Resume & Career FAQs: Answers to Common Job-Search Questions
Answers to common resume, job application, interview and salary questions, sorted into eight topics.
Browse by topic
Each page below covers one topic.
- Resume Basics FAQ: Section Order, Education and More
What goes on a resume, how long it should be, and where photos, references, GPA, section order, education and certifications fit.
13 questions
- Formatting & ATS FAQs: Color, File Names and ATS Scores
Resume formats, layout, fonts, color and file names, and how an applicant tracking system (ATS) reads and scores your resume.
15 questions
- Resume Writing FAQs: Tense, Headlines and Promotions
Summaries, objectives, bullet points and action verbs, plus tailoring, employment gaps, promotions and freelance or contract work.
18 questions
- Skills FAQs: How to List, Place and Name Skills on a Resume
Which skills to list and how many, hard versus soft skills, and where to place, name and lay out your skills section.
12 questions
- Students & Early Career FAQs: First Jobs, Internships and Education
For students and first-time job seekers: a resume with no experience, class projects, internships, graduation dates, study abroad and cover letters.
12 questions
- AI and Resume FAQs: Screening, Opting Out and Privacy
Using ChatGPT and other AI tools on your resume and cover letter, whether employers can tell, privacy, and how AI screening works.
12 questions
- Interview FAQs: Phone Screens, Video Calls and Follow-Ups
What to bring, when to arrive and how to answer common questions, plus phone screens, video and panel interviews and thank-you emails.
12 questions
- Career & Salary FAQs: Job Offers, Pay and Benefits
Researching and negotiating pay, salary expectations, total compensation, accepting or declining an offer, and changing careers.
10 questions
Each topic below lists its questions about resumes, applicant tracking systems (ATS), interviews or salary: pick one to go straight to its answer, or open the topic’s page to read every answer in it.
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Resume Basics
The first decisions about a resume: what to include, how long it should be, how far back to go, and whether to add your address, a photo, references or your GPA. Section order, preferred names, education and certifications are here too.
- What should I include on a resume?
- How long should a resume be?
- How far back should a resume go?
- Should a resume be one page?
- Should I put my full address on my resume?
- Should I include a photo on my resume?
- Should I put references on my resume?
- Should I put my GPA on my resume?
- What is the difference between a resume and a cover letter?
- What order should resume sections go in?
- Can I use a preferred name or nickname on my resume?
- How do I list education on a resume?
- Where do certifications go on a resume?
Start from a template with the basics in place
Each template puts your contact details, summary, experience and education in the order recruiters expect.
Formatting & ATS
How your resume should look and how applicant tracking systems (ATS) read it, from formats, columns, margins and fonts to color, file names and keywords. Find out what an ATS score means and how to test whether your resume is ATS-friendly.
- What is the best resume format?
- What is a hybrid resume?
- Are two-column resumes ATS-friendly?
- What margins should a resume have?
- What font size should a resume use?
- Should I submit my resume as PDF or Word?
- What is an ATS?
- How do I make my resume ATS-friendly?
- Do I need exact keywords from a job description?
- Can ATS read tables?
- What font should I use on my resume?
- Should a resume have color?
- What should I name my resume file?
- How can I check if my resume is ATS-friendly?
- What is an ATS score?
Pick a template applicant tracking systems can read
Standard headings, clean fonts and simple layouts that ATS software reads correctly.
Resume Writing
How to write each part of a resume: the summary or objective, bullet points, action verbs, results and tailoring to a job. Includes employment gaps, promotions, and freelance, gig, volunteer, contract and temp work.
- How do I write a resume summary?
- Do I need a resume objective?
- How many bullet points should each job have?
- How do I write accomplishment bullets?
- What action verbs should I use on a resume?
- How do I tailor a resume to a job description?
- How do I explain an employment gap on a resume?
- How do I put freelance work on a resume?
- How do I put DoorDash or gig work on a resume?
- How do I list volunteer experience on a resume?
- How do I show a promotion on my resume?
- What is a resume headline, and do I need one?
- Should a resume be written in past or present tense?
- Can I use "I" on my resume?
- Should resume bullet points end with periods?
- Which buzzwords should I cut from my resume?
- How do I show results if my job had no numbers?
- How do I list contract or temp agency work on a resume?
Turn these answers into your resume
Build your resume free with Rocket Resume, no account needed to start. Choose a template, add your experience and use the step-by-step guidance.
Skills
Which skills to list and how many, hard versus soft skills, and whether Microsoft Office still belongs on a resume. Then where the skills section goes, what to call it, and how to list technical skills, languages and transferable skills.
- What skills should I put on my resume?
- What is the difference between hard skills and soft skills?
- How many skills should I list on a resume?
- Should I list Microsoft Office on my resume?
- How do I show soft skills on a resume?
- How do I list skills on a resume?
- Where should the skills section go on a resume?
- Do I need a skills section on my resume?
- What else can I call the skills section?
- What are technical skills on a resume?
- How do I list languages on a resume?
- What are transferable skills?
See the skills employers list for your job
Browse resume examples by job title and pick the skills that match your role.
Students & Early Career
For students and first-time job seekers: a resume with no experience, class projects, coursework, internships, study abroad, expected graduation dates and an unfinished degree, plus high school on a college resume, how many hours to work in college and a first cover letter.
- How do I write a resume with no experience?
- What should a college student put on a resume?
- Can class projects go on a resume?
- Should I include high school on my college resume?
- How many hours should a college student work?
- Do I need a resume for my first job?
- How do I put an internship on a resume?
- How do I list an expected graduation date on a resume?
- Should I list relevant coursework on my resume?
- How do I put study abroad on a resume?
- How do I list an unfinished degree on a resume?
- How do I write a cover letter with no experience?
Your first resume, without the guesswork
College resume templates that lead with education, projects and activities when your work history is short.
AI & Resume Technology
Using ChatGPT and other AI tools on your resume and cover letter, whether employers can tell, and how to keep your details private, along with how AI resume screening works and whether to opt out.
- Can ChatGPT write a resume?
- What is the best prompt for improving a resume?
- Can employers detect an AI-written resume?
- Is it okay to use AI for a resume?
- Will AI replace resume writers?
- What is AI resume screening?
- Should I opt out of AI resume screening?
- How do I get my resume past AI screening?
- Can AI tailor my resume to a job description?
- Can I use AI to update an old resume?
- Is it safe to upload my resume to ChatGPT or another AI tool?
- How do I write a cover letter with AI?
Draft your resume faster with AI
Get suggested wording for your experience, then edit it into your own words.
Interviews
Getting ready for a job interview and following up after it: what to bring, when to arrive, how to answer "Tell me about yourself" and behavioral questions, and what to ask the interviewer. Phone screens, video and panel interviews, notes and thank-you emails are covered as well.
- What should I bring to a job interview?
- How do I answer "Tell me about yourself"?
- What questions should I ask an interviewer?
- How should I answer behavioral interview questions?
- How early should I arrive for an interview?
- How do I reschedule or decline a job interview?
- What is a phone screen, and how do I prepare for one?
- How do I prepare for a video interview?
- What is a panel interview, and how do I handle one?
- Can I bring notes to a job interview?
- Should I send a thank-you email after an interview?
- When should I follow up after an interview?
More interview advice
Read our interview guides, from preparing your answers to following up.
Career & Salary
Researching and negotiating pay, salary expectations on applications and cover letters, total compensation, and accepting or turning down a job offer. For a career change: how to switch without starting over, the best resume format for it and how to choose a new career.
- How do I research salary before applying?
- How do I negotiate salary?
- How do I change careers without starting over?
- What is the best resume format for a career change?
- How do I choose a new career?
- What should I put for salary expectations on a job application?
- Should I include salary requirements in a cover letter?
- What does total compensation include?
- How do I accept a job offer?
- How do I turn down a job offer politely?
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