Having a winning resume is one of the most – in some cases, the most – essential tools to help you land a job. It captures the attention of hiring managers, and it's often the first impression that gives prospective employers insights into whether you're a good fit for their organizations.

Of course, some information is essential to your CV, like listing your skills, achievements, and suitability for the desired position. However, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of elements such as layout, formatting, choice of language, and even the font type you choose.

In this article, we're leveraging our expertise to share tips to create the ultimate winning resume. Here, you’ll see invaluable best practices to help you stand out from the crowd. Ready?

Top ten resume writing tips

A winning resume secures interviews. However, many CVs fail to give a nice first impression to hiring managers and recruiters. To do that, the text within your resume needs to make some crucial factors stand out, like skills, education, experience, and job-specific qualifications. Also, your resume's formatting and layout must make locating and processing this information easier. 

And how do you do that? Let’s get to ten tips to help you create a CV that communicates your suitability effectively, matches job requirements, and highlights your achievements and skills.

1. Choose the ideal resume format

Before typing or copying and pasting tons of information into a text editor, you must pick a resume format according to your history, skills, and goals. Three popular type: entry-hyperlink id: 3xmRyu7yBxWwQVucL9drO7 are chronological, functional, and combination, each one with its own pros and cons. Here they are:

• Chronological: The most common format, listing jobs in reverse order. It’s best for those with a steady career path and relevant experience. It highlights progression, stability, and expertise but may not suit those with employment gaps or unrelated experience.

• Functional: Emphasizes skills and achievements rather than work history. Ideal for career changers, those with limited experience, or job seekers re-entering the market. It focuses on type: entry-hyperlink id: 7mj2yOofnHp8jmPbjMysbE but may raise concerns for employers who prefer a clear job timeline.

• Combination: Blends chronological and functional elements. It showcases skills while providing an overview of your job history. While it’s great for many job seekers, this format requires careful organization to balance skills and experience effectively.

2. Write a clear and concise summary

Your type: entry-hyperlink id: 1mN8F6P3yM4g0gjy76CuPF is your first chance to make an impression, so it needs to be strong and to the point. A well-crafted opening statement grabs attention, encourages managers to keep reading, and quickly communicates your value. It should highlight your background, key skills, and what differentiates you from other candidates. Here are some tips for writing your summary:

• Be concise: Keep it within three to five sentences, using clear and impactful language. Avoid fluff and focus on what truly matters.

• Tailor it to the job: Align your summary with the role by emphasizing relevant skills, experience, and achievements. Show how your expertise fits the company’s needs.

• Highlight your strengths: Whether it's industry experience, leadership skills, or a unique specialization, showcase your strong points in a way that grabs attention.

3. Make your contact information clear

A winning resume will have your contact information front and center, right at the top, including your key details. Must-haves are your name, cell phone number, email address, and city and state. If you have a professional website, you could include it—just as your LinkedIn URL. Here's a template to follow:

Name | Phone number | Email address | City, State | Professional URL

And here’s how it would look in real life:

Brian Johnson | (416) 444-5566 | brjohnson78@me.com | Toronto, ON | www.linkedin.com/in/thebrian-johnson

4. Tailor your resume to job descriptions

Being generic won’t cut through the noise. To stand out, your resume must align with the position you’re applying for. Customizing your resume for each job takes extra effort, but it will make you a stronger candidate by showing employers you understand their needs.

Here’s how to type: entry-hyperlink id: 1h3yXWFNf3YfoegprtfoM7 effectively:

• Understand the job requirements: Carefully read the job description, identifying the key skills, qualifications, and experience employers seek. Look for keywords and industry-specific terms, as applicant tracking systems (ATS) often scan for these.

• Customize your content: Adjust your resume to highlight the most relevant parts of your experience. Reorder sections, refine bullet points and emphasize key accomplishments that align with the role. If certain skills are mentioned in the job post, ensure they’re visible in your resume.

• Match your wording to the posting: Using language similar to the job description helps your resume pass ATS filters and resonate with recruiters.

5. Highlight key achievements and skills

Your resume isn’t just about listing job duties—it’s about demonstrating impact. Employers want to see how you've contributed in past roles and what skills you bring to the table. Highlighting your achievements and abilities makes it easier for hiring managers to see your potential value.

The main tips for highlighting skills and achievements are:

• List relevant accomplishments: Include specific achievements demonstrating your contributions and impact in past roles. Add quantifiable data (more on that later) and name former colleagues who could be contacted for confirmation.

• Emphasize transferable skills: Highlight strengths that apply to various roles, such as communication, leadership, and problem-solving. Show how these skills have contributed to your success.

6. Use standard formatting and be consistent

Following regular standards to format your resume will make it more digestible for hiring managers and recruiters while increasing its type: entry-hyperlink id: 57uHHoNXOgZaBSPTHFMiJ9. So, forget quirky font types and unusual line spacing. This is what you should go for:

• Font type: Resume fonts should be easy to read. Choose from Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, Cambria, and Georgia. 

• Font size: For better readability, keep the font size between 10 and 12 points for your main body text. For titles and section headings, use between 14 and 16 points. 

• Page margins: The margins should be between a half-inch and one inch, with the same margin on each side and the same margin on the top and bottom.

• Line spacing: To provide good breathing space, insert double lines after section headings and between text below section headings at 1.15 to 1.5 points. 

Additionally, good-looking resumes use consistent formatting throughout. Be sure to use:

• The same size and type of font for section headings and for text that falls under each section heading

• The same type of bullet point throughout your resume

• The same date format in your work experience and education sections

7. Use power verbs and action-oriented language

In your resume, every word should add value. Power verbs, for example, make your CV more dynamic and engaging. Words like “led,” “developed,” and “executed” bring your experience to life and help managers understand your impact. Replacing “responsible for managing projects” with “spearheaded cross-functional projects,” you’ll add energy and make your accomplishments more compelling and memorable.

Similarly, action-oriented language keeps your CV direct and impactful. Be specific, focus on results, and replace generic terms with statements highlighting your real-life contributions. For example, avoid passive phrases like “Assisted with marketing campaigns:” instead, opt for “Executed targeted marketing campaigns that boosted engagement by 30%.” 

8. Add quantifiable data

Using data makes your resume stand out by turning generic statements into measurable successes. Instead of saying you “improved sales,” specify that you “increased sales by 25% in six months.” Whether it’s cost savings, project completions, or customer growth, quantifying results adds credibility and makes your contributions feel more concrete and impressive.

Numbers also make your achievements more compelling and easier to read. When you include quantifiable data, it highlights the impact of your work and draws attention. Our brains naturally process numbers faster than words, so adding figures—like percentages, revenue growth, or efficiency improvements—helps hiring managers quickly grasp the value you bring to a role.

Here are some type: entry-hyperlink id: 7uvySAFKCvbyrFQsmgMKR1 to showcase quantifiable data in your resume:

• Increased sales by 31% in one quarter by re-engaging former customers through a social media outreach program.

• Managed a $200M affordable housing project in Greater Toronto, overseeing 50+ employees and contractors.

• Reduced customer support response time by 40% by implementing an AI-driven chatbot system.

• Led investment analysis that optimized portfolio allocation, increasing client returns by an average of 12%.

9. Proofread and format professionally

The last thing you’d expect to see in a successful resume is grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, right? In fact, those are the most common issues employers and recruiters find in the CVs they receive. So, be sure to review and edit your resume to perfection before submitting it.

Many online tools help you with that task, such as Grammarly and LanguageTool. Also, the best text editors, like Word and Google Docs, provide you with proofreading features. In the last case, you can always share your resume with someone you trust for a fresh check.

10. Keep the final document to one to two pages

Hiring managers don’t have time to sift through lengthy resumes, so keeping yours to one or two pages is essential. If it’s longer than that, focus on streamlining your content. Highlight only your most relevant experience, skills, and achievements, and remove anything that doesn’t directly strengthen your application.

Remember, your resume isn’t a detailed career biography—it’s a snapshot of what makes you the right fit for the job. A concise, well-structured resume increases the chances that hiring managers will read it and move you to the next stage.

Best resume tips: Final thoughts

Now that you have these tips to create the ultimate winning resume, it’s time to put them into action! Choose the best format, use clean formatting, and craft compelling content highlighting your strengths. Every detail counts, so take the time to make your resume stand out.

Before hitting submit, have a fresh set of eyes review it for any errors that could hurt your chances. Does your resume follow these best practices? Are you confident it’s ready? If not, consider a free resume review for personalized feedback to help you improve!