Need to make a resume but aren’t sure where to start? A pre-made resume outline will help you plan out your resume and lay out your skills in an attention-grabbing way.
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.
4 plain-text resume outline examples
Your experience level and career path influences how you should structure your resume. Here are four example outlines for different types of job applicants:
Entry-level resume outline
If you’re applying for entry-level jobs or are still in school, this resume outline is for you. Notable features include a more detailed education section so the employer focuses on what you know rather than your work experience.
1. Resume Heading
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email: youremail@gmail.com | Phone: 895 555 555 | Address: 4397 Aaron Smith Drive Harrisburg, PA 17101 | Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
2. Resume Introduction
Write a brief summary of your skills and experience, then highlight your career goals and what you hope to gain from the job you’re applying for. Be sure to mention the job by name.
3. Education
Degree Name / Major
University, Location | Start Date – End Date
GPA: 4.0/4.0
Honors: List any honors or awards from your educational career. This could include Dean’s list, honor roll, or Latin honors (like summa cum laude)
Relevant Coursework: List any relevant class projects, research, or coursework that demonstrates your skills and knowledge in the field you want to work in.
4. Relevant Experience
Most Recent Volunteer / Extracurricular Title
Employer or Organization Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- Fill your relevant experience section with volunteer work, extracurriculars, part time work, or internships (anything that qualifies you for the job)
- Include a bulleted list of your accomplishments
- Make sure you quantify (add numbers to) these bullet points when possible
Earlier Volunteer / Extracurricular Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- List any relevant accomplishments from an earlier position
- Make sure you use past tense verbs to describe experience from past positions
5. Skills
- Include any relevant skills that demonstrate your ability to do the job, such as technical skills, foreign languages, computer skills, or relevant training or certifications
- If the job involves customer service, teamwork, problem solving, or caregiving work, then focus this section on your soft skills because they will be highly relevant
6. Additional Resume Section
- List extra information here that shows why you might be qualified for the job
- For example, this section could be for any of the following: publications, languages, volunteer experience, or relevant hobbies
Here’s a step-by-step guide if you need a little extra help writing your first resume from scratch:
Mid-level resume outline
If you’re already a few years into your career, then how you describe work experience on your resume is crucial.
1. Resume Heading
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email: youremail@gmail.com | Phone: 895 555 555 | Address: 4397 Aaron Smith Drive Harrisburg, PA 17101 | Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
2. Resume Introduction
Skilled [industry] professional with [# of years] years of experience. Seeking to leverage my expertise in [relevant skills] to fill your [position name] position. An intuitive worker aiming to help achieve [Company’s Name]’s goals and take on more responsibility as quickly as possible.
3. Work or Relevant Experience
Most Recent Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- Include a bulleted list of your accomplishments as a server
- Make sure you quantify (add numbers to) these bullet points
Earlier Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- List relevant accomplishments from an earlier server job
- Assuming you no longer perform this job, make sure you use past tense verbs to describe this experience
4. Education
Degree Name / Major
University, Location | Start Date – End Date
5. Skills and Certifications
- Include both hard skills and soft skills
- List relevant certifications such as ServSafe or RBS
6. Additional Resume Section
- Add any other relevant information
- For example, this section could be for any of the following: volunteer experience, foreign languages, or relevant hobbies
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.
Senior-level resume outline
At the senior level, hiring managers will expect you to already have specific skills and work experience, so your resume should emphasise achievements and contributions over responsibilities.
1. Resume Heading
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email: youremail@gmail.com | Phone: 895 555 555 | Address: 4397 Aaron Smith Drive Harrisburg, PA 17101 | Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
2. Resume Summary
Strategic [industry] leader with [# of years] years of experience in [key fields of expertise]. Proven track record in [specific skills or achievements], with a focus on driving [specific benefit to the organization]. Seeking to leverage my extensive background in [relevant skills/areas] to fill the [position name] role at [Company Name]. Committed to [1–3 professional values] while taking on increased leadership responsibilities.
3. Core Skills
- Summarise the skill areas you are specialised
- Focus on listing analytical and strategic skills, rather than specific tools and platforms
- Include professional development certifications if you want to save space on your CV
4. Professional History
Most Recent Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- Focus on highlighting achievements over responsibilities
- Highlight wins that demonstrate your leadership skills or career progression
- Make sure you quantify (add numbers to) these bullet points
Earlier Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- Each entry should illustrate the overall impact you had in your role (e.g., how much you increased brand presence as a marketing manager)
- Demonstrate strong communication skills and executive presence (e.g., times when you’ve represented the company or worked with senior stakeholders)
5. Certifications and Professional Development
Certification Title
Awarding Organization, Location | Date Awarded
6. Education
Degree Name / Major
University, Location | Start Date – End Date
7. Optional Resume Sections
- Professional Affiliations
- Awards and honors
- Publications
- Conferences
- Speaking engagements and seminars
At the senior level, your resume can be two pages or longer to accommodate your extensive professional experience.
Hiring managers will be looking for applicants who have the expertise to guide strategy and make positive contributions at scale. When applying to senior roles, it’s essential that you emphasize your leadership capabilities and significant experience.
Additionally, quantify your achievements to underscore your value as a manager.
Career change resume outline
If you’re writing a resume for a career change, you should focus on your transferable skills and any valuable experience or certifications that make you a uniquely promising candidate for your target role.
1. Resume Heading
FIRST AND LAST NAME
Email: youremail@gmail.com | Phone: 895 555 555 | Address: 4397 Aaron Smith Drive Harrisburg, PA 17101 | Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
2. Resume Introduction
Hard-working professional with [# of years] years of experience. Seeking to leverage my expertise in [relevant skills] to fill your [position name] position. An intuitive worker aiming to help achieve [Company’s Name]’s goals and take on more responsibility as quickly as possible.
3. Education
Degree Name / Major
University, Location | Start Date – End Date
4. Relevant Work Experience
Most Recent Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- While your work experience may not be related to your new career, you should highlight any transferable skills or experiences that are relevant to the new field
- For example, if you’re transitioning from sales to marketing, you could highlight examples of how you built relationships with clients or analyzed market trends
Earlier Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Date – End Date
- List relevant accomplishments from an earlier job
- If you don’t have any experience that’s directly relevant to your new career, focus on things you did that gave you transferable skills
5. Certifications and Training
- List any certifications, courses, or workshops that are relevant to your new career
- This demonstrates that you’re committed to transitioning to your new career and staying up-to-date on industry trends
If you don’t have much work experience, you can also write your resume using the functional resume format by listing your key transferable skills in the same way as work experience entries.
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.
5 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
This traditional-looking resume template is suitable for a wide variety of job opportunities, especially those in more buttoned-up industries:
Minimalist
This resume template has a clean appearance and an eye-pleasing sidebar for your contact information, education, key skills, and awards:
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:
Headshot
Need to include a photo on your resume? This templated outline features space for a headshot:
Aesthetic
The Aesthetic template provides a great outline for your resume, featuring bright colors and a modern design.
How to fill in each section of a 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
Your resume heading header is where you provide all the information employers need to contact you. It should include the following information:
- First and last name
- Current job title
- Phone number
- Email address
- LinkedIn profile (optional)
Including your street address is optional because employers will normally contact you online.
2. Resume introduction
A resume introduction is a brief statement that summarizes your key work-related achievements, qualifications, and skills in three to five sentences. This gives the hiring manager an overview of the strengths you could bring to the position.
There are a couple of ways to write a resume introduction:
If you’re not sure how to make a resume summary, a professional resume summary generator can help get you started.
3. Work experience
In most cases, the work 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.
Don’t have any work experience?
If you lack work experience, your resume outline should focus on any relevant experience you have:
- Extracurricular expereince
- Volunteer work
- 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
Include a bulleted list of specific skills, as well as any certifications that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
The skills listed on your resume should be clear and specific. Give context to each list item by including the software or tools that you’re familiar with:
- Proficient in data entry software (Wolfram Mathematica)
6. Additional Resume Sections
There are a few additional sections you can add if they apply to your background:
Languages
If you speak more than one foreign language, include an additional section on your outline to highlight your language skills.
Hobbies
Listing your relevant hobbies and interests on your resume sheds light on your personality and values, helping you to stand out from other candidates and demonstrating that you’re a good culture fit.
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.
Affiliations
Include affiliations on your resume, such as professional development groups, industry organizations, or alumni associations to add credibility to your application.
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.
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