good things to write on a resume

100 Good Skills to Put on a Resume [Complete Guide]

Jeff Gillis 0 Comments

By Jeff Gillis

Updated 6/4/2022.

When you’re adding skills to a resume, you don’t just want to focus on what you’re good at. Instead, relevancy has to be part of the equation. After all, every job you’re trying to land requires a very specific skill set, one that you need to show that you have.

Choosing the skills to put on a resume when you’re applying to a role isn’t something you should do haphazardly. Instead, you want to use the job description, company mission, and company values as a guide, creating a sense of alignment.

Additionally, it never hurts to have a handy list of skills by your side, making it easier to explore your options. So, if you’re on the hunt for good skills to put on a resume, here’s what you need to know.

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

There are two basic types of skillsets that a job seeker can have and include on their resume: hard skills or soft skills.

Hard skills are the skills or abilities for a resume that are easily quantifiable…that can be learned through classroom work, apprenticeships, or other forms of learning. These include things like operating tools, computer programming, speaking foreign languages, or different kinds of technical prowess.

Soft skills are more subjective and harder to quantify and are often grouped together by what we know as “people skills.” Some examples of soft skills include communication, relationship building, self-awareness, and patience.

Which Skills Are More Important?

The debate rages on about which of these two types of skills is more important.

According to executive consultant and Forbes contributor Naz Beheshti , “…There is an ongoing debate about the relative importance of soft and hard skills that imply a competition between the two. However, they are both necessary and complementary to one another.”

On the one hand, job seekers with proficiency in a specific hard skill may get hired more quickly. Many employers want to hire people that can deliver value with fewer resources (ex., the need for training, etc.), making hard skills their priority.

However, we are also seeing that many hiring managers are choosing to hire candidates with highly developed soft skills.

In the end, as Indeed puts it, “soft skills are necessary to create a positive and functional work environment.” Plus, hiring managers feel that they can always train the candidate in the hard skill that is required to complete the job, but soft skills are often skills that cannot necessarily be taught.

So, what does this mean for you? Mainly that you can’t simply just pick one or the other and cross your fingers. Instead, the best strategy is to take a balanced approach and make sure that your resume contains both hard and soft skills.

How Do You Choose the Skills to List on a Resume?

Here’s the deal; there’s a good chance you know what you’re good at in a professional sense. Often, you can use your experience, duties, training, and education as a guide, giving you a strong foundation. Then, it’s about diving a bit deeper, looking at traits that could help you stand out, and comparing it all to the job description.

By using a simple process, you can make progress faster. Here’s a quick way to get started.

1. Make a List of the Skills You Know You Have

As mentioned above, the easiest way to get a grip on your current skills is to reflect on your academic and professional experiences. Consider the tasks you’ve taken on, the training you’ve completed, and the courses you had in school. In most cases, that’ll give you some solid ideas about your hard skills.

After that, it’s time for soft skills. Here, you want to think of traits or capabilities that help you engage with others and navigate professional relationships. Often, these are reflections of your personality, so use that as a jumping-off point.

2. “Mine” the Job Descriptions for Must-Have Skills

The next step is to take a look at the job description for the position you are applying for and make a list of the required skills it includes. Then, compare it to your capabilities. Are any of the skills on both of the lists you just created? If so, these are must-haves for your resume.

Now, notice if there are any skills on the job description that you don’t have. If there aren’t any, great!

But if there are…don’t panic. There are things you can do, which we’ll dig into shortly.

If you’re dealing with a vague job description, you aren’t stuck either. Here is a link to a ton of job descriptions that can give you an idea of the skills needed.

3. Tailor Your Skills to the Company/Position

As you may have read in our other blog articles, it is always very important to “tailor” your resume to the company and position you want to land. For an in-depth look into how to make that happen, check out our Tailoring Method article. 

If you want a quick overview, the idea is to focus on capabilities the company wants to find. Every job requires a unique skill set, and you want to show you have it. As a result, it is absolutely essential that skills from the job description make an appearance on your resume.

However, you also want to dig deeper. Spend some more time researching the company, including going through all of their various web properties, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Why? Because they will leave clues about the types of people they hire. That gives you more ideas about the best skills to put on a resume to land a job there, particularly when it comes to soft skills you may not find in a job description.

100 Resume Skills Examples

If you’re struggling with coming up with a list of skills based on your past experience, it can be easier if you have existing resume skills lists to work with. You don’t have to think up every possible skill; you can simply review the list and find the matches.

Here is a list of resume skills examples, divided into hard skills and soft skills, that you can use when applying for a job.

Hard Skills for a Resume

• Advanced Bookkeeping
• Appointment Setting
• Automotive Repair
• Cold Calling
• Computer Programming
• Conversion Testing
• Copywriting
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Service
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Cleanup
• Forklift Operating
• Graphic Design
• Heavy Machinery Operation
• Installation
• Landscaping
• Mathematics
• Medical Coding
• Paid Online Traffic
• Patient Care
• Photo Editing
• Picking and Packing
• Project Management
• Schedule Management
• Search Engine Optimization
• Server Maintenance
• Social Media
• Spanish Fluency
• Statistical Analysis
• Systems Analysis
• Technical Support
• Telecommunications Systems
• Travel Booking
• Video Editing
• Website Design
• Word Processing

Soft Skills for a Resume

• Accountability
• Active Listening
• Adaptability
• Brainstorming
• Business Etiquette
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Contextualizing
• Critical Thinking
• Decision Making
• Emotional Intelligence
• Flexibility
• Goal-Setting
• Handling Pressure
• Influencing
• Insightfulness
• Interpreting
• Negotiation
• Open-Mindedness
• Organization
• Prioritization
• Problem Solving
• Relationship Building
• Reliability
• Resource Management
• Responsibility
• Self-Confidence
• Strategical Thinking
• Strong Work Ethic
• Time Management

What If I Don’t Have the Required Skill?

Whether you need to possess a specific skill depends on the job and the skill in question. Usually, here’s where you have to be honest with yourself. If the skills required are part of the core competencies of doing the job, you may want to reconsider your application.

For example, if a golf course posts a job posting for a golf pro, you probably shouldn’t apply if you’ve never swung a golf club.

However, you will come across situations where what you bring to the table is close. In this case, moving forward might be okay.

You need to be able to demonstrate, using examples from your past, that you are capable of doing the required skill, even if you haven’t specially done it. So, go over your work history with a fine-tooth comb and try to come up with a few examples of you doing something in the right ballpark.

They are going to ask about it in your interview, so don’t think you can just wing it, and everything will be fine.

Also, many job descriptions have “nice-to-have” skills on the list. If you happen to possess them, great. But if not, don’t assume you shouldn’t apply if you have the must-have skills. In the end, those capabilities aren’t outright requirements, so don’t screen yourself out based on them.

How To List Skills on a Resume

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to deciding where to put (or how to list) the skills on your resume.

According to our friends over at online resume-builder Zety.com , “…skills are so very, very important that they should show up all over your resume. Not just in the resume skills section.” In other words, it is imperative that there are elements of your skills throughout your resume, including your resume objective/summary and experience sections.

In addition, there isn’t one right answer for where to include your skill section because that depends on the industry, company, and position you’re trying to land. For example, for a job where technical competencies are of the utmost importance, it is often beneficial to list the skills closer to the top of the resume, right underneath the resume objective or resume summary statement.

However, if through your research you determine that the hiring manager will put more weight into your experience, you may want to lead with your experience. Then, put the skills section further down your resume.

At the end of the day, the selection of the skills themselves is the most important thing. After all, most hiring managers will easily find your skill section regardless of where it is on your resume.

What About Skills for My Job Application?

When you’re looking for skills to put on a job application, you do have to treat it a little differently than skills for a resume. Usually, you’re working with a finite amount of space on an application, not just in an overall sense but in each applicable section.

Since that’s the case, you need to lean heavily on the job description. Look for any capabilities that are listed as must-haves or that are repeated through the job ad. Then, make sure those skills are featured prominently in several areas, including in work history descriptions and skills areas.

If you have to answer essay questions, discuss those skills there, too, whenever possible. Use any other relevant capability as a supplement, treating it as supporting information instead of the primary point you’re sharing.

However, if an essay question asks about a skill that’s not in the job description, feel free to dig in a bit. It’s a capability that’s clearly on the hiring manager’s mind, so touch on it occasionally to show you shine in that area.

Putting It All Together

If you were wondering, “What are some good skills to put on a resume?” you should now have a solid answer. The most important thing to remember is to select skills that are relevant to the position you are interviewing for and, more important than that, skills that your company puts a tremendous amount of value in.

Once you get your skills straightened out, you should make sure that the rest of your resume is congruent with the skills you just selected, namely, that your experience shows that you both used those skills in a work environment and developed the skill with on-the-job tasks.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Jeff gillis.

Co-founder and CTO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Jeff is a featured contributor delivering advice on job search, job interviews and career advancement, having published more than 50 pieces of unique content on the site , with his work being featured in top publications such as INC , ZDnet , MSN and more. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

Copyright © 2024 · TheInterviewguys.com · All Rights Reserved

• Our Products
• Case Studies
• Interview Questions
• Jobs Articles
• Members Login

What to Put on a Resume in 2024 [7+ Job-Winning Sections]

Choosing what to put on a resume can be a real struggle even if it’s not your first time writing a resume.

After all, not every resume has the same sections. Depending on your experience level & where you’re applying, your resume might look completely different .

For example, you always need to include your contact information, but the resume objective can be very situational.

The content that goes inside each section can differ as well, depending on whether you are applying for a job, an internship , or for a Ph.D. program.

So, the key here is to tailor your resume content to the job you’re applying for. As long as you mention the right things on your resume, you’re bound to land a job you’ll love.

Read on to learn what to put on your resume, depending on where you’re applying. We’ve also added a little extra section at the end of the guide on what NOT to include under any circumstance.

Without the right tools, making a resume can be a major hassle. Want a modern-looking resume done in less than 5 minutes? Try our online resume builder . It’s free, and you can pick between 8+ resume templates .

Land your dream job now, with your slick new resume!

What to Include in a Resume To Land The Perfect Job

• Contact information
• Resume summary or objective statement
• Professional Experience
• Skills/ Certifications
• Other Important Sections
• Tailor Your Resume to The Job Description

In this guide, we’re going to go through all of them one-by-one and teach you what to write in each section.

1. What Contact Information Should Your Resume Have?

A great resume would contain the following contact information in the right order:

Full Name - The generally preferred format is Name, Last Name

Right under the name, you should include your:

Professional Title - this should always mirror the job position you are applying for. 

Let’s say you are applying for a “front-end web development ” position but your professional title says “Junior Data Scientist” .

Whoever picks up your resume will most likely discard it thinking that you are either overqualified for the position or your resume is in the wrong pile.

Professional Email Address 

Your email should be professional and not something you created back in primary school. ( “[email protected]” or “[email protected]” )

If you don't have one, make an email specifically for your career and make it something along the lines of [name] [last name] @ email.com

Check out our guide on how to email your resume to an employer for more tips!

Phone Number - If you are applying for a job outside your country, make sure to include your country code as well. If you have a US phone number, for example, you’d add (+1) in front of the number 555 555 5555.

Here’s an example of how this would look exactly.

So far so good. However, you can notice how there is a lot of valuable empty space for you to add more eye-catching information. 

Aside from the basic contact information, you should also put on your resume links to your social media handles and/or personal websites.

Relevant Social Media Handles

Here are some common social handles you could include that can help you get hired :

Many companies nowadays ask for a Linkedin profile when you apply for a job.

Your chances of getting hired will be greater if you keep your LinkedIn profile just as up-to-date as your resume.

In very specific cases, you can also include your Twitter profile (if it’s somehow relevant to the job).

Some marketing jobs ask for an existing social following, for example. In others, you could use it to display your witty, under-20-characters writing skills.

Quora questions and answers cover a wide range of business topics nowadays. 

Are you an expert at giving business advice with 100+ answers on the topic? You can show your authority by linking your Quora page.

StackOverflow

Mainly relevant for developers, coders , computer scientists . 

Having a very active Stack overflow profile can give you a big boost if you code.

Only for developers , coders , data scientists , etc.

Github is a great way to showcase your projects. Whether it’s a website you developed, or a mobile game, make sure to include it!

Freelancers , writers , bloggers , and entrepreneurs .

A rich medium profile can help you showcase your writing skills and personality before even getting to the interview or trial task. 

Make sure to only put the relevant social media handles on your resume. If you are applying for a software development position, for example, your StackOverflow profile will be more relevant than your Twitter account.

URL to your personal website/channels

Here are some typical examples of what you could include:

• Personal website - Include a link to your personal website if you have an established online presence. Don’t include it if it’s just a literal HTML copy of your resume. No one will want to read the same content over again.
• Personal blog - Only include this if it is relevant to the job you are applying for. For example, if you have a blog that positions you as an expert in your field. A personal blog on meditation and unlocking the power within won’t mean much when applying for an accounting position.
• URL to your personal portfolio - For web designers, illustrators, painters, photographers, etc...
• Youtube channel - A channel containing videos of you explaining quantum economics can be a great thing to put on a resume if you are applying for a job in the field of economics.

So in the end, your contact information section would look something like this:

This example was made with a Novorésumé template, and it took us less than 15 seconds! Give our online resume builder a try - we’ll save you from the hassle of manually formatting your resume!

2. Make the Right First Impression With a Resume Summary or Resume Objective

Nowadays, it takes less than half a second for someone to swipe left and discard your entire worth on Tinder. 

Luckily, when applying for a job, you won’t be swiped left based on how you look. You’ll get discarded if you fail to catch the HR manager’s attention.

On average, it takes an HR manager or recruiter around 6 seconds to decide whether your resume goes on the discard pile or not. 

That’s why you want to leave a good first impression. Just like you did with that Tinder profile photo you uploaded from the time when you still had abs!

When writing a resume, the best way to achieve that is by writing a killer resume summary or objective.

How to Write a Resume Summary

A resume summary is a 2-3 sentence summary of your entire professional career. If you have more than 2 years of work experience, you’d opt for the resume summary instead of an objective (we’ll explain why in a bit!).

The core structure of a resume summary should contain the following information:

Jobs and years of experience

• Senior front-end developer with 10+ years of experience in Angular and ReactJs

Relevant achievements and responsibilities

• Specialized in developing e-commerce solutions following agile development principles.

What you are looking for. Your goal. 

• Seeking a position as a front-end lead developer at a startup company

To make sure your resume summary is memorable, make sure to mention how your previous experience on motivation will be beneficial to the company you’re applying for. You should include the following information:

• What can you do for them?
• How will your previous experience fit in the company’s current environment?
• How can you help their company grow while pursuing your own personal goals simultaneously?

How to Write a Resume Objective

Just like a resume summary, your resume objective is also max 2-3 sentences. Rather than describing your work experience, the resume objective focuses more on your motivation for applying for a specific job.

If you're a professional with several years’ worth of work experience, you should always stick to the resume summary. You're much more likely to sell yourself with your experience, rather than motivation.

If you're one of the following, though, you might want to use a resume objective:

• Recent graduate with no work experience
• Professional going through a major career shift with no relevant preceding work experience
• Student looking for your very first internship
• Professional with a career gap

(1) [SKILL/EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION RELEVANT TO THE JOB WITH JOB TITLE] . Looking to apply my (2) [years/months of EXPERIENCE RELEVANT TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION] at [COMPANY YOU ARE APPLYING TO] to help (3) [TYPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES YOU WILL HELP OUT WITH SUCCESSFULLY] . 

And here’s how this looks like in practice:

“Driven and meticulous recent graduate with a B.Sc. in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics with a 3.98 GPA. 6+ months of experience in forensic accounting and spreadsheet & data manipulation. Looking for an entry-level position as a forensic accountant at the XYZ Accounting Firm.”

To make sure your resume summary is memorable, as with the resume objective, you want to make sure that it’s tailored for the position you’re applying for.

In addition, make sure to mention:

• Your skills / experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying for
• Exact keywords from the listing to increase chances of passing through application tracking systems
• How you’re going to help the company achieve its goals

3. How to Write Your Work Experience to Stand Out

This is the CORE section of your resume.

Here is where you get to “advertise” yourself by listing past responsibilities and achievements on a job. 

Whether you do this right or not is the main deciding factor between your Plan A job and your Plan D. 

You could have an outstanding history of professional experience. But if you don’t word it the right way, someone else might snatch away your dream job (even if you’re perfectly qualified for it!).

How to Include Your Professional Experience on your Resume? (Step-by-step)

Here’s a three-step process of how to list your work experience so that you can make it stand out:

1. Add Your Job Title  

This should be right at the top so that anyone scanning your resume won’t miss it.

2. A short 1-2 sentence description explaining what the company does. 

Certainly, if you have worked in a globally recognized brand like Apple, Google, McKinsey’s, etc, then you probably don’t need to include background information on the company.

Otherwise, add the company’s name, location of the office where you worked, and a one-sentence description of what the company does.

3. Include 4-6 bullet points describing the core duties and activities you performed for the company. 

Now, this is the tricky part - listing your work experience the right way.

Each bullet point here should be a one-sentence description of a duty or activity.

Most people, when writing their resume, simply list out their basic responsibilities.

Things like “Managed the sales at the company & dealing with clients” or “Marketed company products and drove sales.”

Well, here’s the thing. The hiring manager knows what your responsibilities are. What they want to know is how you drove results at the company and helped take it from point A to point B.

Here’s how a well-written achievements/duties/activities look like:

Describe your Achievements using Numbers and Percentages to Back Them Up

When possible, you should back up your achievements with numbers and percentages.

This is how you show the employer that you’re a high-achiever. 

To show you how this looks in practice, let’s take an example of an achievement for a customer support agent : 

“Increased customer support ticket closing satisfaction rate” 

While this is definitely a good start, it doesn’t actually mean anything. Anyone could say they’ve done this - but there’s a huge difference between someone who increased the satisfaction rate by 0.5%, and by 30%.

What if you rephrased it as:

“Increased customer support ticket closing satisfaction rate from 47% to 72% within 3 months.”

Now, this is a lot more actionable. The hiring manager can see how good you are, and how you’d be an asset for the company.

In this case, it’s instantly clear that you know what you’re doing, and your resume goes directly to the YES pile.

Should You Include Internships on Your Resume?

If you just graduated, chances are that an internship (or internships) is the only relevant experience you have. So, definitely mention it in your resume.

If you have already worked for a few years, though, you can completely get rid of internships from your resume. 

There are some exceptions to this rule, though. For example, if you did an internship at CERN (the particle reactor in Switzerland, one of the most renowned experimental physics institutes in the world), you would be better off keeping it. 

4. What Skills Should You Put on a Resume to Make You Stand Out?

“Roughly 75% of large companies use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). As a result, over 70% of resumes submitted to job-boards are never read.”

Luckily, getting past ATS is not that hard. All you have to do is mention the right skills in your resume .

By the right skills, we mean the skills asked for in the “requirements” or “qualifications” section of the job ad.

To figure out what they are for the position you’re applying for, simply go through the listing.

Let’s cover a real example to make this super clear.

Here’s a job listing for a UX/UI Designer position at XYZ Inc.:

As you can see, the skills required for the position are:

• Proficiency in standard UX software such as Sketch, InVision, Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD) and other relevant UX and UI design tools
• Good understanding of front-end web development (HTML, CSS, JAVA)
• Strong problem solving, project management and organizational skills.

Now, all you have to do is mention all of them individually in your resume Skills section.

NEVER lie on a resume about your skills’ experience level. Even if you do make it past the interviews and miraculously get the job, you’ll eventually be caught in the lie.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are the technical skills you pick at university or work. They can be measured, and are usually directly related to the tasks you complete at work

Think, anything from designing in Photoshop to using a specific ERP system.

Here’s how they’d look on your resume:

Looks neat right? 

That’s not just it, though. To write a good Skills section, you should also mention some of your soft skills.

Not sure which skills to use? It might be one of these 100+ essential skills to put on any resume !

Soft Skills

While hard skills are learned technical skills, soft skills are your personal attributes.

Here are a few, just to give you a general idea:

• Leadership skills
• Strategic management and planning 
• Communication

And here’s how they look on your resume:

Your skills section should be backed up by your work experience. If you say that you’re an expert at Java, but you’ve never worked as a Java developer , no one’s going to buy it.

Universal Skills

As a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to also put some universal skills on your resume.

What are universal skills?

They are skills that fit in the description or requirements of most career fields. Universal skills can be both soft and hard skills.

Some soft universal skills are leadership, teamwork, and analytical thinking.

Ms Word, Excel, Powerpoint, writing skills, etc... are typical hard universal skills.

Regardless of the job you are applying for, these are the skills that will come in handy at some point.

5. How to List Education on a Resume

Another essential part of your resume is the Education section. Here, you describe your academic career with any relevant achievements.

Here’s how you’d format your education section:

And here’s how this would look on a resume:

Keep in mind that you should mention your education in reverse-chronological order . So, the most recent thing goes on top.

When writing your education section, here’s a couple of things you should keep in mind:

• Don’t mention your high school degree if you have a university degree
• Mention your GPA only if it’s above 3.5. Anything below that might not seem too impressive (especially if you’re competing with someone who listed a 4.0)
• Mention your education before your work experience if you don’t have any work experience.

6. Other Important Sections to Put on a Resume

By this point, you have already done the heavy-duty work. The previous sections are the MUST-haves of a resume.

There are, however, several other sections you can mention on your resume that’ll help you land the job.

Certifications and Awards

Do you have any certifications or awards that are relevant to your field or career? Make sure to put them on your resume!

If you are a software developer or engineer , you could mention things like your Java or AWS certification.

Similarly, if you are applying for a Digital Marketing position, those Google Analytics and AdWords certifications would come in very handy.

In today’s world, languages are one of the top distinguishing hiring factors. Since most companies nowadays are international, knowing two or more languages can become a HUGE advantage.

Countless companies nowadays value bilingual employees more than those speaking only one language.

Whatever job you are applying for, make sure to include all the languages you speak on your resume. Include your proficiency level next to each one.

You can see in the example below the different phrases you can use to describe your language proficiency levels.

• Native or Bilingual
• Full Professional Proficiency
• Professional Working Proficiency
• Limited Working Proficiency
• Elementary Working Proficiency

Make sure not to lie about this. It's not hard to figure out when someone doesn't speak a language. Your “Full Professional Proficiency” Spanish might go “adios” all the way down to “Elementary” if the interviewer speaks the language.

Hobbies and Interests

The hobbies and interests section can help you convey a little bit of personality. 

This is where you can show how big of an influence music is in your life. Or even reveal your Harry Potter addiction. Whatever it is, make sure you mention something that can really set you apart from the rest. 

You never know, maybe you end up having a lot in common with whoever picks up your resume.

Volunteering Experience

Altruism and generosity are characteristics that will make you stand out regardless of the environment you find yourself in, the office included. 

Hiring managers tend to prefer candidates who have some volunteering experience. This means that the employee is the type to spend their own free time on a worthy goal.

Chances are, the same dedication also transfers to the workplace.

If the volunteering experience is somehow related to your career, you can include it in the work experience section. Otherwise, you can create a separate section just for this.

Here’s how this would look like:

Publications

If you're a professional writer (i.e. journalist, researcher, scholar, etc.), you'd benefit from including your publications on the resume.

Maybe you have several blog posts published online, or a publication or two in an academic journal.

Whichever the case is, you can include them in your resume and make sure to mention the link.

Side projects are super important for many positions. They can help you make up for any lack of experience in a certain field, or display your passion for the job.

For example, if you are a developer or a coder, you must have a bunch of projects on Github. It could be a project you have done for a class or some app you started working on with your friends back in college (new Facebook, anyone?).

Projects aren’t just for coders, though. Maybe you attended a startup weekend at some point in your life? Or participated in a design hackathon?

Both of these examples can really add value to your application.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you can also mention some of your side hustles. Things like re-selling goods on eBay, selling your art on Etsy, and so on.

Next Steps: Tailoring Your Resume to the Job

Now that you know what sections to put on your resume, let's talk about its content.

It's essential that any information you've mentioned on your resume is relevant to the job.

We really can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to check every section you have put on your resume and make sure each one is tailored to the job/position you are applying for.

Because the hiring manager wants the job seeker that's applying for THEIR position, not sending a mass application to 50+ different companies.

So, here’s how you’d tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for. As step #1, take a look at the job ad and identify top requirements and skills.

Let’s use the following ad as an example:

As you can see, the most important requirements are: 

• 5+ years of experience in the field
• Skills in Copywriting, Photoshop, and email marketing
• Practical experience creating and optimizing landing pages

Now, you need to make sure you mention all of these in your resume, in whichever section they’re relevant.

Now that you know exactly what to put on a resume, we thought it would be helpful to also cover what NOT to put on a resume.

20+ Things You Should NOT Include in Your Resume

• Date of Birth - Age should not matter to a hiring manager. It’s not important for their decision-making, and at worst, it might lead to age-based discrimination.
• An Unprofessional Email Address - Do: [email protected] Don’t: [email protected] 
• Photo - Especially in the US and in the UK (due to anti-discrimination laws). Hiring managers don’t need to know your appearance to evaluate your resume and application overall. 
• Your exact address - very few businesses use mailing services nowadays to communicate with potential hires. It’s inefficient, and it’s simply safer to use your email.
• If you have a few years of related work experience, then you should not include a resume objective.
• Your resume summary or objective should also not include any requests, demands, or salary requirements.
• Jobs that aren’t even remotely relevant to the position you are applying for. No one cares about your experience as a cashier if you’re applying for a designer gig
• Fluff that doesn’t say anything. This is a lot more common than you’d think. Make sure all your duties and activities listed are practical
• Jobs that you had for a short time period (a few weeks). This shows that you’re a job hopper and unlikely to stick around for job (even if the employer you quit on was horrible).
• Any illegal jobs
• Irrelevant skills to the job in question
• Fluff skills just to take up space. Fun fact - a TON of university students fill up their resume with buzzwords like “Leadership, Critical Thinking” and so on.
• Your GPA (if it’s lower than 3.5)
• Your high school degree (if you have a university degree)
• The entire list of all the courses you attended in college
• Hobbies related to controversial topics (politics, religion, sex) based on ideologies and cultural differences. You can never know if the person reading your resume is on the same page as you.
• Childhood hobbies. Sure, you were a great football player in high school. But how relevant is it for that junior accounting position you are applying to?
• Irrelevant projects and publications.

Key Takeaways - What to Put on a Resume

Now that we’ve covered all the sections & contents you need to put on a resume, let’s summarize everything we’ve learned:

• The core contents of a resume include: contact information , resume summary / resume objective , work experience , education and skills .
• The optional sections are: certifications & awards , languages , hobbies & interests , volunteering experience , publications , and projects .
• Make sure to make your work experience section shine by talking about results & achievements, instead of dull responsibilities
• Lastly, you should tailor your resume to each different job you apply for!

At Novorésumé, we’re committed to helping you get the job you deserve, every step of the way! Follow our career blog to stay up to date with the industry-leading advice. Or, check out some of our top guides:

• How to Write a Cover Letter
• CV vs Resume: What’s the Difference?
• How to Pick the Right Resume Format

To provide a safer experience, the best content and great communication, we use cookies. Learn how we use them for non-authenticated users.

Explore Jobs

• Jobs Near Me
• Remote Jobs
• Full Time Jobs
• Part Time Jobs
• Entry Level Jobs
• Work From Home Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

• $15 Per Hour Jobs
• $20 Per Hour Jobs
• Hiring Immediately Jobs
• High School Jobs
• H1b Visa Jobs

Explore Careers

• Business And Financial
• Architecture And Engineering
• Computer And Mathematical

Explore Professions

• What They Do
• Certifications
• Demographics

Best Companies

• Health Care
• Fortune 500

Explore Companies

• CEO And Executies
• Resume Builder
• Career Advice
• Explore Majors
• Questions And Answers
• Interview Questions

How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
• Anticipated Graduation Date On Resume
• Education Section On Resume
• Contact Information On Resume
• Statement Of Qualifications
• How To List Publications On Resume
• Accomplishments On Resumes
• Awards On Resume
• Dean's List On Resume
• Study Abroad On Resume

Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

Recent Job Searches

• Registered Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Truck Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Call Center Representative Jobs Resume Location
• Customer Service Representative Jobs Resume
• Delivery Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Warehouse Worker Jobs Resume Location
• Account Executive Jobs Resume Location
• Sales Associate Jobs Resume Location
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Company Driver Jobs Resume

Related posts

Creative Resumes (With Examples)

Resume For A Part-Time Job (With Examples)

How To Make A Resume Website

How To Create An Infographic Resume (With Examples)

• Career Advice >
• Resume Structure >
• Parts Of A Resume >

Protect your data

This site uses cookies and related technologies for site operation, and analytics as described in our Privacy Policy . You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, reject non-essential technologies, or further manage your preferences.

• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to Describe Yourself on a...

How to Describe Yourself on a Resume (With Examples)

8 min read · Updated on January 23, 2024

It doesn't have to feel like nails on a chalkboard when trying to describe yourself on a resume!

How you describe yourself on your resume directly impacts whether you land that interview you so eagerly want. It's essential to describe your qualifications and experience in such a way as to grab the employer's attention without hesitation. 

How do you do that, exactly? By incorporating self-descriptive words on your resume that stand out to hiring teams and showcase that you're the best fit for the job. 

In this post, we start off with tips for developing self-descriptive words for your resume, followed by examples of descriptive words to use and avoid. 

Tips for developing self-descriptive words for your resume

It's not uncommon for individuals to struggle with talking about their accomplishments and strengths. We tend to share about another's skills and abilities easily, but when it comes to describing ourselves, we fall short. Fortunately, below are some steps you can take to boost your creative juices and find the words for your resume to help you stand out from the competition. 

Ask friends and peers for help

One way to come up with ways to describe yourself is to ask your peers, friends, and managers for input. For a comprehensive perspective, ask for feedback from those in your personal and professional lives. Here are some questions you can ask to receive the information you need:

What are three adjectives you would use to describe me?

How would you describe me to a coworker or friend?

If you could sum up my personality in one word, what would it be, and why?

Consider past performance reviews

Another way to develop self-descriptive words for a resume is to reflect on past performance reviews. What did supervisors have to say about you? What about coworkers who provided input? What were some of the strengths and achievements emphasized?

Make a list of your past accomplishments and strengths

Brainstorm to come up with a list of all your strengths, so you can more easily refer to them when describing yourself on a resume. Do this by first listing some of your key achievements and considering what strengths allowed you to achieve them. 

For example, suppose you implemented a new customer service rating system two weeks ahead of schedule, which led to a 10% increase in customer feedback. In that case, you might describe yourself as efficient and productive. 

Refer to the job description

If you're struggling to come up with the best self-descriptive words for your resume, refer to the job description. Highlight any skills, knowledge, and requirements you possess that align with the job. By incorporating these keywords into your resume, you're not only emphasizing that you meet the job qualifications but are also improving your resume's chances of getting past an employer's  applicant tracking system , or ATS.

Think positive

It's good to be humble and clear on your strengths and weaknesses. However, when it comes to self-descriptive words for a resume, you want to focus on the positives only - your strengths. 

Save sharing your weaknesses for the interview, when you'll likely be asked about them. During an interview, you can - and should - give your weaknesses a positive spin with context, which is challenging to do on a resume.

As you develop your list of strengths and how you'd describe yourself, work to develop some unique adjectives to use that are specific to your qualifications. Refer to the list of strengths you've developed, and look up synonyms for those words that could help you to stand out from other applicants. 

For example, instead of incorporating the commonly used term “creative,” you might use words like inventive or prolific. A word of caution is to avoid words that come across as boastful or exaggerating your qualifications.    

Review example resumes

An excellent resource to refer to when you're attempting to craft your own resume is to look at  resume examples  online. The resume examples you review don't need to be specific to your field, since self-descriptive adjectives and descriptive verbs aren't industry-specific, as shown in the examples below. This approach not only helps to generate ideas for self-descriptive words for your resume but also provides guidance on  how to write your resume  as a whole.

Self-descriptive words for a resume - examples

When it comes to self-descriptive words for a resume, technically, we're referring to adjectives, since adjectives describe a noun. However, two additional categories of words are essential to fully describe your abilities and work history: descriptive verbs and skills.  

Powerful adjectives for a resume

Here are only a few of the many adjectives you could use on your resume, with examples of how you might include them in a sentence. 

Adaptable:  Adaptable professional with ability to move from project to project within different departments. 

Compassionate:  Compassionate caretaker with 10 years of experience, working with hospices and providing end-of-life services. 

Knowledgeable:  Knowledgeable mechanic with 3 excellence awards for superb service and quality, earned in less than 6 months. 

Perceptive:  Perceptive speaker with ability to navigate an audience to know where to direct attention to garner the best outcome. 

Tech-savvy:   Tech-savvy Visual Artist with ability to bring together ideas and people to produce valuable and thought-provoking content, including images, videos, and graphics. 

Top tip: For an extensive list of 100 power adjectives, refer to “ 100 Powerful Resume Adjectives that Can Make Your Resume More Compelling .” 

Descriptive verbs for a resume

Action verbs  are vital in really making your work section stand out. Each bullet point you include for the jobs you list should begin with a power verb that emphasizes your role in the activity or achievement. Power verbs are also used in the resume summary to highlight accomplishments. 

Skills for a resume

Skills on your resume  should include a combination of soft and hard skills. In many instances, hard skills are spelled out and soft skills are inferred based on our past achievements. 

Unusual words to describe yourself on a resume

As mentioned, be creative and specific when selecting self-descriptive words for your resume, to help set you apart. A great way to do this is to use a thesaurus to gather synonyms for the list of self-descriptive adjectives you come up with. Some interesting choices that aren't used as often yet can still sound good on a resume include:

Inventive 

Self-descriptive words for a resume: what NOT to use

Yes, there are some words to leave off your list of self-descriptive words for your  resume. These words tend to be overused, generic, highly subjective, or boastful. Here are a few examples:

You might think you're likable, but likability is in the eye of the beholder. Instead of using likable, consider adjectives that refer to being likable, yet add value, such as team player, compassionate, and energetic. 

Intelligent 

Don't flat-out state you're intelligent, at risk of coming across as overly confident. Also, it should be inferred that you're intelligent by the other adjectives and proof you provide to back them up on your resume. Words like big-picture thinker, agile, and quick learner are better word choices.

Saying you're successful is very broad. Instead, you want to narrow your successes to specific skills and strengths with qualifiers and quantifiable data. 

Here are a few more self-promotional adjectives to leave off your resume. 

Got-to-person

Outside the box thinker

Instead of using these types of adjectives, come up with alternatives where you can show results linked to them. A good place to begin is by asking yourself, "What have I achieved that shows I'm a go-getter, the best, and so on?"

Where to incorporate self-descriptive words on a resume

Now that you've seen some examples of self-descriptive words, where do they belong on your resume? There are three main areas to place them:

Resume summary. Your  resume summary  falls just below your contact information and is the main area where you'll incorporate self-descriptive adjectives, with a few skills and power verbs. 

Competencies and skills list. Your  core competencies or skills list  should include the soft and hard skills required for the job, based on the job description. 

Work experience section. The  work experience section  is where you'll include the power verbs that describe what you did on the job, as well as some of the skills that supported you in doing so. You might also include some adjectives in this section, though generally, the adjectives are inferred. For example:

“Motivated team of 10 to implement an enhanced customer booking log project on time, resulting in an 8% increase in positive customer experience ratings”

From this achievement, one can infer that the person is motivational, a leader, and efficient. 

Apply a variety of self-descriptive words on your resume

Now you have some tips to help you discover the best self-descriptive words for your resume, with examples. You also know where to include them. As a final tip, when you incorporate your descriptive words, be sure to use a variety of adjectives and power verbs so your resume doesn't sound redundant. Good luck! 

If you're wondering if you're using the right self-descriptive words throughout your resume, why not submit it for a  free resume review ? Our  TopResume team of experts  will help to ensure your resume describes you in a way that lands you interview after interview!

Recommended reading:

How to List Certifications on a Resume with Examples

What Are the Best Fonts for a Resume

How to Include Relevant Coursework on a Resume (with Examples)

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

Career Advice Newsletter

Our experts gather the best career & resume tips weekly. Delivered weekly, always free.

Thanks! Career advice is on its way.

Share this article:

Let's stay in touch.

Subscribe today to get job tips and career advice that will come in handy.

Your information is secure. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

10 tips to write an impressive resume

I n the highly competitive job market, a captivating resume serves as your golden ticket to leave a lasting impact on potential employers. With the evolution of more sophisticated hiring processes, it's imperative to transcend the fundamentals and compose a resume that distinguishes you from the masses. Here are 10 expert suggestions to guide you in creating an impressive resume that effectively showcases your skills and experiences:

READ ALSO: Learn the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with these 5 free courses offered by Google

Customize your resume for each job

Tailoring your resume is paramount. Scrutinize the job description and align your resume with the specific prerequisites of each position you pursue. Spotlight the skills and experiences most pertinent to the job, underscoring your suitability for the role.

Commence with a robust summary or objective

Initiate your resume with a succinct and impactful summary or objective statement. This segment should offer a snapshot of your professional background, accentuating your key strengths and career objectives.

READ ALSO: What is career rut and how to deal with it

Opt for a clean and professional format

Ensure your resume is visually appealing and easily digestible. Adopt a clean and professional format featuring consistent fonts and bullet points. Contemplate utilizing a contemporary template to impart a polished appearance to your resume.

Highlight achievements, not just responsibilities

Rather than merely cataloguing job duties, concentrate on quantifiable achievements. Illuminate specific accomplishments, employing metrics when feasible, to demonstrate your impact in prior roles.

Prioritize relevant experience

Position the most pertinent work experience prominently in your resume. Tailor the details of each job entry to underscore how your previous roles have equipped you for the specific position you are seeking.

Spotlight key skills

Devote a dedicated section to list both hard and soft skills relevant to the job. Integrate keywords from the job description to ensure your resume successfully navigates applicant tracking systems (ATS).

Integrate professional development and certifications

Manifest your commitment to continuous improvement by incorporating relevant professional development courses, certifications, or workshops. This signifies your dedication to staying abreast of developments in your field.

Quantify your achievements

Numbers carry weight. Whenever feasible, quantify your achievements to furnish tangible evidence of your impact. Whether it involves increasing sales, reducing costs, or enhancing efficiency, numerical figures bolster credibility.

READ ALSO: Virgo, Horoscope Today, January 18, 2024: your hardworking spirit shines

Showcase volunteer work and extracurricular activities

Infuse pertinent volunteer work and extracurricular activities to underscore your commitment to community involvement and your adeptness at managing diverse responsibilities.

Proofread and edited rigorously

A polished resume reflects your meticulous attention to detail. Scrutinize your document meticulously to catch any grammatical errors or typos. Enlist the input of peers or mentors for additional perspectives on refining your resume.

For more news like this visit TOI . Get all the Latest News , City News , India News , Business News , and Sports News . For Entertainment News , TV News , and Lifestyle Tips visit Etimes

• Online Students
• Faculty & Staff
• African American/Black
• Asian, Pacific Islander & Desi American
• DACA & Undocumented Students
• First Generation
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Indigenous/Native/First Nations
• International
• Justice Impacted
• Middle Eastern/North African/Arab-American
• Neurodivergent
• Students With Disabilities
• Liberal Arts
• Social Sciences
• Create a Resume / Cover Letter
• Earn Certifications & Badges
• Expand Your Network / Mentor
• Negotiate an Offer
• Prepare for an Interview
• Explore Your Interests / Self Assessment
• Prepare for Graduate School
• Explore Internships
• Search for a Job

How to Write an MBA Resume That Stands Out

• Share This: Share How to Write an MBA Resume That Stands Out on Facebook Share How to Write an MBA Resume That Stands Out on LinkedIn Share How to Write an MBA Resume That Stands Out on X

But figuring out what to include in your MBA resume can sometimes feel overwhelming. You’re probably wondering how long your resume should be, what you should include, and/or whether you need a different resume than the kind you’ve used for a job application. This article will explain how to showcase your skills and create a competitive advantage that sets you apart from your peers and gives you the best chance of becoming a successful MBA applicant!