How to Start a Resume: The First 3 Decisions

Most people stall on a resume before they've written a single line, because "start a resume" feels like it should mean "start typing" — and typing into a blank document is exactly what makes it hard. The fix isn't a better opening sentence. It's making three decisions in the right order, before you write anything at all.

Decision 1: Start from a template, not a blank page

The blank-page problem isn't really about writing — it's about also having to invent margins, section order, and font hierarchy at the same time you're trying to describe your career. Separate the two. Pick a resume template first, then fill it in using our free resume builder, which shows a live preview as you type so you're never guessing how a section will look once it's done. That one decision — template before content — removes most of what makes starting feel hard.

Decision 2: What goes at the very top

Once you have a template, the top of the page is genuinely simple: your name, phone number, email, and city/state (a full street address isn't standard anymore). Add a LinkedIn URL if the profile is current — see our guide to adding a resume to LinkedIn if you haven't linked the two yet. Skip "Objective" as a header entirely; it's an old convention that signals an outdated resume before a reader gets to the content.

Decision 3: Summary or no summary — and how to write it

Right under your contact block is where most people freeze, trying to write an opening line before they've written anything else. Two options:

• A short summary — two or three sentences: who you are, your strongest relevant skill, what you bring to the specific role. This works well once you have at least some relevant experience to summarize.
• Skip it and go straight to experience — a genuinely fine choice if you're early-career and don't have much to summarize yet. Padding a summary with vague claims is worse than not having one; our resume with no experience guide covers exactly this situation.

If you do write one, avoid restating your job title in different words — say what you actually bring:

Weak: "Hardworking marketing professional seeking growth opportunities." Better: "Marketing coordinator with 3 years running paid social campaigns for B2B SaaS, focused on turning ad spend into qualified leads."

Still stuck on phrasing for your specific field? Our full guide to writing a resume summary has the formula plus examples across five different situations — entry-level, career change, a resume gap, and more.

What comes right after

Once the top of the page is settled, the next section depends on what you actually have:

• Solid work history — go straight into experience, in reverse chronological order.
• Still in school or just graduated — lead with education, then experience, internships, or relevant coursework. Our education section guide covers formatting this by major.
• Career changer or resume gap — lead with a skills section that bridges your last role to the one you want; see our resume gap guide if that's the specific situation.

From here, the process is the same for everyone. Our full 8-step guide to making a resume walks through every remaining section — experience bullets, skills, formatting, and export — once you've cleared the part that actually stalls people: getting the first few lines down.

Frequently asked questions

What's the single biggest mistake when starting a resume? Opening a blank document instead of a template. Structure decisions made from scratch are where most of the wasted time goes, not the actual writing.

Do I need a summary to start a resume? No. It's useful once you have relevant experience to summarize; skipping it in favor of going straight to your strongest section is a completely valid choice, especially early in a career.

Should I write my resume top to bottom in order? Not necessarily while drafting — many people find it easier to write the experience section first, where the real content lives, then come back and write a summary that reflects what's already on the page.

How long should starting a resume actually take? With a template and your work history in front of you, the first draft of the top section — contact info and summary — usually takes about ten minutes once you're not also fighting with formatting.