- Resume GuideHow to write a resumeBuild a resume section by section, in the order recruiters read it: what to include, what to cut, how long it should be, and how to stay ATS-readable.Read the guide
- Resume GuideResume summary examplesWhat a resume summary should say at entry, mid, and senior level, with examples. When to use an objective instead, and the openings that waste the space.Read the guide
- Resume GuideSkills on a resumeWhich skills belong on a resume, how many to list, how to phrase them so applicant tracking systems match them, and why rating bars tend to work against you.Read the guide
- Resume GuideATS-friendly resumesWhat an applicant tracking system does with your resume, which formatting breaks it, which file to send, and why keyword stuffing works against you.Read the guide
- Resume GuideEmployment gapsWhat to write when your dates do not run continuously: where the explanation belongs, how much detail to give, and which gaps need no comment at all.Read the guide
- Cover Letter GuideHow to write a cover letterWhat a cover letter should contain, how to open and close it, how long it should be, and what to write when you have no contact name to address it to.Read the guide
Not sure which resume format to use?
A format decides which section leads and how much room it gets. Compare the three, and see the same resume reflow between them.
Chronological
Start here unless you have a reason not to
Roughly four out of five job seekers should use this format. It asks nothing of the reader, it survives every parser we have tested against, and it rewards a career that has moved in a reasonably straight line. Choose something else only when your recent history genuinely works against you.
Combination
The strongest choice when your title undersells you
This format has become the sensible middle ground. Hiring has moved steadily toward screening on demonstrated skills, and a combination resume speaks to that directly while keeping the dated history that keeps you parseable. If you are tempted by a functional resume, this is almost always the better version of that idea.
Functional
Most people who want this should use a combination resume
We would rather be straight with you than sell you a format that gets your application filtered out. Recruiters tend to read a missing timeline as concealment, and hiring software struggles to extract experience it cannot find dates for. The idea behind this format is sound. Keeping a short dated history costs you a few lines and removes almost every downside, and that is a combination resume.