How to Write a Résumé

A résumé is a document people skim

Recruiters have to get through a large stack of applications for each opening within limited time. So a résumé is rarely read from top to bottom; it is scanned quickly and only read closely where something catches the eye. Nearly every rule of résumé writing follows from this. Put what matters at the top, put the key point at the start of each line, and prefer short lines to paragraphs. A clean layout with a clear structure usually reads better than a heavily designed one. There is no need to add personal details the company has not asked for; follow the posting and the company's instructions on what to include.

Basic structure and order

If the company provides a template, use it. If the format is open, the order below works well. Experienced candidates put work history before education and list jobs in reverse chronological order. Recent graduates move education, projects and activities toward the top. Keep the length in proportion to your experience, and shorten older roles that have little to do with the job.

• Name and contact details: a phone number and email you actually check
• Experience: employer, dates, role and key results, newest first
• Education: graduation date or expected date and field of study
• Certifications and languages: mainly those relevant to the role
• Tools and technical skills
• Projects and activities: only those connected to the job

Write results, not duties

The most common weakness is an experience section that reads like a job description. Lines such as "handled customer inquiries" or "wrote monthly reports" could have been written by anyone in that seat. Describe what you changed and what came of it, and the line becomes yours. For example: "grouped frequent questions by type, wrote a help guide and cut repeat inquiries." Action and result fit in one line. Numbers make it more convincing, but only use figures you could explain in an interview. When writing each line, ask yourself "so what changed?" rather than "what did I do?" and result-focused sentences come easily. If the result left no number behind, describe a visible difference instead: less effort, a new process, or a change colleagues or customers noticed.

Tailor it to the posting

You will get better results from a master version that you adjust for each application than from one résumé sent unchanged to dozens of employers. Read the required and preferred qualifications, move matching experience up, and align your wording. Using the posting's own job terms, where they genuinely fit your experience, makes the link easy for the recruiter to see and keeps you from losing out with companies that sort applications automatically. Never invent experience to match the posting, though. Save each tailored version under the employer's name so you can check exactly what you sent before the interview.

Short experience or gaps

New graduates and career changers need to show experience that touches the job, even if it is not paid work. Coursework, personal projects, part-time jobs and volunteering are all good material when you describe your role and the outcome. If there is a gap between jobs, a brief explanation beats hiding it. One line covering study, caring for family, recovering your health or preparing for a change is enough, plus anything you learned in that time. Just make sure you can say the same thing if asked in the interview. If you are changing fields, lead with skills that carry over from your previous work, such as managing schedules, dealing with customers or organizing information.

Common mistakes

These slips drag down a résumé even when the content is good. Most of them disappear with one careful reread before you send it.

• Leaving another company's name in the file
• Overlapping or missing dates with no explanation
• Filling space with things unrelated to the role
• Repeating the same point under several headings
• Typos and inconsistent date formats

Before you submit

Assume every line on your résumé can come up in the interview. One exaggerated claim can undermine trust in the whole conversation, and misstating your education or experience can cause trouble even after you are hired. Run through these checks before you send it.

• Did you follow the requested file format and length?
• Does the file name include your name and the role?
• Are your phone number and email correct?
• Could you explain every number and date in an interview?
• Have you read it aloud once?