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How To Write A Resume Summary Statement

Business And Management Summary Examples

Creating Your Resume Summary Statement

Project Manager Resume Summary

Project manager with a proven track record of working with agile and waterfall project management methodologies. Managed 5+ teams of software projects over the past 3 years. Basic understanding of several programming languages, including Java, React, and NodeJS.

Click here for the full project manager resume example.

Business Analyst Resume Summary

Solutions-driven business analyst with over 5 years of experience in consulting businesses and analyzing their operations. Previous experience in working with Consulting Company X and Consulting Company Y. Strong understanding of digital transformation. Improved a client companys processes by taking them online, which improved manufacturing output by 3%.

Human Resources Resume Summary

HR professional with 5+ years of experience in recruitment. Worked with every part of the recruitment process, including sourcing, vetting, and onboarding of candidates. Passionate about IT recruitment, having worked as a tech recruiter at Company X. MBA from University X.

Why Should You Write A Resume Summary Statement

A Summary section is the best way to quickly outline your qualifications right at the top of your resume.

Employers read a lot of applications, and yours needs to stand out if you want to land the job. The quicker you can sell your skills the better. With a strong resume summary, hiring managers who read your resume will understand within a few sentences:

  • Who you are
  • What your relevant skills are
  • Some of most important achievements

While resume summaries aren’t strictly mandatory, most job-seekers include one. They provide a quick and easy way to sell yourself and stand out from other applicants.

Understanding The Resume Summary Statement

So what exactly is a resume summary statement?

A resume summary statement is similar to an objective statement in that it is a quick way for a job seeker to catch a hiring managers attention by summarizing critical information at the top of your resume in an easy to read format.

Before we go any further, I want to stop you right now and reiterate: A Resume Objective and Resume Summary Statement are NOT interchangeable. They are, in fact, two very different things and should not be confused.

Resume statements essentially are just a few short, well worded, well targeted sentences that summarize your skills and experiences.

Sometimes called Qualification Summaries or even just Competencies, these two or three sentences can, when done right, give you a real advantage in the hiring game.

I dont get it. Im already qualified to do the job. Whats the point? Cant they just read my resume and get that information themselves?

Absolutely. But remember, hiring managers are often going through dozens, if not hundreds of resumes per available job, so anything that can make their job easier is a good thing.

Imagine thisyoure the perfect candidate and you just know youre the one the company should hire but the manager has been going through mountains of resumes. By the time they get to yours, theyre just skimmingtrying to make it through.

Cue long drawn out overly dramatic cry of despair:

Noooooooooooooo!

Cue victory dance!

But just who was that mysterious man?

Read Also: Indeed Look At Resumes

Final Words: Writing A Resume Personal Statement

Your personal statement will be totally unique to yourself, but by using the above tips and tricks we gave you, you will be able to create one which shows the Hiring Managers everything they need.

Remember to keep it short and only include the most relevant information for your target roles.

Do you have any other questions about personal statements on a resume? Give us a shout-out in the comments below!

How To Write A Resume Summary For A Specific Role

A Good Resume Summary

To understand how to write a resume summary for a specific job, you must study the job posting and use your knowledge of the industry to identify your most relevant skills and achievements.

This means that every application will be different, but there are some standard questions you can ask yourself when you are brainstorming for each new resume summary:

  • Who are you, and what is your current role?
  • What skills will you bring to the new role?
  • What are your career goals?

Your specific career and experience and how they relate to the new role will influence your summary.

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Key Elements To Include In Your Resume Summary Statement

Before we get started with the different examples and samples of resume summary statements, hereâs a quick roundup of the key things you must include in your resume summary statement:

  • Traits and skills: In short and crisp sentences, mention all the key skills that you possess that make you the perfect candidate for the job role.
  • Work experience and roles handled: Especially if you have experience in the domain that youâre applying for, you need to mention your years of experience, as well as the different hats youâve worn during that time.
  • Benefits you bring to the table: For this, youâll need to know a bit more about the company. So, do that research in advance. Then, compare the companyâs goals with yours and see how you can help mutual growth – that’ll be what youâre bringing to the table!
  • Achievements and accomplishments: If youâre a fresher, mention your academic achievements or any complementary accomplishments in the relevant field. If youâre an experienced professional, talk about your professional milestones and achievements.
  • Future goals in line with the domain: Take just one sentence to describe your goals and aspirations and how youâd want to benefit the domain.

Resume Summary Examples: Correct and Incorrect

Incorrect:

Why:

Itâs vague, generic, has no substantial information or numbers, lacks any insightful details about the candidate or what they can offer. It doesnât work!

Corrected:

Digital Marketing Resume Summary:

Im an experienced digital marketer who has worked on every aspect of digital marketing for a variety of clients. Im looking to grow my career and gain valuable new experiences.

Seasoned digital marketer with 6+ years of experience building and implementing strategies focused on SEO, email marketing, and Adwords largely for small to medium-sized eCommerce sites. Successfully grew organic revenue by 74% in 8 months through content creation and link-building strategy.

A recurring mistake with resume summaries is the lack of clarity. When looking at the second example, the job recruiter might ask What new aspects have you worked on? What type of clients have you worked with? What valuable new experiences are you seeking?.

Every sentence should clearly further your message. If its meaningless, youre wasting the employers time and youll most likely fail to get into an interview.

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The Five Ws Of A Resume Summary Statement

  • What is a resume summary statement? A resume statement summary is more or less just a few well-worded, targeted sentences that sum up your skills and experiences. Think of it as a shortened cover letter or a written elevator pitch.

  • Where does a resume summary statement go? At the top of your resume, just under your contact information. The purpose is to quickly grab the hiring managers notice as soon as they begin reading which is, you know, usually at the beginning.

  • Why do I need a resume summary statement? To make sure the reader gets the gist of who you are as soon as possible. Imagine youre a hiring manager skimming dozens of resumes kind of like a jobseeker skimming dozens of resume templates.

    Some employers run resumes through screening software, so this is an opportunity to stick some keywords in that dont mesh with your job description bullet points.

  • Who needs a resume summary statement? If you can write a good one pretty much everyone benefits:

  • If youve got a lot of experience in your field, it summarizes your achievements.

  • If youre making a change in industries, it ties together your experiences.

  • If youre just starting out, it explains how your academic experience is relevant.

  • But if you want to indicate that your resume is either outdated or a template from Microsoft Word, use an objective statement.

    Read Through The Job Description

    How To Write A Resume Summary – Sample Resume Template

    When first getting started as a professional, one solid piece of advice to remember is that you should tailor your resume to the job youre applying to. Keep a master copy of your general resume and then make slight changes based on the role you want. When planning your summary, carefully read through the job description. Think about what would make you a good fit for this role.

    Also Check: How Many References Does An Employer Usually Want

    Benefits Of A Resume Summary Statement

    There are a number of benefits to including a summary statement in your resume. The main benefit is that it helps your resume stand out. When hiring managers are reading through dozens, even hundreds, of resumes, they often skim through each and miss information. By beginning with a statement that concisely describes why you are qualified, you are more likely to get a closer look.

    However, just writing a resume summary statement does not guarantee that employers will be interested in your resume.

    You need to make sure your resume summary statement concisely demonstrates why you are an ideal candidate for the specific job and company.

    What Are The 3 Main Requirements For A Good Summary

    A good summary has three basic characteristics: conciseness, accuracy, and objectivity. Conciseness: unlike paraphrase, summary condenses information. The degree of density can vary: while you can summarize a two-hundred page book in fifty words, you can also summarize a twenty-five-page article in five hundred words.

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    What To Include In A Resume Summary

    Include the following details in your resume summary:

    • Accolades: If you are an honors student or have other impressive achievements, mention this in your summary. This shows employers that you are ambitious and hard-working.
    • Experience: When you have relevant job experience, certainly include it. As a student this may be challenging, but there are plenty of other details to include. Volunteer experience, extracurricular activities, and leadership opportunities are all great things to add.
    • Skills: Read through the job posting to see any skills the employer is looking for. Be sure to include any of these skills that you have. You can also think about which other abilities you have would be helpful for this role.

    Writing An Actual Resume Summary

    9+ Career Summary Examples

    We’ve seen the steps of how to write a resume summary.

    Let’s implement the steps to create actual resume summary examples.

    Writing a resume summary for a Software Engineer

    We’ll be developing the resume summary for one of our actual clients who is a software engineer.

    We’ll follow the steps listed in the section above.

    1. Complete all the other sections of your resume

    Rick has completed his entire resume apart from the summary part.

    He has ~2 years of professional experience in a single organization. Here is his professional experience from his resume:

    • Spearheading a team of ~20 to conceptualize and effectively implement the Mark for Upload feature for the company
    • Commissioning the development of Logging Framework across all platforms including iOS, Android & Windows
    • Conceptualizing and developing a library for the company to reduce additional costs involved in using third-party libraries
    • Developing client-side libraries across both iOS and Android for enabling the application developer to use the feature of off-line sync
    • Proposing a common network layer for all network calls to be used by the product to effectively optimize SDK size

    2. Researching the job profile

    On researching the job description, we created the list of skills required:

    • Software Development Life Cycle Management
    • Proficiency with multiple platforms

    Scaled the product to 2M users

    Security & Scalability Management

    5. Framing the resume summary and using power verbs

    Well, there you go.

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    Tell People Who You Are What You Do What Youve Accomplished And What Makes You A Star

    These resume summary examples can help you write your own.

    A resume summary is a bit like your calling card: a few sentences that tell people who you are, what you do, what you’ve accomplished, and what makes you a star. This summary lives at the top section of your resume it can be a short paragraph or a series of bullet points. Recruiters and hiring managers look to it to determine whether or not they should invest their precious time into reading the rest of your resume. Weve got some resume summary examples to show you how to write one of your own.

    But why would you even need to spend precious resume real estate on something that’s seemingly redundant? After all, your resume includes the pertinent skills and qualifications that should determine whether or not you’re a viable candidate. Simple answer: Hiring managers and recruiters are very busy. Like, really busy.

    Think of a resume summary as a movie preview. Why watch an entire 90-minute movie to decide whether or not it was worth your time and attention when you can watch a 2-minute clip? Now you get it.

    Here are some resume summary examples for a variety of industries that can show you the kind of information that will grab hiring managers’ and recruiters’ attention and make them want to know more about you.

    Business And Management Resume Summary Examples

    Project Manager

    “Organized project manager with a proven record in the SaaS industry. Spearheaded the development of photo-sharing app, . Strong communication and conflict resolution skills. Managed a team of 15+ developers and engineers. Working understanding of React Native and Java.”

    Business Analyst:

    “Data-driven business analyst with over 10+ experience in business consultation. Excellent leadership and communication skills, with a specialty in emerging markets. Previous experience at and . Was central in the growth , helping them increase revenue by 20% by streamlining their supply chain.”

    Human Resources

    “Certified HR professional with 7+ years of experience. Extensive background in HR affairs, including recruitment and retention, conflict resolution, and HR records management. Specialist in IT recruitment, with experience as a tech recruiter at Google.”

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    Q: Can I Include My Personal Hobbies In My Resume Summary

    A: Avoid writing your personal hobbies in your resume summary unless they are relevant to the job you are applying for.

    In most cases, the hiring manager doesnt need to know that you love riding your bicycle or that you love playing video games. unless you are applying for a video game tester or to the circus, of course.

    Writing A Summary When You Dont Have Much Experience

    How to Write a Resume Summary – Plus 5 Strong Examples | Indeed Career Tips

    If youre a recent graduate or you’re changing careers, you might not have relevant or experience and achievements to showcase. If this is the case, you may want to consider a different approach:

  • Make a comprehensive list of your skills and experience. Consider your education and other jobs that you have performed, including internships and part-time jobs. Even if you havent had much full-time work, you have developed skills in other areas.
  • Study the company and the job posting. Analyze the job description and pick out the skills, experiences, and other relevant details. Compile these into a second list.
  • Identify any areas where your skills are transferable. They arent likely to be exact matches, but any past experiences where you demonstrated leadership and hard work could be worth showcasing. Find three to four skills or accomplishments to build your resume summary around.
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    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.

    Professional Summary Example For Data Analyst

    A graduate in Information Systems with two years of hands-on data analytics experience. Passionate about working with large amounts of data and to turn this data into information, information into insight and insight into business decisions. I also have a keen interest in the field of data visualization and am fascinated by the power to compress complex datasets into approachable and appealing graphics.

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    Executive Assistant Resume Objective

    Looking to work in a fast-paced and challenging executive assistant role that allows for the application of strong organizational, support, coordination, scheduling and communication skills.

    To obtain a position as an executive assistant to provide outstanding support to executive-level professionals by coordinating schedules, meeting deadlines, working effectively as part of the team, managing communications and overcoming all challenges.

    How To Make Your Summary Statement Stand Out

    How to Write a Resume Summary that Grabs Attention

    SHOWCASE YOUR STRENGTHS: Use your resume summary statement to highlight the strengths that set you apart from your competition, demonstrating how you would bring value to an employers organization by listing specific contributions.

    PROVIDE QUANTIFIABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Increase the persuasive force of your resume summary statement by using percentages, impressive sales figures, or numbers to quantify specific professional achievements.

    USE A RESUME SUMMARY STATEMENT INSTEAD OF AN OBJECTIVE STATEMENT: Resume summary statements are more effective than objective statements because they focus on an employers needs rather than upon what you, as a job candidate, want for yourself.

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    Elements Of A Strong Resume Summary Statement

    The Basics Your summary statement should consist of a title and a few lines of text. The text can be in paragraph form and/or use bullets.

    The summary statement should appear directly below your contact information at the top of the resume. and should reflect a general idea of your career goals.

    Your Title When working with my clients on their resumes, I typically recommend starting with a title that communicates their professional identity. Think of it as a headline that will catch the readers eye and help them see your fit for the position at hand.

    Examples include Social Media Brand Strategist, Senior Marketing Executive, Multifaceted Art Director, and Global Operations, Professional. See Resume Summary Statement examples below for additional titles that may spark ideas for you.

    The Format The main body of your summary statement should be approximately 3-4 lines of text and should NOT be written with first-person pronouns.

    If you are tempted to make your summary statement longer to squeeze in more details, resist the temptation. Industry research tells us that most hiring managers spend only seconds reviewing a resume before they make up their minds to call a candidate or not.

    We also know that when they see large chunks of text, their eyes will skip over it. Therefore, it is vital to limit the length of a summary statement to ensure it gets read.

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