The Absolutely Best Resume Format | Modern & Professional

One of the most common questions I hear from clients is, “What is the best resume format?” 

Usually, they’re asking because they googled “resume format examples” and got back an endless list of Pinterest worthy resumes. So, now they’re overwhelmed and intimidated by the idea of creating their own resume format.

Like I told those clients, I’m letting you know now: you (most likely) do not need a fancy Pinterst resume. The only fields that benefit from them are graphic design and other creative industries. If you’re not in that category, then you do NOT need to spend your time or money on a resume format template.

Instead, the best resume format is one you create yourself. Your resume is about making your skills and experiences stand out- so YOU are the best person to create it.

This post will walk you through everything you need to make the best resume format for yourself. It’s easy, I promise! 

Let’s get started! 

Template?

First, I want to answer the question everyone asks: Can I use a template for my resume? Whether it’s one from MS Word or Pinterest, my answer is always the same: No.

Why?

A template means your resume looks like someone else’s, which is not the point of your resume. 

Employers have seen all the free templates and can spot them immediately. Believe me, after only a few weeks of reviewing resumes professionally, I could spot a template in a second. Also, your resume shouldn’t stand out because of how beautiful it is, it should stand out because of how well you’ve written about yourself.

They want someone whose experiences, education, and skills fit their job description, not someone who can use a Pinterest worthy resume template. So, ditch the resume format template. Focus your time on formatting your resume so YOU are the star.

PS It’s really easy to make your own resume format, which is what we’re covering in this post. So, again, don’t be afraid of creating your own resume template- it’s the best way to make sure YOU stand out!

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Header

Let’s start with how to format a resume header:

• Your name is first and the largest thing on the entire page
• Include your email address, permanent & current addresses, and phone number
• You can also put your LinkedIn or personal website links
• Always remove the hyperlink (aka no blue text!)

Not too hard, right? You can put your header in the middle of the page or the left edge. Also, if you want, you can explore interesting fonts for your name. As long as it’s easy to read and professional, you can use a more exciting font for your header than Arial!

Here’s a quick resume header format example:

olivia@stompthepavement.com
123 Example St City, State
(123)-456-7890 | stompthepavement.com

This sample resume header was easy to make and is professional, readable, and noticeable. See? It’s already easy to make it without a resume format template!

Education

Next, your education section. Well, maybe.

If you’re in college or recently graduated, then your education section should be at the top of your resume. However, if you graduated a few years ago, then you can put it above your skills section instead. 

The way to make the best resume format is to ask yourself: what shows how your unique combo of education, skills, and experiences makes YOU the best person for their job? 

So, if you’re lacking experience or your education is your full time gig, then your resume format should have your education section at the top. Otherwise, put it above your skills section!

In your education section, remember to put the formal title of your degree, your GPA if it’s above a 3.0, merit-based scholarships, and study abroad info.

Check out these posts for more info on formatting your resume education section and adding relevant coursework to your resume

Related & Additional Experience

Okay, this is my secret sauce for the easiest, best resume format. 

But, first, some quick science:

Studies have shown employers spend the most time reading the top of your resume and the top of each section. The further down something is, the less likely they are to read it.

That means when you divide your resume format into work, leadership, volunteer, and endless other categories, your best experiences get totally buried.

Instead, the best resume format  is to split your experiences into Related Experience and Additional Experience. That way, your most impressive and relevant experiences are in the spotlight! Also, make sure you use bullet points to describe your experiences- paragraphs are not a good look for a resume format.

Here are my expert tips on writing powerful resume bullet points!

There it is, one of my sweetest resume secrets! You won’t believe how easy it is to create a resume format now with that resume tip!

Skills

There’s a super common myth about how you should format the skills section of your resume. Usually, people think this section is for soft skills, like teamwork, leadership, communication, customer service, and anything else that’s pretty vague. That’s not true.

Instead, those soft skills should be shown throughout your resume and your cover letter- not listed in your skills section.

The skills section of your resume is for language and technical skills only. So, if there’s any tech that’s related to your field or if social media is important, you could list them there. Any soft skills should be somewhere else!

The best resume format shows your soft skills- it doesn’t just tell them. Use your bullet points to demonstrate your leadership, teamwork, and other related soft skills.

Remember, your resume doesn’t need to be Pinterest worthy or super fancy. Instead, the best resume format is one that makes YOU the star- not some overused resume template. Your resume format needs a header and sections for education, related experience, additional experience, and skills. Keep it to 1 or 2 FULL pages and use bullet points to expand on your experiences.

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