How to write a resume summary statement

 

The resume summary statement will help your resume stand out by:

a. Catching the reader’s attention immediately

b. Ensuring a clear understanding of your top selling points at a glance (important when hiring managers are skimming through dozens of resumes at a time and attention spans are short)

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

d. Briefly communicating your professional objective if relevant (if the objective is not obvious)

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Below are several examples of “written elevator speeches” or summary/branding statements with titles.

 

PROFESSIONAL WRITER

A versatile and creative writer fuses a background in journalism and academics with expertise in business writing to deliver quality, customized material spanning news, marketing, web content, curriculum, and career development. Provides sales support and highly-rated client service and excels in meeting deadlines in quick-turnaround settings.

FINANCIAL & OPERATIONS SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL

Blends academic training in economics and business administration with hands-on experience in sales and operations support to offer employers a track record of delivering on tasks accurately, efficiently, and quickly. Known for providing best-in-class customer service and communications in a variety of business settings.

SENIOR-LEVEL EXECUTIVE

A proven leader of US and international sales organizations offers expertise in developing successful growth strategies and training both individual representative and team leaders in product benefits and customer service techniques. Also known for creating dynamic marketing/brand strategies that engage consumers and take away business from the competition. Effectively manages P&L on multimillion-dollar, multi-product lines of business.

 

Skip the “I” and “me” stuff

Please note that none of these opening paragraphs are written with first person pronouns. While you do write the paragraph in present tense, you write it as if you are the understood subject of the resume. This allows the focus to remain on the employer.

Use of “I, me, my” places the focus on the applicant and the goal of the resume is to sell the employer on what you can do for THEM.

By telling the reader what you “do” and what you are “known for,” you get the reader thinking about how you can do those things for them. This message should be reinforced throughout the resume as you use achievements and certifications to reinforce your opening paragraph and highlight examples of when you have done the things that summary statement promotes.