What’s Optional (And Not) On Your Resume
There are as many different resume templates as there are jobs out there.
It can be easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of options available to you. And as you sort through examples, and industry boilerplates, you start to see some fairly liberal shifts in terms of content and layout.
So what are the sections that people swap in and out? And what things make up the bedrock of a resume? And how do you find the answers to these questions???
You read the rest of this article, that’s how!
We’ll review the most common parts of a resume, while letting you know what’s optional — and what’s not.
Name and Contact Info – NOT OPTIONAL
At the end of the day, you want recruiters to contact you. So make sure that your contact information is prominently displayed at the top of the page!
Consider this the call-to-action of your resume. The rest of the document will prime them to take the action of contacting you.
Be sure to include your name, phone number, and a professional-sounding email. If you use LinkedIn, you can include your profile link. And if you have a portfolio, you can include a link to that as well.
Resume Headline – OPTIONAL
A resume headline is a one-liner that describes you. It’s typically framed about the type of job you have experience in most. For example:
“Front-end developer specializing in web-based user interfaces.”
Or something to that effect. It can be a bit more pitchy if you want as well, like:
“Sales guru who has closed over $100 million in auto sales”
They might not be helpful if you don’t have a lot of work experience, though.
Resume Summary – OPTIONAL
A summary is just an expanded headline.
Think of it as a logline — a movie summary meant to help sell people on the film. It can tie together your career narrative in just a few sentences (bullet points work too).
Here’s an example:
“Receptionist with over 5 years’ experience working in both the public and private sectors. Diplomatic, personable, and adept at managing sensitive situations. Highly organized, self-motivated, and proficient with computers. Looking to boost students’ satisfaction scores for ABC University. Bachelor’s degree in communications.”
Notice how it includes a goal that brings value to the business, making it more of a career plot outline than just a tagline.
Experience – NOT OPTIONAL
It should go without saying that you have to include your experience on your resume.
It’s kiiiiind of what they’re for.
That said, be mindful to include only relevant experience, and present it in a neat, reverse chronological order.
Each job should include your title, the dates you worked, and a brief description of your role. Use keywords to describe your old jobs based on the job you want today.
Education – NOT OPTIONAL
Education is often as important as work history. Be sure to include your highest level of education reached.
Also include any secondary degrees or certificates that you have earned (including online courses and professional development training). And if you’re currently in school, list your program.
Like work history, be sure to include dates you attended or completed any curriculum you want to list. You can also mention any accolades or honours you received as part of your studies.
Skills – NOT OPTIONAL
List areas in which you are proficient, but may not necessarily have a specific certification in.
This is common with computer skills and programming. You may not have taken a course on Photoshop, but if you’ve been a graphic designer for a few years, then you probably have enough skills to teach one yourself!
Licenses & Certificates – OPTIONAL
This just depends on your chosen industry.
For instance, if you’re a truck driver, you’ll definitely want to list the types of licenses you hold so that your potential employer can see that you’re up to date (and what exactly you’re capable of).
But if you had an AZ license, you might not need to include that when you’re applying for a job as a financial analyst. Relevancy is key.
Awards – OPTIONAL
Do you have work-related awards that you’re proud of?
The keyword is “work-related”. Your recruiter at the local coffee shop might not care so much about your bodybuilding trophy from 8 years ago. But if your homebrew won a ribbon at a province-wide taste test, now that would be a different story…
Special Projects – OPTIONAL
Again, it’s all about being relevant.
But if you have related experience in a large personal project or side project of some kind, then you may want to show it off. It can be a great way to showcase how you developed your skills, and your passion for your work.
You can actually list these in your work history, as well. Treat them like a temporary job, and explain what skills it helped you develop.
Volunteer Work – OPTIONAL
If you have an extensive history of volunteering to do something related to your field, be sure to mention it on your resume!
This is also a great way to build up your resume if you haven’t been working long. If you’re struggling to find your first real job, try including your volunteer work to fill out the page.
Clubs & Activity Groups – OPTIONAL
You don’t have to be a freemason to open doors using your club connections.
If you were in a club, or did some regular group activity, outside of work and school — and provided it’s RELEVANT — then you can definitely include it on your resume!
DON’T INCLUDE THESE – NOT OPTIONAL
As you consider which parts we’ve covered that you DO want to include, allow us to tell you which things you DO NOT!
- Pictures of you (It is likely to create bias, and it is too uncommon)
- Your objective (We already know you want a job. Use a headline instead)
- References (Never provide them up front. Your recruiter will ask when necessary)
- White text (Don’t just copy and paste the job description in white text to try to trick the resume bots. They can tell. Instead, reword your experience to use the job description keywords)