How to Write a Professional Resume and Get More Interviews

To land a great job, your resume needs to do two things really well: it has to get past the automated screening software (the robots) and then immediately impress the human who reads it. This all comes down to crafting a document that's clean, packed with achievements, and makes an incredible first impression in the first few seconds.

And trust me, those first few seconds are all you get.

Crafting a Powerful First Impression

Research shows that hiring managers spend an average of just 7.4 seconds scanning a resume. That's it. This means the top third of the page is your most valuable real estate. Your job isn't to just list your work history; it's to create a hook so compelling that the hiring manager has no choice but to stop scrolling and actually read.

The best way to do this? Ditch the old-school objective statement. Instead, you're going to write a sharp, powerful professional summary that acts as a 3-4 line "movie trailer" for your career.

From Passive Objective to Powerful Summary

Let's be blunt: an objective statement is all about what you want. A professional summary flips the script and shows the company the value you deliver. It's your elevator pitch, customized to mirror the exact language and needs of the job you're applying for.

Here's a real-world example. Imagine a project manager applying for a new gig.

Before (The old, passive objective):

"Seeking a challenging Project Manager position where I can utilize my skills in a growth-oriented company."

This is a classic. It's generic, tells the recruiter nothing they don't already know, and frankly, it's a waste of space.

Now, let's turn that into a summary that grabs attention by highlighting specific achievements and echoing the job description.

After (The new, actionable summary):

"Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with 8+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams to deliver complex SaaS projects on time and under budget. Proven ability to reduce project costs by 15% through strategic resource allocation and risk mitigation. Seeking to apply expert planning and leadership skills to drive key initiatives at [Company Name]."

See the difference? This version is packed with power. It screams expertise (PMP), proves experience (8+ years), and delivers a hard, quantifiable result (reduced costs by 15%). It directly answers the only question a recruiter really cares about: "Why should we hire you?"

Format Your Contact Information Professionally

Your contact info is the finish line—it's how they'll reach out to offer you an interview. But simple mistakes here can send the wrong signal before they even get to your experience. Make sure it's clean, current, and impossible to miss right at the top of the page.

Just follow these simple rules for a header that looks professional:

• Full Name: Make it the biggest thing on the page. Use a large, bold font.
• Professional Title: Right under your name, add a title that matches the role you want, like "Senior Accountant" or "Digital Marketing Specialist."
• Contact Details: You need your phone number, a professional email, and your city and state. Leave the full street address off; it's unnecessary and outdated.
• LinkedIn Profile: A link to your updated LinkedIn profile is non-negotiable today. It shows you're a connected professional.

A common slip-up I see all the time is an unprofessional email address. An address like surferdude89@email.com might have been fine in college, but it can instantly undermine your credibility now. Do yourself a favour and create a simple, professional email for your job search. It's a tiny detail that makes a huge difference.

So, now that we know how to grab their attention, what information is most important to include right after? Every section on your resume has a job to do.

Below is a quick guide to help you prioritise which sections pack the most punch for both hiring managers and the automated systems they use.

Quick Resume Section Priority Guide

This table ranks the most critical resume sections to help you focus your efforts where they'll have the biggest impact.

Resume Section	Why It Matters	Best Practice
Contact Info & Title	This is your call to action. If they can't find it, you don't get the interview.	Place it prominently at the top. Include your name, title, email, phone, and LinkedIn URL.
Professional Summary	Your 7-second sales pitch. It hooks the reader and frames your entire resume.	3-4 lines focused on your biggest achievements and top skills, tailored to the job description.
Work Experience	The core of your resume. It proves you can do the job because you've done it before.	Use bullet points with action verbs. Focus on quantifiable achievements, not just daily tasks.
Skills	This section is heavily scanned by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for keywords.	Create a dedicated section with hard skills (software, languages) and relevant soft skills from the job ad.
Education	Provides foundational context, especially for recent grads or licensed roles.	List your degree, university, and graduation year. Certifications can also go here or in a separate section.

Think of this as your roadmap. By structuring your resume with these priorities in mind, you ensure the most valuable information is seen first, increasing your chances of moving from the "maybe" pile to the "must-interview" list.

Showcasing Your Impact in the Experience Section

If your professional summary is the movie trailer, then the experience section is the main feature. This is where you stop making promises and start providing cold, hard proof of your value.

So many people get this wrong. They just list their job duties—a passive, uninspired laundry list of responsibilities that does nothing to impress a hiring manager. Your goal is to transform this section from a "what I did" list into a compelling story of "what I achieved." Every bullet point should scream that you solve problems, drive growth, or create efficiencies.

From Passive Duties to Powerful Results

Let's break down the difference with a real-world example. Say you're a digital marketing specialist. A typical, duty-focused bullet point might look something like this:

Passive Example:

• Responsible for managing the company's social media accounts.

This tells a hiring manager what was on your job description, but it says absolutely nothing about how well you did it. It's a huge missed opportunity. You have to pivot your thinking to focus on the result of your work.

Now, let's inject some life into that same bullet point:

Powerful Example:

• Grew organic social media engagement by 45% over six months by developing and executing a content strategy focused on user-generated campaigns and interactive polls.

See the difference? This version is infinitely better because it gives a specific, measurable achievement (45% growth), explains how you did it (content strategy), and shows you took initiative. You didn't just manage accounts; you delivered results. This single shift in perspective is the most important change you can make to your entire resume.

Quantify Your Achievements with Numbers

Numbers are your best friend on a resume. They are the universal language of impact, cutting through vague claims and providing undeniable proof of what you bring to the table. Even if your role isn't directly tied to sales, I promise you can find ways to quantify what you do.

To get your mind working, ask yourself these questions about your past roles:

• Time: Did you reduce meeting times by 30%? Did you deliver a project two weeks ahead of schedule?
• Money: Did you increase departmental revenue by 10%? Did you cut supply costs by £5,000 per quarter? Did you manage a £100K project budget?
• Volume: Did you onboard 20 new clients? Did you resolve 50+ support tickets daily? Did you write 15 articles per month?
• Efficiency: Did you automate a reporting process, saving 5 hours per week? Did you reduce data entry errors by 90%?

A common pushback I hear is, "But my job isn't about numbers!" You have to think creatively. A graphic designer can say they "created over 50 unique assets for a product launch that contributed to a 20% increase in click-through rates." A customer service rep can state they "maintained a 98% customer satisfaction score over 12 consecutive months."

For more inspiration on how to frame your wins, check out these resume accomplishments examples that cover a ton of different industries. Seeing how others do it can help you spot achievements in your own career you might have completely overlooked.

Use the STAR Method for Compelling Bullet Points

A fantastic and reliable way to structure these achievement-oriented bullet points is the STAR method. It's a simple framework that forces you to provide context, action, and a killer result every single time.

Here's how it breaks down:

1. Situation: Briefly set the stage. What was the context or challenge?
2. Task: What was your specific goal or responsibility in that situation?
3. Action: What specific steps did you take? Use strong, punchy action verbs.
4. Result: What was the positive, measurable outcome of what you did?

Let's walk through the STAR method for a project manager:

• Situation: The team was constantly missing project deadlines because of disorganised communication.
• Task: My goal was to tighten up project delivery times and streamline our workflows.
• Action: I implemented a new project management system (Asana) and started leading weekly sprint planning meetings.
• Result: This led to a 25% reduction in project completion time and a noticeable improvement in team collaboration.

On the resume, that translates to a clean, powerful bullet point:

• Improved project delivery times by 25% by implementing Asana and introducing agile sprint planning methodologies to enhance team communication and workflow efficiency.

Tailor Your Experience to the Job Posting

Finally, and this is critical, your experience section can't be a one-size-fits-all document. You need to tailor it for every single application. Seriously. Print out the job description and take a highlighter to the key skills and responsibilities the employer is hunting for.

Your mission is to mirror that language. If they're looking for "experience in budget management," make sure your bullet points use those exact keywords and back it up with a quantified example.

The stakes are high. With every job posting getting an average of 250 applications, you have to do everything you can to stand out. Tailoring your resume shows the hiring manager you're not just spamming applications—you're the perfect fit for their specific needs.

Optimising Your Resume for ATS and Recruiters

Before your resume ever lands in front of a hiring manager, it has a critical gatekeeper to pass: the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Think of it as a digital bouncer. These automated systems scan every application for specific keywords and formatting, and your first job is to create a resume that sails right through. Only then will a human get to see how great you are.

The hard truth is that your resume's structure and content have a massive impact on its journey. Many employers rely on AI-powered ATS to do the initial heavy lifting, and a staggering 75% of resumes get tossed out by these systems before a human ever lays eyes on them. Why? Usually, it's because of clunky formatting or a lack of the right keywords.

Why Simplicity Beats Style

It's tempting to grab a flashy, creative resume template with slick columns, cool graphics, or custom fonts. While they might look impressive to you, they're often pure gibberish to an ATS. This software is built to read text in a predictable, linear way—top to bottom, left to right.

When a resume has multiple columns, tables, or text boxes, the ATS gets confused. It might read the information completely out of order, turning your carefully crafted experience section into a jumbled mess. This is exactly why a clean, simple, single-column layout is almost always the best choice.

Pro Tip: Imagine your resume as a classic newspaper article—a single, easy-to-follow column of text. A complex magazine layout with pull-quotes and sidebars would be impossible for a machine to read logically. Stick to the newspaper format.

Here's a quick look at how a clear structure can make all the difference.

The key takeaway is that a clean, predictable layout serves as the foundation for both machine and human readability.

Use Standard Section Headings

This same "keep it simple" logic applies to your section headings. You might think "My Career Journey" sounds more engaging than "Work Experience," but an ATS is programmed to find standard, predictable terms. If the software can't find a section labeled "Work Experience" or "Professional Experience," it might just skip over your entire job history.

To make sure your resume gets parsed correctly, stick with the classics. These are the headings the ATS is built to recognise:

• Work Experience (or Professional Experience)
• Education
• Skills
• Certifications
• Projects

This isn't the place for creativity. Save your personality for the cover letter and interview. When it comes to your resume's structure, clarity and convention are king. If you're targeting smaller companies, understanding how they use these systems can give you a real advantage. Check out our ultimate guide to applicant tracking systems for small companies to learn more.

Weaving in Keywords Naturally

Once your formatting is ATS-friendly, your next mission is to optimise the words themselves. The ATS scans your resume for specific keywords and phrases from the job description to see if you're a potential match. Your task is to weave these terms into your resume strategically, without sounding like a robot.

Here's a practical way to do it:

1. Deconstruct the Job Description: Copy the text from the job description and paste it into a word cloud generator. You can also just grab a highlighter and mark the skills, technologies, and qualifications that appear most often. This creates your target keyword list.
2. Map Keywords to Your Story: Go through your list and pinpoint where each keyword fits naturally into your professional summary, experience section, and skills list.
3. Integrate and Quantify: This is crucial. Don't just list the keywords. Weave them into bullet points that showcase your achievements.

Let's say a job description repeatedly mentions "client relationship management," "sales pipeline optimisation," and "CRM software (Salesforce)."

Weak Example (Keyword Stuffing):

• Experienced in client relationship management, sales pipeline optimisation, and Salesforce.

Strong Example (Natural Integration):

• Strengthened client relationship management by implementing a new follow-up protocol in Salesforce, boosting repeat business by 15%.
• Led a full sales pipeline optimisation project, identifying key bottlenecks and improving lead-to-close conversion rates by 10% in a single quarter.

See the difference? The second example is far more powerful. It uses the exact keywords the ATS is looking for but embeds them within compelling, quantified accomplishments. That's the kind of writing that impresses a human reader. This dual-purpose approach is the secret to crafting a resume that conquers both the machine and the manager.

Choosing the Right Resume Length and Layout

Deciding how long your resume should be can feel like walking a tightrope. For years, the iron-clad rule was "keep it to one page, no matter what." But that advice is a relic from a different era, and sticking to it could actually hold you back.

The real question isn't about following an old rule; it's a strategic decision. Is a one-page or two-page resume right for you? The answer hinges entirely on where you are in your career and the story you need to tell. Getting this right ensures a hiring manager sees your most compelling qualifications without feeling overwhelmed—or worse, underwhelmed.

The Modern Debate on Resume Length

The one-page rule was born when resumes were physically printed and mailed. Today, the game has completely changed. Recruiters are looking at resumes on screens of all sizes, and recent data shows their expectations have shifted, especially for more experienced roles.

In fact, the average resume length now lands between 1.5 and 2 pages, a clear departure from the old standard. While a single page is still perfect for some, many hiring managers now expect—and even prefer—a two-page resume from candidates with a deep well of experience. You can find more details on these hiring trends and statistics at Standout-CV.

This gives you more breathing room, but it also means you have a critical choice to make. Let's break down when to use each format.

When to Use a One-Page Resume

A one-page resume works best when your experience is concise enough to be summarised powerfully without looking cramped. Think of it as a high-impact snapshot of your potential.

This format is your best bet if you're in one of these situations:

• Students or Recent Graduates: With limited professional history, a single page lets you shine a spotlight on your education, internships, key projects, and relevant skills.
• Early-Career Professionals: If you have under 10 years of experience, one page is usually plenty of space to highlight your most important accomplishments without resorting to filler.
• Career Changers: Shifting to a new industry? A one-page resume helps you focus like a laser on your most relevant transferable skills, cutting out the noise from less applicable roles.

A one-page resume has to be incredibly focused. Every single line counts. Your goal is to prove your value fast, making it a no-brainer for a recruiter to see you're a strong contender at a glance.

When a Two-Page Resume Is Expected

As your career grows, so does your list of accomplishments, projects, and responsibilities. Trying to cram a decade or more of impactful work onto a single page is a huge disservice to your professional story. You're forced to cut achievements that might be the very thing that lands you the interview.

A two-page resume isn't just acceptable; it's often preferred for:

• Mid to Senior-Level Professionals: With 10+ years of solid, relevant experience, a second page is almost a necessity to properly detail your career progression, leadership roles, and major projects.
• Academics, Scientists, or Federal Employees: These fields demand comprehensive CVs that list publications, research, grants, and detailed project histories, which can easily fill two pages or more.
• Technical or Project-Based Roles: Professionals like senior software engineers or project managers need room to detail specific technologies, frameworks, methodologies, and the scope of their work.

If you go with two pages, just make sure your most critical information—your summary, recent roles, and key skills—still lives on the first page.

Critical Layout and Formatting Tips

Whether it's one page or two, your resume's layout must be clean, professional, and incredibly easy to scan. A recruiter won't waste time trying to decode a messy or confusing document.

Here are a few fundamental formatting rules to live by:

• Choose a Professional Font: Stick to clean, highly readable fonts like Calibri, Arial, Garamond, or Helvetica. Ditch the decorative or script fonts that are tough on the eyes.
• Use Strategic White Space: Don't cram everything together. Use margins of about 0.5 to 1 inch and leave blank lines between sections. This makes the document feel approachable and helps guide the reader's eye.
• Maintain Consistency: Your formatting needs to be consistent from top to bottom. If you bold one job title, bold them all. Use the same date format throughout. These small details signal professionalism and attention to detail—two traits every employer wants when you write a professional resume.

Highlighting Your Most Valuable Skills

Think of your skills section as the high-speed, scannable part of your resume. It has two jobs: first, to feed the right keywords to the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), and second, to give a human recruiter a quick, powerful snapshot of what you can do.

A disorganised or generic list of skills can make you look unfocused, or worse, like you're just stuffing keywords. The goal is to create a clean, organised display of your abilities that reinforces the story you've already told in your experience section. Knowing what to include—and what to leave out—is what makes this section work for you.

Balancing Hard Skills And Soft Skills

Every recruiter is looking for two kinds of skills, and it's critical to understand the difference. Each one plays a distinct role in proving you're the right person for the job.

Hard skills are your technical, teachable abilities. These are the concrete, often quantifiable skills you've learned on the job or through education. For example: Python, SEO, Graphic Design, or Financial Modelling. They're the "what you can do."

Soft skills, on the other hand, are your interpersonal qualities. They describe "how you work" with others—things like Communication, Leadership, and Problem-Solving. While they're harder to measure, they are incredibly important. In fact, a whopping 92% of hiring managers say soft skills are just as important, if not more so, than hard skills.

The biggest mistake I see people make is listing vague soft skills like "team player" or "good communicator." It's far more powerful to demonstrate these qualities in your work experience section. The skills section is primarily for showcasing your hard, technical abilities.

Pro Tip: Let your experience tell the story of your soft skills. A bullet point like "Led a team of 5 to launch a new product feature in just three months" already proves leadership, teamwork, and time management. Save the skills section for concrete technical abilities.

Grouping Skills For Maximum Readability

A long, jumbled list of skills is overwhelming. No recruiter has time to decipher it. To make your qualifications easy to grasp in seconds, group your skills into logical categories. This simple organisational trick makes your expertise much clearer and more impressive.

For example, instead of one long, chaotic list, use clear subheadings. This helps a recruiter find exactly what they're looking for, fast.

Generic Skills List (Less Effective):

• JavaScript, Python, React, AWS, Docker, Jenkins, Git, Jira, Scrum, Agile...

Categorised Skills List (More Effective):

• Programming Languages: Python, JavaScript, SQL
• Frameworks & Libraries: React, Node.js, Django
• Cloud & DevOps: AWS (EC2, S3), Docker, Jenkins, Git
• Project Management: Agile, Scrum, Jira, Confluence

This structured approach doesn't just look better; it shows you have a diverse and well-organised skillset, making your proficiency in each area immediately obvious.

Valuing Additional Sections Like Certifications or Projects

Sometimes, a standard skills list isn't enough. Dedicated sections for things like certifications, projects, or publications can add significant weight to your resume by providing concrete proof of your knowledge and initiative.

Deciding which to add depends entirely on your industry and the specific job you want.

• Certifications: This is a must-have for many roles in IT, finance, and project management. A PMP, AWS Certified Developer, or Google Analytics certification offers instant credibility.
• Projects: Perfect for designers, developers, and writers. A "Projects" section lets you showcase work you've done outside of a formal job, demonstrating genuine passion and practical ability.
• Publications or Patents: Essential for academics, scientists, and researchers. This section is direct proof of your contributions to your field.

On the flip side, some sections just waste space. Recruiters rarely care about personal hobbies unless they are directly relevant to the job. Sections like "References Available Upon Request" are also outdated—employers will ask for them if and when they need them.

Focus your resume's real estate on what proves your professional worth. Think of these extra sections as extensions of your achievements, much like those you highlight in a resume summary. You can learn more about connecting your skills back to the big picture by understanding the difference between a resume objective vs a summary, which centres on a similar focus on results.

Got Resume Questions? We've Got Answers

As you put the finishing touches on your resume, it's completely normal for a few tricky questions to bubble up. Getting these details right can be the difference between hitting "submit" with total confidence and second-guessing yourself at the last minute.

Let's walk through some of the most common questions that pop up when building a standout resume. We'll give you clear, practical answers to help you get across the finish line.

Should I Bother With a Cover Letter?

The short answer? Almost always, yes. Skipping a cover letter is a missed opportunity, plain and simple.

Your resume lays out the hard facts—what you did and where you did it. But the cover letter is where you connect the dots. It's your chance to show some personality, explain your genuine interest in this specific role, and tell a compelling story about how your experience directly ties to the company's needs.

Think of it this way: if a cover letter is optional, sending a great one puts you ahead of the pack. If it's required, not sending one is an automatic disqualification. Many hiring managers rely on them to see who put in the extra effort and to get a feel for your communication style. Unless the application explicitly says not to, write the letter. It can absolutely be the thing that tips the scales in your favour.

How Do I Handle Employment Gaps on My Resume?

This one trips up a lot of people, but it doesn't have to. The key is to be upfront and frame it strategically. Recruiters are trained to spot gaps, and trying to hide one often looks worse than the gap itself. The goal is to control the narrative so they don't make their own (usually negative) assumptions.

You can address it right on your resume with a simple, one-line explanation. This turns a question mark into a statement of purpose.

Here are a few ways to frame it:

• Professional Development Sabbatical (2022 – 2023)
• Family Care Leave (2021 – 2022)
• Extended Travel & Freelance Projects (2022 – Present)

This approach is honest without oversharing. You can then use your cover letter to add a little more colour, focusing on any skills you gained or productive things you did. Maybe you earned a new certification, took on some consulting work, or managed a complex family project.

Being confident and honest is far more powerful than leaving a blank space for a recruiter to fill with assumptions. Framing the time positively shows resilience and maturity—two soft skills every employer is looking for.

Are Resume Builders and Templates Okay to Use?

They can be a great starting point, especially for getting a clean, professional layout without wanting to tear your hair out over formatting. A good template saves a ton of time. But you have to be smart about it.

The biggest pitfall is choosing a template that looks flashy but sabotages your chances. Many of the super-stylish templates with multiple columns, skill-rating bubbles, and fancy graphics are a nightmare for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These automated systems can't read complex layouts, meaning your carefully crafted resume might end up as a jumbled mess or get missed entirely.

Your safest bet is to pick a clean, straightforward, single-column template. It ensures your information is easily read by both bots and humans. Most importantly, never just use the placeholder text. A template is the plate, but your content is the meal. You need to customise every word to highlight your unique achievements and tailor it with keywords for the job you want.

How Far Back Should My Experience Go?

This is a big one, especially for seasoned professionals. You want your resume to be focused and relevant, not an exhaustive life story.

A good rule of thumb is to provide detailed descriptions for the last 10-15 years of your career. This window usually captures your most relevant skills and your most impressive accomplishments.

But what about jobs older than 15 years? You don't have to pretend they never happened, especially if they show a strong career trajectory. You can list them in a condensed section at the bottom of your work history.

For example, you could create a heading like this:

Previous Professional Experience

• Senior Marketing Coordinator, Global Tech Inc., San Diego, CA (2005 – 2008)
• Marketing Assistant, Creative Solutions, San Diego, CA (2002 – 2005)

This approach shows your full, stable work history without weighing your resume down with outdated information. It keeps the recruiter's attention right where you want it: on the experience that proves you're the best person for the job today.

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