Resume guides

Practical, example-led guides from the team behind PlainResume, the free resume builder.

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The rules that apply to every resume, whatever the job.

• ATS-friendly resumesHow applicant tracking systems actually parse a resume — and the formatting that survives them.
• How long a resume should beWhen one page is right, when two is fine, and what to cut first.
• Chronological vs functionalWhich structure fits your history, and why hybrid usually wins.
• Using AI on your resumeGood editor, bad author — what to let it do and what never to.
• Resume summary examplesWriting the three lines at the top that decide whether the rest gets read.
• Objective vs summaryWhich belongs at the top, the three cases for an objective, and the target line.
• Skills to put on a resumeChoosing skills that are evidence rather than adjectives.
• Resume action verbsStronger verbs, and why most bullets fail before the verb.
• Tailoring to a job postingThe fifteen-minute edit that changes the odds on every application.
• How far back a resume should goHow much history to keep, and how to compress the rest.

Tricky situations

When your history needs framing, not just formatting.

• Resume with no experienceBuilding real bullets from school, projects, and life before your first job.
• Career-change resumeReframing what you've done for the field you're moving into.
• Explaining employment gapsHandling time away briefly and honestly, without apologizing.
• Explaining job hoppingMaking short stints read as a trajectory instead of a pattern.
• After being firedKeep it off the page, keep dates honest, three sentences in the interview.
• After a layoffWhether to label it, severance dates, and the one-sentence interview answer.
• Returning after a career breakProving currency: recent dated evidence, refreshed skills, returnships.
• When you are overqualifiedThe three fears behind the word, what to trim, and the honesty line.
• Showing a promotionFormatting progression at one employer so the growth is visible.
• Applying for an internal roleWhy familiarity works against you, and what to quantify for people who watched.
• Resume for an internshipRecruiting timelines, class year, coursework selection, and the GPA question.
• Apprentice resumeThe resume that gets you accepted, and how to write hours once you are in.
• Military to civilian resumeTranslating rank, MOS, and scope into language civilian recruiters read.
• Federal resume (USAJOBS)Why length is required, the mandatory fields, and specialized experience.
• Resume for remote jobsProving you can work remotely rather than just wanting to.
• Listing freelance workOne entry with clients grouped underneath, instead of a dozen short jobs.
• Listing temp and contract workAgency as employer, assignments nested, and labelling the contract.

What to include

The sections people argue about, settled.

• Listing educationPlacement, dates, honors, and unfinished degrees.
• Listing certificationsWhere credentials go so a screener finds them in two seconds.
• References on a resumeWhy "available on request" wastes a line, and what to do instead.
• Hobbies and interestsThe rare cases where they earn their space.
• Volunteer workListing unpaid work as the experience it actually is.
• Photo on a resumeWhy US employers don't want one, and where a photo is still standard.
• Security clearanceLevel, status and dates in one line, and what never goes on the page.
• Salary expectationsWhy the number stays off the page, and what to do when a form demands it.
• Shift availabilityWhere the availability line goes, exact wording, and proving you worked it.

Formatting and sending

Getting the file right, and using it once it's out the door.

• Fonts and formattingTypeface, size, and spacing choices that read as professional.
• PDF or Word, and file namingWhich format to send, and the filename that helps you.
• Emailing your resumeWhat to write in the message the resume is attached to.
• Phone screen prepThe recruiter reads your resume aloud — prepare the document.

Cover letters and other documents

What goes where, when more than one document is involved.

• How to write a cover letterFour short paragraphs, a real opening line, and one piece of proof.
• Cover letter vs resumeWhat each document is for, and what not to repeat.
• CV vs resumeThe difference, and which one a given application wants.
• LinkedIn vs resumeWhy the profile and the resume should not be the same text.
• Thank you email after an interviewTiming, one note per interviewer, and the four lines that earn a reply.

By profession

What screeners in a specific field look for first.

• Nurse resumeLicense block, specialties, unit type, and patient-load specifics.
• Medical assistant resumeCertification body, the back/front office split, EHR, and clinic pace.
• CNA resumeState registry status, care setting, resident load, and reliability.
• Teacher resumeCertifications, grade bands, and evidence beyond test scores.
• Software engineer resumeImpact over tech-stack lists, and what to do with side projects.
• Project manager resumeScope, budget, and stakeholder evidence instead of methodology buzzwords.
• Accountant resumeCredentials, close cycles, systems, and the audit-ready detail.
• Data analyst resumeDecisions your analysis changed, not the tools you opened.
• Admin assistant resumeTrust, systems, and the scope you actually ran.
• Executive assistant resumeLevel and scale, judgment calls made on an executive's behalf, discretion.
• Office manager resumeHeadcount and footprint, budget and vendor authority, and precise scope verbs.
• Receptionist resumeCall and visitor volume, routing judgment, setting specifics, and coverage.
• Marketing resumeAttributable results, channel specifics, and honest numbers.
• Sales resumeQuota attainment, deal size, and cycle length up front.
• Customer service resumeVolume, resolution, and the metrics your queue already tracked.
• Retail resumeSales floor results, shrink, and shift reliability.
• Restaurant server resumeCovers, section size, certifications, and the stations you can cover.
• Truck driver resumeCDL block, safety miles, and matching the seat they're filling.
• Warehouse worker resumePick rates, equipment certs by class, and the safety record.
• Construction worker resumeCards, trades and equipment by name, and projects by type and scale.
• Welder resumeProcess, position and code as a matrix, plus your inspection record.
• IT help desk resumeThe stack you supported, what you closed at your tier, and certs.
• Electrician resumeLicense level and state, apprenticeship hours, code fluency, systems worked.
• HVAC technician resumeEPA 608 type, service vs install, equipment class, diagnostic evidence.
• Security guard resumeGuard card and armed status, the posts you've stood, report writing.
• Mechanic resumeASE certs by area code, flat-rate efficiency, comebacks, diagnostics.
• Dental assistant resumeState radiography and expanded-function scope, chairside vs front office, practice software.
• Pharmacy technician resumeRegistration vs certification, the setting you worked, script volume, and systems.
• Graphic designer resumePortfolio link placement, naming your specialization, and outcomes over deliverables.
• Bartender resumePermits, the bar program you ran, volume, and pour-cost trust.
• Flight attendant resumeEligibility facts, safety-first framing, and dates a background check can verify.
• Ramp agent resumeBadge eligibility and availability, ground equipment, turns, safety record.
• Line cook resumeStations you can run alone, covers per service, and kitchen type.
• Paralegal resumePractice area first, credentials, named legal software, and docket ownership.
• Bank teller resumeBalancing record, transaction volume, referrals, and compliance awareness.
• Social worker resumeLicense level and hours, population and setting, caseload, and documentation.
• Phlebotomist resumeCertifying body, draws per shift, difficult sticks, and specimen integrity.
• Housekeeping resumeRooms per shift with inspection results, setting, and safety training.
• Custodian resumeSquare footage and rooms, floor care machines, building keys, attendance.
• Medical billing and coding resumeCredential by issuer, specialty coded, production and accuracy, denial work.
• Patient access resumeRegistration volume and accuracy, authorizations, collections, and setting.
• RBT resumeCredential and supervision, client ages and settings, data collection, scope.
• 911 dispatcher resumeCertifications, channel and call volume, CAD systems, and background-check dates.
• Daycare teacher resumeCredentials and clearances, age groups, ratios, curriculum, and families.
• Hairstylist resumeLicense, services and speed, clientele numbers, and retail sales.
• Esthetician resumeLicense scope by state, setting, devices and protocols, rebooking and retail.
• Real estate agent resumeWho actually reads it, sides and volume, price band, and lead sources.
• Leasing agent resumeProperty scale, tours and closing ratio, renewals, and fair housing.
• Physical therapist assistant resumeLicense, setting, caseload and productivity, and correct scope language.
• Pharmacist resumeMulti-state licensure, setting, verification volume, and clinical services.
• Dental hygienist resumeRDH license and permits, the column you ran, and the perio program.
• Optician resumeABO and NCLE certification, measurements and lab work, capture and remake rates.
• Caregiver resumeSetting and conditions, hands-on care, driving, and length of engagement.
• Insurance agent resumeLines of authority, premium and policies written, retention, and lead sources.
• Quality inspector resumeGauges named individually, print reading, inspection types, and the quality system.
• Machine operator resumeMachines by type and control, setup versus run, cycle times and scrap.
• Maintenance technician resumeTrades covered with real depth, the setting, PM ownership, and the CMMS.
• Landscaper resumeEquipment by type, applicator and irrigation licenses, routes, crew lead.
• Vet tech resumeCredential and state, practice type, anesthesia and dentistry skills, caseload.
• Sterile processing resumeCertification by issuer, the SPD area you run, trays per shift, documentation.
• Restaurant manager resumeVolume and headcount, food and labor cost movement, and turnover results.