Writing a resume is no easy task, it takes a lot of knowledge and research, you may have explored already or will explore after reading this article, the hiring managers resume examples. And that will certainly provide you with a lot of insight however, you will need answers to some particular questions regarding resume layout and your professional profile presentation on your human resource manager resume.
So let's learn how to write a professional resume for a human resources manager! 👇
Guidelines to make your resume professional
Introduction
There are several guidelines that are constant irrespective of the position or the job you're applying to. To excel before even getting to the interview you need to create a resume that personifies you as a human resources manager. The resume should be complete, should have less white spaces which signifies complete use of the page and thus you have a lot more to say about your professional life.
Aforementioned things are something to keep in mind to understand about creating an adequate excelling human resource manager resume.
Guidelines
- Legible Font and Font size: The font should be legible i.e., Times New Roman font size 12. Does not have to be what is mentioned however, it should not be fancy, cursive and the font size should not be so small that the hiring manager cannot read.
- White spaces: The resume should not have white spaces at the end of the sentences. Foor the experiences you mention in the resume you shall try to fill the entire row with action verbs, adjectives and filler words. Keep white spaces in the resume will result in an image which states that you do not have a lot to offer. Even as a fresher there are ways to fill the resume.
- Action verbs: Action verbs allow the writer of the resume to express the activity of the experience. They can tell the hiring manager through strong verbs that they had achieved something, had earned an award, completed a task etc.
- Margins: The margins should be appropriate to the format and template of the resume. However, the margins should be letter size and enough should be left in order to express formal document that shows your professional life in a page
- Proof reading: As a prospective human resource manager, and who will work in a department where you will have to deal with the organization's people, their appraisal, even hire and fire people, you need to be cautious of what is going inside your resume. Thus you should always proof read the resume. That means you need to carefully choose your words and even the action verbs that will elaborate your personality and professional experiences
- Accurate information: This is crucial and is a non-negotiable. Giving the right information is the priority and you should always have the proof for everything that you're writing in the resume. If you're mentioning your educational background with grades, then you should have the transcripts for it. Moreover, if you're mentioning and achievement, then you need some sort of proof i.e., certificate, or even an email from a company email ID from your then superior.
- Format and Template: For a Human Resources manager resume, the format and template shall include your contact information, educational background, list of experiences, and professional certificates you might have done to up-skill yourself, any additional initiatives you might have taken that will add value to your resume apart from corporate work, and your hobbies.
Research for resume writing
Preliminary Research
Conducting preliminary research about your role, which in this case is Human Resources manager, is important. Preliminary research allows one to understand the role, the job description and what to expect from the people in the organization through various mediums on the internet.
Preliminary research will show you how to plan your resume and how to structure it. It will allow you to understand what format and template to use, what type of resume to use and how to structure your sentences.
In-depth Research
After conducting the preliminary research, you will need to dive deep in to the role. You will need go to websites such as LinkedIn, and Glassdoor to really understand what they have to say about the company, the role and what other employees and ex-employees say about it. You should takes notes and write down the details such as what are the daily tasks, what were the things that made the management notice the employee. What are some of the human resource tasks that will give you brownie points, use those exact keywords in your resume. That is the sign that the research is proving helpful. Once yo visit the company's website, check their 'about us' section, their vision statement and mission statement which obviously tell yo how to fit in the organization. You will need to incorporate their ideologies in your resume and for each company that you apply to the position of the human resources manager, customize it and it should be tailor made. That will really show the hiring manager that you have really done your research.
Formats
Formats and templates as discussed in the guideline's section is just the overview. We really need to do a deep dive of it and get that clarity that the format is not the priority however, when looking at the resume form the perspective of the hiring manager, it is in the grand scheme of things a point of contention. The hiring manager will read inside the format and the template and if the order, the way the content is organized not clear or making sense to them then it might cause a problem, as they may reject it out right.
Introducing Formats
There are essentially three types of format that will be discussed below, however, we will give a brief of them. There is a Functional format for people beginning their careers, then there is reverse chronology format where you have a couple of experiences which you can order them in reverse, and then there is a combination one where you mix the characteristics of both the aforementioned i.e., functional and reverse chronology.
Types
Reverse Chronology Format:
Under the reverse chronology format, the person writing their resume in this case the human resource manager will have a couple of experiences or jobs where they will put them in the order of the latest one to the earliest one. In case you do not want to put the couple or any number of experiences from the early beginning you may choose not to however, the ones you put should be elaborated enough to show your skills, achievements, awards, and any differences you made there. Secondly, you need to order everything in the resume in the reverse chronological order. Your education, should you choose to mention it.
Functional Format:
Under the functional format you mention what ever you have as experience, which could include any job related or unrelated to your current application, your internships your projects, and any freelance job you did. This format will ideally not be suited for a person applying for the role of human resources manager resume. The reason for that is because one cannot use this format which is more suited to people who are looking for entry level jobs that have no experience essentially, and so they will put whatever they have in their life as a point.
The functional format is useful for freshers just out of college, and are looking for jobs to build their career. Therefore, a human resources manager should not use this format.
Combination Format
A combination format is a mix of both a reverse chronological format and a functional format. This is ideal for people who have had moderate experience somewhere that is close to 5 years at an average. They are still deciding whether to stick with there career path or try to choose another or shift to one. This allows them use the flexibility of the functional resume and the template of a reverse chronology format.
This can be used for someone who is applying for the job of a human resources manager as one could be switching to this career with some relevant experience in the field of human resources or related fields which allows you to deal with organizations or their people.
Resume summary
A resume summary is basically a summary of your cover letter. The resume summary should be written in a maximum of three to five lines and two to three sentences. They should cover a key professional experience, any major achievement or award, perhaps your education, and it can even have your hobby or passion. The culmination of the aforementioned will result in an holistic summary of your professional career.
Moreover, the resume summary should instill an objective of what you're looking for in a job, in this case pertaining to a human resources manager. You should mention the objective of leading the department or leading with a new cause or a strategy in your new position.
(Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/human-resources-managers.htm.)
Experience/ Work history
Introduction
The experience or your work history is the most important part of your resume and definitely the most looked upon give the application is for the role of human resource manager. This section covers what a prospective human resource manager should think about when filling their experience section in a resume. What is to write is pretty evident however, one will need guidance in the material that will help one expand on the context. How to write is more about the navigation of the resume for a human resources manager.
What to write
Like any other resume one might have written, and have seen. You will list your most recent most experience first and follow down. Secondly, while writing do pay attention to filling the white spaces and not leave the lines empty. One needs to use several action verbs, and key words that can be picked up from the company's website and the LinkedIn page, or from Glassdoor. One should easily mention three points about their experiences.
If you have achieved anything, no matter how small, if it can be quantified, then mention it on the resume, however, please don't forget to have the proof ready for it. You should also mention an awards you received if any. If participated in anything beyond your job description and it was on a hug scale then mention that as well.
Mention anything of significance that was relevant to your job, in the resume and highlight them or bold them to make it appealing to the hiring manager. Do not shy away from following this as these things will catch the attention of your hiring manger.
How to write
Here we will focus on how to meander through the art of writing a resume. First mention in chronological order albeit reverse your experiences, then list down key job description points in a manner or in the language of the company the role has opened up for. Doing so will firstly help pass the the first check where a computer shortlist applicants basis these key words and action verbs. Secondly the hiring manger reads the resume they will relate more to you as you seem a like person who has done their research enough to incorporate them in your resume language, which shows willingness and they will appreciate you as a good fit for their company.
Focus on mentioning achievements and recognitions in previous work places with respect to skills that will reflect well in the position of human resources manager and of the company. By this we mean that when you write your key achievements, any skills you might have used they should be transferable or can be a plus point in the current role i.e., negotiation skill of working in the management position in a firm will translate really well in the role of a human resources manager.
Education
Education is an important section for a human resource manager. As a manager you're expected to have basic education and a specialized education degree with respect to human resources, like an MBA. However, it is not crucial to the resume. One can choose not to mention it in the resume if the experiences section is more prominent. However, if you have had extensive education background or graduated with honors, or completed schooling from any prestigious university then that should mentioned because it add value to the resume and adds credibility since you are an alumni of a prestigious university that has left an impact on the professional world.
Education section also needs it degrees to be listed in reverse chronological order i.e., your masters degree first, then your undergraduate degree, then your high school diploma. You should mention the name of the degree appropriately and not in any abbreviated manner that cannot be understood, along with the name of the school from which you graduated, however, the latter is not compulsory.
Skills
The skills of human resources manager resume should include all the soft skills, hard skills, technical skills and any other skills necessary for a human resources manager. You may have mentioned skills in your summary section, experience section, education section and maybe extra sections too, this separate section for skills however, is necessary because it will help you highlight your top most important and relevant skills for a human resources manager resume. This will also help you impress hiring managers and increase your chances of getting a call back from an interview.
📌 List of relevant skill for a hiring managers resume:
- human resources
- human resources department
- employee relations
- employee relations issues
- HR department
- HR departments
- training programs
- human resources management
- employee retention
- hourly and salary employees management
- benefit programs
- performance management
- labor relations
- employee development
- employee benefit programs
- employee training programs
- department managers
- senior management coordination
- business administration
- talent management
- succession planning
- business objectives
- HR functions
- organizational development
- talent acquisition
- managing human resources team
- project management
- government reporting regulations
- human resources functions
- human resource management
- employee onboarding processes
- employee benefits
- HR management
- new hire orientation
- disciplinary procedures
- business management
- performance reviews
- new hires management
- applicant tracking system
- counseling employees
- human resources function
- company policies
- employee handbook
- company culture
- advised management
- employee engagement
- employee statistics improvement
- soft skills
- various benefit programs
- HR strategies
- HR skills
- communication skills
- interpersonal skills
Cover letter
A cover letter is what aids the resume. Not every company asks for one but when asked it will always substantiate the resume. The cover letter is a summary of your professional career but in paragraphs, weaved into a narrative. The narrative should convey a story using your experiences, your skills, your determination and it is a piece that has to sell you.
A cover letter is usually about four hundred to eight hundred words long with four to five paragraphs. The cover letter should convey your abilities as a person, that you developed while you are in your previous jobs or even during college, what has led you to become the person you are. The key work experiences you have been a part of and any changes you have brought about in any of those either to them or within yourself or both.
the cover letter shall then also not be shy of any achievements you have earned, and they shall convey the story behind that as well, the hard work and talent that went behind earning it. And lastly it should also have your hobbies and passion. Give this some weightage as your hobbies and passion are important to your personal life and the hiring manger will look for someone who also has a life beyond work and looks to keep themselves happy. What kind of passions you have, what do you do with that, and how does it add value to your life. Explain how happy it makes you and how it recharges you and that it helps you bring about a positive outlook into the work place which then helps you better manage.
References
References become important as you apply for key positions in any organization in any vertical. As a prospective human resource manager, you will have people who will report to you and expect leadership qualities in you. The hiring manager will want to confirm a few details from you past employers and check how you have been with them. It helps them gauge the kind of person you have been and how you have grown and were able demonstrate positive qualities and were you able to help others grow with yo.
References shall always be of people who will speak highly of you and will help your cause, but they shall also be genuine. Genuine references will add to your cause since hiring mangers are adept enough to differentiate from non genuine ones. Please be careful in choosing whom to put up to that task.
Keywords
Now, let's talk about how to beat the applicant tracking systems. You will need to use the relevant keywords throughout your resume so that the applicant tracking system or the ATS will not reject your resume. ATS operates on the basis of the parameters set by the human resources manager and those parameters are simply the keywords related to your role, job description and industry.
📌 List of relevant keywords for hiring managers resume:
- HR professionals
- HR professional
- professional resume
- coached managers
- human resources director
- employee relations issues
- performance management
- performance reviews
- impress hiring managers
- business administration
- business management
- HR management
- human resource
- human resource management
- great human resources manager
- talent management
- talent acquisition
- organizational development
- arts HR manager
- HR functions
- succession planning
- HR resume
- performance management
- employee relations
- employee retention
- human resource manager
- HR manager job description
- human resources management
- job description
- training programs
- HR managers
- HR department
- HR departments
- employee relations management
- HR manager
- human resources
- human resources manager
Conclusion
In conclusion, a human resources manager resume shall be formal where the experience section matters more since you will be dealing with employees problems on a daily basis and your resume should speak about your skills that you have earned in your previous job or jobs.
Use the correct format that allows you to list your work experiences down, use the reverse chronological format, use key words that connect with the company and use action verbs that portray your experiences and achievements in a bold manner.
Key Takeaways
- HR manager resume should be bold yet simple
- Always proof read the resume to check for any residual grammatical errors, or format errors
- Use correct font and font sizes
- Use numbers to expand on your experience
- Use words from the the company's about us section, relate to their mission and vision statements to incorporate their corporate culture into your resume
- Use action verbs the express your skills
- Give relevant and genuine references to accentuate your resume
- Express your creative side in your cover letter
- Include hobbies and passions at the bottom of the resume
- Conduct in death research about the role of HR manager
You should also check out our resume builder feature that provides AI prompts similar to ChatGPT, along with our collection of resume examples and resume templates. Good luck with the job hunt!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need management experience on my HR manager resume?
Having people and team management experiences can be relevant for your role of HR manager because as HR manager you will be managing many employees of the company, and you will be responsible for employee relations management, talent management and much more.
Do I need a particular degree on my HR manager resume?
There are many relevant degrees and courses for the profession of Human Resources Management. If you have one such degree, it can definitely add great value to your HR manager resume. In case, you don't have a directly relevant bachelor's degree, you can also note any courses, certificates, diplomas and relevant subjects in slightly less relevant bachelor's degree to add great value to your HR manager resume.
How long should my HR manager resume be?
An ideal standard professional resume is usually 1 to 2 pages long. Your HR manager resume should be 1 to 2 pages long as well. In case, your resume exceeds that limit, you might want to get rid of any irrelevant or less important information on your HR manager resume. Lengthy resumes do not get the attention of HR managers in sufficient amount.
