There’s only 7 sections you’ll ever need on your resume

Stressing over re-doing your resume because you’re not sure what to put on there? Don’t stress, I’ve got you.

Writing your resume is a task almost everyone procrastinates – who actually likes putting down on paper how good they are? Jotting down your work history is all well and good, but when it comes to rounding up your achievements and highlighting how you will be the greatest team member ever…undeniably cringe.

There’s a lot of info on the internet about what should and shouldn’t go on your resume. I’ve been writing resumes for clients that consistently land interviews for almost four years, and here’s the only sections I include on resumes.

CONTACT INFO

Your new employer has to be able to get in contact with you.

Check that your email address and mobile number are listed, and make sure that they’re correct. Keep your contact info easily accessible towards the top of your resume.

If you’ve still got a questionable email that you created in highschool it’s time to update to a professional email address. Think: firstnamelastname@gmail.com, or the closest you can get to that!

There’s no need to include your address on your resume anymore. You’ll be contacted via email or phone, so why would a prospective employer need to know where you live? To add to that, including your address may eliminate you from a list of candidates if the hiring manager thinks you live too far away.

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

At the top of your resume, include a short paragraph summarising your work history and your skills.

The aim here is to highlight what you can bring to the role, rather than why you want the role.

Try to avoid talking about what the role will do for you and your career, instead focusing on how your previous experience has moulded you into the perfect candidate for this role.

Once you’ve got a generic professional profile down, it’s super easy to tailor it to different job advertisements by swapping out keywords.

KEY SKILLS

A separate section for skills is pretty standard on resumes, but if you’re creating a great long list of generic skills, you’re doing it wrong.

For my clients, I choose 3 - 4 key skills and write mini-summaries on how you’ve applied these skills previously.

Again, swap out key skills for skills requested in the job advertisement to bump you up the applicant list.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Most of my clients who come to me don’t have this section on their resume, but including key achievements on your resume sets you apart from the competition.

I suggest finding 2-3 achievements and highlighting them here. These can be awards, successful projects, initiatives you’ve undertaken – anything where you can say “my work had an impact and here is the result.”

When writing about your key achievements, use the XYZ method.

X= state what you accomplished

Y= include how it is measured (e.g. increase in sales, improved customer retention)

Z= discuss the steps you took to accomplish this

EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY

This one is quick and easy – list out your roles, the companies you worked for and when you worked for them.

To really highlight your experience, ensure that your job titles are more prominent than the company you worked for.

I usually only include the past 5 years of work experience, but will extend that out to 10 years if there is some work experience older than five years that is crucial to the advertised role.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Take your employment summary and create a separate section where you deep dive into your experience.

Don’t go overboard here. Include your main duties that will have relevance to the role you’re applying for.

Try to quantify these responsibilities as well, to showcase the scope and impact of your work.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

Include your highest level of education. So, if you have a degree or qualification, no need to include your high school info.

Don’t list all your subjects or results, but do highlight any achievements or extracurriculars you were involved in (if they are relevant!)

These seven sections will cover everything a hiring manager will need to know about you and your career. Pair with a killer cover letter and you’re setting yourself up for job hunting success.

Want more? Check out the Good Friend Resume Template & Writing Guide. It’s packed full of handy hints to help you write a better resume.