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Best Resume Advice According to Reddit: 6 Tips That Actually Work

• Julia Mlcuchova , 
• Updated January 29, 2024 9 min read

Do you often turn to Reddit for answers to your burning questions? And, have you considered exploring this popular online forum to uncover what the best resume advice according to Reddit is?

Of course, Reddit can be notoriously difficult to navigate and not all of its users actually know what they're talking about.

Still, Reddit and other public forums can be valuable sources of first-hand experience in all things resume. 

We've painstakingly sifted through countless subreddits, all dedicated to resume writing and career tips, to save you the trouble.

Now, we present to you the crème-de-la-crème of Reddit resume advice. 

In this article, you'll find:

• 6 best resume advice according to Reddit;
• What we think about them; 
• And, of course, examples. 

Table of Contents

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TL;DR: 5 Best resume advice according to reddit

1. use a single column layout to pass the ats.

• 2. Don't name your resume 'resume.pdf'

3. Keep your job descriptions short. Use bullet points and action verbs

4. use numbers to quantify your achievements, 5. less is more for both word count & job applications per day, 6. use resume builders to make your life easier, key takeaways: best resume advice according to reddit.

First, for those in a hurry, here's the TL;DR version of our top five resume advice gathered from Reddit:

• Use a single column layout to pass the ATS.
• Don't name your resume 'resume.pdf'.
• Keep you job descriptions short. Use bullet points and action verbs.
• Use numbers to quantify your achievements.
• Less is more for both word count & job applications per day.
• Use resume builders to make your life easier.

Now, let's look at the best resume advice according to Reddit users more closely. Here's what we think:

If you thought that layout doesn't play any significant role in the success rate of your resume, you thought wrong!

In case the company you're applying to uses an Applicant Tracking System, always opt for a single column layout . 

The reason? ATS compatibility. 

Even though all ATSs are designed to read text from top to bottom, left to right , not every ATS is programmed to distinguish between columns. 

And you just can't know with certainty which software you'll encounter. Therefore, reduce the risk of your resume being incorrectly processed or rejected by picking a one-column ATS friendly resume template . This will make the process of parsing and interpreting information easier and safer.

HOWEVER. That doesn't mean you should discard the two-column resume all-together. Here are some reasons why a two-column layout can still be beneficial :

• Non-ATS employers . Many companies still don't use ATS systems, making the ATS compatibility argument less relevant in these cases. For these employers, the visual and organizational benefits of a two-column layout could be more advantageous.
• Aesthetics . A two-column format can be more visually engaging, making your resume stand out.
• Ease of reading . Smaller chunks of information can make the resume easier for the human eye to navigate.
• Space management . For those with less experience, a two-column layout can help evenly distribute text and avoid large empty spaces.
• Strategic organization . It allows for a more strategic presentation of information, guiding the recruiter's eyes through your resume efficiently.

Moreover, if you're just entering the workforce with no experience , your resume is probably still quite sparse. 

Because of this, you may end up with a large, unattractive empty space at the bottom of your document. And with one-column structure resumes, this is often the case. 

There' s an easy fix! Organizing your resume sections into a two-column structure can help spread the text more evenly.  

2. Don't name your resume 'resume.pdf'

Indeed, putting together a good resume is quite a tedious process.

There're so many rules and principles to think about, for instance:

• Every single resume section, whether it be the resume summary , work experience section, education section, skills section, or any other optional section, requires your full and undivided attention. 
• You must remember to always tailor your resume to fit a specific job description . 
• Not to mention the subsequent formatting and proofreading!

By the time you've finished writing your resume, you're likely mentally drained. 

It's at this time that errors creep out from the most unexpected places.

One such error is not naming your resume file appropriately .

How to name your resume file: step-by-step.

When naming your resume file for submission, it's important to consider clarity, professionalism, and the likelihood of it being easily found by the recruiters.  

Here are our recommendations for naming your resume file:

• Use your name. Start with your full name. This is the most crucial piece of information because it clearly identifies the document as yours. For example, "PeterStones" .
• Specify the document type. Make it clear that the document is a resume . This helps distinguish your resume from other documents like a cover letter . For example, " Resume ".
• Add the job title. This can be particularly helpful if you are sending the resume directly to a hiring manager. For example, " ProductManager ".
• Use a professional format. Avoid using any unnecessary symbols or fancy formatting. Underscores (_) or hyphens (-) are acceptable to separate words.

A good file name for your resume could look like this: "PeterStones_Resume_ProductManager.pdf".

Finally, before hitting send, consider carefully what to write in an email when sending a resume . Of course, when you're applying for a job, every detail matters. Don't neglect the content of your email – it's also responsible for making a positive first impression.

Undoubtedly, you know that the work experience section is the heart and soul of your resume.  

The recruiters always pay it the most attention, and so you need to be extra diligent and patient while writing about your past employment. 

Consequently, many will try to fit in as much information as humanly possible, disregarding the readability and quality of their entries. To steer clear from such mistake, follow these two simple principles:

• Organize your work descriptions into bullet points . Under each work experience entry, list 4-5 bullet points underlining your most notable responsibilities and achievements. That is to say, you should focus on demonstrating the impact your presence had on your former employment, rather than just stating your daily duties. 
• Open the said bullet points with action verbs . The recruiters don't care about long winding sentences! That's why it's a good idea to start each bullet point with an action verb . This will not only make your writing more concise, but it'll also depict you as a proactive, and therefore valuable, employee.

For example, a well conceptualized work entry description can look like this:

Work experience entry example:

Senior Product Manager XYZ Tech Solutions, New York, NY | June 2019 – Present

• Led a team of 8 in the development of an innovative mobile application, increasing user retention by 35% within six months.
• Collaborated with cross-departmental teams to streamline product delivery, reducing time-to-market by 20%.
• Managed product lifecycle from concept to launch, including market analysis, positioning, and rollout strategy.
• Oversaw a budget of $1M, optimizing resource allocation and cutting costs by 15% without impacting product quality.

This is another great resume advice according to a Reddit user!

The recruiters adore to see numbers in your resume! Why, you ask?

It makes life a bit easier for them. By quantifying your accomplishments, you simultaneously allow recruiters to better gauge your abilities ; and add more weight to your words . 

Be as specific as you can - numbers are universal. 

Struggling to figure out how to incorporate numbers into your resume? Here are few examples of what you can quantify:

• Revenue and sales increases. If you contributed to growing revenue or sales, specify the percentage or dollar amount of the increase. For example: " Boosted sales by 20% within a six-month period. "
• Cost reduction. Similarly, if you implemented strategies that reduced costs, mention the amount or percentage saved. For example: " Cut operational costs by 15% through process optimization ."
• Time efficiency. If you streamlined processes, indicate how much time was saved. For example: " Reduced project turnaround time by 30% ."
• Team management. If you manage a team, you can specify the number of people you supervise. For example: " Led a team of 12 sales professionals ."
• Project scope and delivery. Quantify the size or value of the projects you managed, then mention if you delivered them under budget or ahead of schedule. For example:  " Managed projects worth $2M, consistently delivering 10% under budget ."
• Training and development. If you were involved in training, mention the number of people you trained or the improvement in performance post-training. For example: " Trained over 30 employees, leading to a 40% increase in overall team efficiency. "

Resume advice two-in-one!

As this Reddit user rightly pointed out, less is sometimes more . 

This is especially true when it comes to the content of your resume as well as the amount of job applications you send out each day .

When crafting your resume, keep in mind that you must show the recruiters that you have everything they're looking for . Chances are, you actually have much more – more diverse job experience; more interesting hobbies; or more fulfilling volunteer work you'd like to share with them. 

Obviously, resumes have their length limitations . Once you've started to write yours, you'll soon learn that you have to be picky! 

Recruiters prefer resumes that are focused, relevant, and straight-to-the-point. In other words, don't make them read information they didn't ask for. 

The same applies to applying for jobs.

Many in this situation start panic-applying to every single job posting they find. Because they assume that the more applications they send, the bigger their chances at landing a job will be. 

Makes sense right?

In theory, maybe. In practice? Hardly!

Believe it or not, there's such a thing as sending too many applications. Basically, if your solely focus on the quantity of applications, you're running the risk of sacrificing their quality . 

And that is a problem. If you'd like to learn how to go about this problem, including tips on how to manage the pressure of job hunting, take a look at what research says about the ideal number of job applications .

Now, hand over your heart!

Would you prefer to sit in front of your computer for hours, battling with Microsoft Word and its many settings? Trying to create a perfect resume design from scratch? 

Admit it, even the thought of setting margins and spacing makes you roll your eyes. 

Hence, arguably the best resume advice according to reddit is to make a resume with an online resume builder to avoid these inconveniences (politely said).

No need to scratch your head over a layout or the best colour palette! Instead, simply pick a resume template that best suits your needs (both aesthetic and practical), fill in all your information, and watch your resume come to life in seconds. 

Additionally, resume builders can proofread and correct any misspellings or typos you might've otherwise missed. 

Sounds good? If so, your perfect resume is one click away.

Resume template by Kickresume

This resume was written by our experienced resume writers specifically for this profession.

In conclusion, Reddit and other public forums can serve as a good starting point for seeking resume advice.

Apart from first-hand applicant experience, many posts are sumbitted by actual hiring managers.

However, there's a lot to weed out first to find the best resume advice according to reddit.

Plus, you should always compare your findings with reputable sources. Which is exactly what we did.

• Don't forget to name your resume file appropriately.
• Keep your job descriptions short with bullet points and action verbs.
• Keep your resume concise and the number of daily applications reasonable. 
• Use online tools (like Kickresume) to build your resume.

Ready to create the perfect resume?

Create a beautiful resume quickly with the help of AI and our customizable templates.

Julia has recently joined Kickresume as a career writer. From helping people with their English to get admitted to the uni of their dreams to advising them on how to succeed in the job market. It would seem that her career is on a steadfast trajectory. Julia holds a degree in Anglophone studies from Metropolitan University in Prague, where she also resides. Apart from creative writing and languages, she takes a keen interest in literature and theatre.

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A resume summary, also known as a professional summary, is a great way to introduce recruiters to your unique qualifications. Here’s how.

How to Craft a Winning Resume Summary (Examples)

Work experience? Check. Education? Check. Skills? Check. Your resume seems complete, but it might be missing one key component. In today’s job market, candidates need to bring out all the stops to stand out. In addition to your career history, skills, and goals, you need a resume summary statement.

You’re probably familiar with a resume summary, also known as a professional summary or summary of qualifications. They appear on the top of resumes and LinkedIn profiles . A well-written professional summary statement can significantly improve your chances of scoring that interview. However, writing one can be a challenge. How do you summarize who you are and what you do in a brief paragraph without duplicating what you’ve already got on your resume?

What Is a Resume Summary?

A resume summary is your elevator pitch . It’s brief, concise, and clearly communicates the key points of why an employer should hire you. However, a single sentence that highlights too many job skills is not the way to go. The Career Experts at FlexJobs advise summary writers to avoid creating a laundry list of skills. “You might have the urge to cover anything and everything you’re capable of…but keep your focus narrow. ”

Highlight your most valuable skills and experiences—the things you really want a hiring manager to notice in four to five sentences . You can use brief bullet points instead of a paragraph. However, if space is at a premium on your resume , use sentences.

Resume Summary vs. Resume Objective

A resume objective is about you and what you wan t (a job); a professional summary is also about you, but it’s about what the employer wants. 

Think of your resume as a sell-sheet, and you’re the product it’s selling. Everything on your resume should make the employer interested in hiring you. An objective, though, only talks about what you want from the employer.

Resume Summaries Make a Difference

A professional summary is at the top of your resume (between your contact information and your job history). Thanks to this “top-level” placement, a professional summary is likely the first thing a hiring manager looks at when they scan your resume, and a quick skim of this statement helps a recruiter determine if you’ve got the skills and experience they’re looking for

The summary statement can help call attention to the most important, relevant skills or achievements you want the hiring manager to notice, instead of forcing them to sift through your extensive background and decide what skills are relevant or important.

The summary statement is also an excellent place to spotlight the skills you want an employer to notice but can’t necessarily include under your job history. For example, if you’ve got a lot of soft skills you want to showcase, the summary statement is the perfect place to do that.

How to Write a Resume Summary Statement

Be specific.

Be specific as possible about your skills and experiences, but don’t simply list off your top eight skills. Use action verbs to tell a story and convey the passion you feel for your job. When you write the statement, consider:

• Who you are
• What you do
• Why you do what you do
• Where are you going

Know What Matters

Just like your job history and cover letter, peppering your professional statement with industry keywords isn’t enough. When you’re selecting which keywords to include, make sure you choose the ones that are important to your industry and that particular job. The career experts offer this tip. “Take your cues from the job listings you’re seeing . What skills and experiences are asked for over and over by different employers?”

For example, if you’re applying for a sales job and the job description repeatedly says “client,” not “customer,” don’t include “providing value propositions for customers” in your summary.

Also, keep the applicant tracking system (ATS) in mind as you craft your summary. These bots are programmed to look for certain keywords on your resume. Fail to include the right keywords, and your application has a higher chance of getting rejected.

Resume Summary Examples

Let’s look at a resume summary example and how to improve it.

“Accomplished marketing professional with 10 years experience creating winning campaigns for brands.”

While this is a summary of your work history, it doesn’t really explain why you do what you do and how you do it better than others.

Instead, consider this statement:

“Award-winning marketing professional with 10 years’ experience creating campaigns that transform brand engagement and drive sales revenue.”

This describes your professional experience in more dynamic, descriptive, and attention grabbing terms.

Here are a few other resume summary examples:

Customer-focused, impact-oriented, self-starting business development professional. Repeatedly recognized for delivering and exceeding aggressive business goals through expert lead generation, business development, and sales management.

Enthusiastic, proactive, and solution-driven Customer Support Rep possessing comprehensive experience providing remote customer technical support within distributed team environments. Highly qualified to drive superior client satisfaction and brand loyalty through inbound and outbound channels. Reputed expertise in resolving complex situations and creating memorable customer experiences.

Motivated professional with over 20 years of nonprofit management experience focused on operational leadership, technical operations, and business strategy. Proven history of effectively managing and motivating systems engineers, administrators, and IT support teams for small and mid-sized organizations. Lead by example and focus on self-empowerment and team development.

Perfecting Your Resume Summary

A resume summary highlights who you are as a professional and what skills you will bring to the company. But, it can be more than that. A well-written professional summary can be the perfect bridge between your work history and where you would like to take your career in the future.

Writing and selling yourself isn’t always every job seeker’s favorite activity. Consider leveraging AI for ideation or a resume builder to help speed up the process. Along the way, ensure you’re taking advantage of all of our resume advice and  cover letter advice .

Once you have your resume polished, we can help you find a steady stream of legitimate job postings to submit it to. Take the tour to discover our entire suite of career resources.

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Should you include a professional summary on your resume?

4 reasons we don’t recommend a professional summary (and what to do instead)

When crafting your resume, you have an extremely limited amount of space to work with.

As such, you should be especially mindful of whether every word and every bullet point truly adds value.

In most cases, the professional summary is not.

We recommend deleting your professional summary for the following four reasons:

1) your resume is already a short document: you don’t need a summary to summarize it.

At most, your resume is two to three pages long . At best, it’s only a page.

If you’re effectively incorporating skim value into your document, a recruiter should be able to skim it in under 30 seconds and still pick up the key information they’re looking for such as:

• position titles
• company names
• main accomplishments

2) Professional summaries tend to be generic and full of empty buzzwords

The typical professional summary boasts numerous cliches regarding how the candidate has “ten years of proven sales and digital marketing experience,” is a “strong team leader,” and has “effective verbal and written communication skills,” for example.

If you do, that’s great!

However, always aim to show recruiters examples of these characteristics instead of simply telling them.

3) Your work experience section allows you to convey your skills in a more believable manner

Professional summaries that incorporate generic buzzwords don’t sound believable without any concrete evidence to back up the statements.

These types of statements also make you sound like similar candidates who are applying for the same position.

Aim to differentiate yourself from your competition.

You’ll be able to do so in a much more compelling manner by providing real-world examples in the context of your work experience.

4) It’s best to simply stick to the facts and let your experience speak for itself

If you are a good candidate for the position, you don’t need to use flowery language to effectively convince a recruiter that you will be able to excel in the role you’re applying for.

Sometimes, the harder you try, the more obvious it is – causing you to unintentionally lose credibility instead of building it up.

Why a career highlights section is a stronger alternative

Instead a writing a professional summary in paragraph format, we recommend including a Career Highlights section, which consists of 4-5 bullet points that:

• Outline key achievements from your career
• Demonstrate how your experience aligns with the target role

In these bullet points, avoid generic descriptions describing your skills sets.

Instead, mention company names and provider concrete examples of projects you completed and your achievements.

Experienced Executives

If you are an experienced executive, use the career highlights section to provide an overview of your career progression.

What were your biggest contributions?

What aspects of your career are you most proud of?

Career Switchers and Job Hoppers

If you held unrelated positions across multiple industries or have a non-linear career path, you can leverage the career highlights section to tie your diverse experiences together around a common theme.

In this case, it’s best to approach this section by keeping the jobs you are applying for in mind .

What aspects of your unique experience are most applicable to the roles you’re now pursuing?

Academics and Researchers

Academic and research CVs tend to be significantly longer than a professional resume.

In these cases, your highlights section will serve as an executive summary – or elevator pitch – outlining your career trajectory.

For academic CVs, a traditional professional summary written in paragraph format can also be appropriate.

However, it should still avoid any generic and unsubstantiated statements. You can have a look at many professional resume examples to get an idea of how to get the perfect resume for yourself.

Just as with many other aspects of resume writing, whether you should include a professional summary is best determined on a case-by-case basis.

In most cases, the answer is "no."

The most important question to keep in mind is whether your summary is truly adding value.

If you’re simply repeating information found elsewhere on your resume or your content sounds generic, it’s best to leave it off.

About Resume Pilots

Resume Pilots is an award-winning executive resume writing firm and a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. Our previous clients include CEOs and senior executives at the world's leading companies.

As a professional services firm, we take your reputation seriously. We are committed to delivering writing excellence and superior service while operating with integrity and discretion. Recruitment firms we partner with also trust us to consistently deliver quality documents for their clients.

Our writers have studied in the Ivy League and other top-tier universities and have strong writing backgrounds coupled with industry experience.

Here's how we can help you:

Resume, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn Writing Services : If you are looking for end-to-end support, hire one of our professional resume writers to rewrite your documents from the ground up.

Executive Resume Template Downloads : If you plan to prepare your own resume, consider using one of our classic, ATS-friendly resume templates for Microsoft Word.

To learn more about our services, book an introductory call with our founder here or email [email protected] .

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About the Author Matt Glodz

Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Resume Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer. After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked within Fortune 500 companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents. At Resume Pilots, Matt combines his business and writing background - which includes prior work for a Chicago Tribune publication - to craft resumes that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He works with clients ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing resumes for over 10 years. He has been quoted on numerous business and career-related topics in outlets including Business Insider, CNBC, Fortune, Glassdoor, The Ladders, and Thrive Global.

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50+ Resume Summary Examples for 2024 + Writing Guide

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When recruiters have less than ten seconds to look at a resume, you need something to catch their attention. And that’s what a resume summary can do. We've gathered more than fifty resume summary examples you can take inspiration from. Plus this guide will also teach you what a professional summary for a resume is and how to write one that's effective at grabbing the recruiter's attention. 

Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here .

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What Is a Resume Summary?

A resume summary statement is a short professional introduction to your resume. It highlights your most valuable qualifications. It helps your recruiter make a quick decision whether you’re the right fit for their company. A good summary for a resume starts with a positive character trait. It includes your job title, key skills, and the highlights of your career.

Sounds a bit too theoretical? Here’s an example summary statement for a resume that will clear your doubts:

Good Resume Summary Example

Experienced PMP with a background in law and 7+ years of experience growing revenue for a Massachusetts-based electronics firm. Seeking to leverage leadership expertise as project manager for Paylocity. Guest speaker at the Northeast Lean Conference in 2014.

See? This example includes all the elements mentioned in the definition, such as a character adjective, the job title , professional skills , and a sample career achievement . That’s just 3 sentences, but they speak volumes about the candidate.

Using a resume introduction like this is one of the tricks that can help to make your resume more successful . Hiring managers rarely read the whole resume from top to bottom. Instead, they use selective attention to find the information they need. So, a professional summary that uses the resume keywords from the job posting will catch their attention like a charm .

Now, if you want to see more examples of good resume summaries straight away, jump here to the last chapter of this guide: Summary Examples for a Resume.

Who Needs a Professional Summary for a Resume?

Before your keyboard catches fire from your writing speed, take a second to ponder: is a resume summary right for you ? After all, it’s not the only type of resume profile there is. 

You can benefit from a resume summary if:

• You’re a seasoned professional
• You’ve got 1+ years of experience in your profession
• You’ve got a traditional career path
• You’ve got achievements relevant to the job

So, if you’re writing an entry-level resume , a resume with no experience , or a career change resume , you’re more likely to succeed with a career objective instead of a resume summary. There are exceptions, of course—for example, you can write a student resume summary highlighting your academic achievements when you’re applying for an assistant researcher position.

Pro Tip: Before writing your resume summary, make sure all other sections of your resume are ready and polished to perfection. Then you can combine the best statements you put on a resume into your profile summary.

How to Write a Resume Summary

How difficult can it be to write up to 5 sentences about yourself? Well, it may be trickier than it sounds. A professional summary for a resume must not only accurately describe your qualifications for a specific position but also ooze confidence.  People prefer self-confident individuals , so that’s how hiring managers must perceive you.

Follow the tips below to craft a powerful resume summary statement:

1. Tailor Your Resume Summary to the Job Ad

It’s not about writing any professional summary—it’s about writing the one that matches the job. Why? Because only a tailored resume has a chance against automatic screening systems. And when your ATS-friendly resume with a clear-cut resume description reaches a hiring manager, they’ll be way more impressed with it than with a generic one. So make sure your summary statement for a resume mentions the core competencies outlined in the job posting.

2. Use the Evergreen Formula for a Good Resume Summary

Once you know this formula, you’ll be able to write a better resume summary than a professional summary generator. Here it goes:

[adjective(s)/strong character trait(s)][your job title][your experience]. Eager to support/help/assist/etc. [company name][what you want to help the employer achieve and how you want to do it]. [your key achievement(s)].

Now, just fill in the blanks with the key skills from your resume , info about your work experience , and throw in a few resume power words to make it sound more impressive.

3. Show Quantifiable Achievements

What sounds more impressive: “Streamlined internal reporting processes” or “Simplified reporting using project tracking software to increase productivity by 27%”? The second example is an achievement statement. It follows the Problem-Action-Result formula, which is perfect for talking about accomplishments.

A good summary for a resume must include a relevant achievement. And the ones involving numbers are the best.

4. Follow the Style Preferred by Recruiters

Your profile summary for a resume must stick to the following rules:

• Skip personal pronouns such as I or my .
• Limit the length of your professional summary to 2–5 sentences.
• Describe yourself using strong adjectives .
• Stay away from resume clichés such as go-getter or hard worker. .

To make it clearer, here’s a terrible summary statement coming straight from a bad resume example :

That is NOT what a summary for a resume should look like . It doesn’t follow the rules, and the tone is overly confident. This applicant is most likely lying on a resume .

Enough learning—let’s see professional summary examples that work.

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

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

50+ Resume Summary Examples for Multiple Jobs

Here’s a neat collection of career summary examples. Use them for inspiration, or simply adjust them to your needs!

Resume Summary Examples for Administrative & Office Jobs

Administrative assistant resume summary .

Dedicated senior administrative assistant with over 7 years of professional experience. Organized travel plans and schedules of 5 senior executives whilst doing general office admin duties. Eager to help ABC Inc. with managing appointments and communications. Also, skilled in accounting and ready to assist in bookkeeping. Devised and implemented 3 office initiatives that helped the company save over USD 10,000 a year.

For more details, go to Administrative Assistant Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Administrative Coordinator Resume Summary

Personable administrative coordinator with 4+ years of experience in the corporate environment. Seeking to utilize organizational and collaboration skills to boost the office efficiency at Orange Trading. Improved wastepaper recycling by 37% and cut office supplies cost by 5% in 2022.

Learn more here: How to Write an Admin Coordinator Resume

Clerical Resume Summary

Meticulous and goal-oriented office clerk with 4+ years of experience in law firms. Eager to support information processing operations at Hartford & Partners with data entry and archiving skills. At BlueDot Law, improved office operations by implementing the use of image-to-text software and reorganizing the filing system. 

For more information, check this guide: Sample Clerical Resume with Tips & Key Skills

Data Entry Resume Summary

Detail-oriented Data Entry Specialist with 2+ years of experience. Eager to support office operations at OutlineCats Ltd. with typing skills and Microsoft Office knowledge. At Fish Tent, spotted inaccuracies in 40+ invoices and helped prevent a loss of over $12,000.

See more: Data Entry Resume Example & Writing Tips

Executive Assistant Resume Summary 

Dependable and devoted executive assistant with over 7 years of professional experience. Keen to support ABC Inc. with excellent organizational and analytical skills. At DEF Inc. optimized travel costs and effectively slashed them by over 30%. Also, saved USD 500K a year by redesigning and implementing a modernized call system.

For more details, go to Executive Assistant Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Office Administrator Resume Summary

Energetic office administrator with 3 years of experience. Excellent Microsoft Office skills and broad knowledge of office equipment. Seeking to implement cost-cutting administrative solutions at Icofly Inc. At NA20X, decreased operational costs by finding new suppliers, leading to savings of $7,400 in 2022.

Learn how to write a resume for office admin jobs here: Resume for an Office Administrator

Office Manager Resume Summary 

Dynamic office manager with over 7 years of professional experience. Seeks to leverage top-notch managerial and organizational skills to boost efficiency at ABC Inc. Managed a team of 5 office assistants in a high-volume retail business. Grew the number of new contracts by 30% a year, and reduced lead times by 45%. Optimized office supplies spending and saved over $50,000 per year.

For more details, go to Office Manager Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Receptionist Resume Summary 

Agile and well-organized receptionist with 6+ years of professional experience in the private and public sectors. Skilled at dealing with sensitive situations and keen to support ABC Inc. with organizational, diplomacy, and communication skills. At DEF Inc., implemented a CRM system with reporting capabilities that contributed to cutting costs by up to 25%.

For more details, go to Receptionist Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Secretary Resume Summary

Dedicated secretary with 5+ years of experience in a business setting. Keen to support administrative operations at WollFrame with excellent organizational and Microsoft Office skills. Praised for efficiency and professionalism at FluffPuff Co. In 2023, introduced calendar management and conference room booking solutions that helped decrease the number of unnecessary in-person meetings for company staff by 9%. 

Learn more here: How to Write a Resume for a Secretary

Virtual Assistant’s Resume Summary

Resilient Virtual Assistant with 3+ years of experience managing social media channels, creating content, and handling travel arrangements for three businesses and over 10 individuals. Excellent time management and communication skills. Eager to boost brand recognition for SoloPet by creating unique Instagram and blog content. In 2023, developed a social media strategy for a fitness influencer which led to an increase in followers from 3,5K to 75K within six months.

See more: Resume for a Virtual Assistant: Sample & Writing Tips

Resume Summary Examples for Business Jobs

Business analyst resume summary.

Inquisitive Business Analyst with 10+ years of experience in shipping industries. Excellent data analysis and management skills. Eager to supply the executive team with strategic analyses and forecasts to aid decision making at OverSeaS. At Oceanique, detected opportunities to boost vessel capacity by 9%, leading to a decrease in operational costs by 12%.

Learn more: How to Write a Resume for Business Analyst Jobs

Business Development Resume Summary

Goal-oriented Business Development Manager with 5+ years of experience in corporate environment. Eager to create market analyses for WizardGrow to detect opportunities for further growth. Conducted market research at CFly Inc. that led to increasing profits by 13% in 2021–2023.

Learn how to write a successful business resume: Resume Example for Business Professionals

Business Intelligence Resume Summary

Creative Business Intelligence Analyst with 4 years of experience in SaaS companies. Keen to utilize analytical skills to support finance and development teams at SaffronSky. At Belugeau, spotted cost-cutting opportunities in sales and marketing operations that led to over $31,800 in savings in 2021–2023.

See more: Business Intelligence Analyst Resume Example & Writing Guide

Project Manager Resume Summary

Seasoned IT PMP with a degree in law and 8+ years of professional experience in growing revenue for a fintech company. Keen to leverage leadership and managerial expertise as a project manager for ABC Inc. Executed a lean training project that led to cutting costs by up to 40% in 6 months.

For more details, go to Project Manager Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Data Analyst Resume Summary 

Disciplined and insightful data analyst with 6+ years of experience analyzing business processes. Eager to leverage big data interpreting and visualizing skills at ABC Inc to drive growth and boost sales results. In current role, identified a major bottleneck, reduced operating costs by over 20%, and saved upwards of USD 500,000 a year.

For more details, go to Data Analyst Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Human Resources Resume Summary 

Meticulous and efficient HR manager with 7+ years of experience. Eager to boost employee retention for ABC Inc. In previous positions, increased employee retention by 20% YOY. Cut recruitment lead time by 30%. Also, improved employee effectiveness by up to 20% and boosted participation in training by 15%.

For more details, go to Human Resource Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Resume Summary Examples for Customer Service 

Customer service manager resume summary.

People-oriented Customer Service Manager with 5+ years of experience in an international company. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Seeking to utilize leadership skills and improve agent efficiency while coordinating the customer service team at White Line Co. Received the Management Excellence award in 2020 for continuously exceeding team KPIs for four consecutive quarters.

Learn more: Resume for a Customer Service Manager: Example & Best Tips

Customer Service Resume Summary

Energetic and optimistic customer service representative with over 3 years of professional experience assisting customers in solving complex issues. Keen to support ABC Inc. in becoming a market leader through proven customer support skills. Awarded Consultant of the Month three times. Helped reduce First Response Time by 20% within the first quarter of employment.

For more details, go to Customer Service Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Customer Success Manager Resume Summary

Efficient customer success manager with 10 years of experience. Eager to collaborate with Sales and Product teams to detect opportunities to increase customer satisfaction and boost sales for True Flow. At FonoGrow, helped increase the company rating on TrustPilot by 26% through changes in CS processes.

Learn how to make a great resume for this profession: Tips for Writing the Best Customer Success Manager Resume

Retail Resume Summary

Personable retail associate with 3+ years of experience in a busy fashion store. Keen to utilize sales techniques and interpersonal skills at LiliCoSlow to strengthen customer loyalty while exceeding sales targets. Recognized as Top Staff Member at Alter Dress for excellent customer service skills and dependability.

See more: Sample Retail Resume & Writing Guide

Resume Summary Examples for Counseling & Social Work

Aged care resume summary.

Personable Aged Care Specialist with 4 years of experience. Certified Nurse Aide. Seeking to support the residents of Boca Raton La Vida with restorative care and a personalized approach to their wellness. In 2020–2023, cared for 150+ geriatric residents of Moon Health Center and received 100% positive feedback from patients as well as fellow staff members.

Learn more here: How to Write a Resume for Aged Care Workers

Caregiver Resume Summary

Empathetic caregiver with 10+ years of experience in assisted living facilities. Certified in First Aid. Keen to improve the quality of life for Ribbon Lane Living patients by providing personalized care plans and supporting their daily activities. At Homes4All, created a successful arts & crafts program attended by 80 geriatric patients.

See more: Caregiver Resume Example & Step-by-Step Writing Guide

Disability Support Worker Resume Summary

Energetic disability support worker with 2+ years of experience with special needs children and teens. Keen to support students’ academic efforts at Emerald Future using personalized activities and teaching aids that match their needs. In 2021–2023, provided 1:1 Math and English tutoring for individuals with learning difficulties, helping them to improve their performance in standardized tests by 37% on average.

Learn how to write a resume for disability workers here: Resume Example for a Disability Support Worker (+ Tips)

Mental Health Counselor Resume Summary

Empathetic mental health counselor with 6+ years of experience. Eager to support the students of Salem Technical University with personalized counseling sessions to decrease the freshmen dropout rate and prevent antisocial behavior. Provided group and individual counseling to 100+ undergraduate students with a 94% satisfaction rate.

See more: Sample Resume for a Mental Health Counselor

Social Worker Resume Summary 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 7 years of professional experience. Eager to help ABC Center’s clients through first-class treatment plan development and assessment skills. At DEF Center devised 35+ plans for treatment and cooperated with 40+ clients to achieve their goals with a 90% success rate in under nine months.

For more details, go to Social Worker Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Resume Summary Examples for Education Jobs

Teacher resume summary.

Dedicated secondary education teacher with over 8 years of experience in devising individualized curricula within state standards. Eager to join ABC School to utilize expert knowledge of English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching methodology, including project- and content-based instruction. Prepared 300+ students for international language certifications with a 99% pass rate.

For more details, go to Teacher Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Teacher Assistant Resume Summary

Enthusiastic Teacher Assistant with 3+ years of experience with high school students. Eager to support the educators at Open Minds Center with lesson planning and one-to-one tutoring. At STEM Workz, created 20 unique lesson plans and helped 30+ students improve their scores in Math and Chemistry.

Learn more: Teacher Assistant Resume Example & Key Skills

Resume Summary Examples for Finance & Accounting

Accountant resume summary .

Disciplined and persistent senior CPA with over 6 years of professional experience. Eager to employ proven account reconciliation and IT skills at ABC Inc. In previous roles, improved DEF Inc’s cloud-computing practices that led to saving as many as 800 hours yearly. Identified and eliminated an issue that saved almost $1 million per year.

For more details, go to Accountant Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Financial Analyst Resume Summary 

Chartered Financial Analyst with over 7 years of professional experience. Seeks to leverage budgeting, cost, and revenue-maximizing expertise for ABC Inc. At DEF Inc. saved USD 3.5M through identifying low-margin transactions. Also, optimized pricing policy at GHI Inc. that boosted customer retention metrics by up to 40%.

For more details, go to Financial Analyst Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Resume Summary Examples for Food & Restaurant Jobs

Bartender resume summary .

Charismatic bartender with over 6 years of professional experience working at high-end clubs in large metropolitan and seaside areas. Thanks to exceptional memory, rapport-building, and storytelling skills achieved a 20% boost in up-selling to all patrons. Holds a Bartending Certificate valid in the vast majority of states.

For more details, go to Bartender Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Cook Resume Summary

Versatile cook with 3 years of experience in busy restaurants. Passionate about fusion cuisine and locally-grown ingredients. Eager to team up with the kitchen staff at Yenocita BBQ to prepare high-quality meals in a timely and organized manner. While at Pollo&Stella, created a signature dish for the summer seasonal menu that received 30+ rave reviews on Google and Yelp.

Learn how to write a resume for a cook here: Professional Cook Resume Example

Fast Food Resume Summary

Dependable crew member with 3 years of experience in a fast-food restaurant. Excellent customer service and time management skills. Seeking to provide personalized service to Pasta&Pizza’s patrons in an efficient and friendly manner. Exceeded sales goals by 22% for two consecutive quarters in 2022.

Learn more: Resume for Fast Food Jobs: Sample & Writing Guide

Server Resume Summary 

Dependable and friendly server with over 3 years of experience waiting on guests at ABC Restaurant. Eager to join DEF Restaurant to offer its guests exquisite dining experience. Served up to 80 guests nightly and made sure all the dishes were delivered in a timely manner.

For more details, go to Server Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Resume Summary Examples for Health & Wellness

Cna resume summary.

Dependable multilingual CNA (BLS and CPR certified) with over 10 years of experience in various healthcare settings. Seeks to utilize proven managerial and patient advocacy skills at ABC Medical Center. At DEF Care Home managed a team of 7+ CNAs. Also, developed and implemented a set of procedures that reduced medication administration errors down to 0.1%.

For more details, go to CNA Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Nursing Resume Summary

Bilingual Pediatric Registered Nurse with 10+ years of professional experience in the ICUs and PICUs of community hospitals. Keen to join the ABC Hospital staff to leverage top-class management experience and patient care skills as a Pediatric RN at DEF Hospital. Thanks to a deep knowledge of hospital procedures and high standards of service consistently scored over 90% in compliance rate assessments.

For more details, go to Nursing Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Massage Therapist Resume Summary

Licensed massage therapist with 4+ years of experience in wellness centers. Knowledgeable about classic bodywork and Eastern modalities. Eager to provide the customers of Flying Orchid Spa with rejuvenating massage sessions customized to target their needs. At previous workplace, built a customer base of 30+ recurring clients through professionalism and personalized care.

Learn more: How to Write a Resume for a Massage Therapist

Medical Assistant Resume Summary

Certified Medical Assistant with over 5 years of professional experience. Eager to use impeccable patient care skills to support excellence at ABC Med. At DEF Med, received 99% positive reviews. Reduced the number of errors by 22% and saved USD 70,000 a year thanks to a good understanding of EHR.

For more details, go to Medical Assistant Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Medical Doctor Resume Summary

Personable family medicine specialist with 8+ years of experience. Excellent customer care and interpersonal skills. Eager to provide patients at Jade Family Clinic with personalized and efficient healthcare. At Health Lion Inc., received 91% satisfaction rating while seeing 20+ patients daily. 

Learn more here: How to Write a Resume for a Medical Doctor

Resume Summary Examples for Hospitality Jobs

Hotel receptionist resume summary.

Resilient hotel receptionist with 3 years of experience in upscale and boutique establishments. Well versed in booking management systems. Eager to utilize customer service skills to resolve all customer inquiries in an efficient and courteous manner while creating a great experience for hotel guests at Nana Coastal Retreats. While at OpuLux Lodgings, provided front-desk services to VIP clients and received a 98% satisfaction rate. 

Learn more: How to Write a Hotel Front Desk Resume

Event Manager Resume Summary

Resourceful Event Manager with 5+ years of experience in corporate environments. Eager to coordinate in-house and public events for Satay Trade Inc. with great attention to detail. Successfully managed a team of 5 to organize a business conference for 200+ guests on very short notice in 2022.

See here: Event Manager Resume: Example, Skills, & Writing Tips

Housekeeping Resume Summary 

Well-organized housekeeping supervisor skilled in deep and daily cleaning. Eager to join the ABC Hotel to help maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and organization. In previous roles, managed six housekeeping staff members at the DEF Hotel and contributed to boosting positive customer reviews by over 45%. Identified and resolved a recurring issue with guest room air conditioning that saved USD 300K.

For more details, go to Housekeeping Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Resume Summary Examples for Industry Jobs

Cnc machinist resume summary.

Detail-oriented CNC machine operator with 4 years of experience. Eager to provide equipment maintenance services and boost production efficiency for Hydra Inc. In 2021, helped decrease equipment downtime by 23% through improvements in routine maintenance operations and staff training.

Learn more: How to Write a Resume for a CNC Machinist

Forklift Operator Resume Summary

Dependable forklift operator with 5+ years of experience. OSHA Forklift Certification holder. Eager to join the warehouse staff at Blue Ship Holdings to support shipping operations and train new forklift drivers. At Pea Dockyards, consistently exceeded loading and unloading targets while keeping a 100% safety record for 2 years.

Learn to write an impressive resume for a forklift operator here: Sample Forklift Operator Resume & Writing Tips

Warehouse Resume Summary 

Qualified warehouse associate with over 7 years of experience. Eager to join ABC Inc. to deliver top KPIs and impeccable organizational skills. As a DEF Inc. warehouse associate achieved picking-packing speeds and efficiency in top 96%. Five-time winner of the DEF Inc. picker of the month.

For more details, go to Warehouse Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Resume Summary Examples for IT & Tech

Software engineer resume summary .

Dynamic and creative software developer with over 5 years of experience in producing robust code for high-volume companies. Eager to support the dev team at CDE Inc. with top-notch coding skills. In previous roles, doubled code-efficiency of ABC Inc., and increased customer retention by 30% among others.

For more details, go to Software Engineer Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Engineering Resume Summary

Ingenious and determined mechanical engineer with over 10 years of experience. Seeks to use first-class production design and process skills to push forward manufacturing excellence at ABC Inc. Boosted production efficiency by 25% at DEF Inc. and consistently delivered to customer needs at over 20% under budget.

For more details, go to Engineering Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

IT Resume Summary

Likable and dedicated IT consultant with over 5 years of experience in a fast-paced fin-tech company. Eager to offer superb analytical and computer skills to help ABC Inc grow its client base. In previous roles recognized for top company-wide quality satisfaction rating (over 99%). Also, reduced client wait time by 20% and boosted client satisfaction ratings by more than 40% in a single quarter. 

For more details, go to IT Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

Resume Summary Examples for Sales

Sales resume summary.

Determined retail clerk with over 4 years of professional experience. Eager to help ABC Inc. boost its KPIs through outstanding customer loyalty-building and sales skills. Constantly received upwards of 90% of positive customer reviews and achieved 30% above average repeat customer scores. Also, runs a popular unboxing channel on YouTube with over 3K of monthly views.

For more details, go to Retail Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Sales Associate Resume Summary 

Insightful sales associate with 5+ years of professional experience in online and print media. Eager to boost DEF Inc’s revenue by at least 40% over the next fiscal year. In previous positions, exceeded quarterly sales targets by 10% every quarter. Maintained a customer retention rate of 90% YOY thanks to which won Salesman of the Year Award in 2018.

For more details, go to Sales Associate Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Cashier Resume Summary 

Likable cashier with over 5 years of professional experience. Seeks to utilize top-class organizational and attention to detail skills to boost efficiency at ABC Inc. At DEF Inc., awarded Employee of the Month four times in a row for accuracy and efficiency. At GHI Inc., worked a streak of 450 days with no sick leave and a 30% higher accuracy score than peers.

For more details, go to Cashier Resume Sample and Complete Guide

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.  Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaways

Here’s how to write a resume summary that’s short yet effective:

• Start with a good personality trait, your job title, and years of experience.
• Follow with specifying what you can do for the employer.
• Throw in a relevant achievement and key skills.
• Make a tailored professional summary for every job application.

Do you have any questions about crafting the perfect resume summaries? Would you like to share your advice with other readers? We’re always happy to hear from you. Give us a shout-out in the comments below!

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines . We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

• https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/u.osu.edu/dist/1/56827/files/2018/08/Selective-attention-filtering-and-the-development-of-working-2muqip9.pdf
• https://www.princeton.edu/~rbenabou/papers/CONFQJE2.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions about Resume Summary Examples

What is a summary on a resume .

A resume summary (also called a resume profile or resume introduction ) is a short and catchy paragraph that sums up your qualifications for a specific job. Its purpose is to catch the reader’s attention and immediately show your value to a recruiter in just 2–5 sentences.

No matter which resume format you decide to use, your resume summary should always go near the top of the page, below the resume header . If your resume template features a sidebar rather than a header, put the summary statement at the top of the main column. 

How to write a professional summary for a resume? 

Here's how to write a professional summary for a resume:

• Start with a character trait plus your job title and years of experience.
• Add a quantifiable career achievement relevant to the position.
• Offer to use your expertise to achieve a specific goal for the company. 
• Weave in a few of your key professional skills relevant to the job ad.
• Always tailor the resume summary to a specific job you want.

These are just the essentials. To make a good resume summary, you should also use action verbs that help to convey confidence, and add resume keywords from the job posting .

What is the best resume summary generator?

You can use a free resume summary generator that’s featured in our resume builder . It will create a professional summary for a resume based on your profession, skills, and work experience. 

You can also try stand-alone professional summary generators available online. However, they can only provide you with a fill-in-the-blank template for your resume summary. This means that you will have to spend extra time personalizing it.

How do you write a summary for a resume with no experience? 

If you’re making a resume with no work experience , such as a recent grad resume , consider writing a resume objective instead of a summary. A resume objective is basically a beginner summary for a resume: it too aims to show your skills and catch the reader’s attention, but it does so using your academic achievements and transferable skills rather than work experience. Objectives also work well for career-change resumes . 

How to start a resume summary? 

Start your resume summary with a positive character adjective, then mention your job title, years of experience, and your expertise. Follow with examples of career accomplishments and key skills relevant to the job. It’s easier to write a good summary for a resume when your other resume sections are completed.

Where can I find more resume summary examples? 

Browse our collection of resume examples for 500+ specific jobs to see resume summaries for various professions. Each sample comes with a writing guide so you can learn exactly how to write a resume for your profession or experience level.

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How to Write a Professional Resume Summary? [+Examples]

Do you want to land more job interviews? The easiest way to achieve this is by attracting a recruiter’s attention straight away by summarizing the highlights of your career right at the start of your resume — in a section called the resume summary. 

The purpose of this resume section, which is also known as a professional summary or resume statement, is to create a good first impression. It sums up your work experience , skills, and achievements into a short and concise sales pitch where you are the product. 

Do it well, and your future employers will be more inclined to read the rest of your resume.

Without further ado, let’s show you how to write an exceptional professional summary that will not only get you to more job interviews but will also help you land a job. 

This guide will show you:

What is a professional summary?

Why do you need a professional summary, how to write a professional summary.

• What to do when you don’t have any experience in the field?
• What are a resume objective and a resume profile?
• Examples of professional summaries from real professionals.

TL;DR video guide: How to write a professional summary for a resume 

A professional summary gives the hiring manager a quick overview of your skills and achievements without them having to dive into the rest of your resume. It sits at the top of your resume, beneath your name and contact information. You can think of it as a teaser for the rest of your resume.

It should sum up your top skills, experiences, and achievements as they pertain to the job description.

Take a look at the sample below to see what it looks like in practice: 

The professional summary section is also known as a:  

• Resume summary 
• Qualifications summary 
• Resume statement 
• Heading statement 
• Competencies 
• Career summary
• Experience summary
• Personal statement 

However, don’t mistake a professional summary for a resume objective or profile . We’ll discuss the differences between them later in this guide. 

How long should a professional summary be? 

Generally speaking, a resume summary should be quite short. The most common length is 3-5 sentences or bullet points. It shouldn't be longer than 5-6 concise bullet points , but it also shouldn't be shorter than 2 bullet points. 

You can also replace the first bullet point with a short introductory paragraph that includes your job title, years of experience, and specialization. 

While many people still don't include the resume profile section in their resumes, it's a mistake. But why is it a mistake?

• You want to grab the recruiter's attention from the get-go.
• You'll make their life a bit easier because you'll immediately tell them who you are.

The thing is, recruiters are busy people , they go through dozens, sometimes hundreds of resumes before they can find a few qualified candidates. 

Do you know what this means? Shortcuts. At first, recruiters will be skimming resumes in search of specific keywords and phrases that align with what the company is searching for.

That’s why you want to include the best resume summary you can come up with because a good summary section consists of nothing but these juicy bite-size phrases and keywords that a recruiter can spot at a glance. 

In short, a professional summary allows you to turn a recruiter's time limitation into an advantage. 

Christy's word of advice

While recruiters are indeed busy, did you know that the information that recruiters only give each resume 6 seconds of their time isn't true? 

“This one's a little bit of a myth. It takes about six seconds to screen the resume for the key information that I'm looking for, such as location, summary, keywords, or if there's a skills section. Within this time frame, I should be able to get a feel for who you are and what you're looking for. But it's mainly about six seconds for me to pick out the basic information I need. It doesn't mean that I'm going to spend just six seconds on it or that I won't continue reading after. ” —   Christy Morgan , Kickresume's Resident HR Expert

As we said before, a good professional summary should compel an employer to read the next section of your resume — that’s all. If it manages to do that, then it has accomplished its purpose. 

However, doing this is easier said than done, as it can be tricky to cram the most exciting bits of your career into a 3-5 bullet points summary. 

Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to craft an impressive resume summary.

Before you start writing:

• Write other resume sections, and then write your professional summary last. It’s surprisingly easy once you’ve already written other sections of your resume. All you have to do is cherry-pick the most impressive facts and stats.
• Pick the essential keywords from the job listing, so you can tailor your summary. Start with the job listing that made you apply for the job. Carefully reread it and find the most important keywords. These are the nouns or phrases that best describe the job position, related skills, as well as the ideal candidate. Before you begin to write, think about how they intersect with your own skills and experiences. In this way, you also have a higher chance to get through the ATS systems which companies use .

Once you start writing:

• In the first bullet point, write your professional title. Don’t forget to add the number of years of experience. You want to communicate your professional identity immediately. You can also write it in bold. It can look something like this: “Certified Project Management Professional with over 4 years of experience”.
• Pick the 3-4 most impressive parts of your resume and reword them into snappy bullet points. Tease your potential employer into reading further. Did you earn a recognition for the best customer service? Or hit 95% of sales targets for five consecutive years? These are the things that deserve a mention at the top of your resume!
• Translate each achievement into numbers. Each bullet point should contain at least one piece of quantifiable data. Use percentages, numbers, or impressive sales figures. It gives the hiring manager a better idea of how you performed in your previous jobs. Numbers attract attention. Take advantage of that.
• Sum up what you have to offer. Instead of saying what you want, keep in mind what they want. Make clear what values you can bring to the company. Look for common threads in your work history and for skills that apply most to the job.

How to use keywords in a resume summary

A professional summary can do more than catch the attention of the recruiter. It can also make your resume more ATS-friendly. 

It's a great place where you can squeeze in one or two ATS-friendly keywords , and it will still look natural.

Such keywords can be your industry-relevant hard skills, previous job positions, notable clients, certificates and courses from notable institutions, or a note-worthy university (if you recently finished your degree). 

Moreover, you should add keywords and relevant skills from the job listing.

Don't get too creative with the heading, though. While replacing the professional summary headline with “Snapshot” sounds great, ATS doesn't know what it means and therefore wouldn't recognize it.

Pro tip: Remember, while it's important to incorporate keywords into your resume summary, it's crucial to ensure these keywords align with your abilities and experiences. The ATS might shortlist your resume, but the hiring manager will quickly realize in an interview if those keywords were merely resume filler. Always maintain honesty and authenticity while drafting your summary.

Professional resume summary examples for most common careers

Now that you know the ins and outs of writing a resume summary, here are a few examples that can inspire you when writing your summary:

Professional summary example for customer service

Performance-driven and motivated customer service rep offering 4+ years of relevant experience. Eager to join the Techia team and contribute to the growth of the company. In the previous role, the ability to make customers comfortable and relaxed allowed for 98% customer service survey results and had 25% more sales than the average employer. 

Professional resume summary example for retail

Dedicated and hard-working storekeeper with a Business Administration degree. Eager to bring my strong attention to detail and accuracy to J&R inc. Adept at communicating with vendors and suppliers, coordinating various business operations, and maintaining documents and files in order. In the past jobs brought an extra $50k of sales per quarter and increased customer satisfaction by 20%. 

Professional summary example for nursing resume

Motivational and resourceful Orthopedic Nurse with 10 years of experience with in-depth knowledge in trauma recovery, aggressive pain management techniques, and post-surgical recovery. Especially proficient in providing external fixation care and continuous motion therapy along with neuromuscular status monitoring. Committed to work as an orthopedic nurse for people who are struggling with mobility issues due to accidental injuries and degenerative disease affecting bones and muscles.

Professional summary example for administrative assistant

Self-driven and accurate Executive Assistant skilled at performing various office/administrative duties, such as coordinating meetings, maintaining calendar and schedule, filing documents, and managing company correspondence. Highly self-motivated with a solid work ethic and multitasking abilities.

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.

Professional summary example for warehouse worker

Hard-working and dedicated Warehouse Worker with 2+ years of extensive experience in inspecting incoming shipments, preparing and processing orders, and performing various administrative duties. The Employee of the Month Award winner with a strong attention to detail and accuracy and determination to achieve exceptional results. Offers excellent time management skills and important ability to work independently or in a team.

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.

Resume summary example for management

A Project Manager with 16 years of experience in IT projects. Responsible for the management of teams of up to 15 direct and 7 indirect employees. Has High level knowledge in project execution using best practices of waterfall and agile methodologies. High level knowledge of Jupyter Notebook, MS Project, MS Excel, MS Word. 

Professional summary example for project manager

Logistics & Planning PMO for Anheuser-Busch InBev with +7 years of experience in Supply Chain Operations & Project Management. Lived and worked for ABI in 6 cities in past years, managed +300 direct & indirect employees and +0.5 billion BRL over the years. At ABI experienced the routines in breweries operations & urban distribution. As Project Manager build the Zone Logistics Project area for ABI LAN, being responsible for 4.0 Supply Chain, integrating the technologies WMS, YMS, TMS and Tracking.

Resume summary example for stay-at-home mother

Performance-driven and knowledgeable Stay At Home Mother skilled at conducting detailed market research, developing new sales tools, creating reports, and promoting products and services. Certified Marketing Management Professional with an extensive knowledge of multiple marketing software programmes, great communication skills, and excellent teamwork abilities. Currently looking for any Marketing related remote part-time job.

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.

How to write a resume summary if you're a fresh graduate/student?

If you’re a student or a fresh graduate, you probably don’t have much to brag about in your resume yet.

But that’s true only 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.

What’s more, it’s 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.

It’s not like you’ve just spent most of your life at school and learned nothing. You just need to understand how your studies intersect with the job’s requirements.

 Here’s how you can write your professional resume summary as a student/fresh graduate:

• State your field of study, degree, and GPA (if it’s above 3.0).
• Mention relevant skills gained in internships, part-time jobs, and 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 800 votes and helped organize 5 large school events that were attended by 2,000 students.

In the end, a fresh graduate resume summary should look a bit like this: 

Hired by Bupa — Business Administration Intern

• An adaptable and responsible graduate seeking an entry-level position in the Business Analytics market, Business Consultancy or Financial market.
• My double degree in Business and Law and my previous job as a financial controller have provided me with a well-rounded background and enabled me to develop an analytical/logical approach to tasks, software skills, and the ability to work under pressure.
• In short, I am reliable, hard-working with strong attention to detail and eager to learn about new technologies and business issues. I am able to work well both on my own initiative and as a part of a team. I’m also able to travel abroad.

How to write a resume summary as an experienced professional?

If you have 10 to 15 years of professional experience under your belt, you’ve probably developed a long list of job-related accomplishments. Your qualifications summary is the ideal place to showcase the most impressive of them. 

On the other, with that extent of experience, it may be quite challenging to pick and choose the right information for your professional summary. 

So what should you do? 

• Start by carefully rereading the job advertisement.
• Highlight any skills you already possess that match this job offer.
• See if you can think of any past accomplishments that show how you successfully used those skills in your previous job.

For instance, are you an experienced sales and customer service professional? Sell it. Mention how you developed strategies that resulted in an over 15 % increase in new customers. Or how your rewards program reached a customer success rate of over 45 %. Numbers can be much more persuasive than words . 

Also, always remember to use action words and relevant keywords.

Here’s a professional summary resume example from an experienced professional: 

HubSpot — Director of Business Development Resume Summary Example

• Passionate Business Amplifier.
• Thrives in complex market segment entry and sales and marketing launch plans for technical products and services. Founder of the highly-impactful "HubSpot for Veterans" initiative. 
• Proven Growth Consultant and Entrepreneurial Coach for over 200 organizations. Advocate of lean startup and data-backed strategy. 
• Leadership spans career with direct application towards startups, Techstar accelerators, corporate business development, and government. ROI-focused relationship builder.
• Lifelong teacher and learner: Startup Institute, Techstarts, HubSpot Partner programs.

How to write a professional summary if you’re changing careers?

As a career changer , try to show how your past experience relates to the position you’re applying for or how it can help your future employer grow.

Are you a software developer who wants to work with a new programming language, let’s say Python? You can mention how you’ve already developed 7 mobile apps using JavaScript and HTML. Even something as small as completing a Python online course on CodeAcademy can work wonders.

But if you still feel like you don’t have any relevant job experience, consider writing a resume objective instead. Instead of past achievements and experiences, it highlights your transferable skills and motivation. Moreover, it explains why you seek to switch to a different industry.

On the other hand, make sure that you have absolutely no other solution, as a resume summary always makes a better impression than a resume objective . To learn more about a resume objective just scroll to the following chapter. 

Here’s an example of a professional summary for someone changing careers:

• Marketing professional with over three years of experience in digital advertising, aiming to transition from marketing to human resources
• Certified Human Resources Assistant with a working knowledge of all software programs needed for the position such as Bamboo HR and Zenefits.
• Was in charge of recruiting and supervising summer interns and co-managing marketing budgets.
• Won the Employee of the Month Award for completing all assigned tasks and projects in a timely manner.

How to write a professional summary for a resume with no work experience? 

A lot of people with no work experience default to writing a resume objective because they think they have nothing to summarize.

However, this usually ends up backfiring as the resume objective brings little to the table. That’s because the resume objective’s main focus is on you as opposed to a professional summary which focuses on solving the needs of a company.

Also, writing a summary objective can make you appear more inexperienced than you truly are. 

Instead, as someone with no work experience, you can write a professional summary by including: 

• Your education level;
• Adjectives that emphasize your work ethic (such as competent, decisive, and accountable);
• Relevant skills gained at school, volunteering , or internships; 
• Professional hobbies (for example if applying for an IT position, include that app side project you worked on). 

In addition, if you have volunteered or interned, know that regardless of whether they were paid or not, they're still considered work experience. As the skills and knowledge gained as a volunteer or intern can be quite valuable to an employer. 

With that said, here’s an example of a professional summary for someone with no work experience:

People United Foundation – Fundraiser Volunteer 

• Resourceful and talented fundraiser who uses new forms of technology and existing techniques to help raise money for organizations and groups. 
• Experienced in raising funds for various charitable and nonprofit institutes. 
• Adept at researching and presenting an array of innovative fundraising ideas to a variety of donor audiences. 
• Keen negotiator with exceptional communication time management and networking abilities. 

Resume summary vs resume objective and resume profile

While these terms are often interchangeable, a resume summary, a resume objective, and a resume profile are all slightly different things. Scroll below to see how. 

What is a resume objective?

First of all, a resume objective isn't the same thing as a resume summary. They share several common features but each serves a different purpose.

Like a resume summary, a resume objective also sits at the top of your resume. Though, it’s a bit shorter — usually about one to two sentences long . 

The biggest difference is that instead of your past accomplishments, it details your future goals.

Although a resume objective might not help hiring managers decide whether you’re qualified enough to solve their company’s problems, it may help you shift their attention away from your lack of experience.

With that said, resume objectives are a bit old-fashioned as they used to be more common in past. So it should only be written as a last resort.

What is a resume profile?

Most people think that the resume profile and resume summary are the same exact thing. And they aren't that wrong. 

However, there are some slight differences between the two. 

A resume profile tends to be a little longer than a resume summary. Still, you should try to keep it under 500 characters. Additionally, while a resume summary is simply a condensed version of your resume placed at the top of it, a resume profile focuses more on your professional accomplishments and successes. 

Still — a resume summary and a resume profile are basically the same thing. So don't worry too much about the difference between the two. Just make sure you'll include either of them in your resume. 

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:

• Emphasize proven experience. Instead of simply listing your skills , mention your previous accomplishments. For example, it’s much more impactful to say that you had your articles published in Forbes than to plainly claim that you’re a skilled writer.
• Try to avoid using the word “I” . It's not really necessary, especially if you write in bullet points. 
• Structure it well. Take it from a professional writer — bullet points are a godsend when you need to structure your text clearly without giving it too much effort. Not only will they naturally order your resume statement into clearly delineated logical parts, but they'll also make it look good and read well. Also, make sure to write your current job title in bold.
• Keep it short. Your summary shouldn’t be longer than 5 short sentences (or bullet points). Having a long summary sort of defeats the point of having a resume summary at all. Don’t add random things. The key is to be specific.
• Read it after yourself. When you’re finished writing, read through your summary from the perspective of a hiring manager, asking “Why should we hire you?” .

Oh, and if you want to turn your LinkedIn profile into a polished resume with just one click, we've got you covered.

Write your professional summary last. It’s surprisingly easy once you’ve already written other sections of your resume. In the first bullet point, include your job title and years of experience. Then cherry-pick the most impressive achievements and cram them into 4–5 bullet points.

There are some slight differences between a resume profile and a resume summary. A resume profile tends to be a little longer than a resume summary. Still, you should try to keep it under 500 characters. A resume profile also focuses more on your professional accomplishments and successes than a resume summary. 

Kaja Jurčišinová

Kaja Jurcisinova is a fresh graduate and a junior copywriter at Kickresume. Kaja completed her undergraduate degree in Art History at the University of St Andrews in 2018 and graduated with a Master’s in Arts and Culture from the University of Groningen in 2021. She was an intern at multiple cultural institutions across Europe, including the Dutch Museum Association in Amsterdam, the Matter of Art Biennale in Prague, and the European Cultural Centre in Venice. At the moment, she resides in Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland.

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24 Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

A resume summary statement usually comes right after a job seeker’s contact info and before other resume sections such as skills and work experience. It provides employers with a brief overview of a candidate’s career accomplishments and qualifications before they read further. Because of how early it appears on the document, your resume summary statement (or your CV “profile” in the UK) is one of the first places recruiters and employers look. And without the right information, they’ll doubt that you’re qualified and may move to another resume.

So I got in touch with a select group of professional resume writers, coaches and career experts to get their best resume summary examples you can use and adapt to write a resume summary that stands out and gets interviews.

As a former recruiter myself, I’ll also share my best tips to write your resume summary effectively.

Why the Resume/CV Summary is Important

You may have heard that recruiters only spend 8-10 seconds looking at your resume. The truth is: they spend that long deciding whether to read more. They do glance that quickly at first and may move on if your background doesn’t look like a fit. However, if you grab their attention, they’ll read far more. Recruiters aren’t deciding to interview you in 8-10 seconds, but they are ruling people out in 8-10 seconds. And this is why your resume summary is so crucial. It appears high up on your resume (usually right after your header/contact info) and is one of the first sections employers see. So it’s part of what they’ll see in the first 8-10 seconds.

Your resume summary statement is one of your first (and one of very few) chances to get the employer to stop skimming through their pile of resumes and focus on YOU.

Watch: Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

10 resume summary examples:.

These career summary examples will help you at any experience level – whether you’re writing a professional summary after a long executive career, or writing your first resume summary without any experience! After you finish this article you’re NEVER going to have to send out a limp, weak resume summary statement again (and you’ll get far more interviews  because of it).

1. 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 + hospitals—Medline 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 example’s 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.

2. 15+ Year Business Owner Resume Summary Statement:

Dynamic and motivated marketing professional with a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from concept to completion, designing educational strategies, and coaching individuals to success. Skilled in building cross-functional teams, demonstrating exceptional communication skills, and making critical decisions during challenges. Adaptable and transformational leader with an ability to work independently, creating effective presentations, and developing opportunities that further establish organizational goals.

Why this is a good summary section:

This is a resume summary statement that was for  a candidate returning to work after having her own business for 15+ years. Because of this, we needed to emphasize her soft skills and what she can bring to this potential position. In addition, we highlighted the skills she has honed as a business owner so that she can utilize these qualifications as a sales professional, account manager , and someone knowledgeable about nutrition, medicine, and the overall sales process.

By: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish. MBA, Ph.D., CPRW, and Founder of Feather Communications

3. 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 (in the first & fourth sentences) and soft skills (in the second & third sentences). They also integrate a variety of keywords to get past automated job application systems , without sounding spammy or without overdoing it.

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

4. Social Media Marketing CV Profile Example (UK):

Social media expert with successes in the creation and management of social media strategies and campaigns for global retail organisations. Extensive experience in the commercial utilisation of multiple social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; I build successful social strategies that increase brand awareness, promote customer engagement and ultimately drive web traffic and conversions.

Why this summary is good:

This summary is well-written, short, sharp, and gives recruiters a high-level explanation of the candidate’s core offerings in a persuasive and punchy style. A quick scan of this profile tells you the exact type of social media platforms the candidate is an expert in, as well as the campaigns they have experience running and types of organizations they have worked for. Most importantly, the summary is rounded off by showing the results that this person achieves for their employers, such as increased web traffic and conversions.

Editor’s note: This CV profile summary was written for the UK market… this is a great one to use/copy, but make sure you put it through a spell-checker if you’re applying for jobs in the US (utilisation vs. utilization, etc.)

By: Andrew Fennell, Director at StandOut CV , contributor for The Guardian and Business Insider

5. Marketing Manager Professional Summary Example:

Marketing Manager with over eight years of experience. Proven success in running email marketing campaigns and implementing marketing strategies that have pulled in a 20% increase in qualified leads. Proficient in content, social media and inbound marketing strategies. Skilled, creative and innovative.

This resume summary stands out because it gets straight to the point. By immediately introducing the number of years of experience the candidate has, the HR manager doesn’t need to spend time adding up years. The candidate also jumps right into his or her strongest skill, provides a statistic , then gives additional skills.

By: Sarah Landrum, career expert and contributor at Entrepreneur.com and Forbes

6. 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.

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 applicant’s customer service and project management skills.

7. IT Project Manager Resume Summary Example:

Experienced Project Manager with vast IT experience. Skills include computer networking, analytical thinking and creative problem solving. Able to apply customer service concepts to IT to improve user experience for clients, employees and administration.

Because this candidate is switching career paths, it’s important he or she take skills used for previous positions and apply those skills to the new job listing. This is a great example because the candidate makes it clear that his or her experience is not in the new field, but that they are still able to bring relevant experience to the table. When writing your resume summary, keep these tips in mind: Use writing that is straight to the point, clear and concise, you’ll have a higher chance of getting noticed by the hiring manager.

8. Career-Changer Resume Summary Example:

Earn trust, uncover key business drivers and find common ground as chief negotiator and identifier of revenue opportunities in sales, leadership and account management roles spanning e-Commerce, air travel and high-tech retail. Navigate cultural challenges while jumping time zones, lead international airline crews and manage corporate accounts to deliver an exceptional customer experience. A self-taught techie sought after as a go-to for complex billing systems and SaaS platforms alike—bridging the divide between technology and plain-speak. – Tenacious Quest for Success + Learning . Earned MBA and BS in just 3 years while working full-time – gaining hands-on experience in research- and data-driven product roadmap development, pricing and positioning. – Results-Driven Leadership. Whether leading Baby Boomers, Gen X or Millennials—figures out what makes teams tick, trains and transforms individuals into top-performers. – Challenger of Conventional Wisdom. Always ask the WHY. Improve the user experience through smart, strategic thinking that anticipates outcomes. Present cases that influence, and lead change that drives efficiency and profitability.

This client was eager for a career change and had moved from role to role and industry to industry. After completing her Master’s degree, she was eager to tie her skills together to land a role – which she did – as a Senior Technology Account Strategist for a global travel company. Although a bit longer than a traditional summary, its strength lies in the details. Without ever getting to the experience section, the reader gets a clear idea of the scope of responsibility, and hard and soft skills the candidate brings to the table.

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

9. 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 that’s 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 you’ve been responsible for many important areas in your past work.

By: Biron Clark, Founder of  CareerSidekick.com.

10. Startup And Finance Management Consultant Career Summary Example:

Experienced strategist, entrepreneur and startup enthusiast with a passion for building businesses and challenging the status quo. 8+ year track record of defining new business strategies, launching new ventures, and delivering operational impact, both as a co-founder and management consultant. 

Why this resume summary example is good:

This summary was for a highly-talented management consultant looking to break out of finance, and into trendier tech companies like Uber . His track record and educational background were great, so the goal of this summary section was to stand out and show he’s more than just the typical consultant with a finance background. So we emphasized his passion for startups, and his ability to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. That’s something that companies like Uber and other “disruptive” tech companies look for.

14 Resume Summary Examples for Various Industries

Compassionate and effective 5th-grade teacher with experience overseeing the classroom and preparing lessons. Extensive experience encouraging students through positive reinforcement and motivational techniques. Collaborate well with school administration and other members of the teaching team. Ensure all students meet learning requirements, including literacy, social, and arithmetic skills.

2. Teacher’s Assistant

Goal-oriented teacher’s assistant with ten years of experience working with elementary school children. Aid teachers with lesson planning, classroom settings, and group instruction. Model positive behavior and maintain order in the classroom. Willingness to take on additional responsibilities to meet learning objectives.

Tech Industry

3. computer programmer.

Innovative computer programmer with a proven track record of writing high-quality code and supporting team needs with subject matter expertise. Adept in multiple programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and C++. Ability to troubleshoot complex programming issues with inventive solutions. 

4. Cybersecurity Analyst

Dedicated cybersecurity analyst with ten years of experience in online security research, execution, planning, and maintenance. Proven track record of identifying business risks and proactively resolving them. Experience designing and instituting layered network security for large-scale organizations. Train users and other staff members on IT safety procedures and preventive techniques.

Skilled healthcare professional with ten years of experience in patient care, diagnosis, and providing appropriate treatments and medical services. Manage medical staff and resolve complex medical cases with maximum efficiency. Communicate the patient’s condition and treatment plan in easily understood terminology. Remain current with the latest advancements in medicine and research to ensure patients receive proper care.

6. Registered Nurse

Seasoned registered nurse offering comprehensive patient care in emergency room settings. Experience handling diverse patient populations and caring for various conditions. Proven leadership managing nursing teams and other staff. Focus on enhancing patient care and satisfaction through empathetic communication and excellent customer service. 

7. Digital Marketing Manager

Forward-thinking digital marketing manager experienced in all facets of digital marketing, including social media management, PPC advertising, SEO, and email marketing. Proven experience creating comprehensive marketing plans that improve lead prospecting and enhance brand awareness. Up to date with the newest tools available for digital marketing campaigns.

8. Marketing Analyst

Industrious marketing analyst well-versed in analyzing marketing campaign analytics and making recommendations to improve performance. Collaborate with account managers and use KPI metrics to explain the results of marketing initiatives. Meticulous with a strong work ethic and robust communication skills.

Food and Service Industry

Experienced wait staff member capable of managing orders, processing payments, and upselling menu items. Ensure restaurant guests feel welcome with attentive service catered to their needs. Remain current on updates to the menu and assist guests with selecting orders to meet their dietary requirements. Maintain a positive attitude and focus during busy restaurant periods.

10. Hotel Receptionist

Friendly hotel receptionist with extensive experience handling guest check-ins, check-out, and payments. Facilitate a positive guest experience with polished customer service skills and a readiness to address common inquiries and complaints. Collaborate well with other hotel team members, including executive administration and on-site restaurant staff.

Business/Office Jobs

11. financial analyst.

Highly motivated financial analyst with a proven track record of recommending appropriate financial plans based on financial monitoring, data collection, and business strategizing. Experienced in qualitative and quantitative analysis, forecasting, and financial modeling. Excellent communication skills for building and fostering long-term business relationships across the organization.

12. Tax Accountant

Experienced tax accountant with ten years of experience preparing federal and state tax returns for corporations and partnerships. Monitor changes in laws to ensure the organization properly complies with reporting requirements. Assist with tax audits, ensuring the team receives proper supporting evidence for tax positions. Analyze and resolve complex tax issues. Look for available tax savings opportunities for corporations with an aggregate savings of $500K last year. Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.

Sales and Customer Service

13. sales representative.

Enthusiastic sales representative with expertise in identifying prospects and converting qualified leads to paying customers. Provide quality customer service and contribute to team sales success. Offer exceptional communication skills and seek to understand client needs before making the appropriate product recommendations. Continually meet and exceed sales goals. Leverage extensive knowledge of available products to provide appropriate client solutions and enhance customer loyalty and retention.

14. Customer Service Associate

Knowledgeable customer service professional with extensive experience in the insurance industry. Known as a team player with a friendly demeanor and proven ability to develop positive rapport with clients. Maintain ongoing customer satisfaction that contributes to overall company success. Highly articulate, with a results-oriented approach that addresses client inquiries and issues while maintaining strong partnerships. Collaborate well with the customer service team while also engaging independent decision-making skills.

Now you have 24 professional resume summary statements and some explanations of why they’re effective. Next, I’ll share tips for how to write your own in case you’re still unsure how to begin based on these examples above.

How to Write a Resume Summary: Steps and Hints

We’ve looked at 10 great resume summary examples above. As you begin writing a resume summary for yourself, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

• Read the employer’s job description. Your career summary shouldn’t be a long list of everything you’ve done; it should be a refined list of skills and experiences that demonstrate you’re a fit for their job.
• Mention your current job title if relevant. One common way to begin your resume summary is to state your current job title.
• Explain how you can help employers achieve their goals or solve their problems.
• Consider using bold text to emphasize one or two key phrases.
• Include any relevant metrics and data like dollar amounts, years of experience, size of teams led, etc. This helps your resume stand out.
• Focus on making the employer want to read more. The goal of your resume summary isn’t to show everything you can do, but to grab their attention and show enough that they continue reading.

Creating a Customized Resume Summary

While general summaries are appropriate when applying for jobs requiring similar skills and experience, a customized resume summary can enhance your chances of moving on to the next step in the hiring process. 

That’s because most companies use automated tracking systems (ATS) to review submitted resumes for content directly related to the job posting. If you use keywords and natural language phrases in your summary that interlink to the job description, you’ll have a much higher chance of passing the ATS review.

Let’s look at an example of a resume summary that is customized for the specific job description below:

“Highly motivated social media specialist with strong project management skills. Creative marketer skilled in crafting innovative social media campaigns that resonate with a target audience. Regularly develop compelling copy and social media content to enhance lead generation and brand awareness. Detail-oriented with extensive project management skills that ensure proper prioritization of tasks and projects. Work with various social media management and analytics tools to examine results and make adjustments as necessary.”

This summary directly addresses the key points in the job description but rewrites them so the customization is natural and flows well. It’s personalized for the open role and uses similar terms with a few strategically placed keywords, such as “social media content” and “project management.”  

How Long Should a Resume Summary Be?

As you read the resume summaries above, you probably noticed there are some short single-paragraph resume summary examples and much longer career summaries that are two to three paragraphs plus bullet points. So how long should YOUR professional summary be? If you have relevant work experience, keep your summary to one or two paragraphs. The piece you really want the hiring manager to read is your most recent work experience (and you should make sure you tailored that info to fit the job description). The resume summary is just a “bridge” to get the hiring manager into your experience.

If I were writing my own career summary right now, I’d likely use one single paragraph packed with skills, accomplishments, and exactly why I’m ready to step into the job I’ve applied for and be successful!

Even for a manager resume summary, I recommend a very short length. However, if you’re changing careers, or you’re looking for jobs without any work experience , the summary section needs to stand on its own, and should be longer. That’s why some examples above are a bit longer.

Formatting Your Resume/CV Career Summary

You may have noticed a variety of different formats in the career summary examples above. There isn’t 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. That’s simply too much text for your summary section and will cause recruiters and hiring managers to skip over it in some cases.

Should You Include a Resume Objective?

You do not need to include an objective on your resume, and doing so can make your resume appear outdated. Use a resume summary instead of an objective. Follow the resume summary examples above and focus on discussing your skills, qualifications, and achievements, rather than stating your objective. Employers know that your objective is to obtain the position you’ve applied for, and the resume objective has no place on a modern resume/CV in today’s job market.

Examples of Bad Resume Summaries

Now that we’ve seen a few exemplary resume summaries, let’s look at some that you should avoid at all cost.

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

“Experienced cashier who knows how to run the register cash. Responsible with the money and can talk with the customer. Knows when to stoc up the invenory and checks it all the time. Can count change and run credit card tranactions. Get the customer happy by good service. I am always cheerful and organized.”

Why this resume summary is bad:

If you read the summary carefully, you’ll notice several spelling errors. The words “stock,” “inventory,” and “transactions” are all spelled wrong. Grammatical errors make the summary choppy and difficult to follow (“Get the customer happy by good service”).  A summary like this probably won’t fly with a company looking for a detail-oriented cashier responsible for managing in-person sales.

2. Lacks Relevant Keywords

“Talented worker with experience managing a team of staff. Creative and responsible with knowledge of organizational processes. Can keep up with the busiest of environments. Stays focused when at work, ensuring prompt task completion. Dependable and willing to collaborate with a team to get things done.”  

In this example, the chef doesn’t use keywords relevant to cooking, restaurants, or kitchens. The summary is very generic and can apply to nearly any job. A manager who receives the application isn’t likely to understand what value the candidate can bring to the restaurant.  To fix the summary, the applicant must rewrite it to include relevant keywords and phrases. 

3. No Numbers to Quantify Achievements

“An experienced and hardworking manager ready to align procedures for maximum revenue and profits. Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in higher sales and better customer satisfaction. Collaborate well with sales team members, ensuring they have the resources and knowledge to support customer purchases and inquiries. Develop strong rapport with clients and maintain ongoing relationships.”

This isn’t a terrible summary for a sales manager, but it has room for improvement. For one, the first two sentences essentially duplicate each other, mentioning an aptitude for improving processes with the objective of higher sales. The other issue is a lack of quantifying achievements. 

The applicant mentions they have a proven record of increasing sales, but they could strengthen the summary by quantifying their results. For example, they might say, “Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in a 25% increase in sales over the past year.” The quantifier provides additional credibility. 

4. Not Targeting the Specific Job

“Looking for work in a role that requires great customer service, project management, and communication skills. Able to collaborate with people from diverse and varying backgrounds. Highly organized and reliable worker with a strong work ethic. Responsible and reliable worker you can count on.”

While the candidate lists various skills they have, including customer service and project management, there’s no indication of prior roles held or what position they’re applying for. The summary could apply to numerous positions in a variety of industries. To improve the resume summary, the applicant must specify the job they’re applying for and indicate their prior experience in a similar role, if they have any.

After You Start Getting Interviews, Make Sure to Take Advantage…

If you follow the advice above, you’ll have a great professional resume summary to make your qualifications stand out to employers. But landing the interview is only half the battle… So make sure you go into every interview ready to convince employers that they should hire you, too! If you write a great resume summary example that gets employers excited to interview you, they’re going to ask you questions like, “tell me about yourself” early in the interview to learn more about your background. So make sure you’re prepared with an answer.

I also recommend you review the top 20 interview questions and answers here.

Your resume caught their interest, so naturally, they’re going to follow up with a variety of questions to learn more about your professional background.

The bottom line is: A strong professional resume summary, followed up by other well-written resume sections will get you the interview, but your interview performance is what determines whether you get the job offer!

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

More Resume Tips & Guides

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I would recommend to customise the skills section of your resume, and ensure that it matches the job posting. The higher the number of phrases within the resume matching the job requirements the more are the chances that the recruiter will pick you for the job.

I just wanted to say, “thank you!”. This was very helpful. Instead of jumping from one website to the next there’s so much useful, relevant information right here.

Hi, I have been having trouble creating a resume as My old one is so long, I’ve worked for a government agency for the past 14 years and held multiple positions doing many different duties for each and now I have to relocate to another area where they do not have an agency like mine in my new area within a 3 hour drive, how can I squeeze all my experience and duties on one page and where do I even start, I’m so nervous, it’s been so long since I’ve attempted the job hunt. So I’m wondering, I do not want to cut anything out that may hurt my chances and I can’t afford to have my resume rewritten by a professional. Can you guide me as to where you think would be a good place to start, I’ve been staring at this laptop for weeks trying to decide on a resume template, there are so many. I thank you for your time and any input will help.

Hi, I am a new graduate and do not have any experience in my field which is Nursing. I want to apply for the jobs but I have no idea about what to mention in my resume.

Hi, this article should help with the resume summary, at least: https://careersidekick.com/summary-for-resume-no-experience/

Other than that, you need to put your academic experience. And internships/part-time jobs if you’ve had any.

Dear Biron,, Thanks for sharing the 10 examples of professional summaries in your article, and especially the reasons why they were considered to be good. However, as a HR professional, I would most likely skip over most of them and would not read much past the first or second sentence. The summaries were mostly too wordy and boring, and did not demonstrate ‘oomph’ at first cursory reading. Simply indicating certain skills or behaviors does not give an idea of the level of expertise, and could simply be wishful thinking on the part of the resume writer.

Just goes to show that there are many ways to see what makes a good summary.

I am a chemical engineer and project management professional with 15+years experience. My experience is between process engineering and project management . How can I marry the two in my profile summary?

It’s not about showing everything you’ve done. It’s about showing employers evidence you’ll succeed in their job. You can show a bit of both but focus heavily on what’s most relevant for the jobs you’re applying for right now. 80/20.

This was absolutely helpful and amazing! Thank you very much!

Hello, I am an active job seeker. I hold a law degree from a foreign country and currently in college for an associate degree. My question is, how do I blend both my foreign job experience with that of the United States in my resume. Thank you.

I’d put your work history in chronological order, starting with the most recent up top. That’s what I’d recommend for 95% of people actually. Then it doesn’t matter where you held each job.

And then in your Education section, I’d include your foreign degree and the current degree you’re pursuing in the US, too (for the US degree, you can say “in progress” or “graduating May 2019” for example).

I am 40 years old & B.A degree holder I have experience in many fields.I would like to join any one fields

I am a fresh graduate, who has five years teaching experience and some months customer service representative experience. Pls kindly assist me to put the resume summary together

I’m an active duty service member and finding in a little difficult creating a good transitional summary from 20 year profession in tactical communications to a drug and alcohol counselor. Do you have any recommendations how I should approach this? Any assistance would be helpful. Thanks

Great piece

How to write the CAREER ABSTRACT in resume for ware super visor retail business?

Just wanted to say thank you.Your advise and information was clear and easy to understand , sometimes there is nothing pertaining to what im looking fot in particular, buy you have sermed to cover everything I n a short quick easy to understand method.It will help tremendously.

Thanks! Glad to hear it helped :)

Very informational

What if you have work experience, but the job your going for(teachingeducation) has nothing to do with warehouse work? How should I build my resume?

In the summary, describe yourself and then say, “…looking to transition into ___” (the type of work you want to be doing now).

This is a bit like a resume “Objective”. I normally don’t recommend an Objective section (and I recommend a Summary section instead), however the one time an Objective does make sense is when you’re trying to change industries or make a big change in the type of role you have.

So that’s why my advice here might seem like I’m telling you to combine an Objective with your resume Summary.

Then “tailor” your previous work to be as relevant as possible. Even if you worked in a different industry you can still show things like leadership, accountability, progress/improvement, hard work, achieving goals, strong teamwork skills, etc. You can do all of that in your resume bullets and work history.

Don’t u have Resume Summary of legal secretary/legal assistant?

No, sorry about that. There are hundreds of different professions/job titles, and we aren’t able to include an example for every scenario out there. These resume summary examples are designed to give you a general idea of how to write yours.

The summaries listed are excellent example and have helped me develop a stand out summary for a new position.

Hello, I been trying to land the job of my dreams. I need help with my resume if i want the recruiters in airlines to notice me. I’ve applied before but haven’t had complete success to making it to a face-to Face Interview. It is a career change – yet i feel i am a great candidate bc i have had many customer service and I even attended an academy for that specific position. Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong on my resume ?

what if i never had a job experience?

Great question. If you don’t have any work experience, take one of the formats/examples above and put your accomplishments and qualifications from your academic studies.

Your headline could say: “Motivated Bio-Sciences Graduate With Expertise in ____”.

And then you might talk about accomplishments in school, group projects you worked on or led, etc.

Basically, when you have no work experience, your school/studies BECOMES your recent work. You should talk about that like it’s a job, because that’s the experience you do have.

really amazing article and too useful , thanks

Hi Mr. Clark, I have been out of the work force for about 18+years and I have been a small business owner for the same number of years. However, I want to go back to the work force. But my problem is that, I don’t know how to prepare my resume or resume summary statement. I had a degree in Communication,Arts and Sciences and a postgraduate degree in Public Administration. I’m a bit confused as to how to incorporate all these experiences into my resume. Please can you help?

Hi Dorothy, I can recommend a professional resume writer if you want. But they’re typically not cheap, so it’s something you’d have to be willing to invest in. If not, there’s a lot of free info online about how to “tailor” your resume for specific jobs. I can’t help one-on-one unfortunately, but I’d recommend thinking about which type of jobs you want, and think of what experience you have that is most relevant. that’s what to put on your resume. Your resume isn’t only about you, it’s about them – what do they want/need? (if you want to get a ton of interviews, that’s how to do it :) ).

Can I have a professional resume writer?

I use a similar format when writing my opening statement for my coverletter. How do you recommend differentiating the two? Or is it ok to use largely the same language?

I think it’s okay to use something similar. I might be more brief in the cover letter… it needs to be about them just as much as it’s about you. Whereas the resume is all about you, at least in the summary section. (The later sections should still be tailored to THEIR needs..)

Struggling to write a Summary Statement for a Secretary/Administrative Assistant position. I have 15 years government experience but have been away from the government since 9/1993 and have spent 15 years as a Substitute Teacher after taking off for 10 years to raise my children.

Hiya! I am a mother of three attempting to return to the workforce. I have been a stay at mom for about 13 years, so I have a (large) gap in my employment history; which doesn’t look great. I have a college education and have obtained a few certifications whilst not employed, plus many volunteer hours. I know that I should probably use a functional resume format. Would love some advice on what I should include in my summary statement.

Hi Juniper,

I rarely like functional resumes, but it might be worth trying. I’d “split-test” it (a marketing term). Create two resume styles, send out 50% one way, 50% the other way, and track results for a week.

I’d treat the resume summary statement just like any other resume. Highlight your skills and past wins/accomplishments.

how do i explain long term gaps in employment? leave them out?

Hi Paulette,

Don’t mention them on a resume summary. But do mention the gaps on a cover letter or lower down on the resume. Here’s an article on how to explain gaps in employment:

https://careersidekick.com/explaining-gaps-in-employment/

I am student in civil engineering field. Have 1.5 yrs of work ex. How should i structure my resume. Thanks.

Hello My name is Shataka and I’m a current job seeker trying to land my dream job as a Counselor. I have Master degree in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. My experience lies in many different fields. I’m currently a Substance Abuse Counselor, with a teaching background and over 5 years of social service experience. I guess my question is how would I sum up all my experience to help me find a job as a Counselor.

Comments are closed.

10 Awesome Resume Tips From The People of Reddit

Depending on what you’re visiting the site to find, Reddit can be…a mixed bag. The best part of Reddit: anyone can weigh in on any topic. The worst part of Reddit: anyone can weigh in on any topic. That means you get great information and advice mixed in with people who don’t know what they’re talking about, or are just there to stir up problems. If you’re looking for resume tips, we’ve reviewed some of the burning questions on /r/resumes , and found some awesome advice there. Let’s look at some of the greatest hits:

1. How can I make my resume pop?

Three words: simplify, simplify, simplify . Making your resume easy to read (set headers, brief explanations, clear bullet points) can help get you in the “to interview” pile and out of the “tl;dr” pile.

2. What should I include in a resume when I’ve never had a job before?

This Redditor suggests emphasizing academic accomplishments (GPA, relevant classes, degree), volunteering experience (after all, it is experience), and technical skills.

3. How do I list multiple positions at the same company?

If the jobs were dramatically different, you can separate them out and treat them like separate jobs. If they’re similar positions, concentrate more on the top-line accomplishments and skills.

4. Should I include a cover letter even when it’s not requested?

This Redditor recommends going for it. It’s a way to give more information about yourself, and can help you stand out in a very crowded applicant pool.

5. Should I use a traditional resume format or a creative one?

It can be tempting to want to use a fun new format, but realistically, traditional is best . The creativity points you score for using something unorthodox might be canceled out by the disruption to the reader’s usual evaluation process.

6. All of my experience so far is from working at my family’s business—will this help or hurt?

Basically, experience is experience , and as long as you have the skills and experience you need for the new job, you should be good to go.

7. I have 20 years of experience. Should I do a two-pager?

Not if you can help it. If you can, condense the most important highlights into one resume page . The one-page rule is about readability and the reader, not about the writer’s experience.

8. How do I list colleges when I didn’t graduate?

This can be tricky—people don’t graduate for a variety of reasons, but you still want to include that you attended college on your resume. Try using words like “attended,” or “took X credits toward a Bachelor’s degree.” Just don’t suggest that you have a specific degree if you don’t, because that can land you in very hot water. Spin is okay. Lying isn’t.

9. In this digital age, do I still need to include my physical address in the header?

Short answer: yes . It’s tradition, but it also might be a factor for resume scanning programs to see whether candidates are local.

10. Do I mention why I quit my last job?

One Redditor puts it very succinctly: “First you get the date, then you tell them you’re divorced.” You don’t want to set off any red flags before you even get an interview. It’s fine to keep it vague in a resume or cover letter, though you should be prepared to talk about it in an interview if necessary. (And always, always keep it opinion-neutral. An interview for a new job is not a venting exercise for the last one.)

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About the author.

Kate Lopaze

Kate Lopaze is a writer, editor, and digital publishing professional based in New York City. A graduate of the University of Connecticut and Emerson College with degrees in English and publishing, she is passionate about books, baseball, and pop culture (though not necessarily in that order), and lives in Brooklyn with her dog.

9 Functioned Well Resume Summary Examples to Land a Job

To impress recruiters and land an interview, job seekers have to collect all their key skills, experiences, and accomplishments and organize them in a resume that turns heads. A professional resume communicates your biggest strengths and proves why you are a perfect employee. But, what is even more important - it should drive the recruiter’s attention and engage from the first lines.

So, the big question is - how to craft a winning resume that will attract the attention of hiring managers and potential employers? Resume writing isn’t easy. Though there are plenty of strategies and tricks that can help you create a resume that lands jobs, there are also many pitfalls. Our professional resume writers online have done a detailed research and now are ready to have it out.

The main issue is that it only takes about 7 seconds for the recruiter to scan your resume. If you fail to grab his attention in such a short time, your resume will likely get lost among other applications. But, if you start it with a killer resume summary, you will definitely get noticed!

If you want to land a job with ease, we are here to lend a helping hand! From this post, you’ll learn what a resume summary is, where to put it on a resume, and the most effective tips on how to create your own summary examples for resume that work.

Besides, in this article, you’ll also find lots of great summary for resume examples, written by experts with years of experience in the resume writing business, that can make great templates for creating your own summary.

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Our experts are here to help! Place an order and start preparing for your next interview!

What Is a Resume Summary Section?

In this article, we’ve prepared for you a comprehensive step-by-step guide to creating a perfect summary. But, first, let’s define what it is.

In a nutshell, a resume career summary is a short statement, typically 3-5 sentences long, that summarizes your career and exposes your most impressive skills, experiences, and accomplishments. You can think of it as a concise statement on why a particular company should employ you.

The core purpose of a summary is to highlight your level of qualification and make the recruiter want to read the rest of your resume.

As a rule, a summary is located somewhere at the beginning of a resume and consists of several elements. Further in this guide, we will tell you what to include in your statement.

One more thing you need to know about putting a summary on a resume is that it can be used to your benefit if you’ve got plenty of work experience. If there is not much you can boast of in terms of professional experience, a resume summary will not make any impression on the hiring manager. Moreover, it can even play against you.

Components of a Resume Summary

A strong summary can really help to make your job application stand out. But, to get the best results, you need to know not only how to put a summary on resume but also what to include in it.

As we said earlier, a summary usually consists of 3-5 sentences. A good resume summary should fit the six main components into these sentences:

• Strongest character trait(s)/adjectives (e.g self-motivated, experienced, etc.)
• Your current job title
• Relevant experience
• Name of the company you are interested in
• A statement of how you want to help the employer
• Your key accomplishments

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When do you need to include a resume summary?

As you already know from the definition, a summary is a succinct overview of your career path. Respectively, to get the most benefits of it, you need to have tons of experience relevant to the specific job you want to apply for.

The best summary for a resume examples stresses the most relevant skills, achievements, and experiences an applicant has, therefore showing recruiting firms and employers that he or she is a potentially good candidate for the job. Thus, if you are an experienced specialist whose skills and abilities match the job requirements, you should start your resume with a summary. It will be your best bet.

But, what if you don’t have that much experience? For entry-level specialists, recent grads, as well as those who are changing a career, it is much better to opt for a resume objective rather than try to create a solid summary on resume examples.

Related: CV vs. Resume : What is the difference?

How to Write a Resume Summary?

We’ve already told you about the definition of a resume summary, explained what main components it should include, and specified when it’s best to use this type of introduction on a resume. Now, it’s time to answer the main question and tell you how to write a resume summary step by step.

Here are the main practical steps and tips for creating a resume professional summary:

• Read the job offer attentively. First of all, you should figure out what a particular employer is looking for. Use the job offer as a cheat sheet for writing a resume. After reading it, you will have a clear idea of what to emphasize in your summary and what keywords to include.
• Check out several resume summary examples. It is always a good idea to have a solid sample in front of your eyes.
• Start by describing your strongest traits in a few words. Pick one or a few adjectives that best describe your strengths. For example, you can use such words as “dedicated,” “experienced,” “certified,” “detail-oriented,” “customer-centered,” etc. 
• After your traits specify the job title and summarize your experience. For example, “Detail-oriented customer support service manager with 5+ years of experience.”
• Tell how you can help the company attain its goals if they hire you.
• List your biggest professional accomplishments that prove your abilities. And don’t forget to add numbers where possible.
• Limit the entire summary to 3-5 sentences.

Advantages of a Resume Summary Statement

So, you already know that if you have tons of experience to boast of, a summary is a sure way to engage recruiters and make them want to recruit you. 

But, why is it so effective?

Using summary statements resume has many perks. Here are some of the biggest advantages:

Get noticed sooner

The main purpose of a resume summary is to put your resume right in front of the hiring managers' eyes. Resumes with strong summaries have higher chances of being noticed. A well-organized summary statement resume section catches the recruiters’ attention as it makes your job application look different. And, if the contents of your summary keep them interested, you will most likely land an interview. 

Underline your key skills and experience earlier

Not every recruiter will read your resume till the end. They will quickly review it to decide if you are worth their attention or not. So, if you want to get a competitive advantage and eventually get employed, you should highlight your strongest points right away. A resume skills summary is an easy but effective way to express yourself and prove that you are a perfect match for the job.

Collect keywords

The last advantage may not sound very obvious to many job seekers, but it is still there. As you may know, a good resume should contain relevant keywords and a resume summary is a perfect place to concentrate your keywords.

Why do you need keywords in your summary for resume? According to stats, over 98% of large companies use an ATS system to scan applications. If you didn’t know this yet, an Applicant Tracking System or just ATS is used to detect job-related keywords in resumes and, thus, weed out candidates who don’t match the requirements stated in the job offer.

Respectively, if your resume doesn’t include keywords, it may remain unnoticed, so your chances of landing a job may drop. That’s why every resume should have keywords and this is one more benefit of a professional summary for resume as it provides you with additional space to include them.

What Is the Difference Between Summary and Objective in a Resume?

Generally, there are two ways to start a resume. In some cases, it is a good idea to start with a resume summary, whereas sometimes it makes more sense to write a resume objective instead.

Resume summary vs objective - What is the difference?

Here are the main distinctive features:

• A summary covers an applicant’s professional experience and accomplishments related to the job he or she applies for.
• An objective, on the contrary, focuses on your skills (often transferable).
• A summary often calls out metrics to quantify accomplishments and make a better impression on recruiters.
• An objective doesn’t require adding numbers.
• Objectives state job seekers’ goals, whereas summaries tend to focus on the needs and goals of an employer.

Let’s take a look at a specific example. Let’s say you are writing a customer service resume. Should you choose a customer service resume objective or summary? Based on the differences we’ve discussed, it becomes clear that if you have years of experience in customer service and can showcase some actual skills and achievements, then a summary is a great option. However, if due to any reason you don’t have much experience, then a resume objective should make a better effect (this also applies to career change and applying for entry-level positions).

Your cover letter is as paramount as your resume. Our pro cover letter writing service team constantly is working on improving new tips on it! We are happy to assist you anytime!

Resume objective example

A good objective should show that you possess valuable soft skills, state your goals (for example, to land a specific job, gain more experience, make a career change, etc.), and explain what you are hoping to do for a company if they hire you.

Here is a sample resume objective summary:

Recent college graduate with a BS in Sales. Possess excellent written and verbal communication, analytical, time management, and planning skills. Looking to land a job as a Sales Assistant at [Company Name] to leverage proven communication and skills to enhance the quality of customer service and drive more sales.

Resume summary example

A resume summary, on the contrary, should keep the focus on your professionalism and vast experience.

Later, we will share more examples of summary on resume with you but let’s look at one example here to help you grasp the difference:

Result-oriented and customer-centered Sales Manager with 6+ years of experience delivering excellent customer service, helping clients make more informed decisions, and driving sales. Seeking to leverage proven skills and experience at [Company Name] to help boost the company’s revenue. Received 99% positive feedback from customers and contributed to a 20% increase in sales at [your past place of work].

Resume Summary Statement Examples

Now that you know what a summary is and how to write one, you are probably interested to see some actual examples of resume summary. If yes, we’ve got you covered!

Below you will find many professional summary examples for resume divided into categories by industries and job types:

General Work for Industry Resume Summary

Data analyst resume summary.

Here’s one of the best resume summary samples for business analyst :

Insightful business analyst with 5+ years of experience analyzing and interpreting big data for driving more informed business solutions. Possess outstanding skills in business analytics, statistics, visualizing, and mathematics. Looking to leverage proven expertise at [company name] to reduce operating costs and drive growth.

Human Resources resume summary

Here’s a sample human resources summary for a resume:

Result-oriented HR with 8+ years of experience. At the previous workplace, reduced recruitment time by 25%, increased employee retention by 30%, and increased the overall employee effectiveness by 15%. Eager to leverage strong skills and vast experience at [company name].

Examples of Marketing Resume Summary

Copywriter resume summary.

Here is a well-written sample copywriter summary resume:

Creative and quality-driven copywriter with 7+ years of experience delivering plagiarism-free, SEO-optimized copy. Boosted landing page conversion rate by 30% in 10 months. Seeking to leverage gained skills at [company name] to generate more traffic and boost the effectiveness of content marketing.

Social Media Manager resume summary

Check out a resume summary example for a social media manager:

Creative SMM manager with 4+ years of experience. Managed all social media accounts of a large company and increased customer engagement by 50%. Looking to land a position of SMM manager at [company name] to help drive sales and enhance brand awareness.

Marketing Analyst resume summary

Here’s one of the resume summary statements for a marketing analyst :

Marketing analyst with over 9 years of experience and strong analytical, SMM, and marketing skills. At the previous workplace, analyzed the existing marketing strategy, identified trends, and suggested solutions that increased web traffic by 34%. Eager to join [company name] to help enhance marketing strategies.

Examples of IT Jobs Resume Summary

Research scientist resume summary.

Here’s one of our research scientist summary resume examples:

Resourceful and attentive to detail research scientist with 4+ years of experience. Participated in a $1 million research project that was awarded $2 million for the second phase project. Looking to leverage proven experience at [company name] to help with the company’s projects.

Systems Manager resume summary

Here’s one of the best resume summary statement examples for a systems manager job:

Systems manager with an eye for details and 6+ years of experience in delivering solutions that ensure cost efficiency and drive business. Looking to occupy a systems manager position at [company name] to provide high-level systems support.

Systems Analyst resume summary

Here is one of our good resume summary examples for systems analysts:

Skilled systems analyst with 5+ years of experience. Proficient in cost analysis and high-level technical solutions. Possess an excellent understanding of project lifecycle. Saved $2 million in IT costs at the last workplace. Eager to leverage knowledge and skills at [company name] to implement effective cost-saving measures.

How Long Should the Description of a Professional Resume Summary Be?

So, we’ve told you how to write a professional summary for resume and shared lots of great examples. Now, let’s once more recap the most important point - the length.

A professional resume summary has to offer a brief overview of the applicant’s experience. It has to be concise, clear, and straight to the point. Thus, the ideal length is between three to five sentences.

This length should be enough to let you include all the basic elements such as your job title and key traits, relevant experience, key achievements backed up with some numbers, etc. But, at the same time, sticking to this length will help ensure that you don’t go over the limits and don’t get recruiters bored.

Where to put a professional summary in resume? For the best effect, it should be situated at the top of a resume. Typically, it’ll follow the resume header with contact info.

Do you have questions about professional resume summary examples? Did we miss any tips?

If you find the article  useful, give us a comment on social media.! Let’s get the conversation rolling.

Job seekers need to show their interest from the beginning. Start by writing a CV with your achievements to stand out from the rest of the candidates. Our top professional federal resume writing services are here to help you!

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How to List Skills on a Resume (Real Skill Examples)

This essential resume writing article is about how to list skills on a resume. For more resume writing help, visit our job seeker resource center .

EdgeWater Pharmacy just posted an opening for a Sales Associate right down the street from your home. You think you are the perfect fit for the job, so you submit your resume, but so do 30 other candidates.

Do you know who is going to get called in for an interview? 

The job seeker who looks like they have the most relevant skills for the job.

Make sure you’re getting the callback for an interview from a hiring manager by reading how to list your skills on a resume.

This essential job seekers’ guide will walk you through how to add the skills a hiring manager wants to see on your resume, along with 50+ real resume examples of skills you can use.

This article on how to include key skills on a resume covers:

• What are professional skills?
• Why are skills important on resumes?
• Different types of skills for job seekers
• Where and how to incorporate skills on a job application
• Top 50+ skills hiring managers want to see on your resume
• Fastest ways to gain new skills to get hired

What Are Skills? Why Are Skills Important?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a skill is:

“the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance”

“a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability”

When it comes to job hunting, your skills are what set you apart. Every human on earth has a set of skills that is unique to them. Likewise, every professional position has a unique set of skills that is required for performing the job.

Finding the perfect alignment between these two ideas is the key goal for every hiring manager.

If a hiring manager finds someone that already possesses the skills needed for their job, they won’t have to spend so much time and money on training. It also means that their new employee will be able to pull their own weight more quickly, providing a quicker return on their hiring investment.

But how do hiring managers know who has what it takes to perform well on the job?

The first and most important place hiring managers look is at your resume. On average, a hiring manager spends 6 seconds reviewing a resume and during that time they are scanning the pages to see if the skills required for the job jump out at them.

If they find what they are looking for, you get called in for an interview. If they don’t quickly see what they are looking for, your resume will most likely be discarded.

As a job seeker, it is your responsibility to make sure you know what skills hiring managers are looking for.

Once you identify those skills, it is also your responsibility to make sure those relevant skills are incorporated into your resume in a way that stands out.

If you do these two things accurately, you will be the one getting called in for an interview and will be that much closer to landing a new job.

Types of Professional Skills (Real Resume Examples)

Skills can be broken down into four main categories:

• Hard skills
• Soft skills
• Transferable skills
• Job-related skills.

Before you start writing your own list of skills, let’s go through each of these skill categories to see what the difference between them is.

Hard Skills vs Soft Skills

Hard skills are specific, teachable, and tangible. They can be measured and tested using assignments and assessments. Hard skills are learned, either through on-the-job training or through school, rather than coming naturally.

Examples of hard skills for a resume:

Soft skills are intangible and are harder to measure. They are personality traits and interpersonal skills that come naturally to humans, rather than being learned through school.

People are born with soft skills. These soft skills grow and develop over time from your upbringing, education, and experiences.   

Examples of soft skills:

Contrary to popular belief, hiring managers often care more about soft skills than hard skills, though both hard and soft skills contribute to your appeal as a candidate.

Hard skills, such as computer programming or accounting, can be taught using a combination of curriculum and hands-on practice. Whereas soft skills, such as a positive attitude or punctuality, are harder to teach.

Regardless of your background, hiring managers are usually flexible with teaching you the hard skills needed for their job, as long as you already have the right attitude along with the aptitude to learn.

Transferable Skills vs Job-Related Skills

Transferable skills can be carried with you from one job to the other. These skills can be a hard skill or soft skill, as long as they can be used in any type of role, regardless of the industry, company, or position.

Examples of transferable skills:

Job-related skills are usually always hard skills.  These job-related skills are specific to a certain type of role or position.

Examples of job-related skills:

How And Where To List Skills On Your Resume

Skills should be included throughout your resume, rather than confined to one area.

While scanning your resume, hiring managers will be looking over each resume section, starting with the top. Because of how people read resumes, you need to make sure they see your skills immediately.

Guarantee hiring managers will see your skills by listing them in four key areas of your resume:

• Resume header
• Professional summary
• Summary of skills
• Work Experience section

If you are writing a resume from scratch, try using this free and easy-to-use resume builder from Resume.com. The sections and formatting are already created for you, so all you need to worry about is filling in the blanks to finish a free printable resume.

1. Resume Header

At the top of your resume, directly below your name, write your job title along with the three most relevant skills you have as a candidate.

This is the first section hiring managers will be reading, so it is important to draw their attention using bold and large lettering.

If you’re using this resume builder , the ‘ Blue Skies ’, ‘ Three Blocks Digital ’, and ‘ van Deco ’ resume templates already have a header section included, which will make finishing your resume easier.

When writing your header, it is crucial that you customize the job title and skills to each job you’re applying for. Your job application needs to be consistent – you can read more about consistency in this article .

For example, if you write Java Developer in your resume header, but are applying for a .NET Developer position, a huge red flag will go up for the hiring manager.

When writing your top three skills in your header, make sure they align with the required skills listed in the job posting.

If you’re applying for a job at a large company or corporation, or you’re applying through a job board, it’s helpful to keep applicant tracking systems (ATS) in mind. Make sure your resume makes it past ATS software by listing your skills using the same wording as the job posting.  

Example of skills in the resume header: 

2. Professional Summary

Below your header and contact information, you will have a professional summary section. A professional summary used to be called an ‘objective’, but the modern resume writing approach is to replace your objective with a professional summary section.

Your professional summary should give an overview of your background, years of experience, and the top skills that set you apart. The skills in your professional summary should be written in sentence form, rather than listed out.

If using the resume builder , the ‘ My Employment ’, ‘ Apple Green ’, and ‘ Side Panel ’ resume templates have professional summary sections that are sure to draw attention to your most relevant skills.

Example of skills in the professional summary of a resume:

3. Summary of Skills

Below your professional summary, include a ‘summary of skills’ section. Alternative titles for this section could be ‘core competencies’, ‘key skills’, ‘professional skills’, or ‘relevant skills’.

If you have less than 10 skills, you can list them out in columns. 

Summary of skills resume example (less than 10 professional skills) :

Summary of skills resume example (more than 10 professional skills) :

For your skills section, your skills should be listed, rather than written out in sentence form. This formatting choice helps hiring managers to pick out the key words quickly, which they can read about in more detail in the experience section after.

4. Experience Section

The ‘experience’ section usually comes after your summary of skills on a resume. Depending on your background, this could also be called ‘professional experience’, ‘work experience’, or ‘relevant experience’.

Your experience section is the perfect place to back your skills up with real-life examples of when you have used your skills, in addition to the results you have achieved.

When writing your experience section, give specific details about where, when, and with whom you have used your skills. When possible, use numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements.

Example of how to list skills in the experience section of a resume:

How to List Skills On A Resume – Finding Relevant Skills For You

To figure out what skills you should include on your resume, follow these three simple steps.

Step #1: Create a master list of skills

Go through each category and create a master list of the skills in your toolbox. Don’t be afraid to list things that seem obvious, like computer skills or customer service.

Although they might seem like a given in your profession, many hiring managers still want to see these skills listed.

Never include skills that you are no longer familiar with. If you write a skill on your resume, hiring managers will be expecting that you can deliver on that activity.

If you are worried that a hiring manager will over or underestimate your level of proficiency, feel free to write ‘beginner’, ‘intermediate’, or ‘proficient’ next to each skill listed.

Step #2: Figure out the skills needed for the job

When applying for jobs, it is important to identify the set of skills that are needed. Picking out the needed skills will help you determine if you are a good fit for the role. It will also help you tailor your resume skills to the specific job you are applying for.

There are two main ways to determine the skills needed for a job.

The first is to dissect job descriptions and job postings that are posted on career websites and job boards. To do this, go through a job description and highlight each quality that describes the candidate the company is looking for.

For example, here is a job posting for a cashier position: 

Then create a list of all the qualities described, making sure to write each skill using the same wording that is used in the job posting.

The second way to figure out what skills are needed for a job is to search for people on LinkedIn who are already performing the role.

By searching for a certain job title in the search bar, you can find a list of professionals who are already in that job and then search through their profile to see what skills they have listed, both in their summary and experience sections.

Step #3: Match your master list with the skills needed for a job

The skills you write on your resume should be whatever overlaps between your master list and the list of skills you created from researching jobs.

By using this technique, you will be making sure that the skills you have listed on your resume are relevant to the jobs you are applying for.

A general rule of thumb is to never include skills that aren’t important for the job you are applying for.

For example, if you are applying for a project manager position, there is no need to list that you know yoga or CPR.

Top 50+ Skills Hiring Managers Look For On Resumes

A lot of research has been done as to what hiring managers look for on a resume. Many of the skills they seek are job-specific, while others are transferable.

To increase your chances of getting called in for an interview, include these top skills throughout your resume.

These professional skills are divided by category to help you find the skills that are relevant to you.

Soft Skills

Basic computer skills, customer service, project management, art & design, human resources, fastest ways to obtain new skills.

Are you looking for your first job? Are you missing some of the required skills on a job posting? If so, don’t worry. There are a range of ways for you to obtain the needed skills quickly.

If you are in need of a hard skill, this task is much easier. Hard skills are learned, so you can typically find an online resource, school, or curriculum to pick up the needed skills.

If you don’t have enough time to attend class in person, there are a number of online learning platforms with courses that you can take online, in your spare time. Some examples of popular eLearning platforms include Lynda, Udemy, and Skillshare.

Learning soft skills are a little trickier. These interpersonal and personality traits are hardwired into humans, so the only way to get better at them is to practice, practice, practice.

If you can’t practice soft skills while on a job, try to find some day-to-day activities that you can practice these skills during.

For example, if you need to work on punctuality, set a goal to arrive 5 minutes early wherever you need to be, no matter if it is for class or for coffee. Or if you need to work on your professionalism, pick up a volunteer job based in a professional, office setting.

More Skill-Related Articles For Resume Writing:

• How To List Hard Skills On A Resume (50+ Technical Skill Examples)
• How to List Computer Skills on a Resume (50+ Computer Skill Examples)