how to make resume for job interview

How To Make A Resume 101 (Examples Included)

Mike Simpson 0 Comments

By Mike Simpson

If you are reading this article, I think it is safe to say that we can call you a “job seeker”, correct?

But what kind of job seeker are you?

Are you looking for a change of pace from your everyday job?

Are you just starting out in the workforce?

Maybe you’re a seasoned veteran trying to make the leap up the chain of command?

Or perhaps you’re just fed up with the way things are going (or not going) with your career and it’s time for a change?

Well, no matter what stage you are in your career, you’re going to need to know how to write a good resume for a job interview … and we are going to show you how! So start by downloading our Free “Perfect Resume” Checklist that will help you overhaul your resume and will get you more interviews.  Click here to get the “perfect resume” checklist

What Is a Resume?

Don’t laugh.

Believe it or not, some people (especially those who are completely new to the workforce) have never seen a resume before, let alone written one.

If you’re one of those people, this section is for you!

So what is a resume?

A resume   is a document used by job seekers to help  provide a summary of their  skills , abilities and accomplishments .

In other words,  a resume is typically a short and quick way for a job seeker to introduce themselves to a potential employer. (In North America a resume should not be confused with a CV . Check out our blog post on the difference between a CV and a resume if you’re interested.)

Resumes are normally submitted to hiring managers along with a cover letter (Need help writing a cover letter? Check out our article How To Write a Cover Letter 101 ), usually via email or on online job posting.

Sounds pretty easy, right? Just take a piece of paper and put some basic info on it and “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am, I’m right for the job and can start tomorrow,” right?

Unfortunately (or fortunately, which I’ll explain later) it’s not that easy.

In fact, writing a bad resume is much easier than writing a good one…and trust me, there are lots of bad ones out there…which is why you want to make sure you have good one…no wait, a GREAT one so when employers look at it, they say, “Heck yes, bring this kid in for an interview!”

Why Do I Need a Resume?

I know the (company CEO, boss, hiring manager, owner’s dog walker who works on Tuesday’s and they’ve totally promised me a job no matter what.)

If that’s true, then hey, you probably don’t need a resume…you’re essentially guaranteed the job already… but what about when that job ends?

Betcha no matter how great your hookups are right now, at some point in your career, you’re gonna need a killer resume, and luckily we’re here to tell you how to create a resume.

And not just any resume… a professional resume .

For those of us who don’t have direct connections to killer jobs, a resume is essential to getting your foot in the door.

Employers use resumes as a way to quickly screen potential applicants , selecting only the individuals they feel are right for the position, so making sure your resume is in tip-top shape is absolutely vital.

Here, let me walk you through a quick little scenario and we’ll see just how important those little pieces of paper actually are:

Imagine you’re a hiring manager and it’s your job to find the perfect candidate for an open position with your company.

You’ve trolled the usual job listing sites and posted what you’re looking for and the response has been…overwhelming.

Your desk is COVERED with resumes. Pile after pile. Stack after stack.

All you need is that one qualified person, but as you look through the piles of paperwork, you feel your stomach starting to knot up. These resumes are a mess. Most of them are sloppy, with spelling errors, confusing headings, and lists of qualifications that have absolutely NOTHING to do with the job at all. You need an IT specialist and a third of these resumes have things like ‘underwater basket weaving specialist,’ and ‘professional poodle groomer’ listed under relevant skills. How is that relevant?

You call maintenance and ask them to empty your trash can, again. It’s filling up too quickly with all these rejected candidates.

You continue to slog through the pile of papers, your eyes growing heavy with each rejection. You’re sleepy, you’re bored, and you’re frustrated. Does NOBODY really qualify for this job?

And then you see it. A single resume that’s clean, crisp and clearly written. The font is professional, the layout is well organized and thoughtful and the qualifications are…gasp…actually on target! You smile as you read it, your heavy eyes suddenly snapping open in excitement as you realize you’ve got someone here who might actually be able to do the job!

You carefully set that resume to the side, a bright yellow note stuck on top of it: “ Interview THIS one. ”

Then you turn back to your unending mountain of resumes. Back to the slog.

Okay. Story time is over…back to reality. How would you like to be that hiring manager?

No fun, eh? Absolutely not!

Unfortunately, odds are, your current resume is probably buried in that mountain of not quite right resumes…or worse yet, in the trash waiting to go out with the next trash run.

Wouldn’t you rather be the one with the yellow “Interview THIS one” sticky?

Okay, then… it’s time to give you all the resume help you need! That’s why we created this fantastic (and free) Resume Checklist for you to use to make sure your resume stand out against your competition.  Click here to get the “perfect resume” checklist .

In this article, we’ll show you SECTION 1 , “How to Build a Resume” or proper resume format and SECTION 2 , “How to Write a Resume.”

Section 1 – How To Make a Resume (or Proper Resume Format)

Good resume writing (and proper resume format) is an art form and can make the difference between getting lost in the pile and being invited in for an interview.

(Here’s the good news. We’ve dedicated an entire blog article just to resume format and the best practices for 2017 and beyond! Click here to head over to that article now! )

The problem is, a lot of people don’t see it as an art form…rather an obligation. Most people look at writing a resume as just something you have to do to get a job.

There’s no time put into it. No thought. And certainly no enthusiasm.

Just a bunch of stuff thrown on a page with the expectation that if the company really want to hire you, they should be able to look at that mess and pull what they need out of it and bring you in based off of that.

Reality check!

Research has proven that hiring managers only bring in about 1 person per 200 resumes received .

Those are some pretty miserable odds!

Time to step up your game and go from one of the 200 to that one out of 200!

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Okay, so we just finished telling you that writing a resume is an art form and that you need to stand out. BUT (there’s always a “but” isn’t there?) this doesn’t mean that you should paint your resume in water colors or build a resume diorama out of Play-Doh and Legos.

In fact, you should know that a lot of companies today are using Applicant Tracking Systems to help them screen resumes and find the best candidates.

How does this work exactly?

Well, a piece of software analyzes your resume for certain keywords and gives you a score based how well your resume matches a predetermined list of keywords chosen by the company you’re interviewing with.

There are a few things you can do to ensure your resume gets past the software and into the hands of hiring managers, which Lifehacker does a nice job of outlining here .

In the meantime, here are our best practices to follow when it comes to formatting your resume.

Resume Fonts

Of course you want your resume to stand out, but for the right reasons…and you have to understand that it starts with the very first second someone looks at it.

Your resume is a marketing tool to sell you to an employer and that means making sure it clearly represents you in a professional manner.

Notice the word professional. That’s what this is. PROFESSIONAL .

This isn’t a time for artistic expression or a place to make a personal statement using gimmicks or tricks..and that means say goodbye to cartoon fonts.

No. Comic. Sans.

I repeat. DO NOT EVER USE COMIC SANS.

Look at it. It’s ridiculous.

Who is ever going to take that font seriously? Nobody. That’s who.

You get, on average, 10 to 20 seconds to make a first impression with your resume… so make it count!

If your resume is sloppy or has unprofessional font, odds are those 20 seconds are going to end with you in the trash.

For anyone with a basic word processing program, it’s easy to see there are hundreds of fonts out there to choose from and picking the right one can be difficult. We’ve already discussed Comic Sans (no) but what fonts are good ones to use?

There are two categories of font. Serif and San-serif .

Serif fonts are stylized fonts with tails and other (subtle) decorative markings. Examples of serif fonts include Times New Roman . They are perceived as being reliable, authoritative, and traditional.

Other serif fonts include: Bell MT , Bodoni MT , Bookman Old Style , Cambria , Goudy Old Style , Calibri , Garamond, and Georgia .

San-serif fonts are also often used and are characterized as being simpler and no-frills. San-serif fonts include Helvetica and Arial and are associated with being clean, universal, modern, objective and stable.

Examples of san-serif fonts include: Verdana , Trebuchet MS , Century Gothic , Gill Sans MT , Lucida Sans , and Tahoma .

No matter which font you use, the biggest consideration you have to keep in mind is legibility .

You need to make sure that your typeface is easy on the eyes and shows up well both in print and on screen, regardless of formatting or size.

Another consideration to keep in mind is that not everyone has the same operating system on their computer so unique or gimmicky fonts that look great on one computer system might show up as absolute nonsense on another.

Also, remember in today’s increasing digital age that most resumes are first scanned by an automated applicant tracking software program and any form that can’t be read will be automatically discarded!

Which one is right for you? It’s up to you really, but if you really want a recommendation then I suggest keeping it simple and going with  Helvetica . It’s the perfect combination of style and clarity.

Mike's Tip:

Resume layout & formatting.

Okay, now that you’ve got your font picked out, it’s time to focus on your resume formats (or layouts).  Don’t worry if you can’t remember all of this stuff, because we summarize it all on our “Perfect Resume” Checklist we made for you.  Simply click here to get your copy .

The first rule of layout is, keep it clean and clear. You want a resume that’s easy to read and easy to follow.

Again, remember, you get 10-20 seconds to catch a hiring manager’s eye so handing in something that’s messy, unorganized or confusing is going to end up in the trash.

Margins – Keep your margins to ½ to 1 inch on all sides of the paper, especially if you’re sending your resume to anyone you think might print it out. The last thing you want is to have a printer crop your resume and leave off important information!

Font Size – With the exception of your name which can be larger, you want to keep your font size at between 10 and 12 point. Keep in mind that some fonts are larger and/or smaller than others so an Arial 12 is larger than a Times New Roman 12. Ideally you want your resume to be a single page so feel free to tweak your font size a bit to make it fit (some programs allow you to adjust sizes by half points) but remember, keep it readable! Don’t sacrifice legibility in order to get everything on the page .

Spacing – Generally single spacing works the best, with a blank line between each section of content.

Paper – If you’re printing out your resume make sure to use a laser printer or inkjet printer that produces high-quality results. Use off-white , ivory or bright white paper and always stick to the standard 8 ½ X 11 paper in the highest quality you can afford. Make sure if there is a watermark on the paper that it’s facing the correct way and whatever you do, keep it readable. Don’t cram so much on the page that it’s crowded or confusing!

Resume Categories

Resumes are really nothing more than a bunch of specific categories that quickly outline who you are and what you’ve done and can do. Making sure your categories are well organized is a quick way to help put you in the “yes” pile and keep you out of the “trash” pile.

One of the biggest problems with many resumes is they lack focus and clarity. Double check yours and make sure your categories are well defined and organized.

Header – Start your resume off with the most important information first: your personal information! Include your full name, phone number, email and personal branding website if you have one . It’s also appropriate to include your permanent mailing address, but this can be optional.

Objective or Resume Summary – Depending on what sort of job seeker you are and what job you’re applying for, you will have to choose between an objective statement (what your employment goals are with the company you’re applying to) or a resume summary (a quick recap of your skills and experiences that highlight your value to a potential employer.) Regardless of whether you include an objective or a summary, keep this short and sweet (no more than a sentence or two.)

• For our in-depth article on how to write a resume objective, click here .
• For our in-depth article on how to write a resume summary statement, click here .

Experience/Qualifications – This part is all about your work history and should not only include who you worked for but what you did and how long you did it. Include the title you held and a quick bulleted list of responsibilities and/or duties. This is listed in reverse chronological order with your most recent job first .

Skills & Abilities – This section is a quick outline of the skills to put on a resume that relate to the position/career you’re applying to. These can include things like computer skills , technical skills , language skills , anything that can help make you the perfect candidate!

References – Including references is no longer a requirement. It’s a good idea to have references, but the days of listing them at the bottom of your resume is a thing of the past. Instead, have them as a separate list, and if requested, you’ll be able to provide it. Check out our article on professional reference letters if you need more info. (If you need a character reference, check out our article .)

Interests – This category is a tough one. Not every resume should include an interests section…this isn’t Facebook and your potential IT employer probably doesn’t need to know you spend your weekends dressing up as a troll warlord and reenacting great battles… Interests and hobbies can be a double-edged sword and listing something that has nothing to do with the job you’re applying for can not only waste valuable resume space but can also make you seem unfocused or scattered. HOWEVER…there are times when including interests can help you out…especially if they’re related to the job you’re applying for and show interest outside of the office, such as volunteering for an organization you know the corporation is already involved in (do you research first)! This category should be carefully considered before you add it. Weigh the pros and cons very seriously.

Types of Resumes (And 3 Resume Samples)

There are three major types of resumes: chronological, functional and combination (sometimes called targeted or hybrid), and we’ve included a description of each below along with some good resume examples.

Chronological Resume

Chronological resumes are the most commonly used layout and is exactly what it sounds like, a chronological listing of all your work history with your most recent positions listed first.

Employers tend to really like this type of a resume because it’s easy for them to quickly see what jobs you’ve held and how long you’ve held them. It also often includes an objective or career summary as well as education, certifications, and special skills.

For job seekers with a strong working background, this is a great way to showcase what you’ve done!

Here is a great chronological sample resume:

Source: Vault.com

Functional Resume

Functional resumes focus more on skills and experiences rather than on chronological work history and are perfect for people who are changing careers or have a gap in their work history as they focus attention on specific skills and capabilities.

Rather than displaying a timeline of your work history, the functional resume focuses on the actual skills you possess and highlights what you know rather than when you did it.

If you’re applying for a job with specific skills or clearly defined requirements and/or traits, this is the one you want to choose!

Here is a great functional sample resume:

Combination Resume

Combination resumes are exactly that, a combination of chronological and functional. A combination resume lists both your skills and experiences as well as your employment history in chronological order.

The idea is to not only highlight the skills you have that are relevant to the job you’re applying to, but also provide your potential employer with a chronological record of the jobs you’ve held in the past.

Because this type of resume is essentially two different types mashed together, it’s typically broken into two parts. The first part is your functional resume section and highlights your skills, achievements and qualifications and the second part is your timeline of work experience.

Although more complicated to pull together and keep cohesive and clear, this type of format is effective when used by an applicant who wants to show off the most relevant skills while still documenting work history. It’s also a great way to explain gaps in work history as well as career changes.

Here is a great combination sample resume:

So How Long Should A Resume Be?

Once upon a time the fast and hard rule was keep your resume to one-page MAX! Job seekers who found their resumes exceeding the one page limit were forced to either cut out valuable information or tweak their formatting, font sizes and/or margins to make it work, often resulting in either difficult formatting or incomplete histories.

Nowadays the rules are a little more relaxed and the new rule is: Your resume should be long enough to entice the hiring manager to call you in for an interview.

Confused? Don’t be.

First off, your resume is an introduction to who you are…give them enough information to get them comfortable, but brief enough that they’re left wanting more (and call you in for an interview!)

This isn’t a novel. It isn’t a 10-page dissertation on who you are or a 20-page essay on everything you’ve done from your first moments on earth to the moment you sent it to the company.

It’s a career marketing tool and should be used exactly like any good advertising is used…to build excitement, pique curiosity, and encourage the viewer to ask “ Okay, I like this so far…what else? ”

Remember our hiring manager from story time at the beginning of this article? Remember, they’re looking through hundreds, if not thousands of resumes and the last thing you want to do is to hand them a long document they’ll have to pour over to get the info they need.

Be concise . Be brief . Be clear . Be professional .

The best way to determine how long your resume should be is to follow these simple rules:

If you have less than 10 years of experience, are in the middle of a career change, or held multiple positions with one single employer, keep your resume to one page.

If you have more than 10 years of experience, your field is technical or engineering related and you need space to list all your skills and qualifications then two pages is appropriate.

And only in the most rare of situations, usually scientific or academic fields where extensive lists of publications, speaking engagements, professional courses, licenses or patents are normal, can you have a resume three or more pages long…

Okay, got all that? Ready to move onto Section 2 – “How to Write a Resume?”

If you haven’t already, now would be a good time to get your free Resume Checklist. It will help to have it open as you go through the next section!  Click here to get it now .

Section 2 – How To Write a Resume

Now that we have a general idea of what a resume should include, let’s look at how to write one that helps you stand out from the crowd.

Again, let’s go back to our poor beleaguered hiring manger toiling away over mountains of unfocused resumes…and while we’re there, I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

Out of all of those resumes, there are hundreds of qualified candidates…people who would probably do an amazing job and would be great additions to any company.

Sure, there are those in that pile who have NO business applying for the job…but I guarantee there’s a big chunk of applicants who are qualified and would be great hires…problem is, their resumes…well…suck.

Luckily yours…doesn’t. In fact, yours is brilliant and you are the perfect candidate! You’re the answer to the hiring manager’s prayers. You’re the reason they post jobs and slog through piles of paper poo and when they finally stumble on your little nugget of job history gold, jump to their feet in excitement and yell “Bring this one IN!”

Or at least, if you follow these guidelines and rules, you will be!

Tailoring Your Resume

No, we don’t mean tailoring like getting a nice suit and having it professionally fitted to you (not a bad idea for interview wear, but that’s a different post for a different time.) but tailoring as in making your resume absolutely perfect for the job you’re applying for.

Job hunting is exactly that, hunting…and if you’ve ever done any sort of hunting, you know each and every animal requires different skills. And before you get all upset and tell me “Hey, I’ve never hunted an animal and I never plan on doing it and your analogy is horrible,” let me TAILOR this even further down.

Have you ever tried to get an animal to come to you?

Have a cat? Have a dog? Have a bird? Even a fish?

Each one requires a different approach and what works for one won’t work for another.

Ever tried to entice a horse to come to you with a juicy steak? How about tossing some hay to a tiger and wondering why it isn’t eating? Of course not! That’s because you tailor what you’re doing to the situation you’re in.

Give the steak to the tiger and the hay to the horse!

Cats typically respond well to string and lasers. Dogs love to chase balls. And job hunting is exactly the same!

If you’re sending out the exact same resume to 500 job listings, then you’re not doing it right.

Odds are, you’re not getting many interviews either, and you’re probably wondering what’s wrong with all those hiring managers.

Is it possible all 500 are idiots and can’t tell how amazing you are and how you’re incredible and they’re totally missing out by not hiring you?

Possibly, but I doubt it.

Tailoring means making sure that every resume is unique and specifically written to appeal to the hiring manager for the job you’re applying to. That means if you send out 500 resumes for 500 job listings, each and every one of those 500 resumes will be different.

Exhausting? Hell yes.

Worth it? When you get the job of your dreams…you bet!

The problem is, each job is different and what each hiring manager is looking for is different. There is no physical way to satisfy each and every employer’s individual hiring requirements using just one blanket resume.

If you want to catch the attention of the hiring manager, you have to give them what they want. You need to invest the time into each application and ensure that your resume is tailored to each employer and the job you’re applying to.

Of course, we’re not saying you have to write 500 resumes from the ground up…it IS okay to start with a basic resume that lists your skills and qualifications…but you have to make sure you customize it for each job you apply for.

Let’s start with our categories from the previous section, shall we?

Header – Again, this is your basic personal information. It’s your name and contact info and really shouldn’t change.

Objective or Resume Summary – Again, you need to decide which one will work for you…an objective statement or a resume summary . We recapped the difference between both in the above section. The key here is be concise and clear. One to two sentences MAX.

Experience/Qualifications – This is where WORK EXPERIENCES go. Include anything you’ve done for which you’ve been paid. This includes full-time and part-time work as well as anything you did that qualifies for self-employed work.

Make sure for each job you list:

• The name of the company or organization where you were employed.
• The city and state for that company or organization.
• Your last position and/or title you held while there.
• Your employment period for each job in Month/Date format
• A brief description of your duties and responsibilities in a short, bulleted list

The hardest part about writing this section is making sure that you list your contributions to the company while still being concise and clear, as well as accurate.

Highlight the relevant information that relates directly to the job you’re now applying for and cut out any clutter that might add unnecessary length to your resume.

Speaking of length, keep your bullets short and sweet.

Wrong : “Daily I worked hand in hand with the company’s most important clients assisting them with problem-solving and ensuring that they were happy and satisfied with our work.

Right : Worked daily with high profile clients to solve problems.

Do not include unpaid , volunteer or charitable work in this section. If you feel you have an unpaid experience or volunteer job that a hiring manager would find valuable, consider creating a new category labelled “Relevant Experience” or “Other Experience” and be sure to include the same identifying information you include for your “Experience/Qualifications” lists.

Skills/Abilities – Every employer is looking for specific resume skills and abilities for the job they’re trying to fill. Your job (while you’re trying to get a job) is to make sure you fit what they’re looking for. These are the job specific skills and should be tailored (there’s that word again!) for each application you submit. But did you know there are skills to put on a resume  that are almost universally valued by potential employers???? Those skills go HERE in this section.

Skills like:

Communication (listening, verbal and written) – This is the number one skill mentioned by employers when asked what they valued in an applicant.

Computer/Technical Literacy Skills – Almost every job these days requires some level of computer proficiency including basic word processing, spreadsheets, and emails.

Interpersonal Skills – Basically how well you work in a team and your ability to relate to co-workers.

Planning/Organization Skills – How well you can design, plan, organize and execute projects and tasks within a specific time frame. Can also apply to goal setting and achievement.

This is just a small sampling of what can go in this section. For a more in-depth look at what to put in this section, check out our previous blog all about it here!

Education – This one, much like your personal information, is pretty straight forward. You want to list your education in reverse chronological order (degrees or licenses first followed by certificates and advanced training).

If you include your college information, list only the school, your major and distinctions and or awards you’ve won. If you’re still in college or a very recent grad , include your GPA ONLY if it’s over a 3.4.

Dropped out or had to leave school because of extenuating circumstances but still want to include the fact that you went? No worries! List the field you were studying, then the school and then the dates that you attended.

If you’re listing just schooling, keep the title of this section “Education.” If you’ve graduated, are including other training, and or other certifications, try to include that in the title. Examples can include “Education and Training,” or “Education and Licenses.” Make the title fit what you’re listing…

Awards – This section is NOT for school-related awards. Include those in your education section. Rather, this section is for awards received, commendations or praise from senior sources. Make sure to mention what the award was for if you can.

Affiliations – If you are affiliated with an organization, guild or club that is relevant to the job you are applying for, the go ahead and include it. Include leadership roles if appropriate. It’s also a great idea to include any sort of affiliation or membership to any organization that might increase your appeal as a prospective employee to an employer.

For almost anything you want to include on a resume, there is a category to help organize it. We’ve listed the most popular above but feel free to do your own research online, especially if what you’re trying to include is unique or hard to categorize.

Action Verbs and Power Words

Speaking of unique, the primary goal of your resume is to make you stand out from the rest of the people applying for the same job and another way to make that happen is to use action verbs and power words (also referred to as “resume verbs”).

Action verbs and power words are exactly that…they’re words that help catch a hiring manager’s eye and give you an edge. After reading hundreds of resumes, many using the same words and phrases, it’s nice to have one that stands out and one of the best ways to do that is by incorporating action verbs and power words!

You’re not exaggerating and you’re certainly not lying, you’re just swapping out old and tired words for ones that are a bit more…dynamic and exciting!

When listing skills , accomplishments, or job described, try using the most impressive words you can think of (without overstating what you actually did).

Were you a leader of a project ? Instead of saying “Led,” use one of these words:

Chaired, controlled, coordinated, executed, headed, operated, orchestrated, organized, oversaw, planned, produced, programmed.

Did you pull a project from conception all the way to completion? Instead of saying “developed, created, or introduced,” try:

Administered, built, chartered, designed, devised, founded, engineered, constructed, established, formalized, formed, formulated, implemented, spearheaded, incorporated, initiated, instituted, introduced, launched, pioneered.

Are you an organizing wizard? Are you increasing productivity ? Sales ? Efficiency? Use these words to really hit home how dynamic you are:

Accelerated, achieved, advanced, amplified, boosted, capitalized, delivered, enhanced, expanded, expedited, furthered, gained, generated, improved, lifted, maximized, outpaced, stimulated, sustained.

Did you achieve something ? Did you hit your goals? Try these words:

Attained, awarded, completed, demonstrated, earned, exceeded, outperformed, reached, showcased, succeeded, surpassed, targeted.

This is just a small selection of action verbs and words you can use to spice up your resume and help you stand out in the crowd. (Need more? Head over to our blog article “68 Dynamic Action Verbs to Enhance Your Resume.” )

Grab your thesaurus and go through your resume…find words that are common and pedestrian and swap them out!

Wow, that’s a ton of information…can you just distill all this epic awesomeness down into a top ten list of tips for creating a resume??

Drum roll, please…

Here Are Our Top 10 Resume Tips

If you’re one of those people who likes to skim through an article or if you plan on coming back for a quick review before your interview, here are our best resume writing tips.

1) Tailored

You’re bringing steak to the tigers with your resume. The employer can look at it and know immediately that not only are you qualified but that you’ve done your research into what the job is and what they’re looking for in an employee. Your goal s are clear as are your skills , areas of expertise and or body of experience .

2) Aesthetically Pleasing

Remember what we said about a resume being a work of art? It should be clean, concise and have a simple structure that invites a reader to glance at it and immediately know what they’re looking at. It’s balanced and flows between sections smoothly. It’s not crowded, the margins are clean, and the font is professional. It’s also devoid of ANY ERRORS . No missing periods, no misspelled words, no grammar issues. It’s also correct and the information included is current and accurate.

3) Complete

That means everything you need to include is included, including (but not limited to) your name, current phone number and accurate email address, a listing of all the jobs you’ve held (in reverse chronological order), educational degrees (including any certifications and the highest degree achieved – again in reverse chronological order) and any targeted information that will help a hiring manager realize you are the perfect candidate.

The easiest way to make sure you remember all of this is to keep track using the “Perfect Resume” Checklist we made for you. You can simply check off the boxes as you complete them. Click here to your “perfect resume” checklist .

4) Accurate

Jobs listed also include your title, the name of the company or organization you worked with, the city and state where you worked and the years you were employed. The bulleted lists are summarized in a clear way that highlights the key ideas without taking up too much space.

And PLEASE! No fibs. Hiring Managers can easily verify anything you put on your resume, and getting busted lying isn’t exactly a winning formula for getting job offers.

The hiring manager can look at your resume and immediately know what you’re applying for and what you bring in value to the company. It’s clear and concise. There’s no confusion as to what your profession is and what you can do.

One page to two pages max, depending on your field, level of experience and skill set. Don’t bore people with details, keep them wanting more…but also learn the balance between not saying enough to saying just enough.

7) Relevant

Never include anything on a resume that might turn off an employer including political or religious affiliations, anything controversial, or that could be taken in a negative light.

8) Professional

This includes font, layout, and paper as well as content. Again, this is for a job and should be used as such. This isn’t a platform for personal statements or a novel detailing every job you’ve ever had since birth to present. It’s printed on high-quality paper in an appropriate color and is clean of any smudges, tears or wrinkles.

Every time you apply for a new job, check your resume to ensure that it’s not only targeted, but also current. Make sure your dates are correct and that you include the most up to date information (this is especially important if you’ve changed your phone number or contact email!)

10) It Is YOURS

That’s right…it might seem strange to say this, but the number one thing you have to remember when applying for any job is to be honest! Use action verbs and power words to give your resume life, but don’t let yourself get carried away and overstate your skills, positions, or abilities. Remember, they’re hiring you …and the last thing you want is to get a job you can’t do.

11) BONUS TIP – Your Resume Contains A Link To Your Personal Website

We’ve been seeing an interesting trend in 2017. Job seekers who add a link to a personal branding website are getting more job interviews and in turn getting more job offers. The fact is, having a simple personal website that highlights your skills and more importantly your personality go a long way to creating a three dimensional persona for the hiring manager . A personal website makes you stand out when compared to all the other candidates who just hand in a resume and cover letter. To find out more check out this blog post .

What Not To Put On Your Resume

Don’t title your resume “resume.” The hiring manager should know what it is just by looking at it. If they don’t, then it’s not a resume and you should re-read this article.

Don’t “fluff” your sentences with unnecessary words. Remember, short and sweet.

Don’t include salary requirements or information. For more info on how to discuss your salary and when and how to bring it up, check out our blog on “When to bring up Salary.”

Don’t list why you left your last job or jobs…and on that same topic, don’t trash former employers…ever…

Don’t include personal information beyond your name and contact. They don’t need your age, race, marital status, sexual orientation or hobbies.

Don’t include a photo of yourself. Unless you’re an actor and applying for a role…otherwise, it’s just creepy.

Don’t get sloppy. Double-check for errors. Then check again.

Resume Templates

Now, we imagined that you’d like some resume templates to help you build a resume, so we combed the internet for some job-specific free resume templates that you can use as a guiding tool.

Customer Service Resume

Administrative Assistant Resume

Teacher Resume

Nursing Resume

Receptionist Resume

Medical Assistant Resume

Project Manager Resume

Cashier Resume

NOTE : These are templates, meaning they are a good place for you to start. But keep in mind that other applicants will also have access to these templates so you don’t want to copy them exactly. Don’t forget you want to stand out among the other applicants, not blend in!

Putting It All Together

So there you have it! How to make a resume …or better yet, how to make an AWESOME resume! Just remember that no single resume is right for every job…make sure to keep it short, sweet, and relevant.

Now re-read this article, but as you do, go through your old resume and see where you can make improvements . Clean it up , pare it down , punch up your action verbs and make it the best possible resume you can…

And above all…good luck!

FREE : "Perfect Resume" PDF Checklist

Ok the next thing you should do is download our handy "Perfect Resume" Checklist PDF ".

In it you'll get a 38 point checklist that will let you overhaul your resume and make sure you aren't missing any critical components.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE "PERFECT RESUME" CHECKLIST

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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How to Make a Resume in 2024 | Beginner's Guide

For most job-seekers, a good resume is what stands between a dream job and Choice D. Get your resume right, and you’ll be getting replies from every other company you apply to.

If your resume game is weak, though, you’ll end up sitting around for weeks, maybe even months, before you even get a single response.

So you’re probably wondering how you can write a resume that gets you an interview straight up.

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about how to make a resume, including:

• The 8 Essential Steps to Writing a Resume
• 11+ Exclusive Resume Tips to Up Your Resume Game
• 27+ Real-Life Resume Examples for Different Professions

….and more!

So, let’s dive right in.

How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

Before we go into detail about how you should make a resume, here’s a summary of the most important steps and tips to keep in mind:

• Choose a resume format carefully. In 99% of cases, we recommend the reverse-chronological format .
• Add the right contact details. Leave your headshot out and make sure to include your job title , a professional email address, and any relevant links. (E.g.: your LinkedIn profile , online portfolio, personal website, etc.).
• Write an impactful resume summary. Unless you’re an entry-level professional, always go for a resume summary. If you do it right, it’s your chance to get the hiring manager to go through the rest of your resume in detail.
• Pay attention to your work experience section. Take your work experience section from OK-ish to exceptional by tailoring it to the job ad, making your achievements quantifiable, and using action verbs and power words.
• Add the right skills for the job. Keep this section relevant by only including the hard and soft skills that are required for the position.
• Keep your education short and to the point. Your most recent and highest degree is more than enough for a strong education section. You only need to add more details here if you’re a recent graduate with barely any work experience.
• Leverage optional resume sections. Optional sections like languages, hobbies, certifications, independent projects, and others can set you apart from other candidates with similar skills and experience.
• Include a cover letter. That’s right, cover letters matter in 2024, and the best way to supplement your resume is by adding an equally well-crafted cover letter to your job application. To make the most of it, check out our detailed guide on how to write a cover letter .

To get the most out of our tips, you can head over to the resume builder and start building your resume on the go as you read this guide.

New to resume-making? Give our ‘7 Resume Tips’ video a watch before diving into the article!

#1. Pick the Right Resume Format

Before you start filling in the contents of your resume, you have to make sure it’s going to look good. 

After all, the first thing hiring managers notice is what your resume looks like, and then they start reading it. So, this is your best chance to make a great first impression.

Start by choosing the right resume format.

There are three types of resume formats out there:

• Reverse-chronological. This is by far the most popular resume format worldwide and, as such, it’s the best format for most job-seekers.
• Functional. This resume format focuses more on skills than work experience. It’s a good choice if you’re just getting started with your career and have little to no experience in the field.
• Combination. The combination resume format is a great choice for experienced job-seekers with a very diverse skill set. It’s useful if you’re applying for a role that requires expertise in several different fields and you want to show all that in your resume.

So, which one should you go for?

In 99% of cases, you want to stick to the reverse-chronological resume format . It’s the most popular format and what hiring managers expect to see. So, in the rest of this guide, we’re going to focus on teaching you how to make a reverse-chronological resume.

Fix Your Resume’s Layout

With formatting out of the way, let’s talk about your resume’s layout , which determines the overall look of your resume. 

Does it look organized or cluttered? Is it too short or too long? Is it boring and easy to ignore, or is it reader-friendly and attention-grabbing?

Here are some of the best practices you should apply:

• Stick to one page. You should only go for a two-page resume if you have decades of experience and you’re sure the extra space will add significant value. Hiring managers in big companies get hundreds of applications per job opening. They’re not going to spend their valuable time reading your life story!
• Add clear section headings. Pick a heading and use it for all the section headers so the hiring manager can easily navigate through your resume.
• Adjust the margins. Without the right amount of white space, your resume will end up looking overcrowded with information. Set your margins to one inch on all sides so your text fits just right on the page.
• Choose a professional font. We’d recommend sticking to a font that’s professional but not overused. For example, Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass. Avoid Times New Roman, and never use Comic Sans.
• Set the correct font size. As a rule of thumb, go for 11-12 pt for normal text and 14-16 pt for section titles.
• Use a PDF file. Always save your resume as a PDF file, unless the employer specifically requests otherwise. Word files are popular, but there’s a good chance they’ll mess up your resume’s formatting.

Another thing you need to consider in terms of your resume’s layout is whether you’re going for a traditional-looking resume template or something a bit more modern :

If you’re pursuing a career in a more traditional industry, like law , banking , or finance , you might want to stick to the first.

But if you’re applying to a tech company where imagination and innovation are valued, you can pick a more creative resume template .

Want to Save Time? Use a (Free) Resume Template

Anyone who’s ever tried creating a resume from scratch knows how boring the formatting can be.

Before you can even start filling in the contents, you need to tweak the margins, adjust font sizes, and make sure everything fits into one page while still looking good.

What if you could skip past all that and still create a compelling resume?

Try one of our free resume templates . They’re pre-formatted, so all you have to do is fill in the contents.

They’re also created in collaboration with recruiters from around the globe, ensuring that the templates are visually appealing and ATS-friendly!

See for yourself how one of our templates compares to a resume created in a standard text editor:

#2. Add Your Contact Information

Now that we’ve got all the formatting out of the way, let’s get into what your resume is all about— the information you put on it .

The first thing you want to do when filling out the contents of your resume is to add your contact information .

This section is pretty straightforward but crucial. Your contact details belong at the top of your resume in a designated resume header , so the hiring manager can easily find them.

Even if everything else about your resume is perfect, that all flops if you misspell your email address or have a typo in your phone number. If the hiring manager can’t contact you, it’s a missed opportunity.

So, double-check, and even triple-check your contact information section and make sure everything is factually correct and up-to-date.

Must-Have Information

• Full name. Your first and last name should stand out at the top of your resume.
• Email address. Stick to an address that’s professional and easy to spell, like a combination of your first and last name. (E.g.: [email protected])
• Phone number. Add a reliable number where the hiring manager can easily reach you.
• Location. Add your city and state/country. If you plan to relocate for the job or want a remote position, specify it on your resume.

Optional Information

• Job title. Add your professional title underneath. Write it down word for word, whether it’s “Digital Marketing Specialist” or “Junior Data Scientist.” Just don’t make up job titles like “Marketing Wizzard” or “Data Manipulator.” They’re not quirky; they’re just unprofessional. 
• LinkedIn profile . We recommend that you include a link to your updated LinkedIn profile since over 77% of hiring managers use the platform when evaluating a candidate. 
• Relevant links. Include links to personal websites or any social media profiles that are relevant to your field. For example, a developer could include a Github profile, while a graphic designer could link their Behance or Driblle account, and so on.
• Date of birth. Unless this is specifically required in the job ad, the hiring manager doesn’t need to know how old you are. It’s not important for their decision-making, and at worst, it might lead to age-based discrimination.
• Unprofessional email address. Your quirky, old high school email address doesn’t belong on your resume. Instead of [email protected] , go for a [email protected] type of address.
• Headshot. (USA, UK or Ireland) Depending on the country where you’re applying, it might even be illegal to include a picture of yourself on your resume . While it’s the norm to include a picture in most of Europe and Asia, always check the regulations for each specific country or industry you’re applying to.

All clear? Good! Now, let’s look at what a great example of a resume's contact information section looks like:

#3. Write a Resume Headline (Summary or Objective)

It's no secret that recruiters spend an average of less than seven seconds on a resume .

When you receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications daily, it's physically impossible to spend too much time on each.

So, what the hiring managers do to go through resumes more effectively is to skim through each resume and read it in depth only if it piques their interest.

This is where the resume headline comes in.

Placed right next to (or underneath) your contact information, this brief paragraph is the first thing the hiring manager is going to read on your resume.

Now, depending on how far along in your career you are, your resume headline can be either a resume summary or a resume objective.

So, how do you choose between a resume summary and a resume objective? Here’s all you need to know:

Resume Summary

A resume summary, as the name suggests, is a two to three-sentence summary of your career so far. If done right, it shows that you’re a qualified candidate at a glance and gets the hiring manager to give you a chance.

Here’s what your resume summary should include:

• Your job title and years of experience.
• A couple of your greatest professional achievements or core responsibilities.
• Your most relevant skills for the job.

Here’s an example of a well-written resume summary: 

Experienced Java Developer with 5 years of experience in building scalable and efficient applications. Contributed to a major project that enhanced application performance by 25%. Strong background in Spring Framework and microservices. Aiming to apply robust coding skills to develop innovative software solutions at XYZ Tech Solutions.

Unless you’re a recent graduate or amid a career change, we recommend you stick to a resume summary. Otherwise, a resume objective might be a better option for you.

Resume Objective

A resume objective is supposed to express your professional goals and aspirations, academic background, and any relevant skills you may have for the job.

It communicates your motivation for getting into a new field, so it’s the go-to headline for recent graduates and those going through a career change. As with a resume summary, a resume objective should be brief—around two to four sentences long.

So, here’s what it would look like if you’re a student:

Hard-working recent graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design from New York State University seeking new opportunities. 3+ years of practical experience working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, creating illustrations and UX/UI design projects. Looking to grow as a designer and perfect my art at XYZ Design Studio.

Or, on the other hand, if you’re going through a career change, it might look more like this:

IT project manager with 5+ years of experience in software development. Managed a team of developers to create products for several industries, such as FinTech and HR tech. Looking to leverage my experience in managing outsourced products as a Product Owner at Company XYZ.

#4. Prioritize Your Work Experience

The most important part of your resume is your work experience.

This is where you get to sell yourself and show off your previous accomplishments and responsibilities.

If you manage to master this section, you’ll know most of what’s there to know about how to make a resume.

There are plenty of good practices for writing your work experience . But before we dive into all the nits and grits, let's start with the basics.

The standard format for each work experience entry is as follows:

• Job title/position. Your job title goes on top of each work experience entry. When the hiring manager looks at your resume, you want them to know, at a glance, that you have relevant work experience for the job.
• Company name/location/description. Mention the name of the employer and the general location, such as the city and state/country where you worked. In some cases, you may also want to briefly describe the company, like when the organization isn’t particularly well-known.
• Dates employed. Add the approximate timeframe of your employment at each company. You don’t need to give exact dates since the standard format for this is mm/yyyy.
• Achievements and responsibilities. This is the core of each work experience entry. Depending on your field, you want to list either your achievements or responsibilities. List them in bullet points instead of paragraphs, so they’ll be easier to read.

Here’s a real-life example:

Your work experience entries should always be listed in reverse chronological order , starting with your most recent job and working your way back into the past.

Now that you know how to list your experience, we’re going to show you how to write about it in a way that makes you stand out from the competition, starting with: 

Are you a student with no work experience? We’ve got you covered. Check out our guide to writing a resume with no experience here.

Focus on Achievements Whenever Possible

One of the most common resume mistakes is only listing responsibilities in your work experience section.

Here’s the thing—in most cases, the hiring manager knows exactly what your job responsibilities are.

For example, if you’re a sales manager, your responsibilities would be:

• Reach out to potential clients over the phone or email.
• Maintain relationships with existing company clients and upsell relevant products.
• Tracking and reporting on leads in CRM.

Coincidentally, this is also the same list of responsibilities for every sales manager out there. So, 90% of all other resumes probably mention the same thing.

To stand out from the competition, you want to focus on writing achievements in your resume instead. These can be how you helped your previous company grow, reach quarterly quotas, and so on.

Let’s compare how responsibilities hold up next to achievements for the same job:

• Exceeded sales team KPIs by 30%+ for 3 months straight.
• Generated over $24,000 in sales in 1 month.
• Generated leads through cold-calling
• Managed existing company clients

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there just aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you’re a warehouse worker .

Your day-to-day responsibilities probably include:

• Loading, unloading, and setting up equipment daily.
• Packaging finished products and getting them ready for shipping.
• Assisting in opening and closing the warehouse.

In fields like this, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself through achievements, so it’s okay to stick to responsibilities instead. You can still make them shine by following the rest of our advice about listing your work experience.

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you work in a warehouse. Your day-to-day responsibilities probably involve:

• Loading, unloading and setting up equipment on a daily basis.
• Package finished product and get it ready for shipping.
• Assist in opening and closing the warehouse.

In such fields, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself, so it’s totally OK to stick to responsibilities instead.

Tailor Your Resume to the Job

Tailoring is what sets an amazing resume apart from an okay one.

Hiring managers don’t need to know about every single job you’ve ever worked at or every single skill that you have.

They only want to know about your jobs, experiences, or skills that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for a job doing Google Ads, you don’t need to talk about your SEO internship from eight years ago.

By focusing your resume on whatever is important for the specific role, you’re a lot more likely to stand out and catch the hiring manager’s attention.

Let’s take a look at an example of a job ad:

As you can see, we’ve highlighted the most important requirements.

To tailor your resume accordingly, you just need to mention how you meet each of these requirements in your resume.

You can highlight your relevant achievements and qualifications in different parts of your resume, such as:

• In your resume summary, where you should recap your years of experience.
• Throughout your work experience section, where you should list achievements and responsibilities that reflect your social media marketing experience.
• In your education section, where you can let the hiring manager know you have the degree that they’re looking for.

Include the Right Amount of Work Experience

If you’ve got over a decade’s worth of work experience, you’re probably wondering whether all of it belongs on your resume. In most cases, you’d end up writing a novel if you listed everything you’ve ever done, and that’s not how long a resume should be .

If you’re new to the job market, on the other hand, you probably don’t have any experience, and you’re wondering what you could even add to this section.

So, here’s how much information your resume should include, depending on your level of experience:

• No experience. If you’re looking for your first job , you won’t have any work experience to fill this section with. So, you can either keep it empty and focus on all the other sections or fill it up with any experience gained in student organizations, extracurricular activities, volunteering, and other projects.
• Entry-level. List all your work experience so far. While some of it won’t be relevant, it can still show the hiring manager that you do have some actual work experience.
• Mid-level. Only mention relevant work experience to the position you’re applying for. There’s no need to waste space on jobs that aren’t related to what you’re after.
• Senior-level. List up to 15 years of relevant work experience, tops. If your most recent experience is as a marketing executive , the hiring manager doesn’t care how you started your career as a junior marketing specialist 23 years ago.

Consider Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

Did you know that over 70% of resumes don’t even make it to the hiring manager ?

Most companies these days use ATS to evaluate hundreds of resumes instantaneously and automatically filter out the ones that don’t meet their criteria.

For example, if a resume doesn’t mention a specific skill or isn’t formatted correctly, the ATS will automatically reject it.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to make an ATS-friendly resume .

Here are a couple of tips to help you get past those pesky robots:

• Stick to one page. Sometimes employers set a limit on how long a resume should be. This means that if your resume is longer than one page, it might get automatically disqualified.
• Incorporate keywords. Tailoring your resume to the job helps a ton with beating the ATS. Just carefully read the job description to find hints for what the ATS will be looking for. Then, whenever you find keywords related to your responsibilities and achievements, make sure to include them in your work experience section.
• Use an active voice. Passive voice is too vague and unclear, so make sure to use active voice as much as possible when describing your previous jobs. (E.g.: “Managed a team of ten people,” instead of “ A team of ten people was managed by me.” )
• Leverage powerful action words. Instead of starting each of your sentences with “was responsible for," make your work experience impactful by using words that can grab attention. Saying that you “spearheaded” or “facilitated” something sounds a lot more impressive than “helped.”

Want to make sure your resume formatting passes the ATS test? Choose one of our tried and tested ATS-friendly resume templates , and you’ll be good to go! 

#5. List Your Education

The next section on your resume is dedicated to your academic qualifications. Let’s start with the basics!

Here’s how you should format the education section on your resume :

• Program Name. Your major and degree type should be listed. (E.g.: “B.A. in Business Administration” )
• University Name. Add the name of the institution. (E.g.: “New York State University” )
• Dates Attended. Use a mm/yyyy format for the dates you attended. (E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012” )
• Location. If your university is less well-known, you can also add the location. (E.g.: “Stockholm, Sweden” )
• GPA. Use the appropriate grading system for the country you’re applying to work in. (E.g.: In the USA, it would be “3.9 GPA” )
• Honors. Add any honors and distinctions you’ve been given. (E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude )
• Achievements. You can mention interesting papers you’ve written, projects you’ve done, or relevant coursework you’ve excelled in.
• Minor. “Minor in Psychology”

Pretty simple, right? Now let’s see what an education section looks like in practice:

This example includes all the necessary information, plus an eye-catching award and relevant classes this candidate has taken.

Resume Education Tips

Now that you know how to list your education on your resume, let’s take this section to the next level.

Just follow these expert tips:

• If you’re making a resume as a student and don’t have any work experience yet, you can list your education section at the beginning of the page instead of work experience.
• You can add your expected graduation date if you’re still pursuing your degree.
• If you already have relevant work experience, just keep this section short and sweet. Recent graduates can expand on their education more and add optional information like projects, classes, academic achievements, etc.
• Always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your highest degree on top. Your highest and most recent degree is usually enough, so if you have a Master’s degree that’s relevant to the job, there’s no need to mention your earlier degrees.
• Don’t add your high school degree to your resume if you already have a university degree. It doesn’t have as much weight, and you can use the space for something else.
• Only mention your GPA if you had an impressive academic career. Anything below a 3.5 GPA doesn’t need to be on your resume.

Are you in the process of applying for college? Check out our guide to writing a college application resume to wow that admissions officer!

#6. Emphasize Your Know-How in the Skills Section

After your work experience, your skills are the first thing the hiring manager is going to look for. In fact, together, work experience and skills make up 90% of the hiring decision .

So, this is the place where you want to mention all the know-how that makes you the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of skills you can include when writing your resume:

• Hard Skills. These are measurable abilities. What you can list here can be anything from coding in Python to knowing how to cook Thai cuisine.
• Soft Skills. Also known as personal skills, these are a mix of communication skills , personal traits, career attributes, and more. They can include leadership, critical thinking, and time management , just to name a few.

Your resume should always cover both hard skills and soft skills . Here’s an example in action:

Now, let’s discuss how you should list your most important skills on your resume.

There are a few essential steps you need to follow:

Always List Hard and Soft Skills Separately

Your resume should be easy and neat to navigate. The hiring manager shouldn’t have to waste time looking for a specific skill because you didn’t separate it into the appropriate subsection.

So, just create separate categories for your hard and soft skills.

Depending on your field, you could customize the name of your “hard skills” subsection to something like “technical skills," “marketing skills," or something else related to your field.

Let’s look at an example of what skills look like on a project manager’s resume :

Methodologies & Tools

• Agile Methodology
• SCRUM Framework
• Waterfall Project Management
• Microsoft Project
• Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Risk Management

Soft Skills

• Team Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation

Tailor Your Skills to the Job

You might have some awesome skills, but the hiring manager only needs to know about the ones that are relevant to the job.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as an accountant, your gourmet chef skills shouldn’t be on your resume.

Look at the job ad and list at least two to three essential skills you have that are required for the role. Remember—there’s no need to list every skill you have here; just keep it relevant.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Graphic Design or a related field.
• Tech-savvy, with some background in CMS systems such as WordPress.
• Thrives in a stressful environment and juggles multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Self-reliant, with the ability to manage their own work.
• A can-do attitude and an outside-the-box thinker.
• Proficient in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages.
• Basic understanding of Office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

So, the must-have hard skills here are Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages. Other good computer skills to have are WordPress or similar CMS systems.

While you can also mention Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, it’s pretty much assumed that you know how to use them since they’re required for most office jobs.

List Hard Skills with Experience Levels

For each hard skill you list on your resume, you should also mention your proficiency level. This tells employers what they can expect from you and how much training you might need.

• Beginner. You have some experience with the skill, whether it’s from some entry-level practice or classroom education.
• Intermediate. You’ve used the skill in a work environment with good understanding.
• Advanced. You’re the go-to person for this skill in your office. You can coach other employees, and you understand the skill at a high level.
• Expert. You’ve applied this skill to more than a handful of different projects and organizations. You’re the go-to person for advice about the skill, not just in your office but even amongst some of the best professionals in your field.

Just make sure to never lie about your actual skill level. Even if you get the job, once you need those skills you exaggerated, it will be pretty awkward for both you and your employer.

Include Transferable Skills

These are the types of skills that are useful for almost any job out there.

Transferable skills can be both soft skills (e.g.: teamwork, creativity, problem-solving skills, and others) and hard skills (MS Office Suite, HTML, writing, etc.)

Whatever job you’re applying to, chances are you have transferable skills from your experience that can come in handy one way or another. So, feel free to include them, even if they’re not specifically required for the position.

Not sure which skills to mention on your resume for your specific field? Check out our list of 101+ essential skills for inspiration!

#7. Leverage Optional Resume Sections

The sections we’ve covered so far are must-haves for any resume. They’re the bread-and-butter for any job application, and if you get them right, you’ll land any job you apply to.

But if you have some leftover space, there are a few optional sections you can choose from to give your resume a boost!

Are you bi-lingual? Or even better  – multi-lingual? You should always mention that on your resume!

Even if the position doesn’t require you to know a specific language, it can still come in handy at some point. At the end of the day, it’s always better to know more languages than less.

To list languages in your resume , just write them down and assign them the appropriate level:

• Intermediate

You can also use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scales.

As a given, you should never lie about your language skills. You never know—your interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language or even be a native speaker!

Hobbies and Interests

If you want to spice up your resume, hobbies and interests could be just what you need.

While this section isn’t a game-changer, it can help the hiring manager see who you are as an individual.

For example, if you listed “teamwork” as one of your skills, hobbies like team sports can back up your claim.

And who knows? Maybe you and your interviewer have some hobbies or interests in common!

Volunteering Experience

If you’re the type of person who devotes their free time to helping others while expecting nothing in return, chances are that you’re the type of employee who’s in it for more than just the money. 

Seeing volunteer experience on your resume tells hiring managers that you’re a loyal employee who’s after something meaningful.

Several studies show that listing your volunteer experience can boost your chances of getting hired, especially if you have little to no work experience.

Certifications

Hiring managers love candidates who invest in themselves, and that’s exactly what they see when you list certifications on your resume .

If you value continuous learning and strive to expand your skill set, that’s always a plus.

Certifications can also show employers how much expertise you have.

For example, if you’re a Microsoft Cloud Engineer and you specialize in Microsoft Technologies, you should definitely include all essential certifications on your resume, such as the Azure Solutions Architect Expert one.

Awards and Recognitions

There’s no harm in showing off a little on your resume. After all, you want to be a candidate that shines above the rest.

So, if you’ve received any awards or recognitions that make you stand out in your field, make sure to add them.

For example, if you’ve been recognized for your contributions to data science or received a hard-to-come-by scholarship , mention it in your resume. Just keep your entries here relevant to the field you’re applying to.

Publications

Whether you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic, publications are always impressive.

If you have any published works (online or in an academic journal), you can add them to your resume. Just make sure to include a link so the hiring manager knows where to check your work!

Are you looking for a career in academia? Check out our guide to writing the perfect academic CV to get started!

Working on side projects can show off your passion for your field. Whether they’re university class projects or part-time entrepreneurial endeavors, they’re relevant.

For example, if you worked on a mock software product as part of a university competition, it shows you went through every step of product creation, from ideation to creating a marketing strategy.

This project also shows off your organizational skills , and if you mention it in your resume, you stand a better chance of landing the job you had your sights set on.

But projects can also be personal, not academic. For example, you might manage an Etsy store where you sell hand-made arts and crafts to customers online. This is a great opportunity to highlight your creativity, management, and customer service skills .

Overall, hiring managers love employees who do cool work in their free time, so projects are always a great section to add to your resume.

Looking to kickstart your career? Check out our guide on how to get an internship for useful tips and real-life examples!

Extracurricular Activities

Every college freshman knows that extracurricular experience can make a difference in their application.

Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience outside of school, extracurricular activities are a great way to show potential employers your skills and give them insight into you as a person. Different clubs and after-school projects can help you gain real-life skills and considerably increase your chances of landing your first job after college.

For example, joining a student government organization can hone your leadership skills and teach you how to work as part of a team.

For example, if you’re part of a student government or public speaking club, these activities can help you hone your leadership and presentation skills.

11+ Expert Resume Tips

You’ve got the gist of how to make a resume. Now, it’s time to make it really stand out from the crowd!

Follow these exclusive resume tips to take your resume game to the next level:

• Match the professional title underneath your name to the job title of the position you’re applying for. Hiring managers often hire for several roles at once, so giving them this cue about what role you’re after helps things go smoother.
• Mention any promotions from your previous jobs. Use the work experience entries for them to focus on the achievements that helped you earn them.
• Describe your achievements using Laszlo Bock’s formula : accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z . This way, your work experience can go the extra mile and show the hiring manager what you can bring to the table.
• Always list your achievements and responsibilities in concise bullet points. This makes your resume more reader-friendly, and it’s more likely that the hiring manager will see your impressive achievements at a glance.
• Don’t use personal pronouns like “I” or “me,” and don’t refer to yourself by name. Stick to a slightly altered third person, like “managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.” instead of “he managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.”
• Name your resume sections correctly, or it might get rejected by the ATS. Swapping out quirky names like “career history” or “expertise” for “work experience” and "skills" makes it easier for the hiring manager to find what they’re looking for, too.
• Prioritize important keywords instead of adding all of them. Make sure the relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences you add all make sense in context, too. Your goal is to get past the ATS and impress the hiring manager.
• Focus on transferable skills if you don’t have a lot of relevant work experience. Any extracurricular activities or personal projects can help you stand out here.
• Add a strategic pop of color to headings, bullet points, or key elements you want to highlight. It can help your resume stand out, but don’t overdo it—you want the information to be more impressive than the color palette.
• Don’t include the line “references available upon request.” Hiring managers already know they can request a list of references from you, so there’s no need to waste valuable space on it.
• Make sure your resume is optimized for mobile viewing. Most hiring managers use their mobile phones as often as desktop computers, so save your resume to a PDF file and make sure your formatting stays intact across any device.
• Rename the resume file you plan to send so it includes your name and the name of the position you’re applying for. It’s a small detail that can turn into a crucial mistake if you forget it.
• Read your resume out loud when you’re done. This is a great way to catch awkward phrases or spelling mistakes you might have missed otherwise.
• Use a tool like DocSend to track your resume. You’ll get a notification any time someone opens your resume, and you can see how long they spend reading it.

FREE Resume Checklist

Are you already done with your resume? Let’s see how it holds up!

Go through our checklist for perfecting your resume and see where you stand!

If you missed some points, just go through your resume one more time and perfect it.

And if you ☑’d everything—congrats! You’ve learned all there is to know about writing a resume, and you’re good to go with your job search.

Need to write a CV instead of a resume? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a CV with dozens of examples!

9 Resume Templates for Different Industries

Looking to create an effective resume without dealing with the formatting hassle? Just choose one of the templates below.

#1. Traditional Resume Template

Good for traditional industries like finance, banking, law, and manufacturing.

#2. Modern Resume Template

Good for both contemporary and forward-looking industries, including entrepreneurship, medical technology, and engineering.

#3. Creative Resume Template

Good for creative industries, including entertainment, design, and architecture. 

#4. Minimalistic Resume Template

Good for experienced professionals in basically any industry who want to let their achievements do the talking. 

#5. IT Resume Template

Good for any IT-related profession like software development, cyber security, and DevOps engineering.

#6. Tech Resume Template

Good for the tech industry and everything it encompasses.

#7. College Resume Template

Good for college students and recent graduates alike.

#8. General Resume Template

Good for multiple industries, including HR, education, and customer service.

#9. Executive Resume Template

Good for senior professionals across different industries, including hospitality, marketing, and logistics.

17+ Resumes for Different Jobs

Knowing how to write a resume is one thing, but making a resume that stands out is something entirely different. Without inspiration, even top career experts might stumble on a roadblock or two.

Check out the following effective resume examples for specific jobs to get a better sense of what a good resume looks like:

#1. Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a nurse resume here.

#2. Data Scientist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a data scientist resume here.

#3. Business Analyst Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a business analyst resume here.

#4. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a digital marketing resume here.

#5. Software Engineer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer resume here.

#6. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a construction project manager resume here.

#7. Customer Service Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a customer service resume here.

#8. High School Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school resume here.

#9. Student Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a student resume here.

#10. Server Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a server resume here.

#11. Actor Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an actor resume here.

#12. Web Developer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a web developer resume here.

#13. Engineering Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an engineering resume here.

#14. Computer Science Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a computer science resume here.

#15. Architect Resume Example 

Check out our full guide to writing a data analyst resume here.

#17. Remote Job Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a remote job resume here.

#18. Sales Associate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a sales associate resume here.

#19. Receptionist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a receptionist resume here.

Want to see more examples? Check out our compilation of 80+ resume examples for different fields .

• Administrative Assistant Resume
• Bartender Resume
• DevOps Engineer Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Flight Attendant Resume
• Graphic Designer Resume
• Paralegal Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Recruiter Resume
• Supervisor Resume

Next Steps After Your Resume

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about how to make a resume, it’s time to talk about the rest of your job application.

After all, your resume is only the first step in your job search. To land the job you deserve, you also need to write a captivating cover letter and ace that upcoming interview. Here’s how:

#1. How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter

The companion piece to every resume is the cover letter.

Most job-seekers flinch when they hear that they have to write a cover letter. What do you even mention in a cover letter, anyway? If you were good at writing cover letters, you’d be applying for a job as a writer !

In reality, though, writing a cover letter is very simple once you know its purpose.

Think of your cover letter as a direct message to the hiring manager. It’s your chance to briefly explain why you’re such an awesome fit for the position. And with a few cover letter tips to point you in the right direction, you’ll write the perfect cover letter for your job application.

Just follow this structure:

• Add the contact details. Include the same contact information as on your resume, plus additional contact details for the hiring manager, including their name, job title, the company’s name, and location.
• Introduce yourself. Start your cover letter by mentioning who you are, what your work experience is, and why you’re interested in the position. Mention a standout achievement or two, relevant skills, and what you’d like to do for the company you’re applying for.
• Explain why you’d excel at the job. Find the requirements in the job ad that you meet, and elaborate on how you fulfill the most important ones. Research the company so you know what you like about it, and mention it in your cover letter. Make sure to convey your enthusiasm for the job and confidence that you’ll be a great fit for their team.
• Wrap it up politely. Conclude your cover letter by recapping your key selling points and thanking the hiring manager for their time. Then add a call to action, such as “Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the provided phone number so that we can discuss my application in greater detail.” Then, add a closing line and follow it with your full name.

Sounds easy, right? Here’s a real-life example to drive the point home:

Do you need more help perfecting your cover letter? Learn what the most common cover letter mistakes are and check out cover letter examples for all professions here.

#2. How to Ace Your Next Interview

Once you’ve perfected both your resume and cover letter, there’s only one thing left.

It’s time for the final step—the dreaded job interview.

Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, you probably hate the interviewing process. No matter how experienced you are, it can be nerve-wracking. Sitting there while someone’s prodding into your past experiences and judging you isn’t fun.

But did you know that most interviewers ask the same questions?

That’s right—all you have to do is learn how to answer some of the most common interview questions, and you’ll be an interview away from landing your dream job!

Just check out our complete guide to the 35+ Job Interview Questions and Answers and learn how to ace your next interview.

FAQs on How to Make a Resume

Do you still have some questions about making a resume? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions below!

#1. What does a good resume look like in 2024?

For your resume to look good in 2024, make sure it’s organized and clean and isn’t longer than one page.

Be sure to include information that adds value to your application—leave out the focus on your relevant work experience and skills that you can back up, and list as many achievements as possible. 

If you’re using a resume template, choose one based on your industry. Conservative industries like law, banking, and business require more traditional resume templates. But if you’re going for an industry like design, architecture, or marketing, you can go for a creative resume template . 

Remote work is also big in 2024, so if that’s what you’re after, tailor your resume to match the job you want.

#2. How do you make a resume in Word?

The best way to create a resume in Word is to use a pre-designed Microsoft Word template. To access them, you should: 

• Open MS Word
• Click “file” from the menu bar 
• Select “new”
• Type “resume templates” in the search bar 

That said, Word resume templates are generic, hard to personalize, and overall not very stylish.

Want a resume that looks good and is extremely easy to make? Check out resume templates to get started!

#3. How do I write a resume for my first job?

If you’re writing your first-ever resume for an entry-level position, the hiring manager won’t expect you to have any work experience.

However, you can make up for your lack of experience with your skills and academic achievements.

For example, you can take advantage of extracurricular activities, internships, volunteering experiences, and other non-professional experiences. You can use them to highlight the skills you’ve gained and what you’ve achieved so far.

So, your first job resume should have a resume objective, emphasize your education, and replace your work experience with any internships, volunteering, independent projects, or other experiences.

#4. How to make a resume on Google Docs?

You can make a resume on Google Docs by choosing one of their templates and filling it in on the go.

All you have to do is go to your Google Drive’s template gallery, choose your preferred template, fill in your information, and your Google Docs resume is ready to go! 

That said, Google Docs templates aren’t the most user-friendly choice. You don’t have much flexibility with the layout and formatting isn’t that easy. For example, you tweak a section to the slightest, and the whole resume becomes a mess.

If you want an easier option, check out our resume builder !

#5. What kind of resume do employers prefer?

Typically, employers prefer one-page-long resumes that follow the reverse chronological format. 

Hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes every day, so they don't have the time to read three-page resumes. Try one of our one-page resume templates so you don’t go over the recommended resume length.

Meanwhile, the reverse-chronological format is the most popular because it draws attention to your most recent jobs and professional achievements, which is the #1 most important thing hiring managers look at when evaluating a resume.

#6. How many jobs should you put on your resume? 

You should only include relevant job positions on your resume.

This means that your work experience section should be tailored to the job you are applying for. If you’ve worked five different jobs and they can all add value to your current application, then you should include all five. 

If, on the other hand, you’re applying for, say, a customer service position and some of your past jobs don’t have anything to do with customer service, you should skip them.

#7. Should I put my address on my resume? 

You can put your location (city, state, or country) on your resume, but you don’t need to put your entire physical address.

Putting a physical address on a resume was the norm back when companies would contact you via mail. In today’s world, everyone communicates via email, which is why adding a correct and professional email address to your contact information section is far more important than putting your physical address. 

So, just include your location or-–if you’re a remote worker—specify you prefer to work remotely by writing “working remotely from [location].”

#8. What information should I leave out of my resume?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t include your birthday or your headshot on your resume. This norm varies from country to country but it applies to the USA, Canada, and UK.

If you have plenty of achievements to list under your work experience, then you can leave your basic work responsibilities out of your resume. 

In your education section, you should only include your highest and most recent degree. So, if you hold a Ph.D., you can list that and your Master’s degree and leave your Bachelor’s degree and high school diploma out.

Finally, leave out any skills that aren’t relevant to the job you’re applying for.

#9. Is a resume a CV?

Depending on where you are, a CV (Curriculum Vitae) and a resume might be completely different things.

In most of the world, though, including Europe and Asia, they are used interchangeably for the same document. Both CVs and resumes are one to two pages long, and list skills and experiences relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Sometimes more detailed resumes that go over one page are referred to as CVs. These are typically only used by senior professionals, executives, CEOs, etc.

In the USA, however, a CV is a completely different document. Typically, CVs are detailed and comprehensive documents that highlight your entire academic and professional history. They’re often used for academic, scientific, or research positions, which is why this type of CV can also be referred to as an academic CV.

You can create your CV using one of our CV templates !

#10. Should I write my own resume?

Yes, you should always write your own resume.

Your resume is your opportunity to show the hiring manager your communication, writing, and presentation skills . Employers also evaluate you based on how effectively you can convey information about yourself, and there’s no one that can represent you better than yourself.

Writing your own resume lets you introduce yourself authentically. You have the best understanding of your skills and experiences, and you can personalize them to make your resume stand out.

And, as a bonus, the experience of writing your resume yourself can be reflective and insightful, so it might help you understand your professional journey and career goals better.

#11. Can a resume be two pages?

Generally, we strongly recommend that your resume stick to one page.

Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes every day, and keeping your resume to one page increases the odds that they’ll see your qualifications faster.

In some cases, like when you have a lot of relevant experience, your resume can go over two pages. But this exception is reserved for senior professionals with over a decade of relevant experience and tons of skills and achievements that simply can’t fit on one page.

#12. Is a simple resume okay?

Absolutely, a simple resume is often more than okay—it's preferable.

Before your resume even gets to the hiring manager, a complicated layout could get it rejected by the applicant tracking system (ATS). A simple resume template can help get your application straight to the hiring manager.

A clean layout can also make sure that your resume is easily readable and looks professional. This can focus the hiring manager's attention on your work experience and skills without excessive clutter or flashy colors to distract them.

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

If you’ve followed all of our advice until now, congrats! You’re probably an expert on how to make a resume.

To recap, let’s go through some of the most important lessons we’ve learned so far...

• Use the right resume builder to make the process as smooth as possible. You don’t want to mess around with formatting for hours before even starting to work on your resume!
• Focus on your achievements over responsibilities. This can help you stand out from all the other applicants, especially if you back your claims up with data.
• Include all the must-have sections, like the resume summary, work experience, education, and skills. Then leverage optional sections if you have leftover space.
• Tailor your resume for the job you’re applying for. Everything listed on your resume should be relevant to the specific job you’re applying for, and you should write a new resume for every new job application.
• Take the time to perfect your cover letter. It’s just as important as your resume, so make sure you pay as much attention to it!

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Now You Can Write a Perfect Resume that Attracts Employers Like a Magnet, Even if You're NOT a Resume Writer

Whether this is your first attempt at writing a resume or you need to re-write and update your current one, this guide will walk you through a framework that highlights your best strengths and attracts employers to you like a magnet.

Format: eBook

  Time to write a perfect resume: 1 - 3 hours  

These people landed their dream job - are you next?

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273,959+ average people landed their dream job using a little-known secret weapon....

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Without the right words and phrases, no one will ever see your resume.

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On this page, you'll see a detailed list of everything that you get with the Resume Masterpiece. 

This program works -- I know it works because it follows the same framework I used to use when I wrote thousands of professional resumes that landed jobs for all of my clients.

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Plus, with a library of 98 professional sample templates – writing your resume will be easy.

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Introduction

 5 minutes to review 

Resume styles explained

01 - How to write a strong resume heading

 17 minutes to complete 

02 - Writing your objective

 11 minutes to complete 

03 - Writing your skills summary

 15 minutes to complete 

04 - Writing your work history

 55 minutes to complete 

05 - Writing your education

06 - Writing a functional resume

 37 minutes (varies) to complete 

A functional resume allows you to mask negative aspects about your work history and only show employers your best stuff.

07 - Writing powerful accomplishment statements

 22 minutes (varies) to complete 

08 - 47-Point checklist

Portfolio of sample resumes

Unlock the Resume Masterpiece Today

Where you'll discover how to write or rewrite your resume so it stands-out and gets you hired., button >>>, one size doesn't fit all: glassdoor study shows tailored resumes lead to 53.5% more interviews, resume writing is not a beauty contest.

As you can see from the image above, one resume looks pretty, and one doesn't, but one resume gets interviews and the other goes in the trash.

Resume writing is about clearly and effectively communicating your experience, skills, and accomplishments in a way that resonates with potential employers and showcases your professional value.

A poor resumes means...

With a Perfect resume you...

Using this Guide, Your resume will be so perfect, they'll feel stupid for not calling you

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Passed with flying colours

I bought your book when I was contacted by BP in the UK.

I had my first phone interview and I passed with flying colours and after the face-to-face interview they offered me exactly what I wanted plus a bonus for relocation.

So I changed countries with my family, my husband resigned from his job back in Portugal and we came with our 2 years old son.

The following challenge was to find a job for my husband in the UK. He was not as fluent as I am, but he started to attend English classes and some courses in IT to prove this 11 years of experience. 

Again with your help, he joined BP this month and he will be working on the same company as I am and getting a base salary that he could never dream of back in Portugal, plus benefits.

So I have to say thank you very much for your tips and it really makes a difference when you know what they are after.

I believe that you can help lots of people out there looking for a job.

Kind regards,

Inês Droga, United Kingdom 🇬🇧

There's a right way to write your resume that... this guide is all about showing you how to do.

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But I'm so confident that the Resume Masterpiece will allow you to showcase your experience and accomplishments in the best possible light that employers would be foolish not to call you.

And it’s so affordably priced, anyone can write, rewrite or improve their resume without hiring an expensive resume writer.

Let me take this one step further….

If you use my guide, and somehow don’t get the job you want within 120 days, I’ll give you an immediate 100% refund of your purchase price of the guide.

You won’t find anyone this confident about the results their product will bring to you.

You see, I’m so sure of the results my guide will bring to you — I am willing to put the entire risk on my shoulders.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

Anyone who needs to write, re-write or improve their resume or CV.

I'm in my 60's - can this still work for me?

People in their 60's have decades of experience and this guide will show you how to showcase your best work without appearing over-qualified..

Who are you and why the heck should I listen to you?

I'm Don Georgevich, former IT engineer and project manager and I've been teaching job seekers for over 15 years on how to the best candidate.  Additionally,  I teach employers how to conduct interviews.  And seriously, I'm the only one I know of who teaches candidates how to be great and teaches interviewers how to find greatness in the people they hire.

You should only consider listening to me if what I share resonates with you.  If my techniques actually make sense and give you that "ah ha" moment feeling, then use them.  If not, do what you feel is right for you.

What will I learn in this course?

You will learn how to...

Write an effective resume or CV.

Your will learn how to write strong accomplishment statements.  

You will learn how to structure your resume so it not only looks good to recruiters, but also the ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

I'm fresh out of college, will this work for me?

Yes it will and many of my clients have landed jobs right out of college using this guide because it will help you to frame your internship experience so it's related to the jobs you are applying to.

Can I download the program to my computer, phone or IPad?

Yes, you can download the PDF eBook to any device.

How long will it take me to read?

You can easily read through the eBook in about 60 minutes or so and for some, that can be enough time, but you know as well as I do, that the more time you put in to something, the more you'll get out of it. 

How soon can I expect to see results?

You mean like a job offer, right?  Let me be straight with you.  I do not know you and I cannot predict your future.  

But when you apply the writing techniques you'll learn inside this guide to your resume, you can be certain that your resume will be the best it can be and is certain to attract employers to you like a magnet.

How soon will I get access to the program?

Immediately after purchasing the program you will receive an email with access to the members area to download the guide.  If you do not get this email within 30 minutes, check your spam folder, and if it ain't there, click the support link at the top of this page to let me know, and as long as it's not 2:00am, I'll get it out to you first thing in the morning.

Can I email Don for help?

Yes, you can email Don for up to 30 days with questions about your resume. If you want Don to look at your resume, then you'll need to purchase the VIP program that includes a resume audit.

If I ask nicely, will you review my resume?

Yes. It takes me about 4 hours to review and write up my findings, so it's not free, but all you need to do is order the VIP version and then I'll perform an exhaustive review of your resume.

Does this work for any type of job, like management, engineering, nursing, accounting, sales, executive, finance, etc?

The short answer is YES.

You'll learn how to structure your work experience and education no matter what industry you're in, and the guide comes with 100 different resumes from 20 different industries, so you'll have a wide degree of resumes to model yours after. 

This program sounds great, but do I really need it?

Absolutely not. You can find a lot of this information for free all over the Internet, even my YouTube channel has a lot. If you have time and the patience to sort through all of the resume tips strewn about the Internet, then that is certainly an option for you. But you're on your own and you need to know how to decipher the good stuff from the bad.  This method is a good option for people who are seeking jobs that pay under $40-$50k. 

But if you're looking for jobs that pay $50k+ then dropping $47 on a program that puts it all together for you and guarantees you'll get hired, plus being able to ask the guy who wrote it (me) for help, well, that seems like a no-brainer.  

I'm interviewing for a Human Resources job, will this work?

Yes, and I have several examples of resumes from people in HR you can access inside the program.

Will this program help me if I'm interviewing for jobs at McDonalds, WalMart, Target or any other fast food type of business?

YES and No.  Yes, if you're interviewing for management or corporate positions.

And NO, if you're interviewing for part-time cashier, clerk, or food prep positions.  For those jobs, as long as you show interest in the job and prove you're dependable, you'll get hired.

Is there a money-back guarantee?

YES! And I'd like to think it's the best one in the business.  It says that you can get your ALL your money back for any reason or no reason at all within 120 days. (that's 90 days longer than anyone else)   

You could say, "Hey Don, I don't like one of these bonuses; I want my money back." And your money would be immediately refunded back to your original method of payment. 

And to take it one step farther, if you don't get hired within 120 days, you can have your money back. Just say, "Hey Don, it's been 120 days and no one's hired me yet. I want my money back." And you get your money back immediately.

That might sound like a crazy guarantee and wonder how I can offer something like that.  You see, if you're not getting the results I think you'll get from this program, then I don't want your money.  

IF you don't get the job you want, then on some level I feel I've failed you.

But the only reason I can offer you such a strong money-back guarantee is because this program works.  If I was giving out refunds all the time, I wouldn't be able to afford to keep the lights on and clients would not be sharing success stories with me every day.

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Prepare for your Job Interview Using Your Resume

You have spent time  writing a winning resume  and applying for jobs, now it is time for the final stage, the job interview. They can be nerve-wracking and there are many traps that candidates fall into during the process.

However, correctly  preparing for a job interview  can significantly improve your chances of success. If you can anticipate which questions will be asked, you will not be caught out by surprise questions and be able to give considered answers.

It is vital to understand the  importance of the resume in the interview . Knowing how to  prepare for your first job interview  by using the job description and your  professional resume , can improve your performance in the interview.

By this stage, you should have already produced an attractive,  professional-looking resume . If not, use a  resume builder  to make sure it is up-to-scratch.

Research the company

Doing some homework on the company is essential . Go onto the company’s website and find out as much as you possibly can about them before the first interview. If you appear not to know anything about the company it will seem like you’re uninterested in the job.

Definitely don’t rely just on the company website research though. Look them up online – read articles about them or written by them, watch YouTube videos about the company made by third parties or videos of the company’s executives. Check out their social media profiles – what message are they trying to put forth? What are they posting and tweeting? Can your experience be relevant to one of their current initiatives?

Researching the company ahead of time will help you target your answers to fit what the employer is looking for, it will also help you to ask some insightful questions in the latter stages of the interview.

Prepare answers for resume based interview questions

First of all, make sure you  know your resume backwards . Familiarize yourself with every detail including job titles, dates, and responsibilities. If you get these details mixed up in the interview it will give the wrong impression.

Secondly, the trick is to imagine you are the employer looking at your resume. Often  employers   follow the resume in a job interview  or prepare the interview using the resume.

What questions would you ask? Have you got any unexplained gaps on your resume? By anticipating the job interview questions it will be easy to prepare answers.

Thinking of a good answer to an interview question is easy when you have time and are not under pressure. Try to  anticipate as many of the questions as possible  to avoid finishing the interview wishing you had answered a question differently.This is a key part of how to prepare for a job interview.

Analyze the job and match your skills

Read carefully through the job posting  and identify the required skills, attributes, and  work experience . Use the keywords in the text to help you. Then make a comprehensive list of all the qualities required by the employer.

Using your resume, think about your strengths and how they match those wanted by the company. Think of specific, tangible examples when you have demonstrated  skills  and abilities and  prepare yourself to talk about them . Make sure you use STAR format when preparing these examples.

The interviewer will ask you to give examples of when you have shown certain qualities. This preparation technique of  using your resume to prepare for a job interview  will help you to answer job-specific interview questions.

Practice the job interview using your resume

The main thing you want to avoid is being caught out and having to rack your brains for job interview answers. Review  typical job interview questions  and spend time practicing answering them. Follow our  top job interview tips  to make sure you are fully prepared.

Think about  how to answer job interview questions about your resume  and focus on your strengths. It is important to practice actually speaking your answers too. This will help you to give more concise answers in the actual interview and it will give you confidence.

Ask someone you know to give you  a mock job interview  using your resume and the list of questions you have prepared. If it is a phone interview, do it over the phone or if it is a video interview, do it via Zoom or Google Hangouts to practice.

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16 Resumé Tips That Will Get You an Interview

8 Min Read | Aug 30, 2023

Believe it or not, creating a solid resumé is  just  as important as prepping for and nailing your job interview. After all, your resumé is your chance to make a strong first impression on the recruiter! But before you get too freaked out, know this: Building the perfect resumé is actually a lot simpler than it sounds. And once you’ve read these 16 tips, you’ll be ready to move forward into the job search with confidence.

1. Keep it one page.

Do you know how much time a recruiter spends looking at your resumé on the first go-around? About 7.4 seconds. 1   Whoa . So, if they have to flip or scroll through pages of your accomplishments and past experience, this party could be over before it even starts. Keeping things simple, relevant and to the point will earn you some respect right off the bat. If things go well here, you’ll have the opportunity to answer the most  common interview questions   in person !

2. Link to online portfolios.

Some job applications may ask you to send samples of your work, but even if they don’t, there’s still a classy way to show off what you do best. Try including a link to an online portfolio or professional website if you have one—that way you’ll be able to showcase more of your work without taking up space on your actual resumé.

3. Make sure your contact info is professional.

Nobody wants to send an email to sk8rboi2002. Don’t use your college email address either. Just a normal, boring email account with your first and last name will get the job done. And don’t forget to include your phone number (but make sure your voicemail greeting isn’t anything funny or clever).

4. Include relevant social media accounts.

I know I’m talking to adults here, but I just have to say it: Double-check all your social media accounts to make sure they’re recruiter-friendly, especially if you include any of your social media handles on your resumé. But even those should only be on your resumé if they’re relevant to the position you’re applying for. For most jobs, your LinkedIn account is the only one you need to include.

5. Skip the bio.

It used to be trendy to put a paragraph about yourself at the top of your resumé , but let that trend die—especially if you’re also submitting a  cover letter  with your application. You don’t need to put an elevator pitch or your life story under your name at the top of your resumé. Remember, we’re keeping this relevant and to the point!

6. Evaluate whether you need a photo.

When it comes to photos, be strategic about whether or not you put your picture on your resumé. It could make sense to include one if you’re applying for a modeling or acting job, but accounting? Yeah, they probably don’t care what you look like or if your resumé is fun .

And even though recruiters aim to stay as unbiased as possible during the interview process, a less-than-great-quality photo could subconsciously affect their impression of you, even if they don’t mean for it to. So, if you do decide to go with the photo option, make sure it’s not pixelated, blurry or too small to see.

7. Keep the job listing in mind.

Recruiters post job descriptions for a reason—they want to be clear and specific about what qualities and skills they’re looking for. Look for those buzzwords and find ways to work them into your resumé (doing that will help you beat the applicant tracking system ). Be honest about your skill set and don’t get discouraged if you don’t have every skill on the list. It could actually be a good thing to be  slightly  underqualified. You want to be challenged in your new role! And many employers are willing to work with you and train you when you first step into the job—as long as you have a growth mindset.

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Rethink the Standard Resumé

If you want to get noticed, it's time to make your resumé noticeable. Follow this simple, five-step guide and stand out in the hiring process.

8. Tweak your resumé for each role.

I know it might sound like a lot of work to tailor your resumé to each job application, but that effort will really pay off. Recruiters will know that you took the time to read all the info and are seriously interested in their company, not just sending a cookie-cutter application to hundreds of different jobs.

9. Tell the truth.

Okay, this one is a no-brainer application and  interview tip  in general, but enough people have lied or “stretched the truth” on their job applications to make it worth mentioning. Don’t say you know someone at the company if you’ve never talked to them before. Don’t say you know how to use Excel and PowerPoint if you really don’t. It’ll just make you look shady when the recruiter asks you for more specifics (or worse, if you  do  get hired, and then they have to show you how to make a spreadsheet).

10. Make it easy to read.

When building your resumé, put yourself in the recruiter’s position. What would you be looking for? You’d probably want something that’s clear and easy on the eyes, right? Here are some things that can help with that:

• Use 10- to 12-point font.
• Use a professional font, like Helvetica, Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, etc. (no Comic Sans unless you’re going for the community-center-bulletin-board look).
• Keep your headers simple and use concise bullet points below them.
• Don’t use too many variations in font size, color and style (bold, italics or underline).

Sure, there’s room for some creativity, but nothing too crazy—think streamlined and classic. Recruiters will love you for it, because you’ll make their job easier! For extra help with formatting, check out my free Resumé Guide .

11. Use active words.

Recruiters are used to seeing words like managed or led on resumés, and there’s nothing wrong with those words. But what if the language was just a little more engaging? Here are a few active, interesting and not-too-fancy words to use where it makes sense:

• Coordinated

You get the picture. Again, you want to make sure the words you use to describe what you did are truthful, but spend some time with a thesaurus to see if there’s a more descriptive way to say it.

12. Explain why you’re a good fit.

Remember when we talked about tailoring your resumé to each job you’re applying for? Your resumé should include a few words about  why  you want to work for this company. It’s one thing to know that someone wants to work for you, but if you see that they genuinely care about the company and its mission, wouldn’t you be way more likely to want them on your team? I know I would.

13. Give concrete examples.

When talking about your past experience, it’s a good idea to quantify it by using some kind of number or measure of success. That will give recruiters a clear picture of the kinds of results you deliver! Here are a few examples:

• Increased sales by 200% in one year.
• Structured, wrote and posted four to five articles per week.
• Served 20 to 30 clients per week and generated $10,000 in revenue per month.

Even if your past experience wasn’t in sales or you don’t know how much revenue you brought in, you can find some way to explain the work you did in terms of numbers.

14. Proofread your resumé.

Spelling and grammar are your friends! Even just one case of using the wrong their can sway a recruiter’s opinion, so read over everything more than once. Proofreading is like making sure you don’t have a mustard stain on  your interview outfit  before you walk inside!

Ask a few other people you trust to give you some feedback too—not just on the tiny details, but on the clarity and appearance of your resumé as a whole.

15. Put your education last.

Ken, are you crazy? Education is the first thing you’re supposed to put on your resumé.  Wrong! Always put the most important and relevant information first—and in most cases, that’s who you know at the company and why you want to be there, not your education. Most recruiters don’t care where you went to school, as long as you’re educated in your field.

And don’t forget to include any other training or educational courses that are relevant to the job you want (especially if you don't have lots of work experience )!

16. Don’t be afraid to use a template.

There’s no shame in using a template to help you build your resumé—in fact, it will make your life a whole lot easier. I’ve included six different templates in my Ken Coleman Resumé Templates that will help you get your resumé where it needs to be in no time.

These templates are something my team and I put together to give you more in-depth tips on creating the perfect resumé. You’ll also get instructions for using the templates, plus a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to applying for jobs. I hope this helps you through the job search process. Happy resumé building!

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About the author

Ken Coleman

Ken Coleman is a career expert and author of the national bestselling book From Paycheck to Purpose and the #1 national bestseller The Proximity Principle. He hosts The Ken Coleman Show, a nationally syndicated, caller-driven show that helps listeners discover what they were born to do. Ken makes regular appearances on Fox News, and he co-hosts The Ramsey Show, the second-largest talk show in the nation. Through his speaking, broadcasting and syndicated columns, Ken gives people expert career advice, providing strategic steps to grow professionally, land their dream job, and get promoted.  Learn More.

12 Interview Tips to Impress Any Hiring Manager

Get ready to ace your interview using these 12 job interview tips. Learn what to wear, what to bring, and what questions to ask to leave a lasting impression.

30 Common Job Interview Questions and Answers

Here are the 30 most common job interview questions—and how to answer them to impress any hiring manager.

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How to Present a Resume in an Interview

Last Updated: February 21, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Colleen Campbell, PhD . Dr. Colleen Campbell is the Founder and CEO of The Ignite Your Potential Centers, Career and Life Coaching based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Colleen received her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology from Sofia University and has been career coaching since 2008. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 83,491 times.

The interview is one of the most important parts of the process of finding a job. Notably, it’s also a great opportunity to present your resume in a way that will make you stand out as an applicant and will emphasize the strongest aspects of your career experience. By following simple formatting techniques and assembling your resume in a professional way, you can make sure your resume is presented in a way that makes you a strong contender for the job you’re applying for.

Assembling and Presenting Your Resume

• For example, consider centering your name and contact information instead of having it extend from the left. Your name should also be in a slightly larger font than the rest of the resume.
• Make your resume as skimmable as possible. The people reading your resume may have to read dozens, or even hundreds, more like it and inevitably will have to skim them. Thus, making your resume easily skimmable will make the reader appreciative and give you and your resume more attention as an applicant.

• For example, if the company is more artistic and expressive in its content, consider using a portfolio with creative designs or that you can personalize with your own designs. If you want to appear organized and professional, use a simple black portfolio.

• Use this paper to print out your references sheet and any other materials you plan to bring to the interview.

• Make sure your business cards are printed on the same type of paper that you used to print out your resume. This will give your documents a consistency that will reflect positively on you during your interview.

• If your portfolio doesn’t have a card-holder slot, simply bring your business card with you and give it to the people interviewing you if the opportunity arises.

• You should also bring multiple copies of your cover letter and any other relevant documents you plan to bring to your interview.

Discussing Your Resume During the Interview

• For example, ask your interviewer something like, “What part of my educational background or work experience is most interesting to you?”
• To be even more precise, you can also ask your interviewer how much time they would like you to spend discussing specific portions of your resume.

• This strategy has the added benefit of preventing you from being rambling in your answer. Moreover, if your interviewer remains interested in other aspects of your prior experience, they will most likely ask about them in a follow-up question.
• In any case, do mention your two most recent jobs and explain why you ultimately ended up leaving them and applying for this new job.

• For example, if one of your previous jobs was very similar to the job you’re currently applying for, talk about the relevant experience and skill sets you acquired through that job and how you could bring them to bear on the new position.
• Don’t try to summarize each prior position or educational experience in its entirety; instead, focus on describing those aspects of the job or training that are most relevant to this position.

Colleen Campbell, PhD

Address what the interviewer is looking for. Colleen Campbell, CEO of Ignite Your Potential, says: “When building your resume and preparing for the interview, look at the posting and address what they’re looking for in some way. Build a list of your wins at other companies and create a narrative around them to prepare yourself for the interview. Always have things to talk about that are related to the elements in the posting .”

• For example, spend ample time discussing any previous jobs that were similar in responsibilities and required skills to the job you’re currently applying for. Meanwhile, spend as little time as possible on prior jobs that aren’t relevant to this position at all.
• If you skimp too much on the details of your resume, your answers may come across to the interviewer as superficial.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.wikihow.com/Present-a-Resume-in-an-Interview
• ↑ https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-include-your-contact-information-on-your-resume-2063308
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/build-your-work-portfolio
• ↑ https://careertrend.com/how-4517241-present-resume.html
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/walk-me-through-your-resume
• ↑ https://news.efinancialcareers.com/us-en/272689/how-to-nail-the-walk-me-through-your-resume-interview-question
• ↑ https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/walk-me-through-your-resume

About This Article

Presenting your resume in an interview is an important part of making a good impression. It’s also a good way for you to highlight the strongest aspects of your career experience. Bring a basic, black portfolio to the interview with multiple copies of your resume, cover letter, references, and business cards. That way, if there are multiple interviewers they’ll all be able to follow along. If you know which aspects of your resume the interviewer is most interested in, focus on those areas. If not, don’t be afraid to ask! In general, you’ll want to focus on your most relevant work experience to the position you’re interviewing for. Instead of summarizing each of your prior positions, focus on specific examples of skills you learned. For example, if you led a successful project at your last job, explain how you managed it, what you learned, and how you could apply those skills to this new position. To learn how to ensure your portfolio matches the company vibe, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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10 Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

• Vicky Oliver

Use this guide to stand out from the crowd and land the role you want.

Interviews can be high stress, anxiety-driving situations, especially if it’s your first interview. A little practice and preparation always pays off. While we can’t know exactly what an employer will ask, here are 10 common interview questions along with advice on how to answer them. The questions include:

• Could you tell me something about yourself and describe your background in brief? : Interviewers like to hear stories about candidates. Make sure your story has a great beginning, a riveting middle, and an end that makes the interviewer root for you to win the job.
• How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? : Share an instance when you remained calm despite the turmoil. If it’s a skill you’re developing, acknowledge it and include the steps you’re taking to respond better to pressure in the future.
• What are your salary expectations? : Before you walk in for your first interview, you should already know what the salary is for the position you’re applying to. Check out websites such as Glassdoor, Fishbowl, or Vault.com for salary information. You could also ask people in the field by reaching out to your community on LinkedIn.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Resignation numbers have remained abnormally high in the U.S. between July 2021 and October 2021, with millions of Americans quitting their jobs  — which also means there are millions of new openings up for grabs. If you’re entering the market for the first time, or just looking to make a change, use this guide to prepare for your next interview.

• Vicky Oliver is a leading career development expert and the multi-best-selling author of five books, including  301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions , named in the top 10 list of “Best Books for HR Interview Prep.” She’s a sought-after speaker and seminar presenter and a popular media source, having made over 900 appearances in broadcast, print, and online outlets.    

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Job Interview A to Z: How to Charm Your Way Into a New Job

• Nikoleta Kuhejda , 
• Updated January 25, 2024 22 min read

A job interview is a lot like a date.

You know there'll be questions, you change your clothes four times before you find the right combination, you want to make a great first impression. There’s a mix of euphoria, anxiety and a thousand “what ifs.”

You meet a stranger. And it works best when there’s a natural, mutual conversation going, rather than a rapid-fire Q&A session where you barely have time to acknowledge each other as people. 

And then, you wait three days for them to call. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. If not, you go on the next one.

Sounds simple, right? But there's one key difference between the two.

While you don't have to prepare for a date, you definitely should prepare for your job interview. 

In this guide, you'll find all information you need to nail it.

How to get a job interview?

Before we get to the art of nailing a job interview, you need to actually get one. How?

1. Create a resume that stands out

This may sound quite obvious but you’d be surprised how many people still underestimate the power of a well-written resume .

Here’s an example. Some time ago, we were hiring for a customer support role. And almost half of the applicants had very weak resumes — both in design and content. We even received a resume written in Microsoft Word, without any template used. In 2021, when you can create a killer resume even via a mobile phone . Yup...

As you can probably guess, the applicants who didn’t take extra minutes of their day to do this didn’t make it to the second round.

In other words, you should take some time to create a well-designed resume. The easy way out is to use a resume builder . Then pick the right format, write it the way you’d like to read it, tailor it for specific positions and don’t forget to make it ATS-friendly (if you plan to apply via job boards).

No replies?

Get invited to that interview with a nice resume.

2. Make use of your connections

Statistically speaking, over thirty percent of new hires come from employee referrals , according to SilkRoad’s Sources of Hire 2017 study. It’s no secret that recruiters prioritise referrals over classic CV’s and standard applications.

Firstly, you need to determine which companies you’d like to join. Then, you need to identify possible connections within them.

If you know anyone who works at the company you’d like to apply to, ask them if they can put in a good word for you.

If you don’t know anyone personally, you can try networking with people who work for that organization via LinkedIn. For instance, if you’re a marketer, connect with individuals within their marketing department. But it’s important to do some networking first and ask for a referral later.

On a side note, don’t hesitate to get an interview via referral. It’s not about unfair advantages. Nowadays, majority of companies offer employee referral bonuses. So, it’s a win-win situation both for you and the person who referred you.

3. Take action

Did you spend hours trying to find a contact within your targeted company but no luck?

Take the initiative and apply directly.  Simply research the companies you want to work for and reach out to them.

Ideally, seek out contact information of a recruiter or hiring manager and send them an email or message on LinkedIn   in the form of an open letter .

Let them know that you're interest in collaboration and present your skills and experience in a way that will make it difficult for them to overlook your request.

Alternatively, you can apply through the company’s career page or a job board (but this is  a far less effective approach).

4. Follow up on every job application

No replies yet? It doesn’t have to mean that you’re not the right candidate. Maybe they’re just busy, or they’re still interviewing other applicants. Still it means that it’s time to get a little proactive.

If you’ve shared your resume directly with a recruiter or manager, you can follow up via email after four or five business days . It shows that you’re really interested in the position and the company.

Remember to be always polite and respectful, never pushy. All you need to do is send a quick note reminding the person that you applied a few days ago and ask whether they've received your resume or if the position is still open.

If you’ve submitted several  job applications, remember to track your progress and results. It will make planning and tracking follow ups much easier.

5. Get noticed online

Now on a slightly different note —  landing interviews without even applying for a job .

You can’t exactly go from one company's doorstep to another with a sheet of paper filled with ideas, suggestions, and qualifications, and expect anyone to actually pay attention to it.  Online space is different. You have a much better chance that somebody will notice it there.

Create a blog or website where you can publish some writings demonstrating your ideas. Or simply use LinkedIn to present yourself as a subject-matter expert.

You never know when someone notices you and you can receive cool job offers from hiring managers, even if you aren’t actively searching for a job. I get a few of them every week and so can you.

Before your interview — how to prepare?

OK, you’ve nailed the first steps and got invited to a job interview. Congrats! But what now?

Do some research. If you come prepared, you feel much more confident. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should rehearse every little thing. Just invest some time in research and you’ll see the difference.

Where to start? These are eight things that you should definitely know about before your job interview.

1. Know more about the company than others

At the very least, you should familiarize yourself with the company's history, business type and structure , and direct competitors. But that's only the absolute minimum. You should always try to go deeper and find every bit of information you can.

In the end, you want to  understand  the company and show that your personality matches their company culture.

If the company is developing a certain product, try to use it, express your interest in it and explain what sets it apart from the competition.

If the company is active on social media, research their sites, read a couple of their most recent blog posts and find out what other people are saying about it. It’s always good to know a bit more than others — find some fun facts or company stories.

This will also help you during the Q&A session. You might ask the hiring manager about a fact you researched or about a new project the company is working on, etc. Also, if you understand the company, your answers will sound more proficient.

There are several useful websites for this, namely Quora, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn.

2. Thoroughly research the job position

Knowing details about the job position will also help you better answer the hiring manager’s questions at the job interview.

Research thoroughly  the competencies and duties of the person working at the position you’re applying for. Fit your skills and knowledge to the job and tailor your answers so that you appear perfectly suited for the job.

By doing the research, you’ll also discover whether you are the right person for the job. You should know about the majority of tasks required by the role.

Based on the requirements, you can rehearse your answers and explain how you can use your knowledge and skills in the position.

3. Know thyself, know thy resume!

Ask yourself this: How are you going to convince a hiring manager about your abilities if you’re not 100% sure about what you can and cannot do?

Go over your resume once again while keeping in mind that hiring managers don’t know you, they only have your resume to work with. Your resume has given them a vague idea about. Now you have to live up to their expectations.

In order to sound more convincing, you should create a professional identity and stick to it .

In other words, get ready to talk about your work history and skills that are highly relevant for the position you’re targeting. Prepare specific examples to demonstrate your skills.

4. Prepare answers to most common questions

Sure, every interview is unique. You cannot predict what exactly is going to happen or what they’re going to ask you. But there are several questions that appear in most job interviews. You can prepare for those.

Try to be specific in your answers. Always provide examples that highlight your skills. Ideally, emphasize the skills that are needed for the job you’re applying to.

These are the ten most common job interview questions and how to answer them:

1. What makes you the best person for this position?

Tell the hiring manager what sets you apart from the rest of the candidates. Go beyond the job description and say how your abilities exceed the standard requirements, also give a couple of suggestions how you’d improve the job position. 

2. Why should we hire you?

Take extra care when preparing to answer, " Why should we hire you ? ". There's a trick — anticipate the company’s future goals and allude to them. Think about what value you’d add to the company or the team.

3. Can you tell me a little more about yourself?

Don’t repeat what’s on your resume. Just point out some of your greatest accomplishments and strengths.

4. How did you hear about the position?

This is an easy one. Just don’t make it sound like you randomly found it and applied. Instead, highlight what made you interested in the position and the company itself.

5. What do you know about the company?

Here comes the point number one again. Learn about the company as much as possible, say a couple of complimentary words on their latest successes and say why you want to work for them and not for somebody else. Don’t just recite the whole “About” section of the company’s website.

Get invited to any interview.

Impress HR managers with a standout resume.

6. What are your professional strengths?

Pick two or three of your most dominant strengths and elaborate on them. But be specific. Don’t use cliché phrases like “I have excellent communication skills.” Give concrete examples of situations where you demonstrated these strengths.

7. What are your weaknesses?

This is not where you brag about things you’re not good at. The magic is to make your failures sound as though they’re in a way positive. Ideally, pick an example of a weakness which you’ve already transformed into a strength.

Here’s an example: “I tend to have problems with procrastination but I took classes on time management and learned how to organise my work day better.” A couple of other weaknesses that can be made work to your advantage are an inability to say “no”, difficulty to ask for help, fear of public speaking, or a difficulty to maintain work-life balance.

8. What do you consider your greatest professional achievement?

Name achievement that relates to the job in one way or another. If you don’t have much experience behind you yet, even talking about minor achievements is better than saying you haven’t had any.

If you don't have any experience, think about a situation from school where you demonstrated a certain skill and succeeded.

9. Why are you leaving your current job? Why were you fired?

The best answers is to smile and say something like “They had to let me go because of some internal issues. Now I’m ready to take on a new opportunity.” You can also emphasize that you learned a lot in your previous job and you can use these skills in your new job.

Never, never speak badly of your past employers. It will almost certainly make you look unlikable, even toxic.

10. Why is there a gap in your employment history?

If you have a relevant reason, be honest and say it. If not, it’s always better to say you were unemployed by choice, not because nobody wanted to hire you. The best excuses for a career gap are traveling, volunteering, blogging or self-teaching.

11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Something relatively general like “ I see myself in a position where I have progressed up the career ladder, feel fulfilled, and am making a meaningful contribution to the company”  usually does the trick.

But if you want to make sure you have prepared a good answer for all kinds of different interview situations or specifically for your position, check out our guide Best Answers: Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years .

And if you’d like to take your preparation to a whole new level, here’s our extensive list of 100+ most common job interview questions . Or this short video guide on how to answer them:

5. Get ready to ask questions too

By the end of every interview, you'll almost certainly hear:  “Do you have any questions for us?”  And this is not the sort of question you can answer with  “No” or “I think you've already answered everything I wanted to ask.”

In fact, it's one of every interview's decisive moments. Why?

• You can show that you care about the job and are curious about it.
• Your questions are another determining factor of whether you’re the right candidate for the job or not. Recruiters are able to deduce a lot about you from the questions you ask.
• The hiring manager’s answers can help you decide whether this is the job you really want. 

Of course, you cannot anticipate how the interview will go and it’s possible that new questions will come to your mind during the interview.

But having a couple of job interview questions ready beforehand can save you in case nothing springs to your mind. These are the five best questions to ask the hiring manager:

1. What do you enjoy most about working here?

This is a great question to loosen up the conversation. It’s a perfect way for you to relate to the hiring manager on a personal level while encouraging them to reveal some of their personal insights of the company.

Typically, the hiring manager would start speaking about the perks the company offers, describing the team, or telling you about their professional growth. This is a great way for you to learn something more about how the company works.

Usually, it is quite obvious whether his or her answer is honest and spontaneous or just a rehearsed reaction they've repeated for a hundredth time.

2. Do you offer any additional professional training or continuing education?

Showing interest in learning new things and growing with the company is always a good idea.

By asking this question you convey a very important message to the potential employer – you show you’re ambitious and care about your constant growth.

3. Can you tell me something about the team I’ll be a part of (if I’m hired)?

Based on how the interview is going, you can leave out the  “if I’m hired”  part.

One way or another, after the recruiter begins answering the question, listen carefully because the team you’d be working with is one of the most important things about the job.

4. What will be the greatest challenge for me if I am hired for this position?

By asking this question, you kill two birds with one stone. For one, you show you’re already thinking about working with the team and two, you make the hiring manager thinking about you as a member of the said team.

Asking this question also gives you a better insight into the job and lets you find out what sort of problems you might face once you’re hired. Take extra care about your non-verbal communication — don’t let the hiring manager know you’re easily daunted by the possible challenges.

5. Do you think I lack any skill needed for this position?

This is a really straightforward question but you don’t have to fear it. By asking this question you let employer know you’re comfortable with being criticized and that you’re not overly self-confident.

Also, you create a space for you to let them know you want to learn and improve. After they start answering your question, listen very carefully and if you detect any hint of them being unsure about your abilities, don’t be afraid to speak up and defend yourself.

6. Practice your body language

Believe it or not, body language plays a crucial role during the interview.

Try to look as calm as possible . The body language of a calm person is entirely different from that of a nervous one.

There are plenty of online sources dealing with body language that can help. For starters, check out this awesome video and one of  our articles .

Use open gestures, leave your arms resting calmly, don’t make any overexposed gestures, don’t let your nervousness show. You can practice this either in front of a mirror or with another person, which is even better.

Ask your family member or a friend to play the interviewer. Try to answer his or her questions in a way you would in the hot seat.

7. Know the terminology

You should be prepared to use the jargon of the industry you want to work in. Using the right terminology will make you look more competent and intelligent. Be specific and speak clearly.

It doesn’t make a good impression when you twaddle about nothing just to say something. Don’t use helper phrases such as  like ,  you know ,  I mean  too often.

The recruiter doesn’t want you nattering away as though you were talking over a beer. If you want to be better than the rest of the candidates, you should appear more professional than them. Refresh your vocabulary and get familiar with the professional jargon.

8. Video interview

Preparing for a video job interview is very similar to preparing for any other interview.

On the other hand, you will have to take some other things into consideration such as looking good on camera, technical set-up, lightning, headset, and so on. This guide can help you make a great first impression at your video interview.

The day of your interview – how to nail it?

You did your homework, you're fully prepared and your day D has come. How to start strong and make a lasting impression?

1. Dress for success

The hiring manager will usually inform you of the company’s dress code when they invite you to an interview. If they haven’t, feel free to reach out to them and ask. They really have no reason to hide this from you.

Alternatively, you can dress based on the company sector. For formal corporate interviews it's usually business professional attire, for less formal corporate interviews it's business casual attire. If you’re interviewing at a startup, you can opt for a more casual outfit.

If you’re not sure how to dress for each one, you can check our detailed fashion guide for job interviews (examples of outfits included).

Mainly remember the rule of thumb – it’s better to go into your interview slightly overdressed than underdressed . Also, make sure your clothes are clean, ironed, not too short or revealing.

2. Plan your schedule

It’s kind of cliché, but a first impression really matters. Especially when it comes to job interviews.

If you’re late, you may as well remove yourself from the list of potential candidates. Rather than doing this, plan your schedule a little bit in advance.

Know how to get to your interview, know how long it takes to get there, and be aware of the parking situation. If you’re going by a public transport, give yourself some extra time for transport delays or traffic jams. Also, give yourself some time to find a restroom to freshen up.

Don’t arrive late, but not too early either. A good rule of thumb is to arrive fifteen minutes before your interview.

3. Bring copies of your resume

It isn’t always expected. And yes, the interviewers already read your resume. But it’s good to remind them of your credentials with a copy in front of them throughout your conversation.

Moreover, in the odd chance that you’re asked for it or if the interviewer had trouble with their printer, it makes you look prepared for anything.

Suddenly, you’re the guy who took time to print his resumes out, while the other three applicants are asking if they can borrow a pen. See the difference?

Ideally, bring around three copies of your resume . You never know how many employees will be interviewing you and from my experience, it’s always more than one.

And if you have a prepared list of references, you can bring this one too.

4. Create a strong first impression

First minutes of your interview are all about shaking hands firmly, smiling confidently, and looking as if you’re super glad to be there.

The rules are pretty simple. Don’t smell like cigarette smoke. Turn off your cell phone. Don’t chew a gum. Just have a positive attitude and smile!

5. How to behave during your interview

Sit still, with good posture. Don’t cross your arms, nod and make positive gestures. Make eye contact and have an approachable expression.

Also, listen carefully to interviewers’ names – know how to pronounce them correctly and address them appropriately.

If you’re interviewed by more than one person at the same time, briefly address each person with your gaze. Return your attention to the person who asked you the question. It also helps if you ask for business cards and line them up in front of you in order of where they’re sitting.

Last but not least, end the interview on a positive note and let them know you’re truly interested in the opportunity.

After your interview – what’s next?

You just say goodbye, walk out the door and wait. Just kidding. That’s definitely not how it should work. Just because your interview ended, it doesn’t mean that your efforts should end too.

If they haven’t informed you about the next steps, feel free to ask about them. Also, on the same day of your interview, send a thank you email to the interviewer.

1. Ask about the next steps

Find out what action you’re expected to do next in the process – should you send a list of references, will you take a test, will you have a project round tour, or should you just wait till they get back to you?

Make sure you know about the next steps – know when and from whom you should expect to hear next. Also, ask for your interviewers’ business cards or contact information if you don't have it yet.

If you promise information, send it quickly after the interview. Take down notes right away so you don’t forget critical details.

2. Send a thank you email

Remember to always send a thank you email to the interviewer the same day as the interview .

Showing appreciation for the employer’s time goes a long way. It’s also a really good move for reminding yourself to them. Last but not least, you’ll be seen as the master of post-interview etiquette.

What to write there?

• Thank them for their time and include an honest and specific sentence about why you’re excited about the opportunity.
• Always add some customisation to your email – mention a specific topic you discussed and why you enjoyed discussing it with them.

If you’re not sure how to frame it, here’s our useful template .

Just don’t do these mistakes

Unless you’re perfect, you’ve probably made at least one of them before. And maybe you’re still doing some of them. But no worries, we’ll tell you how to avoid them.

One of the most common interview mistakes is a lack of research and preparation.

Other most common mistakes that candidates make in job interviews, according to hiring managers, are:

1. Showing off

Instead of saying things you think the interviewer wants to hear, answer honestly. Of course, you should present yourself in the best light but don’t go overboard and end up boasting.

2. Asking no questions

Asking some questions of your own in an interview makes you seem engaged and interested. Before the interview, make a note of three or four questions to ask. That way, even if one or two of them are covered in the course of things, you will still have something to ask.

3. Not acting engaged with the interviewer

Make sure your body language doesn’t make you look bored. Sit up and lean forward to visibly express your interest. It’s also important to make eye contact. A trick to help you do this in a non-creepy way is to imagine a triangle made up of the interviewer’s eyes and nose and cycle through these three points. This will stop you from staring at one point for too long.

4. Making up answers and 6. Lying about achievements

These two are related and can be dealt with in the same way – be honest. If you are a solid candidate who is genuinely interested in the opportunity, you shouldn’t need to lie.

5. Not dressing appropriately

This isn’t as simple as wearing a suit anymore and should be part of your pre-interview research. Find out about the company and its culture to get clues on an appropriate outfit.

6. Rambling on

To avoid doing this, take a short pause before you start speaking. A three- to five-second pause will give you enough time to get your thoughts in order, allowing you to express yourself clearly and succinctly. Rambling is often caused by nervousness, so you should also check out  these tips on how to handle your interview nerves .

7. Can’t explain what they will bring to the role

This is another thing you can avoid with proper preparation. Make sure that you take a long, detailed look through the job description so that you really understand what the employer is looking for. Then, think about exactly what you have to offer that will fulfill that.

8. Moaning about their employer

It’s tempting to vent your frustrations about a bad boss or work environment, but it won’t do you any favours. Instead, focus on the positives of what you learned and how you overcome problems.

This resume will raise compliments.

Get hired with 35+ design resume templates.

Equipped with techniques to charm your way into a new job? Fantastic! Browse our collection of professional resume samples for inspiration and guidance on crafting your own captivating resume.

A journalist by trade, a writer by fate. Nikoleta went from writing for media outlets to exploring the world of content creation with Kickresume and helping people get closer to the job of their dreams. Her insights and career guides have been published by The Female Lead, College Recruiter, and ISIC, among others. Nikoleta holds a Master's degree in Journalism from the Comenius University in Bratislava. When she’s not writing or (enthusiastically) pestering people with questions, you can find her traveling or sipping on a cup of coffee.

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Ace the Interview: 16 Expert Tips to Land Your Dream Job

Posted: December 6, 2023 | Last updated: December 6, 2023

It is commonly observed that only 10% to 20% of job applicants make it to the interview stage of the hiring process. If you have a job interview scheduled, you are competing with an unknown number of candidates who have already been deemed promising based on their resumes. However, you can follow specific tips and tricks to ensure that your interview will go smoothly and you will be seen in the best light possible, significantly increasing your chances of getting a job offer.

Some of the tips may not apply to your situation. Consider your unique circumstances and use the advice outlined here to create your job interview “toolbox” to turn you into one of the most promising and well-prepared candidates.

Preparation

Preparing for your job interview is essential and will be more time-consuming than the interview itself. With every job interview, be aware of the four primary qualities hiring managers look for in candidates.

• Ability to communicate effectively
• Being capable of doing the job
• Being a good fit for the company
• Being an agreeable person

Here are 17 additional steps to help you nail the next job interview.

Research the Company

Try to get a sense of the company culture and the general vibe of those who already work there. That way, you can figure out if you are a good fit for the company – one of the four main qualities that are important to recruiters.

Learn About the Role You Have Applied For

Being able to do the job you’ve applied for is essential. But you have to keep in mind that this is something that goes beyond professional skills and competencies. Every job comes with specific aspects that are usually not well-understood by inexperienced candidates. So take the time to carefully research the role that you have applied for and what it entails. Your main priority is to understand its primary responsibilities, the required critical skills, and what it is like working full-time.

Prepare Your Answers to Common Interview Questions

Prepare a short introduction stating a few general facts about your background. This might include where you grew up, your school, and your broad interests. Stick to surface-level facts about yourself, and certainly don’t go into stating any polarizing controversial opinions.

After this, you should expect some general common interview questions:

• Why did you apply for this job?
• What do you know about the company?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• Where do you see yourself in one year?
• Why should we hire you?

Prepare answers for all these questions and memorize them. These questions have a secondary purpose that goes beyond your answers. Most recruiters want to know if you are genuinely interested in the role. They would like to hire somebody who is intrinsically motivated to work this job, not a person who is simply in need of employment and income.

The hiring managers will pay attention to how you answer these questions and how you behave while you respond to them. If you answer any of these questions in a vague and disinterested way, that would be a major red flag for any recruiter and would seriously harm your chances of getting the job offer.

Prepare Notes and a List of Questions

Using notes during job interviews is normal. Also, recruiters will perceive you as organized and well-prepared when they notice that you have brought notes. Your notes can contain specific facts about your career, such as notable professional achievements, dates, numbers, statistics, etc., and any questions you might have for the recruiters. While using notes is perfectly fine, how you use them also matters. You shouldn’t use them to read answers to job interview questions out loud.

Prepare Examples of Your Skills and Experience

You can prepare examples that showcase your professional skills and competencies based on the job specifics you have applied for. For example, if you have worked in Sales, you refer to the impressive numbers you have achieved. That speaks to how you can bring value to the company.  

Prepare Copies of Your Resume and Any Other Relevant Documents

You should bring printed copies of your resume, just in case, as well as any other relevant printed materials. Your goal is to make things as convenient as possible for your interviewers. That demonstrates that you are a team player and can plan.

Dress Appropriately for Your Job Interview

Three distinct dressing styles are associated with the office work environment – smart casual, business casual, and business professional. It is crucial to dress appropriately for your interview because it is part of fitting in. So visit the company website and check out their social media profiles. See if you can find pictures of employees and pay attention to what they wear. This should give you a pretty good idea of how to dress for your interview.

In any case, if you can’t find any reliable hints on what to wear, in most cases, it is safe to opt for a business casual outfit. However, a business professional would be safer if you applied for a higher management position.

Arrive on Time for Your Job Interview

The golden rule for job interview arrival time is this: it’s better to be a few minutes early than one minute late. However, arriving way too early would be problematic as well. In most cases, you’d want to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes early as this would usually be enough time to go through a reception process and then be taken to the room where your job interview will occur.

Be Mindful of When Your Interview Takes Place

When your interview takes place matters and could affect its outcome. Interviewing early in the week and early in the day is possibly better because the interviewers won’t be tired from conducting numerous interviews. This means they will be much more present and energetic during your interview. So be mindful of when your interview is taking place and do your best to read the room once you are in there with the interviewers.

Be Mindful of Your Body Language and Voice

When you finally meet your interviewers, be mindful of your body language and how you speak. You’d want to keep your head up high and shoulders straight. Take a deep breath before you speak, and don’t shy away from meeting the gaze of your interviewers. If you are struggling with social anxiety, your body language and tone of voice reveal your nervousness. Your interviewers should immediately notice this if they are well-trained and experienced in observing kinesics.

Experienced interviewers are pretty good at making nervous candidates comfortable. They will ask you how you feel or if you’re scared. It is perfectly fine, to be honest, and there is nothing shameful, so don’t waste your energy by pretending. The interviewers would appreciate your honesty. You can say you are a bit nervous but excited to be there.

Let Your Interviewers Take the Lead

In the beginning, let the interviewers take the lead. Listen carefully to what they say and trust them to guide you through the process. Eventually, they will ask their first questions, allowing you to speak. Hopefully, all the preparation and visualization you did prior will kick in, and you can provide them with clear, concise, well-thought-out answers.

Showcase Your Ability to Communicate

Every job entails communication and teamwork. So, one of your main priorities should be demonstrating that you can effectively communicate and collaborate. Through active listening, you can show that you are paying attention and fully engaged in the discussion. Use your body language to your advantage by nodding, gesturing, and making eye contact as you listen to the hiring manager. Also, don’t hesitate to ask clarifying questions when it is appropriate to interject. But when you speak, do your best to be clear and concise. You should be able to express your thoughts and ideas with simple statements that are easy to understand.

Use Examples to Illustrate Your Professional Skills and Knowledge

Instead of using general statements about your professional competencies, do your best to present the hiring managers with relevant examples. This is where the notes you are going to bring with you are going to come in handy. For example, you can talk about what you worked on during the last 6 to 12 months at your previous job and what you were able to achieve. You can also take a quick glance at your notes to refer to specific numbers and time periods. Don’t avoid discussing your most notable professional achievements throughout your career – this is not the time to be too humble. But still, let the facts speak for themselves – there is no need to brag. Also, this will show the interviewers that you are a goal-oriented professional, which is usually a major green flag.

Engage the Interviewers With Relevant Questions

One of the best ways to show the hiring managers that you are proactive is to ask them questions about the company and role. You can prepare your list of questions in advance and include them in your notes. Include questions telling the interviewers that you have researched the company and the role. This way, you won’t have to come up with questions on the spot and waste time thinking. Also, asking questions about benefits and salary is perfectly fine. Which kind of brings us to the next point.

Negotiate Salary Without Losing the Job Offer

Negotiating salary during a job interview is not out of the question but a delicate process. You wouldn’t want to come off as greedy and self-serving. Your primary focus should be to figure out how you could bring extra value to the company through your work and then ask for higher compensation based on your capabilities.

Generational Shift: 18 Classic Cars Loved by Boomers, Snubbed by Millennials

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From Boom to Bust: 18 States on the Brink of Financial Ruin—What Went Wrong?

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10 Essential Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

• March 16, 2023
• In Interviewing

When it’s your turn to ask questions during a job interview, it’s important to make the most of this opportunity to gather valuable information about the position and the company. Here are 10 strong questions that can provide you with useful insights into whether the job is right for you.

Essential questions to ask in a job interview

1. how will you measure the success of the person in this position.

Knowing how the company measures success helps you understand the expectations and metrics for success, making it easier to tailor your qualifications to demonstrate your fit for the role. It also provides insights into potential career advancement within the company

2. How do you typically onboard employees?

Understanding the company’s onboarding process provides insight into how new employees are integrated into the organization. It allows you to assess the level of support, training, and resources provided to new hires as they transition into their roles.

3. What are some of the goals or objectives you would like to see accomplished in this job?

By posing this question, you’re demonstrating a sincere interest in aligning your contributions with the employer’s goals. This can create a positive impression and showcase your dedication to making a meaningful impact in the role.

4. Can you describe a typical day for the person in this role?

By inquiring about the typical day-to-day activities in the role, you can gain valuable insight into the specific responsibilities and tasks linked to the position. This understanding allows you to evaluate how well the role matches your skills, interests, and professional aspirations..

5. What are some of the first projects the person in this role will work on?

Understanding the initial projects can also help you assess the company’s current needs and strategic focus, enabling you to tailor your responses to demonstrate how your skills and experience align with those specific projects.  

6. What is most pressing in the beginning? What would you like to have done within the next three months?  

it demonstrates your proactive approach to understanding the immediate priorities and expectations associated with the role. By gaining insight into the initial projects and timelines, you can align your responses to showcase how your skills and experience can contribute to meeting those specific objectives. This question also allows you to assess the employer’s sense of urgency and the pace at which they expect the new hire to make an impact.  

7. Would I be required to supervise other employees? If so, how many?

Understanding the supervisory expectations can help you determine if the role provides the opportunity for professional growth and development in a leadership capacity. This question also allows you to showcase your readiness to take on supervisory responsibilities and to understand the dynamics of the team you may be leading, which can leave a positive impression on the interviewer.  

8. How does this position contribute to the company?

it demonstrates your interest in understanding the broader impact and value of the role within the company’s operations and goals. By gaining insight into how the position fits into the company’s objectives, you can align your responses to showcase how your skills and experience can contribute to the organization’s success  

9. If hired, who would I report to?

Understanding the reporting relationship allows you to gauge the level of support and guidance available within the organization. This question also provides an opportunity to showcase your readiness to integrate into the team and work effectively within the established hierarchy.  

10. Is there any travel involved with this position?

This question allows you to gain clarity on the extent of travel expected, potential relocations, and any other travel-related aspects that might impact your decision

You may also be interested in:

• How to Make Your Resume, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn Profile Work Together, and Help You Get The Job of Your Dreams
• 11 Biggest Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Write a Great Cover Letter in 6 Steps

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Isabel Thottam

Isabel Thottam is a freelance writer and human resources professional, writer for CNBC, Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine based in Seattle.

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The No. 1 AI mistake job seekers make, from a career expert: So many people use ChatGPT 'in exactly the wrong way'

As a leader at the education nonprofit Khan Academy, I was thrilled when ChatGPT came out in November 2022. It meant we could use generative AI to provide personalized tutoring to more kids than ever.

But as a hiring manager and cofounder of a career development business who's trained first-gen students at CUNY and MBAs at Harvard Business School alike, I was heartbroken to see that so many job seekers were using these tools in exactly the wrong way. 

They forgot that no matter how exciting this new technology is, humans are still in charge of the hiring process. Which is why having a robot write your resume is a recipe for disaster.

But given that I wrote the literal book on using ChatGPT in your job search , I know you can still turn to AI to make your resume shine. Used properly, it can help you land the interview — and ultimately the job. 

The wrong way to use AI for your resume

In my experience, most job seekers using ChatGPT or other AI platforms begin with a prompt like "Generate a marketing resume." This might seem like a great place to start, but it's the biggest mistake you could make. Here's why: 

The results are massively generic 

Take this summary, for instance:

As a hiring manager, the first thing I'm always looking for is evidence of specific accomplishments. When I scan this, though, my first thought is "Wow — this candidate is great at buzzwords, but not so great at actual marketing." 

That's hardly the first impression you want to make when employers spend seven seconds , on average, reviewing your resume!

ChatGPT and other AI tools are going to make stuff up 

As if that wasn't bad enough, check out what comes next under a single job listing under the experience section:

Not only do these bullet points lack specificity (with no clear projects or outcomes), but the sheer range of skills covered is literally unbelievable. As in, I've never met a marketer in my two-decade career who did all of these things in one job.

So my human BS detector immediately assumes the worst: This isn't a resume, this is a hallucination!

The right way to use AI for your resume

OK, you get the picture: Having AI generate your resume from scratch can be a fast track to rejection. But if we know that human reviewers want specificity and credibility, we can actually leverage AI to help us with those exact things.

1. Start with a draft resume written by a human (i.e., you)

Instead of asking AI to generate your resume, start with your own first draft, even if it's in rough shape. That way, you can at least be specific and accurate about what you actually did, even if those accomplishments need a little polishing.

2. Identify and incorporate missing keywords

Go right to the source of truth. The job description was created by the hiring team to spell out the skills they're looking for — and it contains the exact keywords you want to match.

Here's where you turn to AI. Enter the following prompt: 

• Which keywords from the below job description are missing from my resume? 
• Here's the job description: [Paste the job description here] 
• And here's my resume: [Paste the text of your resume here]

Once you've got a list of missing keywords, identify the ones you have experience with and prompt the AI to help you incorporate them: 

Suggest three ways to incorporate [keyword] into my resume.

3. Quantify achievements and demonstrate results

The best predictor of future performance is usually past performance, which means recruiters and hiring managers want to see real results, not just hallucinations.

So get a little nudge in the right direction with a prompt like: 

Suggest three ways to add more quantitative impact to the following bullet point: [Paste your bullet point here]

Now, it's tempting to copy and paste the bullets your AI platform suggests straight into your resume. But make sure you're editing the text to match your actual accomplishments. For instance, maybe you generated $300,000 in donations, not $500,000 like the AI spit out, or your organization actually measures growth quarterly rather than monthly.

4. Review, review, review!

Always proofread your resume before submitting it. If you've used AI, it's all the more important to review every last word and number to make sure everything's 100% accurate. 

The last thing you want is to be sitting in a final-round interview and have your prospective boss's boss's boss ask you about a resume bullet the AI fabricated and you forgot to update!

Jeremy Schifeling is the founder of  The Job Insiders , which provides career technology training for hundreds of top universities and business schools. He is also the author of " Career Coach GPT: The Complete Guide to ChatGPT Resume, Cover Letter, Interview, and Job Search Success " and shares his latest career and AI hacks on LinkedIn .

Want to land your dream job in 2024?  Take  CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview  to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay. CNBC Make It readers can save 25% with discount code 25OFF.

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