Need to make a resume but aren’t sure where to start? A pre-made resume outline can help you structure your resume and organize all your information.
Our free-to-use resume builder can make you a resume in as little as 5 minutes. Just pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.
3 resume outline examples for different types of jobseekers
No matter your experience level or career path, we have a resume outline to help you write your own resume.
Below are three outlines specifically designed to help different types of job seekers:
- Entry-level jobseekers
- Experienced jobseekers
- Career changers
1. Entry-level resume outline
If you’re applying for entry-level jobs or are still in school, this resume outline is tailor-made for you. Notable features include a more detailed education section and less emphasis on your formal work experience:
If you need more guidance writing a resume without experience, our resident career expert Chloe explains how to write a resume as an entry level job seeker in the following video:
2. Experienced resume outline
If you’re already at least a few years into your career, then your work experience is going to make up the majority of your resume.
Here’s a resume outline to help you create a basic resume as an experienced candidate:
Notice that this resume outline example opens with a resume objective, and then immediately moves into the candidate’s professional experience. This format is referred to as a chronological resume, and it’s the most common type of resume used by job seekers today.
3. Resume outline for a career changer
If you’re writing a resume for a career change, the details you highlight will need to be a little different. For example, a career change resume should focus on your transferable skills and any experience or certifications relevant to your new career path.
Here’s an outline for a resume designed to help you transition to a new career:
Depending on your background and job experience, you may want to set up the outline for your resume differently. For example, this outline can be adjusted so that it’s formatted as a functional resume, which focuses on your skills rather than your professional experience.
If you’re not sure what your resume should look like, it’s a good idea to review some resume examples from your industry to see what hiring managers are typically looking for.
How to use a basic resume outline for a job
Learning how to write a resume that effectively highlights your strengths can require a lot of effort. That’s where a resume outline comes in.
A resume outline breaks up the difficult process of resume writing by giving you an easy-to-follow structure you can use as a starting point to put together your application.
Resume outlines help you visualize:
- what resume sections to include
- what resume format is right for you
- what information to include
All you have to do to use a resume outline effectively is choose one that’s most appropriate for your situation. Then, plug your information into each section of the outline or resume template, until you have a completed resume.
6 parts of a professional resume outline
To help you understand what to put on your resume, here’s a more detailed breakdown of a basic resume outline, divided by section, with specific information about what to include for each part.
1. Resume heading
The first thing any hiring manager will see when they open your application is your resume header. Your header is where you provide all the information employers need to contact you.
There are several ways to format your header, but it should generally include your:
- First and last name
- Current job title
- Phone number
- Email address
- LinkedIn profile (optional)
Traditionally, your street address is also included in your header. However, since most employers now do all their correspondence online, it’s no longer necessary.
2. Resume introduction
You need to know how to start your resume so it immediately grabs the hiring manager’s attention and sells your qualifications. That’s why a convincing introduction is essential to any good resume outline.
A resume summary is a brief statement that highlights your key work-related achievements and skills in three to five sentences. This gives the hiring manager an idea of your general qualifications, the qualities that make you a good candidate, and how your career objectives fit into the company’s long-term goals.
Resume summary statements are best for candidates with some relevant work experience for the job they want. However, there are several other ways to introduce yourself to the hiring manager if you have a wealth of work experience and qualifications, including the following:
If you’re not sure how to make a resume summary, a professional resume summary generator can help get you started.
3. Work or relevant experience
So you’ve reeled the hiring manager in with a stellar introduction. Now it’s time to impress them with the real substance of your resume: your experience section.
In most cases, the experience section of your resume should make up the majority of your outline. If you have experience, focus on two to three of your most recently held jobs.
For each job, include the:
- Name of the company
- Company location
- Dates you were employed there
- Job title you had
Then, write a bulleted list of your responsibilities, including quantifiable achievements you made while on the job.
To impress the hiring manager, back up the accomplishments on your resume with hard numbers to demonstrate what you’ve achieved as a professional.
Have little to no formal work experience?
If you lack work experience, your resume outline should focus on any relevant experience you have, whether that’s extracurriculars, volunteer work, or personal projects.
Instead of using a “work experience section,” adjust your outline so that it includes a “relevant experience” section. Then, use this section to outline any role you’ve filled that shows you have transferable skills or are qualified in some way for the job you want.
4. Education
Even if you’re far along in your career, your outline should include a resume education section.
In general, your education section should list your:
- School and its location
- Degree and major
- Graduation date (optional)
- Awards, honors, and GPA (if it’s 3.8 or higher)
If you’re a recent graduate or you’re applying for an academic job, your resume outline should include a more detailed education section. That means including your GPA on your resume along with any awards you’ve received.
Meanwhile, a more experienced candidate might choose to leave this information off their resume.
5. Skills and Certifications
No outline is complete without an overview of your relevant skills and certifications. Include a bulleted list of specific hard skills and soft skills, as well as any certifications that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
The skills listed on your resume should be specific, not general or ambiguous. It’s not enough to say you’re proficient in “data entry software.” Instead, specify pieces of software or tools you’re proficient in — “Wolfram Mathematica,” for instance.
6. Additional Resume Sections
You’ve got the basics down — now it’s time to add the finishing touches to your resume outline to transform it into a usable resume.
Here are a few sections that you could include, depending on your own professional strengths and experiences:
Languages
Candidates who speak multiple languages are highly desirable for many businesses. If you speak more than one language, include an additional section on your outline highlighting language skills on your resume.
Hobbies
Listing your hobbies or interests on your resume can help you stand apart from other candidates and demonstrate that you’re a good cultural fit for a company (but make sure they’re relevant to the work you’d be doing).
However, you should only include hobbies and interests when you outline your resume if you have little to no work experience. If you’re an experienced candidate, this section can be replaced by more relevant information.
Volunteer work
Putting volunteer work on your resume is a great way to highlight certain skills and show that you’re involved in your community. Consider adding this section to your resume outline if you need to round out your application, or you lack relevant work experience.
To see how you can effectively highlight your volunteer work, take a look at this high school student resume example.
Free resume outline templates for Google Docs and Word
Ready to start making your resume? Here are a few pre-formatted resume outline templates that you can download for free and fill in with your own information:
Original
Our Original Resume Template offers a classic professional look, with all of the sections you need organized with bolded headers. Simply download the template and fill in your information.
Minimalist
The Minimalist Resume Design provides a simple aesthetic and an eye-pleasing sidebar to organize your sections. This is the perfect resume if you’re looking to highlight your skills with a little extra visual flair while maintaining a professional tone.
Headshot
Need to grab attention? Our Headshot resume template features a more creative design, with some graphic details and skill bars.
Most notably, this resume outline also includes space for a picture on your resume, which can help you grab attention. However, we recommend only including a photo of yourself on your resume if you’re applying for jobs in countries or professions where including headshots is the norm.
Aeshetic
Our Aesthetic template provides a great outline for your resume, featuring bright colors and a modern design.
While this template works for a variety of industries, it’s most suited for jobseekers applying for positions in tech or marketing because of its modern look.
Frequently asked questions about resume outlines
Here are some answers to common questions about using a resume outline:
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.
