The core of every resume and CV is the professional experience section that is ideally made up of major accomplishments for every past job. But even without great achievements hiring managers tend to concentrate on the candidate's work experience mostly. Sometimes they will pay attention to educational credentials and training completed, especially if the candidate is a recent graduate. So employment history along with education become the center of employers' attention. Any other information on a resume is considered additional or secondary. Does it mean it has no value? Absolutely not! More than that, it is additional information that draws a line between a candidate that is invited for a job interview and the one whose application is discarded. The question then boils down to what kind of additional information should candidates put on a resume or CV?
Additional Information that Matters
Before you attempt to add anything to your work experience and education you must be sure you are adding information that matters for employers (not something that seems important to you only). How do you know what matters for employers? It is pretty easy. Everything that is relevant (that is, everything that helps hiring managers relate this information to the job requirements) matters. This should be your first filter. So this is a question you want to ask yourself before adding anything onto your resume: "Is this in any way helps hiring managers to understand that I am qualified specifically for this job that I am applying for?". It is only after you are positive you can add things with confidence and ease knowing that they will help you get to the interview stage. But what kind of things one can have on a resume or CV apart from experience and education?
Trainings. This kind of information is very similar to the one retained in the education section. However, trainings are different in many ways. Some people don't include this type of information believe this is an insignificant piece of data. That is a mistake! Employers love candidates who have been learning since their graduation. If you have completed many of trainings then just create a separate section for this.
Technical Skills. If you are applying for a job where some specific technical skills are required then it would be a good idea to have a separate section for this. Preferably at the beginning of the document. Those could be any specific software or engineering skills. Whatever it is it belongs to your resume if it addresses the job requirements for the position applied.
Publications. It is a must for experienced academics and some medical executives but it can also be a good choice to list your publications if they are relevant to the field the company is operating within or they are directly related to the knowledge that is needed for the job.
Memberships & Affiliations. Employers like to see candidates who are networking. If you belong to professional membership or affiliation then there is simply no good reason to leave it out.
Volunteer Experience. If you have been fundraising for a charitable organization and the job you are applying for is related in one way or another to fundraising then it is a good opportunity to show off.
