The first item on your resume should be a COMPELLING SUMMARY — a single paragraph that forcefully, concisely draws a picture of who you are, what skills and experience you possess and (most importantly) what you can do for your prospective employer.
It’s a little-known fact about resumes: Most employers, HR staff and recruiters skim them — and stop reading if nothing grabs their interest. Truth is, you have about 15-30 seconds of their attention; you’d better make the most of it.
The summary is often what makes the employer read on to learn the details of a candidate’s experience — or hit “delete.”
Yet a vast majority of job-seekers either blow off the summary completely, or treat it as an afterthought. Frequently, they fall back on the dreariest cliches (”excellent communication skills,” “out-of-the-box thinker,” “thought leader”), simply list the tasks they’ve handled or insert some obvious objective (duh — your objective is to get a job).
No matter what work experience you’ve had, and no matter how powerfully you performed in your previous positions, there’s a strong chance that those in a position to hire you won’t find out — unless your summary shines.
TKDAResume can buff your summary to a brilliant sparkle — or create a dazzling one from scratch — so you can monopolize your ideal boss’s attention from the get-go. And while we’re at it, we’ll make sure the rest of your resume lives up to that grabber of an introduction.
Based on these summaries, which candidate is more impressive: A or B*?
#1
A: Applicant provided no summary.
B: Seasoned senior executive/company leader with comprehensive experience in apparel and lifelong involvement in action sports (also notable for extensive, high-level contacts in both arenas). Admired for ability to capture heart and soul of expensive items while making them affordable to target consumer. Environmentally proactive real-estate developer; founder of conservation fund, ecological reserve. Veteran of business travel in Europe, Asia and Central America. Enthusiastic advocate of innovative techniques, alternative thinking. Accomplished surfer enjoying worldwide waves. Proficient in conversational Spanish.
#2
A: Graphic Designer/Art Director with diverse experience and a background in photography. Particular interest in fashion, beauty (especially packaging), luxury & prestige products and services
B: Senior-level graphic design, art direction and photo production powerhouse with demonstrated expertise in development of beauty, luxury, fashion and lifestyle brands. Practiced project manager and team leader. Praised for imaginative vision, impeccable taste; gravitates toward clean/modern and energetic/experimental design; inspired by graphically bold studio photography, editorial photography evoking mood or place. Special interest in inventive cosmetics/skincare packaging and avant-garde fashion photography/art installations.
Visit TKDAResume.com now and see how we can help you make an instant impression.
“I’m so excited to begin my career search with my new resume. It SHOWS who I am, rather than just saying it.”
– Jaye Crane, Media Relations/PR/Account Support
*These are actual before-and-after example summaries from two TKDAResume clients.
