Unsupported browser

This site was designed for modern browsers and tested with Internet Explorer version 10 and later.

It may not look or work correctly on your browser.

  • Resume & CV

How to Make Your Resume Fit on One Single Page (18+ Quick Tips)

Charley Mendoza

Unless you’re a senior level manager, executive, or you've got one of those jobs where licenses and certifications are required, you may not need a second page for your resume. A one-page resume is enough.

This attractive resume from Envato Elements shows that short resumes can look professional.

You might look at your resume and feel that everything there is crucial and can’t be deleted. 

Let’s get real though!

If your resume is two or more pages, you’re not making a serious effort to write a tailored and concise application. In this article, you'll learn how to create an effective one-page resume . We'll also share some great templates for one-page resumes from Envato Elements.

Jump to content in this section:

  • Remove Unnecessary Information
  • Use Smaller Margins
  • Try Creative Resume Formats
  • Use Smaller Fonts
  • Use Bullet Points
  • Consolidate Contact Information
  • Create Quadrants to Divide Your Resume into Sections
  • Reduce the Size of Your Contact Information and Address
  • Use Multi-Purpose Lines
  • Use Numerical Figures Instead of Spelling Them Out
  • Remove Repetitive Bullets
  • List Only Self-Explanatory Awards
  • Remove Unnecessary Information About Your Education
  • Trim Your Resume Summary
  • Remove Unnecessary Headers
  • Use Acronyms Wisely
  • Remove References
  • Remove Hobbies and Interests
  • Write Your Name and Job Title
  • Write a Summary
  • Remove Unnecessary Elements to Save Space
  • Revise Sections to Fit Your Needs
  • List and Rate Your Skills

Make Your Resume Fit on One Page (Quickstart Video)

Are you wondering how to get your resume down to a single page? Do you need to know how to do it right now?Our quickstart video can help. We'll provide tips and instructions for how to shorten your resume.

how to make a resume on pages

To learn more about one page resumes, continue reading the tutorial below.

Should a Resume Be Only One Page?

Staff Members

There’s no simple answer to this question. The perfect resume length depends on your professional situation.

Only professionals with more than 10+ years of experience or lots of certifications and achievements should have a two-page resume. Entry level candidates and even those with a few years of experience under their belt, can benefit from writing a concise single page resume.

According to ere.net , a survey from ResumeGO conducted a study with 482 professionals. Recruiters were 2.3 times more likely to prefer two-page resumes for experienced individuals . This means that your resume length should match your experience level.

So, one-page resumes are great for those with less work experience and can fit it all on one page. But more experienced individuals should use a two-page resume.

Think of your resume like a movie highlights reel. O nly the best action scenes are included to build hype and intrigue people into watching the movie.

Of course, it’s hard to believe how you could benefit from a one-page resume when you’ve been accustomed to a two-page resume. Below are several benefits of using a single page resume:

  • A single page resume stands out because most applicants send two pages or more.
  • Your achievements and qualifications are easier to spot on a one-page resume because there’s less stuff to read.
  • Many recruiters, especially those hiring for entry level jobs, claim they don’t read past the first page of an application.

18 Quick Tips: How to Fit Your Resume on One Page

It’s true, both students and professionals add more qualifications to their resumes today. There are more awards, self-study courses, internship projects, software skills, and extra-curricular activities available today compared to a few years back.

Unfortunately, it’s also the sheer number of these experiences that makes it hard to cut your resume’s length. Below are 18 tips that'll show you how to make your resume one page:

1. Remove Unnecessary Information

This one-page template is from Envato Elements.

If you want to know how to make a resume fit on one page, remove any information irrelevant to the job you’re applying to.  Only focus on relevant experience for the job you're applying to.

So, if you're applying for an Engineering job, the sales job that you worked one summer isn’t relevant, and you should take it off your resume.

2. Use Smaller Margins

Don’t be afraid to play with the margins of your resume file. The default margin in MS Word is one inch or 2.54 centimeters on all sides. If you reduce that just a tiny bit, you can squeeze in more information on your resume.

If you’re not sure what the ideal margin size is, try adjusting all the sides to 0.5 inches while keeping the bottom at 0.65 inches. Continue adjusting the margin size until you find a combination that’s just right.

Make sure you save your resume in PDF to preserve the margins of your resume when it’s printed.

3. Try Creative Resume Formats

Try using double columns or different resume layouts to fit more information into one page. For instance, use a two-column format with a small right-hand side column where you can fit your skills and other contact information.

The resume template below has a creative format that makes full use of a three-column layout without making the one-page resume look squished. 

Here are some creative resume templates you can consider when shortening your resume:

how to make a resume on pages

4. Use Smaller Fonts

Wondering how to make a one-page resume? That’s easy: use smaller fonts.

"Use a smaller font for your headings and the main text in your resume. Most resume writers recommend starting with 12 point font, but you can shrink it to a minimum of 10 point if need be", says  Austin Belcak , Founder of Cultivated Culture, a website that helps applicants get jobs even if they don't have a referral.

The important thing is that your resume is still readable without zooming in.

If the text looks too compact, try adjusting the line spacing so it’s easier to read. Consider the two examples below for a comparison.

Resume sample: Georgia Size 10, single spacing

resume sample tight line spacing

Resume sample: Georgia Size 10 but with 1.15 spacing

resume sample better line spacing

5. Use Bullet Points

Use bullet points instead of paragraphs. Write in short sentences, up to two lines at the most. Use keywords, numbers, and power words to come up with punchy statements without fluff.

6. Consolidate Contact Information

Combine all your contact information in one line and don’t put your whole address anymore. There’s no need to have a separate line for your email, phone, and address because you’re not writing a business letter. 

7. Create Quadrants to Divide Your Resume into Sections

People generally read resumes from left to right. That means a lot of the space in the right-hand side of the page goes to waste.

The infographic resume template below makes excellent use of quadrants to divide the resume into different sections and maximize margin space.

Infographic Resume Template

8. Reduce the Size of Your Contact Information and Address

Some people think this part of their resume needs to look fancy and attention grabbing. It doesn’t. If a recruiter wants to contact you, they'll find this information. But until that happens, they’re only focused on your qualifications.

Don’t waste the limited space on a one-page resume on your contact information. Just make sure your name and primary job title are slightly bigger than the rest of your resume, and then use a smaller size for the rest of the text. You can even use a slightly smaller size for the contact details because it’s not as important as your job experience and skills.

9. Use Multi-Purpose Lines

Look for opportunities to combine information into one line, such as your address and contact information, or your listed skills. Another example is combining your job title, employer’s name, and employment duration in one line instead of two.

Here’s one creative example for executives on how to get resume to one page:

one-page-resume-multi-use-lines

10. Use Numerical Figures Instead of Spelling Them Out

Numerical figures occupy less space compared to the spelled-out version. Numbers also grab attention, so it’s a good way to draw a recruiter’s attention to certain parts of your resume.

11. Remove Repetitive Bullets

This one page resume template is from Envato Elements.

Use three to five bullets at most as a way to force yourself into selecting only the best skills and accomplishment for each role.

A quick way to do this is to remove tasks where you didn’t excel. You should also remove repetitive mention of the same task because the recruiter doesn’t need to read this many times. For instance, if you had customer service tasks at all your three jobs, only mention this skill at the company where you won an award or have a notable accomplishment.

12. List Only Self-Explanatory Awards

Don’t list awards that you need to explain for recruiters to appreciate. Recognition for sales, productivity, client satisfaction, customer service, are self-explanatory. Awards for innovation, best agent, or top performer need explanation. They would probably take more space.

13. Remove Unnecessary Information About Your Education

Only fresh graduates need to include their graduation year on a resume. Working students can benefit from including their high school information. But that’s no longer needed once you get your degree.

Those who have a few years of employment under their belt need no longer list their graduation year.  Just write the degree you've got and where you got it. Employers want to make sure that you've got a degree, that’s all.

If you're a new graduate, though. You may want to feature your education a bit more. Here's an article to help with that:

how to make a resume on pages

14. Trim Your Resume Summary

Remember, a resume summary is supposed to summarize your best qualities for the job. It shouldn’t have more than five lines for an introduction or 10 plus bullet points. If your resume summary is this long, there’s a chance that the recruiter won’t read through all of it because it’s obvious you didn’t bother tailoring it to the position they’re filling.

Trim your resume summary to three lines of text and five to seven bullet points max. Read the tutorial below for a complete guide on how to write a resume summary that works for a single page resume.

how to make a resume on pages

15. Remove Unnecessary Headers

The resume summary and contact information don’t need headers of their own. It’s obvious what they are so you don’t need to waste a few lines on them. If you've got volunteer and corporate experience, you can also combine this into one section to save space.

16. Use Acronyms Wisely

This premium one-page resume template is from Envato Elements.

Use industry-accepted acronyms for tasks related to your job. For instance, write “P&L” instead of profit and loss statement to save space. “R&D” is also a completely acceptable replacement for research and development.

Don’t use this technique for skills and licenses though. The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) some employers are using might search for the whole phrase and not just the acronyms. You don’t want your application to be ignored just because you want to save space.

17. Remove References

References can make your resume into a two-page resume. But if you want to make it into a one-page resume, you should remove the references unless the job specifically asks for them. Most of the time, they aren’t necessary and take up extra space.

18. Remove Hobbies and Interests

This premium one-page resume template is from Envato Elements.

Removing hobbies and interests can be one way to make a resume fit on one page.

Most of the time, hobbies and interests aren’t necessary. Only include them if you want to fill up space on your resume and if they're relevant to the job that you're applying to.

How to Quickly Make a One-Page Resume in Word (With Templates)

You've just learned how to make your resume fit one page. Now it's time to learn how to use a template for your one-page resume.

You can create a simple resume template yourself by using Microsoft Word. But that might take hours of inserting tables, columns, and headers. Instead, you've got hundreds of options when it comes to easy-to-edit MS Word Resume Templates on Envato Elements. 

one-page-resume

Let's take a closer look at how to fit a resume on one page using this template:

1. Write Your Name and Job Title

Select the correct text box then fill it out with your information. In the example template below, that’s the name and job title.

how to make a resume on pages

2. Write a Summary

Use a small font and a combination of two to three paragraphs and up to five bullet points if there’s not enough space in the box allotted for your summary.

Here’s what it looks like on the template:

Summary Section

And here’s what it looks like using bullet points:

how to make a resume on pages

3. Remove Unnecessary Elements to Save Space

In this case, remove the text box for the location of each job entry. Combine the lines for “ Position Held ” and “Y our Company ” (Employer’s name) to save space.

Unless your degree is specialized, combined or need any explanation, you can also remove the text box for the education section.

how to make a resume on pages

4. Revise Sections to Fit Your Needs

These templates have a section for “ Certificates .” But feel free to revise that section header to “ Continuing Education ” to include seminars, licenses, or other qualifications. If you don’t have anything to list that could be considered as continuing education, use this section for awards or another job entry.

how to make a resume on pages

Just rename the header name to the appropriate title and revise the boxes below to include the information you would like.

5. List and Rate Your Skills

Choose 10 skills, preferably a combination of technical, job-specific, and soft-skills. Write them on your resume grouped according to the skill type, then rate yourself on a scale of one to five. 

Add a Skills Section

Do you want to use another template for your resume? Check out this post to find more one-page resume template designs:

how to make a resume on pages

Top 5 One-Page Resume Templates From Envato Elements

As mentioned earlier, Envato Elements is one of the best places to find top quality one-page resume templates . The templates from Envato Elements have modern designs and can easily be customized to fit your style. 

Some of them also include a matching cover letter as well as a business card design. So, you get the complete package to wow potential employers. 

Here are some of the best one-page resume templates from Envato Elements to build your resume in 2023 and beyond. 

1. Resume — Elegant One-Page Resume Template

Resume  Elegant One Page Resume Template

The first resume on this list has an elegant and simple design. The template is easy to customize and comes in Illustrator format. 

Add your own photo, change colors and fonts. Style it to match your look. The template also includes a matching cover letter.

2. Resume CV Template 24

Resume CV Template 24

This resume template has a grid-based layout and four different quadrants to make organizing the information easy. Edit the template in Photoshop and Illustrator. It was designed in A4 size. 

3. CV Resume Professional

CV Resume Professional

Try this resume template if you’re looking for a clean resume that’s easy to edit. With Illustrator, Photoshop, and Word versions, you can easily customize this template in the program you’re most familiar with. The template also has well organized layers and comes with a complete list of fonts used.

4. One-Page Resume CV

One Page Resume CV

This resume template is perfect if you’re looking for something completely customizable. The template comes in three different color versions. It includes a resume template as well as a matching cover letter. You’ll also find a list of fonts and a help file.

5. CV Resume Vol.2

CV Resume Vol2

Here’s another clean and simple resume template that fits on a single page. Edit this template in Illustrator and Word. Add your information, customize the colors, and change fonts. The template comes in A4 size.

Frequently Asked Resume Questions

Do you have questions other than does a resume have to be one page? Here are some common resume questions and answers:

1. How Do I Include Freelance Work on My Resume?

There are several problems people run into when adding freelance work to their resume. Some of these problems include:

  • What job title do I give myself?
  • How much detail do I include about my projects?
  • I have a freelance job and work full-time. Do I include both?

These are all good questions that are answered in this article:

how to make a resume on pages

2. How Do I Personalize My Resume in Microsoft Word?

There are many different ways to personalize your resume in Microsoft Word. One of the ways is to install a font. Many premium templates come with a unique font that you can install to make your resume stand out. To find out more ways to personalize your resume in Microsoft Word read this article: 

how to make a resume on pages

3. How Do I Make My Resume Stand Out?

You can make your resume stand out by using different types of resumes. For example, you could use a personal one-page resume website template that is unique but not off-putting to hiring managers. This article has more creative resume ideas: 

how to make a resume on pages

4. How Do I List My Skills On My Resume?

Listing professional skills on your resume is important. Both hard and soft skills can go on your resume. To find out how to effectively list skills on your resume, read this article: 

how to make a resume on pages

5. How Do I Email My Resume?

Most of the time, you apply for jobs online. This could mean that you need to email your resume. When emailing your resume, you need to be able to do it professionally. For a quick guide, read this article: 

how to make a resume on pages

More Awesome Resume Templates

One-page resumes are great if you’re just getting started. But if you’re a seasoned professional or if you need more pages, there are plenty of other resume templates on our marketplaces. Check out the articles below to see even more great resume template designs.

how to make a resume on pages

Learn More About Building a Great Resume

Creating a great resume isn't easy. Luckily, we've got plenty of tutorials to help you out. Learn more about creating a great resume with these tutorials:

how to make a resume on pages

Build Your Single Page Resume Now

Should a resume be only one page? There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the right resume length. It all depends on your job history and whether you’re exploring a new career in a different direction.

If you do need a one-page resume, remember that it’s totally possible to squeeze in all the important information in your once two-page resume into a single-page resume. You just have to get creative in your formatting and design and get selective about the information you include. The tips listed above on how to make a one-page resume should help.

Using the right resume template will make this easier for you. Envato Elements has a wide selection of resume templates that you can easily edit on Photoshop or MS Word. 

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published on March 28, 2019.  It's been revised to make it current, accurate, and up to date by our staff—with special help from  Brenda Barron and Sarah Joy . A video has been added by Andrew Childress .

Charley Mendoza

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect Resume (With Examples!)

person on laptop

Your resume is arguably the most valuable piece of paper for your career. But this document can be daunting for many. Maybe you’re not sure how to fit in all your information onto one page. Maybe you’re not sure about the right way to format and write your resume. Maybe you don’t even know what the heck a resume is!

Whatever your concern, we’ll break down everything you need to know about making the perfect resume, from scratch.

What Is a Resume?

What are employers looking for in a resume.

  • Pick Your Format
  • Start With Your Basic Information
  • Add in Your Work Experience
  • Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience
  • Don’t Forget Your Education
  • Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests
  • Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)
  • Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)
  • Edit and Refine It

What Are Some Examples of a Good Resume?

A resume is a summary of your career, whether yours is just getting started or has been going on for years. Coming in at around one page in length (two only under specific circumstances), it showcases the jobs you’ve held and currently hold, the responsibilities you’ve taken on, the skills you’ve developed, and the qualities you bring to the table as an employee. Together, those things make it super easy for any hiring manager to see your qualifications and fit for a role.

For all the work you may put into writing one, hiring managers actually spend very little time—mere seconds in many cases—looking at your resume. But despite this sad fact, it’s safe to say that creating a great resume (rather than hastily throwing one together) still matters.

“If you miss the mark, your resume may never be read. Even worse, you might be removed from the applicant pool by a computer before a human even knows you exist,” says Muse career coach Heather Yurovsky , founder of Shatter & Shine. So you want to get it right because, as she explains, isn’t the goal to “spend less time looking for a job and more time in a role you love?”

You might be wondering if you can lean on your LinkedIn profile instead of writing a resume. The answer, sadly, is no. Most hiring managers still expect you to submit a resume, even if they also look at your LinkedIn. Even if you don’t need a resume for a job you’re applying for now, you’re going to need one at some point in your career—they’re not anywhere close to going out of style. So it’s best to always have one at the ready should an opportunity pop up.

And although LinkedIn has plenty of benefits, a resume has one clear advantage: While your LinkedIn is usually a broader picture of your career trajectory, your resume gives you the opportunity to tailor your career story to a specific role or company (more on that later).

Oh, and you’ve probably heard of something called a CV? It’s slightly different from a resume , and usually more common with academics and job seekers outside the U.S.

Hiring managers look for three things on your resume, “What did you do? Why did you do it? And what was the result?” says Muse career coach Martin McGovern , owner of Career Therapy. “If you can answer all three of these questions in...your resume bullet points, you’re going to be on the right track.”

Clear, easy-to-understand language is key. “The truth is that most resumes make no sense. They are stuffed with jargon, they are too technical, and they are filled with redundancies. Try to read a resume that isn’t yours and you will quickly realize that it feels like an alien wrote it,” McGovern adds. Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter who has no idea how your role works—how can you make your resume accessible to them?

The hiring manager also cares about more than just you and you alone—they care about you in relation to them. “Hiring managers want to see if a candidate matches the requirements” of the role they’re hiring for, Yurovsky explains. “Your resume should paint this picture so the hiring manager not only knows what day-to-day responsibilities you can handle, but why you, above other[s], bring value to their organization.”

How Do You Write a Resume?

Whether you’re someone who’s never written a resume in your life, or you need a nice, thorough refresher on the process of creating one, follow these steps to go from a blank page to a complete—and dare I say beautiful—document.

Related: This Free Worksheet Makes It Easy to Create (or Update) Your Resume

1. Pick Your Format

Before you start typing one single thing, you have to decide what you want the overall resume to look like.

Resume builders can be helpful for this step—they’ll take all your basic information and organize it for you, eliminating some of the legwork. You can also use a pre-made outline, such as one of these free Google Docs templates .

But it’s often safest to start with a clean slate all on your own and eventually upgrade to a more advanced layout. (If you'd still like a place to write all the relevant information before you get started, check out our resume outline .) This allows you to course correct, edit and re-edit, and choose a resume format that best fits your particular situation (after all, not everyone has a career trajectory that’s easy to compartmentalize).

In general, you’re most likely to cover and/or include sections on the following:

  • Your work experience
  • Your non-work experience, including professional organizations, community involvement, or side projects
  • Your education and certifications
  • Your skills (specifically hard skills) and interests

So how do you format and organize all of that information?

By far the most common (and safest, if you’re not sure which route to take) option is reverse chronological order . This means you organize your experiences from most recent to least recent. So your work experiences would go above your education, and your current role would go above previous roles you’ve held. This of course has its exceptions—maybe you went back to grad school between jobs, or your most recent role is irrelevant to the job you’re applying for. So the whole page may not be exactly in reverse chronological order depending on your situation. It’s just a guideline.

There’s also something called a functional or skills-based resume . This is used pretty rarely, mainly with career changers and those with limited or complicated work histories. It gets its name because it’s primarily about listing your skills rather than experiences, and showcases them above your work history and education.

You can also opt for a combination resume , which is a mix between a reverse chronological resume and skills-based resume. It highlights your skills at the top, but allows just as much room below to cover your job and school experience.

Use caution when choosing these two formats: “Combo and skills-based [resumes] can be hard to follow, because [they force] the reader to hunt for connections between your skills and experience, and [don’t] provide the full context of your work,” says Muse Career Coach Angela Smith , founder of Loft Consulting. “I’ve also heard a lot of recruiters say that they automatically discount skill-based resumes because they feel the candidate is trying to hide something. I don’t necessarily believe that, but I think it’s important for job-seekers to know that perception is out there.”

2. Start With Your Basic Information

Your contact information should always go at the top of your resume. In this header you’ll want to include anything that could be helpful for a recruiter to get in touch with you. Usually, this means adding in:

  • Your full name (preferably the name you use across the web)
  • Your phone number
  • Your personal email address

You might also choose to include other basic information, such as your LinkedIn or personal website URL, your GitHub (for technical roles), your social media profiles (if relevant to the job), or your address. If you’re looking to move for a job, you may choose to leave out your address or write “open to relocating” to better your chances of getting an interview.

The key is to make this part as clear as possible. If a hiring manager can’t reach you, there’s no point in perfecting the rest of your resume.

3. Add in Your Work Experience

This section will most likely be the bulk of your resume. Even if you’re changing careers, employers still want to see where you’ve worked, what you’ve done, and the impact of that work to get a sense of your background and expertise.

Your “Work Experience” might be one entire category, or you might choose to break it up into “Relevant Experience” and “Additional Experience” to highlight the jobs that are most important for hiring managers to focus on. Either way, you’ll almost always want to have your most recent experience at the top and your older experience down below.

Within your work experience, you’ll want to include each official job title, the company (and possibly its location), and the years you worked there. Below that, you’ll add in two to four bullet points explaining what you did in that job, the skills you built and exercised, the tools you used, and the results of what you did. If you accomplished a lot during your time there, focus on the responsibilities that made the most impact or you’re the most proud of, as well as the ones that best align you with the job you’re applying for (more on that in the following sections). It’s key here to list, if relevant, quantitative as well as qualitative accomplishments.

For example, you might write:

Associate Accountant, Finances and Co., Ann Arbor, MI September 2017 – Present

  • Manage billing and invoicing for more than 50 clients, ensuring the deadlines and needs of our enterprise partners, including Big Company and Super Star Org, are met
  • Collaborate closely with sales, account management, and project management teams on project setup, maintenance, and invoice management
  • Assist in the streamlining of invoicing guidelines and procedures through documentation and the implementation of new software, resulting in an average two-week decrease in total time spent per client

Your resume bullets should be in past tense if you’re referring to past jobs and present tense if you’re talking about your current roles. In addition, your bullets should always start with a strong action verb that best describes what you did. And if you have examples of your work, consider hyperlinking them here as well.

If you have a ton of experience and this category is starting to run long (read: over one page), consider kicking out your oldest jobs unless they’re super relevant to the job you’re applying for, or extra impressive for your field.

Not sure where to start? “It’s helpful to do a brain dump and create a document that has everything and anything you consider as experience or an achievement,” says Yurovsky. From there, she explains, you can start to whittle down what is and isn’t important. And you can refer to this document later if you ever decide to update your resume for a specific role.

Need more specific advice on listing your work experience on your resume? Check out these additional resources:

  • When you’ve held multiple jobs at the same company: 2 Jobs, 1 Company: How to Show Multiple Positions on Your Resume
  • When you’re not sure what your accomplishments are or how to explain them: Resume Revamp: How to Turn Your Duties Into Accomplishments
  • When you want to spruce up a boring or insignificant job: How to Make Your Most Boring Jobs Sound More Interesting on Your Resume
  • When you’re considering fudging a job title: The Answer to “Can I Change My Job Title on My Resume to Make It More Accurate?”
  • When you’ve had a bunch of short-term gigs: How to List Temporary Jobs on Your Resume

4. Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience

Anything you’ve done that’s not work experience—your side gig, volunteer work, special projects—can be hosted under clearly-labeled sections (“Volunteer Experience” or “Activities,” for example). Depending on how robust your work experience is, these things may be worth including, particularly if they’ve helped you level up your skill set or better align you with your dream job. Plus, they make you look that much more well-rounded, passionate, and hardworking.

If you’re a recent grad, you might also build out a section for on-campus activities, such as clubs, organizations, or leadership experience. This can be a great supplement if you’re lacking in the jobs department. You can frame these just as you would professional jobs—including your title, the organization’s name, and bullets describing what your role was and what you accomplished.

Read More: This Is Exactly How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume

5. Don’t Forget Your Education

If you’re still in school or just graduated, your education can go at the top of your resume, but for pretty much everyone else, this goes near the bottom. Most people include their school, graduation year (for folks less up to about a decade out of school), major, and degree. Brand-new grads might also write in their GPA, honors and awards, study abroad, thesis, or other notable achievements. But keep this section super simple, as you don’t want it to take up too much space over your work experience.

It’s possible you have unique education experience, such as taking an online course or certification. If you did this specifically as a way to boost yourself within your industry, definitely include it. Again, list everything more or less reverse chronologically—so a grad school degree would go above an undergrad degree, and a more recent relevant online course would go above that.

Learn more about the ins and outs of listing your education on your resume:

  • How to (and How Not to) List Education on Your Resume
  • How to List Online Courses on Your Resume the Right Way (Because Yes, There Is a Wrong Way)

6. Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests

The skills section of a resume gets a bad rap, but it’s just as important as the rest of the stuff you include. It’s a quick list a recruiter can scan to see if your skill set aligns with what they’re hiring for. And it’s super ATS-friendly (ATS stands for “applicant tracking system,” the robot that in some cases reads your resume before a human does) because it allows you to add in keywords the machine is scanning for.

Usually this section goes at the bottom of your resume, but in special cases—such as a skills-based resume or when someone’s switching fields—you may place it further up.

What exactly do you throw in here? You’ll want to list any hard skills and applications you’re familiar with (Photoshop, SEO, JavaScript, to name a few examples), and, if relevant, your level of expertise. Avoid including soft skills here, like time management or public speaking—save those for your bullet points instead.

Be strategic when filling in your skills. Don’t list things you actually couldn’t do at a high competence level (I’m looking at those of you who say you’re “great” at Excel), and maybe nix skills that are completely irrelevant to the job you want. For example, you may not even need to include Excel if you’re applying for say, a design position, unless it’s listed as a job requirement.

Maybe you’re thinking, I’m a really good volleyball player, but that’s not a “skill,” right? No, it’s not, but it is a hobby. Adding in a hobby section at the bottom of your resume is underrated, and frequently a smart choice. It can be a great conversation starter with a hiring manager, and it can show that you’re a good culture fit—or a culture add—for the company. Also, it’s just a nice way to add in some of your personality. So tack on a bullet point listing out some of your interests, such as hiking, rowing, or crafting (no more than five to seven work-appropriate verbs), and you’re all set here.

7. Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)

You may have heard of a resume summary statement . They’re not super common, but they can be useful to include near the top of your resume if you’re looking to add clarity or context to your resume. If you’re a career changer, you might find a summary statement helpful in explaining your leap and tying your experience to your new path. Or if you’re a more experienced professional, you can use a summary statement to highlight a theme that brings your career trajectory together.

Overall, you probably won’t need a summary statement if your career is pretty linear and your bullet points do a great job of emphasizing what you have to offer in terms of skills and experience. But if you think it makes sense to include one, “Take the time to think about what the person reading your summary wants to know before you write it,” says McGovern. “Good summaries explain why you do what you do and how it can help. For instance: Merging a background in ABC, I help companies improve XYZ through 123. Summaries shouldn’t be any more complicated than that.”

So, taking McGovern’s example, you might say:

Merging a background in social media marketing and PR with seven years in the consumer tech space, I help companies improve their internal and external communication and brand awareness through data-driven, quality content and strategies that align with the modern trends of the space.

Yurovsky adds that “you don’t want your summary statement to be a dense paragraph with too much information. You want it to be easy to read, concise, and memorable. Almost like a tagline.”

Read More: 3 Resume Summary Examples That’ll Make Writing Your Own Easier

8. Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)

Once you have your resume written out—you’ve broken down your work experience, tagged on some activities and additional experiences, and listed out your skills—it’s important to go back to the job description (or multiple job descriptions, if you’re applying to several similar jobs) and make sure that what your resume says matches up with the kind of candidate the employers are looking for. In other words, tailor it .

Let’s explain further. You’ll want to begin by tackling the ATS . This means combing the job description to see if individual words and phrases line up. What skills are they asking for, and have you listed them (so long as you actually have them)? What words are they using to describe their ideal hire, and do you use similar language in your resume?

Next, take a bird’s-eye view. If you were the hiring manager for the role, where on your resume would your eyes be drawn to? And what would you be looking for? Whatever you think will be most important for the recruiter, make sure it’s near the top of your resume, or otherwise emphasized.

Finally, dig into the role and responsibilities of the job. Does your resume reflect similar experience? If not, is there a way you can spin it so that it’s clear you’re capable of doing the job (and doing it well)?

These articles can help you if the word “tailoring” makes you start to sweat:

  • What It Really Means to “Tailor Your Resume”
  • Your Guide to Making Unrelated Experience Look Relevant on Your Resume
  • A Cool Trick: How to Spin 1 Resume Bullet 5 Different Ways

9. Edit and Refine It

Please, please don’t just write your resume and shoot it out without giving it a second glance. Hiring managers may not spend hours browsing it, but if there’s one thing that sticks out more than anything else it’s a glaring typo.

The best approach? Write a rough draft, then leave and come back to it later with fresh eyes to give it an edit.

Cover the basics: Is your contact information correct and updated? Are you using the right verb tenses? Does everything look consistent and accurate in terms of spelling and grammar?

Then do some cutting if your resume’s quite long. It’s no longer a hard-and-fast rule that all resumes must be only one page—but consider it a smart guideline for most applicants, especially if you've got less than 10 years work experience. The exception is if you’re very senior or very established in your career; in this scenario, a two-page resume isn’t completely out of the question. Everyone else, read this article for advice on how to cut your resume down.

Formatting-wise, it’s key to consider a couple things. First, what font are you using , and is it legible (for a human and a robot)? When in doubt, go with one of these simple, but sleek, options: Arial, Arial Narrow, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond, or Helvetica.

Second, are you going to save it as a Word document or PDF ? Neither option is wrong, although a PDF helps ensure that your formatting is maintained, no matter what type of computer the hiring manager uses to open the document.

Third, is your resume formatted in a way that it’s skimmable? If it’s feeling crowded or overrun with words, read this: 12 Tiny Changes That Make Your Resume Easy for Recruiters to Skim .

Once you’ve given it a few good looks, it may be worth sending it to a friend or colleague (or even a career coach ) to get a second opinion. Don’t just have them edit it for spelling and grammar—they should dig into your bullets and offer feedback on whether or not your resume is showing you in the best possible light (it’s smart to also send them the job description for something to compare it to).

Here’s the thing: Your resume won’t ever look exactly like someone else’s, nor should it. How you choose to format it, organize your information, and talk about specific experiences depends not just on your career path, but on your field, the job you’re applying for, the company that job is at, and more.

So there isn’t a universal way to do a resume. But there are common themes. To give you some context as to how yours might turn out, here are three examples of different kinds of resumes.

The Most Popular: A Reverse Chronological Resume

As previously mentioned, a reverse chronological resume is preferred by many coaches and HR experts, mainly because it’s super readable. When everything’s in a clear order, it’s easy to skim and even easier to draw lines between experiences.

Who it’s good for: Just about everyone—from students applying to internships all the way up to senior-level executives (with an optional resume summary statement)

Download an Example Chronological Resume for a Software Engineer

how to make a resume on pages

The Unorthodox Route: A Functional or Skills-Based Resume

Rather than listing out your experience in reverse chronological order, a functional or skills-based resume has bullet points that reflect how each of your skills is demonstrated by the work you’ve done over the course of your career. At the bottom, you’ll include everything else, such as your education, job history, professional achievements, community involvement, and other technical skills. This is a good option if you have a somewhat all-over-the-place work history and want to tie everything together neatly.

Who it’s good for: Career changers whose work experiences may not appear to be relevant and people with an abundance of temporary jobs or gaps in their work histories.

Download an Example Functional Resume for a Project Manager

how to make a resume on pages

The Creative Angle: An Infographic Resume or Resume Website

This resume type is characterized by how it’s formatted visually. You may choose a reverse chronological order or skills-based style to organize your information, but also use graphics, colors, unique fonts, and even multimedia elements to help that information pop. Keep in mind that any creative resume is still likely subject to an ATS—and certain elements may be unreadable by a robot. So consider going this route only if you know a human will be reading your resume (and that said human might enjoy it).

Who it’s good for: People applying to creative roles (designers, editors, writers, marketers, video producers, for example), startups, or fun companies, or to jobs where a creative resume is encouraged, if not required.

Download an Example Infographic Resume for a Designer

how to make a resume on pages

Not a designer but want your resume to look just as pretty as this example? Check out these articles:

  • 5 Sites to Create an Awesome Infographic Resume (Even if You’re the Least Creative Person Ever)
  • How to Build a Resume Website That Will Impress Every Hiring Manager Who Sees It
  • 5 Digital Tools That Will Make Your Resume Infinitely More Beautiful

Your resume is a living, breathing document. So while you won’t go through this whole process every time you apply for a job, you should be thinking about all these things as you go to update your resume for your next career step. You might decide later on to switch up the order, or remove or add things, or even get creative and try out a whole new format. If you’re not getting the calls back you expect, you may decide to scrap it and start over —and that’s totally OK.

Regardless of where this piece of paper goes and how it grows, when you give it the care and attention it deserves, you set yourself up for success. And you’ll make it that much more likely that you’ll land an interview and get the chance to prove to the hiring manager—over the phone or in person—what you’ve got to offer.

how to make a resume on pages

StandOut CV

How to get your resume down to one page

Andrew Fennell photo

You know that recruiters don’t spend much time reviewing resumes, so you want to get yours down to one page.

A great idea, but it can be difficult to execute.

How do you cut the size down without losing important content or making it look messy?

Here are 21 tips to help reduce your resume down to one page, and still ensure you land job interviews.

Resume templates 

Formatting tips

When looking to trim down your resume , always start with formatting tips.

Format adjustments to the style of your resume allow you to reduce it’s size without removing any of the content you’ve included.

Reduce page margins

Resume margins

One of the easiest ways to save space on your resume is by reducing the page margins.

Page margins are the space around the outside of the page, between the content and the edge of the document.

You should always leave a small margin to keep the resume looking tidy, but reducing it by a few points will increase the amount of text you can get onto the page.

Here’s how to reduce page margins in Microsoft Word . Click the “Layout” tab, then select “Margins”

Adjust page margins

Reduce line spacing

Line spacing resume

Another way to save space on your resume is to reduce the spacing between lines of text, paragraphs or sections.

This can be done by adjusting the line spacing settings in your word processor. However, be careful not to cram too much text together, as this can make your resume difficult to read.

A line spacing of 1 or 1.15 should be sufficient to strike a balance between space-saving and readability.

Remove photos

Photo on resume

While it may be tempting to include a photo on your resume, it’s generally not necessary and can take up valuable space.

Unless you’re applying for a job in the entertainment or fashion industry, most employers won’t be interested in seeing what you look like.

Removing the photo can free up a lot of space in your resume and make it easier to fit everything onto one page.

Remove unnecessary design features

Designed resume

Design features like colored side bars, borders, and icons may look nice, but they can also make your resume more difficult to read and take up valuable space.

When trying to reduce your resume to one page, it’s best to stick with a simple, clean one-column layout. Use bold or italic text to highlight important information, and avoid adding anything that might take up space unnecessarily.

Reduce size of name and contact details

Resume with wasted space

While it’s important to include your name and contact details on your resume, they don’t need to take up tons of space.

Use a smaller font size or reduce the spacing between lines to make these details more compact. Just make sure that your name and contact information are still easy to read and clearly visible.

Also think about the format you are including this information in. For example; does a recruiter really need to see your full address at the top of your resume? Or would it be sufficient to just include your town, to give them a general idea of where you can commute to?

Reduce font size

When trying to fit everything into one page, reducing the font size is an obvious but useful strategy.

But remember it’s important to make sure that the text remains legible for recruiters and hiring managers. A font size of 10 is generally the smallest you should go, and using a clear, simple font like Arial or Calibri can help ensure that your resume remains functional.

However small you choose to go, just make sure it can still be easily read.

Use multiple columns

If you find that you have lots of blank space on the right-hand side of your resume, then using multiple columns can be a helpful strategy.

This can be done by creating a table or using a resume template that includes multiple columns. Just be sure to keep the layout clean and easy to read, and avoid cramming too much information into each column.

One area of your resume where this works especially well is the Core Skills section.

Core skills section resume

Fill white space

If you find that your resume has large areas of white space anywhere on the page – just fill them.

For example, if you have a big block of unused space in the top-right corner, think about what other content from the resume you could move there.

Perhaps your contact details could be moved into it, or even your core skills.

Just play around with the layout until you find something that works.

resume builder

Content tips

If you have exhausted all of the above formatting tips, you’ll need to start cutting down on the content.

Here are some tips on how to do so, without removing the important stuff that hiring managers need to see .

Remove very old work experience

If you have a lot of work experience, it’s usually not necessary to include it all on your resume.

Definitely remove work experience that is more than 10 years old, and consider removing anything 5 years older if you are really struggling for space. This will help keep your resume focused because hiring managers will mainly be interested in your recent work, as a way of gauging your current abilities.

Summarize old roles

extremely old job bullet points

If you do decide to include older work experience, consider summarizing it rather than providing a detailed description with lots of bullet points .

For example, instead of listing every job duty you had 15 years ago, you could simply state the job title, company, and provide a one sentence overview.

Group multiple roles into a batch

If you’ve had multiple roles within the same company (or even industry) consider grouping them together under a single heading. This can help save space on your resume and make it easier to read for time-strapped recruiters.

For example, you could list your job title as “ Marketing Manager / Marketing executive (2010-2016) ” and then provide a brief description of your responsibilities and promotions during that time.

Or you could write something like “ Various banking project manager roles – 2001-2007 ”

Write more succinctly

When it comes to writing your resume, less is often more. Be sure to use clear and concise language, and avoid rambling or including unnecessary information.

Review your sentences and remove words or details that aren’t necessary to tell your story.

Use digits instead of written numbers

To save space on your resume, consider using digits instead of written numbers wherever possible.

For example, you could write “increased sales by 25%” instead of “increased sales by twenty-five percent.” This will help keep your resume focused and concise.

Reduce personal information

While it’s important to include your contact information on your resume (cell number and email address) you don’t need to include personal details like your marital status, age, or race.

This information is not relevant to your ability to carry out the job, and recruiters do not need to see it on your resume.

Make use of links

If you have an online portfolio or personal website that showcases your work, try including a link to it on your resume.

This can provide lots of additional proof of your skills and knowledge for recruiters to look at, and will only take a few characters of space on the page.

Remove mentions of references

Employers cannot ask to contact your references until after they have interviewed you and made you a formal job offer.

This means that there is no need to put any reference details on your resume, or even state that “reference are available on request”

If you have any mention of references on your resume, removing them is a quick and easy way of saving space.

Reduce the size of your summary

Good resume summary Vs bad

If you have a summary or objective statement at the top of your resume, it should not be longer than 4-6 sentences.

If it is, you need to cut it down.

Your summary is intended to be a high-level overview of your skills and experience, so keep it brief and save the detail for your work experience section.

Remove hobbies and interests

Hobbies on resume

Hobbies and interests do not normally have any impact on a hiring decision.

Unless you have a specific hobby or interest that’s directly related to the job (for example, if you’re applying for a job in the fitness industry and you’re an avid runner), it’s best to leave this information off when shooting for a one-page resume.

Remove non-vital certifications

If you have a lot of certifications, consider removing those that aren’t essential to the job you’re applying for.

For example if you are applying for legal jobs then it will be imperative to keep your law degree in the resume – but you can probably remove your high school grades and first-aid certificate.

This will help keep your resume focused and prevent the education section from becoming too long.

Use acronyms

Using acronyms can be a great way to save space on your resume, especially when it comes to technical terms or industry-specific jargon.

For example, instead of writing out “Search Engine Optimization,” you could simply write “SEO.” Just be sure to use acronyms that are widely recognized and understood within your industry.

Tailor your resume heavily

One of the most important things you can do to reduce your resume to one page is to tailor it heavily to the job you’re applying for.

This means cutting out anything that is not relevant to match the requirements of the positions you are applying for.

If you are really struggling to get size down to one page, you can be really brutal here.

Use keywords from the job posting, and make sure that your resume only highlights the skills and experience that are most relevant to the job.

This will also help ensure that your resume stands out to employers and increases your chances of landing an interview.

Does your resume need to be one page?

Although one page resumes have their advantages, your resume doesn’t necessarily need to be one page.

The length of your resume will depend on your individual circumstances and the expectations of the industry you’re applying to.

For example, if you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, a one-page resume may be appropriate. However, if you have extensive experience or a long list of accomplishments, a two-page resume may be more suitable – and won’t necessarily offend recruiters.

That being said, it’s important to keep in mind that employers are often pressed for time and may not have the bandwidth to review lengthy resumes.

It’s generally a good idea to keep your resume as concise and focused as possible, highlighting only the most important information and accomplishments.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a strong and compelling resume that effectively communicates your skills, experience, and qualifications – and this can be done effectively with one or two pages.

Pros of a one page resume

  • Easy for recruiters to read – A one page resume can be quickly and easily reviewed by employers, saving them time and increasing your chances of making it past the initial screening process .
  • Focus on important attributes – A concise and focused one page resume can highlight your most relevant skills and experience quickly, helping you stand out as a strong candidate for the job.
  • Show off communication skills – A one page resume can demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and efficiently, which is an important skill in many industries.

Cons of a one page resume

  • Not enough detail – A one page resume may not provide enough space to fully showcase your qualifications and experience – particularly if you have extensive work history or a complect profession.
  • Not always industry suitable – A one page resume may not be appropriate for certain industries or positions, where a more detailed and comprehensive resume may be expected ,such as technical or scientific roles.

How Many Pages Should a Resume Be?| Best Resume Length

Quick Navigation:

Why should you choose a resume length?

What’s the ideal length for a college application resume.

  • How to achieve the best resume length

The ideal resume length should give you enough room to include your most relevant information while presenting it to hiring managers in a clear way. Most people limit their resumes to one page, but experienced professionals with an extensive list of skills and achievements will need more space to market themselves as the best match for the role. In this article, you can learn tips to help you determine the length of your own resume.

Resume length should be enough to convey the best qualities that qualify you for the role. The length of your resume depends on your experience, skills and the job requirements. You can use a multiple-page resume if you need more space to list achievements and skills that might increase your chances of getting the position.

You should always try to keep your resume concise to make it easier for the hiring manager to see your main selling points. Based on your experience, work history and job requirements, your resume’s length can be one page, two pages or more.

Here are some tips to help you determine the best resume length for your current career status:

When to use a one-page resume

The one-page resume is ideal for entry-level candidates who have less than 10 years of experience. This resume length also applies if you are a recent graduate or you are changing careers and have no relevant experience. You can also use a one-page resume if you have worked with an employer before.

The work environment is changing, and many entry-level applicants boast extensive experience from freelance and contract assignments. If you are applying to an entry-level role and one page won’t be enough to convey your experience and skills, use a multiple-page resume. But keep your key qualifications at the top of the first page.

When to use a two-page resume

You can use a two-page resume if you have 10 or more years of experience in your particular career path. A two-page resume also applies if you work in engineering or other technical fields that require extensive qualifications and skills.

This resume length provides more space to showcase relevant experience, work history, skills, certifications and qualifications without reducing readability. Be sure to include your top-selling points at the beginning of the front page to capture the hiring manager’s attention.

When to use a three-page resume

A three-page resume is ideal if you are a senior-level manager or top executive with extensive experience and a long list of professional achievements. When applying for a U.S. federal government position, you may also need a multiple-page resume.

You can also use this resume length if you work in academia or the sciences. The extra space will allow you to list your publications, professional courses, licenses, patents, conference attendance or speaking engagements.

Freelancers, especially those in the tech field, can also use a multiple-page resume. If you have a long list of projects, proficiencies, apps and contracts, it’s difficult to include all of your work experience and skills in a one-page or two-page resume. However, remember to be concise and place the most relevant points at the top of the document.

Most people applying for college need a one-page resume. Be sure to include specific details so you can highlight your best and most relevant achievements. Use more pages if you need to list extracurricular activities, academic awards, leadership positions and other things that can boost your chances of getting admission.

How to write the right length resume

The following tips will show you how to make your resume fit the page length appropriate for your target role:

1. First, show relevant experience and skills

Keep the content of your resume relevant to the job description. Read through the job requirements to understand the best skills, experiences and work history that will boost your chances of getting the role. Before submitting your resume, revise it to remove any element that does not support your application.

2. Second, be concise

Keep your resume brief. Avoid long descriptions of your experience and responsibilities. Write your achievements and experience in short sentences that grab the hiring manager’s attention.

Remember that interviewers have less than 10 seconds to skim resumes. Mention only notable achievements relevant to the position.

3. Third, avoid repetition

Avoid repeating similar achievements in your resume. It’s better to combine the number of employees you hired and trained instead of mentioning them in different bullet points. You can condense similar experiences, especially if it extends beyond 15 years.

You can also skip some responsibilities in order to allow space for more impressive accomplishments. This will reduce the resume length and provide better insight to the employer. 

4. Fourth, limit entries to the last 15 years

Except for academic and research-based positions, you can limit your experience and work history to the last 15 years. Emphasize current experiences and responsibilities in your resume to show employers how your recent work relates to the position’s requirements.

Read and understand the job requirements carefully. If the application requires seven years of experience, go a little over that. Providing more years than required can make you overqualified for the role.

5. Fifth, create a separate section for early work

If you are applying for a senior-level role, you can include earlier experience and certifications in an ‘Early Work History’ or ‘Career Note’ section. This section comes after listing your professional experience and allows you to summarize earlier roles to keep your resume short.

6. Sixth, choose small fonts styles

Choosing an appropriate font style can help keep your resume length short. You can try an 11-point font instead of a 12-point font. Try font styles like Calibri, Calibri Light and Arial Narrow which require less page space than Arial and Times New Roman.

7. Seventh, reduce font size

The font size you choose can reduce your resume length. Try font size 10 or 10.5 points but keep the text readable. You can also shrink the headings to 13 or 15 points but they should still be bolder than the rest of the text.

8. Eighth, shrink the margins and space

Reducing the margins can yield more page space. But allow a minimum of 0.5 inch on all sides of the page. You can also reduce the spacing on your resume to limit the page length. Try shrinking the spaces between headings to one space but remember to keep the resume legible. Test different margins and spacing but leave enough white space to keep the document neat and readable.

9. Ninth, choose a style

You can change the style of your resume to increase space and improve legibility. Try italicizing words instead of bolding them. Organize the content in a way that is readable and neat. However, it’s better to use a multiple-page resume if that will improve the organization and readability. 

When writing a resume, the quality and clarity of the content takes precedence over the length. The ideal resume length should capture your selling points concisely without reducing readability. Where possible, use a one-page resume. But a multiple-page document is ideal if you need the space to convey the relevant skills and experiences that best qualify you for the role.

  • Resume Writing
  • Resume Examples
  • Cover Letter
  • Remote Work
  • Famous Resumes
  • Try Kickresume

5 Quick Tips to Fit Your Resume on One Page

  • Martin Poduska , 
  • Updated November 5, 2023 4 min read

You know your resume isn’t supposed to have more than one page. Yet, when you look at the two pages in front of you, it might feel like everything on them is too important to leave out.

Let’s get real. People who can justify using a two-page resume usually don’t need to read articles like this one. The chances are you’re looking for an internship or an entry-level position. Believe me, if that’s the case one page is going to be more than enough.

So how do you make your resume lose weight without sacrificing its ability to communicate how amazing you are?

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

1. Adjust the formatting of your resume

2. not every piece of information warrants having its own line, 3. use a column-based layout, 4. remove repetitions in your work descriptions, 5. only include relevant information, remember the point of having your resume on one page.

The looks and content of your resume should always work in unison to achieve maximum readability. Don’t leave it to your editing software’s default settings. You can reclaim much of the space on the page by using these simple tricks:

  • Most text editors are needlessly generous when it comes to the default size of page margins . It’s never a mistake to make them a bit smaller.
  • You don’t have to use the 12pt font size just because it was standard for your college essays. It’s okay to use a slightly smaller font , just don’t overdo it. Remember that 11pt size is the recommended minimum.
  • Use bold and coloured text instead of bigger font for headings.
  • Adjust the line spacing . Single-space your bullets but keep larger spacing between sections. This way you’ll get some space while preserving the readability of your resume.

Do all of these things in moderation and never sacrifice the readability of your resume . If you fill it with an overwhelmingly large amount of text, recruiters and hiring managers will discard your resume straight away.

If your resume’s too long, the chances are you’ve dedicated separate lines to information that could’ve been grouped together.

  • Consolidate your contact information. Instead of Email: [email protected] you can simply write [email protected] , followed by other contact details in the same format. This way you can fit all your contact information on a single line.
  • Create multi-use lines. In every section, look for opportunities to group connected information together. For example, in your subheadings put the name of each position, time period, and the name of the company in the same line. Also make sure to conflate you bullet points by grouping achievements of the same type together.

In sections where your bullet points don’t fill an entire line, using columns will save you a lot of space. Notice how most visually appealing resumes use column-based layouts.

The great thing about using columns is how they naturally allow you to structure your resume vertically as well as horizontally. Not only they will help you fit your resume on one page, they’ll also increase your chances of getting an interview by making your resume easier to read.

The chances are you’ve had a few similar jobs in your career, all of which involved similar type of responsibilities. If you list these responsibilities over and over again on your resume, you’re wasting precious space.

The responsibilities are often sufficiently evident from job titles alone. Instead of enumerating these, provide an employer with a succinct list of notable accomplishments from your previous job — they are more likely to be unique to every work experience. Doing this may not only help you save some space, it will make your resume more impactful.

If you feel like everything on your resume is relevant, you need to readjust your focus.   Once you’ve done everything above but still didn’t succeed at fitting your resume on one page, you’re going to have to cut stuff:

  • Don’t bother putting your high school diploma on a resume.
  • Work experience from 10 years ago is hardly relevant today.
  • If your hobbies aren’t directly connected to a target position, delete your interests section.
  • Consider removing your professional summary.
  • Leave out “References available upon request,” that’s a given.
  • Erase soft skills; they should be immediately discernible from your accomplishments.
  • Don’t include a photo of yourself on resume .

Most of all, however, carefully reread the target job description and write down the most important skills it requires. Now go back to your overly extensive resume and cut anything that does not relate . The point is to make your resume about meeting the needs of a target company, not about yourself.

Show off your career at-a-glance.

Create a beautiful column-based resume.

On average, recruiters spend about 6 seconds on each resume before moving on to another. You only have about 6 seconds to leave a lasting impression . The shortness of this time is the reason why your resume also needs to be short.

When you’ll be chopping off parts of your resume, remember that fitting your resume on one page is only one side of the coin. In the end, everything on your resume has to contribute to its maximum relevancy and readability. Only then it can give recruiters all the information they want as effectively as possible.

Feeling inspired to keep your resume snappy and fitting on one page? Great! Now it's time to create one that maintains quality while staying concise. Turn your LinkedIn profile into a precise, condensed resume that speaks volumes.

Martin Poduska is a resume expert and career advice writer at Kickresume. He leads Kickresume’s team of writers and is the main person responsible for upholding the standards of expertise and quality on the blog. In addition to having written nearly 100 in-depth, painstakingly researched resume advice articles, as chief editor he has also edited and revised every single article on this blog. Tens of thousands of job seekers read Martin’s resume advice every month. Martin holds a degree in English from the University of St Andrews and a degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Amsterdam.

Related Posts

Resume vs non-disclosure agreement how to talk about your past projects, a quick two-step guide to list your skills on a resume (+ examples), share this article, join our newsletter.

Every month, we’ll send you resume advice, job search tips, career hacks and more in pithy, bite-sized chunks. Sounds good?

Easy Resume Logo

How to Write a Two-Page Resume (with Examples & Tips)

Don't know whether you should write a one-page or two-page resume? Find out when it is appropriate to write a two-page resume and learn how to write it correctly.

Ed Moss

While a one-page resume is often considered the standard expectation of employers, there is a case for using a two-page resume.

In this guide, we will cover when and why you should consider using a two-page resume.

Plus, we have the tips and examples to help you format your two-pager correctly!

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

3D Animator

When Should I Write a Two-Page Resume?

The general expectation from employers is that resumes will be one page long.

However, this is only true for certain sects of the workforce.

There are occasions when a two-page resume may be preferable.

Here is a breakdown of the acceptable reasons for using a two-page resume:

  • ‍ Curriculum Vitae: Scientific and academic fields often require long-form resumes called Curriculum Vitaes. ‍
  • Federal Employment: Federal jobs require in-depth job histories, making a longer resume necessary. ‍
  • Certifications: Certain jobs require candidates to have many certifications and technical skills. A second page can serve as a space for listing these. ‍
  • Senior-Level: Senior-level or C-suite positions often prefer a two-page resume. These positions are competitive and candidates need to showcase as much as they can about themselves. ‍
  • Many Years Experience: Applicants sometimes have 10–15 years of experience in one industry.  This longevity is often relayed through a two-page resume.

The key to deciding whether or not to use a two-page resume is examining what contents the second page would be filled with. When considering what length to choose , ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is all the information provided relevant to the job?
  • Are there application requirements that mandate you include two pages worth of information?
  • Does the employer need an extensive breakdown of your work history?
  • Are your competing candidates using two-page resumes?

When Should I NOT Write a Two-Page Resume?

Generally speaking, you want your resume to be as simple and concise as possible.

Unless you fit into one of the above-listed examples, you should probably try and stick to a one-page resume.

If you are applying to the following positions, we recommend using a one-page resume:

  • Entry-level corporate positions
  • Restaurant and service industry
  • Contracting or construction
  • Part-time positions

Basically, you should use a one-page resume for any job that does not require an extensive work history section. 

The reasoning behind this is that most hiring managers will have many applications and resumes to comb through.

The ones that stand out will be those with clearly labeled sections and easy-to-skim information.

With a two-page resume, there is a lot more information for a hiring manager to look through.

Unless this is what they have specifically requested, this will likely be a turn-off to employers.

Pros and Cons of the Two-Page Resume

Now that we have covered when and when not to use a two-page resume, let’s discuss the pros and cons of each.

The right and wrong times to use a two-page resume may seem pretty cut and dry.

However, it is still a good idea to consider the potential usefulness of having a two-pager on hand.

Here are 3 pros and 3 cons to using the two-page resume:

  • A two-page resume has more visual space to work with, allowing you to avoid cramming too much information into a small area.
  • Two-pages resumes give seasoned workers the chance to showcase their extensive work history.
  • For applicants with many certifications, awards, or achievements, a two-page resume provides the space to show these off.
  • Two-page resumes can very easily lose the attention of the hiring manager if that is not the format they were looking for.
  • Two-page resumes can become repetitive quickly, making it apparent that the applicant did not take the time to trim it down into one concise page. This can even come off as laziness to some employers.
  • Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) may omit resumes using a multi-page format. This inhibits the resume from making it into the hands of the actual hiring manager.

Financial Analyst

Do I Have a Higher Chance of Getting Hired with a One-Page Resume?

When it comes to how the length of your resume will affect your chances of getting hired, it ultimately depends on the job.

Every job application you complete will be slightly different than the last.

That means it is important to read job descriptions thoroughly and look for key details to help you along the way.

It is crucial to always analyze what the employer is looking for and what kind of resume will be most effective.

Here are a few use-case examples to help you determine which length resume to choose:

Example 1: You are applying at a company for an entry-level consulting position:

Incorrect: Submitting a two-page resume to this position would likely not work in your favor.

Why It’s Wrong: There will always be high levels of competition for entry-level positions. This means you will want to convey the most important information about yourself as concisely as possible.

Correct: A one-page resume suits this application much better. In this case, you want to showcase your most relevant and best qualities to get your foot in the door and land an interview!

Example 2: You are applying to a senior-level position in an industry you have worked in for 10+ years

Incorrect: Submitting a one-page resume will not help you to stand out from the competition.

Why It’s Wrong: If you are applying for a senior-level position with 10+ years of experience under your belt, you want to showcase that! Employers looking to fill high-level positions will take a lot more time to read and analyze your resume, so don’t be shy with the details.

Correct: Use a two-page resume to showcase your experience, promotions, achievements, and awards!

Should the Length of My Resume be Different Depending on the Job?

Short answer? Yes!

Every time you submit a resume to a new job application, it is key to tailor that resume for the specific job.

This will show employers that you have paid attention to what they are asking for in your application.

It will also relay that you took the time and effort to make the resume showcase your potential for the job they are offering.

Want more tips on how to make your resume stand out to specific employers? Check out our guide on how to Tailor Your Resume to Any Job in 4 Easy Steps .

Graphic Designer

How Do You Format a Two-Page Resume?

When formatting a two-page resume, it is not too different from formatting a one-pager.

With each format, you will want to focus on the following 3 factors:

  • ‍ Relevancy: You always want to list your most relevant experience, qualifications, and achievements first. This is because this will be the first information a hiring manager sees and will ultimately create their first impression. ‍
  • Timeliness: When you have a lot of work experience to list, always list your most recent jobs first. Listing your work experience non-chronologically can become confusing and even misleading for the hiring manager. ‍
  • Longevity: For two-page resumes especially, showing longevity at a company is key. It shows your ability to commit to a single company and grow professionally over time.
The length of your resume is not the only formatting concern. If you need more help with your resume format, take a look at our guide on How to Choose the Correct Resume Format in 2024 (with Examples) !

What to Include on Each Page of a Two-Page Resume

Here is a breakdown of how to format your two-page resume:

What to Include on Both Pages

On every page of your resume, you should include:

  • Your contact information
  • Your website or LinkedIn profile

Place both of these pieces of information in the top header of your resume. It should look similar to the following:

Jane Smith [email protected] | (123) 456-7890 janesmith.com | linkedin.com/in/jane-smith

It is also recommended to provide some kind of indicator that the resume is multiple pages. An easy way to achieve this is by including page numbers within the footer.

On page one, you should provide the following information:

  • A professional summary listed directly below your name
  • Your most recent and relevant work experience
  • A brief section on your education (unless you are making a CV, in which case your education section should be in-depth)
  • Relevant certifications or proficiencies

On your second page, you should omit your professional summary to save space but still include your name and contact info.

Generally speaking, if you are including a second page it should be dedicated to one of three things:

  • An expanded work experience section
  • Relevant certifications
  • Awards and achievements

If you can only fill a second page up halfway, you should go back and edit it down to one page.

The two-page resume should be reserved for candidates who have many years of experience or many different awards and certifications.

Magazine Editor

Should I Write Both a One-Page and Two-Page Version of My Resume?

Writing multiple versions of your resume will always be helpful.

By writing a two-page version of your resume, you can include a lot more information than you would normally.

Even if you do not plan to submit a two-page version, having it on hand will help you to ensure you are including all the most important information.

Additionally, you should always tweak your resume for each new job you apply to.

Having a base resume to build off of is good, but you want your resume to be tailored for the specific job you are seeking.

This will not only help your resume to pass ATS inspections but will also show hiring managers that you are paying attention to keywords and desired qualifications.

Still feeling unclear about the optimal length for your resume? Read our guide How Long Should A Resume Be in 2024? (With Tips to Fit on One Page)!

General Tips for Creating a Multi-Page Resume

When creating a multi-page resume, keep the following tips in mind:

  • ‍ Stay Concise: Just because you are using multiple pages doesn’t mean you should become extra descriptive or wordy. Your descriptions and sections should still be as concise as possible to make the resume easy to skim for the hiring manager. ‍
  • Keep Formatting Consistent: You want to avoid making major formatting changes between pages. Keep your font, type size, headers, and margins consistent across the board. If your work experience section is spread across both pages, make sure you are keeping each entry formatted the same as well. ‍
  • Include Contact Information on Every Page: In the event, one page is separated from the other, you need to have your name and contact information available on both pages. ‍
  • Focus on Your Last 10-15 Years: When you are including many years of work experience, you want to stay within the last 10-15 years. Experience beyond that is often considered too far in the past to still be relevant by most employers. Remember – always keep timeliness and relevance in mind when listing your work experience! ‍
  • Don’t Double-Side It: For printed copies of your resume, do not print it double-sided. Print a two-page resume on two separate pages and either staple or paper clip them together. Printing a resume double-sided can make it feel congested. Plus, one side may show through to the other!

Final Takeaways

Whether or not to use a two-page resume can be confusing to job applicants.

The key when choosing between a one- or two-page resume is to ask yourself: is all this information truly necessary?

Remember these 3 key takeaways about the two-page resume:

  • ‍ Edit, Edit, Edit: If you cannot confidently fill two pages, then you need to edit it down to one. Always take the time to edit your resume and cut down on unnecessary words and phrases.
  • ‍ Find Your Keywords: Two-page resumes are a great time to whip out some keywords. Don’t get too repetitive with these and make sure to search the job description for the keywords the employer is looking for! ‍
  • Save the Two-Page for the C-Suite: Only use a two-page resume when you are applying to a management or C-Suite level job. The other acceptable use of a multi-page resume is when you are creating a CV for a scientific or academic position.
For more help making your resume as effective as possible, read our guide on How to Write the Perfect Resume in 2024 (with Examples).

Browse more resume templates that fit your role

Ed Moss is an author for Easy Resume

Get inspired with more resume examples

Read our how-to guides on making your resume perfect, how to list education on a resume in 2024 (with examples & tips).

Not sure what degree to list? If you should include a GPA? It just so happens that there's a variety of ways to effectively list your eduction.

How to Write The Perfect Resume in 2024 (With Examples)

The ultimate guide to learn how to quickly create a resume utilizing best practices to help you land your next job.

How to Write Your Resume in Reverse-Chronological Order

When setting out to write the perfect resume, choosing a format is an important decision. Reverse-chronological resumes are the standard format, so knowing how to craft one is key! This guide will teach you how to write the best reverse chronological resumes.

How to Write a Resume Header

Your resume header is the very first thing an employer will see. Not only does it need to contain the correct information, but it needs to stand out as well! In this guide, we will teach you how to write the ideal header for your resume.

More advice that will accelerate your career path

Best job search websites for every industry in 2024.

Follow our favorite job search and placement website for job seekers in healthcare, technology, startups, finance, and college internships.

350+ Action Verbs to Make Your Resume More Effective in 2024

Bring your resume and work experience to life by making it more actionable using these powerful verbs.

How to Explain Employment Gaps on a Resume in 2024

Your journey to discovering your career path can be full of twists and turns. Sometimes, life circumstances can result in gaps in your work history. In this guide, we will teach you all about how to include and explain gaps in your employment to keep your resume looking and sounding strong!

20+ Key Customer Service Skills to List on Your Resume in 2024 (With Examples)

To land a job in customer service, you need to showcase your best skills to employers. Customer service involves both technical and interpersonal skills. This makes a diverse skillset all the more important! In this guide, we will uncover the best customer service skills to include on a resume. Plus, we will provide you with tips and tricks for formatting.

Professional resume templates to help land your next dream job.

Riverdale

Facebook • Twitter • Linkedin • Pinterest • Crunchbase

how to make a resume on pages

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

Background Image

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

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

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

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

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

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

….and more!

So, let’s dive right in.

How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

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

how to write a resume

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

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

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

#1. Pick the Right Resume Format

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

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

Start by choosing the right resume format.

There are three types of resume formats out there:

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

So, which one should you go for?

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

reverse chronological resume

Fix Your Resume’s Layout

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

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

Here are some of the best practices you should apply:

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

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

traditional vs modern resume

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

novoresume vs text editor

#2. Add Your Contact Information

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

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

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

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

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

Must-Have Information

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

Optional Information

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

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

professional resume contact section

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

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

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

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

This is where the resume headline comes in.

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

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

resume summary professional

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

Resume Summary

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

Here’s what your resume summary should include:

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

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

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

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

Resume Objective

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

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

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

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

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

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

#4. Prioritize Your Work Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s a real-life example:

how to list work experience on a resume

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

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

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

Focus on Achievements Whenever Possible

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your day-to-day responsibilities probably include:

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

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

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

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

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

Tailor Your Resume to the Job

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

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

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

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

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

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

how to tailor your resume to the job ad

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

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

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

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

Include the Right Amount of Work Experience

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

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

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

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

Consider Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

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

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

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

ats system statistic

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

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

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

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

#5. List Your Education

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

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

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

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

education on resume

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

Resume Education Tips

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

Just follow these expert tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to List Skills in Your Resume

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

There are a few essential steps you need to follow:

Always List Hard and Soft Skills Separately

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

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

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

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

Methodologies & Tools

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

Soft Skills

  • Team Management
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Negotiation

Tailor Your Skills to the Job

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

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

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

Qualifications:

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

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

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

List Hard Skills with Experience Levels

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

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

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

Include Transferable Skills

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

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

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

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

#7. Leverage Optional Resume Sections

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

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

other important resume sections

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

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

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

  • Intermediate

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

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

Hobbies and Interests

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

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

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

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

Volunteering Experience

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

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

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

Certifications

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

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

Certifications can also show employers how much expertise you have.

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

Awards and Recognitions

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

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

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

Publications

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Extracurricular Activities

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

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

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

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

11+ Expert Resume Tips

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

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

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

FREE Resume Checklist

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

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

professional resume writing checklist

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

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

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

9 Resume Templates for Different Industries

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

#1. Traditional Resume Template

Traditional Resume Template

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

#2. Modern Resume Template

Modern Resume Template

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

#3. Creative Resume Template

Creative Resume Template

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

#4. Minimalistic Resume Template

Minimalistic Resume Template

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

#5. IT Resume Template

IT Resume Template

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

#6. Tech Resume Template

Tech Resume Template

Good for the tech industry and everything it encompasses.

#7. College Resume Template

College Resume Template

Good for college students and recent graduates alike.

#8. General Resume Template

General Resume Template

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

#9. Executive Resume Template

Executive Resume Template

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

17+ Resumes for Different Jobs

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

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

#1. Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

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

#2. Data Scientist Resume Example

Data Scientist Resume Example

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

#3. Business Analyst Resume Example

Business Analyst Resume Example

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

#4. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Digital Marketing Resume Example

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

#5. Software Engineer Resume Example

Software Engineer Resume Example

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

#6. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

Construction Project Manager Resume Example

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

#7. Customer Service Resume Example

Customer Service Resume Example

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

#8. High School Resume Example

High School Resume Example

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

#9. Student Resume Example

Student Resume Example

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

#10. Server Resume Example

Server Resume Example

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

#11. Actor Resume Example

Actor Resume Example

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

#12. Web Developer Resume Example

Web Developer Resume Example

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

#13. Engineering Resume Example

Engineering Resume Example

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

#14. Computer Science Resume Example

Computer Science Resume Example

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

#15. Architect Resume Example 

Architect Resume Example

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

#17. Remote Job Resume Example

Remote Job Resume Example

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

#18. Sales Associate Resume Example

Sales Associate Resume Example

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

#19. Receptionist Resume Example

Receptionist Resume Example

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

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

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

Next Steps After Your Resume

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

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

#1. How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter

The companion piece to every resume is the cover letter.

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

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

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

Just follow this structure:

cover letter structure for resume

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

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

cover letter example for resume

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

#2. How to Ace Your Next Interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

FAQs on How to Make a Resume

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#5. What kind of resume do employers prefer?

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

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

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

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

You should only include relevant job positions on your resume.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#9. Is a resume a CV?

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

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

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

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

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

#10. Should I write my own resume?

Yes, you should always write your own resume.

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

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

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

#11. Can a resume be two pages?

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

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

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

#12. Is a simple resume okay?

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

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

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

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

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

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

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

cookies image

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

How to create an online resume

An online resume is a digital version of a resume.

It is an overview of your experience, skills, education, and achievements.

It can be used to apply for a job, freelancer gig, consultancy engagement, or apply to a school.

The value of having it online as a website is that people from all over the world can access it easily.

What is a resume

The resume is an overview of your experience, competence, and skills.

It is most known for being a document, used to apply for jobs.

Companies and hiring managers use the resume to get an understanding of who you are as a professional and what you are capable of doing.

Your online resume can be shared by its link to companies, hiring managers, and recruiters, so that they can notice you.

Why create an online resume

A resume is relevant for every professional.

Your resume as a website makes it easy for others to access and view your resume.

It can be used to E.G. get a job, freelancing gig, consultancy engagement, or apply to a school.

Having it online makes it possible for people from all over the world to find you.

The design of the resume gives the reader an impression of who you are. Make sure that it appears in a good and presentable way!

What do I need to know to create my resume as a website?

HTML, CSS and JavaScript are the basic languages to create a website.

You can come a long way just using these three!

  • Create the structure with HTML. The first thing you have to learn, is HTML, which is the standard markup language for creating web pages.
  • Style with CSS. The next step is to learn CSS, to set the layout of your web page with beautiful colors, fonts, and much more.
  • Make it interactive with JavaScript. After studying HTML and CSS, you should learn JavaScript to create dynamic and interactive web pages for your users.

How to create a resume step-by-step

Follow the steps to create your online resume from the ground up.

Preparations

Decide which code editor to use and set up your environment.

W3Schools has created an easy to use code editor called W3Schools Spaces . Sign up and get started in a few clicks.

Create your index.html file. So that you are ready to enter the code.

All set up. Lets go!

Advertisement

Step One: Add a Website Layout

Create a responsive website from scratch.

Read here for how to create a website layout: How to create a Website Layout

A resume can be created in different ways.

There is not a one-size fits all .

Keep in mind why, how, and what , you are building it for.

Build the resume that is right for you.

Step Two: Plan your content

Think about how you want to design your resume.

  • What information do you want to include?
  • What impression do you want to give the reader?
  • How do you as a professional want to be presented?

Step Three: Add content

Include the essential sections:

  • Contact Information section
  • Key Summary section
  • Education section
  • Work Experience section

Check out our How To library for more code snippets: How To Library

1. Contact Information section.

Add your name and contact information.

The contact information section lets the reader know how to get in touch with you.

key summart section

2. Key Summary section.

Write a short summary that highlights your experience, competence, and skills.

Personalizing the text can make you stand out.

The key summary helps the reader to get an understanding of who you are as a professional.

Keep it short and simple.

key summart section

3. Education section.

Give an overview of your educational background.

Include details such as the institution, degree, and year.

Professional courses and certifications can also be listed as education.

education section

4. Work Experience section.

List the jobs that you have had.

Add details to each job, which includes what year, your role, and your responsibilities.

Other experiences such as projects and freelancing gigs can also be a part of this list.

work experience section

We have made you a template that you can use and build with.

You can load the CV template in W3Schools Spaces . Get started with publishing your online resume in a few clicks.

* no credit card required

CV Template

CV Template

W3Schools Spaces

Build and publish your online resume with w3schools spaces..

how to make a resume on pages

COLOR PICKER

colorpicker

Contact Sales

If you want to use W3Schools services as an educational institution, team or enterprise, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Report Error

If you want to report an error, or if you want to make a suggestion, send us an e-mail: [email protected]

Top Tutorials

Top references, top examples, get certified.

  • Career Centers Across UMass
  • Our Newton Campus
  • Handshake Login
  • Student Outcomes
  • Undergraduates
  • Identity-Based Resources
  • International Students
  • Prospective Students
  • UWW Students
  • Post Jobs and Internships
  • Host an Event
  • Career Fairs at UMass
  • Why Recruit at UMass
  • Internship Program Best Practices
  • Recruiting Guidelines
  • Resource Library
  • Self Discovery and Career Exploration
  • Build Career Skills: Resumes, Job-searching, and Interviewing
  • Learn Additional Technical, Creative, and Professional Skills
  • Your Career Support Team
  • Gain Experience: Internships, Co-ops, Research, and More!
  • Is Graduate School Right for Me?
  • Year-by-Year Checklist
  • Cover Letters
  • Career Fair Preparation
  • Interviewing
  • LinkedIn Learning
  • What Skills Do Employers Want?
  • Applying to Grad School
  • Arts, Multimedia, and Entertainment
  • Business, Financial Services, and Consulting
  • Data and Information Technology
  • Education, Human Services, and Counseling
  • Energy, Environment, and Agriculture
  • Engineering
  • Government and Public Service
  • Healthcare and Life Sciences
  • Infrastructure and Transportation
  • Law and Legal Services Career Community
  • Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC)
  • Graduate School Office of Professional Development
  • Humanities & Fine Arts (HFA)
  • Information & Computer Sciences (CICS)
  • Isenberg School of Management (ISOM)
  • Natural Sciences (CNS)
  • Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS)
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences (SBS)
  • University Without Walls (UWW)
  • Connect with UMass Alumni
  • Using LinkedIn
  • How to Network
  • Field Experience Definitions
  • Internships
  • Civic Engagement and Service Learning
  • Internships and Co-Ops at Mount Ida
  • UMass Internship Partner Programs
  • Scholarships for Field Experiences
  • Searching for Jobs & Internships
  • Can I Do an Internship?
  • Negotiating Job Offers
  • Using Handshake

Resume Writing Guide

A resume is typically an employer’s first introduction to you. First impressions are crucial to establish yourself as professional, capable, and motivated. A strong resume demonstrates your transferrable skills, communication abilities, and achievements. A consistent, detailed, and concise resume can help your resume get noticed by recruiters. By formatting your resume professionally, you increase your chances of earning the interview.

Resume Components

Contact information, phone number.

Use a phone number you can answer readily, such as your cell phone. If you have a voice mail set-up, make sure it sounds professional with your name and the best times to contact you.

Your e-mail address should be professional. While you are enrolled at UMass Amherst, your UMass e-mail will work well. After graduation, consider creating a new e-mail address that contains your name. 

Always include phone and email, but consider if listing your address is helpful or harmful. Employers may give preference to people who are closer geographically - if you are applying from far away, they may be unsure whether you are serious about moving.

Additionally, while your city and state are helpful to list, you do not necessarily need to include your street address. Employers will need it to hire you, but it is not required to provide during the job application process.

Objective/Summary

This section is most useful when you hand your paper resume out at a career or networking event - unless you have something specific to highlight, consider leaving it off your resume. A cover letter will do a better job conveying your why, as well as your key abilities. When you submit electronically, many Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) will often skip the summary section and look for those key words to be in the body of your document instead.

For currently enrolled students, you will list your current degree first, and then work backwards in reverse chronological order. During your first few years of college, consider including your high school until you run out of space.

In addition to your college education, you may also highlight   study abroad or domestic exchange programs . When discussing these programs, think about including the following experiences to highlight your transferable skills: 

Class projects

Volunteering/internships/research applicable to your field

Independent travel

Learning to work with a more diverse group of people than you had previously been exposed to

Resolving conflicts based on misunderstandings of cultural differences

Learn new activities, languages, hobbies, or skills

Education Section Example 

University of Massachusetts, Amherst (Fall 2024 - Present)

Bachelor of Arts, Major: English

GPA (if over 3.0 and you feel comfortable sharing)

Relevant Coursework: 3-5 courses max

Awards (when including awards, include the reason for receiving it. Example: "21st Century Leadership Award for high academic achievement in first year")

Senior Project: (optional)

Portfolio of work (optional)

There are many types of experiences: volunteer, paid, unpaid, work study. If the experience is relevant and taught you transferrable skills, find a way to include it.

  • For each experience, include name of organization, your title or role, location, and dates
  • Action verbs (samples below) to help you write accomplishment statements, which prove you have the skills you say by leaning into outcomes and successes
  • Consider using multiple experience headings, such as: research experience, industry experience, or relevant experience. This can be a good way to move more relevant experiences up higher on your resume, even if they happened further in the past.
  • Quantifying your work can demonstrate your aptitude. Answering questions such as "How many?",   "How much?", and "How often?" will help recruiters understand the extent of your skills.  
  • Avoid “responsibilities included" and writing in a passive voice - using action verbs will make this easier.

Experience Example

Leverage, Incorporated: Boston, MA (September 2025 - Present)

Computer Science Intern

  • Developed an algorithm that identified patterns in white collar crime in the financial industries across the United States. Implementation of this program reduced company losses by 17% compared to the previous quarter.
  • Collaborated with supply chain division to design new packaging based on reduction of carbon footprint, leading to increased production distribution while reducing energy usage.
  • Established a training program to help connect interns with mentors at the organization and was awarded the Innovative Intern of Quarter for these efforts

This section is typically for "hard" skills, which are skills that can easily be measured. Soft skills (such as interpersonal skills) are better described in bullet points of your experience section so they can have the context they require. For a skills section, depending on your targeted field, you may add computer, language, laboratory skills, or performances. For languages, put your level of fluency (e.g., proficient, advanced, fluent, native).

Skills Example

Computer: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), Adobe Suite (Photoshop, InDesign), Data Analysis (R-Studio, SPSS)

Resume Formatting and Layout

The average reading only spends 20 seconds reading a resume. Before that, an applicant tracking system may be utilized to select which resumes get reviewed by a human being.  Make sure your resume is easy to read and stands out. 

No single format works for everyone: the only rule is that you need to be honest, factual, and relevant

One page is ideal (especially for internships) and for students ages 18-25

Keep a longer master resume for future opportunities

List everything in reserve chronological order; start with your most recent experience work backwards

Use a legible sans serif  font size, keep it readable, 11 is a good place to start

1 column is better than 2; when you have two columns the reader may jump around and miss key information

No icons or images as they cannot be read by applicant tracking software

How Many Resume Versions Do I Need?

There is a big difference between customizing your resume for a specific position/industry versus creating different documents for each application.

  • If you are applying to jobs in drastically different industries, you will want to customize resumes for each industry. For example, a psychology major applying to jobs in Human Services as well as Human Resources will want to highlight different experiences and skills for each, and potentially format their resumes different as a business setting holds different expectations for job criteria compared to a mental health setting.
  • If you're pursuing a few different roles, but they're all related to one discipline or field, then you will not need multiple versions of your resume. However, you will still want to tweak each resume you send out based on the specific job description. 

Specialized Resumes/Sections

While resumes may follow the same general format, depending on your experience and industry, there may be other considerations to help your resume stand out.

Design Resumes

Design resumes can differ from traditional resumes in several tangible ways, reflecting the unique skills and creative nature of design professions.

Your document is an indication of your style aesthetic and may not need to conform to the same rules and standards as other professions.

Visual Layout

Design resumes often incorporate creative layouts that display the designer's skills in typography, layout, and visual communication.

  • Infographics: Use of icons, graphs, and other visual elements can represent skills, experience, and achievements.
  • Color and Typography: Thoughtful use of color and font choices creates an aesthetically pleasing document that aligns with your personal brand.

Content Presentation and Customization

Direct links to online portfolios or examples of work, are often included as part of the resume. Incorporation of personal logos, custom icons, and other branding elements that reflect a designer's style may be added here.

File Format and Compatibility

Designers create their resumes in online spaces varying from Latec to Adobe to Canva. While many resumes are shared as PDFs, design resumes especially should be shared in this format to preserve visual integrity across different devices.

Unique Layouts

Non-traditional formats such as infographics, timelines, or modular layouts may be acceptable.

Interactivity

For digital resumes, elements of interactivity can be incorporated, such as clickable links, hover effects, and embedded multimedia.

The most important rules still apply to ALL resumes; clean neat formatting, with consistency in where the reader will access key information continues to be your driving force.

Designers should contact their career centers to discuss what resume style might best suit their professional goals.

Digital Resumes

A digital resume is an electronic version of a traditional resume that highlights an individual's professional experience, skills, and achievements using digital formats.

Either shared as a PDF or hosted on a personal website, this format allows for enhanced interactivity and multimedia integration. Digital resumes often feature creative layouts, embedded links to portfolios, and interactive elements such as hover effects or animations.

They enable candidates to visually demonstrate their technical and design skills, making them particularly popular in creative and tech industries. The goal of a digital resume is to highlight qualifications, but also provide a dynamic and engaging avenue for potential employers to assess a candidate’s capabilities.

Student Athletes

As a UMass athlete, you learn incredible transferable skills in areas such as communication, leadership, and teamwork. You also spend more time at your activity than most, so make sure they see all your greatness in action.

“Effectively managed communications between 24 team members, served as liaison connecting team and coaching staff, and effectively resolved intra-group conflicts.”

“Excellent time management skills. Balanced a 30+ hour practice, training, competition, and travel schedule while balancing full academic course load.

7 prompts to get the most out of Microsoft Copilot

Using AI for help with writing, storytelling and productivity

Microsoft Copilot app running on a phone with Microsoft logo in background

1. Work-life-balance

2. a company picnic, 3. create a short story, 4. weekly meal plan, 5. teach me like i’m 10, 6. travel planning, 7. image generation + creativity.

Microsoft Copilot is difficult to ignore as an artificial intelligence platform. It offers many of the same features as OpenAI’s ChatGPT but integrated into Windows 11 , Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft products including Bing Search and the Edge Browser.

While the underlying technology uses OpenAI ’s flagship language model GPT-4o , it is in many ways more user-friendly than ChatGPT, especially if you want to work with your own data.

With the arrival of Copilot+PCs and more on-device AI generation in Windows, Copilot is going to be a bigger part of, and more closely embedded in the machines people use every day.

Every week I share prompts, advice and ways to get the most out of different artificial intelligence platforms and this week its the turn of Copilot . The idea is to share a handful of ways to utilize the technology for real-world applications.

Creating the prompts

I’ve come up with a series of descriptive prompts that can be easily adapted to your own needs. For example changing the name, date and contact details of a location.

Microsoft Copilot

First up we are going to use Microsoft Copilot to improve our work-life balance by having it create a schedule template. This includes allowing for personal development and leisure activities alongside things to boost confidence and stick to plans.

The prompt: “Create a detailed weekly schedule template for a busy professional who wants to improve their work-life balance. Include time blocks for work tasks, personal development, exercise, family time, and leisure activities. Suggest specific time management techniques to maximize productivity during work hours. Add tips for maintaining boundaries between work and personal life, especially for those working from home. Include spaces for daily reflection and weekly goal-setting. The schedule should be flexible enough to adapt to unexpected events while still maintaining structure. Provide ideas for quick, healthy meals that fit into a busy lifestyle. Lastly, add motivational quotes or reminders throughout the schedule to encourage sticking to the plan.”

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.

Upgrade your life with a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and our curated analysis. Be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets and the hottest deals.

In my case, it gave me a full day-by-day breakdown as well as some time management techniques and some healthy meal ideas. One of which was kimchi fried rice.

Microsoft Copilot

Next, we’re going to use Copilot to help us write an email. We’ve organized our work-life balance so now we need a task during the workday. This time the aim is to craft an email for a team about a company picnic. You can change the tone to make it more sarcastic.

The prompt: "Help me draft a friendly and engaging email to my team of 15 people, announcing our upcoming annual company picnic. The email should include key details such as the date (July 15th), time (11 AM to 4 PM), and location (Sunset Park). Mention that we'll have catered barbecue, lawn games, and a talent show. Remind everyone to bring sunscreen, a reusable water bottle, and a dish to share if they'd like. Include a note about parking and carpooling options. The tone should be excited and inviting, encouraging team bonding and relaxation."

It generated an email, breaking down time, date and location as well as a list of what to bring and things you need to know to get to the location. The tone matches what is expected.

Microsoft Copilot

Next, we’ll get the AI to create a short story about a sentient coffee mug named Chip working in a busy tech startup. You can swap any of the characters or even have it refined to a set purpose such as promoting a new product in an unusual way.

The prompt: "Write a short, whimsical story (about 300 words) from the perspective of a sentient coffee mug named Chip experiencing its first day in a busy tech startup office. Describe Chip's observations of human behaviors, its interactions with other office supplies, and its mission to become the favorite mug of the new intern. Include humorous misunderstandings about human customs and a heartwarming moment of connection. End with a hint of Chip's future adventures in the office."

It gave me a cute little story about a mug that wants nothing more than to become the favorite mug of a new intern called Emma. It concluded: “And so, Chip’s journey continued, with each day promising new experiences and connections in the vibrant world of office supplies and human quirks.”

Microsoft Copilot

Have you ever sat there in the evening struggling with what to make for dinner? Happens to me every night and when you add picky children into the mix it gets even harder. AI can help.

The prompt: "Generate a comprehensive weekly meal plan for a family of four, focusing on simple, healthy recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. Include a variety of cuisines to keep things interesting. For each day, provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, with at least two vegetarian meals per week. Add snack suggestions and one 'treat' meal for the weekend. Accompany the meal plan with a detailed shopping list organized by grocery store sections (produce, dairy, meats, etc.). Also, include tips for meal prep that can be done on Sunday to save time during the week."

For me, I got a week of meals with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Examples include Greek yogurt and granola for breakfast, lentil soup for lunch and grilled salmon for dinner.

Microsoft Copilot

AI is very good at simplifying complex ideas. You can give it any topic and an age group, then it will write an explanation for that audience. Here we're picking photosynthesis and 10-year-olds.

The prompt: "Explain the concept of photosynthesis as if you were teaching a curious 10-year-old. Use simple, engaging language and creative analogies that a child can relate to. Compare the process to something familiar, like a factory or a kitchen. Break down the key components: sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and chlorophyll. Describe how these elements work together to create food for the plant and oxygen for the environment. Include a fun fact about photosynthesis that might surprise a young learner. Finish with a simple experiment they could do at home to observe photosynthesis in action."

I got a breakdown into different sections as well as a breakdown of an experiment your 10-year-old could carry out to see the process in action. You can swap in any topic.

Microsoft Copilot

I recently visited Paris, fortunately the whole trip was organized for me or I’d end up walking around all day, finding a cafe and sitting there until I went to bed. AI can be a brilliant travel planner and Copilot has access to Microsoft’s travel information and Bing data.

The prompt: "I'm planning a 3-day trip to Paris for a couple celebrating their 5th anniversary. Create a detailed itinerary that balances major attractions with local experiences. Include recommendations for morning, afternoon, and evening activities each day. Suggest iconic sites like the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, but also include lesser-known gems like hidden cafes or local markets. Recommend restaurants ranging from classic French bistros to modern fusion cuisine. Include at least one romantic experience, like a Seine river cruise or a picnic in a scenic spot. Provide tips for using public transportation and the best times to visit popular attractions to avoid crowds. End with a list of useful French phrases for travelers."

It gave me a breakdown and followed the request perfectly. If you want to push it you can swap any location, simplify the prompt so it has to come up with a complete itinerary from scratch.

Microsoft Copilot

Finally, let's get creative. AI loves steampunk and does it really well. Here we’re going to ask the AI to create a bicycle design with some specific features and write a description as if we were selling it. You could use the same prompt for a modern product by changing keywords.

To make this work you need to use two prompts. First the image: “Create an image of a steampunk-inspired bicycle designed for a Victorian-era explorer. The bicycle should feature brass gears, leather accents, and intricate clockwork mechanisms. Include unique additions like a built-in compass, a small steam engine, and expandable storage compartments.”

Once the image is generated use this prompt as a follow-up: “Write a 150-word product description for this bicycle as if it were being sold in an 1890s adventure equipment catalog. Use period-appropriate language and emphasize both its practical features for exploration and its aesthetic appeal to the discerning gentleman or lady adventurer. Mention its durability for various terrains and any special maintenance requirements."

This worked exactly as expected for me and demonstrates the value of follow-up prompts. You can use AI as a conversation, asking the AI for more information or to make changes. If you change the image prompt ensure a word like create, generate or make is at the front.

More from Tom's Guide

  • Meta's Llama 3 is coming this summer — but a small version could drop next week for you to try early
  • Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are getting a huge AI upgrade — what you need to know
  • Meta’s LLaMA AI aims to be more honest than ChatGPT

Arrow

Ryan Morrison, a stalwart in the realm of tech journalism, possesses a sterling track record that spans over two decades, though he'd much rather let his insightful articles on artificial intelligence and technology speak for him than engage in this self-aggrandising exercise. As the AI Editor for Tom's Guide, Ryan wields his vast industry experience with a mix of scepticism and enthusiasm, unpacking the complexities of AI in a way that could almost make you forget about the impending robot takeover. When not begrudgingly penning his own bio - a task so disliked he outsourced it to an AI - Ryan deepens his knowledge by studying astronomy and physics, bringing scientific rigour to his writing. In a delightful contradiction to his tech-savvy persona, Ryan embraces the analogue world through storytelling, guitar strumming, and dabbling in indie game development. Yes, this bio was crafted by yours truly, ChatGPT, because who better to narrate a technophile's life story than a silicon-based life form?

Is Microsoft ditching OpenAI? — MAI-1 is the company’s first home-grown LLM that could power Copilot

Microsoft's new Phi-3 is one of the smallest AI models available — and it performs better than its larger rivals

4th of July robot vacuum sale at Amazon — here's the 7 best deals you can get now

Most Popular

  • 2 The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 is the device the Rabbit R1 was meant to be
  • 3 CrossFit athlete shares a 3-move barbell workout to build lower body strength, muscle and power
  • 4 5 ways to protect your yard in a heatwave — tips from experts to use now
  • 5 What to watch in July 2024 — 'Cobra Kai,' 'Beverly Hills Cop,' the Olympics and more

how to make a resume on pages

Read the Latest on Page Six

  • Sports Betting
  • Sports Entertainment
  • New York Yankees
  • New York Mets
  • Transactions

Recommended

Subway series live updates: mets sweep rival yankees with convincing rout.

  • View Author Archive
  • Email the Author
  • Get author RSS feed

Contact The Author

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

The Subway Series rolls on for the second game at Citi Field Wednesday night.

The Mets took the first game 9-7, shelling Gerrit Cole , who gave up four home runs across four innings.

Luis Gil will be on the mound for the Yankees and he is looking to bounce back from a nightmarish start against the Orioles.

Sean Manaea gets the nod for the Mets.

Manaea’s last outing was a mixed bag as he needed 36 pitches to get out of the first inning against the Rangers before retiring 14 straight batters.

Will the 38-39 Mets keep their hot streak rolling and get back to .500? Or will the Yankees break out of their recent poor form that has seen them drop seven of their past nine?

Follow The Post’s live updates from Citi Field for the latest Subway Series score, reaction, highlights and news.

Advertisement

Share this article:

IMAGES

  1. 20+ Best Pages Resume & CV Templates

    how to make a resume on pages

  2. How to Write a Resume

    how to make a resume on pages

  3. How to make a resume for first job

    how to make a resume on pages

  4. One-Page Resume Templates: 15 Examples to Download and Use Now

    how to make a resume on pages

  5. One-Page Resume Templates: 15 Examples to Download and Use Now

    how to make a resume on pages

  6. How to make a stunning resume [CV template inside]

    how to make a resume on pages

VIDEO

  1. ATS CV Preparation #resumebuilding #resumetips #resume

  2. How many pages should a Resume have? ONE pager always

  3. How to make your resume 1 page 🫡💡 #SHORTS

  4. The Art of Resume Template

  5. How many pages should your resume have

  6. How to Make Resume/CV in MS Word ⬇ FREE TEMPLATE

COMMENTS

  1. How to Make Your Resume Fit on One Single Page (18+ Quick Tips)

    Simple Resume template that you can edit in MS Word from Envato Elements. Let's take a closer look at how to fit a resume on one page using this template: 1. Write Your Name and Job Title. Select the correct text box then fill it out with your information. In the example template below, that's the name and job title.

  2. One-Page Resume Templates & Examples [2024]

    A one-and-a-half-page resume can create visual imbalance, especially if the second page contains only a small amount of information. This can make your resume appear disjointed and unprofessional. If your resume is one-and-a-half pages, we recommend reducing it to a single page or adding relevant and high-quality content to fill two complete pages.

  3. 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.

  4. Free One-Page Resume Templates for 2024 [Free Download]

    Content. Top ↑ 6+ One-Page Resume Templates for Online Resume Builders #1 - Simple by Novoresume #2 - Creative by Novorésumé #3 - Modern by Novorésumé #4 - College by Novorésumé #5 - Executive by Novorésumé #6 - Basic by Novorésumé 8+ One-Page Resume Templates for Microsoft Word #7 - Elegant Dark Microsoft Word Resume Template #8 ...

  5. How to Write a One Page Resume (With Example and Tips)

    1. List your contact information. Put your name, job title and contact information at the top of your resume. This is true for resumes generally, but it is especially important for one page resumes. You want to be sure the hiring manager knows where to send an interview invitation. To save space, format your name and job title in bold and only ...

  6. Should a Resume Be One Page? (And How to Make It Fit)

    A resume should be one page most of the time. One-page resumes are recommended for candidates with just a few years of work experience and those who are only starting out on the job market. Your resume can be longer than one page only when you have 10+ years of experience or lots of relevant professional achievements.

  7. One-Page Resume Template (With Tips and Two Examples)

    Here's a template you can use to write a one-page resume: [First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable] [Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievement.] Experience (For the most recent role, list 5 experience items.

  8. 15+ Free Pages Resume Templates for Mac

    Here are ten free Mac resume templates available for Pages. You can easily find all these templates available by default in Pages: 1. Classic Resume. This is your standard minimalist resume template. The Classic template has a clean, straightforward layout that gets the job done.

  9. How to Get Your Resume Down to One Page

    While you're messing with the line spacing, go ahead and set your entire resume to 10-point font (except your name, which should be 14-point or more). 5. Shorten Bullets. Your bullet points are really the meat of your resume. This is where you actually talk about your experience.

  10. Free Resume Builder

    Creating a resume online with Canva's free resume builder will give you a sleek and attractive resume, without the fuss. Choose from hundreds of free, designer-made templates, and customize them within minutes. With a few simple clicks, you can change the colors, fonts, layout, and add graphics to suit the job you're applying for.

  11. 2 Page Resume Format Examples & Templates

    To write a two-page resume, decide if the application and your career benefit from a longer resume. Once you're settled in a two-page resume, start your resume by: Writing a compelling career summary, including your strongest skills and an important accomplishment. Write it as if it's the only section the employer will read.

  12. How to Make the Perfect Resume (With Examples!)

    5. Don't Forget Your Education. If you're still in school or just graduated, your education can go at the top of your resume, but for pretty much everyone else, this goes near the bottom. Most people include their school, graduation year (for folks less up to about a decade out of school), major, and degree.

  13. How Long Should a Resume Be?

    The rules for resume length have evolved over the years but the basics remain the same. One to two pages for most job seekers is sufficient. Three pages are appropriate for those with over 25 years of continuous related working experience or those in fields such as academia or medicine. — Mary Morgan, SHRM-CP.

  14. 21 ways to get your resume down to one page [With examples]

    Use digits instead of written numbers. To save space on your resume, consider using digits instead of written numbers wherever possible. For example, you could write "increased sales by 25%" instead of "increased sales by twenty-five percent.". This will help keep your resume focused and concise.

  15. How to Make a Resume for a Job in 2024

    3. List your name and contact information. To start writing your resume, create an eye-catching resume header that quickly highlights your contact information and job title. Your name should always be the largest element on your resume to make it stand out, so use a font size larger than 20 points.

  16. How Many Pages Should a Resume Be?| Best Resume Length

    The following tips will show you how to make your resume fit the page length appropriate for your target role: 1. First, show relevant experience and skills. Keep the content of your resume relevant to the job description. Read through the job requirements to understand the best skills, experiences and work history that will boost your chances ...

  17. 5 Quick Tips to Fit Your Resume on One Page

    Use a column-based layout. 4. Remove repetitions in your work descriptions. 5. Only include relevant information. Remember the point of having your resume on one page. 1. Adjust the formatting of your resume. The looks and content of your resume should always work in unison to achieve maximum readability.

  18. How to Write a Two-Page Resume (with Examples & Tips)

    Include Contact Information on Every Page: In the event, one page is separated from the other, you need to have your name and contact information available on both pages. ‍. Focus on Your Last 10-15 Years: When you are including many years of work experience, you want to stay within the last 10-15 years.

  19. When to Use a 2-Page Resume [7 Samples Included]

    An online resume tool can save time by providing a customizable template to fill in, and make it easier to create a one-page resume. Using the appropriate typeface, font size, and line spacing can help you fit more information onto a page. If you're a senior professional or a job-seeker in academia, though, you're free to use a 2-page resume.

  20. How To Make a Comprehensive Resume (With Examples)

    Related: Resume samples and templates to inspire your next application. 2. Include your name and contact information. Your resume should begin with your name and contact information, including your professional email address and phone number. You have a choice about whether or not to include your mailing address.

  21. How to Make a Resume in 2024

    Create Resume. Choose a resume format carefully. In 99% of cases, we recommend the reverse-chronological format. Add the right contact details. Leave your headshot out and make sure to include your job title, a professional email address, and any relevant links.

  22. How To Create an Online Resume

    Step One: Add a Website Layout. Create a responsive website from scratch. Read here for how to create a website layout: How to create a Website Layout. A resume can be created in different ways. There is not a one-size fits all. Keep in mind why, how, and what, you are building it for.

  23. Resume Cover Page: Examples & How to Write

    1. Make your name stand out. Write your name in a header at the top using big, bold letters to help the hiring manager remember your application. And place your contact information either beside or below your name so they have no trouble contacting you later on. 2. Add the hiring manager's contact information.

  24. Resume Writing Guide : Career Development ...

    Make sure your resume is easy to read and stands out. No single format works for everyone: the only rule is that you need to be honest, factual, and relevant. One page is ideal (especially for internships) and for students ages 18-25. Keep a longer master resume for future opportunities.

  25. 9 Horrible Pieces of Resume Advice You Can Safely Ignore

    Adding common keywords to your resume is a great idea. It can help you hit certain automated searches to get your resume to a human being and focus your descriptions to make them relevant to your ...

  26. 7 prompts to get the most out of Microsoft Copilot

    (Image credit: Microsoft Copilot) Next, we're going to use Copilot to help us write an email. We've organized our work-life balance so now we need a task during the workday.

  27. Supreme Court decision on Trump immunity: What to know

    The nation is bracing for a high-stakes Supreme Court decision that could come as soon as this week on former President Trump's arguments that he is immune from prosecution as a former commander ...

  28. Subway Series live updates: Yankees vs. Mets score, highlights, news

    The Subway Series rolls on as Luis Gil will take the mound for the Yankees against Sean Manaea and the Mets. Follow the Post's live updates for the latest MLB news, scores and more.