What to Put on a Resume: Good Things You Should Include

What to put on a resume? Contact Information, Opening Statement, Work History, Education, Skills… 

Clear enough? But wait—what about career goals? A cover letter? You still feel you're forgetting something… Well, here’s a complete guide on the most important things to put on a resume, so that you can be sure that you’ve got everything you require.

But there's more! This guide will also tell you what not to put on a resume.

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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.

Need super comprehensive information on how to write a resume? Don't miss our beast of a guide on creating a resume then!

Back to the main subject though—

You already know that the "must-have" resume sections are: Contact Information, Resume Profile, Work History, Education, and Skills.

There are a few optional sections that you can add as well, including achievemets, certifications, or a hobbies section.

You can also move sections around depending on how you want to prioritize your information. For instance, when writing a high school student resume, or a resume for your first job, it will make sense to put your education above work experience.

Also, depending on how you format your resume, all key sections will go in different places on your resume.

Whatever the section order you decide on, remember—

Each section has essential elements that you should include on your resume.

Before we further discuss every section that has to be put on a resume, here’s a thought—

Putting together a resume is a tough and time-consuming process. Luckily, you can take some (or most!) of the hassle out of it. Just pick one of Zety’s templates. This way, you’ll make sure your resume includes everything that’s necessary, plus, you’ll get tips and ready-to-use contents for every section.

Have a look at some sample resumes that include everything a good resume should. We created them with the prettiest, most professional templates available in our builder. Notice how well all key pieces of information are organized!

(And if you like what you see, get an equally well-structured resume of your own. Use our builder, find a template you like best, fill out in minutes, and download with a single click.)

Sample Resumes That Include All the Key Sections

 

1. Nanica

 

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The best thing about this template? All key sections are noticeable in a flash thanks to big section headings. It helps you bring attention to what matters most. Also, this resume design is conservative and simple—recommended for corporate job applications. 

 

2. Primo

 

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Another layout that helps you include everything in an organized manner. Primo features a timeline for your work history and education, making it super easy to navigate through your career progression. All the necessary sections are highlighted with tiny icons. Two columns make it easier to fit more information onto a single page. This template is very versatile: will work for traditional as well as creative jobs. 

 

3. Cubic

 

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Another resume that helps you organize all the items better thanks to the double-column layout. Want to put more extra information on a resume? Courses? Additional activities? Certifications? With Cubic, you can include all that and still send out a one-pager. A good template for senior candidates.

 

4. Diamond

 

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This resume style is most popular amongst job seekers in business and finance. Again, the most important pieces of information are prominent thanks to professionally-looking headings. 

 

5. Newcast

 

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Last but not least—Newcast. This resume template will help recruiters easily skim through all the necessary sections going from top to bottom. One of the most minimalist-yet-elegant resumes on our offer, nothing gimmicky, traditional layout, lots of white space—an ideal pick for academic admission applications or jobs in research.

Now, let’s go through all key sections you should put on your resume:

1. Contact Information

The contact information on your resume includes:

• Your Name
• Professional title
• Phone Number (The one you answer.)
• Professional Email
• Social Media Handles (Twitter and LinkedIn)
• URL to Your Personal Website, Blog, or Portfolio

Adding your address is optional these days, especially if you are applying for a job in a different state or country.

If the job you’re applying for is not local, excluding your current address will help you avoid confusion.

And that’s all you need!

Pro Tip: Whenever you update your contact information, don’t forget to update it on your LinkedIn Profile as well.

Having an optimized LinkedIn profile that is updated to reflect your resume is crucial, as the platform continues to be the most popular social media site for professionals.

2. A Resume Summary or Objective

Tricky question - what do you put at the beginning of your resume after your contact information?

Starting a resume with a summary or objective is a golden opportunity.

But which do you choose?

The resume objective is better for resumes for:

• students
• scholarships
• internships
• entry-level candidates
• candidates without work experience
• career changers
• job seekers with career gaps

Everyone else should use a resume summary.

Both are short, snappy introductions that should highlight your career progress and skill set.

And if you don’t have much career progress, write two or three lines that tell a recruiter where you are and where you’re going professionally.

Writing a professional resume career summary isn’t easy, and it’s even harder when you’re trying to figure out how to write a resume objective.

The most important thing to keep in mind when writing both is that you no longer tell an employer what you want. You can actually boil it down to just a few words using our formula for resume titles.

Instead you tell them that you’re going to give them what they want.

3. Experience Section

The experience section is going to make up the body of your resume.

To begin, you do not need to list every job you've ever had.

Only add jobs that you had in the past ten or fifteen years or are relevant to the job for which you are applying. Just don’t leave large gaps in your job history.

So, what should you include in your experience section?

A list of relevant jobs in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current position.

If you've worked for a no-name company, it might be a good idea to briefly describe it.

Write one or two lines about what the company is and does under the company's name and before you dive into your bullet points.

Up to six bullet points describing your roles and responsibilities at each job.

Try to add responsibilities that reflect the skills listed in the job description and are most relevant to the job for which you are applying.

When you write your bullet points, lead with an action verb. Paying attention to how you construct your bullet points makes your resume more readable.

Start with an Action Verb. Make a Quantifiable Point. Follow up with a Specific Task.

Action Verb: Spearhead

Quantifiable Point: Newsletter registration up 15%

Specific Task: Made a marketing campaign

Spearheaded an email marketing campaign that drove newsletter registration up 15%.

Achievements illustrated with facts and figures.

After you list a responsibility, think if you achieved anything significant while carrying out that task. Did you increase sales or customer satisfaction? Did you complete a project ahead of time?

If you can add numbers or tangible details to illustrate the achievement - even better.

Numbers draw the eye of the recruiter to the achievement, and details help them imagine you achieving the same results for them.

That's why adding your achievements to your resume is one of the best things you can do for your experience section.

Internships - but only if you have limited work experience.

If you're a fresh graduate, it's more than okay to list your internships. In fact, that's when they should go on your resume.

But if you've been working for several years, it's time to for the internships to go bye-bye.

The only exception to the rule is if you had a high-profile internship in a widely recognizable organization that's relevant to the job to which you're applying.

Add key skills throughout your experience section and make sure you include experience that matches what is required by the job offer. Whatever important information you find in the ad is potentially a keyword for your resume.

Also, feel free to list “non-traditional” work such as volunteer jobs or freelance work, especially if you haven’t held a regular job in a while.

Want to really strengthen your resume experience section?

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, our free resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

4. Education Section

Your education section can either come after your experience section, or you can add it before if you've recently graduated.

What should you include?

A list of your degrees and schools.

Your education section is also written in reverse-chronological order, with your most recent degree appearing first.

If you have higher degrees, you do not need to add the high school you attended.

A description of your course of study.

You don’t have to add a description of what you studied, but you can if you’re a fresh graduate, want to emphasize it, or find particularly relevant to the job.

Any honors and awards you received.

A typical entry in your education section should include your type of degree, your major, the name of your university, and any honors and awards you received like this:

Honors BA in English Literature, Purdue University, Salutatorian

Pro Tip: You can skip your GPA if you’re a professional, and you can add it if you’re a student and it’s a 3.5 GPA or higher.

5. Skills to Grab a Recruiter’s Attention

When considering what to put on a resume, skills are the most important.

Your skills section is a list of your best skills.

Also, you should make sure that you list as many skills from the job description as possible.

These are your keyword skills, and they are what recruiters want to see.

But besides the keyword skills from the job offer, what skills need to go on a resume?

There are a few desirable skills that will look good on any resume, and if you have them they should definitely go on your resume.

Here are a few:

• Communication (Written and Verbal)
• Leadership
• Planning and Strategic Thinking
• Analytical Thinking and Research
• Teamwork or Collaborative Work

You will want to scatter your skills throughout your experience section and put your best skills in your skill section. A traditional skills section is the best place for a list of your skills when your resume is up against Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software.

An alternative route to getting skills on your resume is to create an infographic resume. Graphic-based resumes allow you to lay out complex information in a simplistic way. However, infographic resumes are risky business. Applicant Tracking Systems can't parse them and most recruiters don't like them either.

Infographic resumes are only a supplement. You will still want a traditional resume.

6. Hobbies

Adding a hobbies and interests section to your resume is a very good idea, especially if you’ve got extra space.

Many companies are now placing more of an emphasis on personality and how well they think you’d fit in with their team and the company’s culture.

You don’t have to add a hobby section, but it’s a great way to show off your personality and set yourself apart.

It is definitely something that you should consider including on a resume.

7. Other Additional Sections

Besides a Hobbies and Interests section, there are other extra sections you could consider including on your resume.

If you're writing a student's resume and are struggling to fill it up, you could consider adding a separate section for awards and honors or additional activities, such as your extracurricular activities.

If you've got a technical background you might want to consider a separate section for certificates, licenses, or software.

Certain professionals who are have opted for a resume vs a CV might still find it relevant to add sections that highlight their publications or attendance at conferences.

Otherwise, you can add other sections to show a particular strength such as your command of several foreign languages.

Whatever you decide to add, just make sure that it doesn't overwhelm your resume or comprise your resume length.

8. Tailor Your Resume To a Job Description

Remember to tailor your resume to the job description - this point is crucial.

The skills and experience listed in the job description are what recruiters look for when they initially scan your resume.

Add keywords from the job description throughout your resume.

It's also a good idea to add most of the skills verbatim. Put them in your experience or your skills section.

When a hiring manager sees words from the job description, they will know that your resume is relevant and that you have the skill set they want in a potential candidate.

See what to put on a resume for your profession:

• Part Time Job Resume
• Federal Resume
• Teen Resume
• Business Resume
• IT Professional Resume
• Basic Resume Templates

Or find your profession here: Resume Examples for All Jobs

16 Things You Should Not Include on a Good Resume

Here is a brief list of what you should not include on a good resume…

Don't forget that in most cases, even an optional cover letter is necessary. Don't treat this as another annoying hurdle, embrace it as an opportunity. We've got a great guide to help you: Writing a Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps

In the Contact Information:

• Your exact address, especially if you are not applying for a local job.
• An unprofessional email address.
• Personal information like your sex or marital status.
• A photograph (the US and the UK).

When considering how to write a resume in the United States, be aware that it is not customary to add a profile picture.

You should research the company you want to apply to if you are thinking of adding an image of yourself to see if it would be acceptable.

In the Introduction:

• Do not include a resume objective if you are a professional with a lot of work experience. Instead, go for a resume summary.
• Salary requirements.

In the Experience and Education Sections:

• Every job you ever had.
• Jobs you only had for a very brief period of time.
• Fluff words, especially adjectives and tired verbs.
• Your GPA (with exceptions).

In Your Skills and Hobbies Sections:

• Irrelevant skills that don’t translate to the job. Like your bowhunting and nunchuck skills. They simply take up valuable space without adding value.
• Odd hobbies like cat hoarding. You will come across as weird, not quirky or charming.
• Controversial hobbies that relate to politics, religion, or sex. If the recruiter is not on the same page as you, this can hurt your chances at connecting with them.
• Fluff words, especially adjectives and tired verbs.

Other:

• Lies. If you can’t think of how to write a resume without lying, then you are in trouble. It may seem like a small thing to exaggerate to make yourself look more capable, but one day you will have to face the music.
• The phrase “References Available Upon Request.” You no longer have to add this to the bottom of a modern resume. Recruiters know that they can ask you to provide a reference if they want one, or you’ve already included your references anyway. Technically, you shouldn't list references on your resume anyway. However, there's a way around this in case the job ad asks for them. It's a reference resume page.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Keep these points in mind as you are making your resume:

• Not everyone’s perfect resume is going to look the same.
• While a standard resume will include contact information, experience, and education, the skills and achievements you add will differ based on your job offer.
• Remember that when you are trying to decide what to put on your resume your job description is your best friend. It tells you exactly what a hiring manager expects to see on your resume.

If you don’t include anything else on your resume make sure you add keywords, skills, and experience from your job offer and you can be sure that your resume is practically perfect in every way.

Frequently Asked Questions about What to Put on a Resume

What are good skills to put on a resume?

Here are some good skills to put on a resume for just about any job:

• Communication skills
• Teamwork / Collaboration skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership skills
• Computer skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Hard skills specific to your job. Those are the technical skills and core competencies required to succeed in the role (unlike soft skills, which are more universal). For example, for office jobs, you’d list specific administrative skills, and for retail jobs—customer service skills.

Still not sure what skills to put on a resume? Take another look at the job ad: it should mention specific hard and soft skills the company’s looking for. Those can make for great resume keywords and boost your chances of success, so make sure to include all of them in your job application. You can also check out our 500+ resume examples to find a sample resume for your role and see a list of professional skills specific to your job.

What to include in a resume?

Here’s what to put on a resume:

• Resume header with your contact information
• Resume summary (also known as a summary of qualifications)
• Work experience section—for each entry, put your job title, the name and location of the company, and the dates you worked there. Add 4–6 resume bullet points with a job description that features your best on-the-job achievements.
• Education section—put only your highest level of schooling; add more details if you don’t have much work experience.
• Additional resume sections—good things to put on a resume include language skills, relevant certifications and licenses, or volunteer work experience.

For more details on what to put in a resume, check out our guide on how to make a resume and see what a resume should look like. To speed things up, head over to our resume builder: it features ready-made professional resume templates, pre-written phrases tailored to your job title, and a wizard that’ll help you write your resume in just minutes!

What to put on a resume with no experience?

Here’s a quick set of tips for writing a resume with no work experience:

• Use a resume objective instead of a resume summary. It focuses on what you plan to achieve and highlights your enthusiasm and motivation.
• Focus on showing your transferable skills, i.e. useful skills you’ve picked up outside of work, but which will help you succeed in your chosen career (e.g. communication or teamwork developed while at school).
• Expand your education section with extra details, such as relevant coursework, achievements, GPA (if your GPA was high enough for a resume, so 3.5+), and extracurricular activities that show your skills.
• Highlight any other experience you have, such as volunteer work, internships, freelancing, or personal projects relevant to the job.

For more advice, see this entry-level resume example and writing guide, as well as our student resume guide and high school resume templates.

What not to put on a resume?

Here’s what not to include in a resume:

• Personal details such as your marital status or religion. Employers are not allowed to ask you about these things, and there’s no reason to include them in your application.
• Headshot—don’t include your picture on a resume unless you’re applying for a modeling or acting job.
• Unrelated skills or hobbies—interests are fine on a resume, but only if they’re somehow relevant to the job. Check out this article about hobbies on a resume for more details. Your skills section should only contain skills mentioned in the job ad and/or necessary to do the job well.
• Your full address—employers don’t need it at this point.
• Irrelevant experience—if you have relevant experience already, there’s no need to list any irrelevant jobs you’ve held. The only exception is if you’re writing a resume with little to no experience.
• Unnecessary details—the best length for a resume is one page, so it’s important to stick to only the most relevant information that directly speaks to your suitability for the role.

How far back should a resume go?

Not sure how many jobs to put on a resume? As a rule of thumb, stick to 10–15 years of relevant experience. If there’s something further back in your work history that really needs highlighting, mention it briefly—it’s likely that your more recent experience will be more relevant. Keep in mind that for most jobs, it’s best to submit a one-page resume—so your space is severely limited. Go for a two-page resume only if you’re applying for senior jobs and have lots of relevant achievements. The only exception to all of the above is the academic CV, used when applying for jobs in academia, which can go on for several pages and cover 15+ years.