Resume comes from the French word for “summary.” It is a document that details your professional history. It gives the reader an overview of your work experience, education, skills, and other factors that make you a good candidate for a position.
Your resume should also include your contact details, should the company want to interview you. An introduction can also help set the tone and state your worth as a potential employee.
Resume formats vary, but they should at least include the following:
- Contact details – Your name, phone number, and email address as well as links to any professional pages, such as your LinkedIn profile or personal website
- Introduction – Resume formats include summaries, objectives, and professional profiles
- Experience – List of relevant or recent positions that include details, such as the company’s name, your position’s title, dates of when you worked, and your job responsibilities
- Education – Include the highest degrees and certification you hold, the name of the institute, and any other related information
- Skills – Mention any hard skills, like licensing or applications, and soft skills, such as strong communicator and other people skills
Some people think resume writing means filling in the blanks, like Mad Libs. Your resume should highlight your attributes and make hiring managers want to contact you.
The most common format is to provide your professional history in chronological order, with your most recent experience listed first. However, you may choose to format your page:
- With the past job experiences that most closely match the position.
- With skills and abilities best relevant for the job.
For example, customer service and sales jobs rely more on soft skills than education. Likewise, if you work in the creative field, your resume may need to include samples instead of experience.
