How to write a qualifications summary

Dear Sam:

The part of my resume that I’m struggling with the most is my summary statement. Can you share some advice about how to write one effectively? I’m so used to having an objective statement that I don’t know how to make the switch.

Dear Brenda:

I’m glad to hear that you’ve decided to nix your outdated objective statement.

By opening with a Qualifications Summary, you are able to better showcase the pillars of your candidacy.

The key to an effective summary statement is to sell the hiring manager on how you can add value to their company. What is differentiating about your experience and candidacy?

There are many ways you can go about formatting your summary statement, as long as you are including a combination of the following:

• Professional title

• Brief paragraph or bullet points that provide a snapshot of your career highlights and key qualifications

• Honors and awards

• Areas of expertise/core skills

All of your content should be customized based on the position for which you are applying. To customize your summary statement, identify key words from the job posting of interest and incorporate those skills into your content. Refer back to my keyword mapping exercise (available on my website) for additional tips on identifying key words.

Below are a few examples of summary statements that are rich with key words and that strategically position the candidates for the roles that they are seeking:

Results-driven creative director with 10+ years of corporate and agency experience leading the conceptualization, design and production of award-winning campaigns. Initiate and design highly effective integrated campaigns that yield unprecedented gains in brand awareness, customer satisfaction, net operating income and employee morale and retention. Hands-on and collaborative management style with the ability to garner buy-in from all process stakeholders from C-level executives to critical support teams.

• Project management, business requirement gathering, documentation, testing and reporting skills evidenced through 7+ years of experience as a senior business systems analyst.

• Participate on cross-functional teams to drive achievement of process development and continuous improvement initiatives; cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders to drive results.

• Intuitive ability to design, comprehend and present complex information and systems; equally adept in communicating with technical and nontechnical audiences.

The above samples each have additional components, such as honors and awards, core skills or select highlights, that showcase key achievements. The statements also include elements of creativity, such as symbols, bolding/italicizing, the use of two columns and additional formatting tricks that bring attention to the areas that are most important.

Remember: The top third of your resume is prime real estate, so leverage it wisely to secure interest and engage the reader in what makes your candidacy stronger. Samantha Nolan is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and owner of Nolan Branding. Reach her at dearsam@nolanbranding.com, visit nolanbranding. com or call 614-570-3442 or 1-888-952-3928. Meet her on Facebook, live on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. EDT, for an extended discussion of this week’s Dear Sam topic.