How To Write a Comprehensive Resume (Template Included!)

Creating a comprehensive resume is a crucial step in one’s job-hunting process. After all, this serves as your first opportunity to make a strong impression on potential employers by showcasing your skills, experience and qualifications. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to make a resume that’s comprehensive and would increase your chances of getting hired. We’ll also provide templates and examples to give you a clear idea of how to put together a resume and tailor it to specific job opportunities.

Whether you’re building a resume from scratch or refining an existing one, we’re here to help you make a lasting impact on recruiters and employers.

What Makes a Comprehensive Resume?

A comprehensive resume provides a complete picture of your professional background, emphasizing both your skills and accomplishments. It goes beyond listing job duties, focusing instead on quantifiable achievements and how you can add value to a potential employer. 

Key elements of a comprehensive resume include a clear structure, tailored content and sections that highlight your experience, skills, education and even certifications.

Now that we’ve covered what makes a resume comprehensive, let’s dive into the steps for how to make a resume that recruiters and employers will actually want to read. 

9 Steps for How To Make a Resume That Stands Out

Below are the following steps you can take to write a comprehensive resume. 

1. Choose the Right Resume Format

There are three commonly used resume formats that serve different career situations: 

• Chronological resume: Lists work history in reverse order (starting with your current or latest job); ideal for showing career progression
• Functional resume: Emphasizes skills over work history; perfect for those switching career paths or have significant employment gaps
• Combination resume: Highlights both skills and experience; suited for those with more extensive professional experience

Select the format that best highlights your strengths and matches your career goals. Consider your industry requirements and the position you seek when making this choice.

See also: CV vs. Resume: Key Differences Explained

2. Put Your Key Contact Information

The start of your resume should have these three important contact information: full name, phone number, professional email address and location. 

Keep in mind that your name should be highly visible at the very top of your resume. This means formatting it in a larger or thicker font than the rest of the document.

You can also add a link to your online portfolio or LinkedIn profile if these are relevant to your field.

3. Craft Your Professional Summary or Objective

Your professional summary or objective serves as the gateway to your resume and demands careful crafting to capture the recruiter or employer’s attention within seconds.

The choice between a resume summary and objective depends on your career stage. A summary works best for experienced professionals, focusing on proven achievements and expertise. Alternatively, recent graduates benefit from an objective statement that outlines career goals and potential value to employers.

Either way, the content here should match what the job needs. So, read the job description carefully and use similar key terms and priorities. Stay authentic while showing how your experience and/or objective fits the role’s requirements.

4. Detail Your Work Experience

The work experience section forms the backbone of your resume, essentially showcasing your professional journey and accomplishments. 

Write your work history in reverse chronological order, starting with your current position. For each item, indicate the company name, job title and employment dates. Then, briefly mention the key duties and responsibilities you performed in that role. 

Lastly, list around two to four accomplishments. Numbers provide concrete evidence of your impact, so put specific contributions and measurable results that demonstrate your value. 

If you have gaps in employment, you can use this section to highlight transferable skills from freelance work, side hustles or relevant projects.

5. Create a Skills Section

Your skills section should showcase the abilities that make you a strong candidate for the job. Include a balanced mix of:

• Technical or hard skills: Industry-specific abilities such as proficiency in POS systems, menu planning or inventory management
• Soft skills: Transferable skills like communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

Tailor this section by aligning your skills with those mentioned in the job description. Also, make sure those skills can be substantiated through your work history.

6. Add Education and Certifications

Educational credentials form a crucial component of your resume, primarily serving to validate your qualifications and expertise. A well-structured education section strengthens your candidacy and demonstrates your commitment to professional growth.

This section should include:

• Degrees and diplomas: List your highest level of education first, followed by other degrees. Include the school name, location, degree type and (optional) graduation year.
• Certifications: Include relevant certifications, professional development courses or workshops, such as Google Analytics Certification and bartending licenses.

Even if your degree isn’t directly related to the job, showcasing a commitment to learning can make you a more attractive candidate.

7. Consider Including Optional Sections

If you speak any other language, you can include a brief section that highlights that along with your level of fluency.

Volunteer work can also be valuable on your resume, especially if it showcases leadership, teamwork or industry-related skills. Alternatively, if you’re a student without any previous work experience, you can cite extracurricular activities that demonstrate leadership, teamwork or industry-related experience. Examples might be:

• Volunteering at food festivals or charity events
• Organizing community fundraisers or networking events
• Leadership roles in professional or student organizations

These experiences can be particularly useful if you’re new to the workforce or making a career shift. They show initiative and a passion for your field.

8. Polish Your Final Draft

Once you’ve written your resume, the final step is to proofread and edit it to ensure it’s polished, professional and free of errors. After all, even a small mistake can create a negative impression on hiring managers. 

Carefully check your resume for any typos, grammatical mistakes or awkward phrasing. You can use spell-check tools like Grammarly or the built-in spell-checkers on Google Docs and MS Word that can help catch basic mistake. 

Also, ensure that your resume is consistent in style and formatting for optimal readability. Double-check the following elements:

• Font and size: Use a clean, readable font (e.g., Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman) in a size between 10-12 pt.
• Bullet points and spacing: Make sure your bullet points are formatted uniformly and that spacing is consistent throughout the document.
• Tense usage: Use past tense for previous jobs (e.g., “Managed a team of five”) and present tense for current roles (e.g., “Manages a team of five”).
• Alignment: Headings, job titles and dates should be aligned properly for a polished look.

9. Save and Submit in the Right Format

Once you’re happy with the final version, save your resume either as a PDF or Word document. PDF is typically the preferred file type as it preserves formatting across different devices. However, some applicant tracking systems (ATS) prefer Word files, so check the job posting if there are any specific format requests.

Of course, make sure you properly name your resume file to make it easily identifiable, using this file title format: “FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf” or “FirstName_LastName_Resume.docx.” This naming convention helps recruiters locate your application quickly.

Comprehensive Resume Template

Below is a comprehensive resume template you can use as a guide to format your own. You can download it as a customizable, easy-to-use version, so just fill in your details and tailor it to match the job you’re applying for.

Final Tips for Writing a Comprehensive Resume

Follow these tips to ensure your resume is polished, professional and tailored to the job you want.

• Customize your resume for specific job applications: Keep several versions of your resume ready for various opportunities. Corporate professionals likely need different skills for management and technical roles, whereas a Bartender looking to move up can showcase both mixology skills and team leadership. This tailored approach increases your chances of catching the employer’s attention and demonstrating your suitability for the role.
• Get professional feedback: It’s best to seek input from industry professionals or career counselors who understand current hiring trends. Their expertise can help align your resume with employer expectations. You can also consider joining professional associations where members share resume tips. For instance, a Chef might get valuable feedback from culinary organizations to improve their resume’s appeal to high-end restaurants.
• Choose powerful action verbs: Statements about your achievements should start with strong action verbs that show initiative and results. Dynamic alternatives work better than passive phrases.
• Optimize for ATS: Most companies use applicant tracking systems to screen resumes. These systems scan documents for specific keywords and formatting elements. So, create a clean, simple layout without tables, graphics or unusual fonts that might confuse ATS software.
• Use industry keywords: See which skills, qualifications and job titles appear frequently in job postings for your target role. Then, incorporate these keywords naturally throughout your resume. Place them strategically in your professional summary, skills section and work experience. 
• Watch out for common mistakes: These include inconsistent formatting, missing contact information, vague achievement descriptions, outdated information and spelling and grammatical errors. Ask colleagues or mentors to proofread your document; fresh eyes help catch mistakes you might miss.
• Avoid irrelevant personal details: Ultimately, ensure every element of your resume serves a purpose. Remove unnecessary information that doesn’t support your qualifications for the target role. For example, a Line Cook resume should focus on culinary skills and kitchen experience rather than unrelated hobbies or interests.

Conclusion

Knowing how to make a resume all comes down to close attention to detail and strategic presentation of your professional journey. Your resume serves as your first impression on potential employers, so making an impact is your top priority. 

Your well-crafted resume should emphasize your achievements, skills and experience while following professional formatting standards. Additionally, it should effectively tell your unique career story, whether you’re a corporate professional seeking advancement or a Chef looking to lead a new kitchen.

You should tailor your document to specific roles and check it carefully before submission. It also helps to keep your resume current with recent achievements and certifications that show your dedication to professional growth. Present your authentic professional self through measurable achievements and relevant experience.