20+Resume Summary Examples For Almost Every Profession

The time window that a job-seeker has to grab a hiring manager’s attention with a resume is (much) briefer than you might think.

According to a recent study, hiring managers typically only look at a job candidate’s resume for an average of about seven seconds. That’s roughly equivalent to the time that it just took you to ready the first two opening sentences of this page.

If that feels unfair, just bear in mind the huge quantity of resumes that hiring managers typically have to review for any open position. They’re not looking for long or dense resumes – they’re looking for those few, stand-out resumes that will be able to catch their attention with a few small (but significant) details.

What Is A Resume Summary Statement?

A resume summary statement is a concise paragraph – no more than between two and four sentences – that’s included at the top of a candidate’s resume, and that outlines a few of that candidate’s key skills, attributes, and areas of expertise. A resume summary, in other words, should provide a hiring manager with the basic gist of a candidate’s suitability for a given role within a few seconds of reading.

A resume summary should also be tailored and directly applicable to the specific role, department, and company that a candidate is applying to. As you’re composing your resume summary, you should try to shift your perspective to that of the hiring manager that will be reviewing it. Ask yourself: What skills and qualifications is this employer specifically seeking for this role, and what overlap do those have with my own background and work history?

The bottom line is that every resume that you submit during your job search should include its own customized resume summary. In order to give you a better idea of what a well-crafted resume summary ought to look like, this article will run through twenty (or so) examples of optimized resume summaries for various positions and industries.

Formatting and Positioning Your Resume Summary

But first, before we dive into looking at some hypothetical examples, let’s break down how a resume summary should be structured.

Your resume summary should include (at least) each of the following pieces of information:

1. Your primary job title or position;

2. Some of the most notable professional accomplishments that you’ve been recognized for;

3. One or two of your most notable technical skills;

4. Specific numerical data highlighting your achievements (whenever possible);

5. How and why your experience and skills make you uniquely qualified for the role that you’re applying to.

Again, when it comes to writing a resume summary, brevity is key. You’re not aiming to provide a hiring manager with a comprehensive overview of your career up to the present moment. You’re simply aiming to grab their attention in one or two sentences. If you can manage that, then they’ll be more compelled to set your resume aside from the stack, review it more closely later, and then invite you to participate in a job interview.

That brings us to another important question: Where should a resume summary be placed on a resume?

The resume summary should be the first section of a resume that a hiring manager reads, which means that it should be placed at the top of the document above the resume body. The only content that should be placed above the resume summary is your name and contact information.

20+ Examples of High-Quality Resume Summaries

Remember: Though the general formatting and positioning rules are the same, each resume summary should be tailored according to the specific demands and responsibilities of the job offer in question.

Here are twenty examples of resume summaries customized for a wide variety of positions and industries:

1. Accountant Resume Summary

   Certified Public Accountant with 7+ years of experience in forensic accounting, account reconciliation, and financial reporting and analysis. Recipient of the 2017AICPA Outstanding Young CPA for successful long-term management of a $750,000 budget with a prominent firm. Successfully reduced annual company spending by 22% over a five-year period while managing a five-person team with X Employer.

2. Bartender Resume Summary

   Enthusiastic bartender with more than five years of experience preparing and serving cocktails in restaurants, resorts, and casinos. Received alcohol server certification in 2014 from the state of New York. Highly refined customer service and conflict management skills.

3. Cashier Resume Summary

   Experienced cashier with a keen eye for details and strong organization and communication skills. Successfully executed more than 100 daily transactions with X Employer between 2015 and 2017. Looking to improve customer satisfaction and financial organization at Y Employer.

4. Computer Programmer Resume Summary

   Passionate computer programmer certified in C and C++ programming languages. Advanced team-leading and communication skills. Looking to help X Employer optimize their software applications and streamline their networking capabilities.

5. Content Strategist Resume Summary

   Accomplished content strategist with more than five years of experience optimizing SEO, curating and drafting blog posts, and creating original B2B content. Helped launch the “Business Only” blog in 2018, which directly contributed to X Employer’s website traffic and B2C engagement being increased by 45% over the span of a single year.

6. Copywriter Resume Summary

   Passionate copywriter specializing in website landing page copy and B2C blog content development. 7 years of experience creating clear and engaging copy in the finance and tech industries. Successfully increased website traffic by 25% after implementing new website landing page and FAQ copy for X Employer.

7. Elementary School Teacher Resume Summary

   Passionate public school teacher with five years of experience instructing and creating positive learning environments for children ages 4 through 10. Skilled in developing engaging lesson plans and working closely with individual students to ensure intellectual, creative, and emotional development. Runner-up for the Colorado Teacher of the Year award in 2016.

8. Financial Analyst Resume Summary

   Certified financial analyst with 8+ years of experience performing and presenting in-depth analyses to boards of executives across a variety of high-profile organizations. Recipient of the 2013 Deming Gold Medal Award for Excellence from the Global Academy of Finance and Management (GAFM). Possess CFA certification and a Bachelor of Science degree in finance.

9. Delivery Driver Resume Summary

   Focused and enthusiastic delivery driver with 3 years of experience. Strong communication, customer service, and navigation skills. Fluent in both English and Spanish. Made an average of 9 more deliveries each week than other delivery drivers while working for X Employer between 2017 and 2019.

10. Graphic Designer Resume Summary

    Graphic designer with 5 years of experience in website and newsletter design with X Employer and 4 years of experience as a freelancer. Advanced skills in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Affinity Designer. As a freelancer, created original graphic design content for high-profile clients including Nike, New Balance, Microsoft, and Spotify.

11. High School Guidance Counselor Resume Summary

    Dedicated guidance counselor with 7+ years of experience working with high school students in both a public school and a private school setting. Worked annually with an average of 75 high school seniors to provide emotional support and post-graduation advising services during tenure at Redmont High School between 2014 and 2019. Received MBA in psychology from Johns Hopkins University in 2011.

12. IT Project Manager Resume Summary

    Organized and skilled IT project manager with 5+ years of experience developing strategy and launching execution for projects across the IT industry. Became Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) in 2015. Oversaw the successful launch of a new software application at IBM in 2019 which decreased cybersecurity incidents by 45%.

13. Human Resources Specialist Resume Summary

    Dedicated and compassionate human resources specialist with six years of experience overseeing the hiring, recruitment, and onboarding processes for X Employer. Strong employee engagement and communication skills. Helped to reduce employee turnover at X Employer by 7% between 2017 and 2019.

14. Nurse Practitioner Resume Summary

    Licensed nurse practitioner with 10+ years of experience working in private and public medical facilities. Served as primary healthcare provider to more than 50 patients during my tenure at City Central Hospital. Received my RN license from Ohio State University in 2010.

15. Project Manager Resume Summary

    Project manager with more than five years of experience in the tech industry. Directly oversaw the successful launch of Product X while working with X Employer in 2017, and helped to launch Program Y with Y Employer in 2019. Passionate about team management, client engagement, and delivering high-quality results in a timely manner.

16. Receptionist Resume Summary:

    Attentive and organized receptionist with more than five years of experience across a variety of industries. Highly-developed communication and problem-solving skills. Oversaw the implementation of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software that resulted in a 15% reduction in overall spending for X Employer in 2016.

17. Sales Representative Resume Summary

    Skilled sales representative with 4+ years of experience. Looking to help X Employer to improve customer engagement and boost monthly sales. At Y Employer, successfully managed over 100 client accounts, and routinely exceeded typical sales performance by an average of 22%.

18. Social Media Marketing Manager Resume Summary

    Experienced graphic designer and social media strategist with a passion for customer engagement and communication. Skilled in basic photo and editing platforms, including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Seeking to help X Employer increase their brand awareness and boost overall customer engagement via prominent social media platforms

19. Summer Camp Counselor Resume Summary

    Energetic and compassionate summer camp counselor with 4 years of experience overseeing children ages 5 to 12. Skilled at organizing engaging activities and providing safe and social learning environments. CPR, First Aid, and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certified.

20. Tutor Resume Summary

    Skilled tutor with more than ten years of experience teaching high school biology, and five years of experience working with students in a one-on-one tutoring setting. Passionate about providing comfortable and rich learning environments and delivering engaging lessons. Facilitate an average student grade point average increase of 17% after one month of tutoring.

21. Warehouse Manager Resume Summary

    Skilled warehouse manager with more than 10 years of experience overseeing inventory and controlling shipping. Certified forklift operator and safety trainer. Seeking to help X Employer maximize warehouse safety while simultaneously executing flawless shipping and receiving procedures.

What’s In A Good Resume Summary

Taking the time to properly draft, structure, and position a resume summary can make a hiring manager’s job easier, and it can also increase your chances of landing the job. When you’re drafting a resume summary, be sure to keep things short and sweet, and to emphasize those key elements of your work experience that will be most important for your prospective employer to be aware of.

A resume summary is much more than the opening statement of your resume. In many cases, it can be the key factor which determines whether or not your job application stands apart from the competition!

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Expert

Don Pippin, MHRM, CPRW, CDCS

Don Pippin is an executive and HR leader for Fortune 50 and 500 companies and startups. In 2008, Don launched area|Talent with a focus on helping clients identify their brand. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Digital Career Strategist, and Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Don guides clients through career transitions.