A resume summary is an optional section you can use at the start of your resume. They're useful if you want to direct a recruiter's attention to specific skills or roles you're looking at. Additionally, you can use this section to highlight achievements that are not already in the rest of your resume.


Do I need a summary?

Summaries are totally optional. In fact, most resumes do not need a summary! Consider this: Your resume is already meant to be a concise summary of your achievements. There's no need to re-summarize it in a paragraph form. The key exception to this is if you need to add important information that is not already in another section on your resume.

For example, if you're looking to completely change your career & role (e.g. moving from software engineering to marketing), you could use 2-6 lines to direct a recruiter to the specific roles you are looking for.


I'm a student or recent graduate. Should I include a summary?

Entry-level resumes (e.g. students or recent graduates) should not include a summary. If you fall into this category, keep in mind that you don't have enough experience to justify including a summary, and it would serve you better to keep your resume to a maximum one page long.


I'm changing careers. What should I include in my resume summary?

If you're changing careers, you should definitely consider including a summary to help recruiters understand how your previous experience is relevant to the job you're applying to. Read how to write a career change resume summary for more examples and guidance.

Your summary will be one of the first things a recruiter will read on your resume. It needs to be as impactful as possible - to do this, make sure you follow these steps: