Gather all the information before you sit down to write your resume

Resume-writing is not an easy task for most job seekers. What makes it even more difficult is having to get up from your desk five or six times to search for the information you need. Gathering the necessary information before you start creating your resume will help you save a ton of time and effort down the road.

We have broken down the kind of information you will need for your resume based on the resume sections you are going to create.

Contact information

Your contact information typically goes on at the top of the document. For this, you will need to have your mobile phone number, email address, city, and state. If you have plans to relocate for the job, you should find out the zip code of the area you are planning to relocate to.

Necessary links

You can make your resume interactive for employers by adding links to it. If you want to bring out your personal brand, you should add a link to your LinkedIn profile to your resume. If you work in the creative industry, directing employers to your portfolio or social media channels is a great idea. Find links to your LinkedIn profile, related social media, personal website, blog, or digital portfolio before writing your resume.

Education

A well-written education section is a must for your resume. If you are an older professional, the official title of your degree, college name, and location will be enough information. However, if you are a recent graduate or an undergrad, your education section has to be more detailed. You will need to look at your transcript for additional details such as relevant coursework, GPA, academic achievements, etc.

Work experience

The work experience section carries the most information in your resume. When describing past work experiences, you will need to refer to the job description for each position. You will also need information about your employment at each company. Here are a few pieces of information that you will need to look for:

• Company names
• Company locations
• Dates of employment
• Names and contact details of managers
• Job title
• Job duties and responsibilities

While you will not be listing your job duties and responsibilities on the resume, they will help jog your memory about past jobs and allow you to remember related professional achievements. You do not need to mention your managers’ names on a resume. But they will make for excellent professional references later on during the hiring process.

Awards and honors

Professional achievements make your resume shine. If you have won professional awards during your career, you should gather the necessary details about them. You will need to look for the title of the award and the year you won it. For certain awards, you will need the name of the awarding body. If you are a recent graduate, you should highlight academic achievements and honors on the resume.

Certifications and licenses

For certain jobs in healthcare, finance, and tech, certifications are crucial to make a lasting impression on a recruiter. Creating a dedicated certifications section for your resume will help you stand out. For this, you will need a few details such as the title of your certification, awarding body, relevant dates, and related coursework.