Not sure which resume sections are necessary and which ones are optional? Struggling with how to organize the sections of your resume?
Sometimes you can feel like what you have isn't enough and then overcompensate by trying to include as many categories on your resume as possible. In these cases it's good to remember the golden rule — less is more.
Rather than trying too hard and ending up with a cluttered resume, you should stick to what is necessary. And add any optional sections which will complement it depending on your profession.
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Table of ContentsLet's start with illustrative examples that show how sections should be ordered on a resume based on where you're in your career — whether you're a student/fresh graduate, an experienced professional or a career changer.
If you want to organize your resume in a seamless yet creative way, a quick and efficient solution is to use a customizable template. Just choose a suitable resume template for your profession and customize it to your needs.
So, how do you put together your own resume?
Follow this two simple rules:
Which sections are a must and which aren't? Let's see!
Every resume should, definitely, include these five key sections:
These are the most important parts of the CV for a recruiter. You shouldn’t leave any of them out. When you include these five sections, you'll have produced a standard resume with all of the necessary information.
Any additional sections, if added tastefully, are cherries on top.
Let’s have a look at each of these five individual sections to make sure you include everything you need to. There are also some different options for headings, some of which are more appropriate than others.
Tip: If you already have a great LinkedIn profile with all the information, there's no need to create a resume from scratch. You can simply convert your LinkedIn profile into a resume in one click.
You’ve probably guessed it. The purpose of the personal information section on your resume is to introduce yourself to the hiring manager. Therefore, it should be the very first section on your resume.
There's also optional personal information you can provide:
Lastly, if you want to work with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and not against them, stick to a straight-forward heading, like "Personal Information" or "Contact Information". Stay away from headings like "Something about me".
Naturally, by providing all the necessary information, recruiters will have no trouble getting in touch with you and invite you for an interview.
The purpose of this section is to tell the hiring manager who you are and why you’re a great fit for the job or what your professional goals are (depending on whether you opt for summary or objective). Think of it as a teaser for the rest of your resume.
Resume summary:
Resume objective:
On average, hiring managers only give each resume 7.4 seconds of their time. Hence, why a good professional summary or objective is a must.You want to grab their attention from the get-go. Plus you’ll make their life a bit easier because you’ll immediately tell them who you are. As for the resume objective, it can also help you convince the hiring managers that you’re qualified for the job despite lacking industry-relevant experience.
If you’re still wondering how to write a professional summary and resume objective, make sure to check out our guide: How to Write a Professional Summary on a Resume?
The purpose of this section is to show that you’re a great fit for the job by providing a detailed summary of your past relevant work experience. It should give the hiring managers an overview of what jobs and job titles you’ve held in the past and should demonstrate your professional growth.
List this section inreversed chronological orderby starting with the most recent work experiences. Include:
Then you want to include:
If you're not sure how many jobs to include, check out our article How Far Back Should a Resume Go?
And in case you’re a student or recent graduate, use this section to mention any relevant part-time jobs, summer jobs, volunteer work or internships you’ve had (following the same tips above).
Your work history section is the most important part of your resume. When you think of a resume, the work experience section is probably the first thing that comes to your mind. And you’re not alone. Based on this section employers determine whether or not you have what it takes for the job.
The purpose of this section is to show employers what your educational background is. By including all of your degrees and relevant academic accomplishments in the education section, you can impress your employer and show you have the necessary background. Moreover, if you have a degree from a prestigious university, it can give you an advantage over other potential candidates.
If you’re an experienced professional, it’s enough for you to mention your highest degree. Only include 3 things:
If you’re a recent graduate, education section is the core part of the resume. Hence why you should make sure to make this part a little longer by adding extra details to make it prominent. Extra information to add to the education section are:
Employers are naturally interested in your educational background. Some top companies even have specific degree requirements for their applicants. You should always include education on your resume, no matter where you’re in your career. However, as you become more experienced, you should keep it only brief.
For example, after you’ve gained 5-10 years of practical experience as a teacher, you can simply state that you have an MA in education as your work experience is now more important.
But if you’ve recently graduated, it’s naturally the most important part of your resume.
The skills section of your resume shows employers you have the skills and abilities required for the role. In fact, a well-written skills section can help convince hiring managers to interview you. However, remember that you should demonstrate these skills in the work experience section as well.
Just follow these simple rules:
Remember, don’t list skills that you don’t have, that aren’t relevant for the job, and skills that everybody should have.
By listing your key skills, the hiring managers will see straight away that you’re a potential fit, whether they’re looking at your resume via an ATS or manually. It also makes it much easier to tailor your resume to specific jobs. Moreover, having a separate skills section is a quick and easy way to list keywords on your resume. This can give you a head start with ATS systems, since they search for specific keywords.
Apart from the standard five resume sections mentioned before, there are other resume sections which are optional. It's important to note that each of these optional sections could be incorporated in one of the standard sections.
This is why you should only include an extra section if you feel like you have enough to offer in that particular category. For example, if you speak one language well and only know the basics of a second one, then don’t include an extra languages section.
With that being said, adding one or two optional sections to emphasize your qualification for the job can be the icing on a cake. For example, if you work in academia, adding an extra section dedicated to your publications or references is going to catch the eye of a recruiter in an instant!
So, which optional resume sections are we talking about?
Let's talk about each one in more details.
If you feel like you have enough content for this section then it will definitely help you stand out. But bear in mind – your achievements should be scattered through your entire resume, especially in the professional summary and work experience section.
If you decide to dedicate an entire section to your awards and achievements, make sure you prioritize the ones relevant to the job. Also, pick the most noteworthy ones.
Here’s what kind of accomplishments you can include:
For more, check out our comprehensive guide: Awards and Achievements on a Resume
A certification is basically a proof that you have specific expertise and skills.
Is it a good idea to include a specific section for certifications on your resume? If you have various certifications that are important and relevant for the desired job – Yes! It shows your willingness to learn and the desire for personal growth.
Here’s how to include certificates on your resume:
You can either include languages as a subsection in hard skills, or you can create a separate resume section only for languages.
Only do the latter if speaking a specific language is a key part of the job, or if speaking many different languages will help you get the job.
List the languages using a single language proficiency scale. Rather than using charts to describe your proficiency level, use words – charts may not register on ATS.
Sometimes, people get too creative with the headings and it may be a disaster because ATS systems look for specific keywords like education, work history, etc. For instance, I’ve seen someone replace a Professional summary headline with the word “Snapshot”. It sounds great! But the ATS doesn’t know what that means, therefore it doesn’t know how to categorize it. I recommend to stick to the standard! Christy Morgan, Resident HR Expert
If you work in academia or in a science field, having your research published is a great achievement. If you have multiple publications it may be a good idea to have a separate section for them in your resume.
The important thing here is to correctly format the information about the publication – i.e. make sure to correctly use the common citations styles (Harvard, APA, MLA, etc.). Choose one depending on the author’s preference or according to the discipline (e.g. APA style is commonly used in Psychology field).
Including references on your resume is not a common practice anymore. However, in some situations it is acceptable to include references. This is when:
People tend to view the hobbies section as a redundant "filler". While this may be true in some cases, it can also be quite useful. Here’s why:
Many companies nowadays look for candidates who will not only be good at their job, but they’ll also be a good fit for the company culture. It shows you as a real person rather than just an employee. Moreover, it's a good conversation starter for your job interview.
So, if you do decide to add the hobbies section, make sure to be really specific. For example, rather than "Reading", say "Historical fiction novel lover".
Check out this guide to find out more about how to list hobbies on a resume.
Hiring managers will google you at one point or another. Be one step ahead and use it to your advantage. Include the social media you want them to see. Creating a separate social media section can be a great way to do that.
Including LinkedIn is always a good idea, since it can serve as an extension to your resume. Make sure to also include any online portfolios, personal websites, or even your Instagram if you work in a creative field.
Remember, your social media can also prevent you from getting a job. So ensure that your social media presence is polished and sophisticated.
If you decide to only include 1-2 social media profiles, you can fit it in your personal information section.
Adding a volunteering section on a resume can really help you stand out. It shows your skills, your motivation and that you take initiative. And hiring managers love that. It's also helpful to include a volunteering section if you have limited professional work experience.
This also means that if you have plenty to offer in the work experience section, don’t include volunteering at the expense of leaving out important content.
You can add a custom section to you resume if you'd like to emphasize any accomplishments which wouldn’t fit to any of the conventional categories usually found on a CV.
For example, if you’re a programmer you can create a "Custom projects" section in which you detail your work. If you’re a copywriter or a journalist, you can make a "Media I wrote for" section. If you’re a scientist, create a "Laboratory skills" section on your resume.
Almost every industry has a potential for a custom section that is distinctive to that discipline.
The final step in creating a perfect resume is to organize your sections in the right way.
The Personal information section and resume summary or objective should always come first. However, depending on where you are in your career, you may want to organize your resume differently.
Here’s an ideal resume composition suggested by our in-house HR expert for various career situations:
Order for students or fresh graduates:
Order for experienced professionals:
Order for career changers:
Create a strong resume and score your dream job.
Up to speed with organizing your resume sections effectively? Nice work! Now, enhance your understanding further with our incredible selection of resume samples. They're designed to provide inspiration and insights into crafting a top-tier, organized resume.
