What Is Summary On A Resume

Human Resources Job Description For A Resume

Impressive. Right up there with Holly Delaney from Zappos. It doesn’t just say, “Responsible for.” It says, “Very responsible.”

It blows away the next Human Resources resume sample.

Not exactly George Costanza, but pair it with the last example, and guess who gets the interview?

But to give it a clean slate, all we need to do is add achievements.

Don’t have any? Don’t worry.

Technical Resume Summary Examples

Computer Science Resume Summary

Creative and people-oriented computer scientist with up to 2 years of working with tech startups. Advanced knowledge of software design principles and agile development principles. Led and managed a team of five in developing new software from concept to delivery.

Click here for the full computer science resume example.

IT Specialist Resume Summary

Competent IT specialist with 5+ years of experience working with Windows Server 2016. Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert. Advanced knowledge in SQL, C++, Bash, and Linux.

Click here for the full IT resume example.

Software Engineer Resume Summary

Results-oriented software engineer with a focus on the design and implementation of relational database systems. 8+ years of experience in developing cutting-edge engineering solutions with a wide range of eCommerce and technology features. Skilled in agile processes, backend and frontend development, and creating eCommerce websites that integrate with Paypal, Stripe and other payment APIs.

Click here for the full software engineer resume example.

Data Analyst Resume Summary

Detail-oriented data analyst passionate about helping businesses grow. Former small business owner where I conducted research using three different focus groups and increased sales by 10% over 4 months. MBA recipient with strong technical skills of data mining and data, survey creation, and quantitative methods.

Click here for the full data analyst resume example.

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.

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How Do I Write A Simple Resume

How to Write a Resume Step by step

Use Action Verbs In Your Resume Summary

Another impactful tactic for a resume summary is to describe your statements as actions.

Employers want to know about what you actually did in your career. Not necessarily what your current company did. Save those points for your work experience section or for the actual interview.

Use strong action verbs to help emphasize your points. Especially verbs mentioned in the job description! Take a look at our list of 350+ action verbs to get a head start.

Tip: Use action verbs on your resume. Try to stay away from phrases like “Responsible for” and “Worked on”

Let’s apply our learnings. A bad example of a resume summary might look like this:

Bad example of a Healthcare Sales Resume Summary

I am an experienced Healthcare Sales Rep responsible for selling software to large hospitals. I closed many deals and generated a lot of revenue for the hospital. I want to continue selling healthcare software but to larger hospital chains.

This candidate is definitely not going to pass the 6-second glance. Let’s turn that into a better resume resume based on our guidelines:

Good example of a Healthcare Sales Resume Summary

Healthcare sales executive with 5+ years of experience generating over $2M in revenue selling to large hospitals. Skilled in winning deals in a competitive space with slow adoption. Hired and currently manage a team of 15 sales professionals who have collectively sold $5M of software. Looking to apply skills and experience in selling EMR systems to large hospital chains.

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Third Capture Job Posting Keywords

Adjust your resume summary for each job you apply to by scanning and capturing the job posting keywords. Carefully read the job description and select the key words from the requirements or education sections of the posting. This will demonstrate you prepared for, and are excited about, a particular position and you clearly meet the requirements the hiring manager is looking for in a candidate.

Example:

For a job posting that says the employer is looking for someone with at least 5 years of experience:

Compassionate registered nurse with 5+ years of professional experience and certifications in neonatal resuscitation.

For a job posting that says the employer is looking for someone with experience working with major brands:

Social media communications and advertising expert with experience in creating and managing social media strategies for global companies.

Three Types Of Professional Summary Examples

While a professional summary statement is standard on many resumes, its not the only option.

Depending on the job, your level of experience, and other factors, you may choose to use another short paragraph of introduction on your resume, such as a professional summary or an objective statement.

Curious about the difference between a professional summary statement, a professional summary, and an objective statement? Lets discuss.

Professional Summary Statement

This is a short, 1-3 sentence paragraph or bullet points that summarizes your professional experience. The idea is to demonstrate the value that you bring to this position based on your experience. So if you were applying for an art director position, your professional summary statement might read like so:

Professional Summary

A professional summary is a bit longer than a typical summary statement. If you have over a decade of experience , you could expand your professional summary statement into a professional summary. Typically, a professional summary is an entire paragraph, or it may be organized into 4-8 bullet points.

For example, a software engineers professional summary might look like so:

Objective Statement

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Professional Summary Example For Student

Self-driven and knowledgeable computer science student with demonstrated experience in developing user-friendly software applications, coding and testing features, and providing engineering support. Oracle Certified Professional with extensive knowledge of multiple programming languages and software development tools, excellent problem-solving skills, and ability to perform well in a team.

Rsum As One Part Of A Personal Branding Mix

In some sectors, particularly in the startup community, use of traditional résumé has seen a consistent decline. While standalone résumés are still used to apply for jobs, job seekers may also view their résumés as one of a number of assets which form their personal brand and work together to strengthen their job application. In this scenario, résumés are generally used to provide a potential employer with factual information , while the social media platforms give insight into the job seekers’ motivations and personality in development.

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Food And Service Industry Resume Summary Examples

Restaurant Manager Resume Summary

Professional bar manager with a strong interest in providing the highest standards of customer service and ensuring customer satisfaction. Skilled at reducing staff turnover and upselling techniques. Increased bar revenue by 20% through advertising featured cocktails and word-of-mouth strategies.

Click here for the full restaurant manager resume example.

Waiter/Waitress Resume Summary

Positive and friendly waiter with 3 years of experience in working at a fast-paced Italian restaurant. People skills with a proven ability to upsell alcohol, dessert, and appetizers to customers. Memorized restaurants wine stock and accompanying meals to the T.

Click here for the full waiter/waitress resume example.

Use A Resume Summary Statement

Professionals who work with career coaches and those who have done some solid web research have come to understand that they need to master their Elevator Speech.

This speech is a short summary of an employees value proposition and should be thought of as a sales pitch that is ready to go anytime you run into a potential hiring manager or networking contact.

A carefully prepared Elevator Speech is customized to the person giving the speech and contains information that makes the professional stand out while still focusing on things the employer wants to know .

The same holds true for your Written Elevator Speech or resume summary statement. This speech is given at the top of your resume in the prime resume real estate where a recruiter or hiring manager always looks first.

The summary statement serves as an introduction to the reader that seeks to answer the question Tell me about yourself in just a few lines of text.

The resume summary statement will help your resume stand out by:a. Catching the readers attention immediately

b. Ensuring a clear understanding of your top selling points at a glance

c. Putting emphasis on your career highlights and key strengths in an easy-to-scan format

d. Briefly communicating your professional objective if relevant

Every resume can benefit from a summary statement. For some candidates, it can be critical.

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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

Project Management Executive Professional Summary Example:

15+ years of initiating and delivering sustained results and effective change for Fortune 500 firms across a wide range of industries including enterprise software, digital marketing, advertising technology, e-commerce and government. Major experience lies in strategizing and leading cross-functional teams to bring about fundamental change and improvement in strategy, process, and profitability both as a leader and expert consultant.

Why this resume summary is good:

Project Manager is one of those job titles thats REALLY broad. You can find project managers earning $50K, and others earning $250K. The client I wrote this for was at the Director level, and had worked for some of the biggest and best tech companies in her city. So this resume profile section shows her level and experience, and the wide array of areas she has responsibility for in her current work. You can borrow or use some of the phrasing here to show that youve been responsible for many important areas in your past work.

By: Biron Clark, Founder of CareerSidekick.com.

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Hr Resume Summary Example

wrong

Human Resources manager skilled in recruitment, interviewing, job posting, termination, training, and employee retention. Energetic and with 6 years experience and an SHRM-CP certification.

That’s not exactly grounds for a pink slip. But it doesn’t warrant the interview, either. Why not? It’s as generic as a nametag that says, “Person.”

So, add some measurable wins.

Poof. Now the business owner is thinking, “Hmm. This candidate knows her stuff.” She may want proof, but she can get it in the interview.

In any, case, she’ll read the rest of your HR resume with interest.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building aprofessional resume template here for free.

When youre done, Zetys resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

But what if you’re just breaking into HR? Do you have to start out in the mailroom?

Absolutely not.

Why Do You Need An Executive Summary

The major benefit of an executive summary is that it makes your resume unique. A well-written resume shows your hiring manager your skills and qualifications at a glance. This can help you stand out, especially when the hiring manager has many resumes to go through when hiring a candidate. Most hiring managers spend just a few seconds on each resume. Using an executive summary ensures they get all the information they need in that time and can even encourage them to read further. The executive summary helps align your resume better with the job description.

Related:14 Resume Writing Tips To Help You Land a Job

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What To Include In A Resume Summary Statement

Your summary statement is often the first item read on a resume, so you want to get to the point: why should a company hire you? In about one to four sentences, highlight your most relevant strengths, skillset, and core competencies that are unique to you as a candidate.

In particular, demonstrate how you would add value to the company. Have you saved money for a company in the past? Did you streamline an administrative process? Include skills and experiences that will impress the employer, using specific percentages, numbers, or dollar amounts to quantify your achievements.

Be sure to tailor your resume summary to the specific job listing.

Look at the listing, and try to incorporate keywords from the listing in your resume summary. This will help the employer see how you are a good fit for the job.

In a resume summary statement, avoid skills that are commonplace , or overused words . Try to use action words to demonstrate your achievements.

The summary statement should be approximately two to four lines and speak to your professional background only. Do not address any outstanding circumstances . A cover letter is an expanded version of the statement that will allow your personality to shine through.

To recap, you want to include the following elements in your statement:

• Core strengths and skill sets most relevant to the role
• Past relevant experience with key functions
• Notable accomplishments that you intend to repeat in the next role

Why Do You Need A Professional Profile Summary

A good professional summary is something that will catch the attention of recruiters & the hiring managers eye. And if it is well-formatted, it will motivate them to read the rest of the resume. Resume summaries are excellent for professionals who stayed in the same job for quite a few years or detained many roles in the same industry. A good profile summary comprises precise past accomplishments and skills.

On the other hand, there comes the point for job seekers, who do not hold professional experience. At the starting of your career, you have yet to achieve work experience, or maybe you are willing to switch your job and dont have relevant experience. In that case, go with the resume objective instead of earlier experience it highlights your skills and inspiration.

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Headline And Summary Sample

A headline and summary replace the traditional objective with a more powerful statement of your goal, or direction, and what you bring to it.

In Beths resume, her job goal is stated in the headline Project Coordinator. This is more effective than old-style objective statements like: A challenging position that will allow me to use my project coordination skills. Today, statements like that are considered too general and self-serving to be effective.

Beth includes:

• A headline stating her job goal. If Beth applies to a project coordinator job related to a particular function or product, she could add that for example, Project Coordinator Technology.
• A paragraph summarizing her strengths and experience. Beth presents herself as an experienced, highly skilled professional with an interest in working in consulting.
• A bulleted list of skills. To back up her job target as a project coordinator, Beth lists related functions and software shes skilled in.

Objectives Summaries Or Professional Profiles

The purpose of a resume is to sell your professional expertise to a hiring manger. The career objective, summary statement, or professional profile is the first of your skills and expertise that a hiring manger will see. Each one has a slightly different intent and feel.

In this lesson, you will compare statements and understand their purpose. Then you will determine which one is best for you in order to create one for your own resume.

Watch the video below to learn about resume summary statements.

Which should you use?

In the past, most job seekers included a career objective on their resumes to tell hiring managers what types of position they were looking for. A more recent trend is to include a summary statement or a professional profile in place of the objective. However, some job seekers include both an objective and a summary. Regardless of which you choose to include, this area should:

• Appear just under your contact information
• Be written with a specific job in mind

Why would you choose to include one statement over the another for your resume? Here are some examples.

Career Profile: Lily

Lily chose to include a career profile to summarize her experience and highlight the key things she wants the hiring manager to know about her. She used a bulleted list to make it easy to scan.

Summary: Zachary

Zachary used a written summary statement to emphasize the skills and experiences he thinks he will need for the job he wants as a project manager.

Objective: Ashley

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