Sep 9, 2025
What to Include in Your Resume: 4 Essential Sections Employers Look For
7 seconds. That's how long a hiring manager looks at your resume before deciding if you're worth an interview. While you spend hours perfecting every word, they're speed-scanning for just 4 pieces of information. Miss any of them, and you're out.
You know that sinking feeling when you apply to dozens of jobs and hear nothing back? This is why. Most people have no idea what hiring managers are actually looking for in those crucial first moments.
Here's what they're hunting for in those 7 seconds:
How can we contact you? (Contact Information)
Can you actually do this job? (Work Experience)
Do you have the right background? (Education)
Do you have the skills we need? (Skills & Certifications)
The Harvard Business Review confirms this brutal reality: resumes following a clear, logical structure are 40% more likely to survive the initial cut.
The good news? While most candidates waste space on irrelevant details, you're about to learn the exact 4-section formula that consistently wins interviews.
Master these sections, and you'll outperform 90% of other applicants who still don't understand what hiring managers actually want.
The One-Page Resume Rule
If you can't communicate your value in one page, you probably don't understand it yourself.
This isn't about arbitrary rules, it's about respecting the reality of how hiring happens. TheMuse surveyed 2,000 hiring managers and found that 84% prefer one-page resumes, especially for candidates with less than 10 years of experience.
The science backs this up. ResumeGo conducted a comprehensive study and discovered that one-page resumes have a 2.3x higher callback rate than longer resumes. Why? Because hiring managers can process the information faster and make quicker decisions.
Why one page works:
Forces you to prioritize your most impressive achievements
Respects the hiring manager's limited time
Shows you can communicate efficiently
Easier to scan, print, and share
Increases the chances they'll actually read the whole thing
The proven page allocation that gets results:
Contact Information: 10% of the page
Work Experience: 60% of the page
Education: 20% of the page
Skills & Certifications: 10% of the page
This formula has been validated by career experts and tested across thousands of successful job applications in Pakistan's tech sector.
Section 1: Contact Information - Keep It Clean & Professional
Your contact section is the gateway to your career opportunities. According to research from HubSpot, networking plays a crucial role in job searches, making your contact information more critical than ever.
This section sits at the very top of your resume and should be impossible to miss. Think of it as your professional business card embedded in your document.
What to Include (The Essentials Only):
Must-Haves:
Full name (slightly larger font)
Professional email address
Phone number with Pakistan country code
LinkedIn profile URL
Portfolio website (if relevant)
Skip These:
Full home address (city is enough)
Photo (unless specifically requested)
Personal social media handles
Marital status or age
Contact Information Example:
Contact Information Best Practices:
Professional Email Formula: Use firstname.lastname@email.com or firstinitiallastname@email.com. Unprofessional emails like "coolboy123@gmail.com" immediately signal immaturity to hiring managers.
Phone Number Format: Always include to show you're open to international opportunities. This also ensures recruiters can easily contact you regardless of their location.
LinkedIn Optimization: Your LinkedIn URL should be customized (linkedin.com/in/yourname). Generic LinkedIn URLs with random numbers make you appear less tech-savvy and harder to find online.
Why This Section Matters:
77% of hiring managers immediately reject resumes with unprofessional contact information. This clearly signals that clear, professional contact details are the foundation of effective resume screening.
Section 2: Work Experience - Where Recruiters Look First
This is where recruiters skim first, and it's where you'll win or lose the job.
Eye-tracking studies from Ladders reveal that recruiters spend 80% of their time focused on work experience and education sections. Your work experience section should dominate your resume, taking up 60% of the space. Past performance is the strongest predictor of future success, which is why hiring managers prioritize work history above all else.
The Winning Work Experience Format:
Company Name — Job Title (Start Date – End Date)
Specific achievement with measurable impact
Another accomplishment showing your value
Third bullet demonstrating relevant skills
Action Verbs + Numbers = Interview Gold
Every bullet point should follow this formula: Action Verb + Specific Task + Measurable Result
Research from Zety shows that resumes with strong action verbs are 70% more likely to get callbacks.
Action Verbs That Get Results:
Built, Created, Developed, Designed
Increased, Improved, Optimized, Enhanced
Led, Managed, Coordinated, Supervised
Achieved, Delivered, Implemented, Launched
Work Experience Example:
The Numbers That Matter:
Research shows that quantified achievements make resumes significantly more effective. Indeed emphasizes that specific numbers provide credibility and demonstrate results-oriented thinking. Include:
Percentages: increased efficiency by 30%, reduced costs by 25%
Money: generated Rs. 1M in revenue, saved company Rs. 500K annually
Time: reduced processing time from 4 hours to 1 hour
Scale: managed team of 8 people, served 5,000+ users
Volume: completed 15 projects, handled 50+ client accounts
Focus on Impact, Not Tasks
According to Jobscan research, measurable achievements are what make resumes stand out most to recruiters. The difference between tasks and accomplishments is crucial:
Weak (Task-Focused): "Responsible for managing social media accounts and posting content regularly.
Strong (Impact-Focused): "Managed 5 social media accounts, increasing followers by 150% and generating 200 qualified leads monthly"
Section 3: Education - Keep It Short & Relevant
Your education section proves you have the foundational knowledge to succeed. Education should take up no more than 20% of your resume unless you're a recent graduate.
Research shows that while employers value education credentials, they're increasingly focused on demonstrated competencies and measurable achievements rather than just the title of the degree.
Education Format That Works:
When talking about your education mention the following details:
University Name
Degree, Major, Graduation Year
Notable achievements or relevant courses
Education Examples
Add Achievements That Build Credibility:
Hiring managers are drawn to candidates who demonstrate leadership potential and hands-on project experience. These qualities signal that you can take initiative, work collaboratively, and deliver results beyond basic job requirements.
Academic Achievements Worth Including:
Dean's List or honor roll recognition
Relevant scholarships received
Leadership positions in student organizations
Significant projects or research
Academic competitions won
Professional Achievements:
Industry awards and recognition
Speaking engagements at conferences
Published articles or research
Professional organization memberships
Volunteer leadership roles
Pro Tips by Experience Level:
If You're a Fresh Graduate, employers look for evidence of problem-solving and teamwork skills, even in academic contexts.
Include relevant coursework that matches job requirements
Highlight significant university projects
Add internships and part-time work
Include online courses and certifications
Mention volunteer work if career-relevant
If You're Experienced (3+ Years), you should minimize education details unless directly relevant.
Keep education brief unless directly relevant
Focus on professional achievements
Highlight industry recognition and awards
Include speaking engagements and thought leadership
Mention mentoring or training roles
Section 4: Skills & Certifications - Proof of Growth
This section builds credibility and shows you have the specific tools needed to excel in the role. LinkedIn's Global Talent Trends report shows that 57% of leaders say soft skills are more important than hard skills, but both are essential.
Skills and certifications should occupy the bottom 10% of your resume, but their impact is significant. Candidates who clearly list relevant skills are 36% more likely to be contacted by recruiters.
Tailor to the Role (Max 8-10 Skills)
Don't list every technology you've ever touched. The best practice is to focus on skills that directly relate to the job posting.
Hard Skills + Soft Skills Balance:
The most successful candidates demonstrate both technical proficiency and interpersonal abilities. Here are a few examples of common skills that candidates usually add in their resumes
Hard Skills (Technical/Measurable):
Programming languages
Software and tools
Certifications
Technical methodologies
Language proficiencies
Soft Skills (Interpersonal/Behavioral):
Communication
Leadership
Problem-solving
Team collaboration
Adaptability
Skills and Certifications Example
How all sections come together
Visual hierarchy is everything. According to Nielsen Norman Group, readers follow predictable scanning patterns, and your resume should accommodate this behavior.
The Perfect Visual Flow:
Contact Information (Top 10%) - Clean, scannable header
Work Experience (Middle 60%) - The heart of your professional story
Education (20%) - Your credentials and foundation
Skills & Certifications (Bottom 10%) - Technical proof points
Formatting Best Practices:
Typography Rules: Generally, these fonts perform best in ATS systems:
Professional fonts only: Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman
Font sizes: 10-11pt body text, 12-14pt section headers, 16-18pt name
Consistent spacing between sections
Bold for company names and job titles
White Space Management: Keep your resume well-formatted and neat.
0.5-0.75 inch margins on all sides
Line spacing: 1.0 or 1.15 maximum
Space between sections for easy scanning
Don't cram—white space improves readability
ATS (Applicant Tracking System) Optimization: Jobscan research shows that 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS systems:
Use standard section headers ("Work Experience" not "Career Journey")
Avoid graphics, tables, or complex formatting
Save as both PDF and Word format (.docx)
Include keywords from job descriptions naturally
Use simple bullet points (• or -)
What You Should Never Include
Knowing what to exclude is just as important as knowing what to include. There are very small common mistakes that immediately disqualify candidates.
Personal Information That Hurts:
Never Include:
Photo (unless specifically requested)
Age, birth date, or marital status
Religious or political affiliations
Personal hobbies (unless directly job-related)
Full home address
Social Security or ID numbers
Sometimes including personal information can actually create legal liabilities for employers, making them less likely to consider your application.
Professional Don'ts:
Avoid These Mistakes:
Salary history or expectations
Reasons for leaving previous jobs
Negative comments about former employers
Irrelevant work experience from 10+ years ago
Personal references (provide when requested)
Objective statements (your work experience shows your objectives)
Content That Weakens Your Resume:
Remove These Phrases:
"References available upon request" (this is assumed)
"Responsible for..." (use action verbs instead)
Personal pronouns (I, me, my, we, our)
Clichés like "hard worker" or "team player" (prove it with examples)
Obvious skills like "Microsoft Word" (unless specifically required)
Common Mistakes That Kill Applications:
77% of hiring managers reject resumes with spelling/grammar errors
68% reject resumes with unprofessional email addresses
65% reject resumes with missing contact information
61% reject resumes with poor formatting
Conclusion: Your 4-Section Success Formula
Your resume is a marketing document designed to get you an interview. The difference between resumes that get results and those that get ignored comes down to focus and structure.
The winning formula:
Contact Information - Make it easy for employers to reach you
Work Experience - Prove your value with specific achievements
Education - Show your foundation and accomplishments
Skills & Certifications - Demonstrate you have the right tools
Focus on these four sections, keep everything to one page, and watch your interview rate improve. Stop wasting space on irrelevant details and start showcasing what actually matters to hiring managers.
The perfect opportunity is waiting. Make sure your resume is ready to help you get it.
8 min read
Author: Salman Chattha at Taraki