How to Write a Good Summary for a CV?
When applying for a job, it is important to attract the recruiter’s attention to increase your chances of being called for job interviews.
A CV offers many places to grab the reader’s attention. However, the important one is the summary section. It includes a short overview of you and highlights your work experience, achievements and relevant skills in a concise manner.
But how do you write a good summary of a CV? What are your key attributes to add to it? Read this guide to learn all these things, along with many tips and tricks!
The Purpose of the CV Summary
While many think adding a summary to their CV or resume serves no purpose, this is not true. A CV summary is important to:
Grab the recruiter’s attention in the first impression.
Make it easier for them to know who you are.
After all, recruiters are busy people who have to go through many applications daily. A summary lets you prove your capabilities quickly and saves the recruiter’s time.
How to Write a CV/Resume Summary?
A summary should be written at the end of the CV preparation. Don’t forget to complete the other sections first, then engage with the summary.
That said, the following are the best strategies for writing a good resume summary:
1. Read the Job Description
Before you start to write the summary, make sure to go through the job description you’re applying for and not down their requirements.
Sort out your key skills, qualifications, expertise, and certificates that overlap with the job’s requirements.
2. Write Down a Concise Summary
Find a balance in terms of length. Neither keep it too long, as this overwhelms the reader, nor too short, as this might skip important information.
Keep the summary length of 3-4 sentences or around 50-80 words that briefly describe you and showcase the relevant skills.
Only include the most relevant information that shows your suitability for the role. Cut out anything that isn’t relevant.
3. Start with a Strong Opening Statement
The first sentence should immediately grab attention. Use it to tell who you are, what your expertise is, and what makes you different from the other candidates.
In addition, DO NOT use generic terms, such as “hard-working”, and go for the more field-related technical terms and phrases to convey your professional identity.
4. Highlight Your Key Skills and Accomplishments
Identify and mention your top 2-3 skills required to do the job.
This could be anything from technical skills like “proficient in Java and Python” to soft skills like “exceptional leadership and team-building abilities.”
In addition, add some numbers to make your summary more persuasive and prove your expertise and abilities.
Don’t forget to optimize the summary for applicant tracking systems (ATS). For this, include the important keywords from the job description in the summary.
5. Showcase Your Relevant Experience
Mentioning again, only add job roles or experiences directly relevant to the job you’re applying for. This might include
specific industries,
types of roles, or
particular projects you’ve worked on that align with the job requirements.
In addition, highlight how your previous experiences have prepared you for the current role.
For example, if the job is about a managerial position, you should mention your experience related to leading teams or projects.
6. Use Active Language and Avoid Jargon
In a concise summary, readability matters a lot.
Active language is the key to this. Use strong action verbs such as “led”, “managed”, “developed”, “achieved”, etc., to make your summary more engaging and dynamic.
For instance, instead of saying “responsible for managing a team”, say “led a team of 10 to successfully complete…”
In addition, avoid Jargon. You can use industry-relevant terms, but do not overuse jargon that might not be understood by all readers.
Keep the language clear and professional. This better appeals to a broad audience, including HR professionals who typically lack a technical background.
7. Avoid Common Mistakes
Avoid using “I”, “me”, or “my”. A CV is a formal document, and the summary should reflect that.
For example, instead of “I have extensive experience in”, write “Extensive experience in…”
Stick to information that’s suitable for the job. Avoid including personal hobbies or unrelated job experiences unless they make you suitable for the position.
8. Use AI to Save Time
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next emerging technology being used in many fields around the globe, and writing is no exception.
As far as summary-writing matters, we can use AI to
Make the summary more concise
Check its readability
Find out any errors and suggestions to correct them
First, if the summary exceeds the recommended length, which is 3-4 sentences or 50-80 words, you can use a summary generator to make it condense it.
Paste the summary you have written into the text input. The tool will remove the less important, unnecessary words, phrases, jargon, or information to give you a comprehensive yet concise summary.
Here is an illustration of this:
In addition, you can use Hemingway Editor to check the readability of your summary. If it needs to be improved, the tool will highlight suggestions for achieving the goal.
In the end, don’t forget to proofread the summary for any errors in it; use the Grammar checker tool for this purpose. After all, it is important for you to look credible in front of the employers.
Example of a Resume Summary
Here is an example of a good CV summary for a product manager job application:
“A meticulous and hardworking project manager with 15 years of experience working in construction and civil works. Led the construction of the award-winning New Tower in 2018 and recently completed a pipeline project requiring the management of over 50 contractors. Keen to develop experience working on large-scale projects with tight schedules and budgets.”
Conclusion
The process of writing a good CV summary always starts with a detailed analysis of the job description you’re applying for.
Once you assess the overlapping skills, experience, and achievements most relevant to the job, it is time to use them in the summary. Focus on what makes you stand out and suitable for the job roles.
Keep the summary concise, 3-4 sentences or 50-80 words. Use clear, simple language to make it readable.
Be specific and prove your achievements where possible. Don’t forget to mention the number of years of experience or the projects you've managed.