How To Build A Resume

March 10, 2025

How to Build The Perfect Resume in 2025?

How to Build The Perfect Resume in 2025?

Building the perfect resume in 2025 requires a strategic approach that aligns with modern hiring trends and applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Start with a clean, professional format that highlights your key skills, experience, and achievements in a concise manner.Use industry-specific keywords to ensure your resume passes AI screenings and reaches hiring managers.

Keep the design simple yet visually appealing, with clear headings and bullet points for easy readability.Tailor each application to the job description, emphasizing relevant skills and experiences.

What is a Resume?

Your resume is more than a document—it’s your gateway to landing your dream job. As the first impression for hiring managers, it highlights your skills, experience, and potential. But before a human ever sees it, your resume must pass a critical test: ATS (Applicant Tracking System) screening.

Most companies rely on AI-powered ATS tools to scan resumes, score them, and shortlist candidates. If your resume isn’t optimized for these systems, even top qualifications might get overlooked. This guide breaks down how to craft a resume that:

  • Boosts ATS scores with keyword optimization and formatting.

  • Grabs interviewers’ attention through clear, concise, and professional content.

  • Avoids common mistakes that derail job applications.

Learn step-by-step resume-building strategies, from structuring sections to tailoring content for specific roles. Discover proven tips to ensure your resume stands out in automated screenings and impresses hiring managers—helping you secure more interviews and fast-track your career goals.

Difference Between a CV and Resume

CV or Curriculum Vitae Resume
gives your entire career history gives an overview of your skills relevant for the job
focuses more on your academic and  career accomplishments focuses more on your skills
used when applying for fellowship, grants or any academic position. used when applying for jobs in industry.
there is no fixed length it should not be more than one to one and a half

Before you start your resume preparation, you should know about the different types of resume. Below we have listed the different resume types and their pros and cons.

Types of Resume

Resume types are widely categorized into three categories, which are:-

  • Chronological Resume
  • Functional Resume
  • Combined Resume

Go through each and pick out the best template for your resume preparation.

chronological resume

Chronological Resume

What is a chronological resume?

A chronological resume lists your work experience in reverse order, i.e., your latest job will be listed first. This includes the company, job role, date of joining and a brief summary of your job responsibilities.

Pros of a chronological resume:-
  • highlights career achievements
  • easy to read by recruiters
Cons of a chronological resume:-
  • brings attention to career gaps
  • difficult to spot skills
Best suited for:-
  • job seekers with a high work experience
  • wanting to highlight notable employers
  • seeking job in the same industry
Not suited for:-
  • professionals with significant career gap
  • if looking for a career change

Functional Resume or Skill Based Resume

What is a functional resume?

A functional resume focuses on the skills of a person rather than past work experience. This format lists skills and work experience together. It highlights an individuals talent and skill sets rather than previous work experience.

Pros of a functional resume:-
  • emphasizes on skills
  • minimizes your lack of work experience
Cons of a functional resume:-
  • employers do not prefer this format
  • does not emphasizes work experience, thus making resume appear shallow and lacking content
Best Suited for:-
  • freelancers
  • having career gap
  • freshers with limited work experience
  • looking for a career change
Not Suited for:-
  • if looking for a job in same field
  • if you have extensive work experience
functional resume
hybrid resume

Hybrid or Combination Resume

What is a combination resume?

A combination resume or hybrid resume combines both chronological and functional resume. It includes emphasizes on both skills as well as work experience in a reverse chronological order.

Pros of a combination resume:-
  • highlights both work experience and skills
  • it is the most easy to read format
Cons of a combination resume:-
  • cannot hide career gap
  • difficult to highlight the most relevant information
Best Suited For:-
  • most job seekers
  • when looking for a career change
Not Suited For:-
  • wide gaps in employment or education

Important Points for Resume Preparation

Resume Preparation Content
Resume Preparation Content

Basic Steps to follow for Resume Preparation

STEP 1: Decide on a resume layout:

This is the first phase, which begins with the structure you wish to use to construct your resume. Take some time to consider this option.

resume cv

STEP 1: Decide on a resume layout:

This is the first phase, which begins with the structure you wish to use to construct your resume. Take some time to consider this option.

STEP 2: Provide your name and contact information.

This field contains the following information and serves as the resume’s heading.

  • Address
  • Name (State, City)
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Your personal website, e-portfolio, or social media page’s URL (if you have one).
Communication for Resume Preparation
Communication for Resume Preparation

STEP 2: Provide your name and contact information.

This field contains the following information and serves as the resume’s heading.

  • Address
  • Name (State, City)
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Your personal website, e-portfolio, or social media page’s URL (if you have one).

STEP 3: Write a resume/career objective.

A Professional Objective/Resume Objective statement identifies either a specific job or a general career path that you intend to pursue. It functions as a resume pitch.

Resume Career Objective Prep
Resume Career Objective Prep

STEP 3: Write a resume/career objective.

A Professional Objective/Resume Objective statement identifies either a specific job or a general career path that you intend to pursue. It functions as a resume pitch.

Step 4: Work Experience

This section, titled “Work Experience” or “Professional Experience,” should focus on your general skills in a way that demonstrates how your previous experience might benefit an employer’s future plans.

Resume Preparation for Experienced
Resume Preparation for Experienced

Step 4: Work Experience

This section, titled “Work Experience” or “Professional Experience,” should focus on your general skills in a way that demonstrates how your previous experience might benefit an employer’s future plans.

Resume Preparation Educational Details

Step 5: Education Details

If you’re still in school or have recently graduated, your education is most likely your most valuable possession. In reverse chronological order, describe your educational background. Taking the most recent degree first.

Resume Preparation Educational Details

Step 5: Education Details

If you’re still in school or have recently graduated, your education is most likely your most valuable possession. In reverse chronological order, describe your educational background. Taking the most recent degree first.

Skill for Resume Preparation

STEP 6: Skills

You can describe your technical abilities in this field. When writing about your technical skills, use action verbs because recruiters and applicant tracking systems hunt for these resume keywords.

Skill for Resume Preparation

STEP 6: Skills

You can describe your technical abilities in this field. When writing about your technical skills, use action verbs because recruiters and applicant tracking systems hunt for these resume keywords.

Certifications and Projects for Resume

Step 7: Projects & Certifications

You might list any projects or qualifications you have earned throughout your career in this section. Projects and certifications are very important in a resume:

  • You can highlight your abilities, accomplishments, and work experience.
  • Recruiters gain an understanding of actual projects on which you have worked and applied your skills to attain the desired outcomes.
  • A resume with projects and Certificates makes you a more appealing applicant.
Certifications and Projects for Resume

Step 7: Projects & Certifications

You might list any projects or qualifications you have earned throughout your career in this section. Projects and certifications are very important in a resume:

  • You can highlight your abilities, accomplishments, and work experience.
  • Recruiters gain an understanding of actual projects on which you have worked and applied your skills to attain the desired outcomes.
  • A resume with projects and Certificates makes you a more appealing applicant.
Additional Sections

Step 8: Additional Sections

You can further add “additional sections” including other relevant details about yourself. Including hobbies, publications, etc.

Additional Sections

Step 8: Additional Sections

You can further add “additional sections” including other relevant details about yourself. Including hobbies, publications, etc.

These are the basic steps for resume preparation. You can follow them to create a perfect resume that is ATS friendly and will help you land good jobs.

Sample Resume

Find links for sample resume below:-

Sample Resume 1
Sample Resume 2
Sample Resume 3
Sample Resume 4

How to prepare a Resume?

Resume Summary

How to write a professional summary?

As previously said, an excellent professional summary should entice an employer to read the rest of your resume. If it succeeds in doing so, it has served its goal.

However, this is easier said than done, as condensing the most exciting aspects of your job into a 3-5 bullet point synopsis might be difficult.

Resume Educational Details

How to write your resume education section?

The schooling part is one of the most straightforward to write. If you follow these basic procedures, you should be alright in most cases:

  • Include the name and location of your school first.
  • Indicate your academic degree and field of study.
  • Keep the dates in mind.
Resume Work Experience

How to list work experience if you’re a student or fresh graduate?

If you’ve just graduated from high school, you don’t have much experience. Being young, though, is not a hindrance. It all boils down to how you look at your current situation.

As a student or recent graduate, your employment experience should come after the education part. It’s not like you’ve been sitting around doing nothing for years. 

Skills for Resume

How to write a skills section for your resume?

The talents resume section may appear basic at first glance. When you start digging into the details, you’ll quickly discover that you have a slew of practical questions that will necessitate some research –– both on yourself and on the work.

Researching the job posting, the firm, and its work culture, as well as asking yourself  questions, is an excellent method to start preparing for writing the skill section of your resume.

Hobbies for Resume

How to list hobbies on a resume?

You might just call the section “Hobbies.”
Instead of putting too many hobbies and interests on your resume, limit yourself to 4-5 depending on the criteria outlined in the section “What hobbies and interests should you include?”

Consider a skill or accomplishment that best demonstrates your enthusiasm.

The goal is to give them a glimpse into your character. Don’t go all out with organizations who have a particularly formal company culture, though.

References for Resume

How to Put References on a Resume?

You can either include them in your resume or attach them to your job application as a separate document.

In any case, you should decide how many references you want to add first. This is dependent on your level of experience.

Never say never. The hiring manager may contact only one or two of your references, or all of them. Make sure they have a lot of options in case one of them is unavailable.

FAQs on Resume Preparation

Question: How to write a resume?

Answer:- 

Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start. PrepInsta will walk you through each step of the resume writing process, one area at a time.

For further information, see our resume instructions or click the Get Prime icon below. On PrepInsta Prime, you may go through the entire resume preparation course module to develop an impressive and strong resume that will help you land the perfect job you’ve been looking for.

Question: How to make your resume stand out?

Answer:-

Form and content are the deciding factors. First, make your resume stand out while remaining professional.

The most straightforward approach to do so is to use a resume builder and select a professionally prepared template that is appropriate for your industry and career. Second, make your CV stand out by emphasising your best qualities.

Question: What is a cover letter?

Answer:-

Your cover letter is a one-page document that you include with your resume when applying for a job. It can take numerous forms, including text in the body of an email, a completed internet form, or a standalone PDF document.

What is the function of the cover letter in today’s world? Recruiters will not always read your cover letter, which is a bit depressing. At the same time, including one is still considered a favour, especially at smaller organisations where each application is more likely to be carefully reviewed. Finally, a well-written cover letter gives you the chance to stand out.

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