Resume Builder

How do I make a resume?

Start with your name, the job title you want and how to reach you. Add each job with its dates and a few lines on what you did and achieved, then your education and skills. Pick a design and check the page count. Press Download PDF and attach the file to your application.

1. Type your name and contact details at the top, then a short Summary.
2. Add each job under Experience, one achievement per line.
3. Add Education and Skills.
4. Choose a design and a color, and check that it fits the pages you want.
5. Press Download PDF.

How long should a resume be?

One page for most students and early-career applicants. MIT's career office says to stick to one page unless you have extensive experience or an advanced degree, and UC Berkeley gives the same advice for students and recent graduates. The builder shows Fits on 1 page or the number of pages as you type, beside the Download PDF button.

To pull a resume back to one page, cut older or less relevant lines first, then press Fit to one page: it keeps your design and steps the text down to 10 pt and the margins to half an inch. Smaller than that gets hard to read. The Datum design fits the most on a page.

What makes a resume ATS-friendly?

An applicant tracking system is the software you upload your resume to when you apply online. UC Berkeley advises standard formatting and standard section titles, and says to avoid headers, footers, text boxes, tables, colors, pictures and graphics. This builder prints one column of real text with titles such as Experience and Education.

Every design keeps that structure, and its text is read in the order you see it. Harbor, Meridian and Datum are the strictest single-column layouts. Each design has one accent color, and black is always an option, so you can follow the no-colors advice to the letter. MIT notes that employers may scan resumes for keywords, so use the words from the job posting where they truly describe your work.

What should I leave off my resume?

MIT's career office says not to include personal information such as your age, religion, health or marital status, and that photos are generally not preferred on US resumes. It also says to line up references but leave them off unless asked. Give your city and state rather than a full street address, which keeps your home private.

Should I send my resume as a PDF or a Word file?

Follow the job posting. UC Berkeley suggests using Word or Google Docs or converting to PDF, and following the instructions on which format to upload. A PDF keeps your layout the same on every screen. If a posting asks for Word, convert the downloaded PDF with our PDF to Word tool and check the result.

Convert with PDF to Word, or shrink a large file with Compress PDF if an upload form has a size limit.

Where is my resume saved?

Only in this browser, in its local storage, so the draft comes back when you return on the same device. Nothing is sent to a server, and there is no account. Clearing your browser data deletes the draft, so press Save a copy to keep an editable .json file, and keep the PDFs you send.