It’s worth noting that a professional summary isn’t an absolute must-have - if your resume is missing one, it probably won’t be a dealbreaker - but it can be a nice way to give time-pressed recruiters and hiring managers a quick, high-level overview of why you’re the right person for the job. Instead, they’re focused on the value you could bring to a potential employer. In contrast with the largely out-of-date objective statement - a line that describes the type of career opportunity you’re looking for - professional summaries aren’t about what you want. Professional Summary: The professional summary is a brief, one- to three-sentence section featured prominently on your resume that succinctly describes who you are, what you do and why you’re perfect for the job.
However, you may want to avoid putting your contact info in the header or footer of the document itself - the headers and footers can sometimes be overlooked by the software that scans your resume. After all, you don’t want there to be any confusion over who the resume belongs to, or make it difficult for recruiters or hiring managers to reach out to you. Your contact info (typically your phone number, personal email address and sometimes links to social profiles or personal websites) should be close by as well. Header & Contact Info: At the top of your resume, always include a header containing your name. No two resumes will look exactly alike (nor should they!), but generally, resumes should have the following sections.
This format is a powerful way to stand out to recruiters by emphasizing both your experience and skills, and is useful for many different types of job seekers. You’ll combine the professional summary and skills section of a functional resume with the work experience section of a chronological resume. This format is best for those who want to minimize resume gaps, or are transitioning into a new industry.Ĭombination Resume: As you might be able to guess, a combination resume borrows from both of the aforementioned formats. To create a functional resume, you’ll prominently feature your professional summary, your skills and a work experience section organized by how closely the positions relate to the one you’re applying to. Ultimately, the goal is to show how your positions leading up to this point have perfectly prepared you for the role you’re applying to.įunctional Resume: A functional resume, on the other hand, emphasizes the relevance of your experience. List your positions in reverse chronological order, with the most recent positions at the top and the oldest ones at the bottom. Most professional resume writers will tell you that there are three main types of resumes: chronological, functional and combination.Ĭhronological Resume: A chronological resume is the format that you’re probably the most familiar with - this is the type of resume that focuses on your recent work history above all.