What is a Resume? Full Resume Definition & Purpose, Explained

Applying for jobs? Your resume is a brief document that covers your educational history, work experience, and core skills. Essentially, it’s marketing material you use to “hook” the hiring manager’s attention.

You only get one chance to make the right first impression. When you’re searching for new roles and applying for them, you’ll need a strong resume. After all, this is the first thing the hiring manager will see.

In the following guide, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the definition of a resume, the purpose of a resume, the different sections of a resume, and the types of resumes. Sit tight—here’s everything you need to know.

What is a resume?

First things first, let’s start with a resume definition. A resume is a summary of your professional achievements and experience so far. The word actually comes from the French, meaning “summary”.

Resumes typically include the following elements:

Resumes vs. CVs

Resumes are often called CVs (curriculum vitae) in other countries. For example, in the UK and most other European countries, it’s more common to use a CV than a resume. However, in the United States, the correct term is most often “resume.”

Of course, there’s one major exception to this rule. If you’re an academic applying for positions in colleges or institutes, you may be expected to submit a CV. Unlike a standard resume, this document is typically longer than one or two pages and includes a detailed appendix of published work.

What is the purpose of a resume?

The main purpose of a resume is to land a job interview. When applying for roles, most recruiters will ask you to submit a resume (and often a cover letter!). The document aims to get their attention, show them you fit the job criteria, and ultimately have them invite you for an interview.

However, there are many other benefits of having a strong resume, as follows:

What are the key sections of a resume?

Now we’ve covered the definition of a resume, and it’s time to break it down. These documents are broken into specific resume sections, each of which serves a clear purpose. In this next part, we’ll be looking at each part and sharing some clear examples.

Resume header

Your Resume Header is where you share your contact details, your full name, and the job title you’re targeting. If appropriate, you can add a professional headshot to this area. You may also include hyperlinks, such as a link to your LinkedIn page, your portfolio, or a professional website. It’s important to display this information clearly for the reader.

Here’s an example of a good Resume Header:

Professional summary or objective

Directly below your Resume Header, it’s typical to add a short professional statement. You have two choices—you can write a VProfessional Summary or an Objective.

A Summary is a two to four-sentence bio that covers your professional experience and achievements so far. It’s like a snapshot of your career history, which tells the hiring manager what you bring to the table. It’s important to be selective about what you share. Highlighting your unique selling proposition (USP) is a simple way to get the reader’s attention. Focus on your strongest accolades, experiences, and skills.

Let’s take a look at a good example of a Summary:

It’s best not to include any personal pronouns in this statement. Save yourself some space by writing in the third person and leaving out any mention of “I” in this paragraph.

If you’re new to the working world, or you’ve changed careers, you might want to include an Objective instead of a Summary. This is a short paragraph about what you PLAN to do rather than what you’ve done. For that reason, write about your goals and where you see your career going. Remember, you need to align with the hiring manager’s needs so tailor this statement to them.

Check out our example of a well-written Objective Statement:

Refer back to the original job advert to see what the role criteria specify. You can use this information to tailor your Resume Objective to the vacancy you’re applying to.

Work experience section

Next up, you’ll need to list your previous work experience. As a general rule, include between three and four former positions and ensure they’re relevant to the vacancy.  If you’ve had a long career, you don’t need to add every position you’ve ever held—go back no further than 10-15 years.

You can start out by including the basic details of the role; i.e. the name of the company, your job title, and how long you worked there. Below that, you should include bullet points. These need to cover the achievements you made during your time with the business.

The language you use here matters. You want to make sure it’s persuasive and dynamic. Use powerful verbs that highlight the impact your work had. Also include metrics wherever possible. Facts, numbers, and statistics bring some much-needed color to your work experience section.

Use our Work Experience section example for inspiration:

Education section

Your education section is your chance to show the hiring manager how qualified you are. Use the reverse chronological order when listing your education. For example, your college degree would sit neatly above your high school education and so on. You can add details, such as your GPA (as long as it’s over 3.5) and any honors, such as cum laude, you’ve got.

Do you have extra training or certificates? Don’t forget to add them into this section of your resume. The aim is to show off what elevates you above the competition. With that in mind, if you’ve ever completed on-the-job training or college courses, now is the time to shout about them.

Take a peek at our education section example below:

Skills section

Your Skills section includes your most valuable competencies, which can be listed as bullet points. As a well-rounded candidate, you should have a wealth of both hard and soft skills under your belt.

Hard skills

Include only hard skills in this part as these have the most impact. Ensure each skill you include directly aligns with the role you’re applying for. Hard skills apply directly to the role and are often technical. For example, they may be competencies you’ve picked up in vocational training or on the job.

Soft skills

You can hint at your soft skills throughout the rest of your resume, but you don’t need to list them as bullet points. Soft skills help you to do your job and are often transferable. Examples include communication, organization, time management, and people skills.

Here’s a good example of a resume Skills section:

If you want to be more specific, add a proficiency rating to each of the provided hard skills. In the above example, we’ve used a star rating as a visual pointer for the reader.

Optional resume sections

If you’re looking to bolster your resume, you might want to add some optional elements. Examples include sections for Awards, Publications (ideal for academics and researchers), and Interests. These extras may help your resume to stand out from the sea of other applicants.

For example, whether you lack direct work experience in your sector or are new to the industry, it may be worth including volunteer work. Make sure that this is relevant to the position you’re applying for. You can lay it out the same way you would structure your work experience section.

Look at our Volunteer section example here:

What are the different types of resumes?

Now you know what to include on your professional resume, we should talk about its layout. Getting the format and structure right is a must. There are three main types of resumes you may consider.

Chronological resume

First up, the chronological (also known as the reverse chronological) resume format is the most common. This structure displays your experience and education in the order you completed it. If you’ve had a linear career path, you should use this format for your applications.

Let’s take a look at an example below:

Functional resume

Want to emphasize your skills over your experience? A functional resume format does just that. This layout groups your experiences and education by your competencies. It’s ideal for people who are switching careers or happen to have more skills than direct job experience.

Here’s an example of how that looks in practice:

Combination resume

Finally, as the name suggests, the combination resume format combines the two above layouts. It’s the best of both worlds. If you’re not sure which option works best for your needs, this could be the answer.

Check out an example of a combination resume:

Tips on how to write a strong resume

By this point, you should be ready to craft a perfect resume. However, there are some extra tips you need to keep in mind.

Before you get started, take a look at the following advice:

• Use professional (but simple) language: Don’t bamboozle the reader with jargon. Adopt a professional tone and simplify your phrases.
• Tailor your resume to the job: Always tailor your resume to meet the needs of the job you’re applying for.
• Include bullet points and white space: Avoid overwhelming the reader with huge blocks of text. Instead, add bullet points wherever possible and get the spacing right.

Conclusion

Your resume is your most important tool when searching for jobs. Ensuring you have a strong resume gives you the best chance of landing an interview and getting a job offer. Use the advice we’ve shared in this guide to craft a stellar document that turns heads.