Your work in human resources has already prepared you with an understanding of the caliber of your competition. You know that other jobseekers are intelligent, friendly, and highly motivated. With this understanding, you know the importance of an engaging resume that draws attention to your unique skills and experiences. As you approach job opportunities, you may find that referring to examples of effective resumes can help you boost the impact of your own.
Use our HR generalist resume sample as a guide when writing your own document. You can use it as inspiration to get your own word flow started. You can also use it as a positive comparison, helping you make specific improvements and corrections in your resume. As you near the completion of your document, refer to the resume builder for more guidance.
Professional Summary
Proactive HR Generalist that creates comprehensive programs to improve profitability, while reducing issues with turnover. Excited to contribute innovative recruiting programs, comprehensive employment and employee interaction policies and the creation of compliant and effective affirmative action programs. Believes in addressing a problem before it has the chance to become a crisis.
Core Qualifications
- Certified Human Resources Professional
- Comprehensive Problem Solving
- Project Development & Management
- Data Analysis
- Employee Recruiting & Training
- Turnover Reduction
Experience
HR Generalist, October 2010 – June 2015
Hishall Incorporated – New Cityland, CA
- Worked with executive team to improve recruiting and training procedures
- Assisted with outplacement counseling for employees during two major layoffs
- Developed a series of employee evaluation criteria that are still used
HR Associate, June 1993 – October 2010
Bale Corporation – New Cityland, CA
- Worked closely with human resources management to file all compliance paperwork on time
- Created several portions of the new employee orientation handbook
- Collaborated with executive team to develop the framework for the company’s affirmative action compliance policies
Education
1993 Master’s Degree, Human Resource Management
Ark University – New Cityland, CA
1989 Bachelor of Science, Human Resources
Snow University – New Cityland, CA
Why Is This a Good HR Generalist Resume Sample?
The jobseeker behind this HR generalist resume sample starts strong with a descriptor employers value: “proactive.” This applicant used three brief statements that include working skills and desirable soft skills: “creates comprehensive programs to improve profitability” and “believes in addressing a problem before it has the chance to become a crisis.” This concise summary statement gives potential employers a lot of information.
The job candidate of this resume sample effectively uses the core qualifications section. Sticking to a bulleted list and hitting comfortably under the eight bullets cap, this jobseeker lays out highly desirable skills in a format that hiring personnel can read with ease. The jobseeker chose qualifications pertinent to an HR generalist position and left out any details that may distract potential employers.
The experience section has also been laid out for easy scanning. Each heading has a simple format, clearly displaying pertinent job history information; responsibilities and achievements are listed with bullets. A specific example of this is: “developed a series of employee evaluation criteria that are still used.” This jobseeker does a great job using a variety of active verbs to describe a motivated individual.
The education section of a resume is sometimes underestimated. However, employers often look for specific credentials. The jobseeker of our HR generalist resume sample uses this section to great effect. With an easy-to-read format, the education section displays several years of study in human resources and related management. Potential employers can get the information they need within a glance.
One of the best things this applicant has done to draw attention to this resume is to keep everything concise. The document fits on one page and still delivers a lot of valuable information. Hiring personnel can take in important qualifications (certified human resources professional), experience (collaborated with executive team to develop the framework for the company’s affirmative action compliance policies), and necessary credentials (Master’s Degree, Human Resource Management).
Why You Need a Strong HR Generalist Resume
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for human resources specialists is about the same as for other occupations with a projected growth of just 5 percent. With limited job openings, the need for a strong resume is obvious. Recruiters typically spend just a few seconds on a single resume, so you need to be sure that your resume has an impact that will demand a longer look. This is particularly true for positions that are highly favorable, drawing the attention of many applicants. In a climate where your competition may be stiff, you need to be sure that you’ve used the best writing practices. Our HR generalist resume sample and writing guide can help you create an effective resume.
Costly HR Generalist Mistakes to Avoid
There are some resume mistakes that are well-known. You’ll probably already be on the lookout for spelling errors, missing punctuation, and typos in your contact information. You probably know that including misleading or false information is a sure way to lose a job opportunity. However, there are some resume writing mistakes that are harder to pinpoint.
For example, some applicants create long lists of duties for each previous job position. These lists can distract hiring professionals from impressive accomplishments. It is a better idea to detail specific areas of focus and share specific accomplishments, as the HR generalist resume sample writer did: “improve recruiting and training procedures.” Leaving out achievements can limit your chances for an interview.
Another common mistake is to include unnecessary or controversial. Sharing this type of information takes up valuable space and will most likely leave a negative impression with hiring personnel, rather than a positive.
Conclusion
Writing a resume takes effort, attention to details, and awareness of the best writing practices. The HR generalist resume sample is a good example of sticking to the most important information within an easy-to-read format. Make sure that your skills and work history sections get attention with a variety of strong action verbs and carefully selected skills and accomplishments. Avoid common and other mistakes.
FAQ
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What is the best design for an HR generalist resume?
When designing your professional document, follow the lead of our HR generalist resume sample and keep your document classic and clean. You’re going for a professional appearance, not a gimmicky one. Use an easy-to-read font, and don’t go overboard with bold, italics, or other formatting tools. Stick to traditional section headings like summary, qualifications, experience, and education. Don’t add a headshot, but do remember to include your name and contact information in the header.
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What goes in the qualifications section of an HR generalist resume?
Adding a qualifications section above your work experience, as demonstrated in the HR generalist resume sample, allows you to showcase your most relevant skills and abilities without making the recruiter work too hard to find the gems in your submission. A bulleted list is a good idea for this section. When deciding what to include here, focus on areas where your qualifications overlap most with the job description.
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What should go in the experience section of your HR generalist resume?
Your experience section should be relevant to the job you’re seeking, as you can see from the HR generalist resume sample. As always, start with your most recent experience in the human resources field and work backward chronologically. If you have significant gaps in your relevant work history, consider adding a section for your other, unrelated work experience, but focus on transferable skills whenever possible.
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How do you list awards on your HR generalist resume?
If you have won awards in the course of your employment, congratulations! Be sure to include these on your resume. One way to do so is by adding an awards section, perhaps after your education section if you are using the same formatting as the HR generalist resume sample. This approach works best if you have more than one award to list. Another option is to roll the information into your work history section by starting one of your relevant bullet points with the verb “awarded” and then describing the award and what you did to deserve it.
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What’s the best length for an HR generalist resume?
The HR generalist resume sample is a single page, which may be the right length for your submission, too. If you have more than 10 years of experience in your field, you can get away with submitting a two-page resume. No matter how much experience you have, however, be sure to trim out fluff and make your writing as concise as possible before submitting your document. Having a lot of work history is not an excuse to be wordy and put the hiring manager to sleep. If you are struggling with the finer points of resume writing or are wondering how to get started, try our step-by-step resume builder. It can help you finish your submission quickly and effortlessly.