Resume summary section. Does your resume need one? Yes, says this former recruiter. Here’s why, and what to consider when writing a resume summary.

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A resume without a summary section is like a book without a jacket cover. Book jackets typically offer a tight, teasing summary of what’s inside. If they didn’t, few people would pick up a tome and buy the thing. A resume summary, like a book jacket, is likely the readers’ first impression and can be a most powerful marketing statement.

As the name implies, a resume summary is an overview of the qualifications that make you the perfect fit for the job in question. It’s your advertising pitch to the reader, and your chance to hook that reader and keep him reading. It typically focuses on three to five skills or competencies that have been culled from the resume and represent the best arguments as to why you are a perfect match for the job in question. The goal is to intrigue the reader and motivate that reader to explore the balance of your resume with the predisposition that the qualifications for the job have already been met.

Resume Summary Section – Where To Place It On The Resume

If you’re working with a resume objective statement, you’ll want to place the summary directly beneath the objective. If you’ve elected to forgo an objective, the summary section will be the first section on the resume, just beneath your header (name and contact information).

Should The Summary Take The Place of the Objective?

In some cases, yes. A resume objective is not always necessary or even advisable. Though opinions will vary among career counselors, I believe a objective remains an asset to your resume if at least one of the following holds true:

1) You know the actual position title you’re applying for.

2) You have a diverse work background that doesn’t lend itself to a natural focus.

3) You’re changing careers, or entering the job market for the first time.

While a resume objective is not always needed or advised, keep in mind that focus is always required. So if you choose not to use an objective, your summary section will need to pull extra duty: it will have to include the element of focus that would have otherwise fallen to the objective.

Resume Summary – How To Structure One

The best resume summaries are brief in nature, as the word “summary” would imply. A summary can be a solid block of text (2-3 sentences, or a paragraph) that summarizes your qualifications for a targeted position. Or it can be a sentence or two that sets the stage, followed by a bulletted list of three or so notable specifics that act to reinforce that statement of qualification. Example:

Summary:

Division Merchandising Manager offering ten years of progressively responsible managerial experience in the retail industry – including budgetary accountability for up to $20 million and the management of up to 18 direct reports.

- Special expertise in trend analysis and forecasting, merchandise planning, inventory control, and advertising and promotion.

- Proactive style of management; take charge of situations and deliver effective results.

- Effective communicator (written and verbal) with polished presentation skills.

Different Names For The Summary Section

A resume summary section can go by different names. Pick your favorite: Profile; Summary of Qualifications; Career Summary; Accomplishments Profile; etc. You get the idea. Label it what you like. But whatever you label it, make sure it’s part of your resume.

Former recruiter David Alan Carter compares the Web’s most popular Professional Resume Services at the website http://TopResumeServices.com, reviewing quality of workmanship and giving each a star ranking. C-Level executives will appreciate Carter’s take on executive resume services.

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