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RÉSUMÉ TOOL: READY // FREE + PLAIN LANGUAGE + PRINTABLE

EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES / GUIDE 02

Build your résumé.
One step at a time.

A résumé is a short list of your work, skills, and education. It helps an employer see what you can do. It does not need to be fancy. It needs to be clear.

START THE GUIDE ↓ OPEN THE WORKSHEET ↓
01

BEFORE YOU WRITE

Gather your whole history first.

Do not start with résumé wording. First, make one list of the facts you may need. You can choose what belongs on the résumé later.

Gather 1

Every past job

Write the job title, company, city and state, start date, end date, and main tasks for each job.

Gather 2

School + training

Write the school or program, city and state, what you studied, and your start and end dates.

Gather 3

Other experience

Add volunteer work, internships, school projects, licenses, certificates, and real skills you have used.

Then

Pick a job

Choose one kind of job you want. Find a job post. You will use it after your history sheet is ready.

Dates are important.

Month and year are best when you know them. Check old résumés, tax forms, pay records, school records, or emails. If you are not sure, mark the date so you can check it later. Do not guess and forget to fix it.

02

MASTER HISTORY SHEET

Write down the facts.

Use short notes. Do not worry about perfect wording. This is your full record, not your finished résumé.

My work + education history

Privacy note: The page does not save this history. Copy or print it before you leave.

Keep private facts private.

Do not add your Social Security number, birth date, full street address, photo, disability, or health facts.

03

BUILD THE RÉSUMÉ

Choose from your history.

Now use your master history sheet. Put the most useful facts near the top. Leave out facts that do not help with this job.

Part 1

Name + contact

Use your name, phone number, email, and city and state. Check that your phone and email work.

Example

Jordan Lee
Allentown, PA
610-555-0100 · jordan@email.com

Part 2

Short summary

Use two or three lines. Name the job you want. Add two or three skills that fit it.

Example

Reliable warehouse worker with experience picking orders, packing boxes, and using hand scanners. Works safely and follows directions.

Part 3

Work history

List your newest job first. Add your job title, company, city and state, dates, and a few lines about what you did.

Part 4

Skills

List skills you can truly use. Think about tools, machines, computer programs, languages, and work tasks.

Part 5

Education + training

List your diploma, GED, degree, license, certificate, or job training. Add the school or program. Add the date you finished, or the dates you attended.

04

DESCRIBE YOUR WORK

Show what you did.

Each line should start with a strong action word. Add the task. Then add a useful detail when you can.

ActionWhat did you do?
TaskWhat did you work on?
DetailHow, how often, or what happened?
Too weak

“Helped customers.”

This is true, but it does not say how you helped.

Clearer

“Helped customers find items and answered questions.”

This gives the employer a clearer picture.

Retail

  • Ran a cash register and handled cash and card payments.
  • Stocked shelves and kept aisles neat and safe.
  • Helped customers find items and solve problems.

Warehouse

  • Picked and packed orders with a hand scanner.
  • Moved boxes up to 40 pounds during each shift.
  • Checked labels before orders were shipped.

Food service

  • Prepared food and followed safety rules.
  • Took orders and gave correct change.
  • Cleaned work areas before closing.

Cleaning

  • Cleaned rooms, bathrooms, and shared spaces.
  • Used cleaning products in a safe way.
  • Finished daily tasks on time.

Care work

  • Helped people with meals and daily tasks.
  • Kept clear notes and shared changes with staff.
  • Protected each person’s privacy.

No paid job yet

  • Sorted donated food during weekly volunteer shifts.
  • Completed a group project by the due date.
  • Learned safe tool use in a training program.
Tell the truth.

Use numbers only when you know they are right. Never add a skill, job, or duty you did not have.

05

KEEP IT EASY TO READ

Simple is strong.

A busy design can hide your skills. A plain résumé is easier for people and hiring systems to read.

Do
  • Use one column.
  • Use a common font, such as Arial or Calibri.
  • Use clear section names.
  • Keep the text black on a white page.
  • Use the same date style each time.
  • Save a Word copy and a PDF copy.
Skip
  • Photos and headshots.
  • Charts that rate your skills.
  • Text boxes, sidebars, and many columns.
  • Tiny print or long blocks of text.
  • Bright colors and hard-to-read fonts.
  • Headers called “My Story” or “About Me.”
One page or two?

One page often works for a new worker or a short work history. Two pages are fine when you have more useful experience. Do not cut out strong facts just to force one page.

06

MATCH THE JOB

Use the job post as a clue.

You do not need a new résumé for every job. Small changes can show why you fit this job.

Step 1

Circle key words

Look for tasks, tools, and skills that appear more than once in the job post.

Step 2

Find your match

Which of those tasks have you done? Which tools can you use? Make a list.

Step 3

Use the same clear words

If the post says “inventory” and you did inventory, use that word. Do not copy full lines.

Step 4

Move strong facts up

Put your best matching skills in your summary, skills list, and work history.

Job post asks for

“Stock shelves, count inventory, and help customers.”

Your résumé could say

“Stocked shelves, counted weekly inventory, and helped customers find products.”

07

FINAL CHECK

Check it before you send it.

Read the résumé one last time. It also helps to ask another person to read it.

My phone number and email are correct.
My email name looks right for work.
My newest job is listed first.
My dates use the same style.
My work lines start with action words.
My best matching skills are easy to find.
I removed private health and ID facts.
I checked spelling and spacing.
The file has a clear name.
I saved a Word copy and a PDF copy.
Good file name

Jordan-Lee-Resume.pdf

Hard-to-find file name

resume-new-final-2-reallyfinal.pdf

08

COMMON QUESTIONS

What if my path is not simple?

Many people have gaps, short jobs, or little paid work. Your résumé can still show useful skills.

I have a gap in my work history.

You do not need to explain the gap on your résumé. Use honest job dates. Focus on your skills and recent experience. You can talk about the gap in an interview if you are asked.

I had many short jobs.

List the jobs that help with the work you want now. Do not change the dates. A job coach can help you choose what belongs.

I was fired.

Do not write why a job ended on your résumé. Keep the résumé focused on the work you did. Plan a short and honest answer for the interview.

I do not have paid work experience.

Use real work from volunteering, school, training, internships, clubs, or community projects. Show the tasks you did and skills you used.

Should I use AI to write it?

AI can help you start, but check every word. Remove words you would not use. Make sure every fact is true. Do not paste private facts, such as your Social Security number or health information, into an AI tool.

Do I need a different résumé for each job?

Not a whole new one. Keep one main résumé. Make a copy and move the best matching skills near the top for each kind of job.

09

FREE LOCAL HELP

You do not have to do this alone.

Free help is available in the Lehigh Valley. Ask for help if the forms, computer, words, or choices feel hard.

PA CareerLink® Lehigh Valley

Free résumé workshops and job-search help.

555 Union Boulevard
Allentown, PA 18109
610-437-5627

Open free workshops ↗

National Résumé Guide

CareerOneStop has a free guide with more examples. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Open CareerOneStop ↗