Because as an HR assistant, chances of hiring an HR assistant are quite low and you might not know how exactly a senior HR manager processes and screens the resume for the position of HR assistant and what should your HR assistant resume look like. So that is what we are here for, we have curated this article which is a complete guide with bonus tips even, that will help you improve and/or enhance your HR assistant resume. And in case, you are a fresher, the guide will also help you write your HR assistant resume from scratch!
The guide will talk about resume formats and cover letters and how should each section of your resume be written and bonus tips for increasing your chances of getting a call back for an interview. We have even provided a specially curated list for the relevant skills to include on your HR assistant resume and that's not all! We have also created a list of relevant keywords for your HR assistant resume so that your efforts and time and energy-everything is saved significantly.
Professional resume guidelines
- Your professional resume should be accurate meaning you should get rid of any and every spelling mistakes, factual errors and grammatical mistakes to ensure there is no scope of a disappointment for the HR manager when they read your HR assistant resume, the accuracy is a sign of professionalism which is a must for any role or any task in the corporate world.
- When you are writing your professional resume, you may come across a number of resume template and resume examples and resume formats, you need to make sure that you choose the resume format that is suitable for your profile and helps you highlight the important details of your profile. We will discuss more about resume formats in a while in this article.
- When you are using resume template, make sure you replace every single detail from the resume template with your profile's information and edit the margins etc. to ensure the visual appeal. The margins, font colors, and font sizes as well as the white space on your resume should all be symmetrical and well organized so that the visual appeal of your resume is not compromised.
- You should use the bullet points wherever possible and also try to use a maximum number of action verbs to increase the impact of the language. You should also quantify as many details as possible with numbers so that the information has the desired impact and appears as impressive.
- Do not forget to include the relevant keywords throughout your HR assistant resume.
- The language of your HR assistant resume should be formal for which you should use third person, past tense throughout your HR assistant resume.
Research for human resources assistant resume
As a person who is applying for the job of a human resource assistant, you might already know the importance of research while you are searching for a job in the current market. There are a few guidelines we will follow to understand how to conduct research for the position of human resource assistant.
Job Market:
As a future human resource assistant of the organization you will be applying to, you should research about the job market thoroughly. The eligibility of that role, the scope, the scalability, and whether there is a future at that organization with the position you are applying for. The job market in the field of finance is always changing and there are so many types of jobs that are emerging as the industry is becoming more tech savvy.
Therefore you should also research the current trends of the market such as any new law that has erupted in the country, and new degrees, the new competition you should be aware of with the organization. Considering all of this you should apply and make a decision about whether you want to go with this company or not.
Job Description
The job description research is important as each organization you apply to might have a different job description and each of these companies will expect you to do more than what is written on the piece of paper you will eventually sign. However, the basic things under the job description will remain the same, which means that the following will remain in your job description wherever you go:
- Performing periodic audits of human resource files
- Assisting with payroll functions
- Maintaining the accuracy of personnel files
Secondly, in order to know more about the job description in the market you should visit websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, Monsters.com, Glassdoor, CareerJet, etc., and other professional social media websites catered for searching for jobs, and other job portals. This will allow you to be prepared for what can come in your job description. The aforementioned will allow you to prepare yourself for other stages of the job application process once you clear the ATS.
Self Assessment
Under this section of research, you need to look within yourself, which is to introspect as a person. You need to reflect; list down your qualifications, your skills (soft and hard), what are your achievements, and your previous jobs work descriptions. This will allow you to prepare yourself when you are sitting in for the interview as well, you will know since you have reflected on what you have done till now and you are confident in what you have finished and a revision is always a good idea.
This will also help you understand whether you are fit for the role you are applying to in this case of a human resource assistant. Whether your background matches the requirements of the organization and if you are a cultural fit. Since you might have researched about the company in the previous phases, the self-assessment will help you understand better about how you can put your skills and knowledge to use in the company's mission and vision statements.
Resume Structure
The resume structure is a key aspect in resume research for the role of human resource assistant. In this part of the research, you need to know what structure you will follow for your role and what type of resume will best fit your background, your skills, and your work history.
You need to see if the reverse chronological resume format, the functional format, or the hybrid format will best suit your needs. The aforementioned structures or formats will be better explained in the article further, however, we are giving you an idea of what to expect, and along with that, the names are very straight forward. The reason to know what structure to use efficiently is to exemplify your strengths and your experiences the most.
Key Words
Key words and action verbs are jargon you might say. You might have researched very ardently about how to write a resume, especially as a person who will further analyze the personnel of that company on a daily basis. It is a crucial element in how to create your resume.
You need to be diligent and intricate in what words you choose and how you place them on the resume so that you can catch the attention of the hiring manager, the interviewer, and even when you make someone else read your resume to gain more perspective.
You need to be wary of not using the most common key words and action verbs, which can lower the impact of your resume, and that will not be favorable for you even when the resume goes through the ATS (Applicant tracking system).
Therefore, you should find key words and action verbs that are elegant, and easily understood and gauge their definition and whether they are not over the top. These words will eventually put emphasis on your experiences, and your accomplishments.
There will be no limits to the kind of words you will find online when you research, just focus on choosing what will suit you the best and be honest with you as well.
Professional Summary
This section is the first piece of literature that encompasses your experience, your qualifications, and your accomplishments in a matter of a few sentences as it sits at the very top of your resume, right after your resume header.
You need to research what the market and the industry folk are putting in their resume with respect to objectives, the type of experiences and achievements, and most importantly the kind of language they are using. You need to know what kind of qualifications need to be highlighted, or the types of achievements, experiences, or anything of value to you that will enhance your resume.
This section gives the hiring manager a snapshot of your career and that is why it needs to be accurate, honest, and outstanding. This summary also tells the objective of your candidature since you are putting in elements of your life, you will be presenting your personality and how you work through the greatest things of your professional life in this section.
The aforementioned are reasons why you need to carefully research what other human resources assistant applicants are putting in.
Resume Length
Research what is the standard size of your resume for the role of a human resource assistant, it should not ideally be more than a page as a resume is a shorter version of curriculum vitae (CV), however, it can be longer. Moreover, be careful since even if you limit yourself to one page you cannot put your CV in your resume, everything has to be precise and concise.
In response of putting your whole professional life on one page, you might tend to put in everything without compromising on certain points. However, the points you mention should be legible, and the font and font size, the spacing between words and lines should not be compromised since that might ruin your chance for an interview.
Tailoring
As a future human resource assistant you need to customize each of your resume to whichever company/ organization you are applying to to showcase interest in each of those particular places. You need to research their websites, their profiles on various platforms, and read any news. This will allow you to use key words that are present in their language to be transferred to your resume which will make them realize that you are fit for their company.
Proofreading
Always proofread your resume and check the formatting. This is the crucial stop after you have created your resume. You need to check for any spelling errors and grammar mistakes you might have made which might look unprofessional to the hiring manager. This might not be a big deal, however, this is the most basic requirement of a professional who is applying for a management position in the field of finance which is regarded very highly.
Online Resources
Go online and search for websites with credibility, take note of several websites and not just one. For example, we are all aware of not choosing Wikipedia as a source of research anywhere, and look in depth beyond that, therefore, in a similar fashion look beyond just LinkedIn and understand your role.
LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is one of the best resources currently for understanding the job market as previously mentioned. LinkedIn is also a platform where you can create your own page like any other social media website but here you need to put in things that are related to your professional life, i.e., education, experiences, achievements, courses, trainings, etc.
Therefore, utilize it such that you can get your relevant key words from there, and check out other human resources assistant profiles, send them a request, converse with them, or read their profile and see what they do on their job if they have it updated and try to gain as much knowledge as possible.
Please also complete your profile by adding in all the relevant details with respect to your professional life and only then put your profile on your resume and other places where recruitment processes are going on.
Formats for human resources assistant resumes
📌Types of human resources assistant resume formats:
- Functional resume format: The Functional format is ideal for those who are starting out in the industry or do not have work experience on their resume, have internships. This is relevant for those who might want to show more things that are not directly associated with the job position one might be applying to, which means that if you are switching from a different profession, similar to the field but not the exact role or if you have recently graduated with an MBA or a similar degree, then your experience will not match the current job role which is why you might want to use this type of format.
- However, this type of resume format might not be relevant for the position of a human resources assistant as this position will only be given to those with relevant experience and qualifications. Do not be disheartened, as we know you would have already known this, but we are sure you will ace your resume since even freshers will have a chance if they are willing to show they have the grit the knowledge, and even the ability to perform from whatever they on their CV, be it being the head of clubs, or taking charge in organizing any event, or doing courses in labor laws, etc.
- Reverse chronological resume format: The Reverse chronological format is as the name states. The chronology of everything you put in your resume in each section is from what is the most recent to what is the oldest. This means that your latest experience will come first and then it will follow down to the earliest experience you want to put on your resume, and majorly all the resumes in the world that people make will follow this principle.
- Secondly, this type of resume is relevant for those individuals that have had years of experience in the designated field, or have had a couple of years of experience and have content to prove it. the reverse chronology makes sense logically since you will want the hiring manager to look at your professional life from what is the most recent thing you have done and what is it that you have done and if you have some recognition then that will also be visible. The recent part is what is important, as that shows how you are as a person in the most recent of times.
- Combination resume format: The combination format is also called the hybrid format and is a mixture of the reverse chronological format and functional format. It combines the features of both to give you a resume format that brings out the best of your background.
- To put it bluntly, this is the resume that is used most widely since the reverse chronological feature is picked up by the people who want to use this resume and then some general features are picked up from the functional format, e.g., maybe the recent most experience is put up at first but the order below might now be in reverse chronology.
- Reverse chronology of the experiences and education section along with the fact that you might be shifting fields from tech with an MBA in Human Resources as an example, you might need this format. Therefore, using this will aid in you becoming the perfect candidate for the role of human resources assistant.
Human resources assistant resume outline
Resume header
Your resume header will consist of the following:
- Full name: You should always mention your full name, preferably what you have put in your government identifications
- Address: Your permanent address, should you choose to put it. You need not put the whole address, the area and area code can also suffice
- Phone number: Your mobile number, which you have access to where-ever you go and you can pick up a call
- Email Address: Your email address shall be of formal nature and not your personal email ID. If you don't have one then you should create a new professional email ID, which can just cover your name as well.
- LinkedIn Profile: This is optional, and if you do decide to put it in then you should update your whole profile there.
Resume summary
Resume summary or your objective statement, as explained previously in the research section contains your qualifications, experiences, achievements, and your objective to apply to this job. For an HR assistant resume's resume summary, you should put in your educational qualification only if it is relevant to the field of HR or if you have done exceptionally well, i.e., a masters degree, or an MBA, or scored really well, gold medal, deans list, top 5 percentile, etc. The reason why putting your educational qualifications is important is because it will give the hiring manager the sense that you are diligent, a consistent performer, and has completed a higher degree which is always preferable as it takes less time to train a person more educated.
Secondly, you should put in your latest work experience stint, with any achievement you might have received, any recognition with respect to that. The reason to put your latest work stint and associated recognition give the hiring manager a very strong perspective of how you were in your previous job. The previous job will be the most crucial for you and the hiring manager. If you are providing references for your application, then we would urge they be from your last job as that will add to your credibility.
The third thing to keep in mind while you are writing your resume summary is how you want your objective of becoming a great HR assistant to come out. You shall weave some qualities and key words in your summary to show your intent like you are hardworking, diligent, will do more than expected, etc.
Professional experience
The professional experience section usually follows a standard guideline however, the contents will have to be specific to the position of human resources assistant. Following are the guidelines with the contents of each tailored to a human resource personnel:
Job title and Company:
You need to mention the title of the jobs you worked in previously along with the company name
Dates of Employment:
The month and year of your employment in a 'from - to' format for your dates, although the dates are optional and you will have the proof to show it hiring manager anyway
Job Description:
The job description requires you to explain your tasks at previous employment, and what was required of you in a direct and concise manner. The description can be picked up from your agreement. It can be paraphrased and customized to the language of the company to make it more appealing to the audience
Key Achievements:
State any of your key achievements, awards, and recognition and quantify as many as possible to leave the maximum impact on the hiring managers. We ask you to use numbers in your experience wherever possible as it makes your resume heavier.
It is like metrics of any of the work you have done. If you worked as a human resources assistant, then you can perhaps state things like Completed the successful training of 100+ employees in a span of 2 days with respect to the nuances of the new labor laws for which I was awarded the employee of the month in the history of the company's existence of 5 years.
If you carefully read the sentence then you realize that the numbers are popping out and they make you want to know why. It's human tendency to look at things that stand out.
The educational background section
Every education you mention here will be in the reverse chronological manner, which means your highest academic degree will come first and the lowest one will come last. For example, your master's degree or your MBA being the latest education then it will sit first, and then your bachelors degree, then your high school diploma.
Degree Name:
The degree name will come first to tell the the reader in this case the hiring manager what is education you have done. For example; MA in Human Resource Management, or Masters in Business Administration, HR.
Institution Name:
The name of the institution: university, or the college, or the school you have completed your educational degree from.
Location and Date:
The location of the institution and the from and to date of your education. The location is optional, and so is the date. The hiring managers do not pay much attention to this detail if you already have experience, so you can skip this part completely, however, if you choose to put it, that is also not a big deal.
Second reason people put this is if you are a fresher, then you should put it.
GPA (Optional):
The grade point average is an optional segment, however, if you have achieved a really high GPA through out your academic career then might as well put it as it shows that you have been consistent throughout.
This segment is also not active or is not compulsory because it takes up space, and only put it up if you are a fresher and that you believe that the hiring manager will pay attention to it owing to high grades. This is a subjective matter and is usually avoided.
Skill section
The following are the skills that you will need to be successful at your future job. You can go through the list, some of them are common, they are basic and some are advanced. You can use the words, and language and put it your resume as key words too and also use this as a guide to work on your skills section.
📌List of relevant skills for your human resources assistant resumes:
- human resources
- hiring process
- training programs
- employee relations
- employee relations strategies
- administrative tasks
- employee engagement
- HR department
- exit interviews
- maintained employee personnel files
- human resources management
- employee records
- business administration
- employee benefits
- human resource management
- applicant tracking system
- administrative support
- applicant tracking systems
- employee data entry
- employee retention
- job descriptions
- employee onboarding
- recruitment process
- personnel records
- workers compensation
- state and federal laws knowledge
- create job descriptions
- data entry
- organizational development
- positive employee relations
- performance management
- communication skills
- payroll processing
- working with new employees
- new hire orientation
- employee paperwork
- employee hiring
- assist employees
- hire orientation
- employee orientation
- HR policies
- new employee paperwork
- talent acquisition
- employee turnover
- employee morale
- assisted employees
- new employee orientation
- HR related documents
- employee communication
- hiring practices
- human resource operations
Bonus Tips
Keywords
Key words or action verbs or words that catch the eye of the ATS (Applicant tracking system) or the hiring manager. Key words help you shape your resume more grandiosely as previously mentioned. The essentiality arises from the need to portray your professional life in a manner that will set you apart from the competition and to elaborate more elusively your experiences more. We urge you to pick the key words from the list we have shared below which will help you
📌List of relevant keywords for your human resources assistant resumes:
- new employee orientation
- improved new employee orientation
- job candidates
- assisted employees
- employee morale
- employee turnover
- talent acquisition
- hire orientation
- human resources team
- new hire orientation
- new employees
- payroll processing
- communication skills
- performance management
- HR certification institute
- data entry
- state and federal laws
- workers compensation
- personnel records
- HR business partners
- recruitment process
- employee onboarding
- job descriptions
- employee retention
- employee data entry
- human resources manager
- applicant tracking systems
- HR manager
- employee personnel files
- administrative support
- HR assistant position
- applicant tracking system
- HR assistant role
- human resource management
- employee benefits
- business administration
- employee records
- HR assistant job
- job description
- human resources management
- exit interviews
- HR department
- hiring manager
- HR assistant job description
- employee engagement
- administrative tasks
- resources assistant
- employee relations
- human resources assistant
- human resource assistant
- training programs
- hiring process
- HR assistants
- hiring managers
- human resources
- HR assistant
- resume processing
- shortlisting resume
- resume template
- human resources practices
- HR assistant duties
- hiring managers skills
Cover letter
A cover letter is a document that goes along with a resume and is read before a resume. A cover letter is a narrative of who you are as a person and should sum up your objectives, your work history, some greatest achievements, and perhaps a hint of your personal life like your hobbies.
A cover letter gives the reader a holistic view of you as a person, your nature your personality your willingness, and your objective all are part of this essay about you. Therefore, whatever you put in a cover letter shall be elaborated with more points in the resume since there should be elements left for the reader to latch onto post getting hooked to your cover letter.
Cover letters are not usually compulsory but you should prepare one in case a recruiter or a company asks you to submit it, moreover, it can be used to create your objective section of your resume or in short essay questions which recruiters might ask on your own website.
References
Your human resources assistant resume should provide some information and details that allow the hiring manager to acquire reassurance regarding your competency as well as the validity of everything that you have written on your resume. The reason why references are important if for the the people he will ask questions to about you can corroborate your behavior and personality and decide if you are a good fit for the company.
References section can include up to 3 references of your past colleagues who may have been your co-workers, managers, supervisors and any such professionals who have worked with you. Choose people who are senior to you and have worked with you closely on projects or on other pieces of work. The managers will have a good understanding of you and can articulate their positive thoughts about you really well since you have worked ardently with them.
You should mention the references' full names, their phone numbers, and/or their email addresses so that the hiring managers can contact them and communicate about you. Please ensure that the references you choose and provide have an honest (and positive) feedback on you so that the hiring manager also receives positive feedback and perhaps even an outstanding recommendation for you.
Conclusion
To sum up, you should conduct research on how the job market is, and what type of structure you should follow which depends on your level of experience, then you should be thorough with the content you put in your resume; your education your professional work history point.
The order of your points should flow in a manner that allows the hiring manager to navigate your responsibilities and achievements seamlessly. Your achievements need to be highlighted.
As a bonus tip please highlight action verbs and key words and even numbers that you use to quantify your job description or achievements. Please keep in mind that anything you put in there should have evidence against it, none of your points shall be left unattended shall the hiring manager ask for some evidence. You should be thorough with the points you put in your resume so please rehearse and be comfortable with the language.
Keep in mind to always proofread your resume multiple times, always ask other people to review your resume, and also ask your friends to ask you questions that might imitate an interview. This way you can really prepare yourself to ace the revision and will also be confident in what you put in your resume.
And at last, if you are looking for human resources assistant resumes examples, you can check out our resume examples' collection, it is comprehensive with all kinds of roles, designations, and job titles not only for HR assistant resumes but also for other professions' resumes. You can also find your resume template from our collection of resume templates! And most importantly, you should check out our resume builder option, it will create suggestions with the help of AI and help you enhance your human resources assistant resume as well as save a lot of your time and energy. It is similar to ChatGPT however, curated especially for resume writing.
This should be good enough and we are confident you will ace your human resources resume!
