What to Put on a Resume: Essential Sections and Tips

Knowing what to put on a resume can make the difference between a document that feels clear and professional and one that leaves recruiters searching for important information.

Your resume should present the most relevant details about your experience, skills, education and achievements in a format that is easy to scan. It should also be tailored to the role you want, rather than trying to include every detail from your professional or academic life.

This guide explains the essential resume sections, what to include in each one, and which details are usually better left out. If you are wondering what to include on a resume or what should a resume include, use this guide as a practical checklist.

Your contact information should appear clearly at the top of your resume. Recruiters need to know how to reach you without searching through the page.

• Your full name
• A professional phone number
• A professional email address
• Your city and country
• A link to your LinkedIn profile, if it is complete and relevant
• A portfolio or personal website, if applicable

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Sarah Ahmed — Marketing Specialist — Cairo, Egypt — sarah.ahmed@email.com | +20 100 000 0000 — linkedin.com/in/sarahahmed

You generally do not need to include your full home address, national identification number, marital status or date of birth unless a specific application requires it.

A short introduction near the top of your resume helps the recruiter understand your professional profile quickly.

Resume Summary

A resume summary is usually suitable for candidates who have relevant experience. It should briefly explain:

• Your professional background
• Your strongest skills
• Your area of specialisation
• The value you can bring to an employer

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Digital marketing specialist with four years of experience in content strategy, paid advertising and social media management. Skilled in improving campaign performance, developing audience-focused content and using analytics to support marketing decisions.

Resume Objective

A resume objective may be useful for students, recent graduates, career changers and candidates applying for entry-level roles. It focuses more on the type of opportunity the candidate is seeking and the contribution they hope to make.

For many employers, work experience is one of the most important resume sections. List your roles in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent or current position. Use a consistent structure and a readable resume format so recruiters can scan your experience quickly.

• Job title
• Company name
• Location, if relevant
• Employment dates
• Three to five concise bullet points describing your contributions

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Social Media Marketing Specialist — ABC Digital Agency, Cairo — January 2023 – Present: developed monthly content strategies for six client accounts, improved average engagement through audience-focused campaigns, collaborated with designers and copywriters, and prepared monthly performance reports.

The education section is especially important for students, recent graduates and candidates applying for roles that require specific qualifications. Include your degree or qualification, institution name, location if relevant, and graduation date or expected graduation date.

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Bachelor of Commerce — Cairo University — Expected Graduation: June 2027

You may also include relevant coursework, academic achievements, scholarships, final-year projects and academic societies. Experienced professionals usually do not need detailed school-level information if they already have a strong work history.

The skills section should highlight abilities that are relevant to the job description. Avoid creating a long list of unrelated skills. Instead, select skills that demonstrate your suitability for the specific role.

Certifications can strengthen your resume when they are relevant to the position. Include the certification name, issuing organisation, date earned, expiration date if applicable, and a credential ID or verification link when useful.

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Google Analytics Certification — Google — Earned March 2026

Do not include every online course you have ever completed. Prioritise qualifications that support your target role or demonstrate an important professional skill.

Projects are particularly valuable for students, recent graduates, freelancers, career changers and candidates with limited formal work experience. A project can demonstrate practical ability even outside a traditional job. Include the project name, your role, tools used, what you achieved and a link if available.

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Personal Portfolio Website: designed and developed a responsive site using HTML, CSS and JavaScript, created project pages to demonstrate front-end skills, and improved mobile usability through responsive layout adjustments.

Add a languages section if language ability is relevant to the role, industry or location. Use clear levels: Native, Fluent, Professional working proficiency, Intermediate, Basic.

• Arabic — Native
• English — Professional working proficiency
• French — Intermediate

Volunteer work can demonstrate transferable skills, initiative and community involvement. It is especially useful when you have limited experience, are changing careers, want to explain an employment gap, or developed relevant skills through unpaid work.

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Volunteer Event Coordinator — Local Community Initiative — 2025: coordinated volunteers for a fundraising event, managed schedules, communications and logistics, and helped organise activities attended by more than 100 participants.

Awards and achievements help your resume stand out when they are relevant and specific: academic awards, employee recognition, sales achievements, competition results, leadership awards and performance milestones.

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Employee of the Quarter — recognised for exceeding quarterly customer satisfaction targets by 15%.

Not every candidate has years of experience, but that does not mean the resume must be empty. Students and graduates can include education, relevant coursework, academic projects, internships, part-time work, volunteering, skills and certifications.

Career changers should focus on transferable skills. For example, a customer service professional moving into project coordination might highlight scheduling, client communication, problem-solving, process improvement, reporting and team coordination. Don't hide your previous career — explain how it supports your new direction.

• Unrelated personal information
• Salary expectations
• Reasons for leaving previous jobs
• References and their contact details
• Excessive design elements and long paragraphs
• Unprofessional email addresses and spelling mistakes
• Exaggerated or inaccurate claims
• Every job you have ever held, regardless of relevance

You should also avoid adding a photograph unless it is expected or customary for the market and role you are applying for.

Many employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to organise and filter applications. To make your resume easier for both systems and recruiters to read:

• Use standard section headings such as “Work Experience”, “Education” and “Skills”.
• Include relevant keywords from the job description naturally.
• Use a clean and readable layout.
• Avoid placing important information inside images or graphics.
• Use consistent dates and job titles.
• Check spelling, grammar and consistency.

• Clear contact information
• A relevant summary or objective
• Recent and relevant work experience
• Education and qualifications
• Job-related skills
• Relevant certifications, projects and languages when useful
• Measurable achievements where possible
• Consistent formatting and correct spelling
• Keywords relevant to the target job
• No unnecessary personal information

Knowing what to put on a resume is the first step. Presenting it in a clear, professional format is just as important. With the free ResumeAce Resume Editor you can choose a professional template, edit your content and download your resume for free, then scan it before applying. The goal is not to include everything — it is to include the right information, organised so employers quickly understand what you offer.