This is the first time I’m preparing to look for a job, and I’m clueless about what should be in a resume. Will you help me? We hear this phrase a lot during our client engagements, so we are going to explain different parts of a resume to give you a better understanding each portion and how it can benefit you in a job search.

Writing a good resume could be challenging, and the rules are not only complicated but also could change from time to time depending on your field of work, years of experience, and your job objectives. There are some important parts of a resume that almost each professional could use to design the most important marketing tool during a job search. Below are the main components of a resume which can help you articulate your value to a future employer:

Contact Details

Having the correct contact details is indeed a crucial part of a resume, but research shows that almost 25% of applicants forgot to state the necessary contact details or failed to include them in their resumes. When writing your resume, be sure to add your personal details along with contact information as the first set of details and make sure to include this information at the top right below the heading.

Full name – state your first and last name that is mostly preferred, example: Sarah Jones and not Sarah Lauri Jones. Keep in mind to use the exact version of your name on all relevant job search documents and tools for consistency in your personal brand.

Mobile phone number – it’s always a good idea to include your mobile phone number on your resume, so you would have control on voicemail records, who answers the calls and when.

Address – the modern version of resumes doesn’t expect you to enter your complete mailing address, but instead you ought to state your zip code, state, and city if you are looking for work near you. If in search of a long-distance career search, it wouldn’t be a compulsory to state your mailing details.

Social media – the most useful social media profile you could include is a customized LinkedIn profile that is targeted to attract the audience in your industry. All other social media profiles could be included if it links a connection under the relevant field of job that you’ve applied for in the recent times. It’s important to maintain a professional online portfolio that will secure a better spot for you in getting hired.

Professional Status

This is indeed a straight forward path in your resume. Just below your contact information, provide a brief title of the role you are actively seeking so hiring managers know that you are interested in their open position. Example: if you’re in search of a position as a quality controller or manager, you may state that as your professional title. It is important that you change your professional title when you submit your resume to different companies to match the relevant job description. Suppose you wish to change careers and feel awkward about inserting a title you’ve never started before, you also have an option to state some of the job duties in your role that will transfer to this new role and will be relevant to the position opening.

Professional Summary

A professional summary is also known as the career summary, career statement or an executive summary – follows in the place of a resume objective statement which you probably learnt about in college and is not used in a professional setting anymore. Traditionally a decent resume objective statement often tends to look into the job seeker’s needs and wants. However, a professional summary pays attention to what the job seeker wishes to offer an employer by briefly describing their qualifications and skills that will match up with a position opening.

Areas of Expertise

This is ideal or an important section where you could incorporate all the necessary words which you feel is important to have your resume be chosen through the hiring bots. It will be a good move to enhance all your soft skills and hard skills that is relevant to the job role you are seeking. If you are not familiar with what exactly to include in this section, find job descriptions that attracts you and run them through the word cloud generator. This will help you identify what terms often pop up against a specific job opportunity and if you happen to possess that skill/s, make sure you add it to this section.

Work Experience

It is important you list your work history in the reverse chronological order with the most recent work experience first, and that will allow them to read back in time to see how the applicant has progressed through the years in a certain industry or role. You could also add a number of professional experiences over a full-time job, such as internships and voluntary work to cover any gaps in employment.

Education and Certifications

Education and certification can certainly help you stand out from the crowd and help the hiring manager identify your capabilities and specialties. If you happen to be a recent graduate, there is a high change that your academic skills probably will be one of the bestselling attributes in your resume. Therefore, it is important to highlight education on the top or beginning of your resume. However, if you are not an individual in entry level or have experience in your industry, it would be counterproductive to add education on the top as it could give the wrong impression to an employer to make them think that you are a recent graduate. In this case, a good rule of thumb is to keep your educational qualifications towards the end of your resume.

Related Experience

Apart from the ordinary components of a resume, you also might want to mention significant experience which you feel will add more weight and value to your resume. Here are a few related skills for you to consider:

1. Career milestones or highlights – if you are an individual with over 10 years of work experience, you could fill this section describing your career journey mentioning important milestones and achievements.

2. Voluntary experience- Over 44% of employers are more favorable to hire an individual who is keen on serving as a volunteer for different programs. If you happen to be an active participant involved with a non-profit organization for voluntary work, be sure to add those details to show your leadership and community building skills.

3. Technical skills- if you possess experience in the technical field, you should not miss out this chance to add your expertise, but if you do not work at a technical related work environment but perform highly specialized skills make sure to detail them appropriately.

4. Language skills – a multilingual person is considered as an important asset for any work environment, so if you possess such talent, try considering noting them down as well.

5. Veteran or Military Status – You’ve served your country and learned valuable skills while working in the military. Specialized military training, certifications, and experiences can be incredibly valuable to an employer. So, include your skills, education, and experience from the military that can improve your chances significantly.

Writing Your Resume

Before writing your resume, it is important that you or the resume writer reorganize relevant competencies by developing the above-mentioned parts of the resume. So do a bit of your own study while going through the above points and work on it well. Good luck!

Need help crafting a resume that can get you 2X the interviews within the next 60 days? Click here to pick an option that would best fit your unique situation.