How To Build a Professional Resume (Plus Examples and Templates)

A professional resume is a crucial tool in the job search process, serving as your marketing document. It showcases your qualifications, experiences, education credentials, and skills to potential employers and is most likely their first impression of you. Exploring our professional resume writing tips will help improve your chances of landing an interview and, ultimately, the job you desire. This resume writing guide will cover the essential steps, provide examples, and offer templates to help you craft a standout document.

Understanding the Basics of a Professional Resume

Definition and purpose

A professional resume is a formal document that presents your educational background, work experience, skills, and accomplishments. Its primary purpose is to demonstrate your qualifications to a potential employer. Effective resume writing can make a strong initial impression and set you apart from other candidates.

Key elements of a professional resume

A professional resume should include at least the following elements: contact information, education, experience, and skills. If applicable, additional categories may also be included, such as volunteerism, licenses, certifications, affiliations, and others, which will be described in more detail later in this guide.

Steps To Build a Professional Resume

Select the right format

There are three formats from which to choose when building a resume:

Chronological: Lists work experience in reverse chronological order. Ideal for those with a consistent work history.

Combination/Hybrid: Blends chronological and functional elements. Best for those with diverse work experience and relevant skills. If you are unsure which format is best, you can decide later, and a free resume builder tool may also help.

Functional: Focuses on skills and experiences rather than chronological work history. Suitable for those with gaps in employment or changing careers.

Gather necessary information

Once you have determined which style suits you best, gather the important information needed to start building. Compile personal details, work history, education, skills, certifications, and achievements. You will need to know dates, titles, outcomes, names of courses or papers, and possibly additional details.

You can begin to brainstorm by creating a list of duties at each job. Think about why and how you did each task and the results. If you have less experience but recently completed education or training related to your field, you can prepare a list of the names of the classes you took, assignments or projects completed, or research papers written.

Select a professional template

Choosing a polished and suitable template is essential to make a good impression. There are many professional styles available online that you can customize to suit your needs.

Detailed Guide To Filling out Each Section

Contact information

Every professional resume begins with your contact information.

The full street address is not necessary. Some applicants include city, state, and zip code since some employers use a radius or zip code search from the location of the office as a way to screen candidates. The further you live, the less likely to be contacted; conversely, the closer you live, the more likely, in these scenarios. It is also a good idea to include your LinkedIn profile, which is important to have.

Writing a compelling summary or objective

A summary statement at the top of the page helps focus the reader on who you are and what you do. This powerful piece of information is in the most valuable place on your resume, the top of the page. Objectives such as “To obtain a position as an entry-level accountant” used to be fairly common. These phrases were about stating your (the job seeker) goal.

In recent years, the objective has transformed into a summary, a more substantive statement geared toward the employer’s needs rather than your wants. It is three to five sentences. Introduce yourself by explaining your background and what you can offer while also connecting to the role you are applying.

“Recent graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, and CPA eligible with knowledge of managerial and cost accounting. Advanced Excel, Oracle, QuickBooks, and SAP skills developed through honors-level coursework and an internship at a Big 4 accounting firm.” One of the best ways to build a strong summary is to know the top skills needed to be successful in a role you are seeking and mention them in a compelling way.

Detailing your work experience

Most people opt for the chronological style resume. Even if you use another format, include your work history in reverse chronological order. The order is reversed because employers like to see what you are currently doing. You must use action verbs to describe how you performed your duties. Each resume bullet point should begin with a strong verb, as opposed to “Duties included.”

The majority of what we do can be broken down into a handful of categories: technical, administrative, communication, managerial, financial, research, creative, and helping. Dig deeper into describing that skill beyond the broader “communication.” Drill down on communication and use words like write, edit, speak, listen, negotiate, influence, address, advise, interpret, translate, present, lecture, and more. Choose your verbs carefully because the nuances matter.

Being more specific in the skill demonstrates experience, and it’s best to use the keywords most likely found in the job description. Also, add quantifiable achievements as often as possible. This makes a resume go from good to great.

Finally, be sure to tailor your resume to the job you are applying to. This could be as simple as reordering information, such as listing technical skills first or revising some of the language used in your resume. Perhaps you swap “managed a team” for “supervised a team” or “led a team,” depending on the employer’s language.

Some achievements are more difficult to quantify than others. Depending on the field you are in, this may be common, but you can still highlight your accomplishments without hard numbers.

Highlighting your education

If you have less than three to five years of experience, present your education at the top of the page. Those with more experience should put it toward the bottom. Your education section should include the name of the institution. You may also include location, but it is not necessary. Add the type of degree earned and graduation (or expected) date.

If you had a concentration in your major and also had a minor, include that as well (if relevant). Also include academic awards or honors, such as the dean’s list. Add relevant coursework, particularly if your work experience is light. You can incorporate more substance into a coursework section by going beyond a laundry list of classes. Include descriptions and learning outcomes. If you had a study abroad experience, add that as well.

Showcasing your skills

Demonstrate both “hard” (job-specific or technical) and “soft” (transferable, work style) skills on your resume. The skills you highlight should be aligned with the company and the job you are seeking. It’s important to do this because it is likely your resume will first be screened by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) in which the software reads your resume looking for matches based on the job description. Thus word choice is imperative. Also, the human reviewer can catch more nuanced information that may show how much of a fit you are for the team.

Adding extra sections

You may need additional sections to round out your experience and skills. Consider the following:

• Affiliations: You can include organizations in which you are a member, and if you hold a position or serve on a committee, feel free to include that information as well. Similar to the volunteer section, if you are using a combination or functional resume, this information may help you advance or pivot your career.

• Awards: These may be academic, but they can also be industry — or community-based. When considering information for your resume, the less relevant and older it is, the less necessary it is, especially if space is running low.

• Certifications: If you are licensed or certified to practice, include that here. If you completed a training course and earned a certificate, that is different from being a certified public accountant or Licensed Series 7 Stock Broker. If applicable, include the organization, date, and license number you earned.

• Languages: Include languages you are proficient in. If they are required for the job, you may want to highlight this skill at the top or in your summary: “Bi-lingual school social worker…”

• Presentations: If you have shared scholarly work or industry developments, strategies, or insights at a conference, training day, or related, you may highlight this achievement in its own category, Be sure to include the name of the function, where it was held, the date, and the topic.

• Publications: Should you be published in a scholarly or industry journal, or if you have written a book, add the title, publisher, and date.

• Training and professional development: If you have attended classes, completed LinkedIn learning, or participated in training through your employer, and feel it has value for your next potential employer, include it. You may note you earned a certificate, as that indicates you successfully completed a learning outcome.

• Volunteerism: You can include community service or volunteer work on a resume. Mention the organization, dates, and your role (other than volunteer, if applicable). For those using a combination or functional style, this experience may serve as a conduit to your next role.

Tips for Making Your Resume Stand Out

Customizing your resume

With the amount of competition for each job posted, it is crucial to customize rather than use one general resume for all jobs.

Using keywords

Review the job description, identify the keywords, and check your resume for those same words. Resources such as Jobscan help you run your resume and the job description to assess how close of a match you are.

Highlighting achievements over duties

Describing what you have done on a job is important for context, but focus on your accomplishments over duties. This will help you stand out and likely get through ATS.

Proofreading and editing

Always proofread your resume and have someone else also do so. Spellcheck is not sufficient to identify all errors. After you have worked on your resume, step away for a while. Return and slowly read it aloud to help spot any errors.

Free Professional Resume Templates and Examples

Frequently Asked Questions About Building a Professional Resume

Carolyn Kleiman

Professional Resume Writer

For the last 20 years, Carolyn Kleiman has helped individuals identify and achieve their career goals. Carolyn has held positions in recruiting and training and has helped countless numbers of job seekers craft high-quality resumes and cover letters, prepare for interviews, and eventually land their dream jobs! Carolyn is a Nationally Certified Counselor and a Certified Professional Resume Writer and is a member of the National Career Development Association and Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.