How to write a resume

A resume's job is to get you an interview in the ~10 seconds a recruiter spends on it. Clear structure and concrete results beat fancy design every time.

The sections to include

1. Header — name, professional title, email, phone, location, and a link (LinkedIn or portfolio).
2. Summary — 2–3 lines on who you are and the value you bring. Tailor it to the role.
3. Experience — most recent first; for each role list company, title, dates, and 2–4 bullet points.
4. Education — degree, school, dates.
5. Skills — the tools and abilities relevant to the job.

Write bullet points that land

• Start with a strong verb: Led, Built, Reduced, Launched, Grew.
• Show results with numbers: “Cut load time 40%,” “Managed a $1.2M budget,” “Grew signups 3×.”
• One accomplishment per line. Cut duties that are just “responsible for…”.

Length and formatting

One page for most people; two only with 10+ years of relevant experience. Use a clean, single-column layout, consistent dates, and plenty of white space. Save as PDF so it looks the same everywhere. Tailor the summary and skills to each job.