How To Write a Summary of Qualifications

A summary of qualifications is a brief section at the top of your resume that highlights your skills, accomplishments, and relevant work experience. You can use it to show hiring managers that you are the right fit for their role. When writing this section of your resume, you should try to tailor it to the position you’re applying to. The purpose of this summary is to emphasize why you are qualified for the job you’re applying to. This resume section is becoming more common as people realize just how little time hiring managers have to look at resumes. Remember, if a hiring manager has to read through a stack of resumes, you need to include information that is going to help yours stand out. Learn more: How to Identify and Develop Soft Skills

Your summary of qualifications should include information that shows you are the right fit for a job. People who have a lot of job experience tend to benefit from having this section in their resume since they can use it to highlight how long they have been working in the industry. Likewise, recent graduates who have many academic achievements may use this section to share these accomplishments. People who are looking to change their careers can list their transferrable skills in this section. What you share in this section depends on what stage you are at in your career. Overall, you may want to highlight anything that you think is relevant to the role you are applying to. As hiring managers sometimes look at hundreds of resumes, you want to make yours stand out among the rest. Looking for a new job? Start here.

While a summary of qualifications highlights your key experiences and accomplishments, a resume objective looks a little different. It is still a brief section at the top of your resume intended to capture a hiring manager’s interest. What is different is that your resume objective highlights your professional goals. It can show what experiences you have and what you hope to do in the future. This brief section lets hiring managers know what you aspire to do as a professional. Those who decide to include a resume objective instead of their skills summary tend to have little to no professional experience. You might see the resume of a recent graduate with an objective statement. You can also use a resume objective when you want to make a big change in your career. Those who have major gaps in their resumes tend to also benefit from adding in an objective to their resume. Some people even choose to include their objectives and qualifications at the top of their resume.

Follow these steps when writing your summary:

Highlight your experience

Since you want to show that you are a qualified candidate, your summary should emphasize your relevant professional or academic experience. Remember, always tailor your summary to the job you’re applying to. Think about what experiences would seem impressive to a hiring manager. Make it clear that you have relevant experience that would help you succeed at their company. Learn more: How to Write a Resume Objective

Mention your skills

You can also use your summary to list any relevant skills or abilities you have. Think about which skills might make you a top pick for this position. Reading through the job description can help you pinpoint two or three skills that you can include in your summary. Think of how you might connect these skills to your previous work experiences and accomplishments.

List awards and accomplishments

If you have any noteworthy awards or accomplishments under your belt, feel free to share them in this section. These kinds of achievements show employers that you are ambitious and successful in your field. Hiring an award-winning employee could mean that their company sees some of this success too. Learn more: Personal Vision Statement Definition and Examples

Add quantifiable data

Adding specific numbers, such as statistics, can help you show an employer what kind of work you are capable of. For instance, you could say how much you helped your previous employer grow their revenue. Sharing the exact percentage gives the hiring manager a more concrete idea of what you did for the company.

Keep it brief

Your summary should only be one to three sentences long. The idea is that you are highlighting the most important information on your resume. This section helps a hiring manager get a quick overview of your professional experience and capabilities. The idea is that these sentences will convince a hiring manager to look at the rest of your resume.

Incorporate adjectives

Include some adjectives that accurately describe what kind of professional you are. Feel free to get a little creative with the adjectives you use. This is especially true if you are applying for a job within a creative field. You want to show your personality a little bit in this section of your resume. This is your chance to introduce yourself to a hiring manager and make a lasting impression. Here are some adjectives you could use:

• Ambitious
• Committed
• Cooperative
• Creative
• Curious
• Dedicated
• Detail-oriented
• Dependable
• Eager
• Energetic
• Enthusiastic
• Innovative
• Insightful
• Knowledgeable
• Organized
• Passionate
• Skillful

Use keywords

Keywords are words or phrases that a hiring manager incorporates throughout a job posting. Since many companies use applicant tracking systems to weed through resumes, including relevant keywords in your summary can help you pass through the system. Try to use words that you noticed the hiring manager included in the job description multiple times. For instance, if you are applying for a marketing role, you’re going to want to use the word ‘marketing’ in your summary statement.

Here is a list of example summaries you can use as inspiration for your own:

• Inspired author who has written over 10 award-winning children’s books.
• Compassionate social worker who has served families for 15 years.
• Skilled laborer who is certified in using forklifts, bulldozers, and cranes.
• Curious journalist who has traveled the globe to produce compelling news stories. Helped increase readership for a local magazine by 10% in six months.
• Dental hygienists with a decade of experience working in clinical settings. Eager to serve patients with dental abnormalities.
• Radio producer with creative and strategic-thinking skills that have helped me reach audiences across the United States. Successfully increased radio ad revenue by 25% in the past year.
• Scrappy copywriter who has won an array of writing awards, including a Gold, Silver, and Bronze Addy.
• Recent college graduate hoping to enter the field of information technology. Has maintained a solid 4.0 throughout her studies, specifically excelling in computer-related courses.
• Ambitious salesman who has secured over 50 business deals in the past year. Hoping to work with clients within the financial sector, as I am quite skilled in investment strategies.
• Trendsetting hairstylist who has worked with the biggest names in Hollywood.
• Nurturing childcare worker with experience looking after children ages newborn to fifteen.
• Innovative entrepreneur responsible for inventing the next generation of facial serums. Products have been noticed by Elle Magazine, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.
• Caring funeral home director with years of experience helping families plan meaningful celebrations of life for their loved ones.
• Knowledgeable librarian with 10 years of experience working in university settings. Specializes in teaching students the best practices in academic research.
• Creative graphic designer with experience making deliverable for household names, such as Kleenex, Lysol, and Brita.
• Experienced piano teacher who has helped over 500 students master the piano over the course of my 25-year career.
• Dedicated special education teacher with experience serving children of all abilities and backgrounds.
• Modern architect with designs featured in some of the most notable art museums in the world.
• Talented wordsmith who has experience writing blogs, magazine articles, social media posts, and other marketing materials.
• Brave firefighter with over five years of experience saving the lives of the Chicago community.
• Reliable marketing specialist with expertise in building branding content, such as websites, email campaigns, and social media posts.
• Skillful web designer with advanced knowledge of HTML/CSS, Abobe Suite, and the best design practices.
• Daring stuntman who has performed over 150 death-defying tricks for a public audience.
• Thoughtful florist designing high-end arrangements for your special day.