A professionally written resume boosts your earning potential by 7%. When you think about the fact that most hiring managers spend less than 10 seconds scanning a resume, you realize the importance of having a professional resume.
There are ways to make your resume professional without hiring a professional resume writer. In this article, we’ll cover what a professional resume outline is and why you should always use it to develop your career documents.
Don’t let your resume be one of the ones that are tossed aside after three seconds. Learn more now:
A professional resume outline is a skeleton or sections of your resume that must be filled with your unique career history. These sections are vital to passing both ATS and hiring manager scans.
Some resumes are shorter and only have five sections, but others have many more. It all depends on your career target, history, and industry.
Why Is It Important?
First of all, nearly 95% of Fortune 500 companies use some form of an ATS. These automatic scans will reject your document if it doesn’t follow the correct format or have the right information. When you have a professional resume outline and include all relevant information, you’re one step closer to getting your resume to a human being.
And secondly, you want your resume to be as professional as possible so it stands up against competitors. That’s why following an outline and including the information we’ll highlight below is a must if you want your resume to be taken seriously.
Which Format Should You Use?
There are three popular formats we recommend for your resume. The first is the most common and it is the reverse-chronological resume. It highlights your experience starting with your current role and working backward for 10-15 years.
However, some high-level managers or those with career gaps may benefit from a hybrid or combination resume. These formats focus more on the skills and accomplishments you have rather than the professional experience.
And finally, there is the functional resume. This format is probably the least common and least liked by hiring managers. It is good to use when you are changing careers and need to highlight transferable skills for the new path. We do not recommend using the functional format except in special circumstances.
What To Include In the Basic Resume Outline:
Now that we’ve explained what the outline is and why it’s important, we’re going to cover what to include in it. The following are the vital elements that every resume must have. We cannot stress enough how important it is to include these sections.
- Contact Information
- Summary
- Skills/Competencies
- Professional Experience
- Education and Credentials
If you have the space and information to include, you can also have additional sections. These may include:
- Publications
- Professional memberships
- Awards and honors
- Board membership
- Volunteer experience
- Patents
- Technical proficiencies
- Speaking engagements
- Articles submitted to peer reviews or books
- Conferences attended or invited to
It’s vital you remember to keep the resume to two pages. Three pages are okay in some instances, but resume best practices says to stick to two as much as possible. If you have room on the document after you have the basics, you can consider including any of the extras.
Resume Outline Examples:
Below, we’ll pull information from one of our example resumes so you can see which section contains what information. Keep reading to learn more:
Contact Information
First Last
City, State Zip | (111) 222-3333 | email@email.com
You want the contact information to be front and center at the very top of the first page. You should include your first and last name, location, phone number, and email. You can also include a link to a portfolio or LinkedIn profile if those are applicable to the jobs you are targeting. A hiring manager can’t contact you without this first section. Additionally, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) could kick your resume out of the system if it doesn’t find contact information.
Summary
Title that Mirrors Job Description
Optimistic and energetic Business Leader with extensive experience managing stores, creating and executing new processes and procedures, building self-sufficient teams, and revamping operational roadmaps with a positive impact on profitability. Champions an environment of equality and inclusion for all staff members by building an atmosphere of acceptance, mutual respect, innovation, and cultural awareness. Consistently achieve business continuity by establishing productive business relationships and resolving critical human capital issues. Bilingual proficiency in English and German.
The above is an example summary to showcase on your resume. It should be between 3-5 sentences that describe your strengths and attributes. The summary is placed at the very top of the resume under your name and the heading of the resume.
The heading is the title of your current job or the role you are applying for.
Skills/Competencies
Core Competencies
Customer Service | Operational Strategies | Sales | New Hire Training | Team Leadership | Conflict Resolution | Documentation & Reporting | Recruiting Strategies | Interviewing Techniques | Performance Reviews | Resource Planning | Program Management | Business & Regulatory Compliance
Your skills list is one of the most important parts of the resume. You want to make sure these align with the keywords in the job description you are applying for. This will help you pass through the ATS and get in front of a recruiter.
You’ll place the skills section directly below the summary. These two sections should only take up about one-third of the first page, but no more than half of the page.
Your Work History Section
Professional Experience
Name of Store
Store Manager | 2007 to Present
- Manage and direct daily operations by analyzing market trends, responding to shifting priorities of consumers, and implementing talent retention initiatives through improved employee engagement and training that fostered a strong team morale and improved productivity.
- Successfully sourced new candidates and scheduled interviews based on successful pre-screen.
- Coach and mentor employees on administrative procedures, company policies, and performance standards by turning inefficiencies into opportunities for improvement that maximized staff retention and fostered a commitment to the company mission.
- Plan and coordinate events and encourage staff participation which inspired emotional investment in the daily operations.
- Administer terminations, employee separations, and corrective/disciplinary actions, as needed.
Noted Accomplishments:
- Took over the busiest store in the district (2019) while leading team to exceed sales/metrics and overseeing daily operations to orchestrate new organizational goals.
- Nominated by a team member and won the 2018 Employee Engagement Award.
The above example is for one job. In this section, you’ll use the same format for jobs held over the past 10-15 years. But remember only to include the most important information – achievements – because the resume should only be two pages.
While all the elements included in this list are important, you must remember the professional experience section is the star of the show. This is where you really let your experience and accomplishments shine so readers want to talk to you. It should stand out above all other sections.
The Education That Got You Here
Education and Credentials
Certified Pharmacy Technician (PTCB) | State Board of Pharmacy
Transition Training for Store Managers (Leadership) | Name of Store
This section is where you’ll highlight your education, certifications, designations, or any other licensure that makes you stand out. You can also list training courses taken. This section is generally on the second page, unless you have a shorter resume, and near the bottom.
Extras (Maybe)
Some people have extras to include after their education. This information can be professional memberships, volunteer work, board memberships, publications, or awards and honors won. This section is not considered vital information and should only be on the resume if there is room for it after all other sections are developed.
Get the Best Resume Outline By Working With a Professional Writer
We hope you now understand what a professional resume outline is and why it’s so important in your job search. When you use this format and craft a resume, you will hit all the key elements that hiring managers are looking for.
Are you still struggling with developing your resume? You can save yourself the time and stress of writing a compelling resume by working with a professional resume writer. At Always Typing, we have years of experience in making resumes ATS-friendly and intriguing to readers.
Contact us today to find out more information. Or you can choose a package and get started on the path to your new resume ASAP!
