How to Write a Great Resume, Section by Section

If you need to get a job, you’re going to need a resume. A clear and concise resume is one of your first opportunities to grab the attention of the hiring manager.

This guide will take you through each step.

Choosing the right resume format

There are three basic types of resumes: chronological, functional, and combination. No matter which one you choose, the goal is to make your resume as easy to read as possible. No need to wow your reader with some fancy design—they’re most concerned about your relevant skills and experience.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

Chronological

This is the most common type of resume. It lists your professional experience prominently and in reverse chronological order.

Use this format if you’re applying for jobs in your current field.

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

Functional

Functional resumes highlight specific skills rather than specific jobs you have had. Where you would normally list your professional experience on a chronological resume, you list your transferable skills.

Use this kind if you’re pursuing a career change.

Combination

Combination resumes, as you might guess, combine features of chronological and functional resumes.

You might use this format if you are changing careers or if your skills, rather than your specific jobs, qualify you for the position.

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

How do you write a resume?

Just like eating an elephant, or a moose, or a piece of pie: one bite at a time.

You’ll need information about your past jobs, your education, any certifications you hold or training you have completed, and skills relevant to the position.

To make the task easier, start with a free resume template.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

Contact information

Let’s start with the basics. You need to give the reader a way to contact you for an interview.

Your preferred name

Your area code and phone number

A professional email address

Katechakrabarty@emailme.net, not katelovesknitting@emailme.net, unless you’re applying for a job in the knitting industry, then by all means.

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

Your LinkedIn URL or portfolio website URL (optional)

If you have a professional online portfolio or a built-out LinkedIn profile, include a link to that. Instead of shortening the URL and hyperlink, spell it out in full so it’s easy to access whether the reader is viewing your resume online or on paper.

You don’t need to include a street address, but if you want to indicate your city and state, that’s fine. This guide provides tips on listing your location if you are looking for a job in another state.

FAQ: How long should a resume be?

It’s a myth that a resume should be only one page . Your resume should be as long as it takes you to list your relevant skills and experience. Most people will be able to get away with one or two pages. If you find yourself adding fluff just to make it longer, stop.

Bonus tip: Label your sections

Make it easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to scan your resume, so label your sections clearly. However, you can skip labeling your contact information and objective statement / summary sections; those are self-explanatory.

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

Objective statement or resume summary

An objective statement tells the reader what you hope to get out of your job search— to find a job in deaf interpretation, for example.

A resume summary is a digest of your experience and skills most relevant to the specific position you’re applying for— I am a deaf interpreter with six years’ experience working in elementary schools supporting children with special needs.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

Do you need either?

No. You don’t have to include an objective statement or a resume summary on your resume. Objective statements are really only necessary when you’re changing careers or have a specific requirement for your new position (a remote job, for example), and resume summaries are most helpful when your resume is particularly long.

FAQ: Do I need to tailor my resume for every job application?

Yes, though you don’t necessarily need to make big changes. You may want to highlight different responsibilities or accomplishments in past jobs or mention specific volunteer experience or training. Read the job description, then read your resume from the point of view of the hiring manager: Does your resume clearly show them you have what they’re looking for in a candidate?

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

Professional experience

This is the most important section of your resume if you are using the chronological format. If you are using the functional format, you can skip this section.

List jobs in chronological order, starting with your most recent role.

One of the most important things hiring managers want to see is that you can quantify your work. How many widgets did you make? How many people did you hire? How many did you manage? By how much did you increase efficiency or revenue? Did you have a quota that you met or exceeded?

Hiring managers also want to see qualitative results. Did you invent or refine a process? Were you responsible for a policy change or company initiative? Did you lead a project? Build a team? Mentor younger team members? Talk about that too.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

How to show a promotion on your resume

There are a few ways you might show a promotion on your resume, and which you choose can depend on how your responsibilities changed or simply how much space you would like to take up.

Skills

This section is optional if you are using the chronological resume format. If you are using the functional resume format, then this is the creamy center of your resume. (It’s what the reader is looking for.)

Here’s how to write about your skills on a functional resume: highlight the skill, then back it up with specific examples.

Team management

In my 16-year career, I have managed teams as small as two and as large as twenty-two. I have worked in both flat and deep hierarchies.

Product design

My teams and I have produced award-winning product designs and have filed five patents.

Skills

SQL, Python, Perl, and Ruby

Agile process management

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

So, what is a relevant skill?

A skill doesn’t have to be explicitly spelled out in the job description to be relevant. Skills like spoken-language proficiency, customer service, team management, and analytical skills are highly transferable. And even a skill like dog training, when you are applying for a customer service job, can show your potential employer that you are very patient. Just be ready to talk about any skills you list on your resume in the job interview.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

The 5 Standard Sections of a Resume

The sections you include on your resume, the sequence you put them in, and the headings that you give them are essential parts of your resume format.

Let’s get started with the five sections that everyone should include on their resume:

• Contact Information
• Resume Introduction
• Experience Section
• Skills Section
• Education Section

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

1. Contact Information

This is one of the most basic categories of any resume. After all, if an employer doesn’t know your name or how to get in touch then they can’t offer you an interview.

At a minimum, you should include the following information in your resume header:

• First and last name
• Email
• Phone number

Additionally, you might also want to include the following optional information:

• Mailing address
• LinkedIn profile

A link to a portfolio or personal website could be another useful addition. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, animator or work in any field in which visuals are crucial, you will want employers to see samples of your creations.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

2. Resume Introduction

This is a short section at the start of your resume that summarizes your key strengths and qualifications. It’s also your first, best shot at grabbing a hiring manager’s attention, and you only have seconds to do it.

There are two primary types of resume introduction, and the one that you pick will depend on your circumstances.

Resume Summary

A resume summary is a brief statement that highlights your key work-related achievements and skills in four to five bullet points.

Summaries are the most popular way to start a resume, and are the best approach if you are looking to take the next step in an industry that you are already working in.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

Resume Objective

A resume objective is a short statement focusing on your goals and motivations. An effective resume objective still showcases your skills and relevant experiences, but puts the emphasis on how you will help the company meet its aims.

Objectives are best if you are an entry-level candidate writing a resume for your first job.

Additionally, there are two more types of resume introductions:

• Resume profile
• Summary of qualifications

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

3. Resume Experience Section

Your experience section is one of the most important parts of a resume, and for most people will make up the core of their application.

For each position you have held, list the following basic information:

• Company name and location
• Your title
• Dates of employment

If you are writing a chronological resume, you should list your most recent position at the top, followed by your previous positions in reverse-chronological order.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

For each job, you should write three to five bullet points detailing your main responsibilities and achievements. Here’s a good example of how to write a strong resume experience section:

4. Resume skills section

Your resume skills section is a basic element of any resume, and should include a range of hard and soft skills that are relevant to the job you want to fill.

Certain hard skills or technical skills are required for nearly any job. Make sure your skills section includes as many required or relevant hard skills as possible. Additionally, there are other universal hard skills that are broadly appreciated by recruiters. These include Microsoft Office, language fluency and computer skills.

But hard skills alone do not make for a positive and productive work environment. For this, soft skills, such as adaptability, good communication and problem-solving, are the key. To impress any hiring manager, be sure to show that you have both the soft and hard skills necessary for the job.

Not sure what skills to include on your resume? The best place to look is the job advertisement itself. If the recruiter mentions any specific required or desirable skills they are looking for in their ideal candidate, then you should include as many of these as possible in your skills section.

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

5. Resume Education Section

Whoever you are, there is a way to present your high school, college and postgraduate qualifications to boost your chances of getting a job.

For most working professionals, your resume education section should include the following information:

• Name of school
• Location
• Type of degree and field of study
• Year of graduation
• GPA (optional, and only if it’s above 3.5)

However, if you are writing a recent graduate resume, you can expand your education section to compensate for a lack of work experience. In this case, list relevant coursework on your resume, along with your GPA (if it’s above 3.0), as well as any awards, honors and academic achievements. If you don’t have any work experience, you could also mention your extracurricular activities here.

Here’s an example of a properly formatted education section on a resume:

Optional Sections of a Resume

Depending on the type of job that you are applying for, you can stand out from the crowd by including a number of other resume categories. If you are trying to land an internship at a newspaper, for example, do you have any publications to your name? If you lack professional experience, do you have volunteer experience that helps bridge the gap?

Here is a list of optional sections that you might want to include in your resume:

• Training, certifications, and licenses
• Accomplishments
• Languages
• Projects
• Volunteer work
• Awards and honors
• Conferences
• Extracurricular activities
• Publications
• Hobbies and interests
• Relevant coursework
• Fraternities or sororities

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

However, don’t include references on your resume. Most employers won’t need them at this stage, and will only request them further down the line in the hiring process.

How to Organize Your Resume Sections

The right order for your resume sections is always the one that highlights your best qualities. This means that your career stage and level of work experience will have an impact on which elements you should include.

For a Standard Resume

For the majority of job-seekers, this section order works very well. It’s clear, succinct, and emphasizes professional experiences and skills. It also uses a resume summary, which, as we have seen, can be a very effective way of drawing attention to your strengths and achievements.

1. Contact Information
2. Resume Summary
3. Experience
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Additional Sections

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

For Recent College Graduates

If you are writing a recent college graduate resume and don’t have much work experience, this is the order for you. It focuses on education, and draws on internships and volunteering as much as professional experience. By using a resume objective, it draws attention to your goals and ambitions, and how you will use these to benefit your employer.

1. Contact Information
2. Resume Objective/Career Objective
3. Education
4. Experience, Internships, and Volunteer work
5. Training and Certifications
6. Skills

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here

For Manager Level Positions

Candidates with a high level of experience will want to highlight their qualifications and accomplishments. A qualifications summary is an excellent way of doing so. A professional profile can be equally effective, as it draws instant, detailed attention to your professional skills and expertise.

1. Contact Information
2. Qualifications Summary/Professional Profile
3. Experience and Accomplishments
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Additional Sections

Ace your coding skills with Entri !

For Career Changers

Looking to change industries? Emphasize your broad skills, rather than chronological work experience, with a functional resume. Here, the sections are ordered to focus on the resume introduction and skills section. This is perfect for convincing a recruiter that you have the transferable skills to succeed in their industry.

1. Contact Information
2. Professional Profile/Resume Summary
3. Skills
4. Experience and Accomplishments
5. Education
6. Additional Sections

Grab the opportunity to learn Digital Marketing with Entri! Click Here