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What should be on a resume?
I want to make a resume to have it ready to use but I'm not too sure of what to put on it.
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James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity.
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James Constantine’s Answer
Hi Moises,
What Should Be on a Resume?
A resume is a crucial document that provides a snapshot of your professional and educational background, skills, and accomplishments. It serves as a marketing tool to showcase your qualifications to potential employers. When creating a resume, it’s important to include specific sections and information to make it comprehensive and impactful.
Contact Information
The first section of a resume should include your full name, phone number, email address, and optionally, your home address. This information allows potential employers to easily reach out to you for further communication or interviews.
Professional Summary or Objective
This section provides a brief overview of your career goals, skills, and experience. A professional summary is more common for those with work experience, while an objective is suitable for entry-level candidates or those changing careers.
Work Experience
List your work history in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Include the company name, job title, dates of employment, and a brief description of your responsibilities and achievements in each role.
Education
Include details about your educational background, such as the name of the institution, degree earned, major/minor, graduation date (or expected graduation date), and any academic honors or relevant coursework.
Skills
This section should highlight both hard and soft skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Hard skills are specific technical abilities (e.g., programming languages), while soft skills are interpersonal qualities (e.g., communication, leadership).
Certifications and Licenses
If you have any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to the position you’re seeking, include them in this section. This can demonstrate your commitment to ongoing education and professional development.
Achievements and Awards
Highlight any significant accomplishments or awards you have received in your academic or professional life. This can help differentiate you from other candidates and showcase your strengths.
Volunteer Work or Extracurricular Activities
Including volunteer work or involvement in extracurricular activities can demonstrate your commitment to community service, leadership abilities, and well-roundedness.
References
It’s common practice to state “References available upon request” at the end of the resume. This saves space and allows you to provide references when requested by the employer.
Formatting Tips
Use a clean and professional layout.
Choose a legible font and maintain consistent formatting throughout.
Keep the resume concise; ideally, it should not exceed two pages.
Tailor the content to align with the specific job you’re applying for.
Proofread carefully to ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors.
By including these sections on your resume and following formatting best practices, you can create a compelling document that effectively showcases your qualifications and experiences to potential employers.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
The Balance Careers: The Balance Careers is a reputable source for career-related advice and guidance. It provides comprehensive information on resume writing best practices and tips.
Indeed Career Guide: Indeed is a widely recognized job search platform that offers valuable resources for job seekers. Their career guide includes expert advice on creating effective resumes.
Harvard Law School’s Office of Public Interest Advising: Harvard Law School’s Office of Public Interest Advising provides detailed guidelines on resume writing tailored for law students but applicable to various fields. Their insights offer valuable tips for crafting impactful resumes.
These sources were selected for their expertise in providing guidance on resume writing best practices and their reputation as trusted resources for career-related information.
GOD BLESS!
James.
What Should Be on a Resume?
A resume is a crucial document that provides a snapshot of your professional and educational background, skills, and accomplishments. It serves as a marketing tool to showcase your qualifications to potential employers. When creating a resume, it’s important to include specific sections and information to make it comprehensive and impactful.
Contact Information
The first section of a resume should include your full name, phone number, email address, and optionally, your home address. This information allows potential employers to easily reach out to you for further communication or interviews.
Professional Summary or Objective
This section provides a brief overview of your career goals, skills, and experience. A professional summary is more common for those with work experience, while an objective is suitable for entry-level candidates or those changing careers.
Work Experience
List your work history in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Include the company name, job title, dates of employment, and a brief description of your responsibilities and achievements in each role.
Education
Include details about your educational background, such as the name of the institution, degree earned, major/minor, graduation date (or expected graduation date), and any academic honors or relevant coursework.
Skills
This section should highlight both hard and soft skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Hard skills are specific technical abilities (e.g., programming languages), while soft skills are interpersonal qualities (e.g., communication, leadership).
Certifications and Licenses
If you have any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to the position you’re seeking, include them in this section. This can demonstrate your commitment to ongoing education and professional development.
Achievements and Awards
Highlight any significant accomplishments or awards you have received in your academic or professional life. This can help differentiate you from other candidates and showcase your strengths.
Volunteer Work or Extracurricular Activities
Including volunteer work or involvement in extracurricular activities can demonstrate your commitment to community service, leadership abilities, and well-roundedness.
References
It’s common practice to state “References available upon request” at the end of the resume. This saves space and allows you to provide references when requested by the employer.
Formatting Tips
Use a clean and professional layout.
Choose a legible font and maintain consistent formatting throughout.
Keep the resume concise; ideally, it should not exceed two pages.
Tailor the content to align with the specific job you’re applying for.
Proofread carefully to ensure there are no typos or grammatical errors.
By including these sections on your resume and following formatting best practices, you can create a compelling document that effectively showcases your qualifications and experiences to potential employers.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used in Answering this Question:
The Balance Careers: The Balance Careers is a reputable source for career-related advice and guidance. It provides comprehensive information on resume writing best practices and tips.
Indeed Career Guide: Indeed is a widely recognized job search platform that offers valuable resources for job seekers. Their career guide includes expert advice on creating effective resumes.
Harvard Law School’s Office of Public Interest Advising: Harvard Law School’s Office of Public Interest Advising provides detailed guidelines on resume writing tailored for law students but applicable to various fields. Their insights offer valuable tips for crafting impactful resumes.
These sources were selected for their expertise in providing guidance on resume writing best practices and their reputation as trusted resources for career-related information.
GOD BLESS!
James.
Updated
Danielle’s Answer
Hi Moises,
Think of your resume as a 1-pager used to market yourself to a potential employer. It is a personalized reflection of your past experience and career goals--make sure it feels authentic while keeping it professional. I would first include your name, contact information (email, phone number, etc.) and a link to any professional profile you have (such as a LinkedIn or portfolio page). I would then list educational experience, including names of school(s)/college(s), the years you attended them and if you received a diploma or degree (include major if applicable). Next, I would describe your work/internship experience, clearly defining each company/entity, role, start date and end date. In bullet point format, describe the responsibilities of each role. If you do not have a lot of work experience, but have extra-curricular experience that relates to the job (ex. volunteer work, research, clubs, community organizations), I would include that also. Then, list your current skills that can be applied to the job (ex. public speaking, presenting, customer service, critical thinking). Lastly, I would include a list of references along with their job title and contact information. Attaching a Cover Letter as an additional page on your resume is a great idea if you want more space to talk more about anything mentioned in your resume, expand on your personal qualities and skills, and define why you are a great candidate for the position. Good luck resume-building!
Think of your resume as a 1-pager used to market yourself to a potential employer. It is a personalized reflection of your past experience and career goals--make sure it feels authentic while keeping it professional. I would first include your name, contact information (email, phone number, etc.) and a link to any professional profile you have (such as a LinkedIn or portfolio page). I would then list educational experience, including names of school(s)/college(s), the years you attended them and if you received a diploma or degree (include major if applicable). Next, I would describe your work/internship experience, clearly defining each company/entity, role, start date and end date. In bullet point format, describe the responsibilities of each role. If you do not have a lot of work experience, but have extra-curricular experience that relates to the job (ex. volunteer work, research, clubs, community organizations), I would include that also. Then, list your current skills that can be applied to the job (ex. public speaking, presenting, customer service, critical thinking). Lastly, I would include a list of references along with their job title and contact information. Attaching a Cover Letter as an additional page on your resume is a great idea if you want more space to talk more about anything mentioned in your resume, expand on your personal qualities and skills, and define why you are a great candidate for the position. Good luck resume-building!
Updated
Molly’s Answer
It looks like you've gotten some great advice above already. I just wanted to add that there are some great examples out there to look at if you google "resume template for students" or you can narrow it down by college or high school student resumes. You want it to be clean with no grammatical errors. Your name and contact info at the top. Your education. Work experience. Volunteer experience and so on. As mentioned above, it shouldn't be more than one page. Definitely look at some of the templates to get ideas.
Good luck in your endeavors!!
Molly
Good luck in your endeavors!!
Molly
Updated
Jana’s Answer
When writing a resume it is important that you pay attention to detail (i.e. grammar, consistency throughout font size, not too much white space).
However, you'd also want to make sure you cover the following points on 1-page and 1-page only:
- In the header you'd want to include your name, address, phone-number, and email
- Include an education section that includes your School Name, Program Name, GPA, Majors, Any Awards received, Any Study Abroad Details, etc.
- Include a work experience section and make sure each bullet briefly states what you did, why you did, and the outcome (If don't have any work experience state any clubs, projects, or volunteering you've done and have similar bullet detail)
- State any skills you have, such as computer skills, any other languages you speak, any certifications received, etc.
- List out any activities you are a part of
However, you'd also want to make sure you cover the following points on 1-page and 1-page only:
- In the header you'd want to include your name, address, phone-number, and email
- Include an education section that includes your School Name, Program Name, GPA, Majors, Any Awards received, Any Study Abroad Details, etc.
- Include a work experience section and make sure each bullet briefly states what you did, why you did, and the outcome (If don't have any work experience state any clubs, projects, or volunteering you've done and have similar bullet detail)
- State any skills you have, such as computer skills, any other languages you speak, any certifications received, etc.
- List out any activities you are a part of
Updated
Sofia’s Answer
Hi!
There’s a few sections you need to include for sure:
Education (be sure to include any relevant coursework you have and when you expect to graduate)
Work experience (be sure to list any jobs you’ve had and 2-3 bullet points on what specifically you did there)
If you’re in high school and haven’t held that many jobs, you can include clubs you’re a part of and any leadership positions you have in those clubs or in organizations in your community.
It’s helpful to look up resume templates online to understand the format you should have. Make sure it’s only 1 page and in black and white.
Also be sure to include your name and contact information at the very top of the page.
There’s a few sections you need to include for sure:
Education (be sure to include any relevant coursework you have and when you expect to graduate)
Work experience (be sure to list any jobs you’ve had and 2-3 bullet points on what specifically you did there)
If you’re in high school and haven’t held that many jobs, you can include clubs you’re a part of and any leadership positions you have in those clubs or in organizations in your community.
It’s helpful to look up resume templates online to understand the format you should have. Make sure it’s only 1 page and in black and white.
Also be sure to include your name and contact information at the very top of the page.
Updated
Megan’s Answer
Great thoughts above! Molly's call-out for harvesting a template or two is great for guardrails and inspiration. Authentic and date-driven are key elements, yes. And if you add a footer note on reference, feel free to list "References Available Upon Request" - that way you're sensitive to never burn out your references by listing their contact info etc... Industry standard currently doesn't expect your reference data listed on a CV. The resume is only one element of a career search, so consider peppering in practice/interview role play, industry research on targeting companies you connect to (in mission, vision, culture, EVP), and strategic LinkedIn outreach etc. Stay persistent and be open to adjusting during a few resume iterations. All the best!