what is a good introduction on a resume

46 Examples of a Resume Opening Statement (Perfect Introduction)

By Status.net Editorial Team on February 8, 2024 — 8 minutes to read

A resume opening statement, also known as a summary or objective, serves as your first impression to potential employers. This brief and concise introduction highlights your relevant skills, experiences, and career goals. It’s important because it can catch an employer’s attention and convince them to read the rest of your resume.

• Sets the tone : It establishes a professional image and indicates the level of your expertise.
• Tailors your resume : You can tailor this statement to align with the job description, showcasing how your skills are a perfect match for the position.
• Showcases your value : By summarizing your most impressive accomplishments, you can quickly show how you will add value to the company.

Elements of a Strong Opening Statement

When you’re crafting the opening statement for your resume, think of it as your professional handshake. This means you need to capture attention while succinctly showcasing your top qualifications. Here are key elements to include:

• Tailor it to the job. Match your statement to the job description. Highlight how your skills and experience align with the requirements of the position.
• Use actionable language. Start sentences with verbs that convey your ability to take initiative, such as “managed,” “developed,” or “increased.”
• Quantify achievements. Where possible, use numbers to demonstrate your accomplishments. For example, “Increased sales by 20% within a year through strategic marketing initiatives.”
• Include relevant experience. Mention your most pertinent past roles. If you’re a recent graduate, focus on education, internships, and important projects.
• Add your career goals. Briefly outline how you intend to contribute to the company and grow professionally.
• Keep it concise. Your opening statement should be a compelling snapshot, not a deep dive. Aim for no more than a few sentences or bullet points.

Sales Manager: “Seasoned Sales Manager with over 10 years of experience in fostering robust client relationships and driving profitable business growth. Achieved an average of 15% yearly sales increase by leading and mentoring a dynamic team.”

Graphic Designer: “Creative Graphic Designer with a passion for developing original designs that resonate with audiences. Expert in Adobe Creative Suite with a track record of delivering high-impact visuals for diverse campaigns.”

Crafting a Personalized Introduction

When writing a resume opening statement, you should focus on creating a unique introduction that captures your professional identity. It’s important to tailor this section specifically to the job you’re applying for, highlighting skills and experiences that align with what the potential employer is seeking.

• Start with a strong opening sentence that grabs attention. You might introduce yourself with a significant achievement or detail that’s relevant to the role. Example: “As a digital marketing specialist with a proven track record in growing online audiences, I’ve successfully increased social media engagement by over 60% for multiple brands.”
• Connect your background to the job description. Use the keywords from the job listing to emphasize how your experience matches the requirements. Example: “With a commitment to continuous improvement and lean management, I bring over 5 years of experience in streamlining operational processes for manufacturing sectors.”
• Mention any unique qualifications or certifications that set you apart from other candidates. Example: “Certified project management professional (PMP) skilled in leading cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects on time and under budget.”
• Reflect your enthusiasm for the role. Employers appreciate candidates who are excited about the possibility of joining their team. Example: “Eager to contribute my expertise in innovative UX design and user research to enhance the client experience at a forward-thinking tech company like yours.”

Tailoring the Statement to the Job Description

When you’re writing a resume opening statement, it’s important to align it with the job you’re applying for. Start by carefully reading the job description. Identify the key skills and experiences the employer is looking for. Your opening statement should reflect that you possess these qualifications.

Make a list of the skills and competencies the job requires. For example, if the job calls for “excellent customer service skills” or “proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite,” make sure these are mentioned in your statement if you have these skills. Here’s how you might begin your statement for such a scenario:

• For customer service roles: “Dedicated customer service professional with 5 years of experience…”
• For a design position: “Creative graphic designer skilled in Adobe Creative Suite, with a strong…”

You can use keywords from the job description. This not only shows you’re a good match but also helps your resume get past applicant tracking systems which are programmed to look for these keywords.

Use quantifiable achievements when possible. Instead of writing “experienced salesperson,” you might say, “Sales professional with a track record of exceeding targets by 20%.”

Examples of Resume Opening Statements

• Experienced marketing manager with a proven track record in developing successful campaigns and leading high-performing teams.
• Customer service expert committed to providing exceptional care and developing long-term client relationships.
• Detail-oriented graphic designer with 5+ years in the freelance industry, known for creativity and a quick turnaround time.
• Certified project manager who has successfully delivered over 30 large-scale technology projects on time and within budget.
• Professional content writer with a knack for crafting engaging content that boosts SEO and drives user engagement.
• Recent graduate with a Master’s in Environmental Science ready to apply rigorous research and analytical skills in a dynamic setting.
• Enthusiastic sales associate recognized repeatedly for top performance and commitment to team goals.
• Dynamic HR coordinator with a passion for improving employee relations and a deep understanding of recruitment processes.
• Organized administrative assistant, experienced in scheduling, office management, and providing excellent administrative support to executives.
• Skilled electrician with a focus on maintaining high safety standards and delivering quality service on residential and commercial projects.
• Ambitious business analyst, eager to use extensive background in data analysis and financial modeling to drive business insights.
• Compassionate social worker with a strong background in counseling and case management for diverse populations.
• Seasoned retail manager, adept at merchandising, staff training, and increasing sales through strategic store operations.
• Bilingual translator fluent in English and Spanish, dedicated to maintaining the essence of the original text in each translation.
• Professional chef with a love for farm-to-table cooking and experience managing fast-paced restaurant kitchens.
• Reliable logistics coordinator with a deep understanding of supply chain processes and a commitment to efficiency and cost-reduction.
• Goal-oriented fitness coach with a track record of designing personalized programs that help clients achieve their fitness goals.
• Versatile performer with experience in theater, film, and voice acting, ready to bring characters to life with enthusiasm and dedication.
• Data scientist with a passion for uncovering insights through big data analytics and advanced statistical methods.
• Talented web designer with a flair for creating intuitive, user-friendly websites that drive user engagement.
• Civil engineer with expertise in green building techniques and a dedication to sustainable urban development.
• Industrial designer with a knack for developing innovative product designs that meet consumer needs and manufacturing requirements.
• Doctoral candidate in Computer Science, eager to apply research on machine learning algorithms in a practical, industry setting.
• Skilled carpenter with a strong work ethic and extensive experience in residential and commercial construction.
• Professional photographer with expertise in portrait and landscape photography and a passion for capturing unforgettable moments.
• Certified public accountant with rigorous attention to detail and a strong background in financial analysis and tax preparation.
• Recent Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate, eager to provide high-quality patient care in a challenging healthcare environment.
• Expertise in aerospace engineering with a strong foundation in fluid dynamics and propulsion systems.
• Dedicated teacher with a focus on inclusive education and fostering a love for learning in every student.
• Results-driven marketing specialist with a solid understanding of digital marketing trends and analytics tools.
• Construction project manager skilled in leading cross-functional teams and delivering projects under tight deadlines.
• Laboratory technician with a meticulous approach to conducting experiments and analyzing scientific data.
• Seasoned journalist with a history of reporting on international events and an ability to uncover the truth in complex stories.
• Sophisticated fashion designer with a unique aesthetic and experience showcasing collections at major fashion weeks.
• Financial planner dedicated to helping individuals meet their long-term financial goals, with a flair for investment strategies.
• IT specialist with proficiency in network security and experience in protecting corporate data against cyber threats.
• Skilled mediator known for resolving conflicts and facilitating productive conversations in corporate environments.
• Professional fundraiser with a talent for crafting compelling campaigns that inspire community involvement and donations.
• Environmental consultant committed to helping businesses reduce their environmental impact through sustainable practices.
• Hospitality manager with a warm demeanor and a proven ability to increase guest satisfaction and hotel profitability.
• Multilingual interpreter with expertise in facilitating communication for international delegations and business meetings.
• Expert in supply chain management with a drive for optimizing operations and improving delivery timeframes.
• Agile coach with a passion for empowering teams to adopt agile principles and improve their workflow and productivity.
• Risk management professional with extensive knowledge in financial regulations and experience in mitigating business risks.
• Dynamic event planner with a reputation for organizing memorable corporate events and managing intricate details seamlessly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i craft an engaging opening statement for my resume if i lack professional experience.

Focus on your soft skills and any relevant academic or volunteer experience. For example, “Eager and disciplined recent graduate with a passion for data analysis and a keen eye for detail.”

What are the elements of a strong objective statement for an entry-level resume?

A strong objective statement should highlight your career goals, relevant skills, and how you can contribute to the company. For instance, “Recent graduate seeking an entry-level accountant position to apply my strong numerical proficiency and analytical skills.”

As a student, what should I focus on in my resume’s opening statement?

Emphasize your academic achievements, any related coursework, and the skills you’ve honed as a student. Example: “Honors student with exceptional leadership skills seeking an internship to explore a career in the non-profit sector.”

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How to Write an Opening Statement for Your Resume + 10 Examples

What a resume opening statement is, when you should include one, and real examples to help you write your own. A guide written by recruiters and hiring managers.

3 years ago   •   10 min read

Recruiters are busy, and they might receive hundreds of applications for one position in a single day. Studies have shown that employers spend an average of 7.4 seconds reviewing a resume before tossing it in the “yes” or “no” pile, and with such a slim margin, it’s important to have a resume that grips the reader from the start. One great way to draw in a recruiter is through an opening statement on your resume.

What is a resume opening statement?

An opening statement is a short paragraph at the beginning of the resume that gives the employer a snapshot of what you can bring to the table, and why you are the best choice for hire. It’s essentially your elevator pitch — the first impression you make in an interview when the recruiter says, “So, tell us about yourself.” Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of resume opening statements:

Resume summary

• Resume objective
• Resume offering statement

Types of opening statements

Here's a breakdown of the different types of resume opening statements, including the pros and cons of each one:

A resume summary statement is a quick overview of your background where you can highlight key skills and experience. This is the most common type of resume opening statement — essentially, it's a type of brand statement , like an abridged cover letter. Here's an example:

Experienced web developer with a background in X, Y, Z programs, winning awards in CSS Design (2019) and Apple Design Awards (2020), and most recently reduced bus for XYZ by 25% .

Pro: Allows you to quickly highlight key skills and experience relevant to the job you're applying for.

Con: Doesn't add anything of value if your resume is otherwise self-explanatory, so make sure your opening statement adds something that's not otherwise

How to write your resume opening statement

Here's an example of an opening statement with specific things you should try to include.

Other types of opening statements (what not to do)

There are two other types of statements that were popular a few decades ago — an objective and an offering statement. We've just included them here for completeness and to show you the formats you should not be using.

• Resume objective : This style of opening statement is generally used to show recruiters your enthusiasm for the role. An example might sound like this: Example: Searching for dynamic marketing position in a fast-paced , modern company where I can utilize my organizational, creative, and project management skills to drive growth in digital markets. Objective-style opening statements typically include statements such as: “Looking for a position where I can grow and gain experience in XYZ” or “Looking for a job where I can use my skills to help a company meet targets and increase revenue.”   Objective opening statements are outdated and unnecessary, so don't include this on your resume.
• Resume offering statement : A resume offering is kind of like a sales pitch, focusing on the value you can bring to an employer. Unlike a standard resume summary, an offering statement focuses on what you will do, not on what you have done. It might look something like this: Example: I will increase engagement on your company's social media channels by developing a strong brand voice and reaching out to key influencers within the [industry] sphere.

How to write a resume opening statement

• Title your opening statement (optional).
• Lead with the job title. If you're applying for Marketing Director roles, that's how you should describe yourself.
• Describe the scope of your experience.
• Mention 2-3 key skills or accomplishments that match the job description.
• Include metrics to quantify your achievements.
• Include any specific highlights from your resume that show why you’d be a great fit for the position.
• Run your resume through a free resume checker to see how well your summary scores.

An opening statement template

Here's a template you can use for your resume opening statement:

[Executive] with experience leading [industry] businesses [describe size of businesses]. [Describe impactful element of role, with specific numbers]. Proven experience [mention 2-3 skills that are relevant to the job]. [Optional: Describe relevant educational certification/accomplishment, or one significant accomplishment in the format of Action Verb + Accomplishment + Metric].

Resume opening statement examples

Here are some more examples of resume opening statements to get you started:

Example 1: Experienced / Senior-Level Job Seeker

Human Resources Manager with 15 years’ experience in human capital management, talent acquisition, and workforce administration, handling diverse employment processes for small to large companies. Saved over 50% of overall recruiting costs by structuring and implementing standardized policies in hiring and recruitment, compensation structures, benefits, and incentives. Proficient in delivering services in line with EEO, IRS, and labor laws.

Example 2: Mid-Level Job seeker

Data Entry Specialist with five years’ experience utilizing manual and digital skills to enter texts and numerical data from source documents into databases, spreadsheets, and word processing programs. Implemented regular quality control checks to analyze data and make corrections in real time-, enhanced data entry accuracy by 77%. Achieved $6,500 cost-savings in company expenditures by identifying consolidation opportunities during company bookkeeping.

Example 3: Senior-Level Job seeker

Marketing Executive with ten years' experience working at Fortune 500 companies. Results include: • Designed, executed , and optimized digital marketing campaign on Google's AdWords for $20B CPG company, yielding 20% ROI improvements • Optimized budget allocation of marketing spend of $10MM for technology startup

An effective resume opening statement needs to highlight your key skills, quantifiable achievements and any other experience/accomplishment that shows recruiters why you’re the best person for the job. A good way to find out if your resume does just that is to upload it to the tool below — it’ll give you a detailed analysis of your opening statement and suggestions for improvements.

When is an opening statement appropriate?

You might be asking yourself, “Does my resume need an opening statement?” and the answer is: Maybe. If you have 6 years of receptionist experience and you’re applying for another run-of-the-mill receptionist role, then your resume will speak for itself, and an opening statement runs the risk of taking up unnecessary space.

However, if you have 6 years of receptionist experience and you’re applying for a hotel manager position, then an opening statement is a great opportunity to sell yourself on this change of direction.

So, who should definitely include an opening statement on their resume? Let’s take a look.

You're changing careers

Like our receptionist-turned-manager above, changing jobs is one of the key moments when having an opening statement would be advantageous. This is the moment to explain how your past experiences—albeit in a different field—have actually given you the necessary skills to succeed in this new position.

Here's an example of a career changer resume summary:

Ex-Head Receptionist for XYZ Firm transitioning into Hotel Manager position. Previous experience in managing a team, organizing and overseeing large company events including planning menus and contacting caterers, handling finances and administrative records, and ensuring health and safety standards remain up-to-date.

Here's how an opening statement might look on your resume - it uses another example:

More information: Resume summary advice for career-changers

The employer is looking for a specific skill

Sometimes a job will require a very technical or unique skill which you possess, but which might not come out otherwise in your resume. This can include something like speaking a foreign language , or having a certain type of driving license, or being proficient in a certain type of machinery or computer program. Here's an example:

Native Turkish speaker with experience working in Marketing for an international company. Available to travel and work remotely. Valid Turkish and USA passport.

By including this skill in the opening statement of your resume, you are ensuring that the recruiter will see it immediately, and know that you are the perfect fit for the position. If there are certain keywords that the job description requires that you haven't included anywhere else in your resume, feel free to include them in your opening statement.

If you’re not sure which keywords and technical skills are relevant to the job you’re applying for, use the skills search tool below to find the right ones.

More information: How to ensure your resume gets past automated resume screeners

You have many, many years of experience

If your resume spans 20 years and seems to go on forever, then this is your opportunity to distill everything into a bite-sized paragraph, to keep the recruiter from missing something important. You want to bring forward your best accomplishments and key experiences, especially in relation to the job description. Don’t assume that something buried in your job description from three years ago is going to jump out at the reader—make it front and center like this:

Stagehand with 15+ years experience, especially familiar with setting up pyro-technics while complying with industry-specific health and safety guidelines. Accomplishments include: -  Set up X that led to Y result … - Earned expedited promotion in less than 2 years

And here's how an opening statement for someone with a lot of experience might look on a resume:

To highlight recent accomplishments in a relevant field

An opening statement is a great moment to draw the recruiter’s attention to how something you personally accomplished has already benefited a previous employer or client. This can include Awards and Certifications, statistics on workflow improvement, recognition inside the workforce, or other impressive accomplishments . Here's an example:

Engaging customer service representative, recently named Top Agent at XYZ for three consecutive months. Led in-house employee training on Customer Engagement leading to a 60% decrease in negative customer reviews.

This is another example of a resume opening statement.

When don't you need an opening statement?

Your career trajectory is self-explanatory.

Most job seekers don't need to include an opening statement on their resume. If your work experience and educational background is in line with the kind of jobs you're now applying for, or if you're already in a similar role, your work history and accomplishments likely speak for themselves.

You're a student or recent graduate

As a student or recent grad, you're unlikely to have enough experience on your resume to warrant summarizing. Instead, make sure your education is listed front and center, along with industry-specific internships or other jobs showing your talents and abilities.

Additional tips for your resume's opening statement

1. use the same words as in the job description.

If you feel a little lost wondering what skills, qualities, or experiences to put in your opening statement, here’s some good news: the recruiter has done this work for you. If the job description says they’re looking for someone with an XYZ certification or experience with specific hard skills,  then don’t hesitate to put those words into your opening statement verbatim.

Online systems filtering resumes will often be scanning for wording which matches the job description, and this will keep your resume from slipping through the cracks. Find out what keywords to include on your resume with the Job Description Keyword Finder .

2. Eliminate buzzwords and vague terminology

Yes, we all know that you are “passionate about e-commerce,” but save that for your cover letter . Mention instead the statistics on how greatly you’ve improved sales for your clients, or draw attention to the way you’ve integrated a client’s social media platforms to their web-shops, to drive in traffic. We know you’re enthusiastic and hard-working, but this isn’t the place for it, and employers will generally skim over these empty and lackluster descriptions.

This is also called quantifying your resume , and if there's one article you should read before you send off your resume, it's that one.

3. Be concise.

Don’t list 10 relevant awards you won going back to a university competition in 2001 — pick one or two which are the most impressive. Make a list of all your relevant experiences and skills and then whittle it down to the very best, and let those shine.

4. Title your resume's opening statement (optional)

In general, if your opening statement is located at the top of your resume, then you don’t necessarily need to spell out what it is we’re looking at—it’s pretty clear. However, you definitely can add a title if you like, something like:

• Profile, Professional Profile, Professional Statement
• Introduction, Summary, About
• Personal Statement, Personal Profile

5. Check your spelling

It goes without saying, but check and check again for any spelling or grammatical errors. Proofread it, proofread it again, get your mom, dad, or grandma to proofread it, read it aloud to your cat, and then run it through a spellchecker or online grammar resource if you’re still worried. This is your first impression to a potential employer, and you want to show them that you’re competent!

6. Get your resume's opening statement checked

Once you’ve added an opening statement to your resume, it’s time to see how well you’ve done. Head over to our free resume scanner , which evaluates your resume against key criteria, and see in real time how likely your resume is to catch an employer’s attention.

Resume opening statements: A crash course in jargon

If you've been looking for advice on how to write a resume opening statement — or summary — chances are you've run into a lot of unfamiliar phrases. Here's a brief explainer:

A resume profile or resume summary statement are different names for a resume summary and are often used interchangeably.

An executive resume summary or career highlights section are usually targeted toward people with an extensive career history or who are applying for high-level positions. These might include slightly more detail about your work experience, for example, standout accomplishments from early in your career that might otherwise not belong on a resume.

A resume objective or career objective is an alternative to a resume summary. Objectives are generally considered outdated compared to resume summaries but can be useful in very limited circumstances (often for people very early in their careers or without any relevant experience).

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• Careers & Jobs

Resume Introduction: How to Write a Resume Opening That Impresses!

Having trouble starting a resume the resume introduction (opening paragraph) needs to be on point. here's how to write an intro paragraph on a resume sure to impress the hiring manager and hr reps.

“So tell us about yourself.”

That question may send a chill down your spine.

Where do you even start? Do you talk only about your work experience? Your personal life? Or just freeze up and say nothing?

Thankfully, resumes are usually the first glance that the employer will ever catch of you. 

Wondering how to start a resume?

Whether you apply online, drop it off in person, or post it on every streetlight (which we don’t suggest), you have the opportunity to craft a polished written statement that answers that dreaded question. 

That statement is what we call the  resume introduction statement . Want to learn how to craft your own? Keep reading below!

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Now, let’s get started with resume intros and opening statements:

First Impressions Are Huge

While first impressions aren’t everything, they are incredibly important. Especially when you are one lone resume in a sea of applicants. You need to shine!

Many scientific studies mention the importance of the first impression.  According to one study , a person forms their first impressions about someone within the first 1/10th of a second of seeing them.

While you don’t need to worry about landing your dream job in 1/10th of a second, you need to think about how your first impression with the employer will occur.

If you submit your resume through any online platform, such as a job listing or an email, then the recruiter’s first impression of you will be when they open the document. If science backs up the claim that  we make snap judgments within seconds , then we can assume that your resume introduction paragraph will be the true first impression.

So let’s make it awesome!

Related Read : How to List Education on a Resume: Complete Guide and Examples

What Is the Intention of an Opening Statement for Resume?

To make an awesome opening statement for your resume, we first need to break down what the purpose of the introduction really is. A Resume Introduction Paragraph is a short and clear way of sharing your personal interests and experiences with the employer. It is also a great way of clarifying what qualities you are looking for in a job.

Think about it like a first date for you and the company! (Actually, maybe don’t do that… that’s an HR nightmare waiting to happen.) Let’s use a different example.

A better example is the “Skip Ads” example: you are on YouTube, waiting to watch a new video. An advertisement comes up with a “You May Skip this Ad in 5 Seconds” button on the side.

What can that company say within the first 5 seconds that will get you to watch their advertisement?

Think about your resume’s opening statement as your personal advertisement. You are giving your potential employer a quick snippet of your product (which is you), and hopefully getting them to buy it!

Now that you understand the intention behind the resume introduction, let’s get into specifics. In the next section, we’ll break down the two main types of introduction paragraphs.

The Two Types of Introduction Paragraphs

There are two main types of resume intro paragraphs: The Resume Summary Statement and the Resume Objective Statement. While both set out to accomplish the same result, they are specifically formatted based on the amount of experience you have in the field.

The  Resume Summary Statement  is best for applicants with several years of experience in their field and are planning to progress within that field. The  Resume Objective Statement  is best for those new to the industry or anyone making a career change/coming back from an employment gap.

We’ll go into depth on both of these options in the next two sections.

Related Read : Resume Job History: How to List Work Experience on a Resume Right

The Resume Summary Statement

A Resume Summary Statement is a quick way to organize and focus on many years of work experience and projects in a relevant subject area. Summary statements often include quantifiable stats about your work. Some examples of those include:

• Managed a remote team of over 50 people
• Contributed to boosting positive customer reviews by over 45%
• Prepared 300+ students for standardized testing

Remember: you are more than a number, and so is your work. Don’t exclude something you’re proud of just because it doesn’t look “impressive” enough.

Also remember: numbers alone can’t get you the job. If you can sandwich together your quantifiable stats with specific descriptors of the experiences you can’t put into numbers, you are golden!

Here’s an example of that:

“Seasoned and innovative event planner with over 6 years of experience in the Atlanta entertainment industry. Organized and executed events with an attendance of 500+ people. Maintains a strong relationship with local leaders and community members.”

This summary statement gives the reader both quantifiable and contextual job experiences, which humanizes the applicant and gives the reader a clearer picture of who you really are (and how skilled you are at writing !).

Don’t have any specific examples that fit the job you’re looking for? That’s ok! You might do better with an Objective Statement. Let’s discuss that next.

Related Read : Hobbies and Interests on a Resume: Why and How to Include Them

The Resume Objective Statement

Whether you’re entering the job market for the first time, coming back from a break, or switching career paths, you might feel as though you don’t have relevant enough experiences to list in a Resume Summary Statement.

That’s where objective statements come in!

Objective statements are better for highlighting skills rather than experience. This is a great way to showcase skills you’ve learned in school or from jobs in other industries.

Some examples of this include:

• Dedicated and motivated engineering graduate seeking entry-level assistant quality control manager position with Company X
• Looking to transition my 4 years of experience in client-facing problem solving into a more behind-the-scenes role

When writing an objective statement, the most important thing is to  be specific.  If you don’t have any quantifiable statistics about your job experience, you must be specific about where your current expertise fits in with the company.

Let’s use the “skip ads” example again here: you may have a product that people don’t think they need, but if you can garner even a smidge of that person’s interest within the first 5 seconds of your ad, they might try and find ways to justify purchasing your product.

Have you decided which type of statement is best for your experience level? Great! Now, let’s dive into how to start writing your personal statement.

Related Read : Resume Skills: How to Put Skills on a Resume the Right Way in 2021

How to Start

If you happen to already have an  elevator pitch , that is a great place to start!

Don’t have an elevator pitch? Don’t worry. You can check out our other blog post on “ How to Create an Elevator Pitch in 5 Easy Steps ”.

If that rent payment is quickly approaching and you don’t have time to read another article, that’s ok too. Just follow these EASY instructions:

Examine your work history. What have you previously done that could fit this position? Is there a quantifiable way to state that? If so, do it!

Accomplishments

What are some of your most impressive accomplishments? These can be both in your work life and your personal life if it makes sense to include. (Maybe don’t tell them about that hot dog eating contest you won in Florida, though.)

Proficient in a certain software? Include that. Great at public speaking? Include that. If something you’re good at happens to fit a task you might face at this new job, include it!

Whatever you decide to include, make sure you can actually do it. And make sure you can do it on the spot if asked to.

You are more than your job experience. Recruiters aren’t hiring resumes, they’re hiring people. Make sure your opening statement matches the vibe that you want to give off.

For example, if you are an incredibly creative and outgoing person, you probably want to tell them more about your people skills than your Excel spreadsheet skills. No harm in mentioning both, just start with what you feel represents you best.

Related Read : How to List Your Achievements on Your Resume (the Right Way) in 2021

You Have Everything You Need to Succeed

Now that you have all of the information needed on how to open a resume, it’s time to do just that!

If you get stuck at any point or just need an extra boost of motivation before you start, remember this:  you are enough.

You are not just your job experience, you’re a human being! Career changes, gaps in employment, and first jobs are all a part of life. You are exactly where you need to be to get the job you want.

Need help with the rest of your resume? We’ve got you!

Check out one of our other resume writing blog posts in our career section . And, if you have any questions on writing a great introduction statement or opening paragraph on a resume, just leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading, and good luck on your job hunt!

Related Read : 55 Resume Tips, Hacks & Expert Advice to Help You Score a Job Interview

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How to Write The Perfect Resume Introduction (with examples)

Published on:

• June 23, 2023

The quickest way to grab attention is with a good beginning or introduction. An excellent resume introduction will hook the recruiter from the get-go.

In most cases, people will tell you to start at the beginning of your resume if you are unsure of how to begin it. But that’s not going to help.

You see writing your resume introduction last is actually the best strategy. You will be able to find it much easier to highlight the important things when your entire document is ready.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to craft the perfect resume introduction paragraph that gets recruiters reading all the way to the end of your resume.

Choosing a Resume Introduction

The hiring manager only has six seconds to evaluate your resume. You need to make your resume introduction stand out if you want to get their attention.

Before choosing what you want to write on your resume introduction, however, it is also important to figure out how you will say it.

What is the best way to introduce yourself on a resume? 

What is the message you want to convey, what are your strongest selling points?

These are some of the things you need to include in your profile.

It’s good to know the guidelines for writing an introduction for your resume are the same across industries.

You can choose from these resume profiles or introductions depending on your level of experience and skills: Resume Objective and Resume Summary.

Resume Objective

A resume objective, also known as a career objective, is a paragraph that outlines your relevant skills, experience, or knowledge to demonstrate that you have the potential to become a  successful employee. It also briefly explains the job position you’re seeking in a company.

When to Use a Resume Objective

Resume objectives are the best resume introduction if:

• You’re just starting out your career (entry-level) or have little experience.
• You’re switching industries or careers or if you need to explain an unclear career path.

Examples – No Work Experience or Applying for an Internship

These examples highlight the skills and motivation a candidate needs to demonstrate that they’re worthy of the company’s investment.

“Dedicated nurse assistant seeking an internship at Bright Care Center. Love helping residents feel healthy, cared for, and at home. Detail-oriented mindset and warm personality make me an excellent advocate for residents and their needs.”

Example #3 – Career Change:

“Highly-motivated software engineer with 7+ years experience developing software solutions. Seeking to leverage proven Ruby, Python, Java, and C++ skills to deliver coding excellence to Samuel & Sons, Ltd. Developed 4 website software tools for enterprise marketing. Built 7 mobile apps with improved interactive UX/UI 25+ websites for B2C entrepreneurs.”

Example #4- Switching Industry:

Although the candidate in the example below switches sectors, the emphasis is on the skills and experience that an NGO can use.

“Experienced marketer for McDenver Construction Corp. with over five years’ experience. Seeking to apply my construction background and related skills to help local NGOs raise awareness and sales through low or no budget marketing methods.”

• Although it’s called an “objective,” your resume heading statement shouldn’t focus solely on what your objective is. Everyone knows it’s to get a job, so don’t make it your personal mission statement.
• Don’t write: “I’m looking for a challenging role that will enhance my skills .” HR experts say that writing things like this is so cliche and outdated.

Resume Summary

A resume summary statement sums up your professional background and achievements at the top of the resume. It briefly explains how it can benefit the company you want to work for. By demonstrating your unique value through your skills and accomplishments, it shows why you are perfect for the job. The hiring manager will be more likely to read on if you outline your key skills and quantifiable results from the start.

When to Use a Resume Summary

When you have several years of experience or are continuing your career, a resume summary is the perfect resume introduction.

“Customer Support Agent with more than 3 years of experience. Specialized in telephone customer service, email and technical support, and sales and customer care. Adept in using Intercom, Drift, and other customer care software. Assisted customers with signups and data entry, and handled 100+ phone calls daily. 80 WPM typist”

Summary of Qualifications

It is a type of resume introduction that contains a bulleted list of accomplishments, skills, and relevant experience proving you’re a perfect fit for the company. Include 3 to 4 easy-to-skim bullet points in paragraph form to emphasize your most impressive career highlights and skills.

Having a summary of qualifications at the top of your resume will enable hiring managers to quickly and easily identify your most relevant and impressive qualifications. This will increase your chances of landing an interview or getting hired.

When to Use a Resume Summary 

• You have an extensive record of accomplishments in your industry or field.
• You possess certifications relevant to the position you are seeking.
• You have special skills and expertise to demonstrate on your resume.

Example#1: For Project Manager

• Experienced project manager with 5+ years of experience managing mid-sized teams on high-level projects.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and management and leadership abilities.
• Completed projects with a minimum of $10K under budget and 10% faster than estimated.
• Interested in leveraging project management skills and knowledge as a senior project manager at Built Pro Remodelers.

Example #2: For Executive Assistant

• Executive Assistant with five years experience working for Summers & Sons Company
• Manage an office budget of $50K per month
• Negotiated directly with service providers to reduce travel expenses by $5.5K
• Oversee a team of 8 specialists in administrative support

Resume Headline

It’s a brief, one-line phrase that describes your skills, accomplishments, and services, and communicates what you can provide when you join the company. A resume headline should be relevant and brief, similar to that of a news headline. It should also highlight your related qualifications for the job.

Who should use a resume headline

Your resume headline, also known as your resume title is placed at the top of your document, immediately under your contact information. You can use a resume title no matter what your industry, title, or experience level is.

• If you’re an experienced professional, a resume headline is a great way to highlight your greatest career achievements.
• If you’re applying for an entry-level position or you don’t have much experience, the resume headline gives you a chance to describe your current qualifications and what you hope to accomplish.
• If you’re having trouble fitting all the information on your resume onto a one- or two-page template.

  Examples:

• Top Grossing Sales Manager with 5+ years of experience who generated $500K+ monthly sales.
• Efficient Project Manager delivering projects 10% faster than projected.
• Personable and Bilingual Call Center Agent with 5 Years of Experience.

Start With The Rest of Your Resume

It is important for a resume to begin with an engaging introduction. As employers must look through hundreds of resumes a day, they scan them in seconds. Since they are quick to judge, you need to make a good first impression. As such, it is crucial to grab the employer’s attention with the first sentence of the resume, so they continue reading.

A resume headline is determined by several factors including your qualifications, your experience, and whether or not you’re looking for a job within the same sector.

The thing is…

How can you write a resume introduction that makes a strong first impression?

Start a resume by working on the other sections.

First, list your work experience, skills, education, and any other sections that highlight your achievements.

After you have completed the bulk of the resume body, you can then move to your introduction and highlight those achievements or skills in your summary or objective.

When you write your resume introductions last you will make it relevant to the rest of your resume sections.

Writing a Resume Introduction

Here are some tips to make your resume introduction more compelling and strong:

• Keep it short and concise . One to three powerful sentences is enough to showcase your qualifications.
• Customize your resume introduction to the position you’re applying for. Take note of the attributes they are looking for when examining the job ad.
• Use action words to enliven your introduction to hook the hiring manager’s attention until the end of your resume.
• Use resume keywords to optimize your resume and pass the ATS scans.
• Focus on the value you can give. Instead of focusing on what makes you unique as a person, focus on what makes you valuable to your employer. They are likely to hire you if they believe the value you provide meets their needs.
• Avoid using first-person pronouns such as “I” and “You” . Using them will draw attention to yourself instead of letting them know what you can do for the company.
• Proofread your work once you’ve finished it. You don’t want a couple of typos to ruin your hard work.

Key Takeaway

The following things should be taken into account when writing your resume introduction:

• Choose a resume objective or summary for your resume.
• Highlight your strengths, achievements, and qualifications.
• Use the job posting as a guide to tailor your resume intro.
• Keep it short, use action-oriented words, and focus on your value.

Marissa Letendre, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Marissa Letendre is a senior HR leader and resume expert with over 12 years of experience. She has worked for both startups and Fortune 50 corporations and has helped thousands land jobs at top companies. Marissa has written on a wide range of topics, including employee engagement, career development, resumes, job searching, recruiting, and organizational effectiveness and has been featured on sites such as Slack and The Undercover Recruiter.

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How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
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Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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What is a good introduction for a resume?

With recruiters only spending about 6 seconds reviewing a single resume, having a resume introduction that grabs the recruiters’ attention right off the bat is extremely important.

It can make or break your chances of landing an interview as it determines the type of first impression you can make on potential employers.

So what makes a great resume introduction or summary?

For starters, your resume introduction must highlight some of your most impressive accomplishments, qualifications, and skills concerning the job description.

It needs to be crisp and concise, yet impactful enough to make the recruiters want to read more of your resume.

This guide will help you understand the dos and don’ts when it comes to writing an impactful resume introduction and provide clarity on FAQs related to the topic.

• What is a resume introduction?
• How to write a resume introduction?
• What are some good resume introduction examples for freshers?
• What are some business analyst resume introduction examples?

What is a Resume Introduction?

A resume introduction, also known as a resume summary or objective, is a brief overview of an applicant’s career trajectory which appears at the beginning of a resume.

The purpose of a resume introduction is to grab the recruiters’ attention and highlight the years of experience the candidate has, any relevant certifications they might hold, and their strengths in terms of the role’s requirements.

A good resume introduction is not more than 2 to 3 sentences and is tailored for a specific job description. It must include critical information such as the applicant’s job title, area of expertise, and notable accomplishments.

Additionally, it must include keywords that can help the resume rank high in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) used by 75% of recruiters to filter applicants.

Generally, there are two types of resume introductions used by job seekers depending on their level of experience - resume summary and resume objective.

For instance, if the candidate is a fresher with less than 1 year of experience, he/she must write a resume objective, while seasoned candidates write resume summaries.

Also Read: How to write a resume summary in 2023?

How Do You Write a Good Introduction for a Resume?

A professional resume introduction statement can make a significant difference in the weight and impact of your resume by helping you make a solid first impression on recruiters.

To ensure that your resume introduction achieves just that, here are some tips that you can follow while writing an introduction for resumes:

Choose the Right Resume Introduction

As stated earlier, there are two types of resume introductions used by job seekers based on their level of experience - summary, and objective.

Choose the right resume introduction that suits your case so that you can make it more compelling.

The difference between the two is when you’re writing a resume objective as a fresher, you must highlight your educational background, certifications, skills, and academic accomplishments while expressing your interest in leveraging your potential to benefit the company.

Whereas, when you’re writing a resume summary as a seasoned professional, you need to highlight the years of experience you have, your area of expertise, professional accomplishments, and strengths in terms of the job description.

Tailor Your Resume Introduction to a Specific Job Description

While you might be tempted to use the same resume to apply for multiple job listings, doing so will significantly decrease your chances of getting shortlisted.

This is because a generic resume introduction makes your resume average. Recruiters only have eyes for the best candidates who can stand out from the crowd.

Therefore, you need to tailor your resume introduction to the job description provided in the listing and level up your resume.

Analyze the job description to identify the pressing requirements of the role and corresponding to that, highlight the strengths that showcase you as the ideal candidate who can meet those requirements efficiently.

Use Keywords and Terminologies from the Listing

To help your resume rank high in the ATS and make your resume introduction more compelling, you must use keywords from the job description and similar terminology used in the listing.

For instance, if the job listing calls for a ‘content writer’, consider using the same terminology in your resume introduction rather than opting for synonyms like ‘content creator’ etc.

The same goes for keywords. If the job description uses words like ‘result-driven’ or repetitively refers to a specific skill like ‘time management’ as a key requirement, include the same in your resume introduction.

Focus on Your Unique Value Proposition and Use Numbers

Analyze the job description to identify your strongest skills and strengths that make you stand out from other candidates.

Once you have clarity on the same, highlight the unique value you can bring to the role in your resume introduction.

And don’t forget to use numbers and figures when talking about your accomplishments to provide a clear picture of your potential to the recruiters.

Following these approaches will ensure that your resume introduction is compelling and impressive.

Keep It Concise and Crisp

Another mistake you’d want to avoid when writing your resume introduction is making it too lengthy, vague, and full of cliches or generalizations.

The idea is to keep the introduction of your resume limited to 2 to 3 sentences and write impactful short sentences using action verbs, keywords, and numbers.

Also Read: What are some tips for writing a compelling LinkedIn summary in 2023?

Good Resume Introduction Examples

Given below are some resume introduction samples that you can refer to write your own:

Resume Introduction for Freshers (Objective)

Result-oriented Finance Graduate with 6 months of internship experience in deploying analytical & database tools to scrutinize business operations. Proficient in employing effective data analysis techniques for sound decision-making & successful execution of projects.

Detail-oriented computer science graduate seeking an entry-level position as a software developer. As a skilled aspirant proficient in using programming languages such as Java and Python, I am eager to contribute to a dynamic team and gain hands-on experience in software development.

Creative and dedicated recent graduate with a degree in marketing seeking an entry-level position as a Marketing Coordinator. Armed with strong communication skills and the ability to develop and execute marketing strategies with proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, I’m eager to leverage my knowledge and skills for the growth of the company.

Business Analyst Resume Introduction Examples (Summary)

Dynamic Business Analyst professional adept at deploying analytical and database tools to scrutinize business operations across multiple sectors & deliver client-centric solutions. Highly skilled in identifying and fulfilling client requirements within the framework of organizational work processes and employing effective data analysis techniques to support business decisions.

Also Read: When and how should you write an objective in your resume?

Key Points from the Blog

• A resume introduction, also known as resume summary or objective , is a brief overview of an applicant’s career trajectory that appears at the beginning of a resume.
• If the candidate is a fresher with less than 1 year of experience, he/she must write a resume objective, while seasoned candidates write resume summaries.
• Tailor your resume introduction to the job description and use keywords to grab the recruiters’ attention.
• Use numbers and figures when talking about your accomplishments to provide a clear picture of your potential to the recruiters through your resume introduction.
• Keep your resume introduction clear, concise, and not more than 2 to 3 sentences.
• Highlight your best accomplishments, skills, years of experience, area of expertise, and certifications while writing your resume introduction.

Want to make a brilliant resume with an equally compelling resume introduction? Use Hiration’s ChatGPT-powered resume builder with 24x7 chat support. If you have any queries, you can reach us at support(at)hiration(dot)com.

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How to Start a Resume (5+ Examples of Resume Introductions)

In This Guide:

Scrutinize the job description carefully, develop an authentic personal brand story, create an outline for your resume, choose a section to start your resume.

Tips for starting your resume the right way

What's the quickest way to get ignored in your job hunt?

Treat the top of your resume as an unimportant part and start it off as weak and boring.

The first section of your resume is critical because it affects how recruiters will view you as a candidate. A resume that starts off strong will get more headhunters interested. That in turn will help you land more interviews, which results in better employment opportunities.

That's why we created this guide for you – to give you a step-by-step process for starting your resume the right way. By the end of it, you'll also get a few expert tips for taking your resume to the next level.

Let's get into it!

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Recruiters from different companies will want to see specific details about you at the top of the page. And that all depends on the hiring company's demands in the workplace as well as their expectations.

Therefore, the first step to starting your resume the right way is to go through the job offer carefully. This will help you find out more about your duties for the new position, the skills you should have, and the qualifications required from you.

Once you understand what hiring managers want, you can tailor your resume specifically to meet their needs. As a consequence, you'll be able to grab attention within a few seconds and stand out from the competition.

The most important sections to look for in the job description are:

• About the company — to learn about the company's nature of work, its values, and its core beliefs
• Key duties and responsibilities — to find out more about the demands of the position and which candidates are most qualified to occupy it
• Qualifications — to spice up your resume with relevant strengths and credentials such as educational degrees, core skills, and certifications

The job description will also help you extract the best keywords you have to use for ATS optimization. Those are the most important terms and phrases used by the company to sort through hundreds of candidates and qualify a few finalists for an interview.

• How to find and use ATS keywords in your resume to land your dream job

A lot of companies update their job offers regularly to keep up with the latest demands of their industries. New character traits, skills, technologies, and certificates may be added to job offers as required. That's why you should be updating and improving your resume on a regular basis.

Instead of it being just words on paper, your resume is actually the marketing piece that will sell your industry skills and knowledge. A strong resume will tell your professional story authentically to take recruiters from "who is this candidate?" to "I've just found my dream employee".

This mindset shift in viewing your resume will help you regard sections as plots in your story. When all put together, each section will help market you as the perfect candidate for the headhunter.

Any recruiter will have the following questions before they decide to hire you:

• Do you fit the requirements and qualifications to occupy the job?
• What are your best skills, qualities, and personality traits ?
• How do you intend to help the hiring company thrive?
• Do you have the potential to develop as an employee in the future?
• Why should the company hire you instead of everyone else?

By this point, you already know what the hiring company is looking for in their next candidate. You understand the challenges they're facing and the responsibilities they need the most help with. So answering some of those questions in the form of a coherent professional story should be easy.

The start of your resume is the most important section because that’s what keeps readers glued to the page. So you want to feature the most valuable, exciting facts about you at the very top. From there, you should capitalize on that curiosity by providing great value throughout the remaining sections.

Now that you've decided on all the information you want to showcase in your resume , you have to organize that into sections. You'll start doing that by creating an outline for your resume — which should include every important and relevant information in your personal brand story.

The reason why outlining your resume is crucial is that it provides you with a solid visual guide to follow. By knowing what goes where on the page, you'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary changes and unplanned restructuring.

The resume outline is also important for ensuring that your story is consistent. You won't risk forgetting any essential details about your professional career. An outline containing all the sections you need will help you break down and organize every piece of information you want to include.

While making a resume outline may look complicated, it's actually an easy process that you can do in less than five minutes. To learn more, check out our detailed guide on how to write a perfect resume outline that tells your story with confidence.

• Resume sections: everything you need to know

Which section should you add first to your resume? And how do you know if you’re making the right decision even before you start applying?

There are a few different ways you can start your resume:

Always put the header on top of your resume

The header is the first section on the resume page — which doesn't convey any information about expertise or qualifications. Yet, it's still a fundamental part of the resume because it contains the necessary personal details that recruiters need before they make a hiring decision.

No matter the resume format or job position you're applying for, the header should always be at the top. To write an excellent resume header, you have to include the following contact information:

• Job title — needs to be specific to the position you're applying for
• Phone number — must be reachable at all times. But it should also not be your current work number as that may leave a negative impression
• Email address — has to follow a professional email format such as first.last@examples[.]com or f.last@example[.]com
• Location — doesn't have to be your full home address but instead should follow the "city, state" format

You may also add your LinkedIn profile , personal website, or portfolio link to showcase your work achievements. Although this may seem unimportant, additional details about you can make a huge difference in the shortlisting process.

Looking for a way to make your header even more captivating? Add a resume headline that promotes your value as an employee. By stating precisely — at the top — what you can bring to the table, you'll lure headhunters into reading every single word on the page.

If you're not sure about how to write a good headline, think of it as the sentence you'd say to the recruiter if you only had three seconds with them. For example, your resume headline may look something like this:

Good Example

• Detail-Oriented Project Manager With 6 Years of Experience in the Tech Industry
• Award-Winning Software Engineer Specializing in Healthcare App Development
• Senior Marketing Specialist With a Track Record of Success Working for B2B Companies

Start your resume with a summary section

The summary section is often placed above every other section but below the header. It is used like that by many job seekers because that's a common practice they've seen others do.

As the word "summary" suggests, this part of the resume is dedicated to summing up the most essential details about your career. The summary is where you'll make your elevator pitch to showcase your best achievements in 3 to 5 sentences. This is a great place to feature relevant skills, personality traits, educational background, as well as professional certificates.

Here's an example of how to craft an eye-catching summary for your resume:

Marketing director with 12 years of experience in the B2C electronics industry. Developed promotional campaigns for new product launches, which resulted in an 18% boost in quarterly sales and a revenue increase of over $5.2M. Led a team of account executives to lower ad costs — saving over 200.000$ in annual budget costs. MBA in business administration.

Keep in mind

The resume summary can be a good way to start your resume. But it can only work when applying for jobs requiring many years of expertise with specific accomplishments.

In many cases, putting the summary first can make your resume weaker and less effective in persuading recruiters. For example, candidates applying for entry-level jobs should use an objective instead to highlight their growth mindset and career goals.

Start your resume with an objective section

The objective statement focuses on who you are now, your career goals for the future, and how that aligns with the hiring company's plans. This is the section where you'll highlight your most relevant skills and character traits based on the position. Like the summary section, it should be concise and no longer than 3-5 sentences.

Before we get into who should use the objective statement, you have to understand the benefits of adding it to your resume.

So far you haven't had much success in your line of work because you're new. Therefore, you're more about unlimited potential than proven knowledge. Featuring this section will help you take attention away from your lack of expertise and make up for that with talents and strong vision.

Showing recruiters that your career objectives align with the company's vision is also a huge plus. Headhunters will always prefer to recruit candidates who are rowing in the same direction from the start.

The objective section is best fit for recent grads, entry-level job seekers , and candidates in the middle of a career transition . Basically, any resume used for applying to a job where not much experience is required should feature an objective below the header.

Here's an example of how to write a captivating objective statement:

Highly-motivated marketing director with an MBA in Business Administration. Excellent attention-to-detail and teamwork skills. Independent learner with extensive knowledge in Paid Marketing and People Management. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite. Seeking to join Drop Inc. to put my technical skills into practice and help the organization best serve its customers.

3 Tips for Starting Your Resume the Right Way

By now, you’ve learned the best possible ways to start your resume and when to use each one of them. Here are three additional tips to help you create the top section of your resume easily:

Choose an appropriate resume format

There are basically three main formats for creating your resume.

The reverse-chronological resume format

The reverse-chronological format features your work history and past achievements in chronological order. It starts from your newest/current job going back to the oldest one. It's the most popular format across all industries because of how efficient it is in proving value and impact in the workplace.

This format is most suitable for experienced professionals applying for jobs in competitive fields. It offers a great structure for highlighting achievements clearly and showcasing the companies you've worked for.

If you meet the experience requirements for the job, placing the experience section below the summary is your best option.

The functional resume format

The functional format prioritizes personal skills, technical abilities, and qualifications over experience. It features the candidate's best talents — below the summary or objective — instead of their employment history.

This type of format is an excellent choice for fresh grads, applicants with past employment gaps, and job seekers entering a new field with not much experience. Anyone with transferrable skills should double down on them to make a lasting impression rather than highlighting irrelevant experiences.

Featuring relevant skills within a context is vital when using the functional resume format. Anyone can claim to have a strong set of soft skills to capitalize on in the new job. But only those who prove it through successful projects and past achievements get shortlisted for an interview.

The hybrid resume format

A resume created with the hybrid format is a mix of the two formats discussed above. It combines the best of both structures to create a resume that tells your full story. So if you are an experienced employee who also possesses lots of skills in the field, this might be the ideal option for you.

The best part about this all is that your resume doesn't have to be two pages long or bore recruiters to death. Using an organized layout with a modern hybrid template, you can fit everything into one page and leave headhunters speechless.

Not sure if you should add skills first or prioritize experience? If the job description is focused on skills over experience, feature your strengths first. If it's a high-demand position requiring decades of experience, start off by going over your work accomplishments.

Use a resume builder with ready-made templates

Searching for a job is already a daunting process with a lot of complex duties to handle. From researching hiring companies to reorganizing your work history into a meaningful story, every single task can take you days to finish.

A resume-building tool will take away a lot of the uncertainty from your job search. It can save you hours of research and learning with its pre-made templates. Consequently, you won't have to go through the trouble of creating every single element on the page from scratch.

Enhancv is a drag-and-drop resume builder that helps you create job-winning resumes for any industry or position. It will ease your job hunt by offering you ready-made samples that follow the latest trends without breaking HR rules.

It also provides personalized suggestions around what to include to improve your application. With dozens of resume templates to use, you'll never have to struggle with writer's block again.

Make your resume shine with excellent design

For every resume you want to build, you must think of two things: content and design. We already went over the content part in the sections above — so now it's time to talk about resume design .

If you're using a modern resume builder, design isn't something you have to worry about. The tool will handle everything for you from hierarchy to the best colors you can use to grab attention.

However, if you're designing your own resume from scratch, here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Leave enough white space between separate sections and resume elements to rest the reader's eye. Remember to also create a margin of 0.5 to 1 inch to make your resume ATS-friendly.
• Maintain a clear hierarchy between titles, descriptions, and paragraphs for each section.
• Add a combination of two professional typefaces in different weights and font styles.
• Use modern, complementary colors to make important elements on the page stand out.
• Be consistent in your design choices to improve scanning and readability.
• Free Google Docs resume templates
• Free MS Word resume templates

Bottom Line

Here’s a quick summary of what you learned in today’s guide:

• The job description is a gold mine to any applicant. If you read it carefully before creating your resume, it will provide you with all the answers you need about what to include and which keywords to use.
• Develop a personal brand story in your head before putting any words on the page. Identifying your strongest selling points and demonstrating them as skills and achievements at the top is key to getting noticed.
• Turning your story into an outline allows you to organize all the information from the start and minimize edits. It's the visual guide that helps you leave out unnecessary details and not miss out on essential ones.
• The header section should always be at the very top of your resume. Despite it not showcasing any work-relevant qualities, it's crucial for informing headhunters about who you are and helping them reach out to you when necessary.
• There are many efficient ways to start your resume and get shortlisted. Depending on your expertise, industry skills, and resume format — you can put different sections at the top to get recruiters excited about hiring you.

Still struggling to create a resume that portrays you authentically? We offer career counseling services that will specifically help you nail the recruitment process and get the job of your dreams.

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How to Start a Resume: Choosing the Right Introduction

The introduction is one of the most  important parts of the resume . Employers generally scan through resumes in a matter of seconds as they have so many to look through. As they are quick to form a judgement, you need to make sure that you give a  positive first impression .

The  first part of a resume  is the most important, it needs to quickly see you to the employer and grab their attention. If it doesn’t, the rest of the resume won’t be looked at.

The  best way to start a resume  depends on a number of factors such as your qualifications, experience, and whether you are looking for a job in the same industry or not.

This means that if you are  applying for jobs  in different industries, you should tailor your resume for different positions and choose different  resume introductions  for each. Doing this from scratch is very time consuming which is why it is better to use  resume templates .

Choosing a resume introduction

As it is the  most important section of the resume , your introduction can make the difference between getting a first interview and you resume being thrown into the wastepaper basket.

There are three ways of  starting the resume : a career objective, a qualifications summary, or a professional profile. It is essential to choose the one which best fits you to the position you’re applying for.

Career objective

A  career objective  (also referred to as a  resume objective ) is ideal for candidates who are writing an  entry-level resume . It is a statement of two to four sentences which targets a specific position, addressing the requirements set by the employer in the job posting. This is  how to start a resume with no job experience

If you are lacking in relevant experience for the position, the career objective is the best way to  start writing a resume . It emphasizes aspects of your personality, character, and work ethic which show would be suited for the job.

Qualifications summary

The  qualifications summary  is perfect for candidates applying for jobs in a different industry. It is laid out in five or six bullet points which demonstrate the  abilities and accomplishments  which meet the requirements stated in the job posting. It can focus on work and academic achievements

This way to  start writing a resume  is well-suited to candidates who are applying for a job in a different industry as it emphasizes an applicant’s  skillset  over their experience. It is longer than a career objective and acts as a  resume summary .

Professional profile

Start off a resume if you are writing a  professional resume  and looking for a job in a similar role or industry. It is a  combination of a career objective and a qualifications summary .

It is a  flexible style  of introduction and can be formatted as a paragraph or as bullet points.  Experienced candidates  can tailor it to focus on their strengths.

Writing the first section of a resume

Once you have decided  what to use to start a resume  you need to craft it. Whichever of the three formats you choose, your introductions have to be clear, concise, and focus on your strong points.

You should change the introduction for each job application aiming to match your skills, abilities, and experience with the job requirements stated in each job posting. Follow the corresponding  tips for starting a resume  depending on which resume introduction style you choose.

Career objective: what to include?

A  career objective  should be a single paragraph consisting of two to four sentences (ideally three). It should include the years of relevant  work experience  (if any), past job responsibilities, most important skills, abilities, and personality traits, and relevant qualifications, certificates and licenses.

Focus on your strengths.  For example, if you are writing a  student resume  and have no relevant experience, don’t highlight this. Instead, place emphasis on your qualifications, abilities, work ethic, and personality strengths.

Qualifications summary: what to include?

Consisting of five or six bullet points, a  qualifications summary  should focus on a candidate’s key accomplishments, highlighting the applicant’s key competencies.

Focusing on transferable skills  such as leadership, creativity, communication, efficiency, and management skills makes this format ideal for those looking for a career change. order the bullet points from top to bottom in terms of importance.

Professional profile tips: what to include?

The  professional profile  is much more flexible and is ideal for  experienced candidates . Whether you choose to format it as a paragraph or a bullet points, you should focus on years of relevant experience, areas of expertise, career achievements, and transferable skills.

Using an online  resume builder  is the ideal way of producing a  professional-looking attractive resume  which highlights a candidate’s strengths. It means you don’t have to  start a new resume  for each job application, but use well-designed templates instead.

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Introduction Examples for Your Resume in 2024

When it comes to job hunting, one of the most important tools in your arsenal is your resume. A resume is a document that provides a summary of your education, work experience, skills, and achievements. It serves as an advertisement of yourself to potential employers and is often the first impression that they will have of you. In short, a resume is your personal brand.

But why is it so important to have a strong resume? Well, for starters, it is often the first step in the hiring process. A good resume will get you noticed and can lead to an interview, while a poorly written one can end up in the trash. Your resume is your opportunity to showcase your skills and accomplishments, and to convince an employer that you are the best candidate for the job.

So, what is the purpose of an introduction in a resume? The introduction is your chance to make a great first impression on the employer. It should be brief, yet captivating, and should highlight your skills and qualifications in a way that sets you apart from other applicants. Your introduction should entice the hiring manager to continue reading your resume and ultimately invite you for an interview.

In this article, we will explore some introduction examples that you can use to create a strong and compelling resume. Remember, your introduction is your chance to make a great first impression, so take the time to craft it carefully and make it stand out from the rest.

Importance of a Strong Introduction

A strong introduction is essential for a job seeker’s resume to stand out among countless other applications. Here are three reasons why:

Catching the Attention of the Recruiter/Employer

Recruiters and employers typically receive a high volume of resumes for a single job opening. To make your application stand out, an attention-grabbing introduction is necessary. Think of your introduction as a marketing pitch, where you are selling your skills and experience. A strong introduction should hook the recruiter/employer and make them want to read on further.

Differentiating Yourself from Other Candidates

A well-crafted introduction can set you apart from the competition. Recruiters and employers are looking for the best fit for their company, and a unique introduction can help them remember you. Consider highlighting your achievements and skills that make you stand out. Remember, you want to make a lasting impression.

Setting the Tone for the Rest of the Resume

Your introduction sets the tone for the rest of your resume. If it’s weak, the recruiter/employer may assume the rest of your application will be just as unremarkable. Your introduction should showcase your writing skills, attention to detail, and professionalism. Additionally, it should highlight why you are an ideal candidate for that particular job opening.

A strong introduction is crucial for a job seeker’s resume success. It catches the attention of the recruiter/employer, sets you apart from other candidates, and sets the tone for the rest of your resume. Take the time to craft an introduction that reflects your skills and experience and captures the recruiter’s attention.

Essential Components of an Introduction

When it comes to introducing yourself in a resume, there are four essential components that you should never miss: Name and Contact Information, Professional Title, Objective/Summary Statement, and Personal Brand. In this section, we will dive into each of these elements to help you understand their importance and learn how to craft compelling introductions.

Name and Contact Information

Your name and contact information should always be placed at the top of your resume. This means listing your full name, phone number, email address, and optionally a professional social media profile.

Having your contact information in plain sight is crucial as it allows recruiters to get in touch with you quickly. Furthermore, placing your name at the beginning of the resume sets the tone for the document and reinforces your brand.

Professional Title

Your professional title is the job title that you are applying for or the one you currently have. It sits right under your name and contact information, making it easily recognizable.

Your job title should be as specific and accurate as possible. You don’t want to call yourself a Senior Manager if you are only a Project Manager. Also, if you are applying for a specific position, use the same title used in the job posting.

Objective/Summary Statement

The objective or summary statement is a short paragraph that appears under your professional title. It is a concise overview of who you are, what you bring to the table, and what kind of role you are looking for.

Your objective statement should be customized for each application. Highlight the skills and experiences that are relevant for the job and show how you match the requirements.

Personal Brand

Your personal brand is a combination of your values, mission, and unique selling proposition. It is what sets you apart from other candidates and makes you memorable.

To craft a personal brand statement, think about what you are passionate about, what motivates you, and what you want to achieve in your career. Use strong action words and be as specific as possible.

The components of an introduction are crucial in making a great first impression. Having a clear and concise Name and Contact Information, Professional Title, Objective/Summary Statement, and Personal Brand can help you stand out from the rest and land your dream job.

Different Types of Introductions

When it comes to resume writing, the introduction is one of the most important parts. It is the first thing a potential employer will see, and it sets the tone for the rest of your application. A well-written introduction can capture their attention and make them want to keep reading. However, not all introductions are created equal. In fact, there are different types of introductions that can be used in different situations.

Chronological Introduction

A chronological introduction is one that starts at the beginning and follows a timeline of your employment history. This type of introduction is best suited for job seekers who have a clear career progression and their work experience aligns with the position they are applying for. The chronological introduction emphasizes a candidate’s work history and typically starts with their most recent position and works backward.

This type of introduction is great for candidates who have a long and successful work history in their field. It allows employers to see their career path and the positions they have held, highlighting their growth and development. It shows the candidate’s experience, knowledge and presents a clear picture of their work history.

Functional Introduction

A functional introduction focuses on the candidate’s skills and achievements rather than their work history. This type of introduction is well suited to job seekers who have experience in different industries or who have gaps in their employment history. The functional introduction focuses on the candidate’s strengths, abilities and how these can apply to the position they are applying for.

This type of introduction can be effective for individuals who have had a non-traditional career path, such as someone who has changed careers or who has taken time off to raise a family. Rather than emphasizing their work history, a functional introduction highlights the transferable skills that the candidate has gained and how they can be applied to the role they are seeking.

Combination Introduction

A combination introduction combines elements of the chronological and functional introductions. This type of introduction highlights the candidate’s work experience, but also emphasizes their skills, achievements and how they align with the position they are applying for. This type of introduction is well suited for job seekers who have a stable work history but want to focus on their skills and achievements.

A combination introduction also works well for those seeking job transitions, new careers or those who may have had gaps in their work history. The work chronology shows a candidate’s experience in their field, while the skills and achievements show their potential and value in the new position.

Example Introductions for Entry-Level Resumes

When it comes to crafting a strong introduction for your entry-level resume, there are different formats to consider. Here are sample introductions for three popular formats: chronological, functional, and combination.

Chronological Resume Introduction

The chronological resume format is the most traditional and straightforward approach. It lists your work experience starting from the most recent position and going back in time. Here is a sample introduction for a chronological resume:

“I am a recent graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and two summer internships under my belt. As an intern at XYZ Company, I gained experience in market research, social media management, and event planning. Prior to that, I worked as a marketing assistant at ABC Corporation, where I created content for social media and assisted with email marketing campaigns. I am excited to apply my skills and knowledge to a full-time marketing role.”

Functional Resume Introduction

The functional resume format focuses on your skills and abilities rather than your work history. It’s useful if you have gaps in your employment history or are switching careers. Here is a sample introduction for a functional resume:

“As a creative problem solver with a passion for technology, I thrive in fast-paced environments. My expertise in web design, UX/UI, and programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript has enabled me to develop functional and visually appealing websites. I have also honed my project management skills by leading a team of designers and developers to complete multiple projects on time and within budget. My goal is to leverage my skills to create innovative solutions for a forward-thinking company.”

Combination Resume Introduction

The combination resume format combines elements of both the chronological and functional formats. It highlights your skills and achievements at the top of the resume, followed by a reverse-chronological list of your work experience. Here is a sample introduction for a combination resume:

“As a recent graduate with strong analytical skills and a passion for data-driven results, I am eager to apply my experience in marketing analytics to a full-time role. During my internship at XYZ Company, I gained expertise in data analysis tools such as Google Analytics and SEMrush, and I leveraged those tools to create robust reports and insights that informed the marketing team’s decisions. Prior to that, I worked as a marketing assistant at ABC Corporation, where I managed social media accounts and created content for email campaigns. I am confident that my experience and skills make me a strong candidate for a marketing analytics role.”

No matter which format you choose, make sure your introduction is concise, attention-grabbing, and tailored to the job and company you’re applying for. With these sample introductions as a guide, you can create a strong introduction that sets you apart from other entry-level candidates.

Example Introductions for Mid-Career Resumes

A solid resume introduction is essential for catching the attention of potential employers and making a great first impression. This is especially true for mid-career professionals who have a wealth of experience to showcase. There are three popular resume formats that you can use to highlight your skills and accomplishments: chronological, functional, and combination. Here are some sample introductions that you can use as inspiration for crafting your own impactful resume.

A chronological resume is the most classic and straightforward format. It lists your work history in chronological order, starting with your most recent job. This format is recommended for candidates who have a consistent work history and have progressed through their career in a linear fashion.

Example Introduction:

“Experienced marketing professional with over 10 years of experience creating and executing successful campaigns for major consumer brands including Nike, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble. Expertise in branding, digital marketing, and social media strategy. Proven track record of increasing brand awareness and driving sales growth. Looking for a challenging senior marketing role that will allow me to leverage my skills and experience.”

A functional resume focuses on your skills and accomplishments rather than your chronological work history. It’s a great format if you’re changing industries or if you have gaps in your work history. This format allows you to highlight your transferable skills and achievements in a way that’s easy for potential employers to understand.

“Results-driven project manager with a passion for leading cross-functional teams and delivering complex projects on time and within budget. Skilled in stakeholder management, risk assessment, and resource allocation. Track record of success in driving process improvement and delivering cost savings. Looking for a challenging project management role where I can leverage my skills to drive business value.”

A combination resume combines elements from both the chronological and functional formats. It allows you to highlight your skill set at the beginning of the resume while still incorporating your work history in a clear and concise way. This format is ideal for mid-career professionals who want to showcase their skills and experience in a way that tells a compelling story.

“Accomplished sales leader with over 12 years of experience driving revenue growth through sales management and business development. Expertise in pipeline management, market analysis, and lead generation. Experience leading teams of up to 50 sales professionals and managing sales budgets of up to $10 million. Looking for a challenging sales leadership role where I can leverage my skills to drive business growth and exceed targets.”

The introduction of your resume is a critical part of the document, and can make or break your chances of getting the job. Whether you choose to go with the chronological, functional, or combination format, remember to focus on your key skills and accomplishments and tailor your resume to the specific job you’re applying for.

Example Introductions for Executive/Management Resumes

When it comes to crafting a powerful and effective resume introduction, there are several different approaches you can take depending on your experience, background, and career goals. Here are three example introductions for executive/management resumes using the chronological, functional, and combination formats:

With more than 15 years of experience in executive leadership roles across a variety of industries, I have developed a deep expertise in strategic planning, organizational development, and team management. Throughout my career, I have consistently delivered measurable results, driving revenue growth, improving operational efficiency, and cultivating high-performing teams that are focused on achieving ambitious goals. As a highly analytical and results-driven professional, I am uniquely positioned to lead complex initiatives and drive transformative change within organizations.

As a seasoned executive with extensive experience in both operations and people management, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and interpersonal skills to the table. Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated an ability to manage complex projects, drive operational efficiency, and build high-performing teams that are focused on achieving ambitious goals. With a keen eye for detail and a proactive approach to problem-solving, I am confident in my ability to make a significant impact in any leadership role.

As an accomplished executive with more than 15 years of experience in a range of industries, I possess a diverse skill set that includes strategic planning, operational management, and team leadership. Throughout my career, I have successfully led cross-functional teams to deliver on complex initiatives, streamline processes, and drive growth in competitive markets. With a deep understanding of strategic planning and execution, as well as a track record of building and managing high-performing teams, I am confident in my ability to make a significant impact in any executive or management role.

No matter which format you choose, remember that your resume introduction should be tailored to your specific career goals and highlight your unique strengths and accomplishments. By crafting a compelling and effective introduction, you can increase your chances of landing your dream job and setting yourself up for long-term success.

Tips for Writing a Strong Introduction

When it comes to writing a resume, the introduction is your first chance to catch the employer’s attention. To make the best impression possible, it’s important to follow these tips:

Tailor the Introduction to the Job Description:  Don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, customize your intro to match the job posting as closely as possible. This shows that you carefully read the job requirements and that you’re a good match for the position.

Highlight Relevant Skills and Achievements:  Use the introduction to showcase your most relevant skills and achievements. This will give the employer a quick snapshot of your abilities and what you can bring to the job.

Use Action Verbs in the Summary Statement:  Use strong action verbs in your summary statement to convey energy and enthusiasm. This will help you stand out from other applicants who use weaker language.

Avoid Generic Language:  Avoid using generic language that doesn’t say anything specific about you. Rather, be as specific as possible about your skills and achievements. Using concrete examples helps to show rather than tell.

By following these tips, you can create a strong introduction that will help you stand out from other candidates and make a great first impression.

Mistakes to Avoid in Resume Introductions

When creating your resume introduction, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that may hinder your chances of getting noticed by potential employers. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

Including irrelevant information

Your resume introduction should be concise and to the point. Including irrelevant information, such as hobbies or personal details, can take up valuable space and distract from your qualifications and abilities.

Overusing buzzwords

While it’s important to use industry terminology and keywords, overusing buzzwords can come across as insincere or unprofessional. Use them sparingly and strategically.

Starting with an objective statement rather than a summary

Objective statements are outdated and may not effectively convey your value as a potential employee. Instead, start with a powerful summary that highlights your skills, accomplishments, and experience, and show how they align with the job requirements.

Using first-person pronouns

Your resume is a professional document, so avoid using first-person pronouns such as “I” or “me.” Instead, focus on using powerful action verbs and descriptive language to highlight your achievements and experience.

By avoiding these mistakes, you can create a resume introduction that effectively communicates your value and increases your chances of landing an interview.

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20 Best Resume Introduction Examples you can Use

This article shows you how to write an outstanding resume introduction, including providing great examples to enable you make one for your resume/CV and increase its chances of being read by the recruiter/employer.

The first section of your resume is the introduction. It is a short summary of your competence, knowledge, skills, and expertise that makes you a qualified candidate for the Job that you are applying for.

But the way you introduce your resume or CV goes a long way in determining whether it will be read or advanced to the next step of the hiring process or not.

So, it is important that you write a very good introductory statement for your resume to get the attention of the recruiter to read the whole of the document.

How to Make a Good Resume Introduction for any Position

To craft an outstanding resume introductory statement, you must present the right kind of information that the recruiter wants in a captivating manner using few lines.

The appropriate content for your resume introduction is published in the job description for the position.

Hence, before writing the introduction, you should study the job description to understand the skills, knowledge, and abilities that are essential for success on the role that you are seeking.

It implies that your resume introduction is position specific and you should write a different one for every position you are applying for.

Highlight the key words and phrases in the job description and proceed to apply them in three to four sentences to form your resume introduction.

When writing the introduction and the body of the resume or CV, it is vital that you highlight the key words as stated because your resume may be reviewed by ATS software, especially for online applications.

Writing your resume introduction following this approach guarantees that you will progress to the next stage of the hiring process, and affords you an opportunity for interview.

To aid your learning of how to make effective introductory statements for your resume, we have provided good examples:

Top 20 Resume Introduction Examples you can apply

• A+ certified effective communicator and team player with 3 years of technical support experience and Associate degree. Seeking a Technical Support Specialist position in M3. Coming with advanced knowledge of Windows OS, thorough documentation, and customer service skills to provide IT software, hardware, and network support for all M3 employees.
• Seasoned Java developer with 10 years of experience working with Agile and designing of software solutions. Offering strong Java skills and working experience with SQL (MySQL or PostgreSQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB or Cassandra), Cloud Infrastructure, JPA and ORM frameworks.
• Team player with strong oral and written communication skills and an analytical and problem solving aptitude. Seeking a Transportation specialist position in ABC to coordinate logistics and ensure proper priority to urgencies. Coming with sound judgment, expertise in transportation and international Logistics, and Bachelor’s degree.
• Highly motivated individual with proven leadership skills and 5 years of retail sales management experience, looking for the position of Apple Manager. Bringing exceptional coaching and interpersonal skills to inspire, and technical and business skills to provide superior customer service.
• Experienced tractor-trailer driver with clean driving record and valid Class A CDL License, seeking the position of a Fedex Truck Driver. Coming with Current DOT Medical Card and willingness to work a flexible schedule.
• Professional Communicator with excellent English writing, speaking, and reading skills, Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, and 10 years of corporate communications experience in the software industry with a global company. Interested in the position of Communications Director at Sage, to set out and oversee the strategy for internal and external communications.

More Resume Introduction Examples [7-13]

• Service-oriented individual with superb customer service and communication skills, interested in a Store Employee position at 7-Seven Inc. Bringing 2 years of retail sales experience, familiarity with cash register, and courteous attitude to drive sales.
• Graduate student with Bachelor’s in Animal Science interested in the vacant Cattle Field Sales Intern position at MFarm Inc., to utilize 3 years of sales experience, excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, to foster sales in the farm.
• Excellent communicator with passion for education, and ability to instruct in a “hands-off” manner. Interested in the US Creative position at Apple Store. Offering excellent coaching and presentation skills and the ability to teach in groups.
• Highly numerate individual with strong financial and analytical skills and Bachelor’s degree in Finance, seeking the position of Associate Finance in Goldman Sachs. Bringing proficient knowledge of financial analysis and modeling, and 3 years of experience to aid sound financial decision-making.
• Problem solver with strong analytical skills and AS degree, seeking the position of Accounting Associate at PwC. Offering broad knowledge of accounting and proficient skills in utilizing tax and accounting software.
• Seeking an Events Manager position in Trace3 to utilize 5 years of experience creating a series of events and trade shows. Coming with a creative mind and highly developed managerial and organizational skills honed from practice to promote brand image of clients.
• Detail-oriented certified digital marketer with content writing skills and solid online marketing background. Seeking a Digital Marketer position with TBC, to leverage marketing knowledge and 4 years of experience in fostering sales for TBC.

More Resume Introduction Examples [14-20]

• Technically inclined individual with good communication, math, and computer skills. Seeking a Freight Operations position in TBC Everything where 3 years of experience will be utilized. Coming with High School Diploma and the ability to operate forklifts.
• Micro Biologist with exceptional communication and presentation skills, seeking a Medical Sales Representative position at Orbit Medicals where 2 years of medical sales experience will be applied. Coming with high energy, knowledge of medical terminology, and Bachelor’s degree.
• Passionate individual looking to make a difference in young children, seeking the position of a Teacher to help develop, execute, and evaluate educational plans for Tuoro Schools. Coming with Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and 3 years of high school teaching experience.
• Energetic driver with valid class A Certified Driver’s License and track record of zero accidents in the last 2 years, seeking a Dump Truck Driver position at ABC, to leverage huge expertise and knowledge of local routes in providing prompt service.
• Seasoned caterer with 5+ years of experience in the food service sector, seeking a Catering Manager position with Rose Restaurant. Bringing solid customer service approach, culinary expertise, and interpersonal skills, and strong entrepreneurial mindset.
• Computer Scientist with proven technical, organizational, and communication skills. Interested in a Network Engineering position in TCB, to utilize 5 years of experience in systems management and configuration.
• Manually inclined individual with 2 years of janitorial experience and good communication skills, seeking a Residential Helper position with Trace3 Inc. to assist with collection of waste and recyclable materials. Coming with High School Diploma and exceptional ability to work in outdoor weather.

You can project your worth to the hiring manager and increase the chances of your resume been read, and secure an interview appointment with the recruiter by having a compelling introductory statement in your resume.

This post provides useful guide and examples to follow in making highly effective resume introductions.

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How To Make A Resume (With Free Template)

Published: May 7, 2024, 9:00am

Table of Contents

What is a résumé, how to make a résumé, 7 tips for writing a résumé, free résumé template, bottom line, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Whether you’re a college graduate entering the workforce or a parent returning to work after a long time, you need a compelling résumé to show recruiters you’re the best fit for an open position. We’ve compiled the steps you need to take to create your résumé and included a few tips to guide you when building your résumé. You’ll see what goes into a résumé that hiring managers respond to.

A résumé is a formal document recruiters ask applicants for as part of a recruitment process to assess their suitability for a specific role. A résumé provides an overview of your professional background and history, including your qualifications, work experience, skills and notable achievements. It records your professional development and is a potential employer’s first impression of you.

Here’s what a résumé does for you:

• It allows you to market yourself
• It shows recruiters how your experience can contribute to the organization’s growth
• It helps recruiters determine whether or not to call you for the next recruitment step

While there are different types of résumés with various content arrangements and formatting styles, here is the information required to build your résumé.

Add Your Name and Contact Information

When creating your résumé, the first item on your list should be your first and last name and primary contact information—phone number and email address. Also, adding a link to your website, portfolio or professional social media account gives potential employers multiple contact options and insight into your work, especially as a creative. Including your complete mailing address, city and state is also okay if the job listing calls for local applicants.

Include a Professional Summary or Objective

Your professional summary highlights your qualifications, skills and career goals. So, focus on concisely showing how your experience relates to the role you’re applying for. If you’re just getting started, changing careers or returning to the job industry after a break, opt for a professional objective, a summary of how your skills and qualifications can help you do well at the job. However, highlight something valuable the company can gain from you.

Add Your Work Experience

To determine your value, prospective employers examine how you’ve practicalized your knowledge and skills in your previous roles. So, include your previous job titles, organization names, company locations and employment dates. Then, include three to five accomplishments under each role.

Use action words, numbers and outcomes to explain your accomplishment while carrying out your responsibilities. For example, instead of saying you worked on a software updates team, say something such as “developed over 50 software updates that enhanced consumer productivity by 55%.” First-time job seekers can include internship and volunteer experience, but ensure you indicate that it was unpaid.

Include Your Education

List your education history, leaving the highest level at the top. Here are a few things to keep in mind when drafting this section.

• If you graduated more than 10 years ago, there’s no need to include your graduation year
• If you don’t have any work experience, indicate relevant coursework or internship
• If you’re still pursuing a degree or diploma, include the start date, but leave the completion date blank, unless there’s a graduation date
• Include your high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) only if you don’t have a college degree
• If recent, include awards, honors and scholarships and the year you received them

Highlight Relevant Skills

Dedicate a section of your résumé to highlight your hard and soft skills to show recruiters that you’re well-rounded. Aim for six to eight of such skills as are relevant to the role. Soft skills are people skills such as leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, while hard skills are the technical skills required for a specific job. Adding your aptitude, such as “proficient” or “intermediate” can also enhance your value. If applying without work experience, focus on transferable skills such as critical thinking and communication, which are helpful for any role.

Add Relevant Certifications, Licenses and Training

If your job requires certifications, include a section for that below the Education section. List the following.

• Certification or license title
• Certifying body or agency
• Date of certification
• Expiration date (if applicable)

Leverage Your Achievements

To make your résumé set you apart from other candidates, include a section to outline achievements and awards that further highlight your accomplishments and what you can contribute to an organization. These include honors, projects, publications (online or print), volunteer work and leadership positions. Awards show your commendation by those you’ve worked with, while volunteer experience augments your résumé as an applicant without work experience.

Below are a few tips to follow when preparing your résumé.

1. Ask for Help

Speak with those in your field, including peers and career counselors. Glean from their recommendations and pay attention to shared resources’ general language and formatting style.

2. Use the Appropriate Format

Make your résumé easy to scan. A few formatting tips based on what recruiters prefer are:

• Keep your résumé to one page, unless you have over 10 years of work experience. In that case, a two-page résumé is okay
• Set an inch margin on each side of the document
• Use popular fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, Georgia or Helvetica, and stick to font sizes of 14 to 16 for headers and 10 to 12 for the body
• Choose 1.0 or 1.5 inch line spacing
• Set margins to 1 inch on all sides
• Save your résumé as a PDF or Docx, using your full name and sometimes the job title as the file name
• Adhere to the specific résumé format instructions that came with the call for application

3. Tailor Your Résumé for Each Role

While it’s common to want to include every experience, include only the experience relevant to the role you’re applying for and adjust your summaries, skills, certifications and other information on your résumé to fit that role.

4. Include Necessary Keywords

Since many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) , which use keyword algorithms to filter résumés, ensure you incorporate keywords in the job description. Such keywords will fit right into your work experience and skills highlight sections.

5. Use a Résumé Builder or Template

Consider using a professional résumé template, which only requires you to fill your information in the blank spaces. Human resources (HR) experts design these templates so you can trust them. Plus, they make it easier to build your résumé.

6. Proofread Your Résumé

Review your résumé for grammatical errors, typographical errors and inconsistencies to show recruiters how well you pay attention to details. You can ask someone to read through your resume before sending it over to a recruiter.

7. Keep to Instructions

If a job listing gives specific instructions on the format or content of your résumé, adhere to them to avoid sifting out at an early recruitment stage.

Using a résumé template makes it easier and faster to make a résumé recruiters expect from job applicants. Several résumé templates are available for download, but consider using only those from reliable résumé builders. Customize any of these résumé templates from Indeed and Canva .

Here’s a minimalist résumé template typed out for you.

Name Location Phone number Email address Summary

Work Experience Position Company name Location Description

Skills Skill Years of experience Skill Years of experience

Education School Degree Field of study Location

Your résumé goes ahead of you to help a recruiter determine whether or not they want to interview you to learn more about how your background and experience can fit into an open role and grow their organization. So, ensure you include the necessary information and build your résumé with the tips we’ve collated from HR professionals. They will help you nail your dream job, even if you’re starting out or resuming your career.

What do you put on a résumé if you lack experience?

Even as a fresh graduate or parent returning to the job market, you can draft a résumé that catches a recruiter’s attention by highlighting your transferable skills and completed projects. For example, a fresh graduate can include certifications, volunteer or community service, apprenticeship or internships and extracurricular activities such as club and sports participation.

A returning parent can include nontraditional experiences such as homeschooling and babysitting to demonstrate their leadership and problem-solving skills, amongst the several skills and experiences that come with parenting.

How do I write a résumé to pass an ATS?

You’ll need to study the job post carefully and customize your work experience and keywords to match the primary keywords in the job description . You can also use a résumé writing service to run a free review of your résumé or build a new one from scratch.

Should your résumé be concise or detailed?

Recruiters often spend less than a minute on a résumé since they usually have to review several applications. So, make sure your résumé is concise—comprehensive but brief. “Remember, the goal of your résumé is to land an interview, not to provide every detail about your experience. Once you’re in the conversation, you can share more information about your qualifications.” —Shannon Burkel

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