If you want to land the perfect job, you need a perfect resume. These resume tips are a great place to start. Whether you’re looking for simple or basic resumes for a first job, or a complex resume format to help showcase your skills and work experience, we have the examples you need to succeed on your job hunt.
If you want to land the perfect job, you need a perfect resume. Whether you’re looking for a simple or basic resumes for a first job, or a complex resume format to help showcase your skills and work experience, we have the examples you need to succeed on your job hunt.
1. Contact Information
The contact information section is pretty self-explanatory. It includes your name, phone number, and professional email address.
You can also include your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or portfolio if it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Tip: Make sure your contact information is professional and accessible. Some resume platforms and recruiters use free resume search tools to find CVs online, so ensuring your contact details are easy to find can increase your chances of being contacted.
2. Professional or Industry-Specific Experience
If you’re applying for a job that requires a specific skill set or industry experience, it’s important to include any relevant experience you have. This can include things like internships, co-op experiences, work-study programs, or any other type of work experience you have that’s related to the job you’re applying for.
When including this type of experience on your CV, be sure to focus on the skills you gained and the projects you worked on that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. You can also include any key accomplishments you achieved during your time in this role to help you stand out from other candidates.
3. A Summary of Qualifications
A summary of qualifications is a great way to kick off your CV and give your potential employer a quick snapshot of your skills and experiences. It’s a brief section that goes at the very top of your CV, and it should be about three to five sentences long.
In your summary, you’ll want to highlight the most impressive things about your work history and your skills. You should also mention the career goals you have and the types of roles you’re interested in. This will help your potential employer see how you fit into the role you’re applying for and how you can help their team.
Here’s a great example of a summary of qualifications:
“Experienced marketing professional with a background in content creation, social media management, and influencer partnerships. Passionate about helping brands create a meaningful online presence. Currently looking for a new opportunity to lead a marketing team and grow a brand’s digital footprint.”
In this example, the applicant has highlighted their experience, skills, and career goals. They’ve also mentioned the type of role they’re interested in and the fact that they’re looking for a leadership position. This is a great way to show the employer that you’re a good fit for their team and that you’re motivated to succeed.
4. Work Experience
The work experience section of your CV is where you list your previous jobs. Include the company name, job title, and dates of employment. Then, include a few bullet points highlighting your job duties and accomplishments.
This is where you can really shine. Don’t just list off your duties. Instead, focus on your accomplishments and how you added value to the company. For example, did you help increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, save the company money, or streamline processes? Highlighting your accomplishments will show potential employers what you can do for them.
If you’re a recent graduate or don’t have a lot of work experience, you can also include internships, volunteer work, or freelance projects in this section.
5. Education
You don’t need to include your high school degree if you have a college degree, but you should list your college and any additional degrees you’ve earned. Include the name of the school, your degree, your major, and the year you graduated.
You can also include any academic honors or awards you received. If you’re still in college, you can include your expected graduation date.
6. Skills
The skills section of your CV is a great place to highlight the things you’re great at. But you don’t need to limit yourself to just your professional skills. Include your soft skills, as well as any hard skills you’ve learned in your personal life.
For example, if you’re a great public speaker, you can list that as a skill. If you speak a second language, you can list that as a skill. If you’re a great organizer and planner, you can list that as a skill.
In other words, if you’re good at something and it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for, you should list it as a skill on your CV.
7. Professional Memberships and Affiliations
Whether you’re a member of the National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP) or the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), professional memberships and affiliations are a great way to show employers and hiring managers that you’re dedicated to your craft.
Not only do professional memberships look great on a resume, but they can also help you expand your network, stay up to date on industry trends, and even take advantage of professional development opportunities.
8. Honors and Awards
While your work experience and education should be the focus of your CV, adding a section that highlights any honors or awards you’ve received is a great way to make your resume stand out.
This section can include any academic honors, scholarships, or awards you’ve received. It can also include any awards you’ve received in your professional life, such as employee of the month or salesperson of the year.
Including honors and awards in your CV can help to show potential employers that you are a high-achieving candidate who has been recognized for your hard work and dedication.
9. A Record of Your Published Work
If you’re a professional writer or journalist, your resume is the perfect place to highlight your published content.
If you’re not, you can still include a section on your resume to showcase any relevant articles, whitepapers, eBooks, or blog posts you’ve written.
This is a great way to demonstrate your writing skills and knowledge of your industry, and it can also help you stand out from other candidates.
10. Hobbies and Interests
Most people don’t include this section, but it can help you stand out. Think about what you do outside of work. Are you a member of a sports team? Are you a board game or escape room enthusiast? Do you volunteer? Do you write a blog or have a YouTube channel?
Include hobbies and interests that you think make you a more well-rounded person and employee.
11. References
Your CV is a summary of your professional life. It should include your experiences, skills, and accomplishments. It should not include your personal information, such as your references.
It’s assumed that you’ll provide references if asked. But you don’t need to include them on your CV. If you’re using up space on your CV with “References available upon request,” you could be using that space to showcase your skills and accomplishments.
12. A Headshot
In the U.S., it’s not common to include a photo of yourself on your CV or resume. In fact, doing so can open the door to potential bias and discrimination by the hiring team.
If you’re applying for a job in another country, it’s best to check the cultural norms. In some countries, it’s common to include a headshot. In others, it’s not.
If you’re applying for a job in the U.S., leave the photo off your CV. Instead, use a professional photo on your LinkedIn profile and include a link to your profile in the contact section of your CV.
Conclusion
There are so many things to include in your CV. If you’re a student, you should include relevant coursework and academic achievements. For professional roles, include memberships to organizations, certifications, and licenses. For everyone, include keywords, a professional summary, and your contact information. With these elements, you’ll have a great CV that will help you land the job you want.
