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How to Write a Resume Summary with Examples

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What is a resume summary?

Who needs a resume summary, how to write a resume summary.

You should know how to write a resume summary if you’re writing a resume and applying for jobs. Resume summaries show busy hiring managers and employers what you can offer them quickly and easily on a resume. This article will explain what a resume summary is, who needs one in their resume and how to write a resume summary.

A resume summary, also referred to as a summary statement or professional summary, is a short statement at the top of your resume that describes your professional experience and key skills. Including a resume summary allows you to highlight your best qualifications and get the hiring manager’s attention right away.

A resume summary can help you get noticed faster by hiring managers, who often scan a resume to make sure the candidate is a good fit for the job before reading more carefully. 

Additionally, including a resume statement is a good way to make your resume more organized, clearer and easier to read. The resume summary is like the table of contents at the beginning of a book, shaping the reader’s expectations of what they will encounter. This will help bring the reader’s attention to your best qualities.

Not every resume needs a resume summary. If you are new to the job market, do not yet have a great deal of experience, or have a pretty simple career path, you may be better off saving the space for something else.

However, if you are an experienced professional with several years of experience, or if you are hoping to switch career paths, a resume summary can help to organize your resume. A resume summary can tie together different pieces of your experience or indicate how your skill set is transferrable to the role you are seeking.

Follow these steps to write a resume summary:

1. First, start by explaining who you are

The first sentence or bullet point of your resume summary should clearly state who you are as a candidate. Make this a powerful statement that summarizes your experience and why you are a good fit for the job.

‘High-achieving sales agent with 5+ years of experience driving sales in established accounts and developing prospects.’

‘Copywriter with attention to detail and ability to turn around projects on a quick deadline.

‘Attentive registered nurse dedicated to diagnosing patients and managing treatment.’

2. Second, highlight what you bring to the role

Before you begin writing your resume summary, take some time to make a list of your most important skills and experience, including certifications, awards or other achievements, technical skills, and soft skills. Include some of these top experiences in your resume summary to highlight what you bring to the role. 

At the same time, you will want to use your summary to demonstrate how your skills and experience will contribute to the organization’s mission and goals.

‘Dynamic and motivated project manager with proven success in designing, executing, and closing more than a dozen projects.’

‘Organized human resources professional with a master’s degree in human resources management and 20+ years of experience in employee hiring and onboarding, performance management processes, and HR records.’

‘Experienced software engineer with a passion for building startup businesses.’

3. Third, capture job posting keywords

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

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

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

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

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

4. Fourth, keep your summary short

A resume summary should be no longer than 2-3 sentences or bulleted points in a list. Space is limited in your one-page resume, so keep your summary short and straightforward. 

‘Award-winning digital producer with 10+ years’ experience in supervising and creating digital media content. Adept in complex and compelling storytelling.’

‘Proven leader of international sales organizations offering 20 years of experience in developing successful growth strategies and training team leaders. Known for crafting compelling marketing strategies. Effectively managed multi-million dollar, multi-product global businesses on several continents.

‘Blending lab management experience and academic training as a PhD in microbiology. Background includes office administration, event planning, and scheduling expertise.’

77+ Resume Summary Examples [& How-to Guide for 2024]

Most companies get hundreds or even thousands of applications monthly.

Hiring managers don’t have the time to read each resume in detail, so they usually end up scanning it for five to six seconds.

So, unless your resume manages to grab the hiring manager’s attention in those few seconds, they’ll just toss your application aside and move on to the next one.

That’s why, you want to make sure that the hiring manager can instantly tell that you’re the right candidate for the job before they even read your resume in depth. 

This is where writing an attention-grabbing resume summary comes in!

In this guide, we’re going to cover: 

• What Is a Resume Summary?
• Tips for Writing an Effective Resume Summary 
• 77+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples

Let’s dive in.

This guide is part of our larger resume series. If you want to start from the basics, take a look at our comprehensive guide on how to make a resume .

What Is a Resume Summary? 

A resume summary is a section that summarizes your resume’s contents. It’s placed in your resume’s header, close to your 

contact information , and it’s the first thing hiring managers see when they look at your resume.

When done right, your resume summary serves as a snapshot of your entire career. It shows that you’re a qualified candidate in less than five seconds, and it gets the hiring manager interested in reading the rest of your resume.

So, what makes a resume summary effective?

A good resume summary is two to four sentences long and includes:

• Your years of experience and job title
• Some of your biggest achievements to date
• A couple of your most essential skills that are relevant for the role

Let’s look at an example:

• Detail-oriented Technical Writer with 7+ years of experience in writing end-user documentation, specializing in user help guides. Excellent writing, analytical thinking, research, and time management skills. Rewrote over 80% of user help guides for 30+ products at Company X, resulting in a 42% decrease in product-related customer support calls.

New to resume-making? Give our resume summary video a watch before diving into the article!

When Should You Use a Resume Summary?

Hiring managers skim through resumes before deciding to read them, so candidates who grab their attention from the start stand a better chance of grabbing their attention. This is why you should always include a brief paragraph in your resume header that summarizes your strengths as a candidate.

Depending on your experience level, you can choose between a resume summary or a resume objective .

Resume objectives focus on professional goals, skills, and motivation for applying for the job, so they’re perfect for students, recent graduates , and other entry-level workers.

A resume summary, on the other hand, is perfect for seasoned professionals, as it focuses more on your past work experience and how it relates to the job you’re applying for. So, if you already have some work experience, we recommend sticking to a resume summary.

If you’re embarking on a career change , on the other hand, you can choose between a resume summary or a resume objective, depending on how your previous skills and work experience relate to the job.

When you’re making your resume, write your resume summary last. Creating a resume summary is much easier once you’ve already finished up your work experience section! 

5 General Resume Summary Examples

There are different aspects of your professional background that you can focus on when writing your resume summary.

Let’s look at some examples and what they do right:

• A hard-working bartender with over five years of experience providing professional service at various bars across Brooklyn. I have received the Hospitality Skill Certification for Bartenders and I know how to make over 200 alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. Seeking the Head Bartender position at Bar X, where my skills and beverage knowledge can be leveraged to offer customers the highest quality of service.

Above all, this resume summary shows how experienced the candidate is. Their main selling point is their vast bartending knowledge, followed by an impressive bartending qualification and customer service skills .

• Communicative financial analyst, specializing in informative and persuasive financial presentations, cost accounting, and team management. Master’s Degree in Finance and two related certifications from the Corporate Finance Institute. Extensive experience with a variety of software programs, including SQL, Equitrak, and Lawson.

What sticks out the most in this resume summary is the candidate’s educational background and certifications. It matches the field they’re applying for, and their knowledge also extends to the most important professional software.

• Human Resources Manager with 7+ years of experience seeks to improve overall efficiency at XYZ Office. Career highlights include handling all employee relations in a 75-employee finance firm, reducing recruitment lead time by 35%, and increasing employee retention by 17%.

In addition to the candidate’s long professional experience, the most impressive part of this resume summary is their achievements . The candidate also made sure to quantify their professional accomplishments, which gives you credibility and shows you know what you're talking about.

• Detail-oriented receptionist with 4+ years of experience in customer service. Efficient in performing the administrative and front-desk tasks of large-scale offices. Fluent in Norwegian, English, Spanish, and Swedish. Proficient in MS Office Suite and ZenDesk.

This resume summary shows off the candidate’s key skills, including language proficiency , extensive customer service experience, and computer skills .

• Hard-working and passionate Secondary Social Studies teacher with 10+ years of experience in creating positive environments in which teenagers can learn and grow. Incorporates interdisciplinary knowledge into the classroom to engage students of all learning orientations. 

This candidate mentions they have more than a decade of work experience , but the main takeaway is what they can do on the job. The hiring manager who reads this resume summary can immediately see what this applicant can bring to the team.

How to Write a Resume Summary

Now, let’s get down to business – how can you write a resume summary that’s guaranteed to catch the hiring manager’s attention?

Let’s start with the basics. Here’s what your resume summary should include:

• Experience. If you have a lot of relevant professional experience, you should summarize it. This may include your job titles and years of experience in the field. (e.g., “Facebook marketer with 5+ years of experience..." )
• Skills. Mention your areas of expertise, specializations, certifications , and/or skills. (e.g., “Experienced in managing Facebook ad accounts and SEO copywriting..." )
• Achievements. Add one or two impressive achievements to show what you can do. (e.g., “Managed over $100,000 in marketing budget over several accounts and reduced annual company costs by 16%.” )

The next step is to take your resume summary from good to great by following these expert tips:

#1. Tailor Your Resume Summary

You could be an excellent candidate with tons of work experience, but if your resume summary isn’t tailored to the job ad, the hiring manager probably won’t be impressed.

If the hiring manager doesn’t see your value in the first seven seconds of reading your resume , you probably won’t get them to give it a second glance.

This is where tailoring your resume summary comes in. Just reference the job description to make sure your work experience, skills, and achievements all match what the employer is looking for in a candidate.

Let’s go over it in detail.

Imagine you’re applying for this specific job:

The ad tells you exactly what the company is looking for in a candidate.

So here’s what a resume summary tailored to this ad might look like:

• Professional marketer manager with 5+ years of experience in digital marketing. Social media marketing experience, including Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn advertising. Experience in managing an account with a monthly budget of $30,000. B.A. in marketing management. Fluent in German. 

By carefully tailoring your resume summary to the ad and mentioning what the company is looking for, the hiring manager will be hooked! They’ll immediately think, “This is the right person for the job!” and read the rest of your resume in detail.

Tailoring your resume summary to the job description can also help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems that companies use to filter through resumes. This is software that scans applications and disqualifies candidates who don’t mention specific skills or add enough keywords from the job description throughout their resume, so the more you tailor your resume to the job, the better your chances!

#2. Quantify Your Achievements

Your resume summary is supposed to be brief, which means you’re not supposed to list all your achievements. So, make sure to mention the ones that are most relevant and impactful for the role you’re applying for to pique the hiring manager’s attention.

The best way to back up your accomplishments is by providing concrete data.

Quantifiable achievements are instantly more credible and more likely to leave a good impression than vague statements. 

Let’s compare:

• Helped customers sign up on our platform.
• Onboarded 100+ customers to our SaaS platform with a retention rate of over 75%.

See the difference? In fact, the first example sounds more like a responsibility than an achievement.

Here’s what this applicant's entire resume summary would look like:

• Customer service representative with 5+ years of experience in telephone customer service, tech support, and customer care. Familiar with Intercom, Drift, and several other customer service software solutions. Handled up to 100 calls daily with a retention rate of over 75%. 

In some fields, there aren’t many achievements that you can mention. For example, saying that you served 50 people a day isn’t an achievement if you're a server. Don’t fret! In such cases, it’s OK to stick with your key responsibilities simply.

#3. Use Power Words and Action Verbs

Saying you’re a “team player” who was “responsible for” this or “managed” that is boring.

To stand out from every other applicant using the same words, you need to use the right action verbs and power words .

These words can make your skills and achievements pop, and the hiring manager will appreciate that you’re going the extra mile to describe your experience.

Let’s compare how the same sentence with and without power words plays out:

• Spearheaded Company X’s content marketing operations.
• Responsible for content marketing at Company X.

While both of these sentences say the same thing, the first one makes you seem more competent and implies initiative and leadership skills. The second just comes off as passive.

To drive the point home, here’s what a resume summary looks like packed with action words:

#4. Follow Our Formula

When you get down to writing your resume summary, you might still not be sure where to start or what to add.

Don’t worry!

We have a tried and tested formula that you can follow to write the perfect resume summary.

77+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples (For Different Fields)

Need inspiration to write your resume summary? No sweat!

We’ve curated a list of 77+ resume summary examples for different professions to help inspire you.

Sales and Customer Service Resume Summary Examples

#1. sales associate resume summary.

“Enthusiastic and knowledgeable sales associate specialized in upselling furniture and dealing with customer objections. Proven 2-year track record of success at Company X, having exceeded department KPIs by 40-50% for 6 months in a row.”

Read the full sales associate resume example here.

#2. Account Manager Resume Summary

“Client-oriented account manager with a successful track record in the oil industry. Managed accounts worth over $500K while working with clients such as BP and Lukoil.”

#3. Software Support Specialist Resume Summary

“Software support specialist with 5+ years of experience in providing support and assistance to clients, managing user accounts, and recruiting and hiring new IT support interns. Built customer relationships and trust with 20+ B2B clients. Skilled at simplifying complex problems, making it easy for non-technical specialists to solve IT issues.”

#4. Customer Service Representative Resume Summary

“Dedicated and trustworthy customer service specialist with four years of experience in online software troubleshooting, tech support, and customer care. Experienced in using Intercom and Drift. Received an average 87% customer satisfaction rating to date, 15% higher than the company average.”

Read the full customer service resume example here.

#5. Cashier Resume Summary

“Reliable and detail-oriented cashier. Skilled at mathematics, thinking on my feet, and solving any potential customer issues that arise without help from management. Experience in training and onboarding 3+ new cashiers at Company X.”

Read the full cashier resume example here.

#6. Retail Manager Resume Summary

“Retail Manager with 5 years of experience managing mid-sized retail stores. Increased store revenue by 15% through effective team management and customer engagement strategies. Proficient in inventory control, merchandising, and staff training. Looking to leverage retail management expertise in a larger, high-volume store setting.”

Read the full retail manager resume example here.

#7. Barista Resume Summary

“Passionate Barista with 2 years of experience in specialty coffee shops. Known for crafting signature beverages and maintaining high standards of customer service. Consistently received positive feedback for friendly demeanor and quick, accurate order fulfillment.”

Read the full barista resume example here.

#8. Server Resume Summary

"Dedicated Server with 3 years of experience in fast-paced dining environments. Skilled in order accuracy, multitasking, and providing exceptional customer service. Recognized for ability to maintain composure and efficiency during peak hours."

Read the full server resume example here.

#9. Waiter Resume Summary

“Positive and friendly waiter with 3 years of experience working at a fast-paced Italian restaurant. People skills with a proven ability to upsell alcohol, desserts, and appetizers to customers. Memorized restaurant’s wine stock and accompanying meals to the T.”

Read the full waiter resume example here.

#10. Front Desk Agent Resume Summary

“Front Desk Agent with 4 years of experience in the hospitality industry, excelling in customer service at busy city-center hotels. Skilled in handling reservations, guest inquiries, and providing travel recommendations. Committed to enhancing guest experiences and maintaining a high standard of service.”

#11. Housekeeper Resume Summary

“Hard-working house-keeper with 5+ years of experience. Past experiences include working as a housekeeper in hotels as well as private residences. Proven time-management skills and deep familiarity with all cleaning materials and tools.”

#12. Line Cook Resume Summary

“Line Cook with 3 years of experience in high-volume kitchens. Efficient in meal preparation and plating, with a focus on maintaining quality and speed. Trained in various cuisines and knowledgeable about food safety standards.”

#13. Restaurant Manager Resume Summary

“Professional restaurant manager with a strong interest in providing the highest standards of customer service and ensuring customer satisfaction. Skilled at reducing staff turnover, conflict resolution, marketing, and upselling techniques. Increased restaurant revenue by 20% through advertising lunch menu and word-of-mouth strategies.”

#14. Bar Manager Resume Summary

“Experienced Bar Manager with 7 years overseeing busy urban bars. Successfully increased annual sales by 20% through innovative marketing and menu redesign. Expert in inventory management, staff training, and creating a welcoming atmosphere for patrons. Seeking to bring leadership and efficient operational skills to a high-end establishment.”

Read the full bar manager resume example here.

Administrative and HR Resume Summary Examples

#15. receptionist resume summary.

"Organized Receptionist with 3 years of experience in corporate and medical office settings. Efficient in managing multiple phone lines, scheduling appointments, and providing administrative support. Known for a welcoming demeanor and effectively handling client inquiries."

Read the full receptionist resume example here.

#16. Recruiter Resume Summary

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

Read the full recruiter resume example here.

#17. Human Resources Specialist Resume Summary

“Human Resources Specialist with 6 years of experience focusing on employee retention and satisfaction. Implemented employee engagement programs that increased retention rates by 25%. Skilled in conflict resolution, performance management, and creating positive work environments. Dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee development.”

Read the full human resources resume example here.

#18. Office Manager Resume Summary

“Office manager with 5+ years of experience in controlling inventory, ordering and tracking new supplies, developing procedures and training material for staff. Strong communication skills, organized, with a track record of success.”

Read the full office manager resume example here.

#19. Secretary Resume Summary

“Professional Secretary with 4 years of experience in fast-paced legal and corporate environments. Proficient in document preparation, managing executive schedules, and coordinating meetings. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, ensuring efficient office operations.”

#20. Executive Assistant Resume Summary

“Accomplished executive assistant with experience in providing support to a high-level CEO and other executives for 4 years. Helped with everything from customer support to data entry and preparing well-researched documents. Skilled at time management, proficient in MS Office and Adobe Photoshop.”

Read the full executive assistant resume example here.

#21. Administrative Assistant Resume Summary

“Experienced administrative assistant seeking to leverage advanced administrative skills for improved efficiency at Media XYZ. 5+ years of industry experience includes decreasing data entry mistakes by 23%, decreasing negative feedback by 11%, and giving insights into creating paperless office environments.”

Read the full administrative assistant resume example here.

#22. Data Entry Resume Summary

“Data entry clerk with 3+ years of experience in verifying complex data, maintaining databases, and producing monthly reports using advanced Excel functions. Known for quick typing skills, eye for detail, and the ability to keep clients and employers happy.”

Read the full data entry resume example here.

Finance Resume Summary Examples

#23. accountant resume summary.

“Licensed Certified Public Accountant with 10+ years of experience in budget analysis, financial audits, and forensic accounting. Created financial reports within a five-person finance team and managed a $500,000 budget. Over the two years working there, helped cut annual company expenses by 15%.”

Read the full accountant resume example here.

#24. Financial Analyst Resume Summary

“Dedicated financial analyst with a track record of successful investments. 5+ years of experience in investment banking, with a focus on the oil industry. Responsible for analyzing potential investments, as well as conducting industry, market, and company-specific research. MBA in Finance.”

Read the full financial analyst resume example here.

#25. Bank Teller Resume Summary

“Bank teller with 2+ years of experience in client-facing roles at Bank X, where I handled customer transactions, cross-selling bank products, and keeping customers happy by providing a professional and efficient service. Followed strict and safe deposit box operations guidelines and processed 100+ customer transactions daily.”

Read the full bank teller resume example here.

#26. Banker Resume Summary

"Experienced Banker with 5 years of expertise in personal and small business banking. Managed a portfolio of high-value accounts, increasing client satisfaction and financial performance. Skilled in financial advising, loan processing, and risk management. Committed to helping clients achieve their financial goals with tailored solutions."

Read the full banker resume example here.

Business Resume Summary Examples

#27. business analyst resume summary.

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

Read the full business analyst resume example here.

#28. Business Development Manager Resume Summary

"Dynamic Business Development Manager with 7 years of experience in identifying and pursuing new market opportunities. Led initiatives that resulted in a 30% increase in annual revenue. Strong background in strategic planning, client relations, and market analysis. Proven ability to drive business growth and forge strong partnerships.”

Read the full business development manager resume example here.

#29. Project Manager Resume Summary

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

Read the full project manager resume example here.

Marketing and Advertising Resume Summary Examples

#30. marketing executive resume summary.

"Accomplished Marketing Executive with 10 years of experience in developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies in the technology sector. Led campaigns that increased brand awareness by 40% and consistently exceeded sales targets by 15-20%. Expertise in digital marketing, market research, and team leadership. Committed to driving market growth and enhancing brand positioning for leading tech companies."

Read the full marketing executive resume example here.

#31. Marketing Manager Resume Summary

“Marketing manager with 4+ years of experience in a corporate environment. Good eye for design, with experience in creating marketing materials with Canva. Intermediate copywriting skills, having worked on the company website, flyers, and several other content pieces.”

Read the full marketing manager resume example here.

#32. Social Media Marketing Manager Resume Summary

“Creative social media manager with 2+ years of experience and a passion for boosting brand awareness and customer engagement. Skilled in copywriting and basic graphic design tools. Personally started and grew a Facebook page for my consultancy brand from 0-1,000+ in just a month. Looking to help Company X establish an online presence and increase their social presence.”

#33. Content Marketer Resume Summary

“Accomplished professional with 3+ years of experience in marketing, content writing, and outreach. Experience in writing for high-authority publications like Forbes, Business Insider, and more. Looking to help Company X increase their online presence and generate more leads through content.”

#34. SEO Specialist Resume Summary

“Results and data-driven SEO specialist with experience in keyword research, developing and marketing evergreen content, and increasing overall website rankings. Freelancing for over 2 years. Grew Company X from 50,000 daily visits to 100,000 within a year by creating long-form content and conducting backlink outreach.”

Read the full digital marketing resume here.

#35. PPC Specialist Resume Summary

“Data-driven SEM professional with 5+ years of experience with Google Analytics, AdWords, Google Display Ads, and Facebook/LinkedIn Ads. Managed a monthly advertising budget of $50,000 over 4 clients.”

IT and Software Development Resume Summary Examples

#36. it specialist resume summary.

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

Read the full IT resume example here.

#37. Software Engineer Resume Summary

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

Read the full software engineer resume example here.

#38. Cyber Security Resume Summary

"Cyber Security Specialist with 6 years of experience in threat analysis and network defense. Implemented security protocols reducing data breaches by 40% at TechSecure Inc. Certified in CISSP and experienced in cybersecurity technologies including firewalls and endpoint security. Eager to bring advanced threat detection and mitigation strategies to XYZ Cyber Solutions."

#39. Web Developer Resume Summary

"Dynamic Web Developer with 3 years of experience in designing and developing user-friendly websites. Proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React. Developed an e-commerce site that increased client sales by 30%. Looking to contribute innovative and efficient web solutions at CreativeWeb Studios."

Read the full web developer resume example here.

#40. Computer Scientist Resume Summary

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

Read the full computer scientist resume example here.

#41. Data Scientist Resume Summary

“Business-minded data scientist with a demonstrated ability to deliver valuable insights via data analytics. 10+ years of professional experience in working with CEOs and VPs of Fortune 500 companies. Deep understanding of statistical models, algorithms, and multivariate analysis.”

Read the full data scientist resume example here.

#42. Data Analyst Resume Summary

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

Read the full data analyst resume example here.

#43. DevOps Engineer Resume Summary

"DevOps Engineer with 8 years of experience in automating and optimizing mission-critical deployments. Led a team that reduced deployment times by 50% through CI/CD pipeline enhancements. Skilled in cloud technologies and infrastructure as code with certifications in AWS and Terraform. Committed to improving operational efficiency at XYZ Tech."

Read the full DevOps engineer resume example here.

#44. AI Engineer Resume Summary

"AI Engineer with 4 years of experience specializing in machine learning and natural language processing. Developed AI models that improved customer interaction accuracy by 35% for a leading tech firm. M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence. Passionate about deploying cutting-edge AI solutions at AI Innovators Inc."

Read the full AI engineer resume example here.

#45. Java Developer Resume Summary

"Experienced Java Developer with 5 years of experience in building scalable and efficient applications. Contributed to a major project that enhanced application performance by 25%. Strong background in Spring Framework and microservices. Aiming to apply robust coding skills to develop innovative software solutions at XYZ Tech Solutions."

Read the full Java developer resume example here.

Health and Medicine Resume Summary Examples

#46. nurse resume summary.

“Registered nurse specialized in psychiatric nursing. Developed strong psychiatric evaluation and treatment planning skills after 5 years of working at Hospital X. Experienced in administrative work, management, and training new employees.”

Read the full nurse resume example here.

#47. Medical Assistant Resume Summary

“Certified Medical Assistant with 10 years of experience in working in a fast-paced environment, handling confidential paperwork, administering medication, and providing quality patient care. Proven ability to create positive rapport with patients, family, and staff. Completed and submitted clinical documentation following hospital regulations and experience in supporting diagnostic and technical treatment procedures.”

Read the full medical assistant resume example here.

#48. Dental Assistant Resume Summary

“Licensed dental practitioner with 4+ years in helping dentists prepare, perform, and document procedures. Strong hand-eye coordination, with skills in 4-handed dentistry and working with patients.”

#49. Dentist Resume Summary

"Experienced Dentist with 10 years of practice in general and cosmetic dentistry. Committed to providing exceptional patient care, demonstrated through a consistent record of patient satisfaction and successful dental procedures. Proficient in the latest dental technologies and techniques, including digital radiography and CAD/CAM dentistry, with a strong focus on preventive care and oral health education."

Read the full dentist resume example here.

#50. Pharmacist Resume Summary

"Detail-oriented Pharmacist with over 7 years of experience in retail and hospital settings. Proven ability in medication therapy management and pharmaceutical care, with a track record of efficiently managing prescription processing and patient counseling. Skilled in utilizing digital prescription systems and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of drug interactions and healthcare regulations."

Read the full pharmacist resume example here.

Creative Resume Summary Examples

#51. graphic designer resume summary.

"Senior graphic designer with 6+ years of experience in website design and branding, across a wide range of industries. Extensive experience in multimedia, marketing, and print design. Highly skilled in communications, digital storytelling, and Adobe Creative Suite."

Read the full graphic designer resume example here.

#52. UI/UX Designer Resume Summary

“Proactive UX designer with 5 years of experience in delivering enjoyable web and mobile products for the FinTech industry. Designed UI, UX, and marketing materials for 6 apps and 3 games at Company X, 2 of which were featured in Apple’s App Store. Skilled with Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite.”

#53. Product Designer Resume Summary

“Creative designer with 7 years experience in product design, packaging, and graphic design. Expertise in new product design, brand identity, and market research. Created and launched a new line of award-winning tableware that generated over $1 million in sales the first year.”

#54. Creative Director Resume Summary

“Experienced creative director, with 10+ years of experience in the advertising industry. Over the past 3 years, managed 2 separate creative teams, creating video ads for company clients. Worked with some high-profile clients, including IBM and Phillips.”

#55. Game Designer Resume Summary

"Innovative Game Designer with 5 years of experience in creating engaging and immersive gaming experiences. Led a team that developed 'AdventureQuest,' a game that won 'Best Mobile Game' at the Indie Game Awards and achieved over 500,000 downloads within the first year. Skilled in gameplay mechanics and story development, with proficiency in Unity and Unreal Engine. Dedicated to crafting games that resonate with players, combining artistic vision with user-friendly design."

Read the full game designer resume example here.

#56. Animator Resume Summary

"Creative Animator with over 8 years of experience in 2D and 3D animation, specializing in character and environmental animation. Proficient in using Maya, Adobe After Effects, and Blender, with a strong background in motion graphics and visual effects. Known for delivering high-quality animations under tight deadlines, contributing to successful animated features and advertising campaigns."

Read the full animator resume example here.

#57. Illustrator Resume Summary

"Award-winning Illustrator with a decade of professional experience, recognized for innovative and impactful visual storytelling. Recipient of the 'Illustrator of the Year' award at the Global Art Forum, with a portfolio that includes book illustrations, advertising campaigns, and digital content."

Read the full illustrator resume example here.

#58. Photographer Resume Summary

"Professional Photographer with a Master's in Fine Arts and 6 years of experience in commercial and portrait photography. Known for a unique aesthetic that combines technical skill with artistic creativity, resulting in visually stunning compositions. Holds a certification in digital photography from the Professional Photographers of America, with a portfolio that has been featured in several national photography exhibitions."

Read the full photographer resume example here.

#59. Actor Resume Summary

"Versatile Actor with 3 years of experience in commercials and television, known for a dynamic range that adapts seamlessly to varied roles. Strong background in stage combat and period drama. Proficient in multiple dialects and expressive character portrayal, enhancing authenticity in every performance."

Read the full actor resume example here.

#60. Writer Resume Summary

"Professional Writer and Blogger with 2 years of experience, specializing in lifestyle and travel content. Successfully increased blog readership by 40% over two years and contributed featured articles in 'Traveler's Digest' and 'Modern Living' magazines."

Read the full writer resume here.

#61. Editor Resume Summary

"Dedicated Editor with 10 years of experience in translated literature, focusing on Mandarin and Cantonese works. Expertise in preserving the original tone and cultural nuances, ensuring translations resonate with English-speaking audiences. Collaborated with acclaimed authors from China and Hong Kong, contributing to over 30 translated novels. Committed to bridging the gap between Eastern and Western literary worlds through meticulous and sensitive editing."

Read the full editor resume example here.

Education Resume Summary Examples

#62. professor resume summary.

"Distinguished Professor with 15 years of experience in higher education, specializing in Modern Literature. Published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and 3 books, receiving the Excellence in Research Award twice. Secured $500,000 in research grants and led multiple international academic collaborations. Committed to fostering critical thinking and research skills in students, enhancing the academic prestige of the department."

Read the full academic CV example here.

#63. Teacher Resume Summary

“Dedicated Teacher with 4 years of experience in elementary education, specializing in innovative teaching strategies. Implemented a project-based learning approach that increased student engagement by 30%. Eager to bring creative teaching methodologies and a passion for educational excellence to School ABC, contributing to student development and academic success.” 

Read the full teacher resume example here.

#64. Tutor Resume Summary

“Experienced Tutor with 2 years of expertise in mathematics and science, adept at simplifying complex concepts. Consistently helped students improve their grades by an average of one full letter grade.”

#65. College Student Resume Summary

"Proactive College Student majoring in Business Administration with strong leadership skills, demonstrated through roles in student government and the debate team. Organized multiple campus events, enhancing student engagement and participation. Seeking to apply organizational and communication skills in a professional internship, contributing to company projects while gaining hands-on experience."

Read the full college freshman resume example here.

#66. High School Student Resume Summary

"High School Student with 3+ months of experience as a cashier. Excellent time-management and communication skills. Actively involved in extracurricular activities, demonstrating strong teamwork and responsibility. Looking to join Retail Store X as a part-time sales representative."

Read the full high school resume example here.

Other Resume Summary Examples

#67. architect resume summary.

"Professional and creative architect with 10 years experience in developing construction drawings, 3D models, and doing design rendering. Served as a project architect at company X and won an honorable mention as a staff architect at XYZ Construction Awards 2023."

Read the full architect resume example here.

#68. Electrical Engineer Resume Resume Summary

"Electrical Engineer with 4 years of experience in power systems and automation. Holds a Master's in Electrical Engineering and a certification in PLC programming. Proven expertise in designing and implementing efficient electrical solutions for industrial applications."

Read the full electrical engineer resume example here.

#69. Interior Designer Resume Summary

"Creative Interior Designer with 3 years of experience, recognized for increasing client satisfaction by 30% through innovative design solutions. Portfolio includes residential and commercial projects, with a focus on modern and sustainable designs. Skilled in AutoCAD and 3D visualization, transforming client visions into reality."

Read the full interior designer resume example here.

#70. Construction Project Manager Resume Summary

"Construction Project Manager with a decade of experience in overseeing large-scale commercial and residential projects. Proven track record of completing projects on time and within budget, reducing costs by 20% on average. Skilled in team leadership and effective communication. Committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality."

Read the full construction project manager resume example here.

#71. Operations Manager Resume Summary

"Dynamic Operations Manager with 2 years of experience in streamlining processes for increased efficiency. Expertise in supply chain management and cost reduction strategies."

Read the full operations manager resume example here.

#72. Event Planner Resume Summary

"Seasoned Event Planner with 5 years of experience, successfully organized over 100 corporate and private events. Increased event attendance by 40% through innovative marketing strategies. Excited to bring expertise in event coordination and vendor relations to XYZ Celebrations."

Read the full event planner resume example here.

#73. Warehouse Worker Resume Summary

“Seasonal warehouse worker with experience working for Supermarket X and Supermarket Y. Diligent, organized, and very hard-working. Previous experience working in the service industry for 2+ years.”

Read the full warehouse worker resume example here.

#74. Welder Resume Summary

"Skilled Welder with 7 years of experience in MIG, TIG, and arc welding. Proficient in reading blueprints and maintaining high standards of safety and quality."

Read the full welder resume example here.

#75. Real Estate Agent Resume Summary

"Experienced Real Estate Agent with 6 years in residential and commercial property sales. Achieved a 25% year-on-year increase in sales volume. Known for excellent negotiation skills and a deep understanding of market trends."

Read the full real estate agent resume example here.

#76. Flight Attendant Resume Summary

"Dedicated Flight Attendant with 1 year of experience, fluent in Spanish and French. Excelled in providing top-notch customer service, contributing to a 15% increase in passenger satisfaction. Fluent in English, French, German, and Arabic. Eager to bring customer care expertise to Airline XYZ."

Read the full flight attendant resume example here.

#77. Paralegal Resume Summary

"Paralegal with 3 years of experience in corporate law, proficient in legal research and document drafting. Certified in legal software applications, enhancing case management efficiency."

Read the full paralegal resume example here.

#78. Social Worker Resume Summary

"Compassionate Social Worker with 6 years of experience in child and family services. Successfully managed caseloads of up to 50 people, improving service delivery by 20%. Skilled in crisis intervention and developing tailored support plans for diverse case needs."

Read the full social worker resume example here.

Resume Summary FAQs

Do you still have some questions about resume summaries? Check the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

#1. How Do You Write a Resume Summary with No Experience?

If you have no work experience whatsoever, you should write a resume objective instead of a resume summary.

A resume objective is also a brief paragraph that goes at the top of your resume. However, instead of focusing on your professional experience and accomplishments, it highlights your career goals, aspirations, skills, and academic achievements.

If you have any informal experience that’s relevant to the job, such as volunteer work or relevant coursework , you can still write a resume summary to highlight why you’re a great candidate.

#2. How Do I Start My Resume Summary?

The best way to start your resume summary is by writing down your job title and exact years of experience. You can also add an adjective that describes your strongest character traits or work ethic.

To make this easy, try this formula:

[Adjective/character trait] [job title] [your experience]. Looking to help/support/apply/assist/etc [employer’s name] [describe how you can be of help to the company]. [Your top achievements/qualifications]. 

#3. How Long Should My Resume Summary Be?

The resume summary should be brief and attention-grabbing. Ideally, it should be between two and four sentences long.

Its goal is to provide a snapshot of your career that can captivate the hiring manager into reading more.

If you want to give the employer more details and elaborate on why you’re the best candidate for the job in your own words, you can also write a cover letter to complement your resume.

#4. Should a Resume Summary Be Written in the First or Third Person?

As a general rule, your resume should avoid using first-person pronouns . This includes your resume summary.

That said, the third person sounds too impersonal – as if somebody else wrote the resume summary instead of you. Luckily, there’s a neat trick you can use to make your text flow better—just get rid of the pronouns altogether.

This way, instead of writing, “She is a marketer with 5+ years of experience in XYZ,” you can write, “Marketer with 5+ years of experience in XYZ,” and get your point across just as effectively.

#5. Should You Always Use the Same Resume Summary?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t use the same resume summary when applying to different jobs.

Your resume summary should be tailored to the specific job ads and reflect how you can meet the company’s unique needs. If your current resume summary can be applied to different job applications, it isn’t as effective and tailored as it should be.

When writing your resume, go through the job ad for the specific position and try to include the skills or qualifications the employer is looking for. Make sure to also mention any relevant experience and your top achievements, and you’ll have the perfect resume summary.

#6. What Are Other Names for a Resume Summary?

Across the internet, you might find different names for what we’re calling a resume summary in our article. Some of these names include:

• Resume profile
• Career summary
• Personal statement
• Qualifications summary
• Summary of experiences
• Summary of qualification

If you’re heading for a career in academia, a “personal statement” means something different. Check out our detailed guide to writing an academic personal statement to learn more!

Key Takeaways

And that’s our full guide to writing a resume summary!

Hopefully, now you feel more confident about adding this finishing touch to your resume.

Before we go, let’s recap everything we covered about writing resume summaries:

• A resume summary is a two to four-sentence long paragraph that tells the hiring manager your key selling points. These can include your years of experience, exact job title, relevant skills, qualifications, and impressive achievements.
• If you don’t have any work experience, you can opt for a resume objective instead. This way, you can focus more on your professional goals and motivation for applying.
• The goal of a resume summary is to catch the hiring manager’s attention. Do this by tailoring your resume summary to the job ad and addressing what the company needs in a candidate.
• Back up your achievements with data whenever possible. Mentioning the exact numbers, dates, and results makes you seem more credible.
• Use power words and action verbs instead of generic descriptions to make your resume summary pop.

Need more career advice? Check out our career blog for more useful articles!

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How To Write A Resume Summary Statement (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
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• Accomplishments On Resumes
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• Dean's List On Resume
• Study Abroad On Resume

A resume summary is a few sentences that explain who you are as a professional and why you’re the perfect fit for the position you’re applying to. It’s like having a hook on your resume to get the employer to keep reading. Resume summaries are also a summary of your career so that your employer has a snapshot of your experience.

If you’re considering adding a resume summary to your resume, want to rework a summary that you have, or want to change your objective statement into a summary, then you’ve come to the right place. Below there will be resume summary tips and tricks as well as several examples.

Key Takeaways

Tailor your resume summary statement to each position you apply for.

Your resume summary statement should focus on who you are as a professional — don’t try to fit in your entire resume.

Keep your resume summary statement to two to four lines long.

A resume summary statement is not the same thing as an objective statement.

What is a resume summary statement?

The benefits of a resume summary statement, how to write a resume summary statement, resume summary statement examples, the five w’s of a resume summary statement, resume summary statement vs. resume objective, final thoughts, resume summary statement faq, ask the experts.

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A resume summary, sometimes called a professional summary or summary statement, is a brief overview of your experience and skills at the top of your resume. It’s often written in the form of 2 to 4 sentences, but it can be bullet points.

Resume summaries are a way to give the employer a basic overview of your career and skills before they read the rest of your resume. That’s why it’s important to customize this section as much as possible for each job you apply to as a way to showcase how well you fit the position.

A resume summary statement can have several benefits, including making your resume stand out, capturing keywords, and putting key skills at the top. It may feel odd to include a pitch at the beginning of your resume, but remember that recruiters may read hundreds of resumes, which means that giving them the info upfront can help catch their attention.

Having a resume summary statement can help you by:

Making your resume stand out. Remember that recruiters spend their day reading resumes. A resume summary by itself may not be that remarkable, but a well-written and relevant one will show the recruiter that you paid attention and customized your application.

Using keywords. This is particularly important if the hiring company uses an ATS. Altering the summary at the beginning is a lot easier than altering your resume altogether, and it puts the keywords at the top.

Highlight key skills at the top. If there are certain skills that you want to draw the hiring manager ’s attention to, then putting them at the top in the resume summary is a way to do that. It showcases that you have relevant skills and experience right away, making you a more attractive candidate.

When writing a resume summary, you’re going to want to decide on a career title for yourself, research the company you’re applying to, and keep it brief. It’s important to remember that you’re selling yourself to the company you apply to, so your resume summary should make it clear why they should select you.

Follow our five-step method for how to write a resume summary statement:

Decide upon a title. This is the headline that sums you up. It’s pretty much the only part of your summary that is just about you. You should begin with a title that explains your professional identity, such as:

Marketing Writer

Sales Professional

Software Designer

Capitalize each word. It’s a bonus if your title genuinely matches the position. Be precise and be honest – if you just graduated with a degree in business, you’re not a business analyst yet.

Research the company and the position. It should go without saying, but you need to know as much about this position as possible.

Read the job posting again. What words do they use to describe the company, the position, and the right applicant? Try to include any prominent keywords and qualities.

Look at the company’s website. Match any characteristics that repeat across their pages. If you found the job posted on a third-party site, is the job listing any different in their careers section?

Peruse other companies’ listings for similar positions. Similar traits should be desirable in similar positions. Don’t be shy about borrowing some of the terms and phrasing in other want ads.

Keep the summary brief. The average hiring manager will spend a matter of seconds glancing at a resume before they decide how to act. You want to make sure that it’s not a large block of text they’ll be tempted to skip over for an easier-to-digest snippet. Your resume summary should be:

Four to six bullet points

Two to four sentences

Show how you’d be an asset. The job market is a seller ’s market these days, so you need to make a quick, convincing case for why they should choose you.

Do not turn it into an objective statement by ending with something like “I hope to secure a ______ position with your company”.

List certifications, skills, and experience you can bring. Do your best to highlight ones that are relevant to the position. Not all of them need to be, though, so long as they showcase other valuable skills, such as diligence, attention to detail, or communication.

Mention relevant duties. There’s not a lot of space in the summary, so you want to make sure that what you put in it catches the recruiter’s eye. Mention duties that you were assigned that you’ll be doing in the new job – especially if it was something you excelled at.

Reference the rest of your resume. Try to list skills and traits that have supporting evidence in the rest of your resume. Look over what duties you performed at your previous jobs, as well as what commendations you received, and reference those in your summary.

Don’t steal your job descriptions’ thunder or be redundant, but think about anything you may have left over that didn’t make its way into the rest of your resume.

Have you streamlined a process and saved money? How much?

Do you have any achievements of note that you intend to repeat in this new position? Which?

Did you take any projects from inception to fruition? Did they add any value?

Some things to avoid. With a section this short, what you don’t put in it is almost more important than what you do. Here are some things to make sure you don’t put in your resume summary statement.

Lies or exaggerations . It can be tempting to inflate your qualifications, especially if you haven’t been getting any responses to your applications. But the consequences of this are greater than the gain, so be sure to avoid it.

Summarizing your whole resume. Despite the fact that it’s called a resume summary, it’s really a summary of you, not your resume. Don’t try to stuff everything in your resume into it – that’s what the resume itself is for. Just highlight your best and most relevant skills and qualifications.

Buzzwords. While including buzzwords in your resume itself isn’t inherently bad, getting too buzzwordy or using hackneyed terms in your summary is unlikely to catch the reader ’s attention, so they just take up space.

Things you hate doing. You may be very skilled at tasks that you really dislike. If that’s the case, don’t put them in your summary. While you want to highlight your qualifications, you also don’t want to set yourself up to be assigned to do something that you despise.

Marketing Writer Example

A creative and experienced writer combines a background in technical writing and journalism with expertise in medical writing to deliver quality, customized content in diverse content media – public relations , content marketing, web content, and software manuals. Reliably meets deadlines and thrives in an agile, quick turnaround environment while providing sales support and client-oriented projects.

Administrative Office Coordinator Example

Adaptable, reliable, and expedient with more than three years of experience supporting managers and leadership in fast-paced workplaces. Versatile skills include human resources , recruiting, customer relations, project management, and administrative support . Expertise in managing online communications platforms and multiple phone lines.

Mergers and Acquisitions Executive Example

A tested leader of international holding companies offers 10 years of expertise in developing proven growth strategies, mentoring both individual representative and team leaders in product benefits and client service techniques. Also known for creating engaging marketing campaigns that capture markets in a variety of verticals. Effectively improves profits and losses reports through innovative Mamp;A operations.

Recent College Graduate Example

Dedicated Statistics major with proven mathematical and actuarial abilities. Graduated with a 4.0 GPA and award for Exceptional Research Project. Diligent Junior Actuary for XYZ Consultancy – increased efficiency of risk reports by 9% in first three months.

Sales Representative Example

Driven sales manager with over 6 years of experience driving profitability through team leadership, strategic growth, and process improvement. Increased customer satisfaction team-wide by an average of 4% annually while increasing sales by 22%.

Project Manager Example

Project manager with 10+ years of experience managing software projects, coordinating teams of 100+ subcontractors, and allocating and analyzing budgets. Managed a project budget of $20M while reducing costs by an average of 13% year-over-year.

Business Analyst Example

Highly-trained business analyst with more than 4 years of experience in business management, computer services, and order processing. Monitored accuracy of business process ordering, increasing efficiency by 12% from implementation to execution.

Customer Service Position Example

Customer service professional with a commitment to customer satisfaction while upholding corporate goals and branding.

Teacher Example

Spirited elementary school teacher with over ten years of childcare, tutoring, and teaching experience. Organized new curriculum and standardized test preparation, increasing reading scores by 8% in one year.

Retail Manager Example

Energetic retail associate with 6+ years of experience driving customer traffic and engagement through product knowledge and a friendly demeanor. Efficient in training customer service teams to provide the best experience for shoppers and staff.

College Student – English Example

English Literature student with leadership and academic training at the University of Rhode Island. Expertise in social media platforms and Microsoft Office. Proven experience in research projects, time management, and organizational skills with a background in office administration. Able to provide employers with administrative support and professional communication skills.

College Student – Biology Example

Biology major with demonstrated skills in research activities and clinical experiments. Blends academic training with lab management experience from Boston College. Incorporates administrative experience in an office setting to provide employers with proven scheduling, communications, and organizational expertise.

You might be wondering about the who, what, when, where, and why of a resume summary statement. Resume summary statements can add additional polish to your resume, but you need to make sure you understand the resume summary’s purpose and how to write a good one.

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

Where does a resume summary statement go? At the top of your resume, just under your contact information. The purpose is to quickly grab the hiring manager’s notice as soon as they begin reading.

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

Some employers run resumes through screening software , so this is an opportunity to stick some keywords in that don’t mesh with your job description bullet points.

Who needs a resume summary statement? A well-written resume statement can be to everyone’s benefit, so having one is generally recommended. However, there are certain instances where they’re more useful than others. Such as:

If you’ve got a lot of experience in your field, it summarizes your achievements .

If you’re making a change in industries, it ties together your experiences.

If you’re just starting out, it explains how your academic experience is relevant .

When don’t I need a resume summary statement? Resume statement summaries aren’t technically required, so it isn’t as though you can’t get away without one. If you’re struggling to craft an engaging and relevant summary statement, then it may be better to omit it altogether and make use of the space in some other way.

Some people may benefit from a resume objective statement instead. If you don’t have much experience to offer, for instance, you may be better off talking about what you’re looking for rather than what you’ve done.

While there are a lot of similarities between resume summary statements and resume objectives, they aren’t the same. The way that they’re written and the purpose of them differ. Resume summary statements summarize your career and achievements in a few sentences, while an objectives statement talks about what you want to achieve.

So, you may be wondering: Is a resume summary statement or a resume objective statement better? The answer: it depends. Resume objective statements are considered old-fashioned by some nowadays, so it’s likely better to go with a resume summary statement. But that all depends on if you can write a good one.

Here’s an example resume objective

Copywriter seeking an opportunity to draw upon my skills in editing, graphic design, and content strategy to help increase company website traffic and drive B2B and B2C content engagement.

Resume objectives focus on your career goals and interest in the job you’re applying for. This is why there’s an argument that those who limited experience or who are changing career fields are better served by a resume objective.

A resume summary statement, on the other hand, looks like this:

Accomplished copywriter with over five years of experience in digital marketing, content strategy, and graphic design. Have increased organic search traffic by 43% year-over-year for the past three years through engaging B2B and B2C content.

Resume summary statements are focused more on your skills and experience, which means they’re more focused on selling you to the employer. That’s why in many ways they’re preferred by experts now, as emphasizing your skills is a way to show how you’ll be an asset to the recruiter’s organization.

Does that make a resume summary statement inherently superior ? Not necessarily. Different recruiters will be looking for different things. Some experts even just recommend putting a list of skills at the top of your resume as a way to showcase your abilities.

Which one you choose to use will depend on the circumstances and how well your resume summary statement comes out. An unengaging or flat resume summary statement isn’t going to be better than a strong objective, a list of skills, or even just using more space in your experience section.

A resume summary statement is a very short section at the top of your resume that can make a big impact on recruiters and hiring managers.

Whether you’re a job seeker with plenty of impressive and relevant experience or a recent graduate with hardly any, a resume summary statement puts your accomplishments front and center.

Taken together with a stellar cover letter , your resume summary statement allows employers to understand your professional experience more thoroughly.

Remember to make small adjustments to your resume summary statement depending on the employer and the job description .

With a tailored resume summary statement, you’re sure to get called for interviews more often.

How long should a resume summary statement be?

A resume summary statement should be about two to four lines long. Your summary should be short and to the point because it’s designed to grab readers’ attention, not bog them down with a list of every job you’ve had or your reasons for choosing your career.

Should I write a resume summary?

Yes, you should write a resume summary. Unless you have very little experience and can’t write a good resume summary, it’s generally a good idea to include one on your resume.

A solid resume summary sets your resume apart from the rest and gives hiring managers a sense of what you bring to the table right off the bat.

What’s an executive resume summary?

An executive resume summary is another name for a resume summary. Hiring managers may request an executive summary if you’re applying for a high-level or executive position.

They do this because having a summary of your experience makes it easier for them to sift through your extensive work history to find the most important pieces.

Columbia University for Career Education – How to Write a Resume Profile or Summary Statement

University of Arizona – Writing a Resume Summary Statement

What’s a quick resume tip?

Tonia Derkos Professional Resume Writing

My tip is to get rid of objectives — employers don’t care about your objective, they only care that you can fulfill their objective.

Instead, have a profile highlighting key strengths, skills, and accomplishments with concrete examples, such as percentages, goals achieved, and a proven track record of success.

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David Luther was the Content Marketing Editor for the Zippia Advice blog. He developed partnerships with external reporting agencies in addition to generating original research and reporting for the Zippia Career Advice blog. David obtained his BA from UNC Chapel Hill.

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.

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How to Nail an Impressive Beginner Resume Summary (With 20+ Examples)

3 key takeaways 

• What a summary for beginners is 
• Key components of a summary for an entry-level resume 
• A step-by-step guide for creating your summary and how to use the free Teal AI Resume Builder (+ Examples) 

Jumping into the job market with limited experience can feel overwhelming. But remember: everyone starts somewhere! And you have a unique blend of passion, potential, and skills.

Now, the challenge is showcasing these strengths effectively. Enter the beginner resume summary.

A good resume summary for beginners isn't just about listing anything and everything you've done to fill space; it's about turning your relevant skills, life experience, and enthusiasm into a narrative of ambition and potential.

Understanding a resume summary for beginners

As you start your job search and professional journey (whether this is your first entry-level job or you're transitioning careers into a new and exciting field), it's key to understand an entry-level summary.

While the essence remains the same as a traditional professional summary—offering a snapshot of who you are as a professional—the approach and emphasis differ.

What exactly is an entry-level resume summary? 

An entry-level summary is a concise overview of your budding professional potential. 

Unlike a seasoned professional's overview, which might be more of a vast track record of achievements, an entry-level summary shines a light on your potential, transferable skills, and enthusiasm to grow and adapt. 

Remember, it's not about the number of years you've spent in the industry but the value and fresh perspective you bring to the table.

(If you want to get an idea of what summaries look like when you're slightly more experienced, check out these 80+ resume summary examples for some insight and inspiration.)

The purpose of an entry-level summary 

At the heart of your summary lies one resume objective: capturing a recruiter or hiring manager's attention. 

In a market where top talent is everywhere, a well-crafted beginner summary can be your ticket to standing out. It serves as your voice, communicating your differentiated potential and ambition—even if you don't have a decade of work behind you.

This section of your resume also becomes a canvas to paint your transferable skills. Think about those group projects during college, that volunteer stint at a local shelter, or even a hobby where you sharpened a particular skill set. All these experiences, when articulated in a way applicable to the role you're applying to, become relevant.

Your summary also sets the stage for what's to come in the rest of your document. A compelling intro piques interest and gives context, especially using a tailored approach to align with specific roles. This attention to detail ensures that the subsequent sections of your resume—whether education, projects, or other experiences—become even more relatable and impactful.

Why a beginner needs a tailored resume summary

Everyone is eager to land a role in a dynamic and competitive job market. But standing out, especially when you're just beginning, is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Remember that unique blend of passion, potential, and skills that you bring to the table? This is where they're crucial. But to truly make them shine, they need the right context.

You need to tailor your resume to the role you're applying for. Every time.

Crafting a resume summary tailored to every role and job title you apply for isn't just a task; it's a strategy. You're letting prospective employers know, "I might be starting out, but I'm packed with potential."

Making a beginner's resume stand out

A beginner's resume isn't just about highlighting your “newbie” status. More importantly, it's about aligning your strengths and experiences to the specific roles you're targeting so you stand out. 

A beginner's tailored resume summary is your chance to grab attention and rise above the generic. It's your platform to communicate that while you may lack years of experience, you more than makeup for it with your other knowledge, skills, and adaptability.

Incorporating key language from the job description, hard skills (computer languages or tools you're familiar with), and soft skills (like collaboration or problem-solving) will help you stand out by telling a compelling story: "I understand the role and my skills—even with a lack of professional experience—perfectly complement your needs."

Key components of beginner resume summaries

Now, let's get into the actual summary itself. An entry-level position summary requires a strategy; part of that strategy is understanding the building blocks of effective resume content.

Keep it relevant

As a beginner or career transitioner, you might not have years of job-specific experience, but you do have transferable skills and life experiences that are equally valuable.

Highlight soft and hard skills for your resume to show that you're not just a fit but the right fit. (As long as those skills and any experience align with the job description.) 

For example, let's say one requirement of a job ad reads something like this:

"Create creative assets such as graphics, illustrations, technical explanations, templates, layouts, and visual standards for marketing activities across multiple channels, including the website, social media, team merch, email campaigns, blogs, and more." 

A beginner resume summary example could be: 

"As a recent college graduate with a BS in Graphic Design, I spearheaded a final class project designing a variety of creative assets, resulting in a 20% increase in online engagement for our mock brand campaign. I'm skilled in crafting graphics, illustrations, and templates using Adobe Suite. I'm also well-versed in tailoring content for channels like websites, social media, and email campaigns to relevant audiences. With a passion for visual storytelling, I'm eager to contribute to marketing initiatives and replicate my academic successes in a professional setting."

A narrative that resonates is concise. 

Think about it; just like the rest of us, a hiring manager has limited time. Your goal is to grab attention and draw them in while providing enough context to make the rest of your resume sections relatable and impactful. 

An effective beginner resume summary is brief but brimming with information and impact—think somewhere between 3-5 sentences, max.

Personalize by tailoring 

Your summary should echo the job ad of the role you're applying for. These details signal that you've done your homework and that your skills (and any experience) align. 

Use a professional tone

While being genuine (and true to your character) is essential, using a formal and polished tone ensures you're taken seriously right from the start.

Step-by-step guide to writing an entry-level resume summary

Whether you're creating a resume for a first job , a recent graduate, or transitioning careers—as an entry-level job candidate—you might not have a lot of professional experience achievements to pare down. 

And because of this, the steps you’re going to take to create your professional summary are slightly different than someone with 15 years of relevant work experience.

Step 1: Conduct a self-assessment

Start by considering your professional skills, certifications, and experiences relevant to the industry and type of role you're targeting. 

• Education : Reflect on the highest academic level you've reached. Were there specific courses or projects that stood out? Consider their scope and outcomes.
• Experience: If you have previous experience that doesn't align with the role you want, are there components of it that do? (For example, did you lead a team? Did you use a specific tool or software?) 
• Metrics : A good summary incorporates metrics. So think of elements in terms of numbers and data during your self-assessment. Quantify your accomplishments wherever possible. Did a significant project from your studies earn a good grade? If you collaborated across teams in any of your previous roles, how many?
• Transferable Skills : From personal projects and internships to volunteer work and part-time jobs, you likely used skills (like flexibility, active listening, communication, or storytelling).

Beyond traditional full-time work experience, consider the soft skills (or interpersonal skills) you've gained over time and how they apply to entry-level jobs. 

To do a little bit of introspection and self-awareness work, take Teal’s Work Style Assessment . This is a quick self assessment to unlock your tailored career insights and help you build your confidence in your career journey.

By the end of this step, you should have an inventory of your skills (and your relevant qualifications, too)

Step 2: Do your research

To tailor your resume summary effectively, you need a deep understanding of what an employer is looking for.

Deep dive into the job description : Consider what the employer truly values beyond the surface-level responsibilities. Is it innovation? Teamwork? Efficiency? What impact do they want to see? Identify the core themes.

Spot industry-specific keywords : These are the terms that recur frequently in job descriptions in your target field. They might pertain to specific tools, methodologies, or soft skills in high demand.

Pro Tip : Streamline the research process using the Teal Job Application Tracker . The Job Application Tracker highlights the hard and soft skills as well as other key language from the job description.

By the end of step 2, you'll have a clear map of what your prospective employer needs, helping you to craft a strong resume summary that resonates.

Step 3: Draft your entry-level resume professional summary

Creating the perfect beginner resume summary is kind of like writing a compelling story about your professional journey. Here's how you can shape that narrative.

Start with a strong opening 

Your first sentence sets the tone for your entire summary. Make it impactful and reflective of you. 

Some strong opening lines for an entry-level resume summary can look like this: 

"Recent Marketing graduate from the University of Texas with a passion for digital strategies, equipped with a strong foundation in data analytics and social media optimization, eager to contribute to a forward-thinking advertising agency."

"Current Computer Science sophomore at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a keen interest in artificial intelligence and hands-on experience in Python programming, seeking an internship opportunity at TealHQ and contributing to tech startup growth."

"Seasoned English educator with 7 years of classroom experience, well-versed in modern teaching methodologies and a strong advocate for integrating e-learning platforms, ready to transition into the EdTech sector to drive innovative curriculum design."

"Recently completed a two-year apprenticeship in carpentry, where I honed skills in custom furniture design and installation, and am eager to apply this hands-on expertise in a dynamic interior design firm."

"Diligent high school junior with a strong work ethic and leadership experience as Student Body Treasurer, seeking an opportunity to contribute to and learn from The Rotary Club while balancing academic commitments."

Seamlessly integrate keywords 

Keyword stuffing—excessive, forced keyword repetition—is quickly evident to hiring managers and recruiters. 

Use the industry-specific keywords you've identified as long as they're applicable, but make sure they flow naturally within your summary. Forcing them can make your narrative sound fake and hard to read. 

For example, rather than saying something like:

"Digital marketing graduate, skilled in SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, digital campaigns, email marketing, and Google Analytics, seeking a digital marketing role to boost SEO and social media marketing with my content marketing and email marketing skills." 

Try something like:

"As a digital marketing graduate, I've honed my SEO and content creation skills while gaining hands-on experience with email campaigns and performance tracking via Google Analytics. I'm eager to join a dynamic team where I can enhance online visibility and engagement through innovative strategies."

The second version maintains the spirit of the original by emphasizing core competencies, but it does so without sounding redundant. 

Highlight your strengths with authenticity

While putting your best foot forward is crucial, it's also equally as important to be honest. 

Discuss your strengths confidently, but avoid embellishments. Remember, the best summaries are genuine and resonate with the reader because of their authenticity. 

In short? Don't risk compromising your professional integrity by exaggerating your capabilities. 

By the end of this step, you'll have crafted a tailored resume summary that showcases your potential as an entry-level candidate while aligning with your target job's requirements.

Step 5: Format, review, and refine

Creating a resume with no job experience requires careful attention to detail. And perfecting your beginner summary is probably going to take few revisions.

• Check format and length : Make sure your summary is easily readable and fits within a concise 3-5 short sentences.
• Proofread : Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors can leave an unintended negative impression. Always double-check for mistakes.
• Get feedback : A fresh pair of eyes, whether from peers, mentors, or professionals in your desired field, can offer valuable insight.
• Adapt and tailor : Remember, one size doesn't fit all. Adjust your summary to resonate with the specific role and company you're applying to.

And, just like that, you have a killer entry-level resume summary.

How to use Teal to write your beginner summary—faster

With the right tools and resources, creating a resume (and more specifically, the summary) for an entry-level role becomes more straightforward and the output more effective.  

With the Teal AI Resume Builder , you can consistently generate and refine your summary (and entire resume!) for every job application you submit.

With Teal, you can quickly and easily write a resume summary following the directions above. Or you can use the built-in AI resume summary generator and create one with the click of a button.

Teal's generative AI pulls keywords (like technical skills, soft skills, and other important language) from the job description and details from your own skills, certifications, education, and other professional experience to create an effective, tailored summary statement every time.

Beginner resume summary examples

Before you write your own resume summary, to get a feel for how some fantastic entry-level resumes start, take a look at these entry-level resume examples below.

High school student examples

"Dependable and enthusiastic high school junior with a passion for childcare seeking a role at a daycare. Proven track record of providing safe, nurturing care to children of all ages, with experience working as a babysitter for multiple families. Skilled in creating engaging activities and promoting positive social interactions to support children's growth and development. Certified in CPR and First Aid."

"Hardworking and reliable high school sophomore seeking a role in a restaurant or cafeteria setting. Strong communication skills, as evidenced by my role leading the student council team of 7, with the ability to engage effectively with customers and colleagues. Looking for an opportunity to develop skills and grow in the food service industry."

College student examples

"College student pursuing an Associate of Arts degree, eager to contribute analytical and critical-thinking skills within the non-profit sector. I orchestrated an impactful campus environmental sustainability project, driving a 15% reduction in waste and demonstrating a commitment to social and ecological causes. Proficient at conveying intricate concepts to diverse audiences, evident from a history of strong peer feedback. I've also volunteered over 200 hours for community-based organizations."

"Motivated biology student (expected graduation 2024) with a passion for science education seeking an opportunity to contribute to educational initiatives at Elliot Middle School. Proficient in designing and delivering engaging presentations on scientific topics and creating and implementing dynamic science curricula. I've also consistently improved student comprehension and interest, evidenced by a 25% increase in workshop participation and experienced informal and formal learning environments. I'm an Excellent communicator, adept at translating complex scientific concepts into accessible language for "learners of all ages.

Internship example

"Excited to secure a Social Media Manager internship at Stella; my academic projects showcase creative content skills. I'm proficient in social media tools, and my knack for engaging posts is amplified by teamwork. With my own personal engagement growth of 25% across platforms, I'm eager to deliver the same results at Stella."

Explore these example resumes for social media managers for even more summaries.

Recent college graduate examples

"Highly organized and dedicated paraprofessional with an associate's degree in education and a paraprofessional license. Skilled in providing academic and behavioral support to students with diverse needs, including those with disabilities and special needs. Experienced in implementing individualized education plans (IEPs) and behavioral plans to support student success. Able to work effectively with teachers, administrators, and parents to support student progress and growth."

"Recent psychology graduate with a strong passion for community-based mental health seeking to leverage academic training and volunteer experience in a challenging and fulfilling role. Skilled in crisis intervention, counseling, and group facilitation, with a proven track record of building rapport and fostering trust with clients. A compassionate and empathetic team player committed to making a positive impact in the lives of those struggling with mental health issues."

Master's program application example

"Motivated and detail-oriented bachelor's degree holder in psychology seeking admission to a master's program in psychology. Strong academic background in psychology, with a solid understanding of theories, concepts, and research methods. Demonstrated ability to apply psychological principles in real-world settings through internships and research projects. Passionate about advancing my knowledge and skills in the field of psychology and dedicated to pursuing a career in research or clinical psychology."

Recent master's graduate example

"Highly motivated finance professional with a master's degree in finance and a strong background in financial analysis, forecasting, and modeling. Skilled in using quantitative methods and financial software to analyze data and make strategic recommendations. Proficient in financial reporting and compliance, with a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and standards."

Administrative summary example

"Highly organized and detail-oriented individual with a proven track record of providing administrative support in a fast-paced environment. Proficient in utilizing various office software, including MS Office and Google Suite, to manage calendars, schedule appointments, and organize documents. Skilled in handling a wide range of tasks, including data entry, file maintenance, and correspondence. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues and clients."

Career transition example

"A driven and organized Marketing Generalist with a strong foundation in data analysis and KPI development, I'm looking to transition into an entry-level Customer Success role. I'm highly skilled in developing KPIs to monitor data, increasing customer engagement and satisfaction, and successfully onboarding customers. With a track record of achieving a 15% increase in customer retention through targeted marketing strategies, I am motivated to utilize my expertise to drive customer success and enhance the overall CX at SavTech."

See more examples of summaries in these customer success manager resumes .

Apprenticeship example

"Motivated and dedicated individual seeking an HVAC apprenticeship position to develop skills and gain experience in the field. Strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills, with experience in electrical wiring and troubleshooting. Familiar with HVAC systems, including installation, maintenance, and repair of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. Experienced in reading and interpreting technical manuals and blueprints. Skilled in utilizing various hand and power tools to complete projects. Proficient in maintaining a safe work environment and adhering to safety protocols."

Digital assistant example

"Newly trained digital assistant with a recent certification in Virtual Assistance from Prestige Online Academy. I successfully managed a mock project during my training, coordinating tasks and communication for a virtual team of 15, using tools like Microsoft Office Suite, G Suite, and Asana. As a clear communicator, both written and verbal, with an attention to detail, I have a 95% accuracy rate in task management."

Bank teller example

"Motivated and customer-focused individual seeking an entry-level bank teller position. Excellent math skills with the ability to accurately count and manage large amounts of money. Skilled in providing exceptional customer service and resolving customer complaints in a timely and professional manner. Proven ability to work well under pressure and meet deadlines. Eager to learn and grow in a fast-paced banking environment."

Frontend engineer example

"Energetic Frontend Engineer with expertise in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, I successfully designed and implemented a responsive web application during my capstone project, which garnered a 98% user approval rating for usability and responsiveness. My engineering skills are complemented by strong teamwork and problem-solving capabilities—highlighted in feedback from my professors as exceptionally collaborative and innovative."

For more entry level positions resume examples, check out these examples of frontend engineer resume samples .

Create your entire entry-level resume with Teal

A well-crafted beginner's resume summary serves as your introduction, giving potential employers a snapshot of everything you offer. It's your chance to tell a story and differentiate yourself from other candidates. And while constructing this summary might seem tricky, tools like Teal's AI Resume Builder can be invaluable. 

Use the AI technology integrated within Teal's AI Resume Builder to generate professional summaries (and achievements, cover letters, and more!) directly within the Teal platform. Teal makes it easy to create and curate multiple versions of your resume, tailoring each one for the position you're applying to.

With the right emphasis on personalization, relevance, and a clear showcase of your unique blend of skills, you're setting the stage for a strong first impression. 

Dive into the professional world or a new industry confidently, knowing that your summary, with the help of Teal, offers a compelling introduction to your true potential. 

Get started with Teal today !

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements to include in a beginner resume summary when you have no work experience, how can i tailor my entry-level resume summary to a specific job description, can i include soft skills in my beginner summary for a resume, and if so, which ones are most impactful.

Kayte Grady

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• Job Search Tips

30 Resume Summary Examples that Work in 2024

18 min read

Regardless of whether you’re looking for an entry-level job or a larger career advancement, you probably already know how important your resume can be in your quest to find that perfect job. The problem is, though, that few resumes these days have that special touch that truly makes the job seeker stand out from the crowd. 

If you’ve agonized over your own resume and still feel like there’s something missing, there’s a good chance that the problem is that you’re not making good use of your professional resume summary.

In this post, we’ll show you how to write 30 great resume summary statements that land your resume in the ‘Yes’ pile. You’ll also find some tips, tricks, and examples to ensure you capture the attention of a hiring manager.

What is a resume summary?

The one thing most people fail to understand as they create resumes filled with facts, figures, and lists of accomplishments is that today’s companies and hiring managers are inundated with tons of resumes that follow that same approach. And if your resume is as dry and dull as all of those, it’s not likely to receive the attention that it needs to earn you a second look. 

That’s where your resume summary statement comes into play. Your summary sits at the top of your resume – just beneath your contact information and headline . It consists of the following:

Your job title and how much experience you have

At least three to five skills (keywords) that convey your abilities and expertise

A minimum of one measurable accomplishment

Industry keywords and phrases tailored to the job description of the role you want 

Language that indicates your passion and enthusiasm – a personal touch

When you take the time to write a compelling resume summary with the right keywords and phrases, your chances of being called in for an interview will dramatically increase.

So it is vitally important that you know how to make yours stand out from other job seekers. 

What does it look like?

A resume summary is a brief statement that summarizes your career history, skills, and achievements and is designed to quickly describe how your work history will add value in future roles. 

Here’s an example profile summary for a CREATIVE STRATEGIST:

“A visionary, accomplished, and bilingual Creative Strategist highly regarded for championing innovative design solutions that integrate and anticipate consumer trends while remaining captivating and unique. Out-of-the-box thinker who delivers key strategic insights while orchestrating content, narrative, and creatives across high-profile projects for F500 companies like Apple and Toyota. Known as a decisive leader and excellent communicator who guides diverse teams and always meets nuanced client needs. Recognized for helming multilayered, high-visibility, revenue-driving events while delivering holistic experiential marketing platforms. Proven track record of delivering one-of-a-kind results that exceed lofty expectations.”

How long should your resume summary be?

When writing any resume summary, it can be tempting to simply fill it with every major point you want the reviewer to know. That would be a mistake, though. 

No recruiter or hiring manager wants to read a professional summary that just rehashes every point made in the body of the resume. That sort of summary will simply be ignored and it would defeat the purpose anyway.

The reality is that your summary should be a “hook” that captures recruiters’ attention and gives them a reason to read the rest of the resume. To do that, you should write a resume summary statement that contains between three and five sentences that highlight key points that will invite further reading.

Writing resume summary statements for the reader

The best writing is that which speaks to its audience in understandable terms that they can immediately identify with – i.e., keywords. When it comes to your summary statement, that means including the job posting’s requirements in your finished product.

While you certainly don’t want to simply regurgitate the job posting’s requirements in your summary, you should try to incorporate the terms used in that posting as you describe your qualifications.

If the company is looking for a Director of Marketing and your former title at a different firm was Head of Marketing, use the “Director of Marketing” title when you’re describing your former position. That helps ensure that your prospective employer recognizes that you’ve done the same job in the past. Do this for specific skills and experience as well. Simply identify terms used in the job posting and use those terms when describing your skills, attributes, and experience.

How to use keywords in a resume summary

Keywords are skills and qualifications from the job description that employers are looking for on your resume. However, keywords are important to your other audience, too, the applicant tracking system, also known as the ATS .

Most companies use an ATS to scan your resume for keywords, indicating that you’re a good match for a job. A resume summary is a natural place to throw in those keywords. 

Read our complete guide on exactly how to use keywords to tailor your resume to different positions .

By focusing your attention on the specific needs detailed in the job posting, you can avoid the mistake of making assumptions about the employer’s needs. In addition, you can ensure that your resume is properly read by any computer software that the recruiter might be using to sift through resumes as the company narrows its candidate search to determine who to interview and who to ignore.

The elevator pitch

If you’ve ever heard the term “elevator pitch,” then you understand the need for brevity and clarity when you’re trying to capture someone’s attention. The elevator speech is like a sales pitch and is a short, concise summary of your resume that articulates the value that you can bring to your prospective employer’s company. It emphasizes your strengths, quickly connects them to the specific job you’re applying for, and showcases how you can meet the company’s needs.

Here is a good post from Forbes.com on crafting a good elevator pitch.

Resume summary vs objective

Keep in mind the resume summary statement is distinct from the resume objective statement. An objective is focused on your needs, a resume summary is employer-focused. In days gone by, people would include an objective at the top of their resume that looked something like this:

“Dedicated Creative Strategist seeking a challenging role where I can contribute design, content strategy, major events experience, and consumer communication insights to propel high-profile brands to new heights.” 

While this objective statement has a few keywords and talks about some of the things this Creative Designer can do, it falls short of delivering value to future employers. There are no concrete examples of achievements and its overall tone is vague and ambiguous. 

That’s generally true for all objective statements, which is why employers prefer to see profile summaries that succinctly outline specific impacts candidates have had in other roles or during their careers.

30 resume summary examples for different job types

To get an idea of how this all looks when it is put together, consider the following resume summary examples:

1. Marketing and Communications resume summary examples

Digital Marketing Manager:

Visionary Digital Marketing Manager with over 8 years of experience developing and implementing successful online campaigns that connect businesses with consumers – both passive and active. Known as an expert in SEO, SEM, and PPC. Possess a proven track record of increasing online presence and driving lead generation – improved conversions by 12% at ABC company within 6 months.  

Public Relations Specialist:

Strategic Public Relations Specialist with an extensive record in building and maintaining positive brand images. Adept at crafting compelling narratives that secure media coverage and connect with target audiences. Reputation for managing crises and maintaining positive media relationships. 

2. Information Technology resume summary examples

Software Engineer:

Innovative Software Engineer with 12 years of experience developing and executing scalable solutions that drive million-dollar revenues. Proficient in multiple programming languages and dedicated to creating clean and maintainable code. Leverage full-stack development expertise and Agile methodologies to drive tangible results.

Cybersecurity Analyst:

Expert Cybersecurity Analyst with a strong background in threat detection and incident response. Skilled in assessing vulnerabilities and implementing security measures that safeguard international organizations, protecting over 275 petabytes of data. History of leading key enterprise engagements that challenge the status quo to fuel change, notably orchestrating the largest and most intricate partnership in financial services sector. 

3. Healthcare resume summary examples

Registered Nurse:

Accomplished nursing professional specializing in patient assessment, care, and advocacy. Consistently deliver comprehensive and compassionate care to diverse populations, including Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Immediate Care Unit (IMCU), Med/Surg, and Telemetry patients. Utilize advanced communication skills to collaborate with physicians, therapists, and fellow nurses. Earn frequent recognition and commendation from patients on satisfaction surveys for providing excellent care.

Medical Researcher:

Detail-oriented Medical Researcher specializing in BLS2 and BLS3 protocols and clinical trial initiatives that advance drug discovery projects. Possess an unrelenting momentum in laboratory activities, including the identification of novel approaches. Work with little to no procedural roadmaps, author new lab protocols, and serve as a point of contact for personnel. Thrive in matrix organizations and collaborate on a global scale.

4. Finance resume summary examples

Financial Analyst:

A client-centric Finance professional offering 5 years of international and multicultural experience in relationship management, credit analysis, and trade finance. Energetic leader adept at building strategic relationships and conquering billion-dollar revenue goals. Engaging leadership style bolstered by a dynamic mindset and talent for needs analysis, research, and proactivity. Conceptualize, develop, and deliver creative financial strategies that support future growth objectives and the core mission of the organization .

Certified Public Accountant

Energetic Certified Public Accountant (CPA) candidate who recently completed all 4 CPA exams on the first try. Accomplished and inquisitive finance professional with a passion for innovative solutions that ensure business solvency. Known for leveraging an entrepreneurial and independent analytical mindset to forge pathways through client financials and transactions to create a dynamic picture that provides financial insights to high-net-worth clients. 

5. Sales resume summary examples

Sales Manager:

Proactive technical sales director with robust experience seamlessly blending tech leadership with sales acumen to execute go-to-market strategies that fuel revenue growth. Build and grow new markets from the ground up and leverage a deep understanding of hybrid cloud solutions (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) to achieve ground-breaking results, including doubling business to $10M within 3 years and reducing sales cycles from 6 months to 90 days. Known for improving performance by 30% and reducing costs across hybrid infrastructures.

Retail Sales Associate:

Seasoned sales veteran and business development strategist who consistently exceeds district sales goals by fusing an understanding of the human buying motive with sales leadership experience to overcome customer objections. Recognized by ABC Corp for leading district in overall sales for 3 consecutive years. Chosen by leaders at XYZ Inc to step into management position to steward the success of 7 sales staff, creating a culture of excellence that met consumer needs.

6. Education resume summary examples

Elementary Teacher:

Student-focused Certified Elementary Teacher with 20+ years of experience shaping the minds of first graders. Dedicated to providing creative, yet effective, classroom management and guided curriculum that optimizes student success. Known for infusing lesson plans with emerging technology to maximize learning objectives and improve student outcomes in alignment with district expectations. 

Adjunct Instructor:

Criminal Justice subject matter expert, education advocate, and US Army Veteran who leverages diverse and progressive career in leadership, personnel management, and training to guide education and human welfare objectives to facilitate student achievement. Fuse real-world experience with theoretical practicums to turn 20+ students into active learners. Proven ability to work in an independent environment or as a member of a teaching team in traditional (in-seat), hybrid, remote, synchronous, and distance learning settings.

7. Engineering resume summary examples

Mechanical Engineer:

Forward-thinking Mechanical Engineer offering a 15+ year progressive career of achievement within the gearing industry. Practical experience in all phases of engineering projects from feasibility testing and manufacturing to critical analysis and sales. Proficient at technical project management with a focus on collaboration, project documentation, troubleshooting, problem resolution, and team management. Manage up to 15 concurrent projects and handle competing priorities in fast-paced and deadline-driven environments.

Civil Engineer:

Global visionary in design, construction, and facilities management with 20+ years of transformative leadership experience. Steer multimillion-dollar projects from start to finish, paying close attention to cost-effective strategies and tech-driven solutions. Pioneer MEP systems across a range of complex buildings, including hospitality, commercial, and residential properties.

8. Human Resources resume summary examples

HR Manager:

Problem-solver and people manager with 4 years of experience training a revolving door of new HR leaders. Possess extremely adaptable management style with an ability to modify personality, and even behave out of character, based on what people need to achieve organizational continuity and project goals. Committed to creating a culture of excellence through employee engagement with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I).

Recruitment Specialist:

Talent planning partner with more than 10 years of experience optimizing business continuity efforts by resolving critical human capital issues for corporate, nonprofit, and startup environments. Design and execute effective talent-sourcing strategies that turnaround understaffing issues, recruiting 100 new employees in 6 months. Sought after to help clients maintain regulatory compliance, including resolving a wage violation within 2-days’ notice to avoid legal action.

9. Administration resume summary examples

Executive Assistant:

Versatile support expert with a decade of excellence in elevating ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) executives across dynamic sectors. Adept at establishing and maintaining SOPs for property management, anticipating complex needs, driving process improvements, and embodying unwavering discretion and poise. Strong interpersonal acumen, conflict resolution prowess, and adept team leadership contribute to a track record of innovatively crafting roles and nurturing enduring connections.

General Manager:

Ambitious management professional offering an accomplishments-driven career in sales, marketing, and operations with demonstrated experience in top-tier, globally branded organizations. Subject matter expert on identifying profitable opportunities and guiding teams of 25+ to maintain margins, manage expenses, reduce shrinkages, prevent loss, and maintain compliance with regulations. 

10. Customer Service resume summary examples

Customer Service Representative:

Results-driven and motivated customer service enthusiast offering approximately 7 years of experience in hospitality, restaurant, and food principles in high-pressure, fast-paced environments. Ethical professional skilled in creative problem solving, providing elite customer service, and promoting brand loyalty. Detail-oriented with exceptional instincts for meeting high expectations and delivering service standards in 100+ restaurant seating environments.

Call Center Supervisor:

Motivational Call Center Supervisor with approximately 17 years of experience developing and leading exceptional call center teams. Possess a strong track record of success in achieving first-call resolution and reducing customer hold times. Analytical professional able to assess 40+ staff against forecasted trends and make proactive adjustments to policies and procedures.

11. Creative and Design resume summary examples

Graphic Designer:

Creative and innovative artist, video designer, and illustrator fusing 6 years of experience with a degree in graphic design and certification in user experience design to deliver branding stories that communicate creative concepts to diverse audiences. Specialize in creating original illustrations and graphics for as many as 12 concurrent projects. Act as a collaborative leader leveraging digital media, emerging technologies, and design-thinking methodologies to deliver on-time and on-budget projects to clients. Possess a passion for translating client needs into usable branding strategies.

UX/UI Designer:

Award-winning and intellectually curious Creative Director, UX Designer, and Digital Art Director with an accomplished track record of designing and deploying comprehensive design strategies that consistently achieve client satisfaction, translate product vision, and connect with diverse audiences. Fuse a passion for improving user experience (UX) by leveraging and optimizing creative strategy, project management, and team-building initiatives to present pixel-perfect visuals that provide clarity, consistency, and maximum communication impact.

12. Legal resume summary examples

Solutions-oriented Attorney with extensive experience delivering trusted legal services to a portfolio of more than 50 clients. Proven ability to combine strategic perspective with business and legal acumen to communicate complex legal concepts to non-experts, including details on over 150 trademark applications. Balance compliance with need, agility, and flexibility to guide innovation. Actively provide input and assistance on contracts and other legal matters, taking primary responsibility for making autonomous decisions to overcome overt challenges. 

Legal Assistant:

Adaptable administrative and legal professional with diverse experience in immigration, policy, and outreach. Fuse a passion for the legal system and a background in customer service/sales to help people navigate complex systems. Leverage advanced knowledge of technology (MS Office, Photoshop, Stata, QuickBooks) to organize work and compile research. Understand case management, transcription, and legal document preparation.

13. Project Management resume summary examples

Project Manager:

Global leader and expert in managing complex strategic transformation projects and programs across product and data-driven organizations. Employ Agile management practices to lead on-time delivery of projects aligned with customer expectations. Achieve enterprise goals by coaching, mentoring, and empowering diverse teams across 12+ geographies and business units. Thrive in ambiguous, fast-paced environments, making data-driven decisions, driving strategic insights, and collaborating with all levels of management to resolve operational inefficiencies. 

Construction Coordinator:

Retail Construction Coordinator and Superintendent with extensive experience overseeing construction sites, contractors, subcontractors, materials, and supplies. Maintain vigilance over quality work and compliance with regulations, including OSHA codes. Reputation for staying within million-dollar construction budgets and delivering on-time projects despite challenging environments.

14. Real Estate resume summary examples

Title Abstractor:

Detail-oriented Title Abstractor offering approximately 10 years of experience performing extensive title research gathering deeds, leases, judgments, mortgages, easements, contracts, and encumbrances to produce accurate abstracts. Experience writing Certified Title Opinions in 2 states (West Virginia and Pennsylvania). Accomplished track record of analyzing and producing lease take-offs, curative documents, and certified titles providing documentary evidence of the right of ownership. 

Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Developer:

Commercial Real Estate Development professional with 10+ years of experience in directing up to $200M of senior housing and medical office/industrial projects across the Southeast United States. Accomplished track record of complete development oversight from inception through entitlements and construction to delivery. Outstanding business and financial acumen with abilities in trend forecasting, real estate acquisitions, and business plan development. 

15. Little to no experience resume summary examples

Junior Electrical Designer:

Action-oriented problem-solver with an electrical engineering degree supported by international experience in electrical installation projects. Capable of reading and interpreting complex blueprints and understanding how to apply the physics and mathematics of electricity to large and small-scale systems. Have a reputation for maintaining strict compliance with policies and code regulations and possess bilingual proficiencies in English and French. 

Helpdesk Associate:

Technical enthusiast with a recent degree in Computer Science from Major University. Utilize abilities to troubleshoot hardware and software issues to win university systems maintenance competition. Fuse a background in retail customer service with a calm demeanor to meet the demands of frustrated clients whose systems are non-functioning.  

Writing a resume summary when you have no relevant experience

Of course, those last two are a bit different from the rest because the job seekers don’t have a lot of experience. With that said, you can still write a profile paragraph that will pique a prospective hiring manager’s interest. 

Most people will have some relevant skills and experience in the job field they’re trying to enter – whether they’re using transferable skills from jobs held while they were in school or achievements from working on projects at school. 

Let’s take a look at how to use those workarounds to elevate the language of your resume, especially as it relates to your profile summary. 

Stress other qualifications

When you have little to no relevant work experience to highlight, make sure to stress other relevant qualifications. That would include everything from your relevant skills and educational coursework to specific accomplishments you’ve achieved in prior jobs that are at least somewhat relevant to the job you’re seeking. For example:

Focus on skills and experiences that you possess that would be great selling points and relevant to the position. These can include things like budget management, marketing research, customer service rep, social media management, conflict resolution skills, and even familiarity with critical software or hardware systems. Check out this post to learn more about the right skills to include on your resume.

Emphasize educational achievements that demonstrate that you have the knowledge needed to do the job.

Highlight accomplishments from previous jobs that demonstrate the value you can bring to the organization.

If necessary, list relevant outside interests that demonstrate an ability to meet the employer’s needs.

Don’t forget to incorporate the job posting keywords into these qualifications. That’s important for ensuring that your resume still gets past the software used for initial resume reviews.

Get their attention in just a few seconds

Your profile summary has a lot of work to do to get a hiring manager’s attention. Not only does it have to extol your skills and achievements, it has to tell the story of what you bring to the table for a new position. Remember to stay away from using an outdated objective and let your career summary paragraph blend your career history with a bit of personal flair to stand out from the crowd. 

The right resume summary can help you avoid that rejection pile and enhance your chances of getting that dream job you want! ZipJob has a team of professional resume writers who are pros at crafting unique and stand-out professional summaries. Check out our services to see how we can help you.

Good luck with your job search!

Recommended reading:

10 Vital Skills to Put on Your Resume

Resume Formats: The 3 Best Options

Writing Your Work Experience: Samples & How to Guide

Marsha Hebert, Professional Resume Writer

Marsha is a resume writer with a strong background in marketing and writing. After completing a Business Marketing degree, she discovered that she could combine her passion for writing with a natural talent for marketing. For more than 10 years, Marsha has helped companies and individuals market themselves. Read more advice from Marsha on ZipJob's blog .

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Resume Summary: How To Write [+ 15 Examples]

Your resume summary, or professional summary, is a key part of your resume. Learn how to write an impressive resume summary with examples & tips.

Your resume summary can make or break your next job opportunity. 

It is the element of your resume that has the potential to excite the recruiter and keep him glued to your resume for more than six seconds. 

That’s the very first and one of the major wins for you towards securing your new job.

To help you with this very crucial step of your job search, we have compiled all the pertinent information and provided specific samples of resume summaries. 

What Is a Resume Summary?

A resume summary is your professional journey in a nutshell. 

Often called a “professional summary” or “resume summary statement,” it contains a brief description of the experiences, skills, expertise, and achievements of your career so far.

It sits at the very beginning of your resume and most probably the first thing a recruiter will read. 

So, undoubtedly, it is one of the most important elements of your resume. 

It is the place to arouse interest and attract the hiring manager like a super magnet.

Check out this sample resume summary for a marketing executive:

If you write an unimaginative resume summary, the recruiter will just skip ahead to the next candidate in line.

We don’t want that to happen! You will learn how to optimize your summary below.

What Is the Difference Between a Summary and an Objective?

Although they sound similar, resume summary and resume objectives are two distinctly different things with different goals in mind.

A resume objective is focused on what you are looking for and what you want from the job. 

It uses more “I” language.

A resume summary, on the contrary, is fully focused on your potential employer with more emphasis on what they will get from you. 

Instead of what you want to do and become, it states what you already are made of.  

As a result, in most of the cases, a resume summary is more effective than the resume objective. 

Hence, the use of resume objectives has declined significantly in recent times.

However, a resume objective can still be useful in case you are a new graduate or you are changing careers. 

When to Use a Resume Summary

Almost 90% of all resumes now use resume summaries. 

It is a great way to showcase your worth and draw the attention of the recruiter. 

It lets you easily explain why you are the right fit for the job based on verifiable experiences and achievements from your past. 

So, you should try to utilize a resume summary as often as you can. 

That means, as long as you have a sufficient number of relevant experiences, expertise, and accomplishments related to the job you are applying for, you should use a resume summary. 

If you include an objective on your resume where a summary should be used, you and your resume may look out-of-date.

There may be situations when your experiences and past career progression may not match with the job post at hand, then you can consider switching back to a resume objective. 

With a resume objective, you will be able to better highlight your transferable skills and motivation for the job.     

If you are a new graduate, a resume objective will be a better fit for you too as it will allow you to show your passion for the job. 

(If you determine that you need a resume objective, take a look at Resume Objective: How to Write, Examples & More .)

How to Write a Resume Summary

Now, let’s get into the real action: how to write the perfect resume summary for you.

Well, if you keep your focus on the right places, it is not that much of a tough task. 

The secret is to pick the most relevant and impressive elements of your career and deliver them with a bit of panache. 

Keep the following tips in mind while writing your resume summary. 

Use Keywords

Using the right keywords related to the job is crucial for two reasons: 

• Keywords are what the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is looking for.
• Keywords easily get noticed by recruiters. 

So, keep strict attention to the use of job-specific keywords for your resume summary. 

Go through the job posting and find out all the required skills, experiences, and related achievements. 

Those are your keywords. 

As long as they describe your abilities, include those in your resume summary. 

(Learn more about How to Use Resume Action Verbs When Applying for Jobs .)

Quantify Your Achievements

While describing your most recent, impressive, and relevant achievements, try to make it quantifiable. 

Using numbers turns your accomplishments into something more tangible and concrete. 

Ask yourself questions like these to quantify your achievements:

• What was the success rate of your marketing strategy?
• What percentage of increased sales did your initiatives achieve?
• How much positive client feedback did you get for your organization? 
• How many successful events did you organize?

Any similar questions are likely to give you the numbers you are looking for. 

(Take a look at How to Turn Job Duties Into Accomplishments for more insight.)

Prove Your Experiences

You do not have much space when it comes to your resume summary. 

Focus only on the most recent, relevant, and proven work experiences that you have. 

It is okay to brag a little, but never okay to say something that you can’t prove later on. 

Faking never ends well. 

Write Your Summary After Completing the Resume 

It is a great idea to write your resume summary after you have completed all the other parts of your resume. 

By doing so you will get a clearer view over your whole career and easily pick the elements to include in the summary. 

It will also ensure that you do not miss any important information that would look great in the resume summary section. 

Keep It Short

As already mentioned, your professional summary should be short and simple. 

It should be three to four sentences only. 

So, keep only the elements that are sure to have the maximum impact. 

Leave out the skills that are common. Only include the ones that are highly valued in the industry. 

Start with your professional title modified by one or two glorifying adjectives and the years of experience you have in the field. Back it up with the most relevant achievements and skills.

Resume Summary Examples

So far, you have read all the theoretical knowledge about resume summaries and how to write one. 

Now, let’s get a practical view of real-life resume summary examples. 

Entry-Level Resume Summary Example

You are applying to an entry-level job, but you believe that you have enough material at hand to pull off a resume summary. 

Focus on your internships, part-time jobs, volunteer or extracurricular work, and any transferable skills from your academic study and coursework.  

Find out the elements most relevant to the job you are applying to. 

Then, create something like this:

Confident and motivated Computer Science graduate with over three successful software projects already helping businesses of the likes of X and Y. Utilized full-stack development skills as a freelancer with a 100% success rate and client satisfaction. Seeking to practically impact the businesses with the power of innovation.

Did you notice how even this entry-level resume summary makes you look like a pro? 

College Student Resume Summary Example

As a current student, oftentimes, you don’t have sufficient professional working experience to include in your resume summary statement. 

But you still have your academic performance, extracurricular and volunteer work, part-time jobs, and relevant academic or professional projects. 

Whatever you have at hand, you have to make the most out of it.  

Your summary may look something like this:

Inspired to create a better world, nearing the completion of the Bachelor of Social Work Degree with a CGPA of 3.84. Conducted over 15 successful offline and online social campaigns focused on creating a safer, cleaner, and prosperous society. Collaborated with X and Y nonprofits to strategize the best approach to help over 100 homeless people in the Z neighborhood.

Management Resume Summary Example

If you are applying for a management position and have a few years of relevant experience under your belt, a resume summary would be the best option for you instead of a resume objective.

Keep the guidelines described above on how to write a resume summary in mind and create something similar to this:

Dedicated and result-oriented project manager/office manager for more than 8 years. Worked at managerial positions in organizations with 500+ employees with a proven track record of success. Skilled in Six Sigma practices for improved organizational and business efficiency. Increased overall productivity by up to 25%.

Be it for a trainee management position or experienced project manager role, you can tailor this example summary for your specific situation. 

Executive Resume Summary Example

For experienced professionals applying to an executive role, a resume summary is indispensable.

Have a look at this executive resume summary:

A seasoned and experienced senior executive with a proven track record of 15 years in the world of pharmaceuticals. Proficient in market penetration for new products as well as increasing revenue from existing product lines. Established markets for over 20 new product lines with over 60% more market reach compared to major competitors.

Now, create your own depending on your industry. 

Career Change Resume Summary Example

Usually for career change situations, using a resume objective works the best for most applicants. 

However, even if you are pursuing a career change, but have a significant amount of related experience, skills, and achievements, you should go for a resume summary statement.  

A customer-centric seasoned copywriter, aiming to expand into the whole world of digital marketing with over 9 years of experience in writing for the digital audience across industries. Written high-converting industry-specific copies that boosted conversion up to 50%. Know the pulse of the people and what makes a campaign massively successful.

Notice how transferrable skills and experiences have been used for the most impact. 

Teaching Resume Summary Example

A resume summary for a teaching job should be focused on your teaching experiences and how well your teaching methods have worked with students.  

A caring and dynamic teaching professional with over 12 years of experience in reputable institutions like X and Y. Proponent of creative and innovative methods of teaching and loved by students and parents alike. Have a track record of improving underperforming students’ grades by 15% on average.

Medical Career Resume Summary Example

A resume summary as a physician, nurse, medical assistant, or any other healthcare professional should give the most importance on your care-giving abilities and previous positive patient reviews. 

A certified medical assistant with over 13 years of experience in quality patient care. Experienced in a team-oriented fast-paced work environment with 99% positive patient reviews. Skilled in personalized service in line with all the hospital regulatory standards and advanced medical technology management.

Customer Service Resume Summary Example

For a resume summary on a resume for a customer service role, give the most prominence to the number of customers you have served daily, customer conversion rates, problem-solving skills, and any contribution to overall customer experience for the companies you have worked for. 

Intuitive customer service manager with an impeccable track record of 15 years of success. Have managed teams of 30+ service representatives with 99% positive customer reviews. Maintained over a 30% conversion rate for sales-oriented customer queries over the last 3 years.

Service Industry Resume Summary Example

As a service industry professional, be it for hotel management or for the food industry, you should try to emphasize your abilities related to hospitality and customer communications. 

Energetic and customer-centric Restaurant Manager with a 5-year track record in service excellence. Ensured 98% customer satisfaction at X restaurant and increased the Yelp ratings from 3.5 to 4.5 for Y Bar. Managed up to 25 staff daily and planned marketing campaigns resulting in 20% increased revenue.

Technical Career Resume Summary Example

Show the success of your previous IT projects. 

How did your technical skills help the organizations you worked for? 

What are your core technical skills related to the job at hand? 

Seasoned Director of IT with 15 years of experience in building and leading highly productive IT departments. Proven track record of success in driving organizational strategy for IT infrastructure development, operations, and business intelligence. Skilled in managing all the aspects of the IT portfolio and finding solutions for increased business efficiency.

Engineer Resume Summary Example

Innovation, efficiency, field-specific and problem-solving skills should be the focus along with the successes of previous projects for an engineering resume. 

Inventive and passionate Mechanical Engineer with over 7 years of experience. Skilled in implementing complex designs and processes with a 100% success rate. Increased production efficiency by 15% at XYZ. Highly regarded for providing the most cost-efficient solutions keeping the manufacturing excellence intact.

Administrative Assistant Resume Summary Example

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

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

Accounting and Finance Resume Summary Example

If you are writing an accounting or finance resume summary, showcase your past experiences in the field, in-demand financial and accounting skills, and how profitable you were for the organizations you worked for.

You will need something like this:

Stringent CPA with over 7 years of professional experience in financial planning, auditing, budget analysis, forensic accounting, and cloud and software integration. Saved hundreds of working hours by implementing cloud accounting at ABC Company. Successfully managed the annual budgeting of 1M+ for XYZ.

Sales Executive Resume Summary Example

As a sales executive, give utmost prominence to the numbers in terms of sales you have made and the revenue you have increased for your companies. 

Also, give a bit of focus on strategy development and customer service experiences.

Energetic and customer-focused sales executive with 6 years of experience in the field. Increased the monthly sales at the XYZ Outlet by 5% with an innovative approach to customer handling and cross-selling. Proficient in digital sales funnel management and online customer query handling.

Marketing Executives/Manager Resume Summary Example

Again, it is all about the numbers. 

What was the conversion rate of your marketing campaigns? 

How much revenue has it boosted for your organizations? 

How pervasive were your contributions? 

Intuitive and passionate Marketing Manager with 8 years of professional experience. Managed teams of 10+ professionals including writers, designers, and developers to conduct highly successful campaigns with a conversion rate of 40%. Implemented data-driven marketing practices and customer analytics for both digital and traditional marketing success.

Feel free to use the above samples and tweak the information so it’s relevant to you!

Key Takeaways

In this article, we have found out that: 

• A resume summary is too important to not be taken seriously. 
• A resume summary is an overview of your core strengths, skills, most impressive experiences, and glaring achievements. 
• You should keep your resume summary short and only include the most recent, impressive, and relevant information. 
• Using keywords related to the job you are applying for is crucial to impress both the ATS machines and humans.
• Always try to quantify your achievements. 

Now, go through the sample resume summary statements and the guidelines once again to create a resume summary for yourself that grabs the recruiters’ attention.

For information about writing the rest of your resume, check out How to Make a Resume That Gets Past the Bots .

You can always get assistance from our certified professional resume writers at Find My Profession . We are always here to help you get the dream job that you deserve.  

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How to Write a Professional Summary: A Guide

Your resume will likely be the first impression you make on a hiring manager or recruiter so, you’ll want to make it count.

In the past, resumes started with objective statements, which were designed to showcase your goals for your job search. This was a good way to convey your ambition to an employer. Modern resumes, on the other hand, have given birth to a new trend—the summary statement.

Find your bootcamp match

In this guide, we’re going to talk about what a professional summary is, why you should write one, and how you can do so effectively. We’ll also walk through a few examples of resume summaries that you can use as inspiration when you begin to write one for yourself.

What Is a Professional Summary?

The summary statement is a few short lines of text that appear at the top of your resume and briefly summarize your professional experience. In other words, it’s a brief summary of the highlights in your resume.

In your professional summary, you should highlight your main features and strengths that you think qualify you for a particular job. For instance, if you have worked as an accountant for six years, you may want to mention that in your professional summary.

Resume summaries typically vary according to job opportunities. So, if you are applying for a junior accounts manager job, your summary may be different than if you are applying for a mid-level post. That’s because the skills and experience you’ll need to highlight to impress an employer will be different.

The people who benefit most from writing a summary are those who have years of experience in a particular field. If you are still starting out in your career—and only have a year or two of experience—then you may instead want to use the space on your resume to highlight your accomplishments in each position you have held.

Why Should I Write a Professional Summary?

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

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

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

How to Write a Professional Summary

So, you’re convinced that writing a professional summary will help you set yourself apart from other candidates. Now you may be wondering, “How do I write a professional summary?”.

Let’s break down a three-step process you can use to craft an effective professional summary.

Step #1: Reflect on Your Skills

Resume summaries only last a few sentences, which means you need to make every word count. Before you start writing, take some time to think about which skills and experiences you think are most relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Do your organizational skills uniquely qualify you for the job? Or do you think that a technical skill you have will make you stand out? Whatever you decide to include, make sure that it is a skill that you have experience leveraging, as you may be asked about it further down the line in job interviews.

Step #2: Write an Elevator Pitch

As we discussed earlier, the goal of a resume is to impress an employer. What you include in your resume should clearly relate to the job for which you are applying, so that the employer can easily see how you can add value to their business.

When you are writing your professional summary, you should think about it as an elevator pitch. To do so, consider asking yourself these questions:

• Who are you?
• What experience do you have relevant to the job?
• How can you help a business?

Your elevator pitch should start with an adjective that describes yourself and includes action words that describe your experience. For instance, you may want to describe yourself as “highly organized” or “creative” or “detail-oriented” in your summary.

Step #3: Review the Length

The professional summary is only one part of your resume so, you need to make sure that it does not run on too long.

Before you complete your summary, read over, and make sure that it is not too long. Does your summary take up too much space on the page? A good rule is that if your summary is any more than four sentences, it needs to be trimmed down.

In a summary, the length is not equated with quality. Instead, you’ll want to do everything you can to highlight the main points that qualify you for a particular position. This will help you set yourself apart from other candidates, and ensure that you leave a positive impression on an employer after they have finished reading your resume.

Examples of Professional Summary Statements

To help you write a professional summary statement, we have compiled a few examples for people with different backgrounds and experiences. You can use these as a guide for when you are writing your next summary.

Example #1: Administrative assistant

Detail-oriented administrative assistant with seven years of experience supporting high-level executives. Proficient in using CRM technologies, the Microsoft Office package, and able to learn quickly. Excellent oral, written, and digital communication skills.

Example #2: Front end web developer

Creative front end web developer with six years of experience building cutting-edge web applications. Good problem solver who has employed the use of React, Vue, and Ember in prior projects to write efficient applications that have scaled to over 250,000 users.

Example #3: Sales manager

Seasoned sales manager with four years of experience successfully selling products in the shoe industry. Increased sales in my territory by 10% through crafting closer relationships with clients, and has experience in conducting surveys to find ways in which products can be improved.

Resume summaries are a great way for you to make your resume stand out. This section is typically added to resumes of individuals with years of industry experience, and those who want to make particular parts of their experience clear on their resume.

However, summaries are not a place to reiterate what you have already said. Rather, they should provide a quick overview of who you are, and what experiences make you a good candidate for the job.

The summary you write for your resume should be revised depending on the position you’re applying for. This is to ensure you are always discussing skills that match the needs of a specific employer.

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

By following the tips in this guide, you should be able to write an effective summary statement that outlines your unique value to an employer. Your summary statement may end up being what catches the attention of a recruiter, thus leading to a job interview. 

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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How to Write a Resume Summary: 10+ Examples

Get your resume to stand out to hiring managers for longer than the average of 6 seconds with these secrets.

Introduction to resume summaries

Hiring managers look at resumes for an average of 6 seconds. An average of a few seconds implies that most resumes are just being glanced at.

The top of your resume is typically the first place that resume reviewers look. And the first impression matters a lot. That's why your resume header can have the most influence on whether your resume lasts longer than just a glance.

Resume reviewers need a strong nudge to continue looking at the rest of your resume. When written correctly, a professional resume summary is the fastest way to deliver the best pitch about your candidacy.

There are various ways to phrase your resume summary to best position yourself for the job, depending on your level of experience.

But what exactly is the best way to phrase your resume summary?

In this guide we’ll cover:

• What is a resume summary and when to use one
• How to write a killer resume summary
• The difference between a resume summary and a resume objective
• Common mistakes when writing a resume summary
• 10+ Examples of resume summaries

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job

What is a resume summary?

A resume summary is a concise set of statements at the top of your resume that highlights your qualifications, skills, and experience relevant to the job opening. This section is also referred as:

• Resume profile
• Personal statement
• Professional summary
• Summary of experience
• Summary of qualifications

Resume summaries go underneath your contact information, making it the second most important section on your resume if you use one. This section is almost always mandatory.

Resume summaries are perfect for candidates that have relevant work experience and skills to the job description.

A great resume summary is a concise set of sentences that include:

• Number of years of relevant work experience
• The profession that you’re in
• Your top achievement or accomplishment
• Your best skills that demonstrate your ability to perform well
• Required licenses or certifications
• The exact position you’re applying to

Here's an example of a resume with a strong summary

How do you write an effective resume summary?

Now that you know what you’re trying to say in your resume header, let’s dive into the qualities of a strong resume summary that make your resume stand out.

Make the Resume Summary Relevant to the Job

Your resume summary can only stand out if it includes experience, skills, and achievements that are relevant to the job opening.

Resume summaries that stand out the most are tailored to the job description . It’s good practice to extract the top keywords from the job description and put it in your resume summary.

The more specific your summary is to the job description, the better. This also helps your resume score points for passing the screening of an Applicant Tracking System.

That’s why the first and most important step to write a compelling resume summary is to read the job description.

A common mistake that candidates make is writing a generic resume summary that is irrelevant to the exact job opening.

‍ Incorrect Example

Social media professional looking to grow an audience at a company...

Correct Example

Social media expert with experience in Facebook and LinkedIn Marketing looking to apply audience development skills...

Use Numbers in your Resume Summary

Great resume summaries include quantified achievements. Attaching numbers to your resume profile helps recruiters see your potential.

For example, some powerful numbers that you can include on your resume summary:

• Number of years of experience
• Number of people you’ve managed
• Number of customers you’ve acquired or served
• Size of team that you worked on
• Productivity or efficiency gains as a percentage

Quantify your results

Incorrect Example

Made supply chain of my company better while managing a team.

Supply Chain Manager with 5+ years of experience. Achieved a 20% reduction in inventory days. Managed a team of 5 direct reports.

Use Action Verbs in your Resume Summary

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

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

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

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

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

Bad example of a Healthcare Sales Resume Summary

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

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

Good example of a Healthcare Sales Resume Summary

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

Bad resume summaries mention only responsibilities and personal goals that are irrelevant to the job.

You want to make it easy for the hiring manager to decide that your resume matches the open role. But if you know that your experience is already very strong, then it’s okay to save the space on your resume for your work experience.

But what if you don’t have relevant experience for the job? A resume objective would be a better strategy for you.

What is a resume objective?

A Resume Objective is completely different than a resume summary.

While a resume summary is focused on your past experience, a resume objective describes your motivations that are aligned with the employer’s goals.

A resume objective is perfect for someone who has little to no relevant experience to the job. This can be particularly useful for job seekers such as

• College Students
• Candidates changing careers

Resume objectives also need to use strong action verbs and include quantified results. A strong resume objective for a student often includes:

• Your degree and school
• GPA if you have a strong one
• Internship experience
• Your university name especially if it's well known
• Any relevant projects or coursework
• Relevant Certifications
• Relevant Skills developed through projects or coursework
• Leadership positions in college organizations
• Professional development Motivations aligned with the job opening
• The exact position that you’re applying for

Here's an example of an entry level candidate's resume summary:

Political science honors student in the top 10% of the class. Organized 60+ group case studies as Vice President of the university's consulting club. Looking to apply organizational, written, and analytical skills at a top consulting firm.

If you’re changing careers and have irrelevant experience, position your resume best by including:

• Translatable skills such as people management, project management, technical analysis, customer service, and leadership.
• Professional development motivations aligned with the job opening

The most common mistake that’s made when writing a resume objective is stating a personal goal that isn’t relevant to the job. You want to entice your employer to read further by letting them know that you can do the job.

Tip: Focus on what the employer wants . Market yourself as someone who has the skills and foundation to succeed in the job.

When you have little to no relevant experience to the job, you can still use the top of your resume to demonstrate that you have what it takes to do the job.

But don’t go overboard. Often times resume objectives lean more towards describing your needs vs the employers. The goal of your resume is to market your candidacy to employers. So only include a resume objective if you’re sure it does just that. Otherwise, save the valuable space on your resume for other sections.

Examples of strong resume summaries

We've compiled a list of resume summaries for you. Use these as a reference for creating your own resume summary.

Software Engineer Resume Summary

Experienced lead full-stack software engineer seeking a position at a mid-sized web product startup where I can apply my skills in developing, scaling, and maintaining web services in Google Cloud.

See the complete Software Engineer Resume

Security Guard Resume Summary

Security professional with over 5 years of experience providing security for client property and personnel.

See the complete Security Guard Resume

Bartender Resume Summary

Veteran bartender and mixologist with 14 years of experience. Passionate for local ingredients, providing friendly and engaging customer service. Acquired a rich knowledge of the beverage world and skilled at quickly and efficiently producing high quality cocktails.

See the complete Bartender Resume

Cashier Resume Summary

Experienced cashier ready to grow into management positions. Highly personable, charming, strong work ethics and always put customers first.

See the complete Cashier Resume

Server Resume Summary

Dynamic and engaged server who is excited to jump into any situation to offer a helping hand. Overall positive, adaptable, intuitive, with a genuine interest in the well-being of customers and teammates.

See the complete Server Resume

Nurse Resume Summary

Licensed Registered Nurse with 3+ years of clinical experience seeking to improve patient care at a critical care unit using demonstrated skills in administration, compliance, and quality improvement.

See the complete Nurse Resume

Elementary School Teacher Resume Example & Writing Tips for Resume Summary

Educator with 5 years of experience in elementary schools teaching kids in grades 2-4. Ability to facilitate a classroom learning experience by breaking down subjects into a series of small and organized lessons. Looking to progress my career and continue to help young children increase their knowledge and unlock their potential.

See the complete Elementary School Teacher Resume Example & Writing Tips for 2020 Resume

Property Manager Resume Summary

Veteran property manager with 10+ years of experience managing property administration and the tenant experience. Seeking a position to manage residential properties with 100+ tenants.

See the complete Property Manager Resume

Data Analyst Resume Summary

Seeking a position as a data analyst where I can use my experience helping technology groups on various analytical initiatives to improve operational insight.

See the complete Data Analyst Resume

IT Specialist Resume Summary

Lead IT Professional with 5+ years of experience looking to apply technical skills in supporting secure technology infrastructure at a company with growing head count.

See the complete IT Specialist Resume

Tax Accountant Resume Summary

Licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Arizona with 10+ years of experience in Financial analysis, internal auditing, and tax accounting. Seeking an opportunity to help a business make informed financial decisions

See the complete Tax Accountant Resume

Financial Analyst Resume Summary

Experienced Financial Analyst looking to use analytical and quantitative skills to create financial models that reduce cost and improve financials at a large bank.

See the complete Financial Analyst Resume

Final thoughts

So remember, strong resume summaries are:

• Tailored to the job description
• Include quantified results
• Phrased as actions
• Include your top achievements and qualifications

A strong resume summary is one of the most strategic ways to draw attention to your resume and get employers to keep reading it.

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How to Write a Resume Summary in 2024 + 11 Examples

A resume summary is your first, and sometimes only, chance to make an impression on your recruiter or potential employer . While it’s good to be thorough in detailing your work history and accomplishments, not all hiring managers will take the time to read your entire resume.

The ideal resume summary should highlight your most relevant qualifications and achievements to give the reader a glimpse of what you can offer. This should be enough to hook them in and encourage them to read the rest of your resume.

Let’s dive into the essentials of crafting a resume summary to help you get more interviews and land more jobs!

Key Takeaways

• A resume summary is an introduction to your resume that highlights your skills and achievements.
• Resume summaries are an important part of your resume, as they can quickly communicate your most relevant qualifications to the hiring manager or your potential employer.
• Add a resume summary when you have significant relevant experience or when changing careers and want to emphasize transferable skills. On the other hand, skip it if you have limited experience or if it won’t add any value.
• When writing a resume summary, it’s important to tailor it to the job, showcase your best achievements and skills, and use action verbs.
• Keep in mind that an effective resume summary is positive, concrete, concise, and detailed.

What is a Resume Summary?

A resume summary is a brief section at the top of your resume that serves as an introduction to your professional history. Think of it as an elevator pitch for your resume .

An effective resume summary should introduce you, your skills, and your relevant experiences in two to four sentences. It should feature a strong professional title , your years of experience in the industry, your areas of expertise, and other notable achievements.

If you don’t have a lot of professional experience, using a resume summary wouldn’t be the best move. Instead, consider writing a resume objective.

Resume Summary vs. Resume Objective

Like a resume summary, a resume objective is a concise statement that serves as an overview of your resume. Unlike a summary, however, resume objectives focus on the position you want and your goals and aspirations. This makes it ideal for entry-level candidates or recent graduates.

Resume summaries, on the other hand, are recommended if you have at least 2-3 years of experience . This is because they allow you to highlight your key qualifications and experiences without overwhelming the reader.

For freshers, a resume summary can still be beneficial if you have relevant internship experience or if you took specific courses in college that can help you in the role.

Why is a Summary Important For Your Resume?

A summary is important for your resume because it can help grab the reader’s attention. Recruiters have to sift through hundreds of resumes a day, and oftentimes, they only have seconds to spare for each one. Aside from an ATS-friendly resume , a well-written summary can help you make an impression in those few seconds.

Recruiters and hiring managers look for a summary to quickly assess if the candidate’s skills and objectives align with the requirements of the job. This saves them valuable time in the screening process.

A resume summary offers an opportunity to showcase your writing skills . By being able to discuss your skills and experiences concisely, you demonstrate your ability to communicate efficiently. The tone and language you use also reflect your professionalism while allowing your personality to shine through.

When to Write a Resume Summary

Although resume summaries are an effective way to capture the attention of recruiters, there are situations where it’s best not to include one in your resume at all.

We recommend writing a resume summary when:

• You have a lot of experience . If you have several years of experience in a specific field or industry, a resume summary allows recruiters to understand your best qualifications in a short amount of time.
• You are changing industries . During a career change , a resume summary can help bridge the gap between your previous experiences and your new career path. Be sure to highlight any relevant accomplishments or skills that can help you in your new role.

On the other hand, it’s best to skip the resume summary if:

• You don’t have any experience . For recent graduates or those with minimal experience, a resume objective may be more appropriate since your resume won’t have much information in it yet.
• It doesn’t add value to your resume . When done right, summaries can be a powerful addition to your resume. However, if they take up too much space or don’t add value, it’s best to remove them to make room for your work history.

How to Write a Summary For a Resume

To write a summary for your resume that will help you land more interviews, consider the following tips:

#1. Tailor it to The Job

Make sure your resume summary aligns with the specific job you are applying for . Sending out a generic one that discusses your entire work history defeats the purpose of a summary.

Review the job description and identify the qualifications and requirements the employer needs. Then, focus on highlighting the experiences and skills that demonstrate your ability to succeed in the role. It’s also important to mirror the language used in the job description, as that will show your understanding of the role and the industry.

#2. Showcase Achievements

Your summary is your first chance to make an impression, so don’t waste it discussing things that a recruiter would already expect from your job. For instance, if you work in sales, don’t simply say that you helped increase sales or that you brought in a large number of clients.

Instead, quantify your achievements . Discuss the best revenue you generated in a month or the top number of clients you brought on board. By showing results, you will stand out from other applicants and showcase your strengths to potential employers.

#3. Use Action Verbs

When writing your resume summary, use action verbs and descriptive language to discuss your experiences. Instead of just listing your responsibilities, using action words can help show the impact you made in your previous position.

Always provide examples of your achievements when discussing them. Rather than saying, “Was responsible for managing a team of 5”, you can say, “Led a team to exceed monthly sales targets”. Using action verbs also helps break up the text and make it easier and more interesting to read.

#4. Mention Skills

While it’s important to discuss past achievements in your resume, don’t forget to list any relevant skills that can be advantageous for the role. For instance, when discussing your increased sales revenues, mention the skills that helped you do so, such as negotiation and time management.

Highlight a range of skills to showcase your versatility as an applicant. We find that a combination of technical skills and soft skills is best in a resume summary, especially for students who do not have much working experience.

11 Resume Summary Examples

Here are some resume summary examples for different industries to help you write your own and ensure a successful job hunt :

#1. Marketing Resume Summary

Marketing manager.

Results-driven marketing manager with over 6 years of experience. A proven track record of driving a 30% increase in brand awareness through digital campaigns at FlyingFish. Skilled in using data analytics to optimize marketing strategies. Helped achieve a 20% improvement in customer acquisition at Markets Inc.

Digital Marketing Specialist

Creative digital marketing specialist experienced in SEO, SEM, and social media marketing. Responsible for boosting online sales by 25% in a month through targeted PPC campaigns At Firefly Inc. Helped increase website traffic by at least 60% through SEO optimization techniques.

What makes these a compelling resume summary for marketing is that they highlight the applicant’s skills , such as data analytics and social media marketing, and support these with the results and numbers that prove their expertise.

#2. Finance Resume Summary

Seasoned financial analyst with 5 years of experience in financial modeling and risk management. At LMI, successfully conducted an in-depth financial analysis that reduced operational costs by at least 15% and implemented strategic investments that resulted in 10% portfolio growth.

Investment Banker

Detailed-oriented professional with experience in investment banking and portfolio management. Led due diligence efforts for $150 million transactions, resulting in successful deal closures, and contributed to generating over $4 million in advisory fees.

These resume summaries showcase the applicant’s achievements through their previous contributions. They also highlight their skills and experience first and show how they used them to achieve said results.

#3. Business Resume Summary

Business development manager.

Strategic business development manager with a successful track record of driving revenue and growing market reach. Skilled in identifying business opportunities and negotiating contracts. Secured several partnerships at Klemens Inc. that resulted in a 30% increase in sales volume and negotiated contracts that generated $3 million in annual revenue.

Operations Manager

E fficient operations manager with proven expertise in streamlining business operations and improving productivity. Implemented changes that reduced operational costs by 15% and improved customer satisfaction by 20% at Footprints Inc.

These resume summaries are effective because they focus on the applicant’s leadership skills . These skills helped them achieve great results in their previous roles and can set them apart from other candidates with similar skills.

#4. Legal Resume Summary

Litigation associate.

Results-oriented litigation associate with a strong background in civil litigation and dispute resolution. Skilled in case management, legal research, and courtroom advocacy. Proven track record of securing the most favorable outcomes for clients. Won 75% of cases in 2021 using strategic litigation tactics and negotiated settlements that resulted in over $800,000 in client savings.

Corporate Attorney

Experienced corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and contract negotiations. Strong analytical skills and attention to detail with a commitment to delivering high-quality legal services. Negotiated contracts for corporate clients, resulting in over $2 million in cost savings.

These resume summaries highlight the most important skills necessary for those in the legal industry, such as attention to detail and research. They then support these qualifications with quantified results to show potential employers what they can achieve.

#5. Healthcare Resume Summary

Registered nurse.

A skilled nurse practitioner with a strong clinical background. Passionate about providing personalized care to patients. An expert in assessing patient needs and developing care plans.

Healthcare Administrator

Experienced healthcare administrator with a proven track record of improving operational efficiency. Implemented changes at Healthy Hospital that resulted in a 15% reduction in wait times and a 30% increase in patient satisfaction. Skilled in budgeting, resource allocation, and regulatory compliance.

Patient care and satisfaction are important in the healthcare industry. This is why resume summaries that highlight skills that can achieve these are ideal. While you can still add specific numbers, especially in situations where your decisions led to a significant change, it can be difficult to quantify achievements in these roles.

#6. Administrative Resume Summary

Office manager.

Dedicated office manager with 7 years of experience streamlining administrative processes and enhancing productivity. Implemented cost-saving measures that reduced overhead expenses by 15% at XYZ Company. Developed a new filing system that reduced retrieval time by 40% at Hope Corp.

Administrative Assistant

Efficient administrative assistant with 3 years of experience in supporting executive teams in fast-paced environments. Managed schedules, resulting in a 15% reduction in meeting conflicts. Recognized for exceptional multitasking abilities and attention to detail at HJI Corporation.

These resume summaries highlight specific achievements that demonstrate the applicant’s impact in their previous position, which can be valuable in an administrative role. They emphasize the candidate’s proficiency in specific tasks and their ability to develop solutions for the company.

#7. IT Resume Summary

It specialist.

Innovative IT specialist specializing in network administration and cybersecurity. Proficient in troubleshooting technical issues and providing timely solutions. Implemented network upgrades at UTK Inc. that improved system performance by 45% and reduced downtime by 30%.

Software Developer

Expert software developer with a passion for developing cutting-edge applications. Led a team that delivered a software solution that increased user engagement at QWE Company by 40%. Experienced in full-stack development to deliver high-quality software products.

These kinds of resume summaries are most effective for IT roles because they highlight the relevant technical expertise that the applicant has. After listing their best skills, they provide concrete examples of their successful projects and achievements to show the applicant’s value to potential employers.

#8. Hospitality Resume Summary

Hotel manager.

Guest-centric hotel manager focused on delivering exceptional customer service. Implemented service enhancements at Flighty Hotel that resulted in a 20% increase in guest satisfaction scores. Skilled in staff training and performance management, ensuring a positive guest experience.

Event Coordinator

Experienced event coordinator with a track record of planning and executing successful events. Expertly managed events with budgets ranging from $10,000 to $150,000 in 2022 while consistently meeting or exceeding client expectations.

Achieving client satisfaction and success is crucial in the hospitality industry. This is why, for your resume summary to be impressive, it’s best to focus on the hospitality skills that can help you achieve that. Make sure you provide examples and detail any previous successful projects.

#9 Education Resume Summary

Elementary school teacher.

Dedicated elementary school teacher committed to fostering a positive learning environment. Helped improve student test scores by 15% through personalized instruction and unique teaching strategies. Skilled in classroom management and curriculum development to help support student success.

Academic Advisor

Academic advisor passionate about helping students achieve their academic and career goals. Advised over 100 students in 2019, which resulted in a 20% increase in graduation rates. Experienced in academic counseling and program planning.

Crafting a powerful resume summary for a teacher or any position in education involves having the right combination of technical skills and compassion for students. These summary examples do a great job of describing the applicant , showcasing their skills, and supporting these with their best achievements.

#10 Non-Profit Resume Summary

Outreach coordinator.

Dedicated community outreach coordinator focused on driving social impact and positive change. Organized more than 50 outreach events in 2020, engaging 2,000 community members and raising $150,000 in donations for local non-profit organizations.

Development Manager

Development manager skilled in fundraising and donor relations. Was able to secure over $500,000 in grants and sponsorships to fun critical programs and initiatives for 10,000 individuals in need within the community.

For non-profit positions, it’s crucial to have the right technical skills, as these roles involve navigating complex legalities and interacting with different people. By showing proof of your previous success, you are more likely to be selected for the position.

#11 Self-Employed Resume Summary

Freelance writer.

Seasoned writer with over 7 years of experience writing compelling content for a diverse range of clients. Produced 500+ articles, helping to achieve an average engagement increase of 40% and driving organic traffic growth by 25% through SEO-optimized content.

Web Developer

Web developer and designer experienced in creating visually stunning and user-friendly websites. Brought 50 projects to fruition in the last year, helping improve the average loading time of websites by 50% and increasing client conversion rates by 30%.

Since freelancing or contract positions don’t usually last long, the key to creating a compelling self-employed resume summary is to highlight your success in previous projects. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant statistics for the role you are applying for.

4 Pro Tips to Consider When Writing a Resume Summary

An effective resume summary can help you make a lasting impression on recruiters or potential employers. We share the following tips to keep in mind when writing your summary:

• Be concise. A resume summary should be concise. It should cover your most relevant skills and qualifications in two to four sentences and. Avoid fluff or filler language. These add no value to your resume and will only distract the reader.
• Be concrete. When discussing your achievements, provide examples to support your claims. These could be through numbers, metrics, and percentages. By providing specific examples, your potential employers can better understand how you can contribute to their company.
• Be positive. Humility is a good trait to have, but when it comes to your resume summary, it’s best to be confident. Highlight your strengths and accomplishments, and use language that shows your enthusiasm and positive attitude.
• Be detailed. Include measurable data, such as sales figures, cost savings, and project timelines, in your summary. Be as detailed as possible to help make your accomplishments more compelling.

Final Thoughts

It can be challenging to fit all your experiences and qualifications into a few short sentences. But with these tips and examples, you can create an impactful summary to help you stand out from the competition.

Be strategic when using a summary, and skip it completely when not necessary. Remember to always customize your resume summary to meet the requirements of the job you are applying for. This will increase your chances of getting an interview and being selected for the job.

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Resume Summary Statement Examples and Writing Tips

What is a Resume Summary Statement?

What is an executive resume summary.

• Summary Statement vs. Objective
• Benefits of a Resume Summary

How Long Should a Resume Summary Statement Be?

• What to Include

Resume Example With a Summary Statement

Resume summary statement examples.

What's a summary statement, and when should you include one on your resume? Also known as a summary of qualifications or a  resume profile , a summary statement gives the hiring manager, at a glance, a synopsis of your professional qualifications.

When writing a resume summary statement, be sure to include concrete information on how you have added value to companies and helped to transform departments or organizations. This will show the hiring manager that you would be an asset to the company.

Here's advice on how to write a resume summary statement, what to include, and examples to review.

A resume summary statement is a brief list or a few sentences at the top of your resume (after your  contact information ) that highlights your qualifications for a job. It showcases your most important credentials, and is listed above your employment history. The person reviewing your resume will be able to view your most important attributes at a glance.

A resume summary is sometimes referred to as an executive summary, especially for upper-level positions. An executive summary highlights your most relevant skills, qualifications, and achievements.

An executive resume summary statement is even more critical for advanced positions since prospective employers will be primarily focusing on and comparing the track record of success that candidates have developed in similar roles.

Resume Summary Statement vs. Resume Objective

A resume summary statement is not the same as a resume objective. Both are a few sentences long, and are located at the top of one’s resume. However, a  resume objective  statement tends to focus more on your own interests as a job seeker—it emphasizes what you are looking for in a job or company.

A resume summary statement, on the other hand, communicates what you can bring to the table in the targeted role. It is a way to “sell yourself” to the employer.

Benefits of a Resume Summary Statement

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

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

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

The summary statement should be approximately two to four lines and speak to your professional background only. Do not address any outstanding circumstances ( employment gaps , change of career, personal experiences, etc.). A cover letter is an expanded version of the statement that will allow your personality to shine through.

What to Include in a Resume Summary Statement

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

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

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

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

In a resume summary statement, avoid skills that are commonplace (for example, avoid mentioning Microsoft Office), or overused words (such as "multitasker" or “team player”). Try to use  action words  to demonstrate your achievements.

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

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

This is a resume example with a summary statement. Download the resume template  (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or read the example below.

Resume Example With a Summary Statement (Text Version)

Matthew Applicant 900 Basil Street Boyton Beach, FL 33426 123-456-7890 matthew.applicant@email.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY 

Certified Workforce Development Professional / Career Specialist offering experience providing tailored career counseling, coaching, and job seeker services. Work well with clients from all walks of life to identify values, develop possible career paths, and design effective job search strategies. 90% successful employment placement rate. Proficient with database programs including Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.

Key Skills Individual Employment Plans Resume Writing Assistance Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills Analysis Labor Market Intelligence Goal Setting / Interest Inventories Professional Networking Strategies Career Portfolios Training Programs.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Workforce Investment Act Career Specialist ( February 2020 - Present) Arbor Education and Training, Boynton Beach, FL

Promoted to provide career management services to the universal population, assessing job readiness and preparing clients for entry / re-entry into the workforce. Duties include intake, interviewing, eligibility verification, referrals to supportive services and employer services, career coaching, and job search and orientation / classroom instruction. Serve as client liaison with instructors, businesses, and other client resources.

• Achieved and consistently maintained successful employment placement rate of 90% .
• Demonstrated strong understanding of labor market, vocational systems, One-Stop services, and One-Stop referral system.

Eligibility Career Specialist ( November 2018 - January 2020) Arbor Education and Training, Boynton Beach, FL

Conducted intake interviews and administered screening forms to ascertain client eligibility for public assistance services. Provided initial and follow-up support to clients, scheduled eligibility review dates, and resolved eligibility issues. Meticulously maintained documentation in database and hard copy case files. Provided referrals to community-based partners and agencies.

• Hand-selected by senior management to serve as Project Support Associate Specialist / Team Leader tasked with providing customized training opportunities for students.

B.A., Business Administration 2018 Fort Lauderdale College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Florida Certified Workforce Professional Certified Professional – Job Seeker Services 2019 Dynamic Works Institute, Rockledge, Florida

Citizen Contact Skills Institute of Government, Palm Beach Community College, Lake Worth, Florida

ASSOCIATIONS Dynamic Works Institute – DWI National Association of Workforce Development Professionals NAWDP South Eastern Employment and Training Association - SETA

CEO Hands-on executive officer known for strategic and focused approach, with extensive accolades for limiting risk, creating lean teams, and establishing creative strategies for optimizing internal operations, financial returns, external customer service, and output.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL  Multi-faceted, efficient, and reliable administrative professional with 10+ years of experience supporting executives, sales personnel, and managers to improve internal operations for small businesses.

Proficient in CRM applications and design programs. Diversified skill set covering administrative support, client relations, writing, human resources and recruiting, account management, and project management. Excellent interpersonal, phone, and digital communication skills.

PARALEGAL Self-driven, detail-oriented professional leveraging advanced analytical and research talents to excel within an intellectually demanding Paralegal role with an established law firm.

Legal Administration : Utilize Paralegal training and proven research and writing skills to ensure the timely drafting and submission of legal documents. Unparalleled grammatical and editing skills.

Communications / Client Relations : 10 years' experience working directly with clients from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds to define individual needs, assemble personal histories / career backgrounds, convey project statuses, and formulate strategic presentations. Easily instill trust and confidence in clients stressed by challenging work environments and life events; handle private client data with 100% confidentiality and integrity.

Information Management : Swiftly master and apply business and online technologies and proprietary databases / content management systems. Technical proficiencies include MyCase Legal Practice Management Software, Best Case Bankruptcy Software, and Clio.

Key Strengths : Finely-tuned analytical skills with a dedication to expanding subject knowledge and workplace competencies through continuing research and training; willingly assume extra responsibility to ensure optimal and timely project execution. Type 80 wpm with perfect accuracy.

REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR 15 years of successful sales management experience within the consumer products industry. Lead by example in motivating sales teams to unprecedented YOY gains.

• Increased sales in the northeast region by 15% through creative vendor partnerships and instituting sales incentives.
• Hired, trained, and inspired award-winning sales team, generating profits at 10% above the company average.
• Conducted customer satisfaction surveys and recommended product enhancements which were then adopted by senior management.

PROJECT MANAGER Seasoned project manager with 5+ years of print project management experience and knowledge of web production obtained from positions in educational publishing and consumer packaging. Creative problem solver who has consistently completed projects on time and within budget. Employed a customer-focused approach which increased repeat business by 15% over the prior cycle. Reduced employee turnover by 35% and retained all top-performing staff members.

This list of professionally written resume samples includes templates you can download to create your own resume.

How to Make Your Summary Statement Stand Out

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

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

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

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6 Tips to Write a Winning Resume Summary (With Examples)

Want to capture a recruiter's attention instantly when they review your resume? Consider writing a compelling resume summary. Here are some tips!

A resume summary is a section you should consider adding to your resume if you don't already have one. If you're wondering what to include in your outline, you should keep in mind that the objective of this section of your resume is to showcase relevant, critical points for the job you're applying for.

Your summary offers potential employers a clear picture of your qualifications as they start reading your resume. Continue reading to learn how you can create a winning resume summary of your own.

Tips for Writing a Winning Resume Summary

1. identify and list your most essential skills and experiences.

As you write your list, include your technical skills, awards earned, soft skills, certifications, and other achievements.

2. Describe Strong Character Traits in a Few Words

Once you've completed your list of experiences and essential skills, you can briefly introduce yourself using your strengths and achievements.

3. Review the Employment Listing

Look over the job listing for the position you're applying for, note the skills and experience the hiring manager is seeking, and match up those requirements with the experience and skills you've listed.

4. Include Your Current Role and Employment Experience

Remember, this is your opportunity to introduce yourself to potential employers. Let them know your current role and the years of experience you have.

5. Say How You Want to Help Your Potential Employer Achieve Their Goals

This is your opportunity to let the hiring manager know why they should consider you for the position. Let potential employers know what you bring to the table and how you can help the company accomplish its goals, so they want to learn more about you and will invite you for an interview.

If possible, include information on significant achievements as proof you can deliver similar results if hired.

6. Create a Summary That Briefly Showcases Your Skills

Your statement should begin with a strategic adjective that describes you using an active voice. You can include keywords to describe your experience and skills, and keywords can help your resume get picked up by automated resume scanners.

When creating your summary, use quantitative details and avoid making general statements.

Formula to Create an Effective Resume Summary

As you start working on crafting your resume summary, you may want to consider the following formula:

• Strong personality/character traits (e.g., insightful, dedicated, detail-oriented).
• Professional title and experience (e.g., hotel manager with six years of work experience).
• Value proposition (e.g., eager to work with a company to increase website traffic).
• Quantifiable accomplishments (e.g., cut costs by 25% in my department last year).

How to Structure Resume Summaries Based on Employment Level

Below you'll find resume summary examples from various industries at different levels of work experience. Review the examples provided below and tailor one of your own based on the structure provided.

Entry Level Resume Summary

If you're a recent graduate and don't have much work experience, you can still create a winning resume summary. The key to making your resume summary as a new graduate is not to appear unqualified.

When writing your outline, you can include volunteer work, teacher praise, or relevant school projects or awards. If you're not close to a computer, and you see a job you want to apply for, you can create your resume using the Canva app on mobile !

Career Change Resume Summary

When creating a resume summary when you're changing careers, you need to show how your previous experience relates to the job you're applying for. If your previous work experience isn't relevant to the job you're applying for, then focus on your skills.

If you have limited computer access and still need to get your resume out to potential employers, you can save your resume on your phone and apply for jobs !

Executive Resume Summary

For an executive resume summary, you should focus on your years of experience in the industry. You can use awards, accomplishments, and initiatives you've successfully launched.

If you're worried your personal information is vulnerable to scammers, the good news is that you can protect your details from those who want to scam you.

Examples of Resume Summaries Based on Type of Work

Potential employers are looking for different things in candidate resumes, depending on the position they're looking to fill. If you're still unsure about the format of your resume, you may want to consider creating a hybrid resume . Below, you will find some samples of resume summaries based on the type of work you seek.

Office and Administrative Jobs

Enthusiastic executive assistant with 8 years of professional experience. Organized and arranged travel for our annual leadership conference with 15 attendees, while still maintaining regular office flow. Skilled in accounting and have training in QuickBooks. Created and implemented two office strategies that helped my employer save over $8,000 per year.

Recent Graduates

Dedicated and driven student working towards a BA in Social Work at Michigan State University (GPA 3.7). Eager to work for an organization that helps youth in underprivileged neighborhoods. Volunteered at a shelter for young adults aged 15 - 19, developing programs to educate people living at home on how to navigate the system when seeking employment and housing.

Executive Positions

Ambitious and well-organized non-profit executive with 8+ years of experience. Enthusiastic about fundraising, collaborating with stakeholders, and seeking to help my next employer increase the visibility of the organization and increase membership and donations. At my former employer, my work contributed to a 30% increase in membership, a 25% year-over-year increase in donations, and a 25% reduction in costs.

Customer Service Positions

Enthusiastic and positive customer service representative with over two years of experience helping address the issues and concerns of customers. Eager to support my next employer in becoming a leader in the market through unquestionable customer support skills. Awarded Customer Service Employee of the Month four times. Contributed to decreasing unsatisfied call-backs by 25% within the first three months of employment.

Medical Assistant

Certified Medical Assistant with 7+ years of experience. Passionate about using exemplary patient care skills to support excellence within the organization I work for. A firm believer in continuous education, I have started the process of earning my Project Management Certification, so I can help my employer with projects efficiently and effectively in the future.

Tenacious and regimented senior CGA with over 10 years of experience. Enthusiastic about utilizing proven account reconciliation and IT skills with my new employer. Improved past employer's cloud-computing processes, which led to saving as much as 900 hours annually. Discovered and stopped an issue that saved my employer $500,000 a year.

Get the Attention of Your Future Employer With a Winning Resume Summary

If this article didn't include the type of job you're applying for above, you could still create a resume summary that catches the eye of your future employer. Follow the steps outlined above and customize them to your experience, skills, and accomplishments.

Ensure you have a clear understanding of what the hiring manager is looking for by reviewing the job advertisement and tailoring your summary to it. By customizing your resume summary, when your potential employer reads your resume, they have a good idea that you're the candidate they're seeking.

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• Resume Objective Examples: A...

Resume Objective Examples: A Career Objective Guide

20 min read · Updated on June 03, 2024

The formula and some good examples for creating a resume objective to get you noticed

You're searching for a new (or perhaps your first) job, and you know your objective. However, do you know how to communicate it effectively on your resume? A resume objective is a great way to let employers see a snapshot of your skills and experiences and ensure that you stand out from other candidates. However, as our great resume objective examples will demonstrate, your objective matters less than the employer's needs.

In this post, we'll explain the resume objective and how it has evolved. We'll also offer insight into the differences between an objective statement and a summary statement - and how to know which one to use. Then we'll offer some tips to help you craft an objective for your resume and look at 27 great resume objective statement examples that you can customize for your own resume.

What is a resume objective?

The resume objective used to be the gold standard of resume introductions. This brief, three or four-sentence paragraph had long been used to capture employers' attention by focusing on a job seeker's skills, experiences, and achievements while also highlighting the candidate's career goals. These days, it's less common to find professional resume objective examples since most job seekers rely on a resume summary instead.

The basic components of a good resume objective statement

A good resume objective provides three kinds of information to employers:

Who you are, which is generally a statement of your current job title as well as any skills, education , or certifications relevant to the job you're after

What you will bring that's of value to that company, such as your years of experience or specific training

 How you will use your talents to help the company reach its goals

Resume objective vs summary statement

It's important to understand how these two career statements differ from one another. On the surface, they would seem to have much in common. After all, they're both designed to serve as introductions that summarize your main qualifications for the job. Moreover, each is intended to capture the reader's attention and inspire them to continue reading the resume .

The differences, however, can be stark. For example:

Resume summaries focus primarily on the candidate's past record of achievements; objective statements emphasize future goals

Resume summaries provide quantifiable results, using real numbers to demonstrate value; objective statements rarely do that since it is difficult to quantify goals

Resume summaries are designed to align achievements with the company's needs; objective statements have traditionally focused more on the candidate's priorities and needs

Resume summaries are great for people who have experience and achievements; objective statements can be useful for those who lack that experience

Which one should you use?

If you've been following our resume guidance in recent years, you're probably aware of the fact that we recommend the resume summary for most job seekers. And make no mistake: if you're an experienced professional who is still moving ahead in the same field and industry, the resume summary is almost certainly your best option. However, there are two situations in which you might find that a resume objective statement will serve your interests better.

If you're new to the workforce. Recent graduates will rarely have the type of real-world experience needed for an effective summary statement. In most instances, a newcomer to the working world will likely need to rely on a resume objective to highlight skills and demonstrate how their goals align with the company's vision.

When you're interested in switching careers . In most cases, you'll have the transferable skills needed to do the job, but may struggle to align your quantifiable achievements with the company's needs. If that's the case, a resume objective can help you to showcase your skills in a way that demonstrates how they can positively benefit the company.

Tips for writing your own resume objective

Because resume objectives have lost some of their luster in recent years, many job seekers may not be familiar with the best way to craft them. To assist you in that process, we've compiled some simple tips you can use to make sure that your objective statement achieves your goals.

State how you'll help the company, not just how qualified you are. While you may not have the experiences or achievements needed to directly convey that value, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't still focus on what the company needs rather than your own desires and goals.

Use specific facts, numbers, and details whenever possible, without bragging or generalizing.

Keep it simple. Don't use flowery or expansive words, as they can sometimes make you appear arrogant. Make it as easy as possible for a recruiter to quickly see you as a qualified candidate.

Review the job posting to ensure that you have the information you need to make your resume objective specific to the job and company.

Tailor your objective to the specific job, career, and industry you're applying for. This means that you should create a separate, customized resume for each application.

Expert tip: Don't make the mistake of creating an outdated resume objective centered on your own goals. Instead, incorporate the best elements of a resume summary into your objective statement by taking the time to tie your goals to the company's needs.

Great resume objective statements you can use for your resume

With all this in mind, here are some good resume  objective examples to help you create a great career objective of your own. If your job isn't listed, don't panic. While these examples don't cover every job out there, they should help you to build a strong, targeted objective for your specific needs. As we said, each objective should be tailored to a specific role - that's why you won't find any resume objective examples for multiple job types. 

1.     Resume objective examples for a new jobseeker

You might not have a ton of experience, but creating a good resume objective will absolutely help to differentiate you from other applicants in a recruiter's eyes. The trick here is to emphasize your strongest personal skills and characteristics, as well as any educational successes, since you can't provide specific work experience or accomplishments.

Here are two general resume objective examples for new jobseekers:

“Organized, fast-learning, and hard-working employee looking to join [company name] as an Administrator. Looking to take advantage of skills in Microsoft Word and QuickBooks to help [company name] meet their objectives through organization and team support.”

“Recent graduate with a B.A. in Accounting, looking to start a career in finance at [company name]. Experienced in creating annual reports and analyzing financial statements for several university activities. Seeking to combine theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience to help [company name] continue their strong market presence.”

2.     Resume objective examples for those looking for a career change

Your goal here is to clearly show how your skills and experience from your previous career can be effective in your next job. Do this by mentioning your talents and knowledge that are relevant to the new job and stating how your previous career background will help you to succeed and excel in the role.

“Customer Service Associate with over four years of experience in accounting technical support, looking to leverage Excel skills and Great Plains knowledge as a Staff Accountant with [company name]. Proven customer satisfaction record solving complicated technical and accounting issues while in a remote role.”

3.Resume objective examples for finance roles

“Experienced individual with solid analytical and quantitative skills and 5 years of experience seeks the job of Financial Analyst with [company name], to leverage outstanding knowledge of financial analysis and modeling to provide accurate and sound financial decision-making at all levels.”

“Experienced Junior Financial Analyst seeking role of Senior Financial Specialist with [company name]. Skills include making targeted and time-sensitive financial decisions by merging solid analytical, accounting, and quantitative skills with a strong passion for the finance industry.”

4.     Resume objective examples for Accountant roles

“Detail-oriented graduate with an AS degree, problem-solving abilities, and analytical skills seeking the role of Accounting Associate with [company name], to effectively apply exceptional knowledge of tax and accounting software for accurate budgeting and forecasting.”

“Current CPA looking to fill the role of Accounts Manager at [company name]. As well as being disciplined and self-motivated, I have extensive experience with financial reporting and modeling along with a proven knowledge of various accounting software models, all of which contribute to effective financial operations.”

5.     Resume objective examples for banking roles

“Highly talented Head Teller with 8 years of experience in the banking sector, seeking a position as a Relationship Manager with [bank name] to increase revenue by combining a banking background with excellent interpersonal and communication skills to bring in new clients, maintain relationships with existing clients, and develop effective media campaigns.”

“Seasoned banking professional seeking a Bank Manager position with [name of bank], where I can use my business and banking experience along with strong communication skills to provide effective problem-solving, customer service, and employee retention and interact with bank customers in a positive, beneficial manner.”

“Self-motivated, reliable, number-loving individual looking for a position as a Bank Teller with [bank name] to apply exceptional math and customer service skills for customers. Key traits include trustworthiness, efficiency, and willingness to learn new tasks.”

6.     Resume objective example for Computer Engineer roles

“Highly motivated individual with 7 years of solid computer engineering experience and proven leadership skills seeking the position of SharePoint Administrator at [company name] where I hope to use demonstrated SharePoint expertise, knowledge of SharePoint solutions architecture, and advanced knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server to ensure exceptional technical performance.”

7.     Resume objective example for a Network Administrator

“Experienced IT professional with BA in Computer Science and proven technical, management, and communication skills seeking the position of Network Engineer at [company name] to use proven experience in systems management and configuration to benefit both internal staff and external customers.”

8.     Resume objective example for IT professionals

“Talented Information Technology Specialist in search of a Senior IT Manager position at [company name], where proven technical and team management skills can help to improve existing processes for handling IT requests and efficiently delivering various technical projects.”

9.     Resume objective example for a Programmer

“Technical and database professional seeks the role of SQL Programmer within [company name] where I will use my excellent programming and organizational skills to enhance company market presence while also gaining a deeper understanding of the newest IT trends.”

10.  Resume objective examples for customer service roles

“Smart and creative Customer Service Representative desires similar position with [company name]. Brings strong communication abilities, proven organizational skills, and a supportive, patient personality to help the company retain and grow its customer base in both existing and new markets.”

“Experienced customer service professional seeking a position at [company name] as a Customer Support Analyst, where I can apply excellent communication and organizational skills to provide customers with effective and efficient support which ensures ongoing retention.”

“Credentialed and experienced Sales Administrator seeks the post of a Contact Center Agent at [company name] where I can provide exceptional verbal, listening, and analytical abilities to ensure clients reach their desired objectives by correctly using [company name]'s products.”

“Diligent Customer Service Agent with 5+ years of experience at a high-volume call center seeks a career move to a similar role at a company such as [company name]. I thrive in a fast-paced work environment and am committed to delivering the top-rated customer service you provide. My organization and support skills can help to meet current and future customer demand.”

11.  Resume objective examples for Engineers

“Graduate of [school name] with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and two years of work experience at ABC Company seeks a Mechanical Engineer role with [company name]. Possess excellent skills in research, data analysis, and time management. Hold patents for several innovative mechanical devices.”

“Experienced individual with 7+ years of experience managing engineering operations seeks a Civil Engineer role at [company name]. Proven ability to handle simultaneous projects with minimal supervision and bring a committed focus on health, safety, and the environment to the position.”

12.  Resume objective example for human resources positions 

“Human resource management professional looking for the opportunity to augment the overall strategic plan and market direction of [company name] as VP of Human Resources. Over nine years of experience in managing staff, handling employee relations, and deliveirng projects. Strong skills in HRIS.”

“Established, successful HR recruiter seeks a Human Resources Coordinator position with [company name] where I can use my experience and in-depth knowledge of hiring processes, negotiation, conflict resolution, and policy development for payroll and benefits.”

“Experienced and approachable Human Resources Coordinator with four years of experience seeks position as Human Resources Manager with [company name], where I can use my industry knowledge and HR experience to implement employee satisfaction policies and improvements, develop hiring protocols, and create an environment where employees feel valued and satisfied.”

“Results-driven graduate with a degree in psychology (GPA: 3.8) and a minor in business operations looking for a role as a Junior HR Recruitment Agent at [company name]. Prior experience in interviewing and providing feedback as part of college projects in business classes. I will bring well-honed soft skills and strong knowledge of workplace psychology to assist overall HR operations, while fine-tuning my skills in the recruitment process.”

13. Resume objective examples for internships

“Hard-working student (3.5/4.0 GPA) majoring in [specific area] seeks the Intern role with [company name]. Abilities include proven leadership and organizational skills and strong attention to detail. Dedicated team player who can be relied upon to help [company name] achieve its goals as I learn more about your market space.”

“Energetic, talented college student at [school name] working toward a Marketing Degree, seeks to fill the Marketing Intern role at [company name]. General experience and knowledge of PR, advertising, consumer research, and product development strategies to help build customer base in emerging markets.”

14.  Resume objective example for legal roles

“Accomplished Corporate Attorney with 8 years of direct experience, seeking a top-level Lawyer role at [name of legal firm]. Brings skills including legal drafting, arbitration, corporate affairs, and labor laws to assist clients both inside and outside the courtroom.”

“Current Public Legal Advocate seeks position as Senior Legal Researcher for [name of court district/city/legal firm]. I have two years of experience working in district and session courts in the areas of home development, land development, and commercial property development, that will allow me to take on more challenging research projects to meet client needs in these areas.”

15.  Resume objective examples for marketing positions

“Technically oriented graduate with a B.A. in Internet Marketing seeking a Junior SEO Specialist position at [company name]. Possesses a working knowledge of SEO, as well as some hands-on experience with Google Analytics. Looking to further develop online marketing skills as part of the [company name] team.”

“Certified Digital Marketer with strong content writing skills, SEO experience, and 5 years of proven online marketing experience seeking the role of Digital Marketer with [company name] to help expand customer base into new markets.”

“Enthusiastic Marketer skilled in copywriting and graphic design looking for a Social Media Marketing position at [company name]. Personally started and grew an Instagram page to 5,000+ followers and a Facebook page to 8,000+ likes. I believe my skills will help [company name]'s clients improve sales via social media marketing through a strong online presence.”

16.  Resume objective example for Physical Therapist roles

“Licensed, experienced Physical Therapist seeking similar role at [hospital or clinic name]. With 6+ years of experience in treating children and adults with physical disabilities, injuries, and illnesses, I can contribute to the healing of each person's physical challenges and help them learn to navigate them successfully.”

17.  Resume objective example for nursing roles

“Registered Nurse seeking a new career as a Neonatal Nurse Specialist at [hospital name]. Ten years of general nursing combined with a certification in neonatal nursing will allow me to provide outstanding care for both infants and their families, educating them about different health conditions and how to handle them. Working nights and weekends is not a problem.”

“Experienced Home Health Aide seeks to obtain a position as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at [name of home health agency] applying my course knowledge and proven healthcare skills to support and care for home-bound patients with various health needs.”

18.  Resume objective example for pharmacy role

“Licensed Pharmacy Technician with 8 years of experience, in search of a similar position at [pharmacy or hospital name]. Assists patients by successfully applying extensive experience and knowledge of pharmacy operations, technology, and drug distribution.”

19. Resume objective examples for office and administrative roles

“Former Nurse seeking a part-time job as a Receptionist at [company name]. Experience in working directly with people in nursing and for the last five years as an Avon Representative. Organized, with strong computer skills and professional presence.”

“Business-savvy office employee looking to work at [company name] as an Administrative Assistant. Experience as an Executive Assistant (1 year) and as a Department Secretary (3 years). Supported several key projects through strong organizational skills, timeliness, and solid computer abilities.”

“Freelance VA (Virtual Assistant) looking to transition to an on-site role as an Executive Assistant. Worked with 10+ online businesses, helping with everything from creating training documents to customer service and management support. Excellent organizational abilities and strong attention to detail. Proficient in Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud. Strong copywriting skills.”

20.  Resume objective example for an Office Manager position

“Experienced Office Manager seeking a leadership role to help [company name] provide outstanding customer satisfaction. Experienced in managing teams of 15+ at [current or former company names], handling responsibilities from hiring new staff to managing data input groups.”

21.  Resume objective examples for operations roles

“Experienced MBA graduate with outstanding time and project management skills and 10+ years of experience seeks the position as Director of Operations with [company name]. Can ensure the company's ongoing success through exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills and the ability to lead large multi-departmental operations.”

“Dynamic individual with exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills looking to fill the role of Manager of Clinical Operations at [company name]. I bring experience and expertise in overseeing clinical operations and managing technical and professional staff, as well 8+ years of clinical research and supervisory experience in the medical field.”

22.  Resume objective example for Project Manager positions

“Deadline-focused professional with proven experience in project administration, searching for a project management position where I can use my knowledge and skills in the areas of leadership, problem solving, team management, and budget control to help [company name] exceed targets.”

23.  Resume objective examples for real estate roles

“Real Estate Broker with a passion for organization and excellence seeks a similar role with [company name], using experience with the sale and lease of commercial and residential properties in [location]. Recurrent sales and leasing of properties to large corporations in the last 5 years allowed me to increase revenue to 12% on a year-over-year basis, significantly contributing to the growth of the company.”

“Successful Salesperson seeks high-level position as Real Estate Broker at [company name]. Recent experience handling a customer base of over 150 clients at another reputable real estate firm [or name the company]. Skill set includes creating daily and monthly sales reports and assisting the implementation of customer retention strategies for senior management.”

24.  Resume objective examples for service industry roles

“Excellent communicator and multi-tasker with experience in massage and esthetic services, interested in the position of Front Desk Wellness Sales Executive with [company name]. I bring various strengths including a professional phone manner, bookkeeping knowledge, and customer service skills that will help your front desk to run smoothly.”

“Hardworking, organized, and reliable Housekeeper looking for a janitorial position at [company name] to clean interior spaces. Possesses knowledge of efficient and safe cleaning practices, the use of cleaning equipment, and environmentally sound cleaning agents, as well as excellent customer service.”

25.  Resume objective examples for food service positions

“Entrepreneurial and highly experienced Caterer with 7+ years in the foodservice sector seeking the position of Catering Manager at [company name]. Brings proven management experience, culinary expertise, interpersonal skills, and a strong customer service approach to the role.”

“Friendly, upbeat, and detail-oriented individual looking for an entry-level, fast-paced Line Cook position at [restaurant name], where I can use my outstanding food preparation skills safely and efficiently.”

26.  Resume objective examples for education workers

“Talented Preschool Teacher with 3 years of experience seeking the role of Kindergarten Teacher at [school name]. I have excellent skills and connections with special needs students and collaborated with my Superintendent to create and implement effective teaching practices for these children that can be used throughout the district.”

“Experienced elementary school English Teacher looking to fill the role of Reading Specialist at [school name.] This position in a progressive institution like [school name] would allow me to use my sound teaching skills to assist students in reaching their full potential by helping them to become strong readers.”

“Passionate, enthusiastic and experienced Teaching Assistant seeking the position of Para-Educator at [school name]. Brings interpersonal skills and classroom experience to aid in the development of each student by interacting with them, providing support and resources, and directly supporting the Teacher's lessons in the classroom.”

27.  Resume objective examples for Writers and Editors

“Articulate recent graduate with a B.A. degree in Media and Mass Communication desires a Content Creator Role at [company name]. Hoping to use writing skills and experience in writing articles for local newspapers and online magazines to improve [company name]'s blog, expanding current industry presence.”

“Editor with extensive writing and management experience looking to fill the position of Senior Editor with [company name], using time-management skills to ensure all projects meet deadlines and supervisory experience to effectively manage a team of Writers and Editors.”

Key things to remember

As you can see from the resume objective examples that we've included throughout this post, there's a right way to create this type of professional summary. As you craft your own objective, keep these keen insights in mind:

Try to include some measurable achievements in your statement, to show how you can add value to the employer's bottom line. If you're new to the workplace, however, focus instead on highlighting the benefits that your skills can provide to that employer.

Keep it short, focused on relevant details, and packed with keywords from the job description. 

Make sure that everything you write in your objective statement is supported by the information included in your skills and work experience sections .

Always put yourself in the employer's shoes and try to imagine what kind of information they might be looking for as they review your resume.

Try to only rely on an objective statement if you have little or no real-world experience in the industry you're trying to join. If you do have experience, you'll probably be better served by a summary statement.

Wrapping it up

Once again, this is by no means a complete list of resume objective examples, but it should help you to understand the formula for creating a specific resume objective for whatever job you're after.

Take the time to do this right. Create a tailored objective for each position you want and you'll be easily found by both recruiters and applicant tracking systems searching for the keywords that are right there at the top of your resume.

The result? You'll be starting your new job well ahead of the crowd!

Still not sure about your resume objective or other aspects of your resume? Make sure that it's submission-ready with a free resume review or professional rewrite .

This article was originally written by Lisa Tynan and has been updated by Marsha Hebert and Ken Chase.

Recommended reading:

How to Tailor Your Resume to a Specific Job Description

How to Use Action Verbs in a Resume

How to Write a Resume Headline (With Examples)

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

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Dive Into Expert Guides to Enhance your Resume

Can you effectively use AI as a tool to help you complete your assignments at work? Maybe it’s time to let recruiters know!

Not only can relevant skills in AI help you with your work, but they can improve your productivity . And hiring managers know it. That’s why it’s essential to add artificial intelligence to your resume-building strategy by including relevant AI skills. 

In today’s evolving job market, including artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge alongside soft skills on your resume can give you a competitive advantage when applying for work . 

So, exactly where and how can you add generative AI skills to your resume? 

We consulted 3 experts from the tech recruitment sector , who gave us some advice to help you succeed with your job applications.

In this guide, we’ll answer your questions by going over what AI skills are, the top AI keywords for your resume, ChatGPT skills, what to write if you have no professional experience, and different resume examples to review. 

These tips can ultimately help you create your application in minutes with the help of our AI resume builder . 

Keep reading to find out exactly how to show off your AI knowledge and technical skills.

What Are AI Skills and Why You Should Include Them

To put it simply, AI skills are abilities and knowledge used to manage tools that are based on artificial intelligence. 

You might be wondering why they should be added to your resume if you have a solid list of key skills for your resume already. 

Matt Luensmann, Owner & Lead Technical Recruiter at MJL Recruiting & Consulting with 8 years of experience in the sector, emphasizes the importance of adding AI skills to a resume .  

“Putting AI skills on your resume shows you are keeping up with technology,” Luensmann said. 

“It all has to do with what is most important to the position. If it’s AI-related skills, then I weigh them more heavily.”

Below, we dive into 2 reasons why you should include skills that are specifically AI-related, especially if you are in the technology industry. 

1. AI skills are important to employers

Employers and recruiters often look for AI knowledge on a resume, especially ChatGPT skills and other machine learning qualifications . 

According to a study by Pluralsight , including AI skills and experience on your resume can give you an edge in the job market. 

The study found that 97% of organizations have benefited from using AI technologies , indicating a growing demand for AI skills.

2. AI skills are trending

The demand for AI skills in the job market is rapidly increasing as more companies adopt advanced technologies. The Deloitte State of AI report found that 79% of companies are planning for generative AI to drive substantial transformation within their organization, business outcomes, and industry .

LinkedIn’s Future of Work Report also highlights the growing importance of AI skills to business leaders , as the study found that 47% of executives in the U.S. think that “using generative AI will increase productivity.” 

Top AI Skills to Include on Your Resume

In most cases, knowing which skills to highlight comes down to the job description. Properly reading the job description is key when you apply for any position during your job search. 

Suppose the job description states that AI knowledge is important. It’s essential to include it in your resume , says Jeremy Schifeling, the Founder of The Job Insiders and the official AI for Careers trainer from Stanford to Harvard Business School.

Schifeling gives this advice: “If you do see a lot of AI terms in the job description (e.g., ‘generative AI’ or ‘prompt engineering’), you should strive to match those by either connecting your existing skills or quickly upskilling.”

So typically, which AI skills stand out to recruiters on a resume?

According to the 2024 AI Index Report from Stanford University, the top generative AI skills that are increasingly appearing in job postings include:

• Prompt engineering : The ability to design effective prompts and instructions for generative AI models to produce desired outputs. 
• Generative AI development : Proficiency in building and fine-tuning generative AI models using frameworks like GPT-3, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion. 
• ChatGPT : Using ChatGPT for natural language processing tasks, including conversational agents, text generation, and more. 
• Large language modeling : This is a deep understanding of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-3 and GPT-4, including their training and fine-tuning. 
• Variational Autoencoders : This skill is essential for tasks involving complex data representation and generation.
• Generative adversarial networks : Mastery of using GANs for tasks such as image generation, data augmentation, and more. 

Other tech skills to include in your resume

Other tech skills can also appear in a job listing. According to the AI Index Report, these skills are featured 3 or 4 times more in job postings than 10 years ago:

• Computer Science
• Data analysis

Luensmann says that in his recruiting experience, machine learning skills, NLP (natural language processing), deep learning, algorithms, data mining, Apache Spark, Statistics, Data Science, and Computer Vision are all in high demand.

While skills such as programming languages are key for certain tech jobs, they do not need to be a major focus if the job isn’t AI-centered. 

“If you’re excited to apply to a specific job, and it doesn’t mention anything about AI, please don’t bend over backward to try to cram AI into your resume ,” says Schifeling.

Use AI Resume Keywords When Describing Your Skills

By adding the right skills, you’ll be able to include the right AI keywords for your resume . 

Why are keywords important? Well, using the right keywords can help your resume successfully pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and catch the attention of recruiters . 

To select the best keywords, they should tie into the rest of your resume. 

Sonja Hastings, Senior Software & Technology Sales Recruiter from Optimal Sales Search tells us “If a sales rep decides to list their tech stack somewhere on their resume, I expect to see ChatGPT listed in the stack along with Salesforce and other tools like Outreach, HubSpot, or SalesLoft.”

Here are some tips for effectively using AI keywords in your resume:

• Look for terms like machine learning, natural language processing, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and other AI-related terms.
• Incorporate the identified keywords naturally throughout your resume, including in your skills section, work experience descriptions, and personal project highlights. 
• Mirror the language and terminology used in the job description as closely as possible, as the ATS may be scanning for exact keyword matches. 
• Use industry-specific AI terminology to demonstrate your domain expertise and familiarity with the latest AI trends and best practices in your field. 
• Focus on the AI keywords most relevant to the specific job and company , rather than stuffing your resume with every AI term possible. 

You can follow the example below to help you understand exactly how to add specific AI keywords .

Imagine you see a job description for a machine learning engineer position, with responsibilities including developing and implementing machine learning models using TensorFlow and PyTorch. 

Your work experience entry should look something like the example below.

Machine Learning Engineer

ABC Tech Solutions

January 2021 – Present

• Developed and implemented machine learning models for predictive analytics , enhancing forecasting accuracy by 20%.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to integrate AI solutions into existing systems, streamlining operations and improving efficiency.
• Optimized machine learning models using TensorFlow and PyTorch , resulting in a 15% increase in model performance.

How to Fit AI Skills into Your Resume Sections

When starting to think about where and how to show off AI skills on a resume , Hastings has this sound advice for us. “AI skills don’t need to be called out all over your resume. It’s best to mention them in appropriate sections.” 

“Remember, AI is a tool that everyone wants to use, and no one wants to experience,” she adds. “For example, you may use AI to craft an email, write a blog post, or outline a presentation, but your audience doesn’t want to feel like they are receiving AI-generated communication.”

When weaving your expertise through the different sections of your resume, it’s important not to just spam AI keywords in your application. 

You’ll need to mention how you used your skills , what they are, and your level.

Let’s take a look at some ways you fill in your resume sections with your AI skills. 

Add AI expertise to your resume summary

Mentioning your AI skills in your resume summary , which is your introduction, is a great way to capture a hiring manager’s attention immediately. 

When crafting your summary, briefly highlight your proficiency in the most relevant AI technologies for the role. This could be generative AI, machine learning, natural language processing, or computer vision, for example. 

That means when writing your summary use quantifiable data and being specific, for example:

Data Scientist

Data Scientist with 5+ years of experience leveraging machine learning and deep learning to develop predictive models that increased customer retention by 20%. Proficient in Python, TensorFlow, and PyTorch.

If you have limited experience, you can focus on your relevant goals, AI-related projects, and any training that you have.

Mention your experience using AI skills

When describing your work experience , it’s important to talk about how you applied AI skills to real-world projects and the impact you made. 

When discussing AI experience, Schifeling underlines, “If you have some experience with AI, just make sure to get credit for it.”

That means using specific examples with quantifiable details and strong action verbs to emphasize your AI abilities in practice .

Schifeling goes on to give us an example, “You could take a humdrum resume bullet like ‘Generated new marketing strategies’ and add in an AI layer like so: ‘Utilized prompt engineering and generative AI models to develop 7 new powerful marketing strategies, leading to a 25% increase in leads generated.’ And when in doubt, just use AI to help you reframe your existing bullets (e.g., [prompt] ‘Suggest 3 ways to add more AI keywords into the following bullet.’).”

For each relevant role, include a bulleted list that details how you used AI tools to improve results . Quantify your results whenever possible by including data, for example:

• Developed a machine learning model using Python and scikit-learn to predict customer churn, resulting in a 25% reduction in attrition rates.
• Implemented a natural language processing pipeline using NLTK and SpaCy to analyze customer feedback, enabling data-driven product improvements that increased satisfaction scores by 15%.
• Created a computer vision system with OpenCV and TensorFlow to automate quality control, improving defect detection accuracy by 30% and reducing manual inspection time by 50%.

“If you follow the STAR method of writing resume bullets (Situation, Action, Results), AI can be incorporated in the action segment,” adds Hastings. 

She goes on to give more examples relevant to the tech sales sector: 

• Partnered with Marketing to revamp prospecting email cadence and increased open rate by 35% using A/B testing, ChatGPT, and Outreach.
• Reduced high appointment no-show rate by 33%. Developed email cadence from scratch, creating high-performing sequences with ChatGPT and continuously applying A/B testing based on data validation.

This helps recruiters understand the value and technical prowess that you can bring to their organization.

Education, training, and certifications in AI

By adding relevant courses and certifications , it will be much easier to highlight that you are trained to use artificial intelligence correctly. 

Schifeling advises, “The most important thing about courses and certifications is usually not the credential itself—but the fact that the course title includes the most important keywords that Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are looking for.”

“If you take a course like ‘Advanced Prompt Engineering for LLMs,’ you’ll absolutely want to include that under your Education section. Not because a recruiter will care about the given course, but because the ATS will see that you match with some of the critical keywords straight from the job description – i.e., ‘prompt engineering’ and “LLMs.”

To show off your AI-based education and training, you can include your credentials in an education section just like the one below.

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

• Senior Project: “Predictive Analytics in Healthcare Using Large Language Models “

Certifications

• Deep Learning Specialization | Coursera, deeplearning.ai | Completed: March 2022
• Professional Certificate in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence | edX, Columbia University | Completed: December 2021

Include an AI skills section

When creating an AI skills section, focus on highlighting the specific AI technologies, tools, and techniques you are trained in . Especially if they align with the job description. 

Specify your level of proficiency for each of your technical skills. Such as “Advanced,” “Proficient,” or “Familiar,” to give employers a clear understanding of your skill set. 

• Generative AI tools: Proficient (ChatGPT, Gemini)
• SEO optimization: Advanced (SurferSEO, Gemini)
• Marketing analytics: Proficient (Hootsuite)
• Data analysis: Proficient (Google analytics, Tableau)

How To Add AI Skills to Your Resume With No Experience

If you’re just starting out as a professional, don’t worry. Even as an entry-level applicant , you can still list your artificial intelligence-based skills on your resume.

As Hastings tells us, “AI recently debuted as a mainstream tool, so if you’re still new at it, don’t worry; so is everyone else. Putting AI skills on your resume shows you are keeping up with technology, open to learning, and interested in boosting your own personal productivity. Any employer would want this in an employee” 

If you haven’t had any professional or internship experiences, follow the tips below to make sure a recruiter knows you can be successful using AI:

• Highlight relevant coursework and projects from AI-related courses , stressing the techniques and tools used and outcomes achieved.
• Include personal AI projects , such as hackathons, open-source contributions, or your own applications, describing the goals, methods, and results.
• Emphasize transferable skills like programming (Python, R), data analysis, and problem-solving that demonstrate your potential to learn and apply AI.

Schifeling has more advice for AI newbies . “If you don’t have any experience with AI, just start using it immediately. Take the tasks that you have to work on and feed them into ChatGPT (e.g., ‘How can I tackle X project?’) to get a sense of how they work. And then start experimenting with tools like Amazon’s PartyRock platform to build your own AIs with custom prompts. Within a few hours, you’ll have experience you can start to cite on your resume!”

For example, under a “Projects” section, you might write: 

Developed a machine learning model using TensorFlow to predict housing prices, achieving 95% accuracy. Participated in a hackathon where our team created an AI-driven chatbot for customer service, which won first place.

As Luensmann summarizes, “If [candidates] highlight their drive to learn and improve independently, that’s a big win in every department.”

Key Takeaways About AI Skills for a Resume

AI knowledge on your resume is crucial for standing out in today’s job market. It’s essential to know where and how to include each skill in your application.

Here are the main points to remember when doing so:

• Identify the most in-demand AI competencies, such as machine learning and natural language processing, and highlight them throughout your resume. 
• Provide concrete examples of how you’ve applied AI to real-world projects, quantifying your impact. 
• Highlight relevant coursework, projects, and transferable skills to demonstrate your potential if you’re a beginner. 
• Tailor your resume to the specific AI role, incorporating relevant keywords. 

As the demand for artificial intelligence grows, developing and highlighting AI skills can open up exciting opportunities and position you as a valuable candidate.

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How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Good Resume (ChatGPT Resume Guide)

Learn how to write a resume that’s tailored to the company’s job description from scratch using ChatGPT, including examples of the best prompts.

You can use ChatGPT to create a resume. First, mention that you’re looking to write a resume for a particular role. Next, tell ChatGPT to ask you everything it needs to know to write a resume based on your professional background. Answer its questions. Mention previous job titles, skills, and qualifications. For accuracy, refine the output so that it reflects your actual work history. Afterward, copy and paste the company’s job description into ChatGPT and ask it to tailor your resume. Lastly, put everything into a resume builder for a professional format.

Knowing how to use ChatGPT to write a resume means entering the right prompts. 

Make it clear that you’re looking to write a resume for a certain role. Then, detail your professional background (and even send the company’s job description) first so that the language model can have some guidance on the type of resume to create. 

This guide walks you through how to use ChatGPT to write a resume from scratch. The first output will likely be far from perfect, but still, it’s a tool that can speed up the entire process. 

On the other hand, ChatGPT could end up being a double-edged sword since it’s all about coming up with your own prompts, refining them, and optimizing the format yourself. So even though ChatGPT can help with brainstorming, you might end up in a loop of analysis paralysis since it’ll still require multiple iterations. 

An AI resume tool like ours, Rezi AI, uses the same technology as ChatGPT except it’s dedicated to generating outputs based on the best resume practices. 

Complete your resume immediately with Rezi AI Resume Builder . Watch your resume write itself—tailor your resume to the job description automatically and get suggestions on the top skills to include. And the design and layout? It will always stay perfect. Just pick one of our 15+ free resume templates .

Why You Should (or Shouldn’t) Use ChatGPT to Write a Resume

Why you should use ChatGPT to write a resume: 

• Efficiency. ChatGPT can draft an entire resume for the role you’re applying for in seconds. 
• Tailoring. You can tailor your resume faster by sending ChatGPT the job description rather than manually reviewing the entire thing yourself. 
• Ideas. Overcome writer’s block by asking ChatGPT the type of responsibilities, duties, and achievements to highlight, as well as how to articulate them. 

Why you shouldn’t use ChatGPT to write a resume: 

• Not 100% accurate. AI may overstate qualifications. Double-check to ensure all information reflects your professional background. 
• Generic outputs. Without proper guidance or prompts, ChatGPT might draft a resume that anyone else in your field could use. 
• No formatting. ChatGPT can help with writing a resume, but not so much when it comes to formatting a resume. 

Use Rezi AI to create your resume and skip this guide

Imagine ChatGPT on steroids for writing a resume—that’s Rezi AI. 

Here’s how to not just write, but create a tailored ATS resume with our AI resume builder: 

• Complete the initial form by entering a few details such as the company’s job description, the field you’re applying for, and your experience level. This guides our AI writer to ensure its output aligns with your professional background.
• Fill out the provided fields for every resume section, like adding your full name in the contact details section.
• When writing bullet points describing a previous role in the work experience section or an additional section, enter the job title. Next, click “Generate Bullet” and our AI Bullet Point Writer will write sentences based on your background and resume best practices.
• For your resume summary, you can use our AI Resume Summary Generator . Enter the job position and skills you want to highlight, then click “AI Writer Ready.” 
• Finish up and preview your resume. Once you’re happy with everything, hit the download button. 

And you’re all done—no need to worry about formatting or what the best prompts are. 

Every one of our resume designs and layouts have been carefully created to meet ATS standards, meaning that they’ll always pass any company’s resume scanner. This is something you can’t be sure of when making a resume on your own on a Word document or when using other run-of-the-mill resume builders that are too heavy on visuals. 

With Rezi, all you have to do is click a button to generate outputs that match your background and follow the best practices. 

You can get started with Rezi for free. 

If you’re still dead set on using ChatGPT, and you’re determined to enter the prompts yourself, keep reading.

How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Resume From Scratch

‍ This is how to use ChatGPT to write a resume: 

• State you’re looking for help to write a resume for a particular job position. Then, tell ChatGPT to ask you the most relevant questions about your career. This way, the tool will be able to draft a resume that’s more personalized to you and your background.
• Answer ChatGPT’s questions as best as you can. If you’re unsure about anything, you can ask for clarification in the same thread. 
• Refine every single section generated by ChatGPT. Get ChatGPT’s assistance with this by using specific prompts such as, “rewrite the bullet points for the [Job Title] entry and emphasize XYZ achievements.”
• Copy and paste the company’s job description into ChatGPT. Next, ask ChatGPT to tailor your resume to the job description . 
• Read through all information to make sure everything accurately reflects your employment background. 
• Put everything into a resume builder like Rezi for a professional ATS format.
• Or, format your resume yourself using MS Word, Google Docs, or other word processing software of your choice. Make sure the layout is clean and elegant.
• Save your resume as a PDF , unless the job description explicitly requires another file format.

This process of using AI tools, whether they’re focused specifically on resumes like Rezi AI or capable of performing general writing tasks like ChatGPT, can feel liberating. One of our Reddit users in our community even mentioned that: 

“The AI tools are amazing. The AI bullet point suggestions and AI Summary writer are lifesavers. My resume is leaps and bounds improved now.” 

While all sounds promising, don’t be surprised if you’re not fully satisfied with the first few outputs. It may take a few times before you get something that you feel happy enough to use as a foundation. 

If at any point you’re not pleased with the results as you’re following this guide, hit the generate button again. 

1. Describe Your Current Situation to ChatGPT

ChatGPT is revolutionizing writing , but it can’t read minds. It needs a little direction. 

Describing your current situation helps ChatGPT create not just any random resume, but a resume that aligns more with your background. 

Now, don’t get me wrong—the first draft won’t be perfect. You’ll have to double-check and replace certain details to ensure that they’re an accurate representation of your particular skills and experiences (more on that later).

Here’s how to describe your situation to ChatGPT: 

• Start by mentioning that you need help writing a resume for a particular job title. 
• Specify the job title you’re applying for. 
• Tell ChatGPT to ask you the top 3–5 questions for it to be able to draft a resume based on your background and the position you’re applying to (this way, the first draft won’t be too far off). 

In the screenshot below, you’ll see an example of this for a content manager position:

2. Answer ChatGPT’s Questions

After sending the first prompt, ChatGPT will reply with a few questions like this: 

Now, the next step is to answer each of these questions as best as you can. 

If you’re unsure, you could always ask ChatGPT within the same (or a new) thread for further clarification to help you answer any of the questions. For example, if you don’t know what your main achievements were in a previous role, ask ChatGPT for a list of the most common types of resume achievements for said position. 

Going off on what ChatGPT has asked me, here are my example answers: 

Work experience:

• Previous roles include: content manager at company ABC (2020–2023), senior content writer at company DEF (2018–2020), and content writer at company XYZ (2017–2018). 
• As a content manager, my main responsibility was overseeing the planning, creation, and distribution of content across various platforms. As senior content writer, my main responsibility was to create engaging content aligned with the content strategy and mentor junior writers. As a content writer, my main duty was to research, write, and edit content (articles, blog posts, website copy) following a brand voice and style guide.
• Content manager achievements include increasing website traffic, lead generation, and conversion rates. Content writer and senior content writer achievements include writing content that increased traffic and helping the company get featured on reputable publications like Forbes and getting lots of social shares. 

Skills and expertise:

• Content management, SEO, copywriting, project management, email marketing, social media
• Ahrefs, ClickUp, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Data Studio, HubSpot, 

Education and certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in English literature, obtained from Harvard University
• I have a Google Analytics certification

Key projects and results:

• I once led a content strategy that boosted website traffic and the number of leads. I had created a content strategy and managed a content marketing budget of $10,000/mo budget, and also was responsible for hiring freelance writers to go from creating 4 articles per month to 12 articles per month.
• Metrics include doubling organic traffic, achieving page 1 rankings on Google, and seeing a 72% increase in leads.  ‍

Professional development and affiliations:

• Apart from the certifications mentioned above, I don’t have any formal affiliations with content management or content writing organizations.

After answering, hit enter. 

3. Refine Every Resume Section 

At this point, you should have a first draft of your resume by ChatGPT. Following on from our example, here’s what that might look like: 

Although it’s not perfect, I’m pretty impressed with the output. 

Once you have this, the next step is to fill in the blanks and refine every resume section to ensure that all details are accurate. 

Whenever there’s anything you want to add or remove, but you’re not sure how, you can always ask ChatGPT within the same thread. An example of this could be, “During my time as [Job Title] at [Company] in [Dates of Employment], I actually did [Specify any tasks, duties, or accomplishments]. Could you please add this in?”

Below, I’ll share what to look out for when going through each of these sections. If you want inspiration as you’re following through this, check out our library of resume examples here . 

And if you want an easier way to improve your bullet points, use our AI Bullet Point Editor —here’s how it works: 

• Highlight the bullet point that you want to refine. 
• Hit the “Rewrite Bullet” button.
• You’ll receive up to three suggestions—select the one you like the most. 

Boom, that’s it! 

Otherwise, continue reading for how to use ChatGPT to edit your resume . 

Work experience section

The work history section should present your career timeline and growth, as well as the impact you had in previous companies.

• Consider whether any results mentioned can be specified using numbers.
• Include timeframes to further specify duties or results. 
• Edit certain details to reflect your actual experience. 
• Use alternative action verbs that provide a more vivid description of your contributions. 
• Add any extra bullet points for other relevant responsibilities. 

If you remember specific achievements or duties that haven’t been included, ask ChatGPT to add these in and refine them from there. 

Education section

The education section is where you list all formal academic qualifications. 

• Confirm if all details here such as the degree title, location, and year of graduation are correct.
• Add any further information, like your GPA (only add it if higher than 3.5 and only if you’ve graduated less than 5 years ago).
• If you don’t have much work experience, mention any relevant minors, honors, academic achievements, or relevant coursework.
• If you’re an established professional, only listing your degree, school name, and graduation date will do. 

Skills section

Prioritize the most relevant competencies in the skills section. Never lie and include anything that you can’t prove you’re adept in.  

• Put skills in categories (such as “soft” and “technical” skills) for readability. 
• Optionally, include your proficiency level in brackets for certain skills for clarification. 
• Add other relevant skills that haven’t been mentioned. 
• Remove skills listed by ChatGPT that you’re not actually confident in. 
• Mention any industry tools or software you’re capable of using. 

Additional sections

Use extra resume sections to reinforce your credibility. Tell ChatGPT about any significant side projects, qualifications, or experience that you’d like to showcase. 

• If an additional section has been included, go through all the details and make sure the bullet points accurately depict what you did. 
• If there are no additional sections in the original draft, consider adding one (or a few). Extra sections help you further highlight your areas of expertise and skills. Examples of other sections include certifications, projects, awards, and more. 

Summary section

The first resume summary that ChatGPT generates might not be the best representation of your strengths. In this case, clarify your career highlights and expertise, and then ask ChatGPT to refine your intro based on this. 

• Make sure the areas of expertise highlighted are a genuine reflection of your professional strengths. 
• Emphasize how you can uniquely contribute and how your work background is compatible with the job requirements. 
• Ensure your summary is concise and only up to three or four sentences long. 

Have little to no work experience or changing career fields? Go for a resume objective statement instead of a summary. 

4. Ask ChatGPT to Tailor Your Resume to the Company’s Job Description

A generic resume will get overlooked. Tailoring your resume means highlighting skills and experiences that directly align with the job description. It shows you've taken the time to understand the company’s needs and how you can contribute. This means you’re way more likely to get an interview callback.

Companies don’t want to receive a resume that’s meant for anyone. They only look at resumes meant for them. 

If your resume comes across as an application that can be used for any other organization, you won’t make it past the applicant tracking systems (ATS) . 

Now, the reason I suggest using ChatGPT to tailor your resume after you refined everything and not earlier on is so that you have a general resume for a particular job title. 

Here’s what you need to do to make sure it’s built not just for a certain job title, but also for a certain company:

• Use resume keywords . 
• Prioritize showcasing achievements that prove you’re capable of fulfilling the role. 
• Emphasize tasks and responsibilities related to the primary job requirements. 
• List skills, tools, and frameworks that employers expect you to be proficient in. 

With a general resume, you can now easily tailor it for different companies you’re applying to by using ChatGPT. 

Here’s exactly how to tailor your resume using ChatGPT: 

• Copy and paste the job ad into ChatGPT. Then, ask ChatGPT to provide you with a list of keywords, skills, achievements, and responsibilities that employers want to see in your resume. 
• Ask ChatGPT to add some of the top keywords into your resume naturally. 
• Make ChatGPT adjust your summary section and focus on your most relevant strengths based on the job description. (You may also ask ChatGPT if it has any questions for you to clarify so that it can provide you with an accurate output.)
• Request ChatGPT to emphasize certain skills, tasks, and achievements for different resume sections. 
• Tell ChatGPT to reorganize your bullet points and prioritize sentences that align most to the company’s hiring expectations.
• Request ChatGPT to reorganize your skills section based on the job description. 
• Ask ChatGPT if there are any particular experiences or additional sections worth considering to further tailor your application.  

Alternatively, use a resume keyword scanner to know what keywords from the job description are of highest priority. Then, copy and paste this into ChatGPT and ask it to embed these keywords into your resume.

5. Double-Check Everything

Typos and inconsistencies can ruin your resume. 

Here’s your checklist to make sure your resume is good to go: 

• Verify all information. Since ChatGPT generated a bulk of your resume (and even though you refined everything), be sure that all details are factually accurate. This includes contact information, employment details, and so forth. 
• Proofread everything. Ensure no grammar and spelling mistakes. Read it to yourself aloud to catch any awkward phrasing. 
• Review all the keywords you’ve added and see if where you put them fit in naturally. 

Another tip is to get feedback from either a career coach or a resume checker . I’m more fond of the latter, considering the costs of a career expert. 

6. Put Everything Into a Resume Builder for a Professional ATS Resume Format

Even after having the perfect resume written using ChatGPT, you’ll still need a professional format. 

If you’ve been using a Word document, the format can look tacky once downloaded as a PDF .

Now, you have two options. You can either: 

• Make all formatting changes manually yourself (I suggest going through our resume format guide in this case)
• Put everything into a resume builder like Rezi where everything is done for you, so then you’ll have a resume that you can immediately submit. 

Here’s how to put everything into Rezi AI: 

• Choose one of our ATS-compliant templates here .
• Copy and paste your ChatGPT resume into the provided fields per section. 
• Head over to the “finish up & preview” tab to see how your resume looks.
• Make any micro adjustments if necessary, such as increasing font size.
• Download your polished resume in the file type you need, e.g., as a PDF.
• Edit the file name using your first and last name, such as “Astley-Cervania-Resume.pdf.” 

The Best ChatGPT Prompts to Write a Resume

Here’s a compilation of some of the best ChatGPT resume prompts: 

• “I'm building a resume for a [Job Title] position. My previous job positions were [Job Title], [Job Title], and [Job Title]. My areas of expertise are in [Skill] and [Skill]. Can you please help me write a resume for [Job Title] position and highlight my strengths?”
• “Here’s a draft of my resume for [Job Title]: [copy and paste your resume]. Can you tell me how I can make it more impactful and tailored to the position I’m applying for?” 
• “Here’s a draft of my resume for [Job Title]: [copy and paste your resume]. Could you tailor it to this job description: [copy and paste the job description]? I also want you to tell me what changes you made and how those changes improve the success rate of my resume.” 
• “Can you please write powerful resume bullet points for my previous job position as [Job Title] and emphasize my skills in XYZ and achievements in ABC?”
• “I don’t have many quantifiable accomplishments in my work experience. Can you please suggest ways to reframe certain bullet points to clarify the value and impact I made in previous roles?”
• "I held a [Job Title] position at [Company] but it wasn’t directly related to the [Job Title] role I'm currently applying for. Can you please help me tailor my experience to highlight transferable skills relevant to this position?"
• “Based on my work experience and the job description, can you suggest what skills I should list in the skills section of my resume?”
• "I’m struggling to write a concise and impactful resume summary. Can you help me write one that highlights my track record, strengths, career highlights, and unique value proposition for a [Job Title] position?"

Let’s recap everything discussed on how to use ChatGPT to write a resume: 

• State that you’re trying to write a resume for a specific job position, and then tell ChatGPT to ask you questions about your background, so the output isn’t entirely random. 
• Answer all questions provided by ChatGPT to the best of your knowledge. If you’re unsure about any particular question, you can ask ChatGPT in the same thread for clarification. 
• Edit the entire resume by sections, starting with the work experience.
• Ask ChatGPT to tailor your resume to the company’s job description—copy and paste the job ad into ChatGPT.
• Double-check everything, making sure all details are factually correct.
• Put everything into Rezi for a professional ATS resume format. 

And there you have it! 

AI tools can make your life easier when it comes to writing a resume. Although ChatGPT is an option, you’re better off using an AI tool (like Rezi ) that’s specifically designed to help you build the perfect resume.

How do you improve your resume with ChatGPT?

Copy and paste the company’s job description into ChatGPT. Then, ask ChatGPT how to improve your resume based on not only the best practices, but also based on the job description. For a more targeted and detailed approach, have ChatGPT review your resume by sections, starting with your work experience. 

How do you update your resume with ChatGPT?

Describe your current situation. Tell ChatGPT that you’re looking to update your resume for a particular job position. Next, copy and paste your resume into ChatGPT and then tell it to ask you the top questions it has for it to update your resume. After answering the questions ChatGPT gives you, it’ll come back to you with an updated version of your resume. At this point, double-check everything is factually correct. You can also ask ChatGPT to give you suggestions on how to further improve your resume for a stronger application. 

Can ChatGPT write a resume?

Yes, ChatGPT can write a resume. It’s all about giving it the correct prompts. However, don’t solely rely on ChatGPT. You’ll still need to check and edit everything, but it can speed up the process. 

How to get access to ChatGPT?

Head over to this website and sign up for an account to get access to ChatGPT. 

How to upload a resume to ChatGPT?

Click the attach file icon and upload your resume. However, this only works when you have access to the premium version of ChatGPT. If you’re using ChatGPT-3, you’ll have to copy and paste your resume into the prompt instead. 

Can ChatGPT rewrite my resume?

Yes, ChatGPT can rewrite your resume and help you make it more impactful. Simply enter the prompt, “Can you rewrite my resume and make it more impactful for a [Job Title] position?” From there, verify all the details generated and make sure everything is an accurate reflection of your professional background.

Astley Cervania

Astley Cervania is a career writer and editor who has helped hundreds of thousands of job seekers build resumes and cover letters that land interviews. He is a Rezi-acknowledged expert in the field of career advice and has been delivering job success insights for 4+ years, helping readers translate their work background into a compelling job application.