How to Make a Resume in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide (With Examples)

Step 1: Choose the Right Resume Format

Before you type a single word, decide which resume format fits your situation. The three most common formats are chronological, functional, and hybrid (also called combination). Each has a specific use case.

Chronological lists your work experience in reverse order — most recent job first. This is the standard format preferred by most recruiters and ATS software. Use it if you have a consistent work history in the same field.

Functional leads with skills and de-emphasizes dates. It can obscure employment gaps but is notoriously poorly received by ATS and many hiring managers. Avoid it unless you have a very specific reason (such as a long gap you need to address creatively).

Hybrid / Combination opens with a strong skills summary or core competencies block, then flows into a reverse-chronological experience section. It works well for career changers and senior professionals who want to lead with impact before diving into history.

For most job seekers in 2026, the reverse-chronological format is the safest and most effective choice. It's what recruiters expect and what most ATS systems parse most reliably.

Step 2: Add Your Contact Information

Your contact section sits at the top of the page and should be the first thing a recruiter sees. Include:

• Full name (larger font — this is your headline)
• Professional email address (yourname@gmail.com, not partyguy99@)
• Phone number
• City and state (full address not required or recommended)
• LinkedIn URL (customize it: linkedin.com/in/yourname, not the default gibberish)
• Portfolio or GitHub link if relevant to your field

What to leave out: your full street address (privacy risk, wastes space), a headshot (standard US practice is no photo — it introduces bias and confuses ATS), date of birth, and marital status. None of those help you and some actively create legal exposure for employers.

Step 3: Write a Resume Summary or Objective

Directly below your contact info, include a 2–4 sentence snapshot that sells your candidacy immediately. This is called a resume summary (for experienced professionals) or a resume objective (for entry-level candidates or career changers).

A strong summary answers three questions: Who are you? What's your biggest value to this employer? What are you looking for?

Example (software engineer): "Full-stack engineer with 6 years building scalable React and Node.js applications. Reduced API response time by 40% at Acme Corp through query optimization and caching strategy. Seeking a senior engineering role at a product-led SaaS company."

Avoid vague filler phrases like "hardworking team player" or "results-driven professional." Every word should convey specific value.

Step 4: List Your Work Experience

This is the core of your resume and where most hiring decisions are made. List each role in reverse chronological order with:

• Job title (bold)
• Company name
• Location (City, State or Remote)
• Dates of employment (Month Year – Month Year)
• 3–6 bullet points describing your impact

The secret to great bullets: action verb + task + result.

Weak: "Responsible for managing social media accounts."

Strong: "Grew Instagram following from 8K to 45K in 12 months by launching a weekly video series that averaged 120K views per episode."

Quantify wherever possible. Numbers — percentages, dollar amounts, user counts, time saved — make achievements concrete and memorable. If you can't find exact numbers, use reasonable estimates ("reduced manual reporting time by roughly 5 hours per week").

Start every bullet with a strong action verb: Led, Built, Launched, Reduced, Increased, Designed, Managed, Negotiated, Shipped. Avoid passive constructions and the word "responsible."

Step 5: Add Your Education Section

If you have more than two years of work experience, your education section belongs below your experience. If you're a recent graduate, put it near the top.

Include:

• Degree and field of study
• Institution name
• Graduation year (or expected graduation year)
• GPA (only if 3.5+ and you graduated within the last 3 years)
• Relevant coursework, honors, or activities (if entry-level)

For most experienced professionals, the education section is brief — two to four lines. You don't need to list high school once you have a college degree.

Step 6: Include a Skills Section

A dedicated skills section serves two purposes: it makes your key competencies immediately visible to recruiters, and it helps your resume pass ATS keyword filters.

Split your skills into hard skills (technical, measurable) and soft skills (interpersonal, behavioral). Lead with hard skills — they're more searchable and more verifiable.

Hard skills examples: Python, SQL, Salesforce, Adobe Photoshop, Google Analytics, project management (PMP), financial modeling, HIPAA compliance.

Soft skills examples: Cross-functional collaboration, executive communication, stakeholder management, team leadership.

The single most important rule for the skills section: only list skills that appear in the job description you're applying to. ATS systems match keywords from the job posting against your resume. If the posting says "proficiency in Tableau" and your resume says "data visualization," you may not match even if you can build the exact dashboard they need.

Step 7: Add Optional Sections

Depending on your background and the role, additional sections can significantly strengthen your resume:

Certifications: AWS Certified Solutions Architect, PMP, Google Analytics Certificate, CPA, Series 65 — list the certification name, issuing body, and year.

Projects: Especially valuable for software engineers, designers, and recent graduates. Include the project name, a one-line description, tech stack or tools used, and a link if it's live or on GitHub.

Volunteer work: Include if it's relevant to the role or demonstrates leadership. A software engineer who volunteers as a CTO for a nonprofit has a meaningful story to tell.

Publications or speaking: For academics, thought leaders, and senior professionals. List title, venue, and year.

Languages: List languages with proficiency level (Native, Fluent, Professional Working, Conversational).

Step 8: Format and Finalize

A well-written resume in a poorly formatted document still loses interviews. Here's how to get the visual right:

Length: One page if you have under 10 years of experience. Two pages is acceptable for senior professionals with substantial relevant history. Never three pages unless you're applying for an academic position that requires a CV.

Font: Calibri, Garamond, Georgia, or Arial at 10–12pt for body text. Your name can be 14–16pt. Avoid fonts that ATS systems struggle to parse (decorative fonts, scripts).

Margins: 0.5–1 inch on all sides. Narrower margins let you fit more content; wider margins create visual breathing room.

File format: Always submit as a PDF unless the job posting specifically requests a Word document. PDFs preserve your formatting across all devices. However, double-check that the ATS you're submitting through can parse PDFs (most modern ones can).

Consistency: Pick one style for dates and stick to it throughout. Use the same bullet style everywhere. Match formatting in all section headers.

Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Even well-intentioned resumes get rejected because of easily avoidable errors. Here are the most common ones:

• Generic resumes sent to every job: Customizing your resume for each application is the single highest-ROI action you can take. A tailored resume dramatically outperforms a generic one.
• Spelling and grammar errors: Read your resume out loud. Use Grammarly. Ask a friend to proofread. One typo can disqualify you at a company with high attention-to-detail standards.
• Buzzword overload: "Synergistic thought leader with a passion for disruption" communicates nothing. Be specific.
• Lying or exaggerating: Background checks are standard. Even small exaggerations get discovered and can cost you the offer — or the job — after you're hired.
• Including outdated or irrelevant experience: Jobs from 15+ years ago generally don't need to appear. Keep the focus on the most recent and most relevant roles.
• Burying your best achievements: Lead with impact. The top third of your resume is prime real estate — don't waste it on generic job descriptions.
• Using a table or text box layout: Many ATS systems can't parse content inside tables or text boxes. Your carefully crafted bullets may become invisible.

How TryApplyNow Tailors Your Resume to Each Job

The biggest difference between a resume that gets interviews and one that doesn't is usually customization. A resume perfectly tailored to a specific job description — with the right keywords, highlighted relevant experience, and a targeted summary — performs dramatically better than a generic document.

The problem is that customizing takes time. Most job seekers apply to dozens of roles; manually rewriting a resume for each one is impractical. That's where TryApplyNow comes in.

TryApplyNow analyzes the job description you're applying to and suggests targeted edits to your resume — adjusting your summary, surfacing the most relevant experience, and weaving in the specific keywords the ATS and recruiter are scanning for. You keep full control over your document; the AI handles the tedious work of matching your background to what each employer is actually looking for.

The result is a resume that reads like it was written specifically for that job — because, in effect, it was. You can start for free and see exactly how your current resume stacks up against a real job posting before committing to any changes.