Writing a Great Resume Summary (with Examples)
Hiring managers read a lot of resumes, but they don’t have a lot of time. In fact, studies show that they spend an average of six seconds on each resume—so it’s important to highlight what makes you the best candidate ASAP. The best way to do that? Kick off your resume with a stellar resume summary.
What is a resume summary and why do you need one?
A resume summary is a short description at the beginning of your resume that highlights your best, most relevant qualities and accomplishments. It’s designed to grab the reader’s attention as quickly as possible.
Basically, it’s your elevator pitch put on paper. Whether you won an award, improved a business’ bottom line, or are known far and wide for your diplomatic communication skills, your resume summary puts that crucial information front and center. Sure, hiring managers spend just six seconds on each resume, but that’s not the full story: that’s how long they spend deciding whether to keep reading or not. A great resume summary spells out why you’re the perfect candidate right away, urging the reader to learn more.
You need a resume summary because:
- It allows hiring managers to understand your best skills and qualifications quickly.
- You can highlight your most relevant experience from the beginning.
- It gives you an opportunity to integrate keywords from the job description.
A resume summary is generally formatted as a short paragraph. However, you can also use 3–4 brief bullet points. The important thing is to keep it brief. Nothing makes someone stop reading like a long, dense block of text.
Resume summaries vs. resume objectives
Chances are you’ve also heard of a resume objective, and now you’re wondering, “So … what’s the difference? And which one do I use?”
Both types of introductions provide a snapshot of what you can offer a company at the top of your resume. They encourage the hiring manager to keep reading. But a resume objective also tells the company what you want, offering a more balanced perspective.
Candidates with little experience or those switching careers can benefit from a resume objective. A resume objective explains what you’re looking for in your career. For those with ample experience, their work history already shows that, so an objective is redundant.
That being said, most employers prefer a resume summary to a resume objective. Resume summaries have grown increasingly popular specifically because they focus on the company’s needs—and, above all else, hiring managers want to know how you can help them.
Ready to craft your own resume summary? Let’s get to it.
What to include in a resume summary
For those with little experience, the resume summary section can include a mix of hard and soft skills. Soft skills include communication, critical thinking, innovation, results-orientation, time management, and organization. If you have more experience, focus more on hard skills and outcomes (i.e., the numbers that prove you’ve had an impact).
When you write your own resume summary, consider including:
- Awards and achievements
- Certifications and skills
- Professional and academic experience
- Keywords from the job description.
Write down absolutely everything that fits into the buckets above. Then, circle the ones that are most relevant to the specific internship or job to which you’re applying. This is what should go in your resume summary.
After all, the best resume summaries are tailored to each individual employer’s needs. For example, if an internship posting highlights organizational skills, SEO expertise, and knowledge of social media platforms, your resume summary should address your experience in those areas, like so:
Example 1: Marketing internship resume summary for a student
Additional resume summary examples
Here are some additional examples of strong resume summaries.
Example 2: Web developer resume summary
Example 3: Software developer internship resume summary
Example 4: Entry-level accountant resume summary
Example 5: Engineering internship resume summary
Example 6: Retail resume summary
Other names for your resume summary
There are many names for a resume summary. Depending on your audience and individual preference, you might choose a different title. Other possible titles for your resume summary section include:
- Summary of Qualifications
- Career Summary
- Personal Statement
- Professional Summary
- Summary Statement
- Resume Highlights
Now, you have all the tools needed to write an amazing resume summary. It’s time to make your introduction count.
