resume tips
What to Put on a Resume: The Complete Guide
June 16, 202610 min read
resume sectionsresume contentcomprehensive guide
Not sure what belongs on your resume? Here's a complete breakdown of every section, what to include, and how to make it stand out.
Contact Information
Include:
- Full name (large, bold font)
- Phone number (one number, voicemail enabled)
- Professional email
- City and state (full address not needed)
- LinkedIn profile (customized URL)
- Portfolio or website (if relevant)
Professional Summary
2-3 sentences highlighting:
- Your professional identity
- Years of experience and key skills
- What you bring to the role
Avoid: "Looking for a challenging position that will allow me to grow" Use: "Data analyst with 5 years of experience in predictive modeling and business intelligence. Seeking to leverage expertise in SQL, Python, and Tableau to drive data-driven decisions at [Company]."
Work Experience
For each role, include:
- Job title
- Company name and location
- Dates of employment
- 3-5 bullet points describing achievements
Bullet Point Formula
Action verb + Task + Result
- "Increased sales by 25% through implementation of new CRM system"
- "Managed team of 8 developers, delivering 3 projects ahead of schedule"
- "Reduced customer churn by 15% through targeted email campaigns"
Education
Include:
- Degree and major
- University name and location
- Graduation year (remove if 10+ years ago)
- GPA (if 3.5+)
- Relevant coursework (for entry-level)
- Academic honors
Skills
List 8-12 relevant skills:
- Hard skills first
- Match to job description
- Group related skills
Optional Sections
Certifications
- Name of certification
- Issuing organization
- Date obtained
Projects
- Project name and description
- Your role and contribution
- Technologies used
- Outcome or impact
Volunteer Work
- Organization name
- Your role
- Key contributions
- Hours per week/month
Sections to Skip
- References (they'll ask if needed)
- Personal information (age, photo, marital status)
- Hobbies (unless relevant to the role)
- Objective statement (use a summary instead)
Key Takeaways
- Every section should support your candidacy
- Quantify achievements whenever possible
- Tailor content to each job application
- Remove outdated or irrelevant information
- Keep formatting clean and consistent
Ready to build your resume?
Use Asan Career to create an ATS-friendly resume that gets you interviews.
Get started for free