The Best Professional Resume Examples

Do you need to write or update a resume to apply for a job? A resume is a document used to apply for jobs, which includes descriptions of your education, experience, skills, and accomplishments.

Your resume offers a window into your professional history and is one of the most important documents in your job search, since it provides the vital first impression to a hiring manager.

Choose the Right Resume Type

Before you start putting your resume together, it's helpful to determine which type of resume highlights your strengths and achievements. Likewise, when reviewing templates and examples, choose the format that is best for your situation.

The resume of an entry-level employee, for instance, generally looks quite different from the resume of a mid-career professional. While experienced workers can rely upon their career history to make a strong case for their job candidacy, recent graduates may need to showcase their qualifications and potential instead.

100+ Free Professional Resume Examples and Templates

Review the following templates that fit a variety of employment situations for inspiration for writing your own resume. Remember, your resume needs to impress the hiring manager enough so you get the interview. That means it needs to be perfect.

Basic Resume Samples

No matter what sort of work experience you have, there’s a resume format that will make your qualifications shine. If you have a significant employment gap since your last position, you may want to use a functional resume rather than a chronological one. Determine which format is best for you.

• One-Page Resume (for an entry-level candidate)
• Two-Page Resume (for an experienced candidate)
• Resume Examples Listed by Job (listed by job and type)
• Chronological Resume #1 (most frequently used)
• Chronological Resume #2 (most frequently used)
• Combination Resume (lists skills first, then work history)
• Functional Resume (focuses on skills and experience)
• Resume Templates (free resume templates)
• Microsoft Word Resume Templates (free Microsoft templates)
• Resume Format (the proper format for a resume)

Resumes to Promote Your Qualifications

Resumes in today’s job market are no longer mere summaries of one’s work experience as they were in the past. Rather, they are self-marketing documents that demonstrate how your qualifications align perfectly with those requested in a job posting.

Highlighting qualifications is particularly important because many employers use automated applicant tracking systems that are programmed to search for keyword phrases related to their desired qualifications in their candidates. Here’s how to make your qualifications “pop” on your resume.

• Resume With Accomplishments Section
• Resume With Branding Statement
• Resume With Career Summary #1
• Resume With Career Summary #2
• Resume With Headline
• Resume With Profile
• Resume With Profile Statement
• Resume With Skills Section
• Resume with Summary of Qualifications
• Mini Resumes
• Nontraditional Resumes
• Targeted Resume

Resumes for Special Circumstances

The career trajectory for people today is much different than it was for their grandparents. Millennial workers are increasingly willing to “job hop” in order to find their perfect life balance.

This might involve a change in career, the decision to stay at home with young children, or even taking “time out” from their career to travel or engage in volunteer work. In these cases, there are ways of handling specific situations and non-traditional work histories on a resume.

• Sample Resume - Career Change
• Sample Resume - Name Change
• Sample Resume With a Demotion
• Resume With Part-Time Jobs
• Resume for a Stay-at-Home Parent
• Sample Resume With Volunteer Experience
• Resume for a Volunteer Position

Resumes Listed by Occupation

The following professional resume types fit a variety of employment situations. Use them for inspiration when writing your own resume.

Accounting and Finance

Individuals with strong math and analytical skills often pursue careers in the accounting and financial services fields. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, the predicted rate of growth for these jobs is 6%.

• Cashier
• Finance
• Financial / Operations Management
• Health Insurance / Finance

Childcare/Education

Teachers are currently in high demand in many parts of the country; the demand for high school teachers alone is expected to grow by 5% between 2018 and 2028.

The format of a teaching or childcare resume will vary, depending upon one’s level of experience and the grade level one hopes to teach.

• Resume Examples for Teachers
• Admissions Counselor
• Athletic Director
• College Graduate
• Guidance Counselor
• Librarian
• Nanny
• Special Education Teacher
• Speech Pathologist
• Tutor

Communications/Marketing/PR

Yes, there are jobs for English majors—strong writing and editing skills are in greater demand (at more lucrative rates of pay) than ever before, thanks to the Internet and rich opportunities in the marketing and public relations sectors.

• Advertising
• Freelance
• Marketing Analyst
• Marketing Automation
• Market Research Analyst
• Writer / Copy Editor
• Writing and Marketing
• Photographer
• Professional Writer
• Social Media

Customer Service

It takes both patience and a sincere desire to help others to excel in customer service roles. If you have strong interpersonal and communication skills, here’s how to structure a resume that will help land a rewarding customer service job.

• Customer Service
• Customer Service With Profile
• Customer Service Manager

Food and Hospitality Services

In our service economy, there are always jobs available for people who enjoy the challenges and rewards of restaurant work. Here’s how to create an effective resume for both front- and back-of-house positions.

• Chef
• Cook
• Culinary / Restaurant
• Waiter/Waitress

General Business/Management

More undergraduate and graduate degrees were earned in the fields of business than almost any other profession. Trained to fill key leadership roles, effective managers are skilled in organizational development, employee supervision and training, conflict resolution, project management, and regulatory compliance.

• Director of Operations
• Executive

Human Resources

Human Resources (HR) employees can either be HR Specialists (who focus upon a specific discipline such as recruiting and hiring), or HR Generalists (who perform all HR functions for an organization).

• Human Resources / Management
• Human Resources
• Recruiting Manager

Information Technology (IT)

Since being pioneered by visionaries like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in the mid-'70s, the IT industry continues to flourish.

It can be a useful strategy to include a tech table listing the hardware and software with which one is proficient.

• Android Developer
• Database Administrator
• Front End Web Developer
• Help Desk Technician
• Information Security Analyst
• Information Technology
• Project-Based Resume for a Contractor
• Scrum Master
• Software Developer
• Software Engineer
• Technical / Management
• Web Developer

Manufacturing and Engineering

Despite outsourcing, the career outlook in the engineering and manufacturing sectors is still strong. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the total number of engineers in the will increase by 139,300, from 1.68 million to 1.82 million by 2026.

• Biomedical Engineer
• Civil Engineer
• Consulting, Manufacturing, and Operations
• Engineer

Medical/Healthcare

With the aging of the “Baby Boom” generation and the development of new medical therapies and technologies, there’s never been a better time to enter the healthcare industry. Here’s how to focus a resume on a few very popular healthcare roles.

• Occupational Therapist
• Nurse (#1)
• Nurse (#2)
• Pharmacy Technician
• Phlebotomist
• Physical Therapist

Nonprofit Sector

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of nonprofit jobs are found in the healthcare and social assistance sectors. Here are examples of the fairly conservative style of resumes used for nonprofit jobs. 

• Development Assistant
• Social Worker

Office Administration

Resumes for administrative professionals demonstrate adeptness in data processing, phone and office reception, scheduling, supply purchasing, and record keeping.

• Administrative
• Administrative Assistant / Office Manager
• Administrative/Business
• Event Planner
• Receptionist

Sales

As a sales professional, your resume is your most powerful calling card—it should be designed to demonstrate, through its enthusiastic language and use of persuasive examples, the strong sales skills you have to offer.

• Retail
• Retail Resume With Profile
• Sales Associate

Seasonal Jobs

If you’re a student who needs tuition or gas money, check out these summer jobs. (A word to the wise: Start applying well before spring term ends, since there can be a lot of competition from other students for these jobs).

• Camp Counselor
• Lifeguard 
• Summer Camp
• Summer Cashier
• Summer Catering
• Summer Hotel
• Summer Job
• Youth Worker / Recreation Coordinator

Skilled Trades

Here’s how to clearly present the specialized skills you’ve developed, either through certification training or apprenticeship, to potential employers.

• Construction
• Electrician
• Golf Caddy
• Hair Stylist
• Plumber

Resume Template to Download

This chronological resume shows job experience beginning with the most recent position.

Resumes vs. CVs

Resumes in other countries are typically referred to as “Curriculum Vitae” (CVs) and may need to provide personal information (such as date of birth, gender, and marital status) that would be illegal for an American employer to request.