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Let us make you smile with some funny resume memes.

A day in a job hunter's life includes everything- from writing a resume, writing cover letters, filling up job application forms, and following up with the hiring managers. And it can be quite stressful. We get that.

No matter how many jobs you are applying for, you need to make separate documents for each company. It is quite a nerve-wracking job.

Well, we have some news that may help you cope. In the USA alone the unemployment rate is 6.3% . That means almost 10 million people are going through what you are going through right now.

So, keep calm and give yourself a break with a quick laugh.

Mark Twain once said—

"Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand."

With the concept "laughter as a stress relief" in mind, we have searched the web for the most funny resume memes to make you smile.

Enjoy this list of 19 resume funny memes that we have specially curated for you.

Perfect Use of "Keep Your Cover Letter Short"

What can we say? This is the hilarious resume pun example of our advice "keep your resume cover letter short."

But in reality, this might be a slight exaggeration. Yes, you need to keep your resume cover letter short. But at the same time, it needs to be professional, formal and grammatically correct.

When You Lie on Your Resume

This “when you lie on your resume meme" paints a hilarious picture of what happens when you lied on resume.

Everyone lies on their resume a bit.

But make sure to minimize your lies, or it will make a false impression of you, and you will face problems down the road.

It's Not What You Do, It's How You Tell It

These two funny resume memes are the classic example of how candidates converts basic skills and responsibilities into a nice and impressive format in the resume.

And, the best part is, it's not technically wrong. Recruiters prefer to see certain phrases and keywords on the resume. And that's why candidates use it on their resume.

Problems arise when candidates overuse it on their resumes.

So make sure to be mindful of how you describe your skills and achievements on the resume.

Also read : What are the power verbs best suited for a resume?

Formal or Informal Email, That Is the Question

There is a lot of confusion between candidates on what email address to use in their resume? And this resume meme perfectly describes what you should do.

Your personal email address may be anything like, [email protected] [email protected] etc.

But you should not use these email addresses on your resume. Instead, create a separate professional resume with only your name, such as [email protected] and include that email address on your resume.

Why Put All the Resume Information on the Job Application Form, Again?

This meme is a classic resume jokes of the age-old question of job seekers:

"Why should I put all the information again on the job application when I'm providing you with my resume?"

Let us give us the answer. Recruiters get 100s of resumes a day. And it isn't easy to open each resume, read and sort them out. That's why they ask you to put all your information in a job application form.

This application nicely sorts all the candidates' information in a single sheet, and recruiters can quickly sort the candidates without wasting time.

That Time When Your Resume Does Not Portray What You Say

This is a hilarious resume meme perfectly portrays how you should not include unnecessary skills on your resume. It will not be a deal-breaker if you don't have a particular skill, because you can quickly learn it.

But, it will not look good in your resume if the interviewer finds out that you are lying about your skills.

This funny resume skills meme also reminds you to always do a proper grammar check before sending the interviewer's resume.

Gap in Resume? Oh My God!

This meme sarcastically integrates the current job scenario in 2022 after the pandemic with a little pun. In the USA alone, almost 20 million people lost their jobs because of the pandemic. And it certainly reflected on their resume when the job market is opening again.

However, here is a little tip from our side. Do not make any excuses for your resume gap. Instead, explain the situation to your interviewer. If the reasons are proper, the interviewer will not reject you because of the career gap.

Also read : How to explain a career gap in your resume?

Highlight Achievements: Yes or No?

Freesume has created a brilliant resume meme cartoon on how not to over exaggerate your skills and achievements in your resume.

Everybody highlights their skills and work experience in their resume. And it is essential to know what to highlight and how much to highlight. For example, you certainly can not say that you have experience in specific tools for five years when the tool is around for only three years.

Also read : How to highlight your achievements in a resume?

Short and to the Point Resume: On Point!

What better way to make your resume short and to the point than this?

On a serious note, do not make your resume too much straight forward like this resume meme. Make sure your resume has all the essential information:

• Professional Summary
• Technical Skills
• Certification
• Professional Experience
• Extra/Co-Curricular Achievements/Additional

Be Truthful or Lie?

This resume meme accurately calls the candidate's dilemma to give accurate information on a resume or lie slightly to get an initial advantage.

But you need to remember that, the incorrect information on your resume might get you the interview. Still, the interviewer can easily figure out if you are telling the truth during the interview. And it can lead to rejection.

I Have Nothing to Say

This resume meme is a sarcastic example of what happens when you don't prepare for your interview.

Also read : How to introduce yourself in a job interview?

Moral Dilemma

In the previous section, we told you that you should not lie to your resume. We still stand by the statement. But this resume meme perfectly articulates how the unrealistic industry expectations sometimes force you to lie.

That is also why we always advise students or job seekers to do as many internships as possible with studies. It will make you job-ready and help you crack any interview.

When Your Resume Feels too Short

We all are guilty of this, aren't we? You started creating your resume and after finishing it, it doesn't feel impactful!

So, what do you do? You start adding random funny resume skills on your resume.

The truth is, recruiters only care about skills related to the job profile. Apart from that they will not consider any other skills that directly or indirectly do not add value to the job responsibilities.

In fact, sometimes too much unnecessary skills may distract the recruiter, and they might miss the essential skills they are looking for.

So, make sure to stick to the key skills, and if you want to highlight other skills, you can include it in the cover letter.

Also read : What are the skills to put in your resume in 2022?

When You Know You Made a Great Resume

Writing a resume is challenging. We know that.

But it also makes the feeling of writing an excellent resume really special. Every resume is a gateway of opportunity, and with writing every resume, you are continually creating new opportunities for yourself.

Resume References Make Everyone Cry

This is a hard truth wrapped up in this funny resume meme. It is difficult for the job seekers to find trustworthy people to be their reference. That is why many job seekers put their parents or friends or relatives as their reference.

It is also pain or sometimes frustrating for the interviews to see these inappropriate references on a resume.

Also read : How and when to add references on a resume?

Resume as a Word Document- Be Careful

If you send your resume in a word document to the interviewer, this resume meme accurately portrays why it is not a good idea.

Every person uses a different version of MS Word. And the alignment in the word document varies from computer to computer. You may perfectly align your resume in your system, but it may not open correctly on the recruiter's computer.

So, always make sure to send your resume in a PDF format to the recruiter.

Also read : What are the pros and cons of a resume in word format?

Online Resume Builder

Meanwhile, if you want to create ATS-optimized and professionally designed resumes, go to Hiration Online Resume Builder and choose from 15+ design templates to create one for yourself.

• Option to save unlimited resumes
• Intuitive next text suggestion
• Auto bold feature
• 25+ resume designs
• LIVE resume score
• JD-resume matcher
• Full rich-text editor
• Unlimited PDF downloads
• 100+ pre-filled resume templates
• 1-click design change
• A sharable link
• LIVE resume editor

Go ahead and try our Online Resume Builder and experience the professional resume-writing experience like never before!

Comics Sans Resume Font: You Are Playing with Fire

What font are you using on your resume?

Is it Comic Sans? Then you are playing with fire.

You need to use a professional resume font on your resume. These fonts are simple and easier to read. Also, make sure to keep the font size between 12-14 so that recruiters can easily read it.

With that, we have come to an end of this collection of resume memes. Hope you had a good laugh while also learning some valuable tips.

Also read : What are the font styles to choose for resume writing in 2022?

Resume Review Service

With that said, if you want to get your resumes reviewed by professionals, simply upload it on our Online Resume Builder and get insights from professionals on what changes you can make in your resume to make it shortlist-worthy.

Our experts will review your resume in compliance with the following parameters:

• Content Relevance
• Recruiter Friendliness
• Design Compatibility
• Conversion Scope
• ATS Compliance
• Global Compatibility
• Performance Assessment
• Resume Formatting
• Compliance with industry norms

Make the best use of our Resume Review Service today!

Go to Hiration career platform which has 24/7 chat support and get professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

You can also write to us at [email protected] and we will make sure to reach out to you as soon as possible.

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CVs & Résumés

• Jul 13, 2022

The 30 Funniest Résumés and Job Applications We’ve Ever Seen

We can’t stop laughing at these résumés!

Joanna Zambas

Content Manager and Career Expert

Reviewed by Chris Leitch

When looking for a job , you want to make sure you have a powerful résumé that grabs the hiring manager’s attention. Some jobseekers, though, take it a little too far and end up standing out from the crowd for all the wrong reasons.

We jumped down the internet rabbit hole in search of some of those résumés and job applications that — whether intentionally or not — had hiring managers (and us) rolling on the floor laughing.

There were hundreds of candidates for this list, but we narrowed it down to 30. So, without further ado, here are the funniest résumés and job applications you might not want to replicate.

1. The excellent communicator

I mean, kudos to his sky-high ego, but apart from being a comedian , he hasn’t demonstrated any transferable skills that will get him hired.

2. The drug dealer

This applicant is brutally honest… maybe too honest! It goes from bad to worse from no education to running a “marijuana delivery service”. It’s clear he has some sales skills , but not the type you’d want in a professional establishment!

3. The self-loving actor

Is this really a résumé, a hilarious joke or a meme even? If one picture wasn’t enough, Daryl decided to share three. The fact that he was cast as a rapist is slightly alarming too!

4. A teen with a good sense of humor

This funny teen actually bagged himself a job at McDonald’s with his awesome and honest answers.

5. Simply the best

This devilishly handsome candidate thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread. He’s definitely brave for responding to a job application like this.

6. Or, you know… Whatever

I mean, who else wouldn’t be impressed by an applicant with cat-like reflexes, a horse-like laugh and a large appetite?!

7. The boss

A self-proclaimed boss who is good at nearly everything, but has no work experience or education — who wouldn’t want to take the risk and hire this stud muffin?

8. What an interesting hobby!

Brad had been sending out his résumé with this interesting hobby listed on it for a while before he realized that his friend had written it as a joke. Brad, my friend… you got punked!

9. The zero f*cks guy

Although many of us give zero f*cks from time to time, it’s probably not the best idea to list it on your résumé…

10. Is he for real?

It has to be a practical joke; from the bad picture to the jail time story. I’m a little scared just reading his résumé, let alone meeting Mr Santangelo.

11. Ms Desperation

Besides the poorly written résumé full of typos, nothing screams “desperate” more than “HIRE ME” written all over the bottom of this ridiculous résumé.

12. Job for the summer

Despite the obvious punctuation and typographical issues , this young teen “with a good soul” only wants a job for the summer . What a real go-getter!

13. Simplicity is key

I’m not quite sure that the direct approach here will get this candidate the job. Any thoughts?

14. Nicolas Cage

So cringe! This candidate attached a funny picture of Nicolas Cage instead of her actual résumé! Always remember to proofread and ensure your attachments are the correct ones!

15. The c*ck

What a funny c*ck-up of a résumé. It’s safe to say that this is one way you shouldn’t apply for a catering position.

Someone teach this applicant some manners, please! I’m all for a bit of light banter, but this is the worst résumé I have ever seen. It’s outright rude and obnoxious.

17. The devil wears what?

If you’re going to reference a film, it’s probably best that you double-check the title first. I’ve never heard of Devil Wears Prague — have you?

18. The distraction

Clearly, this candidate’s filter from brain to paper sucks. Although hilarious, his ego will clearly be a distraction to his personal work.

19. References unavailable

Funny how this résumé wasn’t burnt in the fire too…

20. Monkey business

Was this made by a 10-year-old with WordArt? This example will leave an outstanding impression, but maybe not the best one.

21. Google autocomplete

We’ve all had situations with predictive text in the past, right? Well, this person decided to let Google write his résumé for him. Don’t get us wrong: it’s a funny résumé, but it doesn’t really show many skills other than creativity and a sense of humor.

22. The death certificate

Wow. This guy really wanted the job. So much so that he kept an eye on the obituary and sent the deceased person’s death certificate in with his application as proof there was an open position. I can’t see him getting the job, as it’s a bit callous, if you ask me.

23. The GoT and Stranger Things expert

This isn’t a great example of a graduate résumé , so try not to take inspiration from it. Clearly, this person is a TV connoisseur, though, because they’re both great shows.

24. Pandemic résumé

I think we can all relate to certain things on this résumé (for me, it was the “staring into the void” listed in the skills section). The pandemic was a weird time, but at least this person has thoughtfully gathered examples of things they did and learned during it (and created the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time!).

It seems that Bruce Wayne applied for a hospitality position, and even noted his desired salary as “justice”. I think this is a joke, but if it wasn’t, I don’t think his application will have gone far.

26. Insert text here

If you’re using a template when writing your résumé, make sure you delete any placeholder text like “text here”. While it might not be detrimental, it shows a complete lack of attention to detail .

27. The race and sex change

This is one résumé mistake that Marissa won’t ever forget. In a similar fashion to the entry above, this person decided to use a résumé template . If your template has a picture, make sure you update the stock photo to a picture of yourself, or it could lead to some confusion when you’re invited to an interview. Can you imagine their faces when she walked in?!

28. The wild bear fighter

If the company is wanting someone brave and courageous, then this person gets a big fat tick. Who else do you know who is willing to fight a bear?

29. A typical teenager

Well, this would definitely stand out on the résumé pile — if it was real, that is. This girl’s father decided to create a résumé for her and let’s just say it didn’t highlight many positive skills — including “giving out all clients [sic] information to fraudsters” and “chopping colleagues [sic] toes off with a spade”. Ouch!

30. Dungeons and Dragons

If you’re an avid gamer, you might wonder how you can use these skills to get a job. Well, here’s a great (and funny) example of how you can show the skills you learned from playing D&D. You’re welcome.

Final thoughts

While some of these résumés might be inadvertently (or even intentionally) funny, they definitely wouldn’t make it to the next stage of the hiring process. With a little under 30 seconds to impress hiring managers, you want to make sure you put your best foot forward — if, that is, you’re serious about your job search . So, whatever you do, don’t take a page out of these jobseekers’ book!

Have you come across any other funny résumés on the internet, or have you ever submitted an application that hilariously went wrong? We want to hear from you in the comments section below!

Originally published on September 30, 2015. Updated by Hayley Ramsey.

Job Applications

Résumé Examples

Laugh-Out-Loud Resume Memes for When You Need a Job Search Break

Inside: 10 relatable and hilarious resume memes to keep you laughing when the job search has you down.

Even in a thriving job market, the job search can be tough! You’re updating your resume, sending out applications, having dozens of networking calls, preparing for interviews, stressing out!

So why don’t we take a break from all the job search worries and share a few laughs with resume memes!

Plus stick around until the end and snag a free resume template to make your job search a whole lot easier!

Resume Memes for When the Job Seach Struggle is Real

The neverending job application.

Career Coach Tip: Okay, yes. Resubmitting your resume information on the application is brutal. But it’s also a good reason to have a Word document version of your resume easily accessible instead of just a PDF so you can copy and paste.

Also, don’t skip over this part because you are (justifiably) aggravated. It’s going to take a few more minutes but you don’t want to count yourself out of the running by skipping the step that allows the employer’s system to move your application along.

Add Those Resume Skills!

Career Coach Tip : The performance reviews part had me rolling. Moms and dads – you get it!

But for real, don’t count out your transferable skills! For parents returning to the paid workforce, think about what you’ve accomplished and the skills you’ve built in the past 3, 5, 8 years. It’s a lot, and it’s 100% worth putting on your resume.

You’re a Multitalented Sunflower!

Career Coach Tip: Don’t count out what might feel like “odd jobs” on your resume. Check out that job description and take the time to figure out what in your experience would be most valuable to the role. Then talk about it!

Yes, this does mean customizing your resume for specific job applications which I know can feel tedious, but if it’s going to get you in the door and into the interview? Worth it.

Resume Formatting, Try Resume For(throwing my computer out the window)ing

Career Coach Tip: Trying to manage a resume update using your own template? The WORST.

It gets even trickier when you have images or icons. So skip the photos all together (it’s not necessary) and if you’re including icons make sure you have a format that is already set so you don’t need to play with it.

Make this easier on yourself and grab a free professional resume template that you can plug your content into.

Rseume Meeme, errrr Resume Meme, Resume Meme!!!

Career Coach Tip: PROOFREAD your resume! And then get another set of eyes on it, please and thank you.

Need some help with your resume editing? Let’s talk.

Blame Barbie for the Resume Gap

Career Coach Tip: I laughed out loud at this while calling Nick Cage to see if he could help me unearth the national treasure that is my child’s Christmas present…

But in all seriousness, when you’re dealing with a resume gap, keep in mind a couple of key points.

• You don’t REALLY have a resume gap. You weren’t just hanging out the past X number of years. No, no. You were a full time caregiver, volunteering, doing project work, etc. That belongs on your resume as valuable experience.
• A skills section and a profile section can go a long way in setting the narrative of your resume instead of handing that job over to a bunch of job titles and dates! Start your resume by highlighting what you uniquely bring to the table.

I have some VERY special skills

Career Coach Tip : I LOVE a good skills section on a resume. Just make sure that it’s relevant to the job and use the appropriate keywords.

If the company is looking for someone who has experience with a specific technology tool and you have that experience, call it out! Do they refer to the figurative “herding the cats” you do in your job as project management? Use their language!

Now THAT’s a Resume Accomplishment

Career Coach Tip: I genuinely wish I could do this! Maybe laundry speed and efficiency don’t show up on your resume, but this resume tweet definitely has a point.

Make sure your resume is about your accomplishments! More on that in the next tip.

Illumination Specialist (2015 – Present)

Career Coach Tip: This is about getting your resume bullet points up to PAR.

That stands for Problem, Action, Result.

Every bullet point on your resume needs to earn it’s real estate by talking about a problem you solved, an action you took, and the results of those actions.

If the bullet point isn’t doing that, it’s just listing a responsibility and not a good use of space.

My babies, my babies!

Career Coach Tip: Speaking of resume space… Keep it to a one-page resume for less than 10 years of experience. You can go to a two-page resume MAX for more than 10 years of experience.

Anything longer than two pages won’t get read, so while it may be tough to cut things off your resume, it’s necessary! Focus on the last 10 years of your experience in particular. Earlier roles require less detail.

(Keeps cool under pressure)

Career Coach Tip: Another shout out to those transferable parenting skills!

Grab a list of 48 transferable skills here for your resume if you’re feeling stuck.

Free Resume Template

I promised you a free resume template along with some laughs. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget!

Grab your free resume template here and leave here knowing that you got some resume memes to take the edge off AND a resume template to accelerate your job search.

More Memes and Resume Tips:

Funny Back to Work Memes for When You’re Not Ready to Start Wearing Real Pants Again

Take Your Resume from “Meh” to “We Need to Meet Her!”

Funny Working Mom Memes

Uplevel Your Resume Intro

Becca Carnahan is a Career Coach, author, and mom of two. Her company, Next Chapter Careers, specializes in helping mid-career parents land fulfilling jobs they love without giving up the flexibility they need.

Becca trained as a career coach at Harvard Business School and has 16 years of experience in the career and professional development field. Find her sharing elder Millennial laughs and career advice on her podcast and in her book both named When Mommy Grows Up!

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25 Resume Memes That Deserves an Oscar for Fiction Writing

Crafting the Perfect Fiction: Resume Memes and the Art of Exaggeration

In the world of job hunting, crafting the perfect resume often feels like an exercise in fiction writing. From embellishing skills to exaggerating experiences, job seekers frequently resort to creative storytelling to land their dream roles. And what better way to capture this comedic aspect of the job search journey than through resume memes?

These resume memes brilliantly encapsulate the humorous exaggerations and embellishments that often find their way onto CVs. Each meme serves as a hilarious reminder of the lengths individuals go to in order to stand out in a competitive job market. Whether it’s claiming fluency in a language after completing a beginner’s course or exaggerating proficiency in Microsoft Excel to expert level, these memes shed light on the common tropes of resume fiction writing.

Furthermore, these resume memes provide a light-hearted take on the anxiety-inducing process of job interviews. Funny job interview memes often poke fun at the nerves and awkwardness candidates experience, offering a much-needed dose of laughter amidst the stress. And let’s not forget the classic scenario of “When you lie on your resume but still get the job,” a recurring theme in both resume and job interview memes. These memes playfully highlight the irony of landing a position based on exaggerated qualifications, serving as a reminder that sometimes honesty isn’t always the best policy in the world of job hunting.

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• All post , Resume and Cover Letter

The 30 Funniest Resumes and Job Applications We’ve Ever Seen

Michael Samuel

As seen in:

When searching for a job , it’s crucial to have a résumé that packs a punch and grabs the attention of the hiring manager.

But let’s face it, some people take it a little too far and end up being the laughing stock of the HR department.

We went down the internet rabbit hole and stumbled upon some of the most hilarious résumés and job applications that will have you rollin’ on the floor laughin’.

From listing “World domination” as a career goal to “Fluent in sarcasm” as a language, these candidates truly went above and beyond in standing out from the crowd- for better or for worse.

So, without wasting too much time, we present to you 30 of the most ridiculous résumés and job applications that will have you chuckling- of course you never want to replicate these.

1. The Expert Communicator

The self-proclaimed “expert communicator” has got some serious confidence, but let’s be real- unless he’s planning on becoming a stand-up comedian, we’re unsure what kind of job he’s actually qualified for.

He hasn’t got any transferable skills and definitely got some work to do if he wants to prove his skills beyond just talking a big game.

2. The “Pharmaceutical Sales Rep”

This candidate is refreshingly candid…or perhaps too candid. From lacking formal education to running a “weed delivery service”, it’s clear he has some sales skills, but probably not the kind you want in a professional office setting.

But hey, at least he is not afraid to think outside the box and diversify his revenue streams!

3. The egotistical Actor

Is this even a résumé or just a comedic masterpiece? Daryl clearly couldn’t decide on just one photo of himself, so he gifted us with a triptych of vanity.

And if that wasn’t enough, he even manages to brag about getting cast as a rapist. Smooth move, Daryl.

4. A teen with a killer sense of humor

This clever young whipper-snapper not only made the hiring manager laugh, but landed himself a gig flipping burgers at McDonald’s with his clever and candid responses.

Who knew being a smartass could pay off?

5. The Cream of the Crop

This dashingly debonair candidate believes he is the crème de la crème of the job market. He certainly has a lot of chutzpah for applying for a job in such a bold way.

Find out: 10 Signs an Interview Went Well or Bad

6. Or, you know… Whatever floats your boat!

I mean, let’s be real, who wouldn’t be impressed by an applicant with lightning-fast reflexes like a cat, a laugh that sounds like a horse and an appetite that could feed a small army?!

7. The Big Boss

A self-proclaimed Boss who boasts about being a jack of all trades, but has a résumé as empty as a clown car at a funeral. Who wouldn’t want to roll the dice and hire this stud muffin?

8. What an interesting hobby!

Brad had been circulating his résumé with this peculiar hobby listed on it for a while before he finally realized that his pal had written it as a prank. Brad, my dear boy… you got pranked!

9. The “I don’t give a hoot” guy

Let’s be real, we’ve all been there, not giving a single care in the world. But, listing it on your résumé as a skill? That’s a whole different level of “0- f*cks”

10. Could this be serious?

This has got to be some kind of prank, from the terrible photo to the jailbird story. I’m honestly a bit scared to even read this résumé, let alone meet the infamous Mr. Santangelo in person.

11. Ms Desperation

This applicant’s résumé is a hot mess, with typos and errors galore, but the cherry on top is the bold and underlined “HIRE ME” written at the bottom.

It’s like she was screaming “I’m desperate, please hire me!” at the top of her lungs. But hey, at least she’s passionate about finding a job.

12. The ultimate summer gig

This brilliant young mind, with a heart of gold and a knack for typos, is on the hunt for the ultimate summer gig. Talk about ambition!

13. When it comes to résumés, sometimes less is more

This applicant took the idea of “simplicity” to a whole new level. I mean, a single line stating degree and give me the job? That’s like showing up to a job interview in sweatpants. But hey, maybe he is a minimalist and trying to prove a point. Or maybe he just had a really bad day and forgot to finish his résumé. Either way, I’m not convinced this direct approach will land him the job, but I’m definitely convinced it’s a good laugh.

Find out: How to Create a Job-Winning Resume with No Education

14. Nicolas Cage-ing it

This applicant took “thinking outside the box” to a whole new level by attaching a hilarious picture of none other than Nicolas Cage instead of their résumé.

A reminder to all job seekers: always double, triple, and quadruple check your attachments before hitting send. Otherwise, you might just end up Cage-ing it and making a Nicolas Cage-y of yourself.

15. The c*ck

Talk about a poultry disaster of a résumé! Let’s just say this isn’t the fowl-proof way to apply for a catering job.

16. Oh snap!

Looks like someone skipped the lesson on manners in kindergarten. I know a little bit of cheekiness can be charming, but this résumé is straight up disrespectful and in-your-face.

It’s a résumé that would make even the most easy-going person want to wash their eyes with soap.

17. The devil wears Prada?

More like the devil wears Prague! Who knew the Prince of Darkness had such a love for the Czech Republic? Not to talk about a fashion faux pas.

If you’re gonna drop a movie reference, make sure you’ve got the title right, otherwise, you might end up looking like a fool. I mean, have you ever even heard of “Devil Wears Prague”? I sure haven’t.

18. The Master Distractor

This applicant’s thought process is a bit like a game of telephone, it gets lost in translation. While it’s funny, his massive ego might just be a distraction to his own work.

But hey, at least he’ll make the office more entertaining.

19. References? More like “references-less”!

Lucky for this résumé, it wasn’t thrown in the trash with the rest of its reference-less comrades.

20. Going Bananas

Is this a résumé created by a child with a love for WordArt? It may leave a lasting impression, but probably not the one you want.

21. Google autocomplete

We’ve all had our fair share of autocomplete mishaps, but this candidate took it to a whole new level by letting Google do all the heavy lifting on their résumé.

While it’s certainly amusing, we’re unsure it’s the best way to highlight your skills and qualifications. But hey, at least he has a good sense of humor and creativity on his side.

Maybe he should apply for a job at Google, they seem to have a pretty good understanding of the inner workings.

22. The death certificate

Talk about going the extra mile for a job, this candidate must have had a sixth sense because he knew when a position was open before it was even advertised.

How did he know? Well, he sent in a death certificate of the previous employee with his application as proof that the spot was up for grabs. I have to say, it’s a bold move but also a bit morbid, I would not expect him to land the job but he definitely made an impression.

23. The one and only GoT and Stranger Things expert!

This résumé may not be a work of art, but it’s clear that this person has a serious dedication to binge-watching and snacking.

If you’re looking for someone who can tell you the difference between a White Walker and a Demogorgon with their eyes closed, then look no further! Just don’t expect them to leave their living room anytime soon.

24. Pandemic résumé

We’ve all been through a lot during the pandemic, and this résumé perfectly captures the essence of it all.

From “staring into the void” to “crying in car”, this job seeker has truly mastered the art of summarizing the pandemic experience in one document. But let’s be real, we all know that the real skill listed here has the ability to make HR managers laugh out loud while reading the résumé.

Looks like the caped crusader himself, Batman, decided to take a break from fighting crime and applied for a job in the hospitality industry.

But instead of listing his salary expectations in dollars and cents, he wrote “justice” as his desired pay. Now, I’m not sure if this was a joke or not, but if it was serious, I’m pretty sure he won’t be getting a call back from HR.

26. Insert text here

Listen up folks, if you’re using a résumé template and you come across a little phrase that says “Insert text here”- never leave it there like a clueless buffoon.

It may not be the end of the world, but it’s like showing up to a job interview wearing crocs, it screams “I don’t give a hoot.” So, before you hit send, double check for any “Insert text here” or “Lorem Ipsum” placeholder text and delete it like it’s your ex’s number. Trust me, it’s for your own good.

27. The race and sex change

Marissa will never forget the time she received a résumé with a picture of a man of a different race. Apparently, the job seeker had used a résumé template and forgot to replace the stock photo with a picture of themselves.

Can you just imagine the look on the hiring manager’s face when this individual walked into the interview? Not to talk about a case of mistaken identity!

28. The wild bear fighter

If the company is looking for someone who isn’t afraid to take on the wild, then this applicant is their huckleberry. The applicant is not just willing, but eager to take on a bear in the ring. Imagine the company picnic, when the boss says “let’s roast marshmallows”, this person would reply “let’s roast bear”.

29. A typical teenager (or so we thought)

This résumé would definitely make a hiring manager do a double take, if it wasn’t a joke, that is.

This girl’s father decided to have a little fun and create a résumé for her, listing skills such as “expert in procrastination”, “champion of Netflix binges” and “able to eat entire pizza by oneself”- and let’s not forget the “giving out all clients information to fraudsters” and “chopping colleagues toes off with a spade” (ouch!)- it’s safe to say that this teenager is not your typical candidate.

30. Dungeons and Dragons

Are you a hardcore Dungeons and Dragons player wondering how to showcase your skills on a job application?

Look no further! We present to you the ultimate example of how to infuse a little fantasy into your résumé and impress those hiring managers. From “Dragon slaying” to “Quest completion rate”, who wouldn’t want to hire a boss level dungeon master like yourself?

So, grab your 20-sided die and let’s get rolling on the ultimate job application that will have everyone laughing and hiring you on the spot!

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, it’s vital to remember that a resume is often the first impression a potential employer has of you.

Ensure to take your job search seriously and avoid making the same mistakes as these jobseekers. Have you ever come across any funny resume or had any mishaps with your own applications? Share your stories in the comments section below.

While we find these resumes hilarious, they cannot be considered for the next stage of the hiring process. With our free expert resume ebook , you can ensure that your application stands out and presents you in the best light possible. Looking for a job? Try Jooble !

Further Reading

11+ Key Skills To Put On a Resume Right Away

What to Wear to a Summer Interview

What Companies are in the Public Utilities Field? – 2024 Update

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101 Resume Jokes

Looking for a job can be a daunting and serious task, but injecting a bit of humor into the process can lighten the mood and make it a more enjoyable experience. Resumes are essential tools for job seekers, providing a snapshot of their qualifications, skills, and experiences.

While these documents are usually serious and straightforward, they also offer plenty of opportunities for some light-hearted resume jokes. In this collection of resume-related humor, we’ll explore how these fictional resumes embark on a comedic journey, weaving together puns, wordplay, and job-related humor. So, get ready to chuckle as we delve into the world of resume jokes!

Top 101 Resume Rokes:

• Why don’t resumes make good comedians ? They always have to work on their delivery!
• Why did the resume go to the party ? To network!
• Why don’t resumes make good detectives ? They always reveal their references!
• What did the resume say to the job? “I’ve got all the qualifications, but can I handle the work?”
• What’s a resume’s favorite type of music ? Job rock .
• Why did the resume file for bankruptcy? It had too many gaps!
• What did the resume say to the job interview? “Let’s get personal!”
• Why did the resume get a ticket? For speeding through the qualifications!
• Why don’t resumes play poker ? They’re too easy to read !
• Why was the resume proud? It was full of achievements!
• Why did the resume go to the doctor ? It felt unqualified.
• What’s a resume’s favorite sport ? Jobbing.
• What did the resume say to the cover letter? “You complete me!”
• Why was the resume embarrassed? It had too many typos!
• What do you call a resume without a job objective? Aimless.
• What’s a resume’s favorite movie? “The Job Hunter.”
• Why did the resume go to therapy ? It had commitment issues.
• Why don’t resumes make good novels? They’re too short!
• Why was the resume sad ? It had no references.
• What do you call a resume that’s too long ? An autobiography.
• Why did the resume go to the gym ? It needed to bulk up its qualifications!
• What did the resume say to the job offer? “I’ve been waiting for you!”
• Why was the resume happy? It found a matching job!
• What’s a resume’s favorite dessert ? Jobberry pie .
• Why did the resume go to school ? To improve its education section!
• What do you call a resume that’s all fluff? A sheep in wolf’s clothing.
• Why don’t resumes make good friends? They’re always talking about themselves!
• What’s a resume’s favorite drink ? Joba juice.
• What did the resume say to the spelling mistake? “You’re not welcome here!”
• Why was the resume nervous? It was facing a panel interview.
• What’s a resume’s favorite book ? “Job and Peace.”
• Why did the resume join the circus ? It was good at juggling tasks!
• What do you call a resume with no experience? A newbie.
• Why did the resume cross the road? To get to the job interview!
• Why don’t resumes make good secret agents? They spill all the details!
• What did the resume say to the dream job? “I think I’m the one!”
• What’s a resume’s favorite fruit ? Jobberries.
• Why was the resume feeling blue ? It was too generic.
• What’s a resume’s favorite TV show ? “Job of Thrones.”
• Why did the resume go to the dentist ? It had a gap it needed to fill!
• What do you call a resume that’s just one page? A briefcase.
• Why don’t resumes go on vacation ? They’re always on the job!
• What did the resume say to the LinkedIn profile? “I see we have a lot in common !”
• What’s a resume’s favorite song ? “Take This Job and Love It.”
• Why did the resume go to the optometrist? It had trouble focusing.
• What’s a resume’s favorite food ? Jobster roll.
• Why don’t resumes play hide and seek ? They always get found out!
• What’s a resume’s favorite planet? Jobiter.
• What did the resume say to the job fair? “Pick me, pick me!”
• Why was the resume feeling cold ? It lacked warm references.
• Why don’t resumes make good magicians ? They can’t hide anything up their sleeves !
• What’s a resume’s favorite animal ? The jobra.
• Why did the resume get a makeover? It needed to look presentable!
• What did the resume say to the rejection letter? “You haven’t seen the last of me!”
• What’s a resume’s favorite game ? Jobscotch.
• Why did the resume get a tan? To look good for the summer job!
• Why don’t resumes make good movies? They’re over in a flash!
• What did the resume say to the job description? “We’re a perfect match!”
• Why was the resume feeling deflated? It was too thin on details.
• What’s a resume’s favorite flower ? Job roses .
• Why did the resume go to the tailor? It needed to be a perfect fit !
• What did the resume say to the dream job? “I’ve been working towards you my whole life !”
• Why was the resume sent to jail? It was full of lies !
• What’s a resume’s favorite dance ? The jobble.
• Why did the resume go to the hairdresser? It needed a trim!
• What did the resume say to the trash can? “Not today!”
• What’s a resume’s favorite joke? “Knock knock. Who’s there? Job. Job who? Jobportunity!”
• Why don’t resumes make good chefs? They only have one recipe!
• What’s a resume’s favorite city? Joburg.
• Why was the resume feeling high? It was elevated to the top of the pile!
• What did the resume say to the coffee ? “You keep me going!”
• Why did the resume join the military ? It wanted to show its discipline!
• What’s a resume’s favorite song? “Job’s My Life.”
• Why did the resume visit the fortune teller? It wanted to know its future!
• What did the resume say to the typo? “You’re not part of my plans!”
• Why don’t resumes make good fishermen? They always let the big ones get away!
• What’s a resume’s favorite hobby? Jobbing.
• Why did the resume get a massage ? It was feeling stressed!
• What did the resume say to the paperclip? “Hold me together!”
• Why was the resume feeling self-conscious? It was being scrutinized.
• What’s a resume’s favorite bird ? The jobbird.
• Why did the resume go to the bar? To find a job on the rocks!
• What did the resume say to the printer? “Make me look good!”
• Why don’t resumes make good detectives? They give away all their secrets!
• What’s a resume’s favorite candy ? Jobstoppers.
• Why did the resume go to the spa ? It needed a refresh!
• What did the resume say to the job ad? “I’m the one you’re looking for!”
• Why was the resume feeling warm? It was under the spotlight.
• What’s a resume’s favorite car ? Jobuar.
• Why did the resume go to the tailor? It needed to be tailored to the job!
• What did the resume say to the black marker? “Please, not the red one!”
• Why don’t resumes play chess ? They always lose their positions!
• What’s a resume’s favorite landmark? The Jobson Memorial .
• Why was the resume feeling insecure? It didn’t have any backups.
• What did the resume say to the mouse ? “Don’t scroll past me!”
• Why don’t resumes make good boxers? They can’t punch!
• What’s a resume’s favorite insect? The jobberfly.
• Why did the resume get a facelift? It needed to stay relevant!
• What did the resume say to the scanner? “Capture my good side!”
• Why don’t resumes make good singers ? They can’t hit the high notes!
• What’s a resume’s favorite holiday? Joboween – because it’s all about dressing up and getting the treats (jobs)!

In the world of job hunting , where resumes carry the weight of career aspirations, adding a touch of humor can alleviate stress and spark a smile on the faces of both job seekers and recruiters alike. Through the laughter, these resume jokes remind us that searching for employment doesn’t have to be all seriousness and stress. It’s okay to find moments of joy and levity in the process.

We hope these light-hearted resume jokes brought some entertainment and joy to your day. Remember, the job search can be challenging, but maintaining a positive attitude and a sense of humor can make the journey more enjoyable. So, the next time you’re crafting your resume or attending an interview, take a moment to appreciate the lighter side of the process, and perhaps you’ll find yourself inspired to create your own resume joke. After all, laughter is a universal language that can bridge the gap between job seekers and prospective employers. Good luck on your job search, and may the humor be with you!

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Ridiculous When You Lie on Your Resume Memes

A great when you lie on your resume meme is always fun when scrolling social because memes are hilarious. When you lie on your resume, job application form, cover letter, or any time during your job search, it’s often because you’re trying to get a job, and something in your background needs to be embellished so you will get noticed in the application process. Needless to say, memes make light of the fact that most people lie or exaggerate something on their resume, and they’re hilarious.

Interestingly, Harver , a reference checking company, shows that over 70% of job candidates who recently applied for or received a job offer admit they did or would consider misrepresenting themselves on their application. The stress of finding a job is simply leading job seekers to lie on their resumes to stand out .

The survey included responses from 400 job applicants and 400 hiring managers, recruiters, and other human resources professionals. Here are the most common lies told during the hiring process and the share of candidates who have or would consider telling them:

• Having a mastery of skills they barely use (like Excel or a foreign language): 60%
• Working at a company longer than they did to omit another employer: 50%
• Having a higher GPA by more than half a point: 49%
• Holding a director title when the actual role was a manager or another equivalent level: 41%
• Earning a degree from a prestigious university when they were actually a few credits short: 40%
• Earning a degree from a prestigious university instead of where they went: 39%
• Earning a degree from a prestigious university when they’d only taken one class online: 39%
• Saying they achieved things they didn’t: 33%

At Matchbuilt, while working with 1000s of candidates over the years, we’ve seen our share of new job candidates lying on their resumes. We’ve found the most egregious lies are that you graduated from college when you didn’t, when you stayed at a job longer than you actually did, and when you misrepresent why you left a particular position (got fired). That said, when you completely lie on your resume memes are hilarious, so we’ve devoted a post to it that we’ll continue to update.

When You Lie on Your Resume and Still Get the Job Memes

Tips to Avoid Lying on a Resume and Becoming a Meme

Kim Issacs, a resume expert at the leading job board, Monster, suggests staying honest , keeping an eye on your resume design, and getting in front of any potential issues.

Stay honest: It sounds cliché, but honesty is the best policy . Instead of using evasion or complete distortion of facts, try the following strategies: Rethink your design: “A common way to format dates on your resume is to right-justify or left-justify them, so they’re set apart from text,” says Isaacs. But “lone dates surrounded by a river of white space draws the eye—so it’s not a good choice for someone trying to downplay frequent job changes.” Instead, place the dates next to job titles or employer names, so they blend in with the other content, she suggests. Get in front of a potential issue: You might be tempted to leave off a job in which your departure didn’t go well, but omissions are like lies and can be just as harmful. “Sometimes bad things happen; if you’re honest and upfront, you can overcome that.”

How You’ll Get Caught Lying and Become a Resume Meme

The team at Glassdoor offers the following list of ways you can get caught lying on your resume.  Keep these in mind, so you don’t become an internet meme yourself.

Your alma mater can’t confirm you graduated: Claiming to be a Harvard graduate when you have a degree from a no-name state school is one of the worst things you can lie about on your resume, according to hiring managers surveyed by Hloom. And while some employers will take you at your word when you say you went to a fancy school, others will check on your educational background by calling the school directly or using a service like the National Student Clearinghouse. Sometimes, it’s interested third parties who clue an employer into a lie, such as the student journalists at a Kansas high school who discovered their new principal had inflated her educational credentials.

You can’t pass a skills test: It’s easy to say you’re proficient in everything, from conversational French to coding, on your resume. But proving you actually have those skills is another thing entirely. Employers realize how simple it is for people to exaggerate their skill set, so don’t be surprised if you’re asked to demonstrate your talents. An interviewer might ask you a question in the language you claim to be fluent in or give you an on-the-spot quiz. Failing such a basic test is a sure sign that you’ve either stretched the truth or overestimated your abilities, which will likely take you out of the running for a job.

Dates don’t add up: According to OfficeTeam, roughly a quarter of resume liars are fibbing about their employment dates. If you’re tempted to cover up a resume gap by fudging employment dates, don’t do it. A quick call to your past employer is all it takes for someone to find out that you got laid off back in January, not June. Trying to cover a gap by listing your job history by year rather than month and year is also suspicious and might prompt a hiring manager to do some further digging. If you’re worried about a resume gap making you look like a slacker, fill it with volunteering or consulting work, not lies.

Your resume and cover letter don’t match: A sparkling, error-free resume paired with a messy cover letter is a red flag that a candidate is not being sincere. Such a discrepancy suggests you got a helping hand with your C.V. or even stole another person’s work history to pass off as your own. Being unable to recall key details of your experience and jobs during an interview is another huge giveaway you’ve fabricated from your past employment.

Your job titles are too good to be true: Two years out of college and already sitting in the C-suite? Expect an interviewer to ask some pointed questions about your responsibilities to make sure you’re actually telling the truth about your title. Inflated job titles will also come to light if prospective employers call your ex-boss to confirm your past employment. That’s when the promotion you gave yourself from marketing intern to senior marketing manager will be revealed.

You’re vague about your skills and experience: Job candidates might stretch the truth by using vague terms to describe their skills and expertise . Perhaps they reason it’s OK if they’re not spouting an outright lie. But savvy interviewers will spot people who aren’t quite as knowledgeable as they initially appear. “Using ambiguous phrases like ‘familiar with’ or ‘involved in’ could mean the candidate is trying to cover up a lack of direct experience,” noted OfficeTeam. In other words, claiming to be familiar with event planning because you sometimes pick up doughnuts for the weekly staff meeting isn’t going to fly.

Your body language betrays you: You might think you’re an impeccable liar. But subtle body language cues in the interview could give away your resume lies. “A lack of eye contact or constant fidgeting may suggest dishonesty,” noted OfficeTeam, though those behaviors aren’t guarantees of dishonesty. Touching your nose, looking down when you’re answering a question, and turning your body away from the interviewer are other ways you might inadvertently signal that you’re not telling the truth, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Your references don’t back you up: If you’re a skilled liar, you might get away with embellishing your skills or past responsibilities in an interview or on your resume. But you won’t necessarily be able to count on your references to back you up. An honest reference will reveal the actual extent of your job responsibilities or the truth about your so-called accomplishments. Even if you find a reference willing to go along with your charade, the interviewer might do some extra digging on their own, reaching out to mutual connections or independently contacting your old boss or co-workers to find out what you’re really like. And remember, no laws restrict what an ex-employer can say about you, despite what some job seekers might think.

A Google search reveals the truth: Seventy percent of employers snoop on candidates before offering them a job. You better hope that what HR finds on social media or as part of a basic Google search matches what you have on your resume. Of employers who decide not to hire someone after researching them online, 27% did so because they discovered the candidate had lied about their qualifications, CareerBuilder found. A little Nancy Drew-style sleuthing is all it takes to discover that your alma mater is a diploma mill or that the company you claimed to work for last year went out of business a decade ago.

The employer conducts a background check: Not all employers conduct formal background checks. But if you encounter one that does, it will sink you if you’re being untruthful. Don’t expect a job offer if a prospective employer conducts a background check and discovers you’ve lied (either directly or by omission) about your work history, criminal past, education, professional certifications , or other key facts.

What constitutes a “little white lie” on a resume?

There are several common ways job applicants “enhance” their resumes, convinced such statements will improve their chances of landing the job.

Per Fast Company, the most common lies are in work experience , such as taking full credit for a project others worked on or overstating sales figures.

Applicants often claim skills they don’t have, such as language proficiency, or misrepresent job responsibilities. Another form of a white lie is literally that: Using white fonts in the blank areas of the resume, designed to fool the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and get you beyond the software that 90% of companies use. The white font presents keywords and inflated credentials that the job seeker assumes only the software can read.

What are the most common resume lies job seekers tell?

Leading job board, Monster suggests lies about education, dates, and skills are the most common resume fabrications.

• Education embellishments:  People try to make more of a course or two they took than they should. Some didn’t even attend a class at a college they said they graduated from.
• Date deception.  Another common deceit is to cover employment gaps by stretching dates for one or two jobs to cover a time gap or fabricating a temporary position.
• Skill stretching . Many job candidates offer a laundry list of technical proficiencies, but just because you used a program a few times doesn’t make you an expert. The same goes if you claim to be fluent in a language just because you took a year of it in high school.

What is a meme?

A meme is a funny image, video, piece of text, etc., copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by internet users. Per Wikipedia:

An internet meme , more commonly known simply as a meme, is an idea, behavior, image, or style spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet and is subject to change over time. Traditionally, they were a concept or catchphrase. Still, the concept has become broader and multi-faceted, evolving to include more elaborate structures such as challenges, GIFs, videos, and viral sensations. Internet memes are considered a part of Internet culture. They can spread from person to person via social networks, blogs, direct email, or news sources. Instant communication on the Internet facilitates word-of-mouth transmission, resulting in fads and sensations that proliferate. An example of such a fad is planking (lying down in public places); posting a photo of someone planking online brings attention to the fad and allows it to reach many people in little time. The Internet also facilitates the rapid evolution of memes.

When You Lie On Your Resume and Get the Job Anyway Memes Summary

Funny resume memes will probably stand the test of time because people will always lie on their resume to get consideration for a particular job. Further, resume writing isn’t easy, so embellishing a specific skill to attain your dream job may be the easiest path forward.

That said, getting caught in a big lie on your resume or cover letter can waste a ton of time for you and the human resources department, and that first day at the office can be very embarrassing, as these ridiculous memes show. Don’t become a resume meme; check out these tips :

50 Tips on Building a Great Resume How to Say Fast Learner on Your Resume Should You Put Your Address on Your Resume How to Put Dean’s List on Your Resume How Many Bullet Points Per Job on Your Resume

Looking For More When You Lie on Your Resume Memes?  Check Out These Videos

About Mark Matyanowski

As the founder of MatchBuilt, with over 18 years of recruiting and coaching experience and 8+ years in executive roles at a leading Fortune 100 company, I am deeply committed to guiding professionals in their career paths.

Our team at MatchBuilt offers expert support in enhancing resumes, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, and preparing for interviews. Our blog, drawing on our rich experience and industry insights, is a valuable resource for job seekers.

We take pride in successfully guiding job candidates to top-tier company roles while empowering individuals to achieve their career ambitions, irrespective of their background or educational level.

When You Lie On Your Resume Meme Generator

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You’ll Laugh Yourself Silly With These Resume Funnies

• Post author By ben
• Post date February 10, 2020

All you have to do is search “funny resumes” or “resume bloopers,” and you will be inundated with funny anecdotes from various companies who have collected some hilarious resumes.

These resumes definitely make for some fun water-cooler humor, but it won’t land you a job. In fact, mistakes will repel would-be employers.

Be careful when you’re typing your resume or submitting an online job application. Check, double-check and then recheck your spelling and word choices, and then have someone else check it too!

Funnies From Resumes

Education: “I have a bachelorette degree in computers.”

Background: “28 dog years of experience in sales (four human).

Hobbies: “enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians.”

“2001 summer Voluntary work for taking care of the elderly and vegetable people.”

Hobbies: “drugs and girls”.

Achievements: “Nominated for prom queen.”

One resume said that the individual had won a contest for building toothpick bridges in middle school.

One applicant used colored paper and drew glitter designs around the border.

“Finished eighth in my class of ten.”

“It’s best for employers that I not work with people.”

“Marital status: often. Children:  various.”

Interests: “gossiping.”

Languages: “Speak English and Spinach.”

Objective: “So one of the main things for me is, as the movie ‘Jerry McGuire’ puts it, ‘Show me the money!'”

Qualifications: “Twin sister has accounting degree.”

Application: Why should an employer hire you? “I bring doughnuts on Friday.”

Experience: “Child care provider: Organized activities; prepared lunches and snakes.”

Personal: “I am loyal and know when to keep my big mouth shut.”

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• Tags hiring tips , online job applications , resumes

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20 Hilarious Resumes That Didn’t Get The Job But Got The Laugh

Hiring managers are sharing the funniest, weirdest, and strangest resumes to ever come across their desk. From putting their pets as references to using their CV as a means to tell their life story, here are a selection of funny stories and resumes that were passed over, but fondly remembered. 

Posted by Redditor u/ mandabeth5 :

I was a supervisor in a casino, and was once assisting my table games manager in weeding out potential applicants vs. "hell no" applicants. These all appeared on the same application:

Education: School of Hard Knocks.

Job Experience: Life, Hustling, Learnin' the Hard Way

References: Jesus Christ

Paste Problems

Posted by Redditor u/ stars_are_silent :

I had a guy who sent in a resume where he had accidentally pasted an internet banner ad for p*rn to the top of it. 

My Little Resume

Impressive References

Posted by Redditor u/ Raguel0417 :

I received a resume several years back that barely had any information on it (I think it was just his school, some freelance modeling gig, and some references).

He said that his resume was bare since he only placed information that was relevant for the role he was applying for (it was a sales role) and he was afraid that his identity might get stolen.

His references were also weird. I remember Princess Diana and Mother Theresa was on his list of reference. They were both already dead at the time of his interview.

• u/onyxscorpion22

So Much Fail

Posted by Redditor u/ Aibeit :

I've gotten a handwritten, ineligible resumé before. Also someone that insisted in their cover letter that they were only willing to work on Tuesdays - for a full-time position.

I've seen one that had a note saying "You didn't honestly think I was going to show you this?" instead of the high school report card, and one that claimed to have mastered Microsoft Excel to the "Asian Level".

Oh, and a colleague of mine once opened one of those *.pdf.exe resumés that turned out to be ransomware.

• Entertainment

Explore resume GIFs

Giphy clips, explore gifs.

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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Department of Economics

• Undergraduate

18 Résumé Writing Tips to Help You Stand Out

By  Allison Pohle

Updated May 11, 2021 2:15 pm ET

• A résumé isn’t just a list of every job you’ve ever had. It should demonstrate your accomplishments.
• Mirror language used in the job posting so your résumé isn’t discarded by an applicant tracking system.
• Use a clean and simple format. 

Companies increasingly  rely on software  to sort through applicants, which is why it is essential to tailor your résumé to ensure it makes the cut. Applicant tracking systems sort, scan and rank applicants by looking for keywords in applications. Although these programs can save time and money for employers, about 60% said such tools cause them to miss some qualified candidates, according to a 2016 survey of 1,200 job seekers and managers by CareerArc, a human-resources technology company, and Future Workplace, a research firm. Here’s how to make your résumé stand out to robots and humans alike. 

1. Highlight your achievements in your résumé. 

A common mistake job seekers make is believing a résumé is a recap of your career, when in reality, it should convey what you have accomplished, says Christy Noel, a career expert and author of “Your Personal Career Coach.” 

“I always say, spend less of your real estate describing your job, and more time describing your results,” says Ms. Noel.  

2. Customize your résumé.

Read over the job posting, and think about the work experience you have had that is most directly relevant to the position you are pursuing. You can leave out some past jobs and internships if the experience you had wasn’t related. Whatever you do: Don’t submit a generic résumé to dozens of postings. “Even if you have the best experience, if your résumé isn’t speaking directly to the position in which you are applying, there is a strong chance you’ll never even get an interview,” says Demisha Jennings, a certified professional résumé writer and founder and owner of She Assists LLC.  

The same applies to your cover letter. It is your chance to provide more detail on how your experience will help you succeed in the job.  Read our cover letter guide  for how to write one that makes you stand out.

3. Decide how to format your résumé.

Most of the time, a chronological résumé will work well for communicating your past experience. But, in some cases, a functional or hybrid résumé might be more appropriate.  Read more about résumé formats here.

4. Make your contact information easy to find.

Include your name, phone number, email address, city and state. It may also be appropriate to include the URL to your LinkedIn profile. You want it to be easy for hiring managers to reach out.

In addition to making it easy to connect with you, it is important to your job search that you grow your network.  Read our networking guide  for tips on how to do so.

5. Consider adding a summary. 

Many résumé templates leave space for an objective statement, outlining career goals, but that approach is outdated, says Ms. Jennings. Instead, consider a carefully worded summary. The summary is often the first place a hiring manager will look, and gives you an opportunity to introduce your skills high up on the page. You can also work in relevant keywords from the job description. “Recruiters are looking for what you can bring to the table and what you’ve done, rather than you saying, ‘I’m seeking a position,’” Ms. Jennings says. 

6. Great résumés should stand out to skim readers.

Most recruiters spend just a few seconds skimming through a résumé—with an average in one study of  7.4 seconds.  

To have the best chance of making an impression, ensure your job titles, company names and dates of employment are easy to read. The sections of your résumé should be adequately spaced, too, says Dana Leavy-Detrick, founder and director of Brooklyn Resume Studio. 

For additional ways to make a good impression on recruiters and headhunters, read  our guide on how to work with headhunters .

7. Make your résumé robot-friendly. 

Structure your résumé to meet the requirements of an applicant tracking system to give yourself the best chance of having it reach an actual human. Ms. Leavy-Detrick suggests the following:

• Optimize keywords.  Use the same words and language that are in the job description. For example, three different companies might describe the same role as “programmer,” “developer” or “software engineer.” 
• Use a straightforward format.  Avoid tables and text-based graphics, which might not get picked up by a scan of the résumé. Sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica are also best to ensure readability.
• Think about order.  When formatting each line item of work experience, list the company name first, followed by the job location (city, state), your job title, and your start and end dates. Some résumés can get lost if the dates are listed before the job title. 

8. Prioritize relevant keywords. 

Tailoring your skills to include language from the job posting is an important way to let both the applicant tracking system and, eventually, a hiring manager, see how your prior qualifications tie into the job requirements. But just because you have a résumé full of keywords doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get an interview. “The ATS isn’t there to help the job seeker, it is there to help the employer review your skills against their most important qualifications,” says Ashley Watkins, a career coach and résumé writer with Write Step Résumés LLC. 

9. Craft compelling and concise bullet points.

The goal of a résumé is to list your accomplishments, rather than every duty you performed in the role. Résumé-writing experts recommend including no more than five bullet points per prior job listed. 

• Don’t focus on tasks.  Many job seekers describe what they did every day, such as answering phones or creating marketing materials, Ms. Watkins says. “Simply copying and pasting the job description doesn’t account for the things you did great, that you did above and beyond your peers,” she says.
• Instead, explain what those tasks achieved.  Emphasize your results. Ms. Watkins suggests asking yourself “Did I save [the employer] money? Did I save time? Did I improve a process? Did I build a relationship?” These will help you format your bullet points.
• Use metrics.  Say what you achieved, then contextualize it—with figures if possible. You might not be able to put a monetary value on every accomplishment, but you can frame it by sharing details like the time it took or how many people were involved. “If you raised sales 50% in two months, that means a whole lot more than ‘I’m in charge of sales,’” Ms. Watkins says. 
• Don’t omit accomplishments that aren’t quantifiable.  Not every achievement will have metrics to show success. If there are figures, you might not always have access to them. But that shouldn’t stop you from including them, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. Perhaps you had a positive impact on the culture of an organization, or improved a struggling relationship with a client. These efforts could help to demonstrate your  soft skills.

10. Focus on transferable skills if you lack experience.

If you are applying for a job in a new field or you are an entry-level applicant and don’t have much direct experience, don’t worry. Highlight transferable skills you have developed in the past that will serve you well in the position, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. For example, you could play up leadership skills you developed participating in an extracurricular activity or time-management skills you learned in a prior job.

11. Go beyond your work history, and include all relevant experience.

If you are new to the workforce, or are job-hunting after being laid off, you could also include related experience that was outside of a traditional full-time job, says Ms. Watkins. For example, you can highlight volunteer work, consulting projects or educational training, all as part of making the case for your unique value, she says.

12. Don’t worry too much about gaps in your résumé.

The Covid-19 pandemic economy resulted in many people being laid off or furloughed. Ms. Watkins says the 2020 job market reminds her of 2008, when she worked as a recruiter. The expectation at that time, she says, was that candidates would have  gaps  on their résumés or list more short-term positions. While it isn’t necessary to directly address the gaps in your résumé, you should be  prepared to talk about them in an interview . “The focus should not be centered on the fact that you were furloughed or laid off, it should be focused on you and your skills and what you do that impacts the company’s bottom line in a positive way,” Ms. Watkins says.

While it is common to list the months and years you started and ended positions in the job history section, you could just use years. This will draw less attention to a six- or eight-month gap, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. 

13. Highlight relevant skills.

It is common to  add a skills section to your résumé , outlining expertise relevant to the position. You can include languages you speak, technical skills or courses you have done. If you lack experience, you can also complete some trainings, which you can find on LinkedIn and elsewhere, related to the job you are applying for and add the courses in this section, says Ms. Jennings.

14. Prioritize work experience over education.

The professional experience you have had is often more relevant to the position than your education history, which is why the work experience should be listed first. In the “Education” section, you should list where you attended college, if applicable, or the highest level of education you have attained. If you graduated with honors, you can flag that, but it isn’t necessary to list your GPA.

15. If you are early on in your career, a key résumé tip is to limit it to one page. 

If you are early on in your career, you should limit your résumé to one page. It is OK to start spilling onto a second page after you have eight to 10 years of experience, says Ms. Leavy-Detrick. 

16. Add some color for a stylish résumé that sets you apart. 

Your résumé should look clean and professional and you should keep applicant tracking systems in mind when formatting the document. But, if it is appropriate, you can add subtle accents of color in the section headings or in bars that separate sections as a way to differentiate your résumé. Ms. Leavy-Detrick doesn’t overstress the need for good design with her clients. “But it can definitely help,” she says. “When I say design, I don’t mean crazy graphic design. I mean having a polished application,” she says. “Think of it the same way you would coming dressed to an interview, it is part of your presentation, and so many people overlook this on the résumé.”

It may be appropriate to incorporate a more creative and graphic-based layout depending on the field in which you work and where you are applying. If you are applying for a position in a creative field, and you are emailing your résumé directly to a hiring manager, then it can be appropriate to use more designs, says Ms. Jennings. But if you are applying to a large company that uses an applicant tracking system or job portal, she says it is best to avoid using graphics unless you are working with a résumé writer who can help you get your resume through the system.

17. Proofread and double-check the formatting.

You may be eager to send your résumé or submit your application, but you should take the time to first check for typos and grammatical errors. You could also have a friend or family member look over it. When you are checking for errors, be sure to double-check the formatting. Sometimes the spacing can get thrown off when you save the file, so check how it looks as a saved document and, if you can, save it as a PDF before sending. 

18. Make sure the saved file name includes your name. 

Make less work for the hiring manager by including your full name in the file name of the résumé document.

What to read next

• How to Prepare for a Job Interview
• What Questions to Ask During a Job Interview
• Common Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
• How to Dress for a Job Interview
• How to Write a Thank-You Email After a Job Interview  
• How to Negotiate and Counter a Job Offer
• How to Negotiate Salary for a New Job: The Do’s and Don’ts
• Severance Pay: What It Is and Why You Should Negotiate a Package Before Accepting a Job

Corrections & Amplifications Ashley Watkins is a résumé writer with Write Step Résumés LLC. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Write Steps LLC. (Corrected on Nov. 20)

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Appeared in the November 23, 2020, print edition as '11 Résumé Tips to Help You Get Noticed