How to Make a Resume in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide + Free Template

Last updated: June 2026 | Reading time: 12 minutes

Learning how to make a resume that actually gets interviews isn't about design tricks or fancy templates. It's about understanding what recruiters and ATS systems look for — and giving it to them in a clean, scannable format.

This guide walks you through every step of building a professional resume from scratch, with specific instructions for each section.

Step 1: Choose the Right Format

There are three main resume formats:

For 95% of job seekers, the chronological format works best. Recruiters prefer it because it's easy to scan your career progression.

Step 2: Add Your Contact Information

Keep it simple and professional:

• Full name (largest text on the page)
• Phone number
• Email address (use a professional one)
• Location (city and state/country)
• LinkedIn URL (optional but recommended)
• Portfolio/GitHub (for technical roles)

Don't include:

• Photo (unless required in your country)
• Date of birth
• Marital status
• Full home address

Step 3: Write a Resume Summary (Optional but Recommended)

If you have 2+ years of experience, add a 2-3 sentence summary at the top.

Formula: [Job title] with [X years] of experience in [key skills]. [Top achievement with metric].

Example:

Marketing manager with 5 years of experience in B2B SaaS growth. Specialized in SEO and content marketing. Grew organic traffic by 300% and generated $2M in pipeline.

Read our full guide on what is a resume summary for more examples.

Step 4: List Your Work Experience

This is the most important section. For each role, include:

• Job title
• Company name
• Location (city, state/country)
• Dates (month/year format)
• 3-5 bullet points of achievements

How to Write Bullet Points That Impress

Use the STAR method:

• Situation: What was the context?
• Task: What were you responsible for?
• Action: What did you do?
• Result: What was the outcome? (Always include a metric)

Weak bullet:

Responsible for managing social media accounts.

Strong bullet:

Grew Instagram following from 5K to 45K in 8 months by implementing a content calendar and user-generated content strategy, resulting in a 30% increase in website traffic.

Action Verbs to Start Each Bullet

Use strong verbs that show ownership and impact:

• Increased, decreased, improved, optimized
• Led, managed, directed, oversaw
• Built, created, developed, designed
• Reduced, saved, streamlined, automated
• Launched, implemented, executed, delivered

Step 5: Add Your Education

For recent graduates, education goes near the top. For experienced professionals, it goes after work experience.

Include:

• Degree (e.g., Bachelor of Science in Computer Science)
• School name
• Graduation year (optional for experienced professionals)
• GPA (only if above 3.5)
• Relevant coursework (for recent graduates)

Step 6: List Your Skills

Create a clean skills section with two categories:

Hard Skills (always include):

• Technical tools (Python, Figma, Salesforce)
• Languages (English, Spanish, Mandarin)
• Certifications (PMP, CPA, AWS Certified)

Soft Skills (use sparingly):

• Only include if you can back them up with evidence
• Better to demonstrate soft skills through bullet points

Pro tip: Read the job description and mirror the exact skill names. If it says "project management," don't write "managing projects." ATS systems do literal keyword matching.

Step 7: Add Optional Sections

Consider adding these if relevant:

• Certifications & Licenses
• Projects (especially for developers and designers)
• Publications & Speaking
• Volunteer Experience
• Awards & Honors

Step 8: Format for ATS Compatibility

This is where most resumes fail. Follow these rules to ensure ATS systems can read your resume:

ATS Formatting Rules

Step 9: Proofread Everything

Even one typo can cost you an interview:

1. Read it out loud
2. Use spell check
3. Ask a friend to review
4. Check for consistent formatting (dates, punctuation, spacing)

Step 10: Test with an ATS Checker

Before you apply, run your resume through an ATS checker to see if it will pass automated screening. Look for:

• Formatting issues
• Missing keywords
• Structure problems

→ Check Your Resume ATS Score

Free Resume Template You Can Use

If you want to skip the formatting headaches, use a proven template:

[YOUR NAME]
[Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn] | [Location]

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
[2-3 sentences about your experience and top achievement]

WORK EXPERIENCE
[Job Title] | [Company] | [Location]
[Month Year] – [Month Year]
• [Achievement with metric]
• [Achievement with metric]
• [Achievement with metric]

[Job Title] | [Company] | [Location]
[Month Year] – [Month Year]
• [Achievement with metric]
• [Achievement with metric]

EDUCATION
[Degree] | [School]
[Year]

SKILLS
[Skill 1], [Skill 2], [Skill 3], [Skill 4], [Skill 5]

Build Your Resume Faster with AI

Writing a resume from scratch takes 3-4 hours. With an AI resume builder, you can have a professional, ATS-optimized resume in under 10 minutes:

1. Fill in your experience
2. AI generates professional bullet points
3. Run the ATS checker
4. Download your PDF

→ Make My Resume with AI — Free

Key Takeaways

• Use the chronological format for most situations
• Write achievement-focused bullet points with metrics
• Mirror keywords from the job description
• Use single-column layout with standard fonts for ATS compatibility
• Always proofread and test with an ATS checker before applying

A great resume opens doors. Take the time to get it right — or let AI help you do it in minutes.

Job-Specific Resume Guides

Looking for a resume example tailored to your profession? Browse our complete collection of ATS-optimized resume guides:

Technology & Engineering: Software Engineer · Data Analyst · Data Scientist · Web Developer · Full Stack Developer · Backend Developer · Frontend Developer · Mobile Developer · DevOps Engineer · Cloud Engineer · Cybersecurity Analyst · AI Engineer

Design & Creative: UX Designer · Graphic Designer · Content Writer

Business & Finance: Product Manager · Project Manager · Business Analyst · Financial Analyst · Accountant · Marketing Manager · Sales Representative

Healthcare & Education: Nurse · Teacher

Operations & Support: HR Manager · Operations Manager · Customer Service Representative · Executive Assistant