How to write an effective résumé
Learn how to format and write a résumé that gets past ATS filters and lands in front of recruiters. Explore edX courses to prepare for every stage of the job search.
Key takeaways
- Your résumé is often your only chance to connect with a potential employer, so optimizing it for automated screening systems and human reviewers is essential to getting noticed.
- A strong résumé highlights what you've accomplished by using clear action verbs, measurable results, and a short summary that quickly shows your value.
- Online courses on edX offer a practical way to learn not just how to write a stronger résumé, but also how to prepare for interviews and the rest of the job search process.
Why your résumé matters in today's hiring process
Your résumé is typically your first or only point of contact with potential employers, which is why it's crucial to make a strong first impression. Many employers use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and/or a recruiting management system (RMS), which automate the sorting and ranking of candidates based on information in their applications.
Résumé formatting goes a long way, too. An ATS will often automatically filter out poorly-formatted materials. Optimizing your résumé with the ATS in mind can help get your information seen by actual humans.
My 26 years of experience fit on one page. I only talk about what I want next in my life. If I don't want that, it won't be on the résumé. Every single thing on that piece of paper needs to be backed up with data. Don't lie, be convincing, and confident.
— Holly Lee, executive and career coach, head of talent and advisor for startups, and former global recruiting leader at Amazon and Meta
Popular online résumé-building courses with certificates
How to write a résumé: Step-by-step guide
Before you launch into writing a résumé, gather your materials — details about your experience, references, and accolades — and make a plan. As your first and perhaps only chance to connect with a potential employer, strategizing and considering best résumé practices at the outset can go a long way.
1. Choose the right format
résumé formats typically fall under three categories: chronological, functional, and hybrid. Each type best suits certain candidates and types of roles. Consider the following details as you craft an effective résumé.
- Chronological: A chronological résumé highlights your career progression and key accomplishments in a clear timeline. However, it can also demonstrate any employment gaps or short-term roles.
- Functional: Functional résumés focus more on your abilities than specific work experience. If you're planning to change sectors, a functional résumé may be a good choice.
- Hybrid: This type of résumé combines a chronological and a functional format to highlight your experiences and unique abilities. However, a hybrid résumé can be more complex to organize than a traditional one.
2. Write a compelling summary
Best résumé practices include starting with a compelling summary of your experience, skills, and career goals. If your résumé reaches a human employee, further catching their attention can help keep you at the top of their candidate list.
Aim for about 2-4 sentences: enough to make your mark without overstaying your welcome. Specifics about your personal and professional accomplishments can help you stand out and stay in the minds of recruiters and human resources professionals. An effective summary allows them to quickly scan your accomplishments without having to review the entire document.
3. Highlight accomplishments using action verbs
Strong descriptions can help you make an impact on both ATS software and human professionals. Using action verbs in your résumé can help you authoritatively communicate your accomplishments.
Consider the following résumé examples:
- Rather than saying you "were in charge of three professionals," use a stronger action verb. You could write that you "oversaw a team of five" to show your management skills on your résumé.
- Instead of saying that you "helped with images for a weekly email," go with "designed company-wide communications graphics" to demonstrate digital marketing skills.
These alternatives demonstrate strength and command over tasks, communicating your mastery of specific skills in the workplace.
4. Quantify your impact
Note clear, measurable accomplishments in your work experience to convey your ability to get things done. Were there specific projects you spearheaded? Can you list specific metrics to communicate the positive outcomes of these projects?
Your accomplishments do not need to be simply related to business success, either. If you helped train new employees, created documentation for executives, or organized a new order system for a warehouse, mention those accomplishments. Make sure to include the team size for each project to give reviewers a sense of scope.
5. Use keywords from the job description
Using keywords from the job description can help you stand out to both humans and automated systems. Though you don't want to copy the entire job description, take note of their specific language and how it may differ from similar job descriptions — are there certain words or phrases that this specific company drives home more than others?
Integrate these terms naturally into your résumé. It may also be helpful to have a résumé template that lets you insert different keywords and tailor your submission to each employer.
What to include in a strong résumé
- Contact information: Include your name, professional email address, phone number, city and state, and relevant links such as LinkedIn or a portfolio.
- Professional summary: Briefly summarize your experience, skills, accomplishments, and career goals in two to four sentences.
- Work experience: Include your employer, job title, dates of employment, responsibilities, and measurable achievements.
- Education: Include your degree, institution, graduation date, and relevant academic achievements.
- Skills and certifications: Include technical skills, relevant certifications, and role-specific soft skills such as communication, leadership, or problem-solving.
- Optional sections: Include volunteer experience, extracurricular activities, projects, awards, publications, or other relevant accomplishments.
What to include in a strong résumé
- Contact information: Include your name, professional email address, phone number, city and state, and relevant links such as LinkedIn or a portfolio.
- Professional summary: Briefly summarize your experience, skills, accomplishments, and career goals in two to four sentences.
- Work experience: Include your employer, job title, dates of employment, responsibilities, and measurable achievements.
- Education: Include your degree, institution, graduation date, and relevant academic achievements.
- Skills and certifications: Include technical skills, relevant certifications, and role-specific soft skills such as communication, leadership, or problem-solving.
- Optional sections: Include volunteer experience, extracurricular activities, projects, awards, publications, or other relevant accomplishments.
For internships, you don't need work experience. Are you smart? Can you demonstrate strategically and logically the way you took a project and built it from the beginning all the way through?
— Holly Lee
How to make your résumé ATS-friendly
ATS platforms help employers filter out unqualified candidates, but they also sift out applicants based on formatting and other issues. Consider the following résumé writing tips to make your submission more ATS-friendly.
- Use standard section headings: Stick to simple headings like "experience" and "education" — more flowery language may cause the ATS to reject your submission.
- Avoid overly designed templates with tables, columns, or graphics: If the automated system cannot clearly understand your résumé due to extraneous design elements, it will reject your application.
- Make sure spacing and fonts are consistent: Inconsistent formatting can confuse ATS software just as much as a bad template. Use Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman fonts. Keep spacing uniform. Never put key information in headers, footers, or text boxes, as ATS systems often skip them entirely.
- Stick to common file formats: Check the job listing first. If no format is specified, use .docx — it parses more reliably than PDF across most ATS systems. Use PDF only if the employer asks for it.
ATS-friendly résumé format example
FirstName LastName
City, State (optional: Zip) | Phone Number | Email | LinkedIn URL | Portfolio (optional)
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Concise 2-4 sentence statement summarizing your core experience, key achievements, and career goals tailored to the role. Use keywords from the job description.
SKILLS
- Keyword Skill 1 | Keyword Skill 2 | Keyword Skill 3 | Keyword Skill 4
- Software/Tools | Languages (if relevant) | Certifications
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Job Title
Company Name - City, State | MM/YYYY - Present
- Action-oriented bullet point starting with a strong verb
- Highlight achievements and metrics (e.g., "Increased engagement by 35%")
- Focus on results and outcomes, not just duties
Job Title
Company Name - City, State | MM/YYYY - MM/YYYY
- Bullet point
- Bullet point
- Bullet point
EDUCATION
Degree (e.g., Bachelor of science in marketing)
University Name - City, State | Graduation Year
CERTIFICATIONS (Optional)
- Name of certification - Issuing Organization | Year
- Online certificates or credentials (edX, etc.)
PROJECTS (Optional)
Project Title
- Brief description with results or tools used (especially helpful for career changers or early-career candidates)
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE (Optional)
Role - Organization Name | MM/YYYY - MM/YYYY
- Describe the impact or relevant skills demonstrated
Résumé mistakes to avoid
Along with including certain elements in your résumé, you should also aim to avoid certain mistakes to give yourself the best chance at securing an interview.
- Overdesigning your résumé: Less is more. Employers want to see a clean, well-formatted résumé without additional fluff or extraneous design elements.
- Using passive voice instead of results-oriented language: "Was responsible for" and "assisted with" buries your impact. Use action verbs instead, such as "managed," "built," "reduced," or "grew."
- Listing "References available upon request": Hiring managers know they can contact your past references. Including this language is unnecessary.
- Including full mailing address: Aim to include just your city and state on your résumé.
- Including photos or headshots: A photo of yourself is not necessary and may raise privacy concerns with ATS software.
- Using outdated email addresses or unprofessional handles: It's acceptable to have a less formal personal email address, but make sure to have a professional handle for any résumés.
A red flag could be when they put photos, they put hobbies, they like to play sports. No one cares. That's telling the employer that you just want to have fun. They literally list out all their personal stuff on the résumé.
— Holly Lee