As you write your resume, you’re probably spending a lot of time thinking about what information you should include to describe your qualifications and earn an interview. However, how you organize and format that information is just as important as the data itself. A well-written resume is clear, professional, and easy to read, but poor formatting can obscure your accomplishments so much that a recruiter simply moves on to the next candidate.
Thinking about organizing your resume can feel overwhelming at first. Fortunately, one of the easiest ways to get started is to study a high-quality sample document, such as the one included here. You can learn everything you need to know about a good standard resume format and get all the tools you need to write a strong and effective document.
Standard Resume Format
Amy Peters
Fort Collins, CO 11111
E: amy.e.peters@anymail P: 555-132-0949
Fort Collins, CO 11111
E: amy.e.peters@anymail P: 555-132-0949
Professional Summary
Skilled senior operations manager with years of experience in the intelligence and data analysis community. Strong critical thinker with experience developing and teaching effective, accurate analytical methods. Excellent leader who can ensure high-quality team performance without compromising budget requirements or employee morale.
Skills and Qualifications
● Excellent critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills
● Proficient with MATLAB, Excel, SAP, and proprietary analysis programs
● In-depth knowledge of mathematics and radar theory
● Strong communication skills, including technical writing
● Expert team leader and motivator
● Organized and precise
Work Experience
Technical Operations Manager – Accurate Analysis
2015-Present
● Oversee all intelligence analysis personnel and projects, distributing work according to team members’ strengths to improve efficiency, reduce redundant work, and ensure quality reporting
● Communicate with private sector and government clients to develop project objectives, accept change requests, and deliver analysis results
● Review annual department budget to find areas of waste, allocate equipment resources, and improve overall cost-effectiveness by an average of 10% each year
● Perform annual reviews for team leaders to improve performance and morale
● Manage industry-leading mentoring system to improve junior analysts’ performance
Data Analysis Team Lead – MountainTech
2012-2015
● Received all incoming intelligence requests and prioritized them according to internal mission values and time sensitivity
● Completed in-depth analysis on complex data sets and reported findings to managers and customers
● Created new display technique for data, improving accuracy of measurements and analysis results by 35%
● Assisted other analysts with projects as required, suggesting new techniques and verifying calculations and conclusions
● Received Team Leader of the Year Award in 2014
Data Analyst – MountainTech
2010-2012
● Collected, organized, and analyzed classified and open-source data to answer information requests
● Completed detailed analytical reports to meet project objectives
● Collaborated with other data analysts to gather information and develop multi-source intelligence reports
● Communicated directly with customers to verify intelligence request details, answer questions, and provide updated information as necessary
● Developed comprehensive analysis manual detailing common results, analytical procedures, and reporting standards, reducing training time for new analysts by 3 months
Education and Certifications
Radar Analysis Professional Certificate – 2014
Denver University School of Professional Development, Colorado
Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics – 2010
University of Colorado, Boulder
Is This a Good Standard Resume Format? Let’s Check
1. Is the resume easy to skim?
Yes. It’s common knowledge that most hiring managers only spend a few seconds glancing over a candidate’s resume, so it’s imperative to format your document for immediate impact. The sample resume isn’t longer than a page, so the reader has access to all the information at once. However, the candidate also avoids overwhelming the reader with excessive details that fill every inch of the page.
2. Does this document organize the information in a beneficial way?
Definitely! Readers will most likely spend more time looking at areas toward the top of the page from force of habit. This standard resume format places the candidate’s most impressive and relevant qualifications within the top third of the page to draw the reader’s attention to them. The very first section, the professional summary, offers a concise, clear overview of the candidate’s skills, experience, and career accomplishments.
3. Does the format make the candidate memorable?
This sample resume helps the reader remember the candidate for all the right reasons. The candidate’s name and contact information are easy to find, and the first sentence of the professional summary includes the official job title. There aren’t any distractions in the document, such as unprofessional fonts or large walls of text.
4. Does this resume make it easy for the reader to see examples of the candidate’s skills and qualifications?
Of course! A strong professional summary and impressive skills list aren’t worth very much if there isn’t any data to prove those claims. Fortunately, our jobseeker has created a solid work experience section that dominates the majority of the page. Though this section contains a lot of essential information, including several quantifiable examples of the candidate’s contributions to previous employers, it is still easy to read thanks to the clear headers and bullet-point format.
5. Does the format showcase both industry knowledge and practical skills?
Affirmative! This candidate is applying for an upper-level position that will likely draw a large pool of highly qualified jobseekers. In order to set herself apart from the competition, our jobseeker has made sure her resume includes both on-the-job success and formal education. Her clearly defined education section lists her college degree and an impressive professional development certificate. Additionally, the skills section includes a carefully curated set of essential personality traits and technical abilities.
The Most Important Standard Resume Format Takeaways
No matter what type of job you’re applying for, a well-crafted resume can go a long way toward earning you an interview. As you sit down to write your document, make sure to focus on both the format and the content. A clear and easy-to-read resume helps you form a great first impression on a hiring manager and makes it easy for him or her to compare your qualifications with the job’s requirements.
As shown in the standard resume format example above, it’s best to keep your document to a single page and use simple headers for each section. Keep the most important and relevant information in the top of your document, and use the professional summary to provide an overview of the experience and skills you describe in detail later on. A strong format ensures your resume is ready to impress.
