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The standard resume structure: contact info at the top (name, phone, email, LinkedIn, city — no full address needed), then a 2–3 line professional summary, then work experience in reverse chronological order, then education, then skills. For most people, this order works — only recent grads should lead with education.
Bullet points under each job should follow the formula: action verb + task + quantified result. Not "managed social media" — instead "Grew Instagram following from 2K to 18K in 8 months, increasing web referral traffic by 34%." Quantified accomplishments differentiate you from other candidates with identical job titles. If you can't find a number, use scale or frequency.
Most large companies use ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) to screen resumes before a human sees them. ATS scores resumes by matching keywords from the job posting. Tailor your resume for each application by mirroring the exact language in the job description. If the posting says "cross-functional collaboration," use that exact phrase — not "interdepartmental teamwork."
Formatting matters more for ATS than for aesthetics. Avoid tables, text boxes, graphics, headers/footers, and non-standard section names — ATS software can't parse them reliably and your content gets dropped. Use a clean single-column layout in Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman at 10–12pt. Save as PDF to preserve formatting (Word files sometimes reflow).
Length guidelines: one page for under 10 years experience — be ruthless about removing early jobs (pre-college, fast food from 15 years ago) and soft filler phrases like "excellent communicator" or "detail-oriented." Two pages are acceptable for senior professionals with genuinely relevant history. Never use three pages unless you're an academic writing a CV. Remove "References available upon request" — it's assumed and wastes space.