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 Skip "Objective" as a header entirely; it's an old convention that signals an outdated resume before a reader gets to the content.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? Indeed's resume summary examples is a decent next stop for more openings to model yours after, organized by job title.

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.