A CV summary is the first piece of content that hiring managers come across on your resume.
It is a short description of your professional journey and summarizes what to expect ahead in the document. This brief statement plays a critical role in deciding whether you are a suitable candidate for the job interview or not.
In this blog, you can learn about the step-by-step guide on how to write a professional summary for a CV. Keep reading to discover how to demonstrate your strongest skills the right way.
How To Write A Professional Summary On a CV?
A resume summary is just like a professional introduction that provides an overview to the recruiter regarding your career journey.
It includes the most significant aspects of your career that can easily convince the recruiter that you’re an ideal candidate for the job role.
The purpose of writing this statement is to capture the attention of the employer by highlighting your relevant expertise in the field.
A compelling CV summary can encourage them to further explore your resume and invest their time in reading more about your professional details.
Let’s take a look at a step-by-step guide regarding how to write a professional summary on a CV:
Start By Reading The Job Description:
Before you start to write your professional summary, the first step should be to focus on the employer’s requirements.
Read the job description and specify the skills and job experience that are mentioned. If you fully meet the criteria, showcase that in your summary to demonstrate you are the top candidate for the role.
Mention Your Current Job Role:
Begin writing with a brief and effective statement that holds the power to leave a lasting impact on the recruiter. Mention relevant experience and your current job role in the field.
If you are a student, then you can mention your major subject and any hands-on practice you had regarding it. If you are a fresh graduate, you can mention any volunteer roles you have worked in and define career goals.
Highlight something you’re Adept In:
Go through your document again. Figure out the most significant parts that would instantly impress the hiring manager. This is the time when you need to give extra attention to the details.
The hiring manager might have numerous candidates lined up. But mentioning something you’re proficient at is the key.
Just highlight key skills state how your skills helped in achieving a milestone in the previous job role.
Make sure to have a well-written resume according to the industry standards. If you feel stuck, consider professional CV writing services.
Mention Personal Achievements And Certifications:
Right after you discuss your qualifications for the job role, use statistical data to clearly demonstrate the change you brought.
Resumes are full of detailed descriptions and long wordings, but one thing that makes them stand out is the use of measurable terms.
If the competition for the job role is extremely high, doing so will help you provide something worth noticing in the eyes of a recruiter.
Showcase achievements by presenting metrics on how you increased sales or brought conversions, or how many dollars you generated.
Examples:
Increased website traffic by 40%.
Generated over $3 million in sales for the company XYZ.
Use Proper Sentences To Make Your Summary Stand Out:
This is one of the most significant resume tips you need to know. This tip is not only necessary for the summary section but should be implemented throughout the cv.
Always remember to avoid buzzwords in your resume. These are extremely common and present your CV as nothing but a generic and ordinary document.
Words like ‘’ highly skilled’’ and ‘’problem solver’’ highlight a basic overview.
The document looks extremely vague without offering a chance to the recruiter to explore more about your expertise.
Instead of these clichés, use action verbs but transform them into complete sentences.
Examples:
Identified inefficiencies in the company’s website and improved page speed and the search engine rankings.
Managed a challenging project within a 2-month duration and received the employee of the month title from the management.
Resume Summary vs. Objective Statement: Understanding the difference.
A lot of candidates get confused between these two terms and end up wondering how to write a professional summary on the CV. The traditional approach for crafting a resume involved writing an objective statement.
However, candidates are now shifting to write a CV summary because it is according to the recruiters’ needs and states what they are looking for.
| Resume Summary | Objective Statement |
| A resume summary is based on 2-3 lines and discusses your experience and most suitable achievements, which are customize for job role. | An objective statement usually focuses on your career goals and on how you plan on using your skills in the job role. |
| It focuses more on the hiring manager’s needs. It saves their time and instantly makes it easy for them to know about your skills and experience. | It is candidate-focused. |
| This is a more suitable choice for someone who has extensive work experience. | It is usually preferable for candidates without any experience. They can share their career objectives regarding how they aim to learn and grow in the specific field. |
Expert-Recommended Tips For Writing A CV Summary
- Don’t miss out on any opportunity for discussing your expertise throughout every phase of your professional journey.
- Even if you are writing about your educational background, emphasize your teamwork and good communication skills during that time.
- Support your claims with relevant evidence. Instead of writing, I achieved an excellent result. Specify what constituted these results?
Describe as, I achieved the sales target, I decreased employee complaints, or I implemented solutions that increased production.
- Set a positive tone. Instead of clearly mentioning the lack of experience, replace it with showing the eagerness to learn or highlighting any relevant skills.
- Keep it concise. Use a maximum of 4 sentences to summarize your professional expertise.
Take a look at this example of a professional CV summary.
Social media specialist with extensive knowledge of Google Analytics and online marketing. Over 5 years of experience in creating and scheduling social media content, paid ads, and search engine optimization. Proficient at studying market trends and using these insights to create digital marketing strategies.
Final Word
A well-written CV summary serves as an impactful introductory paragraph that tells the employer that your resume is worth reading. In a pool full of competent candidates, your best chance to get recognized is by crafting a compelling professional summary.
Now that you know the answer to how to write a professional summary on a CV, implement these tips and improve your chances of landing a job interview.
FAQS
How to write a CV personal summary?
Avoid using complex and lengthy sentences. Use short and simple sentence structures that can effectively convey your professional accomplishments.
Does CV need a professional Summary?
Yes. It is highly recommended to include a professional CV summary in your resume document. This helps you stand out among other competitive candidates and instantly communicates your expertise to the recruiter.
What is a good resume summary?
A good resume summary ranges from 2 to 4 sentences. It briefly discusses your job title, experience, key achievements, and essential skills necessary for the job role.