Resume Template: Data Entry Clerk

With so much data available, data entry clerks are in demand. But because data-entry jobs can be so similar to one another, how can you stand out in a pool of qualified candidates? With a well-written data entry clerk resume.

And we’ll show you how to write one.

The right resume will highlight your data entry skills and demonstrate why you are the best choice for a specific position.

It’s easier than you think: you already have the skills and experience, now all the information just has to go to the right places. Luckily as a data entry clerk, the organization is something you know well.

Keep reading for tips and tricks to position yourself as the very best person for the job.

Summary

1. Resume Template
2. Formatting
3. Writing Your Resume Summary
4. Areas of Expertise
5. Writing Your Work Experience
6. Writing Your Education Section
7. Additional Sections
8. Resume Points to Remember
9. Resume “Don’ts” to Remember
10. Some Helpful Tools

Let’s begin with a sample data entry clerk resume to demonstrate how all the resume pieces fit together. Then we will break each section down to really drill into how to write the best data entry clerk resume you possibly can.

Data Entry Clerk Resume (Text Version)

A large part of crafting the perfect data entry clerk resume comes down to organization.

Formatting is important for a couple of reasons. When you apply to a job, there’s a good chance that your resume will be scanned not just by human reviewers, but also bots (more on this later).

There are a few things you need to do to be sure your resume is readable by both.

Number one is to choose a simple, sensible font like Times New Roman or Arial. You might think an original format or unique font is an opportunity to stand out, but in reality, those options will take up valuable space and will do you a disservice.

Space is important because most resumes should generally stick to one page in length. While you want to include as much information as possible on that page, avoid big blocks of text and use whitespace and line breaks to help guide the eye.

It’s important to note that the average hiring manager only looks at a resume for an average of six seconds! That means in order to grab attention quickly, you need to list your best work first.

One of the most effective ways to do this is to start off with a resume summary.

A resume summary is a small paragraph at the top of the page that sums up your top skills and the work experiences that make you particularly valuable.

Think of it as a pitch. If you only had two or three sentences to describe yourself in terms of your work experience, what would you say?

It’s important that you are as specific as possible — you don’t have a lot of space and you need to get the hiring manager’s attention. If you don’t grab them here, your resume will get tossed to the side.

What information should you include?

This is your “greatest hits.” Think about what makes you a great data entry clerk and keep it quick, interesting, and most of all, informative.

Take a look at some good and not so good summary statement examples for data entry clerks:

What are the differences between these two summaries?

The main difference is specifics.

The first example utilizes descriptive phrases and examples that make you seem like an excellent candidate. It is specific about which fields you have experience in and your particular skill set.

While the second example may be accurate, it is not convincing. It is very general and uninformative. Additionally, it uses the first person, something that is not usually recommended for resumes.

Once you have the summary nailed down, it’s time to move on to your key accomplishments.

Remember that the summary is written in paragraph form, so in order to save space and the hiring manager’s time, it’s best to put this information in a bulleted list. This way you can show off your most impressive talents in a way that is still easy to scan.

These are the skills that help you stand apart from other potential candidates and convince the hiring team that you’re a good fit right off the bat.

Remember that you have to save space, so be selective about which skills you choose to include here.

PRO TIP: Take a look at the job description. It will probably list the exact skills that the company is looking for, which should help you narrow down your skills to match their needs.

Example:

• 70 WPM Typing Speed
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Detail Oriented
• Excellent Customer Service Skills
• Time and Project Management
• Salesforce
• CRM Software

When you’re thinking about your areas of expertise, try thinking about them in terms of hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills are more technical, like knowledge of a certain software program or organizational system. They are things that you can learn in a classroom or on the job and you get better at them with time.

Soft skills are more unquantifiable. These skills include things like leadership or attention to detail. While you can learn skills like these through work experience, you can’t necessarily teach them. You may have heard of things in this category called “people skills.”

As a data entry clerk, you will definitely need proficiency in a few different technical skills — but don’t ignore soft skills. Just because they are harder to quantify does not mean that they are any less important.

(See below for a helpful table of some suggested hard and soft skill ideas to inspire you in writing your skills section.)

Now that you’ve listed your skills, it’s time to talk about where you learned them.

Your work history is the main part of your resume.

It’s important to list your work experiences in reverse chronological order.

Why? Remember that the goal is to grab the hiring team’s interest as soon as possible. You only have seconds to make an impression, so you will want to put the impressive stuff first.

What you’ve accomplished recently is generally the most impressive and relevant. The hiring manager is going to be more interested in your current position, which is likely similar to the job you’re applying for, and less interested in the internship you did right out of college.

Be selective about what positions you choose to include. If you have been working for a long time, you don’t need to list every single job you’ve ever had. Remember, you only have one page to work with, so go with the most recent, relevant options.

Just like the summary, be as specific as possible while writing the descriptions of each position. Be clear and concise, not only to save space but also to keep the attention of the hiring manager.

Is there any quantifiable information you can include? Details like profit increases or the results of a particular strategy can clearly demonstrate your capabilities.

The work experiences that you include should directly apply to the position you’re interested in and show why you are the best possible candidate.

Let’s look at an example:

What are the differences between these two job descriptions?

The first example is specific. It starts off each bullet with an action word that tells us how you had an impact while working for that company.

The second example doesn’t really tell us what you actually accomplished. While it may be accurate, it is not impressive and just gives a bare minimum description of a general data entry job.

Bots, Explained

Remember earlier when we mentioned that your resume needs to be readable by bots in addition to human reviewers?

Here’s what they are.

Sometimes employers get so many applications for a particular job posting that it’s just not possible for someone to take time to look at them all.

That’s where software called an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)comes in.

An ATS program is set to look for certain keywords and pull those resumes aside. Those are the resumes that actually get seen by human reviewers, while the rest end up tossed to the side.

This means that applicants that include keywords from the job description in their resumes will be flagged as “good candidate potential” and those that don’t will not make it any further in the hiring process, even if they meet all the necessary qualifications.

To get around this, some people choose to write their job descriptions in paragraph format, in order to fit in more keywords and appease an ATS.

Here’s what that would look like.

Bullet list:

Beebe Healthcare | Millsboro, DE | Order Entry Specialist | Feb 2016 – Present

• Performs order entry function for all modalities at a 98% accuracy rate
• Determined patient priority for data entry to assist with creating smooth patient flow
• Interacts with registration and imaging teams to reduce patient waiting times

Paragraph format:

Beebe Healthcare | Millsboro, DE | Order Entry Specialist | Feb 2016 – Present
Created original hardwood cabinet designs and ordered needed materials. Constructed cabinets in shop utilizing proper tools, including drills, table saws, planers, and routers.

Can you spot the differences?

Yes, the two examples look a little different. But they both contain the same number of unique keywords.
It is possible to get approved by an ATS program while using a list, so we recommend using the bulleted-list format.

Why? While the paragraph may look fine to an ATS, human reviewers generally prefer the bullet point format. It’s easier to scan while still being packed with keywords, making it perfect for a busy hiring manager.

Next up is your educational background.

You know how you listed your work experience with the most recent, impressive roles first? This part of your resume works the same way.

Put your highest degree first. For example, a master’s would come before a bachelor’s. Include the field of study, where you went, and the year you graduated.

This section becomes a little less important the longer you are in the workforce. If you’re still bulking up your work experience, the education section will be more of a focus. If you graduated recently, you may also choose to list a GPA.

Example:

Associate Degree | Business Concentration
Wesley College Inc | Dover, DE
Class of 2012

In addition to degrees, any training or certifications that you think are relevant may also go in this section.

Example:

• “Microsoft Office Suite: Advanced,” Weekend Course, Dover, DE
• Leadership and Project Management Seminar, University of Delaware Online

Additional Sections

If you have space left on your resume and/or other areas of interest that don’t fall into the other categories, you can consider adding more sections.

Some of the sections you could include are:

• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

What If You Have No Experience?

It is very possible that you don’t think you have any experience for the position you want. But if you have just graduated or are making a career change, there are still ways to demonstrate how you are a good candidate for the job.

Still start off with a strong summary. Next, move your education section under your summary instead of listing it after your work history.

You probably have more experience than you realize — it’s just not in the form of paid work. Anything that demonstrates your knowledge of a certain field works here.

Think about specific courses you’ve taken, workshops you’ve done or certifications that you completed. Call out any internships, summer jobs, or volunteer work that you think are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

PRO TIP: Despite the focus on technical skills, there are plenty of soft skills that are relevant to being a successful data entry clerk. Have you held any leadership positions? Or been responsible for any organizational projects? Those skills could work to your advantage.

How can they contact you?

This may seem basic, but don’t forget to list your contact details like an email address and LinkedIn profile. It can be easy to overlook the easy stuff when you’re so focused on crafting the perfect job descriptions.

Focus on spacing

Your data entry clerk resume should only use up one page. This means that you need to be mindful of margins, line breaks, and spacing. Remember to put the important stuff first and that a simple font and format is best.

Have a buddy

Whether it’s spelling mistakes, typos or an unnoticed autocorrect, mistakes happen — and it’s really easy to overlook them when you’ve been staring at the same page for hours and hours. Get someone with fresh eyes (and a solid understanding of grammar) to take a look when you’re finished writing.

Don’t forget the job description

The first thing you should do is to carefully read the job description. Highlight keywords you think will fit well with your experience and be sure to use them exactly, not synonyms. The description will also inform you about all the materials you need to be sure to submit.

Don’t use personal pronouns

Even though your resume is about you and describes your work history, steer clear of personal pronouns. It may feel weird to not be using “I” or “me,” but the first person doesn’t belong in a resume.

Don’t be repetitive

Since you will be talking about a lot of similar things throughout your data entry clerk resume, it seems easy to borrow the strong language from one section and use it again in another. But repeats stick out in a bad way — with so many diverse words out there, be sure to not just use the same ones again and again.

Data Entry Power Words

• Able
• Coordinated
• Delivered
• Determined
• Formulated
• Handled
• Generated
• Improved
• Initiated
• Managed
• Organized
• Performed
• Registered
• Served
• Supported
• Streamlined

Skills List

We have many great resources available to you 100% free on the Big Interview blog. Read the articles below for more information on resumes and cover letters.

The Art of Writing a Great Resume Summary Statement

How Long Should a Resume Be?

Creating Really Good Resumes

How to Get the Applicant Tracking System to Pick Your Resume

8 Design Ideas to Make Your Resume Pop

6 Tricks to Makeover Your Resume…Fast

How to Write a Cover Letter