Human resources (HR) is a dynamic, rapidly expanding field that offers many potential career paths. Any company can benefit from having a skilled human resources professional on board to hire the right people, develop their talents, and help them succeed in their roles. After all, great employees are some of the most valuable assets a company can have.
Whether you’re seeking to become a human resources generalist, assistant, manager, or director, you can expect to work closely with other people and influence the culture of the company you’re working for. In addition to hiring and training new employees, your responsibilities could include managing performance, resolving conflicts, and communicating company policies to staff.
In the past, human resources roles were more heavily focused on administrative tasks such as payroll and benefits. While modern human resources professionals still do some of these duties, they are also leaders who support team members and provide guidance to others.
The demand for these talented professionals is steadily growing, and jobs for human resource managers and specialists are expected to increase by 6-7% over the next decade -- faster than the average growth rate in other professions.
If you’re applying for positions within human resources, you’ll need to show that you are adept at working with others and can juggle a wide range of responsibilities. How do you create a human resources resume that reflects the qualities recruiters are looking for in 2023? Read on to see our resume templates for inspiration.
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The human resources manager is an integral role in any company. The HR manager is responsible for a wide array of duties related to employee satisfaction, retention, and onboarding. They may pilot employee recognition programs, revise benefit packages, create training programs, and much more. Human resources managers are dynamic individuals with great people skills and great problem-solving abilities.
To become a human resources manager, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as psychology or sociology. A master’s degree isn’t always necessary but can help you land this role more easily. Hiring managers will look for someone with previous experience as a recruiter, HR generalist, or training specialist. To land this role, you should demonstrate your past experience in improving employee experience and retention.
To strengthen your resume, you can gain relevant certifications in human resources. A common certificate to obtain for this role is the SPHR (senior professional in human resources) credential. These certifications show hiring managers you are educated and up-to-date on effective human resources strategies.
Human resources manager jobs are usually senior roles that come with added responsibilities. As a human resources manager, you’ll likely oversee the interviewing and hiring of new employees, and you’ll also have a hand in planning and carrying out administrative functions at the company. A resume like this one will showcase your years of experience in human resources. You can use your bullet points to illustrate your stellar interpersonal, organizational, and management skills.
If you’re seeking a human resources manager job, your work history and accomplishments should be front and center on your resume, as shown in this example. When discussing your previous human resources roles, make sure to give examples of how you managed others, created new policies, devised strategies, and led new initiatives that positively impacted the companies you worked for.
To land a senior-level role, you need to show leadership and initiative. As a human resources manager, you’ll train, coach, mentor, and guide others, so you need to be a strong leader. Pointing out promotions at past jobs shows that you are a leader as well as an exemplary employee who is committed to their professional growth.
Entry-level human resources professionals can play important roles within a company, too. As human resources assistants or coordinators, they can start learning the ropes of an organization and do clerical duties to help support their department. To get one of these jobs, create a resume like this one to highlight your human resources-related education and internship history.
This resume starts out with the candidate’s education, and you can clearly see that he or she studied human resources management. If you have this type of degree, make sure to mention it prominently. Any internship experiences in human resources -- as well as achievements such as training and leading team building workshops -- can also help strengthen your job application.
In addition to formal education and internships, this resume sample lists school and volunteer projects that relate to human resources. You can use community service and other projects you’ve done to demonstrate other relevant skills such as organization, coordination of activities, and leadership.
A human resources business partner functions as a consultant to a company’s senior management. These professionals provide insights and develop human resources strategies to benefit employees as well as the company itself. If you’re pursuing one of these roles, choose a resume like this one to show that you have previous experience in the field, strong analytical skills, and strategic decision-making abilities.
In this resume template, the bullet points begin with strong action verbs that highlight the candidate’s consultative and managerial skills. Using verbs such as “conducted”, “led”, “established” and “educated” helps show your proactivity and frame your achievements in a favorable light.
Most of the accomplishments mentioned in this resume’s bullet points also include specific metrics (e.g. “saved the company nearly $200,000” or “cut training hours by 5 hours per session”). It’s essential to use specific examples like these to show how your actions and decisions achieved tangible results.
A human resources recruiter is an especially important role at any company. This role is responsible for finding talent, filling open roles, and identifying which candidates' applications will move forward to the next step in the interviewing process. In this role, you will be responsible for tasks such as posting advertising job openings, creating job descriptions, opening conversations with qualified applicants, and determining which applicants should be considered for the role.
To become a human resources recruiter, you will need a mix of relevant knowledge and experience. Those chosen for this role typically have a relevant bachelor’s degree in a field like psychology or sociology. Hiring managers will also be looking for someone with HR and/or recruiting experience, such as in previous roles as a headhunter or talent acquisition specialist. Ideal candidates for the human resources recruiter role will have superb people skills, an ability to collaborate internally, and outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written.
The recruiter is the person who gives the initial assessment of whether a candidate is qualified for a role or not. For this reason, you should demonstrate any experience you have leading or assisting in the early hiring process. If you do not have that experience, you could also highlight related experiences such as being involved in an internal promotion decision-making process.
Where other human resources professionals oversee staff for the duration of their employment, recruiters focus exclusively on filling open jobs within the company. They may write job postings, review resumes, conduct interviews, and hire the most qualified candidates. When you’re applying for a recruiter position, your resume should demonstrate that you are comfortable and experienced with all aspects of the hiring process, as shown in this resume sample.
This resume example highlights specific work experiences that are relevant to the job at hand. It’s great to point out any previous recruiting or hiring experience you have to show that you can handle duties like enhancing candidate screening, leading recruitment projects, and spearheading diversity initiatives.
Being well-versed in software like ATS or LinkedIn Recruiter can make you even more marketable as a candidate since you may need to use these programs on the job. Make sure to use your skills section to list your hard skills in recruiting software.
If you work in human resources for long enough, you might eventually reach the top of the ladder as a senior manager or director. When you become a human resources director, you’ll be in charge of the entire department, overseeing managers, specialists, assistants, and others. If you want the job, your resume needs to show plenty of experience in human resources as well as management and leadership roles.
Vague assertions about what you achieved at past jobs don’t tell a hiring manager very much. Wherever possible, provide specific numbers and figures to quantify your impact, especially if you managed large numbers of employees or implemented staffing initiatives that led to significant growth and change.
Beginning your achievements with verbs like “partnered”, “coached”, or “managed” leaves a strong impression on recruiters, and it also accentuates your skills as a manager and leader of people. These are essential for Senior and Director roles.
A human resources administrator role can be a stepping stone to a management or director position. Administrators help with tasks like maintaining personnel files, assisting with hiring, preparing documents, and updating databases. To become an administrator, choose a resume similar to this one to showcase your administrative abilities and analytical skills. You should also be able to show that you work well with people and that you have been a leader to others.
Although human resources administrator roles typically aren’t as senior as management jobs, it’s still beneficial to mention past positions where you were promoted or given more responsibilities. Promotions highlight your proactivity and show that you are capable of being a leader.
This resume lists technical skills that are specific to human resources as well as clerical work. It’s helpful to also list any certifications or other credentials you have in human resources so you can be even more competitive for the job.
Human resources generalists can have wide-ranging responsibilities including hiring, administrative tasks, managing employee performance, and developing company policies. If you’re going for this job, use your resume to highlight your versatility and competence in a variety of different human resources-related duties (such as managing payroll or creating programs to boost employee morale).
Generalists need to be able to perform a variety of responsibilities well. Focusing your resume on similar roles that you’ve done in the past -- even if the duties weren’t identical -- shows that you can wear different hats and are experienced with the type of work that you might do in your new job.
Using clear and specific language also paints a clear picture of what you accomplished at past jobs and how you did it. Action verbs such as “managed”, “developed”, and “structured” are very human resources-specific and showcase relevant skills for the job.
An HR assistant is tasked with completing everyday administrative tasks in the HR department, as well as any other HR-related task assigned to them. These tasks may include, doing background checks on potential employees, onboarding new employees, assisting in organizing payroll, etc.
Recruiters will be looking for an educational background in HR or a related field, as well as experience as an HR assistant. Here is an example of a strong HR assistant resume.
While you will need to be experienced with administrative tools, you also need to make sure your tools section includes HR-related tools such as ATS software, and resume databases. Ensure you keep up to date on the newest software being used, and consistently update your tools list accordingly.
Show recruiters how much you can do by including figures when discussing your experience in previous positions. E.g. this applicant ‘copied 200 documents, sent 490 emails…’. Recruiters will always want to hire someone whom they know will be value for money and will get a lot done efficiently.
This is an entry-level position where you will be tasked with HR administrative duties and with serving as a middleman between employees and managers, directors, or third parties. In essence, your job is to receive any questions or concerns employees may have and work to get them the assistance they need.
To thrive in this position you need to have excellent communication skills, an in-depth knowledge of the workings of the HR department, and experience with industry-standard HR tools. Take a look at this strong HR coordinator resume.
Internships are a great way to bolster your resume if you have no professional experience in the HR department. They are slightly easier to get, and can give you a good training and great accomplishments to list on your resume. This will be beneficial when applying for a full-time position.
As a general coordinator, you may find yourself handling tasks in a variety of areas of HR. Show recruiters that you are well equipped for this, by showing them that you have experience in most tasks under HR’s purview. This applicant did this by listing the main tasks under the ‘Technical Skills’ section.
The HR specialist position is an entry-level position. Tasks that may be assigned to you include, hiring staff, onboarding, maintaining employee records, training staff, and mediating workplace disputes, among others.
Recruiters will expect to see a bachelor’s degree in human resources or a similar field at the very least. Beyond this, they will be looking for experience in the HR field and evidence of skills useful for the position. Take a look at this strong HR specialist resume.
Stand out from the crowd by going the extra step to get certifications in the HR field. It shows recruiters your dedication to the profession and also shows your capabilities.
Ensure all the industry-standard HR tools are listed in your skills section. Do a crash course for those you are not familiar with. Go the extra step and research what tools the company you are applying to use and ensure all those tools are listed.
A vice president in HR is an executive in charge of overseeing the department's operations. Your purview is broad and your tasks may be many. Tasks you can expect include hiring HR managers, participating in the creation of HR’s goals and strategy, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations, etc. Soft skills required include excellent communication skills, organizational and management skills, and problem-solving skills, just to name a few.
As this is an executive-level position, a strong and impressive resume is a must. Recruiters will expect to see a bachelor’s degree in HR, or a similar field, and will highly prefer to see a Master’s in HR, law, or a similar field. Beyond your qualifications, you will need to show a long and successful history working in management or executive positions in HR. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume.
Many recruiters will require HR certification for this executive-level position. It might be certification like SHRM or whichever certification is recognized in the state or country of application.
Your skills and tools should be a balance between management tools and HR tools. Ensure the industry standard tools for both functions are included and take a crash course for any you are not yet familiar with.
The VP of Human Resources is a senior level position found in most companies. The VP of HR is responsible for overseeing the operations of the entire human resources department. This means they set the framework for several HR functions, including the hiring and firing process. The VP of Humans Resources is also responsible for reviewing employee benefits packages, compensation plans, and training resources.
Hiring managers will be looking for someone with several years of experience and strong leadership skills for this role. A good candidate will have at least a bachelor's degree in human resources or a related field like sociology or psychology. A master's degree in any of these disciplines may help you stand out. Hiring managers will also be looking for someone with several years of progressive HR experience.
As the VP of Human Resources oversees an entire department’s operations, it’s important for the VP of HR to be knowledgeable and effective in leading others. Previous leadership experience, such as a role as the director of HR, will show you have experience overseeing the complexities of the HR department. Bonus points if you can point to a difficult task you lead, such as negotiating employee salaries, in a previous role.
Though a relevant education and experiences may be enough to land this role, gaining additional certifications in human resources will only enhance your resume for this senior-level role. There are several certifications available, such as the SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) credential. Taking and passing a course like this shows hiring managers you have in-depth knowledge of high level human resources responsibilities.
For any human resources role, you need to be a “people person” with the ability to communicate well, lead effectively, and handle a variety of interpersonal situations that may arise. You also have to be extremely organized, detail-oriented, and skilled at enforcing policies in a diplomatic but honest way.
When applying for a human resources job, carefully craft your resume with specific examples of your people skills, administrative competency, and leadership abilities. Hard skills (such as fluency in Workday or ATS software) should be listed in your skills section.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Human Resources (HR) job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
How can you use your resume to make yourself even more competitive for a human resources role? Here are a few words of advice.
Aspiring human resources professionals should have specific achievements they can point to from past jobs as proof of their skills. Using clear, direct action verbs to talk about these accomplishments can heighten the perceived value of what you’ve done.
This list of action verbs includes ones that are especially useful for talking about leadership and mentorship experiences. In human resources positions, you’ll often need to manage, mentor, facilitate, motivate, organize, and counsel -- and using the right verbiage can help you showcase your most relevant skills in only a few words.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
If you're a senior-level employee, or you're changing careers to become a Human Resources (HR), it's useful to add a paragraph at the top of your resume highlighting your most impressive accomplishments. This is called a resume summary.
Here's an example of a summary that can be used on a Human Resources (HR) resume.
A resume summary is a totally optional section, and in most cases, it's better to leave it out of your resume than include it. For example, if you're a student or mid-level hire, you should not include a summary, and instead use the space to add to your work experience.
To learn how to write an effective resume summary for your Human Resources (HR) resume, or figure out if you need one, please read Resume Summary Examples for Job Seekers: When To Include One.
You should use bullet points to describe your achievements in your Human Resources (HR) resume. Here are sample bullet points to help you get started:
Identified, assessed and on-boarded 12 mid-level employees for new Boston office in <6 months
Introduced standardized on-boarding templates and training program for 100+ new joiners; reduced employee on-boarding time from one month to just one week
Proposed and implemented new Employee Incentive program, decreasing employee turnover by over 25%
For more sample bullet points and details on how to write effective bullet points, see our articles on resume bullet points, how to quantify your resume and resume accomplishments.
