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A Guide to Writing a Resume Summary (With Samples)

A resume summary is a section of your resume that summarizes your most important attributes and qualifications. It lets you use the first few sentences in your resume to demonstrate your unique value by highlighting skills and accomplishments that make you stand out from the rest of the candidates. A resume summary helps the interviewer to quickly determine if you possess the skills and background they are looking for.

In this article, we explain what a resume summary is, the benefits of writing one and how to write resume summaries with examples.

What is a resume summary?

Resume summaries are short statements at the top of your resume that highlight your professional skills and relevant experience. Hiring managers can quickly understand your expertise before delving deeper into your resume. Demonstrating your unique value to an organization by showcasing how you meet key requirements of the position you are applying for can help your application succeed.

The summary statement comes between your contact information and the resume body. Other names for resume summary include:

qualifications statement
personal summary
experience Summary
career summary statement
competencies summary
qualification summary
professional summary statement
executive resume summary

Hiring managers often have to go through a high volume of resumes for a position. A good resume summary could be what makes you stand out from other applicants. It is a good idea to think of a resume summary as the answer to the question, "Describe your professional experience in a sentence."

When to include a resume summary

It is advisable to include a professional summary if you have more than three years of experience. The accomplishments within that time frame should be enough to help you create an impactful statement. If you have less than three years of work experience, consider using a resume objective.

Benefits of a resume summary

Here are some of the benefits of having a resume summary:

Easier recognition

The hiring process goes hand in hand with the available time. Hiring managers may not have time to spend the entire day reading resumes and so they will scan to see which profile is a good fit for the job. A strong resume statement could improve your chances of being noticed.

Highlight your expertise and experience

A summary section helps to clear the clutter and turn a complex resume into a simpler and more relevant one. The important points are visible and this may encourage the hiring manager to give more attention to your resume.

Hit the right keywords

A resume summary can help you address the keywords used in a job post. You will need to carefully read the job post description to review requirements, education and experience before deciding on what to include in the summary. By hitting these keywords, your resume is more likely to be seen.

Resume summary vs. objective

While a resume summary highlights a few important skills and experiences, a resume objective states your career goals. You may decide to use one or both depending on your experience, the position you are applying for and the company or industry. A resume objective works well if you have limited work experience. For example, a recent graduate may opt for a resume objective while an experienced registered medical doctor may opt for the summary statement.

The resume objective of a recent graduate might say:

"Motivated graduate seeking to have more experience working with marketing"

A resume summary highlights accomplishments while an objective statement focuses on what you hope to achieve.

How to write a resume summary

To write an effective resume summary, take some time and reflect on the relevant skills you possess, your accomplishments and how they relate to the role that you are applying for. Here are a few simple steps that will help you create a good summary:

1. Assess your skills and experiences

Think about and record your most important skills and experiences. This may include technical skills, soft skills, certifications or awards.

Related: A Guide to Soft Skills

2. Review the job description

Review the job description thoroughly. Take note of the essential requirements and ensure that they overlap with your qualifications.

3. Write a summary

Put together a sentence summary that briefly shows off your skills. Use a key adjective at the beginning for yourself, write in an active voice and describe your experience using key action words. In your summary, try to mention your experience summary, a general summary and top achievement. Your summary can be arranged in bullet points or just in sentences.

Get interview-ready with tips from Indeed

Prepare for interviews with practice questions and tips

Resume summary examples

Here are some examples of resume summaries for various types of jobs that you can use for inspiration when writing your own resume summary:

Business resume summary examples

Active community outreach manager experienced in developing and completing urban community outreach programs.
A property manager with good communication skills, seven years of experience and numerous property manager certifications.
Highly organized dental office assistant with six years of experience maintaining client schedules, office workflows and billing.

Customer service resume summary examples

Experienced problem solver who remains calm under pressure while resolving customer issues to a satisfactory end.
Industry-skilled construction project manager with four years of experience developing plans and effective strategies for large-scale projects.
A friendly and trendy hairstylist with over three years of experience in helping clients become the better version of themselves. Listens actively, improves salon sales and client relationships.

Educational resume summary examples

Highly motivated university graduate with a Bachelor of Arts and good experience in learning technology.
Compassionate and orderly caregiver with over four years of experience in providing proper care to young ones aged zero to six. Experienced in handling children with special needs ensuring their comfort and safety.
Highly dedicated tutor with over two years of experience helping students grasp concepts to improve grades. Uses tutoring methods tailored to individual student needs.

Foodservice resume summary examples

Award-winning chef with 15+ years of experience in high-volume exclusive cuisine restaurants. Dedicated to giving customers unique dining experiences.
Friendly and customer-oriented barista with over four years of experience serving high-quality caffeine. Passionate about the first sip of the café.
Punctual and reliable delivery driver with over three years of experience meeting tight deadlines and increasing customer brand loyalty.

Marketing resume summary examples

Experienced content writer with great by-lines as published in major online platforms.
Social media specialist with high proficiency in Google and social media Analytics. Over three years of copywriting content that converts.
Experienced telemarketer with 10+ years of persistence while influencing customers and establishing loyal networks.
Local intuitive real estate agent with 15+ years of experience matching families with their forever homes.

Retail resume summary examples

Organized and reliable merchandiser with three-plus years of experience improving sales and brand loyalty.
Reliable and helpful store manager with strong problem solving, time-saving, leadership and organizational skills to help grow a retail brand.

CEO resume summary example

Strategic hands-on Chief Executive with a record in effective team creation, talent acquisition and financial returns.

Administrative professional resume summary

Multi-talented, reliable, efficient administrator with ten plus years of experience supporting managers and executives to meet their goals for internal operations.

Human resources resume summary

HR professional with five-plus years of experience in talent recruitment. Passionate about meeting the right fit for organizations. Applies an open door policy for transparency and efficiency.

Financial analyst resume summary

Committed financial analyst with a track record of well-performing investments. Four plus years of experience in investment banking, specializing in oil and stocks. MBA in finance.

Accountant resume summary

Licensed certified public accounts professional with six-plus years in forensic accounting, financial audits and budget analysis. Helped a company cut down annual expenses by 12%.

Receptionist resume summary

Receptionist with over six years of experience in working in both private and public sectors. Professional, personable and adept with different situations. Self-motivated and highly organized. BA in Communications.

Healthcare sales executive

Healthcare sales expert implementing concept to execution strategies to push untapped products. Negotiates partnerships with leading hospitals and distributors.

Social media marketer

Digital marketer with over six years of experience. Building successful social media strategies and having pulled in a 25% increase in leads.

Marketing manager

Marketing manager with over seven years of experience. Proven success in digital marketing campaigns. Proficiency in creating content and inbound marketing strategies.

Warehouse supervisor

Warehouse supervisor with more than 10 years of experience in management and supervision. Skilled in shipping, receiving and managing inventory control. Certified power equipment trainer.

Career Development