Director of Human Resources Resume| An All-Inclusive Guide

How to Write a HR Director Resume?

As an HR director, it is very important to have a resume that instantly impresses and gets the recruiter’s attention. Since this is a senior position, your resume will need to showcase an impressive professional background and your key accomplishments. In order to adequately present your employment history, skills and qualifications, you need to keep the following pointers in mind

• Choose an apt resume format that is perfectly suited to present your professional history, skills and achievements.
• Begin your resume with a strong header and include your personal and contact information including your full name, designation, phone number, email address and LinkedIn profile. 
• Write a brief and targeted resume summary that highlights your key professional strengths, skills and career goals. 
• Emphasize your relevant experience using bullet points and strong action verbs.
• Create a separate skills section which mentions your technical skills, soft skills and industry-specific skills.
• Include an organized education section and list your academic background by mentioning your degree, the name of the institution and your graduation date. 
• Include certifications, training programs or courses you have taken to show your commitment towards professional growth and development. 
• Ensure that you maintain consistent formatting throughout your director of human resources resume.
• Write a tailored cover letter that emphasizes your genuine interest and high suitability for the HR director position. 
• Make sure that your director of human resources resume is compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS) softwares. 
• Proofread and edit your resume thoroughly before you finalize and start sending your resume to recruiters. 
• Aim for a resume length of one-two pages. 
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Choose the Correct Resume Format

Choosing the right format starts your resume writing process on the right note. With the correct format, you will be able to highlight the sections of your choice and present a well-formed director of human resources resume. There are multiple formats to choose from but we will be focussing on the three most commonly used resume formats. 

Chronological Format

The chronological format is the most common format which is widely used and universally accepted. It focuses on the work experience section and lists it in a reverse chronological order starting with the most recent job. It is perfectly suited for candidates who have a strong professional background with a linear career progression in the same professional field. Please find below the structure for a chronological resume style. 

• Header section
• Resume Summary section
• Experience section
• Education section
• Skills section
• Certifications (If applicable)
• Extra sections (optional)-Professional memberships and affiliations, languages, volunteer work
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Functional Format

The functional resume format works best for candidates with a non-traditional working background. This format focuses on skills and qualifications rather than your employment history. It works wonders to conceal the gaps in your work history or change of careers and draws attention to your professional competencies. 

• Header section
• Resume Summary section
• Skills summary section
• Achievements section
• Experience section
• Education section
• Extra sections (optional)-Professional memberships and affiliations, languages, volunteer work
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Hybrid Format

The hybrid or combination format, as the name suggests, is an amalgamation of the main features of the chronological and functional formats. In this style of resume, your skills and experience will be given equal importance. It is meant for candidates who do not want to give precedence to either and present a skill and experienced based HR director resume. 

• Header section
• Resume summary section
• Skills summary section
• Job experience section
• Education section
• Optional additional sections- Professional memberships and affiliations, languages, extra curricular activities
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Since the director of human resources is a senior and experience based role, we highly recommend using the chronological format to present a steady career growth and position yourself as the right candidate for the position in the eyes of hiring managers and recruiters.

The Important Sections of a HR Director Resume

There are 5 mandatory sections that need to be present in every professional resume. These are the contact information, professional summary, experience, skills and education sections. These are the key components of every resume that help an employer determine whether a candidate is suitable for the job or not. Apart from these sections, you always have the option to add extra sections like certifications, professional affiliations, languages etc. Let’s take a detailed look at the main sections for your HR director resume.

Header

The header is the topmost and most prominent part of your HR director resume. In this section you are supposed to mention your personal details along with your contact information. This section should be carefully written to avoid any errors. The following information needs to be provided in the header section of your resume. 

• Full name
• Job title
• Phone number
• Email address
• LinkedIn Profile
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Example

Professional Summary

A good professional summary gives you the chance of making a strong first impression on hiring managers and recruiters. It also plays a huge role in determining whether a hiring manager will be interested to continue reading your resume. A summary should be brief and concise and not extend more than 3-5 sentences. It needs to capture your professional experience, key skills and qualifications and market you as the best person for the job. Here are some pointers to keep in mind while constructing your HR director resume summary.

• Make a strong opening statement with the help of an apt adjective before your designation and continue with the number of years of experience you have as an HR professional.
• Highlight a key achievement, skill and draw attention to your capability to handle the pressures of a leadership position.
• Showcase industry expertise and tailor your summary to show your understanding of the unique challenges and dynamic nature of the director of HR role. 
• Express your commitment to employee development, talent acquisition and retention as well as your problem-solving skills. These are qualities that will resonate with most employers. 
• Avoid unnecessary details and information and focus on the most relevant aspects of your professional background. 
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Example

Work Experience

For a senior designation like an HR director, the work experience section of your resume is the most important. Recruiters will be on the lookout for candidates who have the required number of years of relevant experience under their belt. It is imperative to detail this section in an intelligent manner and include the most important aspects of your career. Here are some tips to help you write an effective and impactful experience section for your HR director resume.

• List your previous jobs in a reverse chronological manner starting with the latest job you had. 
• Begin every section with your designation, name of the company and the exact time period of your employment.
• Avoid using long paragraphs and stick to bullet points to describe your past roles and responsibilities. 
• Start every bullet point with a strong action verb like executed, maintained, organized, spearheaded etc. 
• Apart from listing your duties, mention your key achievements and showcase your career highlights with the aid of specific metrics and examples.
• Stick to the past tense while describing your past work and only use present tense if you are currently employed with a company.
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Example

Skills

It is important to have a dedicated skills section showcasing both your technical skills as well as your soft skills. Remember to prioritize the most relevant skills for the HR director role on the top. Make sure that the skills you highlight align with the key responsibilities and expectations of the position. Always list your skills in bullet points to offer easy readability. Here are some of the top skills you can mention in your director of human resources resume.

• Talent acquisition and retention
• Workforce planning
• Employee relations
• Conflict resolution
• Organizational development
• Compensation and benefits
• Leadership
• Team management
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability
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Education

In this section, you need to detail your academic background and qualifications accurately. Start with the highest level of education you have received. For instance, if you have a master's degree, then mention that first. It is always an added advantage if your education is relevant to the job that you are applying for. Besides that if you have any relevant certification in the field of human resources, it is important to list that too. While detailing your educational qualifications, mention the following details.

• Degree earned
• Name of the institution
• Graduation date
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Example

Proofread

It is important to proofread your resume multiple times to scan it for any errors. There is no excuse for grammatical and typographical errors in a director of human resources resume. For a senior role like this, a potential employer will expect a flawless resume. It is also important to keep a lookout for formatting and design consistencies. This process ensures your resume is error-free and ready for the job market.

Customize Your Resume Before Every Job Application

Tailoring your director of human resources resume is a key step to finding success in your job search. The reason for this is that every employer has their own unique set of requirements and expectations from the position. In a competitive job market, it is not possible to have a generic resume that fits every application. Another reason to customize your resume is to bypass applicant tracking systems (ATS) which most companies use to filter the large number of applications they receive. Here are some pointers on how to tailor your resume to meet the employer's expectations.

• Carefully read the job description and incorporate all the keywords and phrases into your resume.
• Research the company culture and highlight how you are a perfect fit for the role.
• Customize the professional summary, work experience and skills sections to align with the requirements of the HR director position you are applying for.
• Complement your resume with a targeted cover letter which positions you as the most suitable candidate.
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Formatting and Styling Tips for Your HR Director Resume

A director of human resources resume needs to have a clean and professional look. The aesthetics of your resume are equally important and deserves time and attention. Here are some tips to ensure that your resume looks as good as it reads.

• Pick an apt resume format to ensure your professional information is presented in a structured and organized manner.
• Choose professional and easy to read fonts like Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman.
• Use bulleted lists to make your resume easy to read.
• Maintain uniform consistency throughout your resume including font style, size, design elements for a polished look.
• Leave enough white space between sections to avoid a cluttered and messy look.
• Maintain consistent margins on all sides of your HR director resume.
• Differentiate sections headings by making them bold and using a larger font size.
• Consider using horizontal lines to separate sections and make your resume more visually appealing.
• Make sure your resume is concise and doesn't extend more than one-two pages.
• Avoid excessive formatting and the use of graphics, images as these elements can confuse an ATS software.
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