How to Build a Resume in 2025 That Gets You Interviews

Let's start with an uncomfortable truth: 99.7% of recruiters use keyword filters in their ATS to sort and prioritize applicants.

That means if your resume doesn't include the right keywords, it may never show up in a recruiter's search — no matter how qualified you are. Your 15 years of experience? Irrelevant. Your impressive track record? Invisible. Your perfect qualifications? Never seen.

This is job search in 2025, where your resume has to impress a robot before it ever reaches a human.

But here's the thing: while everyone's obsessing over "beating the ATS," they're forgetting that a human still has to actually want to hire you. A resume that's optimized for robots but boring to humans won't get you the job. You need to take care of both.

This article is going to show you exactly how to write a resume that works in 2025:

• How ATS works (and what it's looking for)
• The skills-based hiring revolution (and how to adapt)
• The resume format that gets through screening (plus the ones that don't)
• What to include, what to cut, and how to say it (with real examples)
• Common mistakes that are tanking your applications (you're probably making at least 3)
• The optimization process (step-by-step for different experience levels)

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Part 1: Understanding what your resume goes through

Your resume doesn't just go to "HR." It goes through a multi-stage screening process, and you need to optimize for all of it.

Stage 1: The ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

What it is: Software that scans your resume, extracts information (job titles, skills, education, dates), and ranks you based on how well you match the job description.

What it's looking for:

• Keywords that match the job posting
• Standard formatting it can actually read
• Relevant experience and skills
• Education and certifications

The ATS assigns you a score. If you score high enough, your resume gets passed to a human. If not, you're automatically rejected—often without anyone ever seeing your application.

The brutal reality: 75% of resumes are "phased out of consideration" because they don't pass ATS screening. Three out of four resumes never make it to human eyes.

Stage 2: The recruiter (6-second skim)

What they're looking for:

• Does this person have the basic qualifications?
• Are there any red flags (gaps, job hopping, formatting disasters)?
• Do the results look impressive?

How long they spend: About 6 seconds on first pass. Maybe 30 seconds if you make it past the initial skim.

What they're NOT doing: Reading every word carefully. They're skimming for keywords, results, and dealbreakers.

Stage 3: The hiring manager (the actual reader)

What they're looking for:

• Can this person do the job?
• Do they have relevant experience?
• Have they achieved results similar to what we need?
• Will they fit our team?

What happens: If they like what they see, you get an interview. If not, you're passed over for someone whose resume tells a clearer story.

Most people optimize for one or two, not all three. That's why they don't get interviews.

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Part 2: The format that works (and the ones that don't)

Let's start with the basics: structure and format.

Reverse-chronological format

What it is: List your experience starting with your most recent position and working backwards.

Why it wins:

• ATS systems handle it easily
• Recruiters are used to it (no learning curve)
• Shows clear career progression
• Familiar and professional

The structure (top to bottom)

1. Contact information

• Name (no titles like "Dr." or "CPA" here—they confuse ATS)
• Phone number
• Email (professional—no "partygirl2003@hotmail.com")
• LinkedIn URL (customized)
• Location (City, State—no full address needed)
• Portfolio/website (if relevant)

2. Professional summary (3-5 lines)

• Who you are
• What you bring
• Key skills/expertise
• Relevant experience

3. Skills (keyword-rich)

• Technical skills
• Tools/software
• Industry-specific competencies
• Relevant certifications

4. Professional experience (detailed)

• Job title, Company, Location, Dates
• 2-3 sentence overview of role
• 3-6 bullet points of achievements

5. Education

• Degree, Institution, Year
• Relevant coursework (if entry-level)
• GPA (only if above 3.5 and you're early career)

6. Additional sections (optional)

• Certifications/Licenses
• Professional Development
• Volunteer Experience (if relevant)
• Publications/Speaking (if relevant)

What NOT to include

❌ Objective statements ("Seeking a challenging role in a growth-oriented company...")

• Outdated and generic
• Wastes prime real estate
• No one cares what you want; they care what you offer

❌ References ("References available upon request")

• Everyone knows this
• Takes up space
• Include when actually asked

❌ Photo

• Not standard in US/Canada
• Can trigger bias
• Confuses ATS

❌ Personal information (age, marital status, hobbies unless relevant)

• Unprofessional
• Irrelevant
• Can introduce bias

❌ Salary history or requirements

• Don't volunteer this information
• Weakens your negotiating position

Your file format

Best: .docx (Word document)

• All ATS systems can read it
• Preserves formatting
• Standard and professional

Also acceptable: PDF (but only if the job posting specifically says PDF is accepted)

• Some older ATS systems struggle with PDFs
• When in doubt, use .docx

Never: .pages, .txt, image files, fancy design formats.

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Part 3: The ATS optimization formula

Now let's talk about how to make sure your resume actually gets through the ATS gauntlet.

Rule #1: Use keywords from the job description

How it works: ATS scans your resume for specific terms that appear in the job posting. If the job description mentions "project management" 5 times and you say "managed projects," you might not get credit.

How to do it right:

Step 1: Copy the job description Step 2: Identify the keywords (skills, tools, qualifications, job titles) Step 3: Incorporate them naturally throughout your resume

Rule #2: Use standard section headings

ATS-friendly:

• Professional Experience
• Work Experience
• Skills
• Education
• Certifications

ATS-unfriendly:

• Where I've Been
• My Journey
• What I Bring to the Table

Why it matters: ATS relies on standard headings to categorize your information. Creative headings confuse the system.

Rule #3: Keep formatting simple

Do:

• Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica)
• Use 10-12 point font
• Use standard bullet points
• Use bold for emphasis sparingly
• Align text to the left
• Use white space generously

Don't:

• Use tables or columns
• Use text boxes
• Use headers/footers (info gets lost)
• Use graphics, logos, or images
• Use fancy fonts or multiple font types
• Use shading or background colors
• Use lines, borders, or boxes
• Use symbols (except standard bullet points)

Complex formatting confuses ATS software. If it can't read your resume, you're automatically rejected.

Rule #4: Spell out dates completely

Good:

• January 2020 – December 2023
• Jan 2020 – Dec 2023

Bad:

• 1/20 – 12/23 (might be misread)
• 2020-2023 (ambiguous—did you work 4 years or 1 year?)

Rule #5: Don't try to trick the system

Things people try that don't work:

• White text with keywords (ATS detects this)
• Keyword stuffing in hidden sections
• Copy-pasting the entire job description

Why it backfires: Modern ATS software detects these tactics. Even if it doesn't, a human will see it and reject you immediately for being shady.

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Part 4: The skills-based hiring trend

Here's something that's changed dramatically in the last 2-3 years: employers are moving away from degree requirements and focusing on skills.

• 45% of companies will drop degree requirements in 2025
• 88% of job postings still list a bachelor's degree, but 7.7% now explicitly accept sub-bachelor qualifications
• 65% of managers will hire you for your skills alone
• 52% of employers have relaxed educational requirements to focus on skills and experience

Your degree matters less than it used to. Your skills matter more.

What this means for your resume

1. Your skills section is now prime real estate

Don't just list skills—contextualize them.

Weak:

Skills: Project Management, Communication, Leadership

Strong:

Skills:
• Project Management: Led 12 cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and 15% under budget
• Agile Methodologies: Certified Scrum Master with 5+ years implementing Scrum frameworks
• Stakeholder Management: Managed relationships with C-level executives across 8 departments

2. Your work experience needs to PROVE your skills

Skills-based hiring means you need evidence.

For each major skill you claim, include:

• Specific example of using it
• Measurable result
• Context (team size, budget, scope)

Example:

Resume claim: "Data Analysis"

Proof in experience section: "Analyzed customer behavior data using SQL and Python to identify $2M in revenue optimization opportunities, resulting in 18% increase in conversion rates"

3. Certifications and training matter more

If you don't have a traditional degree, show what you DO have:

• Online courses (Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning)
• Bootcamps (coding, data science, UX design)
• Certifications (PMP, AWS, Google Analytics, etc.)
• Self-taught skills with portfolio evidence

4. Continuous learning is now expected

According to the World Economic Forum: 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. This means that you need to show that you're actively learning and growing.

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Part 5: Writing bullet points that actually impress

Most resume bullet points are terrible. They're vague, passive, and forgettable.

Here's how to write ones that actually work.

The formula

[Action Verb] + [What You Did] + [Measurable Result/Impact]

Optional additions:

• How you did it (methodology, tools)
• Context (team size, budget, timeline)
• Challenge overcome

Examples: Weak vs. strong

Weak: "Responsible for managing social media accounts" Strong: "Grew social media following by 250% (15K to 52K followers) over 6 months through data-driven content strategy and influencer partnerships"

Weak: "Worked on marketing campaigns" Strong: "Led 8 integrated marketing campaigns generating $3.2M in revenue and 12,000 qualified leads across email, paid search, and content channels"

Weak: "Managed team of employees" Strong: "Built and led cross-functional team of 12 (engineering, design, product) to deliver enterprise software platform 3 weeks ahead of schedule"

Weak: "Improved customer satisfaction" Strong: "Redesigned customer onboarding process, reducing support tickets by 40% and increasing NPS score from 42 to 68"

Numbers make your achievements concrete and credible.

If you "don't have metrics": Yes, you do. You just haven't thought about it. Ask yourself:

• How many? (projects, people, customers)
• How much? (dollars, time, percentage)
• How fast? (ahead of schedule, faster than previous)
• How big? (scope, scale, reach)

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Part 6: The professional summary that hooks them

Your professional summary is your elevator pitch. It sits at the top of your resume and tells the recruiter whether to keep reading.

Length: 3-5 lines maximum

• Identify who you are professionally
• Highlight your top qualifications
• Include key skills/expertise
• Mention years of experience

The formula

[Job Title/Professional Identity] with [X years] of experience in [industry/specialty]. Expertise in [top 3-4 skills]. Proven track record of [key achievement or impact].

What NOT to include

❌ Generic buzzwords: "Hard-working," "team player," "results-oriented" ❌ What you want: "Seeking opportunities to grow" ❌ Clichés: "Think outside the box," "go-getter" ❌ Soft skills without context: "Great communicator"

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Common resume mistakes that are killing your applications

Let's talk about what you need to STOP doing.

Mistake #1: One generic resume for every job

What people do: Send the exact same resume to 100 different jobs.

Why it fails: Each job has different keywords and priorities. A generic resume won't rank high enough in ATS screening.

The fix: Customize your resume for each application (or at least for each TYPE of role). This means:

• Adjusting your summary to match the role
• Reordering skills to prioritize what they want
• Tweaking bullet points to emphasize relevant experience
• Including their specific keywords

Mistake #2: Listing responsibilities instead of achievements

What people do: "Responsible for managing social media accounts" "In charge of customer service team" "Handled project management duties"

Why it fails: This tells recruiters what you were SUPPOSED to do, not what you ACTUALLY achieved.

The fix: Focus on RESULTS and IMPACT, not DUTIES.

Replace "Responsible for" with what you accomplished.

Mistake #3: Including irrelevant experience

What people do: List every job they've ever had, including the summer you worked at Starbucks in 2010.

Why it fails: Irrelevant experience dilutes your professional story and makes you look unfocused.

The fix: Include only experience relevant to the job you're applying for. Generally:

• Early career (0-5 years): Include everything, even if tangentially related
• Mid-career (5-15 years): Focus on last 10-15 years; summarize or eliminate older roles
• Senior (15+ years): Focus on last 15 years; older experience gets one line max

Mistake #4: Making it too long (or too short)

The guidelines:

• 0-5 years experience: 1 page
• 5-15 years experience: 1-2 pages
• 15+ years experience: 2 pages (max 3 for very senior roles)

Why it matters: Too short = you look junior or aren't providing enough detail Too long = recruiter won't read it all

Exceptions: Academic CVs, federal resumes, and international applications have different standards.

Mistake #5: Typos and grammatical errors

Why it's fatal: 35% of employers noted that unprofessional elements (including typos) negatively impacted their hiring decisions.

Typos signal:

• Lack of attention to detail
• Carelessness
• Poor communication skills

The fix:

• Proofread multiple times
• Read it backwards (catches more errors)
• Use Grammarly or similar tool
• Have someone else review it
• Print it out and read the physical copy

Mistake #7: Lying or exaggerating

Things people lie about:

• Job titles
• Employment dates (to hide gaps)
• Degrees or certifications
• Achievements or metrics

Why it's catastrophic:

• Reference checks will expose it
• Background checks will find it
• You could be fired even after getting hired
• It's not worth it

Be honest. Frame your experience positively, but truthfully. If you have gaps, be prepared to explain them.

Mistake #8: Ignoring LinkedIn-resume consistency

What happens: Recruiters compare your resume to your LinkedIn. If they don't match, you lose credibility.

Common inconsistencies:

• Different job titles
• Different employment dates
• Experience listed on one but not the other

Make sure your LinkedIn and resume tell the same story. Update both when you make changes.

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Part 8: How do you build a strong resume?

Here's exactly how to create or update your resume for 2025.

Step 1: Research the role

Gather 3-5 job descriptions for roles you want

Create a master list of keywords and skills

Step 2: Audit your experience

For each previous role, list:

• Your main responsibilities
• Projects you worked on
• Problems you solved
• Results you achieved
• Skills you used
• Tools/software you worked with

Quantify everything you can:

• How many?
• How much?
• How often?
• What percentage?
• What was the impact?

Step 3: Write your professional summary

Use the formula: [Title] with [X years] in [industry/specialty]. Expertise in [skills]. Track record of [achievement].

Include top 3-4 keywords from your research

Keep it to 3-5 lines

Step 4: Build your skills section

List 20-30 relevant skills organized by category:

• Technical/Industry Skills
• Tools & Software
• Methodologies
• Professional Skills

Step 5: Write your experience section

For each role:

Structure:

• Job Title | Company | Location | Dates
• 2-3 sentence overview of role
• 3-6 achievement-focused bullet points

Step 6: Add education & additional sections

Education:

• Degree, Institution, Year
• Relevant coursework (if entry-level)
• Honors (if notable)

Additional sections as relevant:

• Certifications
• Professional Development
• Publications/Speaking
• Volunteer Work (if relevant to role)

Step 7: Format and polish

Formatting checklist:

• Standard font (10-12pt)
• Consistent spacing
• Clear section headers
• Bullet points aligned
• No graphics or tables
• 1-2 pages

Proofread:

• Read out loud
• Check for typos
• Verify dates are consistent
• Ensure formatting is clean
• Have someone else review

Step 8: Save and test

Save as:

• YourName_Resume.docx (primary)
• YourName_Resume.pdf (if requested)

Test it:

• Upload to the free Boost Resume Audit
• Check your match score
• Identify missing components
• Revise as needed

Step 9: Customize for each application

Before submitting:

• Review the specific job description
• Adjust summary if needed
• Reorder skills to match priorities
• Tweak 1-2 bullet points to emphasize relevant experience
• Ensure you're using their exact keywords

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Still struggling to get your resume right—or not getting the results you expect? Join Boost's next cohort and learn how to position yourself compellingly in every aspect of your job search, from resume to LinkedIn to interviews. We'll help you understand what actually works in 2025's hiring landscape.

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