What Should You Include on Your Resume?

Your resume is a vitally important job-hunting document. It’s a quick summary of your experience and qualifications for the job. It needs to contain all the information employers need to know to interview you.

What should your resume include? Here’s the rundown.

Contact information

The organization you’re applying to needs to find you in order to interview you. Don’t make them search for it, and don’t accidentally leave it off.

Place your phone number, email address, name and LinkedIn URL on the top of the resume. Yes, you should have a LinkedIn profile if you’re job searching.

The job posting keywords

Job postings have keywords that describe the position, skills, and qualifications they are looking for. If a job posting is for a “warehouse fulfillment,” make sure your resume uses the words “warehouse fulfillment”, even if your previous employer termed the tasks you did “floor fulfillment.”

Why? Nowadays, most companies automatically scan incoming resumes for how well they match the job posting. If resumes don’t match, they are automatically kicked out of the system. A human being will never see your resume if that happens. And someone needs to review your resume for you to be called for the interview.

Your accomplishments

Be sure to include major work-related accomplishments. If you were named Most Productive Employee last July, that should definitely be mentioned on your resume. Part of a team that won an award? Be sure to mention that as well.

Percentages and figures, if possible

Employers like to see what are called metrics. That means if you contributed to a rise in the percentage or number of things produced, or your experience caused fewer expenditures, it should be quantified in percentages and figures. Not all positions provide this but be sure to include it if you can.

So if the Most Productive Employee mention came because of a boost of 10 percent in production, be sure to mention the percentage.

Personal Interests

Sometimes people think they should include personal interests or hobbies, largely because there is a place on LinkedIn to do so. These are not relevant to the information employers need to know to call you for an interview.

What Not to Include

There are things that should never be included on a resume.

Pictures

You may run across resume samples on the web that contains pictures of job applicants. A picture is not considered part of a professional-looking resume.

References

While you might be asked for references later on in the job searching process, a resume is not the place to put them.

Objectives

Many people advise against including objectives in a resume. It is understood your objective is to get the job you’re applying for and to do well in it.

Staffing Firms Can Help You Find a Job

Thinking about a new job? Debbie’s Staffing can help. We offer job postings and advice on how to look. Contact us today.