10 Resume Summary Examples That Get Interviews

A resume summary statement normally follows a job seeker’s contact information and precedes other resume sections like skills and work experience. Before reading any further, it gives employers a quick snapshot of a candidate’s professional accomplishments and qualifications.

Your resume summary statement (or your CV “profile” in the UK) is one of the first things recruiters and employers look at because of how early it appears on the document.

And if you don’t provide enough information, they’ll distrust your qualifications and go on to another CV.

So I reached out to a number of professional resume writers, coaches, and career gurus to gather their best resume summary samples, which you can take and alter to create a resume summary that stands out and gets interviews.

As a former recruiter, I’ll also offer my best advice on how to construct an effective resume summary.

Why the Resume/CV Summary is Important

You may have heard that recruiters only look at your resume for 8-10 seconds. The truth is that they spend that much time debating whether or not to continue reading. They only give you a cursory view at first, and if your past doesn’t appear to be a good match, they may go on.

If you catch their attention, they’ll read a lot more. Recruiters aren’t deciding whether or not to interview you in 8-10 seconds, but they are deciding whether or not to reject you in 8-10 seconds.

This is why the resume summary is so important. It is one of the first things employers view on your resume (typically directly after your header/contact information). As a result, it’ll be visible in the first 8-10 seconds.

One of your first (and few) chances to encourage the employer to stop scanning through their stack of resumes and focus on YOU is in your resume summary statement.

10 Resume Summary Examples for Various Industries:

These career summary examples can assist you regardless of your degree of experience – whether you’re creating a professional summary after a long executive career or writing your first resume summary from scratch!

You’ll never have to send another limp, weak resume summary statement after reading this post (and you’ll get a lot more interviews as a result).

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:

The strength of this resume summary example is the detailed, original information that has been presented. The reader can understand straight away that this person will bring to the role a strong networking ability with key players in his sector, as well as the capacity to establish, grow, and reinvigorate a sales organization, market, or product, by adding revenue data, names of previous employers, and partners.

Virginia Franco, Founder of Virginia Franco Resumes and Forbes writer, wrote this article.

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 for a candidate who was returning to work after 15+ years of running her own business. We needed to emphasize her soft abilities and what she can bring to this potential role as a result of this. We also highlighted the abilities she has developed as a business owner so that she may apply them as a sales professional, account manager, and someone educated about nutrition, medicine, and the 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:

From the first sentence, the candidate emphasizes their experience in a wide range of HR functions, and this trend continues throughout the synopsis. They then utilize simple language to demonstrate their hard talents (in the first and fourth sentences) as well as their soft skills (in the second & third sentences). They also use a range of keywords to avoid being flagged by automated job application systems without appearing spammy or 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, brief, and to the point, and it provides recruiters with a high-level overview of the candidate’s primary competencies in a persuasive and punchy manner. A brief check of this profile reveals the candidate’s expertise in specific social media platforms, as well as the campaigns they’ve managed and the types of organizations for which they’ve worked. The overview is completed by demonstrating the results that this person achieves for their employers, such as increased online traffic and conversions.

Note from the editor: This CV profile summary was developed specifically for the UK market… This is an excellent one to use/copy, however, if you’re searching for employment in the US, make sure you spell-check it (utilization 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.

Why this summary is good:

Because it gets down to the point, this resume summary sticks out. The HR manager saves time by not having to add up years by stating the number of years of experience the candidate has right away. In addition, the candidate goes immediately into his or her strongest skill, gives a statistic, and then lists further skills.

By: Sarah Landrum, Founder of Punched Clocks, 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.

Why this summary is good:

The candidate was looking for a warehouse supervisor position, which required management, customer service, and forklift expertise. As a result, the candidate used a few keywords in the headline to highlight their experience in these areas, followed by additional details in the bullet points. Their final bullet demonstrates a history of promotions while also highlighting the applicant’s customer service and project management abilities.

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

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.

Why this resume summary is good:

Because this individual is changing careers, it’s critical that he or she apply skills learned in past employment to the new job posting. This is an excellent example because the candidate makes it obvious that while his or her experience is not in the new field, they or can still contribute valuable experience.

Keep the following suggestions in mind when creating your resume summary: If you write in a direct, clear, and brief manner, you’ll have a better chance of being seen by the hiring manager.

By: Sarah Landrum, Founder of Punched Clocks, contributor at Entrepreneur.com and Forbes

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.

Why this summary is good:

This client has traveled from function to role and industry to industry in search of a career transition. She was eager to put her abilities together after earning her Master’s degree in order to obtain a job as a Senior Technology Account Strategist for a worldwide travel company, which she did.

The strength of this report is in the specifics, despite the fact that it is a little longer than a standard summary. Without even reading the experience section, the reader has a good notion of the scope of the candidate’s responsibilities and the hard and soft talents he or she possesses.

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 overly wide job titles. Project managers can make anything from $50,000 to $250,000. The client for whom I wrote this was a Director who has worked at some of the city’s largest and best tech firms. As a result, the level and experience she possesses, as well as the vast range of areas she is responsible for in her current job, are displayed in this resume profile section. You can borrow or adapt some of the languages here to demonstrate that you’ve worked on a variety of important projects in the past.

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 written for a competent management consultant who wanted to move away from banking and into more trendy tech firms like Uber. His track record and educational background were impressive, but the purpose of this summary section was to make him stand out and demonstrate that he’s more than simply another finance consultant. As a result, we underlined his enthusiasm for startups, as well as his capacity to think creatively and question the current quo. Startups like Uber and other “disruptive” digital companies are on the lookout for this.

You now have ten professional resume summary statements to choose from, as well as reasons for why they’re beneficial. Following that, I’ll give you some pointers on how to write your own if you’re still stumped by these examples.

How to Write a Resume Summary: Steps and Hints

We looked at 10 fantastic resume summary examples in the previous section. Here are some pointers to bear in mind as you start crafting your own resume summary:

• Examine the job description provided by the employer. Your resume should not be a laundry list of everything you’ve done; instead, it should be a focused list of abilities and experiences that show you’re a good fit for the position.
• If it’s relevant, mention your present job title. Your present job title is a frequent method to start your resume summary.
• Describe how you can assist employers in achieving their objectives or resolving their challenges.
• Consider using bold text to emphasize one or two key phrases.
• Include any pertinent metrics and data, such as dollar amounts, years of experience, the size of the teams you lead, and so on. This makes your CV stand out from the crowd.
• Make an effort to get the employer to read more. The purpose of your resume summary isn’t to illustrate everything you can achieve but to pique their interest and entice them to read on.

How Long Should a Resume Summary Be?

You’ve undoubtedly noticed that there are some short single-paragraph resume summary examples and significantly lengthier career summaries that are two to three paragraphs plus bullet points as you read the resume summaries above.

So, how long does YOUR professional summary have to be?

Keep your overview to one or two paragraphs if you have relevant professional experience. Your most recent work experience is the section you really want the recruiting manager to read (and make sure you tailored that info to fit the job description).

The resume summary is merely a “bridge” to introduce the hiring manager to your qualifications.

If I had to write my own career profile right now, I’d probably use just one paragraph to highlight my talents, accomplishments, and why I’m qualified to take on the position I’ve applied for and succeed!

Even for a manager resume summary, I recommend keeping it to a bare minimum.

If you’re changing careers or looking for employment where you don’t have any work experience, the summary part should stand on its own and be longer. As a result, several of the examples above are a little lengthier.

Formatting Your Resume/CV Career Summary

You may have noticed that the career summary examples above use a range of different forms. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to formatting this portion of your resume or CV. However, I propose using one or two short paragraphs, or a short sentence or paragraph along with bullets.

Write three or four long paragraphs without any additional formatting, such as bullet points. That’s simply too much text for your summary area, and it’ll make some recruiters and hiring managers to skip it.

Should You Include a Resume Objective?

You don’t need to include an objective on your resume, and doing so can make it look stale. Instead of an aim, use a resume summary. Instead of declaring your goal, use the resume summary examples above to discuss your abilities, credentials, and achievements.

Employers are aware that your goal is to land the job you’ve applied for, and the resume objective is no longer relevant in today’s employment market.

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

If you follow the tips above, you’ll have a fantastic professional resume summary that will help employers notice your qualifications.

However, getting an interview is only half the struggle… So make sure you go into every interview prepared to persuade businesses to hire you as well!

Employers will ask you questions like “tell me about yourself” early in the interview to discover more about your background if you write a fantastic resume summary sample that entices them to interview you. As a result, make sure you have an answer ready.

I also suggest that you go over the top 20 interview questions and answers on this page.

Because your CV piqued their curiosity, they’ll naturally ask a series of inquiries to discover more about your professional past.

The bottom line is that a great professional resume summary, followed by other well-written resume parts, will earn you an interview; but, it is your interview performance that will determine if you get a job offer!