
Dec 4, 2018 ● Kate Lopaze
Resume Format Guide: What your resume should look like in 2019
At the end of the year, there’s often a lot going on—people trying to hit end of year goals, holiday parties, and general chaos. Chances are, your resume isn’t your top priority. But while you’re closing out this year’s goals and getting ready for a fresh start for the next year, it’s actually the perfect time to sit down and redo your resume. You never know what opportunities might be lurking in the early days of 2019, so the work you put in now will make it easier to pounce on those openings.
Our resume resources will give you the tips and guidance you need to revamp your resume—or create an entirely new one that will get you noticed (for all the right reasons!). If the blank screen is intimidating and you’re not sure where to start, you can always start with a template from our Resume Library.
But first, let’s look at some resume theory, and how you should approach the whole process.

- 9 Things to Do Before You Write That Resume
- Everything You Need to Know About Writing a Resume
- Top 10 Most Common Resume Myths Exposed
- Grab Recruiters’ Attention with Your Resume
- How to Solve Your Biggest Resume Problems
- 4 Tips from a Facebook Hiring Manager
- 4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Sending My Resume to a Recruiter
What should your resume look like?
Another pre-writing step is choosing the packaging for your resume. Once you submit your resume somewhere, the path is fraught: if you lose the attention of the reader or don’t have enough keywords you’ll end up in the “no” pile very fast. So it’s essential to think about how your resume looks, and how it can grab attention in seconds. First step: the file name. Even before a recruiter or hiring manager opens your resume, they’ll see the file name—especially if you’re emailing it directly. Second step: consider the reader. Your reader could be reviewing your resume on a desktop computer or a tiny smartphone screen. It’s important to pick a format that is flexible enough to work for different readers using different devices.- What is the Best Format for a Resume?
- Resume Format Guide: What Your Resume Should Look Like
- How to Spin One Resume for Multiple Industries
What should you include (and leave out) of a great resume?
Once you have the aesthetics settled and some ideas for how to approach your resume, it’s time to concentrate on the guts of the resume. Here’s where it comes back to you: your experience, your skills, and your spin. The header of your resume is pretty standard: name, address, phone number, email address. After that, you start setting the tone with an objective or summary statement. The objective section of a resume has become controversial. It used to be a required part of any professional resume, but over time, some feel that it takes up space for little reason. So should you write an objective or not? Here’s info that will help you decide whether it works for your resume: Your resume will need to include a skills section. What skills do you want to feature? Which skills are most relevant to the job for which you’re applying? Here are our best tips on crafting your skills section:- How to Use the Skills Section on Your Resume
- 13 Skills You Need to Put on Your Resume
- 5 Soft Skills for Your Resume That Will Get You Hired
- 4 Tips to Sneak Soft Skills in Your Resume
- 6 Ways to Handle Employment Gaps on Your Resume
- How to Explain Employment Gaps
- How to Explain “The Mommy Gap” in Your Resume
- 14 Resume Strategies for Recent Graduates
- 5 Essential Resume Tips for Recent Graduates
- 7 Resume Mistakes Almost Every New Grad Makes
What are the biggest mistakes to avoid?
To make your resume the best it can be, that means avoiding unforced errors. You have the power to include whatever you want in your resume—but with that power comes the responsibility of understanding what shouldn’t be included. Here are some tips on what not to do—and how to make your resume as blunder-free as possible:- 5 Things You Should Never Put on Your Resume
- Here’s the Number One Resume Mistake You’re Making
- 7 Incredibly Bad Resumes That Will Make You Facepalm
- 6 Common Resume Mistakes That Make Recruiters Cringe
- 5 Big Mistakes Google’s Head of HR Sees on Resumes
- Take These Things Off Your Resume ASAP
- Revamp Your Resume: 21 Mistakes to Avoid
Building a resume for a specific career
If you already have your job path set and are looking for super-specific resume guidance, we also have a series of walkthroughs tailored for particular industries and careers. These give you sample resumes from people at different levels in a career (usually entry-level, mid-level, and manager-level). Every resume showcases different skills and experience. These samples can be used to guide your own field-specific resume.- How to Build a Great Dental Assistant Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a College Student Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Delivery Driver Resume (with Examples)
- How to Write a Legal Secretary Resume (with Examples)
- How to Write a Medical Assistant Resume (with Examples)
- How to Write a Perfect Administrative Assistant Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Barista Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Caregiver Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Cosmetology Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Customer Service Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Customer Service Resume (with Examples)
- How to Write a Perfect Human Resources Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Occupational Therapist Resume
- How to Write a Perfect Retail Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Sales Associate Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Social Worker Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Teaching Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Perfect Truck Driver Resume (Examples Included)
- How to Write a Retail Manager Resume (with Examples)
- How to Write a Strong Home Health Aide Resume (Examples Included)
- Your 5-Question Resume Checklist
- The Ultimate Resume Checklist [PDF]
- Does Your Resume Pass This Key Checklist?
