questions to ask about writing a resume

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6 Questions to Ask When Writing Your Resume

Heidi scott giusto, phd.

key with question mark tag indicating questions you can ask when writing your resume

Asking yourself thought-provoking questions is the first step to writing a good resume —a resume that makes your accomplishments clear to a reader. Precise language that includes context strengthens the quality of your application documents. Below are six questions to ask when writing your resume to ensure that your value, achievements, and skills are evident and unmistakable to your readers.

Asking yourself thought-provoking questions is the first step to writing a resume that makes your accomplishments clear to a reader.

Thought-Provoking Questions to Ask When Writing Your Resume

How does the reader know i was good at this job.

Even if you don’t automatically think in terms of accomplishments, you will likely be able to explain why you are good at your job. To help you articulate this, you could ask a trusted friend to take notes about what you share with them. After, review their notes and determine what would be beneficial to include in your resume.

Was there anything going on at the company that made my work particularly challenging?

This could include mergers and acquisitions, downsizings, aggressive growth, changes in leadership, and/or reorganizations. The larger context of your success in a role can be underscored by noting situational factors you had to face while still performing well or going above and beyond.

What were the results of this task?

Thinking in terms of specific results can help you demonstrate successful outcomes. Were your efforts rewarded? Did you complete the tasks on time or ahead of schedule? How important was the particular task in relation to the company’s larger objectives?

How did I mentor my staff (or lead the team)?

Describing how you did something can reveal greater context and demonstrate your approach to your work—in this case, how you lead people. You can also ask yourself this question in terms of your role. Were you were a team player or supported the work of others—or your accomplishments, such as finishing a particularly challenging project.

What did it feel like when I did ______?

Explore what motivates you and makes you feel particularly proud when you accomplish a goal or complete a particular task. Consider how you might incorporate that information into your resume in a way that complements the strengths and abilities you offer an employer.

How many? What was the monetary value?

Quantification provides clarity to a reader. “Led projects” and “Led 19 projects concurrently (values: $500K–$23M), completing each on time and within 2% of projected budget” each take up one line on a resume, but the latter provides details and speaks to a person’s skill.

If your resume is only a list of responsibilities and basic tasks you’ve completed, your contributions and value to a company are open to interpretation. This is why having a list of thought-provoking questions to ask when writing your resume can be helpful: clarity of writing aids the reader and eliminates ambiguity. You never want a potential employer to have visions of the turn-of-the-century classic movie Office Space when reading your resume, leading them to wonder: Is this person like Peter Gibbons? Only doing enough to not get fired?

Asking yourself thoughtful questions when writing your resume reduces the chances this problem will occur. The process can also give you a confidence boost when you see how impressive you look on paper .

Heidi owns and operates Career Path Writing Solutions, a communications consulting firm dedicated to helping individuals and businesses communicate when it matters most. She delights in helping job seekers navigate career change and guiding business owners to present their value proposition persuasively. Heidi earned her PhD in history from Duke University and teaches professional development for various university programs and organizations. She holds certifications in resume writing, interview preparation, and empowerment coaching, and sits on the Certification Committee of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.

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Resume and Cover Letter
Your Guide to Writing a...

Your Guide to Writing a Resume in 2023

29 min read · Updated on December 19, 2023

Use this guide to help you craft the perfect resume and finally land your dream job.

Whether you're sprucing up your outdated resume or starting from scratch, the task can quickly become daunting. Not only do you want to clearly convey your experiences and skills, but you also want to present the information in a way that's easy to read and visually appealing. It's easy to get wrapped up in seeking answers to seemingly straightforward questions: Should you include your mailing address? What skills should you list? Is it OK to use two pages? Should you save it as a PDF or a Word document?

Also, don't forget even the smallest of details — and you definitely need to give your resume at least 20 proofreads.

Before you become completely frazzled, go ahead and bookmark this page; this is your ultimate guide to writing a resume.

In this guide, you'll learn how to:

Add your contact information

Create the perfect professional summary

Craft your skills section

Compile your work experience

List your education and professional development

Remove your references

Determine page length

Format your resume

Master your resume design

Figure out if you need professional help

Adding your contact information

Starting from the very top of your resume, let's dive in with your contact information . Yes, this might seem straightforward, but there are some details you'll want to note. Here's what you need to know.

Writing your name on your resume may seem simple, but you might be surprised by some of the questions that arise. Do you have to list your legal name, or is it OK to use your nickname? Should you include your middle name or just your middle initial? What about your academic credentials? Or suffixes, like Jr. or III?

There's not necessarily a right or wrong answer here, but you'll want to think about your personal brand. If your name is Katherine, but everyone calls you Kit, then write Kit. You can also include a nickname in quotes between your first and last name. For example, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Smith. Middle initials and names are often deemed unnecessary, but if you have a common name, like Robert Smith, you can include it so you stand out. You don't want to be mistaken for the other Robert Smith, right? Meanwhile, suffixes are definitely unnecessary. Chances are, no one at work is calling you “John William Henry III.”

If your name proves difficult to pronounce during your job search, you can help a recruiter or hiring manager out by including a pronunciation key. Here's an example: Meixiang (may-shang) Li.

When it comes to listing your academic credentials with your name (think: PhD or MD), only list doctorate-level degrees and highly specialized designations that are relevant to the jobs you're applying for.

Overall, the best rule of thumb is to think about your personal brand. Keep it consistent; you'll want the name on your resume to match the name you use on your cover letter, the name you use to sign your emails, and the name you use on LinkedIn.

Mailing address

Back in the day, including a mailing address on your resume was a given. After all, you were actually mailing your resume. Today, listing your physical mailing address isn't necessary. In fact, because identity theft has become so rampant, many experts suggest simply listing your city, state, and ZIP code. Employers won't actually need your address until the final stages of a job offer.

Listing your city and state is important for employers filling location-dependent positions. Additionally, some companies only hire locally to avoid relocation expenses so if you live in Tampa, Florida, but apply to a job in Charlotte, North Carolina, an employer might automatically toss your resume. However, if you have plans to relocate, you can write, “Relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina, in August 2020.” If you're seeking and writing a resume for a remote job , you can write “Remote” or “Location independent” next to your city and state, as well.

Phone number and email address

These are arguably two of the most important pieces of information on your resume; this is how an employer will get in touch with you after all. In fact, incorrect or missing contact information is one of the top resume mistakes people make .

For your phone number, list the best way to get in touch with you. This should never be a work number; instead, it'll likely be your cell phone number. Before adding your phone number, make sure your voicemail message is professional and states your name. There are a few ways you can format your phone number on your resume:

555-555-5555

(555) 555-5555

555.555.5555

Like your phone number, you don't want to use a work email address. You also don't want to use that old AOL email address you made back in 1999. Your email address should be professional; it'll often be some variation of your name and/or your specialty or job title. For example, [email protected] would work just fine. Also think about upgrading to a modern email provider, like Gmail, and create this email just for your job-search needs, if you haven't already.

Social media and online portfolio

These days, including your LinkedIn URL or a link to your online website or portfolio is standard. If you want to include your LinkedIn, be sure to create a custom LinkedIn URL . This is super simple, and it'll keep your resume looking clean and your online presence easily searchable. You'll also want to make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated and reflects the information on your resume. Take the necessary steps to make sure your LinkedIn profile stands out from the crowd. If you have an updated website or portfolio, you can link that in your contact information as well.

Crafting the perfect professional summary

Now that you've got your contact information down, it's time to dive into perhaps one of the most difficult parts of your resume: your professional summary. If it's been a while since you updated your resume, you might be wondering what this is — what happened to the resume objective statement? Here's the thing: Objective statements are outdated . In fact, they make professional resume writers absolutely cringe. They're generic, unclear, and typically include overused adjectives to vaguely call out your five-year plan. They don't offer any real insight into who you are and what you can offer a potential employer.

Instead, a good professional summary should highlight your achievements, experience level, value, industry, and immediate career goals. To determine what to include in this section of your resume, ask yourself these questions:

Why am I qualified for this position? (Yes, your professional summary should be tailored to each job application.)

What makes me a good candidate for this role? Think about your experience, education, and skills.

How have I used these qualifications in previous roles to create results and provide value?

Sometimes the best way to write a professional summary is to read a few examples. Use these as inspiration:

“Recent graduate of a top-tier university with experience developing and analyzing cost models, performing quality assurance reviews, and building process solutions to improve forecast accuracy and compliance for internal and external clients…”

“Respected human resources leader with more than 10 years of experience overseeing operations, projects, and staff in healthcare organizations. Proven track record in guiding sizable, cross-functional teams in the design, redesign, and launch of cutting-edge business solutions, driving greater efficiency, engagement, and revenue for national organizations…”

Although your professional summary can be difficult to conquer, it'll feel great to get it down on the page. Plus, it'll help set the tone and focus for the rest of your resume, making the resume-writing process much easier.

Mastering your skills section

When crafting your professional summary, you should also start thinking about your relevant skills so you can tackle the skills section of your resume. The skills section gives you the opportunity to list the hard and soft skills you can't necessarily call out in your work experience. It's also a section that's easily scannable and digestible, giving recruiters and hiring managers a quick glimpse into who you are and what you offer.

Hard skills and soft skills to include (or not include)

First thing's first: When it comes to determining what skills to include on your resume, it's important to understand the difference between hard and soft skills . Hard skills are the more technical skills listed on a resume ; they're applied skills you've learned, and they're more easily measured. A few general examples of hard skills include machine operation, computer programming, and accounting.

Showcasing soft skills on a resume , on the other hand, are interpersonal skills you often use each day. They're tied into your emotional intelligence and often describe your more innate, natural abilities that are more difficult to quantify. A few general examples of soft skills include teamwork, leadership, creative problem solving, and time management.

It's important to include both hard and soft skills on your resume. The best way to start brainstorming your skills is to simply brain-dump: grab a piece of paper and start making a list. Think about the skills you've had since you were a child, the skills you've acquired in school and through training, the skills you've used to succeed at your job, and the skills needed to excel in your industry.

Now that you've got a large list, it's time to narrow it down and pick the strongest of the bunch. Use these resume tips to help make your skills section really stand out:

Don't list skills that are a given: For example, if you're a professional content writer, you don't need to list the generic “strong written and verbal communication skills.”

Stay relevant to the job: Include any relevant technical and soft skills called out in the job description; don't waste space by listing irrelevant skills.

Be specific and clear: If you want to highlight your project-management skills, list specific software programs you have experience using, like Asana, Wrike, or Trello.

Organize your list: Try to create some sort of pattern by listing related skills together. The goal is to keep your list coherent and easy to read. You'll also want to list the most important skills toward the top and work your way down.

Don't forget soft skills: It's easy to get hyper-focused on your technical skills, but companies want to see your soft skills, too. This is a great time to offer some insight into who you are and how you might stand out from other candidates who possess the same technical skills as you.

If you're still struggling, use this general list of the top 10 job skills employers look for as inspiration:

Time management

Collaboration

Emotional intelligence

Adaptability

Adaptive thinking

Service orientation

Cloud computing

Knowledge of new social and digital media

Artificial intelligence

Again, the more specific and unique your skills list, the better. Additionally, you'll want your skills to match the job listing as much as possible, so you'll probably want to update it for each job application.

The importance of keywords

Notice how much of the advice so far encourages you to use the job listing as a tool when creating your list of skills? There are a few reasons for that. First off (and perhaps most obviously), a recruiter or hiring manager wants to see that you have the skills needed to be good at the job. Second off (and perhaps a little less obviously), listing these skills can help you beat the bots .

Now, we haven't mentioned these resume bots — or, more accurately, applicant tracking systems (ATS) — so now's a good time to debrief you. Many large companies use applicant tracking systems to collect, sort, scan, and rank job applicants' resumes. It's basically an electronic gatekeeper that helps streamline the recruitment process.

So the question becomes: How do you make sure your resume gets past this system and into the hands of a human? One way is to highlight certain keywords on your resume. That's, in part, how these systems will score you. There's no real science to determining what keywords you should include, but here's a good strategy: Gather three to five job descriptions that are similar to the type of job you're pursuing. Run these descriptions through a free word and phrase frequency tool like Online-Utility.org's Text Analyzer and see which terms are used most often. The words that are generated are some of the words you'll want to weave into your skills sections, if applicable. You should then sprinkle these terms into your career summary and work experience, as well.

Compiling your work experience and professional history

Now it's time to dive into the heart of your resume: your work experience. Chances are, this will take up the majority of your resume's real estate. If you're struggling to get started, remember you've done a lot of the hard work already; revisit your professional summary and your skills section to help guide you.

When it comes to formatting this section, you have a few options — but we'll get to that later. Right now, let's just focus on crafting the bullet points that'll appear under each job title.

In general, each position should include three-to-four bullet points — and no more than six-to-seven. Additionally, you might get stuck if you've held multiple jobs at the same company. How do you format that? You can either stack positions under the company's name or keep them separate on your resume . Now, let's dive into the meat of this section.

Demonstrating your value: Doer vs. achiever

When it comes to listing your professional experience, you'll want to start thinking through the lens of an achiever — not a doer . But what does that mean? A doer is someone who simply lists day-to-day job responsibilities. Sure, they're doing their job, but they're not looking at the big picture and at what they've actually achieved. An achiever, meanwhile, focuses on their accomplishments and how it affected their job performance and company. Here's an example of a doer vs. an achiever statement on a resume:

A doer: “Developed and delivered sales strategies.”

An achiever: “Doubled annual sales volume in two years, from $5 million in 2017 to $10 million in 2019.”

See how the achiever highlights a more specific accomplishment? This will help you stand out and show your value to a potential employer . If you're struggling to get into the achiever mindset, answer these questions first:

What changed at the company because of my work?

How did my projects impact the bottom-line?

How did my work affect the people around me?

When did I take charge and show initiative?

Additionally, as an achiever, it's important to highlight the data behind your accomplishments and results. This will vary from job-to-job and industry-to-industry, but you might include quantitative details such as the number of social media impressions garnered in an ad campaign, revenue earned, number of new members, or the size of the team you managed. The goal is to show — not just tell. Whenever possible, format your bullet points as “ result by action .” Here are a few examples:

“Reduced turnaround time 23% by streamlining the budgeting process for the organization's five business units.”

“Generated $1.3 million in new business for the online subscription business by developing an integrated marketing campaign that included online ads, targeted emails, social media initiatives, and TV commercials.”

If you're having trouble describing your job positions, look at the company's website and similar job listings to help you get started. And, once again, you'll want to look at the job postings you're interested in and make sure the experiences you list are relevant.

From here on out, you should also make it a goal to track your professional wins throughout the year. This will make updating your resume a whole lot easier in the future — trust us.

Using powerful verbs and the active voice

To help you maintain that achiever mindset, use this simple tip: Start each bullet point under your experiences with a powerful verb while avoiding reusing the same verbs throughout your resume . The more powerful and descriptive the verb, the better. Here are some examples of strong action verbs that are good for resume writing:

Hypothesized

You'll also want to avoid using the passive voice on your resume as much as possible; these sentences tend to be longer and less punchy. Here's an example of passive versus active voice:

Passive: “The ball was thrown by Lisa.”

Active: “Lisa threw the ball.”

As you can see, the active voice gets straight to the point and is more impactful. Identifying passive voice sentences can be tricky — even for grammar wizards — but this simple trick will help. Ask yourself: Can you add “by you” after the verb? If so, that means you're using passive voice. You can also often spot passive voice with “to be” verbs, like “were,” “has been,” or “being.”

By using strong action verbs and avoiding the passive voice, you'll be able to craft a clear and easy-to-read resume that'll stand out from the rest.

Volunteer experience

Wondering if you should include your volunteer experience on your resume ? It's not necessary, but it can be great if you:

Recently graduated and need more professional experience

Want to fill an employment gap

Are changing careers and want to demonstrate skills you didn't use in a previous job

If you do add volunteer experiences to your resume, think about the skills you used and how they'll help you excel in your next career step. Again, make sure it's relevant and ties back to the jobs you're interested in.

You can list your volunteer positions under your professional experience, or, if you're a recent graduate, you might create a new section titled “Leadership and Volunteer Experience,” where you can list any leadership roles you held in clubs and organizations as well as your volunteer experience.

If you don't have enough room on your resume but want to showcase your philanthropic efforts, you can always highlight them on LinkedIn. Chances are, an employer will check out your profile, especially if you included the URL in your contact information.

Sorting out your education and professional development

Now it's time to tackle the education and professional development section of your resume. If you're out of college, you can go ahead and wipe out any mention of your high school activities. If you've only recently graduated and feel as though your degree (or degrees) can help you land a job, feel free to place your education section at the top of your resume . Otherwise, once you've got some experience under your belt, you can move it to the bottom.

Still have a few questions? Here are some answers to a few frequently asked questions in regards to listing your education on your resume:

If you started college at one place but finished at another, only list the college you earned your degree from.

If you didn't finish college, you have a few options. If the job you're applying for requires a high school degree, list your high school. You can also list any relevant coursework.

If you're still in college, you can simply list your expected graduation date.

If you finished college more than 15 years ago or are wary of age discrimination, older job seekers can delete your graduation date.

If you're a recent grad, you might also feel inclined to include your GPA or even major test scores. However, unless the job description mentions these as a requirement, you can leave them off.

In this section, you can also list any professional development courses, programs, or certifications you've received, as long as they're relevant.

Ditching your references on your resume

When it comes to listing references on your resume , the process is simple: Don't do it. Employers typically don't ask for references until you've at least completed an initial phone screen so you're just wasting valuable resume real estate.

When the time comes to provide references, you can prepare a simple list of at least three references and include your references' names, titles, relationship to you, and contact information. Before you pass this list along, make sure each person is comfortable being your reference and that you have their best contact information. You should also send them a copy of your resume and explain what type of job you're seeking. Then, they'll be fully prepared to speak on your qualifications.

Determining page length

This is perhaps one of the most common resume questions: How long should your resume be? The advice varies. Some people think you should stick to one page, even if you have 20 years of experience. However, if you have 15 or more years of experience, you shouldn't try to squeeze it all onto one page; this will overwhelm the reader. You also don't want to cut relevant experiences that show your career progression so creating a two-page resume is the way to go.

Do note that if your resume is going to be two pages, make sure you're using more than just a few lines on the second page. If that's the case, cut a few lines and get it all on one page instead.

If you're struggling to keep your resume to two pages, limit your experience to the past 15 years. Really, employers are mostly focused on your recent work — they don't really care about the internship you had 20 years ago. If you're worried you'll leave something off, feel free to include a “ Career Note” or “Earlier Career History” section . This is a simple way to summarize your work history without taking away valuable space from your most recent experiences.

On the other hand, if you feel like you don't have enough work experience to fill out your resume, think again. Your resume can include internships, fellowships, and skills-based volunteer experiences. Also, break out of the mindset that your experience can only be paid positions. Consider adding any unpaid internships, college research projects, volunteer experiences, part-time jobs or side gigs, and club leadership positions. Think about the skills you've gained from these experiences and how they'll help you succeed in the workforce.

Whether you've got 20 years of experience or zero years of experience, your goal is to include the most relevant information, so don't get caught up in including every single detail of every single job you've ever had.

Formatting your resume

Now that you've got all your information together, it's time to figure out how you want to format it. You've got a few options:

The chronological resume

The chronological resume format is simple: Just list your work history in reverse chronological order with your most recent experiences up top. This is one of the most common ways to format your resume because it's straightforward and easy to follow. It also allows you to show off your career growth.

The chronological resume tends to be best for professionals who have extensive work experience in the industry they're targeting and few employment gaps.

The functional resume

A functional resume is less common these days, but it can still be helpful in a few scenarios. With a functional resume, instead of listing your work history, the focus lands on your skills. With a functional resume, you'll want to include a professional summary at the top, followed by grouping your skills or qualifications into themes. You'll still include your employment history, but this will go at the bottom of your resume.

Functional resumes can work if you're changing careers or have large gaps in your employment history . However, most resume experts agree this isn't the strongest way to write your resume. Instead, a hybrid, or combination resume, can give you the best of both formats.

The hybrid (or combination) resume

The hybrid resume , sometimes called the combination resume, is a mix of both the chronological and functional resume. It's often the best way to present your work history alongside your skills. It's also the best way to satisfy the applicant tracking system with the important keywords it wants to see. This format is also easier for recruiters and hiring managers to review; they can quickly see your skills and take inventory of your job history.

Tailoring your resume to each job application

Wait! Before you start moaning and groaning because you don't want to write a new resume for each job you apply for, hit pause. Yes, you should be tailoring your resume to specific jobs, but this won't necessarily require you to write an entirely new resume each time. You can easily customize your professional summary, skills section, and work experience to match each specific job.

The best way to write a targeted resume is to consider the job posting. See what skills and experience the company wants, and consider how you fit the description. Call out your most relevant experiences and qualifications in your professional summary, and integrate those keywords into your skills section and job descriptions.

Proofreading your resume (more than once)

The most common resume mistake (and job deal-breaker) is spelling and/or grammatical errors. Since you're knee-deep in writing your resume, you've probably read the same lines approximately 100 times. This will often cause your brain to auto-fill words so you'll read what you meant to write but haven't actually written.

That's why thoroughly editing and proofreading your resume (more than once) is so important. Here are a few strategies to help you eliminate any spelling or grammatical errors:

Have a friend or family member read your resume. They don't have to be editing wizards, but a second set of eyes can help identify easy-to-spot errors or typos your brain didn't process.

Read each line of your resume aloud. Not only will this help you identify errors, but it'll also help you determine if your resume makes sense and is easy to read. If you're stumbling over words, that's a sign you need to spend more time workshopping your sentences.

Temporarily change the font to something drastically different, like Curlz MT or Comic Sans. This will help you see the text differently enough to slow your brain down and process each line. Just remember to change the font back after you're done!

And if you're tailoring your resume to each job listing, that's great! But just remember you're introducing more opportunities for errors. Before you get too eager and click submit, give your resume a final read.

Consistency is key

While you're proofreading your resume, you'll want to keep an eye out for lapses in consistency. These are small details, but if a company is sorting through dozens — or hundreds — of resumes, this can make a huge difference.

To spot inconsistencies, look at repetitive areas on your resume. For example, listing the location of each job. You don't want to write “Denver, Colorado,” for one job, and “St. Louis, MO,” for another.

Dates are also often inconsistently formatted. For example, you don't want the date to read “Feb. 2016 to Jan. 2020” for one job but “August 2015 – January 2016” for another. Note the “to” versus the hyphen and the abbreviated months versus the spelled-out months. Again, these are small details, but nailing this will show off your attention to detail, which is important for just about every job.

Save as a PDF or Word document?

You might've always been taught to save your resume as a PDF, but that's not best practice since it won't make your resume friendly for the applicant tracking systems . Sure, a PDF will help preserve the design and format of your resume, but applicant tracking systems are less likely to read it correctly. Of course, if the job listing says PDF files are acceptable, then you can submit your PDF. However, if a file type isn't specified, play it safe by submitting a word document, saved as a .doc or .docx file.

Mastering the design (without a degree in graphic design)

So far you've carefully selected each word on your resume, and you've decided on your format. Now it's time to make your resume look good . The reality is, recruiters typically spend less than 10 seconds reviewing each resume they receive, so first impressions matter. Here are some important details you need to keep in mind as you lay out your resume.

Creative designs

When it comes to crafting a strong resume, your best bet is to keep things simple with a clean and modern resume design . Sure, you might feel the need to stand out from the crowd by using creative fonts, fancy borders, and custom logos, but the truth is, that will likely work against you. Many recruiters and hiring managers shuffle through hundreds of resumes, and they'll quickly become impatient when they can't readily find the information they need. The key is to focus on the quality of the content, making sure it's easily scannable and digestible. Additional distractions aren't necessary.

Additionally, you want your resume to be ATS-friendly so avoid including anything that could make it difficult to scan and interpret. Keep reading for more specifics on this.

Don't embed images

In the spirit of keeping things simple, you'll want to avoid embedding images on your resume , as well. That means no headshots, logos, or intricate infographics. Again, this can overwhelm the reader and also trip up an applicant-tracking system.

If you want to use images, include them on your personal website, online portfolio, or LinkedIn profile (all linked at the top of your resume). You can show off your creativity more on those platforms.

Avoid using common resume templates

The internet is full of resume templates. A quick Google search will reveal millions of results, with even Microsoft Word offering resume templates . These can be a great guide, but it's often best to start from scratch. Find examples you like and pull elements from each one into your own resume. This is a great way to customize your resume (do you know how many people use downloadable resume templates?) and leverage the design to your advantage, highlighting the most important — and impressive — aspects of your resume.

The importance of margins and white space

When it comes to resumes, margins are important. You might be tempted to adjust your page margins so you can fit more on your resume, but you don't want to make your margins too small. This will eliminate important white space (the empty space on the page) and make your resume look overly crowded. The reader's eyes will likely glaze over.

You'll also want to use obvious headings to call out your various sections (think: career summary, skills, experience). This will make your resume super scannable and add in even more white space so the reader won't feel overloaded with information.

Choosing font type and size

When it comes to choosing a font, keep it simple. Stick to common fonts, like Times New Roman, Arial, or Cambria, and if you want to get “creative,” you can use two fonts. For example, you might use a sans font (like Arial) for headings, then a serif font for the rest of the copy (Serif fonts have little feet on the ends of the letters, like Times New Roman).

No recruiter — or applicant tracking system — wants to see Curlz MT or Comic Sans. Not only does it look unprofessional, it's more difficult to read. You also don't want to make your font too small or too big. If it's too small, it'll be difficult to read. If it's too big, it'll look like you're just trying to fill up the page.

Again, the key is to keep your resume looking clean, simple, and modern.

When in doubt, ask for professional help

How are you feeling about your resume? If you're feeling confident, awesome! It's time to start searching and applying for jobs . If you still have some questions or can't help but wonder if you're on the right track — or simply want to throw your computer across the room at this point — that's OK, too. It might be time to call in a little reinforcement: a professional resume writer.

Signs your resume needs a professional rewrite

A professional resume writer can help you put your best foot forward, beat those resume bots, and save a ton of time (and frustration). Here are five signs it's time to hire a professional resume writer :

You're not the strongest writer: It's OK! Many people aren't, and a professional can make sure your resume is clear, concise, and free of typos.

You're not sure what to include: Whether you're fresh out of college with zero job experience or you've got 25 years under your belt, it can be difficult to decide what to include in your resume. A resume writer can help you figure out what's the most important pieces to keep and how to present your experiences in the best light.

You're bad at bragging: No, you don't want to just brag all over your resume , but you do need to be able to step back and evaluate your accomplishments and gauge your skills. Sometimes this can be difficult, but a resume writer will offer an outsider's perspective and help you understand your greatest strengths.

You never hear back: If you've applied to dozens of jobs with no response, that's frustrating. A resume writer can help you identify your problem areas and sort out any issues you might not be seeing.

You're in a unique situation: If you find yourself wondering what you should actually include on your resume or how to explain certain situations (like an employment gap or even getting fired), a professional resume writer can help guide you.

Is it worth it? The monetary value of a professional resume

If you're considering hiring a professional resume writer, you might wonder if it'll actually be worth the money. Here's the thing: Investing in a professional resume rewrite can save you a ton of time that you could use to network, find open positions, and more. It can also potentially help you earn more money when it comes to negotiating your salary and benefits .

And there's even data that backs up the benefits of a professionally written resume. In a TopResume, industry-first study , job seekers who used a professional resume writing service reported finding a job at a 32 percent higher rate. Plus, those with a professionally written resume reported that they expected to earn seven percent more than applicants who used the DIY approach.

And, hey, the cost of hiring a professional resume writer equates to 36 grande Caffe Mochas from Starbucks. Sure, caffeine is important, but so is getting your dream job.

Think you could benefit from a professionally written resume? Learn more about TopResume's services today and get started on landing your dream job.

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Common Questions to Ask a Qualified Resume Writer

A well-written, properly organized, keyword enriched resume is your ticket for the interview . Your ability to impress the hiring manager by a written document encompassing your strengths and career history influences your chances to get the job as well. However, the process of writing a resume can be confusing even for a seasoned professional.

With a plenty of resume writing advice out there in the web it’s possible to get lost in all these writing rules, HR demands and recent resume trends . Whether you are going to write a resume on your own or are looking to get professional resume services , you need to understand the modern requirements to a resume. Today, one of our professional resume writers will answer the most popular questions job-seekers ask so you could be aware of how to create a quality resume or what to demand from a resume writer .

Also in this section:

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An Executive Resume: Tips From Online Resume Writing Service
Best Resume Writers Tips to Boost Your LinkedIn Profile View
Can Cheap Resumes Service Actually Get You More Interviews?
Discover Your True Calling: Tips From Resume Services Online
European vs US Resume: Tips From CV Writing Service UK
Executive Resume Tips From Resumes Writing Services USA
Freelancer Cover Letter: Tips From Cover Letter Writers
Fresh Resume Trends From Best CV Writing Service

20 most popular resume questions answered

How long should my resume be? This is the top question job seekers ask, and the discussion about the ‘right’ length is still ongoing. However, there isn’t such thing as the right resume length as it depends on multiple factors you need to consider – and the preferences of the particular hiring manager. It’s possible to outline general tendencies, though. If you are a graduate of recent years with little work experience , it’s recommended that you keep your resume to one page . You can also know how to find a job after graduation . Professionals with 5+ years of relevant experience (provided that they had more than one job) can expand their resume and make it two pages in length. Senior level executives and academics with broad experience, skill set and publication can make their resume three pages in length. If you are confused and need detailed guidance on the optimal resume length, see here for more information: https://resumeperk.com/blog/perfect-length-of-your-resume .
I’ve never written a resume before. Where do I start? If you are going to write your first resume, start with browsing resumes for the similar role in the web. However, avoid copying and pasting someone else’s descriptions. Your resume should contain the sections as follows: career summary (or objective ), work history, education, and skills. Such sections as publications, achievements, volunteering/community work, hobbies, testimonials, etc. are not mandatory and you can include them if applicable in your case. Also learn how to list self-employment in your resume. Feel that you need help writing your first resume ? Learn more about writers of our company and how we can assist. Our charges for resume writing are more than affordable – check it yourself.
Home address – no need to give your full address, a street name or a zip code are more than enough. This information is used by some employers seeking candidates who live nearby and will be comfortable to commute;
Phone number – include the cell number so the hiring manager could reach you anytime;
E-mail address – avoid using corporate e-mail as this is considered unprofessional.
Should I make my resume chronological or functional? Another common confusion for job seekers is choosing between reverse chronological and functional resume format. Both formats are used with a specific purpose in mind. For instance, functional format is good for skill-based resumes or resumes with no clear career history. Reverse chronological format is used to highlight career progression and professional growth. If these format names are all Greek to you or you don’t know which format fits your career situation best, read our guide to resume formats: https://resumeperk.com/blog/how-social-media-can-build-or-ruin-your-career .
Which file format to use? The format of file you choose is important because it influences readability of the document. The main recommendation is to follow the employer’s requirements given in a job listing, as they often specify the type of document to apply with (i.e. PDF, DOC, TXT etc.). If not stated otherwise, .doc format is the most common for resumes so feel free to use it.
Can I use the same resume to apply for all the jobs I’m interested in? Sending the same resume to all jobs you come across is the worst tactic you can imagine. First of all, such a resume is likely to fail the ATS selection as it doesn’t have relevant keywords . Second, it sends the message that you’re not interested in the job enough to specify how exactly you could bring value to this specific company. And finally, you’re likely to apply for several types of jobs and each of them requires different focus. Therefore, you’ll need at least 3-4 resumes to apply for jobs. Hint: if you’re out of time to rewrite the entire resume for every prospective job, you can modify the summary and list of skills.
How can I avoid age discrimination? Although it’s illegal, age discrimination exists. Nevertheless, there are a plenty of ways to mitigate it with your resume. First, it’s recommended to remove your experience which is older than 15 years. Not only it makes the document more focused (nobody is interested in assistant accountant job you’ve had 20 years ago), but also helps you hide how old you are. Second, remove this commonly used statement indicating that you’ve been in your field for over 25 years, i.e. “Proactive sales manager with 29 years of experience…” as it shows you’re in your 50s. And third, remove the years of graduation. This isn’t a surefire recipe against discrimination, but these tricks definitely help to draw attention away from your age. If you are being asked discriminatory or sexist questions during the interview , see how you can handle the situation: https://resumeperk.com/blog/tips-how-to-answer-sexist-questions-during-the-interview .
Your photo – unless you are an actor/model, keep your picture out of your resume as it might lead to discrimination. Some employers even don’t consider resumes with photos to avoid discrimination claims.
Your physical attributes such as age, pregnancy, health conditions, etc. should be left out as well.
Personal information including your marital status, children, political affiliations or driver’s license number. This information has little to do with your professional competencies and, as mentioned above, can become the grounding for discriminating you.
Is it okay if I use a resume builder to create a resume? The internet is full of free and paid resume builders offering you to create a resume online. Still, if you want a really unique resume, it’s better to stay away from them. The matter is these builders offer cookie-cutter formatting and phrases which you can add into your resume. Imagine a hiring manager receiving a dozen of resumes which look pretty much the same. It isn’t the best way to stand out, is it?
Should I send a cover letter along with my resume? Employers expect that you apply for a job with a cover letter as well. However, don’t turn your letter into a formality. A well-written letter explaining what distinguishes you from the other applicants and what makes you perfect for the role can help you a lot with winning a face-to- face interview . It can give a touch of your personality, build personal connection with the hiring manager and even tell your story – provided that the story can bring value to the employer. Moreover, writing a tailored cover letter indicates that you went an extra mile to get the job which is always appreciated. Here is detailed advice on how to write a cover letter that gets read: https://resumeperk.com/blog/how-to-write-winning-cover-letter-for-job-applications .
What can I do to impress the hiring manager with my resume? Drafting an average resume is a manageable task. However, you’ll need to go to the extra lengths to create an impressive resume. To satisfy the requirements of hiring manager, you need to be aware of resume writing trends, classic rules and be extremely attentive to detail. Moreover, you’ll need to compete with applicants who chose to get their resume written by certified resume writers. Still, you can always use one of the proven tricks to make your resume eye-catching in no time .
What are keywords and how should I use them? Briefly speaking, resume keywords are words which let your resume pass the ATS selection. They describe skills, credentials, and qualities needed for the job. Why are they important? If you apply to the mid-sized or big company, the resume you send will first ran through the system which weeds out resumes of applicants that don’t have matching qualifications. Therefore, with no keywords, your resume even won’t be seen by a hiring manager! How to use keywords? First, read the job listing thoroughly and paste key qualifications and requirements into your resume. Second, you can browse labor websites and pick keywords used in your industry from there. If you don’t know anything about keywords, read our guidance on choosing resume keywords . Picking keywords looks frustrating? Then, contact our top resume writers for a keyword-enriched, perfectly polished resume.
What if I don’t have much work experience? Lack of relevant experience is a typical problem for students or career switchers. For these categories, no experience can become a serious obstacle on their way to getting the job. So, how to write your resume in this case? The best way is to make up for your experience in other ways. Think of whether you had any relevant coursework at the university or gained necessary skills elsewhere. Do some voluntary work or consider getting experience during short-term internship. Your experience in a particular field doesn’t have to be gained through paid employment exclusively. Students can use the following methods to find a job after graduation: https://resumeperk.com/blog/students-guide-how-to-find-job-after-graduation .
Should I include a career objective or a summary at the top of my resume? Today’s hiring managers don’t like resume objectives and don’t even read them. Why? Majority of candidates using resume objectives write vague statements like “To obtain the position that allows me use my potential with a reputable company”, which means literally nothing to the employer. Therefore, if you choose to use an objective, make sure to write a tailored statement that outlines your value proposition for the company. Or, which is even better, write a resume summary instead. Summary lets you be clearer about your professional strengths and benefits over other candidates. If you develop a quality resume summary, make sure that the hiring manager will read the rest of your resume as well. Resume objective and summary are particularly important for candidates who are changing career path due to the career crisis and don’t have much relevant experience that would speak for itself.
What is the biggest resume mistake? Hiring managers usually give different answers on what irritates them most in candidates’ applications. However, most of resume mistakes they name fall under sloppiness. Poor formatting (or no formatting at all), different font types or size, typos and grammar errors, generic job descriptions… Anything that indicates you didn’t put enough effort to create a concise, well-written, visually appealing copy always makes a poor impression. Can’t figure out what is wrong with your resume? Then, check if your resume contains one of popular resume mistakes .
You won’t pass the skill test – claiming that you’re fluent in German or are proficient with C# programming language only works until they get your skills tested. As soon as the truth is revealed, you lose your chance of getting the job;
You won’t cope with job requirements – if you’ve lied you had previous project management experience and you had none, you’ll have difficulty with meeting the expectations set for the role;
When the truth reveals, you’ll likely be fired – once you get caught on resume lies, an employer has the right to terminate the contract (and that’s what most of them do). Therefore, the lies that actually managed to get you a job will be the reason for leaving your job . If you want more facts on resume lies and its consequences, see here: https://resumeperk.com/blog/is-it-worth-exaggerating-on-resume .
How should I write about my education? For experienced workers Education section is less important than work history. Nevertheless, it can still add value to your resume if you write it correctly. There are three major rules for this section. Firstly, if you’ve gained a university degree, make sure to leave your high school information out. Secondly, unless you are a recent graduate, avoid providing too much information in this section. University name, degree, and 1-2 lines about relevant coursework and activities are more than enough. For instance, if you’ve had the athletic experience while in college , you can use this to increase your chances for the job. Thirdly, specify your academic achievements such as Dean’s list. If you’ve been working for over 10 years, you can neglect the last two. Education isn’t the key to getting a job, but the manager is more likely to hire someone with relevant academic background.
Why it’s important to list your work achievements? Listing your job responsibilities describes you as a person capable of doing the job. Unfortunately, they don’t differentiate you from the crowd of others with the same experience and skill sets. Moreover, employers tend to hire people who have the proof of outstanding value they’ve delivered for the previous company – and that’s what achievements do. Resume achievements also market you as a result-oriented and initiative personality which is important for business. The world of work is competitive and if you want to stand out from the crowd, do strengthen your resume by listing your achievements.
How do social media influence my chances of getting a job? it’s no longer a surprise that hiring managers scan social media profiles of candidates. This means that both your professional and personal social media pages can both increase or reduce your chances for the job – depending on the content. If you are serious about getting a job, be sure to remove any inappropriate pictures, postings or comments from all your online pages. With today’s visibility, a plenty of drunken party pictures from Instagram can create you a wrong image and display you as the wrong person for the job. Learn more about the power of social media and how to use it. Speaking of LinkedIn, a good profile with picture, work history, many connections, etc. promotes you as a good candidate – that’s why you should create a profile and keep it active. Moreover, connecting with your friends in business may even help you find the job faster.
So, my resume is written. Where do I go next? If you’ve completed writing your resume, don’t hurry up to send it in response to job listing. It needs to be carefully proofread before the submission to ensure the copy is error-free and each statement makes sense. You can proofread your resume on your own using techniques offered by our best writers. However, it’s strongly recommended that you find another pair of eyes to have a look at it. The person who hasn’t been involved in writing is more likely to spot mistakes, typos and inconsistencies. You can refer to a friend or colleague or order professional resume proofreading if you want a really flawless result.

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Signs you need help writing resume

Choosing a resume writer: 10 tips

If writing your own resume seems blurry and frustrating, consider getting professional assistance. However, writing a qualified resume writer is a challenging task itself. You need to hire someone who possesses the right skills and knowledge and will be interested to collaborate with you as long as it takes to create a stellar resume for you. If you are going to pay for the service, it will do you any harm to find out more about the company, the writer, their process and qualification.

In particular, here are some good questions to ask the writer prior to placing your order:

How many years of experience you have? Just like with any other job, in resume writing practice makes perfect. The longer the writer has been providing their services, the better. For instance, our company has been in the resume writing market for 9+ years, and most of our writers have over 3 years of relevant experience. In any case, it’s not the best idea to hire the writer who has less than a year of experience, especially if you apply for management or executive role.
How much does it cost and what does the cost entail? Another important question is the sum of money the resume writer will charge you. If you browse the web, you’ll find out that charges for resume vary from $100 to over $1000 per resume, so you can choose the option that suits your budget best. Our writing service’s charges start with $90 only – you can learn more about our prices and deadlines. And unfortunately an excessively expensive price doesn’t always imply exceptional quality. So, before the writer gets down to business, ask them about the final amount and clarify what is included in this amount – i.e. extras as free e-books, revisions, etc.
Where can I see the samples of your writing? Samples will help you get the idea of the writer’s tone of voice and how well they marketed other candidates for the job. Every reputable writer will provide you the samples of their work upon request. If the writer refuses to share their samples, this often means that they either don’t have enough experience or provide low-quality services.
Do you offer original/custom writing? Some of dishonest resume services won’t write an original resume for you. They will use an online template and simply paste your details into it so it could match your experience. Needless to say that this approach will bring you zero results. That’s why always ask the company if they provide original writing to avoid problems with your resume in the future.
How do you plan to collect information for writing my resume? Every resume writing company has their own procedure. Some offer you to fill out the questionnaire and answer the questions about your experience, skills and career goals. Others conduct phone consultations with their clients and discuss their needs one-to-one. After the information is collected, the company may constantly keep in touch with you throughout the process or deliver you the finalized product without bothering you. All you need to find out their style of client collaboration and to make sure it fits your needs and schedule.
Does your company provide any guarantees? Beware of the writers that promise to get you a job with their resume. Resume writers have no influence on the hiring process; moreover, it’s the interview, not a resume, that determines whether a candidate will get a job or not. What the writer can guarantee is more quality responses and interview calls thanks to the accuracy and correctness of resume written. On the other hand, the company must guarantee that you’ll get a quality product for the money you’ve paid. Ask if they offer full refund in case of non-delivery or late delivery. It’s also a good idea to clarify if they offer free corrections if the resume didn’t fully meet your expectations.
How long will the writing process take? If you need to apply for the job tomorrow, you’ll unlikely be happy with the service offering 10-days turnaround. Some companies (usually big ones) have exact deadlines, while the others can only give you an estimated delivery date. In any case, knowing the due date will help you feel more comfortable with the writer. And if you need to submit your resume online urgently, keep in mind that most companies offer urgent delivery for an extra pay.
Where can I see the reviews of your company? Reputable companies always leave their traces across the web. In particular, if they aren’t new to the market, there’ll be customer reviews or testimonials of their services. It’s always a good idea to look for what other clients had to say before you place your own order. If the company only has negative feedback, you might not want to entrust your future career to them.
Do you have any certifications ? Resume writers have number of certifications that prove their level of professionalism and expertise. These certifications include CPRW, PARW, NRWA and more. It’s a good idea to ask the writer whether they have been certified by any of these organizations to be 100% sure of their qualification. Nevertheless, as the practice shows, even the writers who weren’t certified can deliver well-written resumes.
Will you incorporate keywords into my resume? Keywords are the essential part of successful resume as it gets you through the automated selection. Qualified resume writers incorporate the keywords into your resume by default as it’s the part of writing process. They know which keywords to use and how to make your resume more visible in search results. If the writer doesn’t give you a clear answer to this question, it’s better to look for resume expert elsewhere.

If you struggle finding a resume writer you could trust, consider collaborating with one of the writers of our company . We have 9+ years of experience delivering top-notch service to clients from the US and Canada and helping them advance their careers with well-written resumes. We provide 100% original resumes written especially for you and ongoing cooperation with your writer throughout the process. Moreover, if you didn’t like something about the final resume, you can request a revision, and the writer will make corrections totally free of charge.

Writing a resume that will wow the hiring manager is quite a challenge. We hope that our answers to the commonly asked resume questions made the writing process clearer for you and will help you with creating a good resume. If you have any further questions on improving your resume , feel free to contact our resume writers.

Do you still have any questions about resume writing?

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Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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21 Great ChatGPT Prompts for Your Resume

3 key takeaways

How to use ChatGPT prompts to write your resume
The best ChatGPT prompts for every resume section
Using Teal's AI Resume Builder with ChatGPT AI integration to create your resume even faster

So you've heard about ChatGPT but aren't sure how to use it to your advantage in today's competitive job market. The good news: AI isn't as daunting as it sounds. By the time you finish reading this article (which we wrote with some help from ChatGPT, by the way!), you'll have more confidence in your job search process and know how to use ChatGPT like your own professional resume writer.

Let's dive into the basics: What ChatGPT is, how you can make the most of it as a job seeker, and which prompt examples to use to create a standout resume.

What's ChatGPT?

ChatGPT (which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a groundbreaking artificial intelligence tool making waves for its sophisticated use of natural language processing (NLP) technology—and an AI language model called GPT-3—to help people communicate with computers more naturally and intuitively, and the results produce some incredibly human-like text.

In fact, GPT-3 is such a powerful tool that we've incorporated it into the Teal AI Resume Builder , so you can create cover letters tailored to particular roles and write bullet points and professional summaries for your resume without having to toggle back and forth between ChatGPT and your Resume Builder. (There are even more GPT-3 integrations coming soon!)

The benefits of using ChatGPT in your job search

The average job search can take quite some time—so it's no wonder job seekers want to do everything they can to speed up the process and land their dream job as quickly as possible.

ChatGPT is a powerful tool, and when used strategically, it can help job seekers in today's competitive job market reach their career goals even faster.

Five key benefits of leveraging artificial intelligence throughout your job search process:

It saves time. ChatGPT can help you quickly generate quality resumes, cover letters, and other job search materials, saving you hours compared to writing everything from scratch.
It improves the quality of your job search materials. It's unlikely that materials generated by ChatGPT will be 100% perfect—but they're a great starting point. By providing you with prompts, suggestions, and even relevant keywords to include, ChatGPT can help improve the quality of your job search materials and highlight your strengths and accomplishments in a way that aligns with what recruiters are searching for in applicant tracking systems and catches the attention of hiring managers.
It increases your chances of getting an interview. One of the best ways to stand out in a crowded job market and impress potential employers is to submit a tailored resume to the role you're applying to—but when you're applying to hundreds of roles, you need a way to do that at scale. You can do it with a purpose-built resume builder (like the Teal AI Resume Builder ) or get similar results from ChatGPT. Either way, customizing your resume so that it highlights the relevant skills for a specific job demonstrates not only your qualifications but also your understanding of what the potential employer is looking for and can increase your chances of getting an interview.
It helps you stand out from other applicants. We can hear the concern now: "But what if ALL job seekers start to use ChatGPT for the resume-writing process? Won't that make everyone's materials look and sound exactly the same?" Not necessarily. With the right ChatGPT prompts tailored to your specific needs (and to a wide range of job descriptions), you can differentiate yourself and present the most confident version of yourself to recruiters and hiring managers.
It builds your confidence. This brings us to our next point. The job search process can be stressful, exhausting, and challenging for your mental health—but ChatGPT can help you feel more confident in your job search by providing you with guidance and support, which, in turn, can help you stay motivated and focused on your job search goals. One of the most anxiety-inducing parts of the job application process: Interviews. And the way ChatGPT can help you with preparation is unparalleled (for example, explaining exactly how your work history and professional background tie into the requirements listed in specific job postings).

Can ChatGPT write a resume?

Yep—and so much more.

There are countless ways to use ChatGPT for your resume , whether for core tasks (like crafting bullet points for your resume, writing cover letters, and optimizing your LinkedIn profile ) or more complex use cases (like identifying the relevant keywords in a specific job posting so you know exactly what skills to highlight, turning your existing resume into one that better aligns with the job requirements, and even preparing interview questions for your potential employers).

The best part about ChatGPT is that it allows you to automate the more tedious aspects of your job search, which gives you more time to be strategic about your process and submit quality applications to more jobs at scale.

In this article, we'll focus specifically on the best ChatGPT prompts to use for your resume.

What are ChatGPT prompts?

Prompts are suggestions, questions, or ideas for what ChatGPT should write or say next and are based on the context of the conversation or the topic being discussed—something that sets ChatGPT apart from a standard Google search.

The more unique and specific the prompt, the more powerful the output will be. For example, let's say you're job searching but don't have an example resume or resume template to work off of.

You could type into ChatGPT, "I'm a software engineer. Write 5 bullet points for my resume."

Chances are the results would be good—but if you just get a little more specific with your prompt (e.g., "Write 5 bullet points with metrics for a software engineer based on the following job description, and include the keywords machine learning, Python, and Java") and the results will be even more impactful.

Here are five best practices to get the most out of ChatGPT prompts for your resume:

Be specific: When using ChatGPT for your job search, it's important to choose prompts that are specific to the role you're applying for. This will help you create materials that are tailored to the position and demonstrate your relevant skills and experience.
Customize the prompts: ChatGPT prompts can be a great starting point, but it's important to customize them for your specific situation. Use the prompts as a guide and adapt them to your own experiences and achievements. You can even specify things like tone of voice and word or character count.
Use multiple prompts: Don't rely on just one or two prompts to create your job search materials; instead, use multiple prompts to generate a range of responses tailored to your specific career goals.
Edit and proofread: Just like any other writing, it's important to edit and proofread anything generated by ChatGPT before submitting it. Make sure the content flows well, the wording is typo- and error-free, and the metrics are accurate. You should be able to speak to every bullet point on your resume if asked about it in an interview.
Use ChatGPT prompts as a supplement, not a replacement: While ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for job applicants in their search, it shouldn't replace your own creativity and perspective. The results are meant to provide suggestions—not be copied and pasted word-for-word. Think of these ChatGPT resume prompts as a supplement to your own ideas and insights, not a replacement entirely.

How to use ChatGPT prompts for resume writing

Now that you understand the basics of ChatGPT and how it can help your resume stand out, let's get into the various ways you can use ChatGPT to write your resume—and the exact ChatGPT prompts to use for the best results.

We'll touch on four main ways to use ChatGPT to write a high-quality resume:

Create a resume from scratch
Tailor your existing resume to better match specific job descriptions
Write effective resume bullet points
Craft resume summaries and professional summaries

Before we get started, you'll want to grab a copy of your resume. If you haven't already, it's also a good time to create a free Teal account to speed up the steps below.

Teal's Resume Builder now integrates with ChatGPT

If you want to leverage ChatGPT but not enter prompts manually, you can sign up for Teal's AI Resume Builder to generate professional summaries, write resume bullet points, and craft customized cover letters in seconds.

Our latest update allows all members to leverage AI in the job search process in a variety of ways, including:

Generating professional summaries
Writing resume achievements
Crafting highly personalized cover letters in seconds
Tailoring your resume to specific jobs, based on your experience

Here's what that looks like.

Start taking advantage of ChatGPT for your resume, cover letter, and your job search.

Use these ChatGPT resume prompts if you're starting from scratch

When you ask ChatGPT to write an entirely new resume, you'll need to provide all the relevant information you're comfortable with in as much detail as possible. ChatGPT leverages machine learning—so the more information you feed it, the more it'll tailor responses. That said, be sure you're comfortable with the privacy policy before copying/pasting any personal data or information into ChatGPT.

Pull up the job description you're interested in. (We recommend doing so in Teal's free Job Application Tracker, which highlights the most important keywords from the job posting and saves you a step when you ask ChatGPT to create a tailored resume. It also saves you from having to toggle back and forth between multiple job boards!)
You can create your resume in a Word document, Google document, or resume builder tool. For the examples below, we'll use Teal's free AI Resume Builder , which you can sign up for here.
Open ChatGPT in a third tab or window. In ChatGPT, copy and paste each of the following prompts, one at a time, followed by the job description where specified.
Take the responses generated by ChatGPT, copy them, and paste them back into your resume.
Though ChatGPT can provide suggestions, they're not always 100% accurate. Edit as needed to make sure the metrics are correct and the tone and voice sound like you.

ChatGPT prompts to use:

Write a resume for a [TITLE] based on this job description. [Copy/paste the job description.]
Write a resume based on this [TITLE] position at [COMPANY] and include bullet point achievements that show impact and metrics. [Copy/paste the job description.]
Write a tailored resume for this [TITLE] role at [COMPANY]. Don't include an objective statement or references, but do include a professional summary, my past 10 years of work experience with 3-5 bullet points per role, and incorporate the most important keywords from the job description in those achievements. [Copy/paste the job description.]
Based on this job description for a [JOB TITLE] role at [COMPANY], write a resume for my past [X] years of work experience with 3-5 bullet points per role that include metrics and the most important 10 keywords from the job description. My past titles and companies were [X, Y, and Z]. No need to include an objective statement. [Copy/paste the job description.]
Rewrite this same resume but add a [RESUME SECTION NAME - e.g, certifications] section.

Use these ChatGPT prompts to tailor your resume to a job description

One of the best ways to stand out to hiring managers and recruiters is tailoring your resume to the job description to showcase not only your qualifications and unique skills but also the key technical skills recruiters might search for in their applicant tracking systems.

But how can you customize your resume writing at scale when you're applying to dozens—or even hundreds—of roles?

Enter artificial intelligence. You can use Teal's AI Resume Builder tool, which leverages GPT-3 technology and capabilities, to write custom resume bullet points tailored to the role you're applying for, or try the following ChatGPT resume prompts. Remember to tweak the results as needed before submitting.

Here's how to tailor with ChatGPT:

Pull up the role you're interested in. (Again, we suggest using Teal's free Job Application Tracker , which highlights the most important keywords from the job posting.)
In another tab or window, pull up a copy of your resume (you can create unlimited versions in Teal's free AI Resume Builder tool, but choose the resume that's most relevant to the role you're applying to).
Open ChatGPT in a third tab or window. Copy and paste each of the following prompts into ChatGPT one at a time, followed by "Shift" + "Enter" for a line break, and then the job description and/or your existing resume where specified.
Though ChatGPT can make suggestions, they're not always 100% accurate. Edit as needed to make sure the metrics are correct and the tone and voice sound like you.
Tailor my resume to this job description for a [JOB TITLE] role at [COMPANY]. [Copy/paste your current resume and the job description]
Using the resume and job description below, showcase 10 relevant skills I should highlight. [Copy/paste your current resume and the job description.]
Take my experience as a [JOB TITLE] and identify which skills I should highlight if I'm looking to pivot into a role as [TITLE] at [COMPANY OR TYPE OF COMPANY]. [Copy/paste your current resume; you can also try with both your resume and the job description.]
Here's my current resume. How would you rewrite it if you were applying to this [TITLE] role at [COMPANY]? Include metrics in the achievements. [Copy/paste your resume and the job description.]
Update the experience section of my resume to make it sound more actionable. [Copy/paste your resume.]

@teal_hq Replying to @masterfinance ChatGPT can help you write your resume—but did you know it can analyze job descriptions and tell you which skills and keywords are worth highlighting in your resume? Here’s how to use ChatGPT to superpower your job search. (For more detailed keyword analysis, check out Teal. Google to get started. 🔑) #chatgpt #chatgpt3 #jobsearchtips #resume #careertok #jobsearch ♬ original sound - Teal | Your Career Growth Tool

Check your alignment with Teal

Once you've tailored your resume with ChatGPT, check your alignment with Teal.

Teal's Matching Mode compares your resume to any job description to give you a Match Score. Once you have that number, increase your resume score by adding more of the right keywords.

Use these ChatGPT prompts to write effective resume bullet points

Staring at a blank screen and not sure where to start when it comes to your resume achievements? Here are 1,000+ example resumes with sample bullet points if you need some inspiration!

You can can also use AI to ensure the bullet points in your work history section are as impactful as possible. As a job seeker, it's your responsibility to connect the dots about your past experience for recruiters and hiring managers. Instead of listing out the responsibilities you held in previous roles, focus on showing the impact you had in those positions through strong resume action words and metrics.

Our go-to formula for resume bullet points that show impact: success verb + noun + metric + outcome. To speed up the process, use. Teal's free Achievement Assistant tool within the AI Resume Builder as a guide, or click "Generate with AI" to write achievements based on the job description.

Assistant for writing effective resume bullets

An alternative: Use ChatGPT resume prompts like the ones below. Here's how to do it:

Pull up the job posting you're interested in.
In a second tab or window, pull up a copy of the resume most relevant to the role you're interested in. (Store all your versions in Teal's AI Resume Builder so they're organized and easy to access.)
Open ChatGPT in a third tab or window. Copy and paste each of the following prompts into ChatGPT one at a time, followed by "Shift" + "Enter" for a line break, and then the job description and/or your existing resume as needed.
Though ChatGPT can offer suggestions, they're not always 100% accurate. Edit as needed to make sure the metrics are correct and the tone and voice sound like you.
Write a resume bullet for a [TITLE] position that describes impact and uses metrics. Include at least 2 of these keywords: [A, B, C, D, E, F]. [Copy/paste the top 5 hard and/or soft skills highlighted in Teal.]
Write 3 resume bullet points for a [TITLE] position that describe impact and use metrics. Include at least 2 of these keywords: [A, B, C, D, E]. [Copy/paste the top 5 hard/technical skills and/or soft skills highlighted in Teal.]
Write 4 resume achievements with metrics based on the following job responsibilities. [Copy/paste the job description.]
Write 3 bullet points demonstrating my ability to [RELEVANT SKILL OR ACHIEVEMENT]. [Copy/paste skills highlighted for the role in your Teal Job Tracker.]
Follow-up prompt: Are there any other action verbs I could use instead of "X" and "Y"?

@teal_hq What if you could update your resume achievements in under a minute? Here’s how to use ChatGPT and AI to do just that, saving you a ton of time. Just make sure you’re using the draft as a starting point—not a final product. You’ll want to tweak to make sure the keywords and metrics are accurate, but this can be a huge time-saver when writing your resume. The prompt we used: “Write resume achievements with metrics based on these job responsibilities.” Then paste the job description into ChatCPT and watch the magic happen! ✨ Save this post to try it later. #chatgpt #chatgpt3 #jobsearch #resumetips #careertok #resume #jobseeker ♬ If We Ever Broke Up - Mae Stephens

Use these ChatGPT prompts to write a summary of your experience

Should you include a professional summary at the top of your resume?

Like many other parts of the job search, the answer is nuanced. The short answer: it depends. Some recruiters and HR professionals would argue that resume summaries are a waste of precious space— but we think they can be helpful if you have a longer work history (roughly five-plus years of experience), as they're an opportunity to talk about your career in aggregate.

If you're a job seeker with less than five years of experience, skip the professional summary and jump right into your most recent work experience instead; if you're a recent graduate with no work history, start with your educational qualifications and relevant certifications. No matter what, don't take up valuable resume real estate with an objective statement. (Anyone reading it will know your goal is to get the job!)

Another friendly reminder that although ChatGPT can provide suggestions, they're not always 100% accurate. Edit as needed to make sure the metrics are correct and the tone and voice sound like you.

Here's how to leverage ChatGPT's ability to summarize and synthesize information and craft a professional summary:

Pull up the job listing you're interested in in the Teal Job Application Tracker .
In another tab or window, pull up a copy of your resume in the Teal AI Resume Builder .
Open ChatGPT in a third tab or window. Copy and paste each of the following prompts into ChatGPT one at a time, followed by "Shift" + "Enter" for a line break, and then the job description and/or your resume as needed.
Take the summaries generated by ChatGPT, copy them, and paste them back into your resume under the "Professional Summary" section. (You can save multiple versions and then toggle on/off the one you want to use on a particular resume.)

Write a professional summary for my resume and keep it under 100 words. [ Copy/paste your existing resume]
Create a compelling professional summary for a job application using my resume and the job description below as a reference, and keep it to 500 characters or less. [ Copy/paste your existing resume and the job description.]
Based on my resume below, write a professional summary that includes metrics and total years of experience, and keep it shorter than 500 characters. [ Copy/paste your resume.]
Based on my resume below, write a professional summary for a [TITLE OR LEVEL]'s resume that includes metrics and total years of experience, and keep it shorter than 3 sentences. [ Copy/paste your existing resume]
Create a professional summary under 500 characters that showcases my skills and experiences relevant to a [TITLE] role in [INDUSTRY]. [Copy/paste your resume.]
Create a summary that showcases my skills and experiences relevant to a [TITLE] role. [Copy/paste your resume.]

@teal_hq There is SO. MUCH. WRITING. in a job search, and ChatGPT is far in a way one of the most beneficial assistants to help with that. By simply copying your resume into the tool it can kick back 3 professional summaries in under 30 seconds. Just like that you’ve saved hours of work and have 3 options ready to tailor to the right jobs. #resume #chatgpt #chatgpt3 #openai #resumetok #resumetips #resumetiktok #careertok #jobsearch #jobsearchtips ♬ Say So (Instrumental Version) [Originally Performed by Doja Cat] - Elliot Van Coup

Full list of ChatGPT resume prompts:

Based on this job description for a [TITLE] role at [COMPANY], write a resume for my past [X] years of work experience with 3-5 bullet points per role that include metrics and the most important 10 keywords from the job description. My past titles and companies were [X, Y, and Z]. No need to include an objective statement. [Copy/paste the job description.]
Tailor my resume to this job description for a [TITLE] role at [COMPANY]. Here are my resume and the job description. [Copy/paste your resume and the job description]
Take my experience as [TITLE] and identify which skills I should highlight if I'm looking to pivot into a role as [TITLE] at [COMPANY OR TYPE OF COMPANY]. [Copy/paste your current resume; you can also try with both your resume and the job description.]
Here's my resume. How would you rewrite it if you were applying to this [TITLE] role at [COMPANY]? Include metrics in the achievements. [Copy/paste your resume and the job description.]
Update the experience section of my resume to make it sound more actionable. [Copy/paste your current resume.]

@teal_hq Want to use ChatGPT to help you with your resume and cover letter but not sure how to start? Here’s how to use AI to take the first pass. Save this post for later to use these prompts and let us know what you think! #chatgpt #chatgpt3 #jobsearchtips #resume #careertok #resumetips ♬ If We Ever Broke Up - Mae Stephens

Final thoughts about using ChatGPT for your resume writing

Using a chatbot to help with your resume can be a huge time-saver—but it shouldn't be a total substitute for doing the work. AI is just that: AI. It doesn't completely replace the human element, and you should always double-check and edit any content generated by ChatGPT before submitting it.

Think of ChatGPT as a supplement for your job search—not a replacement—and you'll be well on your way to landing your dream job in record time.

Head here for more on how to use ChatGPT to write cover letters , 14 ChatGPT helpful cover letter prompts , and using ChatGPT to write your resume .

Leverage ChatGPT to write your resume

Tools like ChatGPT can help you write a targeted and accurate resume faster.

Using the prompts above, you can leverage the power of AI to take your resume to the next level or try the Teal AI Resume Builder .

Teal's is integrated with ChatGPT, with a range of tools to optimize and tailor your resume, including AI summary, bullet points, and cover letters—without toggling between screens and platforms.

Ready to take control of your resume with AI?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i prompt chatgpt to write a resume.

Ask ChatGPT to write a resume and provide specific details about your work experience, education, skills, and any other relevant information you want included. You can also copy and paste the job description of the role you're applying for to tailor your resume to a specific position. To save time, consider using the Teal AI Resume Builder to write your resume with AI for a faster, more tailored approach—no toggling between platforms or messy file folders.

How do I make sure my resume doesn't read like it's written by ChatGPT?

To ensure your resume doesn't read like it's written by ChatGPT, always review the content. Add personal touches and tailor it to your unique experiences and achievements. Incorporating specific metrics and examples from your work can also help to make it more personalized and impactful.

Can employers tell that my resume was written by ChatGPT?

Nothing says you can't use AI in your job search, just like nothing says you can't use tools like Grammarly to improve your writing, or calculators to do quick math. Though tools exist that can detect AI-generated writing, it's unlikely that employers will spend a ton of time and energy cross-checking every single application.

That said, you still want to make sure the qualifications you present are truthful and accurate, and that you can back up your resume bullet points with real examples from your past experience.

Lia Zneimer

How Many Jobs Should You List on a Resume?

What Is a Statement of Qualifications? (+ How to Write One)

How Ashleigh Went From Zero to 11 Job Interviews With Teal

How to List Publications on Your Resume (+ Examples)

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8 Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Resume Writer

What You Need To Know Before Hiring A Professional Resume Writer

Is hiring a resume writer worth it?

Imagine that you are introduced to the CEO of a company you really, really want to work for. It would be your dream to work for this company !

Now imagine that the CEO asks if she can see your resume.

Do you confidently tell her you’ll send it to her directly, tomorrow, confident that your resume represents you and your qualifications powerfully and in such a compelling way you feel certain you’ll be the obvious best choice for your dream job ?

Or, do you immediately start trying to come up with some excuse because you know your resume is outdated and not that good even if it was updated?

Dream job opportunities don’t come up every day. In fact, they are very rare, and in today’s environment, they are rarer than ever.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

But what to do? You aren’t an expert at resume writing , and even if you had a clue what to include in your resume or not include in your resume , you wouldn’t be at all confident once it was done.

If you are like most job seekers, you spend hours agonizing over it, but still feel unsure and insecure , certain that your competitors’ for your dream job have resumes that are WAY better than yours.

The solution to all this angst is simpler than it might first seem: hire a professional resume writer, get resume help , and have your resume professionally written.

Hiring a professional resume writer–assuming that person is a true professional writer with expertise, training, and talent in the field of resume writing–is often one of the best investments you will ever make in your career.

Having a professionally written resume ready to submit at a moment’s notice gives you an unbeatable professional edge.

So yes, hiring a professional resume writer is well worth the investment.

But, how do you hire a resume writer?

How do you find resume writing services, and once you do, how do you make your choice about which to work with?

After all, not all resume writers are equal in talent and experience. Some have far more experience and training than others.

Some resume writers work alone, providing resume writing services as a solopreneur. Others work on a team within a professional resume-writing services firm.

Which resume service is better? How do you make sure you are dealing with the best resume writers?

These are all important questions that you need to ask before you select a resume writing service to work with.

Here then, are a few guidelines to help you in answering these questions and more.

Review Resume Samples

Would you commission a custom painting without ever having seen the artist’s work?

Would you hire an advertising agency to promote a new product without having reviewed examples of past ad campaigns?

Of course not!

Resume writing is a craft that requires a very unique blend of creativity, writing skills, and current knowledge of the job market, hiring managers’ expectations , and constantly changing trends .

Truly professional resume-writing services, whether the service is provided by an independent resume writer or a larger resume-writing practice, are staffed by skilled, trained resume writers who specialize in the art of resume writing and career marketing (which is what resume writers do–they help you market yourself in your career).

Each and every resume the service creates should be as unique as the individual client. So reviewing examples of resumes they have produced won’t tell you exactly what your future resume will look like. But, you can still tell a lot about the quality of work produced by viewing examples of past projects.

Many resume writers publish examples of their resumes online, and a handful are contributors to published books on resume writing .

Some writers refuse to show examples of their work citing concerns about job seekers inappropriately copying their work. While this is a valid concern and can be a problem, our view is that it hurts the job seeker more than it hurts the resume writer.

The best resumes are written for individuals and tell the unique career story of that individual in relation to unique career goals . If a job seeker tries to copy a resume that they’ve found online all they’ll end up with is an ineffective resume because it was written for someone else and someone else’s career goals.

At Distinctive Career Services , we believe that it is important that you, our prospective client, review our resume examples . We want you to be comfortable with and feel confident about the quality, general style, and diversity of our work.

What trainings have you completed and have you earned certifications?

May I see some examples of your work?

How long have you been in the business? Full-time or part-time?

Are you involved in any professional associations for career pros and resume writers?

What services do you provide besides resume writing?

How do you stay up to date on current trends and expectations in the job market?

Will the content be 100% original (many low-cost providers are “cookie-cutter”)?

Do you have references from past clients?

Check Resume Writing Credentials

There are several national organizations devoted to the education and professional development of resume writers.

Each of these organizations offers training and certification programs.

While there are good writers who remain uncertified, choosing a certified resume writer ensures that you will be working with a trained and tested professional, usually with many years of experience.

Do be aware that some resume writing certifications are more rigorous than others. The best have prerequisites for writers, test various areas of competence, use a blind grading process, and have CEU requirements to maintain certification.

The Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) credential is a gold standard certification issued by the National Resume Writers’ Association (NRWA) . This is the only nonprofit resume-writing association in the world, and they also offer the Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert (NCOPE) credential designating expertise in assisting job seekers in unleashing the power of LinkedIn for job searching and networking .

Career coaching skills can also be useful for resume writers to cultivate, and there are a number of career coaching certifications to watch for, as well. However, when hiring a resume writer we’d advise looking for resume writing certifications as a first priority, and viewing career coaching certifications as a bonus.

Check References

There is a very valid, honest reason that many professional resume writers will hesitate when asked to provide references. Professional ethics and client confidentiality concerns prevent those of us who care about such things from providing the names of past clients.

However, most resume professionals who are able to will provide resume service reviews and testimonial letters written by past clients, using just the clients’ initials, location, and job title or industry to help protect their clients’ identities. This is our solution at Distinctive Career Services, and in many cases, we use screenshots of real emails clients have sent us , with names and other identifying information blocked out.

LinkedIn profiles are another great place to look for references from past clients. If the writer you are thinking of working with has a LinkedIn presence, past clients may have voluntarily written references, and in these cases, the references are linked to a real person by name.

Be extremely wary of working with a professional resume writing service that is unable to provide you any references at all.

Have a Written Agreement and Understand What is Included

The agreement doesn’t need to be fancy or written in legalese, but it is always a good idea to have a written agreement . That way, you can be sure that you clearly understand the resume writer’s process and policies, and be sure that there are no misunderstandings about what is to be delivered and what the charges will be.

Does the writer offer other professional writing services ?

Is he or she able to assist you with writing a cover letter or other career marketing documents such as executive biographies or your LinkedIn profile ? Are they included in the fee or separate?

Will you be given access to the computer files so that you can send your resume via email or make minor updates or resume customizations yourself?

Are there any other value-add services bundled with the project?

Can the resume writer assist with future resume updates ?

Does the resume writer offer any other career marketing services that you might need, such as resume distribution or job search coaching ?

How does the resume writer gather information to write the resume ?

What if corrections or changes are needed before you can use the resume?

What are the costs of having your resume professionally written? Will you be charged a flat fee or an hourly fee? Are there other fees associated with all of this and what is the payment schedule?

Make sure you know the answers to these questions before you hire a resume writer. At Distinctive Career Services our service terms are listed prominently on our website and we require new clients to certify they have read and understand them prior to booking a project.

Understand the Guarantee

Remember that a resume is a tool, and even the best tool in the world will be ineffective if it is used inappropriately.

Once a resume has left the resume writer’s office, it is completely out of that writer’s control how that resume will be used or not used.

If a writer claims to guarantee a job or even guarantee interviews , be wary and read the fine print closely. While some might try to offer this guarantee with good intentions, most know it isn’t a realistic guarantee and will make you jump through hoops to prove how you have used the resume before allowing you to collect.

Others more realistically guarantee that you will be satisfied with the quality of the service and the deliverables. Whatever the guarantee, if any, just be sure you understand it. Distinctive Career Services’ guarantee is explained in our service terms , and also detailed in our FAQs .

Think and Plan Ahead

Remember Benjamin Franklin’s advice. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail! It is not a good idea to procrastinate !

If you are currently in a job search or are expecting to conduct a job search soon, don’t put off hiring a resume-writing service until you have a job that you want to apply for or have a recruiter requesting your resume .

Quality takes time and the best resume writers are in demand and usually booked in advance. Give yourself time to research and select the best resume writer for the job and then plan for at least an additional two weeks or more for the turnaround of the finished project.

And finally…

Understand That You Will Get What You Pay For

In discussing certifications and the need to check resume and cover letter samples , along with samples of any other document types provided such as resume addendums or executive biographies , we alluded to this issue.

In most places, there are no licensing requirements for a resume writer.

Anyone with a computer can put up a website, and start calling himself a professional resume writer. Sadly, there are many examples of unqualified people doing this and unknowing job seekers who have been “burned” by these untrained and unskilled writers.

Does the resume service you are thinking of hiring have a credible web presence?

Does the resume services firm itself or do the individual resume writers belong to professional career and resume writing associations ?

Does the resume service have writers who are experienced working with job seekers at your level. There is a big difference between writing a resume for an entry-level job candidate and writing a resume for an executive candidate .

(As an aside, you might be surprised to learn that finding a resume writer with industry specialization is not as important. A skilled and experienced resume writer is an expert in the craft of writing a powerful, compelling resume and this skill transcends industries. Resume writers have all sorts of resources for understanding the complexities of individual industries.)

Do the resume writers attend regular trainings and conferences? Writing a resume requires knowledge beyond “just” writing ability. Continuing education to remain up-to-date on things such as requirements for resume compatibility with applicant tracking systems (ATS) , modern resume design trends , and expectations among hiring managers , are essential.

In short, not all resume writers are equal, and those who are the experienced, respected experts in the field charge appropriately for their craft.

The fee range is pretty broad, and it would be hard to provide an average cost of resume services. But it would not be uncommon to pay somewhere in the $750-$2500 range for professional resume writing.

Generally, the complexity of your resume project will have an impact on the fee charged. Some resume writers charge more and some charge less, but if it is significantly less, you might want to ask yourself why that is. Does the resume writer really have the experience he or she claims to have? Are they lowballing your quote because they are desperate for the work?

Be especially wary about working with some of the high-volume resume services companies. Most of them outsource all the work. While working with freelance writers is common in the industry, some of these high-volume firms outsource to inexperienced and sometimes even untrained writers to whom they usually pay ridiculously low wages to produce resumes of questionable quality. Some even outsource the projects overseas, to writers who do not speak English as a first language.

It is your career and all your career dreams at stake!

Your resume is not the place to cut corners. It is well worth the extra money to pay for the quality and experience and hire a proven resume-writing service like Distinctive Career Services. With a track record of success with job seekers worldwide, spanning more than a quarter-century, our resume-writing team and services are among the most highly respected in the industry.

If YOU are thinking of hiring a professional resume writer, we encourage you to schedule a free resume writing consultation during which we can learn more about your needs, determine if we are a good fit to work together and answer all of your questions.

Originally published on this blog December 15, 2010, this post has been significantly updated and refreshed to reflect 2022 standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should i hire a professional resume writer.

A professional resume writer can help craft a resume that accurately and compellingly represents your skills and experiences. They understand what hiring managers are looking for and can format your resume to appeal to them. Having a professionally written resume on hand can give you an edge in the competitive job market.

How do I choose a good resume writer or resume writing service?

Good resume writers often have proven experience and credentials in resume writing. It can be helpful to check their resume samples, look for any certifications they have, and read testimonials or reviews from past clients. Some writers work as part of a team, while others work independently, but the quality of their work should be your primary concern.

What should I look for in a resume writing service agreement?

A service agreement should clearly outline the writer’s process, policies, deliverables, and charges. You may also want to check whether the service includes writing other documents like cover letters, or providing extra services like career coaching or job search assistance.

Can a resume writing service guarantee I'll get a job?

No service can guarantee you’ll get a job, because once the resume leaves the writer’s hands, it’s up to you to use it effectively. Some services might guarantee your satisfaction with the final product or offer revisions if needed, but be sure you understand the terms of any guarantee before you commit.

How much does a professional resume writing service usually cost?

The cost can vary widely based on the complexity of your resume and the experience of the writer. Prices typically range from $750-$2500. It’s important to remember that investing in a high-quality resume can be worth the cost, as it can help you stand out in the job market.

Should I prioritize hiring a resume writer with industry specialization?

While it can be a bonus, industry specialization is not as crucial as their expertise in crafting compelling resumes. A skilled resume writer can adapt their knowledge and resources to understand the nuances of different industries.

Are there any red flags I should look out for when choosing a resume writing service?

Be cautious of services that charge significantly lower fees as they may lack the necessary experience. Also, watch out for high-volume services that outsource their work to less experienced or non-native English speaking writers.

What is the process of working with a professional resume writer?

The process usually begins with a consultation where the writer learns about your career goals and background. Then, they’ll write your resume, often with your input or review at various stages. Turnaround time can vary, but quality work often takes at least a couple of weeks. It’s a good idea to start the process well in advance of when you’ll need the finished resume.

About the Author: Michelle Dumas

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Widely recognized as one of the industry’s longest-standing resume writing firms and an industry pioneer on the internet, Distinctive Career Services (aka Distinctive Documents) is respected for our unmatched expertise, quality, and commitment to clients. Since 1996, we have met the resume development and career marketing needs of well over 10,000 discriminating professionals in all 50 U.S. states and internationally.

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I've Been Offered Every Job I've Interviewed For. Here Are 5 Questions I Ask Interviewers. Career consultant Kendal Lindstrom says these five questions are the winning formula for landing the role.

By Tim Paradis May 9, 2024

Key Takeaways

Kendal Lindstrom started a career-change consultancy after struggling to change jobs.
She shared her strategy for acing job interviews, which includes having five key questions ready.
They focus on areas such as company culture, team dynamics, and the employer's long-term plans.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider .

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kendal Lindstrom, 25, who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. She runs a career-change consulting firm named Doux and works in tech. She recently posted a TikTok about five questions she has ready for a job interview. Lindstrom says she believes asking at least some of these questions is why she's always landed a role she interviewed for. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

I started Doux because I never liked to be put in a box in terms of my career. Coming out of college, I thought, "I just want to be known as the girl in fashion." I was so wrong. But I didn't know how to pivot into a new industry . It took me two years of connecting, trying, and failing. I found the framework of what Doux is now by failing.

After working in fashion, I got myself into medical sales. I then switched to tech because that's where my passions lie. It took me two years to go from fashion to medical sales. But from the day I decided I wanted to be a tech consultant, it only took me three weeks to get my offer letter.

The difference was I knew how to write my résumé. I knew how to become the candidate that they needed.

My formula is to map your résumé to the career you're going to, not the career you've been in. To get to my current job, I created a résumé that was unstoppable.

Usually, I tell my clients to reach out to the hiring manager. In this case, the hiring manager got to me within minutes of me submitting my résumé. The interview process was extensive, but, like I always tell my clients, it's about follow-ups.

I followed up three times because they had great candidates. But I needed to stay in front, and I needed to be the person they chose.

I had the drive

It's funny when I look back and talk to the executives who hired me. They're like: "You had no business being in tech. You had nothing on your résumé that told us that you would do a good job in this. But the way you presented yourself, it was a no-brainer to hire you because we knew you would get it." So, it's often more how you're presenting yourself in a professional realm rather than what you're saying to answer the questions.

I had drive, and that's what they were looking for. They were looking for someone young to grow with the company. If they wanted someone young, they weren't going to get all the experience in the software that they needed. But I was eager to learn, and however many hours outside work that took, I was willing to do it. I really drove home that it doesn't stop at 5 p.m. My job stops when my job is done.

Each day after work, I spent 30 minutes reading a training book my company had given me. Then, I tried to apply the knowledge for 30 minutes. The next day, I would get time on my boss's calendar and say: "This is what I learned yesterday. Tell me how you have seen this applied in scenarios with a client."

It took me about a year to really digest everything. It was tough, but it came down to whether I was willing to ask questions when I needed help rather than having too much pride and not asking anyone.

I've done a lot of interviews for my age because I kept my options open no matter where I was in my career. I've never wanted to be stagnant. So I have done upwards of 10 or 11 interviews, and I've never been told no because my goal was to make an employer feel like I had their best interests at heart and I wanted to be part of their company, which meant I needed to sell myself as a solution. And it's more about the questions you ask than the answers you get.

I have pretty thick skin

When I worked in medical sales — or even with some of the comments on my TikTok — so much was about my image. I was like, "What does my blonde hair have to do with the knowledge that I have?" Not that it ever hurt my feelings because I have pretty thick skin. In any industry, there will be people who would want to discredit someone's abilities because of how they look. But at the end of the day, I can use my brain to where people are like, "We need to listen to you."

@kendallindstrom it's more about the questions you ask than the answers you get. people want to talk about themselves. #interviewquestions #jobinterview #resume #careerchange #womeninbusines ♬ original sound - DOUX | CAREER CHANGE MGMT

Some of the comments on my TikTok have been so far off the mark. At the time of my interviews for my current job, I didn't have a website, and my social media wasn't publicly available. So, I got the job because of the things I said and the questions I asked, and not because of my appearance.

These are my five key questions:

What's the company culture like?

The first thing I tell people to ask is about company culture. That's a big one. It's such a make-it-or-break-it for enjoying your job. I wanted my audience to know that asking about it is so important because if you're miserable in your job, you're only setting yourself up to fail.

What's the lowdown on my predecessor?

The second one is, "What did the person who held this role before me do that was appreciated but not required based on the job description?" I suggest this one because I want my audience to put themselves in the role already. It's an assumptive selling tactic. I always say go into the interview and sell yourself.

I asked that question one time — "What are you going to miss most about this person?" — and the interviewer said, "Oh, they got Starbucks all the time." And I was like, "Great, I guess we'll be getting Starbucks for the office all the time."

What do my colleagues require?

The third question was, "How can I best suit the needs of my direct counterparts?" That came from wanting to understand — in the most professional way — the team you're walking into. It helps me understand and identify how I would fit into the team.

I've seen teams before where they just don't get along. But you don't know that until you sit down on the first day. And at that point, it's already too late. You're either leaving, or you've got to deal with this until you can figure out another job.

How successful is the team?

No. 4 is what the current state of the department is in reference to the bottom line. That has to do with asking about sales, of course, but I'm also asking: "Am I walking into a failing department? Are you expecting me to turn things around? Are you expecting me to just take the blame for something that's already failing? Or are you guys seeing numbers you've never seen before and need more people?" And, if so, "What did you do to see those numbers?"

What does the company's future look like?

My fifth question is my favorite. It's, "What's the company's three-year, five-year, and 10-year plan?" I love this one because I've never walked into a job and thought, "I'm only going to be here for one year," or "I'm only doing this to collect a paycheck." I always say, "Think like the CEO." I never want to go into a job and strive to just be an associate. That's just where you start.

All you really need — or maybe have time for — is one of these questions. So many people on my TikTok said, "That is too many questions. You're so high maintenance." I was like, "Just use one of them, and they'll be blown away." Because you're starting a whole other conversation that doesn't have to do with their questions for you. These are just concepts that I hope people can take with them as they go — little nuggets — to nail these interviews.

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The 11 Most Common CV Writing Questions Answered Infographic
Top Questions to Ask When Writing Your Resume
Five Questions to Ask On A Job Interview
Resume writing help. Professional Resume Writers Service
8 Questions to Ask Yourself BEFORE You Start Writing Your Resume
TOP 15 Most Common Interview Questions

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Resume Writing Tips! #resume #resumetips #jobs #skills #learning
Resume Writing Process
SHOCKINGLY EASY Tips To Write A RESUME With No Job Experience
Tips For Writing a Great Resume: Avoid Relying on AI!
How I write a resume with a varied skillset
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COMMENTS

10 Common Resume Questions and Answers
10 frequently asked questions about resumes. While most candidates are familiar with resumes and the purpose they serve, it can often be a challenge to write a compelling resume. The process of writing a resume can sometimes lead to questions. Here are 10 of the most frequently asked questions about resumes and answers to help you power through ...
30 Questions To Ask Your Professional Resume Writer During A Resume
But for an in-depth impression, you must ask about your resume's first impression, relevance, writing style, etc. Ask these questions to get the information you need: 1.Does my resume look original?
6 Questions to Ask When Writing Your Resume
Precise language that includes context strengthens the quality of your application documents. Below are six questions to ask when writing your resume to ensure that your value, achievements, and skills are evident and unmistakable to your readers. Asking yourself thought-provoking questions is the first step to writing a resume that makes your ...
12 Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing Your Résumé
8. Why is your employer better off because you were hired? 9. What did you start or set up that became a model for others to copy in other locations or companies? 10. How did you make life easier ...
10 Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes & Cover Letters
Tailor your cover letter to individual roles with the same detail you give to your resume. 2. Do employers read cover letters? There's not a solid answer to that question. Statistics on the importance of cover letters vary, but recent reports share that 56% of employers want cover letters attached.
Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes
At a minimum, your resume should include your name, contact information, education, and work experience. The contact information section should consist of your mailing address, primary phone number, and an email address that you check at least once a day. Optional resume sections include: Objective statement. Summary qualifications statement.
How to Write a Resume
Check the spelling of proper nouns — think: company names, addresses, etc. — and make sure you have the current contact information for any references you've chosen to add. These things might have changed since you last applied for a job. And lastly, be sure to look for common resume pitfalls before you press send.
A Perfect Resume: Your Guide to Writing a Resume
This should never be a work number; instead, it'll likely be your cell phone number. Before adding your phone number, make sure your voicemail message is professional and states your name. There are a few ways you can format your phone number on your resume: 555-555-5555. (555) 555-5555.
Your Top 10 Questions About Resume Writing Answere
That's why people decide to reach out for a second opinion, or even a third. You can get others to review your resume for free (trusted friends, recruiters and local career centers), though it may pay dividends to hire a professional resume writer for an experienced opinion. 2. My Resume Is Too Long And Wordy.
12 Questions to Ask When Writing a Resume
Before writing your resume, try drafting a background document containing a list of information you want to include in your resume. Know how to prioritize and create headings for each topic ...
20 resume questions you've been too scared to ask
Starting your resume with a paragraph about your career aspirations can be clunky and waste valuable seconds as recruiters make snap-judgments. Rather than an old-fashioned objective, consider ...
Common Questions to Ask a Qualified Resume Writer
A well-written, properly organized, keyword enriched resume is your ticket for the interview.Your ability to impress the hiring manager by a written document encompassing your strengths and career history influences your chances to get the job as well. However, the process of writing a resume can be confusing even for a seasoned professional.. With a plenty of resume writing advice out there ...
8 Questions to Ask Yourself BEFORE You Start Writing Your Resume
Writing a new resume is an endeavor that requires some personal reflection on your professional life. Spend some time brainstorming answers to these 8 resume questions before you start formatting. Not only will it practically write itself once you get going, it'll be a stronger representation of your true, unique value as an employee as well ...
Resume Builder
1. "Can you explain your resume gap?". Stay positive and don't apologize. Whatever you did during this period, you did it for a reason. Stand behind your reasons. 2. "Can you clarify a resume claim that seems exaggerated?". If you really did exaggerate or overstate a claim, don't dig a deeper hole for yourself.
10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing Your Resume
As you write your resume, I encourage you to ask yourself the following questions about each experience and write down your thoughts in bullet points. This is the first, fundamental step to writing your resume well. Once you've gone through this process a few times, you'll begin to do this automatically when you update your resume next.
How to Make a Resume in 2024: Writing Guide + Examples
Make it distinctive to highlight your name and contact information. Organize your resume sections in the following order: summary/objective, work experience, education, skills, and extras. Use bullet points for your entries under each section. Find resume icons for each section or skip them altogether. File format.
Resume Quiz Questions & Answers: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet
All resume questions and answers in one place. Check the answers to all questions in online resume quizzes. ... Even though most resume writing guides from university career services tell you it's 15-30 seconds, according to a recent study by the Ladders, it's only 7.4 seconds. ... Here are the best interview questions to ask. 50+ Resume Dos ...
How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)
It doesn't matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can't contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information: Your full name. First and last. Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly. Your email address.
How To Make A Resume (With Free Template)
Choose 1.0 or 1.5 inch line spacing. Set margins to 1 inch on all sides. Save your résumé as a PDF or Docx, using your full name and sometimes the job title as the file name. Adhere to the ...
21 Great ChatGPT Prompts for Your Resume
Prompts are suggestions, questions, or ideas for what ChatGPT should write or say next and are based on the context of the conversation or the topic being discussed—something that sets ChatGPT apart from a standard Google search. ... Ask ChatGPT to write a resume and provide specific details about your work experience, education, skills, and ...
8 Questions You Need to Ask Before Hiring a Resume Writer
Check References. There is a very valid, honest reason that many professional resume writers will hesitate when asked to provide references. Professional ethics and client confidentiality concerns prevent those of us who care about such things from providing the names of past clients.
One Page Resume Templates & Writing Guide
2. 2023. Download This Free Template. This single page resume template is packed with content and still manages to look spacious. The sidebar allows you to easily organize your information, while a vertical line splits up the page and makes your resume easy to read. 3. Clean. Download This Free Template.
What Are the Best Questions to Ask in a Job Interview?
The first thing I tell people to ask is about company culture. That's a big one. It's such a make-it-or-break-it for enjoying your job. I wanted my audience to know that asking about it is so ...
10 Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
To prepare for your interview and make a great first impression, you can explore this list of 10 common interview questions and plan your responses to them. 1. Tell me about yourself. This warm-up question is your chance to make an impactful first impression. Be prepared to describe yourself in a few sentences. You can mention: Your past ...
How & When to Use Resume Writing Services in 2024
Resume writing services help job seekers create well-crafted resumes that are tailored to best showcase their skills, qualifications, and work experience. Professionals often hire professional writers to help make their resumes grab the attention of hiring managers and potential employers, and land more job interviews.