Statement Of Qualifications: What It Is And Examples

We all know the importance of first impressions, and resumes are no exception. When it comes to showing hiring managers your most notable accomplishments and skills as soon as they pick up your resume, a statement of qualifications can’t be beaten.

In this article, we’ll cover what exactly a statement of qualifications is, explain how to write one, and provide examples to help make writing your own that much easier.

Key Takeaways

• A statement of qualification lists a handful of your most impressive skills and qualifications at the top of your resume.

• A statement of qualifications shows hiring managers what you’d add to their organization and draws them into the rest of your resume.

• Your statement of qualifications should reflect the skills listed on the job description.

What Is a Statement of Qualifications?

A statement of qualifications is a 4-6 bullet point list of your most valuable skills and qualifications at the start of your resume. Note that the definition of your “most valuable” skills depends on the specific job description, and you’ll want to tailor your SOQ (along with the rest of your resume) to each and every job you apply for.

One could argue that a summary of qualifications is essentially like creating a movie trailer for your resume. An SOQ is a teaser that emphasizes your work experience, skills, and achievements.

The old school way of doing resumes is to start with a resume summary statement or career objective at the top. The trouble with a resume summary is that they are very general (and frankly pretty boring). Plus, they are often focused on you. It shares who you are, what experience you have, and your competencies.

When you flip the script and put the top benefits you have to offer an employer right at the top in a Statement of Qualifications, it’s a powerful way to stand out.

It allows a hiring manager or recruiter to quickly see that you’re qualified for the role and inspires them to give your resume a closer look. Plus, putting your qualifications front and center is useful in the era of applicant tracking systems that parse through your resume before it even reaches a human reader.

Example Statements of Qualifications

This list of statement of qualifications examples should help you think through what would work best when applying for your future job roles:

How to Write a Statement of Qualifications

To write a statement of qualifications, start by reading the job description and jotting down the job skills the employer is looking for. Then make a list of your results and accomplishments that match those areas.

Let’s say you come across this job listing for a Pharma Sales Manager job opening:

Notice all the words in bold. These are areas of interest for them that you should include in words to describe yourself on a resume to raise a recruiter’s interest. Now we translate that below into attention-grabbing bullet points.

Benefits of a Statement of Qualifications

When a recruiter is sitting at their desk with a pile of resumes to review, they don’t have time to sit and thoroughly read every one. They need to quickly identify which applicants are a match for the job qualifications. So having your best information right at the top helps them tell in five seconds if they should interview you.

Placing your statement of qualifications at the top is like saying “Pick me,” “Pick me.” It is a powerful way to grab the recruiter’s attention.

A statement of qualifications shows what’s in it for the employer. It’s not about the skills you have, but the impact and results you can achieve for that employer.

Finally, when you list these items in bullet form, it’s very easy for a hiring manager to scan through them. They are busy. The more you can do to help them quickly see your strengths, the better shot you have at getting an interview.

You want to include a few things in your statement of qualifications:

• Quantifiable results achieved — this can be sales volume, contracts, reduction in expenses, increase in profitability, boost in shareholder value, increase in customer base, etc.

• Length of industry experience

• Years of management experience

• The highest degrees/certificates earned

• Awards/Honors/Recognitions

Tips for Your Resume’s Statement of Qualifications

You want your resume to be engaging, exciting, and thrilling to read. But what does it take to make a truly great statement of qualifications that will convince your recruiters to invite you for an interview?

Here are some tips for creating a professional statement of qualifications:

• A strong statement of qualifications grabs attention and keeps recruiters interested.

• Hiring managers will read your resume more thoroughly if they think you’re a qualified candidate with the right work experience, skills, and strengths.

• Hard numbers that show you walk the talk with proof of the results in your past roles.

• Action verbs that add power and impact to your resume.

• Consistency in font face, size, spacing, caps, bold, and italics usage.

• Carefully proofread for correct typos and grammar usage. It’s the little details that can reveal how much effort you put into your resume.

• Adding keywords boosts how your resume comes up in the applicant tracking system (ATS) and shows recruiters the applicant’s compatibility to the position.

Who Should Use a Statement of Qualifications

Technically anyone can use a statement of qualifications, but it’s most effective for those with some solid work experience.

This means that while recent graduates may see some benefit from including a statement of qualifications on their resume, it won’t do as much for them as it would for someone who has been in the workforce for a few years.

A statement of qualifications can also include transferable skills and educational accomplishments, but it may be better to put those in a resume summary statement until you have a few more years of experience under your belt.

Statement of Qualifications FAQ

1. What should be included in a statement of qualifications? A statement of qualifications should include:

   • Your current job title and years of experience

   • Certifications that are necessary for the job

   • A few hard skills that relate directly to the job

   • One or two major accomplishments that relate directly to the job

2. Who should use a statement of qualifications? Because a statement of qualifications requires a fairly beefy list of quantifiable experiences, they’re best used by applicants who have worked in the industry for 3+ years.

   That being said, applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse through plenty of entry-level resumes, and the more relevant keywords you can include up top, the better your odds of getting your resume in front of a human reader.

   Additionally, many jobs in California require applicants to include a statement of qualifications in their application.

3. How do you write a good SOQ? Writing a good SOQ is about keeping things short and to the point. You want to use powerful action verbs that really indicate your specific contributions and the results of those contributions. The best statements of qualifications are perfectly tailored to the job description.

4. What are examples of qualifications? Qualifications in this context refers mostly to hard skills, on-the-job experience, certifications, degrees, and tangible results of your skill set being put to use. Hard skills refer to job-, field-, or industry-specific knowledge that requires training or studying to learn.

Final Thoughts

A great resume emphasizes your qualifications in a compelling way and puts you in the best light. With a concise statement of qualifications, you can hook in hiring managers with an easy-to-read summary of why you’re perfect for the job.

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.