Essentials of a Résumé!

An average résumé contains the following sections: (1) contact information, (2) summary, (3) skills, (4) education, (5) professional experience. You can also add a section with awards, voluntary activities, and even interests, but the essentials are the 5 sections.

Depending on the arrangement of the sections, résumés are divided into three types: the chronological, the functional, and the combination format. The contact information is always on the top on all three formats.

The chronological format is most commonly used, you will follow the contact info and summary with skills, professional experience & education. Students and juniors must place education before experience.

In the functional and the combination format, the emphasis is on the skills section, which should follow the with the experience, with a slight difference in how you list the items in the section.

These are the choices you have regarding the format, but do you know which one you should choose? It all depends on what is your strongest area and put that closer to the top of the résumé. If you’re applying for a job for which you have plenty of relevant experience, it makes sense to choose the chronological format. If, on the other hand, you’re changing career paths or have a chaotic professional history, one of the two other formats might suit you better.

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