How to use these examples
Don't copy the words. Copy the structure: the way bullets start with a verb, the way numbers are placed, the way each line says what happened and the impact. Then put your own work in that shape.
Ten examples by role
Software engineer (mid-level)
Recommended template: Helix
Single-column, technical-leaning. Lists projects with specific impact metrics: 'Cut p95 latency from 380ms to 110ms by replacing N+1 query pattern with a join.'
Senior software engineer
Recommended template: Atelier
Two-column. Right column for skills/tools, left for experience. Leads with scale: 'Led 6-person platform team owning the auth and billing services for 18M MAU.'
Product designer
Recommended template: Studio
Editorial layout with breathing room. Light use of accent color. Includes a Selected Work section with project names and the result, not the process.
Product manager
Recommended template: Monolith
Strong typography, conservative. Bullets are outcome-led: 'Drove activation rate from 41% → 58% by redesigning the onboarding sequence (XP test, n=240k).'
Marketing / growth
Recommended template: Aurora
Warm accent, modern. Quantified everything: 'Grew organic traffic 3.2× in 18 months. Increased conversion 18% via landing page A/B test.'
Recent graduate (no work experience)
Recommended template: Quill
Education first. Includes coursework, GPA (if 3.5+), and projects with GitHub links. Internships and TA roles count — list them.
Career changer (e.g. teacher → engineer)
Recommended template: Compass
Conservative, single-column. Strong Summary at top to bridge old and new careers. Old experience reframed in transferable terms.
Executive / VP / C-level
Recommended template: Vellum
Single-column, dignified. Two-page format. Leads with scope (P&L size, team size, geography) before tactics.
Designer with a portfolio
Recommended template: Origami
Bolder layout, accent-driven. Portfolio URL prominent. Selected Work shows live links, not screenshots.
Academic / researcher
Recommended template: Ledger
Single-column, conservative. Publications listed with full citations. Conference talks separate. Two-page is standard here.
The structure every good resume shares
- Header: name, location (city/state, not full address), email, phone, one URL (LinkedIn, portfolio, or GitHub — pick the one that's strongest for your field).
- Optional summary: 2–3 lines, only if you're a career changer or your most recent role doesn't obviously line up with what you're applying for.
- Experience: reverse chronological. Each role: company, title, dates, 3–5 bullets. Bullets start with a verb, include a number where possible, and describe impact, not duties.
- Education: degree, school, year. Add GPA if recent grad and ≥3.5. Coursework only if relevant and you're entry-level.
- Skills / Tools: short list. Skip "Microsoft Word." List things specific enough that someone in your field would recognize you're competent at them.
- Selected work / Projects: optional. Strong if you have side projects, open source contributions, or portfolio pieces.
Bullet writing: the formula that works
Good bullets follow this shape:
[Action verb] + [what you did] + [how / using what] + [measurable result].
Bad bullet:
Responsible for the company's marketing campaigns and worked on social media strategy.
Good bullet:
Launched 4-channel campaign for product relaunch (paid + organic social + email + influencer); drove 38k signups in 6 weeks at $2.10 CAC, 3.4× the prior benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
Can I copy the wording from these examples?
You can use them as scaffolding — see the verb choices, the structure, the metric framing — but never copy verbatim. Recruiters read thousands of resumes and they recognize boilerplate instantly. Use these as templates for thinking about your own work, not as scripts.
How long should my resume be?
One page if you have less than 8 years of experience. Two pages if you have 8+ years and a lot of distinct, relevant work. Three pages essentially never (with rare exceptions for academic CVs and some senior research roles). Recruiters spend 6–10 seconds on the first scan — make every line count.
Should I include a photo?
If you're applying in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia: no. Photos can introduce bias and many companies' ATS systems explicitly reject them. If you're applying in much of continental Europe (Germany, France, Spain, Italy), photos are standard and expected. Match the local convention of where you're applying.
Should I have an Objective or Summary section?
Skip the objective ('Looking for a challenging role where I can…' — every resume says this). A 2-3 line Summary at the top can be useful if you're a career changer or your most recent role doesn't obviously connect to what you're applying for. Otherwise, let your experience speak.
Related
- How to write a resume — the deep dive on structure and language.
- Browse all 16 templates.
- ATS resume builder — make sure your resume passes the bots.