How to Write a Summary of Qualifications for Your Resume (With Examples)

Placed at the top of your resume, a summary of qualifications is a type of resume introduction that includes four to six bullet points that highlight your most impressive accomplishments, skills, and experiences.

This type of introduction is also known as a qualifications summary, resume qualifications, a skills summary, or a statement of qualifications.

You should include a summary of qualifications if you:

• Are writing a resume as an experienced professional in your industry
• Have high-level certifications related to your target job
• Are able to demonstrate industry-specific skills

A summary of qualifications is less appropriate if you have no (or little) work experience, or if you’re transferring to a new industry.

The only exception is if you’ve developed a wide range of skills and gained experience from other activities such as college studies, internships, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities.

Here’s how to write a summary of qualifications:

1. Identify which of your qualifications best match the job description

Start by carefully reading the job posting. The job description should state what skills and experience are needed to perform the job.

Highlight the key skills and requirements the company is looking for, then match these with your own experience and abilities. Look for the exact keywords and phrases they use because this will help you write an ATS-friendly resume.

Your summary of qualifications should be tailored to each job description, so you should write a different one for every application.

2. Choose 4–6 of your most impressive and relevant qualifications

Choose achievements that directly relate to the role and keep your list focused and impactful. Include specific numbers and results when possible. Mix different types of qualifications — skills, achievements, and experience. Make each point count.

Whether you’re writing your summary of qualifications out manually or using a resume summary generator, there’s certain information you should always highlight (if applicable):

• Years of experience
• Key hard and soft skills
• Successful projects
• Awards and recognitions
• Leadership positions

Make sure that each bullet point in your qualifications summary showcases different, relevant, measurable achievements from your career.

3. Use hard numbers to quantify your achievements

Always aim to use hard numbers to quantify your achievements. Using hard numbers when writing your resume is important because numbers are the best way to demonstrate the impact you’ve had at your job and show employers what you’re capable of accomplishing.

4. List your qualifications as bullet points below your header

Position your summary right after your resume’s header. Make these bullet points easy to spot and read. Use consistent formatting and keep each point to one or two lines. Make sure the spacing is clean and professional.

Summary of qualifications examples

We’ve rounded up some strong examples of qualification summaries from different industries:

Executive assistant

Here’s a summary of qualifications for an executive assistant:

Related resume samples:

• Office assistant resume
• Personal assistant resume

Customer service supervisor

This is an example of a summary of qualifications for a customer service supervisor resume:

Related resume samples:

• Customer service resume
• Customer success manager resume

Accountant

This accountant uses hard numbers in each bullet point:

Related articles:

• Accounting resume skills
• Accountant cover letter 

Sales manager

Check out this sales manager‘s summary of qualifications:

Related resume samples:

• 13 manager resume examples
• Retail manager resume

Science teacher

A qualification summary can help strengthen experienced teacher resumes:

Related articles:

• 70+ teacher resume skills
• Science resume examples

Nurse practitioner

Straight-to-the-point, this nurse‘s summary of qualifications does the job of showcasing their experience:

Related resume samples:

• Nursing student resume
• New Grad RN resume

Software engineer

Here’s an example of a software engineer‘s qualifications summary:

Related resume samples:

• Programmer resume
• Web developer resume

Frequently asked questions about writing a summary of qualifications

Still have questions about writing a summary of qualifications? We’ve answered a few common queries here:

1. What’s the difference between a summary of qualifications and a statement of qualifications?

Sometimes, a summary of qualifications is also referred to as a statement of qualifications, but don’t get confused. A statement of qualifications (SOQ) is an altogether different document needed when applying for municipal, county, or state jobs.

2. Is a summary of qualifications the same as a professional summary?

No. A professional summary is a short paragraph about your career. A summary of qualifications is a focused list of specific achievements and skills formatted as bullet points.

3. Can my summary of qualifications be a list of bullet points?

Yes, you should format your summary of qualifications as short, quantifiable bullet points.

Bullet points make your qualifications easy to scan, which helps busy hiring managers quickly spot your key strengths.

4. Can a summary of qualifications replace the resume introduction?

Yes, a summary of qualifications can replace a resume introduction. Highly experienced job seekers can use a qualifications summary instead of a career summary, as it’s more direct and shows your value immediately.