Adding Absolutely No Value
Mistake number five is probably the worstand the easiest to fall into Mistake number five is writing a statement that basically fills space but doesnt tell the hiring manager anything about the value you bring to the table. This can also be confused with the too vague statement
EXAMPLE: To obtain a position within my chosen field where I can utilize my skills as a hard-working, well-educated employee in exchange for a steady market-fair paycheck.
Congratulations. Youre educated and youre hard working and you want to make money. So what? So are 90% of the people youre going up against. Why are YOU the ideal candidate? What makes the hiring manager want to bring YOU in over everyone else? See what we mean?
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:
How are you going to fulfill the needs of the company?
When writing your resume objective, you should always have the intention of answering this question.
+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
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?
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Human Resources Generalist Resume Summary Example:
Human Resources Generalist with progressive experience managing employee benefits & compliance, employee hiring & onboarding, performance management processes, licensure tracking and HR records. Dependable and organized team player with the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. Skilled at building relationships with employees across all levels of an organization. Proficient with HRIS, applicant tracking and benefits management.
Why;this is a good resume summary:
The applicant highlights their experience across a wide range of HR functions from the very first sentence, and continues this pattern throughout the rest of the summary. They then use easily digestible langue to showcase their hard skills and soft skills . They also integrate a variety of keywords to get past automated job application systems, without sounding spammy or without over-doing it.
By: Kyle Elliott, MPA/CHES,;Career Coach and Consultant
Why Include An Education Section On A Resume
Theres a good chance that every resume youve ever seen had an education section. But why?
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Do You Need A Resume Summary
Probably not! Most people dont need a resume summary. Remember that your resume should already be a succinct summary of your work history and achievements if yours is self-explanatory or less than a page long, theres no need to re-summarize it again at the top. Unless you fall into one of the categories discussed above, or your situation is otherwise unique, your resume is probably enough on its own.
What Is A Resume Summary
So, what is a resume summary?
Its a section that summarizes the rest of your resume – simple, right?
A good resume summary, in a sentence or two, highlights some of your biggest achievements to date, mentions your profession and includes 1-2 of your top skills.
For your resume summary to really stand out, though, it should also be tailored to the companys needs.
What can you do for them?
At the end of the day, thats the #1 thing the HR manager wants to know, and if your resume shows it, then theyre bound to be interested.
Heres how to do resume tailoring the right way.
Lets assume that youre applying for this job.
A tailored resume summary might look like the following:
Good example: Digital Marketing Manager Resume Summary
- Professional with 5+ years of experience in digital marketing. Social media marketing experience, including Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn advertising. Experience in managing an account with a monthly budget of $30,000. B.A. in marketing management.
See what we meant by tailoring? You mention all the must-have information in your resume summary. This pretty much just screams out Im the guy for the job!
Now, imagine using the following resume summary for this job ad:
Bad example: Digital Marketing Specialist Resume Summary
Heres whats done wrong:
- Does notsummarize career background
- Does not include specific numbers or data
- Is extremely generic, not related to the job ad in any way
Well, you dont. Well, heres what you need to know.
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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
How Do You Write An About Me On A Resume
Positive words to describe yourself
- I am able to handle multiple tasks on a daily basis.
- I use a creative approach to problem solve.
- I am a dependable person who is great at time management.
- I am always energetic and eager to learn new skills.
- I have experience working as part of a team and individually.
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Making It All About You
This is a trap that many job seekers fall into, as they cant resist to use the objective to list off all of the things that they want to get out of the position.
EXAMPLE: Hi, Im Joe Jobseeker and I really want a job in a company where I make a ton of money doing as little as possible. Oh, and a corner office. A company car would be nice too. While were at it, lets talk benefits, retirementand the company vacation policy.
Yes, were being over the top with this one, but we need you to look at this and laughbecause even a slightly toned down one where you list only what YOU want is going to come off just as ridiculous to the hiring manager as the one weve blown out of proportion.
Listing Accomplishments On Your Resume
While your resume should highlight your skills, education and professional experiences, you also want to consider emphasizing your accomplishments and achievements. Accomplishments and achievements can be stand-alone or be included throughout your resume in your summary, professional experience, education and skills sections. Listing achievements on your resume can help employers better understand your strengths and talents while setting you apart from other candidates
In this article, we discuss how to add accomplishments to your resume and show examples of how to do it.
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Graphic Designer Resume Objective
Innovative and creative graphic designer seeking a position in an agency setting to apply unique ideas when creating and developing visually appealing productions that align with client goals and resonate with viewers and potential customers.
Creative and knowledgeable graphic designer looking for a position in a positive and team-based work atmosphere to develop and refine graphics, documents and digital renderings that meet client expectations while achieving goals related to customer interaction.
Resume Profile Objective Or Summary
After your contact information, you may choose to include a resume profile, objective or summary depending on your preferences and goals. In general, these can be helpful if they concisely describe your immediate employment goal, but it is not an essential component of a successful resume. You may prefer to include an objective or summary in a job-search letter or cover letter instead.
Resume profile
A resume profile is a quick snippet of your skills and experience as it relates to the specific job you are applying for. You will need to modify your resume profile each time you apply for a different position.
Resume objective
A resume objective is another optional section you can include that is also unique to each position you apply for. An objective provides the potential employer with an overview of the goals you have for your employment. An example of a resume objective could be the following: “To secure a position as a marketing manager with a reputable organization where I can utilize my extensive marketing training and skills.”
Resume summary
This optional part of your resume is one to two sentences or a list that outlines your top skills, experience and achievements as they relate to the position you are applying for. Your resume summary could include information like years of experience in a particular job or industry, skills you possess that are needed for the position and any specific achievements that demonstrate your eligibility for the job.
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Resume Summary Examples: How To Write One And Samples You Can Use
What a resume summary is, who needs one, and practical templates for you to follow
5 months ago;; 9 min read
A resume summary is a short section at the top of your resume. The purpose of a summary is to highlight something thats relevant to the job youre applying for but isnt included elsewhere in your resume, like transferable skills or a context that makes your accomplishments stand out. Despite the name, it isnt supposed to simply summarize the information already in your resume.
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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How To Write A Resume Summary If You’re A Fresh Graduate
If youre a student or a fresh graduate, you probably dont have much to brag about in your resume yet.
But thats only true to some extent. Even as an entry-level candidate, you already have at least some experience and skills. You just have to find the right way to articulate them.
Whats more, its quite likely that the other candidates are just as inexperienced as you are. After all, experienced professionals rarely apply for entry-level positions. Because of that, your primary goal is to stand out and make the employer remember you. And you can do that even if your experience is limited.
Its not like youve just spent most of your life at school and learned nothing. You just need to understand how your studies intersect with the jobs requirements.
;Heres how you can do it:
- State your field of study, degree, and GPA ;
- Mention relevant skills gained in internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work;
- Add related coursework or school projects.
- Also, try to translate your most notable achievements into numbers. Maybe you were on the student council. You can mention how you received 2,300 votes and helped organize 5 large school events that were attended by 3,000 students.
In the end, a fresh graduate resume summary should look something along these lines:;
Hired by Bupa Business Administration Intern
How To Start A Resume With A Summary Statement
A resume summary statement is a short paragraph at the beginning of a resume that highlights a job seekers professional skills and experience. It gives hiring managers a glimpse into the job seekers expertise before diving into their resume. The goal of a summary statement is to demonstrate the job seekers unique value through their skills and accomplishments.
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 summary statement can be just what a resume needs to stand out from the pack.
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Key Skills Youve Learned In School And Other Experiences
After your professional summary, list your skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for. To get a good idea of the skills required for a job, simply browse job descriptions for that specific job title. Typically, within the requirements or qualifications section, there will be many skills listed that you can copy.
Dont be afraid to list skills that you havent used in a professional setting. If you have learned about them in school or if you have practiced these skills during an extracurricular activity, list them! Just make sure you are honest during an interview about your level of competency.
Example of how to list less than 10 key skills in a resume:
- Time Management
Example of how to list more than 10 key skills in a resume:
- Leadership: Team Management, Resource Planning, Budgeting
- Math: Data Entry, Data Analytics, Statistics
- Professionalism: Active Listening, Office Etiquette, Professional Communication, Time Management
- Languages: English , Spanish
Everything You Need To Know About The Resume Summary Statement
Ready for a challenge? Summarize your entire professional history in a few concise and impactful sentences.
Make sure to touch on everything that makes you a qualified candidateâyour past experiences, your skills, your education, and all of those other qualities that should earn you a spot at the top of the resume pile.
This is your task every time you apply for a new job.
Itâs called your summary statement , and itâs a resume section that trips nearly every job seeker up.
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