Writing your first resume — or rebuilding one from scratch — feels daunting. There are dozens of opinions about what to include, how long it should be, and what format to use. Most of the advice contradicts itself.
This guide cuts through that. Here is every section you need, what goes in each one, and how to put it together so it works for both ATS software and the human recruiter who reads it next.
Step 1: Choose the Right Format
For most people, a reverse-chronological format is the right choice. It lists your most recent experience first and works well with ATS systems because it's what they're designed to parse.
Avoid multi-column layouts, sidebars, and heavily designed templates. They look impressive as a visual but often break ATS parsing. A clean, single-column document in a standard font (Calibri, Arial, Georgia) is both ATS-friendly and professional.
Step 2: Contact Information
At the very top of your resume, include:
- Full name (large, bold)
- Professional email address
- Phone number
- City and country (or region — you don't need your full street address)
- LinkedIn URL
- GitHub or portfolio link (if relevant to your field)
Keep this in the main body of the document, not in a header or footer — ATS systems often can't read those areas.
Step 3: Professional Summary
A professional summary is 2–4 sentences at the top of your resume that describe who you are, what you do, and what you bring to a role. It's the first thing a recruiter reads and the last thing most people write.
Good summary formula: [Role/level] with [X years] of experience in [domain]. Known for [core strength]. Seeking [type of role] where I can [value you bring].
Example: "Results-oriented marketing manager with 5 years of B2B SaaS experience. Specialised in demand generation and account-based marketing. Track record of growing pipeline by 40%+ through SEO and paid acquisition programmes."
Tailor this section to every job you apply for. Include keywords from the job description.
Step 4: Work Experience
This is the heart of your resume. For each role, include:
- Job title
- Company name
- Location (city and country)
- Dates (month and year — "June 2022 – Present")
- 3–5 bullet points describing your achievements
Write bullet points around achievements, not responsibilities. "Responsible for managing social media" is weak. "Grew Instagram following from 4K to 22K in 8 months through a twice-weekly educational content series" is strong.
Use the formula: Action verb + what you did + measurable result. Numbers don't have to be revenue — they can be percentages, time saved, team size, users affected, or projects delivered.
Step 5: Skills
A dedicated skills section is essential. It gives ATS a clear list of your technical capabilities and gives recruiters a fast way to see your qualifications at a glance.
Include: technical skills, tools and software, languages, methodologies. Separate hard skills (Excel, Python, Salesforce) from soft skills (or skip soft skills entirely — they're better shown through your experience bullets).
Step 6: Education
List your highest qualification first. Include: degree and field of study, institution name, graduation year. If you graduated recently, you can add relevant coursework or your GPA if it's strong (3.5+).
If you have several years of work experience, keep the education section brief. If you're a recent graduate, it can be more prominent.
Step 7: Optional Sections
Depending on your background, you might also include:
- Projects — especially valuable for recent graduates or career changers
- Certifications — include the issuing body and year
- Volunteer work — if relevant to the role or demonstrates transferable skills
- Languages — include your level (native, fluent, conversational)
Step 8: Tailor Before You Submit
A generic resume sent to every job is one of the most common job-search mistakes. Before applying, read the job description carefully and adjust your summary, skills, and key bullet points to match the language and requirements of that specific role.
This is the step most people skip — and it's often the reason their well-written resume gets no responses. Each role has a different keyword profile, and ATS scores your resume against that profile. Tailoring takes 10–15 minutes and significantly improves your chances.
Final Check
Before submitting, verify:
- No typos or grammatical errors (read it aloud to catch them)
- Consistent formatting: same font, same bullet style, same date format throughout
- File saved as a PDF (unless the application specifically requests .docx)
- Filename is professional: "FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf"
Once it's ready, run it through an ATS scanner to see how it scores against the job description before you hit submit. Knowing your score — and what's missing — lets you fix problems before they cost you an interview.