Declaration in Resume｜Formats, Examples, Writing Guide

Penning out a resume and CV is a big part of the process when you are looking for a job. Whether it is a resume or a CV, both are important as an introduction to the recruiter who will process the work application. It is, therefore, essential to write a resume and CV that will make your employer interested.

Step one in job hunting is writing a compelling resume/CV. A compelling resume or CV is one that is tailor-made exclusively for you and the job you are aiming for. From your first name to the last word of your resume, everything should be well thought out.

How are you going to end your resume?

Definitely not by ending it with a smiley or leaving unnecessary personal info without a satisfactory conclusion just like that. You must upgrade the quality of your resume.

So, what can you do?

In this article, we are going to present and analyze in detail the CV and resume declaration.

You might not have heard very much about the resume declaration. A declaration in resumes is a sentence or a paragraph in your resume that states your resume's truth and validity. It is especially useful if you have skills and experiences that are out of the ordinary, or when you don’t have any referees/former employers for endorsement.

Are you a fresher (fresh graduate) that has a lot of skills to show off?

Or Are you a no-name professional that's trying to enter a new industry?

This declaratory statement is precisely what you need. 

Do not worry if you have not heard of a resume declaration. Although having a declaration statement in your resume/CV might seem rare, some countries and organisations have a culture of including a self-declaration in resumes.

A resume declaration is likely to be required in the following situations:

Many governments still follow processes and procedures written many years ago. Forms and procedures often require a high-level signoff, so regular updating does not occur as often as in the private sector. This is particularly common in ex-colonial states that have a reputation for "red tape". 

Large organizations with clearly defined pay grades, and strict HR departments will often require an application form rather than personal resume. This allows all candidates and employees information to be captured in a comparable style. This form will often include a declaration or signoff at the bottom. It may also include additional terms relating to confidentiality.

Some types of job and organization have very specific and specialist recruitment processes. For example, police, army, fire department, astronauts, and medical staff all require specialist training. It is quite common for a declaration to be required confirming the required qualification or training has been completed. Many organizations will go a step further and require evidence of degree or training certificates. A declaration in the resume confirms that this information is true.

A Declaration in resume/CV is an option when you need to prove your credibility to the recruiters.

Having a declaration statement in your resume will make you look more reliable in the eyes of recruiters. It is because a declaration statement is legally binding.

Making a self-declaration is necessary when you are giving a personal document for an official purpose.

Therefore, is a resume declaration necessary?

In this case, it depends on the recruiting companies. Most of the time, they do not demand this declaration. A declaration statement is normally optional unless the recruiters request it specifically.

In the past, a self-declaration in a resume was very relevant to a resume. A resume declaration was used to guarantee the resume's validity, with the applicant's personal signature to complete it.

Nowadays, however, it is no longer ideal as we send fewer resumes in hard copy. And with most of the resume verification companies, the declaration statement is not a necessity anymore.

Even so, having a declaration in your resume/CV isn't a bad thing. It might even be a big plus for your circumstance.

Here are the pros and cons of including a declaration in a resume.

Pros & Cons of including a resume declaration statement:

As the declaration is not a vital part of a resume/CV, a lack of resume declaration is not a big deal in the most cases. You will find that most employers do not even ask for a self-declaration statement.

But there are situations where resume declaration could also be a massive plus for you.

A resume declaration is a form of your responsibility for all the information you poured into your resume. It shows the potential employers your sincerity and gives more assurance to your employers.

A declaration should have the following 5 elements:

• Name
• Self-declaration statement
• Time
• Location
• Signature

Ideally, you write out a resume declaration in a sentence or two. This resume declaration should clearly express your complete honesty and responsibility for your words. There is no exact format for resume declaration in any way. The resume/CV declaration format is pretty flexible.

You can remove one part of the format, and it would most likely still be good enough to be a resume declaration. This is okay if you do not have enough space on your resume.

By writing down a resume declaration, your resume's intent is strengthened, and your professionalism is emphasized.

Do not worry if you cannot quite imagine it yet. We have a few examples at the end of this article that should help inspire you.

So, how do you write the best resume declaration for yourself?

Top 5 tips for writing a professional declaration for resume:

1. Write as much as you need.
   Do not use superfluous words. It is, after all, not personal information. Do not waste too much of the precious space of your resume in the resume declaration.
   Unless, of course, you have a lot of blank space that you cannot fill up at all.
2. Do not scan your signature.
   If you send your resume over via fax or email, there is no need to scan your signature. If you cannot sign the resume personally with a pen, it is okay to skip signing. Just like drafting an email, writing down your name as the sign-off is sufficient.
3. Do not decorate it.
   Keep your resume declaration section as formal as possible. This is to keep the serious intention of the self-declaration undoubted.
4. Check for spelling mistakes.
   It is a common mistake that you must keep in mind all the time. Not only the resume declaration section, but check your whole resume too. Misspellings can be interpreted as lacking in sincerity when writing your resume.
5. Check readability.
   Make the declaration in resume easy to read and understand. You do not need to go over-the-top in writing the declaration. State your self-declaration clearly.

In general, the declaration statement can be made from a single sentence or a whole paragraph. It depends entirely on each person's preference and circumstance.

For freshers, the declaration in a resume should emphasize the declaration that everything you have written is true and that you are taking complete responsibility for your words.

Being responsible for the information you have written in your resume is essential. The recruiter will see you as a promising candidate.

Aside from fresh graduates, experienced job seekers also need to be responsible for the information stated in the resume.

As a job seeker who comes with great experiences in your field, you can emphasize the validity of your accomplishments. Write an assuring statement that everything you have written is true beyond any doubt.

Thus, a declaration in a resume for experienced workers is also a way to show your resume's authenticity.

If you are an experienced job seeker looking for a new opportunity, the declaration in resume will quash any doubt the recruiter may have and bring more credibility to your resume.

A resume declaration is a way to demonstrate responsibility for what you have written in your resume.

The resume's popular sample declaration format is a declaration, location, date, signature, and name.

These five aspects of the declaration format for the resume should go with the self-declaration sentence. Below it should be the location and date on the resume's leftmost side and then the signature and name on the resume's rightmost side.

These resume declaration samples will help inspire you to create your own declaration in resume and CV. Or you can customize your resume declaration sentence that is suitable for you.

Here are some samples of resume declaration lines that you can choose from, and try to change into your own style:

Those are the short and concise declaration sentence examples suitable for most of the declaration in resume and CV.

You can also write your declaration in a resume with these longer samples. These resume/CV declaration examples are similar in structure but a bit longer. It is to give more details in the credibility and the responsibility.

The majority of resume declarations have almost identical substance and similar structures. The self-declaration in your resume will show your sincerity and credibility as a candidate.

The critical points of these resume declaration examples are to express your resume's genuineness and declaring your full responsibility for all the words in the resume. Whether it is 1 - 2 lines or a paragraph long, it all follows the same structure and should be written at the end of your resume.

You can follow any of the resume/CV declaration samples above and customize it to your liking.