When to choose the chronological resume format: This format might be ideal if you’ve had a steady career trajectory within a specific industry, such as ten years in marketing, where you’ve progressed from a marketing executive to a marketing manager.
Recruiters are accustomed to and prefer this format, so this is the best choice if you have a standard, traditional career path.
Resume example:
Rather than focusing on your professional experience, this format highlights your skill set . It begins with a comprehensive skills section positioned upfront, preceding the details of your work experience.
Since the central focus is on your skills, each skill is typically introduced as a heading, supported by bullet points showcasing its relevance and demonstrating your proficiency in that area.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Showcases your most relevant skills and unique talents | Hiring managers might find it challenging to understand the skill relevance |
Highlights transferable skills to the new industry in case of an industry change | May raise questions about employment gaps or career path |
Allows candidates to emphasize their strengths and accomplishments | May be less compatible with ATS software |
When to choose a functional resume format : This format is ideal if you have gaps in your employment history or are transitioning to a new career .
It allows you to effectively highlight your relevant skills and abilities, making it a strategic choice for those navigating career changes or periods of employment gaps.
Functional resume example:
Are you a seasoned professional with solid skills and career progression to showcase?
Opting for a combination or hybrid resume might be your best approach.
This format begins with a substantial skills section highlighting your key competencies upfront, followed by a comprehensive work experience section detailing your career trajectory and achievements.
This resume format is particularly favored by professionals with extensive experience and a diverse skill set, as it allows them to present their skills and work history cohesively.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Combines the best of chronological and functional resume formats | Can be challenging to create and structure effectively |
Suitable for a wide range of job types and industries | Can be lengthy if not carefully edited and potentially overwhelming to hiring managers |
Allows for detailed presentation of skills with a clear employment timeline | Faces issues with ATS software if not formatted correctly |
When to choose a hybrid resume format: This format is ideal for seasoned professionals with over seven years of experience. It is tailored to highlight a combination of skills and relevant experience.
It’s particularly beneficial for professionals starting a new job in a different industry where their existing skills and expertise are valuable.
Hybrid resume example:
Choosing the proper resume format based on your career level, industry, and experience is half the battle won. Let’s break down the key factors to help you make this decision.
There are two factors you must take into account: your career level and the type of industry.
Applicants at different career levels must choose different resume formats.
Reason: A chronological format highlights your education, internship experiences, and part-time work in a structured timeline. A functional format emphasizes your skills since you have limited professional work experience.
Reason: A chronological resume showcases steady career progression and relevant job experiences, while a combination format allows you to highlight work habits and skills and provide a detailed work history for career advancement.
Reason: A chronological resume demonstrates extensive experience in a clear timeline, while a combination format accommodates significant accomplishments and a robust work history. These factors make them ideal for showcasing the expertise of seasoned professionals.
The type of industry you presently work in or aim to work in also determines your resume format choice. Let’s look at ideal resume formats for different industries:
Reason: A chronological format resume emphasizes steady, consistent career progression, showcasing stability and growth, which is highly valued in these industries.
Reason: The chronological format is ideal for professionals with stable career growth and solid industry experience who wish to showcase their skills in a structured timeline.
On the other hand, the combination format is great for listing technical skills and significant projects while providing a clear and detailed career history.
Reason: Demonstrates a clear progression of roles and responsibilities, crucial in the healthcare industry where experience and tenure are critical.
Reason : A functional format emphasizes skills and abilities essential to the creative industry, particularly for freelancers or individuals working on multiple projects. A combination format allows you to highlight creative skills while maintaining an easy-to-read structure.
Certain elements must be present regardless of your resume format to ensure its effectiveness. Here’s a checklist you can rely on:
💡 Pro tip: Leverage a career map template to identify the skills required for future roles. Compare these with your current skills to spot gaps and plan your development.
Feeling overwhelmed about where to begin or how to format your resume?
Here are five resume templates to inspire and help you build your resume quickly.
Designed with technical professionals in mind, this resume template perfectly presents your skills and experience.
It allows you to seamlessly input personal information, education qualifications, and work experience. A standout feature is its unique presentation of skills, designed to capture the recruiter’s attention immediately.
These technical resume template examples show a high level of professionalism and organization. They feature a personal objective statement, a dedicated section for educational qualifications, and professional fonts for a polished look.
This combination resume template divides the resume into two vertical sections, enhancing readability and visual appeal for potential hiring managers and employers. It provides a balanced approach, allowing you to highlight your skills and work history concisely and comprehensively.
A well-planned color scheme visually separates these sections and adds to the aesthetic appeal.
Plus, the chosen font style and size ensure clarity and professionalism throughout the document, making it particularly suitable for technical fields where detail and precision are crucial.
This modern resume template features a minimalist style. It’s perfect for professionals looking to showcase their individuality, creativity, and succinctness.
It follows a chronological format, prioritizing work experience initially and briefly listing skills towards the end.
Key section titles stand out in blue, enhancing visual appeal and navigation ease. This blend of minimalism and practical functionality makes the template an excellent choice for job seekers who want to present their relevant qualifications effectively.
The template is designed for those who want to inject creative design into their resume. It lets you briefly define yourself in a single line beneath your name, emphasizing your unique qualifications and suitability for the job.
One standout feature is the donut chart, which visually depicts how you manage and allocate your time through a diagram.
This resume format template also includes dedicated columns for languages, passions, and achievements and a focused section for relevant technical skills crucial to the role.
With the basic resume layout divided into two clear sections, this template ensures you can provide comprehensive information about yourself without overwhelming the page.
💡Pro tip: Customize project management resume templates (like the one above) to focus on your achievements rather than just listing responsibilities. Quantify your impact where possible, such as increases in product adoption rates, revenue growth, or successful product launches.
You might need to extend your resume to two pages if you’re a freelancer or a seasoned professional with over ten years of experience.
This visually striking resume template features a background color theme that immediately draws attention. It begins with a focused skills section followed by your job experience, following the functional resume format.
The resume is structured in clear sections. It utilizes a three-color scheme to distinguish and organize different aspects of your background. This approach enhances visual appeal and ensures clarity and emphasis on crucial details.
Drafting just one resume won’t cut it. What opens doors is tailoring your resume to fit specific job descriptions and roles.
And for that level of customization, you need more than just a basic resume template.
That’s where ClickUp steps up.
ClickUp is a powerful productivity platform that can be leveraged to create and manage the entire resume-building process.
Below are the key benefits of using ClickUp to craft the perfect resume:
ClickUp Docs with ClickUp Brain can be used to write and refine your resume.
ClickUp Brain, the platform’s AI feature, provides intelligent suggestions and prompts to help you craft compelling resume content highlighting your skills and experiences. This allows you to create a living document that is easy to edit and update as your background changes.
ClickUp’s AI-driven insights can analyze your resume and provide personalized recommendations to optimize it for specific job postings.
This helps ensure your resume is tailored to the requirements of each role, increasing your chances of getting noticed by recruiters.
ClickUp’s robust project management capabilities allow you to stay on top of your job search.
The Docs Hub allows you to store resume versions and manage all your job-related documents and assets in one centralized location.
ClickUp makes it easy to collaborate with others on your resume.
Within the platform, you can invite colleagues, mentors, or certified professional resume writers to review and provide feedback on your resume drafts.
ClickUp offers many pre-built templates that streamline your professional life, including job search management. These templates help you start quickly and provide a structured framework to organize your work.
The ClickUp Job Search Template enables you to track job openings, application status, company ratings, and more, all within the ClickUp platform.
With this template, you can:
💡Pro tip: Use skills management software to create a comprehensive inventory of your skills, including technical, soft, and industry-specific competencies.
Looking to take your resume to the next level? These tips to improve your resume format will help you differentiate yourself from the competition and highlight your skills and unique value add.
Crafting a well-structured resume in a suitable format is essential for standing out in a competitive job market and advancing to the next stage of the hiring process.
Ensure your resume format and structure are tailored to match the job role, your career level, and your target industry. Try out the resume format examples listed above and see what works for you.
Use ClickUp Docs and ClickUp Brain to help you draft an impactful resume tailored to different job titles and roles, incorporating the necessary keywords and ideal format type.
Sign up for ClickUp and take the first step towards securing your dream job with a polished and effective resume.
Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.
Thanks for subscribing to our blog!
Please enter a valid email
10 interpersonal skills to put on your resume in 2024.
Interpersonal skills are a non-negotiable for your resume, regardless of the job or its level of ... [+] people exposure
When it comes to deciding what to include and what to omit from your resume, skills are a non-negotiable.
Especially if you are applying for a promotion, making a career pivot, or transitioning into a different industry, skills are what make your resume count and hold weight in the eyes of employers, even more than merely listing out your education and experience.
"Over 40% of companies on LinkedIn globally explicitly rely on skills to search and identify job candidates on LinkedIn (up 20% year-over-year)," says Rohan Rajiv, LinkedIn's product lead on jobseeker, employer brand, and skills for LinkedIn Talent Solutions, speaking of the skills research tools that recruiters on LinkedIn use.
According to Rajiv, "showcasing your skills can give you a leg up in your job search." And this applies, even if you're entering the workforce for the first time, or re-entering after a lengthy hiatus.
You can have all the experience in the world and yet lose out on valuable career opportunities simply because you took the skills you gained through those experiences for granted, failed to mention them, and therefore no one knew that you possessed them at all.
Google confirms play store update, app deletion starts in just 5 weeks, elon musk suddenly breaks his silence on bitcoin after issuing a shock u.s. dollar ‘destruction’ warning that could trigger a crypto price boom, what skills do you need to include on your resume.
So what skills exactly should you be including on your resume (and LinkedIn profile)?
First, let's answer a preliminary question: What are the different types of skills that one should put on their resume?
Skills can be broadly divided into two core categories: soft skills, also more recently coined as power skills; and hard skills, also known as technical skills.
We can separate these two groups further, by classifying skills according to groups such as job-specific skills and competencies, interpersonal skills, high-income skills, and transferable skills. (Some of these entities will overlap.) Today, let's dig into interpersonal skills and why they are necessary in your resume.
Interpersonal skills, a subset of soft skills, is a set of strengths that are essential if you are to work and collaborate well with people. The thing about interpersonal skills is that, regardless of what job you're after, no matter how technical, they matter. This is because there is a 99% chance that you will be engaging with people at some point in your job—even if it an autonomous back-office role.
Whether engaging with your co-workers, building partnerships, closing a sale, voicing your suggestions in a meeting, or liaising with a stakeholder via email, interpersonal skills are the skeleton of authentic, trusting, and lasting work relationships. They enable all the gears of communication at work to run smoothly, reducing delays and misunderstandings.
Smart hiring managers know that assessing one's interpersonal skills through analyzing a candidate's resume, LinkedIn profile, interview answers, and overall presence and engagement throughout the entire recruitment process, can provide solid indications of whether a candidate would make a good culture fit for the company.
This is even more the case when applying for a remote job, as you are forced to use your interpersonal skills even more—online—and if you haven't developed them, it will show.
Here are a few of the most essential interpersonal skills you need to include and list examples of, throughout your resume, LinkedIn profile, and job application. This data has been compiled from a range of sources, including recent reports, surveys, and data from LinkedIn's research team, the World Economic Forum, and Coursera.
And of course, remember to only include these interpersonal skills throughout your resume if you feel that they truly reflect you, and are relevant (which in most cases, they are):
Smart hiring managers know that how a candidate displays their interpersonal skills throughout the ... [+] recruitment process, is a strong indicator of how they will fit in with the company culture and ethics
Don't forget, when listing these interpersonal skills in your resume, or when answering a culture-focused interview question, provide some context to demonstrate how you applied them in prior roles. This real-world experience that showcases these skills as being your strengths is one of your greatest assets when applying for a role—and especially on LinkedIn.
One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.
In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's Terms of Service. We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.
Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:
So, how can you be a power user?
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's Terms of Service.
How to Write a Resume
Ultimate resume writing guide
How to Write a Cover Letter
Step-by-step cover letter writing tips
Home » Career Advice » Job Search » How to Pass a Pre-Employment Personality Test
Imagine this: you’ve just landed an interview for your dream job, but there’s one more hurdle to clear—a pre-employment personality test. These tests are becoming more common in the hiring process. In fact, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management , around 22% of employers use personality tests as part of their hiring strategy.
So, why do employers use these tests? They want to ensure that candidates not only have the right skills but also fit well with the company culture and work environment. Personality tests help employers assess traits like teamwork, leadership potential, and how you handle stress.
In this blog post, we’ll explain what pre-employment personality tests are, why employers use them, and the common traits they assess. We’ll also give you tips on how to prepare for and succeed in these tests.
Personality tests are tools that measure various aspects of your personality. They come in different forms, such as multiple-choice questions or situational judgment tests. Some of the most popular types include:
Understanding these aspects of pre-employment personality tests can help you see why they matter to employers and how you can approach them with confidence.
Before taking a pre-employment personality test, it’s essential to research the company and the specific role you’re applying for. Start by understanding the company culture. Visit their website, read their mission statement, and check out their social media profiles. Look for clues about their values, work environment, and what they prioritize in employees. Are they a highly collaborative team, or do they emphasize individual initiative?
Next, identify the key traits that are important for the job. Carefully read the job description and note any specific qualities mentioned, such as attention to detail, teamwork, or leadership. Knowing what the company values in a candidate can help you understand which traits might be assessed in the personality test.
Take some time to reflect on your traits and behaviors . Think about your strengths and areas for improvement. Consider how your personality aligns with the traits that the company is looking for. This self-awareness can help you answer test questions more confidently.
To get a better sense of your personality, use free online personality tests for practice. CareerReload offers a free personality test that can give you insights into your personality traits. Practicing with these tests can also help you get comfortable with the format and types of questions you might encounter.
Familiarizing yourself with the format and types of questions on personality tests can give you a significant advantage. Many personality tests use similar question styles, such as multiple-choice or situational judgment scenarios. Look for sample questions online and practice answering them. This practice can help you understand what to expect and reduce any anxiety you might have about the unknown.
When taking a personality test, it’s crucial to be honest. Authenticity is important because employers use these tests to get a genuine sense of your personality. Trying to game the test by giving answers you think the employer wants to hear can backfire. Not only can inconsistencies be flagged, but you might also end up in a job that’s not a good fit for you. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers—just be yourself.
It’s normal to feel some anxiety before taking a test, but there are techniques you can use to stay calm and focused. Practice deep breathing exercises or mindfulness techniques to help reduce stress. Make sure you’re in a quiet environment free from distractions. Take your time and don’t rush through the questions. Maintaining your concentration will help you provide thoughtful and accurate responses.
Take the time to read each question carefully to understand what is being asked. Avoid overthinking or second-guessing yourself. Often, your first instinct is the most accurate reflection of your personality. If you try to read too much into the questions, you might end up giving answers that don’t truly reflect who you are.
Consistency in your answers is crucial. Personality tests often have built-in mechanisms to check for consistency, so make sure your answers align throughout the test. For example, if you rate yourself highly on a question about enjoying teamwork, ensure that your responses to related questions also reflect this trait. Being aware of this can help you stay consistent and avoid any red flags that might arise from contradictory answers.
After completing the test, take some time to reflect on your experience. Consider what went well and what you could improve next time. Did you feel prepared? Were there any questions that caught you off guard? Reflecting on these aspects can help you perform better in future tests and interviews.
Following up with the employer after the test shows professionalism and genuine interest in the position. Sending a thank you note or email expressing your appreciation for the opportunity can leave a positive impression. Mention something specific you learned about the company or the role during the process to show your engagement.
Personality test results might influence the questions you get during the interview. For example, if the test highlighted that you are highly detail-oriented, the interviewer might ask you to provide examples of how you’ve demonstrated this trait in your previous roles. Be ready to discuss any strengths or weaknesses identified by the test. This preparation can help you address potential concerns and highlight your suitability for the job .
Personality tests are just one part of the hiring process. They help employers get to know you better, but they don’t define your entire worth as a candidate. View these tests as an opportunity for self-discovery and a step toward finding the right job for you. Practice and preparation will boost your confidence and help you showcase your true self.
Sara has been in the career development field for over 10 years and has a wealth of knowledge to share. She covers topics such as resume writing, job search strategies, interview techniques, career planning, and more. You can connect with her on LinkedIn . She has curated our free downloadable resume templates for Word and resume templates for Google Docs .
Create a job-winning resume in 15 minutes with the help of a resume builder. Get a walkthrough of each section and fill out your resume within minutes.
You might also like these free templates.
ATS Resume Template for Word – Jennifer
Download Free Word Resume Template – Riley
2 Column ATS Resume Template
ATS Friendly Resume Template – Free Download for Word
Free Resume Layout for Microsoft Word
Goal Planner
Cover Letter Template with Monogram
Professional Cover Letter Template
Free Modern Resume Template for Word
Free Job Application Tracker for Excel
Resume Checklist
Free Resume Template Download for Word – Farrah
Username or email address *
Password *
Remember me Log in
Lost your password?
Last Published 7/25/24
Division of Student Affairs
Career Center Career Center
Creating a dynamic resume and cover letter can set you on the right path in acquiring your dream job. Learn how to create documents that will make you stand out to potential employers.
Resume Webinar
Learn Tips and Strategies on developing a successful resume by watching this video!
Cover Letter Webinar
Gather information and tips on creating a cover letter by watching this video!
What is a resume
What is a Resume?
Your resume is a concise summary of your qualifications that relate to the position for which you are applying. It serves as an advertisement of what you have to offer and creates a prospective employer’s first impression of you. Employers screen resumes in between 2.5 and 10 seconds, so your resume should quickly capture the reader’s interest. A resume distills to one page all of your education, training, leadership, and work experience in relationship to your potential value to an employer or an opportunity.
Brainstorm a list of experiences and skills that you might want to include in a resume. Consider your academic background, paid and volunteer work or internships, research projects, awards, and special skills. Once you have compiled your list, you can start organizing this information to the position or industry that you are targeting.
After you have completed your personal inventory and have developed your career goals, you will then want to research these career areas and those employers that are active in them. For each potential position you need to know the qualifications, duties, and skills required for the job, and any special talents or personal characteristics sought by the employer.
Your name, address, telephone number, and email address are centered at the top of the page or placed to one side. Do not use headings such as "name," "telephone," "resume." This information is self-evident and the headings are unnecessary.
If you state a career objective, it should be brief, concise and address the current job only, not future career plans. This category should be used only when your job objective is clear or definite.
Your educational history should be placed near or at the top of the page if it is your most important qualification. Under this heading include the names of schools, degrees, major, minor or concentration and dates received or expected graduation.
These areas can be titled "Work Experience," or "Professional Experience,” “Volunteer Experience,” Internship Experience" or "Related Experience.” In describing your work experience, use action words which will show your strengths and skills.
This category can include club and professional memberships, awards, honors, volunteer experience, and community service.
Skills included should be hard skills, technical experience, or knowledge of another language. Academic or work accomplishments can be included.
There is no single prescribed resume format but the two basic styles of resumes are chronological and functional. Some resumes use features of both and are called combination resumes.
Common Mistakes in a Resume
View Resume Samples and utilize Action Verbs to enhance your resume.
Hiration Coming Fall 2024!
Hiration: Your New Virtual Resume Assistant
Resumes are a vital part of you landing your dream job. To get that standout resume, you now have access to a powerful and easy-to-use automated online resume review platform from Hiration, your Virtual Resume Assistant.
Get instant feedback from Hiration right after submitting your resume. Analyze your resume anytime, anywhere, 24/7. So no need to wait for someone to have your resume reviewed.
Visit our Hiration Page to learn more!
Titan Resume Builder
The objective of the Titan Resume Builder is to help students produce higher quality resumes on a 24/7 basis on- or off-campus through the portal.
It is easy to use, with examples specified to majors and fields of study. The Titan Resume Builder allows you to build, manage, and control multiple resumes.
Access Titan Resume Builder Note: You will be prompted to login with your portal username and password if you are not already logged in.
If you need assistance with any aspect of this service, please contact the Career Center at [email protected] .
An effective cover letter is just as important as an effective resume. The cover letter accompanies the resume - it is the piece of paper that the prospective employer sees first. You should write a cover letter even if the employer/recruiter does not require one.
The cover letter is an opportunity to:
Pain Free Cover Letter pdf file PDF file type - A Step-by-Step Guide
Utilize grammarly@edu, a free CSUF student resource, to help with your grammar and writing style for your cover letter.
Writing a Cover Letter
If you have been referred by someone known to the company, (an employee, alumnus, a professor, etc.) use that person's name in your opening paragraph, and indicate why the contact referred you to that particular company or position opening. If you do not have a personal referral, the introduction should include why you are writing, much like an objective or profile summary on a resume.
This section of the cover letter is where you build an argument for why you should be hired by highlighting your key strengths and skills. Do not repeat the content of your resume, but point to the skills and experience in your resume that relate to the position. You can provide examples and details that support your qualifications. If you are able to make a compelling case for your candidacy in this section, the employer will look at your resume for confirmation of your claims.
The last section "closes" the letter by recapping what you have to offer and how you are a fit for the position. It suggest that the reader look at your resume, give it positive consideration, and schedule you for an interview. Also, state what your own next action will be.
Follow-Up & Thank You letters
mobile menu Menu
Lock Icon - login required Portal
Campus Wide Resources
on this page Page Topics
Search Icon Search
switch to light mode Dark Mode
Protect your data
This site uses cookies and related technologies for site operation, and analytics as described in our Privacy Policy . You may choose to consent to our use of these technologies, reject non-essential technologies, or further manage your preferences.
13 min read · Updated on January 17, 2024
Make an impact with a knock-out profile
When it comes to job search success, nothing is more important than ensuring that your resume captures an employer's attention. After all, even the best resumes are useless if no one reads them. Of course, that raises an important question: is there anything you can do to make your resume get the attention it deserves?
In this post, we'll explain how a great resume profile can help you to solve that challenge. We'll explain how a resume profile works, when you should use it in your resume, and how to create a profile that immediately commands interest. Finally, we'll provide several resume profile examples that you can customize and use in your own resume.
If you're already familiar with the resume objective statement or resume summary, then the concept of a resume profile should be easy to understand. Put simply, the resume profile is an introductory paragraph that quickly summarizes your skills and experiences in a way that motivates hiring managers to continue reading your resume.
As you'll discover in our resume profile examples later in the post, a great profile focuses attention on your best skills, experience, and achievements. You can think of it as an elevator pitch for your resume - a quick snapshot that provides just enough information to make the reader want to learn more about you.
Related: Make the Perfect First Impression With Your Resume
To better understand the resume profile, it may help to look at some of the different types of resume profiles that job seekers can use. There are three different types of common profiles, including the objective statement, summary, and summary of qualifications.
The resume objective statement is often considered obsolete, since it tends to focus more on your career goals than the employer's needs. It's often used by entry level workers with little experience or career-changers who need to explain why their skill set makes them a good candidate for the job. To use it effectively, job candidates need to ensure that they include some language that explains how they can benefit the employer if they're hired. For example:
“Creative social media professional with 3 years of experience and proven results. Skilled in cross-platform engagement enhancement and brand development. Looking for an opportunity to work with a company that prioritizes customer experience and brand loyalty. Experience includes increasing customer engagement by 130% over a six-month period.”
Related : Resume Objective Examples: A Career Objective Guide
The resume summary has replaced the objective statement in most modern resumes - and for good reason. This brief paragraph may also mention one or two key skills, but its primary focus is on detailing your important work experience and measurable achievements. As a result, the summary is a preferred option for job seekers with significant experience, since it's designed to demonstrate your value as an employee. Below, is an example of this type of profile statement:
“Accomplished Project Manager with more than ten years of successful team building and project execution expertise. Skilled in process development, workflow management, and collaboration with stakeholders. Received Agile Leader award in 2018. While at ABC Corporation, developed personnel resource allocation program that increased project efficiency by 48% in the first year of use.”
The third option is the summary of qualifications. The main difference between this type of summary and the summary paragraph involves the format choice. Instead of being one block of text, it combines a brief paragraph with several bullet point examples of notable achievements. For example:
Dynamic Team Leader with 7 years of experience in customer management, problem-solving, and team building. Proven to increase team productivity, enhance the customer service experience, and provide real value to an employer.
Before you create a resume profile, it's important to think about the types of information you want to include for your reader. What types of qualification is the employer evaluating as part of its hiring decision? Does the job description focus primarily on core skills ? Do you have achievements that are likely to make a positive impression on the hiring manager?
There are many different profile elements that you can include, so you'll need to prioritize based on the employers' needs. The fact is that you won't have room in your profile to cover all these different types of information, so choose wisely:
Skills that are relevant to the position you're seeking
Your length of experience
Notable achievements, preferably ones that you can quantify with real numbers
Core personal characteristics that make you a good fit for the role
Your career aspirations - preferably noted in a way that shows how they align with the company's vision
Related : Top 15 Professional Goals and How to Achieve Them
Again, make sure that you focus attention on the job posting, taking note of every key skill and experience that the employer cites as required qualifications. You'll want to tailor your profile - and the rest of your resume - to align with those stated employer needs.
Pro tip: Make special note of those job requirements, since you will want to use the same language in your resume. Those keywords are essential for ensuring that your resume can satisfy any applicant tracking system screening the employer might be using.
You should also do some research to learn more about the company's culture. That will enable you to further tailor your resume profile to include personal traits that highlight how well you'll fit into that environment. Sometimes, those little details can make the difference between you and another similarly qualified candidate.
When you're ready to create your resume profile, it's important to know how to do it the right way. Since it's the first thing employers will see after they're done reading your contact details, you need to make sure that it's as compelling as possible. The following tips can help.
Even though your profile section will be near the top of your resume, you should still create this important section last. Why? Well, it's simple: since the resume profile serves as a summary of your qualifications, it's helpful to get the rest of the resume done before you start on that summary.
Be as concise as you can. Again, think of this profile section as a salesperson's elevator pitch. It doesn't need to tell your entire employment story, but should instead serve as a brief highlight of your greatest hits. As a rule, try to restrict this paragraph to no more than four sentences. If you use a summary of qualifications, include just one or two brief sentences and three or four bullet points.
Which type of profile should you create? If you're an entry-level employee, you may want to focus on a modified objective statement - one that focuses on your career goals, while highlighting the ways in which your skills can benefit the employer. If you have more experience, you may want to rely on the summary paragraph. Just be sure to include at least one measurable achievement to highlight your value.
If you're switching careers and need to focus attention on transferable skills, you may even want to rely on a summary of qualifications. Those bullet points can be a great way to emphasize specific skills and highlight the value that you've provided for previous employers.
Make sure that your profile aligns with the job you're seeking. You can do this by including some core keywords from the job posting, detailing your qualifications. However, make sure that your profile ultimately aligns with who you are as an employee. If you take the tailoring to extremes, you may end up with a profile that fails to accurately represent your personality and character.
Speaking of personality, this is the place to add that personal touch. Your skills, work experience, and education sections are not appropriate for adding personality, but a few well-chosen words in your profile can help the employer to better understand you as a person.
Of course, make sure that your personal flourishes fit with the type of job you're seeking. For example, a few words about your fun work style will be appreciated if you're applying for a customer service or similar position. That same language may not be as useful if you're seeking a role in a law firm. Use your best judgment as you determine how much personality to put into any profile.
We've already mentioned measurable achievements several times, but it's important to highlight them once again. Your resume profile should include at least one quantifiable accomplishment, backed by real numbers that demonstrate the value you've provided. For example:
As you might expect, your approach to creating a resume profile can also differ based on the type of job you're seeking. That's because different job roles require different skill sets, experiences, and personal qualities.
To get you started, we've compiled resume profile examples covering a wide variety of professions. You can use these professional profile examples as templates for your profile, or simply refer to them for guidance as you create your own unique resume opening.
Recent Information Technology graduate focused on operating and security software management. Seeking employment with a dynamic software firm in need of advanced networking and troubleshooting expertise. Experience includes a one-year internship with DynacorpX, providing testing and problem-resolution that helped increase company productivity by 14%.
Friendly, detail-oriented, and organized customer service professional looking to be part of an energetic, mission-focused team.
Personnel-focused Sales Team Leader with 10+ years of experience in team building, training, and sales program development. Looking to transition to a project management role to better use organizational and project implementation skills. While at ABC Corporation, successfully created and executed a sales process reorganization that cut waste by 45%, saving the company more than $40,000 per year.
Related : 21 Project Management Skills Every Project Manager Needs to Succeed
Dynamic and innovative Graphic Designer with 4 years of experience in the gaming and entertainment industry. Skilled in developing storyboards, character animation, typography, and general layouts. Creative successes include development work on more than 200 unique graphic design projects that helped to generate more than $300 million in revenue.
Creative Marketing Manager focused on data-driven solutions. More than 8 years of experience in building collaborative teams capable of overcoming any challenge. While at XYZ Inc., led a 10-person team responsible for broadening target audience by 200%, increasing company revenues by 120% over a three-year period. Expertise includes digital marketing campaigns focused on driving new customer acquisition and target audience engagement.
Detail-oriented finance professional with 7 years of accounting expertise. Proficient in accounting best practices, including creation and management of financial reports, regulatory compliance, tax issues, and budget management and forecasting. Reorganized DEF Corporation's accounting department, reducing inefficiencies by 28%, cutting costs by 19%, and improving productivity by 33%.
Reliable Administrative Assistant with 8 years of experience in office management and personal assistance. Comprehensive expertise in presentation development, scheduling management, reporting, and confidentiality. Reorganized filing and reporting systems at Beagle Law, improving client response times by 40%, reducing redundancies, and cutting labor costs by 12%.
Fact-driven Data Scientist with 8 years of experience in data analysis, predictive modeling, and data mining. Proficient with SQL, Python, Tableau, and other common data visualization systems. While at DataCore, took the lead on development of new processes that increased decision-making efficiency by improving the company's ability to use data to gain useful insights. Project resulted in an 18% increase in overall departmental productivity.
Personnel-focused HR Manager with 7 years of experience managing human resources functions. Expertise in recruitment, onboarding processes, employee training and relations, and performance reviews. Designed AmAm's new HR policies to align with new firm policies, emphasizing progressive discipline and promotion of a positive work environment. Effort resulted in a 33% reduction in turnover and 43% increase in employee satisfaction.
Results-oriented educator with 6 years of experience as a middle school Teacher. Expertise in crafting challenging but engaging lesson plans designed to encourage critical thinking and classroom participation in an inclusive way. Dedicated to professional development to stay abreast of current educational best practices and focused on enhancing each student's ability to achieve success. Specific competencies include English, US History, and Basic Civics.
Task-oriented construction professional with more than 10 years of experience in both commercial and residential project management. Led teams responsible for completing more than 60 construction projects valued at more than $40 million dollars, with a 99% on-time and under-budget record of success. Bilingual (English and Spanish) manager with expertise in budget allocation, resource management, project estimates and implementation.
No matter what type of resume profile you decide to use to introduce yourself to prospective employers, your goal should always be the same: to create a powerful and compelling message that inspires employers to read the rest of your resume. The tips and resume profile examples we've provided should ensure that you have everything you need to craft your own profile narrative.
Still not sure if your resume profile has what it takes to capture your reader's interest? Get a free resume review from our team of top experts today!
47 Accomplishment Examples for Your Resume: Expert Picks
The Best Resume Format to Get Hired
How to Advance Your Career (plus 10 Insightful Tips)
Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?
How to Create a Resume With No Education
Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang
See how your resume stacks up.
Our experts gather the best career & resume tips weekly. Delivered weekly, always free.
Thanks! Career advice is on its way.
Share this article:
Let's stay in touch.
Subscribe today to get job tips and career advice that will come in handy.
Your information is secure. Please read our privacy policy for more information.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Quantifying your accomplishments will help the hiring manager see you as a great fit for their organization. To do this, you can include a summary paragraph for each position along with a bulleted list of the key accomplishments you had in that role. 5. List your mid-level skills over any entry-level ones.
Begin the resume with a personal statement. This is a short description about who you are, your reasons for changing your career, your new goals, how your previous experience can be transferred to ...
To ensure that you write a clear and concise mid-career resume, below, we've included four professional writing tips and a template to help guide you through making a great mid-level resume. 1. Start with your core competencies. At this point in your career, you've likely been working for about a decade and have a lot of experience and ...
To make sure your resume is refined and ready to make a great first impression, take a look at the sample resume below and read through the 10 critical elements that make this a successful sample resume for a mid-level career professional. 1. The job seeker's credentials are highlighted at the top. If you have the right credentials, like Alexa ...
7 Things to Cut From Your Mid-Career Resume . 1. Your First Job: It's possible your first job was the perfect launching pad for your career, still relevant all these years later.But for many of us, knowing the boss's coffee order, booking meeting rooms, and answering phones made up the day-to-day.
How to Write a Resume That Stands Out. It takes hiring managers less than 10 seconds to decide if you're qualified. Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning's online ...
Here are some key details to keep in mind when writing a mid-career resume: Emphasize career-related accomplishments. Include technical and soft skills. Only list career experience related to the position you are applying for. In most scenarios, education comes second to professional experience.
A chronological resume format is a good choice for mid-career professionals since it helps hiring managers clearly see your progression from one job to the next. Here are the components to include on a mid-level resume: Contact information Include the basics: your name, phone number, address, and email address.
Demonstrate your career progression. Ideally your resume should be listed in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current position. Dedicate more space and details to your recent work ...
Related: How To Write Strong Bullet Points for Your Resume 6. Use a two-page resume length ... List education at the end of a mid-career resume Because learned job skills and experience are the most important factors to a hiring manager in mid-career, they are the focus of a mid-career resume. At this professional stage, educational information ...
Only list what's most directly related to your job responsibilities. But if you do decide to list a range of skills, you can put group-related skills into categories such as "technical skills" and "communication skills.". Here's an example below of a mid-level resume that categorizes skills. 7. Stick to a Single Page.
Resume Prime prepared this article to give tips on mid-level resume writing and to boost your chances of expanding your career growth. How to Write an Ideal Mid-Level Resume Format Don't Compress Your Assets into a Single Page. Mid-level resume doesn't need to be lengthy; however, you shouldn't squeeze everything into a single page.
Mid-Career Professional Resume Sample. You know you've reached the midpoint of your professional career when it's been about ten to 25 years since you entered the workforce. An average professional career lasts anywhere from 35 to 40 years, which means at this point you are about halfway. You may be considering making a career move.
Resume for Executive Real-Estate Sales Manager: In this resume, the jobseeker makes his focus clear by using a headline stating the name of his desired position, as well as phrases that contribute to his branding. Note concise keywords box (Core Competencies). Sales Resume Examples. Resume for Senior-Level Sales Manager: In this resume example ...
A hiring manager or recruiter frequently views you based only on your resume. Therefore, your mid-career resume should highlight your experience, talents, and certifications that make you the ideal candidate for the position you're interested in if you've been in your career for a while.
5. Don't Forget Your Education. If you're still in school or just graduated, your education can go at the top of your resume, but for pretty much everyone else, this goes near the bottom. Most people include their school, graduation year (for folks less up to about a decade out of school), major, and degree.
Create Resume. Choose a resume format carefully. In 99% of cases, we recommend the reverse-chronological format. Add the right contact details. Leave your headshot out and make sure to include your job title, a professional email address, and any relevant links.
Update Your Resume: Lean heavily on the summary statement or objective section to express your story and show how your current skills and abilities are transferable. Also, check out tips for what to cut from a mid-career resume, and how to write a powerful career change resume.Be sure, as well, to target your cover letters to the new jobs for which you're applying.
Other major changes you'll notice from your CDC on-Grounds resume when you transition to the mid-career resume include: Education shifts to the bottom. Length often stretches to a second page (aim to fill at least one-third of the second page) City/state moves to the right margin, dates shift into the role (rather than in the margin ...
Why it works: This summary emphasizes the candidate's clinical and patient care experience and highlights their key nursing and interpersonal skills. 9. Financial Analyst resume summary example. "Detail-oriented Financial Analyst with a strong background in financial modeling, data analysis, and forecasting.
Relevance is key. The job description will provide helpful clues and valuable insights to guide your resume writing. Quantified: Resume phrases are intended to kick start your writing process and not be copied and pasted exactly as they are. Customize them to your experience and supplement them with metrics and real-world examples to add extra ...
The most common format for writing resumes is chronological. ... Mid-level applicants: ... A chronological resume showcases steady career progression and relevant job experiences, while a combination format allows you to highlight work habits and skills and provide a detailed work history for career advancement. Senior-level applicants: ...
Think you'll work past 70? Good luck. Why most of us retire earlier. Focus on the narrative: With each job listed in a resume, Foss writes up a quick sentence or two that describes what the ...
Here's how to write a strong resume for any management-level position: Start with a resume summary that highlights your accomplishments. For managers, the best way to start a resume is to use a resume summary.Resume summaries are particularly helpful for management-level job seekers because they're achievement-focused.. By using a resume summary, you can quickly highlight your most ...
Smart hiring managers know that assessing one's interpersonal skills through analyzing a candidate's resume, LinkedIn profile, interview answers, and overall presence and engagement throughout the ...
Sara has been in the career development field for over 10 years and has a wealth of knowledge to share. She covers topics such as resume writing, job search strategies, interview techniques, career planning, and more. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
General Resume Guidelines. Formatting. Font: Use an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, Cambria, or Garamond.; Size: Stay between 10 pt. and 12 pt.Your name can be larger than 12 pt. Margins : 0.5-1" margins all around; Appearance. Must be well-organized, neat, and concise. Proofread to make sure grammar, punctuation, and spelling are flawless.
Related: Resume Objective Examples: A Career Objective Guide. Summary paragraph. The resume summary has replaced the objective statement in most modern resumes - and for good reason. This brief paragraph may also mention one or two key skills, but its primary focus is on detailing your important work experience and measurable achievements ...
The best resume format for a sales role depends on your level of work experience and career goals. We've detailed each format below so that you can decide which one is right for you. Chronological format: This format will benefit entry-level applicants.The layout focuses on skills such as communication, negotiation and relationship-building, allowing you to showcase everything you can do as ...
2024 Elections. 55 Things to Know About JD Vance, Trump's VP Pick Donald Trump's pick for vice president made a 180-degree turn from fierce critic to bulldog surrogate for the former president.