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Resume Writing Tips

What your resume should look like in 2023 (with examples & templates).

Learning what your resume should look like in 2023 isn’t just a matter of aesthetics.

Hiring data shows there’s an average of 200 applicants per job opening. Some researchers say that figure may be closer to 500 candidates , depending on the position.

I share these figures not to scare you, but to highlight your stiff competition.

Your resume is your best chance to make a powerful first impression on hiring teams and recruiters. These decision-makers are inundated with well-qualified applicants as soon as they post a job.

And to make matters worse, eye-tracking studies reveal they only spend 7.4 seconds scanning a resume before deciding whether to read it in its entirety or move on to the next one.

That’s not a lot of time to capture and excite readers about your value.

So in this post, I’ll highlight exactly what your resume should look like in 2023 to stand out, engage readers, and boost your chances of landing an interview.

What Your Resume Should Look Like In 2023: 5 Must-Haves + Examples

An attractive, high-performing resume immediately piques a reader’s interest. It subtly draws them down the page to learn why you’re the candidate they’re looking for.

So every resume in 2023 should incorporate these five elements to achieve that goal:

1. An Updated, Modern Design

A traditional resume format (think: chronological order, bullet points, etc.) won’t give you a leg-up on your competition in 2023. Using one may even hold you back.

See, hiring managers tune out when one of those stale resume templates lands on their desks for the umpteenth time. These boring resumes don’t excite or connect with readers. So your resume could be passed over in that brief 7.4-second scan before it’s even read.

That’s why it’s so important to freshen up the look of your resume with an updated, modern resume template like this one:

Want to use this resume template? Click this link purchase it and start customizing this template (or any others in this article) now.

Unlike a traditional resume template, the one above builds a personal connection with readers by introducing and showcasing your value first. A quick scan of the top half provides them with a snapshot of your areas of expertise and core competencies, two very attractive “hooks” to hiring teams.

Readers will then feel compelled to learn where you honed those skills. So the bottom half of this resume template helps organize your career achievements in an engaging, eye-appealing way. 

Rather than reading like a bland job description, each point should back up your skill set while proving your track record of success.

Anyone reading your resume formatted with a modern template like this will know precisely who you are and the value you’ll deliver, which is the ultimate goal.

2. Clear Sections To Highlight Your Best Features

Resumes that look like one giant block of text are intimidating. They tell hiring teams they’ll need to spend time and effort to mine for the intel they’re looking for. And with hundreds of other resumes vying for their attention, they’ll probably just pass on doing so.

That’s why most modern resume templates are divided into sections with clear, distinct headers. This makes your resume easier to scan and read, not to mention far more enjoyable for busy hiring managers.

The resume template above does a fantastic job of breaking up a resume into bite-sized chunks of information. The example below takes this concept a step further:

The highlights and expertise section in this resume template sits in a blue box to draw the reader’s eyes and attention. This is like telling hiring teams, “Hey! Come check this out!”

So think of your resume as a cheat sheet for hiring managers and recruiters rather than a dossier.

Your resume headings and sections will create an organized outline of your qualifications. Then these call-out boxes can be used to show off your best features, as they’re likely one of the first things hiring managers will notice during their initial scan.

3. Strategically-Placed White Space and Tight Copy

Often times, candidates are so focused on adding every little detail to their resume that it becomes too crammed to read. Headings and call-out boxes can help with this problem. But nothing works quite as well as more white space.

White space, or the places in your resume without words or formatting, adds breathing room to your resume . It prevents a resume from appearing jam-packed and hard to read.

A resume with well-defined sections naturally creates more white space, like this resume template :

Aim for short copy to add more white space to your resume . Break up any big chunks of text to make reading less overwhelming and easier for the eyes.

Your resume is like a garden. You don’t want wordy sentences hiding your highlights and achievements like weeds overrunning a beautiful flower bed. 

Prune your copy, and you’ll easily add more white space to your resume and draw attention to your best selling points simultaneously.

4. A Bold Pop of Color

If you really want to stand out and catch someone’s attention, a pop of bold color on your resume is a must. But this doesn’t mean you should haphazardly throw a rainbow of color wherever you want.

When done strategically, as this example does, color can be used to add emphasis, contrast, and personality. It can also help break up the sea of black text on your resume.

Want to use this resume template? Click this link to customize this template or any others in this article now .

Though a pop of color can help your resume stand out and make a memorable first impression, colors that are too bright or off-putting will do so for the wrong reasons. Opt for deeper, saturated shades, so your resume will be legible in person and on-screen.

5. A Clear, Easy-to-Read Font and Formatting

It’s essential to think about the font you choose for your resume .

Anything “cutesy” will likely be regarded as unprofessional. Likewise, a font that’s too light or too bold may also be difficult to read.

The best fonts to use on a resume include Serif and Sans Serif fonts, such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Verdana, and Arial.

As for the font size, stick to 10-14 points (10-12 for regular text and 12-14 for headings and subheadings).

This template offers a great example of resume text formatting:

On a similar note, be sure to emphasize the right areas, not everything . Only use bold or italics to draw attention to your top achievements, companies you’ve worked for, and other notable points according to the role.

Ready To Update Your Resume for 2023?

Now that you know the must-have ingredients for a high-performing resume, it’s time to put these tips to good use.

Incorporating today’s must-have elements will give your resume a fresh upgrade for 2023 and help you connect with hiring teams and recruiters.

Even better news?

If you use one of the resume templates shared in this guide, you’ll ace this task in half the time. Just purchase and download the one that fits your needs best, plug in your information where prompted, and voila! 

You’ll have a modern, professional resume ready to send out in a matter of minutes instead of spending all day reformatting your current one.

Click this link to learn more about the resume templates featured in this article. Psst! You’ll also find a free executive resume template download on our resources page.

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About the author

Jessica hernandez, president, ceo & founder of great resumes fast.

Hi, I’m Jessica. I started this company back in 2008 after more than a decade directing hiring practices at Fortune 500 companies.

What started as a side hustle (before that was even a word!) helping friends of friends with their resumes has now grown into a company that serves hundreds of happy clients a year. But the personal touch? I’ve kept that.

You might have seen me featured as a resume expert in publications like Forbes, Fast Company, and Fortune. And in 2020, I was honored to be named as a LinkedIn Top Voice of the year!

I’m so glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to help you find your next perfect-fit position!

This is very well-detailed content. I highly appreciate your work. Thank you for sharing your ideas!

Hi Jessica,

As I was looking to give my resume a fresh, new style for 2023, I came across your article. I kid you not, I have been styling my resume like this for the last 3 years! I am an independent career coach–would you be interested in hiring a partner?

I’m not kidding.

I found these resume formats to be reader friendly and they target what potential employers want to see quickly. It allows the reader to focus on the accomplishments beyond the day to day duties.

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Resume Examples for 2024 & Guides for Any Job [90+ Examples]

In today’s competitive job market, having an impactful resume is more essential than ever. 

However, many job seekers struggle to craft a resume that effectively highlights their skills and experience and, in turn, misses out on potential job opportunities. 

This is where our extensive library of resume examples comes in. 

By looking at examples of resumes for different industries and professions, you can gain great insight into what works and what doesn’t, get inspired to present your own qualifications, and stand out from the competition.

Let’s dive in!

15+ Resume Examples

#1. architect resume example.

Here’s what this architect resume example does right:

• Lists related experience. This resume highlights the relevant professional experience the candidate gained in the field during their internship.
• Mentions achievements and responsibilities. The candidate backs up their claims by going into detail about their achievements and responsibilities. 
• Focus on personal projects. By dedicating a section to their personal projects, this candidate makes up for their lack of work experience and shows off their dedication to the industry. 

#2. Business Resume Example

Here’s what this business-related resume example does right:

• Prioritizes work experience. The work experience section is arguably the most important section in every resume, which is why this candidate has given it a priority by giving it enough resume space and going into detail about their previous positions. 
• Highlights accomplishments. To make their professional experience even more impactful, this candidate has supported all their claims with quantifiable achievements. 
• Lists the right optional sections . The candidate adds more value to their resume by including the organizations, honors, and conferences as optional sections.

#3. Computer Science Resume Example

Here’s what this computer science resume does right: 

• Prioritizes technical skills. Technical skills are essential when it comes to IT-related roles, which is why this candidate has prioritized them over soft skills.
• Keeps the education section concise. With such extensive professional experience in the field, the candidate has opted to keep their education section short.
• Lists relevant social media profiles. Listing websites like GitHub and LinkedIn is a great way to provide recruiters with additional information about your skills.

#4. Data Analyst Resume Example

Here’s what this data analyst resume does right: 

• Includes a strong resume summary . This candidate showcases their key skills and qualifications from the get-go, which is much more likely to get recruiters to read their resumes from start to finish.
• Highlights technical skills. Data analysts work with “big data,” so this candidate prioritizes their quantitative and technical skills over other resume sections.
• Lists relevant professional certifications . The resume lists the candidate’s most noteworthy professional certificates.

#5. College Resume Example

Here’s what this college resume example does right: 

• Lists relevant social media profiles. By including their Medium and LinkedIn accounts, this candidate gives the hiring manager a chance to know them more professionally. 
• Highlights achievements . Although they lack work experience, the candidate has listed everything they’ve achieved during their academic career, thus showing they’re a promising candidate. 
• Mentions the right optional sections. Adding hobbies and interests and foreign languages to a resume is a huge plus for a candidate with no work experience.

#6. Customer Service Resume Example

Here’s what this customer service resume does right: 

• Includes both soft and hard skills . Customer service roles require a mix of soft and hard skills, so this candidate has listed both. 
• Mentions quantifiable achievements. To make their achievements more impressive, the candidate has backed up their work achievements with data and numbers. 
• Lists foreign language skills. Foreign languages are a huge plus when you’re working in customer service and this resume does a good job highlighting the candidate’s foreign language skills. 

#7. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Here’s what this digital marketing resume does right: 

• Follows the reverse chronological format . This format is the most popular one worldwide and is easily the safest choice.
• Grabs attention with a resume summary. In a single glance, the recruiter can tell that the candidate is a digital marketing professional with the right amount of experience.
• Lists relevant skills. The digital marketing specialist resume above lists in-demand marketing skills like Google Ads, SEO, and others.

#8. Graduate Resume Example

Here’s what this graduate resume example does right:

• Starts off with a well-written resume objective . The resume objective does a great job of showing off the candidate’s promise and industry-related experience. 
• Includes work experience. The candidate has gained professional experience while they were a student and they’ve made sure to include that in their resume. 
• Takes advantage of optional sections. Sections like volunteer experience, and personal projects and achievements can help make up for the lack of extensive experience in the industry. 

#9. HR Resume Example

Here’s what this human resources resume example does right: 

• Follows the right format. The reverse chronological format lists the candidate’s latest experience and achievements first, which is exactly what recruiters want to see. 
• Highlights professional experience. With so many years in the industry, this candidate has dedicated the biggest part of their resume to their work history. 
• Includes courses and certificates. To make their achievements even more impressive, the candidate has included all their courses and certifications. 

#10. Medical Assistant Resume Example

Here’s what this medical assistant resume example does right: 

• Starts off with a memorable resume summary. The candidate lists their years of experience, skills, and passion for the industry, making it more likely for the hiring manager to read the rest of their resume. 
• Lists the candidate’s certificates. There are many certifications one can obtain in the medical field, and this candidate proves how professional they are by listing theirs. 
• Highlights the candidate’s extensive work experience. Experience speaks louder than a thousand words, which is why this resume example provides the work experience section its due space. 

#11. Project Manager Resume Example

Here’s what this project manager resume example does right: 

• Uses bullet points. The candidate uses bullet points to organize and present the information which makes this project manager resume example look neat and structured.
• Keeps their education section relevant. The candidate only includes their key education details, such as their Bachelor’s degree and a field-related minor.
• Takes advantage of additional sections. The candidate takes advantage of the extra space on their project manager resume by including relevant additional sections, such as their industry-related certifications and academic achievements

#12. Bar Manager Resume Example

Here’s what this bar manager resume example does right:

• Includes relevant social media profiles. Details such as your LinkedIn profile or Instagram handle make you look more professional (as long as they’re work-related). 
• Mentions industry-related skills. Instead of listing a bunch of unrelated skills, the bar manager resume example above only lists industry-relevant skills.
• Quantifiable achievements. This applicant quantifies their achievements as much as possible, showing the bar owner how they stand out amongst other candidates.

#13. Supervisor Resume Example

Here’s what this supervisor resume example does right: 

• Lists relevant contact details . The supervisor resume example above leaves out redundancies like marital status or age and includes relevant information, like a LinkedIn URL. 
• Features as many accomplishments as possible. To really highlight their candidate’s professional experience, the supervisor example lists achievements over responsibilities. 
• Lists the right kind of skills. This supervisor's resume example doesn’t list every skill under the sun. Instead, they keep the section relevant by only listing skills required from a supervisor. 

#14. Teacher Resume Example

Here’s what this teacher resume example does right:

• Mentions industry-relevant skills. The candidate lists all the soft and hard skills a teacher should have. 
• Includes hobbies and interests . By including hobbies and interests, the hiring manager will see the candidate as more than just a resume. 
• Lists volunteer experience. The candidate reinforces their teaching experience by including their teaching volunteer gigs and experience. 

#15. Writer Resume Example

Here’s just what this writer resume example does right: 

• Impressive resume summary. The resume includes a brief but effective resume summary that highlights the candidate’s skills and top achievements.
• Relevant contact details. This writer resume example contains relevant contact information, including the candidate’s name and surname, email address, phone number, location, professional website URL, and LinkedIn URL. 
• Short education section. A writer’s skills and experience matter more than their education. For this reason, this candidate kept their writer resume’s education section short and sweet. 

#16. Web Developer Resume Example

Here’s what this web developer resume example does right: 

• Focuses on technical skills. Technical skills are essential for web development, which is why this candidate has prioritized theirs.
• Grabs attention with their work experience. Their rich work experience, listed in reverse chronological order, shows the candidate is a promising professional.
• Keeps their education section minimal. With such extensive work experience and training, the candidate has kept their education section concise.

65+ More Resume Examples and Guides 

Couldn’t find a resume example for your field? Worry not!

Below you can find a number of other resume examples for different fields and industries:

• Accountant Resume
• Administrative Assistant Resume
• AI Engineer Resume
• Animator Resume
• Babysitter Resume
• Banking Resume
• Bank Teller Resume
• Barbie's Resume
• Barista Resume
• Bartender Resume
• Bookkeeper Resume
• Business Analyst Resume
• Career Change Resume
• Caregiver Resume
• Cashier Resume
• College Application Resume
• College Freshman Resume
• Consultant Resume
• Construction Project Manager
• Creative Resume Examples
• Data Entry Specialist Resume
• Data Scientist Resume
• Dentist Resume
• DevOps Engineer Resume
• Digital Marketing Manager Resume
• Editor Resume
• Electrical Engineer Resume
• Elon Musk's One-Page Resume
• Engineering Resume
• Esthetician Resume
• Europass CV
• Event Planner Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Federal Resume
• Financial Analyst Resume
• Flight Attendant Resume
• Game Designer Resume 
• Graphic Designer Resume
• High School Resume
• Illustrator Resume 
• Interior Designer Resume
• Internship Resume
• Java Developer Resume
• Military to Civilian Resume
• Marketing Executive Resume
• Minimalistic Resume Examples
• Nanny Resume Example
• Nurse Resume
• Office Assistant Resume
• Office Manager Resume
• Operations Manager Resume
• Paralegal Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Photographer Resume
• Program Manager Resume
• Real Estate Agent Resume
• Receptionist Resume
• Recruiter Resume
• Research Assistant Resume
• Restaurant Manager Resume
• Retail Manager Resume
• Richard Branson's One-Page Resume
• Sales Resume
• Sales Associate Resume
• Satya Nadella's One-Page Resume
• Server Resume
• Social Worker Resume
• Software Engineer Resume
• Stay-at-home Mom Resume
• Student Resume
• Student Resume Templates
• Taylor Swift Resume
• Video Editor Resume
• Volunteer Resume
• Waiter/Waitress Resume
• Warehouse Worker Resume
• Web Developer Resume
• Welder Resume

5+ Examples of Resume Templates

Your resume template can play an important role in helping you make a great first impression on the hiring manager. 

Specifically, your industry, work experience, or skills all impact how your resume should look, so make sure to choose the right template when making your resume: 

#1. Traditional Resume

A straightforward format that gives equal importance to all resume sections , emphasizing skills and work experience.

#2. Creative Resume

Land your dream job in the creative industry by using this creative resume template. 

#3. Minimalist Resume

A simple and easy-to-follow resume template. Perfect for more conservative industries which prefer less flashy templates.

#4. Basic Resume

This easy-to-personalize basic resume layout can be ready in under ten minutes through our resume builder .

#5. IT Resume

One of the best resume layouts to choose when you wish to showcase your IT expertise.

#6. Modern Resume 

It can be hard to stand out from the crowd, but this modern resume sample will take care of this.

#7. General Resume

5+ Resume Examples by Career Level

#1. no experience resume .

Are you a student with no experience ? Learn how to write a compelling resume with our guide! 

#2. College Freshman Resume

Learn how to ace your college freshman resume with our comprehensive guide! 

#3. Graduate Resume

Fresh out of college? Write an impactful graduate resume to land your first gig after college. 

#4. Career Change Resume

Going through a career change? Perfect your career change resume to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

#5. Manager Resume

#6. Executive Resume

The Perfect Resume Structure 

Not sure how to structure your resume?

Here’s our tried-and-tested resume layout :

• Choose the right resume format or pick a template. If you’re formatting your resume yourself, follow the reverse-chronological format and make sure to follow the right layout rules. Alternatively, you can use one of our premade resume templates and not have to worry about formatting your resume one bit. 
• Add relevant contact details and make sure they’re mistake-free. You shouldn’t be missing information such as your full name and job title, e-mail address, and where you’re based. Optionally, you can also include some relevant social media profiles, such as your LinkedIn.
• Include a resume summary or a resume objective. Done right, a resume summary will show the hiring manager you’re a relevant candidate from the get-go and have them read the rest of your resume.
• List your work experience, placing special focus on your achievements. Your work experience becomes more meaningful if you include your achievements in your past roles and manage to make them quantifiable.
• Mention your top soft and hard skills. List any skills you have that are relevant to the job you’re applying for in a seperate section. 
• Keep your education section short and concise. Unless you’re an entry-level candidate with little-to-no work experience, keep your education section short and to the point. 
• Leverage optional sections like “Languages,” “Certifications,” or “Hobbies and Interests.” Fill up the rest of your resume space with optional sections that can highlight your strengths and qualifications as a candidate (e.g. foreign languages you speak, certifications you’ve obtained over the years, or your hobbies and interests).

3 Examples of Resume Formats 

#1. reverse chronological resume format.

This resume format highlights your experience and key professional achievements by listing your latest position and acquired skills first. It’s the most popular resume format among recruiters and the one we advise job seekers to use in 99% of cases. 

#2. Functional Resume Format

A functional resume , also known as the skill-based resume, is a resume format that focuses on your professional skill test as opposed to work experience. You’re better off using a functional resume if you’re a recent graduate with no work experience, if you’re switching careers, or if you have a long employment gap . 

#3. Hybrid Resume Format

A combination resume combines the two traditional resume formats: the reverse-chronological resume and the functional resume.

As such, this format places emphasis on a candidate’s skills and work experience. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Resume Examples

1. Are resume examples helpful?

Resume examples are helpful for several reasons. For starters, they can inspire you to write an A+ resume that meets the industry’s requirements. 

Also, resume examples can show you the best practices for listing your work experience and achievements, can guide you through your resume formatting and can help you understand exactly what the end result should look like.

2. How were these resume examples created?

All our resume examples and resume templates were created in full collaboration with industry-leading HR professionals.

This means that they meet all job market requirements, are modern and impactful, and meet recruiters’ standards worldwide.

3. What if I can’t find a resume example for my job?

While we’ve tried to list as many resume examples as possible for different jobs across several industries, it might happen that you can’t find the resume example that perfectly matches your needs. 

If that’s the case, you can check out our guide on how to write a resume , and learn to create an effective resume regardless of industry.

4. What is the best resume format in 2024?

The reverse-chronological format is still the best resume format in 2024. It remains the most widely used and preferred format by employers and recruiters alike. In this format, you list your work experience in reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backward.

This format showcases our most recent and relevant experience, making it easier for employers to see our career progression and accomplishments. 

5. Are these resume examples free? 

Yes, most of these resume examples can be used for free in the Basic account, while there is also a selection of templates included in the Premium account. All of them though can be tested for free in our editor. 

6. Do you also have cover letter examples?

Yes, we have an entire article dedicated to cover letter examples for different fields and jobs. Not just that, but you can also find tips on how to write a great cover letter and an FAQ section to answer any question you may have. 

7. Should my resume and cover letter match?

Yes, having a cover letter that’s consistent with your resume in terms of style, tone, and content can be a plus for your overall job application. In a nutshell, a matching resume and cover letter can increase your chances of getting an interview by demonstrating your professionalism, attention to detail, and suitability for the role. 

Conclusion 

And that’s a wrap!

We hope the examples and guides provided in this article can help you create a powerful and effective resume that highlights your unique qualifications and experiences. 

Whether you're a recent graduate, a mid-career employee, or a seasoned professional, there are tips and templates here to help you create a compelling resume for any job.

For more career advice, make sure to check out our career blog . 

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The 2023 Resume Writing Guide [+ Job Search Tips and Resume Examples]

Searching for a new job is one of the hardest things you'll have to do in your career and it's no easier this year. The Great Resignation, intense competition from other job seekers and remote work are making it one of the most exciting and challenging job markets we've seen in years.

That's why we decided to create our 2023 Resume Writing Guide with job search tips, resume examples and all the information you need to create the perfect resume or CV.

The right job is one of three things that contribute most to your happiness in life.

Which is why you need to do it right.

Besides you, your resume is your most important tool in a job search.

It is your first impression with employers.

It is the difference between an interview for your dream job or the recycle bin.

A great resume makes searching for a job easy, while an ineffective resume will leave you with nothing to show from hundreds of applications. Applying to a job without a good resume guide is a waste of time and can add months (or even years) to your job search, leaving you frustrated and demotivated. The following is a guide to creating a stand-out resume that gets you hired.

Recommended links:

• Our collection of 500+ professional resume examples .
• Our gallery of 20+ downloadable resume templates .

Let's start with the basics.

• Resume Layout Guide

A resume is your professional highlight reel - presented in an easily understood and standardized format.

Your resume needs to solve a problem for employers (which is why they’re hiring). It is your most important tool to landing an interview, and ultimately a job.

There are three standard resume layout types.

• Chronological: Focuses on work experience in reverse chronological order.
• Functional: Focuses on skills and experience, and not chronological work history. Used by people with gaps in employment or are changing careers.
• Combination: Enables you to highlight the skills and experiences that are relevant, while still showing work history in the format that employers prefer.

Which type of resume layout is best depends on the situation. For each job application, choose the layout that best represents you in the context of the job you're applying for.

• Important Resume Guidelines

Long gone are the days when recruiters and employers sit in uninterrupted silence and carefully read multi-page resumes from cover to cover. Nowadays, interruptions and distractions are the norm, and recruiters' time is increasingly crunched.

90% of large corporations use Applicant Tracking Software that to manage their recruiting process, which means you need to get through an automatic screen before your resume is even seen by an employer. If you make it past that step, studies have shown that recruiters spend 6 seconds on average reviewing a resume.

Studies show that recruiters spend on average 6 seconds looking at a resume.

They need to quickly pull out key facts, and make a split second decision that could decide your future. We think there are two key resume guidelines you need to keep in mind when building your resume.

Does your resume pass the 7-second test? Recruiters only spend 7.4 seconds reviewing your resume before moving it to the 'YES' or 'NO' pile.

If you pass the test, you still need to hold their attention to make it to the next steps.

Your resume needs to be sharply focused, compelling, and entirely relevant.

What is an applicant tracking system?

An applicant tracking system (ATS), is software that organizations use to manage their recruitment process. Vendors include Taleo, The Resumator, Smart Recruiters, and many more.

Most applicant tracking software uses a process called resume parsing, which extracts your resume data into a format readable by the software. Resume parsing pulls your contact information, work history, and skills from the resume.

When a recruiter is searching within their applicant tracking system for a candidate, those that best fit the keywords of the job description will show up first in the search results based on the parsed resume data.

This is why thinking about these guidelines is important in optimizing your resume for each application. We actually offered some tips on how to beat the ATS in a previous blog post.

Before writing your resume

If you're unsure about your career objective or haven't quite settled on a goal, you'll find that writing a powerful and effective resume is extremely difficult.

Remember, your resume must present just the right mix of meaningful information relevant to your goal.

Without a goal, you don't know what information to include, what skills or successes to highlight, and what details to omit. You're forced to include everything, and the end result is usually a resume that does not capture interest because it's not focused.

Have a clear goal before writing your resume. Employers want to know what you want to do ; it's not their job to figure that out. Take the time to define a goal (or multiple goals) before writing your resume.

See our guide on How to get a better Job for more exercises and resources for deciding what you want from your career.

Once have a clear goal for your resume, move on to the next step.

Be Clear About Who You Are

In the context of your resume, "who you are" usually refers to a job title.

Are you a Software Engineer?

Corporate Finance Executive?

Customer Service Representative?

Be sure to include this critical information right up front, as a headline or in the first sentence of your introduction. Your goal is to immediately communicate to employers the essential information that creates the context for everything else they will read in your resume.

For example, if you define yourself as a "Sales Professional," employers will be looking for key qualifications such as sales results, communication skills, relationship-building abilities, territory management experience, and so forth.

If you define yourself as an "Accountant," they'll be looking for something entirely different accounting and finance experience, knowledge of accounting software, attention to detail, and strong analytical skills.

By defining yourself up front, you establish expectations and help readers better appreciate and absorb the information that follows.

Paint the picture of an ideal candidate

Study the job description and decipher what problems the employer wants solved. Employers don’t care about you. They care about solving their problems. This is the only reason why they are posting a job. Get into their heads, and try to understand their pain.

Why are they posting this job? Who is the ideal candidate for the job? Which skills does the ideal applicant have?

Write down a brief description of the ideal applicant in the third person, all the way down to what they’re wearing. This will help you decide how to represent yourself when creating your resume.

Having defined your "ideal self," consider what information you can place "front and center" on your resume to support your claim. What credentials, qualifications, experiences, knowledge, and accomplishments do you possess that will prove you are, in fact, an effective Marketing Management Professional?

Your goal is to create a "snapshot," a capsule portrait that conveys the most essential information to your readers. In essence, you want to quickly portray that you are an ideal candidate for the types of jobs you are pursuing.

• Preparing Your Resume

In your job search, you will need to create a distinct resume for each job application . This enables you to do the following:

• Tailor each resume to suit the job description
• Optimize your resume keywords for applicant tracking systems
• Choose a distinct style to suit the company

To make this easy, start by building a Master Resume to work from. This will be an ever-evolving resume that contains all your work history, accomplishments, and skills that you can tailor for each application.

Let's start building a Master Resume.

• How to Create Your Resume, With Examples

The following section will outline the key components of a resume, and provide examples, tips and best practices for writing these components.

Standard fields

• Summary/introduction
• Work Experience

Optional Fields

• Past Projects
• Publications

Resume Example:

• Your Resume Header

Your resume should first include the most important information - Your name! Your name should be the largest text on the page. The header also includes basic contact details and links to other relevant online profiles.

For a European CV, the header will also include a professional profile picture. Do not include a picture for a traditional North American application. For a web based North American resume, a picture is acceptable.

• Your Resume Summary and Introduction: Examples of What You Should Include

An objective statement is no longer acceptable on your resume summary or resume introduction. Employers know your objective is to get the job. Instead, you have two options.

• Write a summary or introduction that highlights your most valuable accomplishments and skills.
• Do not include a summary or introduction.

The introduction goes after the header information, and should serve the following purposes:

• Highlights your the most valuable aspects of your resume
• Draws the reader in, and encourages them to read more

Resume Introduction Examples

Bad example: Experienced professional seeking employment in the financial services sector.

Good example: Experienced financial planner who has consistently generated above market returns for clients. Thrives in a team-oriented and high pressure environment.

Bad example: Passionate marketing manager and creative problem solver who loves to work with great people.

Good example: Results-driven marketing professional with over 10 years experience working with blue-chip clients including Nestle, Google, and Intel.

Remember, the introduction is not a necessary element. If you're going to use it, do so wisely. No introduction is better than a poor one.

• Citing Your Work Experience

The most valuable section of your resume is the work experience section. It is usually the most important factor in getting a job. Highly relevant experience in a field is the first thing employers look for. Even for entry level jobs employers want to see relevant experience.

Ordering Your Work History

Most commonly, work experience is displayed in reverse chronological order, with your most recent job first. If you do have a highly relevant position, there is no rule against re-ordering your work history to put the most relevant job first.

Each work history entry should include:

• Employer Name
• Dates of Employment
• Job Descriptions
• Accomplishments

The most crucial aspect of your career history is to write accomplishments, not history. Your job title and regular duties don't matter - what matters is your most impressive achievements in those positions. Ensure your accomplishments are compelling. Accomplishments are best written in bullet-point format, underneath each job title held.

Resume Example Accomplishment Statements

Bad example: Promoted to senior account manager with full responsibility for the company’s #1 client.

Good example: Promoted to senior account manager to manage #1 client, growing the business from $3 million to $6 million in 2 years.

Bad example: Completed all projects under time and under budget.

Good example: Averaged 7% under budget while completing 100% of projects on schedule, 65% ahead of schedule.

Bad example: Managed a portfolio for blue-chip clients that generated high returns.

Good example: Responsible for $5 million in assets for high net worth clients that generated a return of over 12% in 2013.

Bad example: Kept customers happy.

Good example: Increased referral rates by 15% and maintained a customer satisfaction rate of over 95%.

Writing Effective Resume Accomplishment Statements

The following section is a series of questions designed to help you quantify your performance in a position to write better accomplishment statements. Spend an hour answering these questions in relation to each job you've held. This will give you "ammunition" to work with when writing your resume.

Questions to quantify performance

• Did you make money for the company?
• Did you increase market share?
• Did you improve your ranking in comparison to other departments, branches, or competitors?
• Did you suggest any ways to cut costs in your team, department, unit, branch, or company?
• Did you regularly meet all your deadlines?
• Did you improve the efficiency of your job, team, or department?
• How did your performance compare to prior years?
• How did you rank against the competition?
• How did you rank against industry averages?
• What were your performance goals? Did you meet them? Exceed them?
• How did you contribute to the bottom line?

Questions to reveal success factors:

• What are you most proud of?
• What did supervisors compliment you for?
• What do your performance evaluations say?
• What are you known for?
• What do you do that others can't or don't do?
• What would "fall apart" or "slide downhill" if you weren't at your job for a week?
• What do you have "bragging rights" about?
• Where you the first, best or most effective in any particular function or organization?

Questions to create strong introductory statements

• What is the most important thing I accomplished in that job?
• What was I initially hired to do? Did I do it?
• What major challenge was I presented with? Or what major challenge did my company or industry face, and how did I surmount that challenge?
• What happened to my company or department as a result of my effort in that job?

Action words to use:

These are helpful verbs to use when writing your accomplishment statements. Always start your accomplishments with a verb.

• Spearheaded
• Accelerated
• Coordinated

Sources: Career Bliss , The Muse

The majority of your resume writing time should be spent writing compelling accomplishment statements.

Pro tips for writing accomplishments

• Focus on performance and results.
• Use specific examples with real numbers.
• Use Power words (not passive ones).
• Citing Education on Your Resume

The education section contains some or all of the following:

• Name of School
• Degree Earned
• Major Course(s) of Study
• Academic Distinctions
• Extracurricular and Leadership Activities
• Training and Certification
• Additional Professional Development

Keys for the education section:

• The more senior your career, the fewer education details to include.
• For younger professionals, add in distinguishing information such as achievements or leadership roles.
• Don’t let your education shadow your experience, and never inflate your credentials.
• Your Resume Skills Section

You should have a listing of your skills on your resume, that includes your level of competency of each skill. Skills are extremely important to match with the job description - it’s what employers are looking to hire.

• Resume Extras and Information

Extras are additional facts and information that don't fit into one of the previous categories but might be important to include, such as:

• Professional Affiliations and Industry Leadership
• Presentations and Publications
• Language Proficiencies
• Technical Competencies
• Community Activities and Leadership Positions
• Personal Interests

Resume Outline

As you are gathering the material for your resume, organize it into these rough groups; but keep in mind that you don't have to follow a strict formula! You can create new sections, add in unusual information, or come up with creative ways to present your qualifications. The purpose of the resume is to tell your story and describe your capabilities in the way that is most beneficial to you and meaningful to employers.

The number one question to ask: How is your resume solving an employer's problem?

Resume design guide.

Which resume design should you use? It depends. Use your judgement to decide which resume design best suits the job you're applying for. For a creative job, a more creative resume is recommended. For an accounting job? Use a more classic design.

Once you've written the right content, pick a design that best shows off your unique capabilities and fits the position you're seeking.

Resume Versions

Having multiple version of your resume is essential for a successful job search. Here are the versions you should have:

• A online resume (web based).
• A master resume with lots of detail.
• A custom resume for each job application.
• Frequently Asked Questions About Resumes

How long should my resume be?

The standard North American Resume is 1-2 pages in length. A more detailed academic CV can be much longer. However, don't try to cram your resume into a shorter version just because of conventions. A well-laid out, efficient resume will perform better than a crammed 1 page resume.

Do I need a picture on my resume?

In North America, no. In fact, having a picture on your resume could limit your chances of landing an interview. For a web based resume, a picture is fine. However if you're applying in a traditional way, create a version of your resume that does not include a picture.

Do I need an objective on my resume?

No! Your objective is to get the job. Employers know that! Replace the objective with a summary of your skills and experience.

Should I include references?

No. As a general rule, including references (or "references available upon request" is redundant. Keep your limited space for selling yourself.

What format should I submit my application in?

PDF is your best option for submitting a resume to an employer or an ATS. You won't risk losing formatting from a Word Document, and it gives you the most control.

Should I customize my resume for each application?

Yes. Studies show that tailoring your resume for a specific position is much more effective than sending a generic application. It takes extra time, but is worth the effort.

Do you have resume guides for specific applications. For example a resume guide for teachers, it, architects, students, nursing, freshers, internships, designers, engineering, tour guide or no experience?

*No. However, we do have an amazing resume samples directory with resume examples for every occupation and career path. Check it out here

What to Do Next: Send It To Employers

Step by step, section by section, you've built your resume. Congratulations! Now it's time to get that dream job. We've got just the guide for you.

Looking for an easy way to create a multiple targeted resumes and track the results? We'd love for you to give VisualCV a try.

Madison Norton

VP Marketing & Resume Expert

Madison is the VP Marketing and General Manager at VisualCV . He's a seasoned marketing leader, resume writing and career marketing expert and now helping people grow their own career marketing strategies to build a career they love.

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Whether you’re a college graduate looking for a break or a seasoned professional - you need to create your resume the right way to get your desired job.

It's an open secret that recruiters spend on an average 7.4 seconds to review a resume. So it needs to be strong and eye-catching to capture the attention of the recruiter and help you get called for an interview.

In this guide we will tell you everything you need to know to write a stellar resume in 2023.

What is a Resume?

Simply put, a resume is a formal and official presentation of an applicant's work experience and education, and his/her definite skills. A resume is therefore a one or two-page document to summarize your qualifications for your target job profile.

A resume purposely provides a summary of your skills, abilities and accomplishments. It is a brief of who you are with respect to your interests and experiences. A good resume gets you an interview.

Since your resume is a primary tool in your job search, it needs to be carefully written and critiqued. This article is designed to guide you through the process.

What is The Difference Between a Resume and CV?

The three major differences between CVs and resumes are:

• the length,
• the purpose, and

A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages, a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages. The resume will be tailored to each position whereas the CV will stay put and any changes will be in the cover letter.

A CV has a clear chronological order listing the whole career of the individual whereas a resume’s information can be shuffled around to best suit the applicant.

The main difference between a resume and a CV is that a CV is intended to be a full record of your career history and a resume is a brief, targeted list of skills and achievements.

Check out our article on differences between a CV and a Resume for a better understanding of the differences between the two.

Sections in a Resume

Broadly speaking, the content in your resume is spread across the following sections:

• Contact information
• Resume Header
• Professional Summary /Resume Objective
• Professional Experience
• Certifications
• Additional Sections - Volunteer Experience, Extra-curricular Experience Training, etc.

Also Read: What are the different sections to add to a resume? .

How to Pick the Correct Resume Format in 2023?

The first step in creating a resume is to decide which format to use.

There are three types of resume formats:

• Reverse-chronological format
• Functional format
• Combination format

The choice depends on the type of job you are applying for and your level of experience.

1. Reverse Chronological Resume Format

This is the most common type of resume format. It lists your work experience in reverse chronological order – with your most recent job first and your oldest job last.

This type of resume works well for applicants who have been working for many years in the same field, as it provides a clear history of their career progression over time.

2. Functional/Skills-Based Resume Format

The functional/skills-based resume is similar to the chronological format except that it focuses on your skills rather than work history.

This type of resume should be used by candidates who have gaps in their employment history, or who are making a career change into an unrelated field.

With this type of CV template, you would simply list all relevant skills at the top instead of past jobs or education history.

3. Combination Resume Format

The combination resume format combines elements of both chronological and functional formats. It might include a brief section highlighting relevant skills and experience, followed by a chronological list of previous positions.

Also Read: What format to use in a resume in 2023? .

Best Resume Design Tips

The first thing a recruiter notices is your resume design .

So, if it's boring, it may get rejected.

Here are best resume design tips for you:

• Make sure to keep the resume length in 1 page. If you have extensive experience, then only you can go for 2-page resume. But never go more than 2 page.
• Make sure to keep the font size between 10-12 points
• Use professional fonts such as "Ariel", "Times New Roman", or "Calibri" to write the resume.
• Use Ample white-space on the resume to keep it readable.
• Keep 1-inch margin on all sides of the resume
• Save your resume in PDF format. If you send the resume to a recruiter in word format, it may mess up the formatting of the resume.

How to Create a Header Section For a Resume?

Your resume header is the top-most component in your resume.

It is important that you pay extra attention to your resume header as it will help you stand out among other applicants.

Tips to create a resume header:

• Do not write 'CV' or 'Resume' on the resume header.
• Write your full name on the resume header.
• Give a single space between your first name and last name
• Keep the heading size in 16-20 font size.
• Write the initials of the middle name. For example, if your name is John Lee Cooper, you can write the name in "John L. Cooper"

Example of resume header

Also Read: How to write a resume header in 2023?

Contact Information on Resume

Your contact information is the most important section in your resume. It’s the first thing that an HR manager sees when they review your application, and it’s what they will use to get in touch with you if they want to schedule an interview or ask questions.

Here are the items that should be included in this section:

• Phone Number.
• Email Address.

LinkedIn URL

• Social Media Link
• Website/Blog Link

Phone Number in Resume

Here are some tips to add phone number in resume:

• Write the ISD code of your country in front of the phone number
• Use a Plus sign (+) before the ISD code
• Give a space between the number to improve readability.
• Eg: +1 33242 19981

Email Address in Resume

Here are some tips to write the email address in resume:

• Use a professional looking email address to add in the contact information section in the resume.
• Eg: [email protected] , or [email protected] , or [email protected]
• Don't do this: [email protected]
• As long as your email ID has your full name, you're good

Location in Resume

Here are some tips to add your location in resume:

• Don't write your full address in the location section in resume
• If the job you're applying is in the same country, write location in "City, State Code" format
• If the job you're applying is in another country, write location in "City, Country Code" format

If you have an updated and optimized LinkedIn profile, make sure to add a link in the resume contact information section

Social Media URL

If you have a good social following, or you post content on relevant subject, you can add it in your resume contact information section

Example of resume personal information section

Also Read: How to write the contact information in resume in 2023?

How to Add Summary or Objective for a Resume?

A good resume summary or objective will leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager who's scanning your resume. A bad one, however, could lead to your resume being thrown out without a second glance.

That's because HR managers spend around six seconds scanning each resume — unless you manage to leave an amazing first impression. The way you accomplish this is through either a good resume summary or objective. Both are placed at the top of your resume, right after the contact information section:

Resume summary

• A resume summary is a short paragraph that highlights the most important aspects of your professional experience and skillset.
• It should be no more than 2-3 sentences long and should focus on the value you bring to an employer (i.e., what makes you different from other candidates).
• Your resume summary should also include any industry-specific keywords that will help hiring managers find your resume in applicant tracking systems (ATS).
• You only write the resume summary if you have 3+ years of experience.

Resume Objective

• A objective statement is for professionals who have less than 3 years of experience, or freshers.
• It focuses on why you want this job instead of what you offer as an employee.
• It also highlight your core values as they relate to that role

Example of Resume Summary/Objective:

Also Read: Guide to writing a killer Resume Objective section in 2023?

Key Skills Section of Resume

One of the most important sections of your resume is the "Skills" section.

Here, you want to list all your core and technical skills that makes you the perfect candidate for the job.

You should include a list of five or six skills that are relevant to the position you’re applying for and describe how they will help you excel in this role.

For example, if you’re applying for a customer service position and have excellent communication skills, it would be great to have a list of the following key skills:

• Customer Service
• Interpersonal Skills
• Issue Resolution
• Escalation Management
• Call Management, etc.

Where to Add the Key Skills in Resume?

When it comes to including important skills on your resume , we recommend that you spread them throughout the document - provided you can validate them of course.

The most important place to include this is in the heading of your resume, which should, when possible, include the most relevant keyword as a professional title.

In general, there are three main ways to include skills in your resume:

• In a separate "Key Skills" section after the summary of your resume
• as bullet points under each position you've held (if using a chronological resume format)
• In your heading as the professional title

Example of Resume Key Skills

Also Read: How to write the key skills section of a resume in 2023?

How to Write the Work Experience Section in Resume?

The most important part of your resume is your work experience. If you don't have any, or if your current job doesn't reflect the type of position you're applying for, then you need to do some serious digging.

If you do have a solid work history, then congratulations! You're well on your way to getting that dream job. But before we dive into all the nits and grits, let's start with the basics:

Given below is the standard format of the work experience section of a resume:

• Job Title: It goes on top of each work experience entry.
• Company Name / Location: Here, mention the name of the employer and the work location.
• Dates : Add the dates of your service, as in, start date and end date in the work experience section in MM-YYYY format
• Job Responsibilities : Add your job responsibilities in the section as well in bullet formats

Tips to Write the Work Experience Section in Resume

• Always write the work experience section in reverse-chronological format
• Write all your responsibilities in a single-line bullet points
• Start all the bullet points with a power verb
• Bold important terms and statistics to maximize the impact
• Mane a action-result relation when writing the bullet points in resume

How Much Work Experience do You Include in a Resume?

If you’ve got an extensive work experience, you’re probably confused about

how to add that effectively in your resume.Because, if you write everything, it may become a 3-4 page resume.That can actually hurt your chances of getting the job.

The key is to focus on what matters most for the position you want — and that means including only relevant information about your past positions.

Here are some tips for deciding what to include:

• Candidate With No Experience: For freshers, it;s understandable that they don't have an work experience. You can completely remove this sections and instead add internships, volunteer experience and extra-curricular activities in resume.
• Entry Level Professionals: You can list all your work experience in the work experience section
• Mid-level professionals: Add only your relevant work experience in the resume
• Senior professionals : List the recent 10-12 years of relevant work experience in the resume. After that you can mention your work experience in the resume, but no need to explain.

Example of Resume Work Experience:

Also Read: How to write the work experience section of a resume in 2023?

How to Write Education Section In Resume?

The education section is easily one of the most important parts of your resume, so make sure you format it correctly.

Here's some advice on what elements to add on the education section in a resume:

• Name of the Degree. E.g.: “Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science”
• Name of the University. E.g.: “New York State University”
• Year of Degree. E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012”
• GPA, only if it's greater than 3.5
• Honors (Optional).E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude.
• Academic achievements (Optional).

Example of Resume Educations Section:

Also Read: How to write the education section of a resume in 2023?

How to Add Certifications in Resume?

If you are looking for a job that requires certification, then make sure you include certifications in your resume .

This section should include any certifications that may help you get the job. It demonstrates your qualifications outside of your core-education experience and is thus seen as a positive attribute by recruiters.

Given below is a list of elements you need to add in the certification section in resume:

• Name of the certification
• Name of the certification issuing body
• Location of the certifying body
• Enrollment and completion date in a month and year format

Example of Resume Certification Section:

How to Add Additional Experiences in Resume?

You can add additional sections on your resume if you have some space left after adding all the essential sections on your resume.

1. Volunteering Experience:

If you've volunteered for any group or organization, list it in your resume . Volunteering shows that you're not only willing to work hard, but also care about others. This is one of the things employers look for in potential employees.

2. Hobbies & Interests:

Mentioning your hobbies and interests on a resume shows that you are well-rounded and have a variety of interests. They also help employers see who you really are as a person and how they might relate to you in the workplace. You can include hobbies such as cooking or sports under this section. The same goes for other interests like photography or travel.

3. Publications:

If you've published articles online or in print, list those publications on your resume under publications so employers know what kind of writer they're hiring!

Key Takeaways

• Your resume should be tailored to the job you're applying
• It should look good, else the recruiters will ignore the resume
• The resume should include all relevant information. It shouldn't feel incomplete
• You need to add accurate details in the resume.
• Start all bullet points in resume with power verbs
• Keep a 1-inch margin on all sides of the resume.

Go to Hiration career platform which has 24/7 chat support and get professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries. You can also write to us at [email protected] and we will make sure to reach out to you as soon as possible.

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The Ultimate Do’s and Don'ts of Resume Writing in 2024

Wondering what belongs on your resume and what doesn’t? Here’s the ultimate list of resume do’s and don’ts in 2024, straight from the mouths of top recruiters

a year ago   •   5 min read

Not sure what the do’s and don’ts are of writing a resume in 2023? The good news is that while a few things have changed, there’s also a lot of good resume advice out there that’s still valid. The bad news is, there’s a lot of bad resume advice out there, too, and it can be difficult to figure out which is which.

We talked to recruiters about their most up-to-date resume advice to find out what you should — and shouldn’t — do when applying for jobs. Keep reading as we explore the do’s and don’ts of:

• How to format your resume
• What to include in (and exclude from) your resume
• Avoiding common resume mistakes
• Making your resume stand out for the right reasons

Before we dive in, let’s take a look at what’s changed about resumes and job seeking in 2023.

Resume writing: What’s new in 2023

The reign of artificial intelligence.

AI is making its presence felt in all areas of hiring right now. Alongside Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which have been used for a while to speed up and automate parts of the hiring process, ChatGPT is making its presence felt in a number of different fields. That means you should:

• Optimize your resume for ATS (see our formatting tips below for details about how to do this).
• Emphasize new and in-demand skills like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and ChatGPT .
• Use AI-powered resume scanners to your advantage.

On the topic of AI-powered resume scanners, upload your resume to the below to ensure your sections and bullet points are correctly identified. It’ll also give you feedback on how to improve your resume’s impact and bullet points.

The explosion of remote work

While some companies have issued “return to office” mandates, for most, remote and hybrid work is here to stay. If you’re interested in remote work, make sure to:

• Explicitly indicate that you’re open to working remotely.
• Mention past remote jobs on your resume.
• Lead with accomplishments related to working or managing employees remotely .
• Include must-have skills for remote work, e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Basecamp, Slack, Trello, and Asana.

The rise of gig economy and side hustles

Through a mixture of choice and necessity, we’re seeing more and more people opt out of a strict 9 to 5 and into side gigs. If this is you, you don’t need to leave these side hustles off your resume — instead, you should:

• List freelance work or self-employment under a single company name (using your own name is fine for this).
• Consolidate multiple short-term jobs under a single heading.
• Emphasize transferable skills through your bullet point accomplishments.

Now that you know what’s new, let’s dive a little deeper into some perennial resume do’s and don’ts.

Appearance: Formatting your resume for maximum impact

Do: prioritize readability and consistency.

Why are we starting with formatting instead of content? Because people need to be able to read your resume before they can understand what’s in it.When formatting your resume, you should:

• Use a standard word processing program like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
• Choose a single font to use throughout the document.
• Use a readable font size.
• Keep your text left aligned.
• Use capital letters , bold, italics, and larger fonts for emphasis (e.g. larger section headings, bold for job titles, italics for company names).
• Clearly label your resume sections with headings like “Work Experience,” “Education,” and “Skills.”
• Choose a single date format and use it consistently.
• Set one inch margins on all sides.
• Limit your resume to less than two pages ( one page is ideal in most cases).
• Save your resume as a PDF file to preserve your formatting.

DON’T: Fix what isn’t broken

If that sounds like a lot of rules to remember , all you really need to know is this: The less you change from your default settings or resume template, the better.

This means you shouldn’t:

• Change the default settings on whatever program you’re using unless you need to.
• Use a fancy image-based resume creator like Photoshop or online resume generators.
• Use downloaded fonts that may not show up properly on a hiring manager’s computer.
• Add photographs, images, charts, or infographics.
• Make your font size or margins bigger to hide a lack of content or smaller to fit more information.
• Use a multi-column layout — one-column templates are easier for ATS to read.

Content: What to include (and not include) in a resume

Do: include relevant information that makes you a stronger candidate.

Everything that goes on your resume should either be a) essential information that recruiters expect to see (like contact information and work history), or b) directly answer the question, “why are you a good fit for this job in particular?”

Here’s a brief rundown of what your resume should include in each section.

Resume header

• Basic contact details — your full name, phone number , and email address .
• A link to your LinkedIn profile, GitHub , or online portfolio if it’s relevant and well-maintained.
• A resume title and (optional) summary with a brief overview of your key skills and experience.

Work Experience

• List your professional experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent or current position.
• Include the name of the company, your job title, the location, and the dates you worked.
• Add 3-6 bullet points highlighting your accomplishments (not responsibilities) — structure these in the format of “Action Verb + Task + Metric.”
• List your educational qualifications in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent degree or certification.
• Include the full name of the educational institution, the degree or certification obtained, and the date of graduation or expected graduation.
• If applicable, provide additional details such as your major or field of study, academic honors or distinctions, relevant coursework , research or thesis projects , and study abroad .

Additional information

• Include 1-2 additional sections — for example, Skills, Projects, Volunteer Work , and Extracurricular Activities .
• Explicitly mention any hard skills listed in the job description — these are essential keywords that ATS are programmed to look for.
• Add any other industry-relevant skills, including technical skills, software, coding, and language skills.

DON’T: Add so much information that the important stuff gets lost

The real trick that’s missing from a lot of careers advice is that your resume isn’t about adding as much information as possible — it’s about sticking to the most relevant information and leaving out everything else.In other words, you shouldn’t:

• Include unrelated jobs. Your part-time gig at a fast-food joint absolutely belongs on your resume if you’re applying for a job in food service, but it may not be relevant for a software engineering position.
• Include much older jobs. Unless you’re applying for a senior role requiring 10-15+ years’ experience, leave anything older than that off your resume.
• Write a resume objective. These have been outdated for a long time — opt for a resume summary instead.
• Write in full paragraphs. Your accomplishments should always be in bullet point format .
• Use personal pronouns like “I,” “me,” or “my.”
• List soft skills (like teamwork and communication) in your skills section — instead, choose accomplishments that illustrate those skills in action.
• Include a references section. There’s also no need to write “references available on request.”
• Mention hobbies, activities, or other personal information unless it directly ties in with the job you’re applying for.
• Add links to your personal social media platforms.
• Include personal details like your age, religion, or marital status, which are legally protected against discrimination.

Polish: Common resume mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Here are a few final examples of do’s and don’ts for your resume.

DO: Personalize your resume to each job you apply for.

DON’T: Include trendy but meaningless buzzwords or corporate jargon.

DO: Demonstrate the impact of your accomplishments by using numbers whenever possible.

DON’T: Lie (or exaggerate) on your resume . Anyone who says this is normal resume behavior is, well, lying.

DO: Proofread your resume carefully to avoid typos and grammatical mistakes , which are easy to overlook and could cost you the job.

• Career Advice

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Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

40 Best Free Resume Templates to Use and Customize in 2023

It’s easier to create a stand-out resume when you have a starter template instead of a blank page. The best resume templates are designed to pass through an application tracking system (ATS) and catch the attention of recruiters. This way, all you have to do is plug the right information into the right places. From there, the goal is to land beaucoup job interviews so that you can get that dream offer ASAP.

Ahead, you’ll find 41 professional, free resume templates to consider.

You may notice that many of our favorite resume templates are minimalistic, with fewer graphics, charts, and sections than you might find elsewhere. A simple, software-friendly design is what you want for an ATS, because these tracking systems don’t always “read” as well as a human and can’t handle a lot of formatting. Certain design elements—like columns, text boxes, headers, footers, images, graphs, and graphics—can cause an ATS to read out of order or drop things entirely.

Keep these limitations in mind when choosing your fighter, because not all online templates follow best practices. Even the best ones (including some on this list!) slip up here and there. A few common changes you’ll have to make to templates are:

• Moving all text out of text boxes, headers, and footers and into the body of a document
• Changing any creative section headings to traditional ones
• Removing any graphic elements or replacing them with text

Not all embellishments are out of bounds, however. You can give your resume some character (without compromising your chances of getting hired) by using:

• Bold and italicized text
• Underlined words (in headings and hyperlinks)
• Color (dark blues, greens, and reds are popular since people can also read them easily)
• Different text alignments (e.g., right, left, center)

Now that you know what goes into choosing an effective resume template, check out our favorites:

• Free B&W resume templates

Free colorful resume templates

Free minimalist resume templates, free eye-catching resume templates, free skill-emphasizing resume templates, free resume templates for experienced job seekers, free resume templates for entry-level job seekers, free adobe resume templates, free b&w resume templates.

Here are a few traditional templates with straightforward, chronological formatting and classic section headings. They’re tried-and-true templates that won’t run into any trouble with an ATS.

1. The Muse’s resume template

File format: Google Doc

Our downloadable template uses blue for the section headers, adding a slight pop to an otherwise simple sample, and is totally customizable.

2. HLooms proficient resume template

File format: DOCX

HLoom offers templates that are ideal for ATSs. Some incorporate color and bullet points, but they do away with other bad-for-ATS elements. The “Proficient” resume template is a straightforward, chronological resume with space for experience, education, and skills.

3. Rezi’s standard resume template

File format: PDF, DOCX

Rezi guides you through filling out their standard template step-by-step, asking you what level of career and industry you’re in to make sure you’re using the right sections for you. For example, one option is for students who may want to put projects, activities, and coursework front and center (until they gain more experience). Make sure you delete the contact info icons and stay away from any template Rezi doesn’t explicitly mark as ATS-friendly. .

4. Resume Companion’s targeted resume template

This template is geared toward job seekers who want to call out the specific job they’re looking for by putting the title front and center. It can be downloaded with headers that come in five different color options, including forest green and aquatic blue.

5. Jobscan’s classic format resume template - chronological

Jobscan’s focus is on helping people get past an ATS and, as a result, their templates stick closely to ATS-friendly formatting. The “classic format resume - chronological” is exactly what it sounds like: a basic, classic resume with a focus on your experience in reverse chronological order. The template also comes in a functional format as well as a hybrid format .

6. Career Reload’s Carrie resume template

This template is a solid, traditional choice. Just delete the objective section or make it a summary instead, and change the “Expertise” label to “Skills.” (To download this one, scroll to the green hyperlink that reads, “Download This Template).”)

7. Microsoft Word’s resume template

This simple resume from Microsoft Word is straightforward but adds a few more design elements in the form of horizontal bars to break up the text (though they can also be removed if you prefer).

These resume templates are still pretty basic, but they use color to make key elements stand out and liven up your resume a bit. Pro tip: You can almost always change the color to suit your preferences (or even add a pop of color to any of the other templates in this list).

8. HLoom’s out of the box resume template

This chronological template has plenty of space to include a strong resume summary at the top and reiterate your most relevant skills at the bottom.

9. Career Reload’s Mandy resume template

This simple ATS-friendly template downloads as a Microsoft Word file and has space for a title and summary. Its use of color gives it a bit more zing than some of the more bare-bones options.

10. Career Reload’s Emily resume template

Here’s another Career Reload template that takes advantage of ATS-friendly design elements to give you something a little more unique. But make sure to swap out the “Career Objective” for a “ Summary ” section (or just get rid of it entirely).

11. HLoom’s leading-edge resume template

This ATS-friendly resume template adds some color to help your name, headings, and the places you’ve worked and studied stand out. You can find this resume under the “Simple Resume Templates” heading at the link above.

12. Resume Companion’s elegant resume template

The “elegant” template from Resume Companion injects colored bars to highlight sections but maintains the traditional bulleted format. Note that you can (and should) delete the footer of the document since that information is already at the top.

If you want a sleek, distraction-free resume that lets your skills and experience speak for themselves, check out these basic, no-frills templates.

13. Resume Companion’s minimalist resume template

This entirely unembellished template keeps things as simple as possible but still has room for all of your most relevant details.

14. Resume-Template’s resume template

File format: PDF, Microsoft Word

This is another option with a step-by-step walkthrough that’s good for someone who wants a completely utilitarian resume. Once completed, the resume can be downloaded as a PDF or Word file.Note: You should definitely delete the date of birth section.

15. Instant Resume Templates’ ATS resume template

This site’s template for applicant tracking systems is the lowest of low-frills—but that may be perfectly fine if you’re seeking a no-risk option that still includes everything you need.

16. Microsoft Word’s chronological resume template

This template is another simple option that places section headers on the left and details on the right, creating a good amount of white space. (Note that these columns can be read from left to right, so they’re perfectly ATS friendly.) Just be sure to delete the “References” section—these don’t belong on your resume in 2023.

These templates are perfect for people who want their resumes to stand out from the pack—but still get read by a computer.

17. Cultivated Culture’s Austin Belcak resume template

File format: PDF, Google Doc, TXT

Every Cultivated Culture template is fully customizable—so you can eliminate any elements that aren’t ATS-friendly. We recommend the Austin Belcak template as a starting point. Just be sure to replace the graph-based skills section with a traditional bulleted list.

18. Cultivated Culture’s Melinda Gates resume template

This is another Cultivated Culture template that will get through the ATS with just one change: Delete the “Interests” section to eliminate the columns (you don’t really need it anyway).

19. Super Resume’s template 11

File format: PDF, DOCX, DOC, HTML

If you want columns, this template includes them in a way that can still be read by an ATS. Just be sure to move your name and contact info out of the text box it’s currently in (where it might get missed or garbled by the ATS) and into the body of the resume. You can customize your resume directly in your web browser and download it as a PDF, Word, or HTML file. Not all of Super Resume’s templates are ATS-friendly (some include graphics and columns), but you can also check out “Resume Template 5” and “Resume Template 6” for more options.

20. Gumroad’s chef resume template

File format: PSD, PDF, Word

This template places the most emphasis on the personal summary at the top and keeps the job experience straightforward in the body. It’s ideal for specialized fields in which getting to know the applicant as a person is key (in this case, chefs and restaurant employees who may interact closely with customers and clients, but it can be adapted to any field). Just be sure to tweak the section headings to common ones for your industry.

21. ResumeWay’s free resume template 1100010

This template keeps things short, elegant, and easy to read. The colored graphic at the top adds a nice design element to stand out, especially against a straightforward layout that places your most recent job experience at the top and education and skills below. Just be sure to delete the icons next to the contact information and move it to the body of the resume.

22. Resume Kraft’s simple word resume template

File format: DOCX, PSD, AI

Don’t be fooled by the erasable icons—this template may have a modern look but it keeps things simple and compact. Keep in mind that some ATSs will read your resume from left to right, ignoring columns, so we recommend including either the job title or timeframe in the left column (not both!) and moving the other piece of information to the right.

If you’re early in your career, switching career paths, or in a highly technical field, you may want to spotlight your relevant skills over your past work experience. These templates do just that.

23. HLoom’s functional career change resume template

This template puts less emphasis on your formal work experience, and plays up your accomplishments, skills, and strengths—ideal for someone who is trying to switch careers. It can also be a smart choice for freelancers, or folks who've taken a career gap to focus on family or travels. 

24. Resume Companion’s stand-out resume template

This option prioritizes job seekers’ skills, placing that section at the top of the resume. If you’re making a big career change, you can keep the objective section ; otherwise delete it or replace it with a summary statement.

25. HLoom’s substantial functional resume template

File format:  DOCX

This template gives plenty of space to both list and expand on your most important skills right up top. Plus the columns are fully ATS friendly and the pop of color will catch the eyes of your reader.

26. Microsoft Word’s functional resume template

This template highlights applicants’ academic histories as well as skills and abilities, making it a good match for a graduate student or anyone in academia. This could also be expanded into a full CV by adding your publications, presentations, conferences, and awards. As always, ditch the resume objective or replace it with a summary!

27. Microsoft Word’s computer programmer resume template

Word’s computer programmer resume maximizes space for computer skills (which you may want to rename “Technical Skills”), education, and experience, which are key for software engineering applicants to include. But you could easily tweak this template to work well in other fields.

28. Find My Profession’s combination resume template

This template emphasizes both skills and experiences, but places key skills most prominently at the top—with room further down to put them in context and expand on your related accomplishments.

29. Microsoft Word’s internal company transfer resume template

If you’re applying for a new job within your current company, the resume you create may emphasize different things than if you were applying to a new employer. Word’s internal transfer resume highlights accomplishments and skills while placing general information (like education) at the bottom. There is some formatting that might trip up an ATS—but if you remove the main resume text from the text box and place it in the body with “match destination format” selected, you should be good to go. Then you can restore the colors if you’d like.

These templates are ideal for people with longer work histories.

30. Jobscan’s mid-level resume template 5

Jobscan created this resume for people who aren’t ready for management just yet but are well past entry-level. This hybrid template places an emphasis on hard skills, but still has room to put those skills in context—perfect for applicant tracking systems.

31. Jobscan’s new executive resume template 3

Rising to the top of the ranks? Jobscan’s “New executive resume template 3” puts an emphasis on results while allowing more space up top to quickly highlight your biggest achievements. This template is more than one page to account for a more extensive work history.

32. Find My Profession’s chronological resume template

This chronological template is good for people with more work experience and it gives space for job seekers to fill in both a position summary and bullet points. You can use this if you want to emphasize key achievements or special projects from your past jobs. Just make sure to delete the “Find My Profession” image from the template.

33. Jobscan’s management resume template 2

This ATS resume template highlights industry knowledge, interpersonal skills, the ability to delegate, and leadership qualities. The summary and skills at the top let you put the most important pieces of a longer work history front and center—for when it’s time for a human to look at your resume.

If you’re just starting out in your career, you might want a template that showcases your education and relevant skills over your past work experience.

34. Jobscan’s recent grad resume template 2

Like many recent grad resume templates, this option places collegiate experience at the top. But it also gives you two sections for work experience (relevant and additional) so that you can place that internship from junior year ahead of your pizza-delivering gig. Jobscan’s other recent grad templates are strong choices as well.

35. Microsoft Word’s recent college graduate resume template

This template is a very simple starter resume that highlights recent grads’ education, skills, abilities, and experience. Just remember to swap out that objective for a resume summary (or delete it).

36. WallStreetOasis.com’s investment banking resume template

This template is geared toward undergraduate students seeking investment banking job opportunities (but it can easily be tweaked for other industries). In just one page, it includes space to list your education, study abroad and/or internship experiences, undergraduate leadership positions, and skills and interests (both personal and professional).

These more stylized templates require the Adobe suite to edit, so they’re not for everyone. Just make sure you save your final resume as a PDF so the ATS can still read it.

37. Smash Resume’s simple two-page resume template

File format: AI

Need a little more space? This two-page template injects more personality with golden accent colors but is still professional. You can make this option even better (for both humans and robots) by nixing the line graphs in the “Skills” and “Language” sections, and sticking to text instead. Since the ATS might read your resume straight across (from left to right, ignoring columns) you should adjust what text you put in the left column so that the text still makes sense if read this way.

38. Graphicsfuel’s clean modern resume template

File format: PSD

Despite a two-column format in the education section (which you can turn into one), the graphs on page two (which you can replace with text), and a photo (which you should remove), this template is a strong choice if you want to stand out without being too flashy. The blue font adds an extra design element but everything else is straightforward and modern.

39. Adobe’s Amanda Danvers resume template

This option requires you to have an Adobe account—but it’s free if you’re already set up. The bold color pattern ensures that you’ll stand out, even with very traditional formatting that places a brief personal summary at the top, experience and education in the middle rows, and skills at the bottom. The Adobe Spark logo in the bottom right corner can be removed.

40. Graphic Pear’s minimal resume template

As always, delete the photo box and stick to text. This option comes with a second resume page and cover letter template you can use if needed. The numbers to the left of the job titles can be removed and the line graphs on the second page can be replaced with text.

Regina Borsellino contributed to the latest version of this article. 

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What to Put on a Resume in 2023 [Checklist, Tips & Examples]

Tick-tock. You’re applying for what looks like a damn great opportunity and you’re spiraling —  What should I put on my resume? Did I miss something? Am I including the right information? Do I really need the hobbies part?

No need to sound the alarms just yet, we’re sending help.

So here are the key elements to include in a resume (works for all career situations and jobs).

What to Include on a Resume Depending on the Format?

Depending on the  resume format  you pick, you’ll structure your resume a bit differently, but the key resume components you’ll need to include are pretty much the same. Here’s what needs to be on a resume in each of the three most popular formats:

Reverse-chronological resume format: standard sections

This is the most common resume format in which  you focus on showcasing your work experience . The jobs you’ve done, courses you took, and degrees you obtained are all listed starting with the current or the most recent one first and working your way backward. In 90% of cases, hiring managers expect you to submit this kind of resume.

Its main elements are (from top to bottom):

• Contact information
• Resume summary  or  resume objective
• Work experience
• Additional sections (This is where you list your certifications, publications, awards, projects, conferences, volunteer work, etc.)

Functional resume format: standard sections

A common resume format  for applicants with little or no relevant experience , the functional resume focuses on your skills and education rather than work experience.

Here’s what to include in it:

• Skills summary

Combination (hybrid) resume format: standard sections

Finally (and pretty much self-explanatory), the combination resume combines the parts from the previous two types. This format is  a good pick for candidates with a lot of relevant experience  or  experienced candidates targeting a very specific position . Potentially, this could also work for those of you who are going through a career change (but, again, only if you’re experienced).

And here are the resume components to include and in which order:

• Summary of qualifications

Additional sections

Expert advice:  If you’re not sure which format to choose, you can get more info and tips in  this article on resume formats .

In this guide, we’ll focus on the most popular (reverse-chronological) resume format and its elements.

Sections to Put on a Resume

Contact information on the resume header.

This is easy — you’re adding basic contact details so that recruiters can get back to you and find out more. Make sure to include:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your phone number (if applying internationally, don’t forget to add your country code)
• The link to your LinkedIn profile*
• The link to your portfolio or relevant social media profiles**

*Expert tip 1:  LinkedIn is a big deal. It’s the largest global professional network and most hiring managers expect you to be there. Your LinkedIn profile is supposed to complement your resume, so it pays to take some time and add a professional photo and cover image, and make sure all the information is well-organized and up to date.

**Expert tip 2:  The same goes for your social media profiles.  Hiring managers will look you up online.  Most of the time they’re just trying to verify the information and see how you’d fit into the company culture, but for some roles (think Social Media Manager or Customer Service), your online presence and personal branding are crucial aspects of the job.

And now the answer to that million-dollar question — Which social media profiles to include?

A single piece of advice here — only the ones most relevant to your work. So it might be Behance if you’re a graphic or interior designer, GitHub for devs, Twitter for an investment banker (if you tweet about finance), or Instagram for a landscaper (if you post your projects there).

And this is what a typical resume header with contact information looks like:

Resume summary or objective

A  resume summary  is a short paragraph placed right under your contact information. It’s an introduction where, in 3–4 sentences, you give an overview of your top skills and career achievements. Basically, this serves as a sales pitch (or “the greatest hits”) that shows the hiring team what they’ll get by hiring you.

You can learn how to write a compelling resume summary in this article:  40+ Resume Summary Examples [and How to Write One] .

A  resume objective  is an alternative to a resume summary, a bit more suited for candidates with little or no experience. It focuses on what you want to achieve in the new role and how you’d like to build your career in the future.

Get an example for your job and career situation and learn how to craft a good resume objective in this article:  60+ Resume Objective Examples (with Writing Guide and Tips) .

Here’s an example resume summary by a Data Entry Specialist looking for a new opportunity.

Together with the sharp resume summary, your work experience is where you should score some serious points. It’s really not that difficult — it’s not so much about what you did in your previous job but how well you can organize and present your accomplishments in the role.

So here’s what needs to be on a resume in your experience section:

• Your position (this is typically written in bold for clarity and to attract attention)
• Dates worked
• Company name
• A bullet-pointed list detailing 3–4 of your main duties and achievements

🔑  Key tip:  Remember to list your jobs in reverse-chronological order. Start from your current (or most recent) job, then list the one before that, and so on.

If you’re experienced, include only relevant jobs (chances are your retail assistant job from 10 years ago doesn’t mean much for your application for Head of Marketing at a SaaS company) and limit yourself to the past 15 years.

Conversely, if you’re lacking in the experience department, absolutely include stuff like:

• Internships
• Volunteer work
• Part-time jobs

🧙‍♂️  Wizard tip:  You can structure your bullet points describing your experience like this:  [Strong verb]  +  [Job duty]  +  [Impact] . It pays off to keep your bullet points as consistent as possible, and this approach will serve as guidance.

Let’s take a look at this well-crafted work experience section that gets a checkmark for all of the tips above:

Let’s run a quick quality assurance test to see why this works:

Format:  The candidate lists their present position first, and places the previous one below Information placement:  The must-have information for the work experience section is all there: the position, dates worked and the company name. Everything is clearly laid out and formatted appropriately. Consistent bullet points:  The bullets all start with a strong verb (check out this ultimate list of 800+ power words to use in your resume) and focus on the candidate’s duties and accomplishments, often using numbers and tangible results to reinforce the examples.

All in all, a solid work experience section.

If you think this is easier said than done and need more help, check out this dedicated guide on  How to Write the Work Experience Section (with 20+ examples) .

Place your education section right under your work history, and, again, use reverse-chronological order. Some basic rules here:

If you’re an experienced candidate , include just the basic information in the following order:

• Your degree
• University/school name
• The year of graduation

If you’re very new to the workforce , it’s fine to add details such as your:

• Relevant coursework
• Academic achievements
• Thesis/dissertation title

🔑  Key tip:  If you have both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, absolutely include them both (just mind the reverse chronological order). If you have a university or college degree of any kind, there’s no need to include your high school (unless it’s super relevant to the role you’re applying for, or was a vocational high school that gave you skills specific to the role).

Here’s how our Data Entry candidate handled in it her resume:

Read this full guide on  How to List Education on a Resume  (with samples for all kinds of education scenarios).

Next, the Skills section. It’s a resume must-have and yet, so many people mess it up. How? They either end up with a list of generic skills not relevant to the position or (worse yet) go for meaningless buzzwords that show no real value.

Essentially, the Skills section is supposed to be the key supplement to your Summary and Work Experience. How can you best handle this?

• Include a mix of soft and hard (technical) skills, ideally in two separate sub-sections. For certain jobs, your technical skills will mostly be software skills, so it’s okay to name that sub-section differently.
• Focus on relevant skills only (the ones that matter in this particular job)
• While there are a few ways you can format your Skills section, it’s crucial to choose one and stay consistent throughout the section: – List skills as single items (e.g.  Detail-oriented, Attentive , etc.) – List skills alongside star or bar ratings (e.g.  Italian:  ★★★☆☆) – List skills with a short description of your proficiency level (e.g.  Italian: Intermediate , or  Microsoft Excel: Advanced ) – List skills and provide a bit of context (e.g. someone applying for the role of an Email Marketing Specialist could write something like this:  Creating automated email campaign flows and providing reports in tools like Sendgrid, HubSpot, MailChimp, and AutoKlose )

And again, if this is giving you a headache, there’s a beast of a guide to help you write a kick-ass Skills section:  Skills to Put on a Resume for Any Job  (with post-covid examples!)

Now, to the fun part!

All of the sections above are considered standard. But are you going for standard or outstanding?

Having only the mandatory sections is totally fine, but remember that every single candidate will have them too. So if there’s anything else you can add to prove your value and stand out from the rest, then absolutely include it.

The optional (but recommended) resume sections can include:

• Certifications
• Publications
• Foreign languages
• Hobbies and interests

Now let’s see how each of these can add some slay vibes to your resume.

You’re certified, which means you made an effort, took a course, passed a test, and this adds tons of credibility. When I got my HubSpot certifications in Content Marketing and Inbound, I added them to my resume without much thought. You know what happened? Every single interviewer asked me about those certifications.

As usual, list only the certifications which are relevant to the job you’re applying for. If you’re not gonna be driving, then most definitely don’t include your driver’s license as a certification.

These are most common in academic settings, but if you’re applying for the position and have a relevant publication, then by all means, add it. Publications send strong signals that you’re an expert in your field and that you know the industry.

There are two super solid reasons why recruiters love seeing the volunteer section in a resume. One, it means you’re a purpose-driven (rather than money-driven) person who believes in a cause and is ready to support it. Two, your choice of volunteer work implicitly tells the hiring manager a lot about your interests, soft skills, where you’re passionate, etc. Adding it is a win-win.

🔑  Key tip:  That being said, remember to only include your volunteer work as a separate section if you have a proper Work Experience section. If you’re a student or an entry-level candidate with no work experience, then your volunteer work goes in the experience section.

It’s not only about how proficient you are in a language. Sure, if you’re applying for the position of an Account Manager and know that your clients will be French, then your Advanced level of French is a guaranteed asset. But even if that’s not the case, foreign languages get included as they also show how you’re willing to learn something new and serve as proof that you can  communicate and think interculturally  (a really big deal in most companies).

You can add projects right under your Work Experience or Education section to highlight some experiences or initiatives that you’ve led or participated in that go beyond your day-to-day.

If a project was still in a way part of your day job, it’s best to include it in the Work Experience section, just give it more prominence (e.g. make it a subheading in a given entry).

If it’s a freelance project or something you otherwise did outside of your full-time employment, a separate section would make more sense.

I’ll just say it — hobbies on a resume are fine, but  only if they’re really cool and specific . They’re typically there for the hiring team to check how you’d fit into the company culture. While some companies seem to prefer “the crazier, the better” (let’s just say there are crazy-good cyclists, cellists, sommeliers, actors, and hikers in this company), it’s not your hobbies that’ll get you the job, but your experience and skills.

There are two ways the Hobby section can come back to haunt you.

Number one, you do some gentle stalking and find out that your potential manager is an avid tennis player. Then you go and add tennis to your list of hobbies and skills. Then you end up in the interview clueless as to who’s topping the ATP list or how many basic strokes there are. Bottom line: don’t lie on your resume.

Number two, you write something horribly non-specific like “Travel”, “Music”, “Reading” or “Arts”. You’re not 6, you gotta do much better than that.

Will you be considered a freak if you don’t add a hobby? It may not be that big of a deal, actually. Check out this article on  why (and why not) to include hobbies in your resume .

One Tip to Rule Them All: Customize Every Section

Even if you follow this advice and include all the mandatory and optional resume elements, your resume is going to be bland, bad, and botched if you create one general version and keep using it for all the job openings out there.

It’s like going on dates with five different people, dressing the same, and speaking a script you memorized. Needless to say, there’ll be no second dates.

The pros do it like this — you’ll need a separate resume for every job application because you’ll need to base your resume on the actual job ad.

This sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not actually that difficult.

To align your resume with the job ad, you’ll need to break down the job description into actual skills the employer’s looking for and scan for important, eye-catching keywords.

If the requirements state that a new Product Manager needs to have “ experience using agile development methodologies with globally distributed teams ” and notes the “ ability to triage and manage backlog ”, then make sure to include your experience with Agile and provide specific results like “ Built, managed and grew an AWS-based product and an Agile team of 12 developers ”.

Also, look at the words they use to describe personality and adapt it to soft skills or strengths. If the ad says “ meticulous person with a high bar for quality ”, “ humble, be willing to learn ”, or “ you will not be here just to tell other people what to do ”, this tells a lot about the company culture and the personal qualities they’re looking for. Make sure to include these exact words —  meticulous, humble, willing to learn  — in your resume.

What Not to Include on a Resume

Now that you’ve learned what needs to be on a resume, let’s go over the elements that you should 100% omit.

Here’s what you don’t want to include in a resume:

• Date of birth
• Your brick-and-mortar address
• Unprofessional email address
• First person narrative
• Buzzwords and jargon
• Irrelevant information not tailored to the specific job application

And here’s why:

• Date of birth:  Since it’s illegal for the interviewer to ask about your age, having the info on your resume is like an invitation to be ageist. Your age tells nothing about your skills, and can create bias, so it’s best to just drop it.
• Photo:  There are anti-discriminatory laws and employment policies that make it illegal to discriminate against applicants based on race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, age (40 or older), and disability. Many hiring teams will simply reject applicants with photos in order to avoid being accused of bias or discrimination. Take this seriously if you’re applying for a job in the US, UK, or Canada.
• Your brick-and-mortar address:  Firstly, it’s 2023 and many companies are hiring remotely, which makes your street address unnecessary. Secondly, your street address is considered sensitive information — there are many other ways an employer can contact you.Finally, including your physical address can get you rejected if the job is advertised in another city or state. The employer may not be willing to provide a relocation bonus or they could be looking only locally. If you’re open to moving for the job, it’s best to omit the street address or include a line stating your intent to relocate.
• Unprofessional email address:  Let’s start with the email client — if you’re still using Hotmail or AOL, you’ll come across as old-fashioned and inflexible. Opt for something more current (and professional) like Gmail or Outlook.Next, if you’re still going by  coolboy@  or  millie98@ , ditch it for something more professional. A flirtatious, silly, or inappropriate email address is a red flag across the board and a rookie mistake that shows a lack of effort. A refined email address, on the other hand, signals to the hiring team that you’re taking work seriously and that you’re informed about the professional world.As a general rule, you want to use your first and last names and avoid numbers, if possible. If the classic name + surname option is taken ( [email protected] , try other options like:  [email protected] ,  [email protected] , or  [email protected] .
• First-person narrative:  This is a really simple tweak that makes a world of difference! Drop full sentences in your resume (all sections, not just the summary) and avoid both the first and third-person narrative. Employers value result-oriented writing and concise statements. Instead of using pronouns ( I generated 52 weekly SEO reports ), focus on the action (the verb) by excluding the subject ( Generated 52 weekly SEO reports ).
• Buzzwords and jargon:  If you read through your resume and you don’t remember anything, you may have fallen into the trap of using empty words or trendy buzzwords that have little actual meaning. Avoid cliches and overused phrases like “hard-working”, “team player”, “synergy” and “streamlined”. Instead, refer back to the job description and replace these empty words with keywords from the ad.
• Irrelevant or general information:  Let your common sense guide you. There’s no such thing as a general resume — you’ll lose points if your resume is not aligned with the actual job ad. Always ask yourself: Is this really necessary? Is it relevant to the job? You don’t need to add links to irrelevant social media profiles, your references (the employer will ask for references if they need them), or salary history.

If this still looks a bit complicated or if you aren’t sure how to organize your sections, you could try using an online tool like BigInterview’s Resume Builder.

This tool comes with a resume-writing course with 8 video lessons where our co-founder and an HR authority,  Pamela Skillings , takes you through the resume sections and teaches you how to write and what to include in each. Simultaneously, you can work on your resume in the Resume Builder.

Once you’re in, the system will guide you through resume sections. You just need to provide your info and follow the instructions. The end result is a polished resume that you can complete in less than an hour.

Once done, you’ll be able to use the  ResumeAI feature  to assess your resume in terms of readability, credibility, and ATS-fit.

What to Put on a Resume: Checklist

Finally, here’s a quick checklist to guide you on what to put on a resume:

Mandatory sections to include:

• Resume summary of resume objective

Optional sections to include:

Don’t include:

• Street address
• Irrelevant or general information

Pamela Skillings

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How To Make a Resume That Gets You Hired In 2023 [10+ Examples]

With a large number of applicants for each role across industries, it is time to get your resume ready and sit on a job application spree.

"As per Foundit data, the retail, BFSI, and automotive sectors are expected to grow 20 percent in 2023" - Money Control.com

Job forecasts for 2023 are out, the final round of hiring in colleges is in full swing, and employees laid off in 2022 are rigorously hunting for jobs.

With a large number of applicants for each role across industries, it is time to get your resume ready and sit on a job application spree.  

Before you start job hunting, here is one thing you can't start the process without- a well-tailored appealing resume.

Here's how your resume should look like in 2023: Your resume should reflect your persona as the right candidate for the applied job.

Keep reading to find out how to stand out with your resume  in 2023:

What makes a stellar resume

• How to stand out in a pool of applicants using your resume
• Various sections in a resume
• 5 additional tips for writing an outstanding resume

As per Statista, the “Employment Recession” is under process with an expected rise of 63% in employee removal rate by 2023 globally.

With such scary statistics in place, you need to change how you look at your resume.

Your resume is not more than just a document that outlines your professional history.

Rather it is a personal branding document that differentiates you from other candidates and gains the recruiter's attention.  

How to stand out in a pool of applicants using your Resume

No, we aren't giving you a 5-point sheet to make your resume stand out.

These are the top 3 ways to make your resume stand out.

Personalized Branding

Your resume reflects who you are and what you can bring to the company.

The strongly you appeal, the more convinced the recruiter will lead you to get hired. All this starts with having a strong summary, or a "branding statement".

• Write a strong personalized statement in your professional summary (or objective) that speaks for you, just like a brand’s statement.
• Make the summary clear, and concise with a combination of action words to get the best benefit out of it.

Some examples:

For Engineering Profile:

“Aspire to be a magnet that solves real-world problems and defines me as a true engineer”

For Product Management Profile:

“Building top-performing logistics teams that raise the bar on supply chain excellence”

For Health Care Profile

“Diving deep into social determinants of health to define more proactive care solutions and remove barriers to health plan success, both medically and nonmedically”

Business Growth Profile

“Driving innovative organizational development and culture through strategic learning and organizational development initiatives”

How to write a strong summary statement?

Check our detailed guide on Writing a Winning Resume Summary here

Get the best out of the experience section

To get the maximum effectiveness from your resume, align your skills and experiences with the job requirement.

How to align your resume to the job profile you are applying for List down all the key requirements given in the instructions by the recruiter and then add these keywords in your resume in various sections like skills, achievements, experiences, professional objectives, etc.

It also helps to get a good score in Application Tracking System (ATS) software and surpasses them.

How to present your experience in your resume

There are multiple ways to point out your skills and experiences.  

• Use active words along with skills keywords given in the job description.
• Use words and phrases that say more without taking up much space in your resume. Ideally, keep everything in your resume easy to read with clear and concise language.

We will discuss these phrases in detail in the next section, “phrases you must avoid” of this blog.  

Meanwhile, here are some examples to give a better idea of how to explain your job experiences

• “Developed and deployed curriculum that reached 4,000+ team members, implemented new strategies at the pace of business – rapidly shifted learning from in-person to virtual programming during COVID-19”
• “Navigated URAC accreditation to halt 60% loss of business within first 8 months by overhauling clinical operations, building policies and procedures, and revamping training”
• “Overhauled processes and practices to deliver $10M in soft savings through 4x increases in efficiencies and productivity”

Check out detailed resources on writing a work experience section:

• How To Use Bullet Points In Your Resume
• How to write Work Experience in your Resume, including job descriptions

Quantity of Your Data

“Your action speaks more than your words”.

This saying holds for careers as well.

Writing about our actions or achievements is the best way to highlight your capabilities

For example, consider these statements:

Case 1. Statement 1: “Achievement an excellent growth in quarterly product sales”

Statement 2: “Achieved a total of 57% growth in 3 months of product sales”

Statement 1: “I was responsible for creating a new office procedure manual”

Statement 2: “Decreased costs 22% after developing and launching a new office manual.” Which one looks more appealing in both cases? The second statement, right? This is because, with numbers, it’s really easy for us to compare the overall impact of any achievement, and thus, it looks more appealing. Therefore, always quantity your achievements wherever possible in your resume.

Various Sections in a Resume

You have two types of sections that are mentioned in a resume. One is “Must Have,” and the other is “Can Have.”

“Must have” sections include:

• Contact Information
• Resume Summary or Resume Objective
• Work Experience Section
• Education Section
• Skills Section

The recruiters focus on information in these sections during resume shortlisting and interview rounds.

Now comes the “Can Have” sections. These sections are optional and non-mandatory, only to be mentioned on personal preferences.

“Can have” sections include:

• Awards and Honors
• Volunteer Work
• Certifications and Licenses Projects
• Hobbies and interests
• Qualifications
• Extracurricular Activities
• Accomplishments
• Associations
• Publications
• Conferences

These sections vary from candidate to candidate.

However, they have a unique advantage. These sections help you personalize yourself as a brand in the resume. These little achievements add value, the condition being that they are relevant to the applied profile.

For example, any training or associations, or conferences in your chosen field of industry can help you elevate your relevancy to a higher level. Most of these achievements are often emphasized by the recruiters during interviews. These are unique, and not many candidates can mention the same things, ultimately helping you to stand out and win the interview.

What skills should I mention in my resume?

5 Additional Tips for Writing an Outstanding Resume

Let's face it- conveying anything clearly and to the point with an appealing tone is hard.

Follow the key tips to improve the overall impact of your resume and set a professional tone with appealing quality.

Avoid Passive Words

Avoid passive phrases and use active phrases. Passive phrases don't give any idea about comparable action, take up space, and decrease the effectiveness of a sentence.

Recruiters generally feel passive phrases to be boring and monotonous.

Here are some commonly used passive phrases in resumes:

• Responsible for
• Duties included
• Worked with

If you are using any of these, it's time to change.

How to make sentences in my resume more effective?

Plan your resume layout and sections.

There are so many functional resume layouts available for free. Take your time to finalize the layout that goes with your style and feel.

• Make sure that your layout is aligned with the resume sections that you are planning to mention in your resume.
• Consider customizing a resume template as per your requirements. For example, you can add your LinkedIn profile link at the top of the the contact section which is very valuable if you have a strong LinkedIn profile.

The sole purpose of the layout should be to convey the necessary information in an organized manner. Be flexible and create the best layout that fits your requirements.

Use Bullet Points to Organize your Resume

A resume containing bullet points is easy to read, makes it faster to profess information, and saves time for recruiters during shortlisting.

Use bullet points to differentiate various subheadings and points under different sections.

Targetted Keywords to beat the ATS

It is important to beat Application Tracking Systems (ATS) software to crack the shortlisting round. ATS focuses on the information in your resume and compares it with the data in the job description. The more targeted keywords it finds in your resume, the more it recommends you for the applied profile.

Here's what we suggest - do your research and list down skills and responsibilities keywords from the job description. Use these keywords wherever possible in your resume, it will make you more relevant for the profile to pass the ATS test.

Keep it Short and Concise

Recruiters have limited time, making it important for you to keep your resume short.

• Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs.
• Avoid unnecessary filler words that will help you say more in fewer words.
• Use active voice, preferably.
• Proofread to ensure correct grammar and punctuation.

Be professional

An attractive resume can and should look professional.

Don't go overboard with images, and colors to standout.

• Write your full real name, as written on the documents.
• Avoid using slang as they distract the reader from the main points.

Top Rated Resumes on Resumod

Resume of pgt geography.

Check the full resume of PGT Geography in text format here

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Check the full resume of psychiatrist in text format here

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Resume of Training and Delivery Manager

Check the full resume of training and delivery manager in text format here  

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Check the full resume of insurance underwriter in text format here

Now that you know what makes a resume more appealing and helps you stand out, start writing your resume based on these tips. However, if you need professional help to make a winning resume for 2022, check out our top-notch resume-writing services today and get your dream job!!!

Try Resumod's professional Resume builder now!

Watch CBS News

When do student loan payments resume? Here's what today's Supreme Court ruling means for the repayment pause.

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: June 30, 2023 / 5:19 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

The finances of about 40 million Americans with college loans may take a hit now that the Supreme Court has struck down President Biden's plan  to forgive up to $20,000 per person in student debt.

Borrowers are now facing a double whammy this summer because the high court invalidated the plan just before the pause on debt repayment lifts in September. That means borrowers will need to start repaying their loans on September 1 without any debt relief, experts note.

The Biden plan, announced last August, was aimed at wiping out the student-loan debt of 20 million Americans, while lowering the balances of 20 million others who qualified for the relief. On Friday, the court's conservative majority found  that federal law does not authorize the program to wipe out nearly half-a-trillion dollars in debt.

With repayments resuming without any debt relief, more than 12 million borrowers could find it difficult to make their payments, according to a new analysis from the Financial Health Network.

"Obviously the news today is disappointing, but it's time — the loans are going back into repayment," said Stacey MacPhetres, senior director of education finance at EdAssist by Bright Horizons. "Get organized, and take the steps to find out what is available out there."

About 16 million people  were approved  for Mr. Biden's debt forgiveness plan before the program was halted last year due to legal challenges. Another several million people had also applied but weren't approved before the program was halted.

Here's how to prepare.

Is Biden planning another way to forgive debt?

Yes. Mr. Biden on Friday announced his administration is pursuing a "plan B" for debt forgiveness through the Higher Education Act. The president said his goal is to "compromise, waive or release loans under certain circumstances," although the details aren't yet known and Biden warned that the process "will take longer."

The president also announced that his administration is creating a 12-month "on-ramp repayment program" to kick in when student loan payments resume in the fall. Beginning Oct. 1 and lasting for a year, the Department of Education won't refer borrowers who miss payments to credit agencies or consider them delinquent, the White House said. 

While that doesn't take away the need to make payments, it lessens the credit hit from potentially missing them.

"Monthly payments will be due," Mr. Biden said. "If you can pay your monthly bills, you should."

How does the ruling impact debt repayments?

The resumption of debt repayments was going to happen on Sept. 1, no matter what the Supreme Court ruled, experts noted. 

And Mr. Biden's plan B could take months to enact, which means borrowers should plan on starting repayments, without any debt relief, in September.

The Supreme Court ruling impacts repayments because borrowers will have to restart their payments based on their full balance, without the benefit of up to $20,000 in debt relief.

Figure out which servicer has your loan

Student-loan repayments are slated to restart on September 1 under the deal negotiated by the Biden administration and lawmakers, which was signed into law earlier this month. 

That comes after repayments were put on hold, and interest rates set to 0%, starting in March 2020 due to the pandemic. In other words, millions of Americans with student loans haven't had to make a payment in more than three years. 

The first step in preparing to resume repayments is to log into your account at the Federal Student Aid website, which will tell you which servicer is handling your loans. Some people may learn that their servicers have changed since March 2020, said Michele Shepard, senior director of college affordability at The Institute for College Access & Success, an advocacy group for affordable higher education.

Next, make sure you can log into your account with the servicer. 

"It's as simple as making sure you have the information to log into your student loan account," she noted.  "We are hearing people haven't had to log in for a few years and can't remember how to log in, and then they have to call someone and there is an hour-long hold to reset their password."

Check your balance and payment amount

Next, figure out what your balance is and how much you'll be on the hook for in September. 

"Look at your loan status, your interest rate, and see what is your repayment plan. Do that as much as possible in advance," Shepard advised. "You won't regret being prepared."

Sit down with your budget

It might be a shock to see how much you'll be repaying in September, especially for young professionals who graduated during the pandemic and haven't yet had to make a loan repayment, MacPhetres noted. 

"There are 120 equal payments, and that can be extraordinarily overwhelming, if you are paying rent, car loans and for your cell phone and then you see this large amount that you have to repay that you haven't had to repay," she said.

Examining your spending can help you get a handle on your ability to repay your loans, which could also help determine whether you should look at an income-driven repayment plan, experts say.

Consider switching your repayment plan

It might make sense for some borrowers to switch to a different type of repayment plan, depending on their financial situation, Shepard noted. 

For instance, an income-driven repayment plan, or IDR, can be helpful because they peg borrowers' payments to their monthly income. About one-third of all borrowers are enrolled in an IDR, according to Pew Research. 

Student debt holders can use a loan simulator at the Federal Student Aid site to figure out which plan is best for them. 

The most generous plan is called the Revised Pay As You Earn, or REPAYE, program, which was first introduced in 2016. The Biden administration is  overhauling  the program to add more borrower-friendly terms, but that overhaul isn't yet complete, Shepard noted. Even so, the REPAYE plan could work for some borrowers.

"The only real downside is because your monthly payments are lower, you could pay more over the life of the loan because your interest will be accruing," she noted. 

See if you qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Some workers may qualify for a program that offers loan cancellation after 10 years of regular payments, called Public Service Loan Forgiveness. 

This program is available to people who work for a  government agency or a nonprofit . You can search for whether your employer is eligible here .

The program was known for its byzantine restrictions and rules, but it has been streamlined and overhauled, which means some people who previously didn't think they were qualified should check again, according to MacPhetres. 

"The application process is streamlined and online now," she said. "We heard, 'I applied once and didn't qualify,' but we are encouraging them to reapply."

• Biden Administration
• Supreme Court of the United States
• Student Debt

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

More from CBS News

4 big student loan mistakes experts say to avoid

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Disappointed Democrats stick with Biden after rough debate performance

Biden says he doesn't debate as well as before but knows "how to tell the truth"

Who won the Biden-Trump debate? Biden's freeze draws age concerns

WASHINGTON – Presidential debates are always about expectations. And Thursday’s verbal sparring match between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump was no exception.  

The stakes were highest for Biden who, at age 81, was already battling perceptions he is too elderly for a second term. Meanwhile, Trump, 78, was facing concerns from moderate and swing voters about his at times bombastic style.  

The biggest moment of the night came early, when Biden froze for several seconds while answering a question about the economy. 

That – and all of the many other gaffes of the evening − will be replayed on cable news shows and shared thousands of times on social media for weeks to come. But how will it influence the 2024 election?  

Here’s a breakdown of who came out on top and who fell short in the immediate aftermath.  

Trump showed more energy than Biden  

Experts USA TODAY spoke with said they saw sharp differences in the stamina of the two candidates on stage Thursday night, and they said Biden’s low-energy demeanor could hurt him for months to come.  

In one of the most defining moments of the debate, Biden took a prolonged pause and froze while answering a question about the economy. After stuttering, the president continued, but began talking about COVID-19 and Medicare. 

Even some of Biden's Democratic supporters felt his freeze on stage and his somewhat wooden performance tipped the scales in Trump's favor.

Trump sought to highlight Biden’s slower responses, at one point saying, “I really don't know what he said at the end of this, and I don't think he knows what he said, either."

Thomas Whalen, a presidential historian and professor at Boston University, said Biden was “looking his age,” while Trump was “more controlled and sticking to his talking points.” 

Aaron Kall, director of Debate for the University of Michigan Debate Program, suggested Biden’s pauses “could spur endless news cycles about (his) age and fitness to serve another term in office.” 

New debate format aimed to decrease chaos

If seeing Trump and Biden on stage together again didn’t provide enough deja vu, their matchup also marked the first time since 1960 that a presidential debate was held without a live audience . The last time was when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon clashed.

The format was designed to eliminate immediate reactions to candidates’ remarks. Aaron Kall, director of debate for the University of Michigan, suggested it forced genuine responses rather than scripted statements from the candidates. 

Rather than rely on audience energy, Trump and Biden had to “trust their guts and instincts and previous debate experiences,” Kall said. 

The  use of muted microphones in the debate also nearly eliminated the type of candidate crosstalk that has plagued past debates, including most recently during the GOP primary. 

Georgia voters are central focus  

Trump and Biden weren’t the only ones in the spotlight Thursday night. All-important Georgia voters were, too. 

The location of the debate at CNN’s studios in Atlanta underscored Georgia’s role as crucial swing state in the election and served as a reminder that the candidate's messages − and bickering − will echo far beyond the stage. 

Biden won Georgia by just under 12,000 votes in 2020. But recent polling this year has shown Trump with a slight edge over his competitor in the key battleground territory. 

And the side-by-side comparison of the two candidates Thursday could very well sway the minds of undecided voters in the state. It was one of few opportunities the public will have to hear from the two men directly and judge for themselves who is the better pick for the country. 

Not to mention that the location gave both candidates an opportunity to campaign around the Atlanta suburbs. Trump called in to a local barbershop on Wednesday to talk with a group his campaign called the Black American Business Leaders Barbershop Roundtable. And Biden’s campaign said the president planned to attend watch parties across the city after the debate to talk with voters.  

Also of significance: The debate occurred only a few miles from the jail where Trump was booked last year on charges related to claims that he conspired to overturn the 2020 election.  

A major money boost for Democrats and Republicans  

Both major parties are expected to raise big dollars off Thursday’s affair. Similarly well-watched events have brought in the green for the two candidates.  

Biden’s campaign said he raised $10 million in the 24 hours after the State of the Union address. After Trump’s felony conviction in his New York hush money trial, his campaign said it raised $34.8 million in small-dollar donations.  

And both groups we’re leaning into their fundraising.  

Hours before the debate began, Biden’s team sent out a message telling supporters that he was “counting on” them to donate at least $30.  

“Tens of thousands of new supporters stepped up following my debates against Trump in 2020. And tonight, can’t be any different,” the message said.  

The Democratic Party of Georgia also hosted a watch party charging $24 per advance ticket. Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was similarly hosting a high-dollar event for Trump the night of the debate.  

Biden’s campaign said it had its best grassroots fundraising hours of the entire campaign leading up to the debate. 

False claims abound

Ashley Koning, director of the Rutgers Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling, argued that “facts and truth” were the biggest losers of the night.  

Both Trump and Biden made false comments throughout the debate that largely went unchecked by the moderators.  

Trump repeated claims that the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s fault. Trump claimed he offered Pelosi “10,000 soldiers” to stop the attack. Pelosi’s office has said, however, that she never received such an officer and that she wouldn’t have had the power to refuse either way.  

The former real estate mogul also claimed the U.S. southern border is the most dangerous place in the world. There is no evidence to suggest this.  

Biden also made incorrect claims. At one point, he claimed he was “the only president this century ... that doesn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world.”  

In 2021, during Biden’s presidency, 13 U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan as thousands tried to flee the Taliban’s takeover of the country. 

RFK and third-party candidates absent from the conversation  

Noticeably absent from the CNN stage? Robert F. Kennedy Jr .  

Kennedy didn’t meet the qualifications for the debate, which required candidates to appear on a “sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote thresholds to win the presidency” and receive at least 15% in four qualifying national polls, according to CNN.  

In a three-way matchup with Biden and Trump, Kennedy receives 10.7% of the vote, according to a Real Clear Politics average of polling .  

Kennedy counterprogrammed the prime-time debate by answering the same questions as Biden and Trump live on a social media stream and on his website. But he remained largely out of sight for most voters on a night that centered on the two major party candidates. 

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Who Won the Debate? Biden Stumbles Left Trump on Top

A halting debate performance by President Biden left Democratic strategists reeling, raising questions about his fitness to stay in the race.

• Share full article

By Alan Rappeport

Reporting from Washington

In the first presidential debate of the year between the leading Democratic and Republican candidates, President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump clashed on inflation, taxes, Ukraine and the future of democracy.

A halting performance from Mr. Biden and a relatively steady and measured delivery by Mr. Trump left Democrats deeply concerned about Mr. Biden’s prospects. Personal attacks overshadowed discussions of policy during the debate, with the candidates sparring over who had a better golf game, their respective cognitive abilities and their legal problems.

On cable news and social media, strategists from both parties wondered if Mr. Biden could continue in the race against Mr. Trump. Few Democrats could muster an upbeat assessment of the president’s performance.

Here is a sampling of the reaction.

“It was a really disappointing debate performance from Joe Biden. I don’t think there’s any other way to slice it. His biggest issue was to prove to the American people that he had the energy, the stamina — and he didn’t do that,” Kate Bedingfield, Mr. Biden’s former White House communications director, said on CNN.

“Biden is even whiffing on his easy pitches — abortion and Jan. 6. I mean, my God,” said Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist and former senior adviser to the presidential campaign for Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.

“Look, I debated Joe 7 times in 2020. He’s a different guy in 2024,” Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, said on the social media platform X, adding the hashtag #swapJoeout.

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• Student Loans

Biden Student Loan Forgiveness FAQs: The Details, Explained

Updated: May 6, 2024, 4:56am

Student loan borrowers can now apply for the Biden administration’s new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan online. The Department of Education has launched a beta website for its Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.

SAVE is expected to significantly reduce the monthly payments of many low- and middle-income borrowers and provide a shorter path to loan forgiveness.

SAVE will be rolled out in stages, and all program features won’t be active until 2024. But the application for SAVE is now open, allowing the Department of Education to refine its processes before the program’s official launch.

When applying, you will be able to select the option for your loan servicer to place you on the plan with the lowest monthly payment, which will usually be SAVE, according to the website.

“If you submit an IDR application now, it will be processed and will not need to be resubmitted,” the department said on its website. “The application may be available on and off during this beta testing period. If the application is not available, try again later.”

If you apply this summer, your application will be processed in time for your first due date when payments resume this fall, according to the site.

President Joe Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Update

What happened to biden’s student loan forgiveness program.

The beta site is being unveiled about a month after the Supreme Court rejected President Joe Biden’s one-time $441 billion debt relief program.

Under that initiative, borrowers who earned less than $125,000 ($250,000 for married couples) would have been able to qualify for forgiveness of up to $10,000 of outstanding federal loans. Borrowers who received Pell Grants to pay for part of their education could have been eligible for up to $20,000 of loan forgiveness.

Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Department of Education is prohibited from forgiving any federal loans under this program.

Who qualifies for student loan forgiveness?

After the Supreme Court struck down the forgiveness plan, the Biden administration set up a Student Loan Relief Committee to engage in “negotiated rule-making” over the next few months to discuss the next steps for student debt relief. It’s unclear if any new forgiveness program would have the same eligibility requirements as the first one, but the administration has indicated that it will prioritize relief for borrowers with financial hardship.

Although Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan isn’t available anymore, you might still qualify for loan forgiveness if any of the following apply:

• You work full-time in public service for 10 years and make 120 qualifying payments on your federal student loans.
• You’re a teacher in a low-income school or at an educational service agency for five consecutive years.
• You’re a nurse or nurse faculty member serving a high-need population in a critical shortage area.
• You qualify for Perkins loan cancellation.
• You’ve experienced a total and permanent disability.
• You have another qualifying reason for student loan discharge, such as being defrauded by your school.
• You make payments for 20 or 25 years on an IDR plan.

How do I apply for student loan forgiveness?

The application process for student loan forgiveness will depend on the program you pursue. Here are some steps you might take, depending on the program:

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). To apply for PSLF, use the PSLF Help Tool to generate and submit the PSLF & Temporary Expanded PSLF (TEPSLF) certification and application to your loan servicer. Submit this form annually so your servicer has a record of your progress. When the 10 years are up, you’ll submit a final PSLF form to federal student loan servicer MOHELA.
• Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Submit this Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application to your loan servicer(s). You’ll need the chief administrative officer of your school or agency to complete the certification section of this application.
• Nurse CORPS Loan Forgiveness. You can apply through your account on the Health Resources & Services Administration’s (HRSA) site. This guide explains the process in greater detail.
• IDR plan forgiveness. Your loans should automatically qualify for forgiveness after you’ve spent 20 or 25 years in repayment. Reach out to your loan servicer about any steps you may need to take.
• Total and permanent disability (TPD) discharge. Borrowers with a total and permanent disability may get an automatic discharge of their student loans. If you don’t, you can complete a TPD discharge application and submit it to the servicer. Along with your application, you’ll need to provide supporting documentation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Social Security Administration (SSA) or an authorized medical professional.

What will happen to my student loans?

Without the debt forgiveness program as an option, federal loan borrowers will need to make plans for repayment. The federal payment freeze—which has been in effect since March 2020—ends in September, and borrowers must start making payments in October.

When do student loan payments resume?

Interest begins accruing on loan balances on September 1, 2023, and payments will resume in October .

Can I defer my student loan payments beyond October?

You may qualify for a federal loan deferment and pause your payments depending on your circumstances. Common types of forbearance or deferment include:

• Cancer treatment deferment. If you’re diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatments, you can submit a request to postpone your payments during your treatments and for six months after your treatment ends.
• Economic hardship deferment. If you receive government benefits, such as welfare, work full-time but earn 150% of the federal poverty guidelines or less, or are serving in the Peace Corps, you may be eligible for economic hardship deferment. You can postpone your payments for several months at a time, up to a maximum of three years.
• In-school deferment. If you’re a borrower looking to return to school to earn another degree, such as a master’s or doctorate, you can defer payments while in school and for up to six months after you graduate or drop below half-time status.
• Unemployment deferment. If you lost your job and are receiving unemployment benefits, you may be able to postpone your payments for up to three years under the unemployment deferment program.

Are there other student loan forgiveness programs?

Even though the Supreme Court blocked the one-time debt relief program, borrowers may qualify for other loan forgiveness programs , including:

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Federal loan borrowers can qualify for loan forgiveness if they work for a qualifying public service employer, including 501(c)(3) not-for-profits and government agencies. They must work for a qualifying employer full-time for 10 years and make 120 payments under a qualifying payment plan. For borrowers pursuing PSLF , MOHELA is their loan servicer. Any existing loans will be transferred to MOHELA when the borrower notifies their current servicer of their intentions to apply for PSLF.
• Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Teacher Loan Forgiveness provides up to $17,500 in loan forgiveness to teachers who work for five full and consecutive academic years in a low-income school or education agency and teach high-need subjects.
• Income-driven repayment (IDR) discharge. Under an IDR plan , you get a reduced payment based on your discretionary income and a new loan term of 20 or 25 years. The government forgives the remaining amount if you still have a loan balance at the end of your loan term.

How do I know if my student loans are forgiven?

If you qualify for loan forgiveness under PSLF, Teacher Loan Forgiveness or IDR discharge, the loan servicer or Department of Education will send you a notification letter. Depending on your account settings, you may receive the letter electronically or via mail. It will state the amount of forgiveness you received and the date the loans were discharged.

If you made payments beyond the forgiven balance, you’ll receive a refund of the excess amount.

How is student loan forgiveness taxed?

Student loan forgiveness isn’t taxable at the federal level through 2025, due to the American Rescue Plan Act. After that, how loan forgiveness is taxed varies by program:

• PSLF. Loans forgiven under PSLF are not taxable as income.
• Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Previously, the loan balance forgiven through Teacher Loan Forgiveness was taxable as income. However, loans forgiven on or after January 1, 2021 are exempt from federal income taxes.
• IDR discharge. The loan balance forgiven under IDR plans is subject to federal income taxes.

SAVE Repayment Plan FAQs

What is the save plan.

The SAVE plan is a new IDR plan. While the other IDR plans calculate your payments using your discretionary income—defined as the difference between your income and 150% of the federal poverty guideline for your household size—the SAVE plan uses a different formula. It considers your discretionary income to be the difference between your income and 225% of the federal poverty guideline, so more of your income is protected.

In 2024, additional benefits will be in force. Those features include loan forgiveness after just 10 years for those with loan balances of $12,000 or less.

The SAVE plan will replace the current Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) Plan. If you’re already on the REPAYE Plan you will automatically be enrolled in SAVE.

How does the SAVE plan work?

SAVE slashes payments for borrowers enrolled in IDR plans because it uses a higher percentage of the federal poverty guideline to determine your discretionary income.

Let’s say you’re single and earn $30,000 annually. Under the current IDR plans, your discretionary income would be the difference between your $30,000 salary and 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person. As of 2023, the guideline for one person is $14,580; 150% of that number is $21,870.

For the existing IDR plans, your discretionary income would be $8,130. Depending on the plan, your payments would be up to 10% to 20% of your discretionary income, so you’d pay $813 to $1,626 per year.

Under the SAVE plan, for example, single borrowers who earn $32,800 or less—or families of four who earn $67,500 or less (amounts are higher in Alaska and Hawaii)—will qualify for $0 payments. For borrowers transferring to SAVE from another plan, the new plan would help them save thousands each year.

Who qualifies for the SAVE repayment plan?

Any borrower who owes eligible federal student loans can qualify for the SAVE repayment plan. Eligible loans include:

• Direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans
• Direct PLUS loans made to graduate or professional students
• Direct consolidation loans that didn’t repay any parent PLUS loans

The following loan types are also eligible for SAVE if you consolidate them with a direct consolidation loan:

• Subsidized and unsubsidized FFEL loans
• FFEL Plus loans made to graduate or professional students
• FFEL consolidation loans
• Perkins loans

If you were previously on the Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) plan, you’ll automatically be enrolled in SAVE. If not, you can apply for SAVE by submitting an IDR plan request on the Federal Student Aid website.

What are the pros and cons of the SAVE repayment plan?

Some benefits include:

• Larger income exemption. When calculating discretionary income, the SAVE plan uses 225% of the poverty guideline for your state and family size. By contrast, the other plans use 100% or 150%. This exemption means lower monthly payments.
• More generous interest subsidy. On the SAVE plan, the government will pay for any remaining interest charges that your monthly payments don’t cover.
• Payments as low as 5% of discretionary income. Starting in 2024, payments on undergraduate federal student loans will be cut in half to 5%, rather than 10%, of your discretionary income.
• Faster path to loan forgiveness. If your original balance was $12,000 or less, you could receive loan forgiveness after 10 years. One year gets added for each additional $1,000 you borrowed, up to a maximum of 20 or 25 years.
• Spouse’s income can be excluded. If you file taxes separately from your spouse, the Department of Education won’t include their income when calculating your monthly payment on the SAVE plan.

At the same time, there are a few potential cons to this plan:

• Parent loans aren’t eligible. Parent loans aren’t eligible for the SAVE plan, nor are consolidation loans that paid off any loans made to parents.
• Some benefits won’t be active until July 2024. Although the SAVE plan is currently active, not all of its features are available yet. In particular, you’ll have to wait until July 2024 for undergraduate loan payments to be reduced to 5% and for the forgiveness timeline to be shortened to 10 or more years.
• May not benefit from grad school loans. Borrowers with graduate student loans will still have to pay 10% of their discretionary income each month, which is the same percentage as some other IDR plans. That said, grad borrowers may still see a lower payment on SAVE due to the way it calculates discretionary income.

Is the SAVE Plan the same as student loan forgiveness?

SAVE does not provide immediate loan forgiveness. It’s a new repayment plan that could give borrowers a lower monthly payment. Eligible borrowers could qualify for loan forgiveness sooner and SAVE will discharge loans in as little as 10 years rather than 20 or 25.

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What You Need to Know for Consulting Recruiting: Summer 2025

Recruiting Timelines

Application season is almost here! If you are planning to apply to consulting jobs or internships for summer 2025 , you’ll find useful recruiting timelines, guidance for preparing, and helpful tips for interviewing below. 

Through our connections with employers, CCE’s Employer and Alumni Relations team continues to collect the latest deadlines and updates to keep you IN THE KNOW.

MOST FIRMS PLAN TO RECRUIT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL.

The consulting industry adheres to a fairly structured annual recruiting timeline and process . Recruiting timelines can v ary based on factors such as an organization’s size, focus areas, geographic location, global market conditions, and overall business strategy . Despite these variables, several common trends can be observed across the industry.

Most consulting firms report plans to recruit for internships and full-time positions starting in mid-summer and continuing into the fall . This schedule is largely consistent with timelines from previous years. However, this year’s recruiting timelines have slightly shifted compared to last season, starting a bit later than last year. For more detailed information about consulting recruitment schedules for 2024, please check out our In the Know post “ The Essential Guide to Industry Recruiting Timelines: 2024-2025 .”

In your research you may come across the acronym “ MBB ,” which stands for McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and Bain , or with the name “ The Big Four ,” ( Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC ). These groups name some of the largest and most well-known firms, but they are certainly not the only companies hiring consultants. While considering firms, you may decide that exploring an opportunity at a boutique consulting firm may be a better fit for you. Don’t hesitate to check out some additional information on this path.

TIMELINES FOR SPECIFIC EMPLOYERS

Application opens July 1, 2024.

2025 Full Time Business Analyst deadline – August 12, 2024

2025 Summer Business Analyst deadline – September 12, 2024

2025 Sophomore Summer Business Analyst deadline – October 7, 2024

To learn more about McKinsey & Company and keep an eye out for upcoming events and key dates, check out McKinsey’s Columbia University and Barnard College Website .

2025 Associate Consultant Full-time deadline – July 7 and September 8, 2024

2025 Associate Consultant Intern deadline – July 7 and September 8, 2024

To learn more about Bain & Company and keep track of upcoming deadlines and events, visit Columbia University Website .

Applications open approximately six weeks ahead of the application deadline.

2025 Full time Associate – August 7, 2024

2025 Summer Associate – July 17 or September 4, 2024

2025 Growing Future Leaders Sophomore Internship Program – October 7, 2024

To learn more about job opportunities at BCG and recruiting timelines, check out their Columbia Page .

Tips from Your Career Counselors

How to stay up to date.

Here are some ways to keep tabs on recruiting for your firms of interest:

Do an online search to see if the firm has a Columbia-specific recruiting page , and if so, bookmark it.

From that page, or the company’s LionSHARE/Handshake profile, make note of any specific recruiter information. Got questions for that person that aren’t answered on the website? You can reach out—that’s why they’ve made their information available.

Make a profile on the firm’s careers page or student careers page and sign up for alerts about the type of position you’re seeking. Some firms will only post on their own website, so this is a must!

Follow the firm on your social media channel of choice. This will help you hear about recruiting news and keep up-to-date on what the firm is promoting.

Favorite and follow the firm on job boards like LionSHARE , so you see their posts and if they  are coming to Columbia recruiting events in the fall.

Be sure to have a consulting internship or job alert set up on LionSHARE to catch new postings from firms not on your radar.

To practice for your case interviews, use Management Consulted . This premium resource, provided free to Columbia undergraduate students and alumni, helps you better understand consulting, prepare for case interviews, and sharpen your math and finance skills . Explore our library of tools .

Interview Prep

Each consulting firm has its own application process, but you can often expect three types of interviews: 

Behavioral : These interviews seek to learn about your interest in the role and the experience you have that’s transferable to the role.  If you want to learn more about how to prepare for behavioral or cultural fit interviews visit the Management Consulted  “Cultural Fit Interview Questions Ultimate Guide.”  Also, here are some sample behavioral interview questions you can use to practice.

Case : These interviews seek to understand how you approach a business problem by presenting you with a business scenario and asking you to walk the interviewer through your approach to it. They test your thinking, communication skills, and adaptability. Learn more about case interviews .

Cognitive Ability : These online assessments aim to learn about how you think, without requiring prior business knowledge. For instance, if you apply to a BCG office in the US you’ll be invited to complete a 25-minute, game-based pymetrics assessment within 48 hours of receiving the invitation. BCG’s assessment process involves a series of interactive neuroscience exercises known as pymetrics games. These games are designed based on neuroscience research to measure various aspects of cognitive and emotional functioning. Unlike traditional or standardized IQ tests there are no right or wrong answers, making them enjoyable for most participants. These mini games assess different traits related to social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Completing the games provides an understanding of your potential for success at BCG. Additionally, you will receive a comprehensive trait report that is private and visible only to you once you finish all the games. 

Similarly, McKinsey offers an assessment game designed to evaluate problem-solving abilities and cognitive thinking. Known as Solve, this simulated world assessment measures a wide range of cognitive skills, providing interviewers with insights beyond traditional resume and cover letter information. To learn more about Solve and experience its look and feel, you can visit Solve on McKinsey’s website or explore their FAQ section.

6 Tips for a Successful Application and Interview

It’s okay if you don’t have prior consulting experience! Consulting firms are interested in candidates who have an interest in business and skills like structured thinking, intellectual curiosity, clear communication, teamwork, leadership, and adaptability . Think about how your experience uniquely prepares you for consulting—firms want to know! Use these sample resumes as a guide to learn how to articulate your experiences.

Start networking now to build a few quality connections . Check out our networking programs and resources and learn how to connect with Columbia alumni .

Don’t wait! After applications open, consulting firms often review applications and select candidates on an ongoing basis.  Try to apply as soon as you are ready.

Be ready for both in-person and virtual interviews. For virtual prep , check out our tips on nailing virtual and phone interviews . Dive into firm websites for more advice and practice with tools like Big Interview . If you’re gearing up for an in-person interview, book a 30-minute mock interview with a CCE career counselor —they can help you shine face-to-face. And don’t forget, CCE can also guide you through virtual interview practice too. Get prepared and ace that interview!

Take advantage of the many free resources available for case prep directly from firms and from consulting-focused websites, like Management Consulted’s prep guide . Connecting with students or those in your network can also be helpful in gaining insight into their experiences with case interviews and tips they may have to offer. Check out some of these student-sourced tips on consulting interviews. 

If you’re pressed for time, you don’t have to do a million cases. Be smart about your case prep approach . Focus on a few key cases and really nail down your strategy. If you want to dive deeper into different types of case interviews and get some solid prep tips, check out the Management Consulted Case Interview Bootcamp . It’s a great way to level up your game!

To connect in person with Consulting employers during the fall, check for updates to our events page and register for the upcoming Finance and Consulting Career Fair .

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