A strong summary hooks hiring managers from the beginning by highlighting your most valuable skills and experience, pushing them to continue reading your resume.
To make a resume summary quickly, try our resume summary generator tool:
Generate a professional resume summary instantly, or use our AI-powered summary generator to customize your own in 2 minutes.
What word best describes the type of job seeker you are?*
- Senior
- Executive
- Mid-level
- Veteran
- Intermediate
- Entry-level
- Licensed
- Qualified
- Aspiring
- Certified
- Registered
What work environment are you looking to work in?
- Company
- Store
- Organization
- Establishment
- Firm
- Hospital
- School
- Precinct
- Restaurant
- Bank
- Pharmacy
- Dispensary
- Bar
- Gym
- Center
- Facility
- Hotel
- Clinic
What position are you applying for?*
How many years of experience do you have?*
What are your main responsibilities at work?*
6. What word best describes you in your professional life?
- Adaptable
- Diligent
- Detail-oriented
- Efficient
- Focused
- Hard-working
- Goal-oriented
- Results-oriented
- Proactive
- Quality-oriented
- Motivated
- Reliable
- Talented
- Creative
- Experienced
- Loyal
- Innovative
- Curious
- Versatile
- Diverse
- Extroverted
- Modest
7. Which soft skills would your peers and/or clients praise you for?
What are your top professional skills?*
Do you have any relevant licenses or certifications?
- Experience Level: Loading...
- Target Work Environment: Loading...
- Target Position: Loading...
- Years of Experience: Loading...
- Current Responsibilities: Loading...
- Professional Identity: Loading...
- Top Soft Skills: Loading...
- Top Professional Skills: Loading...
- License/Certification: Loading...
Or, continue reading for our detailed writing guide on how to craft your summary, with examples for different jobs and experience levels.
What is a resume summary?
A resume summary is a type of resume introduction that highlights your most relevant skills, achievements, and experience. It serves as a quick snapshot of your qualifications that’s designed to catch a hiring manager’s attention within the first few seconds of reading your resume.
Think of it as your personal elevator pitch: a concise, tailored statement that tells employers what you bring to the table and why you’re a strong fit for the role.
A good resume summary is typically 2–4 lines long and highlights your level of experience, key accomplishments, and the skills and qualifications most relevant to your target job.
Here’s how each sentence of a resume summary works together to make a convincing introduction:
3 general resume summary examples for different experience levels
Here are three examples of what a good resume summary looks like for different types of candidates:
Entry level resume summary example
High-achieving college student majoring in Finance with a 3.8 GPA and a consistent presence on the Dean’s List for three consecutive semesters. Eager to apply my financial acumen and academic excellence to a dynamic entry-level role. Adept at financial analysis, data interpretation, and modeling, with a keen eye for detail.
What makes this a good resume summary
Despite their lack of work experience, this candidate still makes an impact by highlighting their achievements, such as outstanding academic performance. Additionally, they mention the skills they have that are relevant to a career in finance.
Mid-level resume summary example
Customer Service Representative with 4+ years of experience working on a call-center team. Personally handled 90+ sales, tech support, and customer care calls daily, receiving a 95% customer satisfaction rating to date. 100 WPM typist with a Salesforce CRM certification.
What makes this a good resume summary
The candidate in this example quickly mentions their work history and then focuses on the results they’ve achieved, showing employers that they’ll be able to deliver results if hired.
Experienced candidate resume summary example
Seasoned marketing professional with over 10 years of experience, including 5 years in management roles. Led and motivated teams to execute successful marketing strategies, resulting in a 30% increase in brand visibility through a targeted SEO and content marketing campaign, and generating $2.5 million in additional revenue through successful email marketing initiatives. Proven skills in market research, campaign management, and cross-functional collaboration, eager to apply leadership and strategic expertise in a dynamic marketing management role.
What makes this a good resume summary
This example concisely highlights the most impressive parts of the candidate’s career. This immediately gives employers a glimpse at what they can expect this candidate to achieve for them.
How to write a professional summary for your resume
No matter your professional background, we’ll walk you through how to write a resume summary that highlights your strengths, aligns with the job description, and grabs the hiring manager’s attention in just a few lines.
Tailor your summary to the position
The first step to writing a summary that helps your resume stand out from the competition is to make sure it directly addresses what the employer is looking for.
Hiring managers can always tell if you’re attaching the same generic resume to every application. Writing a tailored resume summary is a great way to instantly communicate to employers that you’re not just interested in any job — you’re interested in this specific job.
To write a tailored summary for your resume, take a look at the ad for the job you want and identify the skills and qualities they’re looking for in their ideal candidate. Here’s an example for a customer service position:
Based on the advertisement, this company is looking for a candidate with strong people skills who excels in fast-paced environments.
Here’s a resume summary tailored to the above position:
Enthusiastic Customer Relations Representative with 4+ years of experience driving sales in the insurance industry. Work well in fast-paced, customer-facing environments. Excellent interpersonal and multitasking skills. Consistently maintained a 47% retention rate of new clients over 3 years by providing high-quality customer service.
Add achievements backed up with hard numbers
The most effective way to get the attention of employers is by showing them your most relevant professional accomplishments backed up by data where possible.
Think about:
- How many sales you made in a period of time
- Your customer satisfaction scores
- How much revenue you generated through your actions
- How many customers you helped
- The amount of time saved because of your efforts
- How many issues you resolved
Here’s an example of a resume summary that uses quantified achievements to show what the candidate is capable of contributing:
Results-oriented digital marketing professional with 6+ years of experience executing high-impact campaigns and building successful websites. Spearheaded SEO and SEM efforts for an e-commerce website, leading to over 1600% growth in impressions in 2 years. Excellent project management and leadership skills. Experienced with Semrush, WordPress, Google Analytics, and more.
Keep it concise
Every word in your resume summary should count. Aim for 2–4 impactful lines that highlight your most relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments.
Avoid fluff or overly detailed explanations — the goal is to give hiring managers a quick snapshot that makes them want to read the rest of your resume. Think of it as your headline, not your entire story.
@resumegenius 🔸 Struggling to write your #resumesummary ? Here’s a fast and efficient way to write a customized summary that will help grab the attention of recruiters Check out the 🔗 on our profile for more #resumetips #resumegenius #resume #careeradvice #jobsearchtips ♬ Chill Vibes – Tollan Kim
40+ resume summary examples for different jobs
These examples show you exactly how to highlight key strengths based on the role you’re applying for, whether you’re in healthcare, tech, retail, or anything in between.
🏥 Healthcare & social services
Working in healthcare or social services means combining compassion with skill. These resume summary examples show how to highlight both your clinical abilities and your dedication to helping others.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Resume Summary
Reliable and caring certified nursing assistant with 6+ years of experience caring for elderly adults. Assisted 15 residents during each shift with everything from the basic activities of daily life to providing social and emotional support.
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Dental Assistant with 4+ years of experience providing efficient and competent service in busy dental clinics. Able to handle all necessary assistant duties without supervision. Possess a 20XX DANB certification and a Dental Assistant Associate Degree. Provide superb customer service, ensuring patient retention and loyalty for your clinic.
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Medical Assistant Resume Summary
Attentive and detail-oriented medical assistant with 5+ years of experience. Assisted family doctor to administer exams of more than 2,000 patients from over 600 families. AAMA Certified Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy Technician since 2011.
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Nursing Student Resume Summary
Upcoming nursing graduate with excellent educational credentials and hands-on patient care experience. Possess strong foundational knowledge of medical terminology, healthcare policies, and patient care.
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Social Worker Resume Summary
Committed social worker with 5+ years of experience serving the community, resolving conflicts, and providing guidance for those in need. Served in 3 to 5 weekly therapy groups. Facilitated crisis intervention services and psychosocial assessments to address needs of young adolescents, who ranged from 10 to 18 years old.
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🎓 Students & early career
You don’t need years of experience to write a strong resume summary. These examples show how students and recent grads can stand out with academic achievements, internships, and transferable skills.
High School Resume Summary
Diligent high school graduate with a 3.9/4.0 GPA and 100% attendance record. Served a term as student council president with 70% support from council members and organized a charity drive for homeless veterans, raising $4,700.
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College Student Resume Summary
Committed English major with exceptional research and writing abilities. Awarded multiple honors based on merits and expected to graduate from UCLA in June of 2019. Tutored freshmen and improved writing scores by 40%.
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Internship Resume Summary
Energetic marketing student with knowledge of advertising, PR, product development, and consumer research strategies. Received 3rd place out of 30 teams in UGA’s business plan competition. Member of the American Marketing Association.
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Camp Counselor Resume Summary
Camp Counselor with 4+ years experience directing lively, interactive, and educational summer camps for youths from 5 to 15 years old. Energetic leadership style, extensive experience running summer camps. First Aid, CPR, and Lifeguarding certifications, plus Wilderness First Responder Training.
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Research Assistant Resume Summary
Recent Political Science graduate (3.7 GPA) with 5 months experience conducting research through my school’s statewide polling program. Excellent understanding of standard survey methods and quantitative analysis. Achieved recognition for completing an average of 40 successful phone interviews per day, the highest volume of anyone in the program.
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Childcare Resume Summary
Passionate childcare professional with over a year of babysitting experience. Skilled at creating engaging, educational activities for children and fostering a safe, caring environment. Employed unique tutoring methods to help the child I was babysitting improve her speech impediment. CPR certified and an experienced vegetarian home cook.
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💼 Business & management
Business and management roles demand leadership, strategic thinking, and results. These resume summary examples show how to present your experience in a way that highlights your impact and decision-making skills.
Accountant Resume Summary
Certified public accountant with 5+ years of experience handling ledger processes and account reconciliations, as well as streamlining accounts. Supervised a $4.7 million budget and reduced costs by 17% over 3 years. Possess an MBA with a focus in accounting.
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Business Analyst Resume Summary
Methodical business analyst with 5+ years of experience supporting business solution software and analyzing operations. Evaluated risks related to requirements implementation, testing processes, project communications, and training which saved the company $5,000+ annually.
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Financial Analyst Resume Summary
Detail-oriented financial analyst with 6+ years of experience developing and presenting informed analysis to guide executive-level decisions. Increased revenue by an average of 7% annually through an optimized investment strategy. Possess M.S. in Accounting and CFA certification.
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Digital Marketing Resume Summary
Recent Marketing graduate with 5 months of internship experience in digital marketing and branding in the fashion industry. Helped launch a branded account on Tik Tok for Michelle Textiles, gaining over 8,000 followers in 4 months. Skilled in growing engagement and staying on top of the latest trends to improve brand growth.
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Marketing Resume Summary
Creative marketing professional with 6+ years of experience working for a diverse group of organizations and clients. Increased monthly sales from $8,000 to $25,000 in 10 months, and increased followers on social media by 150% over the same timespan.
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Marketing Manager Resume Summary
Innovative marketing manager with 6+ years of experience in home appliances and cosmetics environments. Recruited, hired, and trained 30+ marketing and sales specialists, improving overall sales targets by 24%. Directed launch of 12 new product lines, with total annual revenue of $1.3 billion.
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HR Manager Resume Summary
HR manager with 6+ years of experience implementing effective HR policies and leading a 4-person human resources team. Increased employee retention above 90% and reduced recruitment costs by 10%. SHRM certified, Google Workspace fluent, 90 WPM.
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Operations Manager Resume Summary
Financially savvy, customer experience-oriented Operations Manager with a passion for solar energy. Over 7 years of experience in the renewable energy sector, with an expert understanding of compliance regarding state and federal laws. Reduced operating budget waste at my current company by 3% for the past two fiscal years. Committed to promoting high safety standards and ethical company values.
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Product Manager Resume Summary
Product manager with 8+ years of experience developing brand strategy, evaluating financial performance, and marketing. Managed an annual budget of $4.7 million and exceeded sales quota by 74%.
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Project Manager Resume Summary
Project manager with 8+ years of experience managing multi-million dollar construction projects, coordinating a team of 90+ subcontractors, and performing budget allocation and analysis. Managed a project budget of $325M+ while reducing costs by 15% annually.
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Property Manager Resume Summary
California-licensed property manager with 15+ years of experience closing contracts with landlords and clients, selecting professional and cost-efficient contractors, and filing accurate taxes. Hold a certification from the National Association of Residential Property Managers and a California Real Estate Salesperson License.
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Sales Manager Resume Summary
Fiercely competitive sales manager with 7+ years of experience driving profitability through strategic growth, leading teams, and quality control. Achieved $13,000,000 in sales monthly within the district while increasing customer satisfaction by 5% each year.
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Account Manager Resume Summary
Account manager with 7+ years of experience monitoring client accounts and performing forecasts. Managed accounts worth $4.7 million in annual sales. Increased business volume by 150% by implementing new customer service initiatives.
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💻 Technology & IT
Technology and IT roles require a mix of technical expertise and problem-solving skills. These resume summary examples show how to highlight your experience with tools, systems, and solutions that make an impact.
Computer Science Resume Summary
Recent Computer Science graduate (3.8 GPA) seeking to use my backend development experience in an entry-level position. Possess 4 months of internship experience building and testing applications for Android, iOS, and Windows. Skilled with C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, and Swift. Independently built a note-taking application that was recently approved by the Apple App Store.
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Information Technology (IT) Resume Summary
IT specialist with 7+ years of professional experience in information security and digital forensics. Expert with a wide variety of security, engineering, networking, and operating system software. Possesses an Associate Degree in Information Security and Digital Forensics.
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Software Engineer Resume Summary
Driven software engineer with 6+ years of experience executing cutting-edge engineering solutions with a wide range of e-commerce application and technology skills. Able to leverage full-stack expertise to build interactive and user-centered website designs to scale.
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Web Developer Resume Summary
Web developer with 8+ years of experience in designing and developing user interfaces, testing, debugging, and training staff in ecommerce technologies. Optimized check-out page that increased user clicks, and subsequently customer purchases by 20%.
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🛠️ Customer service & labor
Customer service and labor roles demand consistency, problem solving, and a strong work ethic. The resume summary examples below demonstrate how to communicate those qualities clearly and professionally.
Customer Service Resume Summary
Customer service representative with 5+ years of experience in a call center setting, including sales, tech support, and customer care. Received an average 85% customer satisfaction rating to date, while handling 90+ calls daily. 70 WPM typist.
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Receptionist Resume Summary
Receptionist with 9+ years of experience managing administrative functions for office personnel. Strong ability in analyzing information and providing solutions to problems. Saved the company $10K in undue payments from inaccurate billings.
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Bartender Resume Summary
Lead bartender with 3+ years of experience in cocktail preparation and creation. Deep knowledge of local craft beers, wine, spirits, and cocktails, as well as their optimal food pairings. Bartending license certified by the District of Columbia.
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Cashier Resume Summary
Head cashier with 7+ years of experience providing excellent customer service, handling daily accounts, and maintaining inventory. Handled 92+ transactions daily and increased customer satisfaction by 9% in 6 months.
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Food Service Resume Summary
Enthusiastic high school student with strong interpersonal skills and perfect attendance record. Was a top performer in my school’s fundraiser last year, selling $450 worth of chocolate. Have CPR certification and am well-versed in food safety techniques from helping in my grandparents’ restaurant.
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Housekeeping Resume Summary
Diligent hotel housekeeper with 6+ years of experience managing and training new employees. Deep familiarity with all cleaning material and tools, as well as OSHA safety guidelines. Fluent English and business-level Spanish.
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Restaurant Manager Resume Summary
Enterprising restaurant manager with 6+ years of experience managing a high-quality and fast-paced five-star restaurant. Coached 50+ staff members and maintained an employee retention rate 25% higher than industry standard by implementing training programs.
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Retail Resume Summary
Retail sales associate with 5+ years of experience communicating with and retaining clients. Achieved an average of 140% of sales goals for 3 consecutive months and provided recommendations that generated $8K in additional revenue. Bilingual in English and Spanish.
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Server Resume Summary
Courteous server with 7+ years of experience of food preparation and service in 150+ seat restaurants. Generated additional daily wine sales of $150. Certificate in Food Handling and Safety.
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Warehouse Worker Resume Summary
Dedicated aspiring warehouse worker with 1 year of experience working for a moving company. Fluent in English and Malay, and able to repeatedly lift packages of over 100 pounds. Won an award at my previous job for shaving an average of 10 minutes off every moving job.
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Warehouse Manager Resume Summary
Results-driven Warehouse Manager with 11+ years of experience driving process efficiency and operational excellence. Proven success in reducing costs, improving inventory turns, and enhancing performance through system enhancements. Adept at implementing and managing inventory audits/cycle counts, multinational logistics, and supply chain strategies.
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FAQs about resume summaries
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions so you can write your resume summary with confidence.
How long should a resume summary be?
A resume summary should be 2 to 5 sentences long, or 2 to 4 lines of text.
The goal of a resume summary is to grab the attention of employers quickly. To achieve this goal, your summary needs to be brief and impactful.
When should I write a resume summary?
You should write a resume summary if you have relevant experience, accomplishments, or skills that you want to highlight right away, especially if they align with the job you’re applying for.
A summary is most effective for candidates with a few years of experience, professionals changing industries, or anyone who wants to quickly show their value to employers.
If you’re entry-level or a student, you can still write a summary that highlights academic achievements, internships, or transferable skills. Alternatively, you could choose to write a resume objective that focuses on your career goals instead.
What’s the difference between a resume summary and a resume objective?
A resume summary focuses on what you bring to the role, highlighting your relevant skills, experience, and accomplishments to quickly show why you’re a strong candidate.
A resume objective, on the other hand, states what you’re looking for in a job. It’s typically used by entry-level candidates, students, or career changers to outline their career goals and how they hope to contribute to the company.
While a summary is about your value to the employer, an objective is more about your aspirations.
What’s the difference between a resume summary and a professional summary?
In most cases, a resume summary and a professional summary are the same thing. Both terms refer to a short paragraph at the top of your resume that highlights your most relevant skills, experience, and accomplishments to quickly show your value to potential employers.
However, “professional summary” is sometimes used to describe a slightly more formal or expanded version of a resume summary, especially for senior-level professionals or executives. In that context, it may include more high-level achievements, leadership experience, or industry-specific highlights.
How do you write a resume summary with no experience?
You write a resume summary with no experience by focusing on the relevant experience and skills you do have.
For example, focus on qualifications such as:
- Relevant coursework
- Independent projects you’ve worked on that demonstrate transferable skills
- Educational achievements or awards
However, if you have no work experience at all, we recommend not adding a summary to your resume. Instead, write a resume objective, which is focused more on your career goals and interests rather than past accomplishments.
Our resume builder can make you a resume in as little as 5 minutes. Pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.

Lauren Mastroni
Digital Content Writer
Lauren Mastroni is a Digital Content Writer dedicated to creating engaging content and providing actionable advice that empowers people in their job searches. An enthusiastic contributor to the Resume Genius team, Lauren has a passion for developing valuable resources for job seekers. Lauren holds an M.S. in Psychology from University of Derby and currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan. She enjoys learning all she can about the career space, and is committed to helping job seekers of all experience levels navigate the job hunt and advance their careers. You can reach Lauren at lauren@resumegenius.com.
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