What is a Resume for a Job? Definition for 2025

Things to Include in Your Resume

Writing a great resume requires you to know what you should include in your resume. Most resumes should have the following headings.

1. Contact information

First, you need to provide your contact information so the hiring manager can eventually contact you. This may include your phone number, professional social media links such as your LinkedIn page, and email address.

2. Resume summary

Next is your resume summary or resume objective, which is a brief description of your key skills and accomplishments. It should showcase the best of what you have to offer to potential employers. This section usually consists of two to three lines and consists of concise, catchy phrases.

3. Skills

The skills section showcases around 5 to 10 of your most relevant skills. These skills can include hard skills, which are the technical skills you need to do a particular job, and soft skills, which are the interpersonal skills and personal traits you can carry from one job to another. This is where hiring managers get an idea of ​​how you can make an impact on the job.

4. Work experience

The work experience section discusses jobs you’ve held, including a brief job description and important things you did on that job. You will always list work experience in reverse chronological order, so the most recent job is first, followed by progressively fewer jobs. Typically, you wouldn’t include positions from more than 10 years ago unless the job specifically asks for it.

5. Education

Lastly is your education section. This is where you list your highest educational achievements. If you’re fresh out of college, you may also want to list some relevant courses so employers understand what type of work you did in school and demonstrate that you have the right training for your particular job title.