What to put on a resume: the sections you need, the order, and what to leave off.
A resume has a short list of parts every reader expects and a longer list of parts that only help in some situations. Knowing which is which keeps the page to the evidence that wins interviews.
Every resume needs your contact details, a short summary, your work experience with results, your education and a skills section. Add certifications, projects, volunteer work, languages or awards only when they support the job you want. Leave off your photo (in the US), date of birth, full street address, references and anything you could not discuss in an interview.
How to decide what goes on yours
- Start with the five core sections. Contact details, summary, experience, education and skills cover what every reader looks for.
- Read the posting for extras. If it asks for a certification, a language or a portfolio, give that its own line or section.
- Add sections that fill a gap. Projects or volunteer work can stand in for experience; coursework can support a first job.
- Order by strength. Put whatever proves your fit best directly under the summary: experience for most people, education for students.
- Cut anything that does not help. Old jobs unrelated to the role, generic hobbies and personal details rarely earn their space.
- Check the page reads in one pass. A reader should find your title, your best result and your key skills without hunting.
Illustrative examples to adapt
Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.
Core resume skeleton
When to use: The default structure for most job seekers.
[Your name] [City, State] · [email] · [phone] · [LinkedIn URL] SUMMARY [Job title] with [number] years of [type of work], known for [result area you can prove]. EXPERIENCE [Job title], [Employer] | [Month Year] to present - [Action verb] [what you did], which [result you can prove] EDUCATION [Degree], [School] | [Year] SKILLS [Skills from the posting that you have used]
Optional sections block
When to use: Extras that support a specific application.
CERTIFICATIONS [Certification you hold], [Issuing body] | [Year] PROJECTS [Project name] | [what you built and where it can be seen] LANGUAGES [Language]: [level]
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.
Include it or leave it off?
| Item | Include? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Phone, email, city and LinkedIn URL | Yes | How the reader contacts and checks you. |
| Full street address | Usually not | City and state are enough for most US applications. |
| Photo | Not for most US jobs | Many US employers prefer resumes without photos. |
| Date of birth, marital status | No | Not relevant to the job and not expected in the US. |
| References | No | Provide them separately when asked. |
| Certifications the posting asks for | Yes | Often a screening requirement. |
| Hobbies | Only if relevant | Use them when they show a skill the job needs. |
The same line, rewritten
Illustrative example with placeholders.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | Objective: To obtain a position where I can use my skills and grow with a company. |
| Strong | Summary: [Job title] with [number] years of [type of work] for [who you served]; [one result you can prove] at [Employer]. |
Why it matters: The old-style objective talks about what you want. A summary says what you offer, which is the question the reader is trying to answer.
Before you send it
- Contact details, summary, experience, education and skills are all present.
- Optional sections are there only because they support this job.
- The strongest evidence sits directly under the summary.
- No photo, date of birth or full address unless the employer asks.
- References are not listed on the page.
- Every section uses the same date and heading style.
Mistakes to avoid
- Including every section you have ever seen on a template.
- Listing references or 'references available upon request'.
- Adding personal details that invite bias and add nothing.
- Putting education first when your experience is the stronger evidence.
- Leaving out a certification or license the posting requires.
Build yours
Questions people ask
What should be on a resume?
What should not be on a resume?
What order should resume sections go in?
Do I need a summary on my resume?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. Advice is labelled as advice. Every sample uses a fictional person marked '(illustrative)' or a 'Your name' placeholder, and every employer, school, date and result is a bracketed placeholder for your own true details.
- What a specific employer screens for: always read the posting.
- Your results: we never invent numbers, and you should never copy a result you did not achieve.
- Outcomes: no resume, letter, profile or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 4, 2026.