How to Write a Resume: What Goes Where and Where to Start

A strong resume isn't a list of everything you've done. It's a short, well-organized case that you can do the job in front of you. This guide shows what goes where, then gives you a starting point whether you're fixing a resume you already have or writing one for the first time.

The parts of a resume

Most resumes need the same five parts, in roughly the same order. Recruiters expect this layout, so using it means they spend their time on your experience, not on finding it.

1. Header. Your name, city and state, phone, email and LinkedIn link. Leave out your full street address, a photo, your date of birth and anything else an employer doesn't need to contact you.
2. Summary. Two or three lines: what you do, your level, and what you're known for. Write it last, once you know what the rest of the page proves.
3. Skills. Six to ten specific skills you can back up in your experience: tools, systems, methods. "Hard worker" and "team player" don't belong here; show those in your bullets.
4. Experience. Your jobs, most recent first. Each one gets your title, the employer, the location and dates, then bullets. Give recent, relevant roles three to five bullets and older roles one or two.
5. Education. Degree, school and year. If you graduated recently and have little experience, move this above Experience. If it was long ago, the year is optional.
6. Optional sections. Certifications, licenses, volunteer work, languages or projects. Add one only when it helps with this job.

Which order to use

Use reverse-chronological order: most recent job first. It's the layout recruiters expect, and it answers their first question fastest: does your recent work look like this job? If you're changing careers, keep the same order but lead with a summary and skills that point to where you're going.

Avoid a purely "functional" resume that lists skills and hides dates. Recruiters tend to read it as a sign something is being hidden, even when nothing is.

Weak vs. strong bullets

Your bullets do most of the work on a resume. A weak bullet says what you were responsible for. A strong bullet says what you did, how much of it, and what changed because of it.

A simple bullet formula

Action + scope + result. Start with a strong verb for what you did. Add the scale: how many, how often, how big. End with what changed.

Not every bullet needs a number. If you don't have one, describe the change in plain words: "so new hires could work on their own in their first week." Never invent a number to make a line sound stronger. Interviewers ask where numbers came from.

Words to cut

• "Responsible for" and "duties included": say what you actually did.
• "Helped with" or "assisted": name your part.
• Vague praise such as "detail-oriented" or "results-driven": let the bullets prove it.

If you're revamping a resume you already have

Start with the top third of the page, because that's what gets read first. Work in this order, and don't polish formatting until the words are right.

1. Pick your target. Write down the one or two job titles you're applying for next. Every change below should serve those, not every job you might take.
2. Cut before you add. Remove roles older than about 15 years unless they matter for this job, outdated tools, and bullets that repeat each other. Shorter usually reads stronger.
3. Fix your most recent role first. Rewrite its bullets with the action + scope + result formula. This is the role recruiters read most closely.
4. Update your skills. Keep the skills this job asks for that you can prove. Drop the rest.
5. Rewrite the summary last. Once the page is right, write two or three lines that point at the job you want.
6. Then format. Check fonts, spacing, dates and headings (see the formatting section below).
7. Check the gaps. If you have a gap longer than a few months, you don't need to explain it on the page. Be ready to answer it in one calm sentence in an interview.

Tip: save a master copy with everything, then make a shorter version for each type of job you apply for.

If you're starting from scratch

Don't start with a template. Start with a list. Writing is much easier once the facts are in front of you.

1. List every job and date. Title, employer, city, start and end month. Include part-time work, internships and volunteer roles for now; you'll decide what stays later.
2. Brainstorm what you did in each. For each role, write down everything you handled, fixed, improved, trained, built or were trusted with. Don't edit yet.
3. Find the proof. Next to each item, add anything that shows scale or results: how many people, how often, how much, what changed. Old emails, reviews and reports help.
4. Choose your target job. Pull up two or three postings you'd actually apply for. Circle the requirements they share.
5. Draft section by section. Header, then Experience, then Skills, then Education. Pick the three to five brainstorm items per role that best match your target.
6. Write the summary last. Two or three lines that tie your experience to that target.
7. Trim to fit. Early in your career, aim for one page. Cut the weakest bullets first.

No work history yet? Lead with Education, then projects, volunteer work, school leadership or part-time jobs. The same bullet formula applies: what you did, how much, and what changed.

Formatting: keep it simple

A plain layout is easier for people to scan and for the software many employers use to read applications. University career centers give very similar advice.

Whichever way you format dates ("2022–Present" or "Jan 2022–Present"), use the same style all the way down the page.

Before you send it

• My most recent title and first two bullets match the job I'm applying for.
• Every bullet says what I did, not just what I was responsible for.
• Every number is one I can explain in an interview.
• My skills list only includes things my experience backs up.
• The layout is one column, with standard headings and one font.
• Dates are formatted the same way throughout, with no unexplained overlaps.
• My email address is professional, and my phone number and LinkedIn link are correct.
• Someone else has proofread it, or I've read it out loud.
• The file name includes my name (for example, Morgan-Reed-Resume.pdf).