The job market is becoming more competitive and a well-crafted professional resume will be key to securing an interview. This comprehensive resume writing guide will teach you how to build a professional resume that can beat Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and catch the eye of hiring managers. We’ll walk step-by-step through examples, offer effective resume writing techniques, and provide templates to get you started.
Understanding the Basics of a Professional Resume
Definition and purpose
Think of a professional resume as an ad that targets potential employers. This concise document presents your relevant skills, experiences, achievements, and qualifications in a compelling way.
It should catch the hiring manager’s eye and position you as a serious candidate. No matter your career goals, occupation, or industry, creating a professional resume is your first step toward your dream job or internship.
Key components
Every resume will vary depending on your unique background, industry, and occupation, but a few key elements should be included no matter what type of position you’re applying for. A great professional resume template will have the following sections:
Contact information
Summary or objective statement
Work experience
Education
Skills
Additional sections
Steps To Building a Professional Resume
Choose the right format
When deciding on your professional resume format, choose one that highlights your strengths and downplays any potential weaknesses. The three most common formats for a professional resume:
Chronological: Also called “reverse chronological,” this format focuses on your career progression, making it a good choice for anyone with a long track record of employment. This professional resume layout is easy for hiring managers to read but isn’t ideal for those with employment gaps or lack of experience.
Functional: Focusing on your skills rather than work history, a functional format is best for recent graduates with limited work experience, career changers, and people returning to work from significant time away. However, some employers may find it less trustworthy.
Combination: Merging the best of both formats above, the combination resume presents a healthy balance of skills and professional experience. This is a solid option for individuals making a horizontal career change or those who have highly technical abilities that deserve more space on the page than that offered in a traditional template.
Gather necessary information
As you prepare for building a resume, sit down at your computer or with a notebook and pen to compile all of your professional information. List your past jobs and any impressive achievements you’ve made throughout your career.
Note any diplomas, degrees, and certifications you’ve earned. If you’ve taken relevant coursework or received specialized training in your field, get it all out on paper.
Finally, create a list of skills, both hard and soft. Don’t limit yourself here, list all interpersonal and technical abilities you have.
Selecting a professional template
Choosing the right template isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s your first impression on hiring managers and more important than many job seekers realize. A professional resume template should be polished, well-designed, and suitable for your specific industry. While a more conservative field such as law would benefit from a traditional style, a graphic designer could select a more creative professional resume design.
Keep your personal contact information simple and straightforward. Never include additional details such as age, marital status, or social security numbers.
Begin with your full name listed prominently at the top of the page. Next, list your best phone number and professional email address. Including a physical address is optional, but provide at least your city and state.
If you’re submitting a digital resume and linking to a LinkedIn page, digital portfolio, or personal website, double-check that all your links are correct and active.
Writing a compelling summary or objective
Although similar in function, summaries and objectives are different. A resume summary gives a brief overview of your professional persona and unique value proposition. It focuses on what you can offer potential employers based on years of experience and skill-building.
On the other hand, an objective statement is a declaration of what you’re seeking in a position. It communicates what you hope to gain and how you plan to contribute. This is a better option for entry-level professionals, teens, and recent graduates.
Choose the one that makes the most sense and tailor it to the specific job you’re applying for. Keep it brief and impactful. Aim for no more than four sentences and use adjectives, action verbs, and achievements to create a robust narrative description.
Detailing your work experience
Always list your jobs in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position first. Include the job title, company name, and dates employed. Then, create bullet points under each entry to describe the scope of your responsibilities and the extent of your achievements. Using action verbs and numbers will make these job descriptions impactful and memorable.
Before listing your past positions, consider the types of experiences required for the job — hiring managers will be looking for these. It’s important to be strategic with this section and tailor it to meet the employer’s needs.
For example, say you’re applying for a marketing manager job where experience with social media campaigns is needed, and you have it. Instead of focusing on general marketing duties, you would highlight successful social media initiatives and improvements in engagement, follower growth, and conversion rates. Speak to the employer’s needs for the biggest impact.
Highlighting your education
The education section of a professional resume is another opportunity to show hiring managers that you have the knowledge and qualifications needed for the job. Begin with your highest degree first and include all the basic information: your major, the school’s name and location, and your graduation date.
If you’re working on a degree, provide the month and year you expect to graduate. Or, maybe you’re a current student or recent graduate with limited professional experience. You can expand this section to include relevant coursework, honors, leadership roles, and GPAs over 3.5.
Showcasing your skills
Most professional resumes have a skills section where you can list your abilities. This should include both hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) skills. If you’re not sure where to start, use the job description as a guide. Employers will provide the main job requirements there; show how your skills match their needs. Here are some examples:
Hard Skills
CPR and first aid
Financial modeling
Technical writing
Video editing
Web development
Soft Skills
Contract negotiation
Cross-functional collaboration
Medical team leadership
Persuasive presentation
Stakeholder management
Adding extra sections
If you have the space and believe it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for, you can venture beyond the basic professional resume elements to add more sections. These extra facets of your background can provide a more comprehensive overview for hiring managers. Here are a few examples of the sections you can add to your resume:
Certifications
Volunteer work
Languages
Professional affiliations
Interests
Tips for Making Your Resume Stand Out
Customizing your resume
To stand out from other well-qualified candidates, it’s important to customize your professional resume. That means every time you submit an application, the main sections of your resume should be slightly adjusted to align with that job description.
Before applying, research the company and role responsibilities. How do you line up with the job requirements? Identify how your current skills and experiences match those listed in the posting. Prioritize those qualifications over others to make it easy for hiring managers to see you’re a great fit for the role.
Using keywords
Sprinkle keywords throughout your professional resume to catch the attention of hiring managers and get past ATS. You can find these keywords by studying the job description. MonkeyLearn’s WordCloud Generator can help you analyze job postings and prioritize keywords based on frequency and relevance.
Once you have your list of keywords, weave them into your resume organically. This isn’t just hitting copy and paste but a strategy that illustrates how you’re a well-qualified candidate.
For instance, say you’re a nurse applying for a job in the cardiac unit, and the posting mentions “patient monitoring” and “EKG interpretation.” In that case, weave these phrases into your resume as you describe past achievements, skills, and responsibilities. Keywords are important for ATS, but your resume should still be natural and compelling for human readers.
Highlighting achievements over duties
Taking a results-driven approach to your professional experience section will help your resume stand out. While it’s important to communicate the scope of your past job duties, focus on your achievements instead. So, rather than listing job duties, consider the difference you’ve made in the workplace.
Each bullet point of this section should begin with an action verb. This dynamic language helps hiring managers understand what you did instead of what was expected of you.
Also, quantify your accomplishments by using numbers to describe past success. Stating you were “Responsible for training a team of baristas” is not as powerful as saying you “Trained a team of 15 baristas and reduced order errors by 25%.”
Proofreading and editing
Making a positive first impression is key during the application process, so ensure your resume is error-free before submission. With only one or two pages of information, there’s no excuse for any grammatical issues or misspellings.
After your first draft, take a break from writing and come back to it with fresh eyes to read it aloud. This strategy helps you catch any errors and listen for awkward phrasing or missing details. If you’d like an outside perspective, ask a friend or family member to review it. Digital tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly are another great option to help you refine and edit.
Professional Resume Examples
Entry-level resume example
Are you a recent graduate, teen, or early-career professional? Your resume should highlight your education, relevant coursework, internships, and extracurricular activities. The example below will give you a good idea of how to structure an entry-level resume.
Your Name
(123) 456-7890 youremail@example.com LinkedIn | Portfolio
City, State Abbreviation zip code
Profile
A 2023 marketing degree graduate specializing in social media strategy with internship and volunteer experience in multiple verticals. A proven track record of working with cross-functional teams to create multimedia content, manage social media calendars, and host live events across various social platforms to increase user engagement and support campaigns.
Key Skills
Multimedia and social graphic creation
Paid social media advertising
Social media content creation
Social media engagement analytics
Social platform best practices
Professional Experience
Intern, JD Cosmetics, Oswego, NY
September 2022 – March 2023
Analyzed social media traffic and engagement statistics for four brand accounts
Conceptualized YouTube video that had 25% higher views than average
Engaged with followers and fielded customer feedback
Scheduled platform-specific social posts
Collaborated with the design team on social graphic development
Volunteer Social Media Manager, Women’s Soccer Team, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
January 2021 – March 2022
Wrote copy for weekly team social media announcements and game updates
Live-streamed team events and athlete interviews
Created team spirit hashtag campaign that increased followers across platforms by 15%
Delegated social media calendar duties to a team of three
Education
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Marketing, May 2023
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Mid-career professional resume example
Professionals at a career midpoint typically have a solid work history to display. If you’d like to emphasize your career progression and key achievements, the following example illustrates how to present mid-level professional experience effectively.
Your Name
(123) 456-7890 youremail@example.com
City, State Abbreviation zip code LinkedIn | Portfolio
Profile
Dedicated and results-driven business analyst with over seven years of experience. Background in fuel-related systems optimization and renewable energy. Possesses a strong analytical mindset coupled with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Leads cross-functional teams, conducts data analysis, and identifies opportunities for process enhancement.
Key Skills
Interdepartmental coordination
Microsoft Suite (Excel, Visio, Word)
Project prioritization
Requirement elicitation and analysis
Stakeholder relations
Time management
Professional Experience
Business Analyst, WEC Energy Group, Milwaukee, WI
July 2018 – present
Lead analysis and support functions within the renewable energy and customer-owned electric generation systems (COGS) domain
Update interconnection processes in alignment with pending PSC 119 state regulations
Develop and implement a customer communication strategy, resulting in a 15% increase in customer engagement and awareness of renewable energy initiatives
Ensure accuracy and maintenance of iAvenue information, producing regular reports on COGS trends for planning and analysis
Collaborate with the IT department to enhance the iAvenue system and reduce data entry errors by 40%
Liaise between the department and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance
Business Analyst, RaceTrac, Atlanta, GA
January 2016 – June 2018
Maintained and managed development backlogs, reducing project turnaround time by two weeks
Led and facilitated over 50 meetings, ensuring efficient collaboration and decision-making processes
Proactively identified and addressed system or process gaps, leading to a 27% reduction in system-related issues, saving an average of 15 hours per week
Collaborated with each department to integrate a new customer relationship management (CRM) system for tracking data and personalizing service
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), June 2017
Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Certifications
Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA), IIBA, 2018
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), Microsoft, 2017
Senior-level executive resume example
If you’re a senior-level professional, your resume must demonstrate an ability to lead, think strategically, and impact a business’s bottom line. A focus on industry influence and a track record of business success is in the following executive resume example.
Your Name
(123) 456-7890 youremail@example.com LinkedIn | Portfolio
City, State Abbreviation zip code
Profile
A digital marketing director with over 10 years of experience defining marketing strategies for enterprise organizations. A proven track record of building high-performance marketing teams and collaborating with C-level executives. Adept at leveraging data-driven strategies to enhance market penetration and achieve positive business outcomes.
Professional Experience
Digital Marketing Director, Factor75, Philadelphia, PA
November 2017 – present
Develop and implement digital marketing strategies for a gourmet meal delivery company valued at over $250 million, identify opportunities to enhance digital advertising, and successfully increase revenue by 230% over four years
Manage, build, and develop a dynamic marketing department with over 30 personnel and collaborate with senior leadership to define long-term roadmaps and strategic objectives
Lead direct-to-consumer and pay-per-click marketing campaigns, align brand messaging with target audiences, and achieve an 11.7% conversion rate
Marketing Manager, L.L. Bean, Philadelphia, PA
May 2013 – November 2017
Executed quarterly influencer marketing campaigns generating over $220,000 in sales and resulting in a 20% increase in website traffic
Generated $150,000 in new business by collaborating with cross-functional teams to plan and execute a successful product launch event
Optimized website content and search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, resulting in a 30% increase in organic traffic and a 10% increase in online sales
Master of Science (M.S.) in Marketing, May 2015
Temple University, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Communications, May 2013
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Career change resume example
When changing careers, it’s best to feature your transferable skills and show how past experiences relate to the job you’re applying for. You might benefit from a combination or functional format like the one in the example below.
Your Name
(123) 456-7890 youremail@example.com LinkedIn | Portfolio
City, State Abbreviation zip code
Profile
Dedicated and results-oriented customer service representative with over seven years of experience. Proven track record of delivering solid support for Software as a service (SaaS) companies. Strong foundation in communication and multitasking. Thrives in dynamic customer-centric roles, providing unparalleled service remotely.
Relevant Skills
Customer service:
Assisted customers with complex cases, reducing escalations by 19%
Communicated customer requests to the product team, contributing to efforts to put the users first and improve software performance
Dedicated two hours each week to learn about proprietary software and current blockers, making it easier to resolve issues and keep customers happy
Effective communication:
Interacted with customers via their preferred method of communication (phone, email, or live chat) to maintain a 98% satisfaction rating
Translated complicated concepts, so customers could understand better
Created a Slack thread to maintain constant communication with over 20 staff members from the product and sales teams
Troubleshooting:
Discovered a recurring login problem attributed to outdated browser compatibility, leading to a 17% reduction in login-related support tickets
Put together a step-by-step guide for customers when the product experiences a temporary service interruption, allowing them to continue working with limited disruptions
Supported a customer who was struggling for weeks with data syncing by identifying and adjusting an issue with firewall settings
Education
Associate of Science (A.S.) in Business Management, June 2022
Portland Community College, Portland, OR
Professional Experience
Customer Service Representative, DataWave Solutions, Medford, OR
November 2018 – September 2020
Customer Service Representative, Cloud Innovations, San Jose, CA
May 2014 – November 2018
Free Professional Resume Templates
Basic template
If you’re looking for a simple structure to get you started, a basic resume template is a great choice. It will include all the essential sections of a traditional resume, making it a great starting point for job seekers across all industries and occupations.
Industry-specific templates
Each field will often have standard expectations for resume format, content, and design. Whether you’re in tech, health care, or a creative industry, look for a resume template that will stand out to hiring managers in your sector.
Customizable templates
Offering both professional structure and flexibility, customizable templates are the perfect way to showcase your unique skills and personality. These resumes provide a solid foundation you can easily modify to fit your specific design, industry, and occupation needs.
Building a professional resume requires careful thought and a clear strategy. From choosing the right format to customizing your content for each job, your goal is to create a resume that communicates your unique value proposition.
Use the examples, templates, and professional resume tips we’ve provided here as your starting point. With a well-crafted resume, you’ll be equipped to navigate the job market and take the next step in your career journey.
Frequently Asked Questions About Professional Resumes
What is the best professional resume format?
The best format will depend on your career level, industry, and individual experience. However, a common choice is the chronological format. Unless you’ve never held a job before, this can be a good option for most occupations across all industries. Choose the format that will present your professional potential in the best light.
How far back should a resume go?
In general, your resume should focus on the last 10 to 15 years of your career. Unless earlier experience is particularly relevant, there’s no need (and likely not enough room) to go back that far. Too much information can overwhelm the reader, and some may be seen as outdated. Feature your most compelling career highlights from the last decade to keep your resume relevant.
What is a resume red flag?
Resume red flags are things that could cause a hiring manager to question your qualifications, professionalism, or credibility. Here are a few examples:
Frequent job-hopping
Inconsistent dates and names
Outdated or obsolete skills
Spelling and grammar mistakes
Unexplained employment gaps
Unprofessional email address
You can avoid these red flags by following a few resume writing tips. First, always be honest and prepared to answer for any gaps or frequent job changes. Instead of including everything from your professional past, focus on your latest and greatest career achievements. Finally, remember to proofread your resume before submitting it to catch any potential red flags.
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
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