One of the biggest challenges you face as a job seeker is making sure that your resume stands out from the crowd. The problem is that companies often receive dozens and even hundreds of resume submissions for every job opening. Obviously, you’ll never differentiate yourself from your rival job seekers without a resume that instantly draws their attention.
But how can you grab their interest right away?
In this post, we’ll answer that question by explaining the vital role that a resume profile plays in any great resume document. We’ll discuss the distinct types of resume profiles you can use, offer valuable tips to help you learn how to craft your own profile, and provide some examples that you can refer to as you create your resume.
What is a resume profile, and why do you need it?
Most people are familiar with essential resume sections like their contact information, skills, work experience, and education. What they may not know, however, is that few employers will ever bother to read all that information – unless the resume somehow manages to capture their attention in the first five or six seconds of review.
Yes, you read that right: the average resume receives only about six seconds of attention before the hiring manager decides whether to read the entire thing. If you don’t grab their interest in that brief time, chances are that your resume gets tossed to the side as they move on to the next candidate.
To overcome that challenge, you need to ensure that your resume begins with a powerful sales pitch that sells your qualifications to that employer. That brief and powerful section is often referred to as a resume profile since it offers the reader a summarized snapshot of your best qualifications.
What information should you include in your resume profile?
In most instances, the resume profile will be the first thing that employers see. In fact, many hiring managers simply skim through resume profiles to quickly determine which resumes deserve their attention. Your profile needs to focus on your best qualifications if you want to make that cut.
To ensure that your resume gets the right attention, you need to include the right details. We recommend creating a resume profile that includes the following information:
Your job title, years of experience, and core specialty
Key hard and soft skills listed as qualifications in the job posting
Measurable accomplishments, using real numbers to highlight value
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As you select the resume details that you want to summarize in this profile, make sure that you spend some time examining the job posting and role description. You should try to identify every single skill and qualification that the employer requires and then include those exact terms in your profile. That will help ensure that your resume profile meets the company’s stated needs. Using those keywords will also help your resume get past the company’s applicant tracking system.
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Where should you put your resume profile?
As we mentioned, your profile will be the first thing most hiring managers look for – so you should make it as easy as possible for them to find it. A great resume always contains your contact information at the top of the page, with a solid resume headline right below those details. Your resume profile needs to go right below that headline to ensure that it gets as much attention as possible.
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Three types of resume profiles you can use
Before you write a profile, it’s vital to choose the right option for your needs. There are three main profile types available to you, including the objective statement, resume summary paragraph, and summary of qualifications.
Objective statement
Older job seekers will probably recognize the objective statement since it was the most popular resume profile in previous generations. It’s now often viewed as somewhat obsolete due to its traditional focus on the job seeker’s career objectives – modern employers expect to see profiles that focus on the company’s needs and the candidate’s qualifications.
However, this type of resume profile can still be a strong option for candidates with little or no real-world job experience. To make it work, though, you’ll need to include information that demonstrates that you have the skills and knowledge needed to provide real value as an employee. If you focus your attention on how you can benefit the company, you should be able to create an objective statement that sparks their interest.
For example:
Detail-oriented Project Manager with two years of experience in resource management, project strategy and execution, and team building as a Project Assistant. Looking to leverage those skills and experiences in a managerial role with a company focused on employee development. Experience includes successful reorganization of project workflow at ABC Corp., reducing inefficiencies and waste by more than 30%. Proven results, with 95% client satisfaction rating during tenure at ABC.
Resume summary paragraph
The summary paragraph takes a different approach in its introduction strategy. It typically avoids any mention of the job seeker’s professional goals and instead focuses all its attention on showing how the candidate can meet the company’s hiring needs. That strategy makes it easier for the job seeker to align their goals with the company’s objectives.
Of course, you will usually need to have at least some experience if you want to maximize your use of this profile type. Like the objective statement, the summary paragraph begins with a statement describing your job title, experience, and notable specialization. It then goes right into a few lines describing your skills and quantifiable experiences. Below is an example of how you might refocus a standard objective statement to turn it into a more compelling summary paragraph.
Strategic Project Manager with two years of experience in project execution and team building. Highly skilled in resource allocation and management, project design and implementation, and employee development. Led ABC Corp. project workflow redesign that reduced waste and inefficiencies by more than 30%. Oversaw more than twenty major projects, with 95% customer satisfaction rate.
Related post: 30 Resume Summary Examples that Work in 2024
Summary of qualifications
Our third option is the summary of qualifications. This option is like a resume summary paragraph when it comes to content since it, too, focuses its attention on the value you can provide to the company. Unlike either of the first two options, however, this profile is not written in paragraph form. Instead, the summary of qualifications is presented in bullet point form.
That format choice can help your introductory profile information stand out from the crowd since bullet points often attract more attention than a paragraph of text. Below is an example of what our standard summary paragraph might look like if we converted it to a summary of qualifications.
Strategic Project Manager with two years of experience in project execution and team building
Highly skilled in resource allocation and management, project design and implementation
Oversaw employee development for a 30-person team
Led ABC Corp. project workflow redesign that reduced waste and inefficiencies by more than 30%
Executed more than twenty major projects, with 95% customer satisfaction rate
Tips for creating a resume profile
Now that you understand the importance of a great resume profile, it’s time to learn how to write an effective introductory profile for your resume. Just follow the tips below to get you organized and ready to create a perfect resume profile.
1. Be brief
Remember that this summary is supposed to quickly catch the employer’s attention and entice them to dig deeper into your resume to learn more about you. If it’s too long, chances are that the hiring manager won’t bother reading the entire thing. So, keep it as brief as possible and avoid the temptation to include every career highlight. Just pick some of your best accomplishments and leave the rest for your work experience section.
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The best objective statements and summary paragraphs use no more than four sentences to highlight the candidate’s job titles, level of experience, and quantifiable achievements. For a summary of qualifications, you may need five or six brief bullet point statements. Anything more than that is overkill.
2. Always tailor your profile to fit the job
Since this is the first thing hiring managers will see, you need to make the best possible impression right off the bat. The best way to do that is to align your profile with the position you’re seeking. As noted earlier, you should always research the job posting to identify important keywords and then use those exact terms in your profile. That will help ensure that the employer instantly associates your qualifications with those needed for the job.
Note also that you will want to go through this process every time you send your resume out to another company. By tailoring your resume profile and other resume sections to each specific job, you can better align your resume with each employer’s hiring needs – which can increase your odds of standing out from the competition.
3. Write this section last
It’s also helpful to craft this part of your resume after you’ve completed your skills and work experience section. That might seem counterintuitive when you consider that the resume profile is located just beneath your contact information and job headline, but it’s the easiest way to manage this task. Remember, the profile is a summary of the qualifications presented throughout your resume. You’ll have an easier time creating that summary once those other resume sections are complete.
4. Select your profile type
You’ll also need to choose the right profile type so that you know which format to utilize. To do that, just ask yourself some simple questions:
Are you a recent graduate who’s just getting a start in the workforce?
An employer-focused objective statement may be the best option since you can use it to focus more on skills than experience. Just make sure that you avoid focusing on your goals and instead highlight how your abilities can benefit the employer.
Do you already have plenty of experience and want to display your qualifications through your achievements?
If so, then a summary paragraph may be the ideal resume profile for your needs. Use the format we discussed earlier in this post and include one or two of your best accomplishments.
Does the job posting seem to place a great deal of emphasis on specific qualifications?
Or are you an experienced worker attempting to change careers but unsure how to draw attention to your transferable skills and achievements? Use a summary of qualifications and let those bullet point statements do your work for you!
5. Select achievements that align with the job
Review the achievements you’ve listed in your professional experience section and select several that are related to the skills you’ll be using in the position you’re seeking.
If you’re writing an objective statement or resume summary paragraph, select one or two of the most impressive accomplishments you’ve included in that section. You can rewrite them and include them in your profile.
If you’re using a summary of qualifications, rewrite three or four of those achievements for your profile.
Alternatively, you can save your best achievements for your profile section and list other notable accomplishments in your work experience section. It’s ultimately up to you. Just make sure that the achievements you highlight effectively convey the type of value that you can provide to the employer – so that your reader can instantly understand that you’re the most qualified person for the job.
6. Write the paragraph or bullet points
Once you’ve selected the information that you want to include in your resume profile, it’s time to craft your paragraph or bullet points. We’ve included some resume profile templates and examples to help you with that process.
Resume profile templates
Below, we’ve included resume profile templates for each of the main profile types. Just insert your information into the template fields to create a basic profile that you can then modify with action verbs and job-specific language.
Template for an objective statement
[Descriptive word] [Job Title] with X years of experience in [specialty or specialties]. Eager to apply [Job-related skills and knowledge] as a [Desired position] with [name of company]. [Achievement #1, including real numbers showing value]. [Achievement #2, including real numbers showing value].
Template for a resume summary paragraph
[Descriptive word] [Job Title] with X years of experience in [specialty or specialties]. [Statement describing core skills and knowledge related to desired job]. [Achievement #1, including real numbers showing value]. [Achievement #2, including real numbers showing value].
Template for a summary of qualifications
[Descriptive word] [Job Title] with X years of experience in [specialty or specialties]
[Statement describing core skills and knowledge related to desired job]
[Achievement #1, including real numbers showing value]
[Achievement #2, including real numbers showing value]
[Achievement #3, including real numbers showing value]
[Achievement #4, including real numbers showing value]
Resume profile examples
Naturally, the types of qualifications and achievements you’ll want to include in your resume profile will vary based on the specific job you’re seeking. That’s why it is so important to thoroughly review the job posting before you craft your resume – to ensure that you’re including information that speaks directly to that employer’s needs. And since every job is unique, it’s impossible to create a one-size-fits-all template or examples that can be used in every situation.
However, to help you get a better sense of what your resume profile might look like, we’ve gathered a broad sample of examples for a variety of different job roles. You can use these as guides or inspiration as you craft your own summarized introduction.
Accountant resume profile example
Data-driven Accountant with six years of experience in corporate settings. Expertise includes financial report development, tax liability planning, budget construction, and financial auditing. Proficient with multiple accounting software platforms and presentation software. Completed detailed annual audits that identified more than $115,000 in waste and inefficiency. Led team that revamped ABC Corp.'s finance workflow, reducing annual process costs by 15%.
Customer Service resume profile example
People-focused Customer Service professional with seven years of experience in product support and problem resolution. Managed LiveDesk for ABC Corp., with 95% positive reviews from customers. Received Employee of the Month award twenty-two times, for excellent customer engagement, troubleshooting success, and technology support. Led team effort to revamp employee training process, resulting in 45% reduction in onboarding time and 23% cut in overall training cost.
Recent graduate resume profile example
Software Engineering graduate, Anytown College (2023), seeking internship or entry-level position with a focus on app and online platform design. Partnered with Anytown Chamber of Commerce on development of its city website and online outreach campaign. Redesigned 12 local businesses’ online brands. Interned with Anytown Alpha Corp., contributing to its new customer relationship app.
Graphic Designer resume profile example
Innovative Graphic Designer with nine years of experience in digital media campaigns.
Proficient with Photoshop, Procreate, and other productivity tools, with experience in campaign strategy, design layout, and brand development.
Led multiple client design campaigns valued at an average of $2 million.
Created a branding campaign for XYZ Corp. that increased online sales activity by 141% over six months.
Marketing resume profile example
Creative marketing professional with 13 years of experience in marketing solutions, including five years in a managerial role. Expertise includes team building and campaign strategies focused on expanding market reach and enhancing target audience engagement. Led 20-person marketing team that successfully revamped four Fortune 500 companies’ online branding, increasing client engagement by an average of 120%. Managed client accounts valued at more than $120 million.
Office Manager resume profile example
Dynamic Office Manager with nine years of experience in administration and personnel management
Trained more than two hundred employees for a variety of roles, with 90% retention rate after one year of employment
Implemented new office scheduling process that reduced absences by 24%
Reorganized resource allocation and management, reducing waste-related costs by 13%
Instituted incentive program that increased productivity by 17%, with 8% increase in profitability
HR Manager resume profile example
Results-driven HR Manager with eight years of experience in recruitment, onboarding, and performance assessments. Advanced knowledge of HR best practices, with expertise in policy design and implementation focused on balancing company goals and employee needs. Implemented policies and cultural changes that reduced employee turnover by 50% annually. Personally created and launched conflict resolution program credited with a 40% increase in employee engagement at work.
Project Manager resume profile example
Dedicated Project Manager with nine years of experience in project design and execution. Team-focused management style dedicated to meeting client quality and budget expectations. 99% success rate for projects delivered on time. Successfully led completion of projects with an average value of $120,000 while maintaining comprehensive client communications.
IT Specialist resume profile example
Detail-oriented IT Specialist with five years of experience in network management and cybersecurity for multiple technology clients. Selected and implemented new systems for ABC Corp., increasing company efficiency and productivity by 25%. Received local IT award for troubleshooting excellence for 2022. Maintained customer satisfaction rating of 97+ percent for five consecutive years.
Leverage the power of a resume profile to get the attention you need
No matter how well-crafted your resume might be, it may as well be a blank page if no one ever reads it. That’s why it’s so vital that you use a powerful resume profile to summarize the key information you want employers to know and give them a reason to read the rest of your resume. Regardless of whether you use an objective statement, summary paragraph, or summary of qualifications, your resume profile plays a vital role in capturing your reader’s attention.
Do you still have doubts about whether your resume profile has what it takes to properly introduce you to employers? Get a free resume review from our team of resume experts today!
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Written by
Ken Chase, Freelance Writer
During Ken's two decades as a freelance writer, he has covered everything from banking and fintech to business management and the entertainment industry. His true passion, however, has always been focused on helping others achieve their career goals with timely job search and interview advice or the occasional resume consultation. When he's not working, Ken can usually be found adventuring with family and friends or playing fetch with his demanding German Shepherd. Read more resume advice from Ken on ZipJob’s blog.
