Summary in resume for students: How to Write a Resume Profile or Summary Statement

Опубликовано: April 12, 2023 в 2:46 am

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Категории: Miscellaneous

How to Write a Resume Profile or Summary Statement

A resume summary or career profile is a brief statement at the top of your resume. If you are a career changer or have many years of experience, craft a powerful summary to highlight your accomplishments and skills.  Show the employer, at a glance, why you’re qualified for the job!

Resume Profile Guidelines 

General guidelines to keep in mind: 

  • Keep your profile short. Two to five phrases written in a bulleted form or brief paragraph will do. Think of the summary as a snapshot of your skills,  accomplishments, and knowledge.
  • Label your profile professionally: Summary of Qualifications, Career Profile, Career Highlights, Professional Summary, or just Summary or Profile. 
  • Place your profile section at the top of your resume page, above your work history, so that the employer can see it when they first review your resume.

How To Create Your Profile

To choose what to highlight in your summary, research positions of interest and write a list of the common requirements and qualifications.  

Assess your skills and credentials. How does your background and experience align with the qualifications outlined in the job description? Select skills, experiences, special knowledge, and accomplishments that you want to highlight in your profile selection.

Next draft a few phrases that summarize your Skills/Experience/Accomplishments/Knowledge/Education

  • Experience in…
  • Adept at…
  • Strengths include…
  • Recognized for…
  • Proven track record for…
  • Key skills include…

Now write a sentence describing your “professional role,” which you can use as the opening line in your profile. For example: 

  • Accomplished Marketing Executive with over 10 year experience in…
  • Fully knowledgeable in…
  • Experience managing professional staff including…

Finally, put all of the sentences together and edit for a clean, concise, and compelling profile statement.  

Examples:

Career Profile 

Successful professional with corporate marketing and training experience seeking position in nonprofit organization leveraging fundraising and program development skills. Recognized for ability to develop strong relationships and plan strategically. Strengths include: 

  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Training
  • Time Management
  • Relationship Building
  • Public Speaking

Profile

Highly skilled and results-oriented professional with solid academic preparation holding a Juris Doctor degree and extensive experience in intelligence and special operations seeks position in risk management. Proven ability to assess and manage complex obstacles; viewed as a strong troubleshooter. Successful in intense and demanding environments, providing decisive team leadership and structure with a track record of motivating and developing soldiers. Willing to relocate.

Summary

Publishing executive with multi-faceted background encompassing international licensing and brand management. Developed specialties in editorial planning, global marketing strategy, and design. Managed multiple projects simultaneously and efficiently by overseeing the daily operations of 17 magazine titles worldwide. Proven ability to develop strong relationships across cultures and to provide decisive team leadership in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Resources

We have many resources available to help you navigate career change and showcase your transferable skills.   

  • For tips on resume structure and content read through Writing a Resume: Getting Started and Resumes with Impact: Creating Strong Bullet Points 
  • For detailed instruction, view the webinars on Writing a Results Focused and Targeted Resume and How to Perfect Your Professional Narrative

Writing a Resume Summary Statement – Student Engagement & Career Development

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What is a summary statement?

A well-written summary acts as a strong opening statement that calls out a few top skills and accomplishments, and can clue the reader into core strengths that they will likely see repeated throughout a resume. A summary statement can be 2-3 sentences, focuses on top skills, and is tailored to the roles you are seeking.

 

Summary statement reads: Trend savvy Information Science major with 2 years’ experience in retail and consistent record of advancement to leadership positions. Passionate about creating compelling social media content that increases customer engagement and drives website traffic and sales. Data-driven with experience adapting to virtual business needs.

Brainstorming Your Summary Statement

  • What are three to four things you want to communicate that might make a difference for you as a candidate?
  • How can you show a connection between what you’ve done in the past and what you can offer in the future if hired?
  • What transferrable skills can you demonstrate that tie together experiences that don’t seem related?
  • Are there keywords or skills that you see repeated in job descriptions that you can incorporate?

Summary Statement Do’s & Don’ts

Do… Don’t…
  • Keep it to 2-3 lines on the page
  • Synthesize your most relevant qualifications into a clear summary that ties your experiences together to show how you’re a good fit
  • Incorporate words and phrases from the job description or the industry you’re applying to
  • Make if more than 3 lines; any longer than that and you might consider a “Summary of Qualifications” or “Professional Highlights” section that is written in bullet points
  • Repeat basic information that can easily be found in sections just below your statement
  • Write using 1st person voice: “I”/”me”/”my”
    • Ex: Instead of “I am a creative Mechanical Engineering major…”, just start with “Creative Mechanical Engineering major…”

More Summary Statement Examples

  • Moctar wants to highlight his campus engagement experience to apply to positions in marketing.
  • Jeremy’s summary statement communicates his technical skills and customer service experience to be a standout for IT positions.
  • Hannah’s summary shows off how her communication skills and education will be a great match for working with children in healthcare settings.

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