Resume Templates

Pick the right resume format

Your resume format will determine how your resume is organized and which resume template you will use. For example, if you’re a first-time job seeker, you’ll want to create a resume that emphasizes your skills and training rather than your work experience (or lack thereof).

Choose your resume format based on these guidelines:

Functional format:

This format emphasizes skills by breaking them into subcategories. It’s perfect for jobs that rely on skills more than experience or if you lack experience.

Combination format:

If you have a few years of experience or are changing careers but can point to essential skills, use this resume format, which features a balance of skills and work experience.

Chronological format:

If you can show substantial progression in your career field, or are aiming for a senior position, use this format, which gives you plenty of space to describe your work history.

Follow these resume writing guidelines

Think of a resume as a summary of your career and professional qualifications. In the space of one to two pages, you need to communicate your strengths as an employee and what makes you the best fit for the job.

When creating your resume, focus on customizing it for the specific job: highlighting your skills and work experiences that match what the job needs. Include keywords that show employers (and the ATS systems they use to scan resumes) that your background is in line with what they need. Use strong action verbs and short phrases and bullet points, and keep your resume concise. Our free downloadable resume templates are all created with these crucial points in mind, so use them as a guide.

For a complete guide on how to write your resume from top to bottom, visit our page on How to Write a Resume.

Write an effective resume summary

Your summary is your first chance to make a good impression with your resume. Think of it as an “elevator pitch” that’s a few sentences long and answers these questions:

• What makes you a good employee? Think in terms of notable skills or achievements.
• What makes you right for the job? Emphasize abilities that fit the job.

To craft an effective summary, visit our How to Write a Resume Summary page.

Create a compelling work history section

In your work history section, avoid listing ordinary everyday duties. Instead, emphasize special projects or achievements that set you apart. Quantify your accomplishments using numbers (e.g., “Managed schedules for 50 employees” or “Headed media campaign that resulted in 23% increase in user subscriptions”). Our How to Write Your Work History Section page provides more pointers.

Organize your resume skills section

Your resume format will determine how you put your skills section together. If you’re displaying more than a handful of skills, organize your skills section by skill categories (e.g., administrative skills, software skills). Be sure to include:

• “Hard” skills: abilities you can learn through study and training, such as knowledge of specific software programs or the ability to perform medical procedures
• “Soft skills”: Intangible traits that tell employers how you can interact with others and approach work, such as attention to detail, conflict resolution or teamwork

For our recommendations on top hard and soft skills to include in your resume, visit our Top Resume Skills page. For more tips on how to best present your skills in all three resume formats, visit our How to Write Your Skills page

For extra guidance, use our resume examples

We have over 1,000 resume examples for all types of jobs, using the resume templates we feature on this page. Not only do our examples give you polished layouts you can use as the foundation of your resume, but the content in each example has been created by our experts, specifically targeted for every job. Just locate the example for the job you’re interested in on our resume examples page, and tailor the text for the particular job to which you’re applying.