Selecting what to include in a resume and cover letter means researching the position and exploring your employment history for skills and accomplishments. Learn to be selective in what you choose to include in your resume.
It’s a picture of who you are, but it is a selective picture. It’s more like an outline than a complete autobiography. It gives the reader a quick, general idea of who you are, leaving out what is unimportant and letting you fill in specific details during your job interview. So, when it comes to developing your resume, it can be confusing to decide what information to include and what to leave out.
Important Sections and Information: All Resumes Should Include
List your data: full name, address, phone number(s), and email address.
You need to have an objective or job profile as an introduction to who you are. This helps employers know what type of work you are looking for. Your profile should include a bulleted list of your most vital strengths and what you would bring to the position.
Incorporating special skills related to the position will help you grab employers’ attention. This is a list of core competencies and can directly follow your professional profile. This is where you should use keywords and buzzwords to make it more effective.
When listing your education, list them in reverse chronological order and provide all the information about the school, degree, and years completed. Also include all awards, diplomas, and degrees received.
List your work history with the most recent experiences first. Include the company name, city, and state, as well as the dates of employment. The resume format you use will determine any other information you include. Include your relevant career accomplishments to make you stand out against the competition.
Whenever possible, quantify your results. A great way to develop accomplishments is to think about past problems you confronted, the actions you took to solve them, and the results.
Additional Information
Seminars completed, languages spoken, professional organizations, volunteer work, etc., can be included in separate sections at the end of the resume as good indicators of your worth. Be careful with this information, though—you don’t want to go overboard. Make sure this additional information is still relevant to the position.
These are the critical points that every resume needs to include. Our website has several examples you can check for reference and guidance on drafting yours to sound professional and impressive.
What key points do you include when writing your resume? Comment and share below! Need additional help? Reach out to Candace to learn more!