A summary statement very quickly tells the employer within 10 seconds, “yes” you have the skills or you are “qualified” for the job.  A summary statement, also referred to as a profile, summary of qualifications or highlights of qualifications, is a brief overview of your background, skills, abilities and core competencies that are relevant to the job using 3-5 sentences. It may include your role, industries you have experience in or a critical accomplishment, ie: Awarded top sales manager 3 years in a row.

A summary statement may be used with or without an objective. It is the first item listed on your resume after your contact information or objective if you are using one.  A summary statement varies in how they are formatted. For example some may use only bullets, some may use a paragraph and others use a combination of a paragraph with a few bullets listing key skill functions.

The following is an example of a summary statement:

                                                     Summary Statement
                             (may substitute this heading with your role / job title)

Experienced Sales Manager in retail industry with proven strengths in customer service, sales and negotiations. Demonstrated skills in marketing, advertising, strategic planning and promoting products. Successful in developing strategies to attract new customers and maintain their loyalty. Computer skills include: Microsoft Word (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point).

For more information about resumes, go to “Resume Writing” listed under the “Search Tools” tab in the virtual career center located at www.uiaacareers.org/.