How Can I Create My Resume? The Short Answer
To create a resume, collect your work history, education and skills, choose a format, and write one tailored page that shows an employer why you fit a specific job. Most people should use a reverse-chronological layout with a header, a short summary, achievement-based experience bullets, education and skills, then save the result as a PDF.
The eight steps below walk through the whole process, from gathering your details to exporting the final file.
What Are the Steps to Create a Resume?
- Gather your information.
- Choose a resume format.
- Write your header.
- Write a short summary.
- Describe your work experience.
- Add education and skills.
- Tailor the resume to the job.
- Proofread and save it as a PDF.
Step 1: What Information Do I Need Before I Start?
Before you write, list every job, internship, volunteer role, project, club and course that might be relevant, along with dates, employers and the results you produced. University career centers recommend brainstorming broadly first and cutting later, because a resume works best when every line supports the role you want (Hamilton College Career Center).
Collect these items in one document:
- Contact details: name, phone, professional email, city and a LinkedIn or portfolio link if you have one.
- Work history: employer, job title, location and start and end dates.
- Results: numbers, outcomes or specific deliverables for each role. If you do not have exact figures, describe the scope instead (team size, number of customers, frequency of a task).
- Education: school, degree, graduation year and relevant coursework or honors.
- Skills and certifications: tools, languages, licenses and technical skills that appear in job postings you want.
Step 2: Which Resume Format Should I Choose?
Use a reverse-chronological resume unless you have a specific reason not to. It lists your most recent role first and is the most common format (Old Dominion University).
| Format | Best for | How it is organized |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse chronological | Most job seekers with steady, relevant experience | Work history first, newest to oldest |
| Functional | Career changers, first-time job seekers, employment gaps | Skills grouped by category, with a short work history below |
| Combination | Experienced professionals changing direction | A skills summary first, then a chronological work history |
If you are early in your career or switching fields, a combination layout lets you put transferable skills near the top without hiding your dates. If you are unsure, start with reverse chronological. For a walkthrough of how the formats differ by role, see our resume builders by role.
Step 3: What Goes in a Resume Header?
Your header should contain your name, phone number, email address, city and, optionally, a link to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio. Keep the font consistent across the document, and use margins of about one inch so the page stays readable (Southern Utah University).
Use a professional email address, ideally based on your name. A full street address is not needed; city and region are enough.
Step 4: How Do I Write a Resume Summary?
A resume summary is two to three sentences placed under your header that state who you are, your strongest qualifications and the value you offer. Write it last, after you know which achievements you are highlighting.
A simple formula: [job title or professional identity] + [years or type of experience] + [two or three key strengths] + [what you aim to deliver].
Example: Project manager with five years of experience delivering software releases for teams of 8 to 15 people. Skilled in agile planning, stakeholder communication and risk tracking. Looking to lead cross-functional product launches.
If you have little experience, a one-sentence objective that names the role and your relevant strengths works as a substitute. Delete the summary entirely if you cannot make it specific to the job.
Step 5: How Do I Describe My Work Experience?
For each role, list your title, employer, location and dates, then write three to five bullet points that each start with a strong action verb and end with a result. A reliable pattern is action verb + what you did + outcome or scale.
| Weak bullet | Stronger bullet |
|---|---|
| Responsible for customer emails | Resolved 40+ customer emails per day, keeping response time under four hours [replace with your real figures] |
| Helped with social media | Scheduled and analyzed weekly posts across three channels, growing followers [insert your real result] |
| Worked on team projects | Coordinated a four-person team to deliver a class project two days early [adjust to your real example] |
Do not invent numbers. If you cannot measure a result, describe what you did and who benefited. Put your most relevant achievements first within each role, and leave out duties that do not support the job you want.
Step 6: How Do I List Education and Skills?
Put education below your experience once you have work history, and above it if you are a recent graduate. Include the school, degree, location and graduation year, plus honors or relevant coursework if they strengthen your application.
For skills, list the tools, technologies and abilities that appear in the job posting and that you can honestly discuss in an interview. Group them into short categories such as Technical, Languages and Certifications. Optional sections like volunteering, projects, publications or awards belong at the end, and only when they support your target role.
Step 7: How Do I Tailor My Resume to a Job?
Tailor your resume by matching your wording and emphasis to the job description for each application. Career centers advise adapting your resume to the specific opportunity, because every line should show why you are a good fit for that employer (University of Richmond).
A practical way to do it:
- Highlight the required skills and responsibilities in the job posting.
- Move the most matching experience and bullets higher on the page.
- Reuse the posting’s terminology where it truthfully describes your work (for example, “stakeholder management” instead of “working with people”).
- Remove or shorten anything unrelated.
Many employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to organize and screen resumes before a recruiter reads them, so matching keywords and clear section headings help. Our guide on how to tailor your resume to a specific job title shows the process in detail, and our project manager and software engineer pages show how the emphasis changes by role.
Step 8: How Do I Proofread and Save My Resume?
Proofread for spelling, tense consistency and date accuracy, then ask someone else to read it. Save the final version as a PDF so the formatting stays the same on every device (Hamilton College Career Center).
Final checklist:
- One page for early-career applicants; two pages only if your relevant experience requires it.
- A single-column layout, standard headings (Experience, Education, Skills) and a common font.
- Text you can select and copy in the PDF, not a screenshot or image of text.
- A file name such as
firstname-lastname-resume.pdf. - No photo, date of birth or personal details unless the employer or local custom asks for them.
Review your master resume at least once a year and add new results as they happen.
Should I Write a Resume or a CV?
In the US and Canada, most non-academic jobs expect a resume, while academic, research and medical roles expect a CV. In many other countries, “CV” means a resume-style document. Read our full comparison of CV vs resume by country before you send anything abroad.
Can I Use a Resume Builder Instead of Starting From Scratch?
Yes. A resume builder takes your details through a guided form and places them in a ready-made layout, which removes formatting work and keeps the structure consistent. Look for a builder that exports a text-based PDF, offers simple single-column templates and lets you edit freely.
With 7resume you enter your details step by step, preview the result and export it as a PDF.
Ready to create yours? Build your resume with 7resume →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I create a resume with no work experience?
Lead with your education, then list internships, volunteering, class projects, clubs and part-time jobs as experience. Describe what you did and what resulted, and highlight the skills that match the job. A functional or combination format can put skills ahead of work history.
What is the best format for a resume?
For most people it is reverse chronological, with the most recent role first. Choose a functional format (skills first) or a combination format if you are changing careers, have employment gaps or have little formal experience.
How long should a resume be?
One page is the standard for students and early-career applicants, and two pages is acceptable with extensive, relevant experience. Cut anything that does not support the job you are applying for.
Should I save my resume as a PDF or a Word file?
Save it as a PDF unless the employer asks for another format. A PDF keeps your formatting intact on every device, and a text-based PDF with simple formatting is easier for applicant tracking systems to read.
How do I make my resume pass an ATS?
Use standard section headings, a clean single-column layout, a common font and selectable text. Include keywords from the job posting only where they truthfully describe your experience.
How often should I update my resume?
At least once a year, and whenever you finish a project, change roles or earn a certification. Tailor a fresh copy for each application and keep your master version unchanged.