Personal details are arguably one of the most important elements in the resume. The basic information about you gives the recruiter a quick overview of you as a candidate and provides the essential contact details should the recruiter wants to invite you to further discuss your application. The necessary personal information to be put in a resume includes your name, job title, contact details and so on.
It would help to create a dedicated personal information section in your resume at the very top of your resume so the recruiter can easily spot it. But what personal information should be on a resume? And, equally importantly what personal information should be put in your resume?
In this article, we'll provide answers to those questions and walk you through on how to write the most informative personal info in a resume.
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The short answer is yes. Personal details are necessary in a resume or CV. They provide the recruiter with essential information about you. Including your personal information in the resume/CV gives the recruiter an easy access to your contact details and makes their job easier. It shows that you are a thoughtful person and can think from their perspective.
Another benefit of putting your personal details in the resume/CV is that it helps the hiring company to great a talent pool. With identifying information available on the resume, the recruiter can easily organize and maintain their qualified candidate database. This would in turn increases your chances to be considered for other opening at the company in the future.
In short, having personal information in your resume makes the recruiter's job easier and highlights your professionalism and ability to think from others' perspectives. The real question you should be asking is what to include in personal information in a resume/CV.
Personal details that are suitable for a resume or CV can sometimes be hard to determine. On one hand, you want to include personal information in your resume that will help you stand out; on the other hand, sometimes too much detail can backfire.
Your resume personal details must include the primary information about who you are. This part is crucial in your resume and plays a significant role in the job application process.
Here we've provided lists of essentials and optional personal details for your resume/CV.
These are the essential items you must include in personal details in a resume. They help the recruiter to identify you and provide them with means to contact you, which is the basic function of personal information in a resume/CV.
Besides the essential resume personal information, there are also five optional personal details that you can include in a resume to make your resume a stronger one.
These optional details act in support of your personal introduction on the resume. Pick the ones that will help you highlight your skills and qualifications to your potential future employer. But do not overdo it and write irrelevant personal information in your resume. Make sure the items you pick speak to your advantage in your resume.
Personal information in a resume is important but you should be careful with it too. It's a common mistake to include personal details that would do your application a disservice. Learning what not to write in personal details is therefore of great importance.
Do not forget that at the end of day, the resume is a professional document. You need to take that into consideration when you write personal information for your resume/CV.
Below is a list of personal details that don't belong in your resume:
You should avoid these 10 personal details when you write your resume; however, the job search culture is different in different countries. Make sure you do proper research and include the required and necessary personal details in the resume/CV when you are apply for roles in particular countries.
Cultural differences in job hunting
Job seekers should note that cultural differences also exist when it comes to resume writing and job hunting. For example, most countries in the EU require applicants to send their CVs using the Europass format. This generic formatting, however, requires you to include gender, nationality, and date of birth on your resume's personal information section.
In Asian countries, photos are encouraged to be included in resume personal details. Personal information such as marital status, ethnicity, gender, and date of birth are more common but not a requirement in Europe and Asia.
To make sure the recruiter sees your personal information in the resume, you have to format it properly. Depending on what you want to emphasize in the personal detail section on your resume, you might want to arrange each piece of personal information in different ways.
For instance, an experienced front-end developer might want to highlight their professional title “Sr. Front-End Developer” by capitalizing the first letter of every word and putting the title next to their name. A fresher graphic designer writing their resume might, on the other hand, make space for the link to their portfolio in the personal detail section. To write your personal details in a resume format, you must know the key information about how to write it.
However, to write personal information in a resume that catches the eye, you need to consider your strengths and carefully format your personal details. Below is a list of factors that you should take into consideration while putting personal information in your resume.
Of all the personal details for your resume, your name is the most important one. It’s the key identifying information. With an eye to the overall design of your resume, write your first name and surname in bold and large size the top of your resume.
💡 Pro tip: It is not recommended to put "Resume", "CV", or "Curriculum Vitae" on the top of your personal details. When you place your name on the top of the CV, it becomes the focus. This will help catch the recruiter's attention.
Your professional title should reflect these two different things: what you do and the level of experience you have in that role.
The next important personal detail that belongs in your resume is your phone number. Make sure it is your personal mobile number that you can pick up anytime the recruiters call. If you are applying for jobs internationally, do not forget to include your country's dialing code and highlight that your number can be reached on Whatsapp, or include a Skype ID.
It is essential to include an email address in your personal details in your resume as it is the preferred mode of communication. Writing your email address as part of personal information for your resume sounds simply enough but there are some mistakes you should avoid:
Ideally, a good personal email address is one made up of your full name or your first name and one letter of your last name. If both options are not available, you can add one or two numbers in your email address.
LinkedIn accounts are generally safe to include in the personal information section of your resume, but it is a good idea to log in and check the information is up to date and matching your resume. If there are significant differences, your potential employer may lose confidence in your trustworthiness.
Social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest, depending on the role you are applying for, can be included in the personal information section on your resume. For instance, if you are looking for a job as a social media marketer, they should be included to showcase your expertise.
💡 Pro tip: Make sure you do not have a series of posts that give the wrong impression about your values and personality, if you've decided to include social media accounts in resume.
Remember to include your account as a link – see the examples at the end of this article as reference.
Personal details in resumes for freshers
As a fresher, you may have little work experience. The personal information section for your resume can include your personal website or portfolio so that you can showcase your skills and experience.
Personal details in resumes for experienced job seekers
For experienced workers, personal information in a resume may differ slightly from that of a fresher. As the space for personal information in the resume is limited, you can only pick one or two most impressive aspects of your career to write in it. For instance, you can write the number of years of experience you have along with your professional title.
Writing a resume or CV might be slightly hard for fresh graduates. Even experienced people sometimes find it hard to adjust their resume to suit the recruiter's needs. It is only natural if you want to check out some personal details in resume samples.
Having good personal information in resume examples will help you to write a better resume, so here are a few personal details examples for various positions, from personal details in resume for freshers to the most experienced job seekers.
Your process of looking for a job starts with creating a resume, and personal information is at the top of it. See how important it is?
These are the basic necessities you need to include in your personal information in a resume. Space on your resume is precious. Pen your very own personal details and impress the recruiters.
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--- Originally written by Jonathan ---
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