I have written resumes for over 20 years for people of various ages and backgrounds and one of the most common questions I hear is:
What in the hell am I actually supposed to put on my resume anyway?
Exactly what to put on YOUR resume is highly dependent on your skillset, where you are in your career, the job you’re applying for, and what content you want to focus on (or perhaps cleverly draw attention away from).
Let’s cover some basics about resumes and what to include.
What is a Resume?
A resume is a critical document that summarizes your work experience, education, skills, and achievements. Basically, the resume and/or cover letter can stand between you and earning enough coins to afford the guac at Chipotle.
Your resume is the first impression to potential employers and helps them determine whether you’re a good fit for the position they’re looking to fill. So, that means that it’s essential to make sure that your resume is comprehensive, easy to read, edited / error free, and highlights your unique strengths.
Here are some essential things to include on your resume:
Contact information
The first thing to include on your resume is your contact information. This should include your full name, phone number, email address, and city and state. I no longer advise my clients to put their full address on their resume (we don’t want any internet creeps pulling up on you), so just city and state is fine.
Make sure to double-check your contact information (especially the email and phone number) for accuracy before submitting your resume.
Professional summary
A professional summary is a brief paragraph that highlights your skills, experience, and qualifications. This section should be tailored to the specific job you’re applying for and should provide a concise overview of what you bring to the table.
Are you thinking of writing an Objective statement instead? Well, just don’t. Objective statements are old news, like the senior Bush’s presidency (rest in peace), for those of us who were alive long ago to even remember that there were two Bush presidents.
No one wants to read that your objective is to get a job at their company. I mean, of course that’s your objective, why else would you apply for the job, right? Keep it modern and professional: write a killer professional summary that is informative and impressive.
Work experience
The work experience section is where you list your previous jobs, including the name of the company, job title, dates of employment, and job responsibilities. Use bullet points to highlight your achievements and accomplishments in each role.
List the experience in order, starting with the most recent. For the love of all that’s holy, please do not start with the Sandwich ARtist job that you had back in 1998. As Janet Jackson would say, “what have you done (at work) lately?” The emphasis is on lately folks!
Education
Include your highest degree earned, the name of the institution, graduation date, and any relevant coursework or academic honors. Repeat with lesser degrees, relevant trainings, online certifications / courses, anything that is relevant and shows that you’re qualified for the job.
Skills
Allot some space on your resume to list out your skills. Make it very easy for a reader to see all of the juicy, juicy software programs that you know how to use and all of those amazing, phenomenal communication skills you have.
Make sure that the skills that you list on your resume are relevant to the position you’re applying for. These may include technical skills, such as proficiency in a particular software program, or soft skills, such as communication and leadership.
Achievements
Include any awards, recognition, or achievements that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. I recommend that you only include professional achievements, but if you have personal achievements that are relevant to the job, you can include those as well.
Volunteer experience
If you’ve volunteered for a relevant cause or organization, include it in a separate section of your resume. This demonstrates your commitment to your community and can help set you apart from other candidates. For example, if you are applying for a management position and you managed a crew for Habitat for Humanity, you can include that on your resume.
Professional development
Include any relevant training or professional development courses you’ve taken, including certifications or licenses.
When crafting your resume, keep in mind that it should be tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. This means that you should emphasize the skills, experience, and qualifications that are most relevant to the position. Use bullet points and action verbs to highlight your achievements and make your resume easy to scan quickly.
Finally, remember that your resume is not set in stone. You should update it regularly to reflect your latest experience and accomplishments. I actually re-write or tweak my own resume for every single job that I apply for. This strategy has enabled me to stay gainfully employed for decades, without ever having to network or know someone to get a job at a company.
With these tips in mind, you can create a resume that showcases your unique strengths and helps you stand out from the competition.
2 responses to “Umm, So What Exactly Goes on a Resume Anyway?”
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