The Most Important Part of Your Resume--and How to Write It

The summary of qualifications is the most important part of a resume, yet 90% of the resumes I see don’t have one. The reason you need to have a summary is that it makes it easy for recruiters and managers to see that you are qualified for the job and are a good candidate.

Rather than force employers to hunt through your resume to determine whether you are qualified for the position, the summary tells them immediately what they want to know.
 
What Is a Summary of Qualifications?

A summary of qualifications contains three to seven bullet points that summarize your key skills, experiences, strengths, and achievements as they relate to the position you are applying for. The summary of qualifications should contain the most important keywords used in the job description. The summary should be customized for each position. It is placed immediately after your contact information at the beginning of your resume.

How Do I Write a Summary?

The summary of qualifications is surprisingly easy to write. I’ll demonstrate how to do it by showing you a sample job description followed by a corresponding summary. (So you can see how the key job qualifications are represented in the summary, I have matched them with corresponding numbers. Your resume, of course, will not contain these numbers.)

Don’t worry if you do not meet all the qualifications—few people do—just include your relevant experience.

Job Description

The Specialty (1) Pharmaceutical Sales Representative will promote cardiovascular medications to cardiologists, nephrologists, and endocrinologists (2) in the San Francisco Bay Area (3).

Desired Qualifications:

• Five or more years of experience in pharmaceutical sales (4)
• Experience selling antihypertensives or cholesterol-lowering drugs (5)
• Regional or national sales award winner (6)
• Ranked in the top 25% of the salesforce for at least three years (7)
• Driven, entrepreneurial, and customer-focused professional (8)

Summary of Qualifications

• As a sales specialist (1), sell statins and ACE inhibitors (5) to cardiologists and endocrinologists (2) around the San Francisco Bay Area (3).
• Achieved a top 15% percent sales ranking four years (7) in a row out of a six-year pharmaceutical sales career (4).
• Won President’s Club and a Director’s Award for Regional Sales (6).
• Consistently meet or exceed sales goals while ensuring customer satisfaction (8).

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Do you notice how the summary makes it easy for the recruiter and manager to see that this is an ideal candidate? Do you see how easy the summary is to compose? Invest a little time in crafting a summary for each job you apply for and you’ll increase your chances of being invited for interviews.