Texas Legal Recruiters

Structuring a Résumé

The résumé is, in many cases, the first thing a potential employer will see. In many instances, it is the only thing responsible for a person receiving an interview. Any résumé should have four to five sections. It should include contact information, a profile, education background, work experience, and volunteer work/activities/interests as an optional fifth section.

The contact information section should include the applicants name, address, phone number, and email address. The applicant’s name should be the first thing on the page. It should also receive its own line and be slightly larger than the rest of the résumé. Any email address included should be professional. If the email address used by the applicant does not sound professional, the applicant should set up a new, free account with a more professional email address.

The profile comes after contact information. This section includes the comparative advantage statement which differentiates one applicant from another. This section should also summarize the applicant’s personality and provide a preview of the remainder of the résumé.

Following the profile section, there are two options for what can come next. If an applicant wants to highlight their graduate degree or some other aspect of their education over their work experience, the education section should follow the profile. If the applicant wants to emphasize their work experience, then work experience should follow the profile.

When writing the experience section, be sure to list the most recent degree first. Include a GPA if it was above 3.60 and any other academic accolades that were earned. When discussing work experience, start with the most recent employment. Include the company name, job title, the city and state, and the dates employed.

If you’re in the market for a new job, contact the Texas legal recruiters of the Sapire Search Group at 1-866-413-2868.