How to Decide on what Optional Sections to add on a C.V or Resume

How should you decide on what optional sections to add to a C.V or Resume?

The guidance when deciding what sections to add is that you should only include a section if it is relevant to the industry or role in question – even if it looks good, if you add information that is not relevant on your C.V or resume it is more likely to be rejected, (especially for higher paying roles where very specific types of skills or qualifications are typically required). This is because there is less chance of you being regarded as a good fit for the role in question

You should also consider the wording on the job description itself, (as this will inform you as to what the employer is looking for). As well as how much space you have available (if using a resume) when it comes to prioritizing what entries you feel are most relevant to include

When it comes to optional sections, as a rule, recruiters are typically looking for any information about you that makes you suitable for that role. Even though it might be impressive, anything that is NOT relevant tends to make them uneasy and makes it more difficult for them to tick the right boxes, which is ultimately more likely to cause them to have doubts about your ability to perform the role itself

When choosing what entries to include, another factor is to prioritize entries based on how recent they are. Any activities or listings in most sections that are dated within the past 3-5 years will normally still be considered recent. Remember that there is no set rule as to how far back you should go when it comes to adding listings in most optional sections of your C.V, although some things like qualifications and certifications may only be valid for so long. Also, keep in mind that the further back the listing, the less impactful it may be…

…If you have a listing that’s older but more relevant, or a more recent listing that is less relevant, try and include them both, but prioritise including the more relevant listing in the first instance

Lastly, don’t hesitate to go back and review the sections on your C.V if you’re not getting the types of responses you want!!!