What to Put on a Resume: Essential Sections, Tips, & Examples

In This Guide

Knowing what to put on a resume can make the difference between a focused application and a document that gets overlooked. The challenge is deciding which qualifications, skills, and experiences deserve space, and which details distract from your value.

A resume isn’t an exhaustive work history or personal biography; it’s a professional marketing document that shows employers why your background fits the role.

This guide breaks down the essential resume sections, explains what to include in each, and shows how to use relevant keywords and ATS-friendly formatting to present your qualifications clearly to recruiters and hiring managers.

At a Glance: What to Include on a Resume

A modern resume should prioritize the information employers need to evaluate your qualifications. Most resumes include five core sections, while optional sections depend on career history and the job requirements.

Optional sections should strengthen your candidacy by demonstrating relevant skills, accomplishments, or qualifications. Prioritize content that supports the specific position rather than adding sections simply to fill space.

Here’s an overview of what to put on a resume:

Must-Have Sections	Optional Sections	Don’t Include
Contact information	Professional certifications	Social Security number
Professional summary or objective	Volunteer experience	Date of birth or age
Work experience	Relevant projects	Marital status
Skills	Awards and honors	Headshot or personal photo (unless requested, relevant, or customary locally)
Education	Publications or presentations	Full street address
	Languages	Irrelevant hobbies or interests
	Professional memberships	References or “References available upon request”
	Internships	Outdated or unrelated work experience
	Military service	Salary history or salary expectations (unless requested)

5 Essential Sections Every Resume Needs

Every professional resume should include five core sections: contact information, a professional summary or objective, work experience, skills, and education. These sections give recruiters and hiring managers a clear picture of who you are, what you bring to the role, and how your background matches their requirements.

1. Professional Header & Contact Information

Your resume header should include your full name, phone number, email address, city and state (zip code optional), and relevant professional links, such as your LinkedIn profile or portfolio.

If you hold a relevant credential, such as CPA, RN, or PMP, include it after your name to make your qualifications easy to spot. Use a professional email address rather than an informal nickname, and list only your city and state instead of your full street address.

Here’s an example of how to structure your header:

2. Professional Summary or Objective (Qualifications Snapshot)

A professional summary or resume objective is a concise introduction that highlights your qualifications, relevant skills, and career goals. A two- to three-sentence professional summary is generally best for experienced professionals, while an objective can help recent graduates, entry-level candidates, and career changers explain their career direction and how their background aligns with the position.

Focus on relevant strengths, accomplishments, and career goals rather than repeating your work history or using a generic statement about what you hope to gain.

Here’s what to include in your professional summary or objective:

• Your professional title, career level, or area of expertise
• Your most relevant skills, qualifications, or industry knowledge
• One or two notable accomplishments, strengths, or areas of impact
• Keywords and qualifications that align with the job description

Hiring managers generally prefer tailored professional summaries over generic, outdated resume objectives because summaries highlight relevant skills, experience, and qualifications rather than focusing primarily on what you hope to gain from a job.

The examples below show how to tailor your summary depending on your experience level or career situation.

3. Work Experience & Quantifiable Achievements

Your work experience section should highlight relevant positions, responsibilities, and measurable accomplishments, typically covering the last 10–15 years. For each role, include your job title, company name, location, and employment dates (month and year). Use concise bullet points to show how your work contributed to team, department, or business goals.

Prioritize achievements over routine job duties, and tailor the details to the position you’re seeking. A strong resume bullet follows a simple formula:

Start with a specific action verb, explain what you did and why it mattered, then include a measurable outcome when possible. Metrics such as percentages, dollar amounts, time saved, revenue generated, or team size help employers understand the scope and impact of your work.

For example:

Here’s an example of how to structure a work history entry:

Strong Action Verbs for Your Resume

Choose action verbs that accurately describe your contributions. Vary your word choices to keep bullet points engaging, specific, and focused on results.

Here are some examples of effective action verbs for your resume:

Category	Strong Action Verbs
Leadership	Led, managed, directed, mentored, supervised, coordinated, developed, delegated, spearheaded
Technical	Designed, engineered, implemented, programmed, automated, configured, optimized, tested, troubleshot
Quantitative & Analytical	Analyzed, measured, forecasted, calculated, evaluated, increased, reduced, improved, accelerated
Communication & Collaboration	Presented, negotiated, advised, collaborated, persuaded, facilitated, documented, recommended, trained

4. Education & Relevant Credentials

Your education section should list your degrees, institutions, graduation dates, and locations, along with relevant academic honors or coursework. Recent graduates can place education near the top of the resume to highlight academic achievements, while professionals with five or more years of experience should generally place it below work experience.

Include details that support your qualifications for the position without taking space away from more relevant experience. For each academic entry, list:

• Your degree, diploma, major, or field of study
• The full name of the school, college, or university, along with its city and state
• Your graduation year or expected graduation date if you’re a recent graduate or still studying; omit if you earned your degree several years ago
• Relevant coursework, academic honors, or awards, particularly if you’re early in your career or the details directly support the position
• Your GPA if you’re a recent graduate and it strengthens your application, generally 3.4 or higher, particularly for internships or entry-level roles

Here’s an example of what to include in your education entry:

5. Targeted Skills Section

A strong resume skills section highlights approximately 6–10 capabilities that directly match the job you’re applying for. Include a mix of technical or hard skills, such as software, tools, and industry-specific methodologies, and interpersonal or functional skills that demonstrate how you work. Tailoring this section to the job description helps recruiters quickly identify relevant qualifications and gives ATS software clear, relevant keywords to recognize.

• Technical skills demonstrate specific tools, software, systems, or methodologies you can use, such as Salesforce, SQL, or Adobe Creative Suite.
• Functional skills reflect job-related capabilities, such as budget management, data analysis, strategic planning, or customer relationship management.
• Interpersonal skills highlight how you work with others, including communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, and team leadership.

Group related skills under clear subheadings to make the section easier for recruiters to scan and help ATS software identify relevant terms. For example:

Here are a few tips for choosing the right skills for your resume:

• Use the same terminology as the job posting when it accurately describes your abilities.
• Make sure your work experience bullets provide evidence of your listed skills through projects, responsibilities, or measurable results.
• Remove basic computer skills, such as email and Microsoft Word, unless the role specifically requires advanced proficiency.
• Avoid vague descriptions like “detail-oriented,” “hardworking,” or “team player.” Show these qualities through concrete examples in your work experience instead.

Resume Example: Putting the Core Sections Together

This sample resume shows how to bring the essential sections together in a clear, professional format. It demonstrates how to organize contact information, a tailored professional summary, targeted skills, education, and reverse-chronological work experience.

Optional Sections That Strengthen Your Application

Optional resume sections can highlight additional qualifications, practical experience, and skills that support your fit for a specific role. Choose sections that demonstrate relevant expertise, transferable skills, or accomplishments rather than adding content simply to fill space.

Certifications, Licenses, & Training

Professional certifications, licenses, and specialized training show the credentials or technical knowledge required for certain roles. They can be especially valuable in regulated industries or fields where employers look for specific qualifications.

Include the official certification or license title, issuing organization, and date earned. If the credential expires, include its expiration date or current status. Examples include:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) – Project Management Institute
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Amazon Web Services
• OSHA 30-Hour Construction Training – OSHA
• Registered Nurse (RN) License – State Board of Nursing

If you’re currently working toward a certification, you can list it as “In Progress” with an expected completion date. Only include credentials you’ve earned or are actively pursuing.

Projects & Portfolio Work

Projects and portfolio work give employers examples of how you’ve applied your skills in practical settings. They’re particularly useful for recent graduates, career changers, freelancers, and professionals in technical or creative fields.

Include academic, independent, freelance, or consulting projects that demonstrate skills relevant to your target position. When available, include a link to a portfolio, GitHub profile, or project sample.

For each project section entry, provide:

• Project name and date: Identify the project and when you completed it.
• Scope and purpose: Briefly explain the problem you addressed or what you set out to accomplish.
• Tools and technologies: Highlight relevant software, programming languages, platforms, or methodologies.
• Results: Describe the outcome, deliverable, or measurable impact.

For example, a recent graduate applying for a data analyst position might describe an academic project that used SQL and Tableau to analyze customer trends and develop a business performance dashboard.

Foreign Language Skills

Language skills can strengthen your resume when a position involves international clients, multilingual customers, or communication across different markets.

List each language alongside an accurate proficiency level so employers understand how comfortably you can use it. Common proficiency descriptions include:

• Native or Bilingual: You speak the language as a first language or have near-native fluency.
• Fluent: You can communicate comfortably and effectively in most professional and everyday situations.
• Professional Working Proficiency: You can use the language effectively in many workplace settings, including meetings and written communication.
• Conversational: You can participate in everyday conversations but may have difficulty with complex professional discussions.
• Basic: You understand and use simple phrases and expressions.

Place language skills in your main skills section if they’re directly relevant to the job. Otherwise, create a separate languages section near the bottom of your resume.

Volunteer Work & Community Impact

Volunteer experience can demonstrate leadership, collaboration, organization, and community involvement, even when the work wasn’t paid. It’s especially valuable for recent graduates, career changers, and people returning to the workforce because it shows transferable skills and relevant activity beyond traditional employment.

Treat substantial volunteer roles like professional experience by including the organization name, your position, dates, and a few accomplishment-focused bullet points. Highlight responsibilities and results rather than simply listing duties.

For example:

• Coordinated a team of 15 volunteers for a community fundraising event, raising $8,000 for local programs.
• Managed social media communications for a nonprofit organization, increasing event registrations by 20%.

If you’ve maintained volunteer commitments during a career break, relevant experience can also help demonstrate continued engagement and skill development.

What to Put on a Resume in Specific Situations

Your resume should reflect your experience and career path, not force you into a one-size-fits-all format. If you’re entering the workforce, changing careers, or returning after a break, focus on the skills and relevant activities that demonstrate your readiness for the role. Adjust section order and descriptions to make your strongest qualifications easy to find.

Entry-Level or No Experience

If you have limited professional experience, use your education, projects, internships, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities to demonstrate your qualifications. Employers can learn a lot from relevant work you’ve completed outside a traditional job.

Consider including:

• Academic projects and capstone work that demonstrate practical skills, research, problem-solving, or technical knowledge
• Coursework and relevant training that directly support the requirements of the position
• Campus leadership and extracurricular activities that show organization, teamwork, communication, or responsibility
• Internships, part-time jobs, and volunteer roles that demonstrate reliability and transferable skills

Place your education and relevant projects near the top of your resume if they’re your strongest qualifications. Describe your contributions with action verbs and specific outcomes, even if the experience came from a class project or student organization.

Changing Careers

When changing careers, organize your resume around the skills and accomplishments that transfer to your target industry. A combination resume format can highlight relevant capabilities while keeping a clear work history so employers can understand your experience.

Start with a targeted professional summary that explains your new career direction and highlights relevant strengths. Then identify transferable skills, such as project coordination, customer service, data analysis, or team leadership, and support them with examples from previous roles, training, or independent projects. Tailor your skills and experience to the language used in the job description without overstating your qualifications.

For example, a former retail manager applying for an operations role could emphasize staff scheduling, inventory management, process improvements, and team leadership rather than focusing only on sales responsibilities.

Employment Gaps

If you have an employment gap, you can address relevant activities directly in your work history section. Use a straightforward title and dates, then briefly describe what you did or learned. You don’t need to disclose private details or explain every period away from work.

Examples include:

• Professional Development | January 2024–June 2024: Completed online courses in data analytics and earned a related industry certification.
• Freelance Graphic Designer | March 2023–December 2023: Completed design projects for small-business clients and managed project timelines and deliverables.
• Family Caregiver | 2022–2023: Took time away from full-time employment to provide family caregiving.
• Volunteer Coordinator | January 2023–August 2023: Organized community events and coordinated volunteer schedules.
• Career Break | 2024: Took time away from work for personal reasons and am now prepared to return.

AI Content Rules: What to Include & What to Avoid

AI writing tools can help you organize your resume, improve bullet points, and identify relevant keywords, but the final content should accurately reflect your experience. Use AI-generated suggestions as a starting point, not a substitute for your own judgment. Every statement should be factually correct, specific to your background, and easy to support with real examples.

What to Include

Use AI to strengthen how you present your real qualifications, not to create new ones. Focus on accurate accomplishments, relevant skills, and specific examples that reflect your experience and align with the job requirements.

• Verified accomplishments and metrics: Include accurate figures that demonstrate results, such as revenue growth, project timelines, customer satisfaction, or team size. If you don’t know an exact number, describe the outcome without inventing one.
• Specific, relevant skills: Highlight tools, technologies, certifications, and abilities you have actually used or developed. Incorporate terminology from the job description when it accurately describes your experience.
• Human-reviewed AI suggestions: Use AI to refine wording, strengthen action verbs, and tighten descriptions. Review every suggestion to ensure it reflects your contributions and level of responsibility.
• Concrete project details: Describe your actual contributions, the tools or methods you used, and the results you achieved. Specific examples provide stronger evidence of your abilities than generic claims.

What to Avoid

Avoid using AI-generated content that exaggerates your qualifications, introduces inaccurate details, or makes your resume sound generic. Every statement should be truthful, relevant, and something you can confidently explain to an employer.

• Unverified AI-generated claims: Don’t include responsibilities, certifications, skills, or accomplishments simply because an AI tool suggested them.
• Fabricated metrics: Never invent percentages, dollar amounts, productivity improvements, or other figures to make a bullet point sound stronger.
• Generic AI buzzwords: Phrases such as “visionary thought leader,” “results-driven innovator,” and “dynamic strategic professional” add little without evidence. Replace them with clear descriptions of your work and impact.
• Keyword stuffing: Repeating skills or copying long strings of keywords from a job description can make your resume difficult to read. Include relevant terms naturally in your summary, skills, and experience sections.
• Unedited AI-generated text: Don’t paste entire AI-written summaries or bullet points without checking their accuracy, tone, and relevance to the role.

What Should You Leave Off a Resume?

Leave off information that doesn’t help employers evaluate your qualifications, including irrelevant personal details, outdated experience, and generic statements.

To keep your resume professional and focused, don’t include:

• Photographs or headshots: In most U.S. industries, a resume photo is unnecessary and may introduce bias or create formatting or parsing issues. Exceptions include certain acting, modeling, and other roles where an image is specifically requested.
• Irrelevant personal details: Leave out your age, marital status, religion, and full street address. Include citizenship or work authorization details only when relevant or requested; never include sensitive personal information that isn’t needed.
• “References Available Upon Request”: This outdated statement takes up valuable space. Prepare a separate reference sheet and provide it when an employer asks.
• Unrelated hobbies and interests: Skip personal activities that don’t demonstrate relevant skills or connect meaningfully to the role.
• Generic buzzwords and empty phrases: Terms such as “hard worker,” “team player,” and “critical thinker” are more effective when you demonstrate them through specific skills, actions, and accomplishments.
• Excessively old or irrelevant work history: Focus on the most relevant experience, typically from the past 10–15 years. You can shorten or remove older roles unless they directly support your qualifications.
• Compensation history or salary expectations: Avoid listing previous salaries or desired pay unless the employer specifically requests this information.

Resume Formatting Standards

A well-formatted resume should be easy for recruiters to scan and ATS-friendly. Use consistent headings, readable fonts, standard margins, and a simple layout. The goal is to make your qualifications easy to find without decorative elements that may interfere with document parsing.

Page Length

Most resumes should be one or two pages, depending on your experience and the relevance of your qualifications. A one-page resume is often appropriate for students, recent graduates, and professionals with limited work history.

Candidates with 10 or more years of relevant experience may need two pages to present their accomplishments, skills, and career progression clearly. Prioritize relevant content over an arbitrary page limit, and avoid shrinking text or margins just to fit everything onto one page.

Fonts & Margins

Choose a professional, easy-to-read font and maintain consistent formatting throughout your resume. Standard serif and sans-serif fonts work well for both digital and printed documents.

• Font choices: Use familiar fonts, such as Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
• Body text: Keep font size between 10–12 points for comfortable reading.
• Headings: Use approximately 14–16 points to distinguish section titles from body text.
• Margins: Set margins between 0.5–1 inch on all sides to maintain white space.
• Formatting: Use bold text and consistent spacing to establish a clear visual hierarchy. Avoid text boxes, complex columns, graphics, and decorative elements.

File Types

Save your resume in the file format requested by the employer. PDF files generally preserve your layout across devices, while Word documents (DOC or DOCX) may be preferred by some application systems or recruiters.

If the job posting doesn’t specify a format, a text-based PDF or DOCX file is usually a practical choice. Avoid image-only PDFs because their text may not be machine-readable.

Key Takeaways

Use this checklist to make sure your resume includes the right information, highlights your qualifications, and follows professional formatting standards.

Frequently Asked Questions