Data-Entry Resume Example

This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a data entry resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. You'll find valuable tips on writing a resume that best showcases your unique skills and achievements. There is also extensive guidance on how to structure your resume to match the job description, and to reflect your experience levels to impress HR specialists and employers. Read on to learn how to write a perfect data entry resume, from the advice of careers experts at Jobseeker.

Main elements of a data entry resume

The key sections to include in a data entry resume are similar to those for any role or profession. If you're lacking relevant work experience, you might choose to add sections that showcase your skill set earlier than in a traditional resume layout. These sections might include projects, education, hobbies and interests, skills and other optional sections.

You will have some choice over your resume layout and structure, but be sure to include these sections as the core of your document:

Resume Header and Personal Information

The resume header is the place to add your name and contact details, along with your LinkedIn URL if you have a profile, so employers can find more information about your career journey and skills. You don't typically need to add a photo, or any other personal information to this section. Be aware of the amount of space your resume header takes up. You don't want your contact details to take space away from the main content of your resume, so keep this section as brief as possible.

Only include professional, name-based email addresses in your resume header. If you have an old email address that uses nicknames, puns, references to your personal interests or anything else that could appear unprofessional, set up a new email just for your job applications. Finally, always double-check your contact details are correct and up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Profile

Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. Always make sure your summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for data-entry clerk roles.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for data-entry clerk jobs below.

Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.

Hard and Soft Skills

In your skills section, list any skills you've acquired or developed that are relevant to data-entry clerk positions. Consider adding database management systems, attention to detail or any other necessary skills for the job. Again, include any skills that match those listed in the job description. Focus particularly on technical skills required for data-entry clerk jobs and transferable skills that show your qualities as a data-entry clerk.

Listing hard skills on your data entry resume

For your hard skills list, include any technical abilities or specific industry knowledge that's essential to working as a data-entry clerk. These could be skills gained through work experience or qualifications. Furthermore, your list of hard skills provides a strong indication to the reader of your expertise in data-entry clerk roles, and how well you'll fit into the position. It's best to aim for four or five key hard skills that match the job description. These can really showcase your suitability for the job.

For an effective resume hard skills section, focus on the technical skills that are most essential in the job description, and that match your specific expertise. Some examples of the best hard skills for a data entry resume are listed below.

Showcasing your best soft skills

Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. In fact, you can develop soft skills throughout your career, and they tend to be suitable for various roles and professions. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.

The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for a data-entry clerk resume.

Educational Achievements

Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for data-entry clerk roles.

You don't tend to need a degree for data-entry clerk roles, but you'll still need to list any relevant qualifications, or your relevant educational achievements. If you have Microsoft Office Specialist, add this here, along with any other education that shows your typing accuracy rate or CRM software knowledge.

For each entry in this section, add the name and level of your qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. You could also add one or two bullet points to draw attention to your grades if they were particularly good, as well as any specialist subjects you studied. This will help the hiring manager understand your knowledge and special skills better.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Certifications and Training

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional data-entry clerk certifications, licenses or qualifications. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for data-entry clerk roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.

Take a look at some example certifications for a data entry resume below:

Employment History

Under your work experience section, add any jobs you've had in the past that are relevant to the position of a data-entry clerk. Add each previous employment in reverse-chronological order. This means starting from your current or most recent role and working back in time from there. Include your job title, the company name, the location of the job and your dates of employment.

Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to data-entry clerk roles.

The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. There are some examples of strong resume work experience sections below.

See above for some of the pitfalls to avoid with your resume work experience section. Less effective resume work experience sections might take a more vague, descriptive approach to previous jobs. They focus on responsibilities and everyday duties rather than referencing career achievements and the value you've added for previous employers.

Optional Sections

There are several additional sections you could add to a data-entry clerk resume, to improve your chances of success. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.

Hobbies

Add any hobbies and interests that reinforce your credentials for the position. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.

Volunteering

This section can be valuable for a data-entry clerk resume, if you've done any voluntary work that showcases your relevant skills. Include the title of your volunteer role, who you volunteered for, as well as the dates you carried out the work. Provide brief details of your responsibilities and the impact you made.

References

Although it's rare to include references on a data entry resume, some employers may ask for it. Don't add references unless they're specifically mentioned by the employer in the job advert. Add two or three professional references, and be sure to approach each referee before you include them.

Best words to use in a data-entry clerk resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Add strong verbs from the list below to create a greater impact with your work experience section.

If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.

Sample data entry resume

Now we've covered the main sections to include in your data entry resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:

How to make your resume ATS compliant

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When drafting your data entry resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.

Follow these simple rules when writing your resume, to make sure it's ATS compliant:

• Use a traditional resume format, such as reverse-chronological or functional. These will give your resume a structure that's easier for ATS systems to scan.
• Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
• Include clear headings in each section that match the traditional resume structure and format. This will make it easier for the ATS software to scan your resume.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.

Takeaways for a winning data entry resume

Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Use a suitable resume format and tailor your resume for every application you submit.

Remember, Jobseeker resume templates and other tools make it easy to create a resume and cover letter that leaves a positive impression on hiring managers. Sign up now to start building your perfect resume. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications