The Key Parts of a Resume: A Guide to Resume Building

ResumeGenCV

6/29/2025

5 min read

The Key Parts of a Resume: A Guide to Resume Building

A resume is more than a job history—it's your personal pitch to employers. Whether you're entering the job market or updating your CV, understanding the core elements of a strong resume is essential. In this guide, we'll break down each section, explain its purpose, and show you how to make your resume stand out.

Contact Information

This is the first thing hiring managers look at—make it professional and easy to scan.

Must include:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Professional email address
• LinkedIn (or portfolio URL)

Avoid:

• Unprofessional email addresses (eg. partypeople92@gmail.com)
• Irrelevant social media links

Summary or Objective

This top-of-page section helps recruiters quickly understand who you are and what you bring to the table.

• Use a summary if you have experience.
• Use an objective if you’re a student or changing careers.

Example: “Results-driven digital marketer with 4+ years of experience increasing B2B SaaS revenue through targeted SEO and content campaigns.”

Work Experience

This is the heart of your resume. Show what you’ve achieved—not just what you did.

• List roles in reverse chronological order
• Highlight accomplishments, not just responsibilities
• Use strong action verbs and quantifiable results

Wrong: Responsible for managing a team.”
✅ Right: “Led a team of 5 to increase customer retention by 18% over 6 months.”

Education

Education becomes more or less important depending on your experience level.

• Early career: Include GPA, coursework, honors, or relevant extracurriculars.
• Experienced professionals: List your degree(s) and move on—focus on work history instead.

Skills

Tailor your skills section to match each job you apply for. Use keywords from the job description to get past applicant tracking systems (ATS).

• Combine hard (e.g., SQL, Photoshop) and soft skills (e.g., communication).
• Use keywords from the job description - Organize into categories if space allows

Optional but Powerful Sections

These aren’t required, but they can add valuable depth and personality to your resume:

• Certifications & Courses: Great for technical or specialized roles.
• Languages: Especially useful in global or multilingual roles.
• Projects: Show off personal or freelance work.
• Volunteer Work: Highlights values and soft skills.

Format & Design Tips

A visually clean, easy-to-read layout can be the difference between a glance and a call-back.

• Keep it to 1 page if possible (2 max for experienced pros).
• Use readable fonts, bullet points, and whitespace.
• Make it ATS-friendly: no text in images, avoid complex tables or columns.

Final Resume Checklist

✅ Clear contact info
✅ Strong summary or objective
✅ Results-driven experience bullets
✅ Relevant education
✅ Tailored skills
✅ Optional extras that add value
✅ Clean and professional design

Conclusion

A strong resume tells your career story with clarity, confidence, and relevance. By structuring it around key sections—and customizing it for each opportunity—you’ll boost your chances of landing interviews and moving your career forward.

👉 Ready to build yours? Try our AI resume builder or explore our professional templates to get started today.