If you were to change one thing on your resume to improve results, this is probably it.
The Profile Summary is where I see the most confusion amongst my clients. For context, I'm a former Google Recruiter who runs a resume writing service dedicated to IT & Software Engineering (you can get a free review here).
I've worked with more than 1,000 clients, many of whom come to me with common struggles and questions. I try to address each of these periodically with this blog, so that everyone can benefit from insider knowledge.
In this article...
Ready?
You read that right.
There’s a ton of mixed advice on the internet when it comes to the usefulness of a Profile Summary. Many even suggest removing it entirely, notably for junior profiles which include less content to sum up.
This sounds like logical advice, but it shows a lack of understanding of how recruiters actually work.
Such recommendations ignore the true purpose of the Profile Summary.
Most think that the Profile Summary is there to provide a shorter version of your experience. I don't blame them: after all it’s in the name… and it would be the case if you were writing an essay or a literary piece. But it isn’t true for a resume.
You have to see your resume for what it actually is:
marketing material. It is a piece of advertising which you use to promote a product (your skill set) to an audience (recruiters). Therefore your writing should follow the principles of copywriting, not literature.
Here’s why top advertising copy does:
On a website, this would basically be the “above the fold” section.
It grabs your attention, and sells you early on, before making you want to read more.
Your Profile Summary does just that, but for your resume.
It's its true calling, so let it do its job 😁
Things get even clearer when you understand how recruiters actually review resumes.
They usually screen CVs at least twice. First, they're just trying to filter out the ones that don't fit. Then, they read again in more detail when deciding whom to call in for an interview.
In that first round, they go through tons of resumes and only spend a few seconds on each. This means they often don't read your work history. Instead, they’ll look for a Profile Summary to get the gist, so that they can make that first decision fast.
Hopefully, you’re starting to see the opportunity here:
Recruiters will let you do the review for them.
I wasn't different. Back when I was recruiting, I loved this part of a resume because it saved me a ton of time!
Conveniently enough, the Profile Summary is the only part of your resume where you’re allowed some level of subjectivity. You get to “judge” your own skillset and experience.
So if you write about the right aspects, in the right way… they’ll tend to get your word for it. Because of this, resumes with a Profile Summary (even for juniors) usually do much better.
Now, as mentioned, after you’ve passed the first filter they will take a look at your work experience, but it helps even then:
Writing a compelling Profile Summary creates a situation of confirmation bias, where recruiters instinctively look for evidence supporting your claims.
By now you must be grasping how crucial it is to have a strong Profile Summary, so the next natural question is “how?”
Well, I’ve got you covered: in this next section you’ll find a Step-By-Step guide to write a killer Profile Summary.
I’ve recruited for hundreds of positions, screened 10,000s of candidates and rewrote over 1,000 resumes.
Based on my experience, here’s the structure that works best. It hits a sweet spot between core and soft skills, while ticking all the boxes for what recruiters look for.
Let’s look at each category in detail. I’ll explain what each category corresponds to, and provide an example.
As I have done for the previous articles, we’ll use a specific position so that you have a concrete example (Front-End Developer).
I'm going to tell you exactly what type of info should be included within each sentence, so that you can easily adapt it to your specific case.
Include:
Front-End Developer with 5 years of experience delivering responsive, accessible, and high-performance user interfaces across SaaS platforms and and enterprise tools such as real-time analytics dashboards and self-serve onboarding flows for Meta.
Include:
Well-rounded technical skill set, with proficiency in front-end frameworks (React, Next.js), styling systems (TailwindCSS, Styled Components), state and data management (Redux, React Query), testing tools (Jest, Cypress), and build tooling (Vite, Webpack).
Include:
Deep expertise in state architecture, accessibility (WCAG), client-side performance tuning, and scalable front-end patterns, leveraging methodologies such as Component-Driven Development and Atomic Design to drive reusability and maintainability.
Include:
Engaged collaborator working closely with Designers, Product Managers, and Backend Engineers in Agile environments, contributing to sprint planning, code reviews, and UX discussions with a pragmatic, solution-oriented mindset.
Include:
Hands-on leader who drives technical excellence and fosters a culture of code quality and ownership through code reviews and mentorship, while leading front-end guild sessions and authoring widely adopted best practice guides.
This bullet point is optional, and it can include anything else that can make you stand out, such as:
Bilingual in English and Japanese, with a certification in Google UX Design and key contributor to UILint, an open-source utility for enforcing accessibility and design consistency in component libraries.
Just for the sake of legibility, here's the entire Profile Summary example, without colors:
Follow these guidelines and you will find yourself with a Profile Summary that helps your resume convert.
If you want to learn how to improve the rest of your resume, I suggest checking out the article on my formula to write amazing bullet points.
Curious to see how your resume and LinkedIN profile looks to a Recruiter?
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