Resume Guide

How to Create a Resume
That Gets You Hired

Expert tips backed by Harvard Career Services to make your resume stand out to both ATS systems and human recruiters.

Choose Your Resume Type

Pick the format that best highlights your strengths based on your experience, education, and skills.

Chronological

Best for experienced professionals

Personal info
Experience
1
2
3
Education
Skills
Best when you have:
Consistent work experience to showcase
Steady career growth & promotions
Qualifications matching the job description
No major employment gaps

Functional

Best for students & career starters

Personal info
Skills
Experience
Education
Best when you have:
Limited work experience or gaps
Strong skills & certifications to highlight
Applying for entry-level or first job
Changing industries or career paths

Combination

Best for career changers & specialists

Personal info
Skills
Experience
1
2
Education
Best when you have:
Transferable skills from another field
Mix of relevant skills + some experience
Gaps in job history you want to minimize
Specialized expertise (research, consulting)

Quick Reference: Which format fits you?

Your SituationChronologicalFunctionalCombination
5+ years consistent experience★★★★★★
Fresh graduate / student★★★★★★
Changing careers★★★★★★
Gaps in employment★★★★★★★
Strong technical skills★★★★★★★★
Applying to same industry★★★★★★★
Applying to leadership role★★★★★★

The Winning Formula

01

Action Verb

Start every bullet with a strong verb. Never use 'Responsible for'.

02

What You Did

Be specific about the task, project, or initiative you drove.

03

Measurable Result

Quantify impact with numbers, percentages, or timeframes.

Before & After

See how small changes make a massive difference.

Weak
Responsible for managing a team
→
Strong
Led cross-functional team of 12, delivering $2M project 3 weeks early
Weak
Helped with the company website
→
Strong
Redesigned homepage in React, boosting conversion rate by 34%
Weak
Did marketing stuff
→
Strong
Spearheaded email campaign reaching 50K subscribers with 28% open rate
Weak
Worked on customer issues
→
Strong
Resolved 150+ customer tickets/month, achieving 98% satisfaction score

The Rules

✓ Always

✓Be consistent in format
✓Use reverse chronological order
✓Quantify achievements with numbers
✓Start bullets with action verbs
✓Tailor to each job description
✓Balance white space for readability
✓Keep it to 1-2 pages
✓Save as PDF before sending

✗ Never

✗Use personal pronouns (I, We)
✗Include a photo or age
✗Write in narrative/paragraph style
✗Use vague language like 'various'
✗Abbreviate without context
✗List references on the resume
✗Use slang or informal language
✗Leave unexplained employment gaps

Power Verbs

Replace weak verbs with these to sound more impactful.

Leadership

Led
Managed
Directed
Spearheaded
Orchestrated
Oversaw
Coordinated
Delegated

Communication

Presented
Authored
Negotiated
Influenced
Collaborated
Persuaded
Drafted

Technical

Engineered
Programmed
Designed
Optimized
Built
Deployed
Automated

Research

Analyzed
Investigated
Evaluated
Diagnosed
Tested
Identified
Resolved

Creative

Created
Conceptualized
Invented
Designed
Founded
Illustrated
Shaped

Ideal Resume Structure

01

Header

Full name, phone, email, LinkedIn, location. No photos.

02

Professional Summary

2-3 sentences highlighting your strongest qualifications. Tailor to the role.

03

Experience

Reverse chronological. Each role: company, title, dates, 3-5 bullet points with metrics.

04

Education

Degree, institution, graduation year. GPA if above 3.5. Relevant coursework if applicable.

05

Skills

Technical skills, tools, languages. Match keywords from the job posting.

Using AI Wisely

AI is a great editing assistant — use it to improve phrasing, add keywords from job descriptions, and fix passive language. But never let AI be the primary author. Your resume should sound like you, not a chatbot.

Ready to apply these tips?

Build your ATS-optimized resume in minutes.

Inspired by Harvard Career Services guidelines.