What to Include in a Resume

Coming up with a resume is an important aspect when searching for a suitable job. Your objective is to make a resume that can highlight and summarize your background and relevant experiences. Your resume would as well state your pertinent accomplishments and skills, which then encourage a probable employer to schedule an interview with you. With this, you would want to know what to include in a resume.

In most cases, one full page is sufficient for the information you want to impart in your resume. It doesn’t have to be long. A resume should be brief, concise, and straight to the point. And you have to know what to include in a resume. Give enough details for the potential employer to comprehend your skills and abilities and to determine if you are qualified enough for the position.

Now, what to include in a resume? This could be your next question. Basically, the following elements are the common and most significant elements on what to include in a resume:

Contact Information: The most significant part on what to include in a resume that comes first is your contact details. Apart from your complete name, you include here your address and telephone / mobile numbers. You also need to include under this your e-mail address. Use an e-mail address where an employer can professionally get in touch with you. Remember not to use unprofessional automatic replies and nicknames.

Objective: After the contact information, your objective is another element on what to include in a resume. Although this is optional, it is a way to exhibit the center of your job hunt. Your objective shouldn’t be too general or too limited. Let the employer know about the organization or industry you aspire, together with the kind of position you want, your goals in life, and the skills your have and want to impart.

Education: The next aspect on what to include in a resume is your educational background. Write down in reverse chronological manner your education. Included here are details about your major, degree, and year completed. Other facts on what to include in a resume under education are your general average, thesis or research work, awards, and honors. You do not have to include primary education. Stating your high school and college details would be enough.

Experience: One of the most significant parts on what to include in a resume is your work experience. Begin by enumerating the job title, name of company or organization, location, and dates of employment. After you have written your work experience in a reverse chronological manner, make a brief description of your work. Employers are interested in applicants’ skills, responsibilities and achievements. Write a short description of your activities and roles. When describing the nature of your previous work, experience and activities, use past tense.

Activities and Leadership: Another essential aspect on what to include in a resume is your professional activities. You may as well include under this the relevant academic activities and the community services you have had. This part highlights your capabilities, skills, and aptitude in various fields. Furthermore, you may include your abilities as a team player, potential as a leader, and other competencies you have for the job. Discuss your activities briefly and point out the level of your involvement in all the activities you’ve joined. Thus, one important part on what to include in a resume is your activities.

Interests, Skills and Achievements: One important section on what to include in a resume is a short description of your achievements, skills and other interests. Information that you write down under this should have a relevance to the position you are applying for. Do not include those that are unnecessary to the specific job you aspire.

Apart from knowing what to include in a resume, it pays to know important tips on how to come up with your resume. Here are some pointers to know when making a resume:

1. It is essential that there is no error in your resume because this would represent you. Hence, grammar, spelling, and punctuation should be perfect.
2. The entire resume should be brief and concise. One full page is sufficient, but if you have long list of experience, you may have a second page.
3. Your resume should be visually attractive. You can do this by using appropriate spacing and enough margins. The contents on what to include in a resume should be balanced. Overall, it should appear like an original one.
4. Remember, your resume is a formal business document, so never use the first person point of view when writing information.
5. If you are using a job objective, make sure the contents are relevant.
6. What to include in a resume should be done honestly with no exaggeration.
7. When describing your experience, use skill words and action verbs. Also, you can emphasize the verbs by using adverbs.
8. Upon sending your resume, do not forget a cover letter.

When writing a resume, there are three basic formats you can follow: functional, chronological, and combination. Besides knowing what to include in a resume, it is essential that you know the proper format.

Under the functional type, details are classified depending on fields of expertise or functions. This stresses your abilities and skills, no matter how and where they are obtained and enhanced. Besides, this format is most efficient for people who have diverse experience with varying careers. And, this format is least effective for those who do not have sufficient accomplishments and experience.

The chronological type, on the other hand, is a format where details are written in reverse chronological way. This emphasizes the progression of how and where you obtain your education and skills; and highlights the most recent experiences. This is effective for people who have had continual work history and for individuals who are aspiring to work in conservative or traditional fields. On the contrary, this is least efficient for people who have frequently change positions.

In the combination formation, the information on what to include in a resume are written down by function and in reverse chronological manner. This format lays emphasis both on the abilities and skills, and how and where these are acquired and enhanced. This is very beneficial for highlighting capabilities that are not recently used, and with those who often have temporary employment. Then again, this is less effective for people who do not have sufficient work experience.