How to Make a Resume in 3 Steps
1. Choose a template. Start with a clean layout. If you're applying online, a single-column template like Professional is the safest choice for applicant tracking systems.
2. Add your details. Fill in your contact information, summary, experience, education, and skills. Already have a resume? Upload the PDF or Word file and CVMark fills the sections in for you.
3. Polish and download. Use the AI coach to turn duties into results, check the live preview, then download your resume.
That's the whole process. Most people create a resume in 15–30 minutes the first time, and much faster when updating it later.
What to Put on a Resume
Every resume needs five core sections:
- Header: name, phone, email, city and state, and LinkedIn
- Summary: two to four sentences on who you are and what you offer
- Experience: jobs in reverse-chronological order, with three to five bullet points each
- Education: degree, school, and graduation date
- Skills: the tools and abilities the job asks for
Add certifications, projects, volunteer work, or languages when they support the job. For a section-by-section walkthrough, read what should a resume look like.
Resume Maker vs. Resume Builder vs. Word Processor
"Resume maker," "resume creator," and "resume builder" mean the same thing: a tool that handles layout so you can focus on content.
You can also create a resume in Word or Google Docs. That works, but you'll handle alignment, spacing, and page breaks yourself, and a stray table or text box can confuse hiring software. A resume maker keeps the formatting consistent and ATS-friendly, and CVMark adds AI writing help on top. See how to make a resume in Word if you'd rather do it by hand.
Tips to Create a Resume That Gets Interviews
- Tailor it to each job by matching the posting's keywords.
- Use numbers: "Served 120 customers per shift" beats "served customers."
- Start bullets with strong verbs like led, built, reduced, or launched.
- Keep it to one page if you have under 10 years of experience.
- Proofread the final version out loud.
More in our resume tips guide.
