3 Reasons Your Resume Needs a Summary

The art of the resume has changed over the years, but far too many job seekers haven’t adapted their own documents at the same pace. The objective, which was once a resume standard, was originally axed entirely, and then, more recently, replaced with a career summary. The difference is subtle but important. So should you embrace the resume summary? If so, why? Before you decide on the right layout or what bullets to include, you should know how to effectively communicate what it is you do and what you want. Here are three reasons you should include this information on your resume today.

1. Sell yourself quickly.

Do you know what an elevator pitch is? This is a short, 30-second pitch that you can say off the top of your head whenever you meet someone new in order to communicate who you are and what you do. Your summary can have the same impact. It doesn’t need to be drawn out. Two to three direct sentences will get the point across, and the details can be fleshed out in the resume itself. It’s a great opportunity to have your resume jump off the page for the hiring manager.

2. Give yourself a chance to stand out from the pack.

By coming in strong with a statement of purpose, you’re allowing a possible employer to see how you are different from all the other resumes they’re looking through. When they see your summary statement in a pile of otherwise cookie cutter resumes, they’ll be more inclined to stop and read what you have to say. You don’t want to come across as arrogant, but you want to sound confident. Make the hiring manager want to contact you for the next step in the job search process. Make them excited about adding you as a potential employee.

3. Allow the employer to see you as a good fit.

Finally, you can also have the opportunity to position yourself specifically for their company and the job they’re looking to fill. If you can, go ahead and customize your summary to fit the job description. Otherwise, be as compelling as possible and allow them to understand how you would be a match for their organizational culture and the job itself. A generic summary that doesn’t take into account some of the job responsibilities will come across as boring. Take 5-10 minutes and adapt your summary to this opening. It shows you put time and effort into this application and aren’t blasting out your resume to every opening.

NRI Staffing has helped thousands of legal, financial, healthcare, government and office support professionals take the next step in their careers or find contract assignments that fit their flexible work lifestyles. If you want to work with a leading staffing agency in the Washington D.C. area, get started on taking the next step in your career and contact our great team today!
washington-dc-staffing

Find the people you want faster

EMPLOYERS
JOB SEEKERS

Looking for hard-to-find talent? Need a great temporary employee? We’ll help you find the people you want faster.

Staffing Company works with dozens of local employers, and we can shorten your search for a great job.