed content blocks to create a truly professional resume.

If you want a resume or CV that will stand out without taking extreme measures regarding an unusual design, this one is a good option. It uses color and some nice design elements, but still has a clean look and feel. It comes in PSD, Ai, and EPS formats.

Steven Gerard

This unique design includes a full-page photo with a greeting and a second page with a full resume or CV with a photo header. The full-page photo could be skipped if you want the simple one-page option. It’s a well-designed and colorful template that you’ll love.

Mauro Haskey Template

This template uses a beautiful design and layout that features a small photo and a brief profile in the sidebar. It includes all the necessary details like contact info, work experience, and education. The skills section at the bottom uses star ratings to display strengths in different areas creatively.

Juandha Whitney

This clean and elegant template makes creating a curriculum vitae with a professional look easy. You’ll be able to show off your strongest skills, education, and work experience.

Claire Ridley

Here is another very clean and professional CV template with a nice design. The header includes room for a photo and a brief bio before getting into the details of your experience and background.

Henry Silly Template

Present your qualifications in a clean and professional way with the help of this creative resume template. It comes in Illustrator format with five different color variations that you can choose from, and of course, you can also edit the colors if you’d like.

Pink Resume Template

Now, here is one that’s sure to be unique! The design uses a pink background, probably unlike any resume you’ve ever seen. It also includes all of the usual details, so it’s functional too.

This template uses some splashes of color for a creative CV design. It includes space for a headshot, a skills section that utilizes star ratings, and an additional template for a cover letter. The download includes the designs in Ai and EPS formats.

Two-Page Modern Resume Template

This unique resume template is not only creative in terms of design and style, but it’s also one of the few two-page templates you’ll see in this showcase. The first page includes details about you and your skills, and the second page is focused on work experience and education. The templates come in Word and InDesign formats.

Indah Kusuma

This CV template uses a colorful header with a photo. The rest of the design is fairly clean and simple. You’ll also get matching cover letter templates. The files can be edited in Word, Photoshop, or Illustrator.

The Peachy CV Resume Template

The Peachy template makes use of icons and content blocks to display your experience and qualifications in an attractive way. The header includes a spot for a small photo along with your name and contact info. This template is ideal for highlighting a few past jobs or specific experiences that you’ve gained.

Taylor Sheeran Template

This stylish design stands out from the typical resume template without being too unconventional. The dark header and footer add contrast and visual interest. The header includes space for a small photo. It also comes with a template for a matching cover letter, which is sure to come in handy.

Carol Holmes

This modern resume template’s layout is pretty unique and will make you stand out from other job applicants. It also comes with a cover letter template and can be edited easily in Microsoft Word.

Jim Halpert

Although it’s a fairly simple design, this CV is definitely unique. It makes excellent use of typography and gives you a solid template that could be used in many different industries.

Anthony Silver

With the help of this template, you can get a very professional CV in no time. There’s a sport for your photo in the head, and the resume layout is beautifully designed to show off your experience and skills. It is provided in InDesign file format.

Web Designer Resume Template

This template is a fun way for web designers to present their professional resume or CV. It includes a spot for a QR code at the top, which is a cool touch. Of course, there’s also a section to show off your experience, and the skills section at the bottom presents a way to display your specific skills visually.

Walter Smith

With this template, you can pack plenty of detail into your resume or CV without a cluttered look. You’ll have a place for your work experience, education, skills, contact info, references, and a brief profile and photo. It comes in four different color variations.

You Only Have a Few Seconds… A Creative Resume Will Help

Your creative resume can make a strong first impression on a potential employer or recruiter. How creative is your resume or CV design? Are you confident yours will stand out from the rest of the pile? If not, then you may want to use one of the creative resume examples above (or use a resume builder) to model your own design, but don’t forget to consider your audience. And have fun with it so that your creative passion shines through loud and clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

A creative CV or resume will show off your skills or experience in a way that sounds out from most text-based resumes during a job search. It may include color or a more unique visual design. If you’re in a creative industries, like designers, taking this approach as a job seeker may help you to get an interview.

The easiest way is to use one of the many templates showcased on this page. In just a few minutes, you can have a beautiful resume or CV that you can be proud of. Check the creative CV ideas in this article to find one you like.

If you’re in a creative industry, taking a more original approach to your resume can be effective and may help you to land your dream job. However, in other industries you may be better off with a more traditional resume.

It really depends on the person who is receiving and reviewing the resumes. Look at it this way, many job openings receive at least 100 resumes. The creative approach is sure to makes your stand out and be noticed. Will it help every time? No. But getting noticed is an important step if you want to get an interview, especially in a creative profession.

Tara Hornor enjoys writing about advertising, marketing, branding, web and graphic design, and more. As Senior Editor for Creative Content Experts, she has over 2,000 published articles on the web. Connect with @TaraHornor for more design and freelancing advice.

How to Write a Killer Resume for Creative Professions

There are some key principles to good resume writing that everyone should follow but creative professionals have some special challenges and opportunities.

In this article, I’ll explain what they are and provide 5 tips for developing a really effective resume – one that recruiters can’t resist.

Creative Resume Tip #1: Remember it’s a Business

Yes, it’s important that you have great creative talents and that people love your work, but you’re there to help the organization succeed. If you’re a graphic designer, your designs are supposed to drive revenue or profit gains. If you’re a music producer, your audio is supposed to do the same.

No matter what your creative profession, you are using your creativity towards an end goal. And you must keep that end goal in mind when you write your resume. Show employers that you know how to harness your creativity to help the organization succeed.

(This is why it’s important to try to find out the results of your work if people don’t usually share it with you. Keep a record so that when you have to write a resume, it’s easy to do).

Creative Resume Tip #2: You can be a Little Different

Don’t be stuffy or too formal with your resume design and layout. Being in a creative field gives you a little more leeway than someone who works as an accountant.

Use colors. Add a personal logo if you have one. If you’re a graphic designer, think about ways you can demonstrate that skill. If you are an illustrator, consider using one of your drawings in the resume. A fashion designer might include a design sketch. And no matter what profession, include a link to an online portfolio of your work.

Creative Resume Tip #3: Don’t be Too Different

You must strike a delicate balance with your resume. A little creativity is good, but too much can obscure your message. When thinking about how you can spice up your resume, keep your value proposition and strategy top of mind. The key is to use creativity to enhance your message not obscure it.

Also, be aware of constraints if you will be emailing your resume. You must send a MS Word version because PDFs are not readable by applicant tracking systems (meaning your resume won’t be found months from now when the company scans its resume database looking for a designer). And when you email Word documents, your documents can lose their formatting if you don’t use common system fonts.

I work on a Mac but many of my clients are on a PC. Fonts I have found to travel well include Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, Tahoma and Trebuchet.

Creative Resume Tip #4: Put Yourself in the Manager’s Shoes

This isn’t really a tip just for creatives , it applies to everyone. When writing your resume, forget about yourself and what you want and start thinking about the hiring manager and what he wants.

As he looks for a sound engineer or interior designer or architect, what will be his primary concerns? What will he want to find? What will he want to avoid? If you’re not sure, ask people you know who hire for positions like yours. And read lots of job postings looking for the common themes. When applying to a specific company, you can also research their products and their current situation to look for hints about what will matter most to them.

Creative Resume Tip #5: Make the Introduction Count!

Once you know what the hiring manager wants, show him that you have it right upfront.

Start your resume with a strong profile that summarizes exactly what you have to offer and why you would be the best person for the job. I can’t tell you what should be in here – that will depend on what the manager’s primary concerns are. But you can review our resume samples to get some ideas.

In the end my advice boils down to this: your resume should show that you are the perfect creative professional to meet the target employer’s needs. If you use these tips to make sure your resume does that, you will get more calls.

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Top 12 Creative Writer Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's competitive job market, standing out as a creative writer involves showcasing a unique blend of skills on your resume that highlight your storytelling abilities and adaptability across various writing styles. This article delves into the top 12 skills you need to feature on your resume to capture the attention of potential employers and demonstrate your prowess in the art of creative writing.

Creative Writer Skills

• Storytelling
• Character Development
• Worldbuilding
• Microsoft Word
• Google Docs
• Adobe InDesign

1. Storytelling

Storytelling, in the context of a creative writer, is the art of conveying a narrative through the imaginative construction of events, characters, and settings, aimed at engaging the audience's emotions, intellect, and imagination.

Why It's Important

Storytelling is crucial for a Creative Writer as it enables the effective conveyance of ideas, emotions, and experiences, engaging the audience's imagination and fostering a deep connection between the writer and the reader.

How to Improve Storytelling Skills

Improving storytelling, especially for a creative writer, involves honing various skills and techniques. Here are concise tips with relevant resources for deep dives:

Read Widely : Exposure to different styles, genres, and authors can inspire and teach you new methods. Goodreads offers extensive book lists and recommendations.

Practice Writing Regularly : Like any skill, storytelling improves with practice. Websites like 750 Words encourage daily writing habits.

Learn Story Structure : Understanding classic story structures can help in crafting compelling narratives. This guide on The Write Practice offers insights into structuring stories effectively.

Develop Characters : Characters are the heart of any story. Learn to create multidimensional characters with this resource from Writers Digest.

Show, Don't Tell : This principle helps readers experience the story through actions, senses, and feelings rather than through the author's exposition. This article from AutoCrit explains it further.

Seek Feedback : Getting critiques from other writers or readers can highlight areas for improvement. Consider joining a community like Scribophile for feedback.

Edit Ruthlessly : Great stories often emerge in the editing phase. Learn editing tips from The Creative Penn .

Study Storytelling Techniques : Dive into storytelling techniques and how to apply them with courses from platforms like MasterClass or Coursera .

By incorporating these tips and utilizing the linked resources, you can significantly improve your storytelling skills as a creative writer.

How to Display Storytelling Skills on Your Resume

Editing, for a creative writer, involves revising and refining a manuscript to enhance clarity, coherence, structure, and style, while correcting errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling to improve overall quality and readability.

Editing is crucial for a creative writer as it refines and polishes their work, ensuring clarity, coherence, and engagement, while also enhancing the narrative's impact and reader's experience.

How to Improve Editing Skills

To enhance your editing skills as a creative writer:

Read Widely : Exposure to various writing styles and genres can inspire and refine your editing skills. Goodreads offers a wide selection of books to explore.

Practice Self-Editing : Start by taking breaks between writing and editing to gain a fresh perspective. Tools like Grammarly can help catch basic errors before deeper edits.

Join Writing Groups : Feedback from peers can offer new insights. Websites like Scribophile facilitate critique-sharing with fellow writers.

Study Editing Guides : Books such as "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White provide invaluable editing advice. Visit Project Gutenberg for free access to classic literature and references.

Attend Workshops and Courses : Platforms like Coursera and MasterClass offer courses taught by professionals to hone your editing skills.

Use Editing Software : Advanced software like ProWritingAid offers in-depth analysis that can improve your writing and editing over time.

Practice, Practice, Practice : Regular writing and editing are key to improvement. Set aside dedicated time for both activities each day.

By incorporating these strategies, you'll enhance your editing skills, contributing to your growth as a creative writer.

How to Display Editing Skills on Your Resume

3. Scrivener

Scrivener is a versatile writing software designed for creative writers, offering tools for drafting, organizing, revising, and compiling long texts like novels, scripts, and research projects.

Scrivener is important for creative writers because it provides an all-in-one platform for organizing research, structuring ideas, and composing long texts in a flexible and user-friendly environment, thereby enhancing productivity and creativity.

How to Improve Scrivener Skills

To enhance Scrivener for Creative Writers, consider these concise tips:

• Master the Basics : Start with Scrivener's interactive tutorial to grasp the fundamentals tailored to writing projects.
• Customize Your Workspace : Tailor the interface to suit your writing style. Focus on Composition Mode for distraction-free writing and adjust the Editor to your liking. Learn more through this customization guide .
• Utilize the Corkboard and Outliner : Plan and structure your narrative effectively using the Corkboard and Outliner tools for an overview of your project.
• Leverage Project Targets : Set word counts and deadlines using Project Targets to keep on track. This guide on setting targets can help.
• Compile Like a Pro : Master the Compile function for exporting your manuscript into various formats. This compilation guide offers insights.
• Sync with External Editors : Use Scrivener in conjunction with external editors like ProWritingAid for advanced editing. Explore syncing options here .
• Explore Scrivener’s Research Capabilities : Organize your research within the project for easy access. Tips on harnessing these features are found in this research management guide.

By following these steps and exploring the provided resources, Creative Writers can maximize their Scrivener experience, making the writing process more efficient and enjoyable.

How to Display Scrivener Skills on Your Resume

4. Grammarly

Grammarly is a digital writing assistant that provides grammar checking, spell checking, and plagiarism detection services, helping creative writers enhance the clarity, coherence, and correctness of their work.

Grammarly is important for a creative writer as it enhances clarity, corrects grammar and spelling errors, and refines the overall readability of their work, ensuring their ideas are communicated effectively and professionally.

How to Improve Grammarly Skills

To improve Grammarly for a Creative Writer:

Customize Style Goals : Use Grammarly's goal-setting feature to tailor feedback to your genre or writing style, enhancing creativity and coherence (Grammarly Support).

Expand Vocabulary : Leverage the vocabulary enhancement feature to diversify language and avoid repetition, enriching narratives (Grammarly Blog).

Integrate with Writing Tools : Utilize Grammarly's integration with popular writing platforms like Google Docs and Scrivener for seamless editing and feedback (Grammarly Apps).

Learn from Insights : Analyze performance statistics provided by Grammarly to identify common errors and areas for improvement, refining your craft over time (Grammarly Insights).

Engage with the Grammarly Community : Share tips and seek advice from other writers in the Grammarly community, fostering creativity and learning new writing strategies (Grammarly Community).

How to Display Grammarly Skills on Your Resume

5. Plotting

Plotting in creative writing refers to the process of planning and structuring the sequence of events that make up a story, including the setup, conflict, and resolution, to create a coherent and engaging narrative.

Plotting is crucial for a creative writer as it provides a roadmap for the story, ensuring coherent structure, pacing, and character development, which engages readers and delivers a satisfying narrative experience.

How to Improve Plotting Skills

Improving plotting as a creative writer involves developing a structured yet flexible approach to crafting your story's roadmap. Focus on these key strategies:

Outline Your Story : Start with a basic outline to organize your thoughts and plot structure. This can range from a simple bullet-point list of events to a detailed chapter-by-chapter breakdown. Well-Storied offers a comprehensive guide on different outlining techniques.

Understand Story Structure : Familiarize yourself with classic story structures like the Three-Act Structure, the Hero's Journey, or the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet. These frameworks provide a blueprint for pacing your narrative effectively. Reedsy breaks down these and other structures.

Develop Your Characters : Characters drive the plot. Ensure your characters have clear motivations, obstacles, and arcs. This depth makes the plot more engaging and believable. Writers Digest offers tips on character development.

Incorporate Conflict and Tension : Conflict is the heart of any plot. It can be internal (character vs. self), external (character vs. character, society, nature), or both. Tension keeps readers engaged. Now Novel discusses how to effectively write conflict and tension.

Use Subplots Wisely : Subplots can enrich your main plot, offering depth and complexity. Ensure they tie into the main storyline and contribute to character development or theme. MasterClass provides insights into creating effective subplots.

Revise and Refine : Plotting doesn’t end with the first draft. Revising allows you to spot plot holes, pacing issues, and areas where the conflict or tension may sag. Be open to restructuring your plot during this phase. The Creative Penn has tips on revising your plot.

Remember, plotting is a skill that improves with practice and study. Don't be afraid to experiment with different plotting techniques to find what works best for your storytelling style.

How to Display Plotting Skills on Your Resume

6. Character Development

Character development is the process by which a writer creates and evolves characters' personalities, backgrounds, and motivations throughout a story, making them more complex and relatable to the audience.

Character development is crucial for creative writers because it deepens the audience's emotional connection, drives the plot through characters' decisions and growth, and creates a more immersive and believable story world, enhancing overall engagement and investment in the narrative.

How to Improve Character Development Skills

Improving character development involves deepening your understanding of your characters' backgrounds, motivations, and changes throughout your story. Here's a concise guide to enhance your character development skills:

Create Detailed Backstories : Understand each character's history. What events shaped their beliefs and behaviors? This depth adds realism and relatability.

Define Clear Motivations : Know what drives your characters. Their goals and fears should influence their actions throughout the story.

Show Growth and Change : Allow your characters to evolve. Their experiences should impact their decisions and viewpoints, reflecting real human growth.

Use Dialogue Wisely : Dialogue can reveal a lot about a character. How they speak, what they say, and what they don't say can all add layers to their personality.

Explore Relationships : Characters don't exist in a vacuum. Their interactions with others can highlight different facets of their personality and trigger change.

For further reading and more detailed guides, consider the following resources:

Creating Characters on Writer's Digest offers tips on making memorable characters.

Character Development: How to Write Great Characters from Reedsy Blog provides a comprehensive overview of character development techniques.

The Art of Character Development on MasterClass features professional advice from established authors on crafting compelling characters.

These resources will give you a deeper insight into the nuances of character development, helping you to create more engaging and believable characters in your writing.

How to Display Character Development Skills on Your Resume

7. Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary universe with coherent qualities such as history, geography, ecology, and culture, providing the setting and context for stories within that universe.

Worldbuilding is crucial for a creative writer because it establishes a coherent and immersive universe, enriching storytelling by providing a believable and engaging backdrop for characters and plots, enhancing reader experience and emotional investment.

How to Improve Worldbuilding Skills

Improving worldbuilding, especially for a creative writer, involves enriching the details and consistency of the universe your story inhabits. Here's a concise guide:

Start Broad, Then Narrow Down : Begin with the large-scale aspects of your world (geography, history, politics) before focusing on the smaller, everyday details that affect your characters' lives. This approach ensures coherence and depth. World Anvil offers tools for organizing these aspects.

Culture and Society : Dive into the cultures, religions, social norms, and languages of your world. These elements should influence your characters' behaviors and the plot. The Seventh Sanctum provides generators for inspiration.

Economy and Technology : Determine the level of technology and the state of the economy. How do these factors impact the daily lives of your characters and the plot? Springhole has resources for generating ideas.

Consistency is Key : Ensure the rules of your world (magic system, technology, culture) are consistent. Inconsistencies can break immersion. Evernote is a great tool for keeping track of all these details.

Engage the Senses : Make your world feel real by describing not just what is seen, but also what is smelled, heard, tasted, and touched.

Feedback Loop : Share your world with others and be open to feedback. Insights from readers can highlight areas that need more depth or clarity. Online forums like Reddit’s r/worldbuilding are great for this.

Remember, worldbuilding is a marathon, not a sprint. Taking time to layer in details will make your universe more immersive and believable.

How to Display Worldbuilding Skills on Your Resume

8. Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a word processing software used for creating, editing, and formatting written documents, offering tools and features tailored to enhance creative writing and storytelling.

For a creative writer, Microsoft Word is crucial as it offers versatile tools for editing, formatting, and organizing text, enabling efficient drafting, revising, and finalizing of creative works.

How to Improve Microsoft Word Skills

To enhance Microsoft Word for a Creative Writer, consider the following concise recommendations:

Utilize Add-ins : Leverage ProWritingAid or Grammarly for advanced grammar, style, and vocabulary suggestions directly within Word.

Explore Templates : Explore and customize Word's range of creative writing templates for different genres to streamline your writing process.

Master Shortcuts and Features : Familiarize yourself with Word's keyboard shortcuts and utilize features like "Focus Mode" to enhance productivity and minimize distractions.

Use the Navigation Pane for Structure : Utilize the Navigation Pane to easily organize and navigate through your document, making it easier to structure your story.

Integrate Cloud Services : Save and access your documents from anywhere by integrating with OneDrive or Dropbox . This facilitates easy backups and sharing with editors or beta readers.

By employing these strategies, you can significantly enhance your creative writing process within Microsoft Word.

How to Display Microsoft Word Skills on Your Resume

9. Google Docs

Google Docs is a cloud-based word processing application that enables creative writers to create, edit, and share documents online in real-time, facilitating collaboration and accessibility from anywhere.

Google Docs is important for a Creative Writer because it offers real-time collaboration, easy access from any device, and automatic saving, enhancing efficiency and flexibility in the writing process.

How to Improve Google Docs Skills

Improving Google Docs for a creative writer involves enhancing its functionality for drafting, revising, and sharing written work. Here are concise tips with relevant resources:

Use Add-ons : Enhance your writing with tools for mind mapping, grammar checking, and more. Explore add-ons like ProWritingAid for in-depth editing assistance.

Voice Typing : Boost productivity by dictating your story. Activate this feature under Tools > Voice typing. Learn more about voice typing.

Version History : Track changes and revert to previous versions easily. Access this via File > Version history. Understand version history.

Use Outline Tool : Organize your document with headings for easy navigation. Find this under View > Show document outline. Outline tool details.

Research Tool : Quickly look up references without leaving Docs. Access through Tools > Explore. Explore feature.

Collaborate in Real-Time : Share your document with editors or co-authors for live feedback. Click Share on the top right. Sharing and collaboration guide.

Keyboard Shortcuts : Speed up your writing and editing process. View shortcuts.

Customize Styles : Tailor heading and text styles for consistent formatting. Learn about custom styles.

By incorporating these features, creative writers can streamline their process, from research to writing to revision, directly within Google Docs.

How to Display Google Docs Skills on Your Resume

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing web content to increase visibility and ranking in search engine results, helping a creative writer's work reach a wider audience online.

SEO is crucial for a Creative Writer as it enhances visibility online, attracting more readers to their work, and increasing opportunities for engagement and monetization.

How to Improve SEO Skills

To improve SEO for a Creative Writer, focus on these key strategies:

• Keyword Research : Identify relevant, high-search-volume keywords related to your content ( Google Keyword Planner ).
• Quality Content : Write engaging, original content that provides value to your readers, incorporating your keywords naturally.
• On-Page SEO : Optimize your content's title, meta descriptions, and headers with target keywords ( Moz On-Page SEO ).
• User Experience (UX) : Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy to navigate ( Google PageSpeed Insights ).
• Backlinks : Gain backlinks from reputable sites within your niche to enhance your site's authority ( Ahrefs Guide ).
• Social Media : Share your content on social media platforms to drive traffic and engagement (Buffer Social Media Guide).
• Analytics : Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor traffic, refine your SEO strategies, and understand your audience better.

By consistently applying these strategies, you can improve your website's SEO, attract more readers, and increase your visibility online as a Creative Writer.

How to Display SEO Skills on Your Resume

11. WordPress

WordPress is a versatile content management system (CMS) that enables creative writers to easily publish, manage, and organize a wide variety of content on a website, without needing advanced technical knowledge.

WordPress is important for a Creative Writer because it offers an easy-to-use platform to publish, manage, and share their work globally, facilitating a direct connection with their audience and enabling them to establish their personal brand online.

How to Improve WordPress Skills

To enhance WordPress for a Creative Writer, focus on these key areas:

Choose a Responsive Theme : Select a theme that adapts to different devices and screen sizes, ensuring your content looks great everywhere. WordPress Themes Directory is a good place to start.

Install Essential Plugins :

• Yoast SEO : Improves your site's SEO, helping your content reach a wider audience. Yoast SEO .
• Akismet : Protects your blog from spam. Akismet .
• Jetpack : Offers design, marketing, and security features in one. Jetpack .

Optimize for Speed : Use a caching plugin like WP Super Cache and optimize images with Smush to improve site loading times.

Regularly Update Content : Keep your site fresh and engaging by regularly updating your blog with new, relevant content.

Use External Links : Enhance the credibility of your content by linking to reputable sources. Ensure all external links open in a new tab to keep readers on your site.

Engage with Your Readers : Encourage comments and feedback. Use plugins like Disqus to manage comments more effectively.

Backup Regularly : Protect your content with regular backups using a plugin like UpdraftPlus.

Secure Your Website : Implement security measures with plugins like Wordfence to protect against threats.

By focusing on these areas, Creative Writers can significantly improve their WordPress site, making it more user-friendly, secure, and optimized for search engines and readers.

How to Display WordPress Skills on Your Resume

12. Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a professional desktop publishing software used primarily for creating and designing layouts for print and digital media. For a Creative Writer, it's a powerful tool to design and format books, magazines, brochures, and eBooks, allowing for precise control over typography, image placement, and page layout.

Adobe InDesign is important for a Creative Writer because it provides advanced tools for creating professional layouts for books, magazines, and digital publications, enabling effective storytelling through visually engaging content.

How to Improve Adobe InDesign Skills

To enhance Adobe InDesign for a Creative Writer, consider the following concise steps:

Learn the Basics : Start with Adobe's official tutorials to understand the core functionality and tools available in InDesign.

Use Templates : Leverage InDesign templates to save time on formatting and focus more on content.

Master Text Formatting : Dive deep into text formatting options to improve readability and visual appeal. Adobe’s guide on formatting text is crucial.

Incorporate Graphics : Learn to import and adjust graphics within your documents for more engaging content.

Utilize GREP for Advanced Search : Use GREP expressions to find and replace text patterns efficiently. This GREP resource is invaluable.

Explore Scripts : Automate repetitive tasks with scripts. The InDesignSecrets’ scripting resources can be a great starting point.

Stay Updated : Keep your software updated and explore new features with each release, as outlined in Adobe’s What’s New page.

By focusing on these areas, a Creative Writer can significantly improve their efficiency and creativity within Adobe InDesign.

How to Display Adobe InDesign Skills on Your Resume

Related Career Skills

• Creative Project Manager
• Creative Director
• Creative Consultant
• Creative Designer
• Creative Strategist
• Creative Producer

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect Resume (With Examples!)

Your resume is arguably the most valuable piece of paper for your career. But this document can be daunting for many. Maybe you’re not sure how to fit in all your information onto one page. Maybe you’re not sure about the right way to format and write your resume. Maybe you don’t even know what the heck a resume is!

Whatever your concern, we’ll break down everything you need to know about making the perfect resume, from scratch.

What Is a Resume?

What are employers looking for in a resume.

• Pick Your Format
• Start With Your Basic Information
• Add in Your Work Experience
• Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience
• Don’t Forget Your Education
• Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests
• Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)
• Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)
• Edit and Refine It

What Are Some Examples of a Good Resume?

A resume is a summary of your career, whether yours is just getting started or has been going on for years. Coming in at around one page in length (two only under specific circumstances), it showcases the jobs you’ve held and currently hold, the responsibilities you’ve taken on, the skills you’ve developed, and the qualities you bring to the table as an employee. Together, those things make it super easy for any hiring manager to see your qualifications and fit for a role.

For all the work you may put into writing one, hiring managers actually spend very little time—mere seconds in many cases—looking at your resume. But despite this sad fact, it’s safe to say that creating a great resume (rather than hastily throwing one together) still matters.

“If you miss the mark, your resume may never be read. Even worse, you might be removed from the applicant pool by a computer before a human even knows you exist,” says Muse career coach Heather Yurovsky , founder of Shatter & Shine. So you want to get it right because, as she explains, isn’t the goal to “spend less time looking for a job and more time in a role you love?”

You might be wondering if you can lean on your LinkedIn profile instead of writing a resume. The answer, sadly, is no. Most hiring managers still expect you to submit a resume, even if they also look at your LinkedIn. Even if you don’t need a resume for a job you’re applying for now, you’re going to need one at some point in your career—they’re not anywhere close to going out of style. So it’s best to always have one at the ready should an opportunity pop up.

And although LinkedIn has plenty of benefits, a resume has one clear advantage: While your LinkedIn is usually a broader picture of your career trajectory, your resume gives you the opportunity to tailor your career story to a specific role or company (more on that later).

Oh, and you’ve probably heard of something called a CV? It’s slightly different from a resume , and usually more common with academics and job seekers outside the U.S.

Hiring managers look for three things on your resume, “What did you do? Why did you do it? And what was the result?” says Muse career coach Martin McGovern , owner of Career Therapy. “If you can answer all three of these questions in...your resume bullet points, you’re going to be on the right track.”

Clear, easy-to-understand language is key. “The truth is that most resumes make no sense. They are stuffed with jargon, they are too technical, and they are filled with redundancies. Try to read a resume that isn’t yours and you will quickly realize that it feels like an alien wrote it,” McGovern adds. Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter who has no idea how your role works—how can you make your resume accessible to them?

The hiring manager also cares about more than just you and you alone—they care about you in relation to them. “Hiring managers want to see if a candidate matches the requirements” of the role they’re hiring for, Yurovsky explains. “Your resume should paint this picture so the hiring manager not only knows what day-to-day responsibilities you can handle, but why you, above other[s], bring value to their organization.”

How Do You Write a Resume?

Whether you’re someone who’s never written a resume in your life, or you need a nice, thorough refresher on the process of creating one, follow these steps to go from a blank page to a complete—and dare I say beautiful—document.

Related: This Free Worksheet Makes It Easy to Create (or Update) Your Resume

1. Pick Your Format

Before you start typing one single thing, you have to decide what you want the overall resume to look like.

Resume builders can be helpful for this step—they’ll take all your basic information and organize it for you, eliminating some of the legwork. You can also use a pre-made outline, such as one of these free Google Docs templates .

But it’s often safest to start with a clean slate all on your own and eventually upgrade to a more advanced layout. (If you'd still like a place to write all the relevant information before you get started, check out our resume outline .) This allows you to course correct, edit and re-edit, and choose a resume format that best fits your particular situation (after all, not everyone has a career trajectory that’s easy to compartmentalize).

In general, you’re most likely to cover and/or include sections on the following:

• Your work experience
• Your non-work experience, including professional organizations, community involvement, or side projects
• Your education and certifications
• Your skills (specifically hard skills) and interests

So how do you format and organize all of that information?

By far the most common (and safest, if you’re not sure which route to take) option is reverse chronological order . This means you organize your experiences from most recent to least recent. So your work experiences would go above your education, and your current role would go above previous roles you’ve held. This of course has its exceptions—maybe you went back to grad school between jobs, or your most recent role is irrelevant to the job you’re applying for. So the whole page may not be exactly in reverse chronological order depending on your situation. It’s just a guideline.

There’s also something called a functional or skills-based resume . This is used pretty rarely, mainly with career changers and those with limited or complicated work histories. It gets its name because it’s primarily about listing your skills rather than experiences, and showcases them above your work history and education.

You can also opt for a combination resume , which is a mix between a reverse chronological resume and skills-based resume. It highlights your skills at the top, but allows just as much room below to cover your job and school experience.

Use caution when choosing these two formats: “Combo and skills-based [resumes] can be hard to follow, because [they force] the reader to hunt for connections between your skills and experience, and [don’t] provide the full context of your work,” says Muse Career Coach Angela Smith , founder of Loft Consulting. “I’ve also heard a lot of recruiters say that they automatically discount skill-based resumes because they feel the candidate is trying to hide something. I don’t necessarily believe that, but I think it’s important for job-seekers to know that perception is out there.”

2. Start With Your Basic Information

Your contact information should always go at the top of your resume. In this header you’ll want to include anything that could be helpful for a recruiter to get in touch with you. Usually, this means adding in:

• Your full name (preferably the name you use across the web)
• Your phone number
• Your personal email address

You might also choose to include other basic information, such as your LinkedIn or personal website URL, your GitHub (for technical roles), your social media profiles (if relevant to the job), or your address. If you’re looking to move for a job, you may choose to leave out your address or write “open to relocating” to better your chances of getting an interview.

The key is to make this part as clear as possible. If a hiring manager can’t reach you, there’s no point in perfecting the rest of your resume.

3. Add in Your Work Experience

This section will most likely be the bulk of your resume. Even if you’re changing careers, employers still want to see where you’ve worked, what you’ve done, and the impact of that work to get a sense of your background and expertise.

Your “Work Experience” might be one entire category, or you might choose to break it up into “Relevant Experience” and “Additional Experience” to highlight the jobs that are most important for hiring managers to focus on. Either way, you’ll almost always want to have your most recent experience at the top and your older experience down below.

Within your work experience, you’ll want to include each official job title, the company (and possibly its location), and the years you worked there. Below that, you’ll add in two to four bullet points explaining what you did in that job, the skills you built and exercised, the tools you used, and the results of what you did. If you accomplished a lot during your time there, focus on the responsibilities that made the most impact or you’re the most proud of, as well as the ones that best align you with the job you’re applying for (more on that in the following sections). It’s key here to list, if relevant, quantitative as well as qualitative accomplishments.

For example, you might write:

Associate Accountant, Finances and Co., Ann Arbor, MI September 2017 – Present

• Manage billing and invoicing for more than 50 clients, ensuring the deadlines and needs of our enterprise partners, including Big Company and Super Star Org, are met
• Collaborate closely with sales, account management, and project management teams on project setup, maintenance, and invoice management
• Assist in the streamlining of invoicing guidelines and procedures through documentation and the implementation of new software, resulting in an average two-week decrease in total time spent per client

Your resume bullets should be in past tense if you’re referring to past jobs and present tense if you’re talking about your current roles. In addition, your bullets should always start with a strong action verb that best describes what you did. And if you have examples of your work, consider hyperlinking them here as well.

If you have a ton of experience and this category is starting to run long (read: over one page), consider kicking out your oldest jobs unless they’re super relevant to the job you’re applying for, or extra impressive for your field.

Not sure where to start? “It’s helpful to do a brain dump and create a document that has everything and anything you consider as experience or an achievement,” says Yurovsky. From there, she explains, you can start to whittle down what is and isn’t important. And you can refer to this document later if you ever decide to update your resume for a specific role.

Need more specific advice on listing your work experience on your resume? Check out these additional resources:

• When you’ve held multiple jobs at the same company: 2 Jobs, 1 Company: How to Show Multiple Positions on Your Resume
• When you’re not sure what your accomplishments are or how to explain them: Resume Revamp: How to Turn Your Duties Into Accomplishments
• When you want to spruce up a boring or insignificant job: How to Make Your Most Boring Jobs Sound More Interesting on Your Resume
• When you’re considering fudging a job title: The Answer to “Can I Change My Job Title on My Resume to Make It More Accurate?”
• When you’ve had a bunch of short-term gigs: How to List Temporary Jobs on Your Resume

4. Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience

Anything you’ve done that’s not work experience—your side gig, volunteer work, special projects—can be hosted under clearly-labeled sections (“Volunteer Experience” or “Activities,” for example). Depending on how robust your work experience is, these things may be worth including, particularly if they’ve helped you level up your skill set or better align you with your dream job. Plus, they make you look that much more well-rounded, passionate, and hardworking.

If you’re a recent grad, you might also build out a section for on-campus activities, such as clubs, organizations, or leadership experience. This can be a great supplement if you’re lacking in the jobs department. You can frame these just as you would professional jobs—including your title, the organization’s name, and bullets describing what your role was and what you accomplished.

Read More: This Is Exactly How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume

5. Don’t Forget Your Education

If you’re still in school or just graduated, your education can go at the top of your resume, but for pretty much everyone else, this goes near the bottom. Most people include their school, graduation year (for folks less up to about a decade out of school), major, and degree. Brand-new grads might also write in their GPA, honors and awards, study abroad, thesis, or other notable achievements. But keep this section super simple, as you don’t want it to take up too much space over your work experience.

It’s possible you have unique education experience, such as taking an online course or certification. If you did this specifically as a way to boost yourself within your industry, definitely include it. Again, list everything more or less reverse chronologically—so a grad school degree would go above an undergrad degree, and a more recent relevant online course would go above that.

Learn more about the ins and outs of listing your education on your resume:

• How to (and How Not to) List Education on Your Resume
• How to List Online Courses on Your Resume the Right Way (Because Yes, There Is a Wrong Way)

6. Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests

The skills section of a resume gets a bad rap, but it’s just as important as the rest of the stuff you include. It’s a quick list a recruiter can scan to see if your skill set aligns with what they’re hiring for. And it’s super ATS-friendly (ATS stands for “applicant tracking system,” the robot that in some cases reads your resume before a human does) because it allows you to add in keywords the machine is scanning for.

Usually this section goes at the bottom of your resume, but in special cases—such as a skills-based resume or when someone’s switching fields—you may place it further up.

What exactly do you throw in here? You’ll want to list any hard skills and applications you’re familiar with (Photoshop, SEO, JavaScript, to name a few examples), and, if relevant, your level of expertise. Avoid including soft skills here, like time management or public speaking—save those for your bullet points instead.

Be strategic when filling in your skills. Don’t list things you actually couldn’t do at a high competence level (I’m looking at those of you who say you’re “great” at Excel), and maybe nix skills that are completely irrelevant to the job you want. For example, you may not even need to include Excel if you’re applying for say, a design position, unless it’s listed as a job requirement.

Maybe you’re thinking, I’m a really good volleyball player, but that’s not a “skill,” right? No, it’s not, but it is a hobby. Adding in a hobby section at the bottom of your resume is underrated, and frequently a smart choice. It can be a great conversation starter with a hiring manager, and it can show that you’re a good culture fit—or a culture add—for the company. Also, it’s just a nice way to add in some of your personality. So tack on a bullet point listing out some of your interests, such as hiking, rowing, or crafting (no more than five to seven work-appropriate verbs), and you’re all set here.

7. Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)

You may have heard of a resume summary statement . They’re not super common, but they can be useful to include near the top of your resume if you’re looking to add clarity or context to your resume. If you’re a career changer, you might find a summary statement helpful in explaining your leap and tying your experience to your new path. Or if you’re a more experienced professional, you can use a summary statement to highlight a theme that brings your career trajectory together.

Overall, you probably won’t need a summary statement if your career is pretty linear and your bullet points do a great job of emphasizing what you have to offer in terms of skills and experience. But if you think it makes sense to include one, “Take the time to think about what the person reading your summary wants to know before you write it,” says McGovern. “Good summaries explain why you do what you do and how it can help. For instance: Merging a background in ABC, I help companies improve XYZ through 123. Summaries shouldn’t be any more complicated than that.”

So, taking McGovern’s example, you might say:

Merging a background in social media marketing and PR with seven years in the consumer tech space, I help companies improve their internal and external communication and brand awareness through data-driven, quality content and strategies that align with the modern trends of the space.

Yurovsky adds that “you don’t want your summary statement to be a dense paragraph with too much information. You want it to be easy to read, concise, and memorable. Almost like a tagline.”

Read More: 3 Resume Summary Examples That’ll Make Writing Your Own Easier

8. Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)

Once you have your resume written out—you’ve broken down your work experience, tagged on some activities and additional experiences, and listed out your skills—it’s important to go back to the job description (or multiple job descriptions, if you’re applying to several similar jobs) and make sure that what your resume says matches up with the kind of candidate the employers are looking for. In other words, tailor it .

Let’s explain further. You’ll want to begin by tackling the ATS . This means combing the job description to see if individual words and phrases line up. What skills are they asking for, and have you listed them (so long as you actually have them)? What words are they using to describe their ideal hire, and do you use similar language in your resume?

Next, take a bird’s-eye view. If you were the hiring manager for the role, where on your resume would your eyes be drawn to? And what would you be looking for? Whatever you think will be most important for the recruiter, make sure it’s near the top of your resume, or otherwise emphasized.

Finally, dig into the role and responsibilities of the job. Does your resume reflect similar experience? If not, is there a way you can spin it so that it’s clear you’re capable of doing the job (and doing it well)?

These articles can help you if the word “tailoring” makes you start to sweat:

• What It Really Means to “Tailor Your Resume”
• Your Guide to Making Unrelated Experience Look Relevant on Your Resume
• A Cool Trick: How to Spin 1 Resume Bullet 5 Different Ways

9. Edit and Refine It

Please, please don’t just write your resume and shoot it out without giving it a second glance. Hiring managers may not spend hours browsing it, but if there’s one thing that sticks out more than anything else it’s a glaring typo.

The best approach? Write a rough draft, then leave and come back to it later with fresh eyes to give it an edit.

Cover the basics: Is your contact information correct and updated? Are you using the right verb tenses? Does everything look consistent and accurate in terms of spelling and grammar?

Then do some cutting if your resume’s quite long. It’s no longer a hard-and-fast rule that all resumes must be only one page—but consider it a smart guideline for most applicants, especially if you've got less than 10 years work experience. The exception is if you’re very senior or very established in your career; in this scenario, a two-page resume isn’t completely out of the question. Everyone else, read this article for advice on how to cut your resume down.

Formatting-wise, it’s key to consider a couple things. First, what font are you using , and is it legible (for a human and a robot)? When in doubt, go with one of these simple, but sleek, options: Arial, Arial Narrow, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond, or Helvetica.

Second, are you going to save it as a Word document or PDF ? Neither option is wrong, although a PDF helps ensure that your formatting is maintained, no matter what type of computer the hiring manager uses to open the document.

Third, is your resume formatted in a way that it’s skimmable? If it’s feeling crowded or overrun with words, read this: 12 Tiny Changes That Make Your Resume Easy for Recruiters to Skim .

Once you’ve given it a few good looks, it may be worth sending it to a friend or colleague (or even a career coach ) to get a second opinion. Don’t just have them edit it for spelling and grammar—they should dig into your bullets and offer feedback on whether or not your resume is showing you in the best possible light (it’s smart to also send them the job description for something to compare it to).

Here’s the thing: Your resume won’t ever look exactly like someone else’s, nor should it. How you choose to format it, organize your information, and talk about specific experiences depends not just on your career path, but on your field, the job you’re applying for, the company that job is at, and more.

So there isn’t a universal way to do a resume. But there are common themes. To give you some context as to how yours might turn out, here are three examples of different kinds of resumes.

The Most Popular: A Reverse Chronological Resume

As previously mentioned, a reverse chronological resume is preferred by many coaches and HR experts, mainly because it’s super readable. When everything’s in a clear order, it’s easy to skim and even easier to draw lines between experiences.

Who it’s good for: Just about everyone—from students applying to internships all the way up to senior-level executives (with an optional resume summary statement)

Download an Example Chronological Resume for a Software Engineer

The Unorthodox Route: A Functional or Skills-Based Resume

Rather than listing out your experience in reverse chronological order, a functional or skills-based resume has bullet points that reflect how each of your skills is demonstrated by the work you’ve done over the course of your career. At the bottom, you’ll include everything else, such as your education, job history, professional achievements, community involvement, and other technical skills. This is a good option if you have a somewhat all-over-the-place work history and want to tie everything together neatly.

Who it’s good for: Career changers whose work experiences may not appear to be relevant and people with an abundance of temporary jobs or gaps in their work histories.

Download an Example Functional Resume for a Project Manager

The Creative Angle: An Infographic Resume or Resume Website

This resume type is characterized by how it’s formatted visually. You may choose a reverse chronological order or skills-based style to organize your information, but also use graphics, colors, unique fonts, and even multimedia elements to help that information pop. Keep in mind that any creative resume is still likely subject to an ATS—and certain elements may be unreadable by a robot. So consider going this route only if you know a human will be reading your resume (and that said human might enjoy it).

Who it’s good for: People applying to creative roles (designers, editors, writers, marketers, video producers, for example), startups, or fun companies, or to jobs where a creative resume is encouraged, if not required.

Download an Example Infographic Resume for a Designer

Not a designer but want your resume to look just as pretty as this example? Check out these articles:

• 5 Sites to Create an Awesome Infographic Resume (Even if You’re the Least Creative Person Ever)
• How to Build a Resume Website That Will Impress Every Hiring Manager Who Sees It
• 5 Digital Tools That Will Make Your Resume Infinitely More Beautiful

Your resume is a living, breathing document. So while you won’t go through this whole process every time you apply for a job, you should be thinking about all these things as you go to update your resume for your next career step. You might decide later on to switch up the order, or remove or add things, or even get creative and try out a whole new format. If you’re not getting the calls back you expect, you may decide to scrap it and start over —and that’s totally OK.

Regardless of where this piece of paper goes and how it grows, when you give it the care and attention it deserves, you set yourself up for success. And you’ll make it that much more likely that you’ll land an interview and get the chance to prove to the hiring manager—over the phone or in person—what you’ve got to offer.

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How To Build A Creative Resume That Stands Out

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Competition in the job market is stiff. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, COVID-19 is causing economic activity to collapse and unemployment to soar. The pandemic’s impact on jobs has been ten times bigger than that of the global financial crisis of 2007 to 2008.

With more people looking for work, you must find creative ways to stand out. Your resume is the first thing potential employers will see, so it makes sense to start there. Read on to learn how to build a creative resume that will get you in front of the right people.

Include Only Relevant Details

Contrary to popular belief, more information in a resume isn’t necessarily better. Don’t feel the need to include your entire work history. Remember, your resume's job is to convince your potential employer that you have the skills for the post you’re applying for, and a creative resume will help make it stand out.

Take a look at this pared-down resume:

Danny’s expertise and experience are evident at a glance, and you should aim for the same thing with your resume. If you’re applying to be a graphic designer, your experience as a salesperson while you were in college probably isn’t relevant.

A simple rule of thumb : if it doesn’t strengthen your candidacy for this job, don’t make it the main focus.

However, that doesn’t mean you should only include experience in roles with a similar title or in the same industry. Transferable skills are valuable. You just need to make sure they’re directly relevant to the role you’re hoping to land, and a creative resume will help you do that.

Customize Your Creative Resume

Like most job seekers, you are probably applying for multiple positions. Don’t be tempted to send the same resume each time. Instead, tailor your resume to each application to highlight only the most relevant skills and experience. This type of creative resume shows the hiring manager that you have the skills needed for the role and will increase your chances of getting an interview. It also shows you really want the position.

If you’re sending your customized resumes to different people via email, I recommend using an email tracking tool to see when they’re opened. This helps you keep track of the status of each of your applications, as well as knowing when to follow up and when to move on.

Highlight Your Work Experience

Make sure your work experience is front and center of your resume. Any hiring manager will tell you that this is the first thing they look at.

According to LinkedIn, hiring managers rarely pay much attention to an applicant’s education history, unless they’re specifically looking to recruit new graduates. So, however prestigious your college degree, it should take up less space than your employment history.

According to a 2018 eye-tracking study, hiring managers skim an applicant’s resume for an average of only 7.4 seconds . If they can’t get a good sense of your work experience in that time, they might throw your resume away without a second look. They get tons of applications for each job, and one fewer resume means less work for them. Don’t give them an easy reason to reject you out of hand. A creative resume that sets you apart from the competition will capture the attention of the hiring manager in that first, crucial glimpse.

This is not to say that your education and other relevant information should not be included. It should, as long as it strengthens your candidacy. Just make sure these details don’t overshadow your work experience. Here’s one way of doing it:

Notice how the CV starts with a summary, followed by her work experience, and then education and a list of skills and interests.

Here’s an extra tip : Delete those outdated credentials. No-one cares about your GPA, your SAT scores, or that irrelevant elective you took in High School.

Broaden Your Definition Of “Work Experience”

Work experience is not just the regular 9-to-5 jobs you’ve held. Freelance jobs, short term contracts, and even relevant voluntary work also count. If you’re a new graduate, the biggest mistake you can make is to leave your work experience section blank.

Your college internship shows the hiring manager that you have some experience in a professional setting and an understanding of workplace norms. Running communications for your voluntary organization demonstrates skills and dedication. In other words, experience is still experience.

Just don’t forget to follow the rule I explained above: only include it if you can make a compelling case for its relevance.

Include Links On Your Creative Resume

You’re only one of dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants for the same job. This means that hiring managers can’t spend a lot of time assessing each candidate’s application (remember the eye-tracking study?).

Therefore, you need to make the best use of the space you have to convince them that you’re the right candidate. This is where links can help you. If you include links in your resume to your online portfolio or projects you’ve worked on, the hiring manager can click on those once they’ve decided they are interested in knowing more about you. Proof of your skills is a powerful tool, and linking to work you’ve done allows you to provide that proof.

Don’t overload your resume with links, though! This will result in an eyesore of a resume that will most likely end up in the trash. Choose only links that demonstrate relevant skills and increase your chances of getting hired.

One tip that a surprising number of candidates forget: Make sure your links are typed correctly and clickable. If the hiring manager goes to look at your portfolio and the link doesn’t work, they won’t spend the time Googling your name to track it down. More likely, they’ll just move on to the next candidate. In addition, broken links indicate poor attention to detail, which is a big no-no in many jobs.

Leverage Numbers

Quantifying your accomplishments using specific numbers provides proof of your skills. With numbers, hiring managers can understand precisely what you’ve accomplished. Without them, they’re left with vague assertions of skills but little to back them up. The key is crafting a results-driven, creative resume that showcases your accomplishments.

Compare these two statements:

“I grew a marketing subscriber list from 100 to 7,000 in two months.”

“I worked at the company’s content marketing department.”

From a hiring manager’s perspective, the first statement is undoubtedly more powerful. It proves that you can walk the walk with those skills you’ve claimed to have!

Unsure how to quantify your accomplishments in your previous job? Return to the job description for the role you’re applying for and consider what are likely to be the key indicators of success.

You can also check out Austin's ResyBullet Tool , which will analyze your bullets and help you write more effective ones to better showcase results on your creative resume!

Here are some examples you may want to consider, depending on your field:

• New clients acquired
• Cost reductions or savings
• Sales revenue
• Increase in page views, social media followers, engagements, or other marketing metrics
• Customer satisfaction levels
• Customer complaints resolved

Then pick two or three of your most impressive quantifiable achievements, and include them on your resume.

Choose Your Words Wisely

Your resume is a professional document and is the first thing the hiring manager will see from you. Since you want to show that you’re serious about your job application, you must write your resume in a professional manner. That means a formal tone, professional language, and impeccable spelling and grammar.

Many otherwise strong candidates are let down by resumes laden with meaningless buzzwords. A few have likely snuck into your resume. Identify and remove them before you send your application!

CareerBuilder surveyed around 2,200 hiring managers and found that the most irritating overused phrase was “best of breed.” Mary Lorenz, a corporate communications manager at CareerBuilder, also cited “hard worker,” “go-getter,” and “strategic thinker” as words to avoid.

These terms should be avoided because, in addition to being overused and annoying, they are meaningless! Anyone can claim to be any of these things, and they are generally impossible to prove or disprove. Employers want to know what makes you unique and how you will add value to their organization.

While we’re at it, here are just a few of the other words and phrases you should avoid:

• Results-driven
• Highly qualified
• People person
• Digital native
• Growth hacking
• Thinking outside the box
• Exceptional communicator
• Customer-centric

Instead of stuffing your resume with these buzzwords, follow the other tips in this article to demonstrate your expertise, hard-working nature, and fantastic communication skills. In other words: show, don’t tell.

Make Your Creative Resume Look Nice

Your resume must appear clean, well-designed, and professional. This is especially true for those looking to land a job in creative industries, but it applies everywhere. Therefore, spend a few extra minutes to ensure your resume is well-presented and pleasing to the eye.

Here’s an example of a well-designed resume:

Notice how the elements are laid out neatly and in a way that is easy to read. The splash of color and the visual at the bottom make it stand out without going overboard.

Beware : there’s such a thing as being too creative with your resume. Multiple colors, quirky pictures, or too many different fonts say less “seasoned professional” and more “Junior High graphic design class project.” Keep it simple, but make sure it looks nice.

Oh, and in case you were considering sending in your resume printed out on fancy paper? Don’t. It’s unnecessary and, if anything, makes it look like you’re trying to cover up a sub-par application with flash instead of substance.

Your Resume Should Tell A Story

Your resume should tell the story of how you got to where you are and what makes you an ideal candidate for this job. You need to give them a strong sense of who you are and why you would excel at their company.

But how do you do that?

Utilize Austin's 3 elements of a resume:

• Quantitative Results
• Simple, Aesthetic Design That Hooks The Reader
• An “Interests” Section That’s Quirky, Unique, & Relatable

Don’t just repeat facts about your work history and education. Write them in a way that shows the hiring manager where you started, where you are now, how you got there, and where you’re headed. And of course, don’t forget to clearly show where their company and this role fits into the story.

For more tips on how to write a resume, check out Austin's job-winning resume writing strategies here !

Standing Out

Job-hunting can feel overwhelming, especially in the current climate. You might be feeling stressed or despairing at ever landing the perfect position. I understand that it can be difficult to write a creative resume and stand out when there are dozens or even hundreds of applicants vying for the same position. But challenging doesn’t mean it’s impossible!

Since your resume is the first thing a hiring manager sees, it’s the best place to start if you want to improve your chances of landing your dream job. So remember to include all the critical elements of a great resume:

• Include only the relevant details
• Highlight your work experience, broadening your definition to include freelance work, internships, voluntary positions, and traditional paid jobs.
• Customize your resume for every role you apply for.
• Include relevant links.
• Quantify your experience and skills with relevant figures.
• Make your resume look professional and pleasing to the eye.
• Avoid buzzwords and meaningless jargon.
• Tell a compelling story.

When you’re applying for a job, you want to stand out in the right way. One of the best ways to do that is by providing a killer resume paired with a great cover letter.

Follow these tips, add a little bit of perseverance, and don’t be afraid to be yourself. You might be surprised how quickly you land that ideal role.

Owen Baker is a content marketer for Voila Norbert. He has spent most of the last decade working online for a range of marketing companies. When he’s not busy writing, you can find him in the kitchen mastering new dishes.

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How to Make a Resume for a Job in 2024

Hiring managers read a lot of resumes. To show them you’re worth interviewing, you must know how to make a resume that hits upon your professional experiences and skills and downplays any weaknesses.

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1. Pick a format for your resume

2. List contact information

3. Summarize your experiences and skills

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4. Fill out the work experience section

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Job hunting is tough in 2024. Your resume needs to be on point to give yourself the best odds of success.

Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, we explain exactly how to write a resume today to ensure your application is competitive in the current job market.

1. Pick the resume format that’s best for you

There are many ways to format your resume. Your resume should feature your most relevant experiences and skills, so find a way to place your strengths near the top .

The most common approach is to format your resume chronologically (with your most recent experience at the top). This structure demonstrates your career progression . If you’ve grown from an entry-level position to a senior or management-level role in the same type of work, this is the best resume format for you.

If you’ve worked many different types of jobs or have career gaps, try an alternative resume format. For example, you could use the:

• Combination resume – if you have an advanced technical skill set and work history
• Functional resume – if you have gaps in your work history and want to emphasize your skills
• Federal resume – if you’re applying to work with the federal government
• Video resume – if you’re looking for jobs that require video or performance skills

Free resume template (chronological format)

One of the most convenient ways to make a resume is to download a free resume template .

To get started, download the template below and fill in each section as you follow our simple writing steps.

2. Enter your contact information

Your name should be large to make it stand out to the reader, so use a big font.

Basic contact information for a resume includes your:

• Email address (use a professional one like [email protected])
• Phone number

You can also add this optional information :

• Online portfolio or website (if relevant to the job)
• LinkedIn URL
• Mailing address (to show you’re local)

Some online resume examples include professional headshots in the header. If you’re applying to jobs in the US, don’t include your photo because it could lead to hiring bias (unless you work a job that requires a resume picture ).

3. Summarize your experience and skills with a resume summary

A professional resume summary provides a snapshot of your primary qualifications by emphasizing your most impressive achievements and skills in 2-3 sentences .

Here’s exactly how to structure a resume summary:

Try our free resume summary generator

You can generate a professional resume summary in less than a minute with our free tool — give it a try!

Generate a professional resume summary instantly, or use our AI-powered summary generator to customize your own in 2 minutes.

1. What word best describes the type of job seeker you are?

• Intermediate
• Entry-level

2. What work environment are you looking to work in?

• Organization
• Establishment

3. What position are you applying for?

4. What are your main responsibilities at work?

5. What word best describes you in your professional life?

• Detail-oriented
• Hard-working
• Goal-oriented
• Results-oriented
• Quality-oriented
• Experienced
• Extroverted

6. Which soft skills would your peers and/or clients praise you for?

• communication
• creative thinking
• critical thinking
• interpersonal
• multitasking
• organizational
• problem-solving
• collaboration
• negotiation
• conflict resolution
• time management
• motivational
• goal-setting

7. What are your top professional skills?

8. Do you have any relevant licenses or certifications?

4. Write about your professional and job-relevant experience

By focusing on achievements and career progression

List your current or most recent job at the top of this section, and older jobs below (from newest to oldest ).

Here’s how to fill out each work experience position on your resume:

How to structure work experience on your resume

Job title – Dates employed (year and month) Company name – Company location (city and state)

• Three to five bullet points describing your achievements and responsibilities
• Include hard numbers in your bullet points when possible
• Start each bullet point with an action verb

Use present tense when describing current responsibilities, and past tense when discussing previous roles or completed projects.

If you’ve been promoted, list these roles separately to showcase your career growth and increase in responsibility. Even if you’ve only worked at one company, these title changes prove that you weren’t stagnant in your role.

You should start bullet points with action verbs

Using passive phrases like “ responsible for ” is a mistake. This phrasing doesn’t do a good job of explaining what you accomplished at work. And it’s just boring.

To make your resume’s experience section best highlight your professional accomplishments, start each bullet point with an action verb . Show what you did , not what you were supposed to do .

20 action verbs for your resume

You can highlight your work accomplishments with hard numbers

Demonstrate your impact as an employee by including numbers in your bullet points.

Numbers add context to your on-the-job achievements, and show hiring managers what you’re capable of as a professional.

No numbers or action verbs (boring)

• Responsible for making media kits for company projects

Both numbers and action verbs (clear)

• Spearheaded the development of the first media kit for all company projects, increasing journalist pitches by 43% in the first year

Only mention experience related to the job you want

Adding every job you’ve ever held to your resume will make it unfocused and cluttered.

A resume isn’t the full history of your life and work experience. Instead, it’s the highlight reel of your career.

To keep your resume on point, remove positions and skills that aren’t relevant to the job you want. As a general rule, 2-4 job titles  in your experience section are enough to showcase your fit for the role.

What if I don’t have work experience?

Writing a resume with no work experience is still possible — we all have to start somewhere! Filling out your experience section will just require a bit of creativity.

First, rename your work experience section “ Relevant Experience ”. Then, list any relevant experience you have the same way you would for a full-time job. Relevant experience could be anything from independent projects to classwork.

If you’re struggling to fill out your work experience section, consider using a resume bullet point generator to get some inspiration.

You can list volunteer work and internships

Volunteer work and internships provide opportunities to learn valuable skills directly transferable to a full-time job. Both types of work can show employers you’re qualified for a role (even if you’ve never worked a full day in your life) .

List volunteer work on your resume in your relevant experience section with full bullet points, just like you would describe any other job. Do the same thing if you’re putting an internship on your resume .

Example of how to list volunteer experience on your resume

Volunteer, Cranford Food Distribution Center, Cranford, NJ

May 2020 – Present

• Trained 5 new volunteers, helping them develop a strong commitment to community service.
• Helped prepare food and dish out meals to over 200 people per day.
• Planned and organized two successful fundraising events, which raised the food bank over $2,500 in total.

You can describe relevant schoolwork

If you’re a student and you don’t have any internships yet, you can list relevant coursework on your resume to give employers an idea of what you’re capable of.

To fill out your experience section, you can list relevant classes you’ve taken, or provide a full list of bullet points highlighting a school project you worked on.

Example of how to list relevant coursework on your resume

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology

New York University, New York City, 2020

Relevant Coursework

Social and Developmental Psychology:

• Studied qualitative research methods by reading and discussing 10+ academic articles
• Designed an online, 20-question qualitative research survey about language and identity formation
• Conducted a qualitative survey with 147 college students using Qualtrics
• Aggregated and interpreted survey results in a 10-page paper and 15-minute presentation

5. Showcase your professional skills throughout your resume

Soft skills are developed throughout the course of your life. Organizational skills like time management and punctuality are examples of soft skills employers value.

How you include skills on a resume depends on whether they’re hard or soft skills.

Where to include hard skills on your resume

Employers highly value hard skills because they’re often needed to do the job. A software developer can’t code if they don’t know any coding languages, for instance.

Here are the three places you can highlight hard skills on your resume:

• Skills section (listing them out directly)
• Resume summary  (showcasing one or two of your strongest professional hard skills)
• Experience section (describing how you used your hard skills at work)

Combining these approaches helps you best prove to employers you have the hard skills needed to fill the role.

How to showcase your soft skills

Soft skills are what make people pleasant (or unpleasant) to work with. So they’re definitely important to employers. But they’re difficult to quantify, which makes them tricky to prove on your resume.

To make employers buy into your soft skills, you need to show examples of you flexing those soft skills in the workplace.

Here’s an example of a work experience bullet point that effectively highlights the candidate’s leadership skills :

• Led a cross-functional team of 10 members to successfully implement a new project management system, resulting in a 20% increase in team productivity

6. Outline your education history

How much detail you include in your resume’s education section depends on how experienced you are in your industry:

• If you haven’t attended college – list your high school or GED, and your graduation date.
• If you’re a college student or recent graduate – list your school, degree, graduation date, GPA (if above 3.5), and any honors you were awarded.
• If you have 2+ years of work experience – just list your school, degree, and graduation date.
• If you have 10+ years of work experience – list your school and degree.

If you have work experience , place your education section near the bottom of your resume.

But for recent graduates and inexperienced jobseekers , the education section can be moved to the top . This provides space to describe awards and academic achievements, and to outline coursework and projects .

Here’s how to format an education section if you have work experience:

Your degree name The name of the college or high school (and its location) – Your graduation date (if it’s within the last 15 years) Your GPA (if higher than 3.5) Latin honors

Ultimately, your resume’s education section can be as detailed as you want. Just make sure the information you include is relevant to the job.

7. Add additional relevant information

One of the most common additions people make to their resume is a certifications section:

List your certifications

If you’re applying for jobs that require specific certifications to get hired, you should include a section on your resume that clearly highlights those certifications.

For example, if you work in education, medicine, or construction, you likely have more than one professional certification. In these fields, you should add a certifications section to your resume to clearly show employers that you’re qualified.

Other optional sections to put on your resume

Aside from certifications, there are many other optional sections you can add to your resume.

For example, some additional qualifications you could add a section to your resume for include:

• Hobbies and interests
• Extracurriculars
• Publications
• Language skills
• Personal projects

8. Proofread your resume and finish your application

You should also give your resume to a friend or relative to read through so they can help you notice any mistakes on your resume .

Also consider using an AI resume checker to scan your resume for issues outside of grammar and spelling mistakes.

To help make the proofreading process easier, here’s a checklist you can tick as you complete it:

Contact information is accurate and complete – employers will know how to reach you

Email address is professional – for example, [email protected]

Leaves out  headshots or sensitive personal information

Fits on one page (or two pages if you’re experienced)

Information is easy to read – fonts are above 10pt+ and sections don’t look too crowded

Design is appropriate for the position you’re applying for

Includes all the relevant sections highlighting how you’re qualified (certifications, licenses, technical skills, etc.)

Quantifies achievements with numbers in the work experience section

Uses action verbs to describe your experience

Addresses the requirements listed in the job ad

No typos or grammatical errors

Clearly formatted and professional  – content is well-organized, aligned properly, and makes good use of white space

Feel free to use our on-page checklist, or make a copy in Google Docs and begin reviewing your resume.

Save your resume as a PDF (or Docx)

If the job description doesn’t specify, save your resume as a PDF . PDFs save your formatting even if you use fonts that aren’t installed on the hiring manager’s computer, so they’ll appear exactly as you want them to appear.

Your resume’s file name should be simple and clear and make it easy for the hiring manager to find later. For example, Gloria-Chen-Resume.pdf is a good file name because it contains the applicant’s name and the word “resume.”

How to make a quick and easy resume

If you’re short on time or simply don’t like writing, use a resume builder  to put together a resume that earns you interviews.

Our free-to-use resume builder can make you a resume in as little as 5 minutes. Just pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.

There are plenty of good resume builders online to try out in 2024. Our own AI resume builder helps simplify the process of creating a resume by guiding you through each step and formatting all your information for you.

Our software also provides helpful suggestions and fills out parts of your resume like your summary and work experience. At the end of the process, it formats all your information properly, so you end up with a sleek new resume that’s sure to impress hiring managers.

If you plan to use our software to create a cover letter as well, we recommend using the same template to create a visually consistent application.

Tips for elevating your application

Now that you know how to write a great resume, here are some tips for making the process as painless as possible:

Choose an appropriate design for your resume

The way you design your resume has a huge impact on how employers perceive you, and can make or break or chances of landing a job.

Your resume design includes all the visual details like:

• the colors used on your resume
• which resume font you pick
• whether or not you use a sidebar
• how you set up your headers

For formal industries like law or finance, stick to a simple, traditional resume style. Simple resume templates with clean lines, no graphics, and dark colors like navy blue or burgundy are most appropriate.

For creative industries like tech or marketing, you should use a more modern design for your resume. Modern resume templates include brighter colors, sans-serif fonts, and graphic details like illustrated skill levels or sidebars.

Keep a master resume you can use in the future

Writing tailored resumes for each job can get complicated fast. The best way to stay organized and make your life easier is to start a master resume .

A master resume is one long version of your resume where you add all of your experience for each job , as well as all of the results you achieved, all the projects you worked on, and all the skills you’ve developed.

In other words, your master resume should contain not just 5 bullet points for each job, but as many as you can think of . If you’re worried that it’ll look cluttered, that’s okay – your master resume isn’t for anyone’s eyes but your own.

The purpose of a master resume is just to have everything pre-written so that when you need to tailor your resume to a specific job you can easily swap out relevant bullet points.

Use ChatGPT to improve your resume

ChatGPT is a great tool for improving your resume, and is becoming more popular with job seekers in all industries. We’ve designed 8 specialized prompts to help you take your resume to the next level.

Before you rush to make a resume with ChatGPT , it’s important to remember that AI tools aren’t a magic wand. To get the best results from ChatGPT, you need to think carefully about how you structure your prompt, the information you provide, and the limitations of AI software.

Make a matching cover letter

Many jobs request or require that you send in a cover letter along with your resume.

So before you start sending out job applications, make sure you know how to write a compelling cover letter that highlights your strengths as a candidate.

Choose a matching cover letter template to give your job application a polished, cohesive look:

If you’re not sure how to start your cover letter, look at cover letter examples for your industry.

7 resume examples and templates

The best way to check that your resume meets the standards for your industry is to look at examples written by other people in your field.

Here are two resume examples  for different levels of experience to see what a strong, general resume looks like.

Entry-level resume

Experienced resume

Modern resume

Ideal for jobs in marketing or tech, this modern resume template communicates to employers that you’re forward-thinking and innovative.

Formal resume

Applying for work in a highly formal industry? This basic resume template is as buttoned-up as it gets. If you’re looking for work in law or finance, this is the perfect template for you.

Creative resume

With its bright colors and background illustrations, this creative resume template is a good choice for careers in social media management or design.

While this template includes space for a photo on your resume , we recommend not to do this unless you’re applying for work in a field where your appearance is relevant (like acting or modeling).

Professional resume

This professional resume template projects confidence, making it a great choice for executives and marketing professionals.

Minimalist resume

Simple and clean, this minimalist resume template is a safe choice for just about any job because it’s highly formal but still modern-looking.

Additional resume template file types

There are countless resume templates available for a variety of platforms. For example:

• Pages resume templates
• Google Docs resume templates
• Resume templates for Microsoft Word
• LibreOffice and OpenOffice resume templates

More resume writing resources

• Resume guidelines (21 formatting rules)
• How to add military experience to your resume
• How to use buzzwords on your resume
• Top resume writing tips
• How to add job descriptions to your resume
• How to put your GED on your resume
• How to write a resume for an internal position
• Job search and resume-writing guide for people with disabilities

Resume writing FAQs

Still have some unanswered questions? Here are some answers to common questions about writing a resume:

Should I worry about applicant tracking systems?

If you’ve done any research about writing your resume online, you’ve probably seen warnings about how it’s essential to make your resume Applicant Tracking System (ATS) friendly – or else you’ll never land a job!

The fact is, the risk of being rejected from a job by ATS software is overstated . Most hiring managers and recruiters still manually review your resume even if they also use an ATS.

However, it’s true that many larger companies and recruitment firms use ATS software extensively. So depending on where you want to work, you should still follow best practices to make sure your resume is successfully parsed by ATS software to save hiring managers a headache when trying to read your resume. Do this by:

• Using a Microsoft Word document
• Leaving out tables and additional columns
• Avoiding images and graphics

If you’re worried about your resume being successfully scanned by ATS software, you can use a free resume checker to make sure you won’t run into any problems.

What makes a good resume?

Here’s what makes a good resume:

• A clear, professional layout and design
• Easy-to-identify contact information
• Tailoring each section to the job you’re applying for
• A resume introduction that sums up your key qualifications
• A work experience section that uses action verbs and quantifies your accomplishments
• An education section that highlights your academic achievements
• A skills section that showcases a targeted combination of hard and soft skills

Should I include references on my resume?

No, you shouldn’t include references on your resume . While people used to do this, it’s no longer considered necessary because employers will reach out to you later in the hiring process if they want to hear from your references.

Including a reference section on your resume just uses up valuable space that would be better put to use elaborating on your achievements and skills.

• How many jobs should you list on a resume?

You should list three to four jobs on a resume. As a general rule, you should highlight the last 10-15 years of work experience on your resume, depending on your career level and the job you’re applying for.

If you have a lot of relevant experience that goes back further than this, you can include some additional positions, but it’s not necessary to list every job you’ve ever held.

How do you make a resume for free?

There are a couple of ways to make a resume for free:

• Use word processing software – if you have access to Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can easily build a resume for free.
• Use a resume template – download a resume template for Google Docs or Word and fill out each section with your information for a professionally designed free resume.

No matter which method you choose, always proofread your resume at the end to make sure it looks professional and there aren’t any mistakes that could hurt your chances of landing a job.

What can I do if I still have questions about making my resume?

If you still have questions about making your resume, here are some additional answers to more specific questions:

• Can I send a resume instead of a CV?
• Is it OK to lie on your resume?
• Is it resume or resumé?
• Can I make a resume on my phone?
• Should I put a job I got fired from on my resume?
• Should I put my resume on LinkedIn?
• Can you say “I” on a resume?
• How bad is a gap on my resume?
• What should you name your resume file?

Corissa Peterson

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) & Content Editor

A dedicated member of the Resume Genius team with a passion for the career space, Corissa is always looking for ways to create useful resources for job seekers, from writing job-specific resume samples to crafting in-depth articles on how to ace interviews. Corissa graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.A. in Philosophy and a certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies. Corissa’s articles have been published on Diversity Jobs, Recruiter.com, Teachstone, and Jobillico, among others, and her career advice has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, GOBankingRates, and UpJourney. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

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How to Make a Resume

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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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More From Forbes

Top 10 resume trends in 2024: what you need to know to stand out.

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For most people, resume writing is a daunting task.

Job hunters wonder about how to improve their resume. Mary, a director at a large company, called for help with resume writing because she was losing her job. She said, “I’m sure my resume doesn’t represent me very well. I want it to be impressive, but I’m stumbling on how to create it. I hear people say they send out dozens of resumes with no response, which makes me very anxious. How must I differentiate myself to get an employer’s attention?”

For most people, resume writing is a daunting task. The stakes are high. Yet, you may be unaware of the current resume trends you need to consider. Here are the ten resume trends to understand to help you showcase your uniqueness and capabilities and stand out to an employer.

Self-Marketing. Self-analysis is essential to do before you start writing. Think of your resume as an advertisement trying to get an employer to buy the product, and that product is you. Outline what you are best at doing. Note your top strengths. What are relevant credentials and experience to emphasize? Identify your best accomplishments.

RESULTS. Employers hire you based on your previous achievements and the belief that you can repeat those if they hire you. Each work description must focus on sharing measurable results and outcomes. Be specific. Employers value concrete accomplishments. Emphasize if you made the company money, saved money, started something, made an innovation, or created a new tool, process, system, or program. Incorporate numbers and percentages into your bullet descriptions. Have your most impressive accomplishments and best experience near the top of the description.

Prioritize. Target what is most important to employers. Determine the key elements they seek and tailor your resume to their needs. To identify the key points to highlight, review several relevant job openings. Focus on the top three to five qualifications and duties they advertise for. Incorporate that information into your resume to demonstrate that you have what a potential employer values.

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Highlight. Showcase your success. Under your work history, you should use bullet points to create each statement. The most effective way to develop these is to use the formula: Actions = Results, noting what you did and its impact. For example, “Developed and executed a new email fundraising campaign, and the results increased donations by 21%.” Or state the dollar amount if that is impressive.

Keywords. Research the job description, paying close attention to the required skills and qualifications, and align your relevant skills accordingly. Identify the more critical tasks, such as project management or process improvement, and sprinkle these sparingly throughout the resume, especially in the work descriptions and in the summary section. Include any relevant industry terms, too. Don’t try to “keyword stuff” throughout the resume, as the ATS may reject your resume, and a recruiter may disregard it, viewing it as being too generic or lacking.

Action verbs. Under your work descriptions, start each sentence with an action verb. Use words highlighting the skill or accomplishments, such as Led, Drove, Analyzed, Designed, Originated, Implemented, Established, etc. Avoid repetition, and don’t use that same action verb to start a statement within a particular work description. Write the sentence in the past tense, even for your current position.

ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems). ATS is a human resources software that works as an online database or a digital filing cabinet when you submit a job application. It’s not very sophisticated and requires search engine optimization. Avoid any creative resume style. Simple formatting is the key to getting through the system’s filters. Eliminate columns, tables, text boxes, headers, footers, graphics, color ink, or PDFs (unless specifically requested).

Qualifications. Employers hire someone with the skillset necessary to succeed in that advertised job. They want a person who is not underqualified or overqualified. Carefully evaluate the role before you hit “apply.” Assess your skills, education, and experience to ensure the job closely fits your background. Refrain from applying for a job if you don’t have 80% of the qualifications required.

Soft skills. These traits help show how you fit into the job role and match the company’s culture. Include appropriate ones to supplement your hard skills. The top soft skills employers value beyond excellent oral and written communication are collaboration, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, leadership, adaptability, problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity.

Competencies. Employers find no value when you list a lot of competencies, such as project management, team leadership, results-driven, etc., in one section since you aren’t demonstrating exactly where you used these abilities. Avoid creating this section. Instead, inserting these competencies into the work history and summary of qualifications is much more effective. That way, you illustrate how you have that skill and apply it on the job.

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How to make a resume in Microsoft Word

Whether you’re just entering the workforce or need a resume refresh, you’re probably considering Microsoft Word for the task. We’ll walk you through options for making a resume in Word, from using helpful templates to creating a resume from scratch.

Use a built-in Word resume template

Use a word resume template on the web, use a third-party word resume template, create a word resume from scratch.

The quickest and easiest way to make a resume in Word is using one of Microsoft’s templates . You can look for one directly in Word and choose from a large collection of options.

Open Word, select File > New , and pop “resume” into the Search box. You can then browse the templates with resumes for specific jobs and industries along with those for any type of position.

Choose a template to see a description and pick Create to use the resume.

The Microsoft resume templates come with placeholders that you can simply swap out for your own details. This is handy if you like the appearance of all elements in the template. Of course, if you’re not fond of the color scheme or font styles, you can change those types of items.

Remember to go to File > Save As to save a copy of your resume.

Maybe you don’t have Microsoft Word on your computer yet but need your resume in that format. You can use Word on the web for free with a Microsoft account and take advantage of resume templates.

Visit the Microsoft Create website and explore the resume templates . If you see one you like, select it to open it directly in Word for the web.

Alternatively, select Create from scratch and choose Resumes, flyers, brochures . When Word opens, use the Designer sidebar on the right to browse through and choose a resume template.

Then, swap out the placeholders for your own details and customize the resume as you like.

If you like the template idea but don’t care for any of the Microsoft options, you can check out third-party templates for your resume. Here are just a few of the top options and samples of resume templates they offer for free.

Resume Genius

With Resume Genius , you can pick from over a dozen custom Word templates to download. From simple to professional to aesthetically pleasing to visually appealing, you’re sure to find at least one resume template you like.

Hloom offers over 15 resume and CV templates for free and even more if you don’t mind paying. Be sure to select Free on the left below License if you want to narrow down the no-charge options. As a bonus, you’ll also see a tab for cover letters if you’re in the market for one of those too.

Template.net

One more place to check out for Word resume templates is Template.net . You’ll find a large variety of attractive options specific to position or resume style. Like with Hloom, select Free beneath License on the left, and be sure to take a look at the cover letter collection too.

After you download a resume template from one of the above sites, simply customize it with your own details.

Maybe you’d prefer to simply create your resume from scratch; this is always an option if you have the time. Consider reviewing the above templates and samples for the information you should include and ideas for formatting.

To get started, add the following details to your resume:

Full name and current position : Place your name and position at the top. If you don’t have a current position, you can certainly omit it.

Objective (optional) : Provide a brief description of your goal to potential employers beneath your name and position. This is an optional inclusion — if you add one, try to keep it short and sweet with one to two meaningful sentences.

Contact details : Include at least your email address and phone number. If you have an up-to-date website or LinkedIn profile, you can add these as well. Make sure these details are kept together in a specific location so they’re simple to find.

Work experience : List your work experience in chronological order with the most recent first. Start with your position, then move onto the employer, month, and year you worked there, and your duties. You should include your duties and responsibilities in a list format making them easy to review.

Education : List your educational history in chronological order with the most recent first. Start with the degree, then add the school with the month and year you attended.

Skills, awards, and more : Use a list format to add your skills, awards, certifications, volunteer work, and any other details you feel important to the position or company.

Here are several tips when formatting your resume in Word:

• Use a heading or larger font for your full name at the top.
• Add headings for the Experience, Educations, and Skills sections.
• If you decide to use color, keep it to just one or two complementary colors.
• Try to use the same font style throughout, taking advantage of font sizes, headings, or bold formatting for more prominent details.
• Use a font that’s easy to read like a 12-point Arial, Calibri, Georgia, or Times New Roman for the main body text. You might also consider which font style works better for reading on the web versus on a printed piece.
• If you include a headshot, make sure it’s a professional one.
• Consider using a table to structure your resume, as shown above.

Finally, be sure to keep the appearance and content of your resume consistent.

Is it OK to make a resume in Word?

Absolutely! This is exactly the type of document you should create in a word processing application like Microsoft Word. If you prefer, you can also use a web application like Google Docs to make a resume or downloadable software like LibreOffice Writer.

Once your resume is complete, you can save it as a PDF or other requested format in most word processing applications for submission to the potential employer or hiring manager.

How far back should a resume go?

Most experts recommend 10 to 15 years is appropriate for a resume. Keep in mind that you should include relevant work experience for that time period . For example, if you’re a nurse who worked at a fast-food chain for two months 12 years ago, you can likely exclude that job.

How many pages should a resume be?

The standard for a resume is one to two pages. However, this can depend on the length of your experience and education in relation to the position for which you’re applying. For instance, someone who’s been in the workforce for 20 years might require two pages, but a recent college graduate would probably only need one page.

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SkillfUL Workshops

SkillfUL Series

Video editing with adobe premier pro.

Monday, September 16, 10-11 a.m. Undergraduate Library, Room 205

Learn to edit videos using Premiere Pro. NOTE: Participants must have access to the latest version of Adobe Premiere Pro via the Adobe Creative Cloud. For access information, visit https://adobe.unc.edu

Creating a resume with Adobe InDesign

Wednesday, October 9, 2-3 p.m. Zoom

Need help creating an eye-catching resume or would like to spruce up your current one? This session will cover how to create a resume to get you noticed.

NOTE: Participants must have access to the latest version of Adobe InDesign via the Adobe Creative Cloud. For access information, visit https://adobe.unc.edu .

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WordPress makes building websites a breeze. We’ll cover the basics of using WordPress on Tarheels.live as well as offer advice on how to add and maintain content on your website.

Creating an academic poster with Adobe Indesign

Tuesday, November 12, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Undergraduate Library, Room 205

This session will concentrate on the mechanics of creating an academic poster in InDesign. Learn to create guidelines, set styles, and how to incorporate images into your poster. Knowledge of InDesign is not required, but highly recommended.

NOTE: Participants must have access to the latest version of Adobe InDesign via the Adobe Creative Cloud. For access information, visit  https://adobe.unc.edu .

Generative AI: A SkilfUL series

What is generative ai.

Thursday, October 3, 3-4 p.m. Zoom

This online workshop will explain what generative AI is and how it is being used in higher education.  Resources for learning more about generative AI and campus guidance about its use will be featured.

Using GenAI in research

Monday, October 7, 3-4 p.m. Zoom

This online workshop will look at how to leverage generative AI to help you in your research.  The workshop will focus on incorporating Microsoft 365 Copilot into your research workflow, plus looking at other generative AI products that can help speed up your research.

Writing effective prompts

Thursday, October 10, 3-4 p.m. Zoom

Not sure how to get started with generative AI?  This online workshop will help you practice writing prompts to get the results you need. 

Attendees are encouraged to login with their Onyen prior to the workshop at  Copilot . Note:  Copilot works best in the Edge browser. 

Copyright and ethical uses of GenAI

Monday, October 14, 3-4 p.m. Zoom

Generative artificial intelligence is changing the ways that we think about copyright and other intellectual property laws. AI issues also bring new ethical dilemmas.  Join Anne T. Gilliland, who is the Scholarly Communications Officer at the University Libraries and a lawyer and librarian, for a discussion of these issues

15 Things You Can Do With ChatGPT

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What is chatgpt.

• Quickly Write a Customized Resume and Cover Letter
• Create Original Jokes and Memes
• Explain Complex Topics
• Solve Tricky Math Problems Step-by-Step
• Write Music In Almost Any Genre
• Write, Debug, and Explain Code
• Create, Edit, and Modify Media Files
• Decide What to Watch Next
• Get Cooking Help
• Improve Your Health
• Translate and Learn In Multiple Languages
• Prepare for a Job Interview
• Write Essays on Almost Any Topic
• A Chat Companion

Key Takeaways

• ChatGPT is a versatile tool that can help with tasks like writing customized resumes & cover letters.
• The AI can generate original jokes and memes, as well as explain complex topics in an easy-to-understand manner.
• ChatGPT can assist with mathematics, music composition, coding, media file manipulation, and health improvement.

Artificial intelligence tools have seen a meteoric rise within the last few years. We've been wowed by AI writing tools, AI image generators, and even AI self-portraits. Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has gotten a lot of attention for its numerous uses. To help you leverage this tool, here are 15 ways you can also use ChatGPT.

If you've somehow missed the whole ChatGPT buzz, or you're not exactly sure what it's all about, let's help you get up to speed. ChatGPT is a conversational artificial intelligence chatbot that can answer just about any question you throw at it.

You can think of it as a supercharged Google Search. Rather than just providing links or snippets, ChatGPT generates thoughtful, conversational responses to queries. It synthesizes information from diverse sources into cohesive answers on nearly any topic, similar to how a knowledgeable human would respond.

While not infallible, ChatGPT demonstrates an impressive ability to understand natural language questions and offers nuanced explanations in a lot of fields.

ChatGPT is more than just hype—it has practical uses. Here are some cool day-to-day uses for ChatGPT you can try right now.

1. Quickly Write a Customized Resume and Cover Letter

If you're currently job-hunting, one of the most tiring parts of the job application process is writing a personalized resume and cover letter for every job you apply for. You need custom-made copies for each job to increase your chances of getting hired. ChatGPT can help you create a customized resume or craft professional cover letters in minutes.

We asked ChatGPT to write a resume for a content marketing role at a fictional SaaS company, and it was near perfect.

We also prompted it to prepare a cover letter for the same role, and the first result wasn't bad.

Notice how detail-rich and well-formatted the resume and cover letter are? How did I do it? I pasted my LinkedIn profile details, and then asked ChatGPT to write a resume for the target role "using LaTex." I copied the result, pasted it in a free latex editor like Overleaf , and compiled it.

2. Create Original Jokes and Memes

What's life without a bit of fun? Whether you're looking for a good laugh or to create some hilarious jokes to impress your friends, ChatGPT can come in handy. Sure, AI chatbots aren't exactly known to be great comedians, but ChatGPT shows some potential. We asked ChatGPT to tell us a joke about Apple and foldable smartphones; we'll let you judge the results:

ChatGPT can also create images, so you can also play around with meme ideas. Here's one to try: Ask ChatGPT to create a meme about the grind of 9-to-5 jobs.

3. Explain Complex Topics

Sometimes, simply Googling a topic doesn't give you a clear understanding. Think of topics like wormholes, dark matter, and all those head-spinning theories. Or maybe it's a weird sport you don't understand.

ChatGPT could be useful in explaining them in layperson terms. We prompted ChatGPT to "Explain wormholes like I'm 5," and here's the result:

We also prompted it to explain the internet similarly. It wasn't too bad, either.

4. Solve Tricky Math Problems Step-by-Step

Whether you're looking to tackle complex algebra problems or simple math problems that are too tricky to piece together, ChatGPT is particularly strong at handling math. You'll need to present your problems clearly and concisely for the best results. We prompted ChatGPT to answer a tricky math problem, and here's the result:

5. Write Music In Almost Any Genre

One of the most exciting things you can do with ChatGPT is writing a song. It might sound like a bad idea at first, but it's really a fun thing to try. The results can be amazing when you get the prompts right. The key to getting the best result is to provide as many details as possible about how you want the song to be. Need a mix of English and some Spanish with a touch of Afrobeat style? Just say it.

If you really want to find out how good your lyrics would sound in an actual song, you'll need to head over to a tool like Suno.ai to turn the lyrics into music. Just paste the lyrics into the tool, make some tweaks and listen to what ChatGPT could make.

6. Write, Debug, and Explain Code

Whether you're an experienced programmer or a newbie, you're bound to run into a few bugs in your code from time to time. ChatGPT can help you narrow down the problem within your code, saving you hours looking for a misplaced comma. You can also write entire blocks of functional code snippets from scratch or analyze existing code bases to figure out the best ways to use them. There are endless ways you can use ChatGPT in programming .

We prompted ChatGPT to write a simple to-do list app using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and here's the result:

We also got the AI chatbot to write us a simple Tetris game, snake game, pong game, and even code a complete chat web app from scratch . ChatGPT is a very useful programming tool.

7. Create, Edit, and Modify Media Files

With ChatGPT, you can create, edit, modify, and read from a wide range of media files. The feature which is available on the ChatGPT Plus plan provides an interface to programmatically create images, modify videos, adjust audio tracks, and retrieve crucial metadata from media files with ease and precision.

To learn more about manipulating media files with ChatGPT, read our guide on how to use the ChatGPT Code Interpreter feature .

8. Decide What to Watch Next

ChatGPT is one of the most powerful movie recommendation tools on the internet if you know how to use it. While there are dozens of powerful movie recommendation tools you can get your hands on, ChatGPT stands out because of the accuracy and precision you get from simply describing the kind of movies you want using simple natural language prompts.

We asked ChatGPT to give us some movies that are similar to "The Walking Dead" and here's the result:

Not sure how to use ChatGPT as a movie recommendation tool? We've previously put together a detailed guide on how to use ChatGPT to decide what to watch next .

9. Play Games

Looking for a fun activity? ChatGPT has some creative game ideas to try with friends or by yourself. You could play classic games like tic-tac-toe or trivia with new twists that ChatGPT can suggest to make it more engaging. Whether you want a competitive game against ChatGPT or a cooperative game you can all play together, ChatGPT can provide unique game suggestions tailored to what you're looking for.

So if you're bored and want to try something new, ask ChatGPT to invent a fun, customized game—it's a great way to liven up your day! Not sure which games you can play with ChatGPT? Here are some interesting games you can play with ChatGPT right now .

10. Get Cooking Help

A robot help in the kitchen? ChatGPT and cooking seem like a weird combination, but it works excellently if you know the right prompts to use. You can use ChatGPT to explore new recipes, prepare shopping lists, brainstorm new flavor combinations, learn new cooking tips, or explore healthier ways to cook popular meals .

Fancy testing ChatGPT's culinary skills? Here are some interesting ways you can use ChatGPT as a cooking assistant .

11. Improve Your Health

With its vast wealth of health information, you can leverage ChatGPT to improve your health in several ways. It can help you create personalized workout and meal plans tailored to your unique needs.

You can also use it to develop healthy habits like sleep routines and mindfulness practices or even use it as a medical symptom checker. Although ChatGPT has its limitations in the field of health, it is still an immensely useful tool you can utilize to improve your health. We've put together a guide on how to use ChatGPT to improve your health .

12. Translate and Learn In Multiple Languages

ChatGPT is a great tool to have around if you need to work in multiple languages. It is fluent in dozens of languages. If you're a content creator who would love to reach a wider audience, ChatGPT could be incredibly useful for creating content in multiple languages.

Sure, there's Google Translate, but writing in one language and translating to the other means context and language-specific tones could be lost. When we compared ChatGPT to Google Translate in translation tasks, ChatGPT was noticeably better in several metrics.

With ChatGPT's latest voice mode, the tool has become even significantly more powerful for those trying to learn a new language or communicate with someone that speaks a different one.

13. Prepare for a Job Interview

With its wealth of knowledge across several fields, ChatGPT is one of the best AI tools to help you prepare for a job interview. With a few intelligent prompts, ChatGPT can help you get your dream job . You can use it to generate hypothetical scenarios in a job interview, possible questions, intelligent replies to possible questions, and many other useful interview prep tips.

We created a hypothetical situation during an interview and asked ChatGPT for help. Here's the result:

14. Write Essays on Almost Any Topic

While we strongly advise you to write your essays yourself, ChatGPT can compose amazing essays on a wide range of topics, even the most complex. If the tone of the resulting write-up doesn't suit your test, you can teach ChatGPT how to write like you so you can get the chatbot to replicate your writing style.

15. A Chat Companion

When all is said and done, ChatGPT is an AI chatbot. Despite its almost endless use cases, ChatGPT is a very accommodating companion when you need someone (or a robot) to talk to.

Despite ChatGPT's impressive capabilities, the AI chatbot is not infallible. Consequently, exercising caution with ChatGPT's information is highly advised. Always strive to verify any critical data from ChatGPT before applying it, especially for important health or financial choices. While ChatGPT is a game-changing tool, it is still a work in progress, and human oversight remains essential.

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Letter of Introduction: What Is It & How to Write One (+Templates)

• Klara Cervenanska , 
• Updated August 13, 2024 8 min read

Ever heard of a letter of introduction? If not, you’re not alone. While most people are familiar with resumes, cover letters, and even motivation letters, the letter of introduction remains a bit of a hidden gem in the professional world. 

And that’s exactly why it could be your secret weapon .

Because it’s less common, sending one can really make you stand out and leave a lasting impression. 

Writing a letter of introduction isn’t quite like drafting other career documents, but don’t worry—we’ll walk you through it step-by-step and share some examples you can use for yourself .

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

What is a letter of introduction?

Letter of introduction vs. cover letter vs. motivation letter, when should you write a letter of introduction , how to write a letter of introduction (7 simple steps), letter of introduction example, letter of introduction template, key takeaways: letter of introduction.

A letter of introduction is a brief letter used to introduce yourself or someone else to a third party, whether that’s a potential employer, business contact, or client. 

It's a simple yet powerful tool that often flies under the radar in the professional world.

Unlike a cover letter or resume , a letter of introduction isn’t tied to a specific job application. 

Instead, it’s more about opening doors and starting conversations. Think of it as a way to make connections that can lead to new opportunities, without the formalities that come with other career documents.

You might feel it sounds a bit similar to a cover letter or even a motivation letter .

While there are many similarities between these documents, the key difference lies in their purpose, main focus, and the target audience. 

While a cover letter serves as an extension of your resume and is tailored to a specific job posting, a motivation letter is typically used in academic settings, such as when applying for educational programs or scholarships.

In contrast, a letter of introduction is primarily used for connecting and networking , without the immediate goal of securing a specific job or degree.

Let's take a closer look at what these documents are, when you should write them, and to whom:

Cover letter

• Purpose: Accompanies your resume to express interest in a specific job.
• Main focus: Adds more details to what’s already in your resume. Use it to explain why you’re the right fit for the job, highlight your skills, and achievements.
• Target audience: Employers, HR managers.

And if you want to learn more about writing a good cover letter, here's the only cover letter guide you'll ever need.

Letter of introduction

• Purpose: Introduces yourself or someone else to a company, potential client, or business partner without a specific job in mind.
• Main focus: Introduces your skills and experience to build a connection and make a positive first impression. If written for someone else, it highlights their qualifications and explains why they’re worth connecting with. This letter is flexible, useful for exploring job opportunities or business partnerships.
• Target audience: Potential employer, client, business partner, or collaborator. 

Motivation letter

• Purpose: Explains why you're applying for a specific job, scholarship, or university program. 
• Main focus: Focuses on your passions, goals, and reasons why you're interested in this job or educational programme. Highlights why this opportunity would enrich your work life and enhance your skills. 
• Target audience: Academic institutions, NGOs, or employers.

A letter of introduction serves a different purpose compared to other career documents like a cover letter or a resume. 

Whether you’re looking to introduce yourself to a company, recommend someone else, or explore new professional relationships, there are several situations where a letter of introduction is the ideal tool. 

Here are some key scenarios when you might consider writing one:

• You want to reach new clients and customers. Writing a letter of introduction for customers or new clients helps build a personal connection. It also explains how your products or services can meet their needs.
• You're looking for a new job. It helps you introduce yourself to a potential employer, show your interest and enthusiasm for the company, and highlight how your skills could be a good fit. Even if there's no job opening posted.
• You just started a new job. When you start a new job, a letter of introduction helps your coworkers or teammates get to know you. Your manager might also send a letter to introduce you to the team.
• You're looking for a business partner/collaborator. An introduction letter is often used as the first point of contact with a potential business partner or collaborator who shares your interests or industry. Its goal is to expand your network, which could lead to mutually beneficial opportunities, such as joint ventures, partnerships, or new projects.
• Someone you know recommended you. If someone you know recommends you to others, an introduction letter can be a great way to follow up and explore collaboration or job opportunities.
• Someone asked you to recommend them. You would introduce the person to your team or employer trying to highlight their skills and qualifications. The goal is to create a connection between your company or team and the person you’re introducing.

Depending on the scenario, a letter of introduction can vary in tone and content, but the core structure remains the same.

These 7 simple steps will guide you in writing a clear and effective letter, no matter the situation:

Start with a header that includes your contact details—it's an obvious but important step. Make sure to list your name, address, phone number, and email at the top of the letter. You can also add the date and the recipient's information, like their name, company, and address.

Always address the recipient. If you're addressing someone you already know or who knows of you, start with a warm, friendly greeting. Typically, you’d use "Dear [Name],". If you don’t know the recipient, "Dear Sir/Madam," works just fine.

Start with introducing yourself and explaining why you're writing. Share who you are, why the company is relevant to you, and why you decided to reach out. Mention how you found out about the company or who referred you, and briefly introduce the person who connected you.

This is where you get straight to the point. Explain why the company or work is important to you and what you hope to achieve from this connection. Highlight the benefits and the potential value this relationship could bring.

Mention your previous work to show your credibility and what you can bring to the table. You should also briefly highlight your accomplishments. Understanding your background can help you stand out and be seen as a valuable candidate for the job.

End your letter with a polite conclusion, suggesting further communication. Highlight how excited you are to talk again and share when you have time to meet.

Now, all you have to do is sign off. Professionally, of course. A simple “ Looking forward to hearing from you ” does the trick every time.

We’ve covered the 7 key steps to writing a letter of introduction in theory. 

Now, let’s take a look at an example that brings all these steps together.

BTW, this example was created using Kickresume’s cover letter builder tool . Even though it’s meant for writing cover letters, you can use it to write your letter of introduction, instead. The tool won't mind :)

We also prepared a few letter of introduction templates you can copy & paste and personalize. 

Just pick one that suits your situation the best. 

#1 For when you want to reach new clients and customers

#1 letter of introduction template.

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is [Your Name] , and I’m reaching out because I believe [Recipient’s Company Name] could benefit from the products I offer. I recently came across your company on social media and was impressed by the work you’re doing in [mention the industry or a specific area of interest].

At [Your Company Name] , we specialize in [briefly describe your product or service], and we’ve had great success helping businesses like yours [mention a specific benefit or outcome, e.g., “increase efficiency,” “enhance customer satisfaction,” “save time and money,” etc.] . I’m confident that what we offer could add real value to your operations.

I’d love the opportunity to discuss how we can work together and explore ways my product can support your business goals. If you’re interested in learning more, I’m available for a quick chat at your convenience.

Thank you for considering this, and I look forward to the possibility of collaborating with you.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

[Your Company Name]

[Phone Number]

[Email Address]

#2 For when you just started a new job

#2 letter of introduction template.

Subject: Excited to join the team!

I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name] , and I’m thrilled to be joining [Company Name] as the new [Your Job Title] . I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and say how excited I am to work with all of you.

A bit about me: I come from [mention your previous company or industry if relevant] , where I [briefly describe your previous role or experience] . I’m really passionate about [mention something relevant to your new role] , and I’m eager to contribute to the great work being done here.

I’ve heard wonderful things about the team, and I’m looking forward to getting to know each of you and learning from your experiences. Collaboration is something I value deeply, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything I can help with or if you just want to chat.

Looking forward to meeting everyone and working together to achieve our goals!

Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Job Title] [Your Contact Information if needed]

#3 When someone you know recommended you

#3 letter of introduction template.

[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Phone Number] [Email Address] [Date]

[Recipient’s Name] [Recipient’s Company Name] [Company Address] [City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear [Recipient’s Name] ,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name] , and I’m reaching out because [Mutual Contact’s Name] spoke highly of you and your work in [mention the field or industry] . Given our shared interests and expertise, I’m excited about the possibility of collaborating.

At [Your Company or Your Current Position] , I’ve been focused on [briefly describe your work or area of expertise ], and I believe there’s significant potential for us to create something impactful together. [Mutual Contact’s Name] mentioned that you’re also passionate about [mention a specific area or project relevant to both] , and I think we could really complement each other’s skills and experiences.

I’d love to explore how we might work together on [mention a specific type of project, collaboration idea, or area of mutual interest] . If you’re interested, I’d be happy to set up a time to chat and see how we could make this happen.

Thank you for considering this, and I’m looking forward to the possibility of collaborating with you.

Best regards, [Your Name] [Phone Number] [Email Address]

#4 For when you're looking for a new job

#4 letter of introduction template.

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is [Your Name] , and I’m currently exploring new career opportunities. [Former Colleague’s Name] , who previously worked with me at [Your Previous Company] , highly recommended [Recipient’s Company Name] as an excellent place to grow and contribute.

With a strong background in [briefly mention your field or area of expertise], I’m confident that my skills and experience align well with the needs of your team. At [Your Previous Company] , I [mention a key accomplishment or responsibility] , which I believe demonstrates my ability to [mention how you can add value to the new company] .

I’m particularly drawn to [Recipient’s Company Name] because of [mention something specific about the company that excites you or aligns with your goals] . I would love the chance to discuss how I could contribute to your team and support your company’s objectives.

If you’re open to it, I’d be thrilled to chat further about any opportunities that might be available. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the possibility of joining your team.

A letter of introduction is a valuable tool for making new connections, reaching out to potential employers, or helping you during your job hunt.

There are a couple of different situations when writing a letter of introduction is appropriate. 

For example when:

• You want to reach new clients and customers
• You just started a new job
• Someone you know recommended you to someone
• Someone asked you to write one for them
• You're looking for a new job
• You're looking for a business partner/collaborator

The details may vary slightly depending on the context, but following these 7 steps will help you prepare a strong letter of introduction in any scenario:

• Add a header with contact information
• Include a salutation
• Introduce yourself and your contact (if applicable)
• State the purpose of the letter
• Highlight your accomplishments or previous relevant work
• Close the letter by suggesting further communication
• Sign off professionally

If you’re still in doubt about writing your letter of introduction, don’t hesitate to use the templates provided in the article.

Klara graduated from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. After having written resumes for many of her fellow students, she began writing full-time for Kickresume. Klara is our go-to person for all things related to student or 'no experience resumes'. At the same time, she has written some of the most popular resume advice articles on this blog. Her pieces were featured in multiple CNBC articles. When she's not writing, you'll probably find her chasing dogs or people-watching while sipping on a cup of coffee.

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