What actually matters—and what recruiters really read
Let’s face the facts: The “recruiters only spend 6 seconds on your resume” stat has done more harm than good. And just hasn’t aged well!
Yes, most resumes get a quick scan. But that scan is just a filter. The resumes that pass it get real attention. More than half of hiring managers spend one to three minutes reviewing candidates they like.
Your job isn’t to win a speed-reading contest. It’s to earn the second look.
That’s where structure comes in
A modern resume works because every section has a clear purpose. When those parts are organized well, recruiters can quickly answer their only real question: Should I talk to this person?
This guide breaks down the seven essential elements of a resume in 2026, how each one works, and how to use them without sounding generic, outdated, or desperate.
Key takeaways
- Recruiters skim first, then read—structure earns the second look.
- Every resume section has a job to do.
- Results beat responsibilities.
- Relevance is better than completeness.
- Clean formatting helps both humans and systems.
Is your resume good enough?
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What are the main parts of a resume?
Think of your resume like a short documentary, not a data dump.
Each resume section plays a role:
- Some help recruiters find information fast.
- Some show proof of impact.
- Some exist mainly so that applicant tracking systems (ATS) can read your resume correctly.
When the structure is off, even strong candidates get filtered out. Poor formatting alone causes a shocking number of rejections before content is ever evaluated.
A clean structure does two things well:
- Helps recruiters scan without effort.
- Ensures ATS software parses your resume accurately.
If one section breaks, the whole thing feels harder to read—and recruiters move on.
The seven essential resume sections (at a glance)
| Section | Purpose | Essential or optional? |
|---|---|---|
| Resume header | To include contact info that details clear and professional ways for recruiters to reach you. | Essential |
| Resume Summary | To provide a two- to three-sentence snapshot of your career and qualifications. | Highly recommended |
| Work Experience | To detail your professional history with a focus on achievements. | Essential |
| Education | To list your academic qualifications and relevant training. | Essential |
| Skills | To highlight technical skills and interpersonal abilities relevant to the role. | Essential |
| Certifications | To showcase specialized training and professional development. | Optional |
| Projects | To demonstrate practical application of your skills outside of a formal job. | Optional |
Now let’s break each one down!
1. Resume header
This should be the easiest component of your resume.
If a recruiter has to search for your email, something’s already gone wrong.
What to include:
- Full name: Use the same version everywhere (resume, LinkedIn, portfolio).
- Resume headline: Your “what I do + what I’m known for” in one line—so recruiters don’t have to guess.
- Phone number: One reliable mobile number.
- Professional email: Firstname.lastname@domain.com beats anything clever.
- City and state: Enough context without oversharing.
- LinkedIn profile: Updated, complete, and aligned with your resume.
What to leave out:
- Full street address
- Photos (unless required for your field or region)
- Date of birth and marital status (or anything that invites bias)
Clean, boring, and professional is the goal here.
2. Resume summary
Your summary is not a biography. It’s a trailer.
In two to three sentences, it should answer:
- Who are you professionally?
- What do you do well?
- Why should this employer keep reading?
Strong summaries are specific and tailored. Weak ones are vague and sound like LinkedIn headlines.
A clean, credible example summary
Data analyst with five years of experience translating complex datasets into insights that drive business decisions. Strong in SQL, Python, and stakeholder communication, with a track record of improving reporting efficiency by 30 percent. Brings a practical, business-minded approach to analytics.
A solid summary includes:
- Your role or specialty
- Years of experience or career focus
- One or two standout skills or outcomes
- Clear metrics
Summary vs. objective
Resume objectives focus on what you want. Summaries focus on what you offer.
Unless you’re a recent graduate or making a sharp career pivot, a summary is the better choice in 2026.
Optimize your resume summary for ATS
Drop your resume here or choose a file.
PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
3. Work experience
This is the section recruiters actually read and is the most crucial.
And this is where most resumes fall apart.
Listing responsibilities is easy. Showing impact is harder—and far more effective.
How to structure each role:
- Job title
- Company name and location
- Dates of employment
- Three to five bullet points focused on results
Write bullets that show impact
A simple framework that works:
- Challenge: What problem existed?
- Action: What did you do?
- Result: What changed because of it?
This is often called the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). The names vary, but the goal is the same: show what you tackled, what you did, and why it mattered.
Instead of:
- Managed social media accounts.
Write:
- Increased organic engagement by 45 percent in six months by launching short-form video and user-generated content.
If your bullets don’t show outcomes, recruiters assume the impact was minimal—even if it wasn’t.
PRO TIP
Tools like Enhancv’s Resume Bullet Point Generator can help rework vague bullets into clearer, measurable achievements without inflating your experience.
4. Education
Your education section should be clear and efficient.
Include:
- Institution name
- Degree
- Major or field of study
- Graduation year (optional for experienced professionals)
- Honors (if you have them), like Dean’s List, cum laude, etc.
Where it goes depends on experience
- Recent graduates: Place education near the top.
- Five-plus years of experience: Move it below work experience.
GPA is optional. Include it only if it’s strong (3.5 and over) and relevant to your career stage (i.e., entry-level).
Leaving off graduation dates is acceptable if you want to reduce age bias.
Education entry example
Education
Bachelor of Science in Marketing
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Graduated May 2024
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Dean’s List: Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023
5. Skills
This section exists for two audiences: recruiters and ATS software.
It should be fast to scan and easy to understand.
Organize skills into categories:
- Hard skills: Job-specific, measurable skills you can learn, practice, and prove.
- Soft skills: How you work—how you think, communicate, and operate with other people.
Tailor this list to the job description. If a skill isn’t relevant to the role, it doesn’t belong here.
Soft skills matter—but they carry more weight when supported by examples in your experience section and summary.
6. Certifications and professional development
This section is optional, but powerful in the right fields.
List:
- Certification name
- Issuing organization
- Year earned (and expiration date if there’s one)
Certifications are especially valuable in technology, finance, project management, healthcare, and operations.
They signal commitment to growth and verify specialized knowledge.
7. Projects, publications, or volunteer work
This section is a secret weapon for:
- Career changers
- Freelancers
- Technical and creative professionals
Use it to show proof of skills when traditional experience isn’t enough.
What works well here:
- Portfolio projects or GitHub repositories
- Published articles or research
- Meaningful volunteer roles with clear impact
Every entry should support your story for the particular role. If it doesn’t, cut it.
Other valuable additional sections
- Languages: Lists spoken or written languages and proficiency levels that support global, client-facing, or cross-functional work.
- Hobbies and interests: Highlights personal interests that reinforce relevant skills, values, or culture fit. Most common for early-career candidates, but useful at any level when role-relevant.
- Affiliations: Shows membership in professional organizations or industry groups that signal engagement and credibility in your field.
- Internships: Documents hands-on, professional experience gained in structured roles, often serving as early proof of job-ready skills.
- Awards: Showcases recognition for performance, leadership, or excellence that differentiates you from similarly qualified candidates.
Once your resume sections are clear, the real question becomes how to order them so they work for both recruiters and applicant tracking systems.
How to order resume sections in 2026
The right resume section order puts your most relevant qualifications first, backs them with proof, and stays clean enough for both recruiters and ATS software to scan fast.
Recommended layouts:
| Career stage | Recommended resume section order |
|---|---|
| Recent graduates | Summary → Education → Projects or internships → Skills → Work experience |
| Most professionals | Summary → Work experience → Skills → Education |
| Career changers | Summary → Skills → Relevant projects or experience → Work history → Education |
Remember that additional sections go after your core selling sections—not before them.
PRO TIP
- If it strengthens your case for this job → move it up
- If it’s nice-to-have → keep it near the bottom
- If it’s unrelated → cut it
ATS software doesn’t reject resumes—it organizes them. Problems happen when formatting causes your information to be misread.
Using an ATS-friendly template and checking structure with tools like Enhancv’s AI Resume Builder helps ensure both systems and humans can read your resume easily.
Build your resume with intention
A strong resume isn’t about cramming everything in.
It’s about clarity.
When each section has a clear purpose, recruiters spend less time decoding your resume and more time considering you.
That’s how you earn interviews in a crowded 2026 job market.
Frequently asked questions
Even with the structure nailed down, a few resume questions come up again and again—here are clear answers.
What matters most on a resume for experienced professionals?
Your summary and work experience. Both should focus on impact, not responsibilities.
Should I always include optional sections like projects or certifications?
Only if they strengthen your application for that role. Relevance beats completeness.
How should career changers structure a resume?
Lead with transferable skills and proof. Projects and skills should come before full work history.
Does resume design matter?
Yes—for readability. Clean, professional, and ATS-friendly layouts perform best.
Is a resume objective still necessary?
In most cases, no. A tailored summary is far more effective.
Final thought
A strong resume isn’t about having more sections—it’s about putting the right information in the right order. When each section earns its place, your resume becomes easier to read, easier to trust, and far more likely to get interviews.
Make one that's truly you.
