How to Write a Resume: A Beginner's Guide with Examples
Learn how to write a resume from scratch. Covers format, contact details, summary, experience, skills and education, with examples and a free template to use.
By Resume Creator Team · Published · 3 min read
To write a resume, choose a clean format, add your contact details, write a short summary, list your experience with results, add skills and education, then proofread and save as PDF. Each part is simple on its own, and this guide covers them in order.
If you prefer a faster, step-by-step build, see how to create a resume in 2027. This article focuses on the writing itself.
Before you write
Collect:
- Dates and titles for every job, internship and project
- Results you can measure
- Education and certificates
- The job post you are targeting
1. Pick a format
Use reverse-chronological (newest first) unless you have a reason not to. It is the easiest for recruiters and ATS to read. Freshers may lead with education, see resume format for freshers. More on layouts in the best resume format for 2027.
2. Write your header
Include:
- Full name
- Phone and professional email
- City and country
- LinkedIn or portfolio link
Skip your full street address, date of birth and marital status unless local custom requires them.
3. Write a summary
Two or three lines: who you are, your key strength, what you want.
Marketing executive with 4 years of experience in SEO and content. Grew organic traffic by 150% for a SaaS brand. Seeking a senior content role.
See how to write a resume summary for formulas.
4. Write your experience
For each role, list:
- Job title, company, location
- Dates
- Two to five bullets
Use this bullet formula: action verb + what you did + result.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Handled emails | Managed 80+ customer emails daily with a 2-hour response time |
| Worked on reports | Built a weekly sales report that saved the team 4 hours a week |
| Helped with hiring | Screened 200+ candidates and cut time-to-hire from 40 to 28 days |
5. Add skills
List tools, methods and languages that match the job. Group them for easy scanning. See skills for resume.
6. Add education
Degree, institution, year. Add GPA or percentage only if it helps you, which is mostly for freshers. Add certifications in their own section.
7. Add optional sections
Projects, volunteering, awards, languages and publications can all add value. Include them only if relevant.
8. Tailor it
Compare your draft to the job post. Reorder bullets so the most relevant come first, and use matching keywords where true.
9. Proofread
- Read it aloud
- Check dates and spelling
- Make sure tenses are consistent: present for current roles, past for old ones
- Ask someone else to read it
10. Save and send
Save as FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf. Use PDF with selectable text so ATS can read it.
What to leave out
- A photo, in the US, UK and many other regions (check local norms)
- "References available on request"
- Salary details
- Irrelevant jobs from many years ago
- Personal pronouns such as "I" and "my"
Length
- 0-10 years of experience: one page
- 10+ years: up to two pages
- Academic CV: longer is fine
Write it faster with a builder
A resume builder handles layout so you can focus on the words. With Resume Creator you choose from 25 free templates, see a live preview, and download a PDF or DOCX with no sign-up and no watermark.
Need inspiration? Browse our resume examples or learn how to make a resume stand out.
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