What to Put on a Resume: The Essential Sections
The 6 essential resume sections, which ones are optional, what to leave off, and the best order to present everything.
A recruiter scans a resume in seconds before deciding whether to actually read it. To get past that first cut, your resume needs the right sections, in the right order, and nothing extra. Here’s what to include, and what you can drop without regret.
The 6 must-have sections
1. The header: name and contact info
First name, last name, phone number, email address, and city. Add your LinkedIn profile if it’s up to date. Right below that, state the job you’re targeting: that’s your resume title, and it’s often the first thing a recruiter looks for.
2. The summary
Two to four sentences that sum up who you are, what you bring, and what you’re looking for. It’s the most-read section after the title: tailor it to every application.
3. Work experience
Most recent to oldest: job title, company, city, dates (month and year), then three to five concrete accomplishments. Internships, part-time roles, temp assignments, and meaningful volunteer work all belong here, especially early in your career.
4. Education
Degree, school, year earned. Once you have more than three years of experience, put education after your experience and keep only your highest degree: no need to mention your high school diploma if you have a bachelor’s degree.
5. Skills
Six to ten specific skills tied to the job: software, methods, certifications, job-specific know-how.
6. Languages
Use a level everyone understands: basic, intermediate, fluent, bilingual, native. If you’ve taken a test (TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC), include the score: it’s proof, not a guess.
Optional sections (but useful)
- Interests: only if they say something about you (competitive sports, community involvement, a personal project). “Reading, movies, travel” adds nothing.
- Certifications and short courses: useful in technical, tech, or finance roles.
- Projects: essential for developers, designers, and students without much experience.
- Driver’s license: include it if the job requires travel.
What to leave off a resume
- The words “Resume” or “Curriculum Vitae” as a title: the document speaks for itself.
- Age, marital status, Social Security number: they’re not asked for and shouldn’t influence hiring.
- Your full mailing address: the city is enough.
- Salary expectations: those get discussed in the interview, or in the cover letter if the posting asks for them.
- Detailed references: “References available upon request” is unnecessary, it goes without saying.
What order should the sections go in?
| Your situation | Recommended order |
|---|---|
| Student or recent graduate | Summary, education, internships and experience, projects, skills, languages |
| More than 3 years of experience | Summary, experience, skills, education, languages |
| Career change | Summary, transferable skills, recent education, experience |
Example of a complete structure
- First and last name, target job title, contact information.
- Summary: three lines about your experience, your strengths, and what you’re looking for.
- Work experience, from most recent to oldest.
- Education, from most recent degree to oldest.
- Technical skills and soft skills.
- Languages, with proficiency level.
- Optional: interests, volunteer work, driver’s license.
This structure works for the vast majority of applications in the United States. For an entry-level candidate, education comes before experience.
Tailor the content to each job posting
The sections stay the same, but their content should change depending on the role. Before every submission, adjust three things: the title, which mirrors the job posting’s title; the summary, which highlights the strengths they’re looking for; and the order of your skills, to put the most relevant ones first. This tailoring takes a few minutes and significantly increases your chances of being read all the way through.
The most common content mistakes
- A title that says “Resume” instead of the target job title.
- Experience described as a list of tasks, with no results.
- Vague skills: “computers,” “communication.”
- Unnecessary personal information: marital status, Social Security number.
- Spelling and grammar errors, especially in company names and degree names.
- Dates that don’t match your LinkedIn profile.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a Summary section?
Yes, it helps the recruiter understand your application in a few seconds. Three or four lines are enough.
Should you include a photo?
It’s not required in the United States, and many employers prefer to avoid it.
Should a resume fit on one page?
Most of the time, yes, especially with less than ten years of experience.
Should you include your age or nationality?
No, it’s not necessary, and employers generally shouldn’t ask.
Should you include interests?
It’s optional. Keep them if they’re specific and say something useful about you.
Should you include a driver’s license?
Yes, if it’s relevant to the job: travel, off-hours shifts, a location with limited transit.
Should you include your availability?
Yes, for a part-time job, a position with non-standard hours, or if you can start immediately: one line in the header or the summary is enough.
In CVZeno, every section moves with one click: you can try out several orders and see the result instantly in the preview, without retyping anything.