Have you ever thought how important the resume header is in your resume? It is the first thing noticed by the employer and of course, it is important.
People often use terms such as the name header, resume heading, resume headline, or contact information section.
It tells employers who you are and how to reach you, and is always at the top of your resume. The header is the first thing, a recruiter’s eye first goes to therefore it should be very professional and attractive. First impressions never have a second chance. That is why you need to be careful in writing your resume header.
If you still have doubts. Don’t worry we got your back! Keep reading this article. You can find various resume header examples as well as many resume tips to optimize the header. The ultimate goal of this article is to teach you how to make a resume that is easy for our reader to find what he or she is searching for.
As we all know, a resume headline is a part of your resume that contains your contact information that can be used to show your identity. Often the information here is used by recruiters to contact you.
Below mentioned are the must-haves in your resume header but our goal is to make it stand out from the other resumes. Keep reading for your answers.
What to include in resume header
Your resume’s header should exactly include the following:
•
Full name
•
Job title
•
Resume summary (optional)
•
Phone number
•
Email address
•
Location
Now let’s see how these things properly fit into your resume header.
Resume Header Template
[Name]
[Job Title]
[Phone Number]
[Location]
[Email]
[LinkedIn / Web]
Full Name
The largest text you write in your resume is used for your name. First name and last name are often used for this.
When you write your name in the resume headline make sure to always include the name you use in your online profiles. So that recruiters can easily identify your online presence.
Tips to write your name
- Don’t use a nickname,
- Make your name stand out by making the font size larger.
- Change the font style of your name to Arial, Palatino, Verdana, or Geneva.
- Don’t make it fancy.
- Make sure it is easy to read.
✓Correct Example
Edward Franklin
☓Incorrect Example
Eddie Frank
Job Title
Many people have the same Job Title on their Resume from their previous job. However, if you’re looking for a new job, you should use that Job Title on your resume. It is the most important keyword that an employer’s application tracking system will look for when reviewing resumes.
Some people are used to presenting their job title with the most relevant certifications and credentials for the job they are applying for. It is a very good tactic.
However, if you are thinking of adding fancy buzzword job titles to your resume headers such as Code Guru and Programming Ninja, or Master, avoid them as much as possible. There is a possibility that it may confuse the applicant tracking system if you use such phrases.
Avoid listing areas that you would like to work in. There you should only mention the job title that you seek. Avoid dishonest or misleading job titles if you do not want your resume to be thrown out.
Resume summary or objective (optional)
Some job seekers add the resume summary, another important feature of a typical resume, to their resume header. There is nothing wrong here. But it’s up to you to decide whether or not to add a summary or objective line to the resume headline.
This is usually 1 to 3 sentences that you can include to get an idea of who you are, and why you should be hired for the role.
If you want to include the resume summary in the header, there are separate resume templates for them.
Location
Just mention the city and the state and let them know your location.
Avoid writing the full address as it is only needed if you are only recruited. They only want to get a rough idea of how far you are from the company or workplace.
Phone number
Your future employer may want to contact you quickly if he/she is satisfied with your resume. Recruiters might reach out to you due to the following reasons.
- To arrange an interview
- Asking for references
- To do an over-the-phone interview
So in such a case, mentioning your phone number in your resume will make the recruiter contact you easily. Therefore enter the best accessible phone number that you use often.
Email address
70% of resumes are rejected because of their unprofessional email addresses. Therefore, your email address will be more important in your job search than you think. So when you add an email address to your resume, pay close attention to the following things.
- Your email address should be a professional one.
- The email address should be very personal to you.
- To represent your professional identity use your name in the email.
- Do not use the email address of your current workplace.
- It should be made from a valid modern email service provider like Gmail.
If you have an email address like mentioned above, include it in your resume header. Or else make a new one right now.
Tips to remember
- Avoid adding multiple phone numbers. Just include one.
- Never use the work number.
- Use dashes to separate the area code and number blocks.
- If you are applying for a job in a foreign country, be sure to include your phone number along with your country code.
How to make an eye-catching resume header
It is necessary to include the above-mentioned details in your resume’s header. There is no doubt, all the other applicants will do the same.
However, among the sea of resumes how can you sparkle your resume header? Here are some things you can do to make it stand out and increase the chance of getting a job.
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LinkedIn URL
•
Personal website/Portfolio website
•
GitHub/Stack Overflow
LinkedIn URL
Today, a well-maintained LinkedIn profile is one of the most important tools for your job search. It is the largest professional network in the world and 94% of recruiters actively use LinkedIn across the globe.
Recruiters can view the following things through your LinkedIn profile.
- Your connections and endorsements.
- Your networking skills.
- People who have recommended you
- Professional photograph
In addition, if you include the URL of your LinkedIn profile in the resume header, your future employer will be able to access it. They can see your professional background, qualifications, and experiences through this. As a result, it will undoubtedly benefit your job search.
Customize your LinkedIn URL so that you can make it memorable instead of the default link they give you when you first join LinkedIn. You can go to LinkedIn Profile Settings and customize your link.
If you’re not sure how to customize your LinkedIn URL, check out our guide: LinkedIn URL on resumes.
The following are examples of a default LinkedIn URL and a properly customized LinkedIn URL.
✓Correct LinkedIn URL
linkedin.com/in/EmmaLee
☓Incorrect / Default LinkedIn URL
linkedin.com/in/EmmaLee544728980
Personal website
When applying for jobs at IT companies, marketing, or creative industries, create your own website or an online portfolio.
Why don’t you include it in your resume header too?
Because:
- It’s a great opportunity to show off your skills and abilities to a recruiter.
- A very good tactic to impress your recruiters.
- It helps to express your brand and offers different opportunities.
GitHub/Stack Overflow
If you are a programmer, coder, or IT expert, this resume tip is especially for you. Get involved with GitHub. It gives a better idea about your skills and experience to the recruiters.
If you have completed a lot of coding projects or if you have given many solutions for coding questions you are good to go with GitHub and Stack Overflow URLs in your resume header as they establish your credibility and your depth of knowledge.
Should You Include Twitter Link on Your Resume? yes, but only if it is relevant to your employment. You can use it to display your skills. You can use pictures to show your achievements. Research shows that Tweets with photos get 313% more engagement.
Apart from LinkedIn, Twitter is the second-best branding tool to add to a resume. Treat your account as a brand therefore, you can build your personal brand and an outstanding profile to add to your job application. Now you have a decent amount of followers to self-promote you. Engage with your followers. Ultimately you will advance your image professionally to reach your professional goals.
However, If you use your Twitter account to express your personal opinions, and more like someone collecting votes it’s better not to mention that on your resume.
What to avoid on a resume header in 2022?
You must understand first that looking for a perfect candidate for the job role is like looking for a black cat in a coal cellar. Recruiters need to look through a pile of resumes for a vacant position and they do not hesitate to throw your resume out if they find a single mistake.
Let me save you from making any more mistakes. The information listed below should not be included in your header for any reason.
Photograph
Appearance should be irrelevant to the world of work, only brains and talent should count. Some people find the photo distracting, also it can expose you to various discriminations such as gender, race, and/or color. As recommended by recruiters and career experts and recruiters you should not include your photograph on a resume.
Social media handles
Do I need to include social media links inside the resume header? It is a frequently asked question by many job seekers. Let’s find out the answer.
Many companies nowadays read candidates’ Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social networking site links. Recruiters use these links of yours to find negative information about applicants.
But you can turn that to your advantage and prove that you’re an expert in the relevant field. However, if you are a recent graduate or a job seeker, I recommend you to use social media links in your resume header but if you do not use them for professional purposes it’s better to leave them out.
Irrelevant personal details
Obviously, it only invites questions about things you really don’t want to discuss with your employer. Discard personal information and physical appearance in a resume such as your gender, height, weight, etc. Also do not include your personal beliefs and creeds such as political opinions, religion, race, caste, etc.
Because some of your opinions may be offensive to others. So try not to include such information in your resume header as much as possible.
You should not include or highlight such information as it only confuses prospective employers. Moreover, by omitting irrelevant information allows your resume to condense onto one page which is an advantage.
The word ‘RESUME’
You should NEVER use the word “RESUME” to label it when writing your resume. Many people do that but it is a bad practice and does not give priority to things that are irrelevant.
Every recruiter knows that they are reading a resume. So it does not need an unnecessary introduction.
Leave Out Important Numbers
You should leave out numbers that may cause issues to your identity from your Resume Headers such as driver’s license number, social security number, or credit card numbers.
Salary expectation
Very rarely recruiters need to know the salary you expect to make and salary history. If so, include it in your cover letter. Do not include it in your resume in any case.
Also, check your state laws because some states have enacted bans on asking for salary history.
Resume header examples
All the resume heading examples below are created using our free resume builder.
You can also create your resume heading through Resumoz for absolutely free.
How Long Should Your Resume Be in 2022?
The purpose of a resume is to “sell yourself” therefore, our professional career experts always recommend that you should limit your resume to one page. 2-page resumes are okay, but depending on your degree of experience, your resume may be more than two pages. Most importantly, don’t omit important details to keep your resume to one page, but don’t go over two pages.
Do I need to include a resume header on the second page?
The short answer is, “NO” It does not require a full header. However, at the top of the second page, you can add your name and phone number. So, if the recruiter forgets your name and needs to contact you right away, he won’t have to go back to page one.
Match your resume header with cover letter header
The main aim of a cover letter is to convince the reader to look at your Resume. Therefore, you must send a cover letter with your resume as an attachment. The cover letter should form a personal connection between you and the recruiter.
Even though the content is different you can match the headers of those two documents. When designing your headers, focus on achieving clarity and simplicity of both documents. How does this help you? When you present information in an organized manner, your prospective employer will think that you are a very organized character. It will be a great help to your career as well.
Extra ingredients to create a unique header and stand out in 2022
- Use bold, extra bold, regular fonts.
- Use Ivory and Charcoal, Black and White, Dark Green and Gray resume color schemes.
- Capitalization.
- The distance between the letters.
Why is the resume header an important concern in ATS scan
At present, applicant tracking systems are widely used across the globe by not only large-scale companies but also small to mid-sized companies to streamline the hiring process. With the advent of ATS, every applicant had to optimize their resume for ATS. Otherwise, getting a job is only a dream for them.
How to make a resume header ATS compliant?
- Use ATS-readable fonts like Calibri, Verdana, Cambria, etc.
- It should be very readable for both humans and robots.
- Make the email address and the other URLs clickable in your PDF and Word resume previews.
- Avoid images and other graphics on your resume header to get the optimum results.
- Do not use fancy graphics in your resume.
Proofread and finalize
Take the time to proofread your letter thoroughly and check for spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, and grammatical inconsistencies. Use a spell checker to find any misspelled words but remember that you cannot depend on that so give your document to someone else to read. They might be able to pick up a lot more errors.
If you’re going to use US spelling, then use it throughout your resume. Also, if you add a credential in your resume headline make sure to use the proper abbreviation. Moreover, If you provided any links to any of your online profiles, recheck whether you have given the link to the correct destination or not.
Do ensure that you label your resume with your name. For example: Sarah Williams Resume
Resume header: frequently asked questions
Q: Is it a mandatory requirement to add a resume header?
A: The short answer is “Yes”. It is because it is one of the basic parts of a resume that has all information and contact details of the applicant. Your prospective employer will see it first and you need to stick to a professional header that matches your cover letter header.
Q: Where is the heading located in a resume?
A: Top. Your resume’s header functions as a title at the top of the page. The best practice is to align your resume header’s information to the left, center, or right.
Q: When to use a two-page resume header?
A: We strongly suggest limiting your resume to one page. But sometimes depending on your experience level, the resume will go beyond the length of 1-page.
Q: Should a resume have a footer?
A: It depends on the length of the resume. If it is a two-page resume and sent through email, adding your last name or page number in the footer is better.
Q: How large should your name be on your resume?
A: It’s better to be bold and readable with a font size of 14 – 15 points.
Q: How to create a winning resume header?
A: Resumoz is an excellent resume-building tool with proven success and the only thing you need to do is enter your details and download your resume. You are a few clicks away building an impressive resume header. Also,You have free resume templates in our template library with on-point designs.
Resume header checklist
- Make your name the biggest text in the resume. It can act as the heading of your resume.
- Insert your job title or any relevant credential as a subtitle to your headline.
- Insert a frequently used phone number and a professional email address. So that your prospective employer can keep in touch with you.
- The full address is not necessary. It is sufficient to add the city and the state as your location.
- Add some of your social media handles and links to online portfolios if and only if they are maintained professionally.
- Avoid adding a photograph of yourself into the resume header.