Your resume is your marketing document that explains to your potential employer why they should hire you. In today’s competitive job market, your resume must impress two distinct audiences: AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that are used for resume screening by 99% of Fortune 500 companies and 75% of large employers, and human recruiters who spend less than 7 seconds scanning each resume.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about writing ATS-friendly resumes that land interviews, based on best practices from recruiters and professional resume writing organizations including the National Resume Writers’ Association (NRWA), Professional Association for Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC), and Career Directors International (CDI).
Table of Contents
- Resume Basics & Setup
- Essential Resume Sections
- Writing Impactful Content
- ATS-Friendly Formatting
- Resume Tailoring Strategies
- Resume Optimization Tools
1. Resume Basics & Setup
Master Resume
Even before you begin your job search you should have a master resume. This should be a log of every achievement, every project, every metric, and every win you’ve ever had. This resume won’t ever be shared but will serve as the inputs for AI resume assistants like Upplai to personalize each resume you send.
Professional Email Address
What email address should I use in my resume?
Use a professional email address that represents your name. Use this format: firstname.lastname@domain.com or firstinitiallastname@domain.com
- Avoid: nicknames, birth years, random numbers
- Recommended domains: Use your university alumni email address if you have one. Otherwise, use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo (in that order). Try avoiding domains like AOL, Hotmail etc. which might cause age related bias from potential employers
- Never use your current employer’s email address
Example: Instead of “coolguy1985@hotmail.com,” use “john.doe@gmail.com”
Resume File Naming Conventions
How should I name my resume file for ATS systems?
Use this format: FirstName_LastName_Resume.extension
- Include your actual name, not generic terms
- Avoid special characters, spaces, or version numbers
Examples:
✅ Sarah_Johnson_Resume.pdf
❌ Resume_Final_v3.pdf
❌ My Resume (Updated).docx
Key takeaway: Professional file naming helps recruiters organize applications and minimizes unconscious bias.
Resume File Format
Is it necessary to use a DOCX/ Word format resume for ATS compatibility?
No. You can use either a PDF or a DOCX format for your resume to ensure ATS compatibility. Contrary to old myths, most modern ATS systems can easily read PDF files. Additionally, PDFs have an advantage over DOCX formats because they preserve the layout and formatting of a document, regardless of the different devices, software, or operating systems used to view them. Hence we recommend the PDF format, although DOCX should serve you equally well if ATS compatibility is your only criterion.
Resume Length Guidelines
How long should my resume be?
Generally, your resume length depends on your experience level:
- 0-10 years experience: 1 page maximum
- 10-20 years experience: 2 pages recommended
- 20+ years or executive roles: 2-3 pages acceptable
But some industries may have specific requirements that can override general guidelines:
- Technology: 1-2 pages (emphasis on recent, relevant skills)
- Healthcare: 2-3 pages (credentials, certifications important)
- Academia: CV format preferred (no page limit)
- Creative/Media: 1-2 pages + portfolio
- Finance/Banking: Strict 1-page preference for most levels
- Government/Federal: 2-5 pages depending on level
Key takeaway: One page per decade of experience is the modern standard for most industries.
2. Essential Resume Sections
Your resume should include the following sections
Contact Information
Here you should include:
- Your name
- Professional email address
- Phone number (mobile preferred)
- Location: City or metro area (don’t include a physical address)
- LinkedIn profile URL (linkedin.com/in/yourname)
- Portfolio/GitHub links (if relevant)
Should I include a photo on my resume?
No. Photos can introduce unconscious bias and are not recommended for most positions in the United States.
Resume assistants like Upplai automatically format contact information according to ATS best practices, ensuring all details are easily readable by both systems and humans.
Branding Statement
A branding statement is like a title for your resume. It appears directly below your contact information. It serves as a hook for the human reader. It also helps in improving the relevance of your profile to AI systems that are responsible for automated screening.
Should I include a branding statement on my resume?
Yes, if you are an/a:
- Mid to senior-level professional (5+ years experience)
- Executive-level candidate seeking a leadership position
- Career changer repositioning your expertise
- Technical professional who needs to quickly communicate specialized expertise
How to write a compelling resume branding statement?
- Length: 10-20 words maximum
- Format: Bold, italics or larger font than regular resume text
- Essential Elements:
- Professional title/target role
- Years of experience (if substantial)
- Industry specialization or niche expertise
- Key differentiator or unique value
- Target market (optional)
- Structure: Use pipe symbols (|) to separate elements
Branding Statement Examples
Senior Software Engineer | Cloud Architecture Specialist | Fortune 500 Enterprise Solutions
Marketing Executive | Digital Transformation Leader | B2B SaaS Growth
Operations Director | Process Optimization Expert | Manufacturing Excellence
Financial Analyst | Risk Management Specialist | Investment Banking
Professional Summary or Career Objective
This is your elevator pitch. Use this section to highlight your value proposition including relevant skills, experience, and achievements to the hiring manager.
Should I write a professional summary or a career objective?
This depends on your experience level at the job you’re applying for:
- Professional Summary: Include a professional summary if you have more than 2 years relevant experience
- Career Objective: Include this if you are a recent graduate or a career changer with limited relevant experience ( 0-2 years)
- Never include both sections
How do I write a compelling professional summary?
A strong professional summary should include the following information:
-
Professional Identity/Title
- Current or target job title
- Years of experience (if substantial; rounded e.g. 20 years+)
- Industry specialization
-
Key Qualifications: Aligned to the target role
- Top 2-3 core competencies
- Relevant technical skills or certifications
-
Value Proposition
- Quantifiable achievements when possible
- Unique differentiators
-
Career Direction/Goals
- Forward-looking statement about contribution to target role
Length: The summary section should have 2-3 sentences (50 – 100 words). Use the following structure:
- Sentence 1: Professional identity + experience + specialization
- Sentence 2: Key achievements + quantifiable results
- Sentence 3: Value proposition + career direction
Here are some additional role specific guidelines:
Technical Roles:
- Include specific technologies, methodologies, or certifications
- Mention years of experience with key tools/platforms
- Highlight technical achievements and innovations
Leadership Roles:
- Emphasize team size managed and scope of responsibility
- Include financial metrics (budget, revenue, cost savings)
- Highlight strategic initiatives and business impact
Creative Roles:
- Mention awards, recognition, or notable projects
- Include client types or campaign results
- Highlight creative and analytical balance
Professional Summary Example
For a mid-level professional (5-10 years):
Results-driven Operations Manager with 7+ years of experience optimizing processes and leading cross-functional teams in manufacturing environments. Reduced operational costs by 25% and improved efficiency by 30% while maintaining 99.5% quality standards. Committed to implementing lean methodologies and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
How do I write an effective career objective?
Use this 4-step formula:
1. Educational Background/Current Status
Start by establishing your academic credentials or current student status
- Degree program and major
- Relevant coursework or specializations
- Academic achievements (if notable)
2. Relevant Skills and Competencies
Display a mix of hard skills, soft skills, and technical skills that relate to the target position
- Technical skills from coursework
- Transferable skills from projects/activities
- Soft skills relevant to the role
3. Career Goals and Position Target
Highlight your career goals and aspirations that match the job opportunities you’re applying for
- Specific position or role type
- Industry interest
- Professional development goals
4. Value Proposition
Consider what value you can bring to the company – your skill set should contribute to the growth of the company
- How you can contribute immediately
- Your enthusiasm and motivation
- Potential for growth and learning
Length: The career objective section should have 2-3 sentences (50 – 100 words).
Career Objective Example
For a recent graduate (with a Bachelor’s degree):
Recent Marketing graduate with strong foundation in digital marketing principles and consumer behavior analysis. Proficient in social media strategy, content creation, and data analytics through academic projects and volunteer campaign management. Seeking entry-level marketing coordinator position to leverage analytical skills and creative mindset to drive brand awareness and customer engagement.
Upplai intelligently determines whether your background requires a professional summary or career objective, then generates tailored content following proven formulas.
Work Experience
Here you should list your relevant professional roles in a reverse chronological order.
How far back should my work experience go?
The general rule is to provide in-depth information for the last 10-15 years of your career or the three most recent positions if they are relevant to the role you’re applying for.
Here are some additional guidelines:
- There’s no need to include every job you’ve ever had if they are not relevant or if you can’t demonstrate quantifiable achievements through them
- If you received a promotion at your current company and held many of the same responsibilities across multiple roles, consider combining this experience to save space
- Ageism is real, especially for tech startups. Listing more years of experience than what’s required in the job post could hurt your chances. It may be better to drop off your older experiences
What content should I include for each position?
You should list the job title, the company name, the dates, and your accomplishment bullets. You could also include a 1-line description of the company if you held a leadership role to offer additional context for your accomplishments.
Should I use my exact job title?
Use your exact title unless:
- Your company uses non-standard titles (“Chief Happiness Officer” instead of “HR Director”, or ‘Chief Rockstar’ instead of ‘Chief Operating Officer’ etc. )
- The title includes company-specific terminology. For example, ‘Senior Product Manager, Rover’, where ‘Rover’ is an internal name for the billing infrastructure platform
- Standard industry title would be clearer to recruiters
How many bullets should I include for each position?
The number of bullet points you include should be based on the recency and relevance of the position to the role you’re applying for. Here are some guidelines:
- Current Position: Most detail (4-6 bullet points)
- Recent Positions (within the last 7 years): 3-5 bullet points
- Older Positions (7-10 years): 1-3 bullet points
- For positions which are 10+ years old, consider grouping multiple roles into a single paragraph with 1-3 bullets to outline your key responsibilities, actions, and related achievements
What should I list in my experience section if I don’t have traditional work experience?
If you are a current student or recent graduate without any prior full-time work experience, you can use alternative experience categories.
1. Internships (Paid or Unpaid)
Internships belong in your work experience section- after all, they are work experience.
Example:
EXPERIENCE
Marketing Intern
ABC Company, City, State | Summer 2022
- Developed social media campaign resulting in 25% increase in engagement
- Conducted market research analysis for new product launch
- Supported team of 5 marketing professionals on daily operations
2. Projects
You can make a dedicated Projects section to showcase academic and personal projects that demonstrate relevant skills.
Example:
PROJECTS
E-commerce Website Development | 2024
- Built fully functional online store using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Implemented secure payment processing and inventory management
- Achieved 98% uptime and positive user feedback
3. Volunteer Experience
Volunteering demonstrates community involvement, ability to work with others, and relevant skills.
Example:
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Youth Program Assistant
Habitat for Humanity, Austin, TX | Summer 2023
- Assisted in construction of 3 homes for low-income families
- Led volunteer orientation sessions for 50+ new participants
- Coordinated tool inventory and safety protocols for job sites
- Collaborated with diverse teams of 15-20 volunteers on weekend builds
4. Extracurricular Activities
Activities show collaboration ability, time management, and organizational skills. Leadership positions speak to leadership ability.
Example:
LEADERSHIP & ACTIVITIES
Student Council Vice President
Kensington High School | 2020-2021
- Spearheaded clothing drive supporting homeless population
- Delivered 3 speeches to 500+ student body on wellness and fundraising
- Managed budget of $15,000 for student activities
5. Awards and Academic Coursework
List awards and relevant coursework that emphasizes skills helpful for the job, including technical courses and communication-focused classes.
Example:
RELEVANT COURSEWORK
- Digital Marketing Strategy & Analytics
- Consumer Behavior Analysis
- Data Visualization and Statistical Analysis
- Business Communication and Presentation
Upplai automatically prioritizes your most relevant experiences and suggests optimal bullet point counts based on recency and relevance to your target role.
Education
Here you should list all your degrees in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent first.
Should I list all my degrees on my resume?
Yes. Unless:
- The degree doesn’t speak to your goals or relevant for the target role
- You’ve earned master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees in the same major. You can leave off the associate degree to save space
- Leave off advanced degrees if applying for positions that don’t require them and you feel it could hurt your chances (by making you appear over qualified)
What education information should I include on my resume?
Always include:
- Degree name and field of study
- University name and location
Additionally, include if you’re within 5 years of graduation:
- Graduation year
- GPA (only if 3.6+ on 4.0 scale)
- Academic honors and relevant coursework
Should I include my graduation year on my resume?
You should remove your graduation year if:
- You’re over 40 (to avoid age discrimination)
- The degree is more than 15 years old
You should remove it earlier if you’re applying to tech startups (which often favor younger candidates).
Upplai automatically determines appropriate education formatting based on your experience level and can hide graduation years when beneficial.
What should I include in the Education section of my resume if I don’t have a college degree?
If you have an unfinished college degree, write “Coursework toward” before the degree name. List dates attended and credits earned.
If you are a current student working towards your degree, use the ‘Candidate: Degree Name’ format. For example, ‘Candidate: Bachelor of Science’. Additionally, for graduation year, include the expected year of graduation. For example: 2024 – 2028 (Expected).
If you don’t have a college degree and are not pursuing one currently, focus on alternative credentials. Employers are increasingly open to applicants who have charted their path to training and proficiency.
Include:
- Professional certifications and licenses
- Trade school or vocational training
- Industry-specific training programs
- Online certifications (Google, Microsoft, etc.)
- Military training and education
- Apprenticeships and specialized training
Example:
CERTIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute | 2023
Google Digital Marketing Certificate
Coursera | 2023
Skills
The skills section is where recruiters can see if you meet the job requirements at a quick glance. It is also an ideal space for adding job specific keywords for ATS optimization.
Do I need a skills section on my resume?
Yes, if you are a/an
- Entry-level candidate or a recent graduate who needs to demonstrate capabilities. (Note: This could be relevant coursework or educational achievements)
- Career changer showcasing transferable skills
- Technical professional requiring specific skill validation
- Candidate with employment gaps highlighting maintained/developed skills
- Professional in skills-dependent fields (IT, healthcare, engineering, creative)
It is less critical for:
- Senior executives where leadership experience speaks for itself
- Professionals with extensive, relevant work history that demonstrates skills in action
What should I list in my skills section?
Depending upon your industry and the seniority of the role you are applying for, you should list
1. Hard Skills
Think “Technical Skills,” “Certifications,” or if it’s a more specialized role, you could go with “Software,” “Programming Languages,” and “Tools”
2. Processes
Include your experience with processes like forecasting, risk analysis, etc.
3. Business Skills
These are business specific skills that demonstrate your abilities and knowledge areas relevant to your target role. For example, hiring, revenue planning, etc.
What not to include in your skills section
- Generic soft skills without context
- Outdated or irrelevant technologies
- Skills you cannot demonstrate or discuss confidently
- Vague buzzwords
Skills Section Example
SKILLS
- Technical: Cloud computing, Cybersecurity, Data Analysis, Machine Learning
- Programming: C++, Java, Python, SQL
- Software: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Salesforce, Tableau
- Management: Budget Planning, Resource Allocation, Team Leadership
Upplai automatically analyzes job descriptions to suggest relevant skill categories and keywords that improve your ATS score.
Other Sections
You can include additional information/ sections only if they are relevant to the target role or help demonstrate your value proposition. Examples of such sections include:
Alternative Experience
- Projects
- Volunteer Experience
- Interests & Activities
Use these sections in case you don’t have enough relevant work experience or if they help make your profile more relevant to the role. For example, if you’re applying to a mission-driven startup trying to mitigate climate change, you should list your volunteering experience to show that you care about the world.
Alternative Education
- Certifications & Training
Use this section to list relevant job specific skills learned through training and certificate programs.
Industry Recognition
- Awards
- Publications
- Professional Networks
List patents, publications in popular industry journals, memberships to prestigious professional networks, well known awards and other achievements to demonstrate your experience and excellence in an industry/ field.
Resume Section Ordering
The optimal ordering of resume sections depends on your level of experience and the industry of your target role.
What’s the best order for resume sections?
If you are a recent graduate (0-2 years of experience) or a current student:
- Contact Information
- Education
- Experience (internships, part-time work)
- Projects
- Skills
- Other sections (awards, activities etc.)
If you are applying for an entry level technical role (i.e. 0-5 years of experience):
- Contact Information
- Professional Summary (brief)
- Skills (technical skills)
- Experience
- Education
- Projects/ Certifications
- Other sections as appropriate
If you’re applying for a mid or a senior level technical role (i.e. 5+ years of experience):
- Contact Information
- Branding Statement
- Professional Summary
- Experience
- Skills
- Education
- Certifications/ Awards
- Other sections as appropriate
If you’re applying for an entry level or a mid level non-technical role (i.e. 0-8 years of experience):
- Contact Information
- Branding Statement (if 5+ years experience)
- Professional Summary (if 2+ years experience)
- Experience
- Education
- Skills
- Other sections as appropriate
If you’re applying for a senior level non-technical role (i.e. 8+ years of experience):
- Contact Information
- Branding Statement
- Professional Summary
- Experience
- Skills
- Education
- Other sections as appropriate
Upplai automatically arranges resume sections in the optimal order based on your experience level and target role.
3. Writing Impactful Content
Achievement-Focused Bullet Points
How do I write powerful resume bullet points?
Every bullet point should follow this formula: Action Verb + Specific Task + Quantifiable Result + Timeline (when relevant)
Example:
❌ “Responsible for managing a team”
✅ “Led cross-functional team of 12 engineers, reducing product delivery time by 40% over 6 months”
Here are some examples of powerful action verbs you can use for resume writing:
- Leadership: Led, directed, managed, supervised, coordinated
- Achievement: Achieved, exceeded, delivered, generated, increased
- Improvement: Optimized, streamlined, enhanced, upgraded, transformed
- Analysis: Analyzed, evaluated, assessed, researched, identified
What if I don’t have specific numbers for my achievements?
Even without exact metrics, you can quantify impact:
- Team size: “Led team of 8” instead of “led a team”
- Scope: “Managed $2M budget” instead of “managed budget”
- Frequency: “Daily coordination with 15+ stakeholders”
- Scale: “Supported 500+ customers monthly”
- Comparison: “Reduced processing time by half”
AI resume builders like Upplai can help identify quantification opportunities in your existing experience descriptions and suggest industry-standard metrics for your role.
Resume Language Best Practices
What language should I avoid on my resume?
You should avoid the following when writing your resume bullets:
- Buzzwords: “synergy,” “out-of-the-box,” “disruptive”
- Adjectives: “hardworking,” “results-oriented,” “dynamic”
- Adverbs: “successfully,” “quickly,” “efficiently”
- First person: Remove “I” from all bullet points. Instead of ‘I led’, simply use ‘Led’
- Industry jargon: Use terms recruiters and other general audience will understand, not just industry experts
Use past tense for previous roles, and present tense for current position.
Key takeaway: Let your quantified achievements speak for themselves without flowery language.
Upplai automatically rewrites resume content using proven action verbs and achievement-focused language while maintaining accuracy.
4. Resume Formatting
Formatting for AI
Given that ATS systems reject almost 80% of resumes, resume formatting is critical when it comes to AI screening, as it could impact whether your resume gets seen by a human reviewer.
How do I make my resume ATS-friendly?
There are some basic mistakes that people make in formatting that can be hard for AI to digest. Avoid these ATS-killers:
- Text boxes: ATS cannot read content in text boxes
- Tables: Can scramble information when parsed
- Headers and footers: Often ignored by ATS systems
- Images and graphics: Not readable by ATS
- Multiple columns: Can confuse reading order
- Special characters: Use standard punctuation only
Use sections and white space or horizontal lines to clearly separate the contents of your resume along with standard section headers like ‘Professional Summary’, ‘Experience’, ‘Education’, ‘Skills’ to make it easy for the AI systems to read and organize your information.
Formatting for Humans
Formatting is less critical for human reviewers. But given that a typical recruiter doesn’t spend more than 7 seconds reviewing a resume, your goal should be to make it really easy for them to understand your story and value proposition in that time frame.
What is a recruiter-friendly resume format?
- Font Size: Use a 10-12 point font for your bullets and paragraphs so that recruiters can easily read them without having to zoom in
- Font Choice: Stick to professional fonts i.e. fonts that you typically use for creating documents at work. Typically these tend to be Arial, Calibri and Times New Roman – which are also the most common fonts used for resumes
- White Space: Balance content with readability. For recruiters, too much white space = lack of experience
- Consistency: Same formatting for similar elements
- Visual hierarchy: Use bold headers and logical flow
- Colors: Avoid bright colors or complex color schemes. Stick to standard colors like dark blue or black for section headers. Ensure high contrast for readability
Key takeaway: Simple, clean formatting ensures both ATS systems and human recruiters can easily read your resume.
Upplai provides ATS-compliant resume templates that look professional while ensuring perfect compatibility with all major ATS systems.
5. Resume Tailoring
In today’s competitive job market, you must tailor your resume for every job in order to stand out from your competition for both AI and human reviewers.
Resume Tailoring for ATS
How do I optimize my resume for ATS systems?
ATS systems score resumes like search engines rank websites- using keywords. In order to ensure your resume passes ATS screening:
- Identify keywords from the job description
- Include the exact keyword in your resume
Keyword Optimization Example: If job posting says “customer-centric approach,” use “customer-centric” not synonyms like “user-focused” or “client-oriented.”
Where should I place keywords on my resume?
- Skills section
- Professional summary
- Work experience bullet points
- Branding statement
Don’t limit keywords to the Skills section. Incorporate keywords into your bullets where you can as ATS systems value context more than keyword stuffing. Additionally, if a keyword appears multiple times in the job description, you should try to list it more than once in your resume. This helps match the relative frequency of the keyword in your resume to that in the job description, and further improve your ATS score.
You can refer to this article to better understand how an ATS scores your resume.
AI resume optimizers like Upplai automatically analyze keyword density and distribution, ensuring optimal placement across all resume sections while maintaining natural language flow. The platform tracks keyword frequency relative to the job description and suggests adjustments to improve your ATS score.
Resume Tailoring for Recruiters
How do I tailor my resume for human reviewers?
Recruiters have limited attention spans. So, when it comes to recruiters, tailoring your content helps you tell your story in a way they can relate to, in the shortest time possible.
- Emphasize experiences most relevant to the target role
- Adjust your professional summary for each application
- Remove achievements that don’t support your candidacy. Irrelevant achievements can suggest lack of relevant experience
- Highlight transferable skills for career changes
6. Resume Optimization Tools
If all these sound overwhelming, the good news is that you don’t need to do everything manually. With the advances in AI technology, most of these resume optimizations can be implemented quickly and easily by AI tools. For example, Upplai can help you create ATS-optimized resumes that follow all the best practices outlined in this guide- in minutes.
How can AI improve my resume writing process?
AI resume assistants like Upplai can:
- Automatically format content for ATS compatibility
- Suggest optimal section ordering based on your experience level
- Generate achievement-focused bullet points
- Optimize keyword placement and density
- Can minimize age related bias
- Choose between professional summary vs career objective
- Compress older experience appropriately
- Ensure consistent formatting throughout
Key takeaway: Whether using AI tools or writing manually, following proven resume best practices is essential for getting past ATS systems and impressing recruiters.
Conclusion: Your Next Steps
Creating an effective resume in 2025 requires balancing ATS optimization with human appeal. By following the strategies in this comprehensive guide, you’ll create resumes that pass automated screening and capture recruiter attention.
Remember these key takeaways:
- Tailor every resume to the specific job description
- Use achievement-focused language with quantifiable results
- Maintain ATS-friendly formatting without sacrificing readability
- Include relevant keywords naturally throughout your content
- Choose appropriate resume length based on your experience level
Ready to create your optimized resume? Whether you write it yourself or use AI-powered tools like Upplai, the principles in this guide will help you stand out in today’s competitive job market.