Resume Sections - The Complete Guide to Sections on a Resume

Resume Sections - The Complete Guide to Sections on a ResumeResume Sections - The Complete Guide to Sections on a ResumePerfection of planned layout is achieved only by institutions on the point of collapse.C. Northcote ParkinsonHow many times have you started writing your resume sections, stared at the computer screen and realized you have no idea what to do next? A standard resume ideally communicates your potential with your prospective employers. It showcases your skills in a concise format with the purpose ofFacilitating the hiring managers to screen potential employees within 10 seconds.Enabling the user to proceed with the recruitment as part of his/her employment process.Standard resume categories essentially break your resume sections down into key points which are necessary for you to take care of both the purposes well while making it easy for you to keep your resume sections relevant in the competitive job market. Employers expect certain resume sections irrespective of y our role or industry.Before tailoring your resume sections according to the job description, you must define the resume sections that make the backbone of a standard resume. Following are the various resume sections explained. You may also find several resume sections samples in our website.Want to save time and effort on designing and formatting your resume sections? Check out our state-of-the-art resume builder, with pre-filled templates spanning dozens of professions and infinite designs. Trust us, youll love itOur Guide on Resume Sections will cover the followingPicking the Best Resume Sections LayoutResume sections are categorized in the layout across several dimensions like the number of columns in a standard resume, the number of pages in a standard resume, and the elements that are present in the resume sections. Predominantly, the first two criteria are the fruchtwein important while choosing a resume sections layout.The simplest distinction in resume sections layouts can be in terms of how the content is organized in terms of the number of columns in a standard resume. The single column sections of a resume layout is the most simple standard resume layout as opposed to a double column section of a resume layout, since it organizes the content in a single column that spans the entire standard resume height.You may use different kinds of layouts as followsStandard Resume sections layout which is the traditional way with extremely minimal use of graphical elements. You can use standard resume sections layouts for free in our online resume builder to create your resume.The verrotten resume sections layout or the Professional Resume sections layout design is most widely used among professionals with experience. They are created as per the industry standard and have an ideal combination of color and icons along with the text. This is something the recruiters are used to seeing every day.Modern Resume sections Layouts are appropriate for either creative pr ofessionals or someone trying for a job which requires them to showcase their profile visually.Here are a few sample section of a resume layouts that you may check out. Here is a professional sample of two-columned sections of a resume layout.Standard Resume SectionsYour standard resume sections categories essentially fall under two groupsFundamental resume sectionsOptional resume sectionsA candidate should attempt to include the following fundamental resume sections in a standard resume.Personal and Contact InformationSummary or Objective SectionSkills Section Professional ExperienceEducation SectionThe resume sections headings are vital additions which must be precisely scripted according to the profile. They follow a very particular resume sections order.Apart from the fundamental resume sections, you may want to include optional resume sections likeAwards and AccomplishmentsVolunteer WorkTraining and CertificationsAdditional ProjectsPublicationsInterestsLanguagesExtra-Curricul ar or Co-curricular ActivitiesConferences and other Events ManagedYou can even categorize your skills section into the following different categoriesTechnical SkillsComputer SkillsPersonal SkillsAdditional SkillsIts important to choose resume sections that best demonstrate the credibility of your profile as opposed to adding all possible resume sections.The following are a few resume sections samples according to various industries.If you are a Sales Executive who has been awarded for a lot of projects and speaks mora than three languages, your additional resume sections you may want to includeResume Sections for ProjectResume Section for LanguageResume Section for AwardsIf you mucksmuschenstill have space left then you can add more resume sections to your standard resume. Always remember that 1 page is the ideal length of a standard resume - it can exceed to 2 only for professionals with an experience of 10+ years. but definitely not more than that.HIRATION PRO-TIP There are some r esume sections that arent needed anymore.A references section is one such section.Your certificates and other valid documents are proof enough and so you do not need to put references on your standard resume.Unless the JD specifies it, you need not make a references resume section.Personal Details Resume SectionAlthough it sounds basic, yet many standard resumes manage to leave out contact details or other such important information. The header is the most primary resume section since you shall not be contacted by a recruiter in case these details are missing.It comprises your personenname and contact information such as your phone number, e-mail address, current location (city and state). You may even want to include your LinkedIn URL, but only if you think itll bolster your chances.Theres no point in mentioning your LinkedIn if youll only be redirecting the recruiter to an empty profile that was last updated months ago.Mentioning your age and date of birth in your resume sections depends on the industry which you are in and the country which you are targeting. In the US for instance, its forbidden to mention personal details like race, sex, age, etc. to reduce instances of personal bias during the screening of candidates.In the UAE and Mid-east though, they also ask for your passport details. So read up on the prevalent industry norms before you go about adding more information in this section.Professional Summary Resume SectionWhether you are a fresh graduate or an experienced professional, your summary will come after your header. It displays a brief and compelling account of your skill, accomplishments, and if necessary, a glimpse of your ambitions.The summary section is one of the important resume sections since the recruiters initially address this. Therefore, it can help you stand out. Since this is in the format of a paragraph, it gives you space to best showcase your candidature.It is extremely imperative to tailor your summary section to the specif ic job posting. Underscore your most compatible skills and core capabilities that correspond to the job requisites which you are applying for. Mention especially ifYou have managed a companys budget in the past.You have compliaced or laiased with internal/external stakeholders. You led a team.Include relevant keywords in your summary from the job description. Consider the following ideal summary2+ years experience BD professional with experience in dealing with firms in the UK Europe. Skilled professional with hands-on experience in forging strategic alliances increasing profitability. Proficient at closing B2B deals worth millions of dollars. Adept at forging partnerships to create strategic benefits. Looking forward to applying the acquired gamut of skills to a challenging role.However, entry-level candidates, students, and more importantly, career changers, should use a standard resume objective section which tells a hiring manager who you are right now and what you want to b ecome. You may check out our guide on resume summary on the website to see different summary sections. You may also find examples of resume objectives on the blog as well.Key Skills/Technical Skills Resume SectionsYour Key Skills Technical Skills section should ideally include computer skills, language skills, software skills along with soft skill sets. For example, if you are applying for the role of a Financial Associate you may want to include Financial Analysis Cash Flow Management Budgeting Working Capital Management Financial Reports Financial Data MonitoringIt is important to personalize the skills section according to the job description as much as possible. You can write both hard and soft skills, while giving priority to the former. Use only those soft skills which you can find in the JD - there should be no other reason for adding soft skills in your standard resume.Neatly dividing your entire list of key skills into relevant subsections is important. An example wil l better demonstrate what we mean. Youll see a myriad of key skills grouped together in the following example. To the recruiter, it hardly makes much sense. Project Management Monitoring gruppe Mentoring Management ANSI/ASME/DIN/ASTM/API/ISO Project Scale-up Castings, Forgings Welding Product Innovation/Differentiation Equipment Trials Development Costing Estimation Cost-Benefit Analysis Cross-functional Coordination SPMs, Machining Heat Treatment Proposals Documentation Engineering Design Analysis Technical Documentation Design Formulation Optimization Prototype Development Machine Layouts and Assembly Equipment and Fixture Design Global Regulatory Compliance Performance Optimization Conveying Systems/Jigs Fixtures Pneumatics Hydraulics Risk Assessment Management DOE, DFSS, DMIAC, DVPR VAVE RD and Innovation NPD VI Projects Project Commissioning LaunchThe same set of skills grouped under a relevant heading, makes them easier to quickly scan for relevance.PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS Project Management Monitoring Team Mentoring Management Global Regulatory Compliance Project Scale-up Product Innovation/Differentiation Equipment Trials Development Project Commissioning Launch Risk Assessment Management Cost Benefit Analysis Cross-functional Coordination Proposals Documentation Performance OptimizationENGINEERING DESIGN SKILLS Engineering Design Analysis Technical Documentation Design Formulation Optimization Prototype Development Machine Layouts and Assembly Equipment and Fixture Design Conveying Systems/Jigs Fixtures SPMs, Machining Heat Treatment Castings, Forgings Welding Pneumatics Hydraulics Costing Estimation DOE, DFSS, DMIAC, DVPR VAVE ANSI/ASME/DIN/ASTM/API/ISO RD and Innovation NPD VI ProjectsWithout changing the volume of your standrard resume skills, you optimize your standard resume sections for both the ATS and the recruiting manager.Your technique for dividing your key skills i nto subsections may depend on the industry you are in and the norms which are conventionally followed. IT Professionals can usually classify their extensive sortiment of key skills into various groupings like Tools Languages Operating System Methodologies DatabaseWhereas Sales Distribution Professional may want to include skill sets like New Business Development PL Management Strategic Planning Operations Management Key Account Management Turnaround High-Growth Strategies Customer Relationship Management Staff Training Development Contract Negotiation Budgeting ForecastingYou may find out how to incorporate skill sets into relevant resume sections in the examples given on the website.Professional Experience Resume SectionThe Professional Experience section is one section of the resue that is most frequently done incorrectly. In the reverse chronological sections of a resume,the most recent profile is written first followed by previous positions.Make sure you write the companys n ame, description of the company, location, job title and dates (in mm/yy) format of joining and resigning from each position of your job profile. Write at least five points for every profile highlighting your responsibilities and achievements.If you have listed too many responsibilities without any tangible achievements relevant to your job application, recruiters might disapprove of your candidature. If you are a fresher, list volunteer or extra curricular participations related to the job that count as work experiences.In case of an extensive list, you can create a new section for activities, associations, and volunteer work. Check out our resume sections examples for more details.Quantify your involvement in every work experience to back up your accomplishments. If youve got work experience of more than 10 years then tere is no need to mention the positions served 15-20 years ago in detail.In case of extensive work experiences like mentioned above, just write the companys name, y our position held and dates. The focus of your Professional Experience section should be on the jobs done in last 10 years and not more than that as recruiters will mostly look at your experience of past 10 years.Education Section on a ResumeYour resume sections on education list your academic qualifications which includes name of the university and degree pursued) along with dates of enrollment and graduation (and not just the latter) in reverse chronological section of a resume order.If you are a fresher, your education section should be one of the starting resume sections. If you have relevant work experiences, your resume sections order will change as your education section will then come after your professional experience section.In case you have attended the worlds best universities such as Oxford university or a top management school, put this information in your summary category since it should stand out.Since the aim of education is the knowledge of values rather than of fa cts, the resume sections on education add an impressive value to the profile of the job seeker. It is also very simple to make decisions when you know what your values are.You may check out these strong resume sections in the following examples.Order of Resume SectionsThe order in which resume sections are arranged depends on whether you are an entry-level graduate or a professional.While a students resume sections generally includesContact InformationResume ObjectiveEducationExperience/InternshipsExtra Curricular Activities (Leadership Section)SkillsHobbies and Interestsa working professional may order their resume sections categories in the following wayContact InformationResume SummaryExperience and AccomplishmentsAssociations and Certifications (Optional)EducationSkillsAdditional SectionsRemember that resume sections are written strategically in the above mentioned ways to compel a recruiter to think that you are the best bet for the profile they are looking for and he/she shoul d hire you. Keeping it short, crisp and to the point increases the chances of you getting to the interview round.Key TakeawaysA standard resume sums up your skills and experiences to a hiring manager. When hiring managers or even the ATS scan multiple resumes to find suitable candidates, your resume sections can emphasize your values from the rest. The standard resume sections are known to include a few basic resume sections categories in a subsequent resume sections order.Your Contact Information to facilitate getting in touch with you.A Professional Summary, to recapitulate your skills and necessary contributions. Resume Key Skills, to increase the chances of an ATS shortlisting your standard resumeYour Employment History, to showcase your accomplishments and experiences throughout your career. It includes the names, locations, and descriptions of the employer, followed by your job title and dates.Your Education History, to display your certifications and degrees earned and the institutions you have earned them from.Any Additional Skills and Achievements to highpoint technical or special skills you may contribute to the employer.leise have more doubts around resume sections in particular or the standard resume writing process in general? Drop in a comment below and our resume experts will come to your rescue