How to Write a resume

Pick a single-column layout with standard section headings like Work Experience, Education, and Skills, because applicant tracking systems read simple structures more reliably. Use a simple sans-serif font such as Arial or Calibri in 10 to 12 point size, and keep margins around 0.5 to 1 inch so your resume looks balanced on screen and paper.

Create a compact header that includes your name, phone number, email, and one link to LinkedIn or a portfolio. Avoid photos, logos, tables, and complex columns because they can break parsing; save visual styling for later stages if you send a design version to a human reviewer.

Add a one-line title under your name that mirrors the job you want, for example 'Product Marketing Manager' or 'Front-End Developer'. This helps both humans and systems spot your target role quickly and sets the context for the rest of the page.

Below the title, write a 2-3 sentence summary that highlights your top skill, your years or level of experience, and a concrete achievement or focus area. For example, 'Product marketing manager with five years of B2B SaaS experience, led launch campaigns that increased trial conversions; focused on go-to-market strategy and customer research.'

For each role, list 3 to 6 bullet points that start with a strong action verb and show measurable impact, because numbers make results concrete and memorable. Replace passive or vague lines like 'Responsible for sales outreach' with a specific achievement such as 'Increased outbound leads by 35 percent over 12 months by redesigning email sequences and targeting mid-market accounts.'

Write bullets using one to two short sentences each, focusing on the problem you faced, the action you took, and the result you produced when possible. If you cannot use exact numbers, give ranges or relative terms such as 'reduced processing time by half' or 'cut errors significantly' while being honest and ready to explain details in interviews.

List education with degree, school, and graduation year if recent or relevant, and keep older dates optional for long experience. Create a Skills section that separates hard skills from tools and software, for example 'Python, SQL, Google Analytics' and then list two or three soft skills such as 'cross-functional collaboration' only if space allows.

Include certifications, volunteer roles, or side projects that directly relate to the job you want, and place the most relevant items higher on the page. If you have many certifications, select the 3 to 5 most current or job-relevant ones to avoid clutter and keep your resume scannable.

Scan the job posting and pick 6 to 10 keywords or phrases that match your experience, then echo them in your bullets and skills section to pass initial filters. Focus on matching responsibilities and required tools, and only add keywords that reflect real experience you can discuss in an interview.

Adjust one to two bullets per recent role to highlight relevance, and reorder skills so the highest-priority skills for that job appear first. Save a version of each tailored resume with the company name in the file name so you can track which version you used for which application.

Run a careful proofread for grammar, consistency, and formatting issues because small errors reduce credibility; read aloud and ask a friend to review. Use a simple ATS-friendly checker or paste your resume into a plain-text file to see how it parses, checking that headings and bullets stay readable.

Export a clean PDF for most online applications, unless the posting asks for a Word file, and keep an editable source file for quick updates. Create a tracking spreadsheet with columns for company, date applied, resume version, and follow-up date to stay organized and ensure timely follow-ups.