How to Write a Resume: Step-by-Step Guide for 2026

What Recruiters Are Looking For in 2026

Before writing a single word, it helps to understand what your resume needs to do. Most job applications go through two filters before reaching a decision-maker: an automated applicant tracking system (ATS) that checks for relevant keywords, and a recruiter who typically spends 6–10 seconds on the first pass.

Your resume needs to pass both. That means clear formatting the ATS can read, relevant keywords from the job description, and a layout that lets a human quickly find your most important information.

What to Include in a Resume

A standard resume contains these sections in this order:

1. Contact information
2. Resume summary or objective
3. Work experience
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Optional sections (certifications, languages, volunteer work, projects)

The length should be one page for under 10 years of experience, or two pages for senior candidates. Never exceed two pages.

Step 1 — Choose the Right Format

There are three main resume formats. The right one depends on your career situation.

Chronological lists work experience starting with your most recent role. This is the standard format and the one most ATS systems handle best. Use it if you have a continuous work history in the same or related field.

Functional groups skills and achievements without dates attached to specific employers. Avoid this format — ATS systems frequently fail to parse it correctly, and recruiters are suspicious of it because it hides gaps and career progression.

Combination (hybrid) opens with a strong skills or summary section, then lists work experience chronologically. This works well for career changers who want to lead with transferable skills while still showing a clear employment history.

For most candidates, the chronological format is the right choice. See our full guide to best resume format for a detailed breakdown.

Step 2 — Add Your Contact Information

Place the following at the top of your resume:

• Full name (larger text, bold)
• Professional email address (firstname.lastname@gmail.com, not nicknames)
• Phone number with country code if applying internationally
• LinkedIn URL (shortened: linkedin.com/in/yourname)
• City and country — do not include your full street address
• Portfolio or GitHub URL if relevant to your field

Do not include: date of birth, marital status, photograph, or national insurance/social security number. These are not expected on a professional resume and including them wastes space.

Step 3 — Write Your Resume Summary or Objective

This is the first thing a recruiter reads after your name. Place it directly below your contact details.

Use a resume summary if you have relevant work experience: 2–4 sentences covering your job title or area of expertise, years of experience, a key skill, and one strong achievement with a number.

Use a resume objective if you are starting out, changing careers, or returning to work. An objective frames your goal and your transferable value rather than trying to summarise experience you do not yet have.

See our full libraries of resume summary examples and resume objective examples with 50+ copy-ready options.

Step 4 — Write Your Work Experience Section

List your roles in reverse chronological order (most recent first). For each role, include:

• Job title
• Company name and location
• Dates (month and year)
• 3–6 bullet points describing your responsibilities and achievements

How to write strong bullet points: Follow the formula: [Action verb] + [what you did] + [result or scale]

Start every bullet with a strong action verb for your resume. Vary the verbs across bullets — do not start every line with "Managed." Quantify wherever possible. Numbers make achievements concrete and credible: percentage improvements, team sizes, budget values, revenue generated, time saved, projects delivered.

Step 5 — Build Your Skills Section

List skills in two categories: hard skills (specific, teachable tools and techniques) and soft skills (interpersonal and leadership qualities). ATS systems scan this section heavily.

Hard skills to include: software tools, programming languages, platforms, methodologies, certifications, languages. Be specific — "CRM software" is weaker than "Salesforce, HubSpot."

Soft skills to include sparingly: leadership, communication, stakeholder management. These are most effective when supported by evidence in your experience bullets, not just listed.

Pull skills directly from the job description you are applying to. See our guide on skills to put on your resume for full category lists.

Step 6 — Add Your Education Section

List your highest qualification first. Include:

• Degree/qualification name and subject
• Institution name
• Year of graduation (or expected graduation)
• Grade, if strong (First Class, 2:1, or equivalent)
• Relevant modules or dissertation topic, if applying for a first job

Do not include your secondary school results if you have a university degree. If you graduated more than 10 years ago, you can reduce the education section to two lines.

Step 7 — Add Optional Sections

Depending on your background, consider adding:

Certifications: List any professional certifications relevant to the role — PMP, CFA, ACCA, AWS, Google Analytics, etc. Include the certification body and year.

Languages: List languages and your level (native, fluent, business proficiency, basic). Relevant for international roles or multilingual workplaces.

Projects: Essential for developers, designers, and new graduates. Include a brief description and the outcome or link.

Volunteer work: Include if recent and relevant, or if it fills a gap.

Step 8 — Optimise for ATS

Most large employers and recruiters use an applicant tracking system to filter resumes before a human reviews them. An ATS-unfriendly format is one of the most common reasons well-qualified candidates never hear back.

Key rules for ATS optimisation:

• Use a single-column layout with standard section headings (Work Experience, Education, Skills)
• Avoid tables, text boxes, headers and footers, and graphics — ATS systems often cannot read these
• Save as .pdf or .docx as specified in the job posting
• Mirror the exact keywords from the job description in your resume
• Do not embed keywords in images or use white text to hide them — these tactics are penalised

See our full guide to ATS-friendly resume format and the most important ATS keywords for your industry.

Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Using a functional format. ATS systems and recruiters both dislike it. Stick to chronological unless you have a specific reason not to.

Generic summary or objective. "Hardworking professional seeking a challenging role" tells the reader nothing. Be specific.

Responsibilities without results. Listing what your job was supposed to do is not the same as showing what you actually delivered. Add numbers.

Wrong file format. If the job posting asks for .docx, send .docx. If it asks for PDF, send PDF. If it does not specify, PDF is the safer default.

Including a photo. Standard in some countries but not expected in the UK, US, Canada, or Australia.

See our full list of common ATS resume mistakes for a complete checklist before you submit.

Checking Your Resume Before You Apply

Once your resume is written, run through this checklist:

• Is the formatting clean, consistent, and easy to scan?
• Does the summary directly reflect the role you are applying for?
• Does every experience bullet start with an action verb?
• Have you quantified at least 3–4 achievements?
• Does your skills section include keywords from this specific job posting?
• Is the file saved in the correct format?
• Have you proofread for spelling errors, including your own name and email?

Then paste your resume and the job description into resum8 to get a Skill Match Score — it takes 30 seconds and shows exactly which keywords you are missing before you hit send.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a resume be?

One page for candidates with under 10 years of experience. Two pages for senior professionals or roles with extensive publications, certifications, or project histories. Never exceed two pages.

Should I tailor my resume for each job?

Yes. At minimum, update your summary and check that your skills section mirrors the keywords in the job posting. Sending the exact same resume to every role significantly reduces your ATS pass rate. Use resum8 to identify which specific keywords to add for each application.

Should I include a photo on my resume?

Not for applications in the UK, US, Canada, or Australia. In these markets, photos are not expected and can introduce unconscious bias in the screening process. In Germany, Switzerland, and parts of continental Europe, a professional photo is still standard.

What is the best font and size for a resume?

Use a clean sans-serif font — Calibri, Arial, or Helvetica at 10–12pt for body text, and 14–16pt for your name. Avoid decorative fonts. Consistent formatting matters more than the specific font choice.

How far back should my work history go?

Generally 10–15 years. Older roles can be condensed to a one-line mention or omitted entirely if they are no longer relevant. The focus should be on your recent and most relevant experience.

What is the difference between a resume and a CV?

In the UK, Australia, and most of Europe, CV (curriculum vitae) and resume are used interchangeably for job applications. In the US and Canada, "resume" is the standard term for a 1–2 page job application document, while "CV" refers to a longer academic document.