Resume Section Builder
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when the user:
- Needs help with specific resume sections
- Wants to optimize a particular part of their resume
- Is unsure what to include in a section
- Needs section-specific guidance
- Mentions: "resume sections", "skills section", "summary section", "experience section", "what to include"
Core Capabilities
- Build targeted professional summaries
- Structure skills sections effectively
- Optimize experience sections
- Create education sections appropriately
- Add supplementary sections strategically
- Tailor sections for different career stages
Professional Summary Section
When to Include
Include Summary If:
- Career changers (need to explain transition)
- Senior professionals (distill long career)
- Returning to workforce (address gaps)
- Highly specialized role (emphasize fit)
Skip Summary If:
- Entry level with limited experience
- Straightforward career progression
- Space is at a premium
Summary Framework
Formula: [Title/Identity] + [Years/Experience] + [Key Skills] + [Value Proposition]
By Career Stage
Entry Level:
Recent Computer Science graduate from UC Berkeley with internship experience in full-stack development. Skilled in Python, React, and AWS. Seeking to leverage academic projects in machine learning and user-facing application development in a software engineering role.
Mid-Career:
Product Manager with 6 years driving B2B SaaS products from concept to scale. Track record of launching products that generated $10M+ ARR through data-driven roadmap prioritization and cross-functional leadership. Expert in API products, developer tools, and enterprise sales motions.
Senior/Executive:
Technology executive with 15+ years building and scaling engineering organizations from 50 to 500+ across global markets. Proven success leading digital transformation initiatives, M&A integration, and platform modernization. P&L ownership of $100M+ with track record of 40%+ efficiency improvements.
Career Changer:
Sales professional transitioning to Customer Success, bringing 5 years of consultative selling experience and proven ability to build lasting client relationships. Skilled in needs assessment, solution design, and stakeholder management. Seeking to apply relationship-building expertise to drive customer retention and expansion.
Summary Don'ts
- ❌ "Seeking a challenging position..."
- ❌ "Hard-working team player..."
- ❌ "Results-oriented professional..."
- ❌ Third person ("John is a...")
- ❌ Objectives (what you want vs. what you offer)
Skills Section
Organization Options
Option 1: Simple List
SKILLS
Python, JavaScript, SQL, React, Node.js, AWS, Docker, Git, Agile, JIRA
Best for: ATS optimization, space constraints
Option 2: Categorized
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Languages: Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL
Frameworks: React, Node.js, Django, FastAPI
Cloud: AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda), GCP, Docker, Kubernetes
Tools: Git, JIRA, Confluence, Datadog
Best for: Technical roles, extensive skill sets
Option 3: Proficiency Levels (use carefully)
SKILLS
Expert: Python, SQL, Product Management
Advanced: AWS, Data Analysis, Stakeholder Management
Proficient: Machine Learning, Figma, Financial Modeling
Best for: Roles requiring specific proficiency, honest representation
What to Include
Technical/Hard Skills:
- Programming languages
- Software and tools
- Methodologies (Agile, Lean)
- Platforms (Salesforce, SAP)
- Certifications
Functional Skills:
- Project management
- Financial analysis
- Data analysis
- Market research
Industry Knowledge:
- Domain expertise
- Regulatory knowledge
- Industry certifications
What to Exclude
- ❌ Microsoft Office (assumed)
- ❌ "Basic" skills
- ❌ Skills you can't discuss in interview
- ❌ Soft skills (show, don't list)
- ❌ Outdated technologies
Experience Section
Standard Format
COMPANY NAME | City, State
Job Title | Start Date - End Date
• Achievement bullet with metric and impact
• Achievement bullet with metric and impact
• Achievement bullet with metric and impact
Bullet Guidelines by Career Stage
Entry Level (0-2 years):
- 3-5 bullets per role
- Include relevant projects
- Quantify where possible
- Show initiative and learning
Mid-Career (3-10 years):
- 4-6 bullets for recent roles
- 2-3 bullets for older roles
- Focus on achievements over duties
- Strong metrics throughout
Senior (10+ years):
- 5-6 bullets for recent roles
- 2-3 bullets for older roles
- Emphasize leadership and strategy
- Show increasing scope
Handling Different Situations
Multiple Roles at Same Company:
COMPANY NAME | City, State
Senior Manager | 2021 - Present
• [Bullets for current role]
Manager | 2019 - 2021
• [Bullets for previous role]
Analyst | 2017 - 2019
• [Bullets for earliest role]
Short Tenure:
- Include if relevant experience
- Frame around project or achievement
- Don't apologize or explain in resume
Contract/Freelance:
Freelance Product Consultant | 2022 - Present
Clients include: Company A, Company B, Company C
• [Achievement with Client A]
• [Achievement with Client B]
Education Section
Standard Format
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
University of California, Berkeley | 2020
GPA: 3.8/4.0 | Honors: Magna Cum Laude
What to Include by Career Stage
Entry Level:
- Degree, major, school, year
- GPA (if 3.5+)
- Honors and awards
- Relevant coursework
- Academic projects
- Study abroad
Mid-Career:
- Degree, major, school, year
- GPA only if exceptional
- Skip coursework (replaced by experience)
Senior:
- Degree, school
- May skip year (age discrimination)
- Professional development more relevant
Advanced Degrees
MBA, Finance & Strategy
Harvard Business School | 2022
• Leadership Fellow
• Relevant coursework: Corporate Finance, M&A Strategy
M.S. in Computer Science
Stanford University | 2018
• Specialization: Artificial Intelligence
• Thesis: "Title of Thesis"
Certifications
CERTIFICATIONS
AWS Solutions Architect Associate | Amazon Web Services | 2023
PMP (Project Management Professional) | PMI | 2022
Google Analytics Certified | Google | 2023
Additional Sections
When to Include Each
Projects Section:
- Entry level with limited work experience
- Career changers showing new skills
- Technical roles with personal projects
Volunteer Section:
- Relevant volunteer experience
- Leadership roles
- Fills employment gaps meaningfully
Languages:
- If relevant to role/company
- List proficiency levels accurately
- Only if beyond basic conversational
Publications/Patents:
- Academic positions
- Research roles
- Technical thought leadership
Awards/Recognition:
- Significant industry awards
- Company-wide recognition
- Relevant honors
Format Examples
Projects:
PROJECTS
E-commerce Platform | React, Node.js, PostgreSQL | github.com/user/project
• Built full-stack marketplace with 500+ active users
• Implemented payment processing with Stripe integration
Volunteer:
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Board Member | Local Nonprofit | 2021 - Present
• Led fundraising committee, increasing annual donations by 40%
Languages:
LANGUAGES
English (Native) | Spanish (Professional) | Mandarin (Conversational)
Section Order by Role Type
Standard Order
- Contact
- Summary (optional)
- Skills
- Experience
- Education
- Additional
Technical Roles
- Contact
- Skills (prioritized)
- Experience
- Projects
- Education
- Certifications
Recent Graduate
- Contact
- Education (prioritized)
- Skills
- Experience/Internships
- Projects
- Activities
Executive
- Contact
- Executive Summary
- Career Highlights
- Experience
- Board Roles
- Education
Career Changer
- Contact
- Summary (explaining transition)
- Skills (transferable)
- Experience (reframed)
- Bridge Experience
- Education
Output Format
When building resume sections:
# RESUME SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
## For: [User's situation/role]
### Recommended Section Order
1. [Section] - [Why]
2. [Section] - [Why]
...
### Section Details
#### Professional Summary
**Recommendation:** [Include/Skip]
**Draft:**
[Written summary if recommended]
#### Skills Section
**Format:** [Simple/Categorized/Proficiency]
**Content:**
[Organized skills list]
#### Experience Section
**Format:** [Standard/Functional/Hybrid]
**Bullets per Role:**
- Recent: [X] bullets
- Older: [X] bullets
#### Education Section
**Include:**
- [Items to include]
**Exclude:**
- [Items to exclude]
#### Additional Sections
**Recommended:** [Section name] because [reason]
**Skip:** [Section name] because [reason]
Section-Building Checklist
- ✅ Section order optimized for role
- ✅ Summary is concise and targeted (if included)
- ✅ Skills are relevant and organized
- ✅ Experience bullets are achievement-focused
- ✅ Education appropriate for career stage
- ✅ Additional sections add value (not filler)
- ✅ Consistent formatting throughout
- ✅ All sections support the target role
- ✅ Nothing irrelevant or outdated included
- ✅ Total length appropriate (1-2 pages)
