Guide to Resume Sections This Year

Tips on creating resume sections

When creating a resume, one of the first things you’ll typically do is break it up into multiple sections. Each section will include specific types of information, and showcase them to recruiters depending on what experiences and skills you have. Here’s what you need to know about each section of a resume.

The resume sections you must have

There are typically five required parts of a resume, with the possibility of optional sections.

The first section is the resume header with your contact information. This is more an element of the resume design than anything else. It includes your full name, phone number, and links to portfolio pages such as your LinkedIn profile. It is placed at the very top of your resume.

Next is the <resume summary or resume objective. This section is a short description of your key skills and professional experience. It’s extremely short and snappy, and it’s meant to be an overview of the rest of your resume.

The skills section usually follows the resume summary. This section is a list of your most important skills that directly relate to the job you’re applying to. Look to include a mix of hard skills, and soft skills. These skills are derived from your professional experience, or from certifications and education.

Next is your work experience section. This includes job titles you held, the company name where you worked, your dates of employment, and a few highlights from each previous position. Other types of work history, including volunteer experience and internships, can be included if they display skills that are relevant to the job you want. Jobs are in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent experience listed first.

Then comes your education section section. Here you should list your highest education credential (e.g., college or high school degree). You can also include certifications and relevant coursework.

You may also want to add optional resume sections, such as extracurricular activities, awards, or personal interests. They’re not required, but if you don’t have a lot of experience, as is the case with a lot of recent graduates or first-time job seekers, these optional sections can help fill out your resume. Just remember that all the information you provide should have a bearing on the job you want.

Resume section order: know your resume formats

How should you structure your resume? It mostly depends on the resume format. The chronological format emphasizes work history. On the other hand, the functional resume emphasizes skills and education. The combination resume focuses on work history and skills.  
 
For more help getting your resume into the right format, use a resume builder. Our Resume Builder provides professional templates and step-by-step advice for writing and organizing a resume, and our resume examples for specific jobs can help you create a resume that makes a hiring manager stop and pay attention.

How to personalize your resume sections

Tailoring your resume for the specific job you’re interested in is always top priority. If the job description mentions problem-solving or specific computer skills, include these skills in your resume if you have them, and give examples in your work experience section of how you’ve used them. The best resume for a specific job always addresses what the specific employer is looking for in a candidate.
 
If you don’t have a lot of experience, consider using the functional format, which devotes more space to skills and training you do have. This is also an opportunity to include some of the extra sections we list above, if they showcase abilities that match the job. 
 
Action verbs are also incredibly important here, as using active words such as “managed” and “oversaw” will make a stronger impression than phrases like “was tasked with”. back the information you’re seeing throughout your job search while also adding your own flair to them. Action verbs can also help reinforce your particular skills; qualities like “Detail-oriented” can be reflected by your experiences, such as “Filed hundreds of files per day with a 99.96% error-free rate.”