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What Sections Should You Include On Your Resume?

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How to Organize Your Resume in 2023? [+ Resume Examples]


Although you have freedom and flexibility when crafting your resume, there are some key sections which you should include. Putting the right sections into your resume can help to present the information in an easy-to-understand format. In addition, you can highlight the most important things, drawing the attention of a hiring manager to those things of which you are most proud.


In this article, we will cover:



What sections should you include on your resume?

A detailed description of each section

Plus examples



If you’re looking to create an aesthetically pleasing, professional resume, use Enhancv’s resume builder. With built-in grammar checker and distinct customization options, you can create a resume to be proud of.
What Sections Should You Include On Your Resume?

In any great recipe, you need to follow the steps, include the right ingredients, and combine all the ingredients in order to create a culinary masterpiece. You can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs, right?


Well, for your resume, you will need to include five key sections, with a couple of additional ones thrown into the pot to create an eye-catching resume. Below you can find the main sections to include on your resume:



Contact information

Resume summary

Work experience

Education

Skills and qualifications

Additional sections



If you’re interested in learning more about how to craft a stellar resume, jump over to the How to Write a Great Resume for a Job in 2023 article on our site

How to organize a resume

Before we dive into each individual section of a resume, support and understand the different resume formats and decide which one you will use for your resume. There are many types of formats which you can use to create your resume, but the important thing is to find the one that suits your needs. Below, you can find the most common resume formats:

Reverse chronological order

The most common format available, the reverse chronological resume format places an emphasis on your most recent experience by placing your most recent roles at the top of the resume. Working from your most recent experience to your oldest experience allows you to show a full career trajectory to a potential hiring manager. They can see where you started, how you’ve progressed, and even see where you are going in your career.


This type of resume is easy to skim and can provide you with an overall career summary. But one of the major drawbacks is that you can easily identify gaps in your resume. It’s also not a great format to use if you are in a creative field or if you are switching between different careers.

Functional resume format

A functional resume format highlights your skills and abilities over and above your experience. This type of resume may be ideal for those entering the workforce or recent graduates, as you don’t need to have as much experience under your belt to show that you are capable and competent to fill the role. In fact, your technical skills can help to give you an edge when applying for certain positions.


One of the major issues with a functional resume format is that it provides your skills in a static manner. If you just list all of your skills at the top of your resume, you are not able to portray your skills using real examples from your career. It’s especially important to quantify all of your skills, using real-world examples from your career to qualify your claims.

Hybrid resume format

Hybrid resume format allows you to place your skills and experience on equal footing. Using a hybrid format, you could lay out your resume with two equal columns, one with your skills and abilities and the other column with your experience.


This format is especially helpful when you are in a creative field or are looking to make a career change. If, for example, you’re moving out of a sales position into a management position, you can place your knowledge of software and leadership skills right next to your most recent sales experience.


A hybrid resume format may not be ideal if you are in a senior management position. In a management role, you will probably be assessed mainly by your experience.

Contact Information
What’s the purpose of the personal information section on a resume?

A personal information section can help to provide a hiring manager with all the information they need to contact you. It’s the first section that you would include on your resume. But it’s also an opportunity for you to share important details about yourself. For example, by sharing where you live, you can show how close you lived to the job that you’re applying for.

What should you include in your personal information section?


Your full name

Your email: Include a professional email, not the silly one that you might’ve picked up in your college days. If you don’t already have one, try to apply for an email address that looks something like this: firstname_lastname@gmail.com. You can’t go wrong with a simple email address of just your first and last name.

Phone number: Include a personal phone number, either a landline or a cell phone. This would be the best number for a hiring manager to call you back.

Location: You might’ve noticed that it doesn’t say “address”. The reason for that is you don’t need to necessarily include your address anymore on your resume. Instead, just include the city that you live and the state or region that you live in.

Professional social media accounts: You may choose to include your LinkedIn or Twitter profiles in your resume. Make sure that you include only important social media handles, and those that are appropriate for a potential boss to see.

Titles, prefixes, or suffixes: if you’ve earned a title, include that in your name. For example, if you are a doctor, you can include the “Dr.” title before your name.

Your portfolio or website: If you work in a creative field, one in which showcasing past projects is key, you can include a link to your portfolio or website on your resume.


Resume summary section
What’s the purpose of the resume summary or objective section on a resume?

Your resume summary is an elevator pitch, a short, succinct description of your career aspirations and the skills that you possess. Your resume summary is the best place to put your career trajectory, where you are now and where you see yourself going. It’s also a good place to include skills and abilities which fit your background. If you are experienced, you can lean on your achievements and skills to better position yourself in your resume objective. But if you’re a recent graduate, you can also list your career aspirations and your college academic performance.


Keep in mind that your resume summary should be between 3 to 4 sentences. Always tailor your resume summary to the job that you’re applying for.

Example 1: For an experienced applicantExample 2: For recent college graduatesExample 3: For career changersWork experience section

The work experience section that you provide in your resume is the key section that recruiters look for. As a result, your work experience section should be arranged in such a way that it’s easy to scan and read. The best way to do this is using a reverse chronological format, which lists your most recent experience first.

What’s the purpose of the work experience section on a resume?

Your work experience will help to show that you can handle the job that you’re applying for. By listing your most recent experience and the skills and abilities that you’ve cultivated through that job, you can prove that you deserve an interview for the role.

What should you include in the work experience section?

In your work experience section, you should list the places that you’ve worked, the titles that you’ve occupied at those roles, the years that you’ve worked there, and your main duties. Here are some of the things you should include in your work experience section:



Use a reverse chronological order: Start with your most recent experience first.

Job title

Company name, location, and description

Date of employment: It’s important to include both the month and year on your resume because ATS software tracks for it.

Achievements and responsibilities: Here's where you can showcase your abilities to a potential hiring manager. Tailor your responsibilities in your previous roles to the expectations for the role in the job description. These can be major keywords used by ATS software.

Action words: Use action words to showcase your experience. For example, ‘managed’ falls flat when compared to words like ‘spearheaded’ and ‘initiated’.

Tailor your experience at the job description: Use key phrases gathered from the job description in your resume.

Quantify your experience: Don’t just say that you helped the sales department, but share that you “raise the quarterly earnings by 33%”.


Example of a work experience sectionEducation section

Potential hiring managers can be just as interested in your education section as your work experience section. The purpose of an education section is to show your academic background. In addition, if you possess a degree from a prestigious university, this can actually help you land your dream job.

Example education section:Resume skills section

Your resume skills section can help to highlight unique skills which would otherwise be hidden on your resume. These skills that you list should be quantifiable, with tangible examples from your experience to showcase your abilities. When listing your skills, be sure to list both soft skills, also referred to as people skills, and hard skills, which are technical skills specific to a certain career.


In addition, if you’re making a career change, there may be several transferable skills you can list which will apply to the role that you’re applying for. The goal is to list relevant skills which can apply to the role, and exclude anything which may not apply.

Examples of quantifiable achievements:


Spearheaded a cost-saving initiative: This initiative reduced departmental expense by 25%. Discovered inefficient practices in the budgeting process, and implemented processes to create tighter controls.

Improved cash flow: Through a capital management strategy, I helped increase cash flow by 50%.

Led a financial restructuring process: This was for one of our largest clients and helped to strengthen our relationship with them.


Optional resume sections

There are several optional resume sections you can include on your resume. For example, you may wish to include a “day in my life” section, in which you list what a typical day looks like in your role. Some other typical optional resume sections include:



Certifications and licenses

Hobbies

Volunteer experience

Awards

Peer-reviewed journal articles

Freelance work

Speaking engagements and conferences


Key Takeaways

Crafting an eye-catching resume isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Job seekers benefit by crafting a well-organized resume which is geared towards a specific role. In order to do that, you may wish to format your resume using a reverse chronological format, listing your most recent experience first. In addition, whether you’re listing your employment history or relevant coursework, always try to quantify your achievements by including facts, figures, and real-world money.


If you’re interested in taking your resume to the next level, check out Enhancv’s resume builder. Our resume builder is perfect for creating an aesthetically pleasing, ATS oriented resume which can catch the attention of any recruiter or hiring manager.


How-to advice on writing your relocation resume and cover letter

Noting your relocation plans in the resume header

The relocation cover letter: building your application further

Resume experience: from relocation to your unique professional value

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How to Show Recruiters You're Willing to Relocate on Your Resume


Pack your suitcases for an emotional rollercoaster. It's time to relocate! Moving to a new city (or even country) can be especially daunting for the next stages of your career.


How do you convince employers that in spite of your Virginia “base”, you're quite serious about moving for that New York role?


Here's how - with a clear and concise resume that addresses any potential location concerns, while aligning your experience to the job.


Ultimately, your resume should play to your advantage, amongst the top picks of local candidates, with the unique value you’d bring to the company.


As professionals, who are willing to relocate, bring about a variety of soft skills, like:



flexibility and adaptability;

organization and planning;

forward-thinking and systematic approach.



Improve your chances to land your next job away from home (even from abroad) with our guide on writing your relocation resume (and cover letter).
What you’ll learn:


Honesty is the best card you can play when addressing your relocation plans;

Resume sections that could best describe your intentions to move;

What address should you include in your relocation resume?

How to let recruiters know about your relocation plans?

Adding further value to your application with a relocation cover letter.


How-to advice on writing your relocation resume and cover letter

Relocation is a serious factor that recruiters consider when conducting any search. While their top choices (especially for non-senior roles) are local candidates - it's up to you to convince them otherwise.


Your resume and cover letter should thus address: 



any potential concerns about your relocation;

highlight your commitment to the role;

and emphasize that you're actively seeking opportunities in the area.



Here are four tips on how to include relocation on your resume.



Optimize your resume for the job



This one goes without saying but study the job advert in detail. Your resume should align role requirements with your expertise and achievements.


Map out how you’d meet the company’s and team’s needs with your resume summary, achievements, and experience.



Be honest



The recruitment process is all about first impressions. Don't kick it off on the wrong foot with a fake address, claims that you're local, or other deceptions.


You need to mention your location and intentions to relocate. This needs to be done clearly and specifically for the role you're applying to.



Relocation in the top one-third of your resume



It's common for your application to be assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) or the software that assigns points based on job advert criteria.


Most ATS may actually disqualify your application if you're not at the role location (if it's specified in the advert).


How do you go about mentioning your location in your resume header?


We'll get into the specifics in the next part, but, for now, let’s say that it depends entirely on your moving plans.



Note your interview availability



Use your cover letter to let interviewers know when you'll be in town. Plan at least a week to attend any potential interviews.


Otherwise, you could suggest your availability for an initial, over-the-phone interview. 

Noting your relocation plans in the resume header

There are two sections of your header that are ideal for mentioning your relocation plans: the address and headline.

Within the next part of this guide, we’ll show you how to mention your moving plans in the top one-third of your resume.


Take these three situations into account.

1. If you've already made concrete plans to move

Include your current address, followed by the specifics.
2. If your relocation depends on landing the job

It’s important to include the location keyword from the job advert in your resume top one-third.
3. If you leave off the relocation specifics from your resume address

Include your relocation details in the resume headline - a single sentence, filled with job-specific keywords.


The headline could also state your unique value as a professional, alongside your relocation plans, like so: 
Relocation details in the resume summary

Do you want to avoid mentioning your plans within your resume header?


The next best section to include your willingness to relocate is your summary - those three to five sentences that showcase your unique value via achievements and skills.


You could include your relocation plans either at the beginning of your summary:

or, towards the end of it:
The relocation cover letter: building your application further

Cover letters are the perfect space to explain the nits and bits of your relocation plans. 


Especially if you've noted on your resume that you'll be moving, recruiters want an explanation why.


Be genuine and honest about your relocation reason(s). Perhaps, you're moving to:



be closer to your elderly parents;
return to your hometown;
look for more growth opportunities;
due to your spouse's work;
enjoy living in a new, specific location.
Relevant relocation information includes the time frames of your plans and their permanence. Also, if you have any emotional or more solid ties to the area (e.g. you did your masters there, or you've brought a new home).


Here's a basic outline of a relocation cover letter.



Introduction - briefly convey your professional interest.

Relocation - explain why you're moving and your estimated timeframes.

Ties - mention if you've previously worked or studied in the area, or have family there.

Relevant experience - showcasing you can adapt to new environments. 

Key skills and qualifications - revealing why you're the best candidate for the role.

Summary - why your expertise aligns with the role and your commitment to relocating.

Call to Action (CTA) - "Looking forward to meeting with you" and "Kind regards"


Resume experience: from relocation to your unique professional value

When describing your experience section, highlight your relocation skills, as they are valued by organizations.


Select experience items that hint at your excellence in working abroad.


You could have managed international teams, located in different locations, or traveled internationally for work assignments. 


This experience demonstrates your ability to quickly adapt to new environments.

Within the one-line description of the company you worked for, highlight common factors between your past and potential employers.


Like, if you've worked for companies: 



of the same size;
in the same industry;
offering similar types of services;
with identical customer databases.Transferable relocation resume skills

Another resume section to shift the focus from your location is the skills one.


Create a resume skills section that highlights both relevant and transferrable skills, like your:



hard skills - industry-specific, niche technical proficiencies;
soft skills - people skills.Other sections for a relocation resume


Education - perhaps you completed your higher education within the area you're planning to relocate to. Include all relevant higher education degrees, alongside ones that are "local" - showing you are familiar with the area.


Projects - select the ones that are most relevant to the job and highlight your alignment with the job requirements. Also, consider curating projects that have been completed in the location you’re planning to move to or are local to the job you’re applying for. 


Volunteer - if you've supported communities that are similar to the one you’re planning to relocate to, dedicate a separate resume section to detail your volunteer work.






Key takeaways


Be honest with recruiters about your relocation plans: remember that the hiring process is all about first impressions.
Include your current address, followed by the job location (which you’d be moving to).
The resume summary is an excellent place to dive a little deeper into your relocation plans, but make sure the focus stays on your experience and achievements.
Get into the details of your relocation plans within the cover letter - use it to provide information that is relevant to your application.
Curate other resume sections to share with recruiters if you’ve lived, studied, or have had professional experience in the same location. This would hint that you won’t be starting from square zero when you move for the job.

Resume Advice

A collection of 241 posts

How Long to Hear Back after an Interview: 3 Tips to Win the Waiting Game

How to Create and Follow a Strategic Job Search Plan in 2024

3 Reasons Why You Should Differentiate Fired Vs Laid Off on Your Resume

2024 Resume Statistics From Over 12 000 US-Based Job-Seekers

How to Organize Your Resume in 2023? [+ Resume Examples]

How to Show Recruiters You're Willing to Relocate on Your Resume