How to Write a Resume That Gets Interviews
Start with the job, not with yourself
The most common resume mistake is writing one generic document and sending it everywhere. US employers screen resumes against the specific posting — often with software before a human ever sees it. Before you write a word, read the listing carefully and note the exact skills, tools, and qualifications it names. Your resume should make it obvious, within ten seconds, that you match what that employer asked for.
The standard US resume structure
- Contact header: your name, city and state, a professional email address, phone number, and a LinkedIn profile if you have one. No photo, no date of birth, no full home address.
- Professional summary: two or three sentences naming your field, your strongest relevant experience, and the kind of role you are targeting.
- Experience: most recent first. For each role, use bullet points that start with an action verb and, wherever possible, include a measurable result — money saved, people served, time reduced, volume handled.
- Skills: a compact list that mirrors the tools and skills named in the job posting, as long as you genuinely have them.
- Education: degree, school, and graduation year. Recent graduates may add relevant coursework and honors.
Write bullets that prove, not just describe
"Responsible for customer support" tells an employer nothing. "Resolved 40+ customer tickets per day by phone and email, keeping a 96% satisfaction rating" proves capability. Use numbers from your real work — team size, ticket volume, sales figures, deadlines met. If you have no formal work history yet, projects, volunteering, and family-business work count; describe them the same way.
Length and formatting rules
One page is right for students and early-career candidates; two pages is acceptable with several years of relevant experience. Federal government resumes are the exception and can run longer with more detail. Keep formatting simple: a standard font, clear headings, no tables or graphics that screening software cannot read, and save as PDF unless the posting asks for Word.
Before you send it
- Check the file name looks professional, e.g. Firstname-Lastname-Resume.pdf.
- Proofread slowly — spelling errors are one of the fastest rejection reasons.
- Make sure every skill you list is one you can discuss confidently at interview.
- Tailor the summary and skills sections for each application; it takes ten minutes and doubles your relevance.
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