Building Your Resume
A resume is a marketing tool, not a history report. This guide shows you how to build one that's structured, scannable, and built to get read — section by section, bullet by bullet.
Here's the reality you're building for: the average job posting draws 250 applicants, and an employer spends about 6–8 seconds on the first scan. They're not reading to find a winner — they're skimming to cut the pile down to five. Your resume's only job in those seconds is to make it obvious you belong in the keep pile.
So we build for the skim. Clear structure, future-focused bullets, and consistent formatting beat clever wording and fancy design every time. You don't need to be a great writer — you need to be impossible to misread.
How to use this guide
- See a finished resume first so you know the target.
- Open a blank doc (Word, Google Docs, or Pages) and build alongside this guide — structure first, then content.
- Use the section accordion to know what goes where, the Bullet Builder to write strong bullets, and the Formatting Guide to make it clean.
- Don't aim for perfect. Aim for clear and done — you can tailor it for specific roles later.
See it finished first
One resume, three versions
You don't write three separate resumes from scratch. You build one strong foundation — then save and adapt it three ways. The "master" isn't fancy; it's just the drawer where you keep everything.
Every bullet you ever write, kept and added to for the rest of your career. Never sent — it's your storage.
Aimed at a role type or industry (built from 3–5 job descriptions). One for each path you're pursuing.
Aimed at one specific posting. The version you send for a high-value role.
Build the structure first
If you try to perfect the wording before the skeleton exists, you'll stall out on sentence one. Don't. Lay down every section header first — a bare skeleton — then drop in content. Structure before sentences is how you keep momentum.
Start with a blank document (not a pre-made template — they're hard to tailor and confuse applicant tracking software). Type your section headers top to bottom, then fill them in. The order below is a strong default; you'll flex it based on what's strongest for your target.
What goes in each section
Tap any section to see what belongs there. Blue = core sections most resumes need; gray = optional sections you add when they tell your story.
Your name in a larger or bold font, then a clean contact line. This is your first impression — make it effortless to reach you.
Include: full name · professional phone (update your voicemail) · professional email you actually check · city & state · LinkedIn (customize the URL) · portfolio link if relevant.
Leave off: photo, full street address, date of birth, anything personal.
A short snapshot — usually 3–5 bullets — of your most relevant skills, experience, and strengths. It's the highest-value real estate on the page: it tells the skimmer in two seconds whether to keep reading.
A simple recipe: one skill bullet · one experience bullet · one characteristic bullet. On your master you can keep this light — you'll sharpen it hard for each niche and targeted version in 6.4.
Degree & field, institution, city/state, and graduation (or expected graduation) date.
Tips: skip high school once you have any college · list GPA only if it's above ~3.25 or the posting asks · still in progress? write the expected date. Didn't finish? "Completed 46 hours toward a B.A. in Communications" is honest and clear.
List the full name of the certification (not just the acronym), the issuing authority, and the date.
e.g. "Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Colorado DORA, 2015–present."
The heart of the resume. Reverse-chronological. For each role: title · company · city/state · dates, then 2–5 bullets. (Same company, different roles? List them separately — it shows growth.)
Your resume isn't limited to a fixed list. Add a section when it strengthens your case for this target:
Projects · Presentations · Publications · Volunteer Experience · Relevant Coursework · Technical Skills. Career changers especially: these sections are where you prove relevant ability you didn't get from a job title.
Write bullets that work
Every strong bullet starts with an action verb, stays in the past tense (present for current roles), drops "I / me / my," and quantifies whenever it can. Pick a formula, fill the blanks, and build one.
Builds a draft — then make it yours: swap in a stronger verb, add a number, cut any word you wouldn't say out loud.
You decide what to highlight; AI just shapes it into bullets. It should never invent duties or numbers you didn't give it.
- Your move first: from your career-capital audit, pick the role and the 2–3 skills or wins you want this section to prove.
- The prompt: "Here's a role from my history and the facts of what I did: [paste]. Write 3 resume bullets using the Achievement (outcome + skill + process) and Task (task + action + result) formulas. Start each with a strong action verb, no 'I/me/my', past tense, and only use facts I gave you. Quantify only where I gave a number."
- Your move: run each through the Six Mindsets below. Cut the fluff, keep what's true.
The six mindsets
These are the guardrails that separate a resume that gets read from one that gets cut. They're also your quality check on anything AI drafts for you.
Clarify not Convince
Candid not Conjecture
Concrete not Claims
Consistent not Confusing
Professional not Personal
Constructive not Cynical
Style & formatting guide
Your reference for a clean, scannable, ATS-safe resume. When in doubt, simpler wins.
Proprietary to LifeSketch LLC. Intended for the personal use of LifeSketch LLC clients and program participants. Duplication or distribution for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.