Finding that right job can hammer you into desperation. How to attract the right jobs, what to do to get yourself noticed among this ocean of job seekers, how to separate yourself from the crowd — these questions are sure to give sleepless nights to any active job seeker.
The answer to these dilemmas lies in writing a great profile summary. The profile summary highlights your skills and achievements in the best possible way. When you start writing your resumé, you may often come across the profile summary section, leaving you to wonder — what is profile summary? Let us find it out.
A profile summary is essentially a brief description of your education, career work experience, skills and goals.
It generally highlights the strongest aspects of your resumé, in other terms, your USP. Therefore, it should be no more than three to four sentences or phrases and as direct as possible. It occupies the front seat on a resumé, and hence, it should be an easy read that conveys everything about your professional career.
On the outset, it may seem easily achievable, but when you start writing it, you may get overwhelmed by its limitations and expectations. While writing it, you may struggle to explain all your roles and responsibilities and end up making it an unnecessarily long and boring piece to read. So let us check out the important tips to write an attractive and interactive profile summary with detailed professional summary examples.
No matter your job role or industry, there are universal rules that apply to every profile summary. Here are some tips you should bear in mind as you set to write your professional profile summary:
Keep it short.
The profile summary should be to the point. Most recruiters understand it, and hence, there is no need to elaborate everything in your profile summary, as they will be expecting these details in the latter portions of your resumé. Then why include them at the start and make your resumé look boring and repetitive?
The idea of a profile summary is to bring to the recruiter’s attention your best skills and abilities and to enhance your possibility of advancing to the next step in the recruitment and selection process.
Stay away from writing long paragraphs or stories about your achievements. Believe us — nobody is ready to put in that much time and effort. Rather, make it short with power-packed, catchy words to attract the attention of your prospective employer.
Make your paragraph brief — no more than four lines of description. Add catchy phrases. You can even use bullets to highlight your best skills, projects or work experience. If you have handled multiple jobs in your work career, then mention the ones that are the most relevant to the role that you are applying for.
Use keywords.
Yes, you need to include keywords. This tip is one of the most crucial ones to consider while writing your profile summary. Use the right keywords to describe your skills and abilities. Also, make sure that the keywords you apply are contextually appropriate with respect to the written content, and reflect genuineness and credibility.
Let us understand this concept with the help of two sentences:
‘Hardworking, enthusiastic and dedicated individual.’
'Hardworking performer, enthusiastic team professional and dedicated to achieving individual goals.’
In the first sentence, keywords are incorrectly placed and look stuffed. Therefore, the sentence looks less like so and more like a set of generic keywords. They don’t add any value to your skills or attributes that you wish to reflect. The recruiter will simply overlook them without making any effort to understand your skills.
In the second sentence, keywords are supplemented with power-packed or catchy words that put more emphasis on the qualifiers, cementing your skills in the mind of the recruiter. By mixing your keywords cleverly with catchy or powerful words, you bring more value and emphasis to your profile summary. After all, your profile summary is the first section that a recruiter will read properly. And they will progress further with your resumé only if they find this portion interesting and attractive. They will simply move on to the next resumé if they find this piece dull and boring.
Keep it relevant.
The next important piece of advice is about the aptness or the relevance of your profile summary. Always remember the job role or the position you are applying for while writing your profile summary. And make sure every piece of your content fits or supplements the job position that you wish to apply for. Your profile summary should be apt and contain only the details there are relevant to the respective role, which will enhance your chances of advancing to the interview rounds.
For instance, if a particular job position demands 5 years of work experience, then start your profile summary by detailing the same. It will invite interest from the reader, influencing them to read further in the hopes of finding more favourable information about you. And you will give them the information they seek in the most apt manner possible.
Let us understand it further with two examples:
‘I am a qualified individual with ample work experience in the sales industry.’
‘Qualified sales executive with more than 6 years of work experience.’
The first sentence is unnecessarily lengthy, with many redundant words. And still, it doesn’t convey the specifics aptly, resulting in a dull and aimless sentence.
On the other hand, the second sentence showcases the best attributes of the candidate aptly and in a catchy manner. Plus, it conveys the specifics about work experience, making it an interesting read.
Proper and apt use of words in your sentences will determine how attractive your profile summary will look. Simply put — the more direct, the better.
Include useful phrases.
Useful phrases, when used appropriately, add value to your profile summary. Therefore, incorporate valuable phrases like ‘highly skilled’, ‘adept at’, ‘proven track record’, ‘committed individual’, ‘highly professional’, ‘goal-driven/goal-oriented’, ‘result-focused’, ‘key skills are’, etc.
These phrases add value to the skills that you want to highlight. And such phrases are a great way to say more with few words. For instance, using the phrase ‘highly skilled in’ perfectly explains that your skills are of the highest quality and extremely niche. Therefore, you don’t need to write lengthy paragraphs explaining the depths or intensity of your skills or the kind of effect they will have in a new workplace. Therefore, look for ways to say more with less by using attractive and powerful phrases.
Make it personal.
You may be tempted to use phrases and adjectives to add value to your profile summary, but keep in mind to not add too many, as it will make it a mechanical read and extremely common. Yes, adding too much of the good stuff can also cause problems. Try to make it personal by choosing a quality which is specific to you and highlight it in your profile summary.
Stress on your achievements and mention your concrete goals. Doing so not only makes your profile summary individualistic but also adds credibility to your resumé. And finally, use positive and confident sentences to explain your determination to the recruiter. After all, your goals, objectives and achievement are what make the profile summary personal and different from the rest. So never miss an opportunity to do so.
Place it appropriately.
It can be safe to say that your profile summary is the most vital part of your resumé. Therefore, you must place it such a way that it is prominently placed and the first section to catch the recruiter’s eye. You should place your profile summary on the topmost section of your resumé, just below your name, address and contact details. That is where it will garner maximum visibility. If you place it way below the order, behind work experience and qualification, then you have wasted a wonderfully written profile summary. The recruiter would have already read your entire resumé till they reach the summary, rendering it useless.
The profile summary usually gives a quick idea about the skills and experience of the candidate. That is why it should be placed in the front; before the work experience and education details. It will make the resumé appear attractive and engaging for the recruiter, and they may read on further to screen your resumé and check how capable you are for the job role.
Mention your accomplishments.
Highlight your unique achievements while writing your profile summary. It generates more interest for the reader. You must always make it a point to add your most recent or significant accomplishment in your career. Write about it in a subtle yet powerful manner, but make sure you don’t sound too boastful or self-centred. The idea is to generate interest and to make you appear approachable for your prospective employers.
Let us check out the best way to write about your accomplishments with the help of two sentence examples:
‘Can achieve sales targets with or without any team members.’
‘Ability to achieve sales goals single-handedly and motivate and inspire the others in the team to do the same.’
The first sentence is a classic example of a boastful and egoistic sentence. Here the candidate is so sure about their abilities that they boast of achieving targets, and that they don’t need a team to do so.
The second sentence also boasts of a candidate's ability but in a more subtle and considerate way. Here the candidate mentions that they can manage sales goals single-handedly, but also makes it a point to inspire others in their team to perform well. The second part in the sentence is especially important because it shows that the candidate is also a team player apart from being a high performer.
This way, you can craft a perfect profile summary for your resumé. It is simple and not at all time consuming if you follow these tips while writing your profile summary.
Now that you have understood the tips for writing a great profile summary, let us check out the best profile summary examples from different industries:
Business Analyst
This is a good profile summary sample for Business Analyst:
Top performer, goal-driven and organised, with more than 6 years of work experience in different companies across the financial sector. My expertise lies in effective liaison between managerial and technical levels of the business. Skilled at applying data modelling to derive actionable insights for the company to drive better outreach activities out of the available data.
Content developer
This is one of the best profile summary samples for content developers:
Qualified and highly creative content developer. 5 years of experience in creating original and engaging content. Adept in compiling information by conducting detailed research through various sources. Highly skilled at writing targeted SEO-friendly content. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously without compromising on the quality. Can work in an independent as well as a team setup. Open to feedback and implementing them proactively to deliver best results.
Data analyst
This is the job profile example suited to a data analyst:
Highly skilled and qualified data analyst. More than 4 years of work experience. Adept in building different solution models and analytical tools for optimisation. Received the highest recognition for applying advanced computing methodology to derive accurate projections. An enthusiastic team player with a passion for analytics, statistics, sports and mathematics.
Software developer
This is an ideal professional resumé summary sample for software developer:
An award-winning, highly qualified software developer with 8+ years of work experience in LAMP, CSS, HTML. My strengths are user-centred and object-oriented design. Highly skilled at manipulating the visual hierarchy as per the company requirement. Contributed regularly towards enhancement and enforcement of the systems. Successfully trained and motivated a group of young software developers to gain recognition for being the highest achieving team of the year.
Product manager
This is an ideal profile summary example for a product manager:
Highly organised and meticulous product manager. More than 12 years of experience at improving UX measures by addressing the core concerns and managing customer requirements. Oversaw product launches delivering more than 30% revenue surplus for the company. Proven track record of delivering efficient product results with less cost expenditure. Passionate about sustainability and growth of the business. I am also a successful mentor with a cheerful and warm personality.
Marketing manager
Detailed below is a wonderful professional summary resumé sample for marketing manager:
A versatile individual with 9 years of work experience in conceptualising, developing and executing unique marketing strategies for product launches. Proven track record of leads optimisation and value addition to the overall growth of the organisation. I specialise in creating inbound marketing strategies and keen on a product launch management position for startups. A highly motivated, enthusiastic, highly networked team player.
Data Security analyst
This is a professional summary example for data security analyst:
A qualified and top-performing data security analyst with more than 10 years of extensive experience in monitoring incidences of data networks. Skilled at HITECH and HIPAA standards and the NIST framework. Proven work record of identifying, engaging and implementing innovative technology capabilities. Adept at effective implementation of disaster recovery. Aware of all the data security policies, protocols, safety rules and regulations. Mentored and assisted fresh data security professionals with protocols and administration.
Machine learning engineer
This is a good profile summary example for machine learning engineers:
Highly skilled machine learning engineer possessing over 6 years of work experience in data accuracy, sourcing and data management by leveraging Python, MATLAB, C++, Java, R. Extensive experience in designing and developing complex machine learning prototypes. Adept in big data analysis and data mining. Passionate when it comes to leading a product development team.
Sales representative
This is an example of the profile summary for a sales representative that is individualised and compelling:
A confident, enthusiastic and energetic sales executive with more than 6 years of active sales experience. My USP lies in helping customers find what they truly need. I am highly skilled at assessing prospects, getting the most out of the limited resources, and securing a profitable sale. I also undertake follow-ups and mentorship roles when required.
Customer relationship manager
This is one of the best customer relationship manager profile summary examples:
Qualified customer relations manager with 6+ years of work experience in account and customer management. Expert in salesforce automation and marketing automation. Proven work experience in providing great customer experience by solving their concerns and issues. A goal-driven and enthusiastic individual, go-getter and a team player. An outgoing individual who takes every day as a blessing.
Freshers don’t possess any work experience nor have any prior exposure to any industry. Therefore, they cannot base their profile summary on work experience or skills. Instead, they should focus on their knowledge and understanding of the industry or sector they wish to apply for. They must highlight their qualifications and emphasise on how their qualification is apt for the industry and will help find real-time solutions for the company.
So, how should a fresher write their professional summary or profile summary for the specific industry they wish to apply for? Let us find it out with the help of a few examples for profile summary for fresher:
Accountant fresher
I possess a Masters degree in Accounting. A hardworking and dedicated individual who wishes to contribute the fullest towards creating a better finance department. Qualified at handling balance sheets and audit projects. Extensive understanding and knowledge of different finance and accounting tools.
Banking fresher
A qualified banking individual with deep knowledge and undertaking of the banking sector. Looking for a job posting at a financial organisation that provides ample job opportunities for freshers. I am a quick learner, hardworking and dedicated individual. Passionate about knowing the latest financial strategies and applying them on the job. Can professionally handle customer problems and can deliver under pressure. I possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills to discuss new schemes with the clients.
Sales fresher
A reliable and dedicated fresher seeking a sales executive opportunity. I am extremely passionate about helping businesses with sales and marketing activities. Possess good communication and interpersonal skills, which are extremely essential to pitch a product to the client. Open to B2B and B2C sales opportunities.
Marketing fresher
Qualified marketing graduate looking for a good opportunity with the marketing department of the company. Possess credible knowledge of marketing strategies related to this industry. Have conducted market research on various trends and marketing activities during my internship. These will greatly help with the marketing efforts of your company. I possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills to convince potential customers and clients.
In short, a profile summary is the most important aspect of your resumé. So make sure that you place it on top where it is the most visible, and fill it with concise, power-packed and catchy words and sentences that highlight the best of your skills, experience and abilities. Remember to make it more relevant and tailored to the job position or industry that you wish to apply for, to enhance your chances of success.