how to make resume background

How to Write an Engaging Professional Background (Step-by-Step Guide)

The professional summary is one of the first things hiring managers notice in your resume, it sums up most essential information about you. Here's how to write an engaging professional summary.

How do you introduce yourself to the hiring manager in a way that’s impactful and memorable?

It’s quite simple – you summarize your professional background. 

In other words, a summary of your career timeline and highlights. That means letting your employers know who you are in the corporate world as well as showcasing your credentials such as:

• Achievements
• Work experiences
• Qualifications

Besides playing the part, you also need to look the part. 

Which is why it’s important to present your professional background effectively to increase your chances of landing your next job interview. 

What a Professional Background Includes

Your professional background is made up of the things you’ve achieved or developed over the course of your career. 

This includes things such as:

• Accomplishments
• Certificates
• Work experience 
• Academic qualifications

To put it another way, it summarizes the highlights of your corporate life including your how to list education on resume . For instance, the previous jobs you’ve worked at and the university you graduated from.

As opposed to looking back at your professional value and everything you’ve achieved, it may also sum up the purpose of your career choices. 

Either way, it explains in a few sentences your skill sets and strengths, and why you’re qualified for the job vacancy you’re applying to. 

The 5-Step Guide to Clarify Your Professional Background 

Before writing your professional background, the first thing you need to know is your own strengths and values. Without a good understanding of why the hiring manager should choose to employ you, it’s difficult to put together a compelling profile. 

That being said, follow the steps listed below. 

List Your Top Skills 

What are the skills you’re most confident in? Are there any that’s relevant to the job description?

Take into account your soft and hard skills , as well as your best qualities that indicate why you’re a strong asset in the workplace. 

These can range from the skills you’ve spent time committing to and continuously working on such as programming. Or, it could be a quality you’ve always been naturally good at, e.g. leadership and communication. 

When showcasing your level of ability, this should also be similar to the reasons why you were selected for your previous job positions. 

Write Down Your Most Significant Achievements

This relates to your biggest achievements in both your work and personal life. 

There’s more meaning in showing than just telling – which is why it’s effective to demonstrate what you’re capable of doing. 

Talking about your skills and qualities is one thing. But proving your value by including the specific results and differences you’ve made as a result of your efforts is another. 

Each of these shows the challenges you’ve overcome and the outcomes you’ve been responsible for. Not only does it add to your credibility since you’ve made a direct impact. It’s something that can catch the attention of your readers.

Think About Your Career Goals and Objectives

Instead of focusing on everything you’ve accomplished over your years of experience, consider your career resume objectives . 

How have these influenced your choices and led you to who you are today? 

In other words, what’s the long-term vision that motivates you to move forward as a professional?

This shows employers that you have a genuine interest and curiosity in what you’re pursuing. 

Meaning, you’re more likely to commit because you’re self-driven. 

When hiring teams are looking to recruit someone for a full-time or permanent position, it’s preferred to have a candidate onboard that won’t just quit within the first few months of being employed.  

Know Your Personality Type

Knowing your personality type probably isn’t something you would mention in your resume or in a job interview. 

However, the point of identifying your personality type is to get insight into your own:

• Preferences

For example, you may realize that you’re an extravert who gains more energy when working together in a team environment. On the other hand, you may be an introvert that can work as a team but would rather work independently. 

Anyhow, you’ll get an insight into your own character as well as clarity of your own values. It’s especially helpful on the journey to self-improvement. 

Who You Are Now vs Who You Want to Be 

If you’re a job seeker with how to make a resume with no experience , then you may want to focus on the future aspects of your career. 

So, ask yourself:

• What skills are you looking to develop? 
• Who’s the type of person you want to be in 5 years?

By looking at who you are now and the person you want to become, you get to see the gaps stopping you from reaching the ideal version of yourself. 

Alternatively, for those of you who are seasoned professionals, use this opportunity to reflect on how you can align the person you’ve worked hard to become with the ideal candidate recruiters are looking for. 

How to Write a Professional Background to Stand Out

After following each of the previous steps, you should have more ideas of what to talk about and a better understanding of your values. 

So now, we'll get into the step-by-step process to write and structure your professional background to impress your hiring manager. Keep in mind that this belongs to the summary section of your resume.

1. State Your Work Experiences

To start off, mention your most significant work experiences that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. 

Here are a few points to include:

• Specific job titles
• Duties and responsibilities
• Years of experience

Your skills should be mentioned too as you’re providing an overview of your employment history.

If you’d like to add a few more intricate details, feel free to do so as long as it’s significant. For instance, the exact years of experience you have or an area of the industry where you specialize in. 

It’s also impactful if your work experience is listed in reverse chronological resume since it emphasizes your career progression. 

2. Mention Key Accomplishments 

Once you’ve mentioned your work experiences, the next step is to mention your accomplishments. 

It’s not as impactful to make a statement without having anything to support them. After all, actions speak louder than words. That’s another reason why it’s important to include any significant results you’ve been responsible for in your previous job positions. 

As mentioned earlier, it adds to your credibility because it indicates you’re capable of making a real difference. 

Resume tips is to use data and statistics to make it more authentic and compelling at first glance. 

3. Emphasize Your Biggest Strengths

As you’re how to edit resume your professional background, focus on highlighting your strengths. 

Look at what your biggest highlights are and what’s most valuable to your employers. Use your selling points as a guiding principle. So, when they’re skimming through your resume, they’ll immediately notice your areas of expertise. 

4. Make it Relevant to the Hiring Manager

To put it another way, how to tailor your resume to a job to fit the needs of the company you’re applying to.

You’ll need to relate back to the job description to show you’re a good match for the role. While you should be talking about yourself, you should also be linking back to the expectations of the hiring manager to prove you’re the best candidate. 

5. Keep It Short and Concise

Since you’re summarizing your corporate life, it shouldn’t be more than 3 sentences long. 

Keep it short, concise, and straight to the point. It’s more compelling when there’s no fluff included since you’re focusing on your strongest points. 

6. Consider Your Unique Selling Points

Your unique selling points are transferable skills that have a positive effect on your job skills and performance. 

Try to differentiate yourself from the other job seekers by mentioning the skills, knowledge, or qualities you have that they probably don’t. This helps you stand out from the crowd and implies you’re capable of carrying out the job responsibilities to a better standard. 

3 Ways You Can Use Your Background to Help Your Career

At this point, you know how to introduce and present your professional background on your resume. But there are still ways you can apply the steps in this article to further progress in your career. 

Job Hunting 

A resume is essential if you’re looking to get a new job to progress in your career. 

Having a well-presented professional background makes it likely to catch their interest with what you have to offer. On the spot, you’ll know your strengths and weaknesses when asked by an employer or as you’re writing your CV or cover letter . 

Introducing Yourself 

There are two key events where you may be asked to introduce yourself:

• Networking events

In an interview, you could be asked to tell the hiring manager about yourself. This typically refers to your professional background and skills, including what makes you uniquely qualified for the role. 

In terms of networking events, it’s always good to make connections in the corporate environment. You never know who you might be speaking to and when it could lead to a new opportunity. 

Understanding Your Values

Understanding your values in full transparency could lead to a higher job satisfaction because you know what’s most meaningful to you. When you get to work every day on something you’re passionate about, it tends to lead to better mental health.

It also has an influence on your ethics and decision-making. 

Examples of a Strong Professional Background

Customer service resume.

Chief Marketing Officer Resume

Corporate Rotational Graduate Resume (Interviewed by Sony)

Medical Assistant Resume

Marketing Project Manager Resume

A Shortcut to Present Your Corporate Value Effectively

The first few words on your resume have a factor in where you stand amongst all the other applicants on the list. 

However, it takes time to put the pieces together since you’ll have to:

• Outline your ideas
• Research the company
• Draft your notes
• Edit and proofread

It’s common to go through writer’s block or analysis paralysis during the process.  

Most times, you’ll want to write a high-quality resume without having to spend hours on your application.

Rezi has made it easier for job seekers to get more job offers faster by making use of AI in their resume builders to ensure you’re not missing anything important. You won’t have to worry about what to write next since they’ll give you inspiration based on your own situation.

Get started now by signing up for free using the link below!

Explore Rezi 🔥 Comes with 5,000 AI Credits, and is free forever, no credit card required.

Key Takeaways

Hopefully, after following the steps in this guide, you’ve gained insight into your:

• Best skill sets 
• Core values
• Interests and preferences
• Strengths and weaknesses

Knowing how to present your professional background the right way improves your perceived value and credibility. Therefore, you’re more likely to leave a strong first impression and mark your spot on the list of potential employees. 

But even if you already know what your best selling points are, it’s just as important to communicate them in a way that matches your hiring manager’s success criteria. 

Astley Cervania

Astley Cervania is a career writer and editor who has helped hundreds of thousands of job seekers build resumes and cover letters that land interviews. He is a Rezi-acknowledged expert in the field of career advice and has been delivering job success insights for 4+ years, helping readers translate their work background into a compelling job application.

Resume builder

How to Write a Professional Background for a Resume?

A professional background section on your resume can be a powerful tool to reel in the hiring team. If written right, it will highlight your key skills and achievements and leave the hiring manager wanting more .

Below, we look into some best practices for writing a professional summary on your resume.

Table of Contents

What is a professional background on a resume?

A professional background is a short summary of your experience at previous companies that is usually placed at the top of your resume. The purpose of the professional background section on a resume is to show your potential employer that you are the best candidate for the job because your previous experience matches the demands of the new position.

How Far Back Should a Resume Go in 2022?

Why should I include professional background on my resume?

We strongly suggest that you include a professional background in your resume. Here’s why.

Hiring managers in big companies have to go through hundreds of resumes. This means that they rarely have the time to go over each application in detail. A professional background section at the tip of your resume will make the hiring manager’s job much easier and will gain your points.

It can also be a great eye catcher. A professional background is basically the gist of what makes you good for the job. Having it at the top of your resume is a great way to get the hiring manager to notice your application among others and go over it in more detail.

It’s also a way to show your employer that you are organized, are good at presenting information and explaining your value.

Using AI powered resume builder you can automatically generate specific sections, including summary and resume objective.

What should I include in a professional background?

The main purpose of a professional background on your resume is to explain what makes you the best candidate for the job. You can showcase your competency by talking about the responsibilities you had previously and the skills you’ve acquired in the process. Make sure that the information you include here is relevant to the position you are applying for.

A good trick here is to go back to the job offer and pick out the keywords that are emphasized in the job description. You can then use these same keywords when writing your professional background.

This trick will also work if the hiring manager of the company you are applying to is using an applicant tracking system , or ATS. These tools are designed to scan applicant resumes for specific keywords, set by the hiring manager.

Here are the details one would generally include the professional background section:

Where should I put professional background on my resume?

The best place to put your professional background would be at the top of your resume. This is where the hiring manager will see it first. This will give them a good introduction to the rest of your resume and, hopefully, get them interested in going over your application in detail.

Another great place to have your professional background is your LinkedIn account. Most recruiters will check your LinkedIn page if they are interested in your application. You can add the information on your professional background into the About section on your LinkedIn. If you have a professional website, it’s also a good place for your professional background.

How to structure my professional background section?

Here are a few quick pointers for composing your professional background section:

Start with a draft

First, prepare a draft where you list your most notable professional experience. Consider your responsibilities, accomplishments, the skills you have gained along the way and more. If you can, add quantifiable evidence of your professional success — the number of projects you have completed, client accounts you’ve won, positive feedback you’ve received, etc.

Highlight key details

Now that you have your most significant work history in front of you, trim it all down to only those details that will show your employer that you are the best choice for this job. Make sure the experience and skills you list are relevant to the job you hope to get.

What Is Relevant Experience? Definition and Efficient Examples.

Keep it brief

Focus on the relevance and quality of the information you include instead of quantity. It’s best if your professional background summary contains two to three lines of truly relevant experience rather than ten lines of general work history for the hiring manager to sift through.

Should a Resume Be One Page

Tell a story

It’s best if the professional background section on your resume isn’t just a collection of facts — but rather tells a story of your professional growth that has led you to apply for this position. Think about the best way to arrange the information in this section: it may be chronological (where you started and where you are now), skill-based (your journey of developing the necessary qualifications in your field), accomplishment-based (highlighting your key achievements at work) — and so on.

If your professional description tells a story, it will do a much better job of presenting your value as an employee. However, if you lack story-telling skills, there is nothing to worry about it. Write the story in your own words. After that, recreate it using an advanced article rewriter . It will add a magical touch to it and make it more compelling and interesting.

Professional background examples

Here are some professional background summaries examples. Go over them to get some ideas for writing your own professional summary.

Sales clerk

Determined sales professional with over 5 years of experience. Eager to help XYZ Corp in boosting its sales figures via outstanding customer loyalty-building and people skills. Brought in over 20 new accounts in my previous sales position i creasing annual sales volume by 20%.

Detail-oriented industrial engineer and project manager with over 7 years of experience and a passion for finding solutions to complex product designs problems. Seeking to use my skills and proven project am whenever ability to improve the quality, cost and metrics of new product launches.

Dedicated English language teacher with over 6 years of experience in creating tailored curriculum for corporate language courses. Prepared over 100 students for international language courses and achieved a 98% success rate. Eager to join Smart Consulting and use my extensive ESL experience and unique teaching methodology to design and deliver effective language training courses.

How to Write a Professional Background for a Resume: summary

So, let’s sum up.

• You should include a professional background section in your resume to give the hiring manager a good idea of who you are professionally and pique their interest.
• Keep your professional background short and to the point. Include only skills and experience that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.
• Try to include keywords from the job description when describing your professional background. This will not only catch the eye of the hiring manager but will also place your resume on the good side of ATS (applicant tracking systems)

Learn more about crafting an efficient job application: How to List Educational Background on a Resume in 2022

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How to Write a Professional Background (With Examples)

Want to crush your interview.

Learn how to ace your interview with superior confidence.

On job applications, including a professional background section may make a huge impact on hiring managers and help you stand out from the crowd. Investing the time to compose it can help you demonstrate that you are the best applicant for the position.

While it is important to include this part, it can be tough to know where to begin. In this post, we'll go over why having a professional background is so important, as well as how to get one.

What's a professional background?

A professional background is a synopsis of your prior work experience and performance. It's most commonly utilized throughout the application process for a job. This should be more than a list of previous roles held; it should emphasize your most significant and relevant accomplishments.

When applying for a job, this summary should demonstrate to the potential employer how your prior positions prepared you and made you a strong contender for the job.

Why is a professional background/bio important?

Including a professional background in your application might help it stand out from the crowd. Hiring managers sometimes have hundreds of applications to examine in a short period of time, so they may only skim through them.

Having a separate professional history section on your application will give them all they need to know about your qualifications in one glance.

It's also a wonderful approach to demonstrate to potential employers that you can arrange data and clearly describe your worth.

In addition to helping you prepare for job interviews, writing a professional background may help you enhance your performance.

This is because you took the time to review your background and craft a narrative about how your experiences qualify you for the position.

As a consequence, you'll probably have an easier time describing your professional path and qualifications to the interviewer without faltering or missing crucial information.

What information should be in a professional background?

The positions/job title and responsibilities that are most relevant to the position you are applying for should be highlighted in your professional history. You should stress the talents you employed in various jobs and how they contributed to your success as an employee.

You can provide particular information like:

• Previous employers' names
• The dates when you worked
• Your previous job titles
• Your responsibilities and their duties
• Education or training in a relevant field, including certificates
• Promotions, awards, and other forms of acknowledgment are examples of accomplishments.

How to write your professional background

Here's how to write a professional background. Your career history should be concise, no more than a few pages long. One way to organize this part is to include your work experience in chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent position.

Another option is the functional format, which emphasizes the responsibilities most relevant to the position you are applying for first and focuses on the sort of experience you have.

Your professional background should be written in the first person, since this will give the section a more natural and authentic tone.

Write down your experience

This is your draft phase, so jot down as many past positions, responsibilities, and accomplishments as you can think of that best emphasize your abilities and credentials.

If at all feasible, give measurable evidence of how your work impacted previous companies.

For the time being, don't think about the relevance of this information to the possible new job—the goal of this stage is to generate a long list that you may pare down to the most important details later.

Don't start from scratch

If you're having problems deciding where to begin, consider utilizing a professional bio template as a starting point. Templates, such as the ones shown below, allow you to concentrate on your own information and accomplishments rather than worrying about the framework.

Consider who you're writing for

You could also wish to create many versions of your paper to cater to different audiences. For example, the version you publish on LinkedIn may be less thorough than the version you put on your own website, and if your reader is a potential employer, including information that particularly emphasize why you're the best fit for the position for which you're seeking would be beneficial.

Show progression in your career

Consider arranging your professional bio in such a manner that it provides a chronology to demonstrate your growth as you write.

Explain your various roles and underline the tasks that prepared you for success in your later ones.

It's crucial to keep in mind that your professional timeline doesn't have to be in chronological order.

Emphasize important details

Now that you've jotted down your most important work experience, it's time to pare it down to the specifics that make you the greatest candidate for the position.

It's best to choose a few amazing items rather than ten unimportant ones for your professional past because it's about the quality of your experiences, not the quantity.

Compare your list to the job description and highlight the elements that are most relevant to the talents the potential employer is looking for.

These will very certainly become your main arguments, and they should emphasize your worth as an employee.

Use key skills, points, and other competencies

Skills and experience matter in a job search. There is no set structure for a professional background, so you may need to experiment to see what works best for you, whether it's ordered chronologically or by function.

What matters most is that you link your experiences in a natural and succinct manner, bearing in mind that you want to demonstrate your abilities and knowledge.

Ask someone else to read it over and offer you comments if you're not sure how it comes across or if you need help reducing it down any further.

Be personable

Timelines and achievements are excellent, but being approachable is much better.

Readers should feel as though they're getting a sense of who you are based on your work history. This allows readers to learn more about you outside of your work life. This is the perfect opportunity to talk about any unique specialized hobbies you have outside of work.

Here's a list of questions to assist you come up with the proper "fun facts" to emphasize:

• Do you own any animals?
• What is a fact about you that the majority of people are unaware of?
• What languages are you fluent in?
• What do you think you're most proud of?
• What's a bucket-list-worthy experience you've had?
• What are your favorite ways to unwind?
• What are your top three must-have apps?
• What would your favorite coworker think of you?
• What's the finest piece of advice you've ever gotten, and how do you put it into practice?

Being personable also provides an excellent chance to address any unusual events in your work history. For example, perhaps you've made a significant job change or taken a sabbatical at some time.

These sorts of tales may help you connect with your audience, and you never know who you'll meet through one of your hobbies or more intimate experiences.

Look for feedback

When writing about oneself, constructive criticism is crucial. While many people prefer to seek feedback after they've finished a draft of their bio, getting input from your peers earlier in the process may be just as useful.

Our peers may often assist us in identifying our strengths as well as areas where we can develop. Get together with a peer to explore ideas if you're having difficulties creating a clear chronology or deciding which highlights to include.

Consider successful collaborative tasks and ask a peer to offer honest feedback on what you did well — and incorporate that input in your profile.

If you need some assistance getting started, here's a list of conversation questions to utilize with your peers to identify professional skills you may have overlooked in your own self-evaluati on:

• What do you think I'm like in a group setting?
• What have I done to assist you in becoming more successful?
• What do you consider to be my most remarkable project?
• What was your initial reaction to me?
• What qualities do you believe I possess?

Where should a professional background go?

If you're include a professional history on your resume, it's preferable to put it towards the beginning. It should be listed after your contact information but above your previous work experience. This way, when a hiring manager looks at your resume/CV, one of the first things they notice is your professional background, which gives them the most crucial information about your job experience straight immediately.

A professional history can also be included in other areas where potential employers could see it, such as the "About" section of your profiles on job-related social networking sites or your own website.

On an application for a job

When filling out a job application, you'll frequently come across a section asking for details about your professional experience. According to Indeed.com, you may be requested to submit a list of jobs you've held, including start and finish dates, wages, and general work responsibilities.

How to include it on a resume

Your resume may be divided into various sections, beginning with an overview, followed by a professional background section, awards, licenses, and certificates, and finally your academic background.

The summary part comprises only a few words or phrases that connect to your most essential professional abilities and experience, but it is devoid of specifics. The information is included in your professional background section.

Professional experience section

When a potential employer is looking for information about your professional past, they want to get directly to the point. They'll want to know about your academic background, credentials, participation in professional organizations, and honors you've received, but only after they've seen your job history.

This includes any jobs you've held or internships you've completed. Even if you work in finance and have a finance degree, it does not contain your academic background.

In your professional background area, include the following information:

• Employers and job titles
• Dates of start and end
• Accomplishments in the job description

If the potential employer already understands what this position requires, you don't need to provide a description of common occupations you've had, such as bookkeeper. Your accomplishments are more essential and distinguish you from other prospects.

Instead of describing the tasks of a bookkeeper, mention accomplishments such as lowering accounts receivables by nine days on average or generating the company's first cash-flow statement when applying for a bookkeeping employment.

Other professional background information

In the professional background part of your resume, you might wish to highlight non-job-related professional experience. This might be a certificate directly connected to the position you're looking for, a license you have, or proof of liability insurance.

You can mention your professional background experience if you've visited trade exhibitions or conferences, or if you've spoken at events.

You may include information in your professional background if you've written articles, created professional films, or appeared on TV shows or podcasts.

Job skills that are unrelated

You may need to mention your general job background depending on how much professional experience you have in your industry.

Does your work experience as a summer lifeguard or a restaurant server, for example, count as professional background if you're seeking for a job in human resources?

It may, depending on what an employer is looking for in terms of work experience and how you characterize this unrelated experience. Were you, for example, in charge of any employees who worked under you?

If that's the case, you've worked in a low-level managerial position before. Did your employment require you to create schedules, submit expenditure reports, or complete any other paperwork? If that's the case, you've had some administrative experience at a low level.

Tips for writing a professional background

It's important to remember that building your professional background isn't only for job hunts; you should continue to do so even if you're not searching for work.

Here are some pointers to consider when you construct your professional background:

Make a draft

Make a draft and save it. Try to preserve a draft version of it so that you may add it to your collection of possible information to mention when a big project or accomplishment emerges at work.

Take the time to edit your professional past to reflect that experience and maybe eliminate anything that no longer fits or appears relevant if it is an accomplishment you know you want to highlight.

Use it when networking

When networking, bring up your professional experience. You may utilize your professional experience as a tool for networking talks in addition to presenting it on your social media profile or personal website.

You will maintain your background story and be able to readily express your abilities and qualifications when trying to impress potential employers or coworkers if you revise or review it on a regular basis.

Use it for LinkedIn or press

It's perfect for biographies. In a more particular circumstance, if you are ever required to create a biography about yourself for work or another professional context, your professional experience can serve as a great beginning point.

Make sure your professional background has a brief version to use for articles, company about pages, and for interview purposes, too.

Professional background examples

Here are examples of professional backgrounds. Use these as a guide to help you write your own.

Example one:

Andrea Darling is a sales leader, engineer, and person of industry. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2011. And started her career at Netflix. From there, she gathered some impressive achievements and academic accolades. From her Master's Degree at Yale. To her speaking engagements across the country.

She is interested in consumer marketing, believes heavily in the power of demand marketing. And desires to boost all of the key company KPI's that she's involved in.

Example two:

Scott Disc is a professional leader with more than 12 years of industry experience and career experience in human resources. He's been the majority engineer and engineering lead for a number of large startups. From Indeed to eBay. Scott began his career in Silicon Valley in 2011.

Scott has gotten featured in a number of large publications including Inc, Forbes, The Balance, and much more. He's traveled to more than 12 countries performing speaking engagements for the youth. Helping them to find their place in the corporate world.

Similar resources

• Sales Skills
• Functional Resume
• Interpersonal Skills
• Resume Format
• Volunteer Work on Resume
• How to List References on a Resume
• What is a CV?
• Resume Summary Examples
• Language Proficiency Levels
• Professional Background
• How to Pout Shadowing on a Resume
• Job Hunting
• How Far Back Should a Resume Go
• How to List Publications on Resume
• Skills List for the Resume

About the author

Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes , Glassdoor , American Express , Reader's Digest , LiveCareer , Zety , Yahoo , Recruiter.com , SparkHire , SHRM.org , Process.st , FairyGodBoss , HRCI.org , St. Edwards University , NC State University , IBTimes.com , Thrive Global , TMCnet.com , Work It Daily , Workology , Career Guide , MyPerfectResume , College Career Life , The HR Digest , WorkWise , Career Cast , Elite Staffing , Women in HR , All About Careers , Upstart HR , The Street , Monster , The Ladders , Introvert Whisperer , and many more. Find him on LinkedIn .

Fact checked: Our small and dedicated team rigorously evaluates every article, guide, and reference to ensure the information is accurate and factual. Learn more .

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Introduction

Importance of professional background, professional background information, professional background samples, how to structure your professional background, tips for writing professional background, where to put your professional background, how to write a professional background (with tips).

Ah, the art and science of narrating our professional tales! “How to write a professional background” becomes a pivotal query, especially when we find ourselves standing at the crossroads of opportunities, doesn’t it? Imagine crafting a narrative that isn’t merely a chronicle but a vibrant mosaic of your journey, skills, and aspirations. Your professional background isn’t just a static list of jobs and qualifications; it’s a dynamic, evolving story that encapsulates your personal brand and journey in the corporate arena. As we delve into the intricacies of creating a compelling professional background, we’ll explore not just the ‘how’ but also sprinkle in some inspiring professional background samples to illuminate our path. Together, let’s weave a tapestry that doesn’t just enumerate our experiences, but resonates, reverberates, and etches our professional anthem into the minds of potential employers, partners, and peers alike!

A professional background refers to the professional experience and work history of your previous job. This is used during the job application process. The professional background gives a highlight about your work experience, positions and relevant achievements. When you apply for a new job, the potential employer gets an overview of your previous roles and experience that makes you suitable for the positions. 

Top 10 Importance of professional Background

• First Impressions Matter: Your professional background often serves as the first impression you make on employers, clients, or colleagues, showcasing your expertise and experience in a nutshell.
• Career Narration: It succinctly narrates your career journey, highlighting pivotal moments, achievements, and transitions in a coherent and compelling manner.
• Skill Demonstration: Clearly illustrates your skill set, expertise, and areas of knowledge, providing a snapshot of what you bring to the table.
• Credibility Establishment: A well-crafted professional background enhances your credibility by showcasing your qualifications, certifications, and experiences in a structured format.
• Networking Tool: Acts as a powerful networking tool, enabling you to connect with like-minded professionals, potential employers, or collaborators by showcasing your career trajectory and aspirations.
• Opportunity Magnet: Attracts relevant opportunities by aligning your demonstrated experience and skills with the needs of potential employers or clients.
• Personal Branding: Plays a crucial role in building and reinforcing your personal brand, helping you stand out in the competitive professional landscape.
• Confidence Booster: Having a well-articulated professional background boosts your confidence during interactions, interviews, and presentations, as it serves as a reminder of your accomplishments and capabilities.
• Career Development: Aids in career development by helping you reflect on your professional journey, identify gaps, and plan future career moves strategically.
• Global Reach: In the digital age, a professional background can traverse geographical boundaries, enabling you to connect with international opportunities and global networks.
• Reflection and Goal Setting: Writing and updating your professional background encourages reflection on your career path and helps in setting and refining career goals.

Adding a professional background to your application can help you to make your application stand out from others. Depending on the company, employers or the hiring managers often have thousands of applications to review for a particular role within a limited time frame. Going deeply with each application is not possible during the first phase of the hiring process. The professional background section on your application will help employers or hiring managers to get an idea about your qualification and work experience.   

On average, a recruiter or hiring manager takes 6-8 seconds to screen each resume, which means they don’t have enough time to waste on reading the whole content. It’s your responsibility to grab the attention of the reader and sell yourself as the best candidate for the job. It will also help recruiters to save their time when they are dealing with hundreds or thousands of applications from other candidates.

The professional background shows almost everything that an interviewer or hiring managers want to know about the candidates regarding their previous work experience and qualifications. It also demonstrates that you are an organized person and explaining things clearly. As a result, it is easier to explain your qualification and professional journey to the interviewer.

Also Read: 20 Free Resume Templates to download

A professional background encompasses a broad spectrum of information related to an individual’s career journey, skill set, achievements, and experiences. It serves as a comprehensive overview that reflects not only where a person has been in their career but also provides hints about their future trajectory. Here’s a breakdown of the key components typically included in professional background information:

1. Educational Qualifications

• Degrees obtained, institutions attended, and years of graduation.
• Relevant coursework, thesis, or projects.
• Academic honors, awards, and scholarships.

2. Work Experience

• A chronological or functional list of positions held, including company names, locations, and dates of employment.
• Descriptions of roles, responsibilities, and key achievements in each position.
• Technologies used, methodologies applied, and skills gained.

3. Skills and Expertise

• Technical, soft, and hard skills relevant to the industry or role.
• Proficiency levels and any certifications obtained in specific skills.
• Examples of projects or tasks where these skills were applied.

4. Certifications and Professional Development

• Certifications, courses, and workshops attended.
• Names of certifying bodies, dates of certification, and validity.
• Skills or knowledge acquired through these certifications.

5. Awards and Honors

• Professional awards, recognitions, and honors received.
• The awarding bodies and the reasons for receiving the awards.

6. Professional Affiliations

• Memberships in professional organizations, societies, or groups.
• Positions held within these organizations, if applicable.
• Contributions to these affiliations, such as articles published, events organized, or committees served.

7. Volunteer Experience

• Organizations worked for, roles undertaken, and duration of service.
• Skills utilized and experiences gained during volunteer activities.

8. Publications and Presentations

• Articles, blogs, research papers, or books published.
• Conferences, webinars, or events where you presented.
• Topics, dates, and locations of your publications and presentations.

9. Projects

• Significant projects worked on, including roles, responsibilities, outcomes, and technologies used.
• Project duration, team size, and your contributions.

10. Personal Statement or Summary

• A brief overview of your career, highlighting key achievements, skills, and career aspirations.
• Your professional philosophy, areas of interest, and what you’re seeking in your next role or project.

11. Languages

• Languages spoken and the level of proficiency in each (e.g., native, fluent, intermediate, basic).

12. Additional Information

• Any other relevant information that doesn’t fit into the above categories, such as hobbies or interests that are pertinent to your professional persona.

Crafting a comprehensive professional background requires a blend of factual data, strategic presentation, and a touch of personal branding to ensure that it accurately and compellingly represents your career journey. It’s essential to keep it updated, accurate, and tailored to the opportunities you’re seeking, ensuring it remains a relevant and powerful tool in your professional toolkit.

Creating a professional background involves blending your educational qualifications, work experience, skills, and achievements into a cohesive narrative. Below are a few samples tailored for different roles:

Structuring your professional background effectively is crucial to presenting your career journey, skills, and achievements in a coherent and compelling manner. A well-organized professional background can significantly enhance your visibility and appeal in the professional realm, whether it’s on your resume, LinkedIn profile, or a personal website. Here’s a guide on how to structure your professional background:

• Full Name: Clearly stated.
• Contact Information: Including phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile or portfolio link.
• Professional Title: Such as your current role or area of expertise.

2. Personal Statement or Summary

• A concise, impactful paragraph that encapsulates your career trajectory, key skills, and professional aspirations.
• Tailor it to align with the role or opportunity you’re targeting.

3. Educational Qualifications

• List your degrees in reverse chronological order.
• Include the degree title, institution name, and year of completion.
• Mention any relevant coursework, thesis, or honors.

4. Professional Experience

• Present your work history in reverse chronological order.
• Include job title, company name, location, and duration of employment.
• Detail your roles, responsibilities, achievements, and impact in bullet points.
• Highlight any key projects, clients, or campaigns you worked on.

5. Skills and Expertise

• Enumerate technical, soft, and industry-specific skills.
• Consider including a mix of skills that align with your career and targeted opportunities.

6. Certifications and Professional Development

• List relevant certifications, courses, and workshops.
• Include the certifying body and date of completion.

7. Awards and Honors

• Mention any awards or recognitions received in your career.
• Include the awarding body and date.

8. Professional Affiliations

• Detail memberships in professional organizations or societies.
• Mention any active roles or contributions within these affiliations.

9. Volunteer Experience

• Include any relevant volunteer work, specifying the organization, role, and duration.
• Highlight skills utilized and any noteworthy outcomes.

10. Publications and Presentations

• List any articles, papers, or presentations, including the title, publication/forum, and date.
• Provide links or citations for accessibility.

11. Projects

• Detail significant projects, specifying your role, technologies used, and outcomes.
• Include the project duration and any notable achievements.

12. Languages

• Mention languages spoken and your proficiency level (e.g., basic, intermediate, fluent).

13. Additional Information

• Include any other pertinent information, such as hobbies, interests, or additional qualifications that may be relevant to your professional persona.

Tips for Structuring:

• Be Concise: Use clear and concise language, avoiding jargon and overly complex terms.
• Use Bullet Points: Enhance readability and scan-ability.
• Tailor Content: Customize the content to align with the specific role or opportunity you’re targeting.
• Use Action Words: Start bullet points with action verbs, such as “led,” “developed,” or “achieved.”
• Quantify Achievements: Where possible, use quantifiable data to highlight your impact and achievements.
• Update Regularly: Ensure your professional background is current and accurately reflects your career.

Also Read: Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid on Your CV

Writing a compelling professional background requires a blend of strategic presentation, authenticity, and a dash of personal branding. Here’s a collection of tips to guide you through crafting a professional background that not only narrates your career journey but also resonates with your target audience:

1. Start with a Strong Opening:

• Craft a compelling personal statement or summary that encapsulates your experience, skills, and aspirations.
• Tailor it to align with your career goals and the opportunities you’re targeting.

2. Be Concise and Relevant:

• Use clear, concise language and keep information relevant to the role or industry you’re targeting.
• Avoid jargon and ensure your background is accessible to a broad audience.

3. Highlight Achievements:

• Focus on accomplishments and impact, not just responsibilities.
• Use quantifiable data to showcase your achievements (e.g., “increased sales by 30%”).

4. Use Action Verbs:

• Start bullet points and sentences with action verbs like “led,” “developed,” or “achieved” to convey your contributions effectively.

5. Tailor Your Content:

• Customize your professional background for specific opportunities or industries.
• Highlight experiences and skills that align with what your target audience is looking for.

6. Showcase a Range of Skills:

• Include a mix of technical, soft, and hard skills.
• Provide examples of how you’ve applied these skills in your career.

7. Include Certifications and Continuous Learning:

• Mention relevant certifications, courses, and workshops that showcase your commitment to continuous learning.
• Ensure to include the certifying body and date of completion.

8. Professional Affiliations and Volunteer Work:

• Include memberships in professional organizations and any active roles or contributions.
• Mention relevant volunteer work, highlighting skills and experiences gained.

9. Ensure Readability:

• Use bullet points, headers, and short paragraphs to enhance readability.
• Avoid large blocks of text and ensure your background is easy to skim-read.

10. Proofread Thoroughly:

• Ensure your professional background is free from typos, grammatical errors, and inaccuracies.
• Consider asking a colleague or mentor to review and provide feedback.

11. Use a Professional Tone:

• Maintain a professional and positive tone throughout.
• Avoid using slang or overly casual language.

12. Update Regularly:

• Keep your professional background updated with recent experiences, skills, and achievements.
• Ensure all information is current and accurate.

13. Include Keywords:

• Integrate keywords relevant to your industry and role to enhance visibility on online platforms and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems).

14. Add a Personal Touch:

• While maintaining professionalism, don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through.
• Mention interests or experiences that add a unique flavor to your professional persona.

15. Be Honest:

• Ensure all information is accurate and verifiable.
• Avoid exaggerating achievements or qualifications.

Your professional background is a pivotal tool in your career development, acting as a window through which potential employers, clients, and networks view your career journey and potential. Crafting it with diligence and strategy can significantly enhance your professional appeal and open doors to new opportunities.

You can put your professional background at the top of your application. It can be put below the contact details but above the list of previous experiences. By doing this, the recruiter or the hiring managers will see your professional background first which will give the most important details about your work experience right away. 

You can also put your professional background in smart places such as on your LinkedIn profile. Around 90% of recruiters scan LinkedIn profiles to search for candidates. You can add your professional background in the “About” section of your LinkedIn page; it will make a good impression on the recruiter. If you have your own personal website then you can add the professional background to the “About Me” page. Most of the recruiter or employer can learn about you easily on this page. You can define your professional background summary, along with bullet points of your experiences and key skills. 

Now you have got a clear understanding of your professional background, it’s time to create your own summary. Professional background is not important only for job search, so you can also add on the things if you are not looking for the opportunities. A professional background summary may force recruiters or hiring managers to read the rest of your resume. Additionally, a perfect professional background summary demonstrates your professionalism and etiquettes, which are in demand interpersonal skills that employers are looking for. So take your time to compose your professional background summary to express yourself better during the interview.

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How to Write About Your Professional Background

Published: July 12, 2023

A great way to share more about your background is to have a prepared document, like a professional bio .

A professional bio can be shared with prospective employers, shared with your colleagues, included in your social media profiles, used for speaking engagement announcements, or used as an author bio on a blog.

Here, we'll explore some tips to help you feel more comfortable when writing your own professional background.

Let's dive in.

• What's a Professional Background?
• How to Write One

Professional Background Examples

What is a professional background.

A professional background is a summary of your professional experiences — coupled with any relevant personal information, including interests or passions — that you'll use throughout your career as you network with industry peers, apply for new roles, or seek thought leadership opportunities.

Your professional background includes previous jobs you've had, successful projects you've worked on, significant accomplishments like promotions or awards, professional networking organizations you belong to, and anything else you'd share with someone who wants to know more about you professionally.

80+ Professional Bio Templates & Examples

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Not only is sharing more about your background a great way to tell more about yourself to others, it's also an opportunity to wholly reflect on your professional journey and the goals you've achieved — plus, what you hope to achieve in the future.

Writing about your professional background for the first time may feel challenging or awkward, but it doesn't have to be. Next, let's dive into how you can get started.

How to Write A Professional Background

• Don't start from scratch.
• Know your audience.
• Choose first or third-person.
• Show professional progression.
• Highlight your accomplishments.
• Be personable.
• Ask for feedback.

1. Don't start from scratch.

If you're having trouble figuring out where to start, try using a professional bio template to guide you. Templates, like the ones featured below, make it easier for you to focus on your personal information and accomplishments, without having to worry as much about the structure.

Featured Resource: Professional Bio Templates and Examples

Download the Templates

2. Know your audience.

Take into consideration who will be reading your professional bio and cater to your reader.

You may also want to draft different versions of your document to best fit specific audiences. For example, the version you post on your LinkedIn may not be as detailed as the version you post on your personal website, and if your reader is a potential employer, it would help to include details that specifically highlight why you're the best candidate for the role for which you're applying.

HubSpot Founder Dharmesh Shah uses different bios for different platforms. On Twitter , for instance, Dharmesh's bio is short and sweet, which is perfect for Twitter's character limit.

Image Source

Alternatively, on INBOUND's website , Dharmesh's bio is written in third-person for attendees. This bio makes Dharmesh's current role clear while providing some key background information.

The best part about this approach is that you can create as many versions of your bio as you'd like, or simply recycle a general version whenever you need it.

3. Choose first or third-person.

Knowing your audience will help you determine the best tone for your background. For instance, first-person is more casual and personable — great for social media and anytime you want to convey that you are speaking directly to the reader.

However, depending on your profession or who the document is being sent to, it may be better to go with writing in the third person. If you’re working in a more formal industry or applying for grants using the third person will give a more authoritative tone that emphasizes your expertise.

As mentioned before, it’s great to have multiple versions of your professional background so you can swap tones as needed.

4. Show professional progression.

As you're writing, think about structuring your professional bio in a way that creates a timeline to show your progression. Explain what your different roles were like, and emphasize responsibilities that set you up for success in your latter roles.

It's important to note that your timeline doesn't have to be linear. As Forbes notes, non-linear career paths are quickly becoming the new normal. The goal is to create a narrative that sums up your strengths and ties them all together.

"Look for a theme that runs throughout several of the jobs you've held, and present your choices in a way that shows common threads running through each of your career decisions," explains career strategist Jenny Foss.

The goal is to clearly show your audience the different roles you've had, and how all of your experiences have contributed to your overall professional development.

5. Highlight your accomplishments.

One of the best things about writing your professional background is that it's the perfect opportunity to brag about yourself — and I don't mean humble brag.

Think of the most successful projects you've been part of, the strategies you've helped develop and execute, the deals you've closed, the revenue you've generated, and anything else that stands out as a major accomplishment.

"A former manager once told me to keep a 'brag sheet' in a document on my computer. The idea was to create a running list of noteworthy accomplishments, media mentions, awards, and letters of recommendation that I could reference to make it easier to write about myself. It also doesn't hurt to open up this document whenever you're having a tough day to remind yourself what you're capable of,” Carly Stec, HubSpot's Team Manager of Content Conversion, told me.

It's also important to consider how success was measured in your previous roles — and how that might shape the way you write about it.

If success for you tends to be measured in quantifiable metrics, include strong statistics. It might look something like this:

• "In my first six months, I was able to sign up X amount of customers that generated an average monthly recurring revenue of $X."
• "I helped boost customer retention by X percentage."
• "With the strategy I developed, my team was able to lower customer acquisition costs by X percentage."

If your role is primarily measured through qualitative goals, share a highlight that speaks to skills you excel at. For example:

• "I successfully executed a major project using strong time management skills and communicated the results to C-suite stakeholders."
• "I was able to complete a project that was projected to take an entire quarter in half the time because of my organizational skills."
• "I was selected to lead a database cleanup project due to my attention to detail and strong team collaboration skills."

6. Be personable.

Timelines and accomplishments are great, but being personable is even better.

Readers should feel like they're getting some sense of who you are from your professional background. This gives readers the opportunity to know more about you beyond a professional scope. If you have any cool niche hobbies that you enjoy outside of work, this would be the time to share.

Here's a list of prompts to help you brainstorm the right "fun facts" to highlight:

• What TV show are you currently binging?
• Do you have any pets?
• What's something most people don't know about you?
• What languages do you speak?
• What are you most proud of yourself for?
• What’s something you've done that’s bucket-list worthy?
• What do you do to relax?
• What are three of your must-have apps?
• What would your favorite colleague say about you?
• What's the best advice you've ever received and how do you apply it to your life?

Being personable is also a great opportunity to address any unconventional moments in your professional background. For example, maybe you've made a drastic shift in your career path, or you took a sabbatical at some point.

These types of stories can make you more relatable to your audience, and you never know who you may end up connecting with over one of your hobbies or more personal moments.

7. Ask for feedback.

Constructive feedback is key when you're writing about yourself. While many choose to source feedback after completing a draft of their bio, it's just as beneficial to get feedback from your peers at earlier stages of your drafting process.

Oftentimes, our peers can help identify our strengths and where we have opportunities to improve. If you're having trouble developing a clear timeline or pinpointing which highlights you should mention, get together with a peer to brainstorm ideas.

Reflect on successful assignments that you've collaborated on and ask your peer to provide honest feedback about what you did best — and include that feedback in your bio.

If you need help getting started, here's a list of discussion questions to use with your peers to uncover professional strengths you might be overlooking in your own self-assessment:

• What role do you think I tend to play in group work?
• How have I helped you be more successful?
• What do you think my most impressive project has been?
• What was your first impression of me?
• What do you think my strengths are?

If you're feeling stuck, don't be afraid to leverage our free professional bio templates to help you get started.

Next, let’s go over professional background examples from both tenured and early-career professionals.

1. Bozoma Saint John

Bozoma Saint John opens her biography by covering her most recent role at Netflix, then goes all the way back to the beginning of her career. From there, she provides a detailed overview of her accomplishments, inserting the names of the most notable organizations she has worked with.

Notice how she familiarizes us with her by using her nickname, “Boz,” throughout her professional background. In the same way, you can use your nickname throughout your bio (if you’re writing it in third-person).

We’d recommend writing a background like Saint John’s if you’re seeking speaking or presenting opportunities.

2. Jim Kowalski

Jim Kowalski walks us through his passions before describing his work experience and accomplishments. He makes it a point to connect his love of the automotive industry to his ethos in his work. Another notable feature of his professional background is that he mentions a brand he invigorated (it was “almost dead,” he asserts). He closes with his fascinating adventures around the world, including building a home in Thailand.

Mention ways that you’ve prevented clients and other companies from failing. If you’ve had noteworthy adventures, consider bringing them into your professional background as well. A background bio doesn’t have to be wooden; it can be fun, too, as long as you remain within reason. Plus, it gives the reader a chance to connect with you.

3. Katherine Gundlach

If you’re a college student, you might not have a long list of professional accomplishments, but you can take note from Katherine Gundlach’s example and write about what you love to do — and why you love to do it.

Katherine Gundlach opens her professional background with her current status as a college student, then goes into an anecdote that describes why she became a photographer. In the latter half of the bio, she describes her mission when photographing others. In your own bio, describe the purpose of what you do (or the reason why you want to pursue a certain field).

She also says where she’s from. Mentioning personal information in your professional bio can be a way for readers, hiring managers, and colleagues to relate to you.

4. Erick Rheam

Erick Rheam’s professional background effectively outlines his path to becoming a motivational speaker. He also cements his expertise by stating that he speaks regularly across the U.S. After, he outlines his vision and purpose for doing what he does. Like some of the other examples on this list, he includes personal information about himself: that he’s a runner.

This professional background is done well because it’s succinct and balances professionalism, expertise, and personality. Consider achieving a similar balance in your own background document by dedicating 1-2 sentences to each aspect of your professional and personal life.

5. Dr. Houyuan Luo

Dr. Houyuan Luo’s professional background is a classic example of a bio that’s inspirational, professional, and persuasive.

In the medical industry, education is immensely important — how long you studied can determine your level of expertise. Dr. Luo immediately lists his academic background, then details how passionate he is for his field. He emphasizes his humanitarian values most, cementing him as an excellent candidate for clinical training and speaking opportunities.

If you work in the healthcare, non-profit, legal, educational, or environmental industries, consider emphasizing your values and ethos in your professional background. Like Dr. Luo, you can leave a mention of your current position for the last sentence.

6. Claire Buswell

Claire Buswell immediately establishes herself as a relatable persona by going over her personal history first — then connecting that to her role today. Because she was once in the same position as her clients, Buswell is better prepared to help them professionally. She makes that clear in her professional background and is vulnerable about how hard it was to find a job.

If you’ve created a business that solves a problem that you experienced, consider bringing that into your professional background. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. In fact, being vulnerable can make you more relatable, and your level of success now will be a testament to your methods’ effectiveness.

Ready to start writing?

Keep these tips and examples in mind as you're writing about your professional bio. Your final product should be a written statement that boasts your most notable skills and achievements. As you continue to progress in your career, take time to update your bio like you would your resume, and continue to impress your readers.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in November 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Maximize Your Impact: 205 Action Verbs to Use on Your Resume

Create a compelling professional narrative for your summary, bio, or introduction.

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Your Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Perfect Resume (With Examples!)

Your resume is arguably the most valuable piece of paper for your career. But this document can be daunting for many. Maybe you’re not sure how to fit in all your information onto one page. Maybe you’re not sure about the right way to format and write your resume. Maybe you don’t even know what the heck a resume is!

Whatever your concern, we’ll break down everything you need to know about making the perfect resume, from scratch.

What Is a Resume?

What are employers looking for in a resume.

• Pick Your Format
• Start With Your Basic Information
• Add in Your Work Experience
• Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience
• Don’t Forget Your Education
• Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests
• Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)
• Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)
• Edit and Refine It

What Are Some Examples of a Good Resume?

A resume is a summary of your career, whether yours is just getting started or has been going on for years. Coming in at around one page in length (two only under specific circumstances), it showcases the jobs you’ve held and currently hold, the responsibilities you’ve taken on, the skills you’ve developed, and the qualities you bring to the table as an employee. Together, those things make it super easy for any hiring manager to see your qualifications and fit for a role.

For all the work you may put into writing one, hiring managers actually spend very little time—mere seconds in many cases—looking at your resume. But despite this sad fact, it’s safe to say that creating a great resume (rather than hastily throwing one together) still matters.

“If you miss the mark, your resume may never be read. Even worse, you might be removed from the applicant pool by a computer before a human even knows you exist,” says Muse career coach Heather Yurovsky , founder of Shatter & Shine. So you want to get it right because, as she explains, isn’t the goal to “spend less time looking for a job and more time in a role you love?”

You might be wondering if you can lean on your LinkedIn profile instead of writing a resume. The answer, sadly, is no. Most hiring managers still expect you to submit a resume, even if they also look at your LinkedIn. Even if you don’t need a resume for a job you’re applying for now, you’re going to need one at some point in your career—they’re not anywhere close to going out of style. So it’s best to always have one at the ready should an opportunity pop up.

And although LinkedIn has plenty of benefits, a resume has one clear advantage: While your LinkedIn is usually a broader picture of your career trajectory, your resume gives you the opportunity to tailor your career story to a specific role or company (more on that later).

Oh, and you’ve probably heard of something called a CV? It’s slightly different from a resume , and usually more common with academics and job seekers outside the U.S.

Hiring managers look for three things on your resume, “What did you do? Why did you do it? And what was the result?” says Muse career coach Martin McGovern , owner of Career Therapy. “If you can answer all three of these questions in...your resume bullet points, you’re going to be on the right track.”

Clear, easy-to-understand language is key. “The truth is that most resumes make no sense. They are stuffed with jargon, they are too technical, and they are filled with redundancies. Try to read a resume that isn’t yours and you will quickly realize that it feels like an alien wrote it,” McGovern adds. Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter who has no idea how your role works—how can you make your resume accessible to them?

The hiring manager also cares about more than just you and you alone—they care about you in relation to them. “Hiring managers want to see if a candidate matches the requirements” of the role they’re hiring for, Yurovsky explains. “Your resume should paint this picture so the hiring manager not only knows what day-to-day responsibilities you can handle, but why you, above other[s], bring value to their organization.”

How Do You Write a Resume?

Whether you’re someone who’s never written a resume in your life, or you need a nice, thorough refresher on the process of creating one, follow these steps to go from a blank page to a complete—and dare I say beautiful—document.

Related: This Free Worksheet Makes It Easy to Create (or Update) Your Resume

1. Pick Your Format

Before you start typing one single thing, you have to decide what you want the overall resume to look like.

Resume builders can be helpful for this step—they’ll take all your basic information and organize it for you, eliminating some of the legwork. You can also use a pre-made outline, such as one of these free Google Docs templates .

But it’s often safest to start with a clean slate all on your own and eventually upgrade to a more advanced layout. (If you'd still like a place to write all the relevant information before you get started, check out our resume outline .) This allows you to course correct, edit and re-edit, and choose a resume format that best fits your particular situation (after all, not everyone has a career trajectory that’s easy to compartmentalize).

In general, you’re most likely to cover and/or include sections on the following:

• Your work experience
• Your non-work experience, including professional organizations, community involvement, or side projects
• Your education and certifications
• Your skills (specifically hard skills) and interests

So how do you format and organize all of that information?

By far the most common (and safest, if you’re not sure which route to take) option is reverse chronological order . This means you organize your experiences from most recent to least recent. So your work experiences would go above your education, and your current role would go above previous roles you’ve held. This of course has its exceptions—maybe you went back to grad school between jobs, or your most recent role is irrelevant to the job you’re applying for. So the whole page may not be exactly in reverse chronological order depending on your situation. It’s just a guideline.

There’s also something called a functional or skills-based resume . This is used pretty rarely, mainly with career changers and those with limited or complicated work histories. It gets its name because it’s primarily about listing your skills rather than experiences, and showcases them above your work history and education.

You can also opt for a combination resume , which is a mix between a reverse chronological resume and skills-based resume. It highlights your skills at the top, but allows just as much room below to cover your job and school experience.

Use caution when choosing these two formats: “Combo and skills-based [resumes] can be hard to follow, because [they force] the reader to hunt for connections between your skills and experience, and [don’t] provide the full context of your work,” says Muse Career Coach Angela Smith , founder of Loft Consulting. “I’ve also heard a lot of recruiters say that they automatically discount skill-based resumes because they feel the candidate is trying to hide something. I don’t necessarily believe that, but I think it’s important for job-seekers to know that perception is out there.”

2. Start With Your Basic Information

Your contact information should always go at the top of your resume. In this header you’ll want to include anything that could be helpful for a recruiter to get in touch with you. Usually, this means adding in:

• Your full name (preferably the name you use across the web)
• Your phone number
• Your personal email address

You might also choose to include other basic information, such as your LinkedIn or personal website URL, your GitHub (for technical roles), your social media profiles (if relevant to the job), or your address. If you’re looking to move for a job, you may choose to leave out your address or write “open to relocating” to better your chances of getting an interview.

The key is to make this part as clear as possible. If a hiring manager can’t reach you, there’s no point in perfecting the rest of your resume.

3. Add in Your Work Experience

This section will most likely be the bulk of your resume. Even if you’re changing careers, employers still want to see where you’ve worked, what you’ve done, and the impact of that work to get a sense of your background and expertise.

Your “Work Experience” might be one entire category, or you might choose to break it up into “Relevant Experience” and “Additional Experience” to highlight the jobs that are most important for hiring managers to focus on. Either way, you’ll almost always want to have your most recent experience at the top and your older experience down below.

Within your work experience, you’ll want to include each official job title, the company (and possibly its location), and the years you worked there. Below that, you’ll add in two to four bullet points explaining what you did in that job, the skills you built and exercised, the tools you used, and the results of what you did. If you accomplished a lot during your time there, focus on the responsibilities that made the most impact or you’re the most proud of, as well as the ones that best align you with the job you’re applying for (more on that in the following sections). It’s key here to list, if relevant, quantitative as well as qualitative accomplishments.

For example, you might write:

Associate Accountant, Finances and Co., Ann Arbor, MI September 2017 – Present

• Manage billing and invoicing for more than 50 clients, ensuring the deadlines and needs of our enterprise partners, including Big Company and Super Star Org, are met
• Collaborate closely with sales, account management, and project management teams on project setup, maintenance, and invoice management
• Assist in the streamlining of invoicing guidelines and procedures through documentation and the implementation of new software, resulting in an average two-week decrease in total time spent per client

Your resume bullets should be in past tense if you’re referring to past jobs and present tense if you’re talking about your current roles. In addition, your bullets should always start with a strong action verb that best describes what you did. And if you have examples of your work, consider hyperlinking them here as well.

If you have a ton of experience and this category is starting to run long (read: over one page), consider kicking out your oldest jobs unless they’re super relevant to the job you’re applying for, or extra impressive for your field.

Not sure where to start? “It’s helpful to do a brain dump and create a document that has everything and anything you consider as experience or an achievement,” says Yurovsky. From there, she explains, you can start to whittle down what is and isn’t important. And you can refer to this document later if you ever decide to update your resume for a specific role.

Need more specific advice on listing your work experience on your resume? Check out these additional resources:

• When you’ve held multiple jobs at the same company: 2 Jobs, 1 Company: How to Show Multiple Positions on Your Resume
• When you’re not sure what your accomplishments are or how to explain them: Resume Revamp: How to Turn Your Duties Into Accomplishments
• When you want to spruce up a boring or insignificant job: How to Make Your Most Boring Jobs Sound More Interesting on Your Resume
• When you’re considering fudging a job title: The Answer to “Can I Change My Job Title on My Resume to Make It More Accurate?”
• When you’ve had a bunch of short-term gigs: How to List Temporary Jobs on Your Resume

4. Consider Including Volunteer Work or Other Experience

Anything you’ve done that’s not work experience—your side gig, volunteer work, special projects—can be hosted under clearly-labeled sections (“Volunteer Experience” or “Activities,” for example). Depending on how robust your work experience is, these things may be worth including, particularly if they’ve helped you level up your skill set or better align you with your dream job. Plus, they make you look that much more well-rounded, passionate, and hardworking.

If you’re a recent grad, you might also build out a section for on-campus activities, such as clubs, organizations, or leadership experience. This can be a great supplement if you’re lacking in the jobs department. You can frame these just as you would professional jobs—including your title, the organization’s name, and bullets describing what your role was and what you accomplished.

Read More: This Is Exactly How to List Volunteer Work on Your Resume

5. Don’t Forget Your Education

If you’re still in school or just graduated, your education can go at the top of your resume, but for pretty much everyone else, this goes near the bottom. Most people include their school, graduation year (for folks less up to about a decade out of school), major, and degree. Brand-new grads might also write in their GPA, honors and awards, study abroad, thesis, or other notable achievements. But keep this section super simple, as you don’t want it to take up too much space over your work experience.

It’s possible you have unique education experience, such as taking an online course or certification. If you did this specifically as a way to boost yourself within your industry, definitely include it. Again, list everything more or less reverse chronologically—so a grad school degree would go above an undergrad degree, and a more recent relevant online course would go above that.

Learn more about the ins and outs of listing your education on your resume:

• How to (and How Not to) List Education on Your Resume
• How to List Online Courses on Your Resume the Right Way (Because Yes, There Is a Wrong Way)

6. Top It Off With Some Skills and Interests

The skills section of a resume gets a bad rap, but it’s just as important as the rest of the stuff you include. It’s a quick list a recruiter can scan to see if your skill set aligns with what they’re hiring for. And it’s super ATS-friendly (ATS stands for “applicant tracking system,” the robot that in some cases reads your resume before a human does) because it allows you to add in keywords the machine is scanning for.

Usually this section goes at the bottom of your resume, but in special cases—such as a skills-based resume or when someone’s switching fields—you may place it further up.

What exactly do you throw in here? You’ll want to list any hard skills and applications you’re familiar with (Photoshop, SEO, JavaScript, to name a few examples), and, if relevant, your level of expertise. Avoid including soft skills here, like time management or public speaking—save those for your bullet points instead.

Be strategic when filling in your skills. Don’t list things you actually couldn’t do at a high competence level (I’m looking at those of you who say you’re “great” at Excel), and maybe nix skills that are completely irrelevant to the job you want. For example, you may not even need to include Excel if you’re applying for say, a design position, unless it’s listed as a job requirement.

Maybe you’re thinking, I’m a really good volleyball player, but that’s not a “skill,” right? No, it’s not, but it is a hobby. Adding in a hobby section at the bottom of your resume is underrated, and frequently a smart choice. It can be a great conversation starter with a hiring manager, and it can show that you’re a good culture fit—or a culture add—for the company. Also, it’s just a nice way to add in some of your personality. So tack on a bullet point listing out some of your interests, such as hiking, rowing, or crafting (no more than five to seven work-appropriate verbs), and you’re all set here.

7. Write a Resume Summary Statement (if Relevant)

You may have heard of a resume summary statement . They’re not super common, but they can be useful to include near the top of your resume if you’re looking to add clarity or context to your resume. If you’re a career changer, you might find a summary statement helpful in explaining your leap and tying your experience to your new path. Or if you’re a more experienced professional, you can use a summary statement to highlight a theme that brings your career trajectory together.

Overall, you probably won’t need a summary statement if your career is pretty linear and your bullet points do a great job of emphasizing what you have to offer in terms of skills and experience. But if you think it makes sense to include one, “Take the time to think about what the person reading your summary wants to know before you write it,” says McGovern. “Good summaries explain why you do what you do and how it can help. For instance: Merging a background in ABC, I help companies improve XYZ through 123. Summaries shouldn’t be any more complicated than that.”

So, taking McGovern’s example, you might say:

Merging a background in social media marketing and PR with seven years in the consumer tech space, I help companies improve their internal and external communication and brand awareness through data-driven, quality content and strategies that align with the modern trends of the space.

Yurovsky adds that “you don’t want your summary statement to be a dense paragraph with too much information. You want it to be easy to read, concise, and memorable. Almost like a tagline.”

Read More: 3 Resume Summary Examples That’ll Make Writing Your Own Easier

8. Tailor It to the Job (and the ATS)

Once you have your resume written out—you’ve broken down your work experience, tagged on some activities and additional experiences, and listed out your skills—it’s important to go back to the job description (or multiple job descriptions, if you’re applying to several similar jobs) and make sure that what your resume says matches up with the kind of candidate the employers are looking for. In other words, tailor it .

Let’s explain further. You’ll want to begin by tackling the ATS . This means combing the job description to see if individual words and phrases line up. What skills are they asking for, and have you listed them (so long as you actually have them)? What words are they using to describe their ideal hire, and do you use similar language in your resume?

Next, take a bird’s-eye view. If you were the hiring manager for the role, where on your resume would your eyes be drawn to? And what would you be looking for? Whatever you think will be most important for the recruiter, make sure it’s near the top of your resume, or otherwise emphasized.

Finally, dig into the role and responsibilities of the job. Does your resume reflect similar experience? If not, is there a way you can spin it so that it’s clear you’re capable of doing the job (and doing it well)?

These articles can help you if the word “tailoring” makes you start to sweat:

• What It Really Means to “Tailor Your Resume”
• Your Guide to Making Unrelated Experience Look Relevant on Your Resume
• A Cool Trick: How to Spin 1 Resume Bullet 5 Different Ways

9. Edit and Refine It

Please, please don’t just write your resume and shoot it out without giving it a second glance. Hiring managers may not spend hours browsing it, but if there’s one thing that sticks out more than anything else it’s a glaring typo.

The best approach? Write a rough draft, then leave and come back to it later with fresh eyes to give it an edit.

Cover the basics: Is your contact information correct and updated? Are you using the right verb tenses? Does everything look consistent and accurate in terms of spelling and grammar?

Then do some cutting if your resume’s quite long. It’s no longer a hard-and-fast rule that all resumes must be only one page—but consider it a smart guideline for most applicants, especially if you've got less than 10 years work experience. The exception is if you’re very senior or very established in your career; in this scenario, a two-page resume isn’t completely out of the question. Everyone else, read this article for advice on how to cut your resume down.

Formatting-wise, it’s key to consider a couple things. First, what font are you using , and is it legible (for a human and a robot)? When in doubt, go with one of these simple, but sleek, options: Arial, Arial Narrow, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond, or Helvetica.

Second, are you going to save it as a Word document or PDF ? Neither option is wrong, although a PDF helps ensure that your formatting is maintained, no matter what type of computer the hiring manager uses to open the document.

Third, is your resume formatted in a way that it’s skimmable? If it’s feeling crowded or overrun with words, read this: 12 Tiny Changes That Make Your Resume Easy for Recruiters to Skim .

Once you’ve given it a few good looks, it may be worth sending it to a friend or colleague (or even a career coach ) to get a second opinion. Don’t just have them edit it for spelling and grammar—they should dig into your bullets and offer feedback on whether or not your resume is showing you in the best possible light (it’s smart to also send them the job description for something to compare it to).

Here’s the thing: Your resume won’t ever look exactly like someone else’s, nor should it. How you choose to format it, organize your information, and talk about specific experiences depends not just on your career path, but on your field, the job you’re applying for, the company that job is at, and more.

So there isn’t a universal way to do a resume. But there are common themes. To give you some context as to how yours might turn out, here are three examples of different kinds of resumes.

The Most Popular: A Reverse Chronological Resume

As previously mentioned, a reverse chronological resume is preferred by many coaches and HR experts, mainly because it’s super readable. When everything’s in a clear order, it’s easy to skim and even easier to draw lines between experiences.

Who it’s good for: Just about everyone—from students applying to internships all the way up to senior-level executives (with an optional resume summary statement)

Download an Example Chronological Resume for a Software Engineer

The Unorthodox Route: A Functional or Skills-Based Resume

Rather than listing out your experience in reverse chronological order, a functional or skills-based resume has bullet points that reflect how each of your skills is demonstrated by the work you’ve done over the course of your career. At the bottom, you’ll include everything else, such as your education, job history, professional achievements, community involvement, and other technical skills. This is a good option if you have a somewhat all-over-the-place work history and want to tie everything together neatly.

Who it’s good for: Career changers whose work experiences may not appear to be relevant and people with an abundance of temporary jobs or gaps in their work histories.

Download an Example Functional Resume for a Project Manager

The Creative Angle: An Infographic Resume or Resume Website

This resume type is characterized by how it’s formatted visually. You may choose a reverse chronological order or skills-based style to organize your information, but also use graphics, colors, unique fonts, and even multimedia elements to help that information pop. Keep in mind that any creative resume is still likely subject to an ATS—and certain elements may be unreadable by a robot. So consider going this route only if you know a human will be reading your resume (and that said human might enjoy it).

Who it’s good for: People applying to creative roles (designers, editors, writers, marketers, video producers, for example), startups, or fun companies, or to jobs where a creative resume is encouraged, if not required.

Download an Example Infographic Resume for a Designer

Not a designer but want your resume to look just as pretty as this example? Check out these articles:

• 5 Sites to Create an Awesome Infographic Resume (Even if You’re the Least Creative Person Ever)
• How to Build a Resume Website That Will Impress Every Hiring Manager Who Sees It
• 5 Digital Tools That Will Make Your Resume Infinitely More Beautiful

Your resume is a living, breathing document. So while you won’t go through this whole process every time you apply for a job, you should be thinking about all these things as you go to update your resume for your next career step. You might decide later on to switch up the order, or remove or add things, or even get creative and try out a whole new format. If you’re not getting the calls back you expect, you may decide to scrap it and start over —and that’s totally OK.

Regardless of where this piece of paper goes and how it grows, when you give it the care and attention it deserves, you set yourself up for success. And you’ll make it that much more likely that you’ll land an interview and get the chance to prove to the hiring manager—over the phone or in person—what you’ve got to offer.

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How to write a professional background summary that gets you noticed

Jul 16, 2020  | Updated Jun 4, 2024 by Jennifer Bridges  @JenBridgesRD

• Why you need one
• How to create one
• Where to use it

Talk to an expert

This post has been modified to reflect new information since its original publication.

If you find yourself back in the job hunt, and you want to succeed in today’s tight job market, you need to do two things: Learn how to write a professional background summary and quickly communicate the highlights of your work history (with clear and decisive language) to those who matter.

Ready to see some tips for creating a successful background summary?

Then, let’s get started! This article covers:

• The definition of a professional background summary
• Why a professional background summary is so important
• How to create an effective professional background summary
• Where to use a professional background summary
• What a powerful professional background summary looks like

What is a professional background summary?

A professional background summary is usually a brief paragraph or five to seven bullets at the top of your resume that sum up your qualifications for a job opening. However, this section is much more than just a list of all the jobs you’ve had. Instead, it is a carefully crafted overview of your career accomplishments—creating an impressive professional summary that is designed to convince recruiters and hiring managers you are the perfect fit for a particular position.

A good summary should tempt busy recruiters to read the rest of your resume.

But before we get into talking about the best practices for crafting a professional summary let’s look at why it’s so important in the first place.

Why you need a professional background summary

A professional background summary can help you make a strong impression in a short amount of time.

Recruiters only spend an average of 6 to 7 seconds screening each resume. This means that you don’t have any time to waste when it comes to grabbing the reader’s attention and selling yourself as the best person for the job.

Additionally, a well-constructed professional background summary is a solid demonstration of your organizational and communication skills, which are in high demand with employers.

You can also leverage the clarity and insights you’ve gained from all the time spent composing your professional background summary to help you express yourself better during interviews.

How to create an impressive professional background summary

Follow these steps to ensure that your professional background summary boosts your chances of getting hired:

• Scan the job listing to find the most important keywords —Look for the words or phrases that best describe the position, the ideal candidate, and the job’s required skills and try to match them with your own experiences and abilities. Using these keywords in your professional background summary will increase your odds of making it through the company’s applicant tracking system.
• Write down all your important achievements —Go beyond just your job titles and include everything you’ve done that shows off your abilities, with a special focus on statistics and numbers. If you hit 93% of your sales targets four years in a row, for example, then you should put this at the top of your list. Be sure to be as specific as possible. For example, instead of saying that you’re a published writer, you should state that you’ve had articles published in The New Yorker and Fast Company . (Don’t worry if this list gets really long. You will trim it in the next step.)
• Narrow down your list —Review your list and keep only the items that are most impressive and most relevant to the position you’re applying for. This may take some time. The goal is to make the biggest impact with the smallest number of achievements.
• State how you can add value —This is your opportunity to sell yourself to the person reading your resume. Explain how your skills and experience will benefit the company. You should also include 2-3 skills that are most relevant to the job.
• Hone your wording —Now that you’ve picked out which items to write about, it’s time to craft your sentences or bullet points. Make sure to use concise and descriptive language and avoid cliches like team oriented or dynamic , instead you can use a word like resourceful . The next step is to carefully proofread for typos and spelling/grammatical errors. When you’ve completed your first draft, let it sit for a day and then look at it again with fresh eyes. You’ll be surprised at what jumps out at you after your brain has had a chance to rest.

Where to use your professional background summary

In addition to putting it at the top of your resume, you can use your professional background summary in a variety of places to gain credibility and improve your reputation .

Some smart places to use it include:

• Your LinkedIn profile —The same recruiters who are scanning your resume are also scanning candidates on LinkedIn. In fact, 72% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates. To ensure you’re making a good first impression on this audience, you can post a generic version of your professional background summary, along with a bulleted list of your key skills, in your profile’s About section.
• Your personal website’s About Me page —The About Me page is often the first place potential clients and employers go to learn about you and what makes you special. As such, it’s also an important vehicle for defining and promoting your personal brand. To make sure you don’t accidentally leave out any of your key qualifications, you can use your professional background summary as a jumping-off point when creating this page. If you don’t have a personal website, we can help you get started with our ReputationGrower service.
• In conversation —If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard about the value of preparing a 30-second elevator pitch about your company. The same applies to people looking for a new job. For example, if you are attending an industry conference and someone says, “Tell me about yourself,” it’s important to have a well-thought-out and rehearsed answer ready to go.

Professional background example

The best way to learn how to write a professional background summary is to see what a great one actually looks like.

Here is one that does everything right:

• 5-7 sentences/bullet points
• Uses numbers and percentages
• Gives specific examples that prove the candidate’s qualifications for the position
• Makes the reader want to learn more about the candidate

“Accomplished marketing CMO with a demonstrated ability to create and implement strategies that advance financial and business goals. Have led decisive initiatives that lowered advertising costs by $500,000 while driving a revenue increase of 40%. Industry authority in content marketing, brand storytelling, and customer engagement.

Collaborative leader, able to assemble winning management teams focused on achieving KPI goals. Hones skills and learns about industry changes through continuing professional education (completed an MBA in marketing).”

Now that you’ve learned how to write a compelling professional background summary, you should get started creating your own.

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You can use this to discover something you might want to point out or remove.

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Ultimate Resume Background Guide: Dos and Don’ts

Recent research shows that an average recruiter spends only six seconds reviewing a resume. So you should do your best to attract the notice of your employer. Recruiters mostly follow a visual path. Thus, a resume background becomes extremely important.

Below you can find some helpful tips gathered by our resume specialist on designing a successful resume background.

Enclose a Photo of the Resume

Many Americans are aversive to including a photo on their resume. The reason is the threat to be discriminated against by your appearance. So if you attach a photo, you can stand out in a pile of faceless resumes.

According to CareerBuilder, 43-55% of recruiters check the social media profile of a candidate anyway. So it is better to choose the photo and present yourself in it as professionally as possible.

Your picture should reflect the culture of a profession . For instance, if you are applying for the position of sales manager, it would be right to look confident.

On the other side, if you are looking for a psychologist job, you should look calm and trustworthy.

A picture speaks a thousand words. If you attach your picture, your resume can get shortlisted.

Take Advantage of Columns to Have More Space

Resumes that exceed one page are a nightmare for recruiters. Write in detail only about the training or workshops that are relevant to this job.

Highlight only the most important details of your experience. Stay organized and concise.

Several columns allow you to run through the names of companies where you worked, positions, educational institutions, and other key facts.

Columns allow you to store information compactly, adding more space to enumerate the things you’ve done.

How should one page be enough for the whole life description? Split the layout of your resume into two sections. Put shorter parts of information (short biography or the languages you speak) together with the photo in the first column.

Make it distinctive while changing the background images. The second column should comprise education and working experience.

Keep in mind that a poor structure may prevent your resume from beating the applicant tracking system .

Layout Structure Is Significant

To design a successful resume, the format should be organized properly. When the resume comprises one page, divide the information into parts.

Use columns and headings to separate all the given information . The employer will use these definite parts of the resume during the interview.

This tip may seem obvious, but you cannot imagine how many candidates lump the information in their resumes together.

A well-organized resume structure will be a good sign for your recruiter — the organizational skills you display are also a virtue.

Keep It Simple

If your future job is administrative, your resume design should be simple and minimal. Do not add any photos or graphics. That’s a piece of advice from our graphic design resume-writing experts .

If your job is not creative, do not use a resume background image. Leave it just white.

Also, make sure you are familiar with the difference between a resume and a cover letter to send the right application document.

Generate a Personal Brand

If you are applying for a creative profession, your resume should be unified. If you display your branding skills in the resume, it will both raise the probability of being chosen and show the recruiter your creativity while following a list of brand rules.

The same strategy can be applied if you are trying to craft a professional graphic design resume .

The steps to produce your brand are:

• Think about its logo. Apply it to the cover page of every document.
• Format your text according to a typeface.
• Use the same formatting of headers and body text throughout all your applications.
• Use the color consistently. Use geometric shapes to compile all the information pieces.

Design and visual organization are extremely important to catch the eye of your recruiter. But the content is essential as well.

An eloquent resume background summary should demonstrate your professional qualifications to get the job.

24 Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

A resume summary statement usually comes right after a job seeker’s contact info and before other resume sections such as skills and work experience. It provides employers with a brief overview of a candidate’s career accomplishments and qualifications before they read further. Because of how early it appears on the document, your resume summary statement (or your CV “profile” in the UK) is one of the first places recruiters and employers look. And without the right information, they’ll doubt that you’re qualified and may move to another resume.

So I got in touch with a select group of professional resume writers, coaches and career experts to get their best resume summary examples you can use and adapt to write a resume summary that stands out and gets interviews.

As a former recruiter myself, I’ll also share my best tips to write your resume summary effectively.

Why the Resume/CV Summary is Important

You may have heard that recruiters only spend 8-10 seconds looking at your resume. The truth is: they spend that long deciding whether to read more. They do glance that quickly at first and may move on if your background doesn’t look like a fit. However, if you grab their attention, they’ll read far more. Recruiters aren’t deciding to interview you in 8-10 seconds, but they are ruling people out in 8-10 seconds. And this is why your resume summary is so crucial. It appears high up on your resume (usually right after your header/contact info) and is one of the first sections employers see. So it’s part of what they’ll see in the first 8-10 seconds.

Your resume summary statement is one of your first (and one of very few) chances to get the employer to stop skimming through their pile of resumes and focus on YOU.

Watch: Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

10 resume summary examples:.

These career summary examples will help you at any experience level – whether you’re writing a professional summary after a long executive career, or writing your first resume summary without any experience! After you finish this article you’re NEVER going to have to send out a limp, weak resume summary statement again (and you’ll get far more interviews  because of it).

1. Healthcare Sales Executive Resume Summary Example:

Turnaround & Ground Up Leadership – Concept-to-execution strategies for untapped products, markets + solutions that yield 110% revenue growth – Negotiates partnerships with leading distributors + hospitals—Medline to Centara + Novant Health to Mayo Clinic –  Revitalizes underperforming sales organizations via scalable, sustainable infrastructures emulated as best practice –  C-Level networks of clinical + supply chain leadership acquired during tenures with XXX, XXX and XXX

Why this resume summary is good:

This resumes summary example’s strength lies in the detailed, unique information that has been included. By including revenue stats, names of past employers and partners, the reader right away sees that this person will bring to the role a strong networking ability with key players in his industry, and more importantly can build, grow and revitalize a sales organization, market or product.

By:  Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes  and Forbes contributor.

2. 15+ Year Business Owner Resume Summary Statement:

Dynamic and motivated marketing professional with a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from concept to completion, designing educational strategies, and coaching individuals to success. Skilled in building cross-functional teams, demonstrating exceptional communication skills, and making critical decisions during challenges. Adaptable and transformational leader with an ability to work independently, creating effective presentations, and developing opportunities that further establish organizational goals.

Why this is a good summary section:

This is a resume summary statement that was for  a candidate returning to work after having her own business for 15+ years. Because of this, we needed to emphasize her soft skills and what she can bring to this potential position. In addition, we highlighted the skills she has honed as a business owner so that she can utilize these qualifications as a sales professional, account manager , and someone knowledgeable about nutrition, medicine, and the overall sales process.

By: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish. MBA, Ph.D., CPRW, and Founder of Feather Communications

3. Human Resources Generalist Resume Summary Example:

Human Resources Generalist with progressive experience managing employee benefits & compliance, employee hiring & onboarding, performance management processes, licensure tracking and HR records. Dependable and organized team player with the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. Skilled at building relationships with employees across all levels of an organization. Proficient with HRIS, applicant tracking and benefits management.

Why this is a good resume summary:

The applicant highlights their experience across a wide range of HR functions from the very first sentence, and continues this pattern throughout the rest of the summary. They then use easily digestible langue to showcase their hard skills (in the first & fourth sentences) and soft skills (in the second & third sentences). They also integrate a variety of keywords to get past automated job application systems , without sounding spammy or without overdoing it.

By: Kyle Elliott, MPA/CHES,  Career Coach and Consultant

4. Social Media Marketing CV Profile Example (UK):

Social media expert with successes in the creation and management of social media strategies and campaigns for global retail organisations. Extensive experience in the commercial utilisation of multiple social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; I build successful social strategies that increase brand awareness, promote customer engagement and ultimately drive web traffic and conversions.

Why this summary is good:

This summary is well-written, short, sharp, and gives recruiters a high-level explanation of the candidate’s core offerings in a persuasive and punchy style. A quick scan of this profile tells you the exact type of social media platforms the candidate is an expert in, as well as the campaigns they have experience running and types of organizations they have worked for. Most importantly, the summary is rounded off by showing the results that this person achieves for their employers, such as increased web traffic and conversions.

Editor’s note: This CV profile summary was written for the UK market… this is a great one to use/copy, but make sure you put it through a spell-checker if you’re applying for jobs in the US (utilisation vs. utilization, etc.)

By: Andrew Fennell, Director at StandOut CV , contributor for The Guardian and Business Insider

5. Marketing Manager Professional Summary Example:

Marketing Manager with over eight years of experience. Proven success in running email marketing campaigns and implementing marketing strategies that have pulled in a 20% increase in qualified leads. Proficient in content, social media and inbound marketing strategies. Skilled, creative and innovative.

This resume summary stands out because it gets straight to the point. By immediately introducing the number of years of experience the candidate has, the HR manager doesn’t need to spend time adding up years. The candidate also jumps right into his or her strongest skill, provides a statistic , then gives additional skills.

By: Sarah Landrum, career expert and contributor at Entrepreneur.com and Forbes

6. Warehouse Supervisor Resume Summary Example:

Warehouse Supervisor with Management, Customer Service, & Forklift Experience –  Dependable manager with 15+ years of experience in warehouse management and employee supervision. –  Skilled at managing inventory control, shipping & receiving, customer relations and safety & compliance. –  Certified Power Equipment Trainer, Forklift Operator and Reach Operator skilled at coaching other staff. –  Promoted to positions of increased responsibility given strong people and project management skills.

The applicant was applying for a warehouse supervisor position that required them to have demonstrated management, customer service and forklift experience. As such, the applicant showcased their experience in these areas with a few keywords in the title, followed by additional details in the accompanying bullet points. Their final bullet shows a record of promotions, while reinforcing the applicant’s customer service and project management skills.

7. IT Project Manager Resume Summary Example:

Experienced Project Manager with vast IT experience. Skills include computer networking, analytical thinking and creative problem solving. Able to apply customer service concepts to IT to improve user experience for clients, employees and administration.

Because this candidate is switching career paths, it’s important he or she take skills used for previous positions and apply those skills to the new job listing. This is a great example because the candidate makes it clear that his or her experience is not in the new field, but that they are still able to bring relevant experience to the table. When writing your resume summary, keep these tips in mind: Use writing that is straight to the point, clear and concise, you’ll have a higher chance of getting noticed by the hiring manager.

8. Career-Changer Resume Summary Example:

Earn trust, uncover key business drivers and find common ground as chief negotiator and identifier of revenue opportunities in sales, leadership and account management roles spanning e-Commerce, air travel and high-tech retail. Navigate cultural challenges while jumping time zones, lead international airline crews and manage corporate accounts to deliver an exceptional customer experience. A self-taught techie sought after as a go-to for complex billing systems and SaaS platforms alike—bridging the divide between technology and plain-speak. – Tenacious Quest for Success + Learning . Earned MBA and BS in just 3 years while working full-time – gaining hands-on experience in research- and data-driven product roadmap development, pricing and positioning. – Results-Driven Leadership. Whether leading Baby Boomers, Gen X or Millennials—figures out what makes teams tick, trains and transforms individuals into top-performers. – Challenger of Conventional Wisdom. Always ask the WHY. Improve the user experience through smart, strategic thinking that anticipates outcomes. Present cases that influence, and lead change that drives efficiency and profitability.

This client was eager for a career change and had moved from role to role and industry to industry. After completing her Master’s degree, she was eager to tie her skills together to land a role – which she did – as a Senior Technology Account Strategist for a global travel company. Although a bit longer than a traditional summary, its strength lies in the details. Without ever getting to the experience section, the reader gets a clear idea of the scope of responsibility, and hard and soft skills the candidate brings to the table.

By: Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes  and Forbes contributor.

9. Project Management Executive Professional Summary Example:

15+ years of initiating and delivering sustained results and effective change for Fortune 500 firms across a wide range of industries including enterprise software, digital marketing, advertising technology, e-commerce and government. Major experience lies in strategizing and leading cross-functional teams to bring about fundamental change and improvement in strategy, process, and profitability – both as a leader and expert consultant.

Why this resume summary is good:

“Project Manager” is one of those job titles that’s REALLY broad. You can find project managers earning $50K, and others earning $250K. The client I wrote this for was at the Director level, and had worked for some of the biggest and best tech companies in her city. So this resume profile section shows her level and experience, and the wide array of areas she has responsibility for in her current work. You can borrow or use some of the phrasing here to show that you’ve been responsible for many important areas in your past work.

By: Biron Clark, Founder of  CareerSidekick.com.

10. Startup And Finance Management Consultant Career Summary Example:

Experienced strategist, entrepreneur and startup enthusiast with a passion for building businesses and challenging the status quo. 8+ year track record of defining new business strategies, launching new ventures, and delivering operational impact, both as a co-founder and management consultant. 

Why this resume summary example is good:

This summary was for a highly-talented management consultant looking to break out of finance, and into trendier tech companies like Uber . His track record and educational background were great, so the goal of this summary section was to stand out and show he’s more than just the typical consultant with a finance background. So we emphasized his passion for startups, and his ability to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. That’s something that companies like Uber and other “disruptive” tech companies look for.

14 Resume Summary Examples for Various Industries

Compassionate and effective 5th-grade teacher with experience overseeing the classroom and preparing lessons. Extensive experience encouraging students through positive reinforcement and motivational techniques. Collaborate well with school administration and other members of the teaching team. Ensure all students meet learning requirements, including literacy, social, and arithmetic skills.

2. Teacher’s Assistant

Goal-oriented teacher’s assistant with ten years of experience working with elementary school children. Aid teachers with lesson planning, classroom settings, and group instruction. Model positive behavior and maintain order in the classroom. Willingness to take on additional responsibilities to meet learning objectives.

Tech Industry

3. computer programmer.

Innovative computer programmer with a proven track record of writing high-quality code and supporting team needs with subject matter expertise. Adept in multiple programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and C++. Ability to troubleshoot complex programming issues with inventive solutions. 

4. Cybersecurity Analyst

Dedicated cybersecurity analyst with ten years of experience in online security research, execution, planning, and maintenance. Proven track record of identifying business risks and proactively resolving them. Experience designing and instituting layered network security for large-scale organizations. Train users and other staff members on IT safety procedures and preventive techniques.

Skilled healthcare professional with ten years of experience in patient care, diagnosis, and providing appropriate treatments and medical services. Manage medical staff and resolve complex medical cases with maximum efficiency. Communicate the patient’s condition and treatment plan in easily understood terminology. Remain current with the latest advancements in medicine and research to ensure patients receive proper care.

6. Registered Nurse

Seasoned registered nurse offering comprehensive patient care in emergency room settings. Experience handling diverse patient populations and caring for various conditions. Proven leadership managing nursing teams and other staff. Focus on enhancing patient care and satisfaction through empathetic communication and excellent customer service. 

7. Digital Marketing Manager

Forward-thinking digital marketing manager experienced in all facets of digital marketing, including social media management, PPC advertising, SEO, and email marketing. Proven experience creating comprehensive marketing plans that improve lead prospecting and enhance brand awareness. Up to date with the newest tools available for digital marketing campaigns.

8. Marketing Analyst

Industrious marketing analyst well-versed in analyzing marketing campaign analytics and making recommendations to improve performance. Collaborate with account managers and use KPI metrics to explain the results of marketing initiatives. Meticulous with a strong work ethic and robust communication skills.

Food and Service Industry

Experienced wait staff member capable of managing orders, processing payments, and upselling menu items. Ensure restaurant guests feel welcome with attentive service catered to their needs. Remain current on updates to the menu and assist guests with selecting orders to meet their dietary requirements. Maintain a positive attitude and focus during busy restaurant periods.

10. Hotel Receptionist

Friendly hotel receptionist with extensive experience handling guest check-ins, check-out, and payments. Facilitate a positive guest experience with polished customer service skills and a readiness to address common inquiries and complaints. Collaborate well with other hotel team members, including executive administration and on-site restaurant staff.

Business/Office Jobs

11. financial analyst.

Highly motivated financial analyst with a proven track record of recommending appropriate financial plans based on financial monitoring, data collection, and business strategizing. Experienced in qualitative and quantitative analysis, forecasting, and financial modeling. Excellent communication skills for building and fostering long-term business relationships across the organization.

12. Tax Accountant

Experienced tax accountant with ten years of experience preparing federal and state tax returns for corporations and partnerships. Monitor changes in laws to ensure the organization properly complies with reporting requirements. Assist with tax audits, ensuring the team receives proper supporting evidence for tax positions. Analyze and resolve complex tax issues. Look for available tax savings opportunities for corporations with an aggregate savings of $500K last year. Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.

Sales and Customer Service

13. sales representative.

Enthusiastic sales representative with expertise in identifying prospects and converting qualified leads to paying customers. Provide quality customer service and contribute to team sales success. Offer exceptional communication skills and seek to understand client needs before making the appropriate product recommendations. Continually meet and exceed sales goals. Leverage extensive knowledge of available products to provide appropriate client solutions and enhance customer loyalty and retention.

14. Customer Service Associate

Knowledgeable customer service professional with extensive experience in the insurance industry. Known as a team player with a friendly demeanor and proven ability to develop positive rapport with clients. Maintain ongoing customer satisfaction that contributes to overall company success. Highly articulate, with a results-oriented approach that addresses client inquiries and issues while maintaining strong partnerships. Collaborate well with the customer service team while also engaging independent decision-making skills.

Now you have 24 professional resume summary statements and some explanations of why they’re effective. Next, I’ll share tips for how to write your own in case you’re still unsure how to begin based on these examples above.

How to Write a Resume Summary: Steps and Hints

We’ve looked at 10 great resume summary examples above. As you begin writing a resume summary for yourself, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

• Read the employer’s job description. Your career summary shouldn’t be a long list of everything you’ve done; it should be a refined list of skills and experiences that demonstrate you’re a fit for their job.
• Mention your current job title if relevant. One common way to begin your resume summary is to state your current job title.
• Explain how you can help employers achieve their goals or solve their problems.
• Consider using bold text to emphasize one or two key phrases.
• Include any relevant metrics and data like dollar amounts, years of experience, size of teams led, etc. This helps your resume stand out.
• Focus on making the employer want to read more. The goal of your resume summary isn’t to show everything you can do, but to grab their attention and show enough that they continue reading.

Creating a Customized Resume Summary

While general summaries are appropriate when applying for jobs requiring similar skills and experience, a customized resume summary can enhance your chances of moving on to the next step in the hiring process. 

That’s because most companies use automated tracking systems (ATS) to review submitted resumes for content directly related to the job posting. If you use keywords and natural language phrases in your summary that interlink to the job description, you’ll have a much higher chance of passing the ATS review.

Let’s look at an example of a resume summary that is customized for the specific job description below:

“Highly motivated social media specialist with strong project management skills. Creative marketer skilled in crafting innovative social media campaigns that resonate with a target audience. Regularly develop compelling copy and social media content to enhance lead generation and brand awareness. Detail-oriented with extensive project management skills that ensure proper prioritization of tasks and projects. Work with various social media management and analytics tools to examine results and make adjustments as necessary.”

This summary directly addresses the key points in the job description but rewrites them so the customization is natural and flows well. It’s personalized for the open role and uses similar terms with a few strategically placed keywords, such as “social media content” and “project management.”  

How Long Should a Resume Summary Be?

As you read the resume summaries above, you probably noticed there are some short single-paragraph resume summary examples and much longer career summaries that are two to three paragraphs plus bullet points. So how long should YOUR professional summary be? If you have relevant work experience, keep your summary to one or two paragraphs. The piece you really want the hiring manager to read is your most recent work experience (and you should make sure you tailored that info to fit the job description). The resume summary is just a “bridge” to get the hiring manager into your experience.

If I were writing my own career summary right now, I’d likely use one single paragraph packed with skills, accomplishments, and exactly why I’m ready to step into the job I’ve applied for and be successful!

Even for a manager resume summary, I recommend a very short length. However, if you’re changing careers, or you’re looking for jobs without any work experience , the summary section needs to stand on its own, and should be longer. That’s why some examples above are a bit longer.

Formatting Your Resume/CV Career Summary

You may have noticed a variety of different formats in the career summary examples above. There isn’t one “right” way to format this section on your resume or CV. However, I recommend either using one or two brief paragraphs, or combining a short sentence or paragraph with bullets. Avoid writing three or four long paragraphs with no special formatting like bullet points. That’s simply too much text for your summary section and will cause recruiters and hiring managers to skip over it in some cases.

Should You Include a Resume Objective?

You do not need to include an objective on your resume, and doing so can make your resume appear outdated. Use a resume summary instead of an objective. Follow the resume summary examples above and focus on discussing your skills, qualifications, and achievements, rather than stating your objective. Employers know that your objective is to obtain the position you’ve applied for, and the resume objective has no place on a modern resume/CV in today’s job market.

Examples of Bad Resume Summaries

Now that we’ve seen a few exemplary resume summaries, let’s look at some that you should avoid at all cost.

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

“Experienced cashier who knows how to run the register cash. Responsible with the money and can talk with the customer. Knows when to stoc up the invenory and checks it all the time. Can count change and run credit card tranactions. Get the customer happy by good service. I am always cheerful and organized.”

Why this resume summary is bad:

If you read the summary carefully, you’ll notice several spelling errors. The words “stock,” “inventory,” and “transactions” are all spelled wrong. Grammatical errors make the summary choppy and difficult to follow (“Get the customer happy by good service”).  A summary like this probably won’t fly with a company looking for a detail-oriented cashier responsible for managing in-person sales.

2. Lacks Relevant Keywords

“Talented worker with experience managing a team of staff. Creative and responsible with knowledge of organizational processes. Can keep up with the busiest of environments. Stays focused when at work, ensuring prompt task completion. Dependable and willing to collaborate with a team to get things done.”  

In this example, the chef doesn’t use keywords relevant to cooking, restaurants, or kitchens. The summary is very generic and can apply to nearly any job. A manager who receives the application isn’t likely to understand what value the candidate can bring to the restaurant.  To fix the summary, the applicant must rewrite it to include relevant keywords and phrases. 

3. No Numbers to Quantify Achievements

“An experienced and hardworking manager ready to align procedures for maximum revenue and profits. Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in higher sales and better customer satisfaction. Collaborate well with sales team members, ensuring they have the resources and knowledge to support customer purchases and inquiries. Develop strong rapport with clients and maintain ongoing relationships.”

This isn’t a terrible summary for a sales manager, but it has room for improvement. For one, the first two sentences essentially duplicate each other, mentioning an aptitude for improving processes with the objective of higher sales. The other issue is a lack of quantifying achievements. 

The applicant mentions they have a proven record of increasing sales, but they could strengthen the summary by quantifying their results. For example, they might say, “Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in a 25% increase in sales over the past year.” The quantifier provides additional credibility. 

4. Not Targeting the Specific Job

“Looking for work in a role that requires great customer service, project management, and communication skills. Able to collaborate with people from diverse and varying backgrounds. Highly organized and reliable worker with a strong work ethic. Responsible and reliable worker you can count on.”

While the candidate lists various skills they have, including customer service and project management, there’s no indication of prior roles held or what position they’re applying for. The summary could apply to numerous positions in a variety of industries. To improve the resume summary, the applicant must specify the job they’re applying for and indicate their prior experience in a similar role, if they have any.

After You Start Getting Interviews, Make Sure to Take Advantage…

If you follow the advice above, you’ll have a great professional resume summary to make your qualifications stand out to employers. But landing the interview is only half the battle… So make sure you go into every interview ready to convince employers that they should hire you, too! If you write a great resume summary example that gets employers excited to interview you, they’re going to ask you questions like, “tell me about yourself” early in the interview to learn more about your background. So make sure you’re prepared with an answer.

I also recommend you review the top 20 interview questions and answers here.

Your resume caught their interest, so naturally, they’re going to follow up with a variety of questions to learn more about your professional background.

The bottom line is: A strong professional resume summary, followed up by other well-written resume sections will get you the interview, but your interview performance is what determines whether you get the job offer!

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

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I would recommend to customise the skills section of your resume, and ensure that it matches the job posting. The higher the number of phrases within the resume matching the job requirements the more are the chances that the recruiter will pick you for the job.

I just wanted to say, “thank you!”. This was very helpful. Instead of jumping from one website to the next there’s so much useful, relevant information right here.

Hi, I have been having trouble creating a resume as My old one is so long, I’ve worked for a government agency for the past 14 years and held multiple positions doing many different duties for each and now I have to relocate to another area where they do not have an agency like mine in my new area within a 3 hour drive, how can I squeeze all my experience and duties on one page and where do I even start, I’m so nervous, it’s been so long since I’ve attempted the job hunt. So I’m wondering, I do not want to cut anything out that may hurt my chances and I can’t afford to have my resume rewritten by a professional. Can you guide me as to where you think would be a good place to start, I’ve been staring at this laptop for weeks trying to decide on a resume template, there are so many. I thank you for your time and any input will help.

Hi, I am a new graduate and do not have any experience in my field which is Nursing. I want to apply for the jobs but I have no idea about what to mention in my resume.

Hi, this article should help with the resume summary, at least: https://careersidekick.com/summary-for-resume-no-experience/

Other than that, you need to put your academic experience. And internships/part-time jobs if you’ve had any.

Dear Biron,, Thanks for sharing the 10 examples of professional summaries in your article, and especially the reasons why they were considered to be good. However, as a HR professional, I would most likely skip over most of them and would not read much past the first or second sentence. The summaries were mostly too wordy and boring, and did not demonstrate ‘oomph’ at first cursory reading. Simply indicating certain skills or behaviors does not give an idea of the level of expertise, and could simply be wishful thinking on the part of the resume writer.

Just goes to show that there are many ways to see what makes a good summary.

I am a chemical engineer and project management professional with 15+years experience. My experience is between process engineering and project management . How can I marry the two in my profile summary?

It’s not about showing everything you’ve done. It’s about showing employers evidence you’ll succeed in their job. You can show a bit of both but focus heavily on what’s most relevant for the jobs you’re applying for right now. 80/20.

This was absolutely helpful and amazing! Thank you very much!

Hello, I am an active job seeker. I hold a law degree from a foreign country and currently in college for an associate degree. My question is, how do I blend both my foreign job experience with that of the United States in my resume. Thank you.

I’d put your work history in chronological order, starting with the most recent up top. That’s what I’d recommend for 95% of people actually. Then it doesn’t matter where you held each job.

And then in your Education section, I’d include your foreign degree and the current degree you’re pursuing in the US, too (for the US degree, you can say “in progress” or “graduating May 2019” for example).

I am 40 years old & B.A degree holder I have experience in many fields.I would like to join any one fields

I am a fresh graduate, who has five years teaching experience and some months customer service representative experience. Pls kindly assist me to put the resume summary together

I’m an active duty service member and finding in a little difficult creating a good transitional summary from 20 year profession in tactical communications to a drug and alcohol counselor. Do you have any recommendations how I should approach this? Any assistance would be helpful. Thanks

Great piece

How to write the CAREER ABSTRACT in resume for ware super visor retail business?

Just wanted to say thank you.Your advise and information was clear and easy to understand , sometimes there is nothing pertaining to what im looking fot in particular, buy you have sermed to cover everything I n a short quick easy to understand method.It will help tremendously.

Thanks! Glad to hear it helped :)

Very informational

What if you have work experience, but the job your going for(teachingeducation) has nothing to do with warehouse work? How should I build my resume?

In the summary, describe yourself and then say, “…looking to transition into ___” (the type of work you want to be doing now).

This is a bit like a resume “Objective”. I normally don’t recommend an Objective section (and I recommend a Summary section instead), however the one time an Objective does make sense is when you’re trying to change industries or make a big change in the type of role you have.

So that’s why my advice here might seem like I’m telling you to combine an Objective with your resume Summary.

Then “tailor” your previous work to be as relevant as possible. Even if you worked in a different industry you can still show things like leadership, accountability, progress/improvement, hard work, achieving goals, strong teamwork skills, etc. You can do all of that in your resume bullets and work history.

Don’t u have Resume Summary of legal secretary/legal assistant?

No, sorry about that. There are hundreds of different professions/job titles, and we aren’t able to include an example for every scenario out there. These resume summary examples are designed to give you a general idea of how to write yours.

The summaries listed are excellent example and have helped me develop a stand out summary for a new position.

Hello, I been trying to land the job of my dreams. I need help with my resume if i want the recruiters in airlines to notice me. I’ve applied before but haven’t had complete success to making it to a face-to Face Interview. It is a career change – yet i feel i am a great candidate bc i have had many customer service and I even attended an academy for that specific position. Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong on my resume ?

what if i never had a job experience?

Great question. If you don’t have any work experience, take one of the formats/examples above and put your accomplishments and qualifications from your academic studies.

Your headline could say: “Motivated Bio-Sciences Graduate With Expertise in ____”.

And then you might talk about accomplishments in school, group projects you worked on or led, etc.

Basically, when you have no work experience, your school/studies BECOMES your recent work. You should talk about that like it’s a job, because that’s the experience you do have.

really amazing article and too useful , thanks

Hi Mr. Clark, I have been out of the work force for about 18+years and I have been a small business owner for the same number of years. However, I want to go back to the work force. But my problem is that, I don’t know how to prepare my resume or resume summary statement. I had a degree in Communication,Arts and Sciences and a postgraduate degree in Public Administration. I’m a bit confused as to how to incorporate all these experiences into my resume. Please can you help?

Hi Dorothy, I can recommend a professional resume writer if you want. But they’re typically not cheap, so it’s something you’d have to be willing to invest in. If not, there’s a lot of free info online about how to “tailor” your resume for specific jobs. I can’t help one-on-one unfortunately, but I’d recommend thinking about which type of jobs you want, and think of what experience you have that is most relevant. that’s what to put on your resume. Your resume isn’t only about you, it’s about them – what do they want/need? (if you want to get a ton of interviews, that’s how to do it :) ).

Can I have a professional resume writer?

I use a similar format when writing my opening statement for my coverletter. How do you recommend differentiating the two? Or is it ok to use largely the same language?

I think it’s okay to use something similar. I might be more brief in the cover letter… it needs to be about them just as much as it’s about you. Whereas the resume is all about you, at least in the summary section. (The later sections should still be tailored to THEIR needs..)

Struggling to write a Summary Statement for a Secretary/Administrative Assistant position. I have 15 years government experience but have been away from the government since 9/1993 and have spent 15 years as a Substitute Teacher after taking off for 10 years to raise my children.

Hiya! I am a mother of three attempting to return to the workforce. I have been a stay at mom for about 13 years, so I have a (large) gap in my employment history; which doesn’t look great. I have a college education and have obtained a few certifications whilst not employed, plus many volunteer hours. I know that I should probably use a functional resume format. Would love some advice on what I should include in my summary statement.

Hi Juniper,

I rarely like functional resumes, but it might be worth trying. I’d “split-test” it (a marketing term). Create two resume styles, send out 50% one way, 50% the other way, and track results for a week.

I’d treat the resume summary statement just like any other resume. Highlight your skills and past wins/accomplishments.

how do i explain long term gaps in employment? leave them out?

Hi Paulette,

Don’t mention them on a resume summary. But do mention the gaps on a cover letter or lower down on the resume. Here’s an article on how to explain gaps in employment:

https://careersidekick.com/explaining-gaps-in-employment/

I am student in civil engineering field. Have 1.5 yrs of work ex. How should i structure my resume. Thanks.

Hello My name is Shataka and I’m a current job seeker trying to land my dream job as a Counselor. I have Master degree in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. My experience lies in many different fields. I’m currently a Substance Abuse Counselor, with a teaching background and over 5 years of social service experience. I guess my question is how would I sum up all my experience to help me find a job as a Counselor.

Comments are closed.

How to Make a Resume in 2024 | Beginner's Guide

For most job-seekers, a good resume is what stands between a dream job and Choice D. Get your resume right, and you’ll be getting replies from every other company you apply to.

If your resume game is weak, though, you’ll end up sitting around for weeks, maybe even months, before you even get a single response.

So you’re probably wondering how you can write a resume that gets you an interview straight up.

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about how to make a resume, including:

• The 8 Essential Steps to Writing a Resume
• 11+ Exclusive Resume Tips to Up Your Resume Game
• 27+ Real-Life Resume Examples for Different Professions

….and more!

So, let’s dive right in.

How to Make a Resume (The Right Way!)

Before we go into detail about how you should make a resume, here’s a summary of the most important steps and tips to keep in mind:

• Choose a resume format carefully. In 99% of cases, we recommend the reverse-chronological format .
• Add the right contact details. Leave your headshot out and make sure to include your job title , a professional email address, and any relevant links. (E.g.: your LinkedIn profile , online portfolio, personal website, etc.).
• Write an impactful resume summary. Unless you’re an entry-level professional, always go for a resume summary. If you do it right, it’s your chance to get the hiring manager to go through the rest of your resume in detail.
• Pay attention to your work experience section. Take your work experience section from OK-ish to exceptional by tailoring it to the job ad, making your achievements quantifiable, and using action verbs and power words.
• Add the right skills for the job. Keep this section relevant by only including the hard and soft skills that are required for the position.
• Keep your education short and to the point. Your most recent and highest degree is more than enough for a strong education section. You only need to add more details here if you’re a recent graduate with barely any work experience.
• Leverage optional resume sections. Optional sections like languages, hobbies, certifications, independent projects, and others can set you apart from other candidates with similar skills and experience.
• Include a cover letter. That’s right, cover letters matter in 2024, and the best way to supplement your resume is by adding an equally well-crafted cover letter to your job application. To make the most of it, check out our detailed guide on how to write a cover letter .

To get the most out of our tips, you can head over to the resume builder and start building your resume on the go as you read this guide.

New to resume-making? Give our ‘7 Resume Tips’ video a watch before diving into the article!

#1. Pick the Right Resume Format

Before you start filling in the contents of your resume, you have to make sure it’s going to look good. 

After all, the first thing hiring managers notice is what your resume looks like, and then they start reading it. So, this is your best chance to make a great first impression.

Start by choosing the right resume format.

There are three types of resume formats out there:

• Reverse-chronological. This is by far the most popular resume format worldwide and, as such, it’s the best format for most job-seekers.
• Functional. This resume format focuses more on skills than work experience. It’s a good choice if you’re just getting started with your career and have little to no experience in the field.
• Combination. The combination resume format is a great choice for experienced job-seekers with a very diverse skill set. It’s useful if you’re applying for a role that requires expertise in several different fields and you want to show all that in your resume.

So, which one should you go for?

In 99% of cases, you want to stick to the reverse-chronological resume format . It’s the most popular format and what hiring managers expect to see. So, in the rest of this guide, we’re going to focus on teaching you how to make a reverse-chronological resume.

Fix Your Resume’s Layout

With formatting out of the way, let’s talk about your resume’s layout , which determines the overall look of your resume. 

Does it look organized or cluttered? Is it too short or too long? Is it boring and easy to ignore, or is it reader-friendly and attention-grabbing?

Here are some of the best practices you should apply:

• Stick to one page. You should only go for a two-page resume if you have decades of experience and you’re sure the extra space will add significant value. Hiring managers in big companies get hundreds of applications per job opening. They’re not going to spend their valuable time reading your life story!
• Add clear section headings. Pick a heading and use it for all the section headers so the hiring manager can easily navigate through your resume.
• Adjust the margins. Without the right amount of white space, your resume will end up looking overcrowded with information. Set your margins to one inch on all sides so your text fits just right on the page.
• Choose a professional font. We’d recommend sticking to a font that’s professional but not overused. For example, Ubuntu, Roboto, or Overpass. Avoid Times New Roman, and never use Comic Sans.
• Set the correct font size. As a rule of thumb, go for 11-12 pt for normal text and 14-16 pt for section titles.
• Use a PDF file. Always save your resume as a PDF file, unless the employer specifically requests otherwise. Word files are popular, but there’s a good chance they’ll mess up your resume’s formatting.

Another thing you need to consider in terms of your resume’s layout is whether you’re going for a traditional-looking resume template or something a bit more modern :

If you’re pursuing a career in a more traditional industry, like law , banking , or finance , you might want to stick to the first.

But if you’re applying to a tech company where imagination and innovation are valued, you can pick a more creative resume template .

Want to Save Time? Use a (Free) Resume Template

Anyone who’s ever tried creating a resume from scratch knows how boring the formatting can be.

Before you can even start filling in the contents, you need to tweak the margins, adjust font sizes, and make sure everything fits into one page while still looking good.

What if you could skip past all that and still create a compelling resume?

Try one of our free resume templates . They’re pre-formatted, so all you have to do is fill in the contents.

They’re also created in collaboration with recruiters from around the globe, ensuring that the templates are visually appealing and ATS-friendly!

See for yourself how one of our templates compares to a resume created in a standard text editor:

#2. Add Your Contact Information

Now that we’ve got all the formatting out of the way, let’s get into what your resume is all about— the information you put on it .

The first thing you want to do when filling out the contents of your resume is to add your contact information .

This section is pretty straightforward but crucial. Your contact details belong at the top of your resume in a designated resume header , so the hiring manager can easily find them.

Even if everything else about your resume is perfect, that all flops if you misspell your email address or have a typo in your phone number. If the hiring manager can’t contact you, it’s a missed opportunity.

So, double-check, and even triple-check your contact information section and make sure everything is factually correct and up-to-date.

Must-Have Information

• Full name. Your first and last name should stand out at the top of your resume.
• Email address. Stick to an address that’s professional and easy to spell, like a combination of your first and last name. (E.g.: [email protected])
• Phone number. Add a reliable number where the hiring manager can easily reach you.
• Location. Add your city and state/country. If you plan to relocate for the job or want a remote position, specify it on your resume.

Optional Information

• Job title. Add your professional title underneath. Write it down word for word, whether it’s “Digital Marketing Specialist” or “Junior Data Scientist.” Just don’t make up job titles like “Marketing Wizzard” or “Data Manipulator.” They’re not quirky; they’re just unprofessional. 
• LinkedIn profile . We recommend that you include a link to your updated LinkedIn profile since over 77% of hiring managers use the platform when evaluating a candidate. 
• Relevant links. Include links to personal websites or any social media profiles that are relevant to your field. For example, a developer could include a Github profile, while a graphic designer could link their Behance or Driblle account, and so on.
• Date of birth. Unless this is specifically required in the job ad, the hiring manager doesn’t need to know how old you are. It’s not important for their decision-making, and at worst, it might lead to age-based discrimination.
• Unprofessional email address. Your quirky, old high school email address doesn’t belong on your resume. Instead of [email protected] , go for a [email protected] type of address.
• Headshot. (USA, UK or Ireland) Depending on the country where you’re applying, it might even be illegal to include a picture of yourself on your resume . While it’s the norm to include a picture in most of Europe and Asia, always check the regulations for each specific country or industry you’re applying to.

All clear? Good! Now, let’s look at what a great example of a resume's contact information section looks like:

#3. Write a Resume Headline (Summary or Objective)

It's no secret that recruiters spend an average of less than seven seconds on a resume .

When you receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications daily, it's physically impossible to spend too much time on each.

So, what the hiring managers do to go through resumes more effectively is to skim through each resume and read it in depth only if it piques their interest.

This is where the resume headline comes in.

Placed right next to (or underneath) your contact information, this brief paragraph is the first thing the hiring manager is going to read on your resume.

Now, depending on how far along in your career you are, your resume headline can be either a resume summary or a resume objective.

So, how do you choose between a resume summary and a resume objective? Here’s all you need to know:

Resume Summary

A resume summary, as the name suggests, is a two to three-sentence summary of your career so far. If done right, it shows that you’re a qualified candidate at a glance and gets the hiring manager to give you a chance.

Here’s what your resume summary should include:

• Your job title and years of experience.
• A couple of your greatest professional achievements or core responsibilities.
• Your most relevant skills for the job.

Here’s an example of a well-written resume summary: 

Experienced Java Developer with 5 years of experience in building scalable and efficient applications. Contributed to a major project that enhanced application performance by 25%. Strong background in Spring Framework and microservices. Aiming to apply robust coding skills to develop innovative software solutions at XYZ Tech Solutions.

Unless you’re a recent graduate or amid a career change, we recommend you stick to a resume summary. Otherwise, a resume objective might be a better option for you.

Resume Objective

A resume objective is supposed to express your professional goals and aspirations, academic background, and any relevant skills you may have for the job.

It communicates your motivation for getting into a new field, so it’s the go-to headline for recent graduates and those going through a career change. As with a resume summary, a resume objective should be brief—around two to four sentences long.

So, here’s what it would look like if you’re a student:

Hard-working recent graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design from New York State University seeking new opportunities. 3+ years of practical experience working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, creating illustrations and UX/UI design projects. Looking to grow as a designer and perfect my art at XYZ Design Studio.

Or, on the other hand, if you’re going through a career change, it might look more like this:

IT project manager with 5+ years of experience in software development. Managed a team of developers to create products for several industries, such as FinTech and HR tech. Looking to leverage my experience in managing outsourced products as a Product Owner at Company XYZ.

#4. Prioritize Your Work Experience

The most important part of your resume is your work experience.

This is where you get to sell yourself and show off your previous accomplishments and responsibilities.

If you manage to master this section, you’ll know most of what’s there to know about how to make a resume.

There are plenty of good practices for writing your work experience . But before we dive into all the nits and grits, let's start with the basics.

The standard format for each work experience entry is as follows:

• Job title/position. Your job title goes on top of each work experience entry. When the hiring manager looks at your resume, you want them to know, at a glance, that you have relevant work experience for the job.
• Company name/location/description. Mention the name of the employer and the general location, such as the city and state/country where you worked. In some cases, you may also want to briefly describe the company, like when the organization isn’t particularly well-known.
• Dates employed. Add the approximate timeframe of your employment at each company. You don’t need to give exact dates since the standard format for this is mm/yyyy.
• Achievements and responsibilities. This is the core of each work experience entry. Depending on your field, you want to list either your achievements or responsibilities. List them in bullet points instead of paragraphs, so they’ll be easier to read.

Here’s a real-life example:

Your work experience entries should always be listed in reverse chronological order , starting with your most recent job and working your way back into the past.

Now that you know how to list your experience, we’re going to show you how to write about it in a way that makes you stand out from the competition, starting with: 

Are you a student with no work experience? We’ve got you covered. Check out our guide to writing a resume with no experience here.

Focus on Achievements Whenever Possible

One of the most common resume mistakes is only listing responsibilities in your work experience section.

Here’s the thing—in most cases, the hiring manager knows exactly what your job responsibilities are.

For example, if you’re a sales manager, your responsibilities would be:

• Reach out to potential clients over the phone or email.
• Maintain relationships with existing company clients and upsell relevant products.
• Tracking and reporting on leads in CRM.

Coincidentally, this is also the same list of responsibilities for every sales manager out there. So, 90% of all other resumes probably mention the same thing.

To stand out from the competition, you want to focus on writing achievements in your resume instead. These can be how you helped your previous company grow, reach quarterly quotas, and so on.

Let’s compare how responsibilities hold up next to achievements for the same job:

• Exceeded sales team KPIs by 30%+ for 3 months straight.
• Generated over $24,000 in sales in 1 month.
• Generated leads through cold-calling
• Managed existing company clients

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there just aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you’re a warehouse worker .

Your day-to-day responsibilities probably include:

• Loading, unloading, and setting up equipment daily.
• Packaging finished products and getting them ready for shipping.
• Assisting in opening and closing the warehouse.

In fields like this, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself through achievements, so it’s okay to stick to responsibilities instead. You can still make them shine by following the rest of our advice about listing your work experience.

Keep in mind, though, that in some fields, there aren’t that many achievements you can mention. Let’s say you work in a warehouse. Your day-to-day responsibilities probably involve:

• Loading, unloading and setting up equipment on a daily basis.
• Package finished product and get it ready for shipping.
• Assist in opening and closing the warehouse.

In such fields, it’s pretty hard to distinguish yourself, so it’s totally OK to stick to responsibilities instead.

Tailor Your Resume to the Job

Tailoring is what sets an amazing resume apart from an okay one.

Hiring managers don’t need to know about every single job you’ve ever worked at or every single skill that you have.

They only want to know about your jobs, experiences, or skills that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.

For example, if you’re applying for a job doing Google Ads, you don’t need to talk about your SEO internship from eight years ago.

By focusing your resume on whatever is important for the specific role, you’re a lot more likely to stand out and catch the hiring manager’s attention.

Let’s take a look at an example of a job ad:

As you can see, we’ve highlighted the most important requirements.

To tailor your resume accordingly, you just need to mention how you meet each of these requirements in your resume.

You can highlight your relevant achievements and qualifications in different parts of your resume, such as:

• In your resume summary, where you should recap your years of experience.
• Throughout your work experience section, where you should list achievements and responsibilities that reflect your social media marketing experience.
• In your education section, where you can let the hiring manager know you have the degree that they’re looking for.

Include the Right Amount of Work Experience

If you’ve got over a decade’s worth of work experience, you’re probably wondering whether all of it belongs on your resume. In most cases, you’d end up writing a novel if you listed everything you’ve ever done, and that’s not how long a resume should be .

If you’re new to the job market, on the other hand, you probably don’t have any experience, and you’re wondering what you could even add to this section.

So, here’s how much information your resume should include, depending on your level of experience:

• No experience. If you’re looking for your first job , you won’t have any work experience to fill this section with. So, you can either keep it empty and focus on all the other sections or fill it up with any experience gained in student organizations, extracurricular activities, volunteering, and other projects.
• Entry-level. List all your work experience so far. While some of it won’t be relevant, it can still show the hiring manager that you do have some actual work experience.
• Mid-level. Only mention relevant work experience to the position you’re applying for. There’s no need to waste space on jobs that aren’t related to what you’re after.
• Senior-level. List up to 15 years of relevant work experience, tops. If your most recent experience is as a marketing executive , the hiring manager doesn’t care how you started your career as a junior marketing specialist 23 years ago.

Consider Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software

Did you know that over 70% of resumes don’t even make it to the hiring manager ?

Most companies these days use ATS to evaluate hundreds of resumes instantaneously and automatically filter out the ones that don’t meet their criteria.

For example, if a resume doesn’t mention a specific skill or isn’t formatted correctly, the ATS will automatically reject it.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to make an ATS-friendly resume .

Here are a couple of tips to help you get past those pesky robots:

• Stick to one page. Sometimes employers set a limit on how long a resume should be. This means that if your resume is longer than one page, it might get automatically disqualified.
• Incorporate keywords. Tailoring your resume to the job helps a ton with beating the ATS. Just carefully read the job description to find hints for what the ATS will be looking for. Then, whenever you find keywords related to your responsibilities and achievements, make sure to include them in your work experience section.
• Use an active voice. Passive voice is too vague and unclear, so make sure to use active voice as much as possible when describing your previous jobs. (E.g.: “Managed a team of ten people,” instead of “ A team of ten people was managed by me.” )
• Leverage powerful action words. Instead of starting each of your sentences with “was responsible for," make your work experience impactful by using words that can grab attention. Saying that you “spearheaded” or “facilitated” something sounds a lot more impressive than “helped.”

Want to make sure your resume formatting passes the ATS test? Choose one of our tried and tested ATS-friendly resume templates , and you’ll be good to go! 

#5. List Your Education

The next section on your resume is dedicated to your academic qualifications. Let’s start with the basics!

Here’s how you should format the education section on your resume :

• Program Name. Your major and degree type should be listed. (E.g.: “B.A. in Business Administration” )
• University Name. Add the name of the institution. (E.g.: “New York State University” )
• Dates Attended. Use a mm/yyyy format for the dates you attended. (E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012” )
• Location. If your university is less well-known, you can also add the location. (E.g.: “Stockholm, Sweden” )
• GPA. Use the appropriate grading system for the country you’re applying to work in. (E.g.: In the USA, it would be “3.9 GPA” )
• Honors. Add any honors and distinctions you’ve been given. (E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude )
• Achievements. You can mention interesting papers you’ve written, projects you’ve done, or relevant coursework you’ve excelled in.
• Minor. “Minor in Psychology”

Pretty simple, right? Now let’s see what an education section looks like in practice:

This example includes all the necessary information, plus an eye-catching award and relevant classes this candidate has taken.

Resume Education Tips

Now that you know how to list your education on your resume, let’s take this section to the next level.

Just follow these expert tips:

• If you’re making a resume as a student and don’t have any work experience yet, you can list your education section at the beginning of the page instead of work experience.
• You can add your expected graduation date if you’re still pursuing your degree.
• If you already have relevant work experience, just keep this section short and sweet. Recent graduates can expand on their education more and add optional information like projects, classes, academic achievements, etc.
• Always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your highest degree on top. Your highest and most recent degree is usually enough, so if you have a Master’s degree that’s relevant to the job, there’s no need to mention your earlier degrees.
• Don’t add your high school degree to your resume if you already have a university degree. It doesn’t have as much weight, and you can use the space for something else.
• Only mention your GPA if you had an impressive academic career. Anything below a 3.5 GPA doesn’t need to be on your resume.

Are you in the process of applying for college? Check out our guide to writing a college application resume to wow that admissions officer!

#6. Emphasize Your Know-How in the Skills Section

After your work experience, your skills are the first thing the hiring manager is going to look for. In fact, together, work experience and skills make up 90% of the hiring decision .

So, this is the place where you want to mention all the know-how that makes you the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of skills you can include when writing your resume:

• Hard Skills. These are measurable abilities. What you can list here can be anything from coding in Python to knowing how to cook Thai cuisine.
• Soft Skills. Also known as personal skills, these are a mix of communication skills , personal traits, career attributes, and more. They can include leadership, critical thinking, and time management , just to name a few.

Your resume should always cover both hard skills and soft skills . Here’s an example in action:

Now, let’s discuss how you should list your most important skills on your resume.

There are a few essential steps you need to follow:

Always List Hard and Soft Skills Separately

Your resume should be easy and neat to navigate. The hiring manager shouldn’t have to waste time looking for a specific skill because you didn’t separate it into the appropriate subsection.

So, just create separate categories for your hard and soft skills.

Depending on your field, you could customize the name of your “hard skills” subsection to something like “technical skills," “marketing skills," or something else related to your field.

Let’s look at an example of what skills look like on a project manager’s resume :

Methodologies & Tools

• Agile Methodology
• SCRUM Framework
• Waterfall Project Management
• Microsoft Project
• Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Risk Management

Soft Skills

• Team Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation

Tailor Your Skills to the Job

You might have some awesome skills, but the hiring manager only needs to know about the ones that are relevant to the job.

For example, if you’re applying for a job as an accountant, your gourmet chef skills shouldn’t be on your resume.

Look at the job ad and list at least two to three essential skills you have that are required for the role. Remember—there’s no need to list every skill you have here; just keep it relevant.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Graphic Design or a related field.
• Tech-savvy, with some background in CMS systems such as WordPress.
• Thrives in a stressful environment and juggles multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Self-reliant, with the ability to manage their own work.
• A can-do attitude and an outside-the-box thinker.
• Proficient in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages.
• Basic understanding of Office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

So, the must-have hard skills here are Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Keynote, and Pages. Other good computer skills to have are WordPress or similar CMS systems.

While you can also mention Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, it’s pretty much assumed that you know how to use them since they’re required for most office jobs.

List Hard Skills with Experience Levels

For each hard skill you list on your resume, you should also mention your proficiency level. This tells employers what they can expect from you and how much training you might need.

• Beginner. You have some experience with the skill, whether it’s from some entry-level practice or classroom education.
• Intermediate. You’ve used the skill in a work environment with good understanding.
• Advanced. You’re the go-to person for this skill in your office. You can coach other employees, and you understand the skill at a high level.
• Expert. You’ve applied this skill to more than a handful of different projects and organizations. You’re the go-to person for advice about the skill, not just in your office but even amongst some of the best professionals in your field.

Just make sure to never lie about your actual skill level. Even if you get the job, once you need those skills you exaggerated, it will be pretty awkward for both you and your employer.

Include Transferable Skills

These are the types of skills that are useful for almost any job out there.

Transferable skills can be both soft skills (e.g.: teamwork, creativity, problem-solving skills, and others) and hard skills (MS Office Suite, HTML, writing, etc.)

Whatever job you’re applying to, chances are you have transferable skills from your experience that can come in handy one way or another. So, feel free to include them, even if they’re not specifically required for the position.

Not sure which skills to mention on your resume for your specific field? Check out our list of 101+ essential skills for inspiration!

#7. Leverage Optional Resume Sections

The sections we’ve covered so far are must-haves for any resume. They’re the bread-and-butter for any job application, and if you get them right, you’ll land any job you apply to.

But if you have some leftover space, there are a few optional sections you can choose from to give your resume a boost!

Are you bi-lingual? Or even better  – multi-lingual? You should always mention that on your resume!

Even if the position doesn’t require you to know a specific language, it can still come in handy at some point. At the end of the day, it’s always better to know more languages than less.

To list languages in your resume , just write them down and assign them the appropriate level:

• Intermediate

You can also use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) or the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scales.

As a given, you should never lie about your language skills. You never know—your interviewer might turn out to be fluent in the language or even be a native speaker!

Hobbies and Interests

If you want to spice up your resume, hobbies and interests could be just what you need.

While this section isn’t a game-changer, it can help the hiring manager see who you are as an individual.

For example, if you listed “teamwork” as one of your skills, hobbies like team sports can back up your claim.

And who knows? Maybe you and your interviewer have some hobbies or interests in common!

Volunteering Experience

If you’re the type of person who devotes their free time to helping others while expecting nothing in return, chances are that you’re the type of employee who’s in it for more than just the money. 

Seeing volunteer experience on your resume tells hiring managers that you’re a loyal employee who’s after something meaningful.

Several studies show that listing your volunteer experience can boost your chances of getting hired, especially if you have little to no work experience.

Certifications

Hiring managers love candidates who invest in themselves, and that’s exactly what they see when you list certifications on your resume .

If you value continuous learning and strive to expand your skill set, that’s always a plus.

Certifications can also show employers how much expertise you have.

For example, if you’re a Microsoft Cloud Engineer and you specialize in Microsoft Technologies, you should definitely include all essential certifications on your resume, such as the Azure Solutions Architect Expert one.

Awards and Recognitions

There’s no harm in showing off a little on your resume. After all, you want to be a candidate that shines above the rest.

So, if you’ve received any awards or recognitions that make you stand out in your field, make sure to add them.

For example, if you’ve been recognized for your contributions to data science or received a hard-to-come-by scholarship , mention it in your resume. Just keep your entries here relevant to the field you’re applying to.

Publications

Whether you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic, publications are always impressive.

If you have any published works (online or in an academic journal), you can add them to your resume. Just make sure to include a link so the hiring manager knows where to check your work!

Are you looking for a career in academia? Check out our guide to writing the perfect academic CV to get started!

Working on side projects can show off your passion for your field. Whether they’re university class projects or part-time entrepreneurial endeavors, they’re relevant.

For example, if you worked on a mock software product as part of a university competition, it shows you went through every step of product creation, from ideation to creating a marketing strategy.

This project also shows off your organizational skills , and if you mention it in your resume, you stand a better chance of landing the job you had your sights set on.

But projects can also be personal, not academic. For example, you might manage an Etsy store where you sell hand-made arts and crafts to customers online. This is a great opportunity to highlight your creativity, management, and customer service skills .

Overall, hiring managers love employees who do cool work in their free time, so projects are always a great section to add to your resume.

Looking to kickstart your career? Check out our guide on how to get an internship for useful tips and real-life examples!

Extracurricular Activities

Every college freshman knows that extracurricular experience can make a difference in their application.

Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience outside of school, extracurricular activities are a great way to show potential employers your skills and give them insight into you as a person. Different clubs and after-school projects can help you gain real-life skills and considerably increase your chances of landing your first job after college.

For example, joining a student government organization can hone your leadership skills and teach you how to work as part of a team.

For example, if you’re part of a student government or public speaking club, these activities can help you hone your leadership and presentation skills.

11+ Expert Resume Tips

You’ve got the gist of how to make a resume. Now, it’s time to make it really stand out from the crowd!

Follow these exclusive resume tips to take your resume game to the next level:

• Match the professional title underneath your name to the job title of the position you’re applying for. Hiring managers often hire for several roles at once, so giving them this cue about what role you’re after helps things go smoother.
• Mention any promotions from your previous jobs. Use the work experience entries for them to focus on the achievements that helped you earn them.
• Describe your achievements using Laszlo Bock’s formula : accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z . This way, your work experience can go the extra mile and show the hiring manager what you can bring to the table.
• Always list your achievements and responsibilities in concise bullet points. This makes your resume more reader-friendly, and it’s more likely that the hiring manager will see your impressive achievements at a glance.
• Don’t use personal pronouns like “I” or “me,” and don’t refer to yourself by name. Stick to a slightly altered third person, like “managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.” instead of “he managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.”
• Name your resume sections correctly, or it might get rejected by the ATS. Swapping out quirky names like “career history” or “expertise” for “work experience” and "skills" makes it easier for the hiring manager to find what they’re looking for, too.
• Prioritize important keywords instead of adding all of them. Make sure the relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences you add all make sense in context, too. Your goal is to get past the ATS and impress the hiring manager.
• Focus on transferable skills if you don’t have a lot of relevant work experience. Any extracurricular activities or personal projects can help you stand out here.
• Add a strategic pop of color to headings, bullet points, or key elements you want to highlight. It can help your resume stand out, but don’t overdo it—you want the information to be more impressive than the color palette.
• Don’t include the line “references available upon request.” Hiring managers already know they can request a list of references from you, so there’s no need to waste valuable space on it.
• Make sure your resume is optimized for mobile viewing. Most hiring managers use their mobile phones as often as desktop computers, so save your resume to a PDF file and make sure your formatting stays intact across any device.
• Rename the resume file you plan to send so it includes your name and the name of the position you’re applying for. It’s a small detail that can turn into a crucial mistake if you forget it.
• Read your resume out loud when you’re done. This is a great way to catch awkward phrases or spelling mistakes you might have missed otherwise.
• Use a tool like DocSend to track your resume. You’ll get a notification any time someone opens your resume, and you can see how long they spend reading it.

FREE Resume Checklist

Are you already done with your resume? Let’s see how it holds up!

Go through our checklist for perfecting your resume and see where you stand!

If you missed some points, just go through your resume one more time and perfect it.

And if you ☑’d everything—congrats! You’ve learned all there is to know about writing a resume, and you’re good to go with your job search.

Need to write a CV instead of a resume? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to write a CV with dozens of examples!

9 Resume Templates for Different Industries

Looking to create an effective resume without dealing with the formatting hassle? Just choose one of the templates below.

#1. Traditional Resume Template

Good for traditional industries like finance, banking, law, and manufacturing.

#2. Modern Resume Template

Good for both contemporary and forward-looking industries, including entrepreneurship, medical technology, and engineering.

#3. Creative Resume Template

Good for creative industries, including entertainment, design, and architecture. 

#4. Minimalistic Resume Template

Good for experienced professionals in basically any industry who want to let their achievements do the talking. 

#5. IT Resume Template

Good for any IT-related profession like software development, cyber security, and DevOps engineering.

#6. Tech Resume Template

Good for the tech industry and everything it encompasses.

#7. College Resume Template

Good for college students and recent graduates alike.

#8. General Resume Template

Good for multiple industries, including HR, education, and customer service.

#9. Executive Resume Template

Good for senior professionals across different industries, including hospitality, marketing, and logistics.

17+ Resumes for Different Jobs

Knowing how to write a resume is one thing, but making a resume that stands out is something entirely different. Without inspiration, even top career experts might stumble on a roadblock or two.

Check out the following effective resume examples for specific jobs to get a better sense of what a good resume looks like:

#1. Nurse Practitioner Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a nurse resume here.

#2. Data Scientist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a data scientist resume here.

#3. Business Analyst Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a business analyst resume here.

#4. Digital Marketing Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a digital marketing resume here.

#5. Software Engineer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer resume here.

#6. Construction Project Manager Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a construction project manager resume here.

#7. Customer Service Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a customer service resume here.

#8. High School Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school resume here.

#9. Student Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a student resume here.

#10. Server Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a server resume here.

#11. Actor Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an actor resume here.

#12. Web Developer Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a web developer resume here.

#13. Engineering Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing an engineering resume here.

#14. Computer Science Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a computer science resume here.

#15. Architect Resume Example 

Check out our full guide to writing a data analyst resume here.

#17. Remote Job Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a remote job resume here.

#18. Sales Associate Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a sales associate resume here.

#19. Receptionist Resume Example

Check out our full guide to writing a receptionist resume here.

Want to see more examples? Check out our compilation of 80+ resume examples for different fields .

• Administrative Assistant Resume
• Bartender Resume
• DevOps Engineer Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Flight Attendant Resume
• Graphic Designer Resume
• Paralegal Resume
• Pharmacist Resume
• Recruiter Resume
• Supervisor Resume

Next Steps After Your Resume

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about how to make a resume, it’s time to talk about the rest of your job application.

After all, your resume is only the first step in your job search. To land the job you deserve, you also need to write a captivating cover letter and ace that upcoming interview. Here’s how:

#1. How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter

The companion piece to every resume is the cover letter.

Most job-seekers flinch when they hear that they have to write a cover letter. What do you even mention in a cover letter, anyway? If you were good at writing cover letters, you’d be applying for a job as a writer !

In reality, though, writing a cover letter is very simple once you know its purpose.

Think of your cover letter as a direct message to the hiring manager. It’s your chance to briefly explain why you’re such an awesome fit for the position. And with a few cover letter tips to point you in the right direction, you’ll write the perfect cover letter for your job application.

Just follow this structure:

• Add the contact details. Include the same contact information as on your resume, plus additional contact details for the hiring manager, including their name, job title, the company’s name, and location.
• Introduce yourself. Start your cover letter by mentioning who you are, what your work experience is, and why you’re interested in the position. Mention a standout achievement or two, relevant skills, and what you’d like to do for the company you’re applying for.
• Explain why you’d excel at the job. Find the requirements in the job ad that you meet, and elaborate on how you fulfill the most important ones. Research the company so you know what you like about it, and mention it in your cover letter. Make sure to convey your enthusiasm for the job and confidence that you’ll be a great fit for their team.
• Wrap it up politely. Conclude your cover letter by recapping your key selling points and thanking the hiring manager for their time. Then add a call to action, such as “Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at the provided phone number so that we can discuss my application in greater detail.” Then, add a closing line and follow it with your full name.

Sounds easy, right? Here’s a real-life example to drive the point home:

Do you need more help perfecting your cover letter? Learn what the most common cover letter mistakes are and check out cover letter examples for all professions here.

#2. How to Ace Your Next Interview

Once you’ve perfected both your resume and cover letter, there’s only one thing left.

It’s time for the final step—the dreaded job interview.

Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, you probably hate the interviewing process. No matter how experienced you are, it can be nerve-wracking. Sitting there while someone’s prodding into your past experiences and judging you isn’t fun.

But did you know that most interviewers ask the same questions?

That’s right—all you have to do is learn how to answer some of the most common interview questions, and you’ll be an interview away from landing your dream job!

Just check out our complete guide to the 35+ Job Interview Questions and Answers and learn how to ace your next interview.

FAQs on How to Make a Resume

Do you still have some questions about making a resume? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions below!

#1. What does a good resume look like in 2024?

For your resume to look good in 2024, make sure it’s organized and clean and isn’t longer than one page.

Be sure to include information that adds value to your application—leave out the focus on your relevant work experience and skills that you can back up, and list as many achievements as possible. 

If you’re using a resume template, choose one based on your industry. Conservative industries like law, banking, and business require more traditional resume templates. But if you’re going for an industry like design, architecture, or marketing, you can go for a creative resume template . 

Remote work is also big in 2024, so if that’s what you’re after, tailor your resume to match the job you want.

#2. How do you make a resume in Word?

The best way to create a resume in Word is to use a pre-designed Microsoft Word template. To access them, you should: 

• Open MS Word
• Click “file” from the menu bar 
• Select “new”
• Type “resume templates” in the search bar 

That said, Word resume templates are generic, hard to personalize, and overall not very stylish.

Want a resume that looks good and is extremely easy to make? Check out resume templates to get started!

#3. How do I write a resume for my first job?

If you’re writing your first-ever resume for an entry-level position, the hiring manager won’t expect you to have any work experience.

However, you can make up for your lack of experience with your skills and academic achievements.

For example, you can take advantage of extracurricular activities, internships, volunteering experiences, and other non-professional experiences. You can use them to highlight the skills you’ve gained and what you’ve achieved so far.

So, your first job resume should have a resume objective, emphasize your education, and replace your work experience with any internships, volunteering, independent projects, or other experiences.

#4. How to make a resume on Google Docs?

You can make a resume on Google Docs by choosing one of their templates and filling it in on the go.

All you have to do is go to your Google Drive’s template gallery, choose your preferred template, fill in your information, and your Google Docs resume is ready to go! 

That said, Google Docs templates aren’t the most user-friendly choice. You don’t have much flexibility with the layout and formatting isn’t that easy. For example, you tweak a section to the slightest, and the whole resume becomes a mess.

If you want an easier option, check out our resume builder !

#5. What kind of resume do employers prefer?

Typically, employers prefer one-page-long resumes that follow the reverse chronological format. 

Hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes every day, so they don't have the time to read three-page resumes. Try one of our one-page resume templates so you don’t go over the recommended resume length.

Meanwhile, the reverse-chronological format is the most popular because it draws attention to your most recent jobs and professional achievements, which is the #1 most important thing hiring managers look at when evaluating a resume.

#6. How many jobs should you put on your resume? 

You should only include relevant job positions on your resume.

This means that your work experience section should be tailored to the job you are applying for. If you’ve worked five different jobs and they can all add value to your current application, then you should include all five. 

If, on the other hand, you’re applying for, say, a customer service position and some of your past jobs don’t have anything to do with customer service, you should skip them.

#7. Should I put my address on my resume? 

You can put your location (city, state, or country) on your resume, but you don’t need to put your entire physical address.

Putting a physical address on a resume was the norm back when companies would contact you via mail. In today’s world, everyone communicates via email, which is why adding a correct and professional email address to your contact information section is far more important than putting your physical address. 

So, just include your location or-–if you’re a remote worker—specify you prefer to work remotely by writing “working remotely from [location].”

#8. What information should I leave out of my resume?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t include your birthday or your headshot on your resume. This norm varies from country to country but it applies to the USA, Canada, and UK.

If you have plenty of achievements to list under your work experience, then you can leave your basic work responsibilities out of your resume. 

In your education section, you should only include your highest and most recent degree. So, if you hold a Ph.D., you can list that and your Master’s degree and leave your Bachelor’s degree and high school diploma out.

Finally, leave out any skills that aren’t relevant to the job you’re applying for.

#9. Is a resume a CV?

Depending on where you are, a CV (Curriculum Vitae) and a resume might be completely different things.

In most of the world, though, including Europe and Asia, they are used interchangeably for the same document. Both CVs and resumes are one to two pages long, and list skills and experiences relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Sometimes more detailed resumes that go over one page are referred to as CVs. These are typically only used by senior professionals, executives, CEOs, etc.

In the USA, however, a CV is a completely different document. Typically, CVs are detailed and comprehensive documents that highlight your entire academic and professional history. They’re often used for academic, scientific, or research positions, which is why this type of CV can also be referred to as an academic CV.

You can create your CV using one of our CV templates !

#10. Should I write my own resume?

Yes, you should always write your own resume.

Your resume is your opportunity to show the hiring manager your communication, writing, and presentation skills . Employers also evaluate you based on how effectively you can convey information about yourself, and there’s no one that can represent you better than yourself.

Writing your own resume lets you introduce yourself authentically. You have the best understanding of your skills and experiences, and you can personalize them to make your resume stand out.

And, as a bonus, the experience of writing your resume yourself can be reflective and insightful, so it might help you understand your professional journey and career goals better.

#11. Can a resume be two pages?

Generally, we strongly recommend that your resume stick to one page.

Hiring managers go through hundreds of resumes every day, and keeping your resume to one page increases the odds that they’ll see your qualifications faster.

In some cases, like when you have a lot of relevant experience, your resume can go over two pages. But this exception is reserved for senior professionals with over a decade of relevant experience and tons of skills and achievements that simply can’t fit on one page.

#12. Is a simple resume okay?

Absolutely, a simple resume is often more than okay—it's preferable.

Before your resume even gets to the hiring manager, a complicated layout could get it rejected by the applicant tracking system (ATS). A simple resume template can help get your application straight to the hiring manager.

A clean layout can also make sure that your resume is easily readable and looks professional. This can focus the hiring manager's attention on your work experience and skills without excessive clutter or flashy colors to distract them.

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

If you’ve followed all of our advice until now, congrats! You’re probably an expert on how to make a resume.

To recap, let’s go through some of the most important lessons we’ve learned so far...

• Use the right resume builder to make the process as smooth as possible. You don’t want to mess around with formatting for hours before even starting to work on your resume!
• Focus on your achievements over responsibilities. This can help you stand out from all the other applicants, especially if you back your claims up with data.
• Include all the must-have sections, like the resume summary, work experience, education, and skills. Then leverage optional sections if you have leftover space.
• Tailor your resume for the job you’re applying for. Everything listed on your resume should be relevant to the specific job you’re applying for, and you should write a new resume for every new job application.
• Take the time to perfect your cover letter. It’s just as important as your resume, so make sure you pay as much attention to it!

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• • Delivered compelling secondary character performances, leading to a 30% increase in positive audience reception for successive projects.
• • Trained in advanced stage combat techniques, contributing to the authenticity and safety of action sequences.
• • Collaborated with directors and lead actors, enhancing character development and contributing to the overall narrative coherence.
• • Participated in promotional activities, affecting a 15% boost in media coverage for the production.
• • Optimized rehearsal schedules by initiating a digital tracking system, resulting in decreased preparation times by 20%.
• • Directed a short film which won 'Best Short Film' at a local Seattle film festival, exhibiting versatility beyond acting.
• • Headlined a stage production that sold out for 75% of performances, surpassing box office targets.
• • Facilitated acting workshops, which improved the ensemble's performance consistency and audience ratings.
• • Spearheaded a successful crowdfunding campaign for a community theatre project, raising $10,000.
• • Implemented an effective script analysis framework, which was adopted company-wide and led to a more unified understanding of material.
• • Contributed to set design decisions, enhancing the visual storytelling of performances.
• • Assisted in the coordination of daily shooting schedules, ensuring that production ran smoothly and on time.
• • Managed extras casting for 3 major scenes, involving over 150 participants and improving the scene's authenticity.
• • Led the assembly of props for use in key scenes, praised for attention to detail and historical accuracy.
• • Established effective communication channels between department leads, reducing cross-departmental misunderstandings by 40%.

5 Background Actor Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Your background actor resume needs to showcase your experience and professionalism. Highlight any set protocols you're familiar with to demonstrate your understanding of on-set etiquette. Mention specific projects or types of productions you've been a part of, whether they're commercials, TV shows, or films. This gives casting directors a quick snapshot of your versatility and adaptability in various filming environments.

All resume examples in this guide

Resume Guide

Resume Format Tips

Resume Experience

Skills on Resume

Education & Certifications

Resume Summary Tips

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

As a background actor, one of your resume challenges is effectively conveying the breadth of your experience without specific character names or lead roles to highlight. Our guide can assist by providing tailored strategies to showcase your on-set versatility and reliability in ways that will catch a casting director's eye.

• Format your background actor resume to ensure that it balances professionalism with creativity, and follows the best practices.
• Match the background actor job requirements by including industry keywords on your resume.
• Use various resume sections to showcase your skills and achievements to answer why you're the best candidate for the background actor role.

Take inspiration from leading background actor resume examples to learn how to tailor your experience.

• Artist Manager Resume Example
• Fashion Stylist Resume Example
• Cinematographer Resume Example
• Makeup Artist Resume Example
• Musician Resume Example
• Band Director Resume Example
• Film Production Resume Example
• Performing Arts Resume Example
• Dance Resume Example
• Photographer Resume Example

How to style your background actor resume: layout and format

• Reverse-chronological resume format to highlight your experience;
• Functional skill-based resume format if you have less experience and want to focus on skills;
• Hybrid resume format to guide recruiters through both your experience and skills.
• Make sure your headline is simple and includes the job you're applying for or your current role, an abbreviation of a certificate you have, or even your professional area of interest;
• Always tailor your background actor resume to the role you're applying for by matching job requirements to your experience via different resume sections;
• Once you've created your resume, download it in PDF (unless otherwise specified). This is to ensure readability and that the layout remains fixed.

Upload & Check Your Resume

Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.

The five (plus) definite sections your resume for a background actor job should include are:

• Header with your headline, contact details, and/or a preview of your work
• Summary (or objective) to pinpoint how your success aligns with the role
• Experience with bullets of your most relevant achievements in the field
• Skills to integrate vital job requirements (both technical and personal)
• Your further dedication to the field, showcased via relevant higher education and/or certifications

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• On-set experience: Listing previous background acting gigs where you successfully followed directions and remained unobtrusive on camera.
• Ability to blend in: Demonstrating a look or demeanor that doesn't distract from the main actors or scene but still contributes to the atmosphere.
• Versatility in appearance: Showing a range of looks or the ability to fit into various historical periods, event types, and crowd scenes.
• Professionalism: Mention any training or workshops attended, punctuality on set, and an understanding of on-set etiquette.
• Special skills: Any special skills relevant to background acting such as dancing, sports, or playing a musical instrument that could be useful in certain scenes.

Writing your background actor resume experience

Within the body of your background actor resume is perhaps one of the most important sections - the resume experience one. Here are five quick tips on how to curate your background actor professional experience:

• Include your expertise that aligns to the job requirements;
• Always ensure that you qualify your achievements by including a skill, what you did, and the results your responsibility led to;
• When writing each experience bullet, ensure you're using active language;
• If you can include a personal skill you've grown, thanks to your experience, this would help you stand out;
• Be specific about your professional experience - it's not enough that you can "communicate", but rather what's your communication track record?

Wondering how other professionals in the industry are presenting their job-winning background actor resumes? Check out how these background actor professionals put some of our best practices into action:

• Participated in over 120 filming days as a background performer, blending into various scenes without drawing attention away from the lead actors.
• Collaborated with the main cast and directors to create authentic scene settings, contributing to the show's increase in viewership by 15%.
• Received recognition for professionalism and punctuality, resulting in being frequently requested by production staff for various high-profile projects.
• Enhanced scene realism and diversity by portraying a wide range of non-verbal supporting roles across 30+ television shows and feature films.
• Maintained high energy levels and focus during long shooting schedules, often exceeding 12 hours, ensuring consistent performance throughout the day.
• Contributed to a memorable cinematic experience in a blockbuster film that grossed over $300 million worldwide.
• Cultivated a network of industry contacts, leading to increased job opportunities and a 20% growth in personal bookings year over year.
• Adapted quickly to various on-set environments, efficiently transitioning between roles and reducing downtime for the crew.
• Implemented feedback from directors to fine-tune scene presence, enhancing the overall production quality.
• Assumed diverse personas, from historical figures to modern-day pedestrians, adding depth to the secondary visual layer of scenes.
• Assisted in prop management and scene setup, demonstrating versatility beyond standard background actor duties.
• Advocated for safety and comfort of fellow background actors, leading by example and voicing collective concerns to production management.
• Contributed to the smooth running of set operations by following precise directions and quickly adapting to last-minute changes in scene requirements.
• Performed in various weather conditions and locations, showcasing a high level of commitment and endurance.
• Facilitated the realism of crowd scenes, which played a pivotal role in the authentic portrayal of the film's setting.
• Displayed a strong ability to follow complex choreography in large group scenes, contributing to seamless and coordinated background action.
• Experienced in working under prosthetics and makeup, maintaining character integrity during long hours of filming.
• Promoted a positive and cooperative demeanor on set, often acknowledged by directors and primary talent.
• Worked efficiently with the wardrobe department to ensure accurate representation of period-specific costumes and helped depict realistic scenes.
• Regularly selected for close-up shots due to an expressive demeanor and attention to nuanced direction from filmmakers.
• Enhanced the on-screen atmosphere in over 25 episodes of a popular TV series, contributing to its critical acclaim and multiple award nominations.
• Demonstrated a strong understanding of set etiquette, ensuring smooth operations during complex set pieces by maintaining silence and positions as instructed.
• Participated in action sequences requiring choreographed movements, adding tension and excitement to key scenes.
• Provided valuable feedback during production meetings to enhance the effectiveness of background action in various scenes.
• Mastered quick costume changes and maintained character continuity across multiple takes, thereby minimizing production delays.
• Engaged with the principal actors when necessary, providing a dynamic backdrop to the main storyline.
• Recognized for contributing to a record-breaking season premiere viewership, through immersive and authentic background portrayal.
• Experienced in working with special effects, ensuring that interactions with non-existent CGI elements were believable and well-executed.
• Participated in several period dramas, contributing to the visual storytelling by authentically representing historical backgrounds.
• Actively engaged with the art department to ensure sets were accurately populated and reflected the intended era and locale.

Quantifying impact on your resume

• Include the number of acting projects you have participated in to demonstrate experience.
• List the variety of set sizes you've worked on, from independent films to major studio productions.
• Specify the number of roles portrayed with specific types or genres to show range and flexibility.
• Mention the total hours of on-set experience to underscore your industry commitment and reliability.
• State the number of acting workshops or classes attended to highlight ongoing professional development.
• Indicate any increases in booking rates over time to show career growth and demand.
• Detail the number of repeat collaborations with directors or studios to emphasize trust and rapport.
• Quantify the audience reach or box office numbers for projects you've been involved in to illustrate the scope of your work.

Action verbs for your background actor resume

No relevant experience - what to feature instead

Suppose you're new to the job market or considering a switch in industry or niche. In such cases, it's common to have limited standard professional experience . However, this isn't a cause for concern. You can still craft an impressive background actor resume by emphasizing other sections, showing why you're a great fit for the role:

• Emphasize your educational background and extracurricular activities to demonstrate your industry knowledge;
• Replace the typical experience section with internships or temporary jobs where you've gained relevant skills and expertise;
• Highlight your unique skill set, encompassing both technological and personal abilities;
• Showcase transferable skills acquired throughout your life and work experiences so far.

Recommended reads:

• Should You Include Eagle Scout On Your Resume?
• How To List Certifications On A Resume (Examples Included)

The more time and effort you've put into obtaining the relevant certificate, the closer to the top it should be listed. This is especially important for more senior roles and if the company you're applying for is more forward-facing.

Shining a light on your background actor hard skills and soft skills

To win recruiters over, you must really have a breadth of skill set presented and supported within your background actor resume.

On hiring managers' checklists, you'd initially discover hard or technical skills. Those are the technology (and software) that help you perform on the job. Hard skills are easy to quantify via your education, certificates, and on-the-job success.

Another main criterion recruiters are always assessing your background actor resume on is soft skills. That is your ability to communicate, adapt, and grow in new environments. Soft skills are a bit harder to measure, as they are gained both thanks to your personal and professional experience.

Showcase you have the ideal skill set for the role by:

• Dedicating both a skills box (for your technical capabilities) and an achievements or strengths section (to detail your personal skills).
• When listing your skills, be specific about your hard skills (name the precise technology you're able to use) and soft skills (aim to always demonstrate what the outcomes were).
• Avoid listing overused cliches in the skills section (e.g. Microsoft Office and Communication), unless they're otherwise specified as prominent for the role.
• Select up to ten skills which should be defined via various sections in your resume skills sidebar (e.g. a technical skills box, industry expertise box with sliders, strengths section with bullets).

Spice up your resume with leading technical and people skills, that'd help you get noticed by recruiters.

Top skills for your background actor resume:

Basic Acting Techniques

Understanding of On-Set Etiquette

Ability to Follow Directions

Mime and Improvisation Skills

Physical Conditioning

Wardrobe Maintenance

Makeup and Hair Styling Basics

Knowledge of Camera Angles

Ability to Maintain Consistency in Performance

Time Management

Professionalism

Patience and Persistence

Attention to Detail

Flexibility and Adaptability

Teamwork and Collaboration

Reliability and Punctuality

Positive Attitude

Ability to Stay Focused

Stress Management

Respect for Authority and Coworkers

If you failed to obtain one of the certificates, as listed in the requirements, but decide to include it on your resume, make sure to include a note somewhere that you have the "relevant training, but are planning to re-take the exams". Support this statement with the actual date you're planning to be re-examined. Always be honest on your resume.

Background Actor-specific certifications and education for your resume

Place emphasis on your resume education section . It can suggest a plethora of skills and experiences that are apt for the role.

• Feature only higher-level qualifications, with details about the institution and tenure.
• If your degree is in progress, state your projected graduation date.
• Think about excluding degrees that don't fit the job's context.
• Elaborate on your education if it accentuates your accomplishments in a research-driven setting.

On the other hand, showcasing your unique and applicable industry know-how can be a literal walk in the park, even if you don't have a lot of work experience.

Include your accreditation in the certification and education sections as so:

• Important industry certificates should be listed towards the top of your resume in a separate section
• If your accreditation is really noteworthy, you could include it in the top one-third of your resume following your name or in the header, summary, or objective
• Potentially include details about your certificates or degrees (within the description) to show further alignment to the role with the skills you've attained
• The more recent your professional certificate is, the more prominence it should have within your certification sections. This shows recruiters you have recent knowledge and expertise

At the end of the day, both the education and certification sections hint at the initial and continuous progress you've made in the field.

And, honestly - that's important for any company.

Below, discover some of the most recent and popular Background Actor certificates to make your resume even more prominent in the applicant pool:

The top 5 certifications for your background actor resume:

• Standard CPR/AED/First Aid Certification (CPR/AED) – American Heart Association or American Red Cross
• Safe Sets COVID-19 (Level A) Certificate – Safe Sets International
• Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) – Various accredited institutions depending on the state
• Food Handlers Card (FHC) – Various authorized food safety training providers
• OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Training (OSHA 10) – Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.

• How To Include Your Relevant Coursework On A Resume
• Perfecting the Education Section on Your Resume

Your background actor resume top one third: choosing between a resume summary or an objective

The top third of your resume is crucial, as recruiters might focus only on this section rather than reading the entire document. Therefore, it's important to carefully decide whether to include a resume summary or an objective.

• The resume summary encapsulates your most significant experiences, key achievements, and skills in the field. Ideal for candidates with substantial relevant experience, the summary previews what recruiters will find in the rest of your resume.
• The resume objective outlines your professional aspirations. It describes your career goals for the coming years and how you envision your role evolving in the prospective company. The resume objective is suitable if you have less professional experience and wish to emphasize various soft skills such as motivation, vision, and planning.

Explore some of the best examples of resume summaries and objectives from real-life professional resumes in the industry.

Resume summaries for a background actor job

• With over 5 years of dedicated experience in the background acting industry, an actor skilled in a diverse range of on-set protocols, adept at scene improvisation and character embodiment. Holds a profound presence that enhances film realism, once featured prominently in an award-winning independent film.
• Seasoned theater actress with 7 years in demanding stage environments now branching into screen acting as a background artist. Brings a wealth of character interpretation skills, a keen understanding of dramatic timing, and a robust portfolio of over 20 successful theatrical productions.
• Dynamic former hospitality professional with over a decade's experience in premier event management, seeking to transition into the world of background acting. Exemplary crowd interaction abilities and meticulous attention to detail honed while overseeing large-scale events for internationally recognized establishments.
• Energetic marketing specialist with four years of experience in creative campaign development, eager to apply transferable skills to the entertainment industry as a background actor. Exceptional at crafting engaging narratives and a natural aptitude for teamwork, characteristic of many successful promotional projects.
• Aspiring to bring a fresh perspective to background acting, armed with a passion for cinema and a desire to contribute to a dynamic artistic ensemble. A quick study, ready to absorb professional guidance, and committed to supporting robust storytelling through dedicated behind-the-scenes engagement.
• Aiming to leverage a lifelong interest in film and theater into a vibrant career in background acting, with a promise of embodying each scene's environmental authenticity. Motivated to develop and reflect intricate aspects of characters that greatly enrich the primary narrative and viewer experience.

What else can you add to your background actor resume

What most candidates don't realize is that their background actor resumes should be tailored both for the job and their own skillset and personality.

To achieve this balance between professional and personal traits, you can add various other sections across your resume.

Your potential employers may be impressed by your:

• Awards - spotlight any industry-specific achievements and recognitions that have paved your path to success;
• Languages - dedicate some space on your background actor resume to list your multilingual capabilities , alongside your proficiency level;
• Publications - with links and descriptions to both professional and academic ones , relevant to the role;
• Your prioritization framework - include a "My Time" pie chart, that shows how you spend your at-work and free time, would serve to further backup your organization skill set.

Key takeaways

• Invest in a concise background actor professional presentation with key resume sections (e.g. header, experience, summary) and a simple layout;
• Ensure that the details you decide to include in your resume are always relevant to the job, as you have limited space;
• Back up your achievements with the hard and soft skills they've helped you build;
• Your experience could help you either pinpoint your professional growth or focus on your niche expertise in the industry;
• Curate the most sought-after certifications across the industry for credibility and to prove your involvement in the field.

Looking to build your own Background Actor resume?

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Tips to Create a Cloud Security Engineer Resume

Read this blog to craft a top-notch Cloud Security Engineer Resume with our step-by-step guide. Learn how to effectively impress the potential employers. Elevate your cybersecurity skills and career and land your dream job with a professionally tailored resume. Let’s dive in to explore some tailored sample resumes!

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Willing to embark on a Cloud Security Engineering career? Crafting the perfect Cloud Security Engineer Resume is your initial step towards securing your dream job in the cloud industry. But where do you begin? How do you encapsulate your expertise in a document that stands out from the rest?  

You might know that security is paramount in the ever-evolving cloud technology domain. Your resume should showcase your technical skills besides your vigilance and commitment to protecting sensitive data.   

This blog will take you through creating a Cloud Security Engineer Resume that highlights your strengths and aligns with industry standards. With actionable steps and expert tips, you’ll learn how to construct a resume that resonates with hiring managers. Let’s elevate your professional narrative and pave the way for a successful Cloud Security career. 

Table of Contents 

1) Key Elements Recruiters Look for in a Resume 

2) Tips to Structure a Cloud Security Engineer CV 

3) Sample Cloud Security Engineer CV 

4) Adding Your CCSP Certification to Your LinkedIn Profile 

5) Approaches for Candidates With Limited or no Experience 

6) Conclusion 

Key Elements Recruiters Look for in a Resume  

Recruiters favour resumes that present a succinct and articulate overview of one’s professional journey. Essential components for your Cloud Security Engineer Resume should include the following: 

a) Proficiency in Cloud Technologies: Familiarity with cloud service providers, that include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, and Google Cloud, along with their respective security offerings. Possession of specialised certifications, particularly the AWS Certified Security Specialty, can be highly advantageous. 

b) Security Tools Expertise: Hands-on experience with a range of security instruments and practices, such as firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), encryption methodologies, Identity and Access Management (IAM), and principles of secure software development. 

c) Regulatory Knowledge: A solid grasp of compliance frameworks and regulatory mandates, including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 27001, and Security Operations Center (SOC) 2 Type II. 

d) Vulnerability Management: Competence in performing vulnerability assessments within cloud infrastructures and devising effective remediation plans. 

e) Incident Handling and Recovery: Proven track record in incident response and formulating disaster recovery strategies tailored for cloud-based operations. 

Tips to Structure a Cloud Security Engineer CV 

In the dynamic domain of Cloud Security, the presentation of your resume is pivotal in enhancing your job prospects. A meticulously organised resume not only showcases your technical prowess—essential for a Cloud Security Engineer—but also ensures readability and attractiveness to prospective employers.  

The professional layout of your resume could be the key to unlocking interview opportunities. Let's explore some tips to create this: 

1) Begin With a Compelling Professional Summary 

Initiate your resume with a persuasive professional summary that resonates with the Cloud Security engineer position you aspire to. Concisely articulate your career objectives, your acumen in Cloud Security, and your envisioned contributions to the potential employer. Emphasising your enthusiasm for the domain and your eagerness to address intricate security issues will set an affirmative tone for the remainder of your resume. 

2) Showcase Certifications and Educational Background 

Certifications such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) or Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) carry significant weight in Cloud Security. Strategically organise this section to highlight your certifications, academic qualifications, and pertinent coursework prominently. This arrangement enables hiring managers to swiftly assess your technical expertise and dedication to ongoing professional growth. 

3) Outline Relevant Experience and Projects 

Chronicling your involvement in Cloud Security initiatives, be it in a professional or scholarly capacity, is vital. Employ bullet points to delineate roles and accomplishments, with an emphasis on activities that exhibit your proficiency in Cloud Security design, risk mitigation, and regulatory adherence. Accentuate any hands-on experience with renowned cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. 

Become a Cloud Security leader with our CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional Course - register today!  

4) Balancing Technical and Interpersonal Skills 

While technical abilities like adeptness with Cloud Security mechanisms, encryption, and network defence are indispensable, soft skills should not be neglected. Dedicate a section to harmonise both, spotlighting your technical competencies alongside your capacity for effective communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. This illustrates your aptitude for managing sophisticated security duties and your potential to enhance the organisational ethos. 

5) Incorporating Publications and Speaking Engagements 

If you have authored articles, white papers, or delivered talks on Cloud Security subjects, allocate a section for these accomplishments. This not only evidences your subject-matter expertise but also your proficiency in conveying intricate concepts—a highly regarded skill in the realm of Cloud Security. 

Sample Cloud Security Engineer CV  

To impress potential employers, your Cloud Security Engineer Curriculum Vitae (CV) must highlight your strong background in deploying security controls. Let’s look at some well-tailored Cloud Security Engineer Resume samples: 

Sample 1  

Ready to lead the frontline against cyber threats? Join our Chief Information Security Officer Training to fortify your skills and protect your organisation.  

Sample 2  

Adding Your CCSP Certification to Your LinkedIn Profile 

Enhance your professional online presence by displaying your CCSP certification on LinkedIn. Follow these streamlined steps to add your CISSP Certification to your profile: 

a) Log into LinkedIn and select the “Me” icon featuring your profile picture, located in the top navigation bar. 

b) Navigate to your profile, then initiate the update process by clicking the “Add Profile section” button. 

c) Within the “Add Profile section" dropdown, locate “Licenses & Certifications” under the Background category and click the + icon to add a new entry. 

d) Complete the form with the certification’s name, the issuing organisation, the date of issue, and the expiration date (if applicable). If available, include the credential ID and a URL for verification. 

e) Confirm the addition of your certification to your LinkedIn profile by clicking “Save”. 

Become a certified expert in cyber security - join our CISSP Training today and pave the way for a successful career!  

Approaches for Candidates with Limited or no Experience 

Your Cloud Security Engineer Resume can still align with job requirements despite limited experience. Consider emphasising the following: 

a) Leveraging Educational Background: Emphasise the skills honed through your education that align seamlessly with the job’s requirements. 

b) Internships and Temporary Positions: Highlight any roles that have honed your expertise relevant to the position you’re applying for. 

c) Skills Showcase: Present a comprehensive list of skills, covering both the essential and the specialised competencies sought in the job description. 

d) Highlighting Your Unique Contributions: Shine a light on your unique strengths and accomplishments, showcasing the value you can add to the organisation, even with limited industry experience. 

Conclusion 

Begin your journey to becoming a maestro with a Cloud Security Engineer Resume that showcases your expertise and passion. Let your skills illuminate the path to securing the digital skies. Take the first step towards a future where your career soars among the clouds.  

Don't leave your organisation's security to chance - join our Information Systems Security Management Training and become an expert!  

Frequently Asked Questions

The appropriate length for a Cloud Security Engineer Resume is typically 1-2 pages. It should focus on your relevant experience, skills, and qualifications. 

Essential keywords to highlight in a Cloud Security Engineer Resume include cloud security protocols, risk management, compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, ISO 27001), and encryption techniques. It must include your proficiency with security tools like AWS Security Hub or Azure Security Center. 

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Alongside our diverse Online Course Catalogue, encompassing 17 major categories, we go the extra mile by providing a plethora of free educational Online Resources like News updates, Blogs , videos, webinars, and interview questions. Tailoring learning experiences further, professionals can maximise value with customisable Course Bundles of TKA .

The Knowledge Academy’s Knowledge Pass , a prepaid voucher, adds another layer of flexibility, allowing course bookings over a 12-month period. Join us on a journey where education knows no bounds. 

The Knowledge Academy offers various CCSP Trainings , including the CCSP Certified Cloud Security Professional Course and more. These courses cater to different skill levels, providing comprehensive insights into What is CCSP?    

Our IT Security & Data Protection Blogs cover a range of topics related to Cloud Security, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your IT Security & Data Protection skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have got you covered. 

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