3 key takeaways
- Why an organized resume matters
- Complete list of resume sections to consider including
- How Teal's AI Resume Builder can help you put together an organized resume with all the right sections for your experience
It’s tempting to think resumes are all about job titles and tenures. In reality, effective resumes have just as much to do with resume organization—the presentation and order of resume sections. A hiring manager can’t make sense of your skills, achievements, and experiences if they’re thrown together haphazardly with no hierarchy or flow.
For that reason, an impressive resume is also an organized resume. In this guide, you'll learn how to organize your resume in a way that emphasizes your qualifications rather than distracts from them.
Use Teal's AI Resume Builder to easily create and organize your resume sections.
Understanding resume organization
In most cases, a resume is the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager reviews before deciding whether or not to move you forward in the hiring process. A well-organized resume with the right sections presents your experience, skills, and achievements in a logical flow that's easy to follow—helping a prospective employer see your value quickly.
Being thoughtful about how you organize your resume sections also demonstrates your interest in the company and role. When you tailor your organization to each job posting, you highlight your most relevant qualifications first, ensuring that your experience and skills align with the position's requirements. This strategic approach shows employers you understand their needs.
In short? How you organize your resume isn't an afterthought—it's a crucial part of making sure your best qualifications are noticed and understood.
Resume order
Your resume’s order is key to showcasing your most relevant qualifications in a clear, organized way. A well-structured resume helps hiring managers quickly understand why you're a great fit. Here's an ideal resume order to follow:
- Contact Information
- Target title
- Professional summary
- Work experience
- Education
- Certifications
- Skills
- Projects
- Awards and Scholarships
- Volunteering and Leadership
- Publications
It’s worth noting, though, that while this is a traditional resume order, the order of your resume parts is based on relevance, career experience, and your overall career goals.
How to organize a resume by experience
Most resumes have a lot of the same basic elements. But it’s up to you to create a document that’s representative of your unique skills, experiences, and qualifications. Let’s look at a few situations when you might want to take some creative license with your resume section order.
Recent graduate: Use a resume Projects section to call attention to some of the relevant things you’ve produced, a Coursework section to highlight what you’ve learned, or an Activities section to emphasize your involvement in place of traditional work experience
Senior executive: Focus more on providing more detail about your relevant previous positions, particularly the quantifiable impact you made in those roles than a list of skills.
Career changers: When your work history doesn’t quite support path, move your Skills section higher on your document (like above your work experience) to add more emphasis to your qualifications.
Career breaks: If you took time off from the workforce, you can address it directly on your document—either by weaving it into your resume summary or integrating it into your Work Experience section with the timeframe and a description of why (E.g., caring for children, pursuing education, or taking a sabbatical).
Customize resume section organization with Teal
When you’re ready to start organizing resume sections, you don’t need to waste time copying, pasting, backspacing, and cursing at a Word document while you try to move each section where you want it.
Teal's AI Resume Builder includes all essential and optional resume sections, letting you easily drag and drop them exactly where you want them. You can even rename sections to match your experience.
Essential resume sections
One of the biggest questions job seekers have when organizing a resume is about the order of sections. What resume sections should go where?
There are some general best practices for what to put on a resume to keep in mind, but remember, relevance trumps all other factors. The job description or your unique professional experience might alter how you organize your resume sections.
Ultimately? There isn’t one “correct order” for a resume, but there are some sections you shouldn’t miss. Let’s take a closer look at the most common resume sections (and some optional ones that can help boost your credentials).
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1. Contact information
Out of any of the other sections listed here, this one is the biggest non-negotiable. Your resume should list your:
- First and last name
- City and state
- Email address
- Phone number
- Relevant URLs or social media accounts
Your resume contact information should live in the resume header, on the top of your document, with your name set in a thicker font than the other items.
Resume section example - Header
Leslie Knope
Pawnee, IN • (123) 456-7890 • [email protected] • www.linkedin.com/in/leslieknope
2. Target Title
It might seem strange to include a job title on your resume when you’re applying for a job, but that’s exactly what your target title is: your resume objective.
Your title should go at the top of your resume, underneath your contact information, but before your professional summary. It doesn’t have to be the title from your most recent position. Instead, as you come up with your target title, review the job description for the role you’re applying for and use that job title as your target title.
Resume section example - Target Title
Email Marketing Manager
3. Professional Summary
Your professional resume summary is where you can add a little more color and context to your career journey.
In most cases, your resume summary goes near the top of your document, underneath your contact information and target title. Think of this section as a short (you only need three to five sentences) way to call attention to the most relevant highlights from your career.
Resume section example - Resume Summary
As an enthusiastic customer success specialist with over three years of experience in SaaS, I'm committed to nurturing relationships with customers to improve loyalty, retention, and the company's reputation. My empathetic and proactive approach has contributed to a 25% decrease in customer churn and a 10% increase in customer NPS at my current organization. I take pride in listening to customers, collaborating with my team, and delivering engagement and retention strategies that make a meaningful impact.
Pro Tip: Your resume summary is also an opportunity to tailor your resume. Review the job description closely and pull out two to three skills or qualifications most relevant to your experience, then highlight them in your resume summary along with impact.
4. Work experience
When most people think of a resume, this resume section is what comes to mind. Your Work Experience section of your CV is where you list your previous positions, along with your related responsibilities and achievement-based bullet points—typically in reverse chronological order.
Where you place your work experience within your resume outline depends on your chosen format. In the traditional chronological resume format, work history appears right after your summary, with positions listed from most recent to oldest. A functional resume format emphasizes your skills first, while a hybrid format strikes a balance between a chronological resume format and a functional resume format by showcasing skills above your Work Experience section.
Resume section example - Work Experience
Dunder Mifflin Paper Company • Scranton, PA Feb 2021 - Dec 2023
Social Media Manager
• Increased social media following by 47% in 12 months across Facebook, X, and Instagram, contributing to a 20% increase in sales for the year.
• Created and launched a TikTok account and strategy, growing from zero followers to 24,000 followers in three months.
• Developed and maintained a content calendar to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality content on all accounts, leading to a 40% increase in organic reach.
5. Education
The Education section on a resume seems like an easy freebie. All you need to do is write down your degree and where and when you got it.
The information itself is self-explanatory, but figuring out where to put it feels murky. The “default” approach is to place your education section directly under your work experience. However, you can adjust that as you see fit.
Resume section example - Education
Pawnee University | Pawnee, INBachelor of Science in Data Analytics, May 2017
6. Certifications
Not every resume needs a Certification resume section, but these credentials are nonnegotiable in certain fields. Have relevant certifications for your target role? Create a dedicated resume section to showcase them. Each entry should be crisp and clear: simply state the credential and when you earned it, then move on. This focused approach lets employers quickly spot the qualifications that matter most.
Resume section example - Certifications
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification | March 2023
7. Skills
Skills should be demonstrated throughout your resume sections with metrics and concrete results. But while you should showcase abilities across all sections, a dedicated Skills section can be valuable for roles heavy in tech requirements.
Focus primarily on hard skills—your technical abilities like software proficiency and specific tools. While soft skills like problem-solving are worth including, don't just list them. Instead, demonstrate these competencies through specific examples in your achievements and professional summary. This shows employers not just what skills you have but how you've used them to drive results.
Resume section example - Skills
• Java, Python, C++
• Agile methodology
• Full-stack development
• AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
• Data structures and algorithms
• Software security
• Collaboration
• Continuous learning
Pro Tip: Don't love the exact name of each section? Rename them to something that better reflects your experience in Teal's AI Resume Builder.
Optional resume sections
Once you have all your essential resume sections, it’s time to go over some optional ones that can help boost your credibility. The key to these optional sections on a resume? Keep them relevant to the position you're applying for and revisit them for every unique opportunity to make sure they’re still applicable.
8. Projects
Personal or professional projects can strengthen your resume, especially when relevant to your target role.
Whether they're academic, research, side ventures, or work initiatives, the purpose of resume projects is to demonstrate top skills and achievements aligning with the job description. Keep this resume section focused on your role, the technologies or methods used, and measurable outcomes.
Resume section example - Projects
Pawnee Municipal Building Restoration Lead Craftsman | Summer 2023
• Single-handedly restored historic woodwork in city hall using traditional techniques, saving $45,000 in contractor fees
• Completed project 2 weeks ahead of schedule while exceeding all quality specifications
9. Awards and Scholarships
Academic or professional recognition helps you stand out from other candidates. Include awards that showcase your excellence in areas relevant to the position.
List each achievement with its date and a brief description of its significance—but be selective. Focus on recent or particularly notable accomplishments that align with what’s important to the prospective employer.
Resume section example - Awards and Scholarships
Top Salesperson Award, Dunder Mifflin (2010)
10. Volunteering and Leadership
Volunteer work and leadership roles add depth to your professional story. Choose experiences that highlight transferable skills valuable to your target role. Whether you led a community project or organized events, emphasize your impact and the skills you developed.
Resume section example - Volunteering and Leadership
Youth Woodworking Program Director, Pawnee Community Center (2019-Present)
• Developed and led hands-on workshops teaching traditional craftsmanship to 50+ students, with 15 graduates starting their own businesses
11. Publications
Published work demonstrates expertise in your field and strong communication skills. Have articles, research papers, or industry publications with proper citations? List the most relevant or recent works first, but only include publications that boost your professional profile for that specific position.
Resume section example - Publications
"The Art of Leadership Through Comedy: How to Make Your Employees Your Best Friends" Scranton Business Times (2011)
Organize your best resume with Teal
It’s easy to overlook the importance of organizing your resume. But ordering your document isn’t an afterthought—it’s a crucial step in putting together a resume that makes the right impression.
Fortunately, getting everything right where you want it doesn’t have to be a painstaking process.
Teal's AI Resume Builder has every section you need; you can also move your sections with just a few simple clicks to showcase your experience in the best way possible.
Ready to create and organize your best resume with all the right sections?
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I include a Summary or Objective section in my resume, and where should it be placed?
Including a Summary or Objective section can be beneficial as it immediately tells employers what you bring to the table and what you're looking for. This section should be placed right after your contact information at the top of your resume, as it sets the tone for your entire application and highlights your goals and qualifications succinctly.
How can I effectively organize my work experience if I've had multiple roles or gaps in employment?
For multiple roles, especially within the same company, use a reverse-chronological format, listing your most recent position first. Clearly demarcate different positions and include dates to avoid confusion. If you have gaps in employment, consider a functional resume format that focuses on skills and achievements rather than a continuous work history, or address the gaps directly in your cover letter.
Is it necessary to include both a Skills section and a Certifications section on my resume?
It's important to include a Skills section to showcase your abilities relevant to the job. If you have professional certifications that are pertinent to the position, you can either integrate them into the Skills section or create a separate Certifications section if there are several and they add significant value to your application. Place Skills near the top after your Summary or Objective to catch the employer's eye, and Certifications can follow your Education section.
