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What is a Resume: Definition, Examples & How-to

Job hunting can be confusing. You know you need a resume, but what is it exactly, and how to even write one? Deep breaths. Read on to learn everything you need to know.

Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW
Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert
What is a Resume: Definition, Examples & How-to

Creating a resume is an inevitable part of a job application. Of course, you can try to contact a hiring manager to discuss your job opportunities directly, but most bosses would want you to provide a comprehensive resume with all the important details.

But how should I create one, you ask? First, let’s dig deeper into a resume’s definition and core tenets for you to understand it better. Then, let's explain further what are the best practices of writing it. So, what is a resume? How to define it? Read on to get a grasp.

What is a Resume? Full Resume Definition

A resume or résumé (both spelling variants correct) is a document you create to outline your work history, educational background, skills, and accomplishments. Resumes are mostly used to apply for jobs in the US and Canada. The purpose of a resume is to highlight and summarize qualifications relevant to a particular job opening. A typical resume is one- to two-page long.

Notice the sentence in bold? It’s no accident. This is the single most important thing about a resume—it should be targeted at a specific position.

Unlike a CV—an extensive document used for academic purposes, containing every single detail about your education and employment history—a US resume should be brief and only focus on what’s relevant to the job you’re applying for. If the difference isn’t clear to you, see our article with a detailed CV vs. resume comparison.

A standard resume contains the following sections:

  1. Contact Information
  2. Resume Profile (Summary or Objective)
  3. Work Experience
  4. Education
  5. Skills
  6. Additional Activities (Conferences, Certifications, Publications, etc.)

Alright, enough theory for now. Here’s an example of what a proper resume should look like.

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Resume Sample

Carla Casaus

Graphic Designer

Phone: 646-873-6870

Email: carlacasaus@gmail.com

Portfolio: www.carlacasaus.com

linkedin.com/in/carlacasaus

https://twitter.com/carlakcasaus

Summary

Efficient graphic designer with 4+ years of experience. Seeking to use proven layout, web, and Photoshop skills to provide design excellence for James R. at Netflix. As senior designer at Elenar 5 delivered 280+ client projects, slashing costs 18% and bringing in $100K/yr in new business.

Experience

Senior Graphic Designer

Elenar 5, New York

2017–2019

  • In charge of daily production for a high-end agency.
  • Led team of five graphic designers to create client products with Photoshop.
  • Produced 280+ graphic design projects (websites & brochures).
  • Cut costs 18% in 20 months through vendor management & lean flow.
  • Brought in $100,000 a year in new sales through social media outreach.

Graphic Designer

Fredegar Rising, New York

2016–2017

  • Directed daily design work in fast-paced agency.
  • Mentored 2 assistant designers.
  • Increased firm revenue by 15% through better client relationships.
  • Led team that received 2017 American Inhouse Design Award. 

Freelance Graphic Designer

Various

2015–2016

  • Designed 150+ website pages and 15 wireframes for client websites.
  • Used Photoshop and InDesign in daily production.
  • Developed 5 brochures, 11 infographics, and 12 client logos.
  • Commended 3x by clients for web design skills.

Education

BA Graphic Design, Southern New Hampshire University

2011–2015

GPA 3.7 (Cum Laude)

Skills

  • Hard Skills: Typography, Layout, Photoshop, HTML/CSS, Illustrator, InDesign
  • Soft Skills: Interpersonal Skills, Communication, Collaboration, Time Management

Additional Activities

  • Award: D&AD New Blood 2014
  • Certifications in Autodesk and Adobe CS5
  • Spoke on panel about color theory at Hang Time conference 2018

Think a resume isn’t right for you and you need a CV? Go here: Academic CV Writing Guide

If you want to see more examples, check out our sample resumes for 50+ professions.

How to Write a Resume?

For detailed instructions, see our article with step-by-step guidelines for writing a job-winning resume.

Just need a synopsis? Look no further.

Now that you know what is a resume, create it following these steps:

  1. Start by choosing one of the three resume styles: reverse-chronological, functional, or combination. For 9 out of 10 candidates, a reverse-chronological resume is the best pick.
  2. Create an elegant resume header with your contact information.
  3. Write a resume profile—a short paragraph outlining your skills and accomplishments. If you have more than 2 years of experience, your resume profile should be a professional summary. Less experienced candidates should write a career objective.
  4. Outline your work history: list all your positions from the past 10 years in chronologically descending order. In each entry, include your job title, company name, dates worked, and up to 6 bullet points describing your duties and achievements. Remember the resume definition? It is to show off your achievements. The work history part is the most important one. More than 2 out of 3 recruiters say job experience is what matters most on a resume.
  5. Enter your highest degree of education. List your major, minors (if applicable), the name of the educational institution, and graduation date.
  6. List 4 to 10 skills to put on a resume.
  7. In a separate section, showcase your additional activities and accomplishments: certifications, publications, additional training, conference participation, volunteer work, etc.

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So—you’ve learned how to craft the contents of your resume. You’re almost good to go. But...

Before you start writing yours, learn the basics of resume formatting and design. You know, impressions matter, don’t they?

How to Format a Resume?

There’s both art and science to resume formatting, so if you want to learn all the ins and outs, this guide will teach you how to format a resume.

Here’s a quick rundown:

  1. Pick a respectable font and stick to it throughout your whole resume. Keep the font size between 11 and 12 pt.
  2. Set the margins for 1 inch on all four sides.
  3. Make your resume header legible and visually distinct.
  4. Divide your resume into clear sections with large headings—you want the recruiter to see what information is where.
  5. Use plenty of white space. Give your readers some breathing room.

One crucial thing: don’t go for fancy graphics and make sure your resume has a scannable text layer so that it passes an Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) scan. A recent report has shown up to 98% of the largest companies use ATS to filter resumes. 

You’ll be fine if you create a resume in Word and save it as PDF. But be super careful if you’re planning to use more advanced graphic design software, such as Photoshop or Illustrator. Always use a ATS-friendly resume template.

What about the ideal resume length?

The nineties got us all believing a resume should always be one-page. But they also made us think JNCOs and soul patches were cool. The truth? 

Don’t overdo it, though. Two pages is as long as a resume can get. Think you need more? You probably need to cut irrelevant bits. Remember, make every word earn its place on your resume.

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Key Points

Here are the most important things you need to know about resumes:

  • A resume, unlike a CV, should be brief and targeted at a specific job offer.
  • Almost all the biggest companies use bots to scan resumes: make sure your resume is ATS-scannable.
  • Try to keep your resume one-page, but don’t obsess over it. If your experience warrants a second page, it won’t be a dealbreaker.

Now you perfectly know what is a resume and how to write one. Got more questions? Drop me a line in the comments, I’ll straighten out your queries!

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW

With vast expertise in interview strategies and career development, Michael is a job expert with a focus on writing perfect resumes, acing interviews, and improving employability skills. His mission is to help you tell the story behind your career and reinforce your professional brand by coaching you to create outstanding job application documents. More than one million readers read his career advice every month. For ResumeLab, Michael uses his connections to help you thrive in your career. From fellow career experts and insiders from all industries—LinkedIn strategists, communications consultants, scientists, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, or even FBI agents—to share their unique insights and help you make the most of your career.

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