How to Make a Resume in 2026

Be specific about your accomplishments

Rather than simply listing every responsibility from previous jobs in your work experience section, focus on big accomplishments. If you can include measurable numbers or metrics, that’s even better.

Here’s an example of how to write a resume work history section bullet point that includes these suggestions:

“Led a new process that resulted in a 15% increase in profits from the previous quarter.”

Anyone can say they are good at something. Much better to show how good you are there. Do you handle employee records at work?

Don’t just say “Managed employee records,” write “Managed employee records for an office of 500 people.” Instead of saying “Oversee processes that improve on-time delivery,” write “Oversee processes that increase on-time delivery by 10 percent.” Numbers can set you apart from other job seekers.

Use action words when explaining your work history

Take a look at these two phrases:

“Responsible for product management.”

“Leaded product management.”

See the difference between the two? Describing your work history and accomplishments with action verbs like “led” or “managed” will energize your resume, and let employers know that you take responsibility for your career. A TLNT study shows that using action words in your resume increases your chances of being noticed by employers by 140 percent.

Here are some key action words you can use for your resume. For more advice, visit our Action Words page.

Your work experience section is presented in reverse chronological order, meaning your last or current job is at the top. For each job title, provide the name of the company, your dates of employment, and three to five key points that describe the highlights of your job, as in this example:

Example of employment history

Take a look at these two phrases:

Barista Leader, Morrissey | Jan 2021 – Present

• Manage welcome, seating and orders for 100+ guests daily, building rapport with repeat clients.
• Handles 10 employees dishwashing and kitchen inventory, daily cleaning and storage.
• Voted “Employee of the Month” five times in the past calendar year while helping the cafe achieve a 5-star rating on Yelp!.

Remember, focus on showing that you performed above expectations or contributed to the company’s success in previous jobs.

This is also a great section to show off key skills. For example, if the job you are applying for lists “collaboration” as a required skill, you might write “Collaborated with an interdepartmental team to create monthly sales report presentations” in your employment history section.

For more information on how to make your work accomplishments shine, check out our page on resume job descriptions.

Tips education section

The education section of your resume usually doesn’t require as much detail as the other sections: focus on your highest and most relevant educational credentials. If you have a college degree, do not include your high school diploma; if you graduated more than 10 years ago, do not include your graduation date. There’s also no need to include your GPA.

But if you have special academic projects or recognition of specific accomplishments that apply to the job, you can display them here. For example, if you applied for a copywriter position and earned an award in creative writing, it’s helpful to list your honors achievements here.

Example of an education resume section

University of Burlington, PA
Bachelor of Arts, English

Awards in Creative Writing

Magna cum laude graduate