10 of the most important items to have on a resume

You need to invest a significant amount of time and effort in your resume because it is the most important job-searching document you will ever make. Your resume helps potential employers identify your biggest strengths and selling points. While resumes differ in length and content based on the experience level of the candidate, there are certain items that are must-haves on a resume.

1. Accomplishments and achievements

Your resume must boast a healthy amount of accomplishments and achievements from your career if you want to impress a potential employer. A list of job duties would never compel a hiring manager to read your resume and want to call you for an interview.

2. Educational experience

If you are a younger professional with less experience, your resume must feature a strong education section. When you are listing educational qualifications, it is important to mention the credentials, institution, location, and relevant years. Older candidates can age-proof their resumes by omitting the dates in the education section.

3. Entrepreneurial experience

If you have tried your hand at starting and running your own business, you must definitely let it have a special place on your resume. It could have been during a career break, or even while you were employed elsewhere. You can even create some other marketing materials to go with your resume as an independent business owner.

4. Job experience

Your work history is the most important section of your resume. This is the place where every hiring manager gets to gauge whether you have what it takes to perform well in the new role. Enrich your career history with your biggest professional wins to wow every employer who reads your resume.

5. Keywords from the job posting

Your resume must always be tailored to the job description. This is why you need to fish for keywords in the employer’s job description and incorporate those into your resume. Customizing your resume for each job that you apply for will dramatically improve your chances of getting an interview.

6. Metrics

Metrics are what makes your accomplishments impressive. Whenever you write bullet points for your career summary, try to work some metrics in there. Want to make those results stand out even more? consider writing STAR bullet points.

7. Professional title

One thing that your resume must prominently display is the job title that you are going for. You can mention your job title right after your name, at the very top of the resume. We have seen some job seekers add a few related keywords below the job title for keyword optimization.

8. Relevant URLs

It is 2023, not 2003. Employers expect to see a link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume. The best place to add links to your LinkedIn, social media, portfolio, and personal website is in the contact information section of your resume. Be sure to only include relevant profiles that won’t affect your chances of getting hired negatively.

9. Volunteer work

Volunteer work is a great thing to highlight on your resume. If you have less work experience, volunteer jobs will act as proof of your abilities. If you have a rich career history, volunteer work on your resume will show that you are passionate about giving back to the community.

10. Your career narrative

Resumes are storytellers. Your resume must always narrate the story of how you started as a cashier at a department store and became VP of Finance of a conglomerate. When a resume narrates the career path of a candidate, it compels readers to not take their eyes off of the document.