what are good things to put on your resume

100 Good Skills to Put on a Resume [Complete Guide]

Jeff Gillis 0 Comments

By Jeff Gillis

Updated 6/4/2022.

When you’re adding skills to a resume, you don’t just want to focus on what you’re good at. Instead, relevancy has to be part of the equation. After all, every job you’re trying to land requires a very specific skill set, one that you need to show that you have.

Choosing the skills to put on a resume when you’re applying to a role isn’t something you should do haphazardly. Instead, you want to use the job description, company mission, and company values as a guide, creating a sense of alignment.

Additionally, it never hurts to have a handy list of skills by your side, making it easier to explore your options. So, if you’re on the hunt for good skills to put on a resume, here’s what you need to know.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

There are two basic types of skillsets that a job seeker can have and include on their resume: hard skills or soft skills.

Hard skills are the skills or abilities for a resume that are easily quantifiable…that can be learned through classroom work, apprenticeships, or other forms of learning. These include things like operating tools, computer programming, speaking foreign languages, or different kinds of technical prowess.

Soft skills are more subjective and harder to quantify and are often grouped together by what we know as “people skills.” Some examples of soft skills include communication, relationship building, self-awareness, and patience.

Which Skills Are More Important?

The debate rages on about which of these two types of skills is more important.

According to executive consultant and Forbes contributor Naz Beheshti , “…There is an ongoing debate about the relative importance of soft and hard skills that imply a competition between the two. However, they are both necessary and complementary to one another.”

On the one hand, job seekers with proficiency in a specific hard skill may get hired more quickly. Many employers want to hire people that can deliver value with fewer resources (ex., the need for training, etc.), making hard skills their priority.

However, we are also seeing that many hiring managers are choosing to hire candidates with highly developed soft skills.

In the end, as Indeed puts it, “soft skills are necessary to create a positive and functional work environment.” Plus, hiring managers feel that they can always train the candidate in the hard skill that is required to complete the job, but soft skills are often skills that cannot necessarily be taught.

So, what does this mean for you? Mainly that you can’t simply just pick one or the other and cross your fingers. Instead, the best strategy is to take a balanced approach and make sure that your resume contains both hard and soft skills.

How Do You Choose the Skills to List on a Resume?

Here’s the deal; there’s a good chance you know what you’re good at in a professional sense. Often, you can use your experience, duties, training, and education as a guide, giving you a strong foundation. Then, it’s about diving a bit deeper, looking at traits that could help you stand out, and comparing it all to the job description.

By using a simple process, you can make progress faster. Here’s a quick way to get started.

1. Make a List of the Skills You Know You Have

As mentioned above, the easiest way to get a grip on your current skills is to reflect on your academic and professional experiences. Consider the tasks you’ve taken on, the training you’ve completed, and the courses you had in school. In most cases, that’ll give you some solid ideas about your hard skills.

After that, it’s time for soft skills. Here, you want to think of traits or capabilities that help you engage with others and navigate professional relationships. Often, these are reflections of your personality, so use that as a jumping-off point.

2. “Mine” the Job Descriptions for Must-Have Skills

The next step is to take a look at the job description for the position you are applying for and make a list of the required skills it includes. Then, compare it to your capabilities. Are any of the skills on both of the lists you just created? If so, these are must-haves for your resume.

Now, notice if there are any skills on the job description that you don’t have. If there aren’t any, great!

But if there are…don’t panic. There are things you can do, which we’ll dig into shortly.

If you’re dealing with a vague job description, you aren’t stuck either. Here is a link to a ton of job descriptions that can give you an idea of the skills needed.

3. Tailor Your Skills to the Company/Position

As you may have read in our other blog articles, it is always very important to “tailor” your resume to the company and position you want to land. For an in-depth look into how to make that happen, check out our Tailoring Method article. 

If you want a quick overview, the idea is to focus on capabilities the company wants to find. Every job requires a unique skill set, and you want to show you have it. As a result, it is absolutely essential that skills from the job description make an appearance on your resume.

However, you also want to dig deeper. Spend some more time researching the company, including going through all of their various web properties, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Why? Because they will leave clues about the types of people they hire. That gives you more ideas about the best skills to put on a resume to land a job there, particularly when it comes to soft skills you may not find in a job description.

100 Resume Skills Examples

If you’re struggling with coming up with a list of skills based on your past experience, it can be easier if you have existing resume skills lists to work with. You don’t have to think up every possible skill; you can simply review the list and find the matches.

Here is a list of resume skills examples, divided into hard skills and soft skills, that you can use when applying for a job.

Hard Skills for a Resume

• Advanced Bookkeeping
• Appointment Setting
• Automotive Repair
• Cold Calling
• Computer Programming
• Conversion Testing
• Copywriting
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Service
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Cleanup
• Forklift Operating
• Graphic Design
• Heavy Machinery Operation
• Installation
• Landscaping
• Mathematics
• Medical Coding
• Paid Online Traffic
• Patient Care
• Photo Editing
• Picking and Packing
• Project Management
• Schedule Management
• Search Engine Optimization
• Server Maintenance
• Social Media
• Spanish Fluency
• Statistical Analysis
• Systems Analysis
• Technical Support
• Telecommunications Systems
• Travel Booking
• Video Editing
• Website Design
• Word Processing

Soft Skills for a Resume

• Accountability
• Active Listening
• Adaptability
• Brainstorming
• Business Etiquette
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Contextualizing
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Emotional Intelligence
• Flexibility
• Goal-Setting
• Handling Pressure
• Influencing
• Insightfulness
• Interpreting
• Negotiation
• Open-Mindedness
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Problem Solving
• Relationship Building
• Reliability
• Resource Management
• Responsibility
• Self-Confidence
• Strategical Thinking
• Strong Work Ethic
• Time Management

What If I Don’t Have the Required Skill?

Whether you need to possess a specific skill depends on the job and the skill in question. Usually, here’s where you have to be honest with yourself. If the skills required are part of the core competencies of doing the job, you may want to reconsider your application.

For example, if a golf course posts a job posting for a golf pro, you probably shouldn’t apply if you’ve never swung a golf club.

However, you will come across situations where what you bring to the table is close. In this case, moving forward might be okay.

You need to be able to demonstrate, using examples from your past, that you are capable of doing the required skill, even if you haven’t specially done it. So, go over your work history with a fine-tooth comb and try to come up with a few examples of you doing something in the right ballpark.

They are going to ask about it in your interview, so don’t think you can just wing it, and everything will be fine.

Also, many job descriptions have “nice-to-have” skills on the list. If you happen to possess them, great. But if not, don’t assume you shouldn’t apply if you have the must-have skills. In the end, those capabilities aren’t outright requirements, so don’t screen yourself out based on them.

How To List Skills on a Resume

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to deciding where to put (or how to list) the skills on your resume.

According to our friends over at online resume-builder Zety.com , “…skills are so very, very important that they should show up all over your resume. Not just in the resume skills section.” In other words, it is imperative that there are elements of your skills throughout your resume, including your resume objective/summary and experience sections.

In addition, there isn’t one right answer for where to include your skill section because that depends on the industry, company, and position you’re trying to land. For example, for a job where technical competencies are of the utmost importance, it is often beneficial to list the skills closer to the top of the resume, right underneath the resume objective or resume summary statement.

However, if through your research you determine that the hiring manager will put more weight into your experience, you may want to lead with your experience. Then, put the skills section further down your resume.

At the end of the day, the selection of the skills themselves is the most important thing. After all, most hiring managers will easily find your skill section regardless of where it is on your resume.

What About Skills for My Job Application?

When you’re looking for skills to put on a job application, you do have to treat it a little differently than skills for a resume. Usually, you’re working with a finite amount of space on an application, not just in an overall sense but in each applicable section.

Since that’s the case, you need to lean heavily on the job description. Look for any capabilities that are listed as must-haves or that are repeated through the job ad. Then, make sure those skills are featured prominently in several areas, including in work history descriptions and skills areas.

If you have to answer essay questions, discuss those skills there, too, whenever possible. Use any other relevant capability as a supplement, treating it as supporting information instead of the primary point you’re sharing.

However, if an essay question asks about a skill that’s not in the job description, feel free to dig in a bit. It’s a capability that’s clearly on the hiring manager’s mind, so touch on it occasionally to show you shine in that area.

Putting It All Together

If you were wondering, “What are some good skills to put on a resume?” you should now have a solid answer. The most important thing to remember is to select skills that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for and, more important than that, skills that your company puts a tremendous amount of value in.

Once you get your skills straightened out, you should make sure that the rest of your resume is congruent with the skills you just selected, namely, that your experience shows that you both used those skills in a work environment and developed the skill with on-the-job tasks.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Jeff gillis.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

Copyright © 2024 · TheInterviewguys.com · All Rights Reserved

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17 Best skills to put on your resume to stand out

The best resume immediately answers a hiring manager's most pressing question: “Does this person have the necessary skills?” 

You don’t have much time to answer this question, either. Recruiters scan a resume in just seven seconds to form a first impression and decide whether they’ll offer an interview. 

You must understand the key skills for each job application and express your proficiency quickly to get ahead. We’ll discuss how to choose skills for a resume and add them effectively.

What is a resume skill?

A professional skill is a knowledge, ability, or competency to perform specific tasks or respond to challenges. Each skill is either a hard or soft skill . Hard skills or technical skills refer to our ability to perform knowledge-based tasks, like proficiency with a graphic design program. 

Interpersonal skills , or soft skills, refer to our interactions with others, like our ability to tap into our emotional intelligence to manage a team or our leadership communication skills . 

Learning new skills relevant to your job or reskilling to start a new career is crucial preparation. Every industry and job role requires proficiency in a wide range of job skills, so it's critical to know the most relevant ones for your profession and target the company and highlight them in your resume.

Hard skills for your resume

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities or knowledge that are often quantifiable and job-specific. Hard skills are gained through experience, practice, and education. They can be measured straightforwardly by our ability to perform a technical task. Hard skills are crucial for performing tasks and functions within a particular field or industry. 

Here are a few hard skills you could include on your resume:

• Foreign languages 
• Project management 
• Marketing fluency, like SEO or SEM
• Computer skills
• Software management, like CRM
• Coding languages, like CSS or Python
• Design, like Photoshop or Illustrator
• Data analysis 

Soft skills for your resume

Soft skills are non-technical abilities that relate to how individuals interact with others and navigate social situations. These skills encompass qualities and attributes that shape one's emotional intelligence, communication style, and overall interpersonal effectiveness. They inform how we approach a task or challenge and are unique personal attributes that make us stand out and succeed as employees and leaders.

Unlike hard skills, soft skills are not job-specific but are universally valuable across various roles and industries. Soft skills play a critical role in building strong relationships, collaborating effectively with colleagues, and enhancing overall workplace dynamics.

Here are a few soft skills you could include on your resume:

• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Time management
• Attention to detail
• Collaboration

Soft and hard skills often complement one another. Speaking a foreign language is a hard skill requiring specific vocabulary, diction, and grammar knowledge. The communication skills needed to speak this language effectively — knowing how to work through a concept, tell a story, and keep an audience engaged — are soft skills.

How many skills should you add to a resume?

In general you'll want to have 10 to 15 skills listed on you resume. But this varies depending on your level of experience, the specific job you're applying for, and the resume format you're using . Here are some general guidelines to help you determine how many skills to include:

• Relevance : Focus on skills that are directly relevant to the job you're applying for. Tailor your resume by carefully reviewing the job description and identifying the skills and qualifications the employer is seeking. Highlight the skills that align with the job requirements.
• Balance : While it's important to include relevant skills, it's equally important not to overwhelm your resume with an excessively long list of skills. Aim for a balance that showcases your key strengths without making your resume too lengthy .
• Prioritization : Prioritize the most important and sought-after skills . Place the most relevant and impressive skills towards the top of your resume, particularly in the skills section. This ensures that the hiring manager sees your strongest qualifications early in the document.
• Quantify : Where possible, quantify your skills or provide context. For example, if you are proficient in a programming language, you can mention the number of years of experience you have with it or highlight specific projects where you applied that skill.
• Quality over quantity : It's better to emphasize a few highly relevant and valuable skills rather than listing a wide range of skills that may not be as important for the job. Hiring managers often appreciate depth and expertise in key areas.
• Consider resume length : If you have many years of experience and a lot of relevant skills, you may have a longer resume. However, for most applicants, a one-page or two-page resume is typically sufficient. Ensure that your skills section doesn't dominate the entire document.
• Group skills : You can group similar skills together to save space. For example, you might create categories like "Technical Skills" and "Soft Skills" to organize your skills more effectively.
• Keep it honest : Only list skills that you genuinely possess and can confidently discuss in an interview. Exaggerating or fabricating skills can lead to problems during the hiring process.

Types of skills to add to your resume and cover letter

To show your versatility, try including a diverse set of skills on your resume. Choose a couple from each of the three main categories below:

1. Transferable or functional skills

This covers your competency to perform an action and apply that skill to different tasks, job roles, and industries. Your aptitude to perform a transferable or functional skill is measured by your ability to optimize this skill to various situations.

Transferable or functional skills include:

• Organization and time management skills
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Writing 
• Project management
• Active listening and communication
• Customer service skills

2. Personal skills

This covers personality traits, behaviors, or perspectives that guide your approach to a task or situation. These are likely interpersoanl skills you’ve developed since childhood through different life experiences.

Personality skills include:

• Assertiveness
• Independence
• Detail-orientedness
• Strong emotional intelligence
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Relationahip-building skills

3. Knowledge-based skills

This includes a theoretical or practical understanding of a specific task or process learned through consistent work experience or education. These are often industry or career-specific and, depending on the expertise required for a particular position, the most in-demand.

Knowledge-based skills include: 

• Computer skills, including programming languages, web development, or experience with specific programs like Microsoft Office, Excel, or Quickbooks
• Analytical skills, including data analysis, strategy, or economic forecasting
• Industry-specific skills, including a content creator with social media apps or marketing skills or a software engineer with specific expertise in Python or HTML

Top 3 skills to put on a resume

We recommend choosing transferable, knowledge-based, and personal skills relevant to the job description and the company’s values. When in doubt, you can’t go wrong using these three top skills on your resume:

1. Managerial skills

If you have any managerial experience, add it to the relevant job description. Good managers can see the bigger picture, organize their teams around a common goal, and demonstrate effective communication techniques.

This experience also shows you’re willing to take on more responsibility and can handle different personalities. 

Expressing your management skills might look like this:

• 15 years of experience developing multiple teams to [name accomplishment]
• Ideated and managed [project] and increased revenue by [percentage]
• Certified in Conflict Resolution from [institution's name]

2. Communication skills

Strong communication skills are essential at every professional level. These skills include actively listening, speaking effectively, observing people and situations, and empathizing and supporting our co-workers, colleagues, and managers.

Expressing your communication skills might look like this:

• Thrives on constructive criticism
• Four years of public speaking experience
• Certified in Non-Verbal Communication at [institute name]

3. Computer skills

Expertise in various technologies or the ability to learn new ones are great hard skills to advertise. These include knowledge of hardware, software, work platforms, or coding languages.

Computer skills might include:

• Type 145 words per minute
• Fluency in CRM and CSM
• Knowledge of Python, Javascript, and HTML
• Experience with project management softwares like Monday, ClickUp, and Notion
• Adobe Photoshop

17 of the best skills to add to your resume

In addition to the three above, here are some of the most important skills to add to your resume skills section. When updating your resume, be sure to include the most relevant skills for the job you're applying to. Social media marketing, for instance, is more of a must-have skill across various marketing roles but fewer project management roles.

1. Conflict resolution

Conflict resolution involves mediating disputes and finding mutually acceptable solutions. This skill is crucial for maintaining a harmonious work environment and productive relationships among team members.

2. Adaptability

Adaptability is the ability to adjust to new circumstances and challenges. In today's rapidly changing world, individuals who can quickly learn and adapt to new technologies, work processes, or environments are highly valuable.

3. Negotiation

Negotiation skills are essential for reaching agreements that benefit all parties involved. Whether in salary negotiations or business deals, effective negotiation can lead to favorable outcomes.

4. Creativity

Creativity involves thinking outside the box to generate innovative ideas and solutions. It's particularly valuable in roles that require problem-solving and innovation, such as marketing or product design.

5. Strategic planning

Strategic planning is the process of setting long-term goals and developing a roadmap to achieve them. This skill is crucial for leaders and managers responsible for guiding an organization's direction.

6. Public speaking

Public speaking is essential for presentations, pitches, and effective communication with large audiences. Confidence and clarity in public speaking can enhance your professional image.

7. Mentoring and coaching

The ability to mentor and coach others in their professional development is valuable for leadership roles and fostering a positive workplace culture.

8. Crisis management

Crisis management involves responding effectively to unexpected and high-pressure situations, minimizing damage, and maintaining business continuity.

9. Risk management

Identifying and mitigating risks is vital in fields such as finance, insurance, and project management to protect against potential losses.

10. Data privacy and security

With increasing concerns about data breaches and privacy, knowledge of data security measures and compliance with regulations is essential, especially in IT and healthcare industries.

11. Foreign language proficiency

Proficiency in a foreign language can open up opportunities in international business, diplomacy, and global organizations, enhancing your marketability.

12. Sales and marketing

Sales and marketing skills involve promoting products or services and persuading customers to make purchases. These skills are vital in sales and business development roles.

13. Conflict management

Conflict management focuses on identifying, addressing, and resolving conflicts within teams or organizations to maintain a productive and harmonious work environment.

14. Research and data analysis

Strong research and data analysis skills are valuable in fields like market research, academia, and policy analysis, enabling evidence-based decision-making.

15. Digital Marketing

Digital marketing skills, including SEO, social media management, and online advertising, are crucial for businesses looking to expand their online presence and reach.

16. Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills are vital for identifying, analyzing, and creatively resolving challenges. They enable individuals to make informed decisions, find innovative solutions, and adapt to changing circumstances. 

17. Project management skills

Project management skills involve planning, organizing, and coordinating resources and teams to achieve specific goals within set constraints. Effective project managers excel at goal-setting, task breakdown, and timeline management. They ensure projects stay on track, meet deadlines, and stay within budget, making them highly sought after across industries.

How to add skills to your resume 

There are endless resume templates to choose from when designing your resume, and most offer a skills section. We’ve outlined four tips for adding skills to catch a recruiter's attention with resume skills examples to help you get started.

1. Choose wisely

Study the company by visiting its website, LinkedIn profile , and other public sources. What values do they promote? Which team members do they highlight and why? 

Read through the job ad and take note of the responsibilities, job requirements, and skills listed by the employer. Use this research to choose skills for your resume. It’s a good idea to list skills the job posting specifically seeks. 

Here’s an example of how to translate a job responsibility into skills when describing work experience on your resume:

Responsibility: Fact-check, proofread, and edit content for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 

Skill on resume: 

• Eight years of copy and content writing experience with brands and PR agencies
• Wrote objective-oriented, SEO-driven content for brands
• Versed in workflow apps, Google Office, and grammar platforms

2. Include a skills section

If a hiring manager spends just seven seconds on a resume, make sure yours is readable. Design the resume to direct the reader's eye to critical information, and include a skills section close to the start. Use relevant action verbs to sell your experience and describe your skills from the beginning.

Don't over-clutter — insufficient white space will deflect the eye rather than attract it. This section should include bullet points with concise information.

3. Subtly mention skills in other sections

Sneak skills throughout your resume, including in the summary and work experience sections. Frequently referencing them will help show the hiring manager you really do possess the skills. 

Here are two examples of a writer's position:

Resume summary with a mixture of transferable and personal skills:

• Curious, creative, and self-motivated journalist and content writer with six years of experience working independently for agencies and publications.

Work experience section with a mixture of technical and interpersonal skills:

Digital Content Writer, [Company name], [time frame]

• Experience in Google Workspace, Surfer SEO, and workflow platforms
• Responsible for writing 10 1500-word SEO and keyword-driven articles weekly
• Detail-oriented and personable — never missed a deadline and facilitated feedback calls with clients directly

4. Be specific about your proficiency level

Always be clear about your level of expertise. You’ll likely be asked to showcase some of your skills in an interview, so it’s best to be upfront. 

Here are a few examples:

Languages spoken: 

• English, native
• Spanish, fluent
• Japanese, intermediate conversation and listening comprehension, beginner written
• High-level expertise in Python and Java
• Mid-level expertise in CSS

Feel confident about the skills on your resume

Building a good resume takes a lot of work. You have to read through the job description and tailor resumes to each post to make sure your profile best aligns with what the recruiter is looking for.

But the effort is worth it. You've spent your entire career learning and nurturing new skills — show them off in your resume and you'll be one step closer to getting the job. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, and listing the right skills will help hiring managers see that.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Maggie Wooll, MBA

Maggie Wooll is a researcher, author, and speaker focused on the evolving future of work. Formerly the lead researcher at the Deloitte Center for the Edge, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Maggie is passionate about creating better work and greater opportunities for all.

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What to Put on a Resume in 2023 [Checklist, Tips & Examples]

Tick-tock. You’re applying for what looks like a damn great opportunity and you’re spiraling —  What should I put on my resume? Did I miss something? Am I including the right information? Do I really need the hobbies part?

No need to sound the alarms just yet, we’re sending help.

So here are the key elements to include in a resume (works for all career situations and jobs).

What to Include on a Resume Depending on the Format?

Depending on the  resume format  you pick, you’ll structure your resume a bit differently, but the key resume components you’ll need to include are pretty much the same. Here’s what needs to be on a resume in each of the three most popular formats:

Reverse-chronological resume format: standard sections

This is the most common resume format in which  you focus on showcasing your work experience . The jobs you’ve done, courses you took, and degrees you obtained are all listed starting with the current or the most recent one first and working your way backward. In 90% of cases, hiring managers expect you to submit this kind of resume.

Its main elements are (from top to bottom):

• Contact information
• Resume summary  or  resume objective
• Work experience
• Additional sections (This is where you list your certifications, publications, awards, projects, conferences, volunteer work, etc.)

Functional resume format: standard sections

A common resume format  for applicants with little or no relevant experience , the functional resume focuses on your skills and education rather than work experience.

Here’s what to include in it:

• Skills summary

Combination (hybrid) resume format: standard sections

Finally (and pretty much self-explanatory), the combination resume combines the parts from the previous two types. This format is  a good pick for candidates with a lot of relevant experience  or  experienced candidates targeting a very specific position . Potentially, this could also work for those of you who are going through a career change (but, again, only if you’re experienced).

And here are the resume components to include and in which order:

• Summary of qualifications

Additional sections

Expert advice:  If you’re not sure which format to choose, you can get more info and tips in  this article on resume formats .

In this guide, we’ll focus on the most popular (reverse-chronological) resume format and its elements.

Sections to Put on a Resume

Contact information on the resume header.

This is easy — you’re adding basic contact details so that recruiters can get back to you and find out more. Make sure to include:

• Your full name
• Your email address
• Your phone number (if applying internationally, don’t forget to add your country code)
• The link to your LinkedIn profile*
• The link to your portfolio or relevant social media profiles**

*Expert tip 1:  LinkedIn is a big deal. It’s the largest global professional network and most hiring managers expect you to be there. Your LinkedIn profile is supposed to complement your resume, so it pays to take some time and add a professional photo and cover image, and make sure all the information is well-organized and up to date.

**Expert tip 2:  The same goes for your social media profiles.  Hiring managers will look you up online.  Most of the time they’re just trying to verify the information and see how you’d fit into the company culture, but for some roles (think Social Media Manager or Customer Service), your online presence and personal branding are crucial aspects of the job.

And now the answer to that million-dollar question — Which social media profiles to include?

A single piece of advice here — only the ones most relevant to your work. So it might be Behance if you’re a graphic or interior designer, GitHub for devs, Twitter for an investment banker (if you tweet about finance), or Instagram for a landscaper (if you post your projects there).

And this is what a typical resume header with contact information looks like:

Resume summary or objective

A  resume summary  is a short paragraph placed right under your contact information. It’s an introduction where, in 3–4 sentences, you give an overview of your top skills and career achievements. Basically, this serves as a sales pitch (or “the greatest hits”) that shows the hiring team what they’ll get by hiring you.

You can learn how to write a compelling resume summary in this article:  40+ Resume Summary Examples [and How to Write One] .

A  resume objective  is an alternative to a resume summary, a bit more suited for candidates with little or no experience. It focuses on what you want to achieve in the new role and how you’d like to build your career in the future.

Get an example for your job and career situation and learn how to craft a good resume objective in this article:  60+ Resume Objective Examples (with Writing Guide and Tips) .

Here’s an example resume summary by a Data Entry Specialist looking for a new opportunity.

Together with the sharp resume summary, your work experience is where you should score some serious points. It’s really not that difficult — it’s not so much about what you did in your previous job but how well you can organize and present your accomplishments in the role.

So here’s what needs to be on a resume in your experience section:

• Your position (this is typically written in bold for clarity and to attract attention)
• Dates worked
• Company name
• A bullet-pointed list detailing 3–4 of your main duties and achievements

🔑  Key tip:  Remember to list your jobs in reverse-chronological order. Start from your current (or most recent) job, then list the one before that, and so on.

If you’re experienced, include only relevant jobs (chances are your retail assistant job from 10 years ago doesn’t mean much for your application for Head of Marketing at a SaaS company) and limit yourself to the past 15 years.

Conversely, if you’re lacking in the experience department, absolutely include stuff like:

• Internships
• Volunteer work
• Part-time jobs

🧙‍♂️  Wizard tip:  You can structure your bullet points describing your experience like this:  [Strong verb]  +  [Job duty]  +  [Impact] . It pays off to keep your bullet points as consistent as possible, and this approach will serve as guidance.

Let’s take a look at this well-crafted work experience section that gets a checkmark for all of the tips above:

Let’s run a quick quality assurance test to see why this works:

Format:  The candidate lists their present position first, and places the previous one below Information placement:  The must-have information for the work experience section is all there: the position, dates worked and the company name. Everything is clearly laid out and formatted appropriately. Consistent bullet points:  The bullets all start with a strong verb (check out this ultimate list of 800+ power words to use in your resume) and focus on the candidate’s duties and accomplishments, often using numbers and tangible results to reinforce the examples.

All in all, a solid work experience section.

If you think this is easier said than done and need more help, check out this dedicated guide on  How to Write the Work Experience Section (with 20+ examples) .

Place your education section right under your work history, and, again, use reverse-chronological order. Some basic rules here:

If you’re an experienced candidate , include just the basic information in the following order:

• Your degree
• University/school name
• The year of graduation

If you’re very new to the workforce , it’s fine to add details such as your:

• Relevant coursework
• Academic achievements
• Thesis/dissertation title

🔑  Key tip:  If you have both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, absolutely include them both (just mind the reverse chronological order). If you have a university or college degree of any kind, there’s no need to include your high school (unless it’s super relevant to the role you’re applying for, or was a vocational high school that gave you skills specific to the role).

Here’s how our Data Entry candidate handled in it her resume:

Read this full guide on  How to List Education on a Resume  (with samples for all kinds of education scenarios).

Next, the Skills section. It’s a resume must-have and yet, so many people mess it up. How? They either end up with a list of generic skills not relevant to the position or (worse yet) go for meaningless buzzwords that show no real value.

Essentially, the Skills section is supposed to be the key supplement to your Summary and Work Experience. How can you best handle this?

• Include a mix of soft and hard (technical) skills, ideally in two separate sub-sections. For certain jobs, your technical skills will mostly be software skills, so it’s okay to name that sub-section differently.
• Focus on relevant skills only (the ones that matter in this particular job)
• While there are a few ways you can format your Skills section, it’s crucial to choose one and stay consistent throughout the section: – List skills as single items (e.g.  Detail-oriented, Attentive , etc.) – List skills alongside star or bar ratings (e.g.  Italian:  ★★★☆☆) – List skills with a short description of your proficiency level (e.g.  Italian: Intermediate , or  Microsoft Excel: Advanced ) – List skills and provide a bit of context (e.g. someone applying for the role of an Email Marketing Specialist could write something like this:  Creating automated email campaign flows and providing reports in tools like Sendgrid, HubSpot, MailChimp, and AutoKlose )

And again, if this is giving you a headache, there’s a beast of a guide to help you write a kick-ass Skills section:  Skills to Put on a Resume for Any Job  (with post-covid examples!)

Now, to the fun part!

All of the sections above are considered standard. But are you going for standard or outstanding?

Having only the mandatory sections is totally fine, but remember that every single candidate will have them too. So if there’s anything else you can add to prove your value and stand out from the rest, then absolutely include it.

The optional (but recommended) resume sections can include:

• Certifications
• Publications
• Foreign languages
• Hobbies and interests

Now let’s see how each of these can add some slay vibes to your resume.

You’re certified, which means you made an effort, took a course, passed a test, and this adds tons of credibility. When I got my HubSpot certifications in Content Marketing and Inbound, I added them to my resume without much thought. You know what happened? Every single interviewer asked me about those certifications.

As usual, list only the certifications which are relevant to the job you’re applying for. If you’re not gonna be driving, then most definitely don’t include your driver’s license as a certification.

These are most common in academic settings, but if you’re applying for the position and have a relevant publication, then by all means, add it. Publications send strong signals that you’re an expert in your field and that you know the industry.

There are two super solid reasons why recruiters love seeing the volunteer section in a resume. One, it means you’re a purpose-driven (rather than money-driven) person who believes in a cause and is ready to support it. Two, your choice of volunteer work implicitly tells the hiring manager a lot about your interests, soft skills, where you’re passionate, etc. Adding it is a win-win.

🔑  Key tip:  That being said, remember to only include your volunteer work as a separate section if you have a proper Work Experience section. If you’re a student or an entry-level candidate with no work experience, then your volunteer work goes in the experience section.

It’s not only about how proficient you are in a language. Sure, if you’re applying for the position of an Account Manager and know that your clients will be French, then your Advanced level of French is a guaranteed asset. But even if that’s not the case, foreign languages get included as they also show how you’re willing to learn something new and serve as proof that you can  communicate and think interculturally  (a really big deal in most companies).

You can add projects right under your Work Experience or Education section to highlight some experiences or initiatives that you’ve led or participated in that go beyond your day-to-day.

If a project was still in a way part of your day job, it’s best to include it in the Work Experience section, just give it more prominence (e.g. make it a subheading in a given entry).

If it’s a freelance project or something you otherwise did outside of your full-time employment, a separate section would make more sense.

I’ll just say it — hobbies on a resume are fine, but  only if they’re really cool and specific . They’re typically there for the hiring team to check how you’d fit into the company culture. While some companies seem to prefer “the crazier, the better” (let’s just say there are crazy-good cyclists, cellists, sommeliers, actors, and hikers in this company), it’s not your hobbies that’ll get you the job, but your experience and skills.

There are two ways the Hobby section can come back to haunt you.

Number one, you do some gentle stalking and find out that your potential manager is an avid tennis player. Then you go and add tennis to your list of hobbies and skills. Then you end up in the interview clueless as to who’s topping the ATP list or how many basic strokes there are. Bottom line: don’t lie on your resume.

Number two, you write something horribly non-specific like “Travel”, “Music”, “Reading” or “Arts”. You’re not 6, you gotta do much better than that.

Will you be considered a freak if you don’t add a hobby? It may not be that big of a deal, actually. Check out this article on  why (and why not) to include hobbies in your resume .

One Tip to Rule Them All: Customize Every Section

Even if you follow this advice and include all the mandatory and optional resume elements, your resume is going to be bland, bad, and botched if you create one general version and keep using it for all the job openings out there.

It’s like going on dates with five different people, dressing the same, and speaking a script you memorized. Needless to say, there’ll be no second dates.

The pros do it like this — you’ll need a separate resume for every job application because you’ll need to base your resume on the actual job ad.

This sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not actually that difficult.

To align your resume with the job ad, you’ll need to break down the job description into actual skills the employer’s looking for and scan for important, eye-catching keywords.

If the requirements state that a new Product Manager needs to have “ experience using agile development methodologies with globally distributed teams ” and notes the “ ability to triage and manage backlog ”, then make sure to include your experience with Agile and provide specific results like “ Built, managed and grew an AWS-based product and an Agile team of 12 developers ”.

Also, look at the words they use to describe personality and adapt it to soft skills or strengths. If the ad says “ meticulous person with a high bar for quality ”, “ humble, be willing to learn ”, or “ you will not be here just to tell other people what to do ”, this tells a lot about the company culture and the personal qualities they’re looking for. Make sure to include these exact words —  meticulous, humble, willing to learn  — in your resume.

What Not to Include on a Resume

Now that you’ve learned what needs to be on a resume, let’s go over the elements that you should 100% omit.

Here’s what you don’t want to include in a resume:

• Date of birth
• Your brick-and-mortar address
• Unprofessional email address
• First person narrative
• Buzzwords and jargon
• Irrelevant information not tailored to the specific job application

And here’s why:

• Date of birth:  Since it’s illegal for the interviewer to ask about your age, having the info on your resume is like an invitation to be ageist. Your age tells nothing about your skills, and can create bias, so it’s best to just drop it.
• Photo:  There are anti-discriminatory laws and employment policies that make it illegal to discriminate against applicants based on race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, age (40 or older), and disability. Many hiring teams will simply reject applicants with photos in order to avoid being accused of bias or discrimination. Take this seriously if you’re applying for a job in the US, UK, or Canada.
• Your brick-and-mortar address:  Firstly, it’s 2023 and many companies are hiring remotely, which makes your street address unnecessary. Secondly, your street address is considered sensitive information — there are many other ways an employer can contact you.Finally, including your physical address can get you rejected if the job is advertised in another city or state. The employer may not be willing to provide a relocation bonus or they could be looking only locally. If you’re open to moving for the job, it’s best to omit the street address or include a line stating your intent to relocate.
• Unprofessional email address:  Let’s start with the email client — if you’re still using Hotmail or AOL, you’ll come across as old-fashioned and inflexible. Opt for something more current (and professional) like Gmail or Outlook.Next, if you’re still going by  coolboy@  or  millie98@ , ditch it for something more professional. A flirtatious, silly, or inappropriate email address is a red flag across the board and a rookie mistake that shows a lack of effort. A refined email address, on the other hand, signals to the hiring team that you’re taking work seriously and that you’re informed about the professional world.As a general rule, you want to use your first and last names and avoid numbers, if possible. If the classic name + surname option is taken ( [email protected] , try other options like:  [email protected] ,  [email protected] , or  [email protected] .
• First-person narrative:  This is a really simple tweak that makes a world of difference! Drop full sentences in your resume (all sections, not just the summary) and avoid both the first and third-person narrative. Employers value result-oriented writing and concise statements. Instead of using pronouns ( I generated 52 weekly SEO reports ), focus on the action (the verb) by excluding the subject ( Generated 52 weekly SEO reports ).
• Buzzwords and jargon:  If you read through your resume and you don’t remember anything, you may have fallen into the trap of using empty words or trendy buzzwords that have little actual meaning. Avoid cliches and overused phrases like “hard-working”, “team player”, “synergy” and “streamlined”. Instead, refer back to the job description and replace these empty words with keywords from the ad.
• Irrelevant or general information:  Let your common sense guide you. There’s no such thing as a general resume — you’ll lose points if your resume is not aligned with the actual job ad. Always ask yourself: Is this really necessary? Is it relevant to the job? You don’t need to add links to irrelevant social media profiles, your references (the employer will ask for references if they need them), or salary history.

If this still looks a bit complicated or if you aren’t sure how to organize your sections, you could try using an online tool like BigInterview’s Resume Builder.

This tool comes with a resume-writing course with 8 video lessons where our co-founder and an HR authority,  Pamela Skillings , takes you through the resume sections and teaches you how to write and what to include in each. Simultaneously, you can work on your resume in the Resume Builder.

Once you’re in, the system will guide you through resume sections. You just need to provide your info and follow the instructions. The end result is a polished resume that you can complete in less than an hour.

Once done, you’ll be able to use the  ResumeAI feature  to assess your resume in terms of readability, credibility, and ATS-fit.

What to Put on a Resume: Checklist

Finally, here’s a quick checklist to guide you on what to put on a resume:

Mandatory sections to include:

• Resume summary of resume objective

Optional sections to include:

Don’t include:

• Street address
• Irrelevant or general information

Pamela Skillings

Turn interviews into offers

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What to Put on a Resume in 2024 [7+ Job-Winning Sections]

Choosing what to put on a resume can be a real struggle even if it’s not your first time writing a resume.

After all, not every resume has the same sections. Depending on your experience level & where you’re applying, your resume might look completely different .

For example, you always need to include your contact information, but the resume objective can be very situational.

The content that goes inside each section can differ as well, depending on whether you are applying for a job, an internship , or for a Ph.D. program.

So, the key here is to tailor your resume content to the job you’re applying for. As long as you mention the right things on your resume, you’re bound to land a job you’ll love.

Read on to learn what to put on your resume, depending on where you’re applying. We’ve also added a little extra section at the end of the guide on what NOT to include under any circumstance.

What to Include in a Resume To Land The Perfect Job

• Contact information
• Resume summary or objective statement
• Professional Experience
• Skills/ Certifications
• Other Important Sections
• Tailor Your Resume to The Job Description

In this guide, we’re going to go through all of them one-by-one and teach you what to write in each section.

1. What Contact Information Should Your Resume Have?

A great resume would contain the following contact information in the right order:

Full Name - The generally preferred format is Name, Last Name

Right under the name, you should include your:

Professional Title - this should always mirror the job position you are applying for. 

Let’s say you are applying for a “front-end web development ” position but your professional title says “Junior Data Scientist” .

Whoever picks up your resume will most likely discard it thinking that you are either overqualified for the position or your resume is in the wrong pile.

Professional Email Address 

Your email should be professional and not something you created back in primary school. ( “[email protected]” or “[email protected]” )

If you don't have one, make an email specifically for your career and make it something along the lines of [name] [last name] @ email.com

Check out our guide on how to email your resume to an employer for more tips!

Phone Number - If you are applying for a job outside your country, make sure to include your country code as well. If you have a US phone number, for example, you’d add (+1) in front of the number 555 555 5555.

Here’s an example of how this would look exactly.

So far so good. However, you can notice how there is a lot of valuable empty space for you to add more eye-catching information. 

Aside from the basic contact information, you should also put on your resume links to your social media handles and/or personal websites.

Relevant Social Media Handles

Here are some common social handles you could include that can help you get hired :

Many companies nowadays ask for a Linkedin profile when you apply for a job.

Your chances of getting hired will be greater if you keep your LinkedIn profile just as up-to-date as your resume.

In very specific cases, you can also include your Twitter profile (if it’s somehow relevant to the job).

Some marketing jobs ask for an existing social following, for example. In others, you could use it to display your witty, under-20-characters writing skills.

Quora questions and answers cover a wide range of business topics nowadays. 

Are you an expert at giving business advice with 100+ answers on the topic? You can show your authority by linking your Quora page.

StackOverflow

Mainly relevant for developers, coders , computer scientists . 

Having a very active Stack overflow profile can give you a big boost if you code.

Only for developers , coders , data scientists , etc.

Github is a great way to showcase your projects. Whether it’s a website you developed, or a mobile game, make sure to include it!

Freelancers , writers , bloggers , and entrepreneurs .

A rich medium profile can help you showcase your writing skills and personality before even getting to the interview or trial task. 

Make sure to only put the relevant social media handles on your resume. If you are applying for a software development position, for example, your StackOverflow profile will be more relevant than your Twitter account.

URL to your personal website/channels

Here are some typical examples of what you could include:

• Personal website - Include a link to your personal website if you have an established online presence. Don’t include it if it’s just a literal HTML copy of your resume. No one will want to read the same content over again.
• Personal blog - Only include this if it is relevant to the job you are applying for. For example, if you have a blog that positions you as an expert in your field. A personal blog on meditation and unlocking the power within won’t mean much when applying for an accounting position.
• URL to your personal portfolio - For web designers, illustrators, painters, photographers, etc...
• Youtube channel - A channel containing videos of you explaining quantum economics can be a great thing to put on a resume if you are applying for a job in the field of economics.

So in the end, your contact information section would look something like this:

This example was made with a Novorésumé template, and it took us less than 15 seconds! Give our online resume builder a try - we’ll save you from the hassle of manually formatting your resume!

2. Make the Right First Impression With a Resume Summary or Resume Objective

Nowadays, it takes less than half a second for someone to swipe left and discard your entire worth on Tinder. 

Luckily, when applying for a job, you won’t be swiped left based on how you look. You’ll get discarded if you fail to catch the HR manager’s attention.

On average, it takes an HR manager or recruiter around 6 seconds to decide whether your resume goes on the discard pile or not. 

That’s why you want to leave a good first impression. Just like you did with that Tinder profile photo you uploaded from the time when you still had abs!

When writing a resume, the best way to achieve that is by writing a killer resume summary or objective.

How to Write a Resume Summary

A resume summary is a 2-3 sentence summary of your entire professional career. If you have more than 2 years of work experience, you’d opt for the resume summary instead of an objective (we’ll explain why in a bit!).

The core structure of a resume summary should contain the following information:

Jobs and years of experience

• Senior front-end developer with 10+ years of experience in Angular and ReactJs

Relevant achievements and responsibilities

• Specialized in developing e-commerce solutions following agile development principles.

What you are looking for. Your goal. 

• Seeking a position as a front-end lead developer at a startup company

To make sure your resume summary is memorable, make sure to mention how your previous experience on motivation will be beneficial to the company you’re applying for. You should include the following information:

• What can you do for them?
• How will your previous experience fit in the company’s current environment?
• How can you help their company grow while pursuing your own personal goals simultaneously?

How to Write a Resume Objective

Just like a resume summary, your resume objective is also max 2-3 sentences. Rather than describing your work experience, the resume objective focuses more on your motivation for applying for a specific job.

If you're a professional with several years’ worth of work experience, you should always stick to the resume summary. You're much more likely to sell yourself with your experience, rather than motivation.

If you're one of the following, though, you might want to use a resume objective:

• Recent graduate with no work experience
• Professional going through a major career shift with no relevant preceding work experience
• Student looking for your very first internship
• Professional with a career gap

(1) [SKILL/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION RELEVANT TO THE JOB WITH JOB TITLE] . Looking to apply my (2) [years/months of EXPERIENCE RELEVANT TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION] at [COMPANY YOU ARE APPLYING TO] to help (3) [TYPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES YOU WILL HELP OUT WITH SUCCESSFULLY] . 

And here’s how this looks like in practice:

“Driven and meticulous recent graduate with a B.Sc. in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics with a 3.98 GPA. 6+ months of experience in forensic accounting and spreadsheet & data manipulation. Looking for an entry-level position as a forensic accountant at the XYZ Accounting Firm.”

To make sure your resume summary is memorable, as with the resume objective, you want to make sure that it’s tailored for the position you’re applying for.

In addition, make sure to mention:

• Your skills / experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying for
• Exact keywords from the listing to increase chances of passing through application tracking systems
• How you’re going to help the company achieve its goals

3. How to Write Your Work Experience to Stand Out

This is the CORE section of your resume.

Here is where you get to “advertise” yourself by listing past responsibilities and achievements on a job. 

Whether you do this right or not is the main deciding factor between your Plan A job and your Plan D. 

You could have an outstanding history of professional experience. But if you don’t word it the right way, someone else might snatch away your dream job (even if you’re perfectly qualified for it!).

How to Include Your Professional Experience on your Resume? (Step-by-step)

Here’s a three-step process of how to list your work experience so that you can make it stand out:

1. Add Your Job Title  

This should be right at the top so that anyone scanning your resume won’t miss it.

2. A short 1-2 sentence description explaining what the company does. 

Certainly, if you have worked in a globally recognized brand like Apple, Google, McKinsey’s, etc, then you probably don’t need to include background information on the company.

Otherwise, add the company’s name, location of the office where you worked, and a one-sentence description of what the company does.

3. Include 4-6 bullet points describing the core duties and activities you performed for the company. 

Now, this is the tricky part - listing your work experience the right way.

Each bullet point here should be a one-sentence description of a duty or activity.

Most people, when writing their resume, simply list out their basic responsibilities.

Things like “Managed the sales at the company & dealing with clients” or “Marketed company products and drove sales.”

Well, here’s the thing. The hiring manager knows what your responsibilities are. What they want to know is how you drove results at the company and helped take it from point A to point B.

Here’s how a well-written achievements/duties/activities look like:

Describe your Achievements using Numbers and Percentages to Back Them Up

When possible, you should back up your achievements with numbers and percentages.

This is how you show the employer that you’re a high-achiever. 

To show you how this looks in practice, let’s take an example of an achievement for a customer support agent : 

“Increased customer support ticket closing satisfaction rate” 

While this is definitely a good start, it doesn’t actually mean anything. Anyone could say they’ve done this - but there’s a huge difference between someone who increased the satisfaction rate by 0.5%, and by 30%.

What if you rephrased it as:

“Increased customer support ticket closing satisfaction rate from 47% to 72% within 3 months.”

Now, this is a lot more actionable. The hiring manager can see how good you are, and how you’d be an asset for the company.

In this case, it’s instantly clear that you know what you’re doing, and your resume goes directly to the YES pile.

Should You Include Internships on Your Resume?

If you just graduated, chances are that an internship (or internships) is the only relevant experience you have. So, definitely mention it in your resume.

If you have already worked for a few years, though, you can completely get rid of internships from your resume. 

There are some exceptions to this rule, though. For example, if you did an internship at CERN (the particle reactor in Switzerland, one of the most renowned experimental physics institutes in the world), you would be better off keeping it. 

4. What Skills Should You Put on a Resume to Make You Stand Out?

“Roughly 75% of large companies use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). As a result, over 70% of resumes submitted to job-boards are never read.”

Luckily, getting past ATS is not that hard. All you have to do is mention the right skills in your resume .

By the right skills, we mean the skills asked for in the “requirements” or “qualifications” section of the job ad.

To figure out what they are for the position you’re applying for, simply go through the listing.

Let’s cover a real example to make this super clear.

Here’s a job listing for a UX/UI Designer position at XYZ Inc.:

As you can see, the skills required for the position are:

• Proficiency in standard UX software such as Sketch, InVision, Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD) and other relevant UX and UI design tools
• Good understanding of front-end web development (HTML, CSS, JAVA)
• Strong problem solving, project management and organizational skills.

Now, all you have to do is mention all of them individually in your resume Skills section.

NEVER lie on a resume about your skills’ experience level. Even if you do make it past the interviews and miraculously get the job, you’ll eventually be caught in the lie.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are the technical skills you pick at university or work. They can be measured, and are usually directly related to the tasks you complete at work

Think, anything from designing in Photoshop to using a specific ERP system.

Here’s how they’d look on your resume:

Looks neat right? 

That’s not just it, though. To write a good Skills section, you should also mention some of your soft skills.

Not sure which skills to use? It might be one of these 100+ essential skills to put on any resume !

Soft Skills

While hard skills are learned technical skills, soft skills are your personal attributes.

Here are a few, just to give you a general idea:

• Leadership skills
• Strategic management and planning 
• Communication

And here’s how they look on your resume:

Your skills section should be backed up by your work experience. If you say that you’re an expert at Java, but you’ve never worked as a Java developer , no one’s going to buy it.

Universal Skills

As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to also put some universal skills on your resume.

What are universal skills?

They are skills that fit in the description or requirements of most career fields. Universal skills can be both soft and hard skills.

Some soft universal skills are leadership, teamwork, and analytical thinking.

Ms Word, Excel, Powerpoint, writing skills, etc... are typical hard universal skills.

Regardless of the job you are applying for, these are the skills that will come in handy at some point.

5. How to List Education on a Resume

Another essential part of your resume is the Education section. Here, you describe your academic career with any relevant achievements.

Here’s how you’d format your education section:

And here’s how this would look on a resume:

Keep in mind that you should mention your education in reverse-chronological order . So, the most recent thing goes on top.

When writing your education section, here’s a couple of things you should keep in mind:

• Don’t mention your high school degree if you have a university degree
• Mention your GPA only if it’s above 3.5. Anything below that might not seem too impressive (especially if you’re competing with someone who listed a 4.0)
• Mention your education before your work experience if you don’t have any work experience.

6. Other Important Sections to Put on a Resume

By this point, you have already done the heavy-duty work. The previous sections are the MUST-haves of a resume.

There are, however, several other sections you can mention on your resume that’ll help you land the job.

Certifications and Awards

Do you have any certifications or awards that are relevant to your field or career? Make sure to put them on your resume!

If you are a software developer or engineer , you could mention things like your Java or AWS certification.

Similarly, if you are applying for a Digital Marketing position, those Google Analytics and AdWords certifications would come in very handy.

In today’s world, languages are one of the top distinguishing hiring factors. Since most companies nowadays are international, knowing two or more languages can become a HUGE advantage.

Countless companies nowadays value bilingual employees more than those speaking only one language.

Whatever job you are applying for, make sure to include all the languages you speak on your resume. Include your proficiency level next to each one.

You can see in the example below the different phrases you can use to describe your language proficiency levels.

• Native or Bilingual
• Full Professional Proficiency
• Professional Working Proficiency
• Limited Working Proficiency
• Elementary Working Proficiency

Make sure not to lie about this. It's not hard to figure out when someone doesn't speak a language. Your “Full Professional Proficiency” Spanish might go “adios” all the way down to “Elementary” if the interviewer speaks the language.

Hobbies and Interests

The hobbies and interests section can help you convey a little bit of personality. 

This is where you can show how big of an influence music is in your life. Or even reveal your Harry Potter addiction. Whatever it is, make sure you mention something that can really set you apart from the rest. 

You never know, maybe you end up having a lot in common with whoever picks up your resume.

Volunteering Experience

Altruism and generosity are characteristics that will make you stand out regardless of the environment you find yourself in, the office included. 

Hiring managers tend to prefer candidates who have some volunteering experience. This means that the employee is the type to spend their own free time on a worthy goal.

Chances are, the same dedication also transfers to the workplace.

If the volunteering experience is somehow related to your career, you can include it in the work experience section. Otherwise, you can create a separate section just for this.

Here’s how this would look like:

Publications

If you're a professional writer (i.e. journalist, researcher, scholar, etc.), you'd benefit from including your publications on the resume.

Maybe you have several blog posts published online, or a publication or two in an academic journal.

Whichever the case is, you can include them in your resume and make sure to mention the link.

Side projects are super important for many positions. They can help you make up for any lack of experience in a certain field, or display your passion for the job.

For example, if you are a developer or a coder, you must have a bunch of projects on Github. It could be a project you have done for a class or some app you started working on with your friends back in college (new Facebook, anyone?).

Projects aren’t just for coders, though. Maybe you attended a startup weekend at some point in your life? Or participated in a design hackathon?

Both of these examples can really add value to your application.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you can also mention some of your side hustles. Things like re-selling goods on eBay, selling your art on Etsy, and so on.

Next Steps: Tailoring Your Resume to the Job

Now that you know what sections to put on your resume, let's talk about its content.

It's essential that any information you've mentioned on your resume is relevant to the job.

We really can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to check every section you have put on your resume and make sure each one is tailored to the job/position you are applying for.

Because the hiring manager wants the job seeker that's applying for THEIR position, not sending a mass application to 50+ different companies.

So, here’s how you’d tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for. As step #1, take a look at the job ad and identify top requirements and skills.

Let’s use the following ad as an example:

As you can see, the most important requirements are: 

• 5+ years of experience in the field
• Skills in Copywriting, Photoshop, and email marketing
• Practical experience creating and optimizing landing pages

Now, you need to make sure you mention all of these in your resume, in whichever section they’re relevant.

Now that you know exactly what to put on a resume, we thought it would be helpful to also cover what NOT to put on a resume.

20+ Things You Should NOT Include in Your Resume

• Date of Birth - Age should not matter to a hiring manager. It’s not important for their decision-making, and at worst, it might lead to age-based discrimination.
• An Unprofessional Email Address - Do: [email protected] Don’t: [email protected] 
• Photo - Especially in the US and in the UK (due to anti-discrimination laws). Hiring managers don’t need to know your appearance to evaluate your resume and application overall. 
• Your exact address - very few businesses use mailing services nowadays to communicate with potential hires. It’s inefficient, and it’s simply safer to use your email.
• If you have a few years of related work experience, then you should not include a resume objective.
• Your resume summary or objective should also not include any requests, demands, or salary requirements.
• Jobs that aren’t even remotely relevant to the position you are applying for. No one cares about your experience as a cashier if you’re applying for a designer gig
• Fluff that doesn’t say anything. This is a lot more common than you’d think. Make sure all your duties and activities listed are practical
• Jobs that you had for a short time period (a few weeks). This shows that you’re a job hopper and unlikely to stick around for job (even if the employer you quit on was horrible).
• Any illegal jobs
• Irrelevant skills to the job in question
• Fluff skills just to take up space. Fun fact - a TON of university students fill up their resume with buzzwords like “Leadership, Critical Thinking” and so on.
• Your GPA (if it’s lower than 3.5)
• Your high school degree (if you have a university degree)
• The entire list of all the courses you attended in college
• Hobbies related to controversial topics (politics, religion, sex) based on ideologies and cultural differences. You can never know if the person reading your resume is on the same page as you.
• Childhood hobbies. Sure, you were a great football player in high school. But how relevant is it for that junior accounting position you are applying to?
• Irrelevant projects and publications.

Key Takeaways - What to Put on a Resume

Now that we’ve covered all the sections & contents you need to put on a resume, let’s summarize everything we’ve learned:

• The core contents of a resume include: contact information , resume summary / resume objective , work experience , education and skills .
• The optional sections are: certifications & awards , languages , hobbies & interests , volunteering experience , publications , and projects .
• Make sure to make your work experience section shine by talking about results & achievements, instead of dull responsibilities
• Lastly, you should tailor your resume to each different job you apply for!

At Novorésumé, we’re committed to helping you get the job you deserve, every step of the way! Follow our career blog to stay up to date with the industry-leading advice. Or, check out some of our top guides:

• How to Write a Cover Letter
• CV vs Resume: What’s the Difference?
• How to Pick the Right Resume Format

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More From Forbes

10 must-have skills to put on your resume in 2024.

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Employers are placing a greater emphasis on skills, especially soft skills, than on degrees or work ... [+] experience

Have you ever felt tempted to skip the skills section in your resume, just to get to the most important part—your employment history? After all, it's your employment track record that matters, right?

Recruiters and employers on LinkedIn don't seem to think so. " Skills have become more important than ever in landing opportunities today," said LinkedIn's head of product for Jobseeker, Employer Brand, and Skills, Rohan Rajiv in 2022. "In fact, over 40% of companies on LinkedIn globally explicitly rely on skills to search and identify job candidates on LinkedIn (up 20% year-over-year)."

This staggering figure is certainly set to increase even more in 2024, as more companies turn to new and unconventional methods to evaluate the skill set of job applicants, and LinkedIn continues to empower applicants and recruiters alike with state-of-the-art tools to showcase and filter skills.

All this demonstrates that although your employment background is important, your skills and strengths—especially the ones unique to the role—are even more important. And off LinkedIn, there is an increased focus on skills-based-hiring, leading employers to place greater weighting on the skills a candidate includes in their resume.

While you should always look out for the core skills listed in the job posting and ensure you put them on your resume, there are some other skills you should always aim to include in your resume (whether in the skills section, your online portfolio, LinkedIn profile, or throughout the professional profile and employment sections).

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And of course, it might seem fairly obvious, but don't forget to only include those skills that you can truthfully say you possess. Lying on your resume will work against you and you'll get caught out.

Top 10 Skills To Put On Your Resume

According to FlexJobs , some of the core skills that should be put on your resume include a combination of soft, or "power" skills and hard skills, listed below:

1. Problem-solving

Employers want to onboard candidates who take ownership for a problem instead of shifting or evading responsibility. Working out creative solutions to a business or customer issue is a skill that is, at least for the present, irreplaceable by AI.

2. Critical thinking

Listed in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2023 report , critical thinking is a skill akin to problem-solving, that involves evaluating a problem and possible solutions, and developing new and improved methods of working.

3. Flexibility

Although this has become a taboo term for employers and employees to discuss, it's importance cannot be evaded. So far as possible, maintain a degree of flexibility in your work, reaching a compromise with your prospective employer to ensure both parties are happy with working arrangements, and learn how to be dynamic and embrace change.

4. Communication

The importance of communication skills can never be overrated. They are needed everywhere to ensure the smooth delivery of projects, streamlined processes, and a healthy work environment. Get specific on your communication skills, showcasing aspects such as presentation skills, conflict resolution, negotiation, or even writing copy, depending on your role of course.

Taking ownership to resolve a problem for clients, team members, or stakeholders, is a highly ... [+] desirable quality sought after by companies globally

5. Teamwork

The saying goes, "Teamwork makes the dream work." Although it might sound cheesy and you may not enjoy working with people, it's essential to know how to collaborate and communicate well within your team and cross-functional teams. It will be very difficult to find a role where teamwork is not involved to some degree.

6. Digital skills

You'd be hard-pressed to find a job that does not require you to possess digital skills. Almost every role requires the use of company-specific software, design software, MS office suite, or a CRM. You should highlight the technical skills that you are proficient or comfortable with, including any that you are currently learning.

And if you observe through your research that the employer uses a specific type of software, always ensure you include this in your technical skills list (including proficiency level if possible).

You don't need to be a designer to need to have a grasp of design. Design principles (and related software) appear everywhere, from engineering, to social media management, to creating the slide deck for a PowerPoint presentation, to event planning.

8. Data analysis

Data analytics is another in-demand skill that is necessary, even outside of the data profession itself. If you find yourself called upon to analyze reports, Excel spreadsheets, or other data, to arrive at conclusions or to inform decision-making, you're likely doing some form of data analysis.

9. Negotiation

Sales, partnerships and agreements, and internal stakeholder arrangements all require negotiation skills to some degree. Add this skill to your resume and include some proof of where you have used it successfully, as a bonus.

10. Mathematics

No, do not list "mathematics" in your resume unless you're straight out of high school. But mathematical skills ? Absolutely. Think about budget management, financial forecasting, cost reduction, statistical analysis, probabilities, machine learning, and financial modelling.

These are all highly desirable and specific skills.

Aim to include specific examples of your skills in action, throughout your resume

Remember most importantly, listing skills is a relatively easy job. Detailing how you demonstrated them in your roles and the positive impact they made as a result, is another job altogether. Be careful that you do not fall into the copy/paste trap, without ensuring the skills listed are relevant, truly reflect you, and are backed, as far as possible, with evidence.

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40+ Resume Tips to Help You Land a Job in 2024

When you haven’t updated your resume in a while, it can be hard to know where to start. What experiences and accomplishments are relevant for the jobs you’ve got your eye on? What new resume rules and trends should you be following? And seriously, one page or two ?

Well, search no more: We’ve compiled all the resume tips you need into one place. Read on for advice and tricks that’ll help you craft a winning resume—and land your next job.

Maximize your chances by looking for more open jobs on The Muse »

Basic resume tips

Let's start with the basic do's and don'ts when putting your resume together. Listing your skills is not the only thing that matters—choosing the right format and sections is equally crucial. Here are some tips for writing a resume from scratch:

1. Don’t try to cram every skill and work experience onto your resume

Think of your resume not as a comprehensive list of your career history, but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for the role you’re applying to. For each resume you send out, you’ll want to highlight only the accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job at hand (even if that means you don’t include all of your experience ).

This is called tailoring your resume and it helps anyone who reads it see exactly why you’re a match for a specific position.

2. But keep a resume outline with a full list of your qualifications

Since you’ll be swapping different information in and out depending on the job you’re applying to, save a resume outline —or maybe our resume worksheet —on your computer with old positions, bullet points tailored for different applications, and special projects that only sometimes make sense to include. Think of this as your brag file. Then, when you’re crafting each resume, it’s just a matter of cutting and pasting relevant information together.

3. Ditch the objective statement

The only time an objective section makes sense is when you’re making a huge career change and need to explain from the get-go why your experience doesn’t match up with the position you’re applying to. In every other case, resume objectives just make you look old-fashioned or out of touch.

Read More: 3 Reasons You Should Ditch That Resume Objective—and 3 Things You Can Do Instead

4. Put the best, most relevant information first

In journalism speak, “above the fold” refers to what you see on the front half of a folded newspaper (or, in the digital age, before you scroll down on a website)—basically it’s your first impression of a document. In resume speak, it means you should make sure your most relevant qualifications are visible on the top third of your resume.

This top section is what the hiring manager is going to see first—and what will serve as a hook for someone to keep on reading. If your most recent position isn’t the most relevant piece of your candidacy, consider leading with a skills section (such as in a combination resume format ) or writing a resume summary .

5. Choose the right resume format for you

There are lots of different ways to organize the information on your resume—like the functional resume or combination resume. But the good old reverse chronological —where your most recent experience is listed first—is usually your best bet. Unless it’s absolutely necessary in your situation, skip the functional or skills-based resume—hiring managers might wonder what you’re hiding.

6. Keep it concise

The two-page resume is a hotly debated topic, but the bottom line is this—you want the information here to be as short as possible, and keeping it to one page forces you to prioritize what really matters. If you truly have enough relevant and important experience, training, and credentials to showcase on more than one page of your resume, then go for two. But if you can tell the same story in less space? Do it.

Read More: 6 Pro Tips for Cutting Your Resume Down to One Page

7. Include relevant links

Can’t figure out how to tell your whole story on one page, or want to be able to include some visual examples of your work? Instead of trying to have your resume cover everything, cover the most important details on that document. Then, include a link to your personal website , your online portfolio , examples of your work, or a relevant, professional social media profile , where you can dive more into what makes you the ideal candidate.

Just avoid hyperlinking over words that are key to understanding your resume, since it can throw off the tools employers use to store and parse resumes.

8. Be aware of the ATS

You may have heard that employers are using computers to “read” your resume and decide who to hire and reject. That’s not exactly true. But most employers do use software called an applicant tracking system—or ATS—to parse resumes and organize them so that recruiters and hiring managers can search for the most relevant applications.

You should assume your resume will pass through an ATS at some point during your job search, so understanding how it works will help make your hunt more efficient. (All of the tips for resume writing in this list keep ATSs in mind as well!)

Read More: Beat the Robots: How to Get Your Resume Past the System and Into Human Hands

Resume formatting tips

Your resume's format matters as much as the content it holds. Aim for a simple and minimalist layout, without overwhelming columns, colors, or graphic elements. Here are some key resume formatting tips to help you stand out:

9. Keep your resume format simple

We’ll talk about getting creative in order to stand out in a minute. But the most basic principle of good resume formatting and design? Keep it simple. Make your resume easy on hiring managers’ eyes by using a reasonably sized default font like Helvetica or Arial and leaving a healthy amount of white space on the page. Your main focus here should be on readability for the hiring manager (and that pesky ATS).

Read more: The Best Resume Font and Size (No More Agonizing!)

10. Stand out with ATS-friendly design elements

Really want your resume to stand out from the sea of Times New Roman? Yes, creative resumes —like infographics, videos, or presentations can set you apart, but you have to make sure they actually get read. If you’re uploading your resume to a job application site or online portal, use ATS-friendly formatting elements like:

• Bold and italic text
• Underlining (in headings or over hyperlinks)
• Different text alignments
• Columns that can be read straight across

11. Avoid design elements that can’t be “read” by computers

On the flip side, it’s best to avoid design elements that ATSs are known to have trouble with such as:

• Logos and icons
• Images and photos
• Graphics, graphs, or other visuals
• Headers and footers
• Less common fonts
• Columns that can only be read from top to bottom

12. Make your contact info prominent

You don’t need to include your address on your resume anymore (really!), but you do need to make sure to include a phone number and professional-sounding email address (but not one affiliated with another job!) as well as other places the hiring manager can find you on the web, like your LinkedIn profile, plus your pronouns if you’d like to.

Read More: Here's Exactly What Should Be Included in Your Resume's Header

13. Design your resume for skimmability

You’ve probably heard before that hiring managers don’t spend a lot of time on each individual resume. So help them get as much information as possible in as little time as possible, by making your resume easy to skim .

Work experience resume tips

Recruiters nowadays want to know more than a simple description of your responsibilities. They're looking for the results and impacts of your work, as well as the connection between your experience and the position you're applying for now.

That said, let's take a look at some resume writing tips for describing your work experience:

14. Keep your work experience recent and relevant

As a rule, you should only show the most recent 10-15 years of your career and only include the experiences that are relevant to the positions you’re applying to. Remember to allocate real estate on your resume according to importance. If there’s a choice between including one more college internship or going into more detail about your current role, always choose the latter (unless the internship was more relevant to the role you’re applying for).

15. Don’t forget your transferable skills and experiences

Don’t panic if you don’t have any professional experience that fits the bill. Focus your resume on your relevant and transferable skills along with any related side or academic projects , and then make sure to pair it with a strong cover letter telling the narrative of why you’re ideal for the job.

Read more: What to Put on Your Resume When You Have No Relevant Work Experience

16. Write strong, achievement-focused bullet points

The bullet points under each job entry are arguably the most important part of your resume. They tell whoever’s reading it what skills you have, how you’ve used them, and how you’ve helped your employers in the past.

So start with a strong action verb , include relevant skills from the job description , and frame your bullets around your achievements—don’t just list your job duties . Tell them how your work benefitted your boss or company so they know what they stand to gain by hiring you.

Here’s a simple formula to follow:

• Compelling verb + job duty + key skills used = tangible result

So you might say: “ Developed an upgrade to the employee database, ensuring the smooth flow of critical operations, which led to a 35% increase in efficiency. ”

17. Curate your bullet points and experiences

No matter how long you’ve been in a job, or how much you’ve accomplished there, you shouldn’t have more than eight bullet points under it—and that’s only for your most recent and relevant job. Jobs further back should generally be limited to four to six bullets.

Read More: How Many Bullet Points Should Each Job on Your Resume Have?

18. Use as many numbers as you can

Use facts, figures, and numbers whenever possible in your bullet points. How many people were impacted by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals? Quantifying your accomplishments allows the hiring manager to picture the level of work or responsibility you needed to achieve them.

19. Don’t neglect non-traditional work

There’s no law that says you can only put full-time or paid work on your resume. So, if you’ve volunteered , worked part-time or as a temporary or contract worker , freelanced, or interned? Absolutely list these things as their own “jobs” within your career chronology—as long as they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for. The same goes for career breaks . Yes, really.

Read More: 4 Things You Didn't Know You Could Put on Your Resume

20. Use important keywords from the job description

Scan the job description, see what words are used most often, and make sure you’ve included them in your bullet points. For example, does the job description list “CRM” or “Salesforce”? Make sure your resume matches. Not only is this a self-check that you’re targeting your resume to the job, but it’ll also make it easier to search for your resume in an ATS.

Read More: How to Pick Resume Keywords That'll Get Your Job Application Past the ATS

Resume tips for including your education

Most hiring managers will want to know your education level, even if it's not necessarily relevant to the position you're going for. This section is especially important for those changing careers or applying for entry-level jobs—as your education can be an indicator of the skills you have.

Here's some resume tips and tricks for this section:

21. Put experience first, education later

Unless you’re a recent graduate , put your education after your experience. Chances are, your last couple of jobs are more important and relevant to you getting the job than where you went to college.

22. Also keep it in reverse chronological order

Generally, you should list your educational background with the most recent or advanced degree first, working in reverse chronological order. But if older coursework is more specific to the job, list that first to grab the reviewer’s attention.

23. Remove the dates from your education section once you’re a few years into your career

Unless you’re early in your career, don’t list your graduation dates. The reviewer cares more about whether or not you have the degree than when you earned it. And you don’t want to inadvertently open yourself up to age discrimination , which is an unfortunate reality in some job markets.

24. Highlight honors and achievements, not GPA

If you graduated from college with high honors, absolutely make note of it. Showcase that summa cum laude status, the fact that you were in the honors college at your university, a relevant project you completed, or an award you won. You don’t need to list your GPA —employers don’t care as much about GPA as they do what skills you gained in school.

Read More: How to (and How Not to) List Education on Your Resume

25. Include continuing or online education

Feel free to include continuing education, professional development coursework, or online courses in your education section, especially if your resume feels a little light on relevant experience.

Best resume tips for showing off your skills

You shouldn't wait until you get an interview to showcase your skills—your resume can and should have a specific section for them. You can also leverage other sections of the document to incorporate what's relevant for the position.

Here are our tips for making a resume that effectively highlights your skills:

26. Don’t forget your skills section

Be sure to add a section that lists all the relevant skills you have for a position—especially those mentioned in the job description. Include technical skills like software and project management tools or specific knowledge of how to perform relevant tasks. Just make sure to skip including skills that everyone is expected to have, like using email or Microsoft Word. Doing so will make you seem less technologically savvy.

27. But don’t only put your skills in your skills section

Your skills section is an easy way for anyone reading your resume to confirm that you have required qualifications, but that shouldn’t be the only place that your important skills appear. Any skill that’s vital to you being hired should also be in your bullet points—where you can show how you’ve used it in the past.

28. Divvy up your skills for readability

If you have lots of skills that would help you with a job but aren’t necessarily in the same category—say, foreign language, software, and leadership skills—try breaking up your skills sections. Below your “Skills” section, add a subsection titled “Language Skills” or “Software Skills,” for example. Again, we’re going for skimmability here!

29. Show—don’t tell—your soft skills

Describing soft skills on a resume often starts to sound like a list of meaningless buzzwords. But being a “strong leader” or an “effective communicator” are important characteristics you want to get across. Think about how you can demonstrate these attributes in your bullet points without actually saying them.

Read more: The Non-Boring Way to Show Off Your Soft Skills in Your Job Search

Other resume section tips

Resume sections are not fixed like stone-written texts; they can change according to the job position you're applying for or the requirements listed by the company. Here are some examples of sections you can add—and more tips on writing a resume that stand out:

30. Include relevant certifications and licenses

If you have a certification or license that proves you can do some aspect of the job you’re applying for, include it on your resume. This is especially important if that certification or license is legally required to do the job—for example, in nursing, teaching, or driving jobs.

31. Show some (relevant) personality

Feel free to include an “Interests” section on your resume, but only add those that are relevant to the job. Are you a guitar player with your eye on a music company? Definitely include it. But if you’re considering including your scrapbooking hobby for a software developer job at a healthcare company? Best to leave it out.

32. Beware of interests and activities that could be controversial

Maybe you help raise money for your church on the reg. Or perhaps you’re dedicated to canvassing during political campaigns. Yes, these experiences show a good amount of work ethic or possibly other relevant skills—but they could also open you up to be discriminated against by someone who disagrees with the cause. So weigh your decision to include them carefully.

33. Add awards and achievements—when they’re relevant

Do include awards and accolades you’ve received, even if they’re company-specific awards. Just state what you earned them for, e.g., “Earned Golden Salesperson Award for having the company’s top sales record four quarters in a row.” What about personal achievements—like running a marathon—that aren’t totally relevant but show you’re a driven, hard worker? Consider the best way to include them (and if you should).

Resume tips for navigating employment gaps and other sticky situations

If you're an experienced professional, you might have some tricky information to explain. Job hopping, career gap, and short term jobs are examples of things that can make an applicant feel insecure when drafting resumes.

Is that your situation? Check on these good resume tips to explain sticky situations without jeopardizing your chances to get an interview:

34. Cut the short-term jobs

If you stayed at a (non-temporary) job for only a matter of months, consider eliminating it from your resume to avoid looking like a job hopper. Leaving a particularly short-lived job or two off your resume shouldn’t hurt, as long as you’re honest about your experience if asked in an interview. But if the short-term job is super relevant to this job, consider including it anyway.

35. If you have shorter gaps, be strategic about how you list dates

If you have gaps of a few months in your work history, don’t list the usual start and end dates with months and years for each position. Use years only (2018–2020), or just the number of years or months you worked at each position. Just keep it consistent throughout your resume and don’t lie if asked about gaps during an interview.

Read more: How to Explain the Gap in Your Resume With Ease

36. Explain serial job hopping

If you’ve job-hopped frequently, you can include a succinct reason for leaving next to each position like “company closed,” “layoff due to downsizing,” or “relocated to a new city.” By addressing the gaps, you’ll proactively illustrate the reason for your frequent job movement and make it less of an issue.

37. Explain a long break in jobs

Re-entering the workforce after a long hiatus? This is the perfect opportunity for a summary statement at the top, outlining your best skills and accomplishments. Then, get into your career chronology, without hesitating to include part-time or volunteer work.

38. Be intentional about career gaps

While career gaps are becoming increasingly common, you should still frame them in a way that’s relevant to a future employer, by talking about skills you gained or any professional endeavors you took on. If you didn’t focus on professional development, that’s fine too! But not every employer will appreciate it if you get too cutesy about that section of your resume.

For example, if you took time out of the workforce to raise kids, you might not want to creatively describe this parenting experience on your resume, à la “adeptly managed the growing pile of laundry.” Instead state what you did plainly and include any professional skills you may have grown or activities you may have done.

Read More: Stay-at-Home Parent? How to Kill it on Your Comeback Resume

Tips on resume finishing touches

Writing a good resume alone isn't the only thing that matters. How you save and send it can also determine whether the recruiter will even take a look at it. To wrap things up, here are our resume formatting tips and other suggestions to boost your chances of getting noticed:

39. Ditch “References available upon request”

If a hiring manager is interested in you, they’ll ask you for references—and will assume that you have them. There’s no need to address the obvious (and doing so might even make you look a little out of touch!).

40. Proofread, proofread, proofread

It should go without saying, but fully edit your resume and make sure it’s free and clear of typos. And don’t rely on spell check and grammar check alone—step away for a few hours, then read your resume closely again, and ask family or friends to take a look at it for you.

41. Save it as a PDF or Word document

Unless a job posting specifically requests that you do otherwise, your resume should always be submitted as either a PDF or Word document (.docx not .doc). These are the formats that can be most easily opened and most easily parsed by an ATS.

The choice between the two is up to you (again, unless the company you’re applying to requests one format over the other). If you’re emailing your resume, however, PDFs are a bit more likely to maintain your formatting across different computers and programs.

42. Name your file clearly

Ready to save your resume and send it off? Save it as “Jane Smith Resume” instead of “Resume.” The hiring manager is going to have plenty of “Resumes” on their computer, so make it super easy for them to find what they’re looking for. You can even go a bit further and put the position title in your file name (e.g., “Jane Smith Marketing Analyst Resume).

Read More: The (Simple) Guidelines You Should Follow When Naming Your Resume and Cover Letter Files

43. Keep your resume outline fresh

Carve out some time every quarter or so to pull up your resume outline and make some updates. Have you taken on new responsibilities? Learned new skills? Add them. When your resume is updated on a regular basis, you’re always ready to pounce when opportunity presents itself. And even if you’re not job searching, there are plenty of good reasons to keep this document in tip-top shape.

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• 11 Key Things to Put on Your...

11 Key Things to Put on Your Resume

15 min read · Updated on January 17, 2024

TopResume demystifies the content you need on your resume

As the job market becomes ever more competitive, it's more important than ever to create a resume that can help you to stand out from the crowd. Gone are the days when a mediocre resume was good enough to get your foot in the employment door. These days, you need a truly compelling resume that highlights your value if you want to ensure that you make the best possible impression on prospective employers.

In this post, we'll focus on one of the most crucial elements of the resume creation process: deciding which information needs to be included in your resume. In this guide, we'll examine 11 of the most important things to put on a resume if you want to effectively sell yourself as the best candidate for the job.

1. Contact information

Your contact details need to have a prominent place on your resume, to ensure that employers can easily find the information they need to call you in for a job interview. Like the rest of your resume, this section should be clean and easy to read. Use standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, Cambria, or Georgia, and stick to simple black text. Include the following information:

First and last name : Many job seekers use a larger font size for this line of their contact information section, to ensure that their name stands out.

Your location : You shouldn't add your street address to your resume, but it is acceptable to include the city and state. This is especially true if you're applying for a position in another area and need employers to know that you're willing to relocate. If the job is in another country, you'll also want to include your country of origin in this line.

Professional email address : Make sure that the email address you use for your resume isn't some novelty address that you created on a whim. For example, if the email that you use with your friends is something like [email protected], don't list that address on your resume. Instead, use a more professional address that includes some variation of your name.

Phone number : If you want prospective employers to call you by phone, there are a couple of things to remember. First, make sure that you have regular access to that phone. Second, make sure that the phone number is in working order. Double check the number you list on your resume to ensure that you've included the right area code and prefix. Even simple typos could make it impossible for employers to get in touch with you.

Professional social media (optional) : You should also include relevant social media URLs, if you think that they can help to highlight your qualifications or abilities. LinkedIn is the most obvious choice for most people, but technology professionals, for example, may also want to include their GitHub or StackOverflow profiles as well.

Website (optional) : For certain professions, it can also be helpful to include website addresses for personal websites or online portfolios. Some examples include Graphic Artists, Copywriters, or Academics with a significant online presence.

Related : Ask Amanda: How Should I Format My Contact Information on a Resume?

2. Resume Headline

A great resume headline can help to immediately draw a hiring manager's attention to your resume. If you're not familiar with this resume element, don't worry - you're not alone. But make no mistake: this simple headline trick can increase the odds of your resume making a powerful first impression on anyone who reads it. So, what is a resume headline, you ask?

A resume headline is a different way of dealing with the old resume title - that area where you list the job title of the position you're seeking. For example, if you were applying for a job as a Marketing Manager, your resume title would just include those two words:

Marketing Manager

Sure, that resume title might clarify which job you're seeking, but it doesn't tell the reader anything about you - either as a person or as a prospective employee. It doesn't say anything about your skills, experience, or personality. Worse, it doesn't do anything to help you to stand out from your competition. Fortunately, however, a resume headline can help you to create a more compelling message.

To create a resume headline, you need to take that job title and add some descriptive language that highlights your value as a potential employee. The following tips can help you to do just that:

1.      Research the job posting to identify keywords related to core skills needed for the position. Chances are that including at least one of these keywords can help to ensure that your resume earns the attention it deserves.

2.      Choose powerful adjectives to describe your capabilities and achievements.

3.      Include measurable results that help to highlight your value.

Sticking with our Marketing Manager title, let's see what that headline might look like if we incorporate those tips:

Dynamic Marketing Manager Consistently Exceeding Client Goals by 25%

Unlike our first example, this one highlights a record of success that any hiring manager can instantly recognize as potentially valuable for their company. Just as important, the addition of that specific information is more likely to help that resume stand out - especially if the other candidates are still relying on the more conventional resume job title option.

Related : 27 Great Resume Headline Examples to Stand Out

3. Summary Paragraph

Your resume should also include a resume profile statement, preferably a summary that helps to sum up your core qualifications. This brief, four or five-sentence paragraph can be thought of as your resume's version of the salesperson's elevator pitch. Done properly, it serves as an introductory statement that highlights your key skills and achievements in a way that captures your reader's interest.

This is important, since most employers only devote a few seconds to scanning each resume they receive. Yes, you heard that right: employers aren't reading your entire resume unless you somehow manage to capture their attention during that initial scan.

So, how do you do that? While the resume headline can help them to take immediate notice, your summary paragraph represents your first real opportunity to make a powerful first impression. It needs to quickly summarize your best qualifications and demonstrate your potential ability to provide real value to that employer. To create an effective summary, you need to:

Briefly highlight your experience

Mention one or two of your most important skills (preferably skills listed in the job posting)

Detail at least one important achievement, using real numbers to highlight value

Below is an example of a great resume summary paragraph for our hypothetical Marketing Manager, that incorporates all the elements we've just mentioned:

Results-driven Marketing Manager with 8 years of experience in client relations, project development, and campaign execution. Core competencies include market analysis, research, resource management, and innovative team leadership. While managing ABC Corporation's marketing team, successfully increased yearly revenues by 35%.

Related : 27 Great Resume Summary Examples to Get Hired

4. Core Competencies or Skills

Your resume also needs to include a section that highlights your relevant skills. This section should be labeled using a title like “Core Competencies” or “Relevant Skills” and include a list of all the skills you want to highlight for the employer. The key is to figure out which skills deserve a place in your core competencies section, since the last thing you want to do is waste precious space on irrelevant abilities that won't impress anyone. These tips can help you to identify the right skills for your resume:

• Begin by reviewing the job posting. Take note of any abilities or traits that the employer included as necessary qualifications. If there are specific skills that you need to possess, you'll need to include those abilities in your skills section.
• Create a list of all the marketable skills that you've developed throughout your career. This list should include both hard skills - abilities that you use to complete your job duties, as well as soft skills, that help you to manage those duties, interact with others, and solve problems.
• Narrow your list of hard and soft skills to 9-12 total abilities, making sure to include each of the required qualifications from the job posting. You should also use the exact terminology in the job posting when listing those required skills. Chances are that those words are keywords that the employer's applicant tracking system will be looking for when the employer conducts a keyword search.
• Once you've identified the skills that you'll be including in your resume's core competencies section, add them to the resume. For example:

Marketing research   |   Strategic planning   |   Budget management   |   Account management

Project management   |   Content creation   |   Team building   |   Digital marketing

Problem-solving   |   Brand management   |   Resource allocation   |   Time management

Related : What Are Skills? (With Examples and Tips on How to Improve Them)

5. Work Experience

Of course, prospective employers will want to see more than just your claimed skills. They'll also want to review your previous work experience to see how you've applied those skills in a real-world setting. That's why it's important to know how to list your past jobs in your work experience section. The following tips can help.

Decide which jobs you want to include. As a rule, you should include jobs going back only ten or fifteen years. Most employers are more interested in your most recent experience.

Start with your current position (or the last job you held if you're unemployed). Then list your other jobs in reverse chronological order.

For each job, list your job title or position, the name of the company, and your dates of employment.

Here's what that might look like in a hypothetical Marketing Manager resume:

ABC Digital Marketing

2018-Present

Assistant Marketing Manager

Excyte Solutions

Repeat that process for other relevant experience. Of course, that basic information is just the outline of your work experience section. We still need to add one more critical thing to this section to ensure that it properly highlights your value as an employee. What's missing, you might ask? Measurable achievements that demonstrate value - which brings us to our next topic of discussion.

Related: Work Experience for a Resume: How to Add it to Get Hired

6. Measurable Achievements

Those employment listings can help the employer to understand the types of jobs you've held, but they don't really provide the type of detail that they need to see to determine your worth. The problem is that you can't really highlight the impact you've had throughout your career if you just provide a dry, dull list of those past jobs. Instead, you need to use that work experience section to show how your actions have created real value for previous employers.

The best way to highlight that value is with measurable, or quantifiable, achievements. Yes, there was a time when job seekers would simply list the duties that they performed at each company. These days, however, serious candidates understand that they need to focus more on value than core responsibilities. Every employee has responsibilities. What matters is how your fulfillment of those responsibilities provides value for an employer.

So, how do you highlight value? It's simple: you just need to list some of the key achievements you delivered in each role, using real numbers to demonstrate your impact on the company's success. To do that, you should include three or four bullet point achievements below each company. Let's look at what that might look like, using our previous examples:

Successfully led reorganization of marketing department that improved efficiency by 43%

Expanded new client acquisition by 33% in two years, increasing revenues by $35 million

Oversaw global expansion effort into 23 new countries

Managed project budgeting and resource allocation for 23 campaigns worth $12 million

Led successful effort to redesign ABC Corporations's digital presence, increasing customer engagement by 78%

Developed new project research process that reduced research and analysis costs by 10%

As you can see, rather than focusing on the duties of each job, this hypothetical candidate instead emphasized real accomplishments that added real value to each company.

Related : Resume Help: Are You a Doer or an Achiever?

7. Education

Your educational achievements are also important things to put on your resume. In most instances, you won't have to devote too much space to this section, but you neglect it at your peril. In fact, if the job posting lists specific educational qualifications, omitting this section would be a huge mistake that could end any consideration of your candidacy.

The good news is that the education section of a resume is one of the easiest to create. You only need to add a few bits of relevant information to complete this part of the resume, including:

The degree that you earned

The name of the school you attended

Your dates of attendance

Relevant coursework, if appropriate

Of course, you can also include some other details, like your GPA or distinctions such as summa cum laude - though these types of information are unnecessary once you've been in the workforce for a few years.

You can also add relevant certifications and extracurricular activities that might help to bolster your case for being the best candidate for a job. In most instances, though, the important thing is to include just enough detail about your education to show that you meet any specified educational requirements for the position.

Related: How to List Education on Your Resume (with Examples)

Thus far, we've identified seven key things to put on your resume - and each of them is considered an essential element of any great resume document. Our last four details for a resume can all be considered optional. Their inclusion will depend on the type of job you're seeking and the things you need to highlight for an employer.

8. Languages

While most Americans speak English, recent migration and globalization trends have increased the importance of language skills. If you're proficient in more than one language and seeking a job where those skills can give you an edge over other candidates, you may want to consider including a language proficiency section in your resume. That section may be necessary if your desired job:

Involves regular contact with non-English speakers

Requires travel to foreign countries where your language skills can be vital for the company

Of course, you should only list your foreign language skills if you are truly proficient in the language and if those abilities are relevant for the position you seek. 

Related: How to List Language Skills on a Resume

9. Awards and Accolades

If you're wondering what to put on a resume for your first job, or just looking for unique things to put on a resume to catch a hiring manager's attention, awards and accolades may be an option. Of course, they need to be the right kind of achievements if you want to earn anything more than a snide eye roll from that hiring manager. Some examples of worthy awards and accolades include:

Awards relevant to your specific industry, demonstrating industry recognition of your achievements

Company awards you've earned in past jobs

Extracurricular awards involving volunteering or community service

Academic accolades - if you're a recent graduate and need to boost your experience with other types of achievements

If you decide to include awards among the things you put in your resume, make sure that you add enough detail to explain why they're relevant, including the issuing organization or body, the date you received it, and some information that quantifies its meaning.

Related : How to List Awards on Your Resume and Wow Recruiters

10. Community Involvement

If you're new to the job market, you may be wondering what to put on a resume with no experience. Obviously, you don't want to leave out your work experience section altogether, since that can be a clear sign to employers that you may not be a viable candidate for their job. Fortunately, your community involvement can sometimes be used to show some real-world experience.

For example, have you spent any time volunteering with charities? Are you actively involved in community organizations? Have you spent time mentoring youth or serving the public in some other valuable way? If so, then any of these experiences can be listed in a community involvement section to demonstrate your commitment to others. Just be sure to include some bullet point achievements that quantify the value your service provided for those groups or causes.

Related : How Do I Add Volunteer Experience to My Resume?

11. Publications

Publications are another of the important things to put on your resume, if your area of expertise involves research or other writing. The use of a publications section is mostly reserved for academics and people who work in various scientific fields, but can also be relevant for some content creators and marketing professionals. As a rule, though, you should only include your publications if you know that they're something the employer will want to see.

Related : How to List Publications on a Resume (with Examples)

Knowing which things to put on your resume can help to ensure success

When you put the right things on your resume, you can improve your odds of making the right impression on prospective employers. The best approach is to start with the essential components we listed above, and then decide which - if any - of the optional elements you need to include to bolster your candidacy. Just remember to include only relevant information that highlights you as the best person for the job, and you'll be one step closer to career success!

Still confused about which things to put on your resume? Get a free resume review from our team of experts today!

Recommended reading:

The Best Resume Format to Get Hired

How to Advance Your Career (plus 10 Insightful Tips)

Top 15 Professional Goals and How to Achieve Them

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

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What to Put on a Resume: 9 Things to Include

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

Your resume is the first thing a company sees when you apply for a job. Usually, it’s the deciding factor in whether you get an interview or not. On your resume, you’ll list your contact information, skills, prior work experience, education, and any other relevant information pertinent to the role you’re applying for. 

You should tailor your resume any time you apply for a role, even if the job appears highly related to your current and prior work experience. Insert relevant keywords and phrases from the job description, but rephrase them so your tailoring seems entirely natural.  Of course, you want to remain honest in your application, so don’t include skills or experience you don’t possess. If you do, the hiring manager will likely discover your misstatements during an interview, and this may cause them to reject your application.

The following are all the components you should include in your resume to ensure you put your best foot forward in the application process.

If you’re wondering what to put on your resume, this article is for you.

I’m going to share everything you should include to get more interviews.

We’ll look at:

Resume Basics

• What to put in a resume for experienced candidates
• What to put in a resume if you have no experience
• What NOT to include in your resume (mistakes to avoid)
• How to address employment gaps on a resume
• My best tip for getting your resume to stand out from other job seekers so you can land a better job in less time

Here’s exactly what to put on a resume, based on my experience as a recruiter…

Your resume is a one- or two-page document that outlines your experience, education, and skills related to an open position. Recruiters and hiring managers will review your resume to determine whether you are a suitable fit for the job.  Remember that they’re likely looking at many different resumes — not just yours — so it’s crucial to showcase your strongest attributes and tailor your resume to suit the specific job position.

There are three basic types of resumes: chronological, functional, and combination.

A chronological resume starts with your most recent work history and works backward. It’s the most common type of resume people use when they’re presenting their professional background.

A functional resume is skills-focused and is more appropriate for individuals with less experience who are looking for a job in a new profession. Applicants also turn to functional resumes when they’d rather not emphasize a few gaps in their work history.

A combination resume provides an equal balance of skills and work history. Typically, it will start with critical skills related to the position before following with the applicant’s work history.

Watch: What to Put on a Resume

What to put on your resume if you have experience.

If you’re entering a job search with prior work experience, the following sections should be included on your resume.

(And don’t worry, I’ll share what entry-level job seekers should put on their resume coming up later in this article).

For job seekers with work experience, these are the 9 key types of information that a resume should include:

• Name and Contact Info
• Resume Summary Paragraph
• Employment History
• Social Media
• Community Involvement (Optional)
• Awards/Achievements You’ve Received (Optional)

Now that you know the 9 main things to include in a resume, let’s look at these sections step-by-step so you’ll know how to write each one. 

1. Name and Contact Information

At the top of your resume, put your full name and a professional-looking email address. Your phone number and street address are optional, but for most people, I’d recommend including them. If you’re  applying for jobs out-of-state , it might make sense to leave your address off.

Now, for formatting and design…

I’d keep it simple and “clean”-looking. No distractions. Not too many fonts and colors. In fact, this is good advice for  how to format your whole resume .

Here’s an example from our Free Resume builder of what a simple resume header with your name and contact info might look like:

You can add a bit more in terms of design, but don’t go overboard.

2. Resume Summary Paragraph

This is the next section of your resume, and should go right after your name and contact info in most cases. This is a two or three sentence summary of your qualifications and accomplishments throughout your career (or throughout your education if you just graduated).

Note: this is not an “objective” section. I’d advise against putting an objective on your resume. Hiring managers know your objective is to land a job in their industry that will utilize your skills, etc. So put a summary paragraph instead.

If you need help writing this paragraph, here’s an article filled with great  resume summary examples .

You can also include the job title right within your resume summary in some cases, which will immediately show employers that you have some relevant experience. For example, let’s say the job title on the job ad is “Senior Account Analyst”. You could write your summary like: “Senior-level account analyst with five years of experience in…”

It’s okay if you’re not a resume writing expert. Just use these examples here to craft your own resume summary.

Lets take a look at another example from our Free Resume Builder :

3. Employment History

If you have held any previous jobs (including internships), your experience section is where to put them. Focus heavily on this experience section, as it’s one of the first places a hiring manager looks on your resume.

Write the section in reverse chronological order , which means your most recent work should be at the top.

Include job titles, company names, and dates. You can choose whether to put just years, or months and years for each job; just be consistent throughout the document. And always begin this section within the top half of the first page of your resume.

As a recruiter , one of the top mistakes I saw job seekers make was burying their employment history on the bottom of the first page, or even the beginning of page two. It should be much higher up, and should be visible when they open your resume on a computer without having to scroll down.

Hiring managers will typically look here even before your skills section, so always be looking for opportunities to highlight technical skills and relevant job skills here. Ask yourself: “What have I done in recent jobs that will show a hiring manager that I’d do well in their job, too?” That’s the mindset to take when writing your work history. It’s all about writing your resume to fit the job you want next. And since hiring managers and recruiters are busy, they don’t want to read big, bulky paragraphs. Instead, put  bullets highlighting what you did in each job . I’d suggest five to eight bullet points per job.

You can write a small introductory paragraph for each job, but most of the content should be in bullet format. In these bullet points, don’t just talk about job duties; talk about what you actually accomplished. There’s a big difference.

Here’s an example…

Rather than saying, “responsible for managing 5 sales associates”… say, “successfully led 5 sales associates to achieve 139% of team sales goals for Fiscal Year 2020.”

The image above is an example of a resume work experience section with accomplishment-driven bullets. Take the time to understand the difference and you’ll be far better than most job seekers at resume writing.

This is the next big section to put on your resume in any job search.

You might be tempted to put your skills before your employment history… and other people may have even told you to do this. But the only time I think it makes sense to list skills first is if you have absolutely no work experience. (I’ll share more about what to put on a resume with no experience coming up, by the way).

But if you have any prior work at all in your career… hiring managers don’t want to see a long list of technical skills without being able to see where you used each skill (and how recently you used them). This is why they’re much more likely to scan your resume looking for recent jobs before anything else. And that’s why you should put it higher up, so they can find this key info that they’re looking for quickly.

The bottom line is: If you want a good resume, then your skills should come after your experience section.

In your  skills section , you can put a list of your top  skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for,  and you can even put them under a few headers/categories if you think it makes sense for your job and industry. You should focus mostly on hard skills. The best skills to put will be found directly on the job description. It’s better to highlight soft skills (like “team player”) in your cover letter, where you can tell a story and share more detail on how you used this skill to succeed.

On a resume, hiring managers mainly look for hard skills and skills relevant to the job requirements.

There’s no perfect number of skills to put. Some people might only need 3-10; others might put 20. It really depends on how long you’ve been working and what field of work you’re in. Make sure you think about what’s relevant for the job though; don’t just list a bunch of skills that won’t help you in their job. And think about keywords too – this is a great place to put keywords on your resume so you can  get past online job application systems .

5. Education

Put the name of your school(s), your field of study, and graduation date – unless you feel your graduation date will leave you open to age discrimination on your resume. If you graduated decades ago, feel free to leave the dates off. You can also put your GPA in this section. I’d only recommend doing that if it was above 3.0/4. Otherwise, leave it off. You might be asked about your GPA in the first few years of your career, but you’re very unlikely to be asked about it again after that, so don’t worry if your GPA is below 3.0/4. Just exclude it from your resume.

6. Social Media

Nowadays, everyone has a social media account — many times on various platforms. In some cases, you’ll want to include your social media account handles if they’re relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Most people have a LinkedIn profile to connect with colleagues and other professionals in their industry. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you should certainly include a link if it’s correctly filled out and reflects similar content to your tailored resume.

Other social media accounts, like Twitter, StackOverflow, Github, and Medium, may also be helpful to include in some instances. For example, if you’re a noted journalist, you likely have a Twitter account you use to share important news or communicate with the community. In this case, it would be appropriate to include your Twitter handle.

Sites like StackOverflow and Github are popular for coders, developers, and data scientists. If you’re very active on these sites, it might be worth including your account on your resume.

Freelancers, content writers, and entrepreneurs regularly posting to Medium should share their channel information. Bonus points if they have many shared articles and comments on their content.

7. Language

Some companies actively seek to hire employees who are fluent in languages besides English. If you are fluent in another language or know it well enough to speak or write it in a professional environment, include it on your resume. 

Languages like Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Portuguese are often especially valuable to organizations with a global footprint, although others can also be beneficial.

8. Community Involvement (Optional)

If you’ve done any volunteer work or helped in your community in other ways, this is where to put it. You can list the location, dates, and your contribution/work. If you haven’t done any volunteering or community-related work, don’t worry – just don’t put this section on your resume.

9. Awards/Achievements (Optional)

Any time you’ve received awards or other recognition for your accomplishments, you should put it on your resume. However, you don’t always need a separate section for it. That’s up to you… If you got an academic award, you can list it under your education section (beneath your degree, GPA, etc.) If you received an award or recognition for outstanding performance at a previous job, you can list it as a bullet point or a note underneath that specific job in your Employment History section.

So while awards and achievements are a great thing to include on any resume, they don’t always need their own dedicated section. You should also mention awards and recognition you’ve received in your cover letter, especially if it was a work-related award (such as employee of the month , salesperson of the year, etc.)

What to Put on a Resume if You Have No Work Experience

Now, if you just graduated and have absolutely  no work experience , here’s what to include on your entry-level resume.

(Note that if you even have an internship or part-time job that you’ve worked while going to school, you should use the steps above! Any work experience at all is worth showing on your resume).

However, if you have absolutely no work experience, here’s what to put on your resume…

As mentioned earlier, you should put your full name and professional-looking email address. Your street address and phone number are optional, but for most people, it makes sense to include those too.

The big exception: If you’re trying to get a job in another state . If so, consider leaving the address off.

2. Resume Summary Section

Even if you have no work experience, you can write something like:

“Recent Finance graduate with training in ____ and ____ seeking an opportunity to do ____.”

Or, look at the job title on the job description and try to incorporate that phrase into your resume summary. I discussed this strategy earlier, too, when showing the resume format and what to put for experienced candidates.

For more help, read our full article on  resume summaries for students and fresh graduates .

3. Education

If you have no work experience, then you need to put more information in your education section, to show employers you’re a fit for their job.

Were you involved in any clubs/activities at school?

What were some key projects you completed or coursework you did? (Specifically, key projects that are related to the jobs you’re applying for now).

Your resume should take up one full page, even if you have no work experience, and your education section is a place where you want to provide additional detail to fill out the page.

You can list skills that you learned in your studies or skills you’ve developed on your own. Only put skills you’re really comfortable talking about and using, because it’s very likely they’ll ask about this in an interview. If done right, the skills section can be a powerful tool to help you get more interviews though, for two reasons:

First, it’s a great way to put a lot of relevant keywords onto your resume, so that you get past computerized job application systems.

Second, it’s an easy way to show employers what you know that’s going to help you succeed in their job. Always re-order and re-adjust your skills section to fit what you think this specific employer wants!

More info on how to do that is coming up, but let’s finish the list first…

5. Community Involvement (Optional)

Any volunteer work or community service you’ve done. This  shows employers that you’re enthusiastic  and involved in the community, which can help set you apart (while also filling up your resume).

6. Awards/Achievements (Optional)

If you have no work experience, these would likely be academic achievements. Go ahead and list them underneath your education section. So don’t put this as a separate section, but do include awards, achievements, and any recognition you received when you write your education section in Step 3 above.

You now know what to include on a resume, even if you’ve never held a job! Keep reading though, because next – we’re going to look at mistakes to avoid.

Ideal Resume Format

Whether you have work experience or not, you should use reverse chronological order resume format . This is the resume format that recruiters and employers are used to seeing and prefer to read.

Don’t get fancy when it comes to your resume writing. Don’t use some unusual format, like a functional resume, that hides dates of employment and the order of the jobs you’ve held. This will only frustrate employers and cost you job interviews. It could also prevent you from getting through a company’s applicant tracking system .

What Not to Include on a Resume: Mistakes to Avoid

Now we’ve looked at what should be included in a resume and how to write those sections to grab attention.

We’re not done yet though – there are a few things that you should leave off of your resume if you want to get interviews… and you may not have been warned about these. So let’s cover that next…

1. Irrelevant Jobs

If you have a long work history, consider removing some jobs that aren’t relevant, or were at the very beginning of your career (especially if you’ve been working for 15-20 years or more). Note that you shouldn’t remove an irrelevant job if it’s going to leave your employment history empty. For example, if you’ve only held one job but it’s not relevant to what you want to do next, you should still keep it.

Why? It’s better to put a job that doesn’t seem closely related to your current job search than to put absolutely nothing in your employment history. And you can always show traits like leadership, accountability, hard work, problem-solving, etc., in your past work history, no matter what job you had! So hiring managers might still find it relevant and impressive.

2. An Objective Statement

It’s a mistake to write a resume with an objective. This is outdated and no longer necessary. Employers will assume that your objective is to obtain a position at their company if you’ve applied, so this is not something to include on your resume. Instead, put a  career summary section, as mentioned earlier in this article.

You can read more about why a resume doesn’t need an objective  here .

3. Anything That Makes Your Resume More Than Two Pages

Unless you have a Ph.D. and are writing an academic CV… or unless you’ve been working for 10-15+ years… your resume should not be more than two pages.

For 60-70% of people, your resume should only be one page. So focus on what’s most important and keep the length short.

As a recruiter, I’d rather see 8 specific skills that are relevant to the job I’m hiring for, rather than a list of 30 general skills that you’ve used throughout your career but might not be relevant to the job. So  make your resume laser-focused and target their needs!

4. More Soft Skills Than Hard Skills

As mentioned earlier, employers care mostly about hard skills on a resume. Your cover letter and job interview is where you should be demonstrating soft skills like communication, interpersonal skills, active listening, etc.

So as you review your resume, it’s a problem if you find many soft skills but few hard skills and job-related skills. In fact, you should be looking to highlight these job-related skills in practically every resume section, starting with your resume summary paragraph .

5. Spelling or Grammar Mistakes

Proofread and spellcheck everything.

You are very unlikely to get called for an interview if you have a spelling or grammar mistake on your resume – and nobody’s going to tell you either. So you need to find it yourself, or have a friend proofread it carefully for you!

Here’s a little trick if you proofread it yourself: temporarily change your resume to an unusual font before proofreading. It will help you spot errors (sounds crazy, I know. But it works). Now you’ve hopefully gotten answers to your questions about what should a resume include, and you’ve seen the top things to leave off as well.

ATS Optimization

Most companies use an automated tracking system (ATS) that scans all resumes before passing them on to recruiters. The ATS will automatically flunk the resumes of candidates who don’t appear to have the appropriate experience or education to qualify for the role.  You’ll want to ensure your resume includes keywords and phrases that are relevant to the position so you will make it past the ATS scanner .

How to Address Employment Gaps on a Resume

If you have any gaps in your employment history, you’ll want to explain them — especially if they’re longer than a year. 

You can usually “disguise” small gaps of less than a month by simply omitting the month. That practice is entirely acceptable, and if it comes up during the interview, you can explain you took a few weeks off before starting a new job.  However, for lengthier leaves of absence, you’ll want to describe what you did when you weren’t working full-time. For instance, if you took off a few years to raise young children or care for an elderly parent, simply list your reasons and the date.

There’s one final step, though, that’s going to get you far more interviews from all of this…

Final Step to Make Your Resume Stand Out: Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description

I recommend tailoring your resume to match the job description before sending it out for each job. Look at the skills and keywords listed on the job description as you’re writing your resume, and include matching information as much as possible.

Recruiters are always evaluating your resume relative to the job opening, so the more you can include skills and professional experience from their job posting, the more interviews you’ll get. Customize your career summary statement, work experience, and even skill list. You can use the job posting to discover new ideas of what to include. You can also reorder your content and even remove one or two areas that aren’t relevant to the jobs you want next.

Here’s a full article on  how to tailor your resume for each job .

It will take you slightly longer to customize each job application, but  you’ll get far more responses.

Would you rather apply for 50 jobs and hear back from one? Or apply for 25 jobs and hear back from four? That’s the type of difference tailoring your resume can make.

Now you know what goes on a resume and how to make each section attractive to employers. If you follow the steps above you’re going to have a great resume that grabs attention and shows recruiters and hiring managers why they should interview you immediately.

Conclusion: What Should Job Seekers Put on a Resume?

If you read everything above, you now know what sections to include when writing your professional resume. You also know which format to use: reverse chronological order. Plus, you know the top mistakes to avoid, such as including a resume objective.

IF you follow this advice, you’ll have a resume that shows relevant skills and experience, in the order that employers want to see it.

Your resume will get past applicant tracking systems and recruiters/HR, so you can win more interviews for the jobs you want.

Note that you can either do this resume writing yourself or use a resume builder . Either way, you can follow the advice above to ensure you finish with the right resume format.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

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If someone is a new grad looking for their first “real job” out of college, is it okay/recommended to split work experience into 2 sections like “relevant [major/industry] experience” and “additional experience”, or just to lump everything into 1 section called “work experience” and list everything in order relevant or not?

I would like to know one more thing I could put on there because I have all of these but im just not sure its enough. Thanks

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