How to Write Professional Resume Summary with Examples

What is a resume summary statement?

A resume summary is a short description of your career history, skills, expertise, and professional experience. This is a short paragraph that gives a quick glimpse into the candidate’s suitability for the position. This short resume summary statement lets you brag about your skills, experience, and accomplishments. Use it wisely and you’ll be miles ahead of the competition. In this article, You’ll learn how to write a resume summary statement and download free resume summary examples & samples for you’re resume.

Is it important to write a resume summary?

Absolutely. A resume summary is the first thing that a recruiter sees on your resume. You wouldn’t want to disappoint him. Right?

Whether you are a fresher candidate writing your first resume or a professional with decades of experience, you must have a well-defined resume summary on your resume. 

A resume summary statement is also known as

• Career objective
• Professional Objective
• Career statement
• Professional summary
• Executive resume summary

A wrong resume summary can spoil your chances in less than a minute. As you already know an average recruiter spends less than a minute on a resume, it’s imperative that you make your resume stand out. A strong resume summary statement will force the recruiter to invite you for the job interview. 

What is the difference between the resume summary and Career Objective?

Career objective, as the name says it focuses on the job seeker’s career goals. Whereas resume summary is all about the skills, experience, and expertise of the candidate. 

Here is an example of a career objective: 

“Career Objective: To obtain a job as a sales executive at a reputable organization.”

Career objectives are all about what the candidate needs, whereas a resume must have everything that a potential employer needs. Writing a career objective is pretty useless these days.

A resume summary lets you write about your accomplishments and skills related to the job. Compliment it with a few career milestones and the job is yours. 

A resume summary example: 

“Accomplished marketer with over 8 years of branding, product placement, SEO, and digital marketing experience. Have increased YOY sales by 145% and managed to reduce the marketing cost by 27%. 

How to write a Resume Summary?

How do you sell something? Do you talk about the product? Do you talk about yourself? Or do you talk about the customer’s needs?

Nobody would want to hear anything about you or your product unless there is a need for it. If you are there in the middle of a room with a hiring manager trying to sell yourself, stop!. Instead of selling yourself talk about the hiring manager’s needs. And how your skills, and experience can help him address the challenges at hand. 

Your resume summary is like a sales pitch designed to showcase your skills, expertise, and experience. Remember you have less than 30 seconds to impress the hiring manager. 

Ask yourself a few questions before you start writing a resume summary statement. 

1. What are your strengths
2. Total years of experience
3. List of achievements
4. List of skills matching the job requirement.
5. Milestones of your career

Look out for a few relevant keywords matching the job description and use them to write a crisp and effective resume summary statement for your resume. 

“Why should we hire you?” if your resume summary statement answers this question. You have got it right. If not it’s time to rewrite it. 

Your resume summary statement gives you a one-shot opportunity to nail that job interview. This is your first and last chance to grab their attention and a fine opportunity to make them read the rest of your resume. Remember, no amount of resume graphics can compensate for it.

Our professional resume writers and career coaches have listed out their best resume summary examples, you can copy them and adapt them to your own resume or cv. 

Best Resume Summary Examples:

These resume summary examples will help you write a professional career summary of your own. A strong resume summary will get you more interviews. 

Resume summary statement examples:

• Resume summary statement example for Sales & Marketing Professional

Adept sales professional with international experience in Business Development, Key Account Management, Client Acquisition, Product Branding, Direct & Indirect Marketing, and Digital Marketing. From 2010-2019, my direct efforts expanded the company’s active customer base by more than 70%.

Offering impeccable experience in Corporate Client Acquisition, International Sales, Client Servicing, Project Execution, Key Account Management, and Relationship Management. Adept at, Developing Branding & Marketing Strategy, Campaign Designing, Copy Writing, content creation, and PR & Event Management

Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with proven abilities in mentoring new team members and achieving desired results in a given timeframe.

• Resume summary statement example for IT Infrastructure & Networking Professional

An industry-recognized executive with over 20 years of experience working for leading technology firms in IT Hardware, Networking, and wireless infrastructure space. 

• Resume summary statement example for Accounts & Finance Professional

Senior Account Executive with over 5 years of experience in helping companies manage bookkeeping, accounts, taxes and investments. 

• Resume summary statement example for Graphic Designer

Graphic designer, visualizer, content creator, and adventurer with over 6 years of experience creating and crafting awesome digital experiences, marketing materials, and designs for more than 100 brands.

• Resume summary statement example for Web Designer

Adept Web Designer with over 12 years of proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Windows and Mac OS operating systems, and Adobe CS6. Over the last 12 years, I have helped my clients shine on the internet.