What Should I Look for in Effective Resume Examples?

Studying resume examples can help you find new ways to present your experience, education and skills. These sample resumes may also inspire you to add optional sections that can make your application more compelling.

If you include a section for activities or volunteer work, be sure to use past tense and describe the impact of your actions rather than just listing your duties.

Professional Summary

A strong professional summary helps recruiters and hiring managers get a sense of your background. It should include an overview of your experience and highlights your skills and qualifications. You can click to check resume examples.

Empathy -- The ability to understand the emotions of others is a valuable trait that employers want in their employees. Showcase how you have used this skill to make customers feel comfortable and relaxed. Leadership -- Not every job requires managerial experience, but a company wants to know you can take charge. Demonstrate how you have led teams of employees through a variety of situations and challenges.

Keep the rest of your resume in reverse chronological order (with a few exceptions for things like going back to school between jobs, etc.). Use optional sections to highlight relevant hard and soft skills (like foreign languages you speak or certifications), as well as hobbies and interests.

Experience

Whether you're a new college graduate or a mid-career professional switching careers, it's important to tailor your experience to fit the position you're applying for. Use the work history section to show your skills and abilities, but only include positions relevant to the role you're pursuing. Highlight your most recent roles at the top, and then go back to former positions and include only your most significant accomplishments.

If you're a junior-level employee, skip the professional summary and focus on listing your work experience in reverse chronological order. Be sure to include the title, name of the organization and your start and end dates for each position you've held.

Also be careful about including volunteer work, certifications, and licenses on your resume. These can be helpful if you're looking for a certain type of job but including them could make you appear overqualified.

Education

Unless a job description explicitly states otherwise, you should always include an education section on your resume. However, how you present this section depends on your career field and how well your formal education is woven into your professional experience.

For example, if you took classes in business or language that are relevant to the position for which you are applying, it may be worth including them. But be careful not to stretch the truth; it's easy for an employer to verify your educational qualifications.

For this reason, you should highlight only your most relevant accomplishments. Also, consider using a functional resume format for careers where work experience is more important than your formal education. This is a good option for career changers and people with an all-over-the-place work history.

Skills

Rather than listing general duties from each position, use the Skills section to showcase specific hard and soft skills that make you stand out as a candidate. For example, if you're applying to a customer service job, highlight your ability to resolve conflicts and show a positive attitude.

Employers also prize critical thinking, which involves considering a situation and finding ways to improve it. You can also add in the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, whether that's interacting with colleagues or delivering presentations.

If you have the skills necessary for a role, but they're not listed in the job description, consider adding them in an optional section like Languages, Certifications or Hobbies and Interests. This can give your resume a bit of extra pop.