HR Generalist Resume: Example for Download & Useful Tips

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ResumeGiants » Examples » HR Generalist Resume

You’re a people person, and you just know that a corporate HR department is where you’d best fit for a career path.

Firstly, to create a strong entry-level Human Resources Generalist resume, or one with five years experience, you might begin by asking yourself:

• How is my experience best detailed for my HR Generalist resume?
• What information do experts recommend most in the education section?
• Where should a list of my skills appear on my resume?

In addition, you will need to consider adding an HR Generalist resume summary or objective, as well as any sections that show off your professional certifications, achievements, or other essential information.

Don’t worry; you are not on your own when putting together your best application. We’ll show you a sample HR Generalist resume along with plenty of examples of different sections, so you have a clear vision of what your own document will look like.

Our free online resume builder will also help you put together exactly what you need to get hiring managers interested in you as a candidate. Try it for free now.

Want more? We have plenty of resume examples and professional resume templates that can help you complete your rock-solid resume.

Before you can start recruiting for a company, you need to be recruited yourself. Check out this resume for a Human Resources Generalist to see what’s included in a successful document.

Resume Example

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[Janine Davis]

[HR Generalist]

[1989 Beacon Place, Pasadena 91104 | 626-555-2007 | janined1990hr@aol.com]

Summary

Professional, certified HR Generalist with 6+ years experience in talent acquisition, performance assessment, job analysis, and employee relations. Exceptional skills in areas of interviewing, collaboration, negotiations, and conflict management. Proven success in employee retention rates and implementation of training programs.

Experience

HR Generalist

Sheldon-Leonard Manufacturing, Los Angeles, CA

07/2018 – Present

• Recruited highly qualified talent through the use of job boards, ATS, and personal networking
• Created and implemented employee training programs and materials, leading to a 30% increase in job performance at management levels and 24% in non-management positions
• Streamlined interviewing process, cutting hiring costs by 18%
• Implemented employee bonus program, job incentives, and employee recognition program, leading to 37% increase in employee retention
• Introduced employee surveys to conduct feedback on organizational policies, resulting in a 14% morale boost and 20% increase in job satisfaction
• Trained HR staff of four employees in employee relations practices

HR Assistant

Soft Kitty Productions, Los Angeles, CA

09/2016 to 06/2018

• Provided direct support to HR administrator in the update and publication of organizational policies and initiatives
• Coordinated interview schedules
• Developed and maintained new personnel filing system containing recruiting, job performance, and payroll information
• Assembled new hire packets and directed new hire orientation
• Collaborated with six department heads to assess departmental needs and generate job descriptions

Education

MBA in Human Resources, 2017

California State University,

Fullerton, CA

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – HR Management, 2015

California State University,

Fresno, CA

Skills

• Freshteam
• Paychex Flex
• Problem-solving
• Leadership
• Communication
• Change management
• Collaborative
• Negotiation
• Organizational

Professional Certifications

• SHRM-Certified Professional (CP)
• HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR)

However, an entry level HR Generalist resume, or even one with a couple of years experience, will not typically reflect the level of experience detailed in the sample above.

Starting out is tricky, no matter the profession. You’re probably asking yourself “how do I write a resume for human resources with no experience?”

Creating an entry-level HR resume may be a bit more of a challenge when you’ve never done it full-time before.

However, there are some strategies that you can use.  

For starters, emphasize any experience you have that most closely ties to the type of skills and job duties represented in the posting for the HR generalist job you are pursuing.

For example, a veterinary technician often has great people skills, connecting to various customers and problem-solving quickly. An administrative assistant usually excels in data entry and organization – all skills required of a great HR generalist.

By understanding the skills a Human Resources Generalist needs, you can create a resume that touches on a number of keywords and satisfies a hiring manager or ATS software.

Put Your Best into Your Entry-Level Human Resources Resume

If you know what skills are required for entry-level HR employees you’ll give yourself a great chance. Luckily there are plenty of skills in a past position or internship that gifted you with some relevant competencies! 

For example the following skills can transfer to an Human Resources Generalist position:

• Negotiation skills
• Customer service
• Technical proficiencies
• Data entry and reporting
• Problem-solving
• Project management

In the case of little or no experience, you could also expand your education section, listing relevant coursework, clubs you might have been a member of, and even your GPA if it is at least 3.50. 

Review the job posting for the HR generalist position you are applying for and take note of specific skills the company is looking for; list any that you possess in your Skills section and use examples of any of these skills in your Experience section.

Engage a hiring manager right off the bat with the right HR Generalist resume summary.

With some HR experience under your belt, a resume summary that’s two to three sentences long will quickly show any company your capabilities, achievements, and skills level.

Secondly, be sure to mention a couple of strong, relevant skills, your job title, and possibly a measurable success, such as how you utilized certain skills to raise employee retention rates or cut hiring costs.

HR Generalist Resume Summary Example

Accordingly, a strong HR Generalist resume summary might look like this:

Comparatively, here’s a sample HR Generalist resume summary that might not work so well:

All in all, this summary lacks details and quantifiable success. It has no specifics, successes, or context. In short, an HR Generalist resume summary like this is not likely to result in you getting an interview.

HR Generalist Resume Objective Example

Moving on to a resume for entry-level human resources, or with only a few years experience. In this case, you would write a career objective statement rather than a summary.

What might an objective look like on an entry-level human resources resume?

By and large, this is the type of HR Generalist resume objective that could give you a competitive advantage over other candidates.

It illustrates that you have sought-after skills and specific achievements within the HR field that many hiring managers would appreciate.

On the other hand, you are unlikely to ascend the career ladder with this HR Generalist resume objective.

First, there are no concrete details and nothing to support the stated skills. And while understanding scheduling and being a team player are important qualities, nothing here indicates that you’re ready to step into an HR Generalist role.

Now, you’ll highlight your knowledge, skills, and abilities in an Experience section.

Here, you’ll feature your best attributes, abilities, and achievements. Then, you’ll review each HR Generalist job description carefully, look at the keywords they have used, and list your experience that best matches what the company is looking for.

In this case, the candidate has listed pretty general stuff. Nothing here stands out to make a hiring manager sit up and take notice.

Now let’s review an example that better displays the competences looked for in HR Generalist candidates.

Altogether, this is a much better sample as it outlines measurable successes and paints a clearer picture of the candidate’s job responsibilities and duties. An experience listing like this will hopefully set you up with an interview pronto!

Experience Section For Entry-Level Human Resources Resumes

If you have no related work experience, don’t fret, you can still connect other experiences on your entry level HR resume.

In that case, emphasize any tasks or responsibilities that will carry over into a HR Generalist role. Moreover, be sure to focus on how you have grown as an employee.

Staffing, interviewing, streamlining production processes, and training personnel? You’ve clearly shown you are familiar with and have talent in several areas of human resources!

Undeniably, this might be ok if you were remaining in the food preparation industry, but for a career change to an HR Generalist? Not so much.

While it shows some management and communication skills, it does not demonstrate that you are prepared to take on an important role in an HR department.

To further support your display of crucial HR skills, you need to add an Education section to your HR Generalist resume.

Beyond your degree, did you preside over any clubs or student associations? Oversee a group project? Serve as captain on a school sports team? Act as secretary or treasurer for a fraternity or sorority?

Any of these can easily display management, communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills.

Secondly, if you are creating an entry-level HR Generalist resume or with little experience, your Education section can be more robust than that of an experienced professional.

Human Resources Entry-Level Resume Education Section

If you’re still asking yourself “what should I put on my resume for an entry-level HR position?”, you could also expand your education section. 

Listing relevant coursework, clubs you might have been a member of, and your GPA (if it is at least 3.50).

Here’s how to addyour education to a resume when you’re just starting out:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Human Resource Management
University of Mount Olive, NC, 2021

Graduated magna cum laude

GPA: 3.9

• Relevant Courses: Labor Relations, Employment Law, Management Fundamentals, Compensation & Human Capital
• Member of: Young Leaders in Finance and a 4-year starting forward on the university club soccer team

Experienced Candidates’ Education Section

Conversely, there is no need to include such a detailed education history in a resume if you have more than five years of experience. This is because you will have adequate experience to detail in your work history section, which is more important, relevant, and recent.

In this case, you need only add:

• Your degree earned
• Name of institution
• Dates attended

When writing your resume, remember to give both hard and soft skills equal opportunity.

Straightaway, rather than just listing hard skills, emphasize that you are “proficient” or “expert” in these abilities. Not to mention words like “strong”, “exceptional”, and “advanced”, which can be used to describe the level of your skills as well.

In addition, review your experience section and pick out the skills you utilized most, and list those in your skills section. Remember to use resume power words to emphasize your strengths!

Be sure to take a look at our other resume examples too. These can give you ideas on the most desired skills workplace and how to list them beautifully.

Featured Content 🌟: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a good outlook for Human Resource Specialist jobs. The growth rate in this area of work is expected to be 8% between 2021 and 2031. So now is the time to polish up your skills and let them shine in your resume!

Maybe you once spearheaded an important project, managed volunteers at a nonprofit organization, or currently hold a relevant industry certification.

These details are important, but where do they go on your resume?

Make a heading titled “Additional Information” or “Achievements” and list such information as professional memberships, certifications, publications, and awards in this section.

Accordingly, an example “Other” section for a resume for HR Generalist might look like this:

Certifications

• HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR), 2018

Memberships

• Member, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Publications

• Published author, “How to Read Body Language in a First Interview”, HR Magazine, May 2020

Furthermore, freelance and consultant work can be listed in this section, too.

Any interest, hobby, or other activity that demonstrates sought-after skills such as leadership, decision-making, and collaboration, to name a few, can and should also be included here.

Summing up, you’ve got all your information gathered for your HR Generalist resume. Now you know which sections are needed and which details you should include. 

Before you’re done, make sure your resume checks off the following:

• Firstly, present a powerful career summary or objective.
• Secondly, list your professional experiences, emphasizing duties and accomplishments that underscore your ability to assume the role of an HR Generalist.
• Include measurable accomplishments and achievements, such as noting a specific percentage of growth a company experienced or specific figure of money a company saved by a program or activity you introduced or implemented.
• Next, name which postsecondary institution you attended, what degree you earned, and the dates you were a student at the school.
• After that, indicate which hard and soft skills you possess. List which skills you have mastered and, when possible, your level of expertise.
• Then, add relevant awards, memberships, certifications, and other activities supporting your skillset and ability to work as an HR Generalist.
• Finally, make sure your resume has the right format: reverse-chronological; bold header for your name, job titles, and degree; proper font size (10 to 12 pt.) and white space; and proper save format (preferably PDF).

Don’t forget to use the ResumeGiants builder, simply fill in the sections and get your document out into the hands of as many hiring managers as possible.

Before long, you just may be the next hiring manager responsible for reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates, and making decisions about who will fill the current open position in your company.

Good luck!