creating a resume portfolio

• Resume Writing
• Resume Examples
• Cover Letter
• Remote Work
• Famous Resumes
• Try Kickresume

Career Portfolio: The Why, When and How to Create One

• Nikoleta Kuhejda , 
• Updated December 8, 2023 8 min read

Did you know recruiters scan resumes for key info in a mere 6 seconds? And let's face it, with a whopping 75% of resumes getting axed by ATS systems before they even meet human eyes, job seekers have to up their game. That's where the career portfolio steps in.

A career portfolio offers a visual representation of your talents and skills . Think of it as an expanded version of your resume, showcasing your journey, achievements, and projects in more detail.

It can also feature testimonials from your colleagues or supervisors, certificates, or awards.

A well-prepared career portfolio can be beneficial whether you're a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, especially in creative fields like marketing, advertising, and graphic design , but also in fields like software development, sales, and business development .

The benefit? It allows you to present concrete evidence of your skills and supports claims in your resume. Not only does this add weight to your resume, but for some professions, having a portfolio is even a requirement.

There's even more to it, though.

Table of Contents

Click on a section to skip

Benefits of a career portfolio

Success stories of people who used career portfolios, how to create a career portfolio , what to include in your career portfolio, showcasing your portfolio, challenges and how to overcome them, key takeaways: building a career portfolio.

A career portfolio offers several advantages that help set you apart from other applicants.

Here are some key benefits of having a career portfolio:

• Showcasing a broader range of skills: While resumes focus on specific qualifications, a career portfolio allows you to include a wider variety of skills and experiences. This gives potential employers a more comprehensive understanding of your capabilities and makes you a more attractive candidate.
• Tangible proof of achievements: A career portfolio provides tangible evidence of your accomplishments, showcasing projects , awards, and other work demonstrating your abilities. This visual representation enhances the credibility of the claims on your resume and gives employers a more concrete understanding of what you bring to the table.
• Differentiation from other job candidates: Setting yourself apart from your competition is crucial in a job search. By sending a career portfolio, you automatically elevate your profile. It also allows you to highlight your unique skills, experiences, and achievements that don't fit your resume.
• Helpful tool during interviews: It helps employers visualize what you could contribute to their team.

How does it look in practice?

Here are two success stories of individuals who have benefited from having career portfolios:

Isak Solheim: As Isaac was a self-taught front-end developer, he didn’t have a CV that he could use to show his past work and experience in the field. This is where his career portfolio came in handy. It allowed him to show off his skills and what he was capable of producing, as well as provide examples to potential employers of other projects he has worked on. 

A small but essential piece of advice that Isaac gives is not to include too much text and other personal information but instead focus on actual work examples and projects you have worked on; your work should speak for itself.

Carter Hammett: Carter works as a social worker, author, and as a trainer. With three published books to his credit, he serves as the manager of employment services at Epilepsy Toronto, which is dedicated to assisting individuals with epilepsy and related disabilities in their job search. 

Carter stuck to Isak's advice: to let your work speak for itself. He has a small introductory section that explains a little about who he is and what he does, but the primary focus of his portfolio is on different projects he has worked on.

So, how can you create your own career portfolio?

Whether you're a seasoned professional showcasing experience or a recent graduate wanting to show your potential, a career portfolio can help tell your unique story.

Here's how to create a standout career portfolio, step-by-step:

Are you using it for job applications, freelance opportunities, or personal development? Defining this will help you decide what information to include and what format to use.

Collect relevant documents, such as your resume, certificates, transcripts, and other professional achievements. Also, gather work samples, such as projects, reports, or designs. More on that in the next chapter.

Divide your portfolio into sections, which can include: - Introduction: A brief bio and professional summary. - Resume: Include an updated version. - Work samples: Showcase your best work with descriptions. - Skills: List your technical and soft skills. - Testimonials or references: Include recommendations from colleagues or supervisors.

For a digital portfolio, include a clickable table of contents for easy navigation. For a physical portfolio, make sure your sections are clearly labeled.

Use visuals to enhance your portfolio. Include images, graphs, or other visual aids to make your accomplishments more tangible. You can also include links to your work, e.g., articles or GitHub repository .

Ensure all links and navigation elements work smoothly when creating a digital portfolio. A seamless user experience is crucial. Also, before sharing your portfolio, proofread it for typos or grammatical errors.

Before finalizing your portfolio, seek feedback from mentors, peers, or career advisors. Fresh perspectives can help you improve the overall quality.

Your career portfolio is a dynamic tool. Regularly update it with new achievements, skills, and projects.

Showcase your skills in a creative way.

Easily build your personal website from scratch or just transform your resume into an engaging site with our user-friendly editor.

When building a career portfolio, it’s essential to include elements that showcase your skills, qualifications, and achievements. 

Here are some key components to consider adding to your portfolio:

• Resume: Include a well-crafted, up-to-date resume highlighting your relevant work experience, education, and skills. This is a snapshot of your professional background and can be easily referenced by potential employers.
• Work samples: Whether it's projects you've completed, reports you've written, or creative works you've produced, these samples demonstrate your skills and provide concrete evidence of your capabilities.
• Certifications and training: Showcasing any certifications, licenses, or training programs you've completed can significantly enhance your portfolio. It demonstrates your commitment to professional development and adds credibility to your qualifications.
• Testimonials and recommendations: Including testimonials and recommendations from previous employers, clients, or colleagues is a powerful way to provide third-party validation and credibility. These testimonials can vouch for your skills, work ethic, and professionalism.
• Personal statement: This is a concise and compelling piece of information about you as the candidate and provides a look into your professional journey, aspirations, and values.

When showcasing your portfolio during interviews and job applications, a few key steps can help you stand out.

First, include a link or attachment to your portfolio in job applications , you can either provide a direct link to your online portfolio or attach a PDF document with your application.

Second, be prepared to present your portfolio during interviews by bringing a physical copy or having a digital version readily available. Practice explaining the contents of your portfolio and be able to discuss the essential skills and experiences highlighted in it.

In addition to traditional methods, utilizing social media and professional networking sites can also help to display your portfolio.

Platforms like LinkedIn, Behance, or Dribbble allow you to showcase your work to a broader audience. Share links to your portfolio in your bio or posts to further enhance your online presence.

Just remember, when presenting your portfolio, it's essential to tailor it to your industry and job position and highlight the skills and experiences that are most relevant.

Putting together a career portfolio can sometimes feel like a struggle. You may still be learning new skills, or your skill set is more diverse than a Swiss army knife.

No worries, you can turn these factors into assets and create a portfolio that's uniquely you:

• For individuals with limited experience , consider including relevant coursework, internships, or volunteer work to showcase skills and dedication. Additionally, highlight transferable skills gained from previous jobs or life experiences. This will help you demonstrate competence and potential.
• If you’re unsure of what to include , carefully review job descriptions for your profession and tailor the portfolio accordingly. Simply choose portfolio items that align with the specific skills and experiences employers are looking for.
• To address the limited diversity of skills , try some quick opportunities to expand your skill set. Take online courses , attend workshops, or engage in personal projects to gain additional expertise. This will expand your abilities and make your portfolio more robust.
• Seek feedback from mentors, colleagues, or professionals in your field. They can provide valuable insights and help you refine your portfolio.

Even though traditional resumes are still widely used in job searches, there's another player in the game: career portfolios.

They're like the all-in-one package deal that showcases your skills and achievements and does it in a way that catches the eye. 

Nowadays, employers and clients are really into portfolios. They find them useful when evaluating candidates, especially for the more senior roles and in creative fields.

When you're putting together your career portfolio:

• keep it professional
• pick a format, digital or physical, that suits your style
• include additional info that don't fit your resume
• remember to refresh it now and then to keep it up-to-date with your latest achievements

And, of course, tailor it to fit the job you're going for to show you're a great fit.

A journalist by trade, a writer by fate. Nikoleta went from writing for media outlets to exploring the world of content creation with Kickresume and helping people get closer to the job of their dreams. Her insights and career guides have been published by The Female Lead, College Recruiter, and ISIC, among others. Nikoleta holds a Master's degree in Journalism from the Comenius University in Bratislava. When she’s not writing or (enthusiastically) pestering people with questions, you can find her traveling or sipping on a cup of coffee.

Related Posts

How to find a job in the uk as a foreigner here’s a quick guide.

• 12 min read

How To Create a Personal Website That Will Help You Find a Job?

• 11 min read

Share this article

Join our newsletter.

Every month, we’ll send you resume advice, job search tips, career hacks and more in pithy, bite-sized chunks. Sounds good?

Create a free online portfolio.

Build an online portfolio with ease & showcase your best work using Adobe Express. No experience required.

Template IDs

(To pull in manually curated templates if needed)

Orientation

(Horizontal/Vertical)

( Full, Std, sixcols )

(number of templates to load each pagination. Min. 5)

Most Viewed

Rare & Original

Newest to Oldest

Oldest to Newest

(true, false, all) true or false will limit to premium only or free only.

Build an impressive portfolio with Adobe Express.

Whether you work in a creative industry or corporate field, having an online portfolio is an excellent personal resource. Think of your portfolio as a visual archive of your accomplishments to supplement your resume or CV. An online portfolio offers nearly endless digital real estate, so you can share as much of your work as you’d like without having to worry about running out of pages in a physical binder. Find out how best to model your portfolio using Adobe Express with our guide below.

Discover even more.

TikTok Video

Business Card

Video Slideshow

Photo Collage

How to use the online portfolio creator.

Tons of free online portfolio templates to choose from..

With the Adobe Express online portfolio maker on your side, you’ll have a professional display of your most impressive pieces ready to be sent out in minutes. Start with inspiration at your fingertips with tons of free online portfolio templates at your side. Drag and drop icons, graphics, text, and so much more to your portfolio to get the exact look and feel you’re going for. Tailor the finer details of your portfolio to best fit the requirements of the job or potential employer in mind, then attach it with the rest of the application materials you’ll be sending out.

Stand out with your personal brand.

Showcase yourself in a memorable way with personally branded assets that represent who you are as you showcase your best work. Use the Brand Kit to apply your logo, color themes, and fonts in one click across your portfolio and other application materials. Create and attach your own logo with initials if you’d like, too, with the free Adobe Express logo maker . When you're done, resize instantly so you can post to your blog, website, or LinkedIn.

How to structure your online portfolio.

Before getting started, take some time to think about the story your portfolio will tell. Draft a paragraph or two that provides insight into you as a person and your career goals or ambitions. Then compile your best photos, videos, graphics, and links to include on your site to give your audience a full understanding of your accomplishments and capabilities. Don’t forget to include contact info in easy-to-find places so that your readers know how to reach you once they get inspired by your work.

Different types of online portfolios.

Online portfolios are a necessity for careers such as photographers, visual artists, architects, or designers. With Adobe Express, you can also include videos. For writers, you can provide snippets of your writing samples and links to published work. If you work in business, use your portfolio to showcase your projects and detail some of your most significant workplace accomplishments. An online portfolio can work for anyone, so let your creativity flow as you craft the site that perfectly suits you.

Tell your professional story in print.

Adobe Express is here to help put your best self forward. To captivate potential employers and clients, your portfolio should reflect your unique and creative self at the very start. As you choose your best pieces, think about the way that you’ll order them in your online portfolio and if additional text is needed to help guide your viewers. If you’re going to an in-person networking event, interview, or even mailing out your portfolio, it’s your chance to deliver an impactful impression with a creative portfolio printed on high-quality paper.

Frequently asked questions.

How to Create a Professional Portfolio

Quick Navigation:

What is a professional portfolio?

Popular jobs that may require a professional portfolio, how to make a professional portfolio.

Applicants for creative roles will often be asked to show examples of their work to clients and employers. A professional portfolio is a chance to demonstrate your best work and skills and provide examples of the scope of your experience. This article explains how to create a professional portfolio to reflect your expertise and increase your chances of obtaining a job.

A professional portfolio is a collection of your work that showcases your talents. This is particularly important for roles that require creativity, as examples of your work are the best way to show an employer how your skills could help them. Although portfolios are traditionally physical folders containing pieces of work, a digital portfolio is an option that can be included with an online or emailed application. Many applicants have both so that they can take a hardcopy to their interview to show the interview panel after applying online. 

There are several types of roles which traditionally require a portfolio:

• Artists such as painters, sculptors, photographers or clothing designers can provide details of any shows they have been included in or exhibitions of their work. 
• Web designers, graphic designers, illustrators and advertising creatives can include examples of their work, linking to the websites they have worked on or including screenshots and image links.
• Computer programmers, app developers and video game designers can include links to gameplay footage, details of their app functionality and information about the programs they have created. 
• Interior designers, makeup artists and cake decorators can show examples of their techniques by describing their methods and including images of their finished work.
• Writers can include links to their current work online and details or links to their previously published work. 
• Videographers, animators and those in related fields may wish to show clips of their work which can be hosted on a viewing platform, uploaded to a file-sharing site or included on a personal website to allow easy access.

In any job application or profession that requires a portfolio, you will want to present a well-organized collection of your best work.

Follow these steps to guide you through the process of putting a professional portfolio together:

1. First, collect samples of your best work

Consider the skills you want to showcase and find the best examples of your work that demonstrate how you have used these skills. Select the most relevant and the most recent to show a hiring panel or client the most helpful examples of your work. 

2. Second, be discerning about what you include

Think about the type of job you want, and consider if there is any kind of work that you don’t want to do. If you want to take your career in a particular direction, consider leaving out samples of work from other areas and focus on examples of the specialty you want to specialize in. 

3. Third, show something new

If you are doing something different or innovative, then make sure you include that in your portfolio. Employers and clients often prefer creatives who have flair and originality, so make it easy for them to see your most imaginative work and show them your approach to meeting clients’ needs. 

4. Fourth, consider the layout

After gathering your materials, choose how you will format your portfolio. It should be easy to navigate, so group similar projects together and label them clearly. Make it clear when a piece had a specific result, and include eye-catching images that create a flow from one piece to the next. Include mockups where appropriate, notes about how you have addressed clients’ concerns and details of how you resolved any issues that arose during the project.

5. Fifth, review the job description 

Before you send your portfolio to anyone, check the job description for the position you are applying for. Verify the key skills and qualities they are looking for and make sure your portfolio shows your experience in these areas. If they are looking for something specific, include anything that shows you have worked on a similar project or that demonstrates expertise in that area. 

6. Sixth, keep it current

Finally, once you have created a portfolio, it is important to maintain it. Check the links regularly, update it with the latest projects you are working on and adjust it to reflect your career growth or changing goals. Collect feedback from your colleagues, managers and clients, and keep anything that shows the positive impact of your work to include in your portfolio.

• Career Blog

Creating a Career Portfolio: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s competitive job market, having a solid career portfolio is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. A career portfolio is an organized collection of evidence that showcases your professional skills, accomplishments, and qualifications.

But what exactly is a career portfolio? A career portfolio can include a variety of items such as a resume, cover letters, reference letters, certifications, awards, and sample work. It is a visual representation of your career that goes beyond a simple resume to demonstrate to potential employers the depth and breadth of your experience.

So why is having a career portfolio so important? For starters, a career portfolio can help you stand out in the job market by showcasing your unique set of skills and accomplishments. It can also help you prepare for job interviews by giving you a comprehensive understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, a career portfolio can help you stay organized and focused on your career goals.

This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to create a career portfolio that will help you stand out from other job applicants. Throughout the article, we will cover the following topics:

• Gathering materials for your career portfolio
• Choosing the right format for your career portfolio
• How to structure your career portfolio
• Tips for presenting your career portfolio
• Updating your career portfolio

By the end of this article, you will have a comprehensive understanding of what goes into creating a career portfolio, how to present it effectively, and how to keep it up to date.

Investing time in creating a career portfolio is an investment in your career. Not only will it help you land your dream job, but it will also help you stay focused on your professional goals and set you up for long-term success. So, let’s get started on creating your own career portfolio.

Step 1: Identify Your Goals and Target Audience

As you embark on the journey to create a career portfolio, the first step is to identify your goals and target audience. This is essential because it sets the tone for the entire portfolio creation process.

Importance of Setting Clear Career Goals

The first step in identifying your goals is to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve professionally. Setting career goals allows you to focus on what you really want and how you can achieve it. Without clear career goals, you may find yourself wandering aimlessly without a clear direction or purpose.

When setting career goals, it is important to consider your long-term aspirations and map out a feasible path to achieving them. Make sure your career goals are ambitious yet attainable, and most importantly, align with your skills, interests, and values.

Identifying Your Target Audience for the Portfolio

Once you have identified your career goals, the next step is to determine your target audience for the portfolio. This will ultimately influence the tone, language, and content of your portfolio.

Your target audience may vary depending on your career aspirations. Are you a job seeker looking to land your dream job? Are you a freelancer aiming to attract clients and showcase your skills? Or are you a working professional seeking career advancement opportunities? Understanding your target audience will guide you to create a portfolio that speaks directly to their needs and interests.

Examples of Effective Goals and Target Audiences

To illustrate the importance of setting clear career goals and identifying your target audience, let’s look at some examples.

Career Goal: To become a freelance writer and build a successful writing business

Target Audience: Potential clients who are in need of high-quality content for their businesses

In this scenario, the portfolio should showcase the writer’s writing samples, testimonials from satisfied clients, and a clear strategy on how the writer can provide value to potential clients.

Career Goals: To become a marketing manager for a major corporation

Target Audience: Hiring managers and recruiters at major corporations

The portfolio should highlight the marketing manager’s past achievements, demonstrate their leadership skills, and highlight successful campaign strategies.

Identifying your career goals and target audience is a crucial first step in creating a career portfolio. By setting clear goals and understanding your audience, you can create a portfolio that effectively showcases your skills and accomplishments, and ultimately supports your professional aspirations.

Step 2: Choose Your Format and Style

Your career portfolio is a representation of your work and accomplishments, and as such, it should be presented in a format and style that reflects your personality and professionalism. When choosing the right format and style for your portfolio, there are a few considerations you need to keep in mind.

Considerations when choosing a portfolio format

Firstly, think about the purpose of your portfolio. What is it that you want to communicate to potential employers or clients? Are you showcasing your skills, experience, or both? Once you have a clear understanding of your portfolio’s purpose, you can then choose a format that will best highlight your achievements.

Another thing to consider is your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your portfolio? Understanding your audience can help you choose a format that will appeal to them. For example, if you are targeting a creative industry, you may want to consider a more visual and interactive format, such as a website or a video portfolio.

Different types of portfolio formats and their advantages and disadvantages

There are several types of portfolio formats to choose from, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the most common formats:

Traditional print portfolio : This is a physical portfolio that is usually presented in a binder or folder. It is a great format if you want to showcase your print designs, such as brochures, posters, or flyers. However, it can be bulky and difficult to transport.

Digital portfolio : This is a portfolio that is stored digitally and can be accessed online. A digital portfolio allows you to showcase multimedia projects, such as videos, animations, and interactive designs. It is easy to update and share with potential employers or clients. However, it can be challenging to present your work in a cohesive and organized way.

Website portfolio : This is a type of digital portfolio that is hosted on a website. It is a great format if you want to showcase your web design or development skills. A website portfolio allows you to showcase your work in a visually appealing way and provides a professional online presence. However, it requires technical skills to create and maintain.

Tips for choosing a style that aligns with your goals and target audience

Once you have chosen a portfolio format, you need to think about the style of your portfolio. Your portfolio’s style should reflect your personality, goals, and target audience. Here are some tips for choosing a style that aligns with your goals and target audience:

Choose a color scheme : A color scheme can help create a cohesive and attractive visual presentation. Pick colors that align with your branding or industry.

Use high-quality images : Your portfolio should contain high-quality images that showcase your work in the best possible way. Make sure your images are properly lit, in focus, and high resolution.

Step 3: Collect and Organize Your Best Work

One of the essential aspects of creating a career portfolio is showcasing your best work. Your portfolio must showcase the skills you have developed over time and highlight the quality of your work. In this section, we will discuss the importance of showcasing your most exceptional work and provide tips for choosing which work to include in your portfolio. Additionally, we will provide strategies for organizing your work effectively to make it more compelling for potential employers.

Importance of Showcasing Your Best Work

Showcasing your best work is essential because it demonstrates your abilities and expertise to potential employers. Your portfolio serves as a platform to showcase your achievements, the value you bring to the table and how you can help an organization. It provides tangible evidence of your skills and accomplishments, which helps to differentiate you from others vying for the same position.

Tips for Choosing Which Work to Include in Your Portfolio

The first step in creating a portfolio is to choose which work to include. Here are some tips to help you make informed decisions:

• Choose your most recent work
• Select work that highlights your skills and expertise
• Select projects worked on that are relevant to the position
• Ask for feedback from other professionals
• Include work that shows versatility, demonstrating the ability to work on diverse projects.

Strategies for Organizing Your Work Effectively

Organizing your work is critical in creating an effective career portfolio. Here are some strategies to follow:

• Categorize your work by project type or industry
• Provide context around each piece of work, describing your role and responsibilities
• Include a brief description of the project and the client or employer
• Use high-quality visuals, including images and infographics
• Highlight key results and accomplishments.

By following these strategies, you can make sure that your portfolio stands out and showcases your skills in the best possible way. Remember that the portfolio serves as an extension of you and should demonstrate your skills and experience. Therefore, take the time to collect and organize your best work to make a positive impression on potential employers.

Step 4: Create Your Portfolio Sections and Pages

After identifying your career goals and gathering relevant materials, it’s time to create the sections and pages of your portfolio. In this step, you’ll need to decide which sections to include and how to present them in an effective way. Here are some things to consider:

Overview of different portfolio sections to include

The sections you choose to include in your career portfolio will depend on your industry and career goals. Generally, portfolios should include sections such as:

• Introduction: a brief statement about yourself and your career objectives
• Resume: a summary of your work experience and skills
• Samples of work: evidence of your skills and accomplishments, such as writing samples, design projects, or marketing campaigns
• Testimonials: recommendations and feedback from past clients or supervisors
• Certifications: proof of any professional qualifications or licenses you’ve obtained
• Contact information: how potential employers or clients can reach you

Strategies for designing effective portfolio pages

When designing your portfolio pages, keep these strategies in mind:

• Keep it simple: use a clean, easy-to-read design that doesn’t distract from your content
• Show your best work first: lead with your strongest samples and projects
• Organize by topic: group similar samples together to make it easy for viewers to find what they’re interested in
• Include context: provide a brief description of each sample to give viewers an idea of what it represents
• Use visuals: include images or other visuals to make your portfolio more engaging and memorable

Examples of effective portfolio layouts

There is no one right way to design a career portfolio, but here are a few examples of effective layouts:

• Chronological: organize your work samples in order of when they were completed, starting with the most recent
• Categorical: group your samples by topic or project type, such as writing, design, or social media campaigns
• Minimalist: use a simple and clean design with plenty of white space to draw attention to your content
• Bold and colorful: use bright colors, bold fonts, and eye-catching graphics to make your portfolio stand out

Whatever design you choose, make sure it reflects your personal brand and showcases your best work. With a well-designed career portfolio, you’ll be one step closer to landing your dream job or attracting new clients.

Step 5: Write Strong Headlines and Descriptions

When it comes to creating a career portfolio, writing strong headlines and descriptions is a crucial step. These elements are what draw the reader’s attention and entice them to learn more about your work. Here’s everything you need to know about crafting compelling headlines and descriptions:

Importance of Writing Compelling Headlines and Descriptions

Your career portfolio is your chance to showcase your skills and accomplishments to potential employers. However, if your headlines and descriptions are lackluster, you risk losing the reader’s attention before they even get to the meat of your portfolio. Compelling headlines and descriptions are your chance to make a great first impression and demonstrate your value.

Tips for Crafting Effective Headlines and Descriptions

• Keep it concise – you only have a few seconds to grab the reader’s attention, so make every word count.
• Use active language – action verbs are more engaging than passive voice.
• Be specific – give the reader a clear idea of what they can expect to see in your portfolio.
• Highlight your unique selling points – what sets you apart from other candidates?

Examples of Effective Headlines and Descriptions

Here are some examples of effective headlines and descriptions:

• “Award-winning graphic designer specializing in digital media”
• “Experienced project manager skilled in leading cross-functional teams”
• “Sales executive with a proven track record of driving revenue growth”
• “Innovative software engineer leveraging cutting-edge technology to create impactful solutions”

In each of these examples, the headline grabs the reader’s attention with a specific skill or accomplishment, while the description provides more detail about what the candidate can offer. By following these tips and examples, you can craft compelling headlines and descriptions that make your career portfolio stand out.

Step 6: Use Multimedia to Enhance Your Portfolio

A portfolio is a crucial tool for job seekers to showcase their skills and experience to potential employers. In today’s digital age, incorporating multimedia into your portfolio can greatly enhance its effectiveness by capturing the attention of recruiters and making your work stand out. Here are some benefits of using multimedia in your portfolio:

Benefits of Incorporating Multimedia into Your Portfolio

• Increased engagement:  Multimedia content such as videos, infographics, and images can help capture the attention of recruiters and make your portfolio more engaging.
• Better representation of your work:  Multimedia can help showcase your work in a way that text simply can’t. For example, a video can demonstrate your public speaking skills or a before-and-after image can showcase your design abilities.
• Ability to convey complex information:  Multimedia can help simplify complex ideas and data, making it easier for recruiters to understand your work.
• Demonstration of technical skills:  Incorporating multimedia into your portfolio can demonstrate your proficiency with various tools and technologies.

Types of Multimedia to Include and How to Use Them Effectively

When selecting multimedia for your portfolio, it is important to choose wisely. Here are some types of multimedia to consider:

• Videos:  Include videos of yourself speaking or presenting, or showcasing your work in action.
• Infographics and charts:  Use infographics and charts to demonstrate your ability to convey complex information in a clear and effective way.
• Images:  Use images to showcase your design skills, or to demonstrate specific projects you have worked on.
• Interactive content:  Consider including interactive demos or simulations to show off your technical skills.

It’s important to use multimedia effectively in your portfolio. Here are some tips for doing so:

• Be strategic:  Choose multimedia that best demonstrates your skills and aligns with your target industry.
• Keep it relevant:  Ensure that the multimedia content you include is relevant to the job or industry you are applying for.
• Maintain consistency:  Make sure that the multimedia content is consistent with your brand and messaging.
• Provide context:  Always provide context for the multimedia, including explanations of what the content represents and its relevance to the job or industry.

Tips for Ensuring Accessibility and Usability of Multimedia Content

It’s important to make sure that your multimedia content is accessible and usable to all potential recruiters. Here are some tips for doing so:

• Use alt text:  Ensure that all multimedia content has alt text that describes the content for individuals with visual impairments.
• Provide transcripts:  If you include videos or audio content, provide transcripts for individuals who may have difficulty hearing.
• Keep file sizes small:  Keep file sizes small to ensure that your portfolio loads quickly, even on slower connections.
• Test for compatibility:  Check that your multimedia content is compatible with all types of devices and browsers.

Step 7: Proofread and Edit Your Portfolio

Your career portfolio is a representation of your best work as a professional. It showcases your expertise, skills, and accomplishments. It is essentially a reflection of who you are as a professional, and it is essential that it is error-free and polished before presenting it to prospective employers.

Importance of Editing and Proofreading Your Portfolio

Editing and proofreading are essential steps in the portfolio creation process. They ensure that your portfolio is free of errors, typos, and formatting issues, while also making sure that the overall presentation is polished and professional.

A portfolio with errors and mistakes will give the impression that you lack attention to detail, which can be detrimental to your job search. Therefore, it is crucial to take the time to thoroughly edit and proofread your portfolio to ensure that it is flawless and ready to impress.

Strategies for Identifying and Correcting Errors

Proofreading is a critical phase to identify and correct any errors in your portfolio. It can be challenging to pinpoint your own mistakes, so it’s advisable to have another person review your portfolio.

You can also try reading your portfolio aloud to yourself or using proofreading tools like Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, or ProWritingAid. These tools will help you identify errors in grammar, tone, and syntax.

In addition, having a checklist of the critical components in your portfolio can help. This can include checking for consistency in formatting, proper use of heading and subheadings, and proper citation of sources.

Tips for Ensuring the Overall Quality of Your Portfolio

To ensure the overall quality of your portfolio, you need to do more than just proofread. There are certain things you can do to ensure that your portfolio stands out from the rest.

Start by choosing items that are relevant to the job you are applying to. It is best to tailor your portfolio for each job you apply for rather than have a generic one.

Also, ensure that your portfolio has a consistent look, feel, and tone. This means that you should use the same font, colour scheme, and design throughout the portfolio.

Lastly, your portfolio should comprise your best works. Showcase your achievements, projects, and accolades rather than every single work you’ve done. This not only helps with focus but also with creating an impressive and memorable portfolio.

Proofreading and editing your portfolio is essential in creating a polished and professional presentation of your best work. Use these strategies and tips to ensure that your portfolio is flawless, consistent, and stands out from the rest.

Step 8: Share and Promote Your Portfolio

As a professional, showcasing your accomplished works can go a long way in establishing your credibility and creating opportunities for career growth. In today’s digital age, doing so has never been easier – all thanks to the internet and its role in the democratization of information. However, creating a great portfolio is only half the battle – sharing and promoting it is equally important.

Importance of sharing and promoting your portfolio

Sharing and promoting your portfolio offers several benefits, the most obvious of which is the increased visibility it provides. A well-curated portfolio is like a window through which your target audience can see your skills and capabilities. It helps you to present your work in the best light and enables potential employers or clients to gauge your qualifications better. Further, it also allows you to cement your brand and position yourself as an expert in your chosen field. Sharing your portfolio gives you the chance to network and connect with like-minded professionals, foster relationships, and boost your chances of career advancement.

Strategies for sharing your portfolio with your target audience

The first step in sharing your portfolio is to identify your target audience. You want to share your content with people who will appreciate and benefit from it the most. Once you’ve determined who your target audience is, the next step is to choose the right platform. Sharing your portfolio on your website is a great start, but you can also leverage social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to put your content in front of a broader audience. Email marketing is another option that works well for freelancers who want to reach out to potential clients directly.

Another strategy for sharing your portfolio is by collaborating with professionals in your field. You can offer to contribute guest posts for industry blogs, participate in forums or online communities, and team up with influencers to expand your reach. Alternatively, you can seek to have your work featured in relevant publications, news outlets, or podcasts. The key is to identify platforms that align with your brand and target audience and use them to your advantage.

Tips for promoting your portfolio on social media and other channels

When promoting your portfolio on social media and other channels, it’s essential to ensure that your content is visually appealing and professionally done. Use high-quality images, videos, and graphics to showcase your work better. Make sure that your portfolio is easily accessible and includes a call-to-action that guides your audience to take the next step, whether it’s hiring you or contacting you for more information.

You can also leverage social media algorithms to promote your portfolio by using relevant hashtags, tagging influencers in your niche, and asking your followers to share your content. Other strategies include creating ads, giveaways, or contests that will help you to increase your reach and audience engagement. Collaborating with other professionals and industry thought leaders can also help you to expand your professional network and generate new business leads.

Step 9: Maintain and Update Your Portfolio Regularly

A career portfolio is an essential tool for showcasing your skills, accomplishments, and professional growth to potential employers or clients. However, creating a successful portfolio is not a one-time task. It requires regular maintenance and updates to reflect your professional progress and stay relevant in today’s job market.

Importance of Maintaining and Updating Your Portfolio

Maintaining and updating your portfolio is essential because it allows you to showcase your latest and best work. By updating your portfolio regularly, you can demonstrate your current skills, knowledge, and expertise. Additionally, an updated portfolio that reflects your professional growth can help you stand out from other candidates and position yourself as a serious candidate for the job or project.

A well-maintained portfolio can also help you track your achievements, set career goals, and identify areas for improvement. It can serve as a valuable tool for self-evaluation and continuous learning, helping you to stay motivated and focused on your career.

Strategies for Keeping Your Portfolio Up-to-date and Relevant

There are several strategies you can use to keep your portfolio up-to-date and relevant:

Regularly add new projects, work samples, and accomplishments to your portfolio. Make sure to highlight your latest and relevant experiences to showcase your current expertise.

Remove outdated or irrelevant content from your portfolio to keep it streamlined and focused on your current professional goals.

Keep your portfolio well-organized, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. Use a layout and design that best showcases your work samples and accomplishments.

Use language that emphasizes your skills and accomplishments, rather than just your job duties. Focus on outcomes and results rather than just tasks performed.

Incorporate feedback and testimonials from clients, employers, and colleagues to showcase your strengths and validate your achievements.

Use industry-specific keywords and trends in your portfolio that help you stand out in keyword searches and demonstrate your knowledge of industry trends.

Tips for Ensuring That Your Portfolio Reflects Your Career Progress

To ensure that your portfolio reflects your career progress, you should:

Regularly review your portfolio to ensure that it is up-to-date and aligned with your career goals.

Identify gaps in your portfolio that may be hindering your professional growth and proactively work to fill those gaps.

Use your portfolio to track your career milestones and set career goals for the future.

Continuously improve your portfolio by seeking feedback from mentors, colleagues, and industry experts.

Maintaining and updating your career portfolio is critical to showcasing your skills, expertise, and professional growth to potential employers or clients. By following the above strategies and tips, you can keep your portfolio up-to-date and relevant, demonstrate your current strengths and achievements, and stay competitive in today’s job market.

Related Articles

• Expert IT Consultant Resume Samples
• Discovering Career Paths: Full Guide for Every Personality
• Panel Interview: Top Questions and Answers
• Technical Project Manager Resume: Examples and Writing Tips
• Theater Resume Writing Tips and Samples

Rate this article

0 / 5. Reviews: 0

More from ResumeHead

What’s a Work Portfolio? Everything You Need to Know (+ Examples)

3 Key Takeaways

• A work portfolio is a collection of your work used to showcase your abilities and experience.
• Draw inspiration from online portfolios to get started. (Six portfolio samples included here.)
• Teal’s AI Resume Builder complements your portfolio for a comprehensive application.

In today’s competitive job market, how can you hope to stand out when applying for the same job as hundreds—sometimes thousands —of others? By showing your value, not just stating it. Enter: The work portfolio.

Commonly used in many creative and tech industries, the work portfolio is a mighty job tool to help you sell your skills and lift your chances of landing the role. Without one, you may just be a floating resume among a sea of creative portfolios.

But is a work portfolio something you need? And if so, how do you create one—a powerful one, at that? Here’s a comprehensive look at what goes into one:

So, what is a work portfolio?

A work portfolio is a collection of your work used to showcase your abilities and experience to recruiters, clients, or potential employers. It may also be referred to as a career portfolio, professional portfolio, or job portfolio.

Your professional portfolio is a visual representation of your craft, demonstrating your talent, skills, hard work, achievements, education, case studies, and much more. It is typically used alongside a resume and cover letter. 

However, not every industry requires a professional portfolio be sent with job applications; they’re typically required in the hiring process for the arts, creative fields, and tech roles—industries that require work samples as proof of your skills and accomplishments.

Let’s say you’re a writer for fintech and finance companies. You see a full-time content role for Investopedia and you think you’re the perfect person to write for them.

Somewhere in the job application, you share the link to your online portfolio, complete with impressive pieces you’ve written for NerdWallet, American Express, Klarna, and Forbes. You should also highlight the achievements and awards these pieces earned in both your portfolio and resume.

Teal’s AI Resume Achievements helps you write those job-specific, metric-rich achievements for your job application in a matter of minutes.

Steps to create a work portfolio

Different roles may require different kinds of career portfolios. Yours could include personal information, a skills summary , full projects, reports, images, and much more. Or, it may be a no-words-needed visual collection of your best work.

Here’s how to make online portfolios, no matter your profession:

Step 1: Decide what work to display.

For example:

• An artist should display artwork.
• A writer should display published articles and readership numbers.
• A graphic designer should display logos.
• A teacher should display lesson plans and test results. 

Step 2: Find a place to host your career portfolio.

Here are some options:

• Job Platforms : Many online job platforms like Upwork and networking platforms like your LinkedIn page offer options for uploading portfolio pieces directly onto their site. 
• Free Portfolio Hosts : Many sites, such as Clippings, provide free ways to host an online portfolio without any design downtime required. 
• Paid Portfolio & Website Hosts : Alternatively, you can create your own website with easy-to-use website builders such as HubSpot , Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress. The paid subscriptions to these websites offer templates for creating portfolios. This may be more beneficial if you have a lot of projects with multiple layers to showcase. These options will give your portfolio a more professional look and feel. 
• Design Platforms (PDFs) : Many people opt for custom-designed portfolios via tools like Canva or Adobe Portfolio to create something unique. In this case, you’d be sending the potential employer something to download, rather than a URL to view online. 

Step 3: Provide additional context to accompany your work samples.

Imagine you’re presenting your work in person. Have any notes worth including? For example, consider adding a summary of how the piece was successful or if the project earned you a promotion.

Step 4: Add a personal statement. 

Think about what title you plan on using and how you want to introduce yourself to the reader. Include a personal or career summary as a section or an entire page. (This depends on how much you’re comfortable sharing with the world.)

Step 5: Include contact information. 

A phone number and email address is sufficient for job seekers, but freelancers may want to include an online form as well. A form will help freelancers collect the information they need to reach out to leads, as opposed to only letting leads reach out to them. 

Bonus step : Update and tailor your portfolio periodically. Get feedback, and revisit it to ensure there are no broken links, your samples are relevant, and review areas of improvement. 

The Art of Creating a Tailored Job Portfolio

When you’re vying for the attention of prospective employers amongst hundreds or even thousands, sticking your best work into a document or webpage is not enough. 

Here’s the ticket to get your application to the top of the stack: Choose your best work related to the dream role.

Professional portfolio tips (by role)

Front-end developer: a portfolio as structured and well-organized as their code.

Teacher : a portfolio as educational and personable as their teaching style. 

Brand designer : a portfolio that demonstrates a passion for color schemes, visual storytelling, and aesthetics.

And so on. To give you a better idea, here’s an example of how to tailor your portfolio to a job description: 

Job Description : Residential Architect

Join our busy studio as an Architect, contributing your expertise to exciting regional projects. As a Residential Architect, you will play a key role in designing and planning homes and housing complexes. Bring your passion for innovative design, attention to detail, and commitment to creating spaces that enhance the quality of living.

‍ Requirements:

• ARB registration and a proven track record as a Residential Architect.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, Revit, or similar design software.
• Strong communication skills for effective collaboration with clients and project teams.
• In-depth knowledge of residential building regulations, construction methods, and materials.
• Passion for creating functional, beautiful residential spaces.

As an architect creating a portfolio of work samples for this role, you’ll want to make sure you showcase your design and construction experience in the housing industry. You may also want to highlight your experience with AutoCAD and/or Revit.

Find a balance between highlighting your best accomplishments and work samples, but not including too much. 

Building a tailored resume that showcases your awards, projects, and achievements isn’t always easy, even for seasoned professionals. Make the process breezier with Teal’s AI Resume Builder , your tool to quickly generate personalized resumes tailored to each job application. 

Check out these online portfolio examples

Let’s look at some sample professional portfolios to help develop your own collection of work. Whether you’re going the traditional route or want to create something new, use these examples as inspiration to assemble something that feels all your own yet is also designed to capture the attention of potential employers. 

Photography Portfolio sample portfolio: Max Montgomery

If you believe in your work sells itself, why not keep things simple? Max’s approach to showcasing his work is effortless: a scroll-worthy page of gorgeous photos on a custom website. The key? They’re grouped by niches: celebrity portraits, travel, and point-and-shoot. When it comes to photography portfolios, you can let the images do the talking. 

UX Portfolio sample portfolio: Dayla Green

How do you summarize who you are without being too sparse? Or worse, boring your reader to death. Dayla Green uses the hero section to summarize their background using direct, punchy language. Not a word too much nor too few, it gives a recruiter or prospective employer what they need to understand their experience and what they’re about.

Made on Wix, David’s portfolio is interactive and visual. It showcases six of their best pieces, followed by working methods and hard-to-miss contact info. Bonus? A “fun facts” section to show who they are as a person and what they do in their free time—not to mention showing unique UX design abilities! 

Journalist sample portfolio: David Blackwood

Made using Journo Portfolio, David Blackwood takes advantage of a portfolio website to easily post his published words in an organized manner. It offers professional photos to get a feel for his personality, plus three clear ways to learn more about him: About, Work, and Contact. With a list of recent articles, plus a few blurbs about himself, it has all the basics down.

Content Writer sample portfolio: Lucy Thorpe

Lucy simply added a portfolio page to her WordPress website using a plugin. Since her website will do the selling for her and provide more details on who she is as a writer and employee, her portfolio page solely focuses on her published works.

Including too many pieces can be overwhelming to a potential employer who needs to see relevant samples, but Lucy’s page has a simple solution: The opportunity to toggle between niches (e.g., beauty, cosmetics, marketing, etc.). Anyone landing on her site can narrow down the content they wish to view, and Lucy can send a customized page to potential employers in just a few clicks.

Copywriter sample portfolio: Mads Hanna

Designed on Canva, Mads creates an interactive PDF, taking you on a journey to get to know her—her hard and soft skills, client roster, services, and process. She infused client testimonials and copywriting samples throughout the pages and filled the pages with color and personality.

This portfolio example is a creative illustration of how to roll your resume and work samples into one deliverable, perfect for freelancers and creatives who need to demonstrate their abilities and work ethic more than their employment history. Bonus: A templated creation will be super easy to update often, tailoring it to each client at a time. 

Translator sample portfolio: Joachim Lépine

Joachim delivers a professional and interactive approach to showcasing his experience and translation skills. He uses imagery to show his published works, which you can click on to view the live pieces. 

Made on HeyZine Flipbooks, he takes advantage of a portfolio creation site to make things easy. Sorting through the pages is a breeze – sound effects included!

With Teal, you can use our AI features to help you write and rewrite descriptions for achievements, professional summaries, and more to customize resumes, cover letters, and portfolios.

What about templates for creating online portfolios?

As mentioned, there are many ways to get started. One simple way is to grab yourself a job portfolio template and drop in your recent or best work.

How do you choose a portfolio layout? TL;DR: It depends on your profession. 

• Freelance illustrator: May need to fit a lot of visuals on a single page for an attention-grabbing, photo-tastic way to land a new gig.
• Project manager or web designer: May need a project-based format where the reader can click on a single image that opens a detailed look at the deliverables, both visual and written.
• Professional photographer: May want a stellar “About Me” section, followed by thumbnail images that lead to full collections.

Luckily, most portfolio-building websites include templates in line with industry standards.

Keep these dos and don’ts in mind when building your first professional portfolio:

Work portfolio best practices

• DO prepare a tailored (sample) portfolio and a comprehensive portfolio
• DO only select your best work for the role you wish to land
• DO use clear images of your work and a professional photo of yourself
• DO include professional achievements and/or skills

Work portfolio mistakes to avoid

• DON’T include your oldest work or personal work
• DON’T add too much about your career history
• DON’T include very similar works 
• DON’T present work that is not fully your own (without giving proper credit)

Who needs a career portfolio?

Not all jobs require a professional portfolio to be sent with online applications; those that require portfolios in the hiring process are typically creative fields such as designers and writers and technical fields such as developers and architects. 

They’re also common among artistic jobs such as models and makeup artists. In these cases, the job seeker may want to bring a physical copy of their portfolio in a binder to the interview. Here are the most common use cases for job portfolios :

• Writers : Content writers, journalists, and the like will want to showcase relevant writing samples in an online portfolio.
• Copywriters : Similarly, copywriters will want a collection of their best work such as ads, taglines, websites, and more. They may want to note publications they have previously worked for.
• Graphic designers : Designers may want an interesting portfolio to showcase logos, typography, and print and web design. They may also include a look into their background or design philosophy. 
• Artists : Artists need a place to display their artwork to either land a job or sell their work to the public. Many artists nowadays opt to use social media, such as Instagram, as a portfolio—including finished works, works in progress, and behind-the-scenes looks into their creative process. 
• Actors : While actors are more known to have highlight reels, they may also need portfolios to showcase their best performances, show off their work history, and provide contact information.
• Architects : Architects need to show professional samples of their designs, technical drawings, and schemes.

However, online portfolios are growing in popularity for a wide range of freelancers as a way to stand out from the competition, show off your personal brand, and demonstrate your professional achievements to land more clients.

The importance of adding achievements to your professional portfolio and resume

A rookie mistake is to showcase personal work you’re proud of—your short story published on Medium, a family portrait you took last Thanksgiving, that quirky quiz app you built for your buddies to burn time. 

While you should feel proud of completing passion projects, consider putting these personal items in a separate portfolio—one you can share with family and friends.

Your professional portfolio needs to be laser-focused on your career goals. Thus, it should only contain work that’s relevant to the position you are applying for. 

For example, a content writer applying to a SaaS role shouldn’t include past lifestyle pieces. A graphic designer applying to a UX design role shouldn’t include their 3D work. You get the idea.

In addition, you’ll want to include professional achievements. How did the piece perform? Did it earn you a promotion or an award? List those accolades. Recruiters are looking for evidence that your work doesn’t just look good but helps move a business forward, too. 

Work achievements should be quantifiable and measurable. In the work samples above, we saw metric-rich achievements such as “5-star acclaimed [books]” as well as achievements for their personal brands, such as “25 LinkedIn recs,” and “featured on sites such as Refinery29 and PopSugar.”

If you’re an experienced professional, you may include achievements such as: 

• Reduced application load time by 32% through code optimization and performance enhancements
• Generated a 117% increase in website traffic
• Completed a complex project three weeks ahead of schedule and 10% under budget
• Won the "Best Photography" award
• Achieved a 43% increase in sales within the first quarter

If you're feeling stuck, you can use the AI integration feature within Teal's AI Resume Builder to generate work achievements!

Showcase your professional achievements with Teal

To summarize, a career portfolio demonstrates your work experience by showcasing your creative works such as photos, articles, designs, projects, and more. An online portfolio can be created as a PDF (print or digital), via template using an online tool, or as a custom website. You can include a portfolio link on your LinkedIn profile , and in your resume and CV.

In a competitive job market, sending in a cohesive, comprehensive application is key to getting the attention of prospective employers. You can use Teal's AI Resume Builder to help you build an effective, achievement-rich resume that complements your career portfolio.

Sign up for Teal for free today to give your impressive work a place to shine. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements to include in a work portfolio, how often should i update my work portfolio, can a work portfolio be digital, or does it need to be physical.

Kaleena Stroud

Related articles.

How to Email a Resume to an Employer [Template + Examples]

How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation (Templates + Examples)

What is a Resume Builder?

Rezi Review: Ratings & User Feedback

We help you find the career dream.

The Professional Work Portfolio and How to Create a Great One

Like it or not, getting the job of your dreams hinges mainly on first impressions . Smart answers during an interview, a good array of relevant skills, and a professional resume are all part of the job application process. 

Regardless of the area you’re applying for a job in , your resume is probably your main ticket to getting that job offer.

A well-tailored resume will show off your skills, achievements, education, work experiences, and additional accomplishments—shortly and concisely. 

But what if a particular job is looking for quite the opposite of short and effective? 

What if your chances of getting the job relate to the amount of detail you include in your application? 

Worry not, we have you covered with a wholesome guide on how to structure and pull off a superb work portfolio for almost any profession out there.

Table of Content:

Difference Between a Portfolio and a Resume

There are several key differences between a portfolio and a resume. 

On one hand, a resume is a single file that’s one or two pages long at most . On the other hand, a portfolio is a collection of a variety of different documents , among which can be your resume. 

Essentially, the main point of a resume is to let future employers know what you’ve done in your professional past. But, the point of a work portfolio is to actually show and prove it with as many official documents as possible.

For instance, you can always rely on a quality resume builder when constructing a strong resume. But, you cannot create a portfolio overnight—a good portfolio would be unique to you and contain written proof of what you’ve created in your professional career thus far.

Creative positions especially, such as writers, designers, painters, or photographers , can benefit significantly from including a portfolio with their application. 

It’s one thing to say how many short stories you’ve written, or how impressive your photographs are, but it is a completely different thing to actually include said stories or photographs in the application itself.

In that sense, your portfolio can and should contain your resume and a cover letter too, to help potential employers navigate through the rest of the files included in the collection.

How to Create a Professional Work Portfolio

The main way to craft your best professional work portfolio is to make a list of all the different types of documents that you will want to include and show. 

These can be boiled down to three separate types of documents: 

• Your own work samples (written texts, reports, pictures – if relevant, etc.) 
• Accolades for your achievements ( awards you have won , letters of recommendation, references, degrees, diplomas, etc.) 
• Statement doc uments (resumes, cover letters, professional statements, etc.)

Background and Education

Since a work portfolio doesn’t require that you’re brief like a resume does, you can start off with more introductory documents. Here, you’ll state your background and detail your education , as well as the past achievements that you’re most proud of. 

State how all of these have influenced your current mindset, and discuss your future ambitions.

Also, depending on the career field, you can discuss some professional ideas that you’re hoping to work on in the future, or you can express your desire to achieve a particular work position. 

Past Accomplishments

Next, you can list all of your main work projects from the past , making sure that they’re all clearly elaborated. Let the person reading know exactly what sort of work situations you found yourself in and how you helped solve any problems associated with them.

Certifications, Diplomas, and More

From here, you can start including the relevant documents—college degrees, awards, diplomas, certificates for attended conferences, workshops you’ve participated in, previous work contracts, and proof of successfully executed past projects. 

References Matter…

You can also start including letters of reference for the current job application and/or past recommendations for other ventures. 

This will allow potential employers to read what sort of impressions your previous employers and your university professors had of you, gaining an even more well-rounded image of what you can offer.

…As Do Samples

Finally, include a list of work samples . Depending on the career field and, especially, the work you’re applying for, these can be a select few, samples that stand out from the rest.

These will allow interviewers to get a first-hand insight into what exactly it is that you do best. 

By the time they’re done with your portfolio, they’ll essentially know all there is to know about you as a potential employee, and how you have grown in your career , and they’ll be able to judge whether you’re the right person for the vacancy. 

How to Attach a Portfolio to Your Resume?

When it comes to the details of attaching a portfolio to your resume , they will vary depending on how you send your application—online, in person, as a collection of PDF and Microsoft Word documents, or as a collection of PowerPoint presentations.

You’ll want your resume to be separate from your portfolio and to clearly label both of them. 

After all, not all employers will be interested in browsing through your portfolio initially. Many will want to skim through your resume template first, and only after they’ve seen something that’s caught their eye will they be interested in seeing more.

In doing so, include a hyperlink or a direct link to your portfolio. Or, if applying in person, make sure you send one separate file—the resume, and another folder—the portfolio, together. 

That way, future employers will have the opportunity to choose how much of your application they’ll want to see. 

You can never know exactly what method each employer has, so it’s up to you to create an application suitable for both employers who want to go all-in with the first viewing and those who will only thoroughly examine the portfolios of their top candidates.

Tips to Improve Your Work Portfolio

While the list of portfolio tips can be essentially endless, especially considering how every job position will favor different things, some universal tips include:

• Regular updates – make sure that you keep track of every new achievement, and that you regularly include all of them in your portfolio. It often happens that we forget about workshops that we’ve participated in, so make sure you immediately include the certificate , as they can add more to your professional image. 
• Easily readable – be certain that your portfolio isn’t chaotic, but very well organized, so that everyone will be able to find their way through it easily. Accessibility is of paramount importance.
• Know the medium – if you’re creating an online portfolio, ensure that all pages and links are in proper order at all times – you don’t want to embarrass yourself with a dysfunctional portfolio format.

How a Work Portfolio Works to Your Benefit: The Verdict

In essence, employers who require a work portfolio will be most interested in seeing:

• What you specialize in
• Images of your accomplishments (if required)
• A project brief
• Group project efforts and accomplishments 
• Contact information
• Superb spelling and structure

All this information can give the employer a wholesome picture of who you are as a candidate and whether you check all boxes of quality they seek. Execute it right, and have yourself a winning portfolio to make you hyper-competitive in any industry you seek employment in! 

Related posts

How to List Education on a Resume in 2024 (With Examples) Be prepared to include education on your resume. Detail information like high school diplomas, college degrees and in-progress courses with these tips. Updated on January 2, 2024 How to List Education on a Resume in 2024 (With Examples)

+500 Resume Keywords Listed by Industry Are you looking for a job? Here you will find some resume keywords examples by industry and how to put them on your resume. Get a winning-resume! Updated on March 30, 2023 +500 Resume Keywords Listed by Industry

How to List Awards on a Resume Listing awards on a resume is an efficient way to demonstrate your skills and accomplishments to an employer, but you’ll want to make sure you do it right! Updated on August 23, 2023 How to List Awards on a Resume

• Website Planet

8 Best Portfolio & Resume Website Templates/Themes [2024]

• WordPress Themes

RyanCV – Get Straight to the Point

Photographer cv – reach a global audience, actor cv – include tons of personal info  .

• Website Builder Templates

Professional CV – Be Flashy, but Not Too Flashy

Save up to $ 50.00 on your Wix plan!

Limited-time offer - Don't miss it!

Graffiti Artist – Display Lots of Visuals

Noll – encourage clients to get in touch.

Save up to $ 30.00 on your Squarespace plan today!

Plus get a free domain for one year!

Elliot – Show Off Your Visual Prowess

Mike hamond – get your portfolio online fast.

• How to Get a Custom Template for a Great Price

• The Choice Is Yours

What’s important for a portfolio website?

How do i create a website for my resume, can i use an html template in wordpress, how can i host a portfolio website for free.

We check all comments within 48 hours to make sure they're from real users like you. In the meantime, you can share your comment with others to let more people know what you think.

Once a month you will receive interesting, insightful tips, tricks, and advice to improve your website performance and reach your digital marketing goals!

So happy you liked it !

Share it with your friends!

Or review us on

Save up to 50% on your Wix plan!

Explore Jobs

• Jobs Near Me
• Remote Jobs
• Full Time Jobs
• Part Time Jobs
• Entry Level Jobs
• Work From Home Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

• $15 Per Hour Jobs
• $20 Per Hour Jobs
• Hiring Immediately Jobs
• High School Jobs
• H1b Visa Jobs

Explore Careers

• Business And Financial
• Architecture And Engineering
• Computer And Mathematical

Explore Professions

• What They Do
• Certifications
• Demographics

Best Companies

• Health Care
• Fortune 500

Explore Companies

• CEO And Executies
• Resume Builder
• Career Advice
• Explore Majors
• Questions And Answers
• Interview Questions

How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
• Anticipated Graduation Date On Resume
• Education Section On Resume
• Contact Information On Resume
• Statement Of Qualifications
• How To List Publications On Resume
• Accomplishments On Resumes
• Awards On Resume
• Dean's List On Resume
• Study Abroad On Resume

Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

Recent Job Searches

• Registered Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Truck Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Call Center Representative Jobs Resume Location
• Customer Service Representative Jobs Resume
• Delivery Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Warehouse Worker Jobs Resume Location
• Account Executive Jobs Resume Location
• Sales Associate Jobs Resume Location
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Company Driver Jobs Resume

Related posts

Creative Resumes (With Examples)

Irrelevant Experience: Should I Include It On A Resume?

How To Write A Federal Resume (With Tips & Examples)

Statement Of Qualifications: What It Is And Examples

• Career Advice >
• Resume Structure >
• Parts Of A Resume >

More From Forbes

Recent graduates, remove your gpas from your resume.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

In today’s job market, showcase the value you bring to the table, not your GPA from the university ... [+] you just graduated from.

A contentious topic among job seekers is whether to include their GPA on their resume . The tradition of including GPAs on resumes has its roots in the belief that academic performance is a reliable indicator of professional potential. This practice gained momentum when job markets were less saturated, and academic accomplishments could set candidates apart in a smaller sea of applicants. Employers viewed GPAs as a shorthand assessment of a candidate’s diligence, intelligence and ability to meet deadlines and goals.

However, the job landscape today looks markedly different. With millions of recent graduates entering the workforce annually, employers are overwhelmed with applications for each position. This inundation has precipitated a shift in hiring practices, with an increasing emphasis on diverse experiences, practical skills and cultural fit over traditional academic metrics.

Why GPA Might Not Be Your Strongest Asset

Given this shift, there are compelling reasons why recent graduates should consider leaving their GPAs off their resumes:

• Widening Skill Gap: Many employers now argue that a high GPA does not necessarily correlate with the practical skills and adaptability required in most modern workplaces. Competencies such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork are often more predictive of job performance.
• Holistic Evaluation: Companies are increasingly adopting more holistic evaluation processes, where soft skills, internships, volunteer experiences and portfolio pieces are given weight equal to, if not greater than, academic performance.
• Flexibility in Learning: With the rise of online courses, boot camps and other alternative educational pathways, evidence of continued learning and skill development can be more pertinent and impressive than a static GPA.

The Best Mattress For Couples Regardless Of Your Sleep Styles

Wwe smackdown results winners and grades on may 10 2024, the 8 best trampolines with insights from an industry expert, building an effective resume as a recent graduate.

Recent graduates should focus on crafting resumes that highlight their comprehensive skills and experiences:

• Showcase Real-world Experience: Include internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work and project experiences. Describe the skills gained and how they apply to your desired position.
• Highlight Skills: Rather than listing courses taken, focus on the skills you’ve developed. This can include technical skills like coding languages or software proficiency and soft skills like leadership, communication or time management.
• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume for each job application. Highlight the experiences and skills most relevant to the job description to demonstrate how you’re the best fit for the role.
• Include a Portfolio: If applicable, include a link to an online portfolio that showcases your best work. This could be writing samples, design work, coding projects or other relevant creations.
• Leverage LinkedIn: Utilize LinkedIn to expand your resume. You can include recommendations from professors or supervisors, detailed descriptions of projects and roles, and even articles or posts that demonstrate your industry knowledge.
• Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell the story that numbers cannot. Illustrate your passion, career aspirations, and why you are a good fit for the company and role.

Building your portfolio as a part of your resume takes a strategic mindset like working on a ... [+] puzzle—the right pieces will make or break your narrative.

How To Create A Portfolio From Course Projects

Creating a portfolio from school projects is a crucial step for recent graduates to showcase their skills and expertise. To start, select projects that best highlight your abilities relevant to the job you’re seeking. This could include group projects demonstrating teamwork and leadership skills or individual projects showcasing your initiative and creativity.

Once you’ve organized everything, put it all into a PDF file. Make sure to name it. For example, “Jane Doe’s Portfolio.” Even file names showcase your professionalism.

• Organize Your Content: Begin by categorizing your projects based on the skills they demonstrate, such as analytical thinking, project management or technical abilities. This structure will make it easier for potential employers to understand your strengths.
• Detail Your Role: For each project, clearly articulate your contribution and the skills you utilized. This is your chance to highlight how you’ve applied classroom knowledge to real-world problems.
• Visual Aids: Incorporate visuals, such as screenshots, diagrams or videos, to make your portfolio more engaging. This is particularly important for design or multimedia projects but can also be valuable for coding or data analysis projects, where visual representations of data can tell a compelling story.
• Reflect on Challenges and Outcomes: Include a brief narrative on the challenges you faced during the project and how you overcame them. This demonstrates your problem-solving skills and resilience. Also, detail the outcome of the project and any feedback received, highlighting your project’s success and lessons learned.
• Keep It Updated: Your portfolio is an evolving tool. Continually add new projects and experiences, tailoring the content for specific job applications or career goals.

In today’s competitive job market, presenting yourself as a multifaceted and adaptable candidate is paramount. Employers seek individuals who can seamlessly contribute, innovate and integrate into their team. A number or letter grade doesn’t reflect your full potential. Removing it opens up space to present a more rounded and compelling picture of who you are and what you bring to the table.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

10 Best Resume Builders to Create A Great Resume – 2024 Guide

A re you exhausted from investing endless hours into creating an impeccable CV? This article introduces the top resume builders that will revolutionize your job application approach. Bid farewell to monotonous formatting and greet a remarkable resume that distinguishes itself from the rivalry. Prepare yourself to secure your dream job with self-assurance effortlessly!

>> Unlock Your Career Potential With Super Star Resume

10 Best Resume Writing Services

• Super Star Resume - Best overall
• ZipJob - Best for guarantees
• Resumeble - Best with custom bundles
• Let’s Eat, Grandma - Best for range of career service
• ResumeSpice - Best for job seekers of any level
• TopResume - Best customer service
• Resume Writing Services - Best for affordability
• Craft Resumes - Best for quick turnaround
• Resume Companion - Best value resume writing service
• Resume.com - Best free service

When creating this compilation, we considered different elements such as affordability, ease of use, accessibility, the privacy policies of the companies involved, and more. The highest-rated services offer advice, templates, and tools and allow you to consult with experts who can help you craft an impressive resume highlighting your strengths to potential employers.

Our collection comprises free services and those that make use of professional writers’ skills. Some options require a subscription or one-time payment.

>> Secure Your Dream Job With Super Star Resume

Super Star Resume - Best Resume Builder Overall

Star Rating: 4.9/5

Super Star Resume is an innovative resume builder that completely transforms creating professional resumes. By offering a user-friendly interface and a range of powerful features, Super Star Resume enables individuals to produce exceptional resumes that effectively showcase their abilities, accomplishments, and work history.

• Skilled and seasoned writers
• Customized strategy aligned with unique career objectives
• Timely delivery of resumes
• More significant expense compared to certain other resume writing services
• Restricted selection of additional services
• Availability may be restricted depending on demand and geographic location
• Intuitive resume builder: An intuitive interface that simplifies the resume creation process, offering modern templates for a professional look.
• Customization choices: Users can personalize their resumes by selecting from various font styles, colors, layouts, and sections to align with their unique style.
• Comprehensive content suggestions: Access to a collection of expertly curated bullet points, action verbs, and industry-specific phrases to craft impactful resume content.
• Real-time previews and editing: Real-time previewing and editing capabilities ensure a visually appealing and error-free final resume.
• Integration with professional networking platforms: Integration with LinkedIn allows users to maintain consistency between their online presence and resume.
• Tailored resumes for different job applications: The duplication feature facilitates the creation of multiple resume versions, each customized for specific job applications or industries.
• Resume analytics and tracking: Users can monitor the views and downloads of their resumes, gaining valuable insights to optimize their job search strategies.
• Professional Resume : $169
• Resume With Cover Letter : $199
• All-Included : $199

>> Use Super Star Resume to Secure Your Dream Job

ZipJob - Best Resume Builder for Guarantees

Star Rating: 4.7/5

ZipJob is widely regarded as an excellent option for resume creation, especially for those who value guarantees. Their impressive 60-day assurance ensures that individuals searching for employment will experience a surge in interview invitations within this period.

If this desired outcome cannot materialize, ZipJob proactively offers a complimentary review and revision of your resume. This guarantee highlights their commitment to client contentment and showcases their unwavering belief in the superior quality of their resume writing services.

• The starting package is cost-effective
• Complimentary ATS check included
• 60-day interview assurance with higher-tier packages
• The design and layout made it challenging to read the resume
• The summary section was overly lengthy and filled with clichés
• The formatting of the education and training sections was subpar
• Expert resume writers: ZipJob provides access to a team of expert resume writers with the skills and knowledge to review, evaluate, and optimize your resume for compatibility with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and hiring managers.
• ATS optimization: Meaning they ensure your resume is structured and formatted to navigate and succeed in ATS filters effectively. Employers commonly use these filters to assess and rank resumes during the initial screening process.
• Keyword optimization: The resume builder online offered by ZipJob assists you in identifying and integrating pertinent keywords and industry-specific terminology. This practice heightens the visibility of your resume, making it more likely to capture the attention of hiring managers.
• Job-specific content suggestions: ZipJob provides valuable advice regarding the most relevant and influential content to include in your resume for different job titles and industries. This guidance is invaluable in customizing your resume for specific roles.
• Cover letter writing assistance: ZipJob supports the creation of impactful cover letters that complement your resume, strengthening your overall job application.
• Unlimited revisions: One noteworthy feature of ZipJob is the option for unlimited revisions and updates to your resume. This ensures that your resume not only meets but continues to meet your specific requirements and mirrors your professional growth.
• Collaboration with resume writers: the platform facilitates direct collaboration with the resume writers, enabling you to share additional information, discuss specific requirements, and seek clarifications at any stage of the resume creation process.
• Launch Package: $139 (or $48/mo)
• Fast Track Package: $189 (or $65/mo)
• Premium Package: $299 (or $27/mo)

>> Use ZipJob to Secure Your Dream Job

Resumeble - Best Resume Builder With Custom Bundles

Star Rating: 4.3/5

Resumeble is a highly efficient and user-friendly resume builder that empowers individuals to create professional and compelling resumes. With Resumeble, crafting a standout resume becomes a streamlined process thanks to its intuitive interface and extensive range of customizable templates.

Whether you’re a recent graduate, a seasoned professional, or someone looking to change careers, Resumeble caters to all needs and skill sets. It offers helpful suggestions and expert advice to ensure your resume showcases your unique qualifications and achievements in the best possible light.

• A 60-day interview guarantee is included
• Budget-friendly package deals are available
• It’s more established than some other websites
• Keyword optimization: This feature helps optimize your resume by suggesting relevant keywords aligned with your target industry or job, enhancing your visibility to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and recruiters.
• Content import: Resumeble allows you to import your existing resume or LinkedIn profile, saving you the time and effort of manual data entry.
• Real-time editing: You have the convenience of editing and modifying your resume in real time, providing the flexibility to experiment with various formats, sections, and content.
• ATS compatibility: Resumeble ensures your resume is ATS-compatible, essential for better visibility and a higher chance of being shortlisted by employers using Applicant Tracking Systems.
• Download options: The platform offers various download formats, including PDF, Word, and plain text, ensuring compatibility with diverse application processes.
• Cover letter builder: Resumeble features an integrated cover letter builder, streamlining the creation of professional and personalized cover letters that complement your resume.
• Career Pro Package : $159.00
• Professional Package : $299.00
• Premium Package : $399.00

>> Use Resumeble to Secure Your Dream Job

Let’s Eat, Grandma - Best Resume Builder for Range of Career Service

Star Rating: 4/5

Let’s Eat, Grandma is an inventive and progressive tool for creating impressive resumes. The platform streamlines the resume-building process, making it easier for job seekers to craft exceptional resumes. With Let’s Eat, Grandma, individuals can create unique resumes that catch the eye of employers and set them apart from the competition.

This user-friendly platform offers a range of customizable templates that allow users to tailor their resumes to showcase their specific skills and experiences. Let’s Eat, Grandma also provides expert advice and recommendations to help ensure that your qualifications and achievements are effectively highlighted in your resume.

• Complimentary resume evaluation
• Choices available for individuals from entry-level to executive-level positions
• Extensive collaboration opportunities
• Not specialized in academic CVs or federal resumes
• Relatively higher pricing compared to some other services
• Potential for a longer turnaround time compared to competing services
• Expert choice: You can save your resume in multiple formats (PDF, Word, plain text) or easily share it with potential employers via email or a link, simplifying the distribution of your resume.
• Error highlighting: The builder can identify potential errors, inconsistencies, or missing information within your resume and provide suggestions or alerts for improvement.
• Section prompts: Pre-written prompts for various resume sections (e.g., work experience, education, skills) can help you structure your resume effectively and ensure you include essential details in each area.
• Customizable sections: You can add, remove, or rearrange sections to tailor your resume to emphasize your strengths and relevant experiences.
• Keyword optimization: The resume builder can recommend industry-specific keywords based on the job description, enhancing your resume’s chances of passing through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and grabbing the attention of hiring managers.
• Starter Package : Priced at $439, but there is an anti-inflation sale price of $389.
• Accelerated Package : $549.
• The premium Package : $689, but the anti-inflation sale price is $614.
• Executive Concierge Service : $1,899 or as low as $119/month.

>> Use Let’s Eat, Grandma to Secure Your Dream Job

ResumeSpice - Best Resume Builder for Job Seekers of Any Level

Star Rating: 3.8/5

ResumeSpice , a renowned online resume builder, streamlines crafting professional resumes. This platform provides job seekers with a user-friendly interface and a wide selection of templates, enabling them to create impressive resumes that align with their career objectives.

With ResumeSpice’s seamless experience, users are guided through each resume section effortlessly while receiving valuable tips throughout the process. From personal details and work history to skills and accomplishments, this platform ensures that all crucial aspects of a resume are comprehensively addressed.

• Additional assistance
• Timely service
• ATS optimization
• Guaranteed interviews
• Restricted revisions
• Insufficient customization options
• Restricted refund policy
• User-friendly interface: ResumeSpice boasts an intuitive and user-friendly platform, simplifying the resume creation process and offering a seamless experience to users.
• Extensive template library: The platform offers a vast selection of professionally designed templates tailored to various industries and job positions. Users can explore different styles and layouts to find the perfect match for their needs.
• Import and export options: ResumeSpice enables users to import their existing resumes in formats like PDF or Word for easy editing and updates. Users can conveniently export their finalized resumes in multiple formats, facilitating sharing with employers or uploading to job portals.
• Mobile-friendly design: ResumeSpice is optimized for mobile devices, allowing users to create and modify their resumes using smartphones or tablets.
• Cloud storage: The platform provides secure cloud storage for users’ resumes, ensuring accessibility and updates from any device with an internet connection.
• Resume tracking: ResumeSpice includes tools for tracking the performance of submitted resumes, such as monitoring views, downloads, and application outcomes. These features empower users to evaluate their progress and make data-driven enhancements to their job search strategies.
• Entry Level Resume : $479
• Professional Resume : $589
• Executive Resume : $699

>> Use ResumeSpice to Secure Your Dream Job

TopResume - Best Resume Builder for Customer Service

Star Rating: 3.6/5

TopResume is an outstanding resume builder explicitly tailored for customer service professionals. It offers a seamless and user-friendly experience, enabling users to create exceptional resumes effortlessly. The platform goes beyond just providing a basic resume template, offering valuable suggestions and tips to optimize the content.

This ensures that each resume created on TopResume is unique and attention-grabbing in the highly competitive job market.

Besides its user-friendly interface, TopResume provides expert review services. These services allow skilled professionals to provide personalized feedback on resumes, helping enhance their overall quality further. By leveraging this feedback and incorporating attention to detail, customer service professionals can create compelling resumes that effectively capture the attention of potential employers.

• Streamlined registration process
• Well-designed and formatted one-page resume
• The summary and Job Scope sections were overly extended
• The training section needed to have prominence
• Skill-based sections: The resume builder features dedicated sections highlighting essential customer service skills, including communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and relationship building.
• Expert review services: TopResume provides expert review services where experienced professionals offer personalized feedback and recommendations to enhance the overall quality of your resume.
• ATS compatibility: The platform ensures that the resumes created are compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which employers commonly use for scanning and filtering resumes.
• Download and sharing options: Users can download their resumes in various formats, such as PDF or Word, and easily share them with potential employers or upload them to job portals.
• Industry-Specific Tips: TopResume offers industry-specific tips and guidance to assist users in tailoring their resumes to the customer service field, helping them stand out among competitors.
• Cover letter builder: Besides resume building, TopResume provides a builder that empowers users to craft professional and compelling cover letters customized for customer service roles.
• Mobile accessibility: The platform is mobile-friendly, allowing users to create, edit, and update their resumes while on the go, using their smartphones or tablets.
• Entry level : Up to 200$.
• Professional level : Up to 200$-400$.
• Executive level : Up to $350-$700.

>> Use TopResume to Secure Your Dream Job

Resume Writing Services - Best Resume Builder for Affordability

Star Rating: 3.3/5

While Resumewritingservices.org may be a different size than its competitors, it stands out due to its team of talented and experienced resume writers. The website is user-friendly and provides exceptional service. However, this service’s true strength lies in its writers’ expertise.

Resumewritingservices.org sets itself apart by offering a comprehensive consultation process and goes beyond expectations by providing unlimited calls with its resume writers. This personalized approach distinguishes them from other companies and guarantees each client receives individual attention and support.

• Experienced resume writers of the highest caliber
• Unlimited phone consultations and revisions
• More expensive than rival services
• A limited range of products
• Skilled and experienced resume writers: Resumewritingservices.org takes pride in its team of highly trained and professional resume writers who possess a deep understanding of crafting effective resumes.
• Personalized service: Resumewritingservices.org offers a personal touch by providing unlimited calls with their resume writers. This unique feature allows clients to engage in direct communication and close collaboration with the writers throughout the resume creation process.
• Competitive job market expertise: The writers at Resumewritingservices.org have knowledge of current job market trends. This ensures that the resumes they create are optimized to excel in today’s fiercely competitive job market.
• Quality Assurance: The service maintains a rigorous quality assurance process to guarantee that the resumes delivered to clients meet the highest standards and align with their expectations.
• Timely delivery: Resumewritingservices.org is committed to delivering resumes within the agreed-upon timeframe, ensuring clients receive their documents promptly.
• Client satisfaction guarantee: Resumewritingservices.org offers a client satisfaction guarantee, assuring clients are fully content with the final resume. The service is ready to provide revisions if necessary.
• Affordable pricing: Resumewritingservices.org provides pricing options that are competitive and transparent, making professional resume writing accessible to a wide range of job seekers.

Resumewritingservices.org employs a pricing system that is clear and easy to understand for their resume-building services. The initial package begins at $270 , including a comprehensive consultation with a skilled resume writer and developing an individualized resume.

They offer extra options that enable customers to personalize their packages based on their unique preferences. This adaptable pricing strategy guarantees that clients can choose the services that align with their requirements and financial constraints.

>> Use Resume Writing Services to Secure Your Dream Job

Craft Resumes - Best Resume Builder for Quick-Turnaround

Star Rating: 3/5

Craft Resumes stand out as a well-established writing and editing service known for its ability to deliver effective outcomes. Our dedication to providing a 24-hour turnaround guarantees you’ll receive the initial version of your resume promptly.

Navigating our user-friendly website is effortless, making it easy to use our services. At Craft Resumes, we specialize in crafting customized resumes to match your skills, qualifications, and aspirations for your career.

• Speedy completion
• Customized CVs
• Intuitive site
• Insufficient details
• Absence of assurances
• Quick turnaround: Craft Resumes commits to delivering the initial draft of your resume within 24 hours, ensuring a speedy and efficient service.
• Expert Writers: Craft Resumes prides itself on its team of experienced writers who possess expertise across various industries and stay up-to-date with current hiring trends. They’re dedicated to making your resume stand out and catch the attention of potential employers.
• Unlimited revisions: We provide unlimited revisions to guarantee your complete satisfaction. If you have specific changes or additions in mind, our team will collaborate with you closely to implement the modifications.
• Confidentiality and Privacy: At Craft Resumes, we prioritize the confidentiality and privacy of your personal information. You can trust that your data will be handled securely and with the utmost discretion.
• Tailored resumes: We specialize in tailoring resumes to align with your career objectives, industry, and job requirements. Each resume is personalized to accentuate your unique strengths and qualifications.
• Resume Writing : $229.00
• Basic : $279.99
• Optimal : $339.99
• All-In-One : $499.99

>> Use Craft Resumes to Secure Your Dream Job

Resume Companion - Best Value Resume Builder

Star Rating: 2.8/5

Resume Companion is a virtual platform and service that specializes in aiding individuals in creating resumes that are professional and impactful. It offers an array of resources and tools to assist job seekers in crafting interesting resumes that effectively showcase their skills, experiences, and qualifications.

A prominent feature of Resume Companion is its user-friendly resume builder. This tool allows users to select from various professionally designed templates and personalize them based on their specific requirements.

Users can effortlessly incorporate their personal information, employment history, educational background, skill set, and other pertinent details to produce a customized resume tailored to their needs.

• Intuitive user interface
• High-quality templates
• Efficiency-boosting functions
• Cost-effective choice
• Restricted editing features without subscription
• Absence of extensive customization options
• Limited availability of extra services
• Cover letter builder: Resume Companion goes beyond resumes and provides users with a tool for crafting customized cover letters tailored to specific job applications. This feature guides users through the process, helping them effectively present their qualifications and make a compelling case to prospective employers.
• ATS optimization: In today’s job market, many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes. Resume Companion helps users ensure their resumes are ATS-friendly. The platform offers valuable tips and insights on incorporating relevant keywords, formatting the document correctly, and increasing the likelihood of passing through the ATS screening process.
• Educational resources: Resume Companion extends its services by offering an informative blog and educational materials that cover various aspects of resume writing, job search strategies, interview techniques, and career development guidance. These resources provide users with valuable insights and advice to help them create impressive resumes and enhance their job search efforts.
• Download and sharing options: Upon completing their resumes, users can conveniently download their documents in multiple formats, including PDF and Word. Resume Companion also makes it easy for users to share their resumes online or print them offline.
• Customer support: Resume Companion values user satisfaction and offers customer support to assist with users’ questions or concerns while utilizing the platform. Users can access support through email or the platform’s contact form.

Resume Companion provides a cost-effective solution for individuals seeking an all-inclusive service. It’s vital to remember subscription renewal is required to access future editing services. In summary, Resume Companion offers a wallet-friendly option for those who desire a user-friendly resume-building experience without needing advanced writing abilities.

>> Use Resume Companion to Secure Your Dream Job

Our Ranking Methodology for Best Resume Writing Services

To comprehensively and objectively rank the top resume writing services, it is essential to have a thorough methodology. The first step in this process was conducting extensive research and analysis. This involved gathering a comprehensive list of reputable resume-writing services from multiple sources such as online searches, customer reviews, industry directories, and personal recommendations.

• Feature analysis: Evaluate the functionalities provided by each resume builder, considering elements like template variety and quality, customization flexibility, user-friendly editing and formatting options, import/export capabilities, spell check and grammar tools, and integration with job search platforms and professional networks.
• Template collection: Examine the assortment and quality of templates. Look for a wide range that suits various industries, job levels, and design preferences, considering these templates’ aesthetics, readability, and contemporary design.
• Editing and customization: Scrutinize the adaptability and user-friendliness of the editing and customization tools each resume builder provides. Assess the capacity to add or modify sections, reorganize content, and tailor resumes to specific job requirements.
• User interface and experience: Analyze the user interface and the overall user experience each resume builder offers. Evaluate the ease of navigation, instruction clarity, guidance or prompts, and the platform’s responsiveness.
• Integration with job search platforms: Determine whether resume builders offer seamless integration with popular job search platforms and professional networks like LinkedIn or ATS systems. Consider how well the resumes can be transferred and their compatibility with these platforms.
• Additional resources: Evaluate if the resume builders provide extra resources such as sample resumes, tools for creating cover letters, interview tips, or career advice. Consider the breadth and practicality of these supplementary resources.
• Mobile-friendliness: Gauge the mobile-friendliness and responsiveness of the resume builders, recognizing the growing trend of mobile job searching and application processes.
• Customer support: Reflect on the accessibility and quality of customer support services, encompassing options like live chat, email support, or knowledge bases. Assess the responsiveness and helpfulness of the support team.
• Pricing and value for money: Appraise the pricing plans presented by the resume builders in terms of the value they offer based on features, usability, and overall service quality.
• Industry reputation: Consider the standing and trustworthiness of the resume builders, considering factors such as awards, recognition, partnerships, and user feedback from reputable sources.

Buyer’s Guide: Why Use a Resume Builder?

Crafting a well-crafted CV comes naturally to particular job seekers. However, even the most seasoned experts may need help in resume writing. If you find yourself in need of help with creating a compelling resume, here are several ways in which the best online resume builder can be beneficial:

Resume builders provide users with pre-designed templates and helpful tips, streamlining the process of writing a resume and alleviating stress.

Offers Writing Tips

Promoting oneself requires considerable effort. Only some people possess writing skills, even if they enjoy self-promotion. To showcase one’s experience and knowledge effectively, a resume builder can help select the most appropriate words and phrases.

Improves Design

In every field, there are unique standards for an impressive resume. If you need to gain knowledge in design or the tools, resume builders can provide free templates to enhance your resume’s visual appeal and quality.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Recruiters often use ATS systems to scan resumes. A good resume builder will help with formatting to ensure that your resume is easy for these systems to read.

What’s the Best Resume Builder?

The ideal resume builder for each individual may differ according to their specific requirements. If you prefer a tool that offers step-by-step guidance in creating your resume, we suggest using a builder that provides helpful tips and recommendations. If you prefer a resume builder that auto-generates a summary, we recommend using a tool that extracts information from your LinkedIn profile.

For those who enjoy having creative control over their resumes, we suggest using a platform with features. By selecting the resume builder that aligns with your needs and suits your industry and personal style, you’ll significantly increase your chances of capturing the attention of hiring managers.

Resume Builder vs. Resume Writing Service: What Matters for You

When it comes to crafting a resume, there are three options available. You can opt to create it independently, use a resume builder tool, or enlist the services of a professional resume writer. Your best choice will depend on your writing abilities, available time, and financial resources.

Do-It-Yourself

You have the choice to construct a resume entirely by yourself. The benefit of this option is that it costs nothing but requires a significant amount of effort. Along with composing all the information, you must possess graphic design skills.

This approach works well if you have these abilities, but with them, your options for creating a resume are unlimited. To overcome this limitation, you can use a resume builder or enlist the help of a resume writing service.

Resume Builder

A tool for creating resumes allows you to input your details into a template, resulting in an original appearance and layout with no design work. The top resume building tools also offer suggestions on enhancing your resume and tailoring it to match the specific job you are applying for.

While you are still responsible for writing the content, once it is written, you can quickly transfer that information into any other template with just a few simple clicks. Some of these services are free and many like to promote themselves as such, but most require a small payment to download your finished resume.

Professional Resume Writing Service

Professional resume writing services are expensive, but they offer the convenience of handling all the work for you. An experienced writer will gather relevant information about your background and transform it into a unique and engaging resume.

The process typically takes a few days, and the level of originality in the outcome largely relies on your choice of company and writer. However, we will not delve into these services further in this guide.

Are Resume Builders Worth It?

Definitely, without a doubt. An effective resume creator will guarantee that your CV is formatted correctly to navigate Applicant Tracking Systems and ultimately reach the hands of recruiters.

Is It Unprofessional to Use a Microsoft Word Resume Template?

Relying on a template will not set you apart, and there is a high likelihood that your application will be dismissed because your resume is identical to those of other job seekers.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right resume builder is crucial in today’s competitive job market. Creating a professional and impactful resume that stands out from the crowd can significantly impact your job search. With the right tool, you can save time, improve your chances of landing an interview, and ultimately secure your dream job.

When selecting a resume builder, consider your specific needs and priorities. Look for features like customizable templates, industry-specific examples, and the ability to export your resume in different formats. Consider user reviews and ratings to ensure you choose a reputable and reliable platform.

Remember, an exceptional tool for crafting resumes should give you the power to present your skills, experience, and accomplishments effectively. It should simplify and expedite creating a resume without hassle. Investing in a reliable resume builder is investing in your professional future.

Therefore, explore the different options available for resume builders. Test out their free trials or demos and choose the best fit for your objectives. Our top recommendation is Super Star Resume . This meticulously designed resume can open doors to exciting career prospects and be a dependable companion on your journey toward success.

Ahad Waseem is a business, blockchain, and cybersecurity writer who often takes on art, politics, and economics too. As a linguistic engineer who writes to solve problems, he’s written for various tech and business publications. When he’s not writing, he’s probably on horseback, caring for his houseplants, or training Bonsai trees. He can be reached at [email protected] . McClatchy’s newsrooms were not involved in the creation of this content. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links.

©2023 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.