Composing a resume is not as easy as it looks, especially when you are a fresh graduate who wants to make a good impression on your first job interview. A neatly polished resume that highlights your educational background, skills, experiences and other important details about you is a must-have regardless if you’re an amateur or a pro.

Your resume is considered as a very important document for your job hunt. The ultimate goal for your resume is to make it easier for employers to know your credentials to determine whether you’re qualified for the position you or not.

There are several important parts that you have to include on your resume. Even though resumes differ from one another depending on professional experience, education, skills, and the chosen industry, there are some elements that every resume should have.

So, what are these important sections in a resume that you must include? What should be the proper outline of your resume? In this post, we’ll discuss these sections and how to properly apply them to have a professional-looking resume.

1. Your Basic Contact Information

Yes, you heard it right, it may sound so basic, but missing out one of the basic pieces of your personal contact information on your resume can cost you a job. Typically, your contact information must include your complete name, your phone number (landline and mobile), and your email address.

You may also opt to add the link to your online portfolio or a mini-website like DigiCard.

2. Always Include Your Objective

Your objective sums up the entirety of your resume highlights. It is not required to compose long paragraphs if you want to impress your interviewer. Always remember that your interviewer or recruiter will not read lengthy resumes, so it’s best to get to the point. Make it short; just write two to three sentences that accurately explain why they need to hire you for the position you are seeking. 

Before writing your resume objective, be sure to do a little research on the job description so that you can mention your specific skills that are relevant and important for the position.

Objectives and resume summaries are different from one another, so do not copy and paste what you Googled. Resume objectives focus on your goals as a job seeker. The summary, on the other hand, describes your goals that relate to the company’s needs.

3. Don’t Forget Your Educational Background

Your resume is not complete without highlighting your educational background. If you’ve noticed, the majority of the job listings you come across online or on the classified ads always include in its qualifications the educational attainment they need for each applicant. 

If you’re typing in your educational background on your resume, you have to include the name of your school, its location, the degree that you finished, the year you graduated, and your GPA (optional).

Also, do not forget to mention your academic achievements, your awards, and recognitions if you have them as they are a huge plus for recruiters.

4. Let Them Know Your Work Background/Experience

If you want to bring a good impression to your interviewers or recruiters, you have to detail your work background or your experience even if you feel that it’s too amateurish or not entirely relevant to the position you’re seeking. This will give the interviewers or recruiters the impression that you have not wasted any time not gaining work experience in the past. Regardless if you have a decade-long experience or just six months or less of your previous work, it should be there on your resume.

If you don’t have any work experience, assuming you’re a fresh graduate, you must include the internships and the on-the-job training (OJT) you had when you’re still in college or the clubs and the organizations you’ve volunteered in.

When including your work background or experience, you should include the company name or employer name, the job title, and the number of years you’ve worked there. You can also add your biggest accomplishments if you have any.

5. List Your Skills

For this part, you should list your technical and soft skills. However, you have to be relevant when listing it down, so make sure you only mention those that fit well with the position you’re seeking. Don’t forget to include your talents; we’re sure you have one! 

Just a pro tip, before you list down your skills on your resume, be sure to read the job description so that you won’t have to list everything. Only include the relevant ones.

Final Words

Your resume should not be taken for granted; it is one of your keys to land that job you’ve been dreaming of. With this post, you can effectively improve your once dull resume. 

Want an online resume that will take any employer’s breath away? Try our Digital Business Card. It’s perfect when you’re applying online.