How to Write a Good Resume: Part 2 -- Gathering Your Information
Content Updated on February 10, 2009
What Information Do I Need to Put On My Resume?
What you put on your resume varies from person to person, industry to industry, job to job. It can be very confusing, so for now, let's just gather all of the information that may possibly end up on your resume. We'll figure out what specifically gets placed in the final draft later. For now, you'll want to make a worksheet that has all of your information in one place, so when you're ready to put together that final draft, you'll have all of your info ready to go.
Here's what you need to have on hand. Your...
Name
A first and last name is usually sufficient. A middle name is only necessary if you want to distinguish yourself from other people with similar names, especially if you have a common name like Joe Smith, just in case there are other people with the same name applying for your job.
Don't use nicknames unless it's a name you plan on using in your profession.
Contact information
- Mailing address
- Phone numbers (using one mobile phone with voicemail may be best for simplicity)
- Fax numbers
- Email address (with notifications sent to your mobile device if possible)
- Professional networking URLs (if you are using an online service or professional social network to apply for jobs)
- URL for your professional web page (if you want to list your web page as an extension of your resume)
Goals (why are you applying for the job)
- What type of job do you want?
- What industry do you want to work in?
- What type of company do you want to work for?
- Do you want to move up the corporate ladder or work part time until you finish college?
- What type of atmosphere do you want to work in?
- Do you want to be actively involved in moving the company forward
Skills
- General business skills
- Specific trade skills
- Special skills that give you an extra edge (e.g. speaking foreign languages)
- People skills
- Learning skills
- Organizing and management skills
Accomplishments
- Professional accomplishments (organized by employer)
- Community involvement accomplishments (organized by organization or project)
- Education accomplishments (organized by school or institution)
- Personal accomplishments
Employment history
- Employer names
- Employer addresses
- Employer phone numbers
- Description of industry
- Description of company's focus
- Supervisor names
- Dates of employment
- Rank (especially if employed in the military, police, etc.)
- Positions held
- Job tasks and duties
Volunteer history
- Organization names
- Organization addresses
- Organization phone numbers
- Description of organization's goals
- Supervisors
- Dates of service
- Positions held
- Job tasks and duties
Education history
- Schools attended
- Majors
- Areas of emphasis
- Training programs completed (including programs from previous employers)
- Workshops and seminars completed
- Diplomas earned
- Degrees earned
- Certificates earned
- Licenses earned
- Accreditations earned
- Dates of completion
- Honors received at graduation (e.g. valedictorian, cum laude, high honors, etc.)
Awards and honors earned
- Scholarships won
- Contests won
- Awards for career
- Awards for community service
- Military awards and honors
- School awards
Affiliations and memberships
- Professional associations
- Community organization affiliations
- Societies
- Memberships in any organization
Hobbies and Interests
- Sports you participate in
- Technology you like to use or work on
- Mechanical hobbies
- Enjoying being around children or other groups of people
- Enjoy working with animals, etc.
- Social issues that are important to you
Recommendations and References
- Letters of recommendations
- Information for people who are willing to endorse you on a personal or professional level
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Job title
- Employer or Affiliation
- Brief description of how they know you
- How long they've known you
Related Items
Similar topics
See other Kristen's Guide topics in this category.
How to Write a Good Resume -- Part 1: What is a Resume and Why Do I Need One?
How to Write a Good Resume -- Part 3: Figuring Out the Best Structure for Your Resume
How to Write a Good Resume -- Part 4: Getting the Words Right