Parts of a Resume (Guide + Examples)

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Table of contents

Example Resume
What Are the Parts of a Resume?
Key Takeaways
Resources to Help With Your Job Search

Building or updating your resume is a necessary process that can open the doors to exciting new opportunities. Let us help you get started by giving you an overview of the parts of a resume so you can easily tackle each part.

Our guide covers:

A sample resume to show you what a complete resume looks like.
A summary of the individual parts of a successful resume.
Tips to keep in mind as you get to work.

Want to get a head start on your resume? Our AI Resume Builder speeds up the writing process by handling the formatting for you, suggesting content based on your role and career level, and providing a vast selection of stylish templates.

Example Resume

Let's start by looking at a successful sample resume. This resume demonstrates how each part comes together to create a professional presentation of the candidate's qualifications. Looking at resume examples like this can help you visualize each resume part's role.

Use this template

Now, let's break down each section to understand why this resume works and how to build a successful one!

What Are the Parts of a Resume?

Learning to build a resume that impresses employers is easier. To get started, you need to understand what goes into each part of a successful resume and its purpose. The perfect resume is built so that each part works together to tell your story and make a strong impression on employers. Let's look at how to accomplish just that by walking through the parts of a resume.

Part #1

Resume header

Every resume should begin with a resume header. This is where you should display your name and contact information so employers know who you are and how to contact you for an interview. This section should feature your full name, city and state, email address, phone number and, optionally, links to your LinkedIn account or any other active professional websites or portfolios you might have.

Example resume header:

Christopher Lee

New York, NY | (123) 456-7890

linkedin.com/in/christopherlee

Part #2

Resume profile

Next, after your resume header is ready, you can work on your resume profile. A resume profile is a short description of your career and skills that can either focus on your work history or your desire to grow and develop in your next role. Experienced professionals should use the former: the professional summary. If you're new to the workforce or your field, focusing on growth and development in a resume objective is a wise choice.

Example professional summary:

Seasoned marketing executive with 15+ years of leadership in global brand management, digital transformation, and multimillion-dollar campaign execution. Proven expertise in driving 40% revenue growth, expanding market share, and mentoring high-performing teams across diverse industries.

Example resume objective:

Creative marketing specialist with 5+ years of experience in digital campaigns and brand strategy. Eager to drive measurable growth and engagement at [Target Company] using data-driven strategies.

Part #3

Skills

Now that you've opened your resume with a header and profile let's get into the real meat of your resume content. Next up is your resume skills section. This is where you get to list the skills that allow you to achieve results in your career.

Before you decide which skills to focus on, make sure you've read the job description closely. Look for keywords that the employer uses to describe the ideal candidate. These are clues as to which skills will make the strongest impression; plus, incorporating skills from the job description will help your resume pass through the applicant tracking systems (ATS) that many employers use.

Example skills section:

SEO/SEM
Email Marketing
PPC Campaigns
Google Analytics
HubSpot
Social Media Strategy
Content Marketing
Brand Strategy
Project Management
HTML/CSS
Leadership
Communication

Pro tip

Your skills section shouldn't just focus on technical skills related to your career. Make sure to showcase a balanced mix of hard and soft skills to make your skills section stand out.

Part #4

Experience

Next is your work history section. Depending on whether you're writing a functional or a chronological resume, your skills or your experience may take center stage. Still, most candidates benefit from focusing on a reverse-chronological list of previous roles and accomplishments. Here's how that might look on your resume:

Example resume experience section:

Marketing Manager

ABC Marketing Agency – New York, NY

June 2018 – March 2024

Developed and executed digital marketing campaigns that increased client ROI by an average of 25%.
Managed a $1.5M annual advertising budget, ensuring cost-efficient allocation and performance tracking.
Spearheaded SEO strategies that boosted organic website traffic by 40% within a year.
Led a cross-functional team of eight to deliver multimillion-dollar campaigns on time and under budget.
Analyzed performance metrics using Google Analytics and Tableau, translating insights into actionable strategies.
Cultivated long-term client relationships, resulting in a 30% increase in repeat business.

Part #5

Education

Now, onto the very last required resume section: education. Your education section should list your highest level of education first, followed by any other relevant education. Once you've completed a bachelor's degree, you no longer need to list your high school diploma, but a PhD graduate can still benefit from listing their previous degrees. It all depends on your education level and each degree's relevance to the role you're seeking.

Example education section on a resume:

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

New York University – Stern School of Business

Graduated: May 2018

Concentration: Marketing & Strategy

Bachelor of Science in Marketing

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Graduated: May 2014

Pro tip

It's up to you to decide what's relevant and what belongs on your resume. A recent graduate may want to include a few bullet points about relevant coursework, whereas a seasoned pro might prefer to leave off their graduation date to avoid inviting ageism. There's no one right way to display your expertise, so think about what impression you want to leave.

Part #6

Optional sections for a resume

You've finished the required sections of a resume. Nice work! But is your resume truly finished? What if you have extensive volunteer experience or recently completed personal projects relevant to your field? Can't those accomplishments play a role in your resume? Of course, they can!

From certifications to awards to languages, your achievements don't have to end with experience or education. Include any optional sections that feel relevant to your role and appropriate for the position. Just be aware of resume real estate. An entry-level resume should stick to one page, and an experienced pro's resume should never go over two pages.

Example optional resume sections:

Certifications

Google Ads Certified (Current)
HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification (2023)
Advanced SEO Certification – Coursera (2021)

Volunteer Experience

Marketing Consultant

Nonprofit Growth Partners – Remote

January 2022 – July 2023

Developed social media strategies that increased engagement by 50% across platforms.
Provided training on email marketing tools to a team of five nonprofit staff members.

Key Takeaways

Master the basics.
A great resume is built out of five basic sections: the header, resume profile, skills section, experience and education. Each one should be thoughtfully written to play to your strengths and display your accomplishments.
Try out optional sections.
Just because there are five basic sections doesn't mean that you're limited to those five. If you have exceptional qualifications that don't fit into another section, include them in a section of their own. Just be sure that they're relevant and that they're a good use of resume space.
Customize.
Your resume should tell your story. Make sure that you choose a strategy that's suitable to your career level, your industry and the specific achievements you're hoping to display.