What to include in a resume outline?

You should include all the standard resume sections in your outline: Header and contact information Resume introduction Professional experience Education Skills You can also include any additional sections that highlight relevant qualifications, such as certifications or awards.

What is the standard resume format?

The most common resume format is the chronological resume . This layout places the emphasis on your work experience and career progression, which is what employers are most interested in when looking at your resume. If you lack experience in your target field, or you’re switching to a new career or industry, it can sometimes be helpful to use a functional resume or combination resume that places greater emphasis on your skills.

How can I make a resume outline for a first job?

If you’re making a resume outline for a first job, figure out which sections best sell your relevant skills and qualifications and highlight those. You can swap sections around to put the most important things at the top of your resume. If you’re looking for your first job, your education section will probably be a strong selling point. So move it to the top and add extra information that can help show employers you’re a great candidate, such as relevant coursework , academic achievements, and awards . When you’re writing a resume with no experience , it’s important to showcase other activities that can demonstrate your skills. Some examples are projects , volunteer work , or extracurricular activities . Try your best to write about each of these experiences with strong action verbs and numbers that can help quantify your accomplishments .

Simple Resume Outlines (Free & Easy to Complete)

Table of Contents

Starting your resume with a clear outline gives you a strong foundation. It helps you focus on the information employers care about most, so your final resume is engaging and persuasive.

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Our resume builder can make you a resume in as little as 5 minutes. Pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.

Simple resume outline to start any job application

You can use this free resume outline as a base for any job application. Copy it into Google Docs to create a master resume or tailor it to a specific job.

A free editable resume outline for Google Docs

Edit in Google Docs

Resume outlines for specific career stages

Each template uses a tailored resume format for a different stage in your career. What works for a college student won’t look the same as a senior executive’s resume.

Open any outline in Google Docs and start editing immediately.

Early career resume outline

Best for students, first-time job seekers, and recent graduates. This outline highlights education, projects, extracurriculars, and transferable skills while showing how to add context when formal experience is limited.

A free resume outline for students that can be edited in Google Docs

Edit in Google Docs

Mid-level professional

Designed for candidates with 1+ years of experience through mid-level management.

This chronological format emphasizes employment history, career growth, and technical expertise.

A free resume outline for mid-level professionals

Edit in Google Docs

List promotions as separate job entries to clearly show upward movement.

Senior-level resume outline

Made for applicants with 10+ years of experience across multiple roles. This outline shows how to present extensive qualifications in a clear, efficient format.

A free resume outline for senior professionals

Edit in Google Docs

Additional resume outlines

These resume outlines may be a better fit depending on your situation:

Formatted resume outline templates for Google Docs and Word

Download these professionally designed resume outlines for free and fill them in with your own information:

Original

This traditional-looking resume template is suitable for a wide variety of job opportunities, especially those in more buttoned-up industries:

Download This Free Template

Online

If you’re looking for a resume outline that you can immediately start editing in Google Docs, this versatile template is a great choice:

Edit in Google Docs

Aesthetic

The Aesthetic template provides a great outline for your resume, featuring bright colors and a modern design.

A modern-looking resume template featuring a sidebar

Download This Free Template

Helpful tools & resources

Here are some helpful resources that will help you fill out each section of your resume outline:

Resume summary generator

Your resume summary sets the tone for your resume, so it’s important to be focused and concise. Use this tool to quickly write a summary of your qualifications that gets straight to the details employers care most about:

Quick template for writing about your achievements

The best way to write about your achievements is in bullet point format.

Focus on what you did and its outcome by using a simple structure that emphasizes your actions, the methods you used, and their positive impact:

Resume bullet point template

Accomplished [X task or achievement] by [Y action you took], resulting in [Z measurable outcome]
Improved customer response times by creating a streamlined support workflow, resulting in a 25% reduction in wait times

Action verbs for improving your writing

Action verbs are one of the simplest ways to strengthen your resume bullet points. They clearly show what you achieved, make your writing more dynamic, and help employers understand the real impact of your work.

Starting each bullet with a strong verb rather than the personal pronoun “I” also makes your achievements easier to skim and remember.

Here’s a quick example to show the difference:

Strong

Resolved customer complaints and improved satisfaction by streamlining response workflows.

Weak

Was responsible for handling customer complaints and improving satisfaction.

Use the action verbs below to make your bullet points clearer, more confident, and more results-driven.

Instead of...	Use...
Helped	Supported, Assisted, Enabled, Facilitated, Contributed to
Worked on	Delivered, Executed, Completed, Developed, Produced
Did	Performed, Conducted, Implemented, Executed
Made	Created, Built, Developed, Produced, Designed
Worked with	Collaborated with, Partnered with, Liaised with, Coordinated with
Got	Achieved, Secured, Attained, Earned
Was responsible for	Managed, Oversaw, Led, Owned, Administered
Used	Applied, Leveraged, Utilized, Operated
Fixed	Resolved, Restored, Repaired, Troubleshot
Looked after	Managed, Supported, Maintained, Oversaw

Years of Experience

Articles Written

Articles Reviewed

Seb is a Certified Professional Resume Writer with 10 years of combined experience in career counseling and editorial work. With a MA in Communications from National Chengchi University (Taiwan) and a BA in East Asian Studies from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain), he helps job seekers translate their experience into employer-ready applications for US and international job markets.

Seb’s insights in resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, and skill development have appeared in careers-focused and national media, including Employee Benefit News, The Vector Impact, and 360Learning. Reach him at [sebastian] @ [resumegenius.com] or via LinkedIn.

Certifications

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Expertise