How to make a resume
A resume has one job: get you the call. Here's how to build one that survives the screening software and earns a human read — and the mistakes that quietly kill applications.
1Start with the layout an ATS can read
Single column, standard fonts, no tables, no text boxes, no graphics. Screening software reads top-to-bottom, left-to-right; two-column layouts interleave unrelated lines and tables scatter your dates away from your job titles. Save the design energy for your portfolio.
2Put contact details where machines look
Name, email, phone, city, LinkedIn — at the top, as text, never inside a header or footer (many parsers skip those entirely). One professional email; recruiters do notice.
3Write experience as achievements, not duties
Each role: title, company, dates, then 2-4 bullets that say what changed because you were there. 'Cut checkout latency 42%' beats 'responsible for performance improvements' with every reader, human or machine. Numbers are the difference between a claim and evidence.
4Name your skills literally
Recruiters search their database by keyword. If the tools you use daily aren't written on the page, those searches don't return you. A short skills section plus the same terms woven into your bullets covers both the search and the proof.
5Keep it to one page under ten years of experience
Cut the oldest detail first — a role from 2014 doesn't need four bullets. One tight page reads as judgement; two loose ones read as an inability to prioritise.
6Check it against real screening software
Before sending a single application, run it through an ATS checker. If the score is low, the fixes are almost always layout — and you'd rather learn that now than after fifty silent rejections.
Check your resume now
Free score in six seconds — what the screening software sees, and what to fix.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best resume format?
Reverse-chronological, single column. Recruiters expect it, screening software parses it, and it puts your most recent — usually strongest — experience first. Functional resumes read as hiding something.
Should a resume have a photo?
Not in the US, UK or Ireland — many employers discard resumes with photos to avoid discrimination-claim exposure. Conventions differ in parts of the EU and Asia.
How far back should a resume go?
Ten to fifteen years, or your last three or four roles. Older experience can be a one-line 'earlier career' note if it's genuinely relevant.
Do I need a different resume for every job?
A tailored top third — summary and most relevant bullets — is worth it for roles you actually want. Wholesale rewrites per application aren't; the applications-per-hour math never works out.
Resume or CV — which do I need?
US and Canada: resume. UK, Ireland, most of Europe, India, Australia: CV. Same purpose, different conventions — length, personal statements, and what personal details belong on the page.