how to make your resume summary stand out

24 Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

By Biron Clark

Published: November 8, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

A resume summary statement usually comes right after a job seeker’s contact info and before other resume sections such as skills and work experience. It provides employers with a brief overview of a candidate’s career accomplishments and qualifications before they read further. Because of how early it appears on the document, your resume summary statement (or your CV “profile” in the UK) is one of the first places recruiters and employers look. And without the right information, they’ll doubt that you’re qualified and may move to another resume.

So I got in touch with a select group of professional resume writers, coaches and career experts to get their best resume summary examples you can use and adapt to write a resume summary that stands out and gets interviews.

As a former recruiter myself, I’ll also share my best tips to write your resume summary effectively.

Why the Resume/CV Summary is Important

You may have heard that recruiters only spend 8-10 seconds looking at your resume. The truth is: they spend that long deciding whether to read more. They do glance that quickly at first and may move on if your background doesn’t look like a fit. However, if you grab their attention, they’ll read far more. Recruiters aren’t deciding to interview you in 8-10 seconds, but they are ruling people out in 8-10 seconds. And this is why your resume summary is so crucial. It appears high up on your resume (usually right after your header/contact info) and is one of the first sections employers see. So it’s part of what they’ll see in the first 8-10 seconds.

Your resume summary statement is one of your first (and one of very few) chances to get the employer to stop skimming through their pile of resumes and focus on YOU.

Watch: Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

10 resume summary examples:.

These career summary examples will help you at any experience level – whether you’re writing a professional summary after a long executive career, or writing your first resume summary without any experience! After you finish this article you’re NEVER going to have to send out a limp, weak resume summary statement again (and you’ll get far more interviews  because of it).

1. Healthcare Sales Executive Resume Summary Example:

Turnaround & Ground Up Leadership – Concept-to-execution strategies for untapped products, markets + solutions that yield 110% revenue growth – Negotiates partnerships with leading distributors + hospitals—Medline to Centara + Novant Health to Mayo Clinic –  Revitalizes underperforming sales organizations via scalable, sustainable infrastructures emulated as best practice –  C-Level networks of clinical + supply chain leadership acquired during tenures with XXX, XXX and XXX

Why this resume summary is good:

This resumes summary example’s strength lies in the detailed, unique information that has been included. By including revenue stats, names of past employers and partners, the reader right away sees that this person will bring to the role a strong networking ability with key players in his industry, and more importantly can build, grow and revitalize a sales organization, market or product.

By:  Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes  and Forbes contributor.

2. 15+ Year Business Owner Resume Summary Statement:

Dynamic and motivated marketing professional with a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from concept to completion, designing educational strategies, and coaching individuals to success. Skilled in building cross-functional teams, demonstrating exceptional communication skills, and making critical decisions during challenges. Adaptable and transformational leader with an ability to work independently, creating effective presentations, and developing opportunities that further establish organizational goals.

Why this is a good summary section:

This is a resume summary statement that was for  a candidate returning to work after having her own business for 15+ years. Because of this, we needed to emphasize her soft skills and what she can bring to this potential position. In addition, we highlighted the skills she has honed as a business owner so that she can utilize these qualifications as a sales professional, account manager , and someone knowledgeable about nutrition, medicine, and the overall sales process.

By: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish. MBA, Ph.D., CPRW, and Founder of Feather Communications

3. Human Resources Generalist Resume Summary Example:

Human Resources Generalist with progressive experience managing employee benefits & compliance, employee hiring & onboarding, performance management processes, licensure tracking and HR records. Dependable and organized team player with the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. Skilled at building relationships with employees across all levels of an organization. Proficient with HRIS, applicant tracking and benefits management.

Why this is a good resume summary:

The applicant highlights their experience across a wide range of HR functions from the very first sentence, and continues this pattern throughout the rest of the summary. They then use easily digestible langue to showcase their hard skills (in the first & fourth sentences) and soft skills (in the second & third sentences). They also integrate a variety of keywords to get past automated job application systems , without sounding spammy or without overdoing it.

By: Kyle Elliott, MPA/CHES,  Career Coach and Consultant

4. Social Media Marketing CV Profile Example (UK):

Social media expert with successes in the creation and management of social media strategies and campaigns for global retail organisations. Extensive experience in the commercial utilisation of multiple social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; I build successful social strategies that increase brand awareness, promote customer engagement and ultimately drive web traffic and conversions.

Why this summary is good:

This summary is well-written, short, sharp, and gives recruiters a high-level explanation of the candidate’s core offerings in a persuasive and punchy style. A quick scan of this profile tells you the exact type of social media platforms the candidate is an expert in, as well as the campaigns they have experience running and types of organizations they have worked for. Most importantly, the summary is rounded off by showing the results that this person achieves for their employers, such as increased web traffic and conversions.

Editor’s note: This CV profile summary was written for the UK market… this is a great one to use/copy, but make sure you put it through a spell-checker if you’re applying for jobs in the US (utilisation vs. utilization, etc.)

By: Andrew Fennell, Director at StandOut CV , contributor for The Guardian and Business Insider

5. Marketing Manager Professional Summary Example:

Marketing Manager with over eight years of experience. Proven success in running email marketing campaigns and implementing marketing strategies that have pulled in a 20% increase in qualified leads. Proficient in content, social media and inbound marketing strategies. Skilled, creative and innovative.

This resume summary stands out because it gets straight to the point. By immediately introducing the number of years of experience the candidate has, the HR manager doesn’t need to spend time adding up years. The candidate also jumps right into his or her strongest skill, provides a statistic , then gives additional skills.

By: Sarah Landrum, career expert and contributor at Entrepreneur.com and Forbes

6. Warehouse Supervisor Resume Summary Example:

Warehouse Supervisor with Management, Customer Service, & Forklift Experience –  Dependable manager with 15+ years of experience in warehouse management and employee supervision. –  Skilled at managing inventory control, shipping & receiving, customer relations and safety & compliance. –  Certified Power Equipment Trainer, Forklift Operator and Reach Operator skilled at coaching other staff. –  Promoted to positions of increased responsibility given strong people and project management skills.

The applicant was applying for a warehouse supervisor position that required them to have demonstrated management, customer service and forklift experience. As such, the applicant showcased their experience in these areas with a few keywords in the title, followed by additional details in the accompanying bullet points. Their final bullet shows a record of promotions, while reinforcing the applicant’s customer service and project management skills.

7. IT Project Manager Resume Summary Example:

Experienced Project Manager with vast IT experience. Skills include computer networking, analytical thinking and creative problem solving. Able to apply customer service concepts to IT to improve user experience for clients, employees and administration.

Because this candidate is switching career paths, it’s important he or she take skills used for previous positions and apply those skills to the new job listing. This is a great example because the candidate makes it clear that his or her experience is not in the new field, but that they are still able to bring relevant experience to the table. When writing your resume summary, keep these tips in mind: Use writing that is straight to the point, clear and concise, you’ll have a higher chance of getting noticed by the hiring manager.

8. Career-Changer Resume Summary Example:

Earn trust, uncover key business drivers and find common ground as chief negotiator and identifier of revenue opportunities in sales, leadership and account management roles spanning e-Commerce, air travel and high-tech retail. Navigate cultural challenges while jumping time zones, lead international airline crews and manage corporate accounts to deliver an exceptional customer experience. A self-taught techie sought after as a go-to for complex billing systems and SaaS platforms alike—bridging the divide between technology and plain-speak. – Tenacious Quest for Success + Learning . Earned MBA and BS in just 3 years while working full-time – gaining hands-on experience in research- and data-driven product roadmap development, pricing and positioning. – Results-Driven Leadership. Whether leading Baby Boomers, Gen X or Millennials—figures out what makes teams tick, trains and transforms individuals into top-performers. – Challenger of Conventional Wisdom. Always ask the WHY. Improve the user experience through smart, strategic thinking that anticipates outcomes. Present cases that influence, and lead change that drives efficiency and profitability.

This client was eager for a career change and had moved from role to role and industry to industry. After completing her Master’s degree, she was eager to tie her skills together to land a role – which she did – as a Senior Technology Account Strategist for a global travel company. Although a bit longer than a traditional summary, its strength lies in the details. Without ever getting to the experience section, the reader gets a clear idea of the scope of responsibility, and hard and soft skills the candidate brings to the table.

By: Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes  and Forbes contributor.

9. Project Management Executive Professional Summary Example:

15+ years of initiating and delivering sustained results and effective change for Fortune 500 firms across a wide range of industries including enterprise software, digital marketing, advertising technology, e-commerce and government. Major experience lies in strategizing and leading cross-functional teams to bring about fundamental change and improvement in strategy, process, and profitability – both as a leader and expert consultant.

Why this resume summary is good:

“Project Manager” is one of those job titles that’s REALLY broad. You can find project managers earning $50K, and others earning $250K. The client I wrote this for was at the Director level, and had worked for some of the biggest and best tech companies in her city. So this resume profile section shows her level and experience, and the wide array of areas she has responsibility for in her current work. You can borrow or use some of the phrasing here to show that you’ve been responsible for many important areas in your past work.

By: Biron Clark, Founder of  CareerSidekick.com.

10. Startup And Finance Management Consultant Career Summary Example:

Experienced strategist, entrepreneur and startup enthusiast with a passion for building businesses and challenging the status quo. 8+ year track record of defining new business strategies, launching new ventures, and delivering operational impact, both as a co-founder and management consultant. 

Why this resume summary example is good:

This summary was for a highly-talented management consultant looking to break out of finance, and into trendier tech companies like Uber . His track record and educational background were great, so the goal of this summary section was to stand out and show he’s more than just the typical consultant with a finance background. So we emphasized his passion for startups, and his ability to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. That’s something that companies like Uber and other “disruptive” tech companies look for.

14 Resume Summary Examples for Various Industries

Compassionate and effective 5th-grade teacher with experience overseeing the classroom and preparing lessons. Extensive experience encouraging students through positive reinforcement and motivational techniques. Collaborate well with school administration and other members of the teaching team. Ensure all students meet learning requirements, including literacy, social, and arithmetic skills.

2. Teacher’s Assistant

Goal-oriented teacher’s assistant with ten years of experience working with elementary school children. Aid teachers with lesson planning, classroom settings, and group instruction. Model positive behavior and maintain order in the classroom. Willingness to take on additional responsibilities to meet learning objectives.

Tech Industry

3. computer programmer.

Innovative computer programmer with a proven track record of writing high-quality code and supporting team needs with subject matter expertise. Adept in multiple programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, and C++. Ability to troubleshoot complex programming issues with inventive solutions. 

4. Cybersecurity Analyst

Dedicated cybersecurity analyst with ten years of experience in online security research, execution, planning, and maintenance. Proven track record of identifying business risks and proactively resolving them. Experience designing and instituting layered network security for large-scale organizations. Train users and other staff members on IT safety procedures and preventive techniques.

Skilled healthcare professional with ten years of experience in patient care, diagnosis, and providing appropriate treatments and medical services. Manage medical staff and resolve complex medical cases with maximum efficiency. Communicate the patient’s condition and treatment plan in easily understood terminology. Remain current with the latest advancements in medicine and research to ensure patients receive proper care.

6. Registered Nurse

Seasoned registered nurse offering comprehensive patient care in emergency room settings. Experience handling diverse patient populations and caring for various conditions. Proven leadership managing nursing teams and other staff. Focus on enhancing patient care and satisfaction through empathetic communication and excellent customer service. 

7. Digital Marketing Manager

Forward-thinking digital marketing manager experienced in all facets of digital marketing, including social media management, PPC advertising, SEO, and email marketing. Proven experience creating comprehensive marketing plans that improve lead prospecting and enhance brand awareness. Up to date with the newest tools available for digital marketing campaigns.

8. Marketing Analyst

Industrious marketing analyst well-versed in analyzing marketing campaign analytics and making recommendations to improve performance. Collaborate with account managers and use KPI metrics to explain the results of marketing initiatives. Meticulous with a strong work ethic and robust communication skills.

Food and Service Industry

Experienced wait staff member capable of managing orders, processing payments, and upselling menu items. Ensure restaurant guests feel welcome with attentive service catered to their needs. Remain current on updates to the menu and assist guests with selecting orders to meet their dietary requirements. Maintain a positive attitude and focus during busy restaurant periods.

10. Hotel Receptionist

Friendly hotel receptionist with extensive experience handling guest check-ins, check-out, and payments. Facilitate a positive guest experience with polished customer service skills and a readiness to address common inquiries and complaints. Collaborate well with other hotel team members, including executive administration and on-site restaurant staff.

Business/Office Jobs

11. financial analyst.

Highly motivated financial analyst with a proven track record of recommending appropriate financial plans based on financial monitoring, data collection, and business strategizing. Experienced in qualitative and quantitative analysis, forecasting, and financial modeling. Excellent communication skills for building and fostering long-term business relationships across the organization.

12. Tax Accountant

Experienced tax accountant with ten years of experience preparing federal and state tax returns for corporations and partnerships. Monitor changes in laws to ensure the organization properly complies with reporting requirements. Assist with tax audits, ensuring the team receives proper supporting evidence for tax positions. Analyze and resolve complex tax issues. Look for available tax savings opportunities for corporations with an aggregate savings of $500K last year. Excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.

Sales and Customer Service

13. sales representative.

Enthusiastic sales representative with expertise in identifying prospects and converting qualified leads to paying customers. Provide quality customer service and contribute to team sales success. Offer exceptional communication skills and seek to understand client needs before making the appropriate product recommendations. Continually meet and exceed sales goals. Leverage extensive knowledge of available products to provide appropriate client solutions and enhance customer loyalty and retention.

14. Customer Service Associate

Knowledgeable customer service professional with extensive experience in the insurance industry. Known as a team player with a friendly demeanor and proven ability to develop positive rapport with clients. Maintain ongoing customer satisfaction that contributes to overall company success. Highly articulate, with a results-oriented approach that addresses client inquiries and issues while maintaining strong partnerships. Collaborate well with the customer service team while also engaging independent decision-making skills.

Now you have 24 professional resume summary statements and some explanations of why they’re effective. Next, I’ll share tips for how to write your own in case you’re still unsure how to begin based on these examples above.

How to Write a Resume Summary: Steps and Hints

We’ve looked at 10 great resume summary examples above. As you begin writing a resume summary for yourself, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

• Read the employer’s job description. Your career summary shouldn’t be a long list of everything you’ve done; it should be a refined list of skills and experiences that demonstrate you’re a fit for their job.
• Mention your current job title if relevant. One common way to begin your resume summary is to state your current job title.
• Explain how you can help employers achieve their goals or solve their problems.
• Consider using bold text to emphasize one or two key phrases.
• Include any relevant metrics and data like dollar amounts, years of experience, size of teams led, etc. This helps your resume stand out.
• Focus on making the employer want to read more. The goal of your resume summary isn’t to show everything you can do, but to grab their attention and show enough that they continue reading.

Creating a Customized Resume Summary

While general summaries are appropriate when applying for jobs requiring similar skills and experience, a customized resume summary can enhance your chances of moving on to the next step in the hiring process. 

That’s because most companies use automated tracking systems (ATS) to review submitted resumes for content directly related to the job posting. If you use keywords and natural language phrases in your summary that interlink to the job description, you’ll have a much higher chance of passing the ATS review.

Let’s look at an example of a resume summary that is customized for the specific job description below:

“Highly motivated social media specialist with strong project management skills. Creative marketer skilled in crafting innovative social media campaigns that resonate with a target audience. Regularly develop compelling copy and social media content to enhance lead generation and brand awareness. Detail-oriented with extensive project management skills that ensure proper prioritization of tasks and projects. Work with various social media management and analytics tools to examine results and make adjustments as necessary.”

This summary directly addresses the key points in the job description but rewrites them so the customization is natural and flows well. It’s personalized for the open role and uses similar terms with a few strategically placed keywords, such as “social media content” and “project management.”  

How Long Should a Resume Summary Be?

As you read the resume summaries above, you probably noticed there are some short single-paragraph resume summary examples and much longer career summaries that are two to three paragraphs plus bullet points. So how long should YOUR professional summary be? If you have relevant work experience, keep your summary to one or two paragraphs. The piece you really want the hiring manager to read is your most recent work experience (and you should make sure you tailored that info to fit the job description). The resume summary is just a “bridge” to get the hiring manager into your experience.

If I were writing my own career summary right now, I’d likely use one single paragraph packed with skills, accomplishments, and exactly why I’m ready to step into the job I’ve applied for and be successful!

Even for a manager resume summary, I recommend a very short length. However, if you’re changing careers, or you’re looking for jobs without any work experience , the summary section needs to stand on its own, and should be longer. That’s why some examples above are a bit longer.

Formatting Your Resume/CV Career Summary

You may have noticed a variety of different formats in the career summary examples above. There isn’t one “right” way to format this section on your resume or CV. However, I recommend either using one or two brief paragraphs, or combining a short sentence or paragraph with bullets. Avoid writing three or four long paragraphs with no special formatting like bullet points. That’s simply too much text for your summary section and will cause recruiters and hiring managers to skip over it in some cases.

Should You Include a Resume Objective?

You do not need to include an objective on your resume, and doing so can make your resume appear outdated. Use a resume summary instead of an objective. Follow the resume summary examples above and focus on discussing your skills, qualifications, and achievements, rather than stating your objective. Employers know that your objective is to obtain the position you’ve applied for, and the resume objective has no place on a modern resume/CV in today’s job market.

Examples of Bad Resume Summaries

Now that we’ve seen a few exemplary resume summaries, let’s look at some that you should avoid at all cost.

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

“Experienced cashier who knows how to run the register cash. Responsible with the money and can talk with the customer. Knows when to stoc up the invenory and checks it all the time. Can count change and run credit card tranactions. Get the customer happy by good service. I am always cheerful and organized.”

Why this resume summary is bad:

If you read the summary carefully, you’ll notice several spelling errors. The words “stock,” “inventory,” and “transactions” are all spelled wrong. Grammatical errors make the summary choppy and difficult to follow (“Get the customer happy by good service”).  A summary like this probably won’t fly with a company looking for a detail-oriented cashier responsible for managing in-person sales.

2. Lacks Relevant Keywords

“Talented worker with experience managing a team of staff. Creative and responsible with knowledge of organizational processes. Can keep up with the busiest of environments. Stays focused when at work, ensuring prompt task completion. Dependable and willing to collaborate with a team to get things done.”  

In this example, the chef doesn’t use keywords relevant to cooking, restaurants, or kitchens. The summary is very generic and can apply to nearly any job. A manager who receives the application isn’t likely to understand what value the candidate can bring to the restaurant.  To fix the summary, the applicant must rewrite it to include relevant keywords and phrases. 

3. No Numbers to Quantify Achievements

“An experienced and hardworking manager ready to align procedures for maximum revenue and profits. Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in higher sales and better customer satisfaction. Collaborate well with sales team members, ensuring they have the resources and knowledge to support customer purchases and inquiries. Develop strong rapport with clients and maintain ongoing relationships.”

This isn’t a terrible summary for a sales manager, but it has room for improvement. For one, the first two sentences essentially duplicate each other, mentioning an aptitude for improving processes with the objective of higher sales. The other issue is a lack of quantifying achievements. 

The applicant mentions they have a proven record of increasing sales, but they could strengthen the summary by quantifying their results. For example, they might say, “Proven track record of streamlining and strengthening processes, resulting in a 25% increase in sales over the past year.” The quantifier provides additional credibility. 

4. Not Targeting the Specific Job

“Looking for work in a role that requires great customer service, project management, and communication skills. Able to collaborate with people from diverse and varying backgrounds. Highly organized and reliable worker with a strong work ethic. Responsible and reliable worker you can count on.”

While the candidate lists various skills they have, including customer service and project management, there’s no indication of prior roles held or what position they’re applying for. The summary could apply to numerous positions in a variety of industries. To improve the resume summary, the applicant must specify the job they’re applying for and indicate their prior experience in a similar role, if they have any.

After You Start Getting Interviews, Make Sure to Take Advantage…

If you follow the advice above, you’ll have a great professional resume summary to make your qualifications stand out to employers. But landing the interview is only half the battle… So make sure you go into every interview ready to convince employers that they should hire you, too! If you write a great resume summary example that gets employers excited to interview you, they’re going to ask you questions like, “tell me about yourself” early in the interview to learn more about your background. So make sure you’re prepared with an answer.

I also recommend you review the top 20 interview questions and answers here.

Your resume caught their interest, so naturally, they’re going to follow up with a variety of questions to learn more about your professional background.

The bottom line is: A strong professional resume summary, followed up by other well-written resume sections will get you the interview, but your interview performance is what determines whether you get the job offer!

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

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I would recommend to customise the skills section of your resume, and ensure that it matches the job posting. The higher the number of phrases within the resume matching the job requirements the more are the chances that the recruiter will pick you for the job.

I just wanted to say, “thank you!”. This was very helpful. Instead of jumping from one website to the next there’s so much useful, relevant information right here.

Hi, I have been having trouble creating a resume as My old one is so long, I’ve worked for a government agency for the past 14 years and held multiple positions doing many different duties for each and now I have to relocate to another area where they do not have an agency like mine in my new area within a 3 hour drive, how can I squeeze all my experience and duties on one page and where do I even start, I’m so nervous, it’s been so long since I’ve attempted the job hunt. So I’m wondering, I do not want to cut anything out that may hurt my chances and I can’t afford to have my resume rewritten by a professional. Can you guide me as to where you think would be a good place to start, I’ve been staring at this laptop for weeks trying to decide on a resume template, there are so many. I thank you for your time and any input will help.

Hi, I am a new graduate and do not have any experience in my field which is Nursing. I want to apply for the jobs but I have no idea about what to mention in my resume.

Hi, this article should help with the resume summary, at least: https://careersidekick.com/summary-for-resume-no-experience/

Other than that, you need to put your academic experience. And internships/part-time jobs if you’ve had any.

Dear Biron,, Thanks for sharing the 10 examples of professional summaries in your article, and especially the reasons why they were considered to be good. However, as a HR professional, I would most likely skip over most of them and would not read much past the first or second sentence. The summaries were mostly too wordy and boring, and did not demonstrate ‘oomph’ at first cursory reading. Simply indicating certain skills or behaviors does not give an idea of the level of expertise, and could simply be wishful thinking on the part of the resume writer.

Just goes to show that there are many ways to see what makes a good summary.

I am a chemical engineer and project management professional with 15+years experience. My experience is between process engineering and project management . How can I marry the two in my profile summary?

It’s not about showing everything you’ve done. It’s about showing employers evidence you’ll succeed in their job. You can show a bit of both but focus heavily on what’s most relevant for the jobs you’re applying for right now. 80/20.

This was absolutely helpful and amazing! Thank you very much!

Hello, I am an active job seeker. I hold a law degree from a foreign country and currently in college for an associate degree. My question is, how do I blend both my foreign job experience with that of the United States in my resume. Thank you.

I’d put your work history in chronological order, starting with the most recent up top. That’s what I’d recommend for 95% of people actually. Then it doesn’t matter where you held each job.

And then in your Education section, I’d include your foreign degree and the current degree you’re pursuing in the US, too (for the US degree, you can say “in progress” or “graduating May 2019” for example).

I am 40 years old & B.A degree holder I have experience in many fields.I would like to join any one fields

I am a fresh graduate, who has five years teaching experience and some months customer service representative experience. Pls kindly assist me to put the resume summary together

I’m an active duty service member and finding in a little difficult creating a good transitional summary from 20 year profession in tactical communications to a drug and alcohol counselor. Do you have any recommendations how I should approach this? Any assistance would be helpful. Thanks

Great piece

How to write the CAREER ABSTRACT in resume for ware super visor retail business?

Just wanted to say thank you.Your advise and information was clear and easy to understand , sometimes there is nothing pertaining to what im looking fot in particular, buy you have sermed to cover everything I n a short quick easy to understand method.It will help tremendously.

Thanks! Glad to hear it helped :)

Very informational

What if you have work experience, but the job your going for(teachingeducation) has nothing to do with warehouse work? How should I build my resume?

In the summary, describe yourself and then say, “…looking to transition into ___” (the type of work you want to be doing now).

This is a bit like a resume “Objective”. I normally don’t recommend an Objective section (and I recommend a Summary section instead), however the one time an Objective does make sense is when you’re trying to change industries or make a big change in the type of role you have.

So that’s why my advice here might seem like I’m telling you to combine an Objective with your resume Summary.

Then “tailor” your previous work to be as relevant as possible. Even if you worked in a different industry you can still show things like leadership, accountability, progress/improvement, hard work, achieving goals, strong teamwork skills, etc. You can do all of that in your resume bullets and work history.

Don’t u have Resume Summary of legal secretary/legal assistant?

No, sorry about that. There are hundreds of different professions/job titles, and we aren’t able to include an example for every scenario out there. These resume summary examples are designed to give you a general idea of how to write yours.

The summaries listed are excellent example and have helped me develop a stand out summary for a new position.

Hello, I been trying to land the job of my dreams. I need help with my resume if i want the recruiters in airlines to notice me. I’ve applied before but haven’t had complete success to making it to a face-to Face Interview. It is a career change – yet i feel i am a great candidate bc i have had many customer service and I even attended an academy for that specific position. Can you please tell me what I am doing wrong on my resume ?

what if i never had a job experience?

Great question. If you don’t have any work experience, take one of the formats/examples above and put your accomplishments and qualifications from your academic studies.

Your headline could say: “Motivated Bio-Sciences Graduate With Expertise in ____”.

And then you might talk about accomplishments in school, group projects you worked on or led, etc.

Basically, when you have no work experience, your school/studies BECOMES your recent work. You should talk about that like it’s a job, because that’s the experience you do have.

really amazing article and too useful , thanks

Hi Mr. Clark, I have been out of the work force for about 18+years and I have been a small business owner for the same number of years. However, I want to go back to the work force. But my problem is that, I don’t know how to prepare my resume or resume summary statement. I had a degree in Communication,Arts and Sciences and a postgraduate degree in Public Administration. I’m a bit confused as to how to incorporate all these experiences into my resume. Please can you help?

Hi Dorothy, I can recommend a professional resume writer if you want. But they’re typically not cheap, so it’s something you’d have to be willing to invest in. If not, there’s a lot of free info online about how to “tailor” your resume for specific jobs. I can’t help one-on-one unfortunately, but I’d recommend thinking about which type of jobs you want, and think of what experience you have that is most relevant. that’s what to put on your resume. Your resume isn’t only about you, it’s about them – what do they want/need? (if you want to get a ton of interviews, that’s how to do it :) ).

Can I have a professional resume writer?

I use a similar format when writing my opening statement for my coverletter. How do you recommend differentiating the two? Or is it ok to use largely the same language?

I think it’s okay to use something similar. I might be more brief in the cover letter… it needs to be about them just as much as it’s about you. Whereas the resume is all about you, at least in the summary section. (The later sections should still be tailored to THEIR needs..)

Struggling to write a Summary Statement for a Secretary/Administrative Assistant position. I have 15 years government experience but have been away from the government since 9/1993 and have spent 15 years as a Substitute Teacher after taking off for 10 years to raise my children.

Hiya! I am a mother of three attempting to return to the workforce. I have been a stay at mom for about 13 years, so I have a (large) gap in my employment history; which doesn’t look great. I have a college education and have obtained a few certifications whilst not employed, plus many volunteer hours. I know that I should probably use a functional resume format. Would love some advice on what I should include in my summary statement.

Hi Juniper,

I rarely like functional resumes, but it might be worth trying. I’d “split-test” it (a marketing term). Create two resume styles, send out 50% one way, 50% the other way, and track results for a week.

I’d treat the resume summary statement just like any other resume. Highlight your skills and past wins/accomplishments.

how do i explain long term gaps in employment? leave them out?

Hi Paulette,

Don’t mention them on a resume summary. But do mention the gaps on a cover letter or lower down on the resume. Here’s an article on how to explain gaps in employment:

https://careersidekick.com/explaining-gaps-in-employment/

I am student in civil engineering field. Have 1.5 yrs of work ex. How should i structure my resume. Thanks.

Hello My name is Shataka and I’m a current job seeker trying to land my dream job as a Counselor. I have Master degree in Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. My experience lies in many different fields. I’m currently a Substance Abuse Counselor, with a teaching background and over 5 years of social service experience. I guess my question is how would I sum up all my experience to help me find a job as a Counselor.

Comments are closed.

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27 Great Resume Summary Examples to Get Hired

20 min read · Updated on August 28, 2024

Your resume summary is the first impression you make on potential employers, so it's crucial to get it right

When it comes to job applications, your resume is often the first point of contact with prospective employers. It's essential to make a good impression right from the start, and that's where your resume summary comes in. 

What is a resume summary? 

How can you create one that will help your resume stand out from the competition?

In this article, we'll explain the resume summary and why it's so vital for job search success. We'll also teach you how to write a great resume summary that will grab any employer's attention and provide 27 fantastic resume summary examples that you can customize to fit your job search needs.

What is a resume summary?

To understand a resume summary, it's important to understand the challenge that good summaries are designed to overcome. Employers who are looking for new hires often need to compare many dozens or even hundreds of resumes to find the best candidates for the job. Few hiring personnel have the time needed to thoroughly examine every single resume that they receive.

Instead, employers typically spend no more than five or six seconds scanning any given resume. If a resume manages to capture their interest in those few seconds, they'll take the time to read it in greater detail. 

However, if your resume doesn't grab their attention, it's likely to be rejected without any further examination. So, the challenge is to find a way to quickly earn the reader's interest and inspire them to read the rest of the document.

That's where a professional summary for a resume comes into play. As you'll see from our resume summary examples, a good summary is the resume equivalent of a salesperson's elevator pitch. 

This brief statement should highlight your experience and job title, one or two key skills, and a couple of your most prominent achievements. When your summary is crafted well, it will provide the employer with a quick overview of your potential value as a new hire.

Once you've written your summary, you should place it right after your contact information and resume headline so that it's the first thing employers see. If you've done your job properly, that summary will be compelling enough to make the reader want to learn more about the type of value you can bring to the job.

How should you start a resume summary?

Since your summary is designed to capture the reader's attention, it's vital to start this paragraph off in a compelling way.  While the statement should be brief, it should also clearly communicate your unique value proposition. Here are some examples of strong opening statements:

Innovative Marketing Manager with over five years of experience in developing and executing successful campaigns for Fortune 500 companies

Results-driven Sales Executive with a proven track record of exceeding revenue targets and building strong client relationships

Skilled Customer Service Representative with expertise in problem-solving, conflict resolution, and communication

Tips for writing a resume summary

To make sure that you create the most powerful resume summary possible, follow our top tips:

Be specific

When writing a resume summary, it's essential to be specific and quantify your achievements wherever possible. Instead of saying, "Experienced marketing professional," try saying, "Experienced marketing professional with expertise in managing successful social media campaigns, resulting in increases of up to 30% in website traffic."

This provides concrete evidence of your skills and demonstrates your value to potential employers.

Reflect on your career

When it comes to writing a strong resume summary, you should engage in some self-reflection. Before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), take some time to think about your key skills, experiences, and achievements. This will help you identify the most important information to include in your summary. Review your past roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments, and think about how they relate to the job you're applying for. Ask yourself:

What have I achieved in my career?

What skills have I developed?

What makes me stand out from other applicants?

Identify your key skills

One of the most important things to include in your resume summary is your key skills. These are the abilities that set you apart from other candidates and demonstrate your value to potential employers. Begin by making a list of your top skills, then prioritize them based on relevance to the job you're applying for.

Highlight your relevant experiences

Next, think about relevant experiences that you can include in your summary. This includes any previous jobs or internships, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities that have given you valuable experience. Consider what you've learned and achieved in each role and how that relates to the job you're applying for.

You should focus on what is most relevant to your target job. Here are some examples:

Proven ability to increase sales revenue by 20% year-over-year

Expertise in project management and team leadership

Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft 365

Confident working with a diverse range of clients and stakeholders

Keep it concise

Remember, your resume summary should be concise and to the point. Stick to the most important information and avoid filler words or irrelevant details. A good rule of thumb is to keep your summary to 3-5 sentences.

Use action verbs

When describing your experiences and achievements, use strong action verbs and adverbs to convey a sense of accomplishment and momentum. For example, instead of saying, "Responsible for managing social media accounts," say, "Successfully manage 4 social media accounts, including Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram."

Quantify your achievements

Wherever possible, use numbers and statistics to quantify your achievements. This provides concrete evidence of your skills and demonstrates your value to potential employers. For example, instead of saying, "Helped to increase sales," say, "Helped to increase sales by 20% in the first year."

Tailor it to the job

Make sure your resume's professional summary is tailored to the job you're seeking. This means highlighting the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the role. Look at the job description identify the key requirements, and then make sure your summary addresses these points.

Professional resume summary examples

Since there's nothing quite like seeing an example of a great summary, we've compiled twenty-seven great resume summary examples that you can use as inspirational templates for your own perfect resume . Below, you'll find summary examples for a variety of different job roles, including:

Customer Service Representative

Sales Representative

Marketing Manager

Project Manager

Software Developer

Human Resources Manager

Graphic Designer

Registered Nurse

Financial Analyst

Administrative Assistant

Data Entry Clerk  

Business Analyst

Operations Manager  

Mental Health Counselor

High School Teacher

Event Manager

Product Designer

Content Marketer

SEO Specialist

Bank Teller

Software Support Specialist

Data Scientist

Dental Assistant

1.    Customer Service Representative resume summary example

"Highly motivated Customer Service Representative with 5 years of experience in delivering service excellence. Skilled in conflict resolution and problem-solving, resulting in a 95% customer satisfaction rate. Proven ability to multitask in fast-paced environments while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail."

Why it works : This summary highlights the candidate's experience and skills while also showcasing their relevant achievements in ensuring customer satisfaction. It mentions how much experience they have and highlights a measurable success.

2.    Sales Representative resume summary example

"Dynamic Sales Representative with a track record of exceeding sales quotas by 20%+. Proficient in consultative sales techniques and relationship building. Exceptional communication and negotiation skills with the ability to close deals."

Why it works : This summary provides a quantifiable achievement to show the candidate's success in their previous sales roles while also highlighting their key skills in relationship building and communication.

3.    Marketing Manager resume summary example

"Strategic Marketing Manager with 7+ years of experience in developing and executing successful marketing campaigns across multiple channels. Skilled in market research and analysis, campaign optimization, and team leadership. Proven track record of driving revenue growth and increasing brand awareness."

Why it works : This summary emphasizes the candidate's experience and leadership skills while also showcasing their ability to drive results through successful marketing campaigns. The candidate has also demonstrated their ability to grow revenues and raise brand awareness.

4.    Project Manager resume summary example

"Accomplished Project Manager, with confidence in leading cross-functional teams and managing project timelines, budgets, and resources. Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to build relationships with stakeholders. Proven track record of delivering projects on time and within budget."

Why it works : This summary highlights the candidate's extensive project management experience and emphasizes their ability to successfully deliver projects while working with multiple stakeholders.

5.   Software Developer resume summary example

"Innovative Software Developer with 5+ years of experience in designing, developing, and implementing complex software applications. Skilled in programming languages including Java, Python, and C++. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in Agile environments to deliver high-quality code on time."

Why it works : This job seeker has taken the time to highlight some of the technical skills they possess while emphasizing their ability to work in Agile environments. They also call attention to the fact that they can manage and complete a software development project from design to implementation.

6.    Human Resources Manager resume summary example

"Experienced Human Resources Manager specializing in talent acquisition, employee relations, and performance management. Skilled in developing and implementing HR policies and procedures that align with business objectives and values. Proven track record of building and managing high-performing teams."

Why it works : This summary highlights the candidate's experience in various HR functions and emphasizes their ability to build and manage teams. It also shows that they can perform managerial functions like developing policies and procedures.

7.    Graphic Designer resume summary example

"Creative Graphic Designer with particular expertise in developing and executing visually stunning designs for print and digital media. Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud, with a focus on typography and layout. Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously."

Why it works : This summary works well because it showcases their technical skills and experience while also emphasizing creativity and an ability to work collaboratively.

8.    Registered Nurse resume summary example

"Compassionate Registered Nurse with over 10 years' experience in providing high-quality patient care. Skilled at patient assessment, medication administration, and treatment plan development. Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport with patients and their families."

Why it works : This summary emphasizes the candidate's clinical and patient care experience and highlights their key nursing and interpersonal skills.

9.   Financial Analyst resume summary example

“Detail-oriented Financial Analyst with a strong background in financial modeling, data analysis, and forecasting. Combines advanced Excel skills with the ability to create and manage financial reports. Able to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.”

Why it works : This summary showcases the applicant's specific skills and experience in financial analysis and highlights their proficiency in Excel, a crucial tool for the role.

10.   Administrative Assistant resume summary example

“Skilled Administrative Assistant with 8 years of experience in administrative support and office administration. Resilient, detail-oriented, and able to work under extreme pressure in a team environment. Excellent interpersonal, client management, and interdepartmental liaison skills. Committed to successful management of multiple simultaneous projects, strict adherence to deadline requirements, and accurate maintenance of schedules, meeting obligations, and records.”

Why it works : An Administrative Assistant wears many hats and experiences many challenges. This resume summary covers a lot of ground to demonstrate that the candidate understands those obstacles and knows how to overcome them.

11.   Data Entry Clerk resume summary example

“Task-driven and results-oriented professional with more than 10 years of experience in data entry, project coordination, and customer service. Uses interpersonal skills including effective communication to build rapport and positive relations with customers, gather vital information, and ensure rapid and accurate entry of data into designated software programs.”

Why it works : This resume summary is effective because it gets right to the heart of the job: dealing with customers and entering data into databases. The candidate also emphasizes their results-focused mindset, project skills, and key soft skills.

12.   Business Analyst resume summary example

“Results-driven Business Analyst with a proven record in expanding profitability by 55% in the retail industry.  Confident carrying out data-focused analysis that provides key insights and recommendations for growth strategies. Strong interpersonal and team building skills, innovative approach to problem-solving , and resolute commitment to efficiency and productivity.”

Why it works : Business analysis is all about using data and research to deliver key insights that result in improved operations and greater business success. This summary hits all the right notes as it focuses on key skills, a solutions-oriented mindset, and notable achievements that reflect real value for employers.

13.   Operations Manager resume summary example

“Results-oriented Operations Manager with more than 10 years of supervisory experience in high-level operational environments. Adept at coordinating both large and small teams, outside consultants, and mid-level management personnel. Successfully introduced Lean manufacturing principles that reduced costs by 32% via waste elimination and process revitalization.”

Why it works : This candidate's summary emphasizes key skills that the employer wants to see in any managerial candidate's resume while also showcasing their knowledge of best operational practices and a commitment to cost reduction.

14.   Mental Health Counselor resume summary example

“Compassionate Mental Health Counselor with more than a decade of experience addressing mental health issues and behavioral concerns. Proven success in both individual and group counseling environments, assisting clients in gaining insight and understanding of their unique conditions. Specialized focus on working with young adults and families, with an emphasis on addressing substance abuse root causes and other social factors involved in mental health.”

Why it works : This resume summary is notable for citing important skills like empathy and compassion. It also focuses attention on the candidate's experience in dealing with common mental health concerns and hints at their preferred approach to assisting patients.

15.    High School Teacher resume summary example

“Dynamic high school teacher with 12 years of experience developing approved curricula for more than 500 students in grades 9-12. Proven track record of helping students to achieve a 98% passing rate in both Western Civilization and World History instruction. Actively engaged in every aspect of education, at the district, local, and parent-teacher level.”

Why it works : This candidate's resume summary highlights their vast experience while illustrating their success in ensuring that their students learn what they need to know to pass the class. They also demonstrate their commitment to the educational process by highlighting their involvement in every area of education.

16.    Accountant resume summary example

“Diligent and detail-oriented CPA with seven years of experience in accounting, process improvement, and problem-solving. Skilled at identifying inefficiencies and using reporting to offer insights that can guide employers to better practices and greater profitability. At XYZ Corp., identified labor usage inefficiency that motivated management to introduce new scheduling that eliminated $300,000 in labor waste.”

Why it works : In addition to highlighting a wide range of valuable skills, this candidate also focused on a quantifiable achievement that illustrates real value. This type of summary would certainly capture a hiring manager's attention and make them want to read more!

17.    Event Manager resume summary example

“Resilient and creative Event Manager with 6 years of corporate experience. Detail-oriented perfectionist with experience in project management, team leadership, and customer relations. Successfully organized and executed more than 40 major business conferences, hosting thousands of guests. Major clients have included three Fortune 500 firms with multi-million-dollar event budgets.

Why it works : As Event Managers go, this one has certainly made the rounds. That summary of achievements highlights their ability to manage even large-scale events, dealing with every aspect of the project. How could a serious hiring manager not want to learn more about this candidate?

18.    IT Manager resume summary example

“Dedicated IT Manager with significant experience in an innovative and growing tech firm. Skilled leader with experience in systems analysis, database architecture, problem-solving, and troubleshooting. Superior client satisfaction rate of more than 99%. Created and implemented an IT troubleshooting process that reduced internal client service time by 30%.”

Why it works : This IT professional focuses attention on their key leadership skills , while also mentioning the hard skills that any hiring manager is likely to be looking for. There's also a nice nod to their history of satisfying clients, as well as a notable and measurable achievement.

19.   Product Designer resume summary example

“Innovative Design Engineer with 5 years of experience in the development of products and packages. Skilled in market research, brand development and alignment, and design elements. Led team of seventeen Designers in the creation of industrial products that yielded $20 million in sales in the first month after launch.”

Why it works : This resume summary uses some important keywords, action verbs, and descriptive language to describe the candidate's key skills and experiences. It also cites an impressive product design achievement, along with real numbers that showcase value.

20.    Content Marketer resume summary example

“Creative marketing professional with 7 years' experience as a Content Marketer. Skilled writer who understands how written communication empowers business growth and expansion. Expertise in development of compelling content that drives activities across multiple media channels. Adaptable , detail-oriented, and focused on a brand-building approach to content strategy that drives real results. Developed a cross-platform content strategy that boosted sales conversion rates by 37%.

Why it works : This Content Marketer focuses on their key skills and keen insights into how content impacts business profitability. They even included a measurable result that demonstrates their focus on adding value to their employer's bottom line.

21.   SEO Specialist resume summary example

“Results-focused SEO expert with 6 years of experience in keyword mastery, the promotion of sustainable content, and growing organic website search engine rankings. Proven track record of SEO success, using content development and link outreach to expand website traffic activity from 10,000 daily visitors to more than 2,000,000 per year.”

Why it works : Many hiring managers may not fully understand SEO, but they will understand the need to get more eyes on their digital content. This candidate speaks to that need by focusing on website rankings, content, and overall web traffic - while including a quantifiable achievement that demonstrates their ability to make things happen.

22.   Copywriter resume summary example

“Website Copywriter with 5 years of experience in developing content that creates real conversions. Cross-channel expertise, including website content, advertising, newsletters, press releases, email, and podcast/video scripts. Proven track record of increasing social traffic by 36% and driving a 22% boost in landing page conversions.”

Why it works : This candidate's summary is focused not only on the type of things they write but how those content pieces directly contribute to the company's online presence and sales conversion rate. This illustrates the writer's understanding of how their work aligns with their employer's business needs and goals.

23.  Bank Teller resume summary example

“Empathetic and personable Bank Teller with more than 4 years of experience in client interactions at First Bank. Detail-oriented customer management approach, focused on superior customer experiences and client retention. Strict adherence to bank policy, including safety deposit guidelines, customer account security, and due diligence. Efficiently and effectively processed more than 200 client account interactions each day.”

Why it works : For a Bank Teller, much of the role's value lies in the employee's ability to serve as the face of the branch. This summary is effective because it showcases the Teller's knowledge of bank procedures while also highlighting their commitment to creating an excellent customer experience.

24.  Software Support Specialist resume summary example

“Problem-solving Software Support Specialist with 8 years of experience in customer-facing user assistance. Provided key problem-resolution services for hundreds of customers, with a focus on maximizing their satisfaction with the company to increase loyalty and retention. Experienced in both customer and B2B interactions, with a specialized talent for explaining technical problems in language that is easily understood by the average layperson.”

Why it works : This resume summary focuses not only on the candidate's specialized skills in solving computer issues but also highlights their ability to simplify their explanations to customers.

25.   Data Scientist resume summary example

“Committed Data Scientist focused on analytical insights that can drive company growth and development. More than eight years of experience providing data-driven analysis to Fortune 500 executives based on comprehensive statistical models and detailed historical data patterns. Successfully provided insights and recommendations used to increase company profits by 32% over a two-year period.”

Why it works : Data science may not seem like the most exciting field, but hiring managers are always on the hunt for candidates who understand why data matters. This candidate's focus on providing insights that can translate into real value for the employer is something that is likely to earn a hiring manager's interest.

26.  Dental Assistant resume summary example

“Dental Assistant with 5 years of experience with patient preparation, processing, and administrative support. Keen attention to detail and a commitment to dental health and aesthetics. Skilled in dental impressions, hands-on assistance during procedures, x-rays, and record maintenance. Fully committed to developing rapport with patients that creates a welcoming environment and a joyful experience.”

Why it works : This candidate's resume summary not only highlights key Dental Assistant requirements, but also conveys their personal approach to teamwork and patient care.

27.  Architect resume summary example

“Creative Architect experienced in high-end architectural design and development oversight. Ten years of proven success in creating sustainable designs that earn rave reviews and commendations from clients. Skilled in adapting to new challenges and working under pressure to achieve every client's vision. Consistently produces designs and project plans that come in on time and under budget, at 10%-30% less cost than industry competitors.”

Why it works : In this summary, the candidate highlights key skills that employers will want to see, while also emphasizing quantifiable results that demonstrate competitive value for the employer. They also showcase their ability to not only design architectural structures but to do so with a conscious awareness of critical factors like budgetary concerns, deadlines, sustainability and market competition.

Bonus: how to write a resume summary if you have no experience

Of course, it's also important to know how to write a resume summary if you have no experience. Here's a quick resume summary example that you can adapt if you are just entering the job market:

“Recent Marketing graduate, seeking an entry-level position to kickstart a career in the field. Demonstrated strong leadership and teamwork skills gained through involvement in various extracurricular activities, including volunteering at local events and leading group projects. Proficient in Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud. Passionate about using marketing strategies to create engaging content and drive brand awareness.”

Why it works: This summary works because it highlights the candidate's relevant hard and soft skills and qualifications, even though they don't have direct career experience. The use of action words such as "demonstrated" and "proficient" shows the candidate's confidence in their abilities, which can be attractive to potential employers, showcasing the candidate's potential for success in an entry-level marketing role.

Key takeaways

A well-written resume summary can make a significant impact on a job application. A good summary should highlight relevant skills and experiences, use clear and concise language, and avoid unnecessary information. Feel free to customize any of the resume summary examples we've provided to help ensure that your resume captures the attention of potential employers.

We know it can be difficult to condense a whole career full of skills and achievements into a paragraph of only a few sentences. If you're unsure about the document you've crafted, why not send it for a free resume review by our team of expert resume writers? 

This article was originally written by Ken Chase. It has been updated by Marsha Hebert and Ken Chase.

Recommended reading:

Ask Amanda: How Are a Resume Objective and a Resume Summary Different?

How to Write a Standout Career Summary

Business Acumen: What It Is and How You Can Showcase It On Your Resume

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

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77+ Resume Summary Examples [& How-to Guide for 2024]

Most companies get hundreds or even thousands of applications monthly.

Hiring managers don’t have the time to read each resume in detail, so they usually end up scanning it for five to six seconds.

So, unless your resume manages to grab the hiring manager’s attention in those few seconds, they’ll just toss your application aside and move on to the next one.

That’s why, you want to make sure that the hiring manager can instantly tell that you’re the right candidate for the job before they even read your resume in depth. 

This is where writing an attention-grabbing resume summary comes in!

In this guide, we’re going to cover: 

• What Is a Resume Summary?
• Tips for Writing an Effective Resume Summary 
• 77+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples

Let’s dive in.

This guide is part of our larger resume series. If you want to start from the basics, take a look at our comprehensive guide on how to make a resume .

What Is a Resume Summary? 

A resume summary is a section that summarizes your resume’s contents. It’s placed in your resume’s header, close to your 

contact information , and it’s the first thing hiring managers see when they look at your resume.

When done right, your resume summary serves as a snapshot of your entire career. It shows that you’re a qualified candidate in less than five seconds, and it gets the hiring manager interested in reading the rest of your resume.

So, what makes a resume summary effective?

A good resume summary is two to four sentences long and includes:

• Your years of experience and job title
• Some of your biggest achievements to date
• A couple of your most essential skills that are relevant for the role

Let’s look at an 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 resume summary video a watch before diving into the article!

When Should You Use a Resume Summary?

Hiring managers skim through resumes before deciding to read them, so candidates who grab their attention from the start stand a better chance of grabbing their attention. This is why you should always include a brief paragraph in your resume header that summarizes your strengths as a candidate.

Depending on your experience level, you can choose between a resume summary or a resume objective .

Resume objectives focus on professional goals, skills, and motivation for applying for the job, so they’re perfect for students, recent graduates , and other entry-level workers.

A resume summary, on the other hand, is perfect for seasoned professionals, as it focuses more on your past work experience and how it relates to the job you’re applying for. So, if you already have some work experience, we recommend sticking to a resume summary.

If you’re embarking on a career change , on the other hand, you can choose between a resume summary or a resume objective, depending on how your previous skills and work experience relate to the job.

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! 

5 General Resume Summary Examples

There are different aspects of your professional background that you can focus on when writing your resume summary.

Let’s look at some examples and what they do right:

• A hard-working bartender with over five years of experience providing professional 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 skills and beverage knowledge can be leveraged to offer customers the highest quality of service.

Above all, this resume summary shows how experienced the candidate is. Their main selling point is their vast bartending knowledge, followed by an impressive bartending qualification and customer service skills .

• 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 software programs, including SQL, Equitrak, and Lawson.

What sticks out the most in this resume summary is the candidate’s educational background and certifications. It matches the field they’re applying for, and their knowledge also extends to 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%.

In addition to the candidate’s long professional experience, the most impressive part of this resume summary is their achievements . The candidate also made sure to quantify their professional accomplishments, which gives you credibility and shows you know what you're talking about.

• 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 and ZenDesk.

This resume summary shows off the candidate’s key skills, including language proficiency , extensive customer service experience, and computer skills .

• 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. 

This candidate mentions they have more than a decade of work experience , but the main takeaway is what they can do on the job. The hiring manager who reads this resume summary can immediately see what this applicant can bring to the team.

How to Write a Resume Summary

Now, let’s get down to business – how can you write a resume summary that’s guaranteed to catch the hiring manager’s attention?

Let’s start with the basics. Here’s what your resume summary should include:

• Experience. If you have a lot of relevant professional experience, you should summarize it. This may include your job titles and years of experience in the field. (e.g., “Facebook marketer with 5+ years of experience..." )
• Skills. Mention your areas of expertise, specializations, certifications , and/or skills. (e.g., “Experienced in managing Facebook ad accounts and SEO copywriting..." )
• Achievements. Add one or two impressive achievements to show what you can do. (e.g., “Managed over $100,000 in marketing budget over several accounts and reduced annual company costs by 16%.” )

The next step is to take your resume summary from good to great by following these expert tips:

#1. Tailor Your Resume Summary

You could be an excellent candidate with tons of work experience, but if your resume summary isn’t tailored to the job ad, the hiring manager probably won’t be impressed.

If the hiring manager doesn’t see your value in the first seven seconds of reading your resume , you probably won’t get them to give it a second glance.

This is where tailoring your resume summary comes in. Just reference the job description to make sure your work experience, skills, and achievements all match what the employer is looking for in a candidate.

Let’s go over it in detail.

Imagine you’re applying for this specific job:

The ad tells you exactly what the company is looking for in a candidate.

So here’s what a resume summary tailored to this ad might look like:

• 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. 

By carefully tailoring your resume summary to the ad and mentioning what the company is looking for, the hiring manager will be hooked! They’ll immediately think, “This is the right person for the job!” and read the rest of your resume in detail.

Tailoring your resume summary to the job description can also help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems that companies use to filter through resumes. This is software that scans applications and disqualifies candidates who don’t mention specific skills or add enough keywords from the job description throughout their resume, so the more you tailor your resume to the job, the better your chances!

#2. Quantify Your Achievements

Your resume summary is supposed to be brief, which means you’re not supposed to list all your achievements. So, make sure to mention the ones that are most relevant and impactful for the role you’re applying for to pique the hiring manager’s attention.

The best way to back up your accomplishments is by providing concrete data.

Quantifiable achievements are instantly more credible and more likely to leave a good impression than vague statements. 

Let’s compare:

• Helped customers sign up on our platform.
• Onboarded 100+ customers to our SaaS platform with a retention rate of over 75%.

See the difference? In fact, the first example sounds more like a responsibility than an achievement.

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

Saying you’re a “team player” who was “responsible for” this or “managed” that is boring.

To stand out from every other applicant using the same words, you need to use the right action verbs and power words .

These words can make your skills and achievements pop, and the hiring manager will appreciate that you’re going the extra mile to describe your experience.

Let’s compare how the same sentence with and without power words plays out:

• Spearheaded Company X’s content marketing operations.
• Responsible for content marketing at Company X.

While both of these sentences say the same thing, the first one makes you seem more competent and implies initiative and leadership skills. The second just comes off as passive.

To drive the point home, here’s what a resume summary looks like packed with action words:

#4. Follow Our Formula

When you get down to writing your resume summary, you might still not be sure where to start or what to add.

Don’t worry!

We have a tried and tested formula that you can follow to write the perfect resume summary.

77+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples (For Different Fields)

Need inspiration to write your resume summary? No sweat!

We’ve curated a list of 77+ resume summary examples for different professions to help inspire you.

Sales and Customer Service Resume Summary Examples

#1. sales associate resume summary.

“Enthusiastic and knowledgeable sales associate specialized in upselling furniture and dealing with customer objections. Proven 2-year track record of success at Company X, having exceeded department KPIs by 40-50% for 6 months in a row.”

Read the full sales associate resume example here.

#2. 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.”

#3. 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. Skilled at simplifying complex problems, making it easy for non-technical specialists to solve IT issues.”

#4. Customer Service Representative 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.”

Read the full customer service resume example here.

#5. Cashier Resume Summary

“Reliable and detail-oriented cashier. Skilled at mathematics, 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.”

Read the full cashier resume example here.

#6. Retail Manager Resume Summary

“Retail Manager with 5 years of experience managing mid-sized retail stores. Increased store revenue by 15% through effective team management and customer engagement strategies. Proficient in inventory control, merchandising, and staff training. Looking to leverage retail management expertise in a larger, high-volume store setting.”

Read the full retail manager resume example here.

#7. Barista Resume Summary

“Passionate Barista with 2 years of experience in specialty coffee shops. Known for crafting signature beverages and maintaining high standards of customer service. Consistently received positive feedback for friendly demeanor and quick, accurate order fulfillment.”

Read the full barista resume example here.

#8. Server Resume Summary

"Dedicated Server with 3 years of experience in fast-paced dining environments. Skilled in order accuracy, multitasking, and providing exceptional customer service. Recognized for ability to maintain composure and efficiency during peak hours."

Read the full server resume example here.

#9. Waiter 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, desserts, and appetizers to customers. Memorized restaurant’s wine stock and accompanying meals to the T.”

Read the full waiter resume example here.

#10. Front Desk Agent Resume Summary

“Front Desk Agent with 4 years of experience in the hospitality industry, excelling in customer service at busy city-center hotels. Skilled in handling reservations, guest inquiries, and providing travel recommendations. Committed to enhancing guest experiences and maintaining a high standard of service.”

#11. 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.”

#12. Line Cook Resume Summary

“Line Cook with 3 years of experience in high-volume kitchens. Efficient in meal preparation and plating, with a focus on maintaining quality and speed. Trained in various cuisines and knowledgeable about food safety standards.”

#13. Restaurant Manager Resume Summary

“Professional restaurant manager with a strong interest in providing the highest standards of customer service and ensuring customer satisfaction. Skilled at reducing staff turnover, conflict resolution, marketing, and upselling techniques. Increased restaurant revenue by 20% through advertising lunch menu and word-of-mouth strategies.”

#14. Bar Manager Resume Summary

“Experienced Bar Manager with 7 years overseeing busy urban bars. Successfully increased annual sales by 20% through innovative marketing and menu redesign. Expert in inventory management, staff training, and creating a welcoming atmosphere for patrons. Seeking to bring leadership and efficient operational skills to a high-end establishment.”

Read the full bar manager resume example here.

Administrative and HR Resume Summary Examples

#15. receptionist resume summary.

"Organized Receptionist with 3 years of experience in corporate and medical office settings. Efficient in managing multiple phone lines, scheduling appointments, and providing administrative support. Known for a welcoming demeanor and effectively handling client inquiries."

Read the full receptionist resume example here.

#16. Recruiter Resume Summary

"Communicative 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."

Read the full recruiter resume example here.

#17. Human Resources Specialist Resume Summary

“Human Resources Specialist with 6 years of experience focusing on employee retention and satisfaction. Implemented employee engagement programs that increased retention rates by 25%. Skilled in conflict resolution, performance management, and creating positive work environments. Dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee development.”

Read the full human resources resume example here.

#18. 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.”

Read the full office manager resume example here.

#19. Secretary Resume Summary

“Professional Secretary with 4 years of experience in fast-paced legal and corporate environments. Proficient in document preparation, managing executive schedules, and coordinating meetings. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, ensuring efficient office operations.”

#20. 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.”

Read the full executive assistant resume example here.

#21. Administrative Assistant Resume Summary

“Experienced administrative assistant seeking to leverage advanced administrative 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.”

Read the full administrative assistant resume example here.

#22. Data Entry 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.”

Read the full data entry resume example here.

Finance Resume Summary Examples

#23. 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%.”

Read the full accountant resume example here.

#24. 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.”

Read the full financial analyst resume example here.

#25. Bank Teller Resume Summary

“Bank teller with 2+ years of experience in client-facing roles at Bank X, where I handled 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.”

Read the full bank teller resume example here.

#26. Banker Resume Summary

"Experienced Banker with 5 years of expertise in personal and small business banking. Managed a portfolio of high-value accounts, increasing client satisfaction and financial performance. Skilled in financial advising, loan processing, and risk management. Committed to helping clients achieve their financial goals with tailored solutions."

Read the full banker resume example here.

Business Resume Summary Examples

#27. 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%.”

Read the full business analyst resume example here.

#28. Business Development Manager Resume Summary

"Dynamic Business Development Manager with 7 years of experience in identifying and pursuing new market opportunities. Led initiatives that resulted in a 30% increase in annual revenue. Strong background in strategic planning, client relations, and market analysis. Proven ability to drive business growth and forge strong partnerships.”

Read the full business development manager resume example here.

#29. 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.”

Read the full project manager resume example here.

Marketing and Advertising Resume Summary Examples

#30. marketing executive resume summary.

"Accomplished Marketing Executive with 10 years of experience in developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies in the technology sector. Led campaigns that increased brand awareness by 40% and consistently exceeded sales targets by 15-20%. Expertise in digital marketing, market research, and team leadership. Committed to driving market growth and enhancing brand positioning for leading tech companies."

Read the full marketing executive resume example here.

#31. 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.”

Read the full marketing manager resume example here.

#32. Social Media Marketing Manager Resume Summary

“Creative social media manager with 2+ years of experience and 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.”

#33. 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.”

#34. 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. Freelancing for over 2 years. Grew Company X from 50,000 daily visits to 100,000 within a year by creating long-form content and conducting backlink outreach.”

Read the full digital marketing resume here.

#35. 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.”

IT and Software Development Resume Summary Examples

#36. 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.”

Read the full IT resume example here.

#37. 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.”

Read the full software engineer resume example here.

#38. Cyber Security Resume Summary

"Cyber Security Specialist with 6 years of experience in threat analysis and network defense. Implemented security protocols reducing data breaches by 40% at TechSecure Inc. Certified in CISSP and experienced in cybersecurity technologies including firewalls and endpoint security. Eager to bring advanced threat detection and mitigation strategies to XYZ Cyber Solutions."

#39. Web Developer Resume Summary

"Dynamic Web Developer with 3 years of experience in designing and developing user-friendly websites. Proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React. Developed an e-commerce site that increased client sales by 30%. Looking to contribute innovative and efficient web solutions at CreativeWeb Studios."

Read the full web developer resume example here.

#40. Computer Scientist 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.”

Read the full computer scientist resume example here.

#41. 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.”

Read the full data scientist resume example here.

#42. Data Analyst Resume Summary

“Detail-oriented data analyst passionate about helping businesses grow. Former small business owner. 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.”

Read the full data analyst resume example here.

#43. DevOps Engineer Resume Summary

"DevOps Engineer with 8 years of experience in automating and optimizing mission-critical deployments. Led a team that reduced deployment times by 50% through CI/CD pipeline enhancements. Skilled in cloud technologies and infrastructure as code with certifications in AWS and Terraform. Committed to improving operational efficiency at XYZ Tech."

Read the full DevOps engineer resume example here.

#44. AI Engineer Resume Summary

"AI Engineer with 4 years of experience specializing in machine learning and natural language processing. Developed AI models that improved customer interaction accuracy by 35% for a leading tech firm. M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence. Passionate about deploying cutting-edge AI solutions at AI Innovators Inc."

Read the full AI engineer resume example here.

#45. Java Developer Resume Summary

"Experienced Java Developer with 5 years of experience in building scalable and efficient applications. Contributed to a major project that enhanced application performance by 25%. Strong background in Spring Framework and microservices. Aiming to apply robust coding skills to develop innovative software solutions at XYZ Tech Solutions."

Read the full Java developer resume example here.

Health and Medicine Resume Summary Examples

#46. 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.”

Read the full nurse resume example here.

#47. 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 following hospital regulations and experience in supporting diagnostic and technical treatment procedures.”

Read the full medical assistant resume example here.

#48. 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.”

#49. Dentist Resume Summary

"Experienced Dentist with 10 years of practice in general and cosmetic dentistry. Committed to providing exceptional patient care, demonstrated through a consistent record of patient satisfaction and successful dental procedures. Proficient in the latest dental technologies and techniques, including digital radiography and CAD/CAM dentistry, with a strong focus on preventive care and oral health education."

Read the full dentist resume example here.

#50. Pharmacist Resume Summary

"Detail-oriented Pharmacist with over 7 years of experience in retail and hospital settings. Proven ability in medication therapy management and pharmaceutical care, with a track record of efficiently managing prescription processing and patient counseling. Skilled in utilizing digital prescription systems and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of drug interactions and healthcare regulations."

Read the full pharmacist resume example here.

Creative Resume Summary Examples

#51. 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."

Read the full graphic designer resume example here.

#52. 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.”

#53. 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.”

#54. 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.”

#55. Game Designer Resume Summary

"Innovative Game Designer with 5 years of experience in creating engaging and immersive gaming experiences. Led a team that developed 'AdventureQuest,' a game that won 'Best Mobile Game' at the Indie Game Awards and achieved over 500,000 downloads within the first year. Skilled in gameplay mechanics and story development, with proficiency in Unity and Unreal Engine. Dedicated to crafting games that resonate with players, combining artistic vision with user-friendly design."

Read the full game designer resume example here.

#56. Animator Resume Summary

"Creative Animator with over 8 years of experience in 2D and 3D animation, specializing in character and environmental animation. Proficient in using Maya, Adobe After Effects, and Blender, with a strong background in motion graphics and visual effects. Known for delivering high-quality animations under tight deadlines, contributing to successful animated features and advertising campaigns."

Read the full animator resume example here.

#57. Illustrator Resume Summary

"Award-winning Illustrator with a decade of professional experience, recognized for innovative and impactful visual storytelling. Recipient of the 'Illustrator of the Year' award at the Global Art Forum, with a portfolio that includes book illustrations, advertising campaigns, and digital content."

Read the full illustrator resume example here.

#58. Photographer Resume Summary

"Professional Photographer with a Master's in Fine Arts and 6 years of experience in commercial and portrait photography. Known for a unique aesthetic that combines technical skill with artistic creativity, resulting in visually stunning compositions. Holds a certification in digital photography from the Professional Photographers of America, with a portfolio that has been featured in several national photography exhibitions."

Read the full photographer resume example here.

#59. Actor Resume Summary

"Versatile Actor with 3 years of experience in commercials and television, known for a dynamic range that adapts seamlessly to varied roles. Strong background in stage combat and period drama. Proficient in multiple dialects and expressive character portrayal, enhancing authenticity in every performance."

Read the full actor resume example here.

#60. Writer Resume Summary

"Professional Writer and Blogger with 2 years of experience, specializing in lifestyle and travel content. Successfully increased blog readership by 40% over two years and contributed featured articles in 'Traveler's Digest' and 'Modern Living' magazines."

Read the full writer resume here.

#61. Editor Resume Summary

"Dedicated Editor with 10 years of experience in translated literature, focusing on Mandarin and Cantonese works. Expertise in preserving the original tone and cultural nuances, ensuring translations resonate with English-speaking audiences. Collaborated with acclaimed authors from China and Hong Kong, contributing to over 30 translated novels. Committed to bridging the gap between Eastern and Western literary worlds through meticulous and sensitive editing."

Read the full editor resume example here.

Education Resume Summary Examples

#62. professor resume summary.

"Distinguished Professor with 15 years of experience in higher education, specializing in Modern Literature. Published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and 3 books, receiving the Excellence in Research Award twice. Secured $500,000 in research grants and led multiple international academic collaborations. Committed to fostering critical thinking and research skills in students, enhancing the academic prestige of the department."

Read the full academic CV example here.

#63. Teacher Resume Summary

“Dedicated Teacher with 4 years of experience in elementary education, specializing in innovative teaching strategies. Implemented a project-based learning approach that increased student engagement by 30%. Eager to bring creative teaching methodologies and a passion for educational excellence to School ABC, contributing to student development and academic success.” 

Read the full teacher resume example here.

#64. Tutor Resume Summary

“Experienced Tutor with 2 years of expertise in mathematics and science, adept at simplifying complex concepts. Consistently helped students improve their grades by an average of one full letter grade.”

#65. College Student Resume Summary

"Proactive College Student majoring in Business Administration with strong leadership skills, demonstrated through roles in student government and the debate team. Organized multiple campus events, enhancing student engagement and participation. Seeking to apply organizational and communication skills in a professional internship, contributing to company projects while gaining hands-on experience."

Read the full college freshman resume example here.

#66. High School Student Resume Summary

"High School Student with 3+ months of experience as a cashier. Excellent time-management and communication skills. Actively involved in extracurricular activities, demonstrating strong teamwork and responsibility. Looking to join Retail Store X as a part-time sales representative."

Read the full high school resume example here.

Other Resume Summary Examples

#67. 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 2023."

Read the full architect resume example here.

#68. Electrical Engineer Resume Resume Summary

"Electrical Engineer with 4 years of experience in power systems and automation. Holds a Master's in Electrical Engineering and a certification in PLC programming. Proven expertise in designing and implementing efficient electrical solutions for industrial applications."

Read the full electrical engineer resume example here.

#69. Interior Designer Resume Summary

"Creative Interior Designer with 3 years of experience, recognized for increasing client satisfaction by 30% through innovative design solutions. Portfolio includes residential and commercial projects, with a focus on modern and sustainable designs. Skilled in AutoCAD and 3D visualization, transforming client visions into reality."

Read the full interior designer resume example here.

#70. Construction Project Manager Resume Summary

"Construction Project Manager with a decade of experience in overseeing large-scale commercial and residential projects. Proven track record of completing projects on time and within budget, reducing costs by 20% on average. Skilled in team leadership and effective communication. Committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality."

Read the full construction project manager resume example here.

#71. Operations Manager Resume Summary

"Dynamic Operations Manager with 2 years of experience in streamlining processes for increased efficiency. Expertise in supply chain management and cost reduction strategies."

Read the full operations manager resume example here.

#72. Event Planner Resume Summary

"Seasoned Event Planner with 5 years of experience, successfully organized over 100 corporate and private events. Increased event attendance by 40% through innovative marketing strategies. Excited to bring expertise in event coordination and vendor relations to XYZ Celebrations."

Read the full event planner resume example here.

#73. 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.”

Read the full warehouse worker resume example here.

#74. Welder Resume Summary

"Skilled Welder with 7 years of experience in MIG, TIG, and arc welding. Proficient in reading blueprints and maintaining high standards of safety and quality."

Read the full welder resume example here.

#75. Real Estate Agent Resume Summary

"Experienced Real Estate Agent with 6 years in residential and commercial property sales. Achieved a 25% year-on-year increase in sales volume. Known for excellent negotiation skills and a deep understanding of market trends."

Read the full real estate agent resume example here.

#76. Flight Attendant Resume Summary

"Dedicated Flight Attendant with 1 year of experience, fluent in Spanish and French. Excelled in providing top-notch customer service, contributing to a 15% increase in passenger satisfaction. Fluent in English, French, German, and Arabic. Eager to bring customer care expertise to Airline XYZ."

Read the full flight attendant resume example here.

#77. Paralegal Resume Summary

"Paralegal with 3 years of experience in corporate law, proficient in legal research and document drafting. Certified in legal software applications, enhancing case management efficiency."

Read the full paralegal resume example here.

#78. Social Worker Resume Summary

"Compassionate Social Worker with 6 years of experience in child and family services. Successfully managed caseloads of up to 50 people, improving service delivery by 20%. Skilled in crisis intervention and developing tailored support plans for diverse case needs."

Read the full social worker resume example here.

Resume Summary FAQs

Do you still have some questions about resume summaries? Check the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

#1. How Do You Write a Resume Summary 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 brief paragraph that goes at the top of your resume. However, instead of focusing on your professional experience and accomplishments, it highlights your career goals, aspirations, skills, and academic achievements.

If you have any informal experience that’s relevant to the job, such as volunteer work or relevant coursework , you can still write a resume summary to highlight why you’re a great candidate.

#2. How Do I Start My Resume Summary?

The best way to start your resume summary is by writing down your job title and exact years of experience. You can also add an adjective that describes your strongest character traits or work ethic.

To make this easy, try this formula:

[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 Be?

The resume summary should be brief and attention-grabbing. Ideally, it should be between two and four sentences long.

Its goal is to provide a snapshot of your career that can captivate the hiring manager into reading more.

If you want to give the employer more details and elaborate on why you’re the best candidate for the job in your own words, you can also write a cover letter to complement your resume.

#4. Should a Resume Summary Be Written in the First or Third Person?

As a general rule, your resume should avoid using first-person pronouns . This includes your resume summary.

That said, the third person sounds too impersonal – as if somebody else wrote the resume summary instead of you. Luckily, there’s a neat trick you can use to make your text flow better—just get rid of the pronouns altogether.

This way, instead of writing, “She is a marketer with 5+ years of experience in XYZ,” you can write, “Marketer with 5+ years of experience in XYZ,” and get your point across just as effectively.

#5. Should You Always Use the Same Resume Summary?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t use the same resume summary when applying to different jobs.

Your resume summary should be tailored to the specific job ads and reflect how you can meet the company’s unique needs. If your current resume summary can be applied to different job applications, it isn’t as effective and tailored as it should be.

When writing your resume, go through the job ad for the specific position and try to include the skills or qualifications the employer is looking for. Make sure to also mention any relevant experience and your top achievements, and you’ll have the perfect resume summary.

#6. What Are Other Names for a Resume Summary?

Across the internet, you might find different names for what we’re calling a resume summary in our article. Some of these names include:

• Resume profile
• Career summary
• Personal statement
• Qualifications summary
• Summary of experiences
• Summary of qualification

If you’re heading for a career in academia, a “personal statement” means something different. Check out our detailed guide to writing an academic personal statement to learn more!

Key Takeaways

And that’s our full guide to writing a resume summary!

Hopefully, now you feel more confident about adding this finishing touch to your resume.

Before we go, let’s recap everything we covered about writing resume summaries:

• A resume summary is a two to four-sentence long paragraph that tells the hiring manager your key selling points. These can include your years of experience, exact job title, relevant skills, qualifications, and impressive achievements.
• If you don’t have any work experience, you can opt for a resume objective instead. This way, you can focus more on your professional goals and motivation for applying.
• The goal of a resume summary is to catch the hiring manager’s attention. Do this by tailoring your resume summary to the job ad and addressing what the company needs in a candidate.
• Back up your achievements with data whenever possible. Mentioning the exact numbers, dates, and results makes you seem more credible.
• Use power words and action verbs instead of generic descriptions to make your resume summary pop.

Need more career advice? Check out our career blog for more useful articles!

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How to Make a Resume That Stands Out in 2024: A Guide That Stands Out

In This Guide:

What makes a resume stand out in 2023, key takeaways.

So you want to know how to make your resume stand out to recruiters?

You’re here because the generic “best practices from recruiters” advice you got until now was not very helpful. You already knew it all. You know what the baseline is .

But do you know how to write a visually appealing resume that makes you stand out from the crowd?

What makes a resume pop?

We, at Enhancv , asked ourselves the same questions. To find the standout factors, we did some research and testing.

We started by analyzing our clients’ resumes that helped them secure jobs at the likes of Amazon, Spotify, PwC, Verizon, and other top companies. We identified all the resume components that catch the eye of employers and recruiters. Then, we performed solid A/B testing, and finally, put together all our findings into one test resume . This test resume gathered over 1 million views, got covered by CNBC and Business Insider, and was praised by Mark Cuban .

BUILD MY RESUME LIKE THIS

To put it simply – it stood out and attracted attention.

The following advice helped thousands of candidates get interviews and land jobs at leading companies. We’ll share their resumes as case studies and explore different ways to make your resume stand out from the rest.

Here’s what you’ll learn from this guide:

• How to make a resume that both stands out and gets you interviews in 2023
• Case studies, tips, and professional examples from candidates that successfully landed jobs at top companies
• What resume layouts are getting more interviews and which are getting less
• How to pass automatic HR filters when creating a stand out resume

At the end of the day, you want your resume to stand out and land you a job, not raise HR’s eyebrows or get shared on Reddit for the sake of it.

So we won’t be using fancy fonts or inserting funny pictures. Every example we provide and each template we use has been thoroughly tested with HR systems to pass automatic filters.

This guide will take your resume from good to great, and here’s how.

• First, for every section we’ll cover a baseline, a bare minimum you need to do in order to have a competitive resume. Unfortunately, the majority of career guides stop at that.
• From there, we take it one step further with specific advice on how to make every section of your resume even more engaging and remarkable with out-of-box techniques.
• Finally, we’ll talk about the power of formatting and layout in creating an outstanding resume.

Along the way, we’ll provide case studies and real-life examples that helped candidates land real jobs at the companies they wanted.

Create attention-grabbing header section

The Header is the top section of your resume. It includes your name, location, job title, and contact details.

• Baseline: provide clear, typo-free contact and location details so that recruiters could contact you with zero effort.
• Stand out: include a link to your developed LinkedIn profile, add a custom headline, consider adding a photo.

Looking for ways to make your header stand out? See how you can perfect your resume header and get noticed .

Link to LinkedIn and/or personal portfolio website

Here’s a thing: 70% of recruiters will be checking your social media profiles. But the real bummer is that 79% of employers can reject candidates based on their social media.

Let’s turn this into our advantage and put a link to your LinkedIn profile in your Header section.

This will earn you extra points with recruiters and guide their attention to where you want them to be.

If you have a personal portfolio website that you want recruiters to see, link to it as well.

Gal included a link to his personal website to guide the recruiter’s attention, but also to keep his resume one-page without having to describe all the projects he’s worked on over the decade.

Pro tip: when applying for code-heavy jobs, consider linking to your Github.

Custom headline

Recruiters will spend most of their time analyzing the top third of your resume, and a custom headline is one of the most influential and often overlooked ways to grab their attention.

Headline goes immediately after your name on the resume and can include anything from your job title to a personal slogan.

However, you can do much better than simply putting your job title there., e.g. “System Administrator”.

Below are two amazing standout resume examples of a customized headline in action:

In the past, Daniel had two different jobs: Customer Support Engineer and Systems Administrator.

So he combined both qualifications in his headline, emphasizing experience with both people and systems.

This way he framed his diverse experience as an advantage before the recruiter even got to see the rest of the resume.

Result? Intercom hired Daniel. Check out the resume template that got Daniel the job.

For other jobs, you might want to get even more creative with your headline. For example, how are you going to stand out from hundreds of other marketers?

Wrong example : PPC specialist with 5 years of experience.

Right example : Fighting shady, aggressive marketing.

In his headline, Louis took a strong stance against something that was at the time a massive problem for established brands: shady viral marketing tactics of competition. Later he was hired by Hotjar. Check out the template that Louis used to get his dream job.

Custom headline allows you to frame the rest of your resume however you need, providing a halo effect. Daniel framed his work experience as an advantage for his next job, while Louis stood out from hundreds of marketers with the same skillset.

And the best part? Headlines can be easily tailored to every job you’re applying for, so you can easily switch between experience-based headlines, slogans, or anything related to your next job. Learn more about how to craft your headline here .

Should you include a photo in your resume or not?"?

Short answer: it depends. The best practice is to check company and government policy (including photos is illegal in some countries). For the long answer, head over to our helpful post on the topic .

Sam wanted to switch careers, but her extensive investment banking background made her resume look a bit boring for a startup-tech world.

So she used one of our resume templates, including her photo and adding some personality to her resume , to successfully score a job at Spotify.

To sum it up – you’ll need an attractive header section to make your resume stand out from the crowd. What you’ll also need is a special Summary section…

Use summary that captivates recruiters

The summary section is a short paragraph or bulleted list that briefly describes your professional experience before the rest of your resume.

Sometimes Summary is called an “Objective”, especially if you are using it to explain why you’re applying for the job.

• Baseline : short, easy-to-read, and impactful description of your professional experience
• Stand out : make your Summary memorable, use a proper layout .

Think of your Summary section as a cold email you’re sending someone you don’t know. If it’s a long, boring, and self-centered cold email, no one wants to read that.

But if you research your recipient, create an engaging and short cold email, you have a much higher chance of someone responding to it.

The Summary section, when done right, is one of the most powerful ways of “aligning” you to the position.

Sometimes you’ll hear the opinion that the Summary section takes too much space on your resume.

First, there’s an easy fix to it.

Let’s look at Daniel’s resume once again.

He puts the Summary section to the right of his Experience section. Why?

When recruiters scan your resume, they are checking your experience section first, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to learn more about you after.

With his Summary, Daniel once again frames the recruiter’s perception, highlighting that he did the majority of his work experience remotely. It helps a lot given that the company he applied for, Intercom, is a fully remote organization.

At the same time, he also provides some insight into his personality, as he knows how important culture fit is in remote companies.

Learn as much as you can about the company you’re applying for to know what’s important to them, and use this information to make your Summary more memorable.

Another great way to use the Summary section is when you’re switching careers, have no work experience, or have gaps in your work history.

Seeing your experience section, recruiters will immediately ask themselves questions: why are they making the career switch? Do they have enough experience?

Be proactive and address the elephant in the room yourself.

Akshay S. Rao put a brief summary section before his experience section to explain why he wants the internship with Tesla in the first place.

Check out the job-winning resume layout that Akshay used to land a promising internship.

Okay, so you’ve mastered the Summary, and you are one step closer to making a creative resume that stands out from the rest. Now, it’s time to understand how to tie results with responsibilities and present your work achievements on your resume.

Always provide quantifiable achievements

One of the most common pieces of advice we hear from recruiters is “provide results, not responsibilities”.

Well, yeah, it’s great advice. But we can do even better than that.

• Baseline: when describing your experience, demonstrate the impact of your work and contribution to the bottom-line of a company
• Stand out: Add quantifiable achievements to other sections of your resume, creating a cohesive “rainmaker” narrative.

Compare these two Experience sections from our job-winning Tech resume guide.

The first example may seem clean and concise, but in reality, it’s generic and doesn’t bring impact.

When you provide quantifiable achievements in your resume, it’s not about bragging with numbers.

It gives recruiters the impression that the person knows the impact of their work and their value to the company. And knowing your impact makes you more effective and loyal, a recruiter’s dream.

Here’s a formula we are using to describe our experience in an engaging and impactful manner:

Accomplished [A] as measured in [B] by doing [C]

Just remember that quantifiable achievements don’t necessarily mean “numeric achievements”. Simply adding numbers to something doesn’t make it impactful.

As long as what you did makes an impact and benefits the company, it will resonate with recruiters.

The best part is that you can demonstrate impact throughout other sections of your resume, instantly making them more engaging and effective: Summary, Projects, even your headline.

Maximilian Malterer, who now works at Amazon, used our “Most Proud of” section and moved it right next to his experience section.

No matter how recruiters will be scanning this resume, they will notice the impact you made.

Access the job-winning resume of Maximilian layout at our library of top-performing templates .

Now, let’s discover what the Achievement section is and how to use it wisely.

Highlight awards and recognitions

• Baseline : candidates rarely have this section in their resumes
• Stand out : adding an Achievements section to your resume sets you apart from the majority of candidates in the hiring pool.

If we were to summarize what sets apart the majority of our customers whose successful resumes we’ve used throughout this guide, we’d say custom sections.

“Achievements”, “Awards”, and “Most Proud” sections are all great examples.

Adding them within our resume builder is a one-step drag-and-drop process, but the most important part is that you can quickly change the whole layout based on your particular needs.

As mentioned before, Maximilian put his most impactful Achievements right next to his Experience section, amplifying the overall impact, which is critical when you work with Amazon partners.

But Julian Prim, who now works with PwC, took a different approach. His high-stakes analyst job required extra attention to detail and next to perfect time-management skills.

After all, that’s what PwC had in mind for their operations specialist.

So Julian put his skills first to let recruiters know he checks all these boxes and added his “Most Proud” section below.

While Maximillians’s resume narrative is an ambitious and impactful account manager, Julian Prim is an efficient and timid analyst. The layouts of their resumes work great for both of them.

Pro tip : with simple drag and drop you can quickly change layouts and thus how your resume narrative.

Julian can easily become an ambitious superstar data wizard and apply for some hot BigData startup by simply dragging his “Most Proud” section to the top. Experiment with resume layouts by using the top-performing templates directly in our resume builder .

Surely, sharing awards and recognition is a way to make your resume stand out from other applicants and land you the job. But if you want to get things to the next level, you’d spend some time tailoring your resume and make it more specific to the position you are applying for.

Tailor your resume

Tailoring your resume to the job description is an extremely effective strategy for landing more job interviews.

Just don’t overdo it, otherwise, your efforts might seem too obvious.

• Baseline : include in your resume skills and keywords from your target job description
• Stand out : group skills and provide context for your core skills to maximize the impact and prove that you actually have these skills.

There are several ways to feature both technical and soft skills on your resume.

The majority of candidates will simply list them, but for recruiters, it’s as engaging as reading someone’s shopping list.

Instead, we have a few more easy-to-read and effective options you can use.

Daniel is a technical person. It was important for him to showcase his technical skills when applying for a job at Intercom, but he didn’t want to scare off recruiters with a poorly formatted list of 100+ technologies he learned during his career in IT.

He mentioned many skills and technologies he worked with when describing his Experience section, but for the skills section he followed the old wisdom of “less is more”.

So he identified four of the most important groups of skills he has and presented them as engaging infographics.

Adapt this layout and try out various visual styles using our freely accessible resume templates .

Julian went for the jugular with his PwC analyst resume. He was perfectly aware that the majority of analysts lack soft skills, and that was a great opportunity to stand out from his competition.

But instead of simply listing soft skills he presented them in a real-world context. Finally, he renamed the whole section “Strengths” to grab the recruiter’s attention.

Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment with the names for your custom resume sections.

Recruiters are tired of seeing thousands of “My skills” sections to the point they automatically skim them.

But try naming them “Core strengths” or “Tech achievements” and you’ll hold their attention.

If you are interested in learning more about making your resume laser-targeted, read our post on the topic .

Did you know that nothing sets your resume apart from the rest more than sharing your personal story in it…

Show your career and personal story

So far, we’ve managed to make every section of your resume stand out and engage recruiters, showcasing your experience and achievement in the most convincing way.

Let’s apply some final effort with custom sections that will push your resume into a league of its own.

Here are the four custom sections our customers most often add to their job-winning resumes:

• Life philosophy

Marcellus Nixon, now Senior Director of Network Operations, had an excellent work history in the network communications sector.

You can access Marcellus’s full resume template here .

But so did every candidate who was aiming for an executive role at Verizon.

At this level, candidates rarely can outperform each other on a skill basis.

At the end of the day, organizations hire humans, and if recruiters feel that there’s a person behind all the achievements on your paper, they will remember you.

That’s why Marcellus decided to add “A Day In My Life” and “Life Philosophy” sections.

With these two custom sections, his resume narrative switched from “experienced network executive” to “experienced network executive with a strong work ethic and a solid plan.”

Exactly what Verizon, a global network mogul, needs.

Still with us? Good.

It’s all fun and games until we mention proper formatting. Are there any tricks to it? What colors and fonts are appropriate? Let’s see how you can make your resume stand out visually.

Apply formatting tricks to create stand out resume

Watch out for white space.

According to an eye-tracking study from Ladders Inc, resumes that lack white space turn recruiters off.

The easier your resume reads, the more chances there will be that the recruiter reads every section of it.

If you have a lot to put on your resume, use smart layout and custom sections.

The two resume examples feature the same amount of information, yet the second one is much more engaging and comfortable to digest.

Pro tip: after you filled all the sections of your resume, look at it with your eyes squinted. If your resume feels like a big cluttered black spot, start decluttering it.

Declutter your resume with minimalism approach

Make a point of using as few words to describe your experience as possible. The worst thing you can do is trying to sound smart.

Bad example: developed an elaborate testing environment throughout a wide array of 22 company and partner software assets

Good example: Launched a test-to-production environment for 22 software products

Use well-tested fonts and combinations

Don’t be afraid to use several fonts on your resume, especially if you want to bold certain parts of your resume like headers or titles.

Just remember to limit yourself to only three fonts per resume , and try using font pairs that were already tested together by designers and user experience experts.

Make colors work for you

Here’s a really elaborate, but effective trick you can use to earn some extra points: try using the company’s brand colors on your resume.

Surely don’t put a company logo or use the exact color palette, go for a subtle effect .

It’s a bit of reverse psychology: in-house recruiters that know brand colors too well may subconsciously gravitate towards resumes with familiar colors.

Proofread your resume at least 3 times

Even the most elaborate and engaging resume can quickly become a recruiter’s kryptonite when a single typo creeps into your sentences.Make sure to proofread your resumes at least three times before you send them out. If you’re using our resume builder, it will automatically check every resume you create or upload for typos.

Study specific cases of resumes that stood out from competition

Writing a resume that stands out with no work experience.

• Put Education and Projects section on the top left and top right
• Hide GPA if it’s below 3
• Add a link to personal industry-related projects or Github if you’re in development
• Include a short objective to frame the recruiter’s expectations
• Use custom sections (e.g. Projects and Certification) to stand out from hundreds of applicants
• DON’T mention passion in your objective.

Successful example: [internship at Tesla]

Tips for making your resume stand out for senior employees

• Use custom section to stand out from your competition and add personality to your top-management experience (e.g. “A Day In My Life” and “Life Philosophy”  sections)
• Frame your experience with a well-researched custom headline on top
• Add links to a business-related profile (LinkedIn)
• Frame Skills sections in a unique way (e.g. name them “Workflows”, “Strengths”)

Successful example: senior manager resume at Verizon

How to create a standout resume with bad work history

• Go for a functional layout resume where skills and workflows are prioritized over the experience section
• Create a proxy item in your experience section, e.g. “Freelancer”, or “Agency” and list your temporary experiences within it
• Write an engaging Summary section to address the recruiter’s questions about your inconsistent work history and turn it to your advantage (e.g. several areas of competence)
• DON’T mention passion in your objective. Just don’t.

Standout resume for different positions

Over years we’ve shared and updated a library of 530+ professional resume example guides with best practices and tips for specific job titles.

Simply type in the job title you’re applying for, and you’ll get a resume guide similar to this one with actionable tips specific to your dream job.

BROWSE RESUME EXAMPLES

• Small details matter: make every section stand out for the compound effect
• Extensively research the company you’re applying for and use your findings in different sections
• Add custom sections to stand out and boost engagement with recruiters
• Visuals and readability matter more than you think. Watch your white space, fonts, and formatting

Did you like the guide? Anything else that we’re forgetting and you might want to add? What are your tips for creating a stand-out resume? Jump in the discussion below.

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How to Write a Resume Summary That Stands Out

Published: Jun 18, 2024

In the competitive job market, making a strong first impression is crucial. One of the most effective ways to do this is through a compelling personal summary at the top of your resume. A personal summary, also known as a resume summary, is a brief statement that highlights your key skills, experiences, and career goals. It serves as a snapshot of your professional identity, giving employers a quick overview of who you are and what you bring to the table.

A well-crafted summary not only grabs recruiters’ attention but also sets the tone for the rest of your resume. Here are six actionable tips for making your summary stand out.

1. Tailor your summary to each job

Customize your resume summary for each job application. Carefully read the job description and identify the key skills and experiences the employer is looking for. Then, highlight these in your summary. This shows that you’ve taken the time to understand the role and align your qualifications with the employer’s needs. For example, if a job posting emphasizes teamwork and project management, ensure these qualities are prominent in your summary.

2. Showcase specific achievements

Rather than just listing your skills, provide specific examples of your achievements. Quantify these achievements wherever possible. For example, instead of writing, “Experienced in social media marketing,” you could write, “Increased social media engagement by 50% through strategic content creation and audience targeting.” This helps demonstrate your impact and value to potential employers.

3. Highlight transferable skills

Include skills that are important to target employers, even if they come from different experiences. Many skills are transferable across various roles and industries. Identify these skills in your summary to show your versatility. For example, communication, leadership, and problem-solving are valuable in many fields. Highlighting these can make you a more attractive candidate.

4. Use dynamic and specific language

Action verbs and strong adjectives can make your summary more dynamic and engaging. Words like “led,” “developed,” “managed,” and “innovative” help convey your proactive and results-oriented nature. Avoid generic phrases and be specific about what you’ve accomplished. For example, “Developed a new project management system that improved team efficiency by 30%” is more impactful than simply stating, “Project management skills.”

5. Show the benefits you bring to employers

Your personal summary should not only highlight your skills and achievements but also explain how they benefit potential employers. Think about what makes you unique and how your experiences can add value to the company. For example, “Passionate about using data analysis to drive business decisions, leading to more informed and strategic company growth.” This approach helps employers see the direct benefits of hiring you.

6. Be specific

Avoid generic statements that could apply to anyone. Be specific about your skills and experiences to stand out. While it’s important to use industry-relevant terms, avoid overloading your summary with jargon that might confuse the reader. Employers are more interested in what you’ve achieved rather than just what you were responsible for. Highlight the impact of your specific actions to show your genuine interest and fit for the position.

Andrew Fennell is the founder and director of StandOut CV , a leading CV builder and careers advice website. He is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to publications like Business Insider, The Guardian, and The Independent.

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out (with Examples)

In today’s competitive job market, first impressions are everything — and oftentimes, your resume is the first thing a potential employer sees. Find out how to stand out from the crowd here!

In today’s competitive job market, first impressions are everything, and your resume is usually the first thing a potential employer sees. If you want to secure an interview, it’s essential to make your resume stand out from the rest and ensure that it doesn’t get lost in the applicant tracking system (ATS). In this comprehensive guide, we’ve rounded up all the tips you need to make your resume stand out, complete with examples to help you refine your resume and set yourself apart as a desirable candidate.

How to Make a Stand-Out Resume in 2023

You only have about seven seconds to catch the attention of potential employers when they look at your resume. This means your resume needs to be spot-on if you hope to get an interview. Here are some quick tips for making a stand-out resume:

• Keep it concise and targeted to the job for which you’re applying
• Use action verbs to start each bullet point in your work experience section
• Highlight your accomplishments and use numbers to describe them
• Use bullet points instead of paragraphs for better readability
• Choose a clean and professional font, and use bold and italic formatting to draw attention to key information
• Include relevant keywords from the job description to help your resume pass through ATS software
• Add a personal touch that showcases your unique skills and experiences
• Use white space effectively to create a visually appealing and easy-to-read layout
• Proofread and edit your resume thoroughly to eliminate any typos or errors
• Use a resume template to save time and ensure a polished look

Read on for specific steps to create a resume that’s dressed to impress and gets your foot in the door for an interview.

Step 1 in Making Your Resume Stand-Out: Create a Perfect Resume Header

The resume header is the first section that appears at the top of your resume, and it provides the reader with key information about you as a job candidate. Here’s what to include:

• Any relevant academic and industry credentials, like CPA or RN
• Your professional title, such as "WordPress Developer"
• Your city and state (they don’t need your full address); if you are relocating to a new city, put the new city on your resume
• Your phone number, preferably a mobile number where you can receive texts
• Your email address, making sure that it’s professional and easy to read
• Links to your portfolio and LinkedIn profile

The resume header is important because it immediately tells the reader who you are, what you do, and how to contact you. By including your job or professional title, you let the reader know what kind of role you’re applying for, where you are located, and how to contact you for an interview.

In addition, formatting your resume correctly is vital to ensuring ATS systems can read it. You should not, for instance, put your resume header into an actual header of a document created in Microsoft Word. By using a VisualCV template, you’ll ensure your resume is not only formatted for ATS software, but also catches recruiters’ eyes with an easy-to-read, visually appealing design.

Example of Resume Header That Won’t Stand Out

John Smith Phone: 555-555-1234 Email: [email protected]

This header is basic and lacks any additional details or context.

Jane Doe Unemployed Email: [email protected]

This header includes irrelevant information about the job seeker’s employment status and uses an unprofessional email address.

Robert Brown Experienced Business Professional with a Proven Track Record of Success

This header is too long, too generic, and too difficult to read. It also lacks contact information.

Ashley Kim Developer San Francisco Bay Area

This header fails to state what type of developer and lacks contact information.

Example of a Resume Header that Stands Out

Jane Smith UX Designer | Creative Strategist New York City 555-555-1234 [email protected]

This header includes the job seeker’s professional title and a brief summary of their skills and experience, along with location and contact information.

John Doe Web Developer | JavaScript | React | Node Portland, OR [email protected]

This header includes the job seeker’s professional title and relevant technical skills.

Roberta Brown Copywriter | Branding | Social Media | SEO Chicago, IL 555-555-5678 [email protected] Portfolio | LinkedIn

This header includes the job seeker’s professional title and specific skills related to marketing, plus links to her portfolio and LinkedIn.

David Kim Senior Software Engineer | Java | Spring | AWS San Francisco Bay Area [email protected]

This header includes the job seeker’s seniority level and specific technical skills.

Mark Lee Accounting Manager | CPA | GAAP | Financial Analysis Los Angeles, CA 555-555-7890 [email protected]

This header includes the job seeker's professional title, relevant certifications, and technical skills.

Step 2 in Making Your Resume Stand Out: Write a Perfect Resume Summary

A resume summary, aka career profile or career snapshot, highlights your experience and skills. It’s arguably the most important part of your resume, given its prominent placement at the top and the limited time you have to grab a recruiter’s attention.

The resume summary serves as a personal branding statement that highlights not only your qualifications and skills but also the unique value you bring to the table. Keep it short and intriguing, and follow it with bullet points of notable accomplishments that are relevant to the job you want. If it’s intriguing enough, potential employers will want to read on and learn more — and, hopefully, schedule an interview with you.

Example of a Resume Summary That Won’t Stand Out

• Hardworking individual seeking a challenging position in the field of marketing.
• A creative professional with expertise in marketing strategy development.
• Detail-oriented marketing professional with strong project management skills.
• Self-motivated marketing expert with a passion for delivering high-quality results.
• Experienced marketer with a proven track record of successful campaign management.

Example of a Resume Summary that Stands Out

The resume summary is the elevator pitch for your career. It’s a brief introduction of your skills, experiences, and what you can bring to the table. A perfect resume summary should be concise, clear, and showcase your unique value proposition, like these:

• Innovative and results-driven marketing manager with 8+ years of experience leading cross-functional teams, implementing effective branding strategies, and increasing revenue by 25%. Proficient in digital marketing, social media, and market research. Recognized for exceptional project management skills and a track record of delivering successful campaigns.
• Award-winning marketing manager with a proven track record of driving growth through successful campaigns. Results-oriented marketing professional with extensive experience in brand development, market research, digital marketing, social media, and content creation.
• Creative and strategic marketing leader with a passion for delivering high-quality results. Accomplished marketing executive with a track record of delivering innovative and impactful marketing strategies.

Step 3 in Making Your Resume Stand Out: Quantifiable Achievements in Work Experience

Adding quantifiable achievements to your work experience section helps to showcase your impact on the organization. Think of it not as a list of tasks you completed or responsibilities you held, but rather as a summary of the results you delivered.

Example of Resume Work Experience That Won’t Stand Out

Marketing Manager XYZ Company May 2018 - Present

• Managed marketing campaigns
• Created social media content
• Conducted market research

Example of Resume Work Experience that Stands Out

Notice the difference it makes when you quantify your experience with real results and communicate you are a results-driven professional:

• Increased organic website traffic by 45% by implementing SEO strategies and optimizing content
• Generated $2.5M in revenue by launching new product lines and executing targeted email marketing campaigns
• Led market research projects that resulted in identifying new customer segments and increasing market share by 20%

Step 4 in Making Your Resume Stand Out: Add Awards and Recognitions

Adding awards and recognitions is an effective way to demonstrate your excellence in your field and distinguish you from other candidates.

Example of Awards and Recognitions That Won’t Stand Out

• Employee of the month
• Completed an online course on marketing
• Perfect attendance award
• Completion of routine company training
• Participation in a team-building exercise
• Member of a company committee or club
• Attendance at a professional development seminar
• Completion of a mandatory training module
• Membership in a professional organization without active participation
• Participation in a company-sponsored event or charity fundraiser

Example of Awards and Recognitions that Stand Out

• Recipient of the “Best Marketing Campaign” Award at the 2021 American Advertising Awards
• Winner of the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 Award in Technology
• Received the President’s Award for Outstanding Leadership and Innovation
• Winner of the “Innovator of the Year” award at the Annual Industry Conference
• Named “Salesperson of the Year” for exceeding sales targets by 40%
• Recognized with the “Customer Service Excellence” award for consistently high customer satisfaction ratings
• Received the “Rising Star” award for outstanding performance and potential
• Winner of the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award for successful business ventures
• Recipient of the “Excellence in Research” award for outstanding contributions to the field
• Winner of the “Best New Product” award at the International Product Expo

Step 5 in Making Your Resume Stand Out: Select the Right Template

The right resume template can make your resume visually appealing. A professional and clean template can make a positive impression on the recruiter. On the flip side, a cluttered and unprofessional template with different fonts and colors will not pass through ATS systems properly, nor will it get the attention of anyone manually reviewing it.

Example of Resume Template that Won’t Stand Out

• Overly simplistic or plain designs with minimal formatting
• Outdated or old-fashioned templates
• Templates with overly decorative elements that distract from the content
• Generic templates that lack personality or creativity
• Templates with poor color choices or mismatched fonts and sizes
• Templates with poor spacing or alignment that make the content difficult to read

Example of Resume Template that Stands Out

A clean and professional template with a modern design and the correct fonts, font sizes, and styles will help to set your resume apart. VisualCV offers a wide range of templates that can help you highlight your achievements and experiences with a unique aesthetic, including:

• Clean and modern templates with sleek designs
• Customizable templates that allow for personal branding
• Templates with unique formatting or layouts that showcase creativity
• Templates with bold or eye-catching color choices that are still professional
• Templates with clear and consistent typography and spacing for easy readability
• Templates with graphics or icons that complement the content and enhance the visual appeal

For a wide range of visually appealing resume templates, check out VisualCV’s template library . Some of our favorites include:

• Arya : A modern template that’s colorful yet elegant
• Baker : A clearly organized, two-column template that gives your resume personality
• Gallant : An eye-catching template with bold coloring and sleek lines

Step 6 in Making Your Resume Stand Out: Tailor Your Resume

Tailoring your resume to the job you’re applying for is a critical step in making it stand out from the pile and letting employers know you’re a great fit for the role.

Example of Generic Resume that Won’t Stand Out

Objective : Seeking a job in marketing

Experience : Marketing Intern, ABC Company Sales Associate, XYZ Corporation

Skills : Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite Excellent written and verbal communication skills Detail-oriented

Example of Tailored Resume that Stands Out

This tailored resume for a marketing manager role speaks directly to the role with quantifiable results from past efforts:

Experienced marketing professional with a track record of driving successful campaigns and increasing revenue seeking a challenging marketing manager role in the fashion industry.

Experience : Marketing Manager, Fashion Company A Digital Marketing Specialist, Fashion Company B

• Achieved a 30% increase in sales by developing and executing successful marketing campaigns
• Increased ROI by extracting key data from Google Analytics that led to actionable insights
• Led successful project management and team leadership initiatives, resulting in timely project completion and increased team productivity

Step 7 in Making Your Resume Stand Out: Format Your Resume

Formatting your resume is crucial in catching the hiring manager’s attention. A poorly formatted resume can make it difficult for the reader to navigate and quickly assess your qualifications. On the other hand, a well-formatted resume can make a great first impression and increase your chances of landing an interview.

Example of Poorly Formatted resume that Won’t Stand Out

• Cluttered with too much text and information
• Lacks clear headings and sections
• Uses inconsistent fonts, sizes, and styles
• No white space, making it difficult to read

Example of Well-Formatted Resume that Stands Out

• Utilizes a clean and modern design
• Includes clear headings and sections
• Uses consistent fonts, sizes, and styles throughout
• Incorporates white space for easy readability
• Showcases important information such as skills and accomplishments with bullet points and bolding

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out with No Work Experience?

If you lack work experience, highlight any relevant coursework or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your skills and interests. Include any volunteer work, internships, or part-time jobs that you have held, and explain how they have prepared you for the role you are applying for. You can also showcase any relevant skills, such as proficiency in a particular software or language.

How to Make Your Senior Resume Stand Out

Making a senior resume stand out involves highlighting leadership skills, extensive experience, and achievements. Showcase unique qualities that set you apart from other candidates, such as successful team management, innovative problem-solving, and a track record of driving revenue growth. Using a clear and concise format and focusing on measurable results can also make your senior resume stand out.

How to Make a Standout Resume with No Achievements

If you don’t have any achievements to showcase, focus on highlighting your skills and experiences. Consider highlighting any relevant volunteer work, coursework, or internships. Use action-oriented language to describe your duties and responsibilities in a way that shows your potential value to a potential employer.

Creating a standout resume requires careful attention to detail and a focus on highlighting your unique skills and experiences. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a resume that showcases your skills and accomplishments in a compelling way. Remember to tailor your resume to the job description, use strong action verbs and metrics to demonstrate results, and choose a professional and well-formatted template.

With VisualCV’s range of templates, you can create a job-ready resume that will impress employers and help you get an interview. Start creating your standout resume today with our easy-to-use resume templates, and take the first step toward landing your dream job.

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The Job-Seeker’s Guide to Making Your Resume Stand Out From the Crowd

You’ve spent hours writing and rewriting your resume. You diligently update it . Maybe you even have a few different versions depending on the types of jobs you’re going after. But with the average job listing attracting 250 applications, how do you make sure your resume stands out from the competition and catches the eye of a recruiter or hiring manager?

That’s assuming that it makes it that far. Today, many companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to organize all of their job applications. This software can be used to scan resumes for keywords and phrases, sending only the most qualified ones through for human review—which means you have to optimize your resume for an ATS as well as for the hiring manager.

The good news is that you don’t need a fancy design to make your resume stand out. Try these nine strategies to ensure that your resume puts you in the best light—and lands you the job.

1. Keep It Short

Unless you’re vying for an executive role, one page is usually enough to show that you have the background, skills, and experience for the job. If you’re having trouble streamlining your resume, try trimming bullets and combining sections, and delete any jobs more than 10 years in the past.

2. Tailor It to the Role

Your resume should demonstrate that you have the specific skills, experience, and accomplishments that this company is looking for. Don’t try to detail every career accomplishment—use your resume to demonstrate why you’re the best candidate for this particular position.

3. Design With Readability in Mind

Avoid using graphics, tables, pie charts, and illustrations, which resume-scanning software can’t read. Make sure you use a simple font like Helvetica, Arial, or Times New Roman—less common fonts may be rejected by an ATS, and are harder to read for humans, too. Then, use clear section headings and make them stand out with bold type, capital letters, or a different color.

4. Include the Magic Words

Make sure to incorporate keywords from the job description into your bullet points. It’ll be easier for recruiters and hiring managers to see that you’re a good fit—and if a company uses resume-scanning software, this will help you get through the filters, too.

To figure out what those keywords might be, scan the job description for specific skills that come up more than once and are mentioned near the top of the requirements and job duties. Online tools like Jobscan , Resume Worded’s Targeted Resume , or SkillSyncer can also pinpoint some crucial keywords to include.

5. Use a Summary Statement Instead of an Objective

A old-school resume objective (“Seeking a senior software engineer role in the fintech space”) tells the recruiter what you’re looking for, but a summary statement explains what value the company will get if you join the team.

6. Punch Up Your Text

Most resume bullet points use the same words, over and over again. Instead of listing things you were “responsible for,” swap in action verbs that convey what you achieved:

7. Quantify Everything

Go through your bullet points and add as many numbers and percentages as you can to illustrate your impact . This helps recruiters really picture what you’ve done in your position. Bonus: Include what the benefit was to your boss or your company.

Before: Created monthly status reports for clients. After: Created monthly status reports for 25-30 different clients to ensure timely and complete communication about key initiatives.

8. Avoid Clichés or Jargon

Put everything in terms a layperson can understand. And reconsider stock phrases like “big picture thinker,” “out-of-the-box,” “thought leader,” or “innovative,” which are so overused that they don’t mean anything anymore. Just like in the rest of your resume, you’re better off quantifying your results and backing up your skills with numbers.

9. Consider Mentioning Non-Traditional Work

If they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for, include any volunteer, part-time, or freelance experience. Then make sure to pair it with a strong cover letter telling the narrative of why you’re ideal for the job.

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How to Write a Résumé That Stands Out

Share accomplishments, not responsibilities.

It can be hard to know how to make your resume stand out. Start by accepting that it’s going to take some time and effort. Don’t try to sit down and knock it out in an hour – you’re carefully crafting a marketing document. Open strong with a summary of your expertise. Use an accomplishments section after the opener to link your experience to the job requirements. You don’t want to waste space upfront on irrelevant job experience. It’s okay to be selective about what employment, achievements, and skills you include; after all, you should tailor your resume for each position. Give concrete examples of your expertise, quantifying your accomplishments with numbers where you can. Seek input from a mentor or friend who can review it and give you feedback. Lastly, create a personable LinkedIn profile to complement your resume.

The resume: there are so many conflicting recommendations out there. Should you keep it to one page? Do you put a summary up top? Do you include personal interests and volunteer gigs? And how do you make it stand out, especially when you know the hiring manager is receiving tons of applications? This may be your best chance to make a good first impression, so you’ve got to get it right.

• Amy Gallo is a contributing editor at Harvard Business Review, cohost of the Women at Work podcast , and the author of two books: Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict . She writes and speaks about workplace dynamics. Watch her TEDx talk on conflict and follow her on LinkedIn . amyegallo

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How to Write a Resume Summary to Make Your Resume Stand Out

Reading time, table of content, introduction, understanding resume summaries, importance of keywords in resume summaries, resume summary format, crafting a resume summary for internships, writing a resume summary with a clear objective , resume summary examples for software developers, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Writing a strong resume summary is crucial in grabbing attention and making your resume stand out. 

This short section at the top of your resume is your chance to showcase your most relevant skills and experiences. It tells employers quickly and clearly what you can bring to the table. 

This guide will show you how to create impactful resume summaries by focusing on the right format, choosing effective keywords, and tailoring your summary to various situations like internships or specific roles, including software development.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to switch careers, these tips will help you highlight your best attributes and set you apart from the competition.

A resume summary is a brief introduction placed at the top of your resume, designed to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences in a few powerful sentences. 

Unlike a resume objective that outlines career aspirations, a resume summary focuses on demonstrating your qualifications and what you can offer a potential employer based on your past achievements.

This difference between what you want and what you offer makes the resume summary a critical tool for catching the attention of hiring managers.

In the fast-paced world of job applications, where hiring managers often skim resumes quickly, a compelling resume summary can capture their attention immediately. 

It effectively acts as your personal pitch, summarizing your professional background and key strengths in a way that is relevant to the job you’re applying for. 

The goal is to make the hiring manager interested enough to continue reading the rest of your resume with interest.

Furthermore, as resumes increasingly need to pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) before reaching a human reader, including specific keywords relevant to the job description in your summary becomes crucial. These keywords help ensure that your resume matches the job requirements and is more likely to be selected for further review.

A strong resume summary can set the tone for your entire resume, establishing you as a strong candidate from the outset. It should be engaging, packed with action-oriented words that convey your accomplishments, and precise enough to focus sharply on your professional strengths.

Keywords play a crucial role in modern resume writing, mainly because of their ability to align your resume with the job description and improve your visibility in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). 

These systems, used by many companies, scan resumes for specific keywords that match the qualifications and skills sought for a job. Incorporating the right keywords into your resume summary is essential to ensure that your resume not only reaches a human reader but also resonates with what they are looking for.

To identify the most effective keywords, thoroughly analyze job postings that interest you. Pay close attention to repeated terms in the responsibilities and qualifications sections—these are likely your target keywords. 

For example, if a job posting for a software developer frequently mentions "Java" and "agile development," these terms should appear in your resume if they apply to your skills and experience.

Beyond technical skills, include keywords related to soft skills and specific accomplishments. Phrases like "team leadership," "project management," and "innovative problem-solving" are valuable across various roles and industries. 

However, avoid overstuffing your resume with keywords to the point where it reads unnaturally; the key is to integrate them smoothly into your statements.

Effectively using keywords in your resume summary not only tailors your resume for each application but also highlights your qualifications in a way that is immediate and clear to both ATS and potential employers. 

This strategy ensures that your resume stands out and accurately reflects your suitability for the role, increasing your chances of landing an interview

Suggested Reading: Guide to Developing soft skills for Interviews

Formatting your resume summary correctly is essential for creating an immediate positive impression. A well-structured summary can make your resume look professional and easy to read, helping hiring managers quickly understand your qualifications.

Length and Style

Typically, a resume summary should be about three to four sentences long. It needs to be concise but packed with relevant information that shows why you are the right fit for the job. Write in a direct style, using active language that makes your achievements and capabilities stand out.

Resume Summary Structure Tips

Follow these structure tips to craft a well-rounded resume summary.

• Lead with your title: Start with your professional title to establish your identity and level of expertise right away. For instance, "Seasoned Software Developer" or "Dedicated Marketing Specialist."
• Highlight specific skills: Mention specific skills that are crucial for the role you’re applying for, integrating keywords seamlessly.
• Showcase achievements: Include quantifiable achievements that demonstrate your capability, such as "Increased sales by 30% within one year" or "Led a team of 10 in a successful project delivery."
• Tailor it to the role: Customize your summary for each job application. The more tailored your resume is, the more it resonates with the job description and the needs of the employer.

Using this format not only structures your summary effectively but also ensures that it contains strategic information that catches the eye of both human readers and ATS. 

A clear, engaging, and well-formatted summary sets the stage for the detailed professional experiences listed on your resume, inviting readers to dive deeper into your qualifications.

Writing a compelling resume summary for internship applications requires a slight shift in focus. As an intern, you may not have extensive professional experience to draw from. 

Your resume summary should highlight your educational background, relevant coursework, skills, and any practical experience like volunteering or projects that align with the internship role.

Focus on Learning and Adaptability 

Since internships are often about learning and growth, emphasize your eagerness to learn and adapt. Mention your educational achievements and how they relate to the internship. For example, "Business Administration major with a focus on strategic management, eager to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical environment."

Highlight Soft Skills and Potential 

Internships are also an opportunity for employers to groom potential future employees. Highlight soft skills that are universally appealing, such as "strong communication skills," "team collaboration," and "quick learner." These qualities are often as important as technical skills, especially in an internship setting.

Suggested Reading: Level Up Your Skills: The Complete Guide to Skill Development

Include Relevant Projects or Coursework 

If you have completed any projects or coursework relevant to the internship , mention them. For example, "Completed a comprehensive market analysis project that increased understanding of consumer behavior patterns," demonstrates your ability to apply classroom learning to real-world scenarios.

Suggested Reading: How to Ace Your Internship Interviews

Example Summary for an Internship

"Recent computer science graduate skilled in Java and Python. Proven ability to solve problems and innovate solutions through final-year project involving machine learning algorithms. Looking to leverage academic knowledge and enthusiasm for technology in a hands-on software development internship."

This approach not only showcases your skills and potential but also demonstrates your passion for the field and your proactive attitude toward professional development. 

Tailoring your summary in this way can make a significant impact, especially when you're competing with other candidates who also may lack extensive professional experience.

When writing a resume summary with a clear objective, it's essential to combine your career goals with a demonstration of what you can offer to the employer. 

This approach is particularly effective for those changing careers or industries, where you need to make a strong case for your transferable skills and how they align with the new role.

Define Your Career Objective 

Clearly state your career goal at the beginning of the summary. This shows focus and direction. For example, "Aspiring Data Analyst transitioning from a financial background, aiming to leverage extensive experience in data-driven decision making to impact business outcomes."

Emphasize Transferable Skills 

Highlight skills that are valuable across different industries. For instance, project management, leadership, analytical skills, and communication are attractive to most employers. Illustrate these skills with examples, such as "Managed a team of 10 in a project that increased company efficiency by 15%."

Mention Relevant Achievements or Certifications

If you have achievements or certifications that are relevant to your new career path, make sure to include them. These can serve as proof of your commitment and capability in the new field. For example, "Certified in Big Data Analysis from ABC Institute, prepared to implement high-impact strategies in data-intensive environments."

Example Summary with Objective 

"Experienced project manager aiming to shift to environmental consulting, bringing a decade of expertise in overseeing large-scale projects that enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. Holds a Master’s in Environmental Science and a track record of leading successful projects that have significantly reduced waste."

This type of summary helps bridge the gap between where you have been professionally and where you want to go. It shows potential employers that you have thoughtfully prepared for this transition and possess relevant skills that will benefit their organization.

When writing a resume summary for software developers, it’s essential to focus on both technical skills and your ability to apply them in practical scenarios. Software developers must not only demonstrate their technical prowess but also their problem-solving skills and ability to work as part of a team.

Highlight Technical Skills 

Start by listing your core technical skills. These should include programming languages, frameworks, and tools you are proficient in, such as "Expert in Java, Python, and React. Experienced with Docker and Kubernetes for containerization and orchestration."

Showcase Relevant Projects 

Mention specific projects that highlight your abilities. For example, "Developed a scalable e-commerce platform that processed over $3M in transactions monthly, utilizing microservices architecture and AWS."

Include Problem-Solving Examples

Employers value developers who can tackle challenges effectively. Provide examples of how you've solved problems or improved processes, such as "Optimized system performance by 35% through refactoring and efficient algorithm implementation."

Balance Technical Skills with Soft Skills 

While technical skills are crucial, soft skills play a significant role in your effectiveness as a developer. Mention your collaboration, leadership, or other relevant soft skills, like "Led a team of developers in a fast-paced Agile environment, enhancing team productivity and project turnaround time."

Example Summary for Software Developer

"Seasoned Software Developer with 8 years of experience in building high-traffic applications using Java and Python. Proficient in Agile methodologies, with a strong background in project leadership and cross-functional teamwork. Passionate about innovating user-centric solutions that drive business growth and operational efficiency."

This approach not only highlights your technical skills but also showcases your professional impact and ability to contribute positively to team dynamics and project outcomes. 

A well-rounded summary will attract the attention of hiring managers looking for developers who can contribute both technically and culturally to their teams.

In conclusion, writing a compelling resume summary is key to making a strong first impression on potential employers. 

Whether you're emphasizing keywords, tailoring your summary for specific roles like internships or software development, or clearly stating your career objectives, each element plays a crucial role in highlighting your qualifications. 

By effectively balancing technical skills, achievements, and soft skills, and formatting your summary appropriately, you set the stage for your resume to stand out. 

Use these guidelines to refine your resume summary, ensuring it showcases your best professional self and catches the eye of hiring managers. With determination and a growth mindset, you will find best career opportunities for you.Stay proactive and adaptable, and you'll find that growth and success are within your reach. In today's competitive world, enhancing your skills and cultivating strong communication qualities are essential for career growth and personal fulfillment.

Relinns Technology offers an excellent platform to achieve these goals. At Relinns, you can discover a wealth of career opportunities designed to help you excel. The company is dedicated to helping you enhance your skills, particularly in communication, through hands-on projects and continuous learning. By joining a team of passionate professionals and working on cutting-edge technologies, you will not only contribute to innovative projects but also hone your communication capabilities .

What should I include in my resume summary?

Include your key skills, experiences, and achievements relevant to the job, using keywords from the job description, such as programming languages for a software developer role.

How should I format my resume summary?

Keep it to three to four concise sentences. Start with a strong adjective, your professional title, and a quick highlight of your key achievements.

Can a resume summary help if I'm applying for an internship?

Yes, use the summary to spotlight your education, relevant coursework, and skills or projects that align with the internship.

What is the difference between a resume summary and a resume objective?

A resume summary showcases your past achievements and skills, focusing on what you can offer employers, while an objective discusses your career goals and what you hope to achieve in the position.

Can you provide an example of a resume summary for a software developer?

“Experienced Software Developer skilled in Java, Python, and SQL. Proven leader in developing efficient applications and passionate about agile methodologies and tech innovation.”

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20 Top Resume Tips for Making Your Resume Stand Out in 2024

In today’s competitive job market, a well-crafted resume can make all the difference. Your resume is your first impression to potential employers, and it’s crucial to make it stand out from the rest. With technology evolving and resume screening systems becoming increasingly popular, it’s more important than ever to have a resume that catches the attention of both human recruiters and automated systems.

This article presents 20 top resume tips to help you create an outstanding resume that will set you apart from the competition. The tips provided in this article are based on years of experience from subject matter experts in the field of recruiting and hiring.

The tips are organized into several categories:

• Formatting your resume
• Crafting your content
• Showcasing your achievements
• Leveraging LinkedIn to support your resume
• Avoiding common resume mistakes

Each section provides practical and actionable advice to help you achieve your goal of capturing hiring managers’ attention and landing your dream job.

The following sections will provide more detail on each of the 20 tips and provide real-world examples of how to put these best practices into action. By the end of this article, you will have the tools and knowledge necessary to create an impressive resume that showcases your skills, successes, and potential.

Customize Your Resume for Each Job

When it comes to job applications, one size does not fit all. It’s essential to tailor your resume to the specific job posting you’re applying for. Not only does it show potential employers that you took the time to research their company and requirements, but it can also help your resume stand out.

To customize your resume effectively, start by studying the job posting carefully. Look for keywords and phrases that the employer emphasizes, such as specific skills, qualifications, and experiences. Incorporate these keywords into your resume, so that it matches the posting as closely as possible.

Don’t make the mistake of blindly copying and pasting the job description into your resume. Instead, use it as a guide to highlight your relevant skills and experiences. If you don’t have a particular skill or experience mentioned in the job posting, don’t add it to your resume just to match the posting. This can look dishonest, and you may end up in a job that doesn’t suit your actual qualifications.

When highlighting your skills and experiences, ensure that they align with the job description. For example, if the job posting emphasizes teamwork skills, use concrete examples from your past experiences to demonstrate how you have successfully worked in a team.

Customizing your resume for each job posting can make a significant difference in catching the attention of potential employers. By tailoring your resume to match the requirements and utilizing relevant keywords, you demonstrate that you are an ideal fit for the job. Remember to focus on showcasing the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the position, and always be truthful about your qualifications.

Use a Professional and Clean Design

When it comes to designing your resume, the overall look of your document can actually play a big role in catching the attention of potential employers. To ensure your resume looks professional and clean, follow these tips:

• Choose an appropriate font and font size: It’s best to stick with a standard font like Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri, and keep the size between 10 and 12 points. Avoid using overly stylized or decorative fonts, as this can be distracting and difficult to read.
• Use consistent formatting: Consistency is key when it comes to formatting your resume. Be sure to use the same font, font size, and formatting style throughout your entire document. This will help your resume look polished and professional.
• Use bullet points to present information: Bullet points are a great way to present information clearly and concisely. They allow you to highlight your skills, accomplishments, and experience in an easy-to-read format. Just be sure to use bullet points sparingly, and avoid using too many symbols or fancy formatting.

By following these design tips, you can create a professional and clean-looking resume that will help you stand out from the crowd. Remember, a well-designed resume can be just as important as the content itself, so take the time to make sure your document looks its best.

Start with a Strong Objective Statement or Summary

A strong objective statement or summary is a crucial part of crafting a standout resume. It’s a brief paragraph that appears at the top of your document and serves as an introduction to who you are as a professional.

Explain your goals and objectives

Your objective statement or summary should clearly outline what you want to achieve in your career. This could relate to the position you’re applying for, or your long-term career aspirations. By doing so, you demonstrate to potential employers that you are serious about your goals and committed to your profession.

Demonstrate your value proposition

Your objective statement or summary is also an excellent opportunity to showcase your value proposition to potential employers. This is where you can highlight your unique skills and experiences that make you the ideal candidate for the job. Use this section to explain what you can bring to the table and how you stand out from the crowd.

Summarize your experience and achievements

Lastly, your objective statement or summary should summarize your experience and achievements. Use this section to highlight why you are the best candidate for the job, and how you have achieved success in your previous roles. Be sure to include any relevant achievements or accomplishments that demonstrate your expertise in your field.

A strong objective statement or summary is critical to making your resume stand out. It should explain your goals and objectives, demonstrate your value proposition, and summarize your experience and achievements. With these elements in place, you can create a powerful introduction to your professional abilities and set the tone for the rest of your resume.

Highlight Your Achievements and Results

When it comes to crafting a winning resume, simply listing your job responsibilities or tasks is not enough. What truly sets you apart from other candidates is your ability to deliver results and achieve success in your role. Here are some key tips for highlighting your achievements and results in your resume:

Use Quantifiable Metrics

Employers want to see concrete evidence of your success, and the best way to provide that is with specific numbers and metrics. For example, instead of saying “increased sales,” you could say “increased sales by 25% in Q4 2020.” Other examples of quantifiable metrics include:

• Reduced costs by X%
• Improving customer satisfaction ratings by X points
• Generated X number of leads or conversions

By using quantifiable metrics, you demonstrate that you understand the importance of tracking results and are able to deliver measurable outcomes.

Use Action Verbs

To make your achievements stand out, use action verbs that show you took initiative in achieving those results. Some examples include:

• Implemented
• Spearheaded

Using strong action verbs shows that you are a proactive and results-oriented employee who takes ownership of your work.

Use Specific Examples

When highlighting your achievements and results, be specific and provide detailed examples. Avoid generic statements or buzzwords that could apply to anyone. A strong example might be:

“Developed and implemented a new marketing campaign that resulted in a 50% increase in website traffic and a 20% increase in lead generation within the first month.”

This statement is specific, quantifiable, and demonstrates both initiative and measurable results. Another example might be:

“Led a team of 10 professionals in developing and launching a new product line, resulting in over $1 million in revenue in the first quarter.”

Again, this statement shows specific results, strong leadership skills, and quantifiable metrics.

Make sure to showcase your accomplishments and measurable results using quantifiable metrics, strong action verbs, and specific examples. By emphasizing your success, you will stand out as a candidate who can deliver real value to potential employers.

Include Relevant Education and Certifications

A successful resume highlights both academic qualifications and relevant certifications. Hiring managers often use these indicators to determine whether a candidate has the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the role. Below are tips on how to showcase your educational background and certifications in your resume:

List your academic qualifications

Start by creating a section on your resume to list your academic qualifications. This may include your degree(s), major(s), minor(s), honors, and any relevant coursework. If you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience, your education section may appear higher up on your resume.

For example, your education section may look like this:

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, XYZ University, May 2020
• Relevant coursework: Research Methods, Statistics, Social Psychology

Highlight relevant certifications

In addition to your academic qualifications, highlighting relevant certifications can demonstrate to the hiring manager that you have sought out additional training and have specific skills related to the job. Certifications can be listed either within your Education section or in a separate section devoted to Certifications and Professional Development.

For example, a marketing manager may include the following certifications:

Certifications

• Google Ads Certified
• HubSpot Inbound Certified
• Hootsuite Social Media Marketing Certified

Provide details about any relevant training

It’s also important to provide details about any relevant training you have received, even if it didn’t result in a formal certification. Details about training can be included in bullet points within your work experience section or in a separate section devoted to Professional Development.

For example, a software engineer may include the following training details:

Professional Development

• Developed expertise in Java programming language
• Worked on various projects with a team of developers, using Agile methodology
• Learned advanced SQL querying techniques
• Gained familiarity with database administration tasks

Including relevant education and certifications in your resume is crucial for demonstrating your qualifications and setting yourself apart from other candidates. By highlighting your academic background, certifications, and professional development, you can provide valuable information to hiring managers and increase your chances of landing an interview.

Emphasize Your Skills

When it comes to crafting a standout resume, highlighting your skills is crucial. This section should include both hard and soft skills and provide specific examples of each. To make your skills section relevant to the job, carefully review the job description and tailor your skills to fit their requirements.

Hard Skills

Hard skills refer to specific technical abilities that you have acquired through education, training, or experience. These skills are often job-specific and can be measured or quantified. Some examples of hard skills that you might include are:

Proficient in InDesign and Photoshop : As a graphic designer, I have extensive experience creating high-quality designs using InDesign and Photoshop. I am comfortable using these tools to create brochures, logos, and various other marketing materials.

Data Analysis : As a business analyst, I have a proven track record of using data analysis to understand business performance and inform strategic decision-making. I have experience with tools like Excel, Power BI, and Tableau.

Fluent in Spanish : As a customer service representative, I have experience working with Spanish-speaking clients. My fluency in Spanish has allowed me to communicate effectively and build strong relationships with these clients.

Soft Skills

Soft skills refer to personal qualities or attributes that relate to how you interact with others. These skills are often transferable and can be applied to a variety of jobs or industries. Some examples of soft skills that you might include are:

Problem-Solving : As a project manager, I have a demonstrated ability to identify issues and develop creative solutions to complex problems. For example, when our team encountered a major obstacle during a software project, I worked collaboratively with team members to identify a workaround that kept the project on track.

Communication : As a sales representative, I have developed excellent communication skills that allow me to effectively connect with prospects and clients. I can adapt my communication style to fit the needs of different audiences and have been recognized for my ability to generate high-quality leads through targeted messaging.

Teamwork : As an event coordinator, I have a proven track record of leading successful events by leveraging the strengths of each team member. For example, during a recent fundraising event, I assigned each team member a specific role that played to their strengths, resulting in a successful event that exceeded our fundraising goals.

By highlighting both your hard and soft skills and providing specific examples of each, you can demonstrate to potential employers that you have the skills and experience necessary to succeed in the job. Remember to tailor your skills section to the job description to make it as relevant as possible.

Show Your Personality

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make in their resumes is trying to sound robotic and impersonal. Your resume should showcase not only your professional experience, but also your unique personality. Here are some tips to inject your personality and interests into your resume:

Include interests and hobbies

Including your interests and hobbies on your resume gives hiring managers a glimpse into your personality and tells them what you enjoy doing outside of work. This can make you stand out from other applicants who only include their work experience. Don’t be afraid to show your quirky side – if you love bungee jumping or collecting vintage vinyl albums, include it!

Write in a conversational tone

Too often, resumes sound like they were written by a robot, with repetitive and dry language. Instead, try writing your resume as if you were having a conversation with the hiring manager. Use contractions, be less formal, and add a touch of humor if it fits your personality.

Use language that reflects your personality

If you’re a bubbly and outgoing person, use language that reflects that. If you’re more reserved and analytical, use language that showcases those traits. The idea is to let your personality shine through, so don’t be afraid to inject some of your authenticity into your resume.

Here’s an example of how you could include your personality and interests on your resume:

“Interests: In my free time, I can usually be found baking up a storm in my kitchen or hiking the local trails with my dog, Max. I’m also an avid reader, with a special interest in non-fiction books. My book club meets once a month to discuss the latest reads and exchange recommendations.”

By adding this section, you’ve given the hiring manager a better idea of who you are outside of work. Remember, your resume is not just a laundry list of your work experience – it’s an opportunity to showcase your unique qualities and make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Address Career Gaps or Problems

To make your resume stand out, it is essential to address any career gaps or problems effectively. Consider the following tips to explain these gaps in a positive light.

Provide an explanation for any gaps in your employment:  Do not leave any career gaps unexplained, as it can raise red flags for recruiters. Instead, provide a valid reason for each gap, such as higher education, raising a family, or a personal sabbatical. It shows that you were not just sitting idle during this period.

Explain any past problems or challenges:  Do not try to hide any past problems or challenges that you have faced in your career. Whether it was a difficult job or a health issue, it is best to divulge such information upfront rather than leaving it for the recruiters to discover later. It will earn you the recruiter’s trust and provide a glimpse of your character and values.

Show how you overcame these challenges:  Do not just explain your problems or challenges; showcase how you tackled them effectively. For instance, if you overcame a language barrier, explain how you took classes and practiced conversing with native speakers. If you had a long job hunt, mention any networking events and volunteering activities you participated in during that time. This demonstrates your resilience, adaptability, and the ability to learn from failures.

Addressing career gaps or problems shows that you take an honest and transparent approach towards your resume. It demonstrates your accountability, shows that you don’t shy away from challenges and motivates you to seek new opportunities to grow. With these tips, you can make your resume stand out from the rest and land your dream job.

Put Your Most Relevant Experience First

When it comes to putting together an effective resume, it’s crucial to include your most relevant experiences first. This will capture the recruiter’s attention and give them a quick glimpse of what you bring to the table. Follow these tips to make sure your most relevant experience stands out:

Include your most relevant and recent experience

Make sure to feature your most applicable experience, which will vary depending on the job you’re applying for. It’s okay to omit less relevant experience, especially if it’s not recent. Focus on the skills, knowledge, and accomplishments that align with the job opening.

Highlight your achievements in each previous role

When describing your prior roles, make sure to focus on your accomplishments, not just your responsibilities. Use specific examples to demonstrate how you contributed to a previous employer’s success. This will help recruiters see how you could potentially benefit their organization.

Emphasize your experiences that relate to the job

Make sure to emphasize experiences that are most relevant to the job you’re pursuing. If you’re applying for a data analysis position, for example, you’ll want to highlight any experiences you’ve had working with data sets, building models, or analyzing trends. By showcasing experiences that align with the job opening, you’ll increase your chances of landing an interview and ultimately, the job.

Putting your most relevant experience first can make a significant difference in how recruiters view your resume. Be sure to highlight your achievements, include recent experience, and emphasize experiences that relate to the job. By doing this, you’ll increase your chances of getting noticed and landing the job you’ve been dreaming of.

Proofread and Edit Your Resume Carefully

Your resume is the first impression you make on a potential employer, and it’s critical that it’s perfect. Even a minor spelling or grammatical error can be enough to make you lose out on the job you want. That’s why it’s important to proofread and edit your resume carefully before you submit it.

Here are some tips to help you ensure that your resume is perfect:

Check for any spelling or grammatical errors

One of the most important things you can do when proofreading your resume is to check for any spelling or grammatical errors. This includes checking for proper punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure. To do this effectively, you should read your resume several times, starting from the beginning and working your way to the end.

Use a tool to help find errors

To make the proofreading process easier, you can use a grammar checking tool like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor. These tools help you identify errors in your writing, including grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and sentence structure issues.

Get a second opinion

Another way to ensure that your resume is perfect is to get a second opinion. This can be from a friend, family member, or even a professional. They can help you identify any areas where you may have missed something, and provide suggestions for improvement.

Proofreading and editing your resume is essential to making it stand out. By checking for spelling and grammatical errors, using tools to help find errors, and getting a second opinion, you can ensure that your resume is perfect and ready to impress potential employers.

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How to Make Your Resume Stand Out to Recruiters

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Hiring managers take as little as 6 seconds to read your resume —less time than it takes to tie your shoelaces. In the competitive job market, it’s critical to make your resume stand out from other applicants and impress the recruiter.

How do you make your resume stand out? Format, style, and content all play a role in helping you impress the hiring manager and secure an interview. 

Keep reading to learn tips to make your resume stand out from the competition.

What is a resume?

Your resume is a make-or-break document. It not only lists all your accreditations, skills, and experience but highlights your professional accomplishments, too. It can help you illustrate how you can be an asset to the organization.

You know your resume is important to your job search, so it’s normal to stress about its design , structure, and every action verb . The last thing you want is a forgettable resume that falls through the cracks of the hiring managers’ awareness.

With every new job description, you should change your resume to optimize for skills and keywords listed by the hiring manager. You should take the time to highlight the most prominent keywords in each job description, then adjust your resume to match.

To speed up the process, use Jobscan’s resume scanner for a detailed match report. It shows you which keywords are missing, the level of keyword importance, and an overall score to optimize your resume for ATS.

What does a resume include?

Resumes fall into 3 formats :

• Chronological : Chronological resumes list your work experience in reverse chronological order, with your most recent work history at the top.
• Hybrid : Hybrid resumes feature your skills and accomplishments at the top, followed by your reverse chronological work history.
• Functional : Functional resumes focuses on skills and accomplishments and glosses over work experience. Hiring managers hate functional resumes , so we recommend choosing a chronological or hybrid format.

Whichever resume format you choose, it will include key resume sections to answer all the hiring manager’s questions, from your resume headline to skills and work experience.

Resume headline and summary

Your resume headline and summary are a quick introduction telling the hiring manager who you are and why you’re an ideal candidate. Your headline should include your professional title or the title of the job you’re applying for.

Your resume summary should include 2 or 3 brief sentences stating your key experiences, measurable achievements , and top skills or expertise.

Including the job title you’re applying for in your resume can increase your chance of getting in front of the hiring manager. Using the ATS, they search for the exact title to find resumes that match.

If you’ve never held the role you’re applying to, showcase your relevant skills in your resume that support the job title. Making the connections between other roles, transferable skills, certifications, and education can help the hiring manager picture how your achievements will apply to the role.

• Work experience

Your work experience section is the core of your resume. To make your resume stand out, be specific and intentional about how you tell the story of your career so far.

Here’s an example of a clear work experience that shows the previous role, the company, and employment dates to create a roadmap of a marketer’s career.

Your education can qualify you for a position over other candidates. Whether you have an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree, it shows the hiring manager that you have specialized knowledge. Listing the right education for the job description can make your resume stand out.

This is an education section that lists the master’s degree first. The specific areas of study—middle level math and science—make the candidate stand out.

• Certifications

Certifications from online courses or supplemental training also have a place on your resume. Certifications complement the experience, education, and skills sections. They can show the hiring manager increased specialization and skill development.

This example of a certification section illustrates specialized skills that can make the applicant more attractive to a hiring manager for a project management or related role.

Hiring managers want to know if you have the in-demand skills to do the job. Skills and proficiencies shine a spotlight on what you will bring to the new role that directly ties into the responsibilities laid out in the job description.

Hard skills are technical skills specific to the job or industry. Examples of hard skills include:

• Project management
• Graphic design
• Computer software knowledge
• Search engine optimization (SEO)

Soft skills are no less critical. They’re people skills, character traits, or behaviors that indicate how well you work with others and handle stressful situations.

They’re sometimes called transferable skills , meaning they can transfer from any job and any industry. Some common soft skills that are in demand include:

• Collaboration
• Attention to detail
• Time management
• Growth mindset
• Adaptability

Read through and identify the hard and soft skills for each job description to ensure you’re adding them to your resume.

A time-saving tool is Jobscan’s resume scanner . Upload your resume and the job description, and the scanner will create a match report to tell you whether you have the right skills to get an interview.

For example, this report illustrates that Google Suite and MS Office skills are missing from the resume. But if you want a chance to secure the interview, you need to add those skills that the hiring manager is searching for.

Tips to make your resume stand out

You need to make your resume stand out from the rest by following a few simple guidelines.

Include only relevant information

Clutter of unrelated skills, education, or experience can take up valuable space on your resume. Instead, focus on information relevant to the job description.

A good way to tell if something is relevant is to study the job description to understand the scope of the role.

Use the same language in your resume as in the job description and you’ll be a strong candidate for the job.

Highlight accomplishments, not just responsibilities

Your day-to-day responsibilities don’t tell the hiring manager much about who you are as an industry professional. Instead, emphasize accomplishments . Measurable performance can help the hiring manager imagine how your achievements can help their organization.

Vague language won’t help you land the job. Use numbers, percentages, or data to back up what you’re saying on your resume, like in the example below.

Your responsibilities show what you did, but measurable achievements show how well you did it. This shows the impact you had in your last role.

Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for

A one-size-fits-all resume doesn’t exist. You need to tailor your resume to the job description, the industry, and the company.

Why does tailoring your resume matter? Most companies are using ATS to help streamline the hiring process. ATS, or applicant tracking systems , is a software that adds your resume to a database. The hiring manager will search the database for suitable candidates by entering keywords from the job description.

Hiring managers input specific keywords, and the ATS will parse your resume to detect them. If you’re missing relevant keywords or skills that the hiring manager searches the ATS to find, they won’t see your resume at all.

To optimize your resume faster and more effectively, use Jobscan’s resume scanner to generate a detailed match report. It pulls critical information from the job description, like keywords and skills the hiring manager is looking for.

Then, it compares the job description to your resume to illustrate what details you’re missing. With this information, you can design tailored resumes that stand out for each job application.

With Power Edit , a Jobscan Premium feature, your match report will offer phrasing suggestions to best integrate important keywords into your resume.

How to make your resume stand out visually

Your resume should be visually appealing , but don’t overdo it. Fancy graphics can confuse the ATS and cause your resume to get lost in the database.

Before you design a stylistic resume, know that a clean resume makes a significant impact on the ATS and hiring manager.

Use standard resume headings

Section headings break up the information to make it easy to skim. But if you don’t use them correctly, the ATS won’t read them. Poor heading choices include:

• Autobiography
• My Career Journey
• What I Know

Stick to standard resume headings like:

• Summary or objective

This example uses bolding to help make the document more scannable for the hiring manager. The headings aren’t a place to show off your creativity. Basic headings are mandatory for the ATS.

Use standard resume margins

Avoid trying to pack in more content by widening the margins. It won’t be an ATS-friendly resume, and the hiring manager will never see it.

Instead, stick to the standard guidelines for resume margins. One-inch margins make the ATS happy and are readable for the hiring manager.

• In Microsoft Word, one-inch margins are the default, and you can ensure you’re choosing the right measurement by selecting Layout/Margins/Normal.
• In Google Docs, you can confirm your margin measurements by selecting File/Page Setup.

Best fonts to help your resume stand out

What are the best fonts for your resume? The ATS and hiring managers prefer clean, crisp, and legible fonts.

The most common and preferred fonts for your resume include:

Using color to help your resume stand out

Is it okay to use color on a resume? Yes, using color sparingly can add visual appeal to your resume.

Color can help your resume:

• Draw attention to the headings
• Show off your creativity
• Fit with the company’s culture

If you’re applying for a creative role or your research suggests the company would appreciate engaging visuals, adding a hint of color can benefit you.

Some industries are more conservative, so dark shades like navy blue, forest green, or maroon are more appropriate for jobs in:

• Engineering

Here’s an example of using color to make your resume stand out without overwhelming the hiring manager.

Read more : Should You Use Color on Your Resume?

Use templates to make your resume stand out

Resume templates can still be personalized and attention-grabbing. You can make your resume stand out by customizing a template to include all the relevant information in a structured, ATS-friendly resume format. Templates save you time and helps ensure your resume is clean and readable.

Use Jobscan’s free ATS-friendly resume templates and start building your resume that gets noticed by recruiters!

Common resume formatting mistakes

The format of your resume is critical for the ATS. Your resume needs consistency and simplicity for the ATS to decipher the content. Some common mistakes people make on their resumes for ATS include:

• Not using the right date formatting: acceptable formats are MM/YYYY, like (04/2023) or fully spelled month and year, like April 2023.
• Using acronyms or abbreviations: don’t use them alone—the hiring manager will often search the entire term, as in “client relationship management” over “CRM.”
• Adding graphics: the ATS can’t extract information from design elements and, once uploaded to the ATS, they can scramble your resume formatting.

How to make a resume stand out to hiring managers

When your resume reaches a person, you have to pique their interest in under 6 seconds. So, how can you make your resume stand out to the hiring manager? 

Know what the hiring manager is looking for

Every hiring manager has different goals. Even if you’re applying to several identical roles, each organization will emphasize a need for unique qualifications.

Reading the job description isn’t enough to understand the hiring manager’s needs. Go to the company website and read the mission statement, the company’s core values, and the team members’ biographies to help your resume fit the culture.

Most job descriptions are comprehensive—providing information about:

• The company mission
• The must-have qualifications
• The nice-to-have proficiencies

Going the extra mile can take more time, but catching the most minor details is worth it.

Keep it concise

An overcrowded resume is challenging to read. White space makes your resume easy to skim and lets the hiring manager find information quickly.

Read the job description carefully, and if there are details in your resume that don’t support what the hiring manager is looking for, remove them.

A time-saving way to compare is Jobscan’s resume scanner . After scanning your resume and the job description, it will generate a match report to illustrate where you’ve integrated keywords and where they’re missing.

This example keeps every point short, but impactful. You want every point to have a purpose, so be ruthless with your editing.

Review and proofread

You’ve hit all the keywords, your resume is formatted, and everything is relevant and clean—don’t let a spelling or grammatical error make your resume stand out in a negative way.

Whether you run it through a grammar checker, read it out loud to yourself, or let your friend check it for an objective read-through, review it until you’re confident there are no mistakes.

Ask yourself a few questions in your review:

• Are you using strong action verbs?
• Are your accomplishments measurable?
• Is everything relevant?
• Is it designed with the ATS in mind?
• Will it be appealing to the hiring manager?
• Is it concise and clean?

When you answer “yes” to these questions, you’re ready to submit your resume.

How do I make an impressive resume with no experience?

It’s common to ask how to make your resume stand out with no experience. You can make your resume impress the hiring manager, even without experience, by highlighting a few key points:

• Relevant education
• Relevant experience
• List your relevant skills
• Include a strong resume summary

Use a resume template to help guide your formatting and create an stand-out resume.

What is a good objective for a resume with no experience?

If you’re a new grad or starting in the workforce looking for an entry-level job , you can still create a solid resume objective that stands out to hiring managers:

• Read the job description to identify important keywords to use in your objective.
• Use impactful action verbs and measurable accomplishments related to your relevant part-time job, volunteer experience, or course projects.
• Promote yourself, show off your character, and highlight your skillset, even if you have no practical industry experience.

How do I make a resume?

Building a resume from scratch is time-consuming, and you can’t be sure your resume is ATS-friendly.

You can use an ATS resume template that suits your industry and personal preferences and easily add your personal information, work experience, education, certifications, and skills.

You can also use Jobscan’s free resume builder . There are no hidden costs and it allows you to build an ATS-compatible AI resume in no time!

Find our resume examples to help you make your stand-out resume with ease.

More expert insights on this topic:

How to Write a Summary for a Resume with No Experience

86+ Resume Summary Examples To Inspire You

54 Examples of Effective Resume Objectives

Kelsey is a Content Writer with a background in content creation, bouncing between industries to educate readers everywhere.

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How to Make Your Resume Stand Out

Learning how to make your resume stand to get noticed by a potential employer during a job search is extremely important to land your dream job. In fact, getting a recruiter’s attention takes more than just stating your prior employment experiences.

How do you make your resume stand out?

To make your resume stand out, you’ll need to have an effective resume layout with clear sections, leverage your use of effective bullets with strong action verbs and results, and tailor it to a job posting.

MatchBuilt asked Lori Wade , a journalist, and human resource expert that covers recruiting and employee productivity, for best practices that job seekers can implement to stand out and attract attention to their resumes.

Like making your LinkedIn profile and cover letter stand out, you’ll want to ensure your resume is easy to skim and highlights your relevant experience to showcase why you’re the best candidate. You’ll also find that utilizing critical keywords in the optimization process will help you stand out. In this post, Lori details how to make your resume stand out and other vital pieces of information that will help you secure your next job.

20 Tips to Create a Resume That Stands Out

Creating a resume that stands out among 100s or even 1000s of other candidates can be difficult. These tips below are worth your consideration as you create a resume that stands out and gets noticed by recruiters and HR managers.

1. Plan Your Resume Layout With Clear Sections

The first step and one of the best ways to stand out with your resume is to maintain a clear and easy-to-skim format and design . An easy way to achieve this is to arrange the information in clear sections with your name, email, address , and LinkedIn link at the top of your resume, followed by a section on your work experience and education with any academic honors .

It has been observed that using F and E resume layout patterns is a way to capture the employer’s attention. This is because these patterns imitate how the eyes scan through internet pages. You can use these patterns in place of the right-to-left or drop-down pattern.

Primary Resume Sections

• Contact Information
• Professional Experience

Optional Resume Sections

• Awards and Honors
• Volunteer Work
• Certifications and Licenses
• Hobbies and interests
• Qualifications
• Extracurricular Activities
• Accomplishments
• Associations
• Publications
• Conferences

Optional Skills Sections

• Personal Skills
• Management Skills
• Technical Skills
• Computer Skills
• Additional Skills

Pro Tip:  Choose unique resume sections that best reflect the professional skills and accomplishments that match up with the job description and company.

Do Not: Add every possible resume section to your resume.

2. Don’t Be Afraid To Go Bold, Use All-Caps, and Underline

Keep your font style simple by using Calibri, Times New Roman, or Arial, but explore different font sizes and thicknesses to draw attention to the resume’s vital areas (years of experience, job title, customer service accomplishments, volunteer work, work history) .

Consider bolding your name, address, job titles, companies you’ve worked for, dates employed, and section headers.  You can also leverage all-caps and underline some elements.

Leading career site, FreshGigs , recommends the following as a rule of thumb regarding fonts, caps, italicizing, and underlining.

• Use font sizes 10, 11, or 12. If you wish to emphasize headings and titles, you may use font size 14 or 16.
• Use no more than two different font sizes in your resume.
• Use bold fonts sparingly to highlight key items such as the names of companies, job titles, or degrees. Some people use bold fonts to highlight key skills and qualifications, and that’s fine. Remember those bold fonts are only used to draw the reader’s attention to certain areas; no more than 10 percent of your resume should be bolded.
• Use italicized fonts only if you refer to the names of books or magazines (presumably containing work you’ve authored).

3. Crush Your Bullet Points

Long paragraphs slow down a potential employer as they scan numerous resumes for a job opening. One way to improve readability is by adding bullet points under a job or section that break up the text and make it easy to skim through . Utilizing sub-bullet points can also be effective when showcasing specific projects and accomplishments.

You want the recruiter to take note of the essential skills you have to give you a chance at the job. Therefore, you can  display your skills and qualifications in bullet points to make them easy to spot. Doing that also ensures that whoever is reading your resume does not miss the critical sections of the resume.

Leveraging bullet points in critical sections, including under skills and jobs, is essential. Here are a few example bullet points to help your resume stand out .  Not their use of action verbs and results.

Example Bullet Points that Attract Attention

• Sourced, hired, and developed 14 new team members in 2022
• Collaborated with three hiring managers across two different teams to aid in hiring and recruiting efforts, including writing and managing online job postings, screening candidate resumes, and conducting first-round interviews
• Spearheaded employee benefit overhaul, identifying a new, improved health insurance provider while reducing employee insurance costs by 15%
• Achieved over 90% of sales quota in Fiscal Year 2022
• Achieved 12% territory growth in Q4 2021 for the Indiana branch
• Responsible for driving $1M revenue and market share in Florida
• Led and managed a team of 3 Senior Account Managers, including recruiting, hiring, and training new reps on the company sales process
• Forecasted $8 MM across accounts and product line categories by analyzing trends, inventory, and order history
• Devised a co-forecasting process with clients which uncovered issues in their analytical system and merged client forecasts with ours
• Collaborated with sales and marketing departments to improve forecast accuracy, thus reducing the production of extra or outdated products
• Created a 7-year business plan and investor marketing materials leading to a successful $2.5MM round of financing
• Designed and implemented a company-wide loyalty rewards program for a leading Swiss retail bank with revenue exceeding $1.3BN, resulting in a 10% rise in product cross-sales
• Defined strategic vision statement for the largest gas processing firm in the Middle East, gaining board approval
• Introduced a new document management system, which improved document searchability and saved admin staff an average of 1 hour per day
• Gained buy-in from directors for the purchase of new rota management software to improve team efficiency
• Successfully reduced worker’s compensation injuries from 20 to 2 in a one-year period through the introduction of a comprehensive employee incentive program.
• Brought the organization back into federal compliance by establishing an organization-wide Leave of Absence process.
• Received corporate-wide Employee of the Year Award (pool of 100+ staff) and multiple Employee of the Month Awards (pool of 80 staff).

Other essential details to include in this section are your core and soft skills, such as how you are a team player , and make sure to present them orderly. Consider your specialty and include relevant skills. For example, one of your relevant skills would be design and communication if you’re in the creative field. If your specialty is in information and communication technology, a relevant skill may be software programming.

4. Leverage Action Words

Using action verbs throughout your resume will suggest that you’re a person of action and getting things done.

Example Action Words to Make Your Resume Stand Out

• Ambitious:  Is having or showing a strong desire and determination to succeed
• Avid learner:  This shows that you are very eager or enthusiastic and willing to learn
• Career-focused:  Verifies that you are focused on moving forward in your career path
• Results-driven:  This means that you always seek to provide the best results
• Collaborative learner:  This shows that you like to work with other people to solve problems , complete tasks, or learn new concepts
• Leadership:  Demonstrates your ability to lead a group of people or an organization
• Career-focused:  Suggests that you are  conscious of your career  and the choices that affect it
• Flexibility:  This shows that you have the willingness to change or compromise when necessary
• Integrity:  Indicates that you only submit finished work that meets your high standards
• Communication:  This shows your ability to share your ideas effectively with clients, coworkers, and managers
• Responsibility:  Demonstrates that you can act independently and make decisions without authorization
• Adaptability:  This indicates that you can adjust to new conditions.
• Motivation:  Involves your ability to keep yourself motivated, along with those around you
• Focus:  Shows your level of attention to tasks
• Time management:  Shows your skills in developing timelines and completing projects
• Problem-solving:  Demonstrates how you evaluate situations and find practical solutions
• Teamwork:  Indicates you work well with others and thrive in a team environment
• Commitment to excellence:  Illustrates that you are someone who strives to do their best

5. Tweak Critical Keywords to Beat the ATS

Because recruiters and employers have so many job seekers to choose from every time a new position gets listed online, competition is fierce, and  companies need a way of filtering out the best applicants before human eyes can land on them . That’s why many businesses today use an applicant tracking system. An ATS is very beneficial to large companies but also something that can leave well-rounded candidates out of the running if they’re unprepared.

In today’s job market, similar to LinkedIn profile optimization , a job seeker’s resume needs to be optimized for an ATS , the job application, and the job description with the right keywords. This can also help you stand the chance of getting hired whether or not your recruiter uses resume parsing software such as Affinda. This software is designed to assess and extract relevant information from resumes for a specific position that is available.

Furthermore, don’t stuff your resume with too many keywords, and remember that certain software can also pick up grammatical errors. Also, avoid word repetition so your tone doesn’t sound like a bot. Instead, use human-reasoning keywords like compliance, marketing deliverables, and corporate communications in natural ways.

6. Show How You Make an Impact

Employers want to see the impact you’ve made in your previous positions.

Be specific about the impact you had in your role, how you did it, and what you accomplished, and start your bullet points or statements with strong action verbs.

Next, provide contextual details to inform the reader about your work’s purpose, the project’s scope, and what you produced or accomplished . Quantify your work and achievements where possible.

7. Tailor It to the Target Company and Job Description

Make sure to tailor the information to the company’s interests , such as your professional experience. The same applies to the job description. To do this, relate the very vital aspects of the job description to the notable parts of your resume. This is particular to your past work experiences and skills.

Let the bullet points made under every past job on the resume be as significant as possible. This is essential because the employment history on your resume is one of the initial areas an employer looks at.

8. Research Your Target Company

Identifying your target company helps to simplify your research and direct your writing to what matters. Moreover, you can easily address its needs and solutions with the right information about the company. Once you understand the company’s core competencies , for example, a best practice for your resume is to incorporate them on lists, headlines, and your resume‘s body.

Remember that you want to keep your resume concise and not too wordy. Don’t just pile on a list of skills and competencies, especially if you’re a seasoned executive. Be mindful of this as well, and keep your resume to one page. Most experienced professionals can address many of these points in their resume‘s body or qualifications section .

9. Know the Challenges the Company is Facing

When creating your resume, be sure to identify the company’s challenges . Afterward, outline your past encounters with similar challenges, how you dealt with them, and the results you got.

10. Show How You Will Add Value

Concentrate on relevant accomplishments to your target company. This will show them how you will add value as a team member.

You can do this by defining “success” in your previous positions, making a list of ways you have achieved success, quantifying that success, listing awards you’ve received, using value-related keywords, and highlighting your achievements.

11. Utilize a Resume Template That Stands Out

Pick a resume layout that stands out, remains appealing to employers in your industry, and is easy to skim. One way you can do this is by using the latest resume templates below. You might need to compare your final result with a professional standard to confirm your progress. To do this, you’ll need comparison software such as Draftable that allows you to weigh the quality of your resume.

Below are resume examples and templates that stand out for your use.  Simply click on the image to view the Google doc resume.  From there, you can save the resume as any type of document you’d like (Google Docs, Word, etc.).  You can also save it as another Google doc to begin editing.

To quickly find examples and resumes on Google Docs, launch the  Google Docs app (create an account if you haven’t already). Then, click on “Template Gallery” from the home page and scroll down until you find the resume templates. Pick a template and start editing.

Excellent for entry-level resumes , each Google Doc resume example that stands out is easy to navigate and minimalistic.  Most of the templates are ideal for both recent graduates and seasoned pros.

You can easily add or replace any section you wish. So, if you’re unhappy about the skills section being so high up, replace it with a professional summary or a career objective.

Google Doc “Spearmint” Resume Example Template to Get Noticed

Google doc “serif” resume example template that looks good, google doc “coral” resume example template that looks professional, google doc “swiss” resume example template to stands out, google doc “modern writer” resume example template that attracts attention, 12. be clear that you’re the right person for the job and prove you’re the most qualified.

Use data when possible to display how your past accomplishments are pertinent to the job you are applying for. Use as many facts, figures, and numbers as you can in your bullet points.

How many people were impacted by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals? By quantifying your accomplishments, you allow the hiring manager to picture the level of work or responsibility needed to achieve this accomplishment.

13. Proofread and Have Someone Else Review Too

Carry out proper proofreading and editing before submitting your resume.

Proofreading Your Resume Tips and Tricks

• Think like an employer as you write your resume, and remember that you’re not writing it for yourself
• Edit out the unnecessary fluff
• Print it out to review
• Read it, line by line and word by word
• Read it out loud to someone
• Read it backward
• Spellcheck with an online app like Grammarly
• Have someone else proofread it

14. Consider Including a Passport-Sized Photograph

Consider adding passport-sized photographs is gradually becoming the order of sorts for many firms. This is because the applicants might not be available the first time the company assesses their files. They’ll need to see pictures of the applicants to know what they look like. Remember that adding a photo is an industry-specific recommendation, not for every job or employer .  Use your best judgment here.

15. No Experience? Do This…

Not every university graduate has the experience certain companies might require. If you’re faced with such a situation, here’s what you can do:

State Your Best Qualities As Regards the Job Position

You must identify what makes you good enough for the job and project it to the employers. Outline these qualities, whether or not they’re professional.

Start Your Resume with a Personal Summary

Your personal summary is a piece of brief information about yourself. It’s important to keep this section short and straight to the point. Begin by introducing yourself and stating your educational qualification. You can follow these up with your skills or talents.

Translate Extra-Curricular Activities as Jobs

The fact that you didn’t receive any pay for past activities doesn’t imply that you didn’t gain knowledge. Include those volunteer positions and make them appear as jobs are done. Also, add the duration, date of the tasks, and the skills learned at the time.

Talk About A Project You Carried Out Upon Graduation

A good way to transfer your skills to your resume is through your degree projects. You can include your research skills in your resume if you have written a thesis. If you performed oral presentations, that’s an excellent place to draw pitching experience. Reflect on major degree activities and translate them to skills and experiences.

16. Keep it Neat and Brief

You may not be able to see your resume from the hiring manager’s viewpoint. However, one common thing amongst them is the simplicity of writing. So, you might need to keep it as simple and short as possible.

17. Add a Relevant Link

Adding a link to your profile might be necessary when applying online, as social media platforms quickly become the center for recruiters and job seekers.

Some examples of the social media platforms used by hiring managers include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Also, if you own a blog or website, including the links to your resume would be a plus.

18. Brand Yourself on Your Resume and Social

Make yourself stand out by sending a clear message on your resume and social profiles .

• Strive for consistency across social platforms (usernames, headshots, etc.)
• Include your resume summary on your social profiles (especially on LinkedIn)
• Share content that people in your target industry might find valuable.

19. Save and Send as a PDF Document, Now Word

If you are emailing your resume, send a PDF rather than a Word document . This will ensure all your careful formatting won’t get messed up when the hiring manager opens it.

20. Sift Through Dated and Unnecessary Jargon

An average human nowadays has an extremely low attention span. This suggests that a three-page resume would seem overwhelmingly long. A busy employer will quickly move on to a briefer document and may miss out on your excellent qualifications.

A great resume-building tip is to remove the following fluff or dated items  from your resume.

• An objective or skills section at the top of your resume
• Weird or potentially polarizing interests
• Third-person voice
• An email address from your current employer or an outdated one from Yahoo or Hotmail
• Unnecessarily big words
• Tiny, unimportant jobs from 20 years ago

Final Notes on Creating a Resume That Stands Out and Gets Noticed

Resuming writing patterns change with time, making it necessary to know the latest tips to make your resume stand out and garner attention.

To make your resume stand out, you’ll need to plan your resume layout with clear sections, leverage your use of effective bullets with strong action verbs and results, and tailor it to a job posting.

Like making your LinkedIn profile and cover letter stand out, you’ll want to ensure your resume is easy to skim and highlights your relevant experience to showcase why you’re the best candidate.

You’ll also find that utilizing critical keywords in the optimization process will help you stand out. In this post, we’ll detail how to make your resume stand out and other vital pieces of information that will help you secure your next job.

Need More Help? Check Out These Video Tips For Creating an Eye Catching Resume

About Mark Matyanowski

As the founder of MatchBuilt, with over 18 years of recruiting and coaching experience and 8+ years in executive roles at a leading Fortune 100 company, I am deeply committed to guiding professionals in their career paths.

Our team at MatchBuilt offers expert support in enhancing resumes, optimizing LinkedIn profiles, and preparing for interviews. Our blog, drawing on our rich experience and industry insights, is a valuable resource for job seekers.

We take pride in successfully guiding job candidates to top-tier company roles while empowering individuals to achieve their career ambitions, irrespective of their background or educational level.

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4 tips to help your resume stand out.

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Male indian hr, recruiter or employer holding cv having online virtual job interview meeting with ... [+] african candidate on video call. Distance remote recruitment conference chat. Over shoulder view.

There’s never a bad time to focus on your resume, except when you’re actually in a job interview, or maybe when you’re driving. Regardless, no matter where you are in the job-hunt process, it’s always good to be ready to update your resume. Here are a few tips to make sure it stays fresh.

Customizing your resume for each job application is so big. Begin by carefully reading the job description and identifying the key skills and experiences that are most valued by the employer, and then make sure those words appear on your resume (just like SEO!). Use the same language and keywords from the job description to make it immediately clear how good you’d be for the job. This is tedious, but it’ll also help your resume pass the software that many companies use to filter resumes.

Instead of a super old objective statement, open your resume with a professional summary that highlights your career achievements and key skills. It’s all the rage these days (well, among resume nerds). This section should be a brief, impactful pitch that shows why you are the best fit for the position. And keep it profesh with the aesthetics, too, as Elle Wood herself always taght. The layout and design of your resume are just as important as the content. Opt for a clean, professional format with plentty of white space to make it easy to read. Stick to traditional fonts like Helvetica, Arial, or Times New Roman in a size between 10 and 12. Oh, and avoid excessive use of bold and italics; they’re just so dramatic

Get Numerical

Numbers speak louder than words, I feel like FDR or Cardi B or something said that. Boost your resume by quantifying your achievements with data and statistics. For example, instead of saying "responsible for managing a team," say "managed a team of 10 and increased productivity by 20% within the first year." And try to be honest, because numbers can be fact-checked.

Use Active Language

Use action verbs such as "achieved," "developed," "transformed," and "managed" to convey your professional experiences and accomplishments. That’s way better than saying, idk, random stuff? Honestly, though, active language makes your resume more dynamic and reader-friendly. Run ran fetched scouted. There are all kinds of examples. Each bullet point in your experience section should start with a compelling verb that paints a picture of your expertise and initiative; you’ll look energetic and fun!

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How to Make Your Resume Stand Out and Land Your Dream Job

In today's dynamic and competitive job market, learning how to make your resume stand out is the key to landing your dream job.

The good news is with a bit of effort and strategic thinking, you can create a memorable, eye-catching, strong resume that grabs attention immediately. In fact, many tried-and-tested strategies can help you make a lasting impression, even in a crowded field of applicants. 

So let's get into it and explore how to create a standout resume that'll be the key to getting your foot in the door and landing an interview.

What is a resume?

A resume is a critical tool for job seekers that summarizes your education, work experience, skills, achievements, and any other relevant information that might impress a potential employer. It's essentially a snapshot of your background and expertise. And it's an incredibly influential marketing tool when looking for a job—often the first thing an employer sees about you.

The most crucial aspect of creating your resume? Designing a document that presents you in the best light, stands out from the competition, and grabs the attention of those reading it.

What do most resumes include?

Before we get into some strategies to make your resume stand out, let’s walk through some key resume sections potential employers are likely looking for.

Typically, resumes include contact information, a professional summary or resume objective, work experience, education, skills, achievements, and any certifications. 

You see, the purpose of your resume is to showcase your skills, relevant experience, and qualifications to potential employers to make a strong case for why you are the best candidate for the job. So while the content and order of these sections may vary depending on you and the job you're applying for, including these critical sections can help ensure that your resume is comprehensive, professional, and effective.

What does a good resume look like?

Aside from including all the information highlighting why you're the right fit for a job, your resume should look good! 

A great resume has a clean and professional appearance. It should be easy to read and scan, with clear headings and sections. The font should be legible and consistent throughout, and the text should be aligned properly. 

Your resume should also use bullet points to highlight important information and achievements rather than paragraphs of text. And it's important to use a resume format appropriate for your industry and level of experience, so researching templates and examples can be helpful. 

Overall, the appearance of a good resume should be visually appealing and make a positive impression on the reader, like this one below!

How to Make a Resume Stand Out Visually

Visual presentation is one way to make your resume stand out. By making a few simple tweaks to the layout, fonts, and overall design, you can create appeal and grab attention.

Pay attention to simple details like margins, fonts, and headers to create a professional, easy-to-read resume that catches the reader's eye. You should also consider using a resume template to add a touch of visual interest. But be sure to choose a design that complements your skills and experiences, is appropriate for the job you're applying for, and is optimized for an applicant tracking system (ATS). 

So what are some key elements you can focus on to enhance visual appeal?

Let's start with the basics! Your resume margins should be set at one inch on all sides of the page (or pages). 

If your achievement bullets or other sections require more space, you can adjust them to 0.5 inches, but no smaller. Keep in mind, you don't want your content to appear cramped, difficult to read, or overwhelming for potential employers.

There are a lot of unique fonts out there that add complexity and intricate detail to design work. But, when it comes to the best fonts for your resume , there are a few general guidelines to keep in mind. 

• The font you choose should align with the role you’re applying to. For example, if you're applying for positions that are less creative in nature, such as engineer, IT manager, architect, human resources manager, or data scientist, it's best practice to use a font that appears more professional, like Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, or Georgia. If your profession is on the more creative side, so let’s say, animator, graphic designer, or video editor, you can incorporate fonts like Didot, Lato, or Montserrat.
• Except for your name and headers, the text in your resume should stay between a 10- and 12-point size. 
• It’s best to avoid extremely decorative, thin or light, heavily italicized, and overly thick fonts.

Resume headings are another key design element that can attract the right attention. Great headings will identify the resume components often expected and optimize the document for ATS. 

So what headings should be included?

• A header with your name and contact information
• A tailored short professional bio that speaks to your capabilities as they relate to the job you're applying for
• Your work experience (If you're creating a resume with no experience , you can omit this section and list your achievements under your education.)
• Any education
• Relevant skills and interests

Resume templates are used to enhance the visual appeal and comprehensibility. Templates often incorporate fonts, colors, and graphic design to create an appealing structure.

A well-designed template will also help highlight important sections like your experience and skills, making them easier for potential employers to spot quickly.

When choosing your resume template, consider the industry you're applying in and check out some examples to see what aligns with that industry and your personality. 

Explore 850+ standout resume examples across a variety of jobs, industries, specialties, and more with Teal's comprehensive list. Then use our AI Resume Builder to customize your resume templates—taking the time, guesswork, and research off your plate so you can focus on other aspects of your job search, like interview prep and networking! 

How to Make a Resume Stand Out to Hiring Managers

When it comes to getting hired for your dream job, one of the most crucial steps is making your resume stand out to hiring managers specifically. With so many applicants vying for positions, they're often inundated with numerous resumes for a single job opening. 

So what can you do? 

Well, your resume needs to be memorable to increase your chances of getting face to face. So let's explore some sure-fire ways to grab their attention and increase your chances of landing that interview—uniquely, creatively, and effectively.

Understand What The Hiring Manager is Looking For

All companies are unique, so they often look for different qualifications in candidates that align with their specific needs. Understanding what a hiring manager is looking for starts with carefully reviewing the job description and the company's culture and values.

A good job ad should provide specific details about the role's responsibilities, qualifications, and desired skills and experience. It's essential to pay attention to the language used in the job posting and the requirements listed to get an idea of what the hiring manager is looking for.

Additionally, researching the company's values, mission statement, and culture can provide insights into the type of person the company seeks. A company's website, social media presence, and press releases can give you a sense of core values, company culture, and how they present themselves to the public.

Include a Target Job Title

Your target job title, also called your resume title , is located near the very top of your resume. You should always have one, and it should also reflect the description of the job you're applying for, whether it's an office job or not. That means if you're applying for multiple positions, you should not have the same resume target title on each document.

While your current or previous position is significant to your work history, it's also important for your target job title to correspond with the job you're pursuing.

For example, let's say you're a copywriter; some target titles with descriptions that align closely with that role may be Content Writer, Marketing Writer, Creative Writer, or Content Strategist. By modifying your title to one that’s more specific and closely related, you'll make a better first impression with a potential employer and increase your chances of standing out as someone who understands the role and responsibilities! 

And remember, if you've never held that target job title, you can still make a connection to the rest of your resume by including relevant keywords and emphasizing skills, certifications, projects, and bullets that fit the job description of the position you're seeking.

Add Skills and Proficiencies

Your skills and proficiencies demonstrate what you bring to the table that goes beyond direct job responsibilities. 

Hard or technical skills are measurable and specific to your job. These are skills like data analysis, affiliate marketing, and Salesforce or WordPress. On the other hand, soft skills are those less-measurable, more universal interpersonal skills employers often seek, such as teamwork, communication, or strategic problem-solving. 

But remember, regardless of the particular skill, it's essential to craft an attention-grabbing skills section with proficiencies that are relevant to a professional setting, and align with the role you're applying for to stand out as someone qualified for a position.

Show Measurable Results

While hiring managers need to see your skills, education, and work history, it's crucial to remember they need to see your impact on a company, too.

According to LinkedIn , presenting quantitative metrics (numbers!) has a significantly more notable impact than outlining your job duties and responsibilities. Why? That data demonstrates your performance and potential to deliver those same results for another company.

For example, it’s fantastic to say you optimized a marketing email sequence, but what was the impact? To demonstrate the measurable results as well as the process of how you got to those results, you might say something like:

Increased onboarding sequence CTR by 8.3% and conversion by 5.4%, leveraging user behavior analysis to create tailored content addressing product adoption and usage.

The version above shows the direct impact of your work in a measurable way, making it easy for potential employers to understand the awesome results you can produce. 

Ensure it’s Concise

If you’re wondering, “ How long should a resume be ” you aren’t alone! Gone are the days of including every single detail of every role you’ve held. 

At Teal, we recommend keeping your resume to one page, especially if you’re early in your career. After 7-10 years, it might be time to add a second page. 

In addition to the formatting suggestions for margins, fonts, and templates above, what are some ways to ensure you create a solid resume that stands out but is also concise? 

• Only include pertinent information
• Keep your achievements as simple bullets rather than paragraphs
• Use only the best best action verbs for resume

Tailor Your Resume to The Job Description  

One of the most impactful ways to stand out as the ideal candidate you are is to tailor your resume to the job description. 

Tailoring your resume demonstrates you understand (and are qualified for) the role you’re applying to. 

So what's the best way to do this? Include keywords and important language from the job description in your professional summary and bullet points. You can use AI tools like Teal and ChatGPT for job applications for repetitive tasks like pulling keywords from the job posting. 

The Teal Job Application Tracker and Resume Builder pull the keywords from your saved jobs, so you can easily incorporate them into your resume. Sign up for a free Teal account today to see for yourself!

Make Your Resume Stand Out by Customizing it to Any Job

With our Resume to Job Description Match tool , you can easily determine how well-aligned your resume is to a specific job.

Simply add the text from your resume into the field below and get a customized match score with recommendations.

Try it yourself.

Add a Custom Cover Letter

According to Zippia , 38% of hiring managers say including a cover letter makes them more likely to pay attention to your application, and 45% say that not submitting one will potentially get your application rejected.

So what’s the best way to submit a cover letter?

Well, if you have the right tools, a personalized cover letter will grab attention by using the keywords and language from the job description to resonate with the reader. If you’re applying for several positions, this might sound like a lot of work. But it doesn’t need to be. 

The Teal AI Resume Builder has built-in AI functionality that creates personalized, AI-generated cover letters with the click of a button. And you can use it for every letter you submit.

Review with a Keen Eye

Reviewing your resume with a keen eye and making strategic adjustments to ensure it's error free can increase your chances of catching a hiring manager's attention.

Start by checking for typos, grammatical errors, or formatting issues that could negatively impact you—tools like Grammarly or Quillbot AI can help you do this quickly and easily. 

Additionally, read your content aloud. Is it clear? Is your language consistent? Are you using the same voice throughout?

Finally, make sure that your target title, professional summary, and accomplishments are correctly tailored to the job you're applying for, and highlight the keywords relevant to the role.

Follow up With the Hiring Manager After Your Submission

After you submit your resume, it's important to understand how to follow up on a job application with a potential employer to stand out from other candidates. 

A good rule of thumb is to send a follow-up email once a week for three weeks. This timeframe gives the hiring manager plenty of time to review and respond to your initial application while demonstrating your continued interest in the position. 

When you send your follow-up email, attach your resume and keep your follow-up message brief and professional.

Within Job Application Tracker are communication templates to use as a starting point for a follow up email after applying for a job. Make sure to tailor it to the specific role.

Create a Standout Resume Today

Once you understand how to make your resume stand out, it's time to start crafting the best resume to land your dream job.

A tool like Teal's resume maker can help you quickly and easily optimize your resume's appearance by customizing elements like your font and template. You can also use the AI functionality to tailor your professional summary and bullets to include keywords from specific job descriptions and so much more.

So don’t hesitate! Sign up for Teal for free today to get started and create a winning resume that stands out from the crowd.

Frequently Asked Questions

What specific elements on a resume typically catch an employer's attention, how can i effectively showcase my soft skills on my resume, is it beneficial to include a personal branding statement on my resume.

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How to Make a Resume Stand Out in 2022

Posted on 04 feb 2022.

2022 is now well underway. Are you ready to bring your ‘A’ game to your job hunt? The first thing you must do is ensure that your resume is in order and on point. When you have a well-written and well-developed resume, a call for a job interview is practically a given. If you want to know how to make your resume stand out this 2022, here are seven essential tips for you to follow.

1. Keywords, keywords, keywords

Before your resume can reach the eyes of a recruiter or a hiring manager, it will need to pass a screening by an applicant tracking system (ATS). ATS is a tool used by many companies today to eliminate resumes that fail to meet specific criteria, and most often than not, these criteria relate to the use of keywords.

Want to know how to make your resume stand out to ATS this 2022? It’s vital for you to include the right keywords for your target role. Many of these keywords can be found in the job posting, so it is important to review the posting carefully. For example, if you’re looking for work as a car technician, some of the prominent keywords you should include in your resume are:

• Car inspection

• Automotive training

• Service tech

• Vehicle diagnosis

In addition to passing a heavily discriminating ATS , adding a healthy helping of keywords to your resume also boosts your chances of getting found by a potential employer. This is especially important if you plan to post your resume on job portals and other online job boards.

2. Develop a strong summary statement

Your summary statement serves as your introduction, and as they often say, first impressions last. That’s why it’s imperative that you have a strong summary statement to begin your resume.

Regarding how to make your resume stand out with an effective summary, begin with a brief description of yourself, then follow this up with a statement showcasing your key skills and experiences that most relate to the position. And don’t forget to mention at least one significant achievement at your previous job. Here’s an example of a smart summary for your inspiration this 2022.

Detail-oriented Sales Associate with 3 years of sales and marketing experience combined with a knack for solving complex problems. Highly organized and self-motivated, I managed to help drive my company’s profits by initiating a next-level strategy to pricing and inventory. I seek to apply my proven sales management skills to improve quality, cost and time metrics for your good company.

3. Use action verbs to start your bullet points

Using passive voice in your resume makes your sentences appear wordy and harder to understand. On the contrary, action verbs make them snappier, sharper, and more polished. Ultimately, action verbs—otherwise known as power words—make your resume sound confident and self-assured. Below are examples of sentences that begin with action verbs:

• Evaluated mortgage applications for residential homes

• Facilitated training sessions for technical teams

• Developed computer software for warehouse operations

As to how to make a resume stand out, action words make your descriptions come alive, as opposed to being bland and boring to read. They help your resume deliver the biggest impact, and in the process, persuade the reader that you are an ideal candidate for the job.

4. Use measurable metrics

Express your accomplishments in quantifiable terms to show recruiters that you performed well at your previous position. Here are some examples of resume bullet points with measurable metrics.

• Achieved 50% year-over-year profit improvement with implementation of personally developed marketing strategies

• Furthered initiative that resulted in 39% increase in productivity and 56% reduction in downtime

• Managed a 10-person sales team that brought a 67% increase in profits to the company

Numbers give your resume credibility, and make you a more valuable candidate in the eyes of recruiters. So how to make a resume stand out? Introduce your achievements with percentages, ratios and dollars to give them more informative detail and weight.

5. Tailor your resume to the job

Not all of your skills, experiences, and trainings will be relevant to the position, and with limited space, you can’t afford to include them all, because you could end up losing the recruiter’s interest. To list stand out skills for resume, you need to identify your most applicable qualifications, as these are the only ones that a recruiter will care about.

To ensure you are listing your relevant duties and responsibilities, it helps to put yourself in the employer’s shoes, and given what you know about the company and the position, think about what they may be looking for in a candidate. Come up with a list of your skills and strengths, then use that insight to show how you are the most qualified applicant for the job.

6. Target a formal yet attractive look

Your resume should appear professional. This means that the font, color, and formatting must be uniform. If your resume reads like the comics filled with various colors and font sizes, it will have a slim chance of being considered seriously by a recruiter. However, a professional look doesn’t mean it should be boring. It needs to be clean and tidy, strike the right balance between white and text space, and appear cohesive and coherent all throughout.

7. Work with a trusted resume writing service

Even the best writers in the world still entrust the evaluation of their work to someone else. By having someone else assess your resume, you will have a pair of objective eyes who can see your resume’s strengths and weaknesses. When making resume stand out, you can have a friend or family member with a writing background assess your resume for you, or you can have a professional resume writing service like Resumeble provide you with a free, no-obligation resume evaluation.

How to make your resume stand out this 2022? Choose Resumeble

Make your resume stand out this 2022 by having one of our expert resume writers craft your resume for you. Discover why we are the first choice for so many job seekers out there. Choose one of resume writing packages today and let’s get started on your new career trajectory this 2022!

• 7 seconds: this is how long your resume has either to impress or be ignored by the recruiter
• 300+: average number of applications one corporate job opening posted online receives
• 3%: number of sent resumes that result in interviews

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How to Make Your Resume Stand Out in 2024 You can increase your chances of landing an interview in 2024 by making your resume stand out.

By John Rampton Edited by Mark Klekas Sep 1, 2024

Key Takeaways

• You have one chance to make a great first impression with your resume
• Follow these tips to create a resume that stands out from the crowd

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A resume that stands out from the crowd is increasingly important in today's competitive job market. A distinctive resume effectively highlights your unique skills and experiences and quickly captures the attention of hiring managers amidst a sea of applications.

The good news is that you can increase your chances of making a memorable impression and landing an interview by taking a few easy steps. Here are some tips for making your resume stand out:

Related: Exploring the 6 Different Types of Resumes

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300+ Powerful Resume Adjectives To Make Your Resume Stand Out

Published on August 9th, 2024

There is a lot of competition when it comes to job search. Although the number of resumes may vary depending on the hiring role and the company, the HR professional receives around 250 to 280 resumes for every job opening. 

Though it sounds daunting, but is also spotlights the importance of of the resume. It's the resume’s job to showcase your professional graph and what added advantage you can bring to the company. But, it's too much to deliver through a single document. 

Thus, that’s where the resume adjectives can help. Selecting the appropriate adjectives can give an otherwise boring text some flair. However, what are the best ones to pick and how can you use them efficiently? 

To help you with the adjectives to use on resume correctly, let's break down 300 of them along with a few dos, don'ts, and the impact of resume adjectives.  

Marketing Resume Adjectives

• Brand-conscious
• Collaborative
• Data-driven
• Results-oriented
• Forward-thinking
• Resourceful
• Trend-savvy
• Campaign-focused
• Multi-channel
• Experiential
• Metrics-driven
• Performance-focused
• Competitor-aware
• Value-driven
• Brand-loyal
• Interactive
• Social media-savvy
• Content-driven

Customer Success Resume Adjectives

• Customer-focused
• Detail-oriented
• Solutions-driven
• Trustworthy
• Service-oriented
• Understanding
• Problem-solving
• User-centered
• Communicative
• Process-oriented
• Goal-oriented
• Client-focused
• Client-centric
• Results-driven
• Process-driven

Sales Resume Adjectives

• Competitive
• Charismatic
• Relationship-focused
• Customer-centric
• Consultative
• Negotiation-savvy
• Revenue-focused
• Influential
• Target-driven
• Solution-oriented

IT and Software Development Resume Adjectives

• Algorithmic
• Security-conscious
• Debugging-focused
• User-centric
• Cybersecurity-aware
• Configurable
• Performance-optimized
• Cloud-centric

Human Resources (HR) Resume Adjectives

• Fair-minded
• Conflict-resolving
• People-focused
• Relationship-driven
• Employee-centric
• Policy-compliant
• Mediation-savvy
• Recruitment-focused
• Talent-driven
• Performance-oriented
• Motivational
• Leadership-focused

Project Management Resume Adjectives

• Leadership-driven
• Budget-conscious
• Timeline-driven
• Multi-tasking
• Results-focused
• Deadline-driven
• Schedule-focused
• Quality-driven
• Prioritization-savvy
• Scope-focused
• Stakeholder-conscious

Finance and Accounting Resume Adjectives

• Financially-savvy
• Compliance-focused
• Cost-effective
• Investment-savvy
• Regulatory-compliant
• Decision-making
• Audit-focused
• Accountable
• Forecasting-driven
• Financially-prudent

Education and Training Resume Adjectives

• Knowledgeable
• Student-focused
• Curriculum-driven
• Instructional
• Culturally-aware
• Assessment-driven
• Mentorship-focused
• Encouraging
• Developmental
• Facilitative

Healthcare and Medical Resume Adjectives

• Compassionate
• Patient-focused
• Diagnostic-savvy
• Treatment-focused
• Procedure-driven
• Patient-centric
• Preventative
• Health-conscious
• Coordinative
• Medically-savvy
• Rehabilitation-focused
• Team-oriented
• Safety-conscious
• Crisis-management

Engineering Resume Adjectives

• Quality-focused
• Design-savvy
• Project-driven
• Technically-proficient
• Troubleshooting-focused
• Sustainable
• Construction-savvy
• R&D-focused
• Standards-compliant

These are some of the good adjectives for Resume that you can use while creating your own. So, let’s understand —

How to use these descriptive words in your Resume?

Here are some of the tips with which you can use these descriptive words in your resume: 

• Check the word’s meaning

Before using any terms that seem a little strange on your resume, do some research on them. You must know how to tie the adjectives on your resume to the position or industry you are applying for. Verify that each term accurately and clearly expresses your meaning by consulting the definition and synonyms.

• Add details that support your adjectives

Quantify what you mean when you add strong adjectives examples like profitable, diligent, or dynamic. Give data and lucid facts to back up the strong words to describe yourself

you choose. Although the words highlight your argument, the numbers back it up and demonstrate to the employer the precise value you can provide to the business. 

• Integrate Resume adjectives with Action verbs

On a CV, describe your tasks and accomplishments using action verbs and adjectives. These phrases highlight your qualifications and experience while proving to employers how valuable you are.

The Do’s and Dont's of using Resume Adjectives

The Impact of Adjectives on the Hiring Process

Hiring managers often review numerous resumes, and well-chosen adjectives can make you stand out. Resume Adjectives like “innovative” or “results-oriented” quickly convey your strengths, helping hiring managers see your fit for the role. However, balance is key — overuse or exaggeration can backfire. When used correctly, adjectives add authenticity and enhance your resume’s impact.

For example, Sarah, a marketing professional, secured her dream job by describing herself as a “visionary leader” with a “proven track record.” Similarly, John, a software developer, used “detail-oriented” and “methodical” to highlight his precision, catching the hiring manager’s attention. These examples show how strategic adjective use can lead to job offers.

Making a resume that stands out doesn't have to be hard. You can easily create an attention-grabbing resume with our AI Resume Builder. This tool provides strong, position-specific adjective suggestions that play to your strengths and fit the roles you're aiming for. It gives you a competitive edge by guaranteeing that your resume is not just well-written but also specifically customized to the job description. The best part is that our AI resume builder has limitless templates and downloads, is free to use, and doesn't require registration. Start now, and let our tool assist you in crafting a resume that makes an impression and advances your career.

Hiring managers' perceptions of your resume might be greatly impacted by the use of strong resume adjectives. Using these evocative terms will enable you to draw attention to your advantages, emphasize your special talents, and match your experience to the position you're applying for.

Try reviewing your CV in light of these observations as you get ready to advance in your job. You may increase the attractiveness of your resume and your chances of getting the job you want by carefully choosing impactful adjectives. Rewrite your resume now, and go forward with confidence toward your next career opportunity. Never undervalue the power of words.

Frequently Asked Questions 

How to use adjectives in a resume.

Place adjectives strategically in your summary, skills, and job descriptions to enhance your qualifications. Use them to emphasize your strengths relevant to the job.

What are good adjectives to put on a resume?

Good adjectives include “innovative,” “detail-oriented,” “results-driven,” and “proactive.” Choose words that match the job description and highlight your strengths.

What are strong adjectives for a resume?

Strong adjectives like “analytical,” “strategic,” “dynamic,” and “efficient” effectively convey your professional attributes. Ensure they are truthful and relevant to the job.

Why are resume power adjectives important?

Power adjectives quickly convey your strengths, making your resume more impactful and memorable, helping you stand out from other candidates.

How to use resume adjectives effectively?

Use adjectives selectively to complement your achievements. Focus on one adjective per statement to keep your resume clear and aligned with the job description.

Soujanya Varada

As a technical content writer and social media strategist, Soujanya develops and manages strategies at HireQuotient. With strong technical background and years of experience in content management, she looks for opportunities to flourish in the digital space. Soujanya is also a dance fanatic and believes in spreading light!

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How to Put a Food Handlers Card on a Resume

A food handlers card proves that you have completed a course and passed a test on basic food safety principles.

Owing to the importance of handling food safely for preventing foodborne illnesses, many states, local health departments, and employers require a food handlers card to work at a food establishment like a restaurant or place that prepares and serves food like schools and healthcare facilities.

If you’re looking for a new job, you might be wondering how to highlight your food handlers card on your resume.

This article will guide you on how to effectively include a food handlers card on your resume—even if you haven’t earned it yet—so you can stand out to potential employers.

Where and how to highlight your food handlers card on your resume

A food handlers card is like a professional license in that it demonstrates that you have the specific knowledge or skills needed to do a job.

Including your food handlers card on your resume, even if it’s not required in your area, offers several advantages that can set you apart from other candidates. It demonstrates your commitment to food safety, showing employers that you take this aspect of the job seriously.

This proactive step can also broaden your job opportunities, making you eligible for a wider range of positions, and potentially lead to a faster onboarding process with a higher starting wage.

Additionally, having this certificate builds trust with employers, who may view you as more reliable and responsible, while also enhancing your professional credibility by signaling that you are well-prepared for the role.

When structuring your resume, it’s important to present your qualifications clearly and effectively. Your food handlers card can be included in the Certificates and Licenses section, typically placed after your education or skills sections.

Be sure to list the Food Handlers Certificate title, issuing organization, and the date you obtained it, along with its expiration date. It also helps to add it to the top of your resume under the Professional Summary section. Doing so brings it to the hiring managers attention immediately that you hold a food handlers card.

FREE Editable Food Handler Resume Template

Includes all the essential headings, making it easy to customize with your details and showcase your food handlers card (even if you don’t have one yet).

What to do if you don ‘t have a food handlers card yet

If you don’t have a food handlers card yet, don’t worry — there’s still time to earn one and boost your resume.

Most employers don’t require that you have the training before starting a job in foodservice, but they certainly prefer it.

To get started, you can easily enroll in an online food handler training course, such as the one offered by FoodSafePal.

FoodSafePal’s food handler course is accepted by most health departments and employers since it holds ANSI-National Accreditation Board (ANAB)–accreditation.

Once you’ve completed the training, you’ll take a short exam, and upon passing, you’ll receive your food handlers card. You can train and test in under two hours.

Even if you’re in the middle of earning your certificate, you can still mention it on your resume. In the Certifications and Licenses section, list “Food Handlers Card (in progress)” with the expected completion date.

This shows potential employers that you’re actively working towards meeting the qualifications and are committed to the role. Once you’ve earned your card, be sure to update your resume with the full certificate details.

The bottom line

You should always include your food handlers card on your resume to show future employers that have the necessary knowledge to handle food safely.

Add your food handlers card in the Certificates and Licenses section, typically placed after your education or skills sections. Don’t forget to include the Food Handlers Certificate title, issuing organization, the date date you earned it, and its expiration date.

Although most jobs don’t require a food handlers card before you apply, having it is a great way to make your resume stand out. Plus, in less than two hours, you can earn your health department-approved food handlers card with FoodSafePal and include it on your resume.

Ready to Boost Your Resume?

The Quickest and Easiest Way to Get Your Food Handlers Card

Gavin Van De Walle holds a master's degree in human nutrition and food science. He is also a registered dietitian nutritionist who aims to make food safety intuitive and accessible for everyone.

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Research Assistant

Research Assistant CV Examples & UK Templates

Choosing the right CV format for a research assistant

Include your contact information, make use of a summary, outline your work experience: the journey continues, include the relevant key skills that make a great research assistant cv, detail your education & relevant certifications.

As a research assistant, you’ll likely have the scientific skills and expertise you need to showcase in your CV and it can be difficult to present this without getting over complicated. 

First impressions count. A jargon-filled CV, that includes intricate details of research projects may fall at the first hurdle, particularly if this is screened first by a recruiter or HR manager.

Whether you’re targeting a role in a university, research institute, or private organisation, your CV needs to highlight your stellar analytical skills, meticulous attention to detail, and contributions to cutting-edge research. But it also needs to be easily digestible and appealing. 

Don’t worry, we can help! If you’re a research assistant seeking to take the next step in your career, use our CV example and expert writing guide to make that move.

CV guide for a research assistant CV

Accelerate success with Resume.io. Our guides and CV examples span over 150 professions, and if you need help creating a convincing CV our CV builder makes this easier than ever.

This CV guide and corresponding research assistant CV example will cover the following:

How to write a research assistant CV

• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your research experience
• Listing education and credentials
• Picking the right CV design/layout

Before writing your CV, it’s a good idea to keep the ideal structure in mind to stay on track. With few exceptions, all CVs should include these essential sections:

• The CV header
• The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

Similar to generating a high-quality research report, your CV needs to present relevant information in a clear, concise, and professional format. Resist the urge to dive straight into writing a CV without much preparation. Apply your research skills to learn more about the role, company, and team so you can ensure your CV highlights the right research credentials.

Presenting yourself as the best candidate is critical. Here’s how:

• Draw attention to your strengths and accomplishments across your CV. What have you achieved as a research assistant? What role did you play in specific research projects? Were you awarded any leadership responsibilities?
• Highlight your education and credentials . Aside from your core education, include brief details on any publications, presentations, or awards if applicable.
• Show how you’re a great fit for the research opportunity. Tailor your CV by including appropriate keywords from the job description to show that you’re uniquely qualified.
• Project your professionalism and diligence by ensuring your research assistant CV is formatted in a neat and consistent way.

Optimise keywords and beat the ATS bots

Employers receive hundreds of CVs for every job opening, so it makes sense that they use tools to speed up the hiring process. An ATS software program screens applicants based on specific keywords related to the job posting. Those that meet the criteria get through, the rest are eliminated.  

For example, a research assistant job posting may list the following requirements: 

• “Research assistant”
• “Master's degree in Psychology”
• “Neuroscience”
• “Data collection and analysis”
• “Collaborative team player”

Here’s an example of how to include the above keywords in your profile:

“Dedicated Research Assistant, holding a master's degree in Psychology, combined with three years experience supporting academic projects in neuroscience. Collaborative team player, with strong skills in data collection and analysis. Expert knowledge of SPSS.”  

To learn more about mastering ATS, view our article on exactly how to optimise a CV for ATS .

One of the most effective CV formats is reverse chronological. This structure places your work experience and professional achievements front and centre, exactly where recruiters and hiring managers expect to see them. It’s the format that both hiring professionals and Applicant Tracking Systems find easiest to navigate and understand.

But, what if you have zero practical experience as a research assistant? Your best option in this scenario is the functional CV . This format is laser-focused on your transferable skills, talents, and solid academic background, allowing you to bridge any gaps in experience and create a convincing narrative about your suitability for the research assistant job.

Select a CV format based on your unique situation. If you start with the functional CV format, once you’ve got some direct experience under your belt, you can then switch to the more popular reverse-chronological format. 

Check out our CV templates to see the different formats you can use for your research assistant CV. We also have many CV examples you can view for inspiration. 

Simple is best when considering the design and layout of your research assistant CV . Your CV should always be aesthetically pleasing to the reader, so avoid design-heavy formats and distracting elements that could negatively impact readability.

Your CV header is the first thing an employer will see. Projecting your professionalism here could encourage the recruiter to read on and learn more about you. 

Detailing your contact information in a clear and accessible way will also help the HR team and ATS quickly find or scan this information. Here's what you need to include: 

• Full name & title . Start by listing your first name and surname, followed by the title of the position you're targeting.
• Professional email address . Use a professional email address, ideally one that simply uses your first name and last name.
• Phone number . Add a phone number where you can easily be reached. Your mobile number is likely to be a good option. Ensure a professional voicemail greeting too.
• Location . Simply list the city or general location in which you reside or “Willing to relocate,” if you’re open to moving for a new job.
• LinkedIn . If you have a LinkedIn profile make sure it is current and matches your CV. Include a hyperlink so recruiters can quickly find and view your profile.

Don't include:

• Personal details : Professional photograph, date of birth, nationality, marital status, and number of children are not required or expected on your CV in the UK.
• Social media accounts : Avoid sharing any personal Twitter / X, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook accounts.

Lottie Morris

07700 900 817 

[email protected]

Research Enthusiast

12 Rosethorn Avenue, Leeds, UK

07700900817

When the hiring manager picks up your research assistant CV and starts reading, they don’t know you. You are completely fresh and new to them. Therefore, the first paragraph (or professional summary) is a chance to get to know who you are and what you’ve accomplished. 

Your professional summary should speak to the heart of what the employer needs in their next research assistant. Refer to the job description so you have a full understanding of the core requirements of the role and any expectations. You can then address this in your summary.

You should refrain from describing yourself in the first person (i.e., using ‘I’, or your name) and focus on including an interesting anecdote or standout achievement to hook the reader. For instance, “Established and effectively managed data collection and reporting procedures for peer-reviewed neuroscience publications.”

Don’t be tempted to duplicate content from other sections of your research assistant CV. Instead, simply condense the main points into a couple of short sentences. Use action verbs for maximum impact, such as ‘orchestrated,’ ‘collaborated,’ and ‘delivered.’ Get to the point quickly, and highlight your key strengths as well as your future career interests.

Writing your summary is much easier when you have some well-written examples to review. Check out our related CV examples : 

• Academic example
• Researcher example
• PhD example

You can find adaptable research assistant CV example summaries below:

Aspiring research assistant, with foundational knowledge of clinical research and exposure to several observational studies in the area of lung cancer. Skilled in data collection, literature reviews, and data analysis. Keen to contribute to cutting-edge research studies with a reputable organisation such as Cancer Research UK.

Highly-effective researcher and data analyst, with a passion for supporting organisations to make informed, data-backed decisions. Demonstrated talent for partnering with teams to lead complex data analytics and research initiatives. 

Driven senior research assistant, with proven success leading and delivering complex research projects in the field of neuroscience. Contributed to numerous research studies published in peer-reviewed journals, with responsibility for high-level planning, data analysis, and reporting. Mentor to junior researchers and active participant in the academic community.

While there are plenty of job opportunities for research assistants, it’s important to land a job that gives you the opportunity to contribute to innovative projects and has the potential for career advancement. 

Your work experience is the perfect place to show why you’re the perfect research assistant for these types of plum opportunities. Framed the right way, your experience can help a prospective employer envision you in the role they are trying to fill.

Elaborate on accomplishments you could replicate in future projects. Focus on your core research skills and relevant practical experience. Call attention to your critical-thinking skills, team-focused approach, and high attention to detail. 

Avoid the point of view of the first person (I, me, and my) and instead use descriptive and dynamic action verbs : conducted, delivered, solidified, reinforced, transformed, and qualified. Bullet points can be used for any achievements to ensure they stand out. 

The best approach is to always put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager. Do you want to see a work history for a research assistant CV that reads like a job description? Or, one that has specific details and impressive achievements that align with the role you are trying to fill? 

For example, a run-of-the-mill research assistant CV might include:

• “Contributed to research projects.”
• “Supported laboratory operations.”
• “Ensured a safe working environment.”

Revamping these bullet points with quantifiable information could really make all the difference:

• “Contributed to a key project exploring image processing and the analysis of porous materials; subsequently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.”
• “Optimised laboratory operations by introducing a new storage solution that enhanced sample management.”
• “Supervised new laboratory technicians in compliance with HSE guidelines.”

Take a look at the research assistant employment history CV sample below:

Research Assistant at University of Leeds, Department of Psychology, Leeds  September 2019 - Present 

• Assist in designing and conducting experiments, surveys, and interviews
• Compile and analyze datasets using SPSS and Excel
• Conduct thorough literature reviews and synthesize findings
• Draft research papers, reports, and presentations
• Coordinate project timelines, meetings, and communications

Undergraduate Research Assistant at University of Leeds, Department of Neuroscience, Leeds  January 2018 - August 2019 

• Supported neuroimaging research on cognitive aging
• Recruited and screened study participants
• Collected and organized MRI and behavioral data
• Assisted with data preprocessing and statistical analyses

How to write a car sales resume with no experience 

When seeking a job as a research assistant with no direct experience, the focus of your CV needs to shift to your transferable skills and passion for your chosen research field. 

Place your education section prominently on your CV as this is likely to have the most relevant information related to your target research assistant job. Aside from listing the level, subject, educational institution, and any dates (if within the last five years) related to your qualifications, you can also go into more detail here. Dissertations, thesis, key modules, projects, awards, and top grades, if relevant to the research assistant role, are worth including too.

Showcase transferable skills that are pivotal to the role of a researcher. For instance, if you’ve completed a placement or worked for the university you are attending as a laboratory technician or teaching assistant, there are bound to be cross-over skills you can bring to life on your CV. 

Incorporating these elements in your resume will illustrate your drive and potential for a career in research, even with no direct experience on your CV.

The skills you possess, along with your education, are the key elements of a research assistant CV, especially if you have minimal work experience. Highlight the skills that are most relevant to the role in the key skills section as well as the summary and work experience sections.

Combining hard and soft skills will make your research assistant CV more compelling. Hard skills relate to job-specific training, such as research design and methodologies, data mining, literature reviews, scientific writing, and SPSS for example. 

Soft skills , also known as people skills, are transferable across diverse roles and industries. Teamwork, adaptability, communication, and leadership, are a few examples of soft skills that research teams will value.

Our CV builder has numerous examples of key skills and proficiency ranges that you can easily adjust. Don’t forget to weave in your own unique skills to add that personal touch.

Here's what the skills box looks like in our research assistant CV template. 

• Research Design and Methodology
• Data Collection and Analysis (SPSS, Excel, R)
• Literature Reviews and Synthesis Scientific
• Writing and Presentation
• Project Coordination and Time Management

The best way to demonstrate your skills is by showcasing them in action. This goes a long way to boosting your credibility, by not only presenting your skill set but backing up these skills with concrete examples and positive outcomes.

For example, in your professional profile and work experience, highlight your: 

• Communication skills by being able to convey your research findings in a clear, concise, and informative way, both verbally and in writing
• Teamwork by highlighting your success working in diverse research teams
• Analytical skills by delivering insightful input following the review of datasets using Microsoft Excel and SPSS

Rather than second guessing what an employer is looking for in terms of key skills, refer to the job description. Look out for skills that are emphasised as important or repeated. 

Avoid overused buzzwords on your research assistant CV

Recruiters read the same buzzwords on CVs time and time again, and it can get quite monotonous for them! Avoid generic phrases such as “great team player” or “can work under pressure” and replace them with something more meaningful and interesting, such as “strong research capabilities, with the ability to manage high-volume data sets.”

The education section plays a key role on your research assistant CV. After all, this is where you have invested a lot of time and effort recently, so it’s perfectly fine to blow your own trumpet.    

You should state your most recent qualifications (including your grade) and work your way back to earlier qualifications. The research assistant job description is likely to have specific criteria related to education requirements, so make sure you tick all these boxes to confirm your eligibility for the role. Here are some additional areas to consider:

• Research projects . Detailing relevant final year modules and key research projects underneath your degree will showcase essential job-related skills.
• Awards . University awards for strong performance or external awards, such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, demonstrate your commitment to excellence.
• Publications . Include relevant publications and write this in a consistent style. You don’t need to go into the weeds about your publications. Stick to author’s name with initials and surname, title of book/article/chapter in italics, name of journal, year of publication in brackets, volume, and page numbers.

Check out the education section from our adaptable CV sample below:

MSc Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds  September 2019 - September 2020 

BSc (Hons) Neuroscience, University of Leeds, Leeds  September 2015 - July 2018 First Class Honours

Full text adaptable resume example

Diligent and detail-oriented research assistant with 3+ years of experience supporting academic projects in psychology and neuroscience. Skilled in data collection, analysis, literature reviews, and project coordination. Proven track record of contributing to successful research publications and presentations. Strong critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication abilities. Passionate about advancing scientific knowledge through meticulous research support.

Employment history

Key takeaways for building a research assistant CV

Creating a research assistant CV can be tough, especially when you have little or no direct experience in your chosen field. Investing time and effort to present your skills, abilities, and qualifications in the best light, while ensuring your CV is tailored to the specific research role is a trusted winning formula.

Ready to get started on your research assistant CV? Elevate your job search by using our online CV builder to create a top-tier CV and land a great opportunity.

Attractive CV templates at your fingertips