How to Write a Professional Resume in 2026: A Complete Guide

Your resume is the single most important document in your job search. It is the first impression a hiring manager has of you, and in most cases it determines whether you progress to an interview or get passed over entirely. Yet many job seekers spend surprisingly little time crafting it properly.

This resume writing guide walks you through every section of a professional resume, from choosing the right format to optimising for applicant tracking systems. Whether you are writing your first resume or updating one after years in the same role, you will find actionable advice you can apply immediately.

Why Your Resume Matters More Than Ever

The job market in 2026 is competitive. Employers routinely receive hundreds of applications for a single opening, and most use automated screening software before a human ever reads your document. A well-written, properly structured resume is no longer optional --- it is essential.

Research consistently shows that recruiters spend an average of six to eight seconds on an initial resume scan. That means every word, every line of formatting, and every design choice must work in your favour.

Step 1: Choose the Right Resume Format

Before you write a single word, decide which format best suits your situation. There are three standard formats, each with distinct advantages.

Reverse-Chronological

This is the most widely used and most widely preferred format. It lists your work experience starting with your most recent role and working backwards. Use this format if you have a solid, unbroken work history in your target field.

Functional (Skills-Based)

A functional resume emphasises your skills and accomplishments rather than your timeline of employment. It can be useful if you are changing careers or have significant gaps in your work history. However, many recruiters are sceptical of this format because it can obscure important context, so use it with caution.

Combination (Hybrid)

The combination format blends elements of both. It opens with a skills summary and follows with a chronological work history. This works well for experienced professionals who want to highlight specific expertise while still providing a clear career narrative.

Recommendation: Unless you have a compelling reason to do otherwise, use the reverse-chronological format. It is what recruiters expect, what ATS software parses most reliably, and what gives the clearest picture of your career progression.

Step 2: Write a Compelling Professional Summary

The professional summary sits at the top of your resume, directly beneath your contact details. It is a brief paragraph --- typically three to four sentences --- that frames the rest of the document. Think of it as your elevator pitch.

A strong professional summary answers three questions:

Who are you? Your professional identity and level of experience.
What do you bring? Your most relevant skills and achievements.
What are you looking for? The type of role or contribution you want to make.

Example: Weak Summary

"Hard-working professional looking for a challenging role where I can use my skills and grow."

This says nothing specific. It could apply to anyone in any field.

Example: Strong Summary

"Digital marketing manager with 7 years of experience driving growth for B2B SaaS companies. Led campaigns that generated over 12,000 qualified leads in 2025, resulting in a 34% increase in pipeline revenue. Seeking a senior marketing role at a growth-stage technology company."

This is specific, quantified, and tells the recruiter exactly what value you offer. Aim for this level of precision.

Step 3: Describe Your Work Experience With Impact

The work experience section is the core of your resume. For each role, include your job title, the company name, the location, and the dates of employment. Beneath that, use bullet points to describe what you accomplished.

The single most important principle here is to focus on results, not responsibilities. Hiring managers do not want a list of duties --- they want evidence of impact.

Use the STAR-Based Bullet Point Formula

Structure each bullet point around this pattern: Action Verb + Task + Result (with metrics)

Weak: "Responsible for managing social media accounts."
Strong: "Managed social media strategy across four platforms, growing follower base by 45% and increasing engagement rate from 1.2% to 3.8% within 12 months."
Weak: "Helped with the company's recruitment process."
Strong: "Redesigned the end-to-end recruitment workflow, reducing average time-to-hire from 42 days to 26 days and cutting agency spend by 60%."

Quantify Wherever Possible

Numbers give your claims credibility. Whenever you can, include metrics such as:

Revenue generated or costs saved
Percentage improvements (efficiency, growth, retention)
Team sizes managed
Project budgets overseen
Volumes processed (customers served, tickets resolved, units shipped)

If you cannot recall exact figures, use reasonable estimates and qualify them appropriately ("approximately", "over", "nearly").

Tailor Your Experience to the Job

One of the most effective things you can do is customise your resume for each application. Read the job description carefully, identify the key requirements, and ensure your most relevant experience is prominently featured. This does not mean fabricating anything --- it means choosing which accomplishments to highlight and which to leave out.

Step 4: Build a Strong Skills Section

A dedicated skills section makes it easy for both recruiters and ATS software to confirm that you have the capabilities they need. Place it after your professional summary or after your work experience, depending on the format you have chosen.

Hard Skills

These are teachable, measurable abilities specific to your field. Examples include:

Programming languages (Python, JavaScript, SQL)
Software proficiency (Salesforce, Adobe Creative Suite, SAP)
Technical certifications (AWS Solutions Architect, PMP, CPA)
Data analysis and visualisation
Foreign language fluency

Soft Skills

Soft skills are interpersonal and behavioural qualities. While they are important, listing generic terms such as "team player" or "good communicator" adds little value. Instead, demonstrate soft skills through your work experience bullet points. If you do include them in a skills section, be specific: "cross-functional stakeholder management" is more compelling than "communication".

Match Skills to the Job Description

Review the job posting and mirror the language it uses. If the listing asks for "project management", use that exact phrase rather than a synonym like "project coordination". This alignment matters for ATS keyword matching and for the recruiter's quick scan.

Step 5: Present Your Education Effectively

For most professionals with several years of experience, the education section can be concise. Include your degree, the institution name, and the year of graduation. You can omit your graduation year if you are concerned about age bias, though this is a personal choice.

When to Expand Your Education Section

If you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience, your education section should be more detailed. Consider including:

Relevant coursework
Academic projects with real-world applications
Dissertations or research topics
Honours, awards, and scholarships
Relevant extracurricular activities and leadership roles

Certifications and Continuing Education

Professional certifications, online courses, and industry qualifications deserve a place on your resume, especially if they are directly relevant to the role. List them in a separate "Certifications" subsection or alongside your formal education.

Step 6: Optimise for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

An ATS is software that employers use to collect, filter, and rank applications. Most medium-to-large companies use one, and if your resume is not ATS-friendly, it may never reach a human reader. For a deeper dive into how these systems work and how to optimise for them, see our complete guide on how to beat applicant tracking systems.

Key ATS Optimisation Strategies

Use standard section headings. Stick to conventional labels such as "Work Experience", "Education", and "Skills". Creative alternatives like "Where I've Made My Mark" may confuse the parser.

Avoid tables, columns, and text boxes. Many ATS platforms struggle to read content placed in complex layouts. A single-column format with clear hierarchy is safest.

Use keywords from the job description. ATS software scans for specific terms. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your resume --- in your summary, experience bullet points, and skills section.

Submit in the right file format. Unless the application specifies otherwise, PDF is generally the safest choice. It preserves your formatting across devices and is readable by the vast majority of ATS platforms.

Do not embed important information in headers or footers. Some systems ignore these areas entirely. Keep your name, contact details, and other critical information in the main body of the document.

Use standard fonts. Stick to widely supported typefaces such as Calibri, Arial, Garamond, or Cambria. Unusual fonts may not render correctly in every system.

Tools like CV Artisan can help you build an ATS-optimised resume from the ground up, with professionally designed templates that are tested for compatibility with major applicant tracking systems.

Step 7: Get the Formatting Right

Presentation matters. A clean, well-organised layout signals professionalism and attention to detail.

Length

One page for early-career professionals (fewer than 10 years of experience).
Two pages for senior professionals, executives, or those with extensive relevant experience.
Never go beyond two pages unless you are in academia or a field where a longer CV is standard.

Visual Hierarchy

Use consistent heading sizes and styles.
Leave adequate white space --- a cramped resume is harder to read.
Use bullet points rather than dense paragraphs.
Maintain consistent date formatting throughout (e.g., "Jan 2023 -- Present" or "January 2023 -- Present", but not both).

Contact Information

At the top of your resume, include:

Full name
Phone number
Professional email address (avoid novelty addresses)
LinkedIn profile URL (customised, not the default string of numbers)
City and country (a full postal address is no longer necessary)

Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Even strong candidates undermine their applications with avoidable errors. We cover these in much more detail in our article on resume mistakes that cost you interviews, but here are the key ones to watch out for:

Typos and grammatical errors. Proofread thoroughly. Read your resume aloud, use a spell-checker, and ask someone else to review it.
Using an objective statement instead of a summary. Objective statements ("Seeking a role in...") are outdated. A professional summary is more effective.
Including irrelevant information. Hobbies, personal details (age, marital status), and outdated roles from decades ago rarely add value. Every line should earn its place.
Using a generic resume for every application. Tailoring your resume to each job takes time, but it significantly improves your chances.
Dishonesty. Embellishing or fabricating experience is risky and ultimately counterproductive. Background checks, reference calls, and technical interviews will expose inconsistencies.

Final Checklist Before You Submit

Before sending your resume, run through this quick checklist:

[ ] Is it tailored to the specific job description?
[ ] Does every bullet point focus on results rather than duties?
[ ] Have you included quantifiable metrics where possible?
[ ] Is the formatting clean, consistent, and ATS-friendly?
[ ] Have you proofread for spelling and grammar?
[ ] Is your contact information correct and up to date?
[ ] Is the file saved as a PDF with a professional file name (e.g., "FirstName-LastName-Resume.pdf")?

Start Building Your Resume Today

Once your resume is polished, do not forget to pair it with a strong application letter -- our guide on how to write a cover letter walks you through the process step by step.

Writing a professional resume is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with the right tools and guidance. If you want a head start, CV Artisan offers professionally designed, ATS-optimised templates that make it straightforward to organise your experience and present it effectively.

The most important thing is to start. Take the principles from this guide, apply them to your own experience, and build a resume that reflects the value you genuinely bring. Your next opportunity could be one well-crafted application away.