How to Write a Resume That Stands Out

Format	Best For	Key Features	When to Avoid
Chronological	Steady work history	Highlights career growth	Gaps or frequent job changes
Functional	Career changers, new grads	Focuses on skills, not jobs	Strong work history
Combination	Experienced pros	Balances skills & work history	Prefer a simpler format

Picking the Right Resume Format

Not all resumes are the same, and picking the right format matters.

Chronological Resume: The most common format, listing jobs in reverse order (most recent first). It’s great for those with a steady career path.
Functional Resume: This format highlights skills over work history, making it perfect for career changers, recent grads, or those with gaps in employment.
Combination Resume: A hybrid format that highlights both skills and experience, making it perfect for professionals with strong accomplishments and relevant work history.

Creating a Strong Resume Summary or Objective

The first lines of your resume are crucial. You can choose between a summary or an objective, depending on your career stage.

A resume summary is best for experienced professionals. In just a few sentences, highlight your biggest achievements, key skills, and what makes you stand out. For example:

“Results-driven marketing manager with 13+ years of experience in brand strategy, social media engagement, and campaign execution. Increased brand awareness by 40% and led a team that generated over $5 million in revenue.”

A resume objective works well if you’re just starting out or changing careers. This section focuses on your goals and what you bring to the table. For instance:

“Enthusiastic digital marketing graduate with strong analytical skills and a passion for SEO. Looking for an opportunity to contribute my expertise in content creation and data analysis to a growing marketing team.”

Highlighting Your Skills and Achievements

Your resume isn’t just about listing past jobs—it’s about showing why you’re the best fit for the role. Skills and achievements play a huge part in making your resume stand out.

Technical skills include programming, graphic design, data analysis, or project management.
Soft skills include leadership, communication, problem-solving, and time management.

Instead of just listing your tasks, highlight your achievements with numbers. For instance, instead of “Managed social media accounts,” say “Boosted social media engagement by 60% in six months, driving a 25% increase in conversions.” Numbers make your impact stand out more.

Customizing Your Resume for Every Job

Sending out the same generic resume for every job? Big mistake. To get noticed, your resume should be tailored to match the job description.

Steps to Personalizing Your Resume:

Read the job posting carefully and highlight key skills and qualifications.
Use industry-specific keywords throughout your resume.
Match your work experience to the most relevant responsibilities.
Adjust your resume summary or objective to align with the company’s needs.
Remove outdated or irrelevant information.

If a job posting emphasizes “project management” and “collaboration,” ensure that these words naturally appear in your resume. Hiring managers appreciate a resume that gets straight to the point.

Keeping Your Resume Clean and Professional

A cluttered resume can turn off recruiters instantly. Keeping it simple, clean, and easy to read will make a big difference.

Stick to a professional font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
Keep font sizes between 10–12 for the body and slightly larger for headings.
Use white space effectively so the document doesn’t feel cramped.
Avoid excessive graphics or colors, unless you’re in a creative field.

Bullet points are useful, but limit them to key highlights under each job entry. Recruiters skim resumes quickly, so keeping the format simple helps ensure they catch the most important details.

Using Strong Action Words

The words you use in your resume matter. Action verbs make your experience sound dynamic and engaging.

Instead of saying, “Was responsible for team projects,” say, “Led a team of 6 to execute key projects, resulting in a 98% customer satisfaction rate.”

Some great action verbs to use include:

Developed
Spearheaded
Executed
Streamlined
Optimized

The goal is to make your experience sound impactful and results-driven.

Making Your Resume Error-Free and Concise

Recruiters usually spend only 7 seconds looking at a resume, so every word matters. Keep it short—one page for most, or two pages if you have a lot of experience.

Spelling and grammar errors can lessen your chances, so take the time to proofread. Use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor to catch errors, and ask a friend or mentor to review your resume before submitting it.

Key Sections Every Resume Should Have

A strong resume includes specific sections that employers expect to see.

Contact Information: Full name, phone number, professional email, and LinkedIn profile if applicable.
Work Experience: List jobs in reverse chronological order, including job title, company name, dates of employment, and key accomplishments.
Education: Include your degree, university name, and graduation year (optional if you have significant work experience).
Skills: Focus on job-relevant skills, both technical and soft.
Certifications, Volunteer Work, or Projects (if applicable): Highlight additional experiences that add value.

Making Sure Your Resume is ATS-Friendly

Many companies use ATS to filter resumes before a recruiter even sees them. To pass the ATS, follow these tips:

Use standard section headings like “Work Experience” and “Education” instead of creative ones like “Career Journey.”
Avoid images, charts, and fancy formatting, as ATS may not be able to read them properly.
Download your resume as a PDF to maintain the formatting intact across all devices.

Keeping Your Resume Updated

Your resume isn’t something you create once and forget about. Keep it updated every few months, especially if you complete a big project, gain a new skill, or earn a certification. An up-to-date resume ensures you’re always ready for new opportunities.

Conclusion

A strong resume can really help you land job interviews. Focus on using the right format, showcasing your achievements, and customizing it for each job. Keep it professional, brief, and ATS-friendly to stand out. Remember to update it often and double-check for any mistakes.

FAQs

How long should my resume be?

For most professionals, a one-page resume is ideal. If you have over 10 years of experience, two pages are acceptable.

Should I include a photo on my resume?

Unless required by the employer, it’s best to leave it out. Many companies prefer a photo-free resume to avoid unconscious bias in hiring.

What’s the best resume format for career changers?

A functional resume works best because it focuses on transferable skills rather than work history.

Can I use a resume template?

Yes, but choose a simple and ATS-friendly one. Avoid templates with excessive design elements that could interfere with automated systems.

How often should I update my resume?

At least every six months or whenever you gain new skills, work on a major project, or get a promotion.