A Section-By-Section Guide to Resumes
This resource includes a breakdown of potential sections to include on your resume.
Heading (required)
Heading Example:
Katie Student
ze/hir/hirs | www.linkedin.com/katiestudent |(123) 456-7890 | kestudent@stkate.edu
The header should contain your name*, phone number, and email address. Additionally, you can include your preferred pronouns, your LinkedIn profile URL, and the city/state you live in, if you feel comfortable.
*If you go by a different name than your legal one, you can list it in parentheses (e.g. Katie (Caleb) Student), as an initial (e.g. K. Caleb Student), or simply list your name as usual (e.g. Caleb Student). However, make sure to have your legal name on all legal documents.
Objective/Profile (optional)
Objective Example:
To obtain an internship in Criminology with Hennepin County that will maximize outstanding observational and behavioral skills, while building knowledge and experience in the field.
Profile Example:
Productive and efficient recent graduate nursing student with four years of training and education seeking to use extensive knowledge of human anatomy and the female reproductive system in a position as a Nurse at the Gynecology Office.
Your Objective or Profile is 3-5 sentences regarding the specific position you are applying for, and your contributions to the role. An Objective statement should start with the phrase “To obtain,” while a Profile can be a bit more flexible.
Note: Objective and Profile statements are most helpful when you have gaps in your resume or are looking to transition into a different field.
Education (recommended)
Education Example
St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN Expected Graduation: May 2026
Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Overall GPA: 3.7
Minor in Spanish
Relevant Coursework: Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Professional Writing
List the name of the institution, city and state, and degree you received (or expect to receive). Fully spell out degree name (e.g. Bachelor of Arts, not B.A.). Include your major(s) and minor(s), as well as your GPA (or major GPA) if it’s above a 3.0.
Optional: You may wish to include relevant coursework (relevant to the position for which you’re applying), major research projects, academic awards and honors, or study abroad experiences if applicable.
Experience Section(s) (recommended)
Experience Example:
Relevant Experience
Barista, Starbucks, St. Paul, MN 06/2022—Present
- Developed rapport with a diverse customer population to encourage brand loyalty
- Settled complaints and grievances with a professional and empathetic demeanor
- Crafted up to 60 specialty beverages an hour, ensuring quality and timeliness
The experience section(s) are all about the unique ways that you have interacted with the world around you. For each position, indicate the name of the employer, your title, the city/state where you worked, and dates of employment. List bullet points underneath, describing the tasks and accomplishments you had at each experience.
These are examples of transferable skills, which are the knowledge, skills, and qualities that you gained from one experience that can transfer to other areas of your life. For more information on how to write bullet points (skill statements), see the Resource “Writing a Strong Skill Statement.”
Your experiences matter, regardless of if you were paid! Here are some examples of possible experiences you can list:
- Volunteer Experience/Service
- International/ Study Abroad
- Babysitting/Nanny Roles
- Leadership/Campus Involvement
- Internships
- Working at Your Family’s Business
- Part-Time Jobs
- Military Experience
You can always separate out your experiences between “Relevant” and “Additional” to prioritize what is most important to the thing you’re applying for. You can also title this section differently based on the type of experience you’re highlighting (e.g. “Clinical Experience” or “Teaching Experience”). Think about: is there anything about your field/industry that requires unique sections? Such as:
- Education: Licensure, Teaching Experience
- Nursing: License/Certifications, Clinical Experience (Including Hours)
- Clinical/Laboratory: Research Experience, Technical Skills (e.g. Laboratory Equipment)
- Federal Government: Government positions require additional details, and very specific guidelines for formatting and content.
Skills (optional)
Skills Example:
- Languages: English (fluent), Spanish (conversational)
- Software: Asana, Salesforce, Microsoft Suites, Google Suites, Epic Systems, HCPCS
- Patient Care: AICD, IV Certified, GI Feeding and Tubes, Patient Rights
The skills section should include skills that are applicable to the work you’ll be doing. Sort your skills into different categories, and be as specific as possible, especially when naming software or equipment. Try not to include skills that are vague (e.g.” communication skills”).
Additional Sections to Include (optional)
Based on your experiences, you may benefit from including additional sections. These sections may be helpful to include if you are in particular industries or if you have a lot of experience in a particular area. Try to ask yourself: Is this experience relevant to the position? Will including this experience set me apart from other candidates?
Course Projects
The Course Projects section is a helpful tool to highlight coursework that is applicable to the field or position you’re applying for. When highlighting course projects, it’s important to showcase information that is relevant to the experience you’re applying for. For example, it could be helpful to focus on methodologies when applying to a research position. If you’re applying for a business-related role, focus on the action you took as a result of your research and how your actions benefited the organization.
Label this section “Course Projects in [Subject]”
Course Projects Example:
Course: MKTG 3300 Digital Interactive Marketing Strategy Feb 2025 – May 2025
Project Title: Community Support Program Marketing Campaign
- Researched local market data for a small nonprofit organization through survey collection
- Analyzed demographic data of target market to determine best strategy for social media marketing campaign
- Developed year-long marketing strategy for the organization to increase usage of new community support program
International Experience
If you have experience studying/working internationally, you can place it under the “Education” section, or you can have a section specifically for international experiences. It is recommended to have this section separate if you have at least two experiences to put in it or if the position requires knowledge of intercultural fluency or knowledge of a particular culture.
International Experience Example:
Professional Memberships
Professional Memberships Example:
American Psychological Association (APA) | Member August 2024-Present
Include professional memberships you hold. List full name of the association and level of membership.
Publications/Presentations/Research
Presentation Example:
Student, K. (2021, October 31). “The Impact of Instagram Filters on Viewer Engagement,” [Poster Presentation]. Minnesota Marketing Conference. St Paul, MN.
The Presentation section can be helpful to highlight any key presentation experiences you have, including presenting research at a conference, participating in a panel discussion, hosting a webinar, etc. This can be helpful section to highlight public speaking skills, or academic research experience.
Publication Example – Author:
Student, K. The Impact of Instagram Filters on Viewer Engagement. Social Marketing Quarterly. 2022; 143: 60-72.
Research Example:
Lead Researcher | St. Catherine University | St. Paul, MN 09/2024-05/2025
Topic: The impact of attack ads on voter turnout
These sections are helpful for academically-focused resumes. Highlight scholarly work relevant to the position for which you are applying.
Honors/Awards
Honors and Awards Example:
Dean’s List | St. Catherine University 6 Consecutive Semesters
Employee of the Month | Panera Bread October 2025
Recognized out of a 40-person team for stepping in to help whenever needed and going above and beyond to support the training of new employees.
Awards from work, school, or professional organizations can include scholarships, graduation honors, special recognitions, etc. This can be part of Education or a separate section.
