Resume Definition: What is a Resume & What to Include

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Table of contents

What is a resume for a job?
What is the purpose of a resume?
Other considerations: Resume types and formats
The structure of a resume and what to include

What is a resume for a job?

Everyone knows that a resume is essential for landing that dream job. A professional resume is one of the most important tools in a job-seeker’s toolbelt. But what is a resume? In this article, we’ll give you the 411 on what a resume is and how to make a resume that works for you!

Resume definition:

Resume Definitation

A resume is a document that job seekers use to describe their professional and educational backgrounds to potential employers. It is a business document that an applicant creates to catalog the skills, experience and education they possess that make them qualified for a position. A resume should be brief — two pages maximum.

Read on to learn more about the following key elements of resumes:

What is the purpose of a resume?
The structure of a resume and what to include
Other elements that define a resume

What is the purpose of a resume?

The purpose of a resume is to communicate your qualifications to potential employers. A strong resume outlines your accomplishments, skills and experience in a manner that is persuasive and easy to read.

Here are three main purposes of a resume:

Outlines your most impressive credentials. A resume allows you to highlight the most relevant parts of your background for employers. By adding the right keywords, you can show a hiring manager instantly that you are qualified for the job.
Shows an employer what you’ll bring to the table. Your resume is about more than showcasing your skills and experience. Recruiters hire to solve problems and a great resume will communicate that you have the skills to get the job done.
Grabs a recruiter’s attention. Recruiters sometimes receive hundreds of applications for a single job opening. Learning how to write a strong resume will allow them to see at-a-glance that you are the right person for the role and will set you apart from the competition.

Other considerations: Resume types and formats

While having the right content in your resume is key, there are two other factors to consider when learning how to make a resume.

Choosing a resume format

How to format a resume is a topic that often confuses job seekers but it’s actually quite simple. There are three main resume formats: chronological, functional and combination. The one you choose will largely depend on your level of work experience. Each version fits the classic resume definition, while emphasizing different sections through organization choices. Here’s how to decide which resume format is right for you:

Chronological Resume

Resume Experienced Example Director of Security

Create Your Resume

Use a chronological resume format if:

You have several years of relevant work experience.
You can show steady job advancement.
You intend to emphasize experience.
Your skills match the job description closely.

Functional Resume

Create Your Resume

Use a functional resume format if:

You have large gaps in your employment due to layoffs or other issues.
You are changing careers and need to rely on transferable skills.
You have very little or no work experience.
You are reentering the workforce after an extended period.
You are a new entry into the workforce.
You need to highlight your skills rather than employment history.

Combination Resume

Create Your Resume

Use a combination resume format if:

You have one to five years of relevant work experience.
You have sought-after skills you want to emphasize.
You have a steady work history with no major gaps.
You want to use a format that gives equal weight to skills and experience.

The structure of a resume and what to include

Create Your Resume

While every resume is different, each one contains the same five basic sections — the header, the professional summary or objective statement, work experience, skills and education. The order in which these resume sections appear will change depending on the resume format you choose, but you’ll need to learn to compose all of the following sections to truly learn how to write a resume.

Here’s what belongs in each section:

Header
- Your full name
- Your email address
- Your location (city and state)
- Your phone number
- Links to your LinkedIn, website or portfolio
Professional summary
- Three to five sentences about your relevant skills and experience
- A mention of a noteworthy accomplishment, using data if possible
- Action verbs that describe your skills and accomplishments
Work experience
- A reverse-chronological list of job titles and employers
- Employment dates for each role
- Location of each role
- Three to five bullet points listing achievements and responsibilities
Skills
- A list of relevant hard and soft skills
- Technical skills and computer skills
- Special training, like CPR
Education
- The name of each school or institution
- The exact title of your degrees or certifications
- Awards or recognized accomplishments during your education

The best way to really grasp the definition of a “resume,” is to take a good look at one. Check out any of our resume examples to help you define “resume” and to view a demonstration of all of the sections that make up a resume in action.

Select a design for the resume

The appearance of a resume can be almost as important as its content. An appropriate resume template ensures that your resume is organized and easy to read. From creative resumes to modern, simple and professional, a resume template is a great way of organizing information and conveying personality or intent. Our resume templates are compatible with both Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

A professionally designed resume template can help increase your chances of getting noticed. Make sure that the template you use fits your intended role.

If choosing a resume template seems daunting, our Resume Builder will format and design your resume for you. With the help of section-by-section text suggestions and an array of eye-catching resume templates in a variety of styles, our Resume Builder can help you complete your resume in just a few minutes.

Resumes are frequently used by job seekers in the United States but a small number of applicants applying in a handful of fields might use a curriculum vitae (CV) instead. To learn more about what a CV is and whether you should be using one, check out our guide explaining the differences between a CV and a resume.If you’re applying for roles in medicine, academia or the sciences, try one of our CV templates to help you get started. And refer to our guide on how to write a CV to learn more about the CV-writing process.

Finally, a resume is often sent along with a cover letter. What is a resume cover letter? It’s another business document which allows a job seeker to highlight and expand upon the most critical elements of their resume. Learning how to write a cover letter can help boost your chances of landing an interview.

Heather is the Content Strategy Manager for Resume Now and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than ten years of experience writing about job search and career topics. She is based in San Francisco.

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