What to Put on a Resume 5+ Good Things to Include

What to Put on a Resume 5+ Good Things to IncludeWhat to Put on a Resume 5+ Essential Things to IncludeNovember 22, 2019 By Conrad Benz Reviewed by Mark Slack, CPRWNeed to know what to include in a resume? Learn what to put on a resume to impress recruiters and land an interview with our play-by-play breakdown and expert tips.Build My Resume NowTheres so much conflicting information online about how to write a resume that deciding what to put on a resume can seem impossible.Do I need a resume objective? How much work experience should I list? Do I include my picture?Weve outlined the essentials to show you exactly what needs to be on your resume (and what doesnt). Lets get to it.1. What to Include on a Resume The BasicsAt its core, a good resume should includeContact detailsResume headlineResume introductionEducationExperienceSkillsEverything else, including certifications, volunteer work, hobbies, and style elements like photos and icons might be great additions, but are optional .What you should add to your resume depends on various factors, such as your level of experience, which resume format you pick, and your desired resume length.With that said, lets explore the finer details.Should I include a resume objective?A resume objective is a great way to show employers exactly what expertise you have to offer.However, it also takes up space thats better spent describing your relevant job experience.Before you decide to include an objective, ask yourselfWill an objective add anything to my resume that cant be communicated in my experience section?For example, if youre applying to jobs with little to no experience, or are trying to change careers, including a resume objective is a good way to explain how your skills are transferable.But if youre already an expert in your field, youre better off skipping the objective and adding mora detail to your experience section. TipIf youre changing careers, pair your resume with a convincing career change cover letter to convince employers you have the required skills.2. What to Include in Your Contact SectionEven the best resume will never land you a job if employers cant reach you.So your contact details, understandably, are essential.At a minimum, your resume header should include the following contact informationFull nameEmail addressPhone numberToday, a mailing address is unnecessary since most employers dont need it to contact you.Should I add social media?While optional, social media is a good way to give employers a look at your professional history, and can be a positive addition to your contact information.But be careful about which profiles you put on your resumeDO INCLUDE your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a great networking resource for professionals in any field.MAYBE INCLUDE your Twitter handle, but only if you regularly tweet about topics relevant to your profession.DO elend INCLUDE platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, or Tik Tok, as these platforms are rarely relevant to work.Additi onally, if you work in a creative field, a link to your website or portfolio is a good thing to put on a resume. TipBefore you add your LinkedIn profile, make sure you have a well-written LinkedIn summary. 3. What to Put in Your Education SectionUnless you work in academia, your resume education section should only list your highest level of education, and the name of your degree (if applicable).1. Should I include my high school?Only include your high school education if youre currently enrolled in high school, or dont have a college degree.Otherwise, leave it off. TipCurrently in high school? Learn how to write a resume for a high schooler that makes the most of your skills.2. Should I describe my coursework?You dont need to describe your coursework on your resume. Simply listing the type of degree you hold is enough.However, remember your goal is to show the hiring manager youre qualified for the job. If you lack experience or have coursework thats relevant to the position, inc lude it. TipEntering the workforce is tricky. Learn how to craft a resume that markets your strengths with our college student resume example.3. Should I include any awards?If you have any academic awards or honors, consider including them in your education section especially if youre a recent graduate.Graduating as salutatorian or summa cum laude can be impressive additions to your resume, and show employers youre diligent and motivated.Heres an example of a properly formatted education section with honorsB.A. in Political ScienceTowson University Towson, MDGraduated 2018Honors magna cum laudeAdditionally, only include your GPA if youre either a recent college graduate or are applying to jobs in academia. In the example above, the candidate opts to leave their GPA off their resume.4. What to Include in a Resume Experience SectionYour professional experience section is the meat of your resume.It quickly shows hiring managers what youve accomplished over your career, and highlight s the knowledge youve picked up along the way.To write an experience section that will impress recruiters, list the relevant jobs youve held with the most recent at the top. Under each role, write 3 to 5 concise bullet points that demonstrate the skills and experience you developed working that job.Do NOT include every job youve ever held. A resume isnt an encyclopedia of your professional history.Instead, think of it as an advertisement of your abilities. Every position you list should show youre qualified for the specific job you want.Check out this example of a well-written resume experience sectionWhat makes this example outstanding is that each bullet pointis conciseuses strong resume wordsillustrates a specific concrete example of what the candidate accomplishedbacks up those examples with hard numbers TipStill cant figure out how to write your experience section? Check out our library of industry-specific resume samples for more inspiration.1. Should I add internships?If you re a recent graduate or have limited work experience, you should add internships to your experience section.However, if you already have years of professional experience, its time to start cutting internships from your work history section. Its better to use your resumes limited space to describe your professional experience in depth, rather than fill it with internship work. TipLooking for an internship? Our internship resume example breaks down exactly how to write a resume for an internship that will impress any hiring manager even if you dont have experience.2. Should I include volunteer work?Putting volunteer work on a resume is a great way to demonstrate soft skills and make your application more attractive to employers.If you can include volunteer experience without making your resume too long, you should absolutely include it.This is especially true if youHave limited professional experienceAre changing industriesHave an experience gap in your resumeHave career-relevant vo lunteer experienceNeed to highlight leadership skills that you havent developed as a paid professionalBottom line volunteer experience is a good way to add substance to an otherwise sparse resume. Including such experience can help you stand out from other candidates, even if you are an experienced professional.5. What to Put in Your Resume Skills SectionHiring managers are always looking for candidates with a diverse range of skills.Thats why a thorough, to-the-point resume skills section is the perfect companion to your experience section, and can even platzset you apart from other candidates.1. What are good skills to put on a resume?Not sure what skills to put on a resume? No problem.First, take a look at the job listing for the position you want. Typically, a job ad mentions any skills required for the position, as well as skills the employer wants you to have.Then, compile a list of your own skills that meet these requirements, as well as any specific technical skills you have that might boost your application.If its mucksmuschenstill unclear what skills you should list on your resume, these general hard and soft skills are applicable to nearly any jobPeople SkillsLeadership SkillsCommunication SkillsInterpersonal SkillsOrganizational SkillsCustomer Service SkillsComputer SkillsTime Management Skills TipWhen writing your skills section, highlight a mix of both hard skills and soft skills to demonstrate your range of strengths.2. Do hobbies belong on a resume?Depending on the situation, listing personal interests on your resume can be a great way to add personality and flair to your application.However, use discretion before describing your passion for watercolor painting.If you already have enough professional experience to fill a full page of your resume, or youre applying for a job at a more formal company, dont include hobbies.That said, if you have minimal experience, or are applying to work at a company with a more casual office culture, then hobbi es are a harmless, fun way to spice up your resume.6. What NOT to Put on a ResumeNow that you know what to put on a resume, here are the things that are guaranteed to turn off recruiters and ruin an otherwise great application.1. Irrelevant experienceTheres nothing hiring managers find more tedious than an endless list of irrelevant experience.Not only does it make your resume too long, but it also makes your application look thoughtless and generic.If you have a long work history, remove any positions that you held a long time ago, or are irrelevant to your target job.For example, if youre applying for work as a sales manager, a cashier position you held 10 years ago is best left off your resume.2. A photo or headshotEspecially if youre applying for work inside the United States, including a resume picture is seen as inappropriate and unprofessional.However, this varies by country. For reference, here are some countries that use resume pictures and some that do not Do use resume p hotos in these countriesChinaJapanSouth KoreaPhilippinesMost European nations Dont use resume photos in these countriesUnited StatesCanadaAustraliaUnited KingdomSwedenIndia3. An unprofessional email addressNothing will get your resume thrown out quicker than an unprofessional email address.The email address you use for work should simply include your first and last name, or your initials.Even if its been your go-to email for decades, no hiring manager will interview you if your email address is XxskullcrusherxXgmail.com (unless youre applying for a absatzwirtschaft job with the band Slayer).4. Inappropriate personal detailsDetails like your religion, disabilities, political leanings, and racial background should NOT be included on your resume.Theres no benefit to adding such personal information, and at worst it makes it more likely employers will discriminate against your application.5. Clipart or imagesWhile it may be tempting to spice up your resume with fun graphics, most hirin g managers just see this as distracting and unprofessional.Worse, graphics can confuse the applicant tracking system (ATS) software that many companies use to sift through resumes. If this happened to your application, it would automatically get discarded before a human even set eyes on it. TipLearn how to beat the applicant tracking system and make sure your resume gets seen by a hiring manager.6. Hard-to-read fontsMany job seekers think using a creative font on their resume will help them stand out.However, the reality is that it will look distracting, and make your resume difficult to read.Not only that, but much like images uncommon fonts often confuse the ATS, and result in your application being thrown in the trash.Instead, the best fonts for resumes are timeless and formal Garamond, Calibri, and Georgia all being great options.7. ReferencesYou should not include references on a resume.Its better to ditch an unnecessary references section in favor of a longer list of skills , a resume summary, a longer experience section, or pretty much anything else.The vast majority of employers dont require references up front, and will simply ask for them later if theyre interested.Your resume has limited space. Its better to ditch an unnecessary references section in favor of a longer list of skills, a resume summary, a longer experience section, or pretty much anything else.7. You Know What Should Be On a Resume. Now What?Now that you know exactly what should go on a resume (and what shouldnt), its time to start fine-tuning your job applications.But before you start reaching out to jobs, learn how to write a cover letter that pairs well with your resume.And if all this sounds like a lot to handle, try our easy-to-use resume builder and cover letter builder. Our software will build you a flawless application in mere minutes that is guaranteed to catch the attention of any hiring manager.