Most companies these days get hundreds or even thousands of applicants every month.
Since hiring managers don’t have the time to read each resume in detail, they usually end up scanning them for 5-6 seconds.
Unless the resume manages to grab the hiring manager’s attention in those 5-6 seconds, they’ll simply discard the resume and move on to the next applicant.
Want to make sure that the recruiter reading your resume can instantly tell that you’re the right candidate for the job?
You’ll need to create a convincing resume summary!
Done right, your resume summary will serve as a snapshot of your entire career. It’ll show that you’re a qualified candidate in less than 5 seconds and get the recruiter to deep-dive into your resume.
Want to learn more about resume summaries, including how to make yours as effective as possible? Read on!
In this guide, we’re going to cover:
- What Is a Resume Summary?
- How to Write a Resume Summary
- 40+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples
And more! Let’s dive in.
What Is a Resume Summary?
A resume summary is a resume section that summarizes the contents of your resume. Placed right under or next to your contact details, it’s the first thing hiring managers see when they lay eyes on your resume.
A good resume summary is two to four sentences long and includes information on:
- Your years of experience and job title
- 2-3 of your biggest achievements to date
- 1-2 of your top skills (that are relevant for the role)
For 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 resumes 101 video a watch before diving into the article!
5 General Resume Summary Examples
- Hard-working bartender with over five years of experience providing professional and interpersonal 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 service skills and beverage knowledge can be leveraged to offer customers the highest quality of service.
Why this resume summary is effective: It highlights how experienced the candidate is, it mentions their qualifications, and it shows what they can bring to the table.
- 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 computer applications, including SQL, Equitrak, and Lawson.
Why this resume summary is effective: It focuses on the candidate’s strong points that are relevant to the job, their related education and certifications, and their knowledge of 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%.
Why this resume summary is effective: It mentions the candidate’s long professional experience, their quantifiable professional accomplishments, and what they can do for the company.
- 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.
Why this resume summary is effective: It shows off the candidate’s key skills, including their language proficiency and computer skills and their extensive customer service experience.
- 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.
Why this resume summary is effective: It highlights the candidate’s key skills and work experience and it focuses on showing the hiring manager what they can do for their future employer.
How to Write a Resume Summary
And now for the good stuff - how can you make a resume summary that’s guaranteed to catch the hiring manager’s attention?
Let’s start with the basics. The first thing you need to do is mention the following:
- Your experience summary, which includes your job titles, years of experience in the field, and, optionally, one or two of your most significant skills (e.g. “Facebook marketer with 5+ years of experience…”).
- Your general experience, such as your areas of expertise, specializations, and the sorts (e.g. “Experienced in managing Facebook ad accounts …”).
- Your top achievement(s) in the present or previous positions (e.g “Managed over $100,000 in marketing budget over several accounts”).
Now, to take your resume summary from “good” to “great,” follow our tips below!
#1. Tailor Your Summary to the Position
You may be an excellent candidate with plenty of work experience, but if your achievements are not relevant to the position (or if you don’t know how to highlight your relevancy in your resume summary), the hiring manager may never know.
This is where resume tailoring comes in. Tailor your resume summary to the job description and you can rest assured the hiring manager’s interest will peak.
Here’s how to do resume tailoring the right way.
Let’s assume that you’re applying for this job.
As you can see for yourself, the job ad tells you exactly what kind of candidate the company is looking for. A tailor resume summary might look like the following:
- 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.
See what we meant by tailoring? You mention most (if not all) of the must-haves from the job description in your resume summary. This pretty much just screams out “I’m the right person for the job!”
Tailoring your resume summary to the job description can also help you pass Applicant Tracking System software that companies use to filter through resumes. Such software often disqualifies candidates that don’t mention specific skills and keywords from the job description throughout their resume, so the more you tailor your resume to the job, the better your chances!
#2. Make Your Achievement(s) Quantifiable
Since you have very limited space in your resume summary to list one or two of your top achievements to date, you want to make sure they’re as impactful as possible.
And the best way to do that? Add numbers and data to back them up!
Quantifiable achievements are instantly more credible and likely to leave an impression than simply claiming that you achieved something.
Judge for yourself—would you be more impressed by this achievement:
- Onboarded 100+ customers to our SaaS platform, with a retention rate of over 75%.
Or this one:
- Helped customers sign up on our platform.
The difference here is that the first sentence actually sounds like an achievement, whereas the second one sounds more like a responsibility.
And 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
Another thing - you want to make your resume summary as vibrant and captivating as possible by using power words and action verbs.
A hiring manager that reads hundreds, if not thousands, resumes daily, won’t be too impressed if you use the same words that everyone else does to frame your experiences and achievements.
“Responsible for,” “managed,” “team player”...yawn.
Action verbs and power words, on the other hand, can really make your achievements and skill pop. Not to mention, the hiring manager is likely to appreciate that you put in the effort to go the extra mile and present yourself as creatively as possible.
If you don’t believe us, check for yourself how a sentence with and without power words plays out:
- Spearheaded Company X’s content marketing operations.
- Responsible for content marketing at Company X.
See? While both of these sentences say the same thing, the first one makes you seem much more competent.
Here’s a resume summary that incorporates this tip just right:
#4. Follow Our Formula
Struggling to make your resume summary compelling?
Worry not, we have a rock-solid formula that you can follow to the T!
It goes as follows:
Using this easy resume summary formula in combination with our easy-to-use resume builder resume builder will get you a modern, professional, and visually-appealing resume in no time!
40+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples (For Different Fields)
Do you need some inspiration before creating your own resume summary?
Check our comprehensive list of over 40 resume examples, broken down field-by-field:
Office / Administrative Jobs Resume Summary Examples
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.”
Click here for the full office manager resume example.
Office Assistant Resume Summary
“Experienced office assistant seeking to leverage advanced office 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.”
Click here for the full office assistant resume example.
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.”
Click here for the full executive assistant resume example.
Marketing Resume Summary Examples
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.”
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. As a freelancer, I grew Company X from 50,000 daily visits to 100,000 within a year by creating long-form content and conducting backlink outreach.”
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.”
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.”
Click here for the full marketing manager resume example.
Copywriter Resume Summary
“SaaS copywriter specialized in improving landing page conversions. 4+ years of experience in delivering clear and compelling copy. Experienced in A/B testing software, including Firebase and Optimizely. Increased conversions at Company X by 15% in the first two weeks by creating and testing 3 new landing page variations.”
Business and Management Summary Examples
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.”
Click here for the full project manager resume example.
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%.”
Click here for the full business analyst resume example.
Human Resources Resume Summary
“HR 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.”
Finance and Accounting Resume Summary Examples
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.”
Click here for the full finance analyst resume example.
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%.”
Click here for the full accountant resume example.
Bank Teller Resume Summary
“Bank teller with 2+ years of experience in client-facing roles at Bank X, where I was handling 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.”
Click here for the full bank teller resume example.
Data Entry Clerk 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.”
Click here for the full data entry clerk resume example.
Food and Service Industry Resume Summary Examples
Restaurant Manager Resume Summary
“Professional bar manager with a strong interest in providing the highest standards of customer service and ensuring customer satisfaction. Skilled at reducing staff turnover and upselling techniques. Increased bar revenue by 20% through advertising featured cocktails and word-of-mouth strategies.”
Click here for the full restaurant manager resume example.
Waiter/Waitress 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, dessert, and appetizers to customers. Memorized restaurant’s wine stock and accompanying meals to the T.”
Click here for the full waiter/waitress resume example.
Bar Manager Resume Summary
“Professional bar manager with 5+ years of experience managing big teams and providing customer satisfaction. Skilled at conflict resolution, time management, and marketing. Certified Brand Manager.”
Click here for the full bar manager resume example.
Sales and Customer Support Resume Summary Examples
Sales Associate Resume Summary
“Enthusiastic and knowledgeable sales associate specialized in upselling furniture and dealing with customer objections. Proven track record of success at Company X, having exceeded department KPIs by 40-50% for 6 months in a row.”
Click here for the full sales associate resume example.
Customer Service Specialist 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.”
Click here for the full customer service specialist resume example.
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.”
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. Talented in simplifying complex problems, making it easy for non-technical specialists to solve IT issues.”
Cashier Resume Summary
“Reliable and detail-oriented cashier. Skilled at 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.”
Click here for the full cashier resume example
Technical Resume Summary Examples
Computer Science 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.”
Click here for the full computer science resume example.
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.”
Click here for the full IT resume example.
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.”
Click here for the full software engineer resume example.
Data Analyst Resume Summary
“Detail-oriented data analyst passionate about helping businesses grow. Former small business owner where I 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.”
Click here for the full data analyst resume example.
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.”
Click here for the full data scientist resume example.
Medical Resume Summary Examples
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.”
Click here for the full nurse resume example.
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 in accordance with hospital regulations, and experience in supporting diagnostic and technical treatment procedures.”
Click here for the full medical assistant resume example.
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.”
Graphic Design Resume Summary Examples
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.”
Click here for the full graphic designer resume example.
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.”
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.”
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.”
Other Resume Summary Examples
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 2016.”
Click here for the full architect resume example.
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.”
Click here for the full warehouse worker resume example.
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.”
When to Use a Resume Summary?
When building a resume, you can either include a resume summary or a resume objective as your career summary.
Both are meant to summarize your strengths as a candidate, depending on where you are in your career.
Your resume objective describes your professional goals for the job you’re applying for. Unlike the resume summary, you don’t include work experience here, making the resume objective the perfect choice for college students, recent graduates, entry-level workers, or career changes.
A good resume objective does three things:
- Describes your skills, educational background, and certifications that are’s relevant to the job you’re applying for.
- Mentions your purpose and motivation for applying.
- Explains how you’re going to help with the job.
Essentially, the focus is more on your motivation than your experience.
Here’s an example of a resume objective done right:
- Results-driven computer science student from University X passionate about developing user-friendly software applications. Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to perform well in a team. Seeking to help Company Y develop their product as a software engineer, as well as grow and develop my own skills as a coder.
Writing a Resume Summary: Recap
To recap everything we just covered, here are the best practices for writing a resume summary:
- Start off your resume summary by mentioning your job title and years of experience, your general expertise, and one or two of your top accomplishments.
- Tailor your resume summary to the job you’re applying for. Consider rewriting it for each job ad so that it’s tailored exactly to what the company is looking for.
- Include achievements instead of responsibilities when possible.
- Try to make your achievements as quantifiable as possible. Mention the exact numbers, dates, etc.
- Include any skills you possess that are relevant to the job. Rule of thumb, pick them up from the job description.
- Use power words and action verbs to make your resume summary really pop.
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!
FAQs on Resume Summary
Still have some questions about resume summaries? Check the FAQ section below:
1. How do you write a summary for a resume 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 2 or 4-sentence-long paragraph that goes at the top of your resume. However, instead of focusing on your professional experience and accomplishments, it highlights your career goals and aspirations, skills, and/or academic achievements.
As such, a resume summary is better suited for candidates writing a resume with no experience in a specific field, such as students, recent graduates, or people changing careers.
2. How to start a resume summary?
The best way to start your resume summary is by listing your experience summary, meaning your job title and your years of experience, along with one or two of your strongest character and professional traits.
A formula you can use to make starting (and finishing) a resume summary super easy is:
[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 statement be?
A resume summary shouldn’t be longer than your average paragraph, meaning two to four sentences long at the most.
4. Should a resume summary be written in the first or third person?
Your resume summary, just like the rest of your resume, should be written in the third person. That said, you can get rid of the pronouns to make the resume flow better.
For example, instead of writing “she is a marketer with 5+ years of experience in social media marketing and creative writing,” you’d write “Marketer with 5+ years of experience in social media marketing and creative writing.”
5. Should you always use the same resume summary?
The last thing you want to do is use the same resume summary for all your job applications.
For your resume summary to be effective, it should be tailored to the company’s needs for each specific position. This means that even if you’re applying for jobs in dozens of companies you’re not very familiar with, it’s good to check the job ads in detail to understand what the company is looking for, and then tailor that resume summary to those requirements (if you’re actually qualified, that is).
6. What are other names for resume summary?
Some other names for the resume summary section are career summary, personal statement, qualifications summary, summary of experiences, and summary of qualifications.
Key Takeaways
To recap, the aim of a resume summary is to summarize your career highlights and important achievements to date in 1-3 sentences.
If you have any relevant work experience - then you should use a resume summary, instead of an objective.
An effective resume summary typically follows the following structure:
- Your experience summary (how many years, doing what, etc.)
- Your general experience (more specific skills, what’s your focus)
- Your top achievements (career highlights, including quantifiable change and data)
The goal of your resume summary is to catch the HR manager’s attention. If it’s relevant, they’re bound to read the rest of your resume.
Looking for extra career advice? Be sure to check out our career blog for more practical and actionable advice.
Social Media Marketing Manager Resume Summary
“Creative social media manager with 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.”