Human Resources (HR) Manager Resume Guide (Examples & Tips)

1. Chronological resume format

The chronological resume format is the most used one. It lists down the applicant’s work experience in reverse chronological order. This format is suitable for senior job seekers with solid work experience to showcase their professional capabilities.

2. Functional resume format

This format focuses on your skills and abilities instead of work experience 

and employment period. It is suitable for freshers, entry-level job seekers, and job changers with no relevant work experience.

3. Combinational resume format 

It’s a blend of chronological and functional resume format. It lists down your skills and accomplishments first, then shows work experience in reverse chronological order. 

It is designed to demonstrate both the applicant’s professional skills and thorough work experience, and it’s recommended for job seekers with extensive work experience and professional skills.

4. Targeted resume format

A targeted resume is a resume customized for a specific opening position, and it elaborates on your skills and accomplishments relevant to the position. 

Despite the extra efforts it takes, a targeted HR manager resume increases the applicant’s chances of landing a job compared to a generic one.

1️⃣ Microsoft Word

1. Select a resume format that best suits your needs and stick to it.


Types of Resume Formats: Chronological, Functional, Hybrid and Targeted,

2. Write down all essential sections as follows:

Contact information, resume headline, resume summary, work experience, education background, skills and additional information.


3. Pick a professional font for your HR manager resume.

Suggestion: Times New Roman, Helvetica, Cambria, Georgia, Calibri, Arial


4. Choose font sizes between 10-16 points for general content in the resume, and larger fonts for headings and titles.


5. Use single or 1.15 line spacing.


6. Use bullet points and bold text to make your HR manager resume more readable.


7. Optimize headings (H1, H2, H3 tags) to make your resume ATS-friendly.


8. Add an extra space before and after each section heading.


9. Don’t insert photos in the resume unless the recruiter asks for them.


10. Remember to transfer your HR manager resume into a PDF file before submitting it to preserve the formatting.

2️⃣ Online Resume Builder

Without a doubt, online resume builder is a more convenient and friendly resume builder tool compared to Microsoft Word. 

Online resume builders like Cake provide tons of professional HR manager resume examples and templates with different layouts, styles, and formats. You could easily edit sections, content, and items freely to build your HR Manager resume. 

✅  Dos:

1. Tailor the resume and include only relevant information.

A tailored resume helps you stand out from competitors. To tailor the resume, you could pick keywords from the job description and insert them in your HR manager resume. It makes your resume more relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Remember to keep your HR manager resume neat and concise. Don’t write irrelevant information that might lower your chances of getting a job.

2. Add quantifiable and measurable achievements.

Use numbers like percentages, statistics, and rankings to quantify your achievements. It helps the recruiter picture the impact you’ve made in your previous positions.

For instance, instead of writing “Responsible for recruitment process and strategy and exceeded hiring quotas” in the HR manager resume, it’s better and more credible to say “Designed and implemented the recruitment process and strategy, exceeding hiring quotas by recruiting 100 qualified employees in 7 months.”

3. Optimize the resume for ATS.

ATS stands for “Applicant Tracking System”. It’s a frequently used system for big companies to weed out least-qualified resumes for opening positions. You should make your HR manager CV more ATS-friendly to get through the challenge.

The system can’t read visual images, so don’t add charts or graphics to the resume. Besides, avoid typos and special characters like arrows, squares, and checks in case they are unreadable to the system.

4.Choose the right resume format.

Note that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” resume format. You should understand the pros and cons of each HR manager resume format and select the one that could bring the best for you.

5. Use active verbs in the resume.

Action words are words expressing an action, and they are used to highlight your accomplishments and experience powerfully in the HR manager resume. 

For instance, you could use the action word “managed” to replace “responsible for,” “collaborated” to replace “worked with,” and “directed” to replace “in charge of.”

🚫  Don’ts:

1. Mix up a resume with a CV.

Many recruiters would confuse an HR manager resume with a CV. CV refers to the comprehensive and detailed document showcasing the professional background of the applicant. 

An HR manager CV covers the full work experience, education history, publications, and researches of the applicant. You could find professional HR manager CV templates and samples on websites like Cake and LinkedIn.

In contrast, an HR manager resume is a 1 or 2-page document showing the applicant’s background and work experiences that are related to the opening position.

2. Adopt an old-style resume objective statement.

An HR manager resume objective shows your career goal to the recruiter. It’s recommended to write it in 2-3 lines and put it at the top of your resume to capture the recruiter’s attention. 

However, some applicants might adopt an outdated resume objective statement that will not be of interest to a recruiter. For instance, some may write career details in the HR manager resume objective and make it too long to read. Remember to make your resume objective short and concise. You could emphasize career highlights and strengths and include the company name to attract the recruiter.

3. Disclose confidential information about previous employers.

As a trustworthy professional, you must not disclose any confidential information with regards to previous employers in the HR manager resume, CV, or interview. 

Recruiters wouldn’t want to hire an applicant who gives away his previous employers’ confidential information freely. Instead, you could be specific about your job duty and know-how in your HR manager resume to show your competitive advantages.

4. Include unnecessary personal details that might lead to discrimination.

An HR manager resume is a professional document, which means you don’t have to show personal details that are not relevant to the job position and may open yourself to unwanted discrimination. 

For instance, your race, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, and photographs are not helpful to the impression you are building on. In some countries, it’s illegal for recruiters to ask applicants to put personal details in the HR manager resume and CV to avoid discrimination during the recruitment.

5. Send the resume as a Word doc.

Never send your HR manager resume as a Word doc unless the employer asks for a Microsoft Word resume. Nowadays, many PCs and laptops open Microsoft Word documents with alternative programs like WPS Office Writer or LibreOffice Writer. It’s highly recommended to transfer your HR manager resume to a PDF file to ensure all the resume formatting remains the same on employer’s PCs and laptops.