Human resources CV examples you can use this year

Human resource specialists are responsible for interviewing potential employees, reviewing CVs, and deciding what skills and work history makes the right candidates for the job. And once an employee is hired, a human resources specialist will work to ensure the employee receives support at the workplace, including maintaining benefits and salary information. When you apply for a job as a human resources professional, you need to show the hiring manager that you understand the standards of the hiring process with a well-written HR CV.

This guide will show you:

• Jobs that fall under the human resources category
• What hiring managers and recruiters are looking for in a human resources CV
• How to display your unique skills and experience on your human resources CV
• Examples of dos and don’ts to highlight your experience and achievements to get any HR job

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In your job search, you may see different job titles that fall under the category of human resources. Common human resources job titles can include:

• Chief human resources officer (CHRO) or chief people officer (CPO)
• Vice president of diversity or chief diversity officer
• Compensation and benefits manager
• Staffing coordinator
• Facilities manager
• Workforce analytics director
• Employee experience or employee success
• Human resources assistant or HR assistant
• Human resources generalist or HR generalist

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1. Write for ATS Hiring managers may use an applicant tracking system, or ATS, to scan CVs and sort them based on several factors. The CVs that make it to the top of the hiring manager’s pile are the ones that pass ATS.

The ATS will scan not only the layout of your CV but also check for keywords from the job description.

• The ATS formula works something like this:

• The advertised job title: human resources associate

• Your prior job title: employee experience assistant

• The way you should write your job title so it passes the ATS: human resources associate

The job description will also give you hints on specific keywords (e.g., knowledge of specific software or needed skills such as benefits management), so use these words in your own CV whenever possible to pass the ATS.

2. Contact Information

Make sure your contact information is formatted correctly and is accurate. After all, this is how hiring managers will get in touch with you. CVHelp’s CV Builder makes formatting your info easy, so you don’t have to worry if you are doing it correctly.

Include your name, town and state of residence, email address, and phone number. You may also choose to include work-related social media links such as your LinkedIn profile.

3. Professional summary or career objective

At the top of your CV, include a professional summary or objective. If you don’t have much work experience, a career objective is the better choice, as it focuses on the skills you have and your career goals. If you have been working for a while, a professional summary, which features top skills and experiences, will highlight the best parts of your career so far.

4. Skills

The best human resources candidates have both hard skills (skills that are acquired) and soft skills (intangible traits that speak to how you approach work and interact with others). A large part of any HR job is working with people, so don’t skimp on soft skills. Some major skills HR hiring managers look for include:

• Payroll processing
• Microsoft Office
• Background checks
• Scheduling
• Organisational skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Multitasking abilities
• Typing speed and accuracy
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills

5. Work experience/Work history

If you have specific experience that matches the job description, focus on that. You can also use internships, volunteering and academic experiences. If you have worked in HR already, prioritise your work experience over volunteer or internship positions. HR experience you might point out can include:

• Onboarding
• Training and hiring employees
• Admin tasks
• Payroll processing

6. Education

Often a human resources manager may have a degree in business administration or human resources. In the education section of your CV, you should include:

• Highest level of education completed
• Year completed
• Field of study

If you are still in school, include:

• Your expected date of graduation
• Field of study

7. Achievements and awards

You can include achievements and awards that are relevant to Human Resources to help your CV stand out. It is a good sign if you have been recognised for your hard work. Some types of awards that you may want to include are:

• Employee of the month
• Academic awards or scholarships
• Awards for mentorship
• Awards for community service or volunteer work

8. Certifications

List any certifications which are relevant to Human Resources. The job description may even suggest some certifications that will be helpful to the position. Certifications commonly related to human resources positions may be around topics such as:

• Data analysis
• Health and safety training
• Business management
• Interviewing

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When you’re ready to create your human resources CV, you don’t have to start from scratch. Just enter your information into CVHelp’s CV Builder and our expert suggestions can help you do the rest. You can also use a free CV sample to get inspired.

The three types of CVs are:

• Reverse-chronological CV format – the most popular
• Functional CV format – if you are new to the work world
• Combination CV format – this type of format can be great if you are changing careers

Three More Tips for Creating Your Human Resource CV

1. Use numbers to describe your achievements. Be specific!

   Do: “Improved benefits processes that helped increase employee retention by 30% in three years.”

   Don’t: “Improved benefits processes that helped increase employee retention.”

2. Create a well-written career objective or professional summary section.

   Do: Make sure your career objective or summary matches the job you’re applying for. 

   If you don’t have a lot of prior work experience, you may use a career objective. For example:

   Detail-oriented graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Seeking a human resources associate position with XYZ Company to use my organisational and leadership skills to optimise employee success by processing payroll, maintaining records, scheduling employees and assisting in day-to-day operations.

   Don’t: Project too far into the future with your goals. Maybe you dream of working your way to the Vice President of Human Resources. But, you do not need to write this in your objective for an HR assistant job.

   Ambitious XYZ University 2.0 GPA graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Planning to use my organisational and leadership skills to ultimately become the CEO of XYZ Company.

3. Use your CV to put your best foot forward.

   Do: Make a point to list skills, academic achievements or awards that relate to the specific HR job you’re targeting. Be honest, but use your CV to sell yourself. Skills and awards can really help if you haven’t been working long.

   Don’t: Include things that don’t paint you in the best light if they aren’t relevant. When listing your education, there is no reason to list your GPA if it’s average or below average.

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