How to make a resume in 2026: the no-fluff checklist

The fundamentals of a good resume have not changed much, but a few things about how it gets read have: more roles route through an ATS before a human sees them, and recruiters skim faster than ever. Here is a start-to-finish checklist that accounts for both.

Section order

• Contact info (name, email, phone, location, LinkedIn) — no header/footer placement.
• Summary: 2-3 sentences, specific to the role, not a generic self-description.
• Experience: reverse-chronological, achievement-focused bullets with numbers.
• Skills: exact terms from job descriptions you are targeting, not vague categories.
• Education: brief unless you are a recent graduate, then move it up.

Before you write a single bullet

Have the job description open. Every section you write should be checked against it: does your summary use language from the posting? Does your skills section include the tools it names? This is the single highest-leverage habit in modern resume writing, and it is also what an AI resume writer automates.

Format checklist

Single-column layout, standard section headings, consistent date format, no tables or text boxes, real text (not images) for every skill or icon. Export as PDF once you are done and check it against your original job description with an ATS checker before applying.

Frequently asked questions