How to Make a Resume (2026): Expert Tips, Fonts, and Free Templates

Anybody who has stared at a blank document, cursor blinking, knows the mix of hope and panic that comes with making a resume. Recruiters spend an average of 7.4 seconds scanning each submission (The Ladders, 2018), and automated systems reject about three out of four before a human ever sees them (TopResume, 2020). This guide walks you through exactly what to put down—font choices, formatting rules, and the small details that separate a pass from a rejection—so your resume works for both the software and the person.

Average screening time: 7.4 seconds (The Ladders) · ATS rejection rate: 75% (TopResume) · Font families recommended: 1–2 · Optimal file format: PDF · Preferred length: 1 page · ATS usage in Fortune 500: 98% (CareerArc)

The pattern: these numbers confirm that small choices—length, font, format—carry outsized weight in a system built to filter fast.

How Do I Make Myself a Resume?

Before you write a single bullet point, you need a container that matches your situation. Your resume format shapes how both ATS and recruiters interpret your background. Two key decisions come first: the format and the structure of your contact details and summary.

Choosing the right resume format

• Reverse‑chronological: lists jobs from most recent to oldest – the most common and most ATS‑friendly format (Indeed Career Guide).
• Functional: groups skills and accomplishments, downplays chronology – good for career changers but can confuse ATS (Indeed Career Guide).
• Combination: mixes chronological history with a skills summary – a middle ground used by many job seekers (Indeed Career Guide).

Structuring your contact information and summary

• Start with name, phone, email, LinkedIn (optional), and location city/state (Harvard FAS Career Services).
• Include a 2‑3 sentence professional summary that matches the job description’s keywords (Indeed Career Guide).
• Harvard FAS advises limiting the entire resume to one page for most undergraduates (Harvard FAS Career Services).

Writing bullet points for experience and education

• Use strong action verbs (led, managed, created, improved) and include numbers where possible (Harvard FAS Career Services).
• List education in reverse chronological order – degree, institution, location, graduation date (Indeed Career Guide).
• Keep each bullet to one or two lines maximum to maintain scannability (MyPerfectResume).

What Is the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?

Many people use the terms interchangeably, but employers don’t. A CV (curriculum vitae) is an exhaustive record of academic and professional history; a resume is a condensed, targeted marketing document.

The implication: choose a CV when applying for academic or research positions, especially in Europe or Asia; use a resume for corporate and most non‑academic roles in North America (Harvard FAS Career Services). CVs give comprehensive detail but risk overwhelming a busy recruiter; resumes force you to filter and prioritize.

Do employers prefer a CV or a resume?

• In the US and Canada, the vast majority of employers expect a concise resume – CVs are reserved for academia and certain healthcare fields (Indeed Career Guide).
• In the UK, Europe, and many international settings, “CV” is used for both, but the length and detail still vary by industry (Indeed Career Guide).
• When in doubt, check the job posting – if it says “resume,” send a one‑page document; if “CV,” expect a longer, detailed record (Harvard FAS Career Services).

What Fonts Should I Use for My Resume?

Your font choice affects both readability and ATS parsing. Stick to the safe list below; avoid the blacklist.

Best fonts: Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Georgia

• Arial: near‑universal parsing accuracy across all major ATS platforms (ResumeOptimizerPro).
• Calibri: default in Microsoft Office, excellent ATS compatibility (ResumeOptimizerPro).
• Helvetica: professional and widely compatible, though less common on Windows (ResumeOptimizerPro).
• Georgia: a serif option that remains readable and ATS‑friendly (Resume Advisor).
• Cambria: considered a safe professional font, readable for both screen and print (Resume Advisor).

Worst fonts: Comic Sans, Papyrus, script fonts

• Comic Sans and Papyrus are widely regarded as unprofessional and should never appear on a resume (Hospital Careers).
• Decorative fonts, hand‑writing scripts, and any typeface with ligatures can cause ATS parsing failures because the system cannot read the combined characters (ResumeWorded).

Is Cambria good for a resume?

Yes. Cambria is a serif typeface designed for on‑screen readability and is included with Microsoft Office. It is considered a safe choice for body text, though some designers prefer Georgia for its slightly more elegant appearance (Resume Advisor).

What is the 3‑font rule?

The 3‑font rule comes from brand design, not resume writing. For resumes, the industry standard is to use a maximum of 1–2 font families: one for headings (e.g., 16–18 pt) and one for body text (10–12 pt) (Intentionally Designed). Using more than two fonts confuses both ATS and human readers.

Can ChatGPT Write or Build a Resume?

AI tools can speed up drafting, but they are not a replacement for human judgment. Here’s what they can and cannot do.

How to use ChatGPT for resume drafting

• Provide a prompt with your job title, key achievements, and target industry – ChatGPT can generate a structurally sound first draft (ResumeWorded).
• Use follow‑up prompts to revise bullet points for conciseness and to add quantified results (Indeed Career Advice).
• Always replace generic phrases with your own specific examples; AI tends to produce vague, buzzword‑heavy content (Indeed Career Advice).

Limitations of AI‑generated resumes

• ChatGPT cannot verify your employment dates, education credentials, or the accuracy of the information it generates (Indeed Career Advice).
• AI may invent job titles or responsibilities that do not match your actual experience. You must proofread every line (ResumeWorded).
• Customization for each application remains your responsibility – a generic AI‑produced resume is no better than a template from 2005 (Indeed Career Advice).

Best online tools for resume building

• Canva: free editable templates, but export as PDF (not image) to maintain ATS readability (Canva).
• MyPerfectResume: provides ATS‑friendly templates and a step‑by‑step builder (MyPerfectResume).
• Google Docs: free and includes basic resume templates that are plain‑text compatible (Google Docs).

How Do I Write a Good Resume?

Writing is rewriting. A good resume is tailored, quantified, and formatted for ATS.

Tailoring your resume to the job description

• Customize for each application – it increases your interview chances by 40% (Indeed Career Guide).
• Mirror the keywords and phrases in the job posting, especially in your experience bullets (MyPerfectResume).
• Adjust your professional summary to match the role’s primary requirement (Indeed Career Guide).

Using action verbs and quantifiable achievements

• Start each bullet with a powerful verb: achieved, designed, implemented, reduced, launched (Harvard FAS Career Services).
• Include numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts to demonstrate impact (e.g. “Increased sales by 25% in the first quarter”) (Indeed Career Guide).
• Avoid vague phrases like “responsible for” – show what you achieved (Harvard FAS Career Services).

Formatting for ATS compatibility

• Use simple section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) – no creative labels like “Where I’ve Worked” (MyPerfectResume).
• Save as PDF (PDF/A‑1a or standard PDF) to preserve layout and still be readable by most ATS (Indeed Career Guide).
• Avoid tables, columns, text boxes, images, and graphics – they often cause parsing failures (ResumeWorded).

How to Make a Resume for a First Job or for Students?

When you lack work experience, focus on education, skills, and any hands‑on projects.

Highlighting education and coursework

• List your degree, school, and GPA (if 3.0 or higher) – Harvard FAS recommends including relevant coursework that aligns with the job (Harvard FAS Career Services).
• Include honors, awards, and dean’s list to show academic achievements (Indeed Career Guide).
• If you’re still in school, add “Expected [month/year]” next to your degree (Indeed Career Guide).

Including volunteer work, internships, and extracurriculars

• Volunteer roles, internships, and campus clubs demonstrate transferable skills like teamwork, leadership, and communication (Harvard FAS Career Services).
• Use the same bullet‑point approach with action verbs and achievements, even if the role was unpaid (Indeed Career Guide).
• Include a “Leadership & Activities” section to organize extracurriculars (Harvard FAS Career Services).

Using a skills‑based resume format

• A skills‑based (functional) format organizes achievements by skill categories (e.g., “Communication”, “Project Management”) and works best when you have little direct work history (Indeed Career Guide).
• Even with a skills‑based format, include a brief chronological education list at the bottom (Indeed Career Guide).

The difference between a resume that gets ignored and one that lands an interview often comes down to small choices: a standard font, a clean layout, a custom summary that mirrors the job posting, and bullet points that count. For anyone preparing a resume in 2026, the implication is clear: pick Arial or Calibri, keep it to one page, tailor every line to the job, and run the document through an ATS checker before sending. The recruiter’s 7.4 seconds are too precious to waste.