How To Write A Professional Summary For Resume

Administrative Assistant Resume Summary Example

As an administrative assistant, you should display minute attention to detail and proficiency in day-to-day office tasks, related computer skills, and communications.

Proficient Administrative Assistant with over 7 years of experience in working closely with senior managers and executives. Have handled everything administratively from data entry to client communications with flawless efficiency. Successfully redesigned administrative workflows for speedy, precise, and cost-efficient execution of assignments.

Formatting Your Resume/cv Career Summary

You may have noticed a variety of different formats in the career summary examples above. There isnt one right way to format this section on your resume or CV. However, I recommend either using one or two brief paragraphs, or combining a short sentence or paragraph with bullets.

Avoid writing three or four long paragraphs with no special formatting like bullet points. Thats simply too much text for your summary section and will cause recruiters and hiring managers to skip over it in some cases.

Writing A Great Resume As A New College Graduate Is Easier Than You Think

Writing your first resume fresh out of university is intimidating.

Thankfully, it doesnt have to be. Employers know that a college education teaches a variety of marketable skills and expertise. Your resume is an opportunity to demonstrate those skills, and show employers what you have to offer.

To best emphasize your talents as a recent college graduate, your resume should:

• showcase your educational background,
• highlight your coursework ,
• and demonstrate your most relevant professional skills.

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How To Start A Resume With A Summary Statement

The summary statement typically sits right below the job seekers contact information and right above the body of the resume. A resume summary statement is often referred to by other names, including:

• Career summary

As hiring managers may read through hundreds of resumes in a week, a strong resume summary section can be just what it needs to stand out from the pack.

Dont Be Afraid To Get Specific

Yes, your resume summary is the perfect opportunity to offer a nice overview of what you can bring to a job, but it is also a great place to drill into a few specifics.

For example, if a job requires you to travel three months of the year and thats no problem for you, call it out in your summary.

This will immediately help you stand out from other applicants because you have said outright that you are willing to be on the road which might not be the case for others.

The idea is to set yourself apart from the pack, so if you can find something in the job listing that you think other applicants might not be able to fulfill whether its a skill, a language, an advanced degree or certification, or a unique experience dont hesitate to highlight it in your summary.

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Final Tips And Tricks

We’ve already mentioned almost everything you need to write an effective professional summary. These are some of the final tips that didn’t fit anywhere else in this guide.

Business Data Analyst Resume Summary:

Both of these resume summaries let us know theyre professionals in the industry because of three main things:

• Clarifies technical details and lets us know about their background
• Instead of being vague and generic, the applicants are specific and also use examples to support their points
• As a hiring manager for data analysts, we can see what tools they use and how adept their knowledge is for software application

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Turn I And Me Into You

None of the examples in this piece have an I or me to avoid the first person, self-centered tone sometimes found in resumes. Since a resume summary statement is read by a recruiter, it should be written for their benefit.

Changing a sentences structure so its focused on you reinforces the message of the value you bring to the table.

Where Should A Summary Go On Your Resume

A resume summary appears near the top of your resume, usually underneath the contact information you include. Itâs important to keep a summary as close to the top as possible because it sets the stage for the information that follows and can help a recruiter, who may have to review many resumes in one sitting, get a better sense of your experience right away.

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+40 Resume Summary Examples

Have you ever wondered how recruiters decide which resumes reading and which ones to discard?

They scan resumes for up to 5-6 seconds, at most, and in that timeframe, they decide if the resume is relevant or not.

They scan for things like your career highlights, qualifications, and specific skills.

And unless they can see that youre relevant in a single glance, chances are, youre not getting the interview.

And this is where your resume summary comes in.

This is the first section theyre going to check. Look at it as an introduction to your resume.

Do this right, and your resume summary will be a giant flashing sign that says Hire Me!

So, are you ready to create a convincing resume summary?

In this guide, were going to cover:

• Whats a resume summary
• How to write an effective resume summary
• 40+ inspiring real-life resume summary examples

Sample Resume Summary: Recent College Grad

ENTRY-LEVEL FINANCIAL ANALYST

Recent graduate of a top-tier university with a bachelors degree in finance and two years worth of internships and co-ops developing and analyzing cost models, performing quality assurance reviews, and learning how to build process solutions to improve forecast accuracy and compliance for internal and external clients in the defense and cybersecurity industry.

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Open With A Convincing Resume Objective

A resume objective is a brief 24 sentence resume introduction that provides an overview of your most notable qualifications, skills, and goals. Your objective is an essential part of your undergraduate resume, because it lets you explain why youre qualified despite having limited work experience.

Here are some points to remember when youre writing a resume objective for your undergrad resume:

• Keep your objective short. Hiring managers read resumes quickly, so its important to communicate your qualifications concisely.
• Write your objective each time you send out a resume. Target your objective to the job youre applying for, referencing the job requirements the hiring manager wrote in the job ad.
• In the last sentence, state your interest in the job and note how your skills and career goals make you a good fit.

Heres an example of a resume objective for an undergrad resume that would impress any hiring manager:

Using Resume Summary Examples For Students

Whether you’re a high school student or a college student, you may discover that it’s challenging to decide what to put on your resume. Since you are just entering the workforce, it’s likely that you have little to no professional experience to include on your resume. That’s why it’s so important to highlight relevant volunteer experiences, extracurricular activities, and skills you have. Here we discuss how your summary section can be beneficial and share some resume summary examples for students.

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Business Solutions Strategy Manager

I have spent over 10 years working with global industry leaders within Telecoms, FMCG, Energy and IT sectors. Possessing MBA, Engineering and Computer Science qualifications, my experience spans across strategy, operations, delivery and B2B sales . As a consultative and strategic problem solver, I have been effective in building relationships across functions at senior levels

Why Should I Write A Professional Summary

There are a number of reasons why you should consider including a well-crafted summary on your resume.

81% of participants stated they felt more confident about their tech job prospects after attending a bootcamp. Get matched to a bootcamp today.

The average bootcamp grad spent less than six months in career transition, from starting a bootcamp to finding their first job.

The first benefit is that resume summaries help you make a good impression on a recruiter faster than you otherwise would be able to. By mentioning your core skills and attributes at the top of your resume, you will be able to maximize the chance of an employer realizing your value, without them having to read through the entire page.

Resume summaries will also help you draw attention to the most relevant points of your professional history from the beginning of the document. If you have a lot of experience in one field, it can be difficult for a recruiter to keep track of everything that is significant. However, if you write a summary, you can highlight the main points that you want a recruiter to remember.

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Director Of Software Engineering

Started off my career developing software applications for payment terminals and never looked back there after. Today I am proud to be versatile with the kind of projects and companies I have worked with & the tremendous software development & management experience of 15+ years in the payments industry is something that makes it distinctive

Who Needs A Summary Statement

Just waitbefore we jump right into the samples, this is an important question to answer.

If youre one of those people who has righteously told yourself, Psh, summary statement? I dont need one of those!well, you might be right, they work better for some people than for others.

Summary statements are usually best for more experienced professionals with years of experiences to tie together with a common theme . Or, alternatively, they can be used to tie together disparate experiences with a set of key transferable skills, explains Muse writer, Lily Zhang, in her article on the topic.

If youre someone with a pretty straightforward career history and path, that precious real estate might be better used for bullet points, rather than this type of paragraph. But, if youre an experienced candidate or are changing careers? This could be just what you need to make your resume a little more cohesive.

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Resume Summary Vs Resume Objective

Most resume objectives read like wish lists. Its all about the applicants wants, and little to do with what the employer is looking for. Heres an example for an IT Project Manager:

Im a Technical Project Manager with 5 years of experience. Im now looking for a new challenge that allows me to leverage my IT background and resource management skills.

It mentions experience and the applicants skills in resource management, but nothing that would stand out to a recruiter. Its also written in a way that emphasizes what the candidate is looking for, instead of appealing to the employer.

A resumes goal is to convince recruiters youre worth interviewing. Because you have the talent and experience theyre looking for.

Below is an example of a resume summary, in bullet points, for the same position:

* Technical Project Manager with 5 years of experience* Specializes in website creation, e-commerce sites, and website launch marketing* Insider knowledge of the ecommerce market* Proven skill in crafting website launch marketing campaigns that generate buzz and profit for different industries and products

Notice how this summary statement focuses more on the applicant’s strengths and what they can deliver to a hiring employer.

Resume Keywords In The Summary Statement

Resume real estate is valuable and job seekers should make the most of their summary statements by including relevant keywords. Resume keywords are job titles and noteworthy hard skills found in the job posting.

• Legal Consulting
• Human Resources

As a job seeker, you have a personal brand. Each company also has its own brand. In order to sell yourself, you must find a way to align your brand with the company brand. A well-written career summary, optimized with the right keywords, gives you that opportunity.

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A version of this article was first published on April 12, 2017. It was rewritten with updated information and republished on October 28, 2021.

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Warehouse Supervisor Resume Summary Example:

Warehouse Supervisor with Management, Customer Service, & Forklift Experience

• Dependable manager with 15+ years of experience in warehouse management and employee supervision.
• Skilled at managing inventory control, shipping & receiving, customer relations and safety & compliance.
• Certified Power Equipment Trainer, Forklift Operator and Reach Operator skilled at coaching other staff.
• Promoted to positions of increased responsibility given strong people and project management skills.

Why this summary is good:

The applicant was applying for a warehouse supervisor position that required them to have demonstrated management, customer service and forklift experience. As such, the applicant showcased their experience in these areas with a few keywords in the title, followed by additional details in the accompanying bullet points. Their final bullet shows a record of promotions, while reinforcing the applicants customer service and project management skills.

By: Kyle Elliott, MPA/CHES, Career Coach and Consultant

Professional Summary Example For Receptionist

Customer-oriented and performance-driven Front Desk Assistant skilled at performing various administrative tasks, improving all office processes and procedures, and providing support to Office Managers. Great communicator with a Business Administration degree from a well-known university and an exceptional ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Possess well-developed communication skills and excellent time management abilities.

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Healthcare Sales Executive Resume Summary Example:

Turnaround & Ground Up Leadership

• Concept-to-execution strategies for untapped products, markets + solutions that yield 110% revenue growth
• Negotiates partnerships with leading distributors + hospitalsMedline to Centara + Novant Health to Mayo Clinic
• Revitalizes underperforming sales organizations via scalable, sustainable infrastructures emulated as best practice
• C-Level networks of clinical + supply chain leadership acquired during tenures with XXX, XXX and XXX

Why this resume summary is good:

This resumes summary examples strength lies in the detailed, unique information that has been included. By including revenue stats, names of past employers and partners, the reader right away sees that this person will bring to the role a strong networking ability with key players in his industry, and more importantly can build, grow and revitalize a sales organization, market or product.

By: Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes and Forbes contributor.

Why Use A Resume Summary Section

You should use a resume summary section when you want to highlight your skills, experience, and overall showcase your professional background to recruiters.

Use this opportunity to intrigue and draw them further into your resume by helping them get a quick overview of your know-how and how you can be a valuable asset.

Youre giving the job recruiter a glimpse into what you can potentially do for their business. And, depending on how good of a job youve done writing your summary, recruiters will either give you their full attention or click the x on their screen and go to the next applicant.

But I dont have much of an experience to write about. Yeah, well, rest assured, you arent alone. If youre just fresh out of school or youre doing a major career switch, you can always include your goals and objectives.

Recommended read: Resume Sections Everything You Need to Know

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What’s An Executive Summary

A resume summary is sometimes referred to as an executive summary, especially for upper-level positions. An executive resume summary statement is even more critical for advanced positions since prospective employers will be primarily focusing on and comparing the track record of success that candidates have developed in similar roles.

Organizing The Elements For Maximum Impact

The strongest impact can be created by organizing your information in a way that reveals the most relevant details first. As a rule, you should always focus on putting your most powerful information first.

So, if your educational qualifications are perhaps at the lower end of the qualification spectrum, lead with your experience or relevant skills first. The idea is to organize all the information in a way that immediately captures the readerâs attention, to ensure that the entire resume summary statement gets reviewed.

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