Career Advice

Not sure which resume sections are necessary and which ones are optional? Struggling with how to organize the sections of your resume?

Sometimes you can feel like what you have isn’t enough and then overcompensate by trying to include as many categories on your resume as possible. In these cases it’s good to remember the golden rule — less is more.

Rather than trying too hard and ending up with a cluttered resume, you should stick to what is necessary. And add any optional sections which will complement it depending on your profession.

Resume sections

Let’s start with illustrative examples that show how sections should be ordered on a resume based on where you’re in your career — whether you’re a student/fresh graduate, an experienced professional or a career changer.

If you want to organize your resume in a seamless yet creative way, a quick and efficient solution is to use a customizable template. Just choose a suitable resume template for your profession and customize it to your needs.

Resume composition explained in 2 simple steps

So, how do you put together your own resume?

Follow this two simple rules:

You need to include the required sections. Your resume won’t be a resume without those.
Other sections are optional and you can include those which are somehow relevant to your career or to the job you’re applying to.

Which sections are a must and which aren’t? Let’s see!

Standard resume sections

Every resume should, definitely, include these five key sections:

Personal information
Resume summary or objective
Work experience
Education
Skills

These are the most important parts of the CV for a recruiter. You shouldn’t leave any of them out. When you include these five sections, you’ll have produced a standard resume with all of the necessary information.

Any additional sections, if added tastefully, are cherries on top.

Let’s have a look at each of these five individual sections to make sure you include everything you need to. There are also some different options for headings, some of which are more appropriate than others.

Resume personal information section

What’s the purpose of the personal information section on a resume?

You’ve probably guessed it. The purpose of the personal information section on your resume is to introduce yourself to the hiring manager. Therefore, it should be the very first section on your resume.

What should you include in personal information section?

Name and surname
Phone: If you’re applying for a job in a different country, make sure you include the correct prefix code for your country. Be consistent with the format of the number in other documents.
Email: Make sure to use a professional email rather than a goofy one back from when you were a teenager. Similarly, don’t use your current work email. You will loose it soon anyway!
Address: Usually recommended, but not necessary. Some employers send offers and rejections via post, or they may prefer local candidates living in a certain radius from the company. However, it can also lead to discrimination, especially when you decide to include your zip code — so, preferably include at least the state and city.

There’s also optional personal information you can provide:

Professional acronyms: Including any professional title abbreviations, education, certification — You earned them, go for it!
Middle name: Optional. But make sure you’re consistent in other documentation.
LinkedIn and other social media: LinkedIn — Recommended if you have one. Other socials — Is it relevant for the job or industry? If yes, you can include it.
Portfolio/Website: Again, include only if it’s relevant for the job. In a creative industry it will definitely help!

Lastly, if you want to work with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and not against them, stick to a straight-forward heading, like “Personal Information” or “Contact Information”. Stay away from headings like “Something about me”.

Why is the personal information section necessary on a resume?

Naturally, by providing all the necessary information, recruiters will have no trouble getting in touch with you and invite you for an interview.

Visit www.rapidezwriter.com for more advice. Also check our expert services.

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Resume Sections: How to Organize Your Resume?