How to Write a Resume (2026): A 9-Step Guide Recruiters and ATS Can Read

Last updated: September 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. Recruiter, ATS and federal resume rules and the courses below re-checked at the source on 21 September 2026. See our review methodology.

THE SHORT ANSWER

This guide walks through each part of a resume in the order you should write it, with examples, and covers the part most resume guides skip: how to present the online courses and certificates many of our readers are using to change or advance their careers.

What happens to your resume after you click apply

Two readers decide whether you get an interview, and you have to write for both.

The software. Most large employers receive applications through an applicant tracking system (ATS). Jobscan checked the career pages of every Fortune 500 company and detected an ATS at 97.4% of them in 2026, with Workday the most common at 39.2% (Jobscan). These systems store and parse your resume so recruiters can search and filter applicants. They do not usually reject people on their own, but a resume the system cannot read, or one that lacks the terms a recruiter filters on, is easy to miss. Employers know the filters are blunt: in a Harvard Business School and Accenture survey, 88% of employers agreed that qualified high-skills candidates are vetted out because they do not match the exact criteria in the job description (Hidden Workers: Untapped Talent).

The person. Once your resume reaches a recruiter, the first look is short. In an eye-tracking study of 30 professional recruiters, Ladders found the initial screen averaged 7.4 seconds, and that simple layouts with clear section headings, bold job titles and bulleted achievements held attention best, while multiple columns, dense text and missing headings did worst (Ladders). In those seconds a recruiter typically checks your current title and employer, the one before it, the dates, and your education.

Everything below serves one of those two readers: be parseable and searchable for the software, and make the right facts obvious at a glance for the person.

Step 1: Choose one target job before you write

A resume written for “any job” persuades nobody. Pick a specific posting, or a few very similar ones, and read the description line by line. Copy out:

• The job title, exactly as written.
• Required skills and tools (for example SQL, Salesforce, Excel pivot tables, stakeholder management).
• Required credentials such as degrees, licenses or certifications.
• Outcomes the role is responsible for, such as revenue, response times or project delivery.

This list becomes your checklist. Every item you genuinely have should appear somewhere on the resume, in the same words the employer used. If most of the list is missing from your experience, that tells you something useful too: either the role is a stretch, or you need to build a skill first. Our guide to the most valuable skills you can learn online covers which skills employers are asking for.

Step 2: Pick the right format

There are three standard layouts. For most people the choice is easy.

If you are unsure, use reverse-chronological. It matches the order recruiters scan in, and it is the layout applicant tracking systems parse most reliably.

Step 3: Add your contact details and headline

Put these at the top of the page, in the main body rather than in a document header, which some ATS software skips:

• Name, in a slightly larger font.
• Phone and a professional email address.
• City and state or region. A full street address is no longer expected.
• LinkedIn profile URL, customized so it is short and readable.
• Portfolio or GitHub link, if you work in a field where people show work (design, development, writing, data).

Leave off date of birth, marital status and, in the US, UK and Canada, a photo. A one-line headline under your name that echoes the target job title (“Data Analyst | SQL, Tableau, Python”) helps both readers see the match immediately.

Step 4: Write a short professional summary

The summary is two or three lines that say who you are professionally, what you are good at, and what you are looking for. It replaces the old “objective”, which described what you wanted rather than what you offer. A simple formula:

FORMULA

Step 5: Turn your experience into results

This section carries most of the weight. For each role list the job title, employer, location and dates (month and year), followed by three to six bullet points, with the most bullets for your most recent and most relevant jobs.

The difference between an average and a strong resume is mostly here: average resumes list duties, strong ones show results. Build each bullet from an action verb, what you did, and the outcome, with a number where you have one:

No exact figure? Use honest approximations (“about”, “more than”), scale (team size, budget, number of clients) or the before-and-after of a process. Never invent a number you could not explain in an interview.

Step 6: List the skills the job asks for

A skills section gives both readers a quick keyword match. Keep it to the skills that are relevant and true, grouped simply:

• Technical skills and tools: named software, languages and methods (Excel, SQL, Python, HubSpot, Figma, GAAP).
• Languages: with an honest level (for example “Spanish, professional working proficiency”).
• Soft skills: use sparingly. “Communication” in a list proves nothing; show it in an experience bullet instead.

Avoid rating bars and star graphics. They mean nothing to a recruiter, and ATS software cannot read them.

Step 7: Add education, certifications and online courses

List your highest qualification first: institution, degree and subject, and graduation year. Add your GPA only if it is strong and you graduated recently. Once you have a few years of experience, education moves below your work history.

Online courses and certificates deserve their own heading, such as Certifications or Professional Development, when they are relevant to the role. Format each one the same way, with the credential name, issuer, platform and year:

• Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate – Google (Coursera), 2026
• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner – Amazon Web Services, 2025 (credential ID available on request)
• Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA) – Corporate Finance Institute, 2025

A few rules keep this section credible:

• Relevance beats volume. Three certificates that match the job are stronger than twelve unrelated short courses.
• Name the issuer. Recruiters recognize AWS, Google, Microsoft and universities far more readily than a platform name alone.
• Show the work. If a certificate included a capstone or project, add it to a Projects section or link it from your portfolio.
• Only list what you finished, or mark it clearly as in progress with an expected date.

Not sure which credentials are worth the time? See our list of the best free certifications for your resume, and our honest takes on whether Google Career Certificates, Coursera certificates and edX certificates carry weight with employers.

See the best certifications for your resume →

Step 8: Make it readable for applicant tracking systems

Formatting that looks good in a design tool can scramble when software parses it. Stick to these rules:

• One column. Two-column templates often get read across both columns, mixing lines together.
• Standard headings: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications.
• A common font (Calibri, Arial, Garamond, Georgia) at 10–12 points, with margins of about half an inch to an inch.
• No text inside images, charts, text boxes or the document header and footer.
• Dates in one consistent format, such as 05/2023 – 08/2025.
• Save as .docx or a text-based PDF unless the posting asks for something else, and name the file clearly: firstname-lastname-resume.pdf.

A quick test: copy all the text from your PDF and paste it into a plain text editor. If the order is jumbled or words are missing, an ATS will have the same problem.

Step 9: Proofread, then tailor for every application

Read the resume aloud, check every date and job title, and ask someone else to read it. Typos are one of the few things that can end an application in those first few seconds. Then, for each new application, spend ten minutes adjusting the headline, summary, skills list and the order of your bullets so the most relevant evidence comes first. Keep a master version with everything, and cut from it.

How long should a resume be?

One page is the norm for students, recent graduates and most people with under about ten years of experience. Two pages is fine for experienced candidates, as long as the second page is as relevant as the first. Academic CVs and some senior roles run longer.

US federal jobs now have a hard limit. From 27 September 2025, resumes submitted through USAJOBS must be no longer than two pages; the Office of Personnel Management advises applicants to prioritize their most relevant and recent experience and to align their language with the job announcement (OPM guidance). Federal resumes still need details private-sector resumes usually omit, such as hours worked per week and, for federal posts, series and grade.

What to leave off your resume

• Solid blocks of text. Bullets and white space are what hold a recruiter’s attention.
• “References available on request.” Employers assume it; use the line for something else.
• Irrelevant early jobs. Roles from more than about 10–15 years ago can usually be cut or summarized in one line.
• Personal details: age, marital status, religion, national ID numbers, and (in the US, UK and Canada) photos.
• Salary history. Save pay discussions for later in the process; several US states and cities restrict employers from asking.
• Anything you cannot back up in an interview, including skills you have only watched a video about.

Special situations

Changing careers

Use the hybrid format. Open with a summary that names the new target role, follow with a skills section built from the job description, and rewrite bullets from past jobs to highlight transferable results (budgets managed, processes improved, people trained). A relevant certificate plus one or two portfolio projects does a lot of work here, because it shows the new skills in use rather than just listed.

Gaps in your work history

A gap is common and not disqualifying. Keep the reverse-chronological format and, if the gap is long, add a one-line entry such as “Career break – family care, 2023–2024”. If you studied during the break, list the courses or certificates you completed, which turns the gap into evidence of learning.

Students and first jobs

Lead with education, then projects, internships, part-time work, volunteering and relevant coursework. Treat projects like jobs: a title, dates and results-focused bullets. Group projects count, as long as you are clear about your part.

Using AI tools without hurting your resume

AI writing tools are good at turning rough notes into tidy bullets, suggesting stronger verbs, spotting keywords you missed and catching grammar mistakes. They are bad at facts: they will happily invent metrics, inflate your role and produce the same polished but generic phrasing thousands of other applicants are using. Use them as an editor, not an author. Paste in your own facts, rewrite the output in your own voice, and delete anything you would not be comfortable explaining in an interview.

Courses that help with resumes and the job search

You do not need a course to write a good resume, but a structured one helps if you are job hunting in a new field or want feedback-style practice. These three are current and well reviewed:

• Zero To Mastery – The Career Guide To Your Dream Job. Andrei Neagoie’s five-hour course (80+ lessons, last updated September 2026) covers the whole process: resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, using AI tools during applications, interviews, salary negotiation and promotions. It is included in a Zero To Mastery membership, which is most useful if you also want ZTM’s technical courses.
• Coursera – How to Write a Resume (Project-Centered Course). From the State University of New York, taught by Holly Justice: seven modules in which you build and revise your own resume. Rated 4.5 from 3,904 reviews, with more than 235,000 learners enrolled.
• Coursera – Writing Winning Resumes and Cover Letters. From the University of Maryland, taught by Charles Duquette: four modules on presenting yourself in the language employers use, with cover letters included. Rated 4.6 from 343 reviews.

Both Coursera courses are included in Coursera Plus. Coursera removed its free audit option for most courses in 2025, so check the price on the course page before enrolling; our Coursera pricing guide explains the plans.

See ZTM’s Career Guide course →

See the SUNY resume course on Coursera →

After the resume: the interview

A resume’s job is to get you an interview, and every line on it is a question you may be asked. If you are applying in tech or data, our guides on how to crack a coding interview and data science interview prep cover the next stage; for finance, see our investment banking interview questions.

Frequently asked questions

How do I write a resume step by step?

Pick the job you are applying for and list the skills and keywords in its description. Choose a reverse-chronological or hybrid format, add your contact details, write a two- or three-line summary, list your experience with results-focused bullet points, add skills, education and certifications, check that it reads cleanly in an applicant tracking system, then proofread and tailor it for each application.

How long should a resume be?

One page is usual for students and people with under about ten years of experience; two pages is fine for experienced candidates when every line is relevant. Federal jobs in the US are a special case: since 27 September 2025, USAJOBS accepts resumes of no more than two pages, and a longer one makes you ineligible for that job.

What is the best resume format?

Reverse-chronological, with your most recent role first, suits most people because it matches how recruiters read a resume. A hybrid format that opens with a skills section works well for career changers. A purely skills-based (functional) resume is best avoided because it hides dates and makes your history hard to follow.

Should I put online courses and certificates on my resume?

Yes, when they are relevant to the job. List them under a Certifications or Professional Development heading with the credential name, the issuer and the date, for example “Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Google (Coursera), 2026”. Leave out short courses with no link to the role, and be ready to discuss what you built or learned.

How do I get my resume past applicant tracking systems?

Use a single-column layout, standard section headings such as Experience and Education, a common font, and no text inside images, tables or headers. Mirror the exact wording of skills from the job description where it is true for you, and submit a .docx or a text-based PDF unless the employer asks for something else.

Should I include a photo on my resume?

In the US, the UK and Canada, no. Employers there generally do not expect a photo, and many prefer not to receive one because it can raise discrimination concerns. Some countries in continental Europe, the Middle East and Asia still expect a photo, so follow local norms for the country you are applying in.

Can I use AI to write my resume?

AI tools are useful for drafting bullet points, matching keywords and checking grammar, but check every line: they invent achievements and produce generic phrasing that recruiters recognize. Every claim on your resume should be true and something you can explain in an interview.

The verdict

Writing a resume that works is less about design and more about discipline: target one job, use a clean single-column reverse-chronological layout, turn every duty into a result, use the employer’s own words for skills you really have, and list relevant certificates with the issuer and date. Then tailor it for each application. That combination gets you through the software and gives a recruiter what they need in the first few seconds.

Find certifications that strengthen your resume →

Related guides: Best free certifications for your resume · Are Google certificates worth it? · Most valuable skills to learn online · How to crack a coding interview · Data science interview prep · All career guides