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What To Put On My Resume

The Essential Sections Your Resume Needs To Include

How Much Experience Do I Include on My Resume?

As weâve established, there are 5 things every basic resume needs to include.

It leaves gaps in your application if you havenât included any of these. More importantly, youâre less likely to overcome the applicant tracking system.

1. Resume Header

The resume header contains your contact information and is placed at the top. This should include your:

  • Full name
  • Location
  • Website links

Itâs straightforward but necessary for all types of ATS resumes. For any job application, the employer needs to know how to reach back out to you.

To save space, one line is more than enough. Hereâs an example:

2. Work Experience

The work experience section lists out the previous job positions youâve worked in the past.

Your employment history shows hiring managers what duties and responsibilities youâre familiar with in the field. It also gives insight into your level of ability and if you know what to expect in your line of work.

When describing your professional experience, mention the:

  • Name of the company
  • Tasks and responsibilities
  • Accomplishments

However, these should be listed in reverse chronological order. So, from the most recent job going back to the oldest. These tend to be the more relevant experiences, which would be better for your recruiter to read first.

Plus, it reveals no gaps in your career timeline.

3. Education

Your education refers to your academic background and formal education. This section consists of:

4. Resume Skills

  • Transferable
  • for free on Rezi.
  • Outdated Or Irrelevant Social Media Profiles

    Do not include on your resume social media accounts that host unprofessional content, do not support your current job goals, and are not regularly updated. If you’re going to include the URL to a social media account on your resume, make sure it reflects your personal brand and serves to demonstrate why you’re qualified for the job.

    In addition, create at least one professional online profile on sites like LinkedIn or GitHub and include the link at the top of your resume. If you work in a creative field, consider creating an online portfolio or blog that has a mobile-responsive design so employers can access your site from any device.

    Related:

    How To List Work Experience If Youre A Student Or Fresh Graduate

    Naturally, you dont have tons of experience if youve just finished school. Yet, being young is no obstacle. It comes down to the perspective you take at the experience you have.

    As a student or fresh graduate, you should place your work experience after the education section. Its not like youve just spent years doing nothing. Sure, your work didnt take place in a proper workplace. But studying counts for something too.

    Okay, not try to think of any job-relevant experience that you could put on your resume. Any related experience at all. Have you done some volunteer work for a local charity? Attended a conference? Worked as an intern?

    All of these things belong on your resume. Treat your internships and extracurricular activities as regular jobs.

    These activities can showcase your soft skills and help recruiters gauge your professional aptitude. Each one of them should come with a few points that detail your responsibilities and accomplishments.

    Heres what you can include in your employment history section:

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    List Interests At The Bottom Of Your Resume

    You should always place your interests section at the bottom of your resume or off to the side, depending on your resume layout.

    While listing interests on your resume can make you look more appealing as a candidate, its ultimately the least important information to include. Listing such information at the bottom of the page helps you avoid distracting employers from the more essential information on your resume, like your work experience and skills.

    Second Write An Objective For Your Resume

    How To Write The Perfect Resume 3 Best Tips

    This is a statement of your career goals. You should alter this with each application to fit the job for which you are applying so your goals can match up with the position requirements.

    Example :

    To obtain a position where I can leverage my four years of experience with a Fortune 500 company to engage customers and grow subscription levels across multiple platforms.

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    Look For Target Keywords

    If youre still not sure if any of these skills are right for your situation, one quick way to check which skills the employer is seeking is to check the job description.

    Read through it a few times and youll likely spot three or four key skills mentioned several times throughout the document. If thats the case, you should do your best to focus on those skills in your resume, too.

    Resume Introduction: Objective Vs Summary

    A resume objective is the traditional resume introduction used by job seekers. Resume objectives outline your ambitions, and what you seek to achieve in your career.

    Resume objectives are best used by:

    • New graduates
    • Job seekers with no work experience
    • Career switchers

    Heres an example resume objective:

    Customer service representative looking to leverage sales and tech support experience to excel in a customer care role at your call center. My customer satisfaction rating and excellent typing skills will be an asset to your company.

    While resume objectives are still acceptable resume introductions, you should instead take time to focus on your target companys needs at the start of your resume if possible. You can do this with a resume summary.

    Resume summaries allow you to emphasize your achievements, and how these accomplishments tie into what the company is looking for from their ideal candidate. Heres an example:

    • Caregiving: Provide quality health care in a 20-patient ward, including daily monitoring, recording, and evaluation
    • Knowledgeable: Graduated Sacramento State Nursing program with 3.9 GPA
    • Communication skills: Interface daily with 47 team members concerning patients treatments
    • Empathetic: Commended 3 times for ability to deliver bad news to patients and their family members

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    What To Put On A Resume: 7 Things To Include

    If youre wondering what goes on a resume, Im going to share everything you should include to get more interviews, including:

    • 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
    • How to look at the job description for clues about what skills and experience to put on your resume to grab each employers attention. .

    Heres exactly what to put on a resume, based on my experience as a recruiter

    The Best Things To List On Your Resume If You Have No Experience

    What NOT To Put On Your Resume | Things you can leave off your resume | Job search 2020

    No professional experience on your resume? No problem as long as you read this guide on how to write a resume when you have no work experience.

    There are plenty of reasons why you may not have any previous work experience to list on your resume. There are many other things you can add to your resume to show employers that you are the perfect candidate for their open job post.

    When you dont have work experience, its important to highlight past activities, skills and other experiences youve had to show you have unique skills, professionalism and competency. When managers are hiring entry-level employees, the top two characteristics they are looking for in your resume are attitude and aptitude.

    That is:

  • Attitude a positive, hardworking, and likable personality
  • Ability aptitude to get up to speed quickly on the job
  • Keep these two traits in mind while writing your resume and add any relevant experiences that show that you have the attitude and aptitude for the job.

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    What To Include In Your Resume

    Now that you know what not to include in your resume, take a second look at your resume to make sure it includes all the right elements to effectively tell your story and market your qualifications and work experience. Click on the following link to learn what 11 pieces of information every professional should include in a resume.

    Not sure if your resume includes any of these mistakes? Let us help! Take advantage of TopResume’s free critique today!

    List Your Social Media Profiles

    Many hiring managers today screen candidates on social networks. Save them a step by providing your profile links on your resume. Seasoned applicants with a professional social presence would do well to include URLs for their LinkedIn profile, Twitter account and blog, if applicable.

    “If, and only if, your social media accounts are filled with professional posts pertaining to your industry, listing them on your resume can be advantageous,” said Richie Frieman, author of Reply All and Other Ways to Tank Your Career. “They can show you have a strong network and are up to speed with modern-day marketing and communications practices. The hiring manager will see that you like to keep up with what’s happening and that you care about learning more.”

    Your social profiles can be a powerful tool to supplement your experience and position as an expert in your field, but only if they are leveraged correctly.

    If your social profiles are not professionally applicable, do not list them on your resume, and make sure they are set to private.

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    What Skills Should You Put On A Resume To Make You Stand Out

    Roughly 75% of large companies use an Applicant Tracking System . 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 youre applying for, simply go through the listing.

    Lets cover a real example to make this super clear.

    Heres 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 and other relevant UX and UI design tools
    • Good understanding of front-end web development
    • 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.

    Pro TIP:

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

    What Not To Include On A Resume: Mistakes To Avoid

    What to Put on a Resume: Good Things You Should Include

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

    Were 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 lets cover that next

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    Top It Off With Some Skills And Interests

    The skills section of a resume gets a bad rap, but its just as important as the rest of the stuff you include. Its a quick list a recruiter can scan to see if your skill set aligns with what theyre hiring for. And its super ATS-friendly because it allows you to add in keywords the machine is scanning for.

    Usually this section goes at the bottom of your resume, but in special casessuch as a skills-based resume or when someones switching fieldsyou may place it further up.

    What exactly do you throw in here? Youll want to list any hard skills and applications youre familiar with , and, if relevant, your level of expertise. Avoid including soft skills here, like time management or public speakingsave those for your bullet points instead.

    Be strategic when filling in your skills. Dont list things you actually couldnt do at a high competence level , and maybe nix skills that are completely irrelevant to the job you want. For example, you may not even need to include Excel if youre applying for say, a design position, unless its listed as a job requirement.

    Third Write A Summary Statement For Your Resume

    Some people opt to use a summary statement rather than an objective, while some use both. A summary will provide a capsule of your skills and background as it pertains to this position.

    Example :

    Motivated, disciplined and dynamic teaching professional with five consecutive state basketball championships. Founder of seven successful after-school sports clubs for all ages. Recognized as Department Head of the Year for leadership initiatives and spirit-boosting initiatives.

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    Impressive Things To Put On Your Resume

    Now that weâve got the essentials out the way, weâll look at some other influential factors. These are good to use for personalizing your resume and making up for it when you donât meet all the desirable criteria.

    Additional Resume Sections

    Most times, job seekers have life experiences and achievements that are relevant. Including hobbies and interests that have expanded your knowledge.

    For example:

    • Designing a website in your spare time has developed your technical proficiency.
    • Growing your blog has developed your digital marketing and SEO skills.

    Having your own custom resume sections enables you to highlight your unique selling points, tailor your job document, and showcase your strengths.

    Here are a few examples of extra sections:

    • Certifications
    • Volunteering

    Minimal Resume Design

    While you might be craving to demonstrate your creative ability, what matters more than how youâve presented your resume is what youâve written.

    Subtle resume formats are not only important for overcoming the resume scanners. But, it also improves the readability of your application for human readers. The key is keeping it clean and simple.

    Even for design job resumes, itâs better to make a resume with minimal visual aspects. If youâre trying to use tables and color, the ATS wonât pick up on them.

    Resume Icons

    Again, these should be minimal. With small intricate details like this, it improves the readability of your resume.

    Professional Resume Font

    Resume Summary

    Describe Your Achievements Using Numbers And Percentages To Back Them Up

    What Should You Include on a Resume?

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

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

    To show you how this looks in practice, lets 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 doesnt actually mean anything. Anyone could say theyve done this – but theres 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 youd be an asset for the company.

    In this case, its instantly clear that you know what youre doing, and your resume goes directly to the YES pile.

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    What Is A Resume

    A resume is a summary of your career, whether yours is just getting started or has been going on for years. Coming in at around one page in length , it showcases the jobs youve held and currently hold, the responsibilities youve taken on, the skills youve developed, and the qualities you bring to the table as an employee. Together, those things make it super easy for any hiring manager to see your qualifications and fit for a role.

    For all the work you may put into writing one, hiring managers actually spend very little timemere seconds in many caseslooking at your resume. But despite this sad fact, its safe to say that creating a great resume still matters.

    If you miss the mark, your resume may never be read. Even worse, you might be removed from the applicant pool by a computer before a human even knows you exist, says Muse career coach Heather Yurovsky, founder of Shatter & Shine. So you want to get it right because, as she explains, isnt the goal to spend less time looking for a job and more time in a role you love?

    And although LinkedIn has plenty of benefits, a resume has one clear advantage: While your LinkedIn is usually a broader picture of your career trajectory, your resume gives you the opportunity to tailor your career story to a specific role or company .

    Oh, and youve probably heard of something called a CV? Its slightly different from a resume, and usually more common with academics and job seekers outside the U.S.

    Sell Your Skills Not Your Experience

    Take a lesson from former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson: Don’t make up experience you don’t have. Instead of being embarrassed by your empty resume, keep in mind that everyone starts somewhere.

    “My mom reminded me that everyone starts somewhere,” says Navy wife Stephanie. Stephanie married her sailor straight out of high school. By 19, she was pregnant. “It made sense to stay home with him once he was born,” she said of her son. “When he started school, I needed to go to work. And I had nothing on my resume. No job ever.”

    The good news is this: Stephanie is happily employed today at a Hampton Roads hotel. She works the front desk and is being tracked for management. “They hired me because I had all the skills they needed even if I had no experience,” she says.

    What does a skill-based resume look like? Monster.com has a very helpful example resume that lists skills in its own section near the top of the resume.

    If you have fewer marketable skills than these, think in broader terms. You are probably proficient at various software products that would be useful in an office environment. Maybe you have strong social media skills, have taken on leadership roles in volunteer or extracurricular organizations, or perhaps you have great people skills.

    No one expects you to have a professional history to match these when you are straight out of school, but they do expect you to tell them what skills you offer and how you have honed them.

    Also Check: How To Create An Acting Resume With No Experience

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