What to Put on a Resume: Essential Sections Explained

The Essential Resume Sections

A strong resume follows a clear, predictable structure that recruiters can scan quickly. Every section has a job to do. Here's exactly what to include — and what to leave out.

Contact Information

This goes at the very top and must be accurate and complete. Include your full name, phone number, professional email address, city and region (not your full street address), and a link to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio.

Skip the headshot unless you're in an industry that expects one (acting, modeling, some international markets). Don't include your date of birth, marital status, or national insurance number — these are irrelevant and can introduce bias.

Professional Summary

A 2-3 sentence pitch at the top of your resume that summarizes who you are professionally and what value you bring. Think of it as your elevator pitch in writing.

Include your current or target job title, years of experience, one quantified achievement, and your area of specialization. Avoid generic phrases like 'hardworking team player' — they add nothing.

Work Experience

The most important section for most candidates. For each role, list your job title, company name, location, and dates of employment. Under each, write 3-5 bullet points describing your impact.

Each bullet should follow the pattern: action verb + what you did + measurable result. 'Reduced customer support response time by 40% by implementing a new ticketing workflow' is far stronger than 'Handled customer support tickets.'

Education

List your degrees in reverse-chronological order: degree, institution, graduation year. If you graduated more than a few years ago, drop the graduation year to avoid age bias.

Recent graduates can include relevant coursework, honours, or a high GPA (3.5+), but experienced professionals should keep this section brief — your work history matters more.

Skills

A targeted list of 8-15 skills relevant to the roles you're targeting. Include a mix of technical skills (software, tools, programming languages) and core competencies (leadership, analysis, communication).

Be honest about your proficiency level — claiming a skill you can't back up in an interview will hurt you. Mirror the exact terminology from job descriptions to improve ATS matching.

Optional Sections Worth Considering

Depending on your field, you may benefit from adding:

• Certifications and licences relevant to your industry.
• Professional memberships or affiliations.
• Notable projects with measurable outcomes.
• Awards and recognition.
• Volunteer experience (especially if it demonstrates transferable skills).

What to Leave Off Your Resume

Just as important as what to include is what to cut. Remove references to hobbies unrelated to the role, personal details like age and marital status, outdated jobs from decades ago, and any negative or defensive language. Every line should serve the goal of landing you an interview.

Build It Section by Section

Our resume builder prompts you for each of these sections in order, with examples and guidance for every field. You'll never stare at a blank page wondering what goes where — just fill in the prompts and download.