What a resume does and what it doesn't

A resume is a one- or two-page document that lists your work history, skills, and education in a format a hiring manager can scan in under a minute. It is not a biography, not a cover letter, and not a place to explain why you left a job or what you're looking for emotionally in a career. A resume's single job is to show that you have done work similar to the job you're explore for, and to make it straightforward for someone to contact you and verify that claim.

The resume itself does not land you an interview — the person reading it does. Your task is to make their job straightforward by putting the most relevant information first, using language they will recognize, and removing anything that makes them work harder to understand what you've done.

Key Takeaways

  • Start with your name, phone number, and email address at the top, and remove your street address, photo, and personal social media links unless the job posting specifically asks for them.
  • List your most recent job first, then work backward; include the company name, your job title, dates you worked there, and three to five bullet points describing what you actually did and what resulted.
  • Use words from the job posting itself when describing your experience, because hiring managers often search resumes for specific terms before a human reads them.
  • Keep your resume to one page if you have fewer than five years of experience, and two pages maximum if you have more; anything longer gets skimmed or discarded.
  • Save your resume as a PDF file with a straightforward name like "FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf" so it opens the same way on every computer.

The header: name, contact, and what to leave out

Put your full name at the top in a font size slightly larger than the body text — 14 to 16 points works well. Below it, on one line, include your phone number and professional email address. If you do not have a professional email address, create one now using Gmail, Outlook, or your domain registrar; use a variation of your name, not a nickname or number sequence.

Do not include your street address, city, or state. Hiring managers no longer need this information, and it can trigger unconscious bias. Do not add a photo, a link to your LinkedIn profile, or links to personal social media accounts unless the job posting specifically requests them. Do not include your date of birth, marital status, or nationality. These details are not relevant to your ability to do the job and can work against you.

If you have a personal website, portfolio, or GitHub account that shows your work in the field you're explore to, include a link to it. For technology and IT roles, a GitHub profile or portfolio site is often more useful than a LinkedIn URL.

Work history: what to include and how to phrase it

List your jobs in reverse chronological order — most recent first. For each job, write the company name, your job title, and the dates you worked there in month-year format (for example, "January 2021 – March 2024"). If you are currently employed, write "Present" instead of an end date.

Under each job, write three to five bullet points describing what you did and what resulted. Start each bullet with a strong verb: "Designed," "Built," "Managed," "Reduced," "Increased," "Debugged," "Deployed," "Automated," "Documented." Avoid weak verbs like "Helped," "Worked on," or "Was responsible for." Write in past tense even for your current job.

Make each bullet point specific. Instead of "Responsible for system maintenance," write "Maintained 12 Linux servers supporting 500+ daily active users, reducing downtime by 40% through automated monitoring scripts." Instead of "Worked with databases," write "Designed and optimized SQL queries for customer analytics dashboard, cutting report generation time from 8 minutes to 90 seconds." Numbers, percentages, and concrete outcomes matter because they show impact, not just activity.

If you have held many jobs, include only the last five to seven years of work history. If you have a long gap in employment, you do not need to explain it on the resume itself — save that for the interview if asked. Do not list jobs you held for fewer than three months unless they are very recent and relevant to the role.

Skills section: matching the job posting

Create a "Skills" or "Technical Skills" section and list the tools, languages, platforms, and frameworks you actually know how to use. For technology roles, this might include programming languages (Python, JavaScript, Java), databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB), cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), version control (Git), and operating systems (Linux, Windows). List only skills you can discuss in detail and demonstrate if asked in an interview.

Read the job posting carefully and use the exact words it uses when those words match your actual experience. If the posting says "proficient in React" and you know React, write "React," not "JavaScript frameworks." If it mentions "Docker" and you have used Docker, include "Docker." Hiring managers often use keyword searches to filter resumes before a human reads them, so matching the language of the posting increases the chance your resume will be seen.

Organize skills by category if you have many: "Languages," "Databases," "Cloud & DevOps," "Tools & Platforms." Do not list soft skills like "teamwork" or "communication" in a separate section — show these through your work history instead. If you have certifications relevant to the role (AWS Certified Solutions Architect, CompTIA Security+, Cisco CCNA), list them here with the date you earned them.

Education and certifications

List your highest degree first: the school name, degree type (Bachelor of Science, Associate Degree, Diploma), field of study, and graduation year. You do not need to include your GPA unless it is 3.8 or higher and the job posting specifically asks for it. You do not need to list individual courses or projects from school.

If you are still in school, write "Expected graduation: [month and year]." If you attended a school but did not finish, you can list it as "Completed [number] years of coursework in [field]" — do not write "Attended" or leave it vague. If you have relevant certifications, professional training, or bootcamp completion, list them here with the date earned. For technology roles, bootcamp certificates and professional certifications often matter more than a traditional degree, so give them equal weight.

Length, formatting, and file format

Keep your resume to one page if you have fewer than five years of professional experience. If you have more experience, two pages is acceptable, but do not exceed two pages. Hiring managers spend seconds on each resume, and longer documents get skimmed or rejected. Cut anything that does not directly support your candidacy for this specific role.

Use a clean, readable font like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica in 10 to 12 point size. Use consistent spacing and alignment. Bold your job titles and company names so they stand out. Use bullet points, not paragraphs. Leave white space on the page — do not cram text edge to edge. Avoid colored text, graphics, or unusual formatting unless you are explore for a design role, in which case a well-designed resume can be an asset.

Save your resume as a PDF file, not a Word document. PDF preserves your formatting across different computers and operating systems. Name the file clearly: "FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf" or "FirstName_LastName_Resume_TechRole.pdf" if you are tailoring it for a specific position. Do not name it "Resume.pdf" or "MyResume.pdf" — a hiring manager downloading multiple resumes needs to know whose is whose.

Tailoring your resume for each job posting

You do not need a different resume for every job, but you should adjust it for each role you explore to. Read the job posting and identify the skills and experience it emphasizes. Reorder your bullet points under each job to put the most relevant accomplishments first. If the posting mentions "cloud infrastructure" and you have experience with AWS, move that bullet point up. If it emphasizes "team leadership" and you have led a team, make sure that experience is visible in your work history.

Update your skills section to match the posting's language. If you have done work that is not on your resume because it was a side project or volunteer role, add it if it is relevant. You are not lying or inventing experience — you are highlighting the parts of your actual background that matter most for this specific job.

Do not, however, claim skills you do not have or exaggerate your role in a project. Hiring managers will ask you to explain your experience in an interview, and if you cannot back up what you wrote, you will not get the job and may damage your professional reputation.

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not use personal pronouns like "I" or "me." Write "Designed and deployed a microservices architecture," not "I designed and deployed a microservices architecture." Do not include a "Objective" section stating what you want — your resume is about what you have done, not what you hope to find. Do not list references on your resume; provide them only when asked, and make sure you have contacted each person beforehand to let them know they may be called.

Do not use generic language. "Improved system performance" is weaker than "Optimized database queries, reducing average response time from 2.3 seconds to 400 milliseconds." Do not include hobbies or personal interests unless they are directly relevant to the role. Do not use slang, abbreviations, or jargon that the hiring manager might not understand — spell things out the first time you mention them.

Do not submit a resume with typos, grammatical errors, or inconsistent formatting. Read it aloud, have someone else read it, and use a spell-checker. A single error can cost you an interview because it signals carelessness. Do not use a resume template that looks so generic it could be anyone's — use a template as a starting point, but customize it so it reflects your actual work and experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I include a cover letter with my resume?

Check the job posting. If it asks for a cover letter, write one. If it does not mention a cover letter, you do not need to send one unless you have a specific reason to explain something on your resume (like a long employment gap or a career change). When you do write a cover letter, keep it short — three to four paragraphs — and make it specific to the job and company, not a generic letter you send to everyone.

How far back should my work history go?

Include the last five to seven years of work history, or enough to show a clear progression of skills and responsibility. If you have been in the workforce for fewer than five years, include everything. Very old jobs (more than ten years ago) can usually be left off unless they are directly relevant to the role you are explore for. You do not need to account for every month of your career on the resume itself.

What if I have changed careers or have gaps in employment?

Do not try to hide gaps or explain them on the resume. Instead, focus your resume on the skills and experience that are relevant to the new role. If you took time off to learn a new skill, completed a bootcamp, or did volunteer work, include that in your education or experience section. In an interview, be straightforward about gaps — most hiring managers understand that people's careers are not linear.

Can I use the same resume for every job I explore to?

You can use the same base resume, but adjust it for each job posting. Reorder your bullet points to highlight the most relevant experience, update your skills section to match the posting's language, and make sure the most important information appears first. Spending five minutes tailoring your resume for each process significantly increases your chances of being noticed.

Should I include my LinkedIn profile or GitHub on my resume?

For technology and IT roles, include a GitHub link if your code is public and relevant to the job. Include a LinkedIn URL only if your profile is complete and up to date. Do not include personal social media accounts. Make sure any links you include actually work and lead to professional content that supports your resume, not content that contradicts it.