Recruiters often spend less than a minute on a resume before deciding whether to read further. A good resume makes that minute count: it's clear, focused on results, and easy for both people and software to read. This guide walks you through writing one, section by section.
Resume or CV?
In the US and Canada, a resume is a short summary of your experience, usually one or two pages. In the UK, India and much of Europe and Asia, the same document is often called a CV. (In academia, a CV is a longer, complete record.) For most job applications, the advice below applies to both.
The sections every resume needs
- Contact details: full name, phone, email, city and country, and a LinkedIn or portfolio link. You don't need your full home address.
- Professional summary: 2–3 sentences about who you are, your main strengths and what you're looking for.
- Work experience: your jobs, newest first, with job title, company, location and dates.
- Education: degree or course, school, and year. Add grades or honors if they're strong and recent.
- Skills: the tools, software and abilities that matter for the job.
- Optional: certifications, languages, projects, volunteering, awards.
Write experience as achievements, not duties
The biggest difference between an average and a strong resume is how you describe your work. Instead of listing duties, show what you achieved, with numbers where possible.
| Weak (duty) | Strong (achievement) |
|---|---|
| Responsible for social media | Grew Instagram followers from 2,000 to 15,000 in 12 months |
| Handled customer complaints | Resolved 40+ customer issues a day with a 95% satisfaction score |
| Worked on the company website | Rebuilt the checkout page, cutting load time by 40% |
A simple formula: action verb + what you did + result. Start each bullet with a strong verb like led, built, increased, reduced, launched, managed or improved.
Tailor your resume to each job
Read the job description and note the skills and keywords it repeats. Then make sure the most relevant ones appear in your summary, skills and experience, using the same words, as long as they're true. A tailored resume beats a generic one almost every time.
Make it ATS-friendly
Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes before a person sees them. To make sure yours is read correctly:
- Use a simple layout with clear section headings ("Experience", "Education", "Skills").
- Keep text as real text, not inside images.
- Use common fonts and avoid complex tables or text boxes.
- Save and send as a PDF, unless the employer asks for Word.
All templates in our Resume Builder are designed this way.
How long should it be?
- Students and recent graduates: one page.
- A few years of experience: one to two pages.
- Senior roles: two pages is fine. Focus on the last 10–15 years.
Should I add a photo?
It depends on the country. In the US, UK and Canada, most employers prefer resumes without a photo, partly to avoid bias. In many countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, a professional photo is common or expected. If you add one, use a recent, clear head-and-shoulders photo on a plain background. Our Background Remover can give you a clean one.
Build your resume for free (step by step)
- Open the Resume Builder.
- Start from a sample close to your job (there are 10, from fresher to software engineer), or start blank.
- Fill in your contact details, summary, experience, education and skills. The preview updates as you type.
- Choose a template and accent color, and add a photo if it's common in your country.
- Click Download PDF and choose "Save as PDF".
Your resume is saved automatically in your browser, so you can come back and edit it any time. It's never uploaded.
Common resume mistakes
- Spelling and grammar errors. Read it aloud, or ask a friend to check.
- An unprofessional email address. Use one with your name.
- Long paragraphs instead of short bullet points.
- Listing every job you've ever had. Keep what's relevant.
- Lying or exaggerating. It's easy to check, and costly if found.
- Sending the same resume to every job.
Frequently asked questions
Is the resume builder free? Yes. Build and download as many resumes as you like, with no watermark.
Can I make my resume on my phone? Yes. To save the PDF on Android, choose "Save as PDF" as the printer. On iPhone, tap Share and then "Save to Files".
Is my information private? Yes. Everything stays in your own browser.
Build your resume now. Most people finish in 15 minutes.