Your summary offers potential employers a clear picture of your qualifications as they start reading your resume. Continue reading to learn how you can create a winning resume summary of your own.
Tips for Writing a Winning Resume Summary
1. Identify and List Your Most Essential Skills and Experiences
As you write your list, include your technical skills, awards earned, soft skills, certifications, and other achievements.
2. Describe Strong Character Traits in a Few Words
Once you’ve completed your list of experiences and essential skills, you can briefly introduce yourself using your strengths and achievements.
3. Review the Employment Listing
Look over the job listing for the position you’re applying for, note the skills and experience the hiring manager is seeking, and match up those requirements with the experience and skills you’ve listed.
4. Include Your Current Role and Employment Experience
Remember, this is your opportunity to introduce yourself to potential employers. Let them know your current role and the years of experience you have.
5. Say How You Want to Help Your Potential Employer Achieve Their Goals
This is your opportunity to let the hiring manager know why they should consider you for the position. Let potential employers know what you bring to the table and how you can help the company accomplish its goals, so they want to learn more about you and will invite you for an interview.
If possible, include information on significant achievements as proof you can deliver similar results if hired.
6. Create a Summary That Briefly Showcases Your Skills
Your statement should begin with a strategic adjective that describes you using an active voice. You can include keywords to describe your experience and skills, and keywords can help your resume get picked up by automated resume scanners.
When creating your summary, use quantitative details and avoid making general statements.
Formula to Create an Effective Resume Summary
As you start working on crafting your resume summary, you may want to consider the following formula:
Strong personality/character traits (e. g. , insightful, dedicated, detail-oriented). Professional title and experience (e. g. , hotel manager with six years of work experience). Value proposition (e. g. , eager to work with a company to increase website traffic). Quantifiable accomplishments (e. g. , cut costs by 25% in my department last year).
How to Structure Resume Summaries Based on Employment Level
Below you’ll find resume summary examples from various industries at different levels of work experience. Review the examples provided below and tailor one of your own based on the structure provided.
Entry Level Resume Summary
If you’re a recent graduate and don’t have much work experience, you can still create a winning resume summary. The key to making your resume summary as a new graduate is not to appear unqualified.
When writing your outline, you can include volunteer work, teacher praise, or relevant school projects or awards. If you’re not close to a computer, and you see a job you want to apply for, you can create your resume using the Canva app on mobile!
Career Change Resume Summary
When creating a resume summary when you’re changing careers, you need to show how your previous experience relates to the job you’re applying for. If your previous work experience isn’t relevant to the job you’re applying for, then focus on your skills.
If you have limited computer access and still need to get your resume out to potential employers, you can save your resume on your phone and apply for jobs!
Executive Resume Summary
For an executive resume summary, you should focus on your years of experience in the industry. You can use awards, accomplishments, and initiatives you’ve successfully launched.
If you’re worried your personal information is vulnerable to scammers, the good news is that you can protect your details from those who want to scam you.
Examples of Resume Summaries Based on Type of Work
Potential employers are looking for different things in candidate resumes, depending on the position they’re looking to fill. If you’re still unsure about the format of your resume, you may want to consider creating a hybrid resume. Below, you will find some samples of resume summaries based on the type of work you seek.
Office and Administrative Jobs
Recent Graduates
Executive Positions
Customer Service Positions
Medical Assistant
Accountant
Get the Attention of Your Future Employer With a Winning Resume Summary
If this article didn’t include the type of job you’re applying for above, you could still create a resume summary that catches the eye of your future employer. Follow the steps outlined above and customize them to your experience, skills, and accomplishments.
Ensure you have a clear understanding of what the hiring manager is looking for by reviewing the job advertisement and tailoring your summary to it. By customizing your resume summary, when your potential employer reads your resume, they have a good idea that you’re the candidate they’re seeking.
