The Ultimate Guide to Resume Sections: What to Include, What's Optional, and What to Avoid

You've seen a job ad that you love, and now it's time to write a resume.

While you may know a great resume when you see one, when it comes to your own resume there are a lot of things that can be confusing for job seekers.

One of the most common questions we hear is about what sections should be included on a resume, and what is optional. In this guide, we will break down everything you need to know about resume sections. We'll discuss what to include, what's optional, and what to avoid.

By following these guidelines, you'll create a great resume that stands out from the competition and helps you land your dream job!

Must-have sections

No matter what field or industry, these resume sections are required and a recruiter will be looking for them so make sure not to skip any of these.

When deciding what to put first, remember that recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds reading a resume. To maximize your chances of getting an interview, you want to make sure that the most important information is at the very top.

Contact information

At the very top of your resume (even in the resume header) is where you'll list your contact information, including your name, city and state, phone number, and a professional email address. It's not recommended to include a photo or your street address in this section.

The professional experience section comes next

Your job history is arguably the most important part of your resume. Include your employment history, in reverse chronological order (i.e., starting with your most recent job and working back.)

This will help highlight your career progression, show what you accomplished in your previous jobs, and demonstrates why this new job is a logical next step for you based on your work history.

For each position, list the company name, your job title, and the dates you worked there.

Then, include a few bullet points that highlight your key responsibilities and accomplishments. Use each bullet point to emphasize skills and results, to add additional context to the items you listed in your skills section and how you could drive similar results in your new job.

If you don't have much work experience, you can also include internships, project-based work, and relevant coursework.

Resume education section

Next up is your education, , including relevant coursework and additional training that you’ve pursued.

Include your educational history, starting with your highest degree earned. List the name of the school, the type of degree you earned, and the graduation date. If your degree is in progress, you can list the expected graduation date.

If you didn't earn a degree, just list the school and the dates you attended. Consider listing relevant coursework if you need to bulk up your resume in certain areas, such as a career change.

Showcase your skills

This is where you'll list your relevant skills, including both hard and soft skills.

Hard skills are specific, measurable abilities that you can learn, such as technical skills and programming languages or software tools you're familiar with.

Soft skills are more general personality traits that help you interact with others and work well in a team environment. Examples of soft skills include communication, writing skills, problem solving, and time management.

When listing your skills, be sure to include both types so that you can show a well-rounded picture of your abilities. Use the job description as your guide when deciding which skills to include to help applicant tracking systems see that you're a good fit.

Recommended sections

Include your target job title

If you want to let potential employers know what job you're targeting, include it under your name.

This is a great way to catch a recruiter's attention and let them know that you're qualified for the position. It also helps the applicant tracking system know that you're a good fit.

If you're applying to multiple jobs, you can include a different title on each resume as a quick way of tailoring it.

LinkedIn, website, or online portfolio

If you have a LinkedIn profile, personal website, or online portfolio (such as GitHub), you can include these links in your resume. This is a great way to show off your work and give recruiters an easy way to learn more about you.

Just make sure that your online presence is professional and up-to-date before including any links!

Get yourself interviewed with the resume summary statement

Next, you may want to include a professional summary or career highlights. A good resume summary is a brief overview of your qualifications and strengths and tells a story about what makes you a great fit for this specific job.

This is an optional section, but we recommend including it in certain situations like if you're changing careers or have a lot of experience in different fields. See this post for more on when to use a resume summary.

This is a good place to use keywords to get noticed by resume scanners, and you will want to tailor this part of your resume to each job application to tell recruiters exactly why you're a good fit.

Optional sections

The sections below are optional on your resume, so you will need to assess your own personal and professional situation and decide if any of these make sense for you to include. Most job seekers will chose to include at least one of these optional sections on their resume.

Volunteer experience

If you have relevant volunteer experience, you can include it in your resume. This is a great way to bulk up your resume if you're just starting out in your career, have been out of the workforce for a while, or if you're looking to change careers.

Including volunteer work can also be a good way to show off soft skills that might not come across in your work experience.

Professional associations

If you're a member of any professional associations, you can list them in your resume. This is especially helpful in some fields such as academia or healthcare, and it's a great way to show that you're invested in your career and stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends.

To include a professional association in your resume, simply list the name of the organization and your title or role within it.

Awards and honors

If you have any awards or honors, you can list them in your resume. This is a great way to show off your accomplishments and set yourself apart from other candidates.

To list an award or honor in your resume, simply include the name of the award, when you received it, and a brief description.

Publications

If you have any publications that are relevant to the job, you can list them in your resume. This is a great way to show off your work and demonstrate that you're an expert in your field.

To list a publication in your resume, simply include the name of the publication, the date it was published, and your role in writing it.

Certifications

You can also include certifications on your resume. This is a great way to show that you have the skills and knowledge required for the job.

To list a certification in your resume, simply include the name of the certification, the date you received it, and a brief description.

Languages

If you're fluent in any languages other than English, you can list them in your resume. This is a great way to show off your skills and set yourself apart from other candidates.

However, if you aren't likely to need to use your language skills on the job you may decide to skip this section if you're running short on space.

Sections to avoid

In general, there are a few types of information that you should avoid including in your resume.

Personal information

Avoid any personal information that isn't relevant to the job. This includes things like your age, date of birth, street address, marital status, and religious beliefs.

Resume objective statement

An objective is a brief statement that tells the employer what you're looking for in a job.

While it's important to have an idea of what you want in a job, your resume is not the place to put this information. If you need to include a statement about your objective, put it in the cover letter instead.

An objective can actually hurt your chances of getting an interview because it can make you seem out of touch with the modern job market.

Hobbies and interests (unless relevant)

You should also avoid including hobbies and interests on your resume. These will just take up valuable real estate that could be used to showcase why you're a great fit.

The only time you should include hobbies and interests on your resume is if they are relevant to the job or will make you look good to the employer.

References (available upon request)

References are people who can vouch for your skills and abilities. While it's important to have a list of at least three people who are willing to speak on your behalf, this doesn't need to take up space on your resume.

If an employer wants your references, they will ask you for them at the end of the interview process.

A template for writing your resume

If this all seems very confusing, don't worry. We have 5 six-figure resume samples for you to download from various industries, including some resumes with a career gap or no degree that landed offers at top companies! Hire This Mom now offers a resume template bundle for sale on our store here.

If you need additional help, you can also request our professional resume writing services, now available to book directly from our store!

We can also help with cover letters, and provide interview preparation and career coaching as well.

Takeaway

A solid resume has foundational requirements as well as a select few optional sections that meet your individual needs and circumstances.

There are a lot of different opinions about what goes on a resume. Use this as your guide.