How to make a resume
Learn what goes in each section of a resume, in the order our resume builder asks for it, and make yours as you read.
- What to write in each section
- Help if it's your first resume
- What to leave off your resume
- Resume examples for jobs like yours
Write each section in the order the builder asks for it
Step 1
Start with your experience and a plain design
Choose how much experience you have, even if it's none. A plain design keeps the focus on your words.
Step 2
Get your contact details right
Use your full name, a phone number you answer, an email with your name in it, and your city and state.
Step 3
Describe your work history
List jobs newest first. Start each line with an action verb, and add only numbers you could explain in an interview.
Step 4
Add your education, then match your skills
Name your school and your major or program, then list skills you have that the posting asks for.
Step 5
Save your summary for last
The builder asks for it after your jobs and skills. Use two or three sentences: the work you want and your strongest result.
Step 6
Add optional sections, proofread and download
Add certifications or other sections only if they help. Check spelling and dates on the review screen, then download.
Step 1
Start with your experience and a plain design
Choose how much experience you have, even if it's none. A plain design keeps the focus on your words.
Step 3
Describe your work history
List jobs newest first. Start each line with an action verb, and add only numbers you could explain in an interview.
Step 5
Save your summary for last
The builder asks for it after your jobs and skills. Use two or three sentences: the work you want and your strongest result.
Step 2
Get your contact details right
Use your full name, a phone number you answer, an email with your name in it, and your city and state.
Step 4
Add your education, then match your skills
Name your school and your major or program, then list skills you have that the posting asks for.
Step 6
Add optional sections, proofread and download
Add certifications or other sections only if they help. Check spelling and dates on the review screen, then download.
Worked example: editing three lines from a cashier resume
Three lines from our gas station cashier resume example, with a note on whether to keep, reword or drop each on a first resume.
- "Counted the cash in the register drawer at the start and end of each shift."
If you did this, keep it as written. A plain, specific duty shows you were trusted with a cash drawer.
- "Informed law enforcement about shoplifting, theft, and drive-offs."
Use it only if you reported something, since an interviewer may ask. Say it plainly: "Called the police to report shoplifting and drive-offs."
- "Educated customers about promotions to increase sales."
"To increase sales" claims a result you probably can't show. Try "Told customers about current promotions at checkout."
- Find lines for your own job
Browse our resume examples, or start your resume and edit the lines suggested for your job title.
How to make a resume for your first job
You don't need a job history. Experience can come from school, volunteering, projects or informal work.
Describe each like a job, as in "Packed grocery boxes at the county food bank every Saturday."
For ideas, see our college student and dining hall student worker examples.
Choose "No experience" on the first screen, then add volunteer work like a paid job.
How to make your resume stand out, and what to leave off
A resume stands out when an employer can quickly see what you did and how it fits the job.
- Use the posting's own words
When the posting names a skill or tool you have, use its term: "cash handling," not "handled money."
- Show your strengths instead of naming them
Anyone can claim "reliable." A line like "Covered extra shifts during the holiday rush" shows it.
- Leave off a photo and personal details
US resumes usually skip a photo, date of birth, marital status and Social Security number. Employers don't need them.
- Leave off references and past pay
Skip the references section and the line saying references are available. Leave out what you were paid, too.
- Keep job titles and dates accurate
Use your real titles and dates. Employers can check them, and a mismatch casts doubt on the rest.
- Have someone else read it
A friend or family member can catch a missing word or a wrong date you've read past several times.
Where to make your resume: Google Docs, Word or a resume builder
You can make a good resume in any of them. The difference is how much layout and wording you handle yourself.
- Who handles the formatting
In Word or Google Docs, you set margins and spacing and keep them consistent. In a builder, the design does it.
- The file you end up with
Our builder gives you a US Letter PDF, not a Word file. If a posting asks for Word, use Word or Google Docs.
- Working on a phone
Our builder works in a phone browser, so there's nothing to install, and it asks for the same sections as on a computer.
- Help writing each line
Word and Google Docs give you a blank page or placeholder text. Our builder suggests lines for your job title to edit.
What people ask about writing a resume
How can I make a simple resume?
Pick a plain, one-column design and use standard headings such as Work History and Skills. Keep it to one page if your experience fits, and leave out graphics and skill-rating bars.
If you're changing careers, compare resume formats.
What sections does a resume need?
Five parts: contact details at the top, a short summary, then work history, education and skills. Add certifications, volunteer work or awards when they help with the job.
Our guide on how to write a resume takes each one in turn.
How long should my resume be?
One page is enough for most people early in their careers. Two pages make sense when you have many years of relevant experience.
How far back should my work history go?
Give recent, relevant jobs the most room. Older ones can shrink to a line or come off, unless they match the posting better than your recent ones.
Should I tailor my resume for every job?
Yes, for any job you really want, but you don't have to start over. Rewrite your summary, adjust your skills and move your most relevant lines up.
Keeping a copy for each job lets you hold on to every tailored version.
How do I write a resume at 16?
Use what you've done so far: school, volunteering, sports or clubs, and informal jobs like babysitting or mowing lawns.
Add skills you can show, such as handling money, keep it to one page, and pick "No experience" when you start.
Start your resume at step one
Make yours in the same order as the steps above, starting with your work experience.
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