Resume guides

Practical, no-fluff advice for writing and formatting your resume.

• ATS-Friendly Resume: What It Actually Means and How to Format One
  Applicant tracking systems don't "reject" most resumes, but bad formatting can hide your details. Here's what to do about it, with a simple do and don't list.
• Best Resume Builder: How to Choose One (and Avoid the Paywall Trap)
  Not sure which resume builder to use? This is the checklist we'd use ourselves, plus when Word, Google Docs or LinkedIn is the better pick.
• Construction Resume Keywords: What to Include and How to Use Them
  A practical list of construction resume keywords by trade and role, plus how to work them into your experience so they read naturally.
• Customer Service Resume: Skills, Bullet Points and Examples
  How to write a customer service resume that shows results, with sample bullets, a summary example and the skills and tools recruiters search for.
• Free Resume Builder With No Sign-Up: What "Free" Really Means
  Most free resume builders charge when you click download. Here's how to spot that before you waste an hour, plus the truly free options.
• How to Build a Resume From Scratch: A Step-by-Step Guide
  Building your resume doesn't take a weekend. Here's the order to do it in, what to put on each line, and the mistakes that cost people interviews.
• Military to Civilian Resume: How to Translate Your Service Into Plain English
  A civilian recruiter won't know what a squad leader or MOS means. Here's how to translate your military experience into resume language they'll understand.
• Using ChatGPT or AI to Write Your Resume (Without Sounding Fake)
  AI can help you draft resume bullets, but it also invents details and writes in a generic voice. Here's how to use it safely and what to check before you send.
• Nursing Resume Builder: What to Include and How to Write It
  How to build a nursing resume that hospital recruiters can scan quickly, with licensure, certifications, unit details and bullet examples for RNs and new grads.
• How to Build a Resume From Your LinkedIn Profile
  LinkedIn can generate a resume from your profile in a couple of clicks. Here's how, what it gets wrong, and how to turn the draft into something worth sending.
• Resume for Students and Teens With No Work Experience
  No job history? You still have a resume. Here's what to put on it, with examples for high school students, college students and first-time job seekers.
• How to Make a Resume in Microsoft Word or Google Docs
  Step-by-step instructions for building a resume in Word or Google Docs, which template to pick, and the formatting traps that break applicant tracking systems.
• USAJOBS Resume Builder: How to Write a Federal Resume That Gets Reviewed
  A federal resume isn't a regular resume. Here's what the USAJOBS builder asks for, how long it can run, and how to avoid getting screened out.