Examples of Perfect Personal Details Sections From Real Resumes

Why the Personal Details Section Matters

At first glance, personal details might appear merely functional: your name, phone number, email, and maybe a LinkedIn URL. But in reality, this tiny piece of your resume sets the stage for hiring managers and recruiters. It’s your professional introduction, the starting point of engagement. What’s more, a well-crafted personal details section can also reflect your attention to detail and professionalism.

In our experience working with recruiters and hiring managers, we've noticed a tendency for resumes to lose points simply because the contact section was unclear, incomplete, or unprofessional. For example, outdated email addresses, missing country codes for phone numbers, or cluttered formatting frustrate recruiters who juggle dozens of candidates daily. That’s why getting this right is crucial — it often dictates whether your application makes that all-important first impression or ends up in the "no" pile.

What to Include — The Essential Elements

Before diving into the examples, it helps to recap the standard elements every personal details section should include:

• Full Name: Use the name you go by professionally.
• Phone Number: Include your country code, and ensure it’s a number you answer professionally.
• Email Address: Choose a professional email, ideally incorporating some variation of your name.
• Location: City and state or city and country — no need for exact street addresses.
• LinkedIn Profile: Include a URL if it’s complete and up to date.

Optional additions could be a personal website or portfolio link, especially relevant for creative or IT roles. Personal social handles (e.g. Twitter) may be included only if consistently professional.

Example #1: Clean, Simple, and Professional

John A. Thompson

+1 (555) 123-4567 | john.thompson@email.com | New York, NY | linkedin.com/in/johnathompson

What works here:

• Conciseness: All essential details fit neatly on one line, making it easy to scan.
• Professional email: The email is straightforward, clearly tied to the candidate’s name.
• Location: City and state are provided without unnecessary detail.
• LinkedIn: The URL uses a custom LinkedIn handle, favourable for professional branding.

This example embodies recruiter-friendly simplicity. You get all information at once, nothing distracting or superfluous. This is the kind of contact section that signals readiness and professionalism immediately.

Example #2: Adding a Portfolio Link With Clarity

Melissa Chen

+44 7700 900123 | melissa.chen@email.co.uk | London, UK | linkedin.com/in/melissachen | melissachenportfolio.com

Why this stands out:

• Relevant extras: A direct portfolio URL is excellent for creative professionals to showcase work immediately.
• International format: Phone number includes country code, vital for overseas employers or recruiters.
• Clear separation: Pipes (|) act as simple visual dividers, enhancing readability.

We’ve seen many candidates hesitate to include portfolio links, fearing it might clutter the personal details. But the key is how you format it—like Melissa’s example, it adds credibility without distraction.

Example #3: Incorporating a Professional Title

David Rodriguez | Senior Project Manager

Miami, FL | +1 305-555-7890 | david.rodriguez@email.com | linkedin.com/in/davidrodriguez

Key insights:

• Immediately communicates role: Adding a professional title under the name helps recruiters quickly classify expertise.
• Location first: This positions the candidate’s base upfront, helpful for jobs with geographic preferences.
• Balanced layout: Information is clustered in three neat groupings, making scanning effortless.

If you want to subtly reinforce your fit for the role before diving into the resume body, this is a clean, recruiter-friendly way to do it.

Example #4: Using Icons and Visual Aids (With Caution)

Sara Kim | Chicago, IL

📞 +1 312-555-0432   ✉️ sara.kim@email.com   🔗 linkedin.com/in/sarakim

What to take away:

• Visual cues: Icons can help draw the eye and make sections recognizable quickly.
• Moderation is key: Too many icons or colors may distract; here, Sara uses a minimal set, maintaining professionalism.
• Suitable for creative roles: Design or marketing candidates can benefit from subtle personal branding like this.

From a recruiter standpoint, once in a while, a small design element helps, but it must never overshadow clarity or readability — which explains why subtlety matters.

Example #5: When Privacy Matters — Minimalist Detail

Ahmed Al-Masri

+971 50 555 1234 | am.masri@email.com | Dubai, UAE

Context and lessons:

• Location-sensitive privacy: In some regions or cultures, candidates prefer to limit personal details to essential contact info.
• No LinkedIn included: Perhaps the profile is private or incomplete; this minimalist approach still works if the essentials are bulletproof.
• Formatting consistency: Clean line breaks keep things tidy.

Recruiters appreciate when candidates respect privacy while providing a clear channel of contact.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Personal Details Section

Having seen hundreds of resumes, it’s shockingly common to find these frequent errors:

• Outdated or unprofessional emails: Avoid nicknames or random numbers, e.g., partygirl1987@gmail.com.
• Missing country codes: Especially important for international roles or remote positions.
• Too much personal info: Including full home addresses or irrelevant social profiles can look careless.
• Cluttered formatting: Multiple fonts, odd spacing, or too many colors can distract recruiters.

A clean, simple approach always wins. When in doubt, look at the best examples and model your own after them.

How to Tailor Your Personal Details Section for Different Industries

Not every role demands the same approach to personal details. Context matters:

Creative Industries (Design, Marketing, Media)

Here, incorporating portfolio links or mild personal branding (subtle use of color, icons) can enhance your profile. Just keep it tasteful—overdoing it looks amateurish.

Corporate Roles (Finance, Management, Consulting)

Stick to classic professionalism. Full name, clear contact details, and LinkedIn URL suffice. Avoid unnecessary embellishments.

Tech and IT Roles

Consider including GitHub or personal website portfolios if relevant. Recruiters often appreciate easy access to samples of work.

Formatting Tips to Keep Your Personal Details Section Recruiter-Friendly

• Use a single line if possible. It conserves space and keeps relevant info in one glance.
• Employ consistent separators like pipes (|), commas, or dots.
• Avoid unnecessary punctuation marks that clutter the look.
• Make sure fonts match the rest of your resume. No odd font changes or excessive sizes.
• Triple-check contact accuracy. A single typo in your email or phone can cost you an interview.

Good formatting respects the recruiter's time and reflects your professionalism.

Further Reading: Deep Dive Into Personal Details on Resumes

For a more comprehensive understanding and the latest recruiter-approved guidelines on structuring your personal details, check out our detailed pillar blog: Personal Details in a Resume: A 2026 Recruiter-Approved Breakdown. This resource complements the examples here by offering thorough explanations and insider insights from hiring professionals.

Conclusion: Small Section, Big Impact

When it comes to resumes, it’s easy to obsess over job descriptions, achievements, and skills—and rightly so. But never underestimate the power of a perfectly curated personal details section. In our experience, this section forms the gateway through which recruiters decide if your resume passes the initial screening. It should be clear, professional, and tailored to the role you seek.

Use the examples provided here as inspiration. Whether you’re keeping it minimal or adding strategic extras like a portfolio, clarity and professionalism should guide every choice. Remember: recruiters appreciate simplicity and precision, and so should you when designing this essential part of your resume.

Next time you sit down to update your resume, start with your personal details. Spend a few extra minutes there — it just might be the difference between an overlooked document and a first-step interview invite.