A resume is more than just a summary of your work experience — it’s your first impression to potential employers. In 2025, with AI screening tools, competitive job markets, and remote hiring trends, your resume must do more than look good — it needs to stand out and convert.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to building a resume that gets noticed and helps you land the job you want.
Step 1: Choose the Right Resume Format
There are three main resume formats:
- Chronological Resume (most common)
Lists your work history in reverse order — ideal for experienced professionals. - Functional Resume
Focuses on skills rather than job history — great for career changers or those with gaps. - Combination Resume
Mixes both formats — best for mid-career professionals with strong skills and solid experience.
Pro Tip: Use a chronological format if you’re applying through job portals where ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) are involved.
Step 2: Use a Clean, Professional Design
Your resume should be:
- One page (for <7 years of experience), or max two pages
- Easy to scan, with clear headings
- Free of clutter, graphics, or fancy fonts
- Saved in PDF format (unless stated otherwise)
Recommended Fonts: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or Times New Roman (size 10.5–12 pt)
Step 3: Write a Strong Resume Summary or Objective
Your resume summary is the first section recruiters see. Make it count in 2–3 lines.
✅ Example Summary (for Experienced Professional):
Results-driven Digital Marketing Manager with 6+ years of experience in SEO, PPC, and lead generation. Increased organic traffic by 250% in 12 months.
✅ Example Objective (for Freshers):
Motivated BBA graduate seeking an entry-level marketing role to apply my academic knowledge and gain hands-on experience in campaign management.
Step 4: Focus on Achievements, Not Just Responsibilities
Recruiters care about impact, not job descriptions.
Instead of this:
“Managed social media accounts.”
Write this:
“Increased Instagram engagement by 40% in 3 months through targeted content strategy.”
Use action verbs like: Led, Created, Achieved, Improved, Developed, Increased, Launched
Step 5: Use Keywords from the Job Description
Most resumes are scanned by ATS software before reaching human eyes. To pass the filter:
- Identify keywords in the job ad (e.g., “data analysis,” “project management,” “Java”)
- Naturally include those exact terms in your resume
Pro Tip: Use tools like Jobscan or Resume Worded to match your resume against job postings.
Step 6: Include These Must-Have Resume Sections
Here’s what every strong resume should contain:
✅ Contact Information
- Full Name
- Phone Number
- Professional Email
- LinkedIn profile (optional but recommended)
- Portfolio URL (if applicable)
✅ Resume Summary or Objective
As discussed above.
✅ Work Experience
Include: Job Title, Company, Location, Dates, Key achievements
✅ Skills
List 6–10 skills relevant to the job (both hard and soft)
✅ Education
Include degree, university, year of graduation
✅ Certifications / Courses (if relevant)
E.g., Google Ads Certified, Python for Data Science – Coursera
Step 7: Tailor Your Resume for Every Job
Don’t use a one-size-fits-all resume. Customize for each role by:
- Changing the summary
- Highlighting most relevant experience first
- Adjusting skills to match the job description
This small effort can increase your interview chances dramatically.
Step 8: Avoid These Common Resume Mistakes
❌ Typos and grammatical errors
❌ Using unprofessional email addresses
❌ Irrelevant job experience
❌ Overused buzzwords like “hardworking,” “go-getter,” “team player”
❌ Long paragraphs with no bullet points
Step 9: Add Bonus Sections (Optional)
To make your resume more dynamic, consider these extras:
- Volunteer Work
- Projects
- Languages
- Awards & Achievements
- Hobbies/Interests (only if relevant or to show culture fit)
Step 10: Proofread and Get Feedback
Before you hit send:
- Run spell check
- Read it aloud
- Ask a mentor or friend for feedback
- Check formatting on both desktop and mobile
Resume Example (Snippet)
John Mehta Email: john.mehta@email.com | Phone: +91 9876543210 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnmehta 💼 Resume Summary: Detail-oriented Data Analyst with 4+ years of experience in predictive modeling, data visualization, and SQL. Delivered insights that increased customer retention by 18%. 🔹 Work Experience: Data Analyst – XYZ Corp, Mumbai (2021–Present) - Analyzed customer churn data, reducing losses by ₹12L per year - Created dashboards in Power BI for marketing and sales teams 🔧 Skills: SQL | Python | Tableau | Excel | Data Modeling | Critical Thinking 🎓 Education: BSc in Statistics – University of Mumbai, 2018
Final Thoughts
A strong resume is your personal marketing tool. It should reflect your achievements, potential, and personality — all on one or two pages. In 2025’s competitive job market, make sure yours stands out for the right reasons.
Remember: Your resume won’t get you the job. But it can get you the interview — and that’s step one to getting hired.