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29 Professional Resume Summary Examples (& How-to Write One)

Writing a perfect resume summary doesn't have to be a hassle. Follow our step-by-step guide with ready-to-use summary examples to write a resume summary that gets interviews.

Tom Gerencer
Career Writer at ResumeLab
29 Professional Resume Summary Examples (& How-to Write One)

Your resume is your ticket to your dream job, and your resume summary is your elevator pitch. It's your chance to grab the hiring manager's attention and make a powerful first impression. 

 

A well-crafted resume summary can set you apart from the competition and land you that interview you've been hoping for. 

 

In this blog post, we'll dive into the art of writing an effective resume summary that will showcase your skills, accomplishments, and potential, all in just a few short sentences. 

 

So, get ready to revamp your resume and make it stand out from the crowd with a killer summary

 

This guide will show you:

  • 29 resume summary examples you can copy and use.
  • How to write a resume summary like a pro.
  • What to put in a summary for a resume to get more interviews.
  • When to write a summary of qualifications instead.

 

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CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWsummary on a resume example

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Before we dive into what is and how to write a professional resume summary, let's take a look and general resume summary examples that can be a good point to start: 

 

General Resume Summary Examples

 

Cheerful office clerk with 4+ years of experience finding efficiencies in busy offices. Seeking to streamline bookkeeping and filing at Goodreau's Auto Parts. Employee of the month 4x at Southeast Poultry Laboratories for strong work ethic and good attitude.

 

A cooperative and dependable customer service rep with 3+ years of experience. Eager to join ContiMax Inc. to support and maintain a high level of customer service, and analyze data and reports. In previous roles optimized CS processes that sped up customer request reaction time by 200%, and received 95% positive customer survey results.

 

Dynamic business development manager with 6+ years of experience in business development and business administration. Seeking to leverage proven negotiation and cost-cutting skills in developing Basil Group’s business. At Riverlight, reduced HR costs by 17% and identified eight significant new business opportunities worth a combined $1.3 million per year.

 

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Those summary examples show what hiring managers want to see. 

 

Your experience and accomplishments showed in an appealing way, backed with numbers. 

 

Read on to learn how to write your resume summary like that. 

 

If you'd prefer to skip straight to the resume summary examples for specific jobs, see the list below: 

 

Resume Summary Examples You'll Find In This Article:

 

Creative Jobs:

 

Education Jobs:

 

Food Service Jobs:

 

General:

 

IT and Tech Jobs:

 

Medical Jobs:

 

Office and Administrative Jobs:

 

Other Jobs:

 

Sales and Customer Service Jobs:

 

Haven't found your job or industry? Check our 280+ resume examples, which include resume summaries. 

 

1. What is a resume summary?

 

A resume summary is a brief, professional statement at the top of the resume. It should be tailored for the job you are applying to and highlight your relevant experience, skills, and achievements. The purpose of a resume summary is to introduce yourself and convince the hiring manager to read the rest of the resume.

 

 

2. How to write a professional summary for a resume

 

While we've prepared a list of ready-to-use resume summary examples, it's good to know how to write a summary by yourself. 

 

Fortunately, it's not rocket science. 

 

You need to focus on your quantify achievements and show some numbers to back them up. 

 

Follow our formula for the best summary for your resume:

 

  1. Pick one adjective (enthusiastic, dependable, hard-working).
  2. Choose a key certification or license or if you’ve got one (PMP, CPA).
  3. Include your job title (sales manager, accountant).
  4. Add years of experience (4+, 5+).
  5. Highlight a goal specific for that position (deliver graphic design excellence at Google).
  6. Mention one or two skills (budgeting, collaboration, outstanding computer skills).
  7. Show off 2–3 best achievements (slashed rework 30%).

 

Use those ingredients, and your professional summary for resumes will shine.

 

These resume summary examples show how:

 

Resume Summary Example

GOOD EXAMPLE
Passionate executive with 9 years of experience. Seeking to use proven interpersonal skills to improve Mizner-Kirtley’s ROI. At XF SuperArc, raised average profit margin 28% in 10 months by slashing waste with an aggressive continuous improvement program. Grew new business 15%. Raised sales revenue by 18% with better training and use of modern sales tools.
BAD EXAMPLE
Passionate, hard-working, go-getting executive, looking for a new position. Highly skilled in leadership, executive management, and training. Have worked as C-Suite executive at two large firms in the last 9 years, in charge of large management teams and working with cross-functional teams.

What if You Have to Write a Summary of Qualifications Instead

 

What’s the difference between a resume summary and a qualifications summary?

 

Bullet points.

 

A summary for a resume and a statement of qualifications are almost identical. But—

 

The statement of qualifications puts 3–5 accomplishments in bullet points.

 

See this example:

GOOD EXAMPLE

Hard-working customer service agent with 7+ years of experience and solid telesales skills. Seeking improve customer retention at F.L.T. Maddox.

  • Consistently posted 98% positive customer scores at Trusted Antelope Inc.
  • Handled 15% more inbound calls per day than the department average.
  • Resolved customer complaints 10 hours faster than company targets.

Expert Hint: Your resume summary achievements should fit the job. Study up on the job requirements, then think: When did you ace those things?

3. What to Put in a Resume Summary

 

You’ve seen some great resume summary examples.

 

But—

 

Examples don’t show how.

 

So, how do you write a summary for a resume?

 

1. Create the bulk of your resume first.

2. Pick the best 2–3 achievements for your resume summary statement.

3. Use them to write a summary on a resume that fits the job.

 

Look at the resume below.

 

We took the achievements in red and used them to create a summary on a resume. See it circled in green?

 

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWsummary on a resume

 

See how that works?

 

Even better if the most important job requirements are Java programming and debugging.

Expert Hint: Write your resume summary last. Go through your resume and cherry-pick the best achievements you’d really like to underline.

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add a header, job descriptions, bullet points, and skills to put on a resume. Easy. Improve your application in our resume builder now.

 

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CREATE YOUR RESUME NOWcreate your resume now

Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font and layout, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Pick a resume template and use the resume generator now.

 

4. How to Pick Achievement to Put in a Summary for a Resume

 

What should you put in a resume summary statement?

 

You need achievements but—

 

Which ones?

 

Put yourself in the hiring manager's shoes.

 

Which of your accomplishments will most impress her?

 

Here are 23 examples of achievements to put in your summary.

 

Resume Summary Examples of Achievements

 

  • Problems you’ve solved
  • Metrics you’ve improved
  • Money you saved the company
  • Hours/days/weeks saved
  • Targets reached
  • Honors
  • Awards
  • Publications
  • Media mentions
  • Commendations
  • Numbers of people managed
  • Numbers of people trained
  • Brightest moments
  • Things you’re proud of
  • Certifications
  • Licenses

 

Resume Summary Examples Entry- Level Achievements

 

 

Got lots of achievements for a great summary on a resume? Stick to your most impressive 3–5 that fit the job. Any more is clutter.

Expert Hint: Still stuck for achievements to put in your summary? Maybe you don’t know enough about the hiring manager. Research the company and its goals to learn more.

 

5. Resume Summary Examples for 25+ Jobs

 

You’ve seen how to write a resume summary.

 

But—

 

How do you write a summary for resumes for your career?

 

Here are 25+ good resume summary examples you can copy, adjust and use:

 

Resume Summary for Creative Jobs: 

 

Resume Summary Example for Graphic Designers

 

Creative graphic designer with 3+ years of experience and proven Photoshop skills. Looking to provide excellence in design for Kubico Designs. Created and produced 280+ graphic design projects at AFBK Marketing with 99.9% client satisfaction. Cut production costs 22% in 19 months through implementing a new Lean supplier program.

 

See more: Graphic Designer Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Journalists

 

Passionate journalist with 6+ years of criminal news desk coverage under his belt. Covering state and national homicide cases. Published author, correspondent and editor, having written and supervised the creation of 500+ articles on cold cases.

 

Source: Journalist Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Marketing Managers

 

Productive marketing manager with deep sales background. Looking to leverage 9 years of marketing experience to raise ROI for Kensington APT Global. At Hasida-Taylor, increased marketing ROI 28% through implementing a robust data collection and analytics program and a lean analytics cycle. Cut costs 22% through improved vendor management.

 

See more: Marketing Resume Examples

 

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Resume Summary for Education Jobs

 

Resume Summary Example for Art Teachers

 

An innovative, Boston University-educated Art Teacher with 4+ years of tenure in public schools. At Little Wood High School, teaching 489 students, seeing each at least once per week. Created a dynamic curriculum focused on independent thinking, self-expression and creation, in line with state teaching standards. Achieved 95%+ on quarterly program evaluations. Constantly encouraging students to be active, sending 17 students to the County Art Show in 2019, 2 of which won awards.

 

Source: Art Teacher Resume Examples 

 

Resume Summary Example for English Teachers 

 

Methodical and inspired English teacher with 4+ years of experience delivering academic knowledge in the field of English language and literature to 7th and 8th grade students. Created a supportive, rigorous high school preparatory program for over 100 teenagers. Prepared lesson plans for 15 classes a week to accommodate students with different learning styles. Managed to increase overall English SAT scores by 23%. 

 

Source: English Teacher Resume Examples

 

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Resume Summary for Food Service Jobs

 

Resume Summary Example for Baristas

 

Certified and passionate barista with 2+ years of experience. Eager to join Lettuce Entertain You to help ensure paramount quality and service by focusing on engaging with the customers. In previous roles scored 95% in customer satisfaction surveys.

 

Source: Barista Resume Examples

 

Resume Sumary Example for Bartenders 

 

Customer-oriented bartender and mixologist with 3+ years of experience, constantly on the lookout for beverage trends. Eager to join The Hyatt to offer exceptional customer experience and create an outstanding seasonally-inspired beverage menu. Devised 30+ original cocktail recipes and boosted sales by 15%.

 

Source: Bartender Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Chef

 

Creative chef with 4+ years of experience. Seeking to produce creative and intriguing cuisine at The Respectable Ocelot Restaurant. At Geroux's BBQ, managed kitchen operations with team of 11 staff. Performed menu redesign resulting in 170% more business. 5-Star rating in Philadelphia Magazine. Slashed food waste by 70%.

 

Source: Chef Resume Examples

 

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Resume Summary for General Resumes

 

Resume Summary for Career Changers 

 

Energetic software engineer, seeking to use proven skills in Java and C++ to provide expert development to Blue Waffle Worldwide. Created 4 working web apps and 4 mobile apps. Debugged 15 web apps and contributed to 8 GitHub projects. Wrote code for 25+ client projects.

 

Source: Resume for Career Change

 

Resume Summary Example for an Entry-Level Positions

 

Efficient entry-level programmer with proven skills in Java and Python coding. Seeking to deliver programming excellence at High Hat Solutions Inc. Developed 7 freelance projects, including 2 eCommerce sites and a mobile app. One of my web apps was cited in the Coding Alpha blog. Took 2nd place in the LeetCode competition, January 2019. Member, ACM.

 

Source: Entry-Level Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Examples for Teens 

 

Fast-learning waiter with proven customer service skills. Looking to provide excellence in service at Mardibini’s on the Sea. At The Lobster Pound, received 5 management commendations for providing high-level service. Maintained 95% positive customer comment review scores.

 

Source: Resume Examples for Teens

 

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Resume Summary for IT and Tech Jobs

 

Resume Summary Example for IT Managers

 

Committed IT manager with 8+ years of experience. Seeking to use intensive leadership skills to improve efficiency at Jennings-Groves Medical. At Atalah-KQC Global, led team that developed a corporate auditing system that saved $110,000 annually. Designed an employee intranet for information sharing that saved 140 labor hours per year.

 

Source: Information Technology / IT Manager Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Product Owners

 

Dynamic product owner with 5+ years’ experience working in a fast-paced, agile environment. Seeking to leverage proven backlog management skills in supporting SoftWorks’ development team. At BitTech Valley, helped to bring in over $11.5M in VC funding and met 87% of all product-feature deadlines over a two-year period.

 

Source: Product Owner Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Software Engineers

 

Team-oriented software engineer with 5+ years of experience. Seeking to use proven development skills to provide optimal code solutions for Uber. At Glimmersoft Inc., led a team that received a DeveloperWeek award for IoT Development. Slashed costs 28% with better adherence to Agile best practices. Implemented automated testing program that saved $75,000 per year.

 

Source: Software Engineer Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Web Designers

 

Enthusiastic and self-motivated web designer with 3+ years of experience. Eager to join WebHouse to bring top-class frontend development, UX, and visual design skills. In previous roles redesigned a SaaS website that reduced CAC by 50%, and implemented an SEO-optimized design that boosted traffic by 300%.

 

Source: Web Designer Resume Examples

 

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Resume Summary for Medical Jobs

 

Resume Summary Example for Dentists

 

Licensed general dentist with 5+ years of experience driving revenue growth and serving patients. Seeking to enhance all aspects of the business at Michaud Dentistry. Cut staff turnover 50% and grew revenue 30% at Swanson & Rasle Dentistry.

 

Source: Dentist Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Doctors

 

Approachable family physician with a subspecialty in Obstetrics and Dietetics, with 15 years of exemplary experience in Family Practice. Handled an average of 30 patient exams per day, maintaining positive relations with regular patients and establishing bonds with new ones. Maintained a level of clinical excellence and patient service, resulting in a 5-star Healthgrades score for over 600 reviews and a 83% patient satisfaction score. Increased the number of patients using the services of the health center by 45% thanks to active promotion in social media and recommendations of existing patients.

 

Source: Doctor Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Nurses

 

Licensed RN with 5+ years of experience and proven patient care skills. Seeking to deliver robust care at Children’s Hospital of Omaha. Helped raise HCAHPS review grades 25% at CHI Health Lakeside by leading the charge to improve nurse-patient communication. Consistently scored 20%+ above ward average for patient education. Received CHIHL Compliance Award for adhering at all times to FDA, OSHA, and HIPAA regulations.

 

See more: Nursing Resume Examples

 

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Resume Summary for Office and Administrative Jobs

 

Resume Summary Example for Administrative Assistants

 

Organized administrative assistant with 3+ years of experience. Looking to use substantial logistics skills to save time and energy at Isbister-Greene. At TD&P Trucking, saved 150 employee hours per year by setting up an email triage system. Cut complaint resolution time by 35% and saved $35,000 a year with faster accounts collection.

 

Source: Administrative Assistant Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Executives

 

Driven sales executive with 7+ years of experience and proven skills in communication and new business development. Seeking to dramatically increase Progressive’s KPIs. Raised revenue 24% at Interweave LD. Boosted ROI 20%. Slashed costs 25%. Grew business 40% at Summilco RG Inc.

 

Source: Executive Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Office Managers

 

Detail-oriented office manager with 4+ years of experience handling administrative tasks, payroll, and filing systems for busy, mid-sized company. Enhanced file flow through overhaul of documentation storage which led to a 15% increase in efficiency. Seeking to leverage administrative skills and financial expertise to become the next office manager for Symbex Oasis Group.

 

Source: Office Manager Resume Examples

 

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Resume Summary for Other Jobs

 

Resume Summary Example for Police Officers 

 

Community-minded police officer with 4+ years of experience promoting public safety and preventing crime in an urban environment. Seeking to enforce laws as a peace officer at the Kelton Police Department. At SSPD, wrote request facilitating $60K in new vehicle funding and logged 15% more traffic citations than average.

 

Source: Police Officer Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Project Managers

 

Resourceful IT Project Management Professional PMP with 4+ years of experience. Seeking to use strong strategic planning skills to raise metrics for quality, cost, and time at Ashland-Lefebvre Inc. Trained 55 employees in Lean practices at LZXC and cut costs 28%.

 

More: Project Manager Resume Examples

 

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Resume Summary for Sales and Customer Service Jobs

 

Resume Sumamry Example for Customer Serivce

 

Results-based customer service rep with 6+ years of experience, skilled in telesales. Looking to raise customer retention at Orange Monkey Worldwide. Received 99% positive customer ratings at Whitmore-Watanabe Electronics with customer retention for repeat clients 25% above company average. At Glowflower Communications, received Associate of the Month award 5x.

 

Source: Customer Service Resume Examples

 

Resume Summary Example for Help Desk

 

Friendly help desk specialist with 2 years of experience solving tech problems in fast-paced offices. Seeking to deliver IT solutions at Tremmens-Bart Systems. At Silicon Bytes, promoted to top-tier specialist in 6 months for extensive Zendesk knowledge.

 

Source: IT Help Desk Resume Examples

Expert Hint: You need numbers in a great resume summary. Why? Percents, dollars, hours, and numbers of employees make your summary larger than life.

 

Resume Summary Example for Sales Representatives

 

Tireless sales representative with 7+ years of experience. Seeking to improve sales metrics at AstraZeneca with powerful relationship-building skills. At Amgen, built strong relationships with 150 new customers. Maintained 18% more in-person meets than the company average. Routinely exceeded sales goals by 20%+.

 

Source: Sales Representative Resume Examples

 

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Expert Hint:How important are cover letters?” They’re quite important. We conducted a study which revealed that 83% of recruiters take cover letter into consideration when deciding who to hire.

 

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

 

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Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

 

Key Points

 

Here’s a recap of how to write a resume summary:

 

  • Write the rest of your resume first, then pick the best bits and compile them into a summary.
  • Include your job title, years of experience, and how you’ll help the company.
  • List one or two skills that fit the job offer (think of them as necessary resume keywords) in your summary for resumes.
  • Add a few job-matching achievements.
  • Use the resume summary examples for every career in this article to get started.

 

Got a question about how to format a resume summary? Wondering how to pick achievements for your summary statement? Leave a comment. We are happy to reply.

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Tom Gerencer
Tom Gerencer is a career advice writer and a resume expert at ResumeLab. Tom has been featured on BBC News, NBC, The Economist, Business Insider, Fast Company, and dozens of other outlets. His insights, commentary, and articles reach over a million readers every month. With inside knowledge of key industry players and in-depth research, Tom helps job seekers with advice across all professions and career stages. Tom holds a degree in English from Colby College.

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