General resume example
Looking for a solid resume example that can be modified for any position? The general resume sample below serves as the starting point for your next resume, no matter how much experience you have or the field you work in.
Essential components of a resume in 2025
If your resume doesn’t contain the right sections, you’ll likely be passed over in favor of other applicants. Here are the essential components to include on your resume in 2024:
Header: The resume header is found at the top or on the side of your resume. Its main purpose is to keep your name and contact information handy so the employer can easily set up an interview with you. The header also adds a touch of attractive formatting to your resume.
Professional Summary: The resume summary consists of 3-4 sentences that convey your top skills, experiences, and accomplishments. The goal of the summary is to catch the hiring manager’s attention and encourage them to keep reading your resume.
Employment History: This is the place to list your previous positions, along with bullet points that explain your duties, accomplishments, and the skills used in each job.
Education: Your education section lists degrees and diplomas in order to give the employer a sense of your background and qualifications for the role.
Skills: The skills section is the place to highlight your unique attributes or areas of expertise. Make sure to focus both on hard skills (technical knowledge) and soft skills (personality traits.)
Choosing the right resume example format
When it comes to choosing the right resume format, it’s important to think about the amount of experience you have to show, the type of job you are applying for, and the hiring manager’s expectations.
Here are three different resume sample formats to choose from:
Chronological resume format:
The chronological — also known as reverse chronological — resume format is the “standard” structure that most hiring managers will expect to see. This format focuses on the employment history section, where you can list previous positions and create bullet points that explain your key qualifications for the role. We recommend this format as the best choice for professionals and anyone with at least three previous jobs to show.
Functional resume format
The functional resume format is best-suited to students and first-time job seekers because it places less emphasis on previous experience. Instead, your resume begins with the skills section, where you can describe your key attributes and how you’ve applied those skills in other experiences.
Combination resume format
The combination, or hybrid, resume format is exactly what it sounds like — a combination of the previous two resume formats, which offers maximum flexibility when assembling your resume. This format is best suited to freelancers and other independent professionals.
Not sure which format to choose? Within our resume builder, you can create and save different versions of your resume so that the right format is always at your fingertips.
Advantages of using our resume samples for job applications
Our resume samples are designed to help today’s job seekers land their next great positions.
Our team of expert career writers take care to craft each resume sample to the field and level of experience needed for the job.
Here are just some of the reasons why our resume examples stand out above the rest:
- Expert advice: Our writing team closely monitors today’s hiring trends to make sure our resume samples are packed full of the best possible tricks and tips for your next job application.
- HR-approved layouts: Our design team works in collaboration with HR professionals to create layouts that stand out to employers and give candidates an edge in crowded applicant pools.
- Quicker and easier: Our resume samples integrate seamlessly into our resume builder, where you can easily modify your experience, change the layout, and download a perfect resume in a few clicks.
- AI sample sentences and feedback: We’ve harnessed the power of AI to create hundreds of sample sentences that can give your resume a boost no matter what industry you work in. We also provide AI-powered resume writing feedback to help you be sure your resume is ready for submission.
- Wide variety of templates: We know that different jobs require different approaches, which is why we’ve created resume templates to match roles from accountant to zookeeper – and everything in between.
- ATS-friendly Resumes: We make sure our resume samples are compatible with today’s resume scanners and ATS software. Read more about it here.
Each one of our 500+ resume examples are accompanied by a guide that provides in-depth information on how to write the best possible resume for your job title.
Our guides are 100 percent free to use, so make sure to take advantage of them and share them with other job seekers!
Resume example FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are employers’ expectations from a resume?
Employers have a few things they look for when evaluating an applicant’s resume. First, they look for a clean and organized structure. As they read the information, they make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors.
They also want to see that the applicant has a good understanding of the role and the company. Resume.io’s resume samples are designed with these criteria in mind. Our professional layouts, combined with expertly written resume samples, can help you create a perfect resume that impresses employers.
Common pitfalls to avoid in resumes
The most common pitfalls to avoid on your resume are poor formatting, spelling and grammar mistakes, a disorganized layout, and a generic resume. Luckily, Resume.io’s resume samples and templates are specifically designed to help you avoid all of these errors.
Once you’ve chosen from our hundreds of unique resume samples, open it inside of our intuitive resume builder, where you can choose a clean layout and use our AI-powered sample sentences and spell check to create a successful resume in minutes.
Do I need a cover letter to match my resume?
We recommend submitting a cover letter with your resume whenever possible in order to increase your chances of landing the position.
That’s why we offer dozens of cover letter samples and templates. To make the best possible first impression, choose a matching resume and cover letter template from our professionally-designed collections — modern, professional, simple, and creative.
Can I customize the resume example for my needs?
Yes, every one of our 300+ resume examples was designed to be modified for your own employment history and qualifications.
Just open it inside of our easy-to-use resume builder tool, where you’ll be able to change the section headings, bullet points, color, line spacing, and more. Read more about customizing your resume here.
What should I do if a specific resume example isn't available for my job?
We’re always adding new jobs and employer-specific resume samples, so there’s a good chance that your job title will be available soon.
You can also shoot us a note to let us know about a job title you’d like to see online. In the meantime, try browsing the categories to see if we currently offer a job title that’s related to yours.
Can you use the same resume example for every application?
While you can start with the same resume example as the base for every application, we highly recommend that you customize it for the job description of the role you are applying to.
This is the best way to ensure you stand out from other applicants and increase your chances of landing the position.
Visual expectations for a resume in 2024
When it comes to what hiring managers expect from the visuals of your resume in 2024, sometimes less is more. Recruiters are most concerned with being able to find the information they are looking for, so we recommend going for a clean, organized template that highlights your most impressive accomplishments.
That being said, if you work in a creative field, you may opt for a flashier resume template to showcase your personality and style.
What are the categories of resume examples?
Our resume examples are divided into broad categories, including education, government, engineering, retail, legal, maintenance and repair, administrative, human resources, real estate, sales, production, accounting & finance, business & management, security & protective services, hospitality & catering, transport & logistics, transportation, medical, information technology, sport & fitness, social work, construction, beauty & wellness, and other.
You can also browse our template styles, which are professional, modern, creative, and simple. Or formats such as Microsoft Word, PDF and more.
Are the resume examples free?
Resume.io’s resume examples and the corresponding resume guides are 100% free to view. Our resume builder comes with a free version along with tiered pricing plans. You can find out more about using Resume.io for free here.
