When writing your resume for today’s selective hiring managers, from San Francisco to New York, it’s important to create a compelling opening summary (the ‘Objective’ statement is long gone!). Your 3-5 sentence resume summary should be concise and contain essential career details relevant to the target role you’re seeking. Determine the top 3 reasons a company should hire you and build your resume summary around those special areas of expertise. Ask yourself what qualities make you different. What are you known for? Where have you made your mark? What do you offer that stands out among the hundreds of qualified candidates vying for your dream job?

Your opening resume summary should give the reader a strong sense of who you are, what you have done and, most importantly, how you can bring value to their organization. Every word should count and contribute to providing a clear overview of your strengths and expertise. Essentially, this is a place to market yourself. You goal is to pique hiring managers’ interest to encourage them to want to learn more about your achievements, which should be highlighted throughout your resume.

Interested in learning more about developing a compelling resume summary? Contact Robin Kelley, San Francisco-based, top professional resume writer, to arrange a complimentary call to discuss winning resume writing strategies.