On average, a recruiter looks at your resume for around 6 seconds.
Yep, that’s right - they give your CV a quick skim, and if they don’t find what they’re looking for, they just move on to the next one.
Think fast!
How can you convince the recruiter to read your resume, the same instant they look at it?
The answer is simple: you should create a resume profile.
And in this guide, we’re going to teach you how, exactly, you can do that.
- What a resume profile is and why it’s important
- How to create an effective resume profile in 3 easy steps
- 26 practical resume profile examples
How to Write a Resume Profile (Step-by-Step)
OK, let's start with the obvious - what even is a Resume Profile?
The resume profile is a short,3-5 sentence paragraph that summarizes your career. It covers your top achievements, skills, and years of experience.
The resume profile is also known as a resume summary and resume profile statement.
Here’s what a resume profile looks like on a resume:
Now, let’s talk about why you should include a resume profile:
- It shows the recruiter that you’re relevant from the get-go, giving them a reason to read the rest of your resume.
- It helps you stand out. You don’t just show the recruiter that you’re relevant - you show them that you’re THE right candidate.
And here's an example of a well-written Resume Profile:
Customer Service Team Lead with three years of experience in a multicultural BPO environment. Specialized in the creation & monitoring of KPIs, compliance with SLAs and being the main POC for all key internal and external stakeholders. Looking to transfer process management and performance quality control skills into the exciting position as Quality, Control and Compliance Specialist at XYZ Ltd.
Keep in mind, though, that a resume profile is different from a resume objective.
- The resume profile summarizes your work experience to date and your relevant skills and achievements.
- The objective, on the other hand, is more about your professional goals. You DON’T include work experience here. Instead, you focus more on why you want to work at company X, and how your background makes you the right fit.
So, if you don’t have much relevant work experience (recent graduate, career change, etc.), you should opt for a resume objective instead.
Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, here's a thorough Step-by-Step on how to build YOUR resume profile:
Step #1 - Tailor Your Resume Profile to the Position
The first thing to do is to tailor your resume profile to the position you're applying for.
You can’t just take the lazy way out and create a one-size-fits-all resume profile. That way, you’re pretty much setting yourself up for failure.
Instead, it should 100% be written with the job you’re applying for in mind.
When writing your resume profile:
- Look at the job ad you want to apply to;
- See the requirements;
- Tailor your profile accordingly.
Now, here’s what this looks like in practice. Let's say you're applying for a position in digital marketing.
- 1 - 3 years of experience with Google Ads
- Experience with Facebook Ads
- Excellent copywriting skills
- Experience using Google Tag Manager and Google Data Studio is an advantage
We highlighted all the must-have requirements with Bold and underlined what’s optional.
Now, let’s create the right resume profile for the job:
Google Ads Specialist with 2 years of experience in the creation and management of Google search, display and video ads. Six-month-long project experience with social media marketing. Highly skilled with Google Search, Facebook Ads Manager, and Google Tag Manager. Experienced in creating project reports for clients with Google Data Studio.
Step #2 - Mention Your Top Wins
Now let's look at what you CAN and CAN'T include in your resume profile.
DO's - Relevant:
- Top skills;
- Problems solved;
- Key achievements;
- Awards won;
- Education.
DON'T's:
- Anything that is irrelevant to the job applied for, no matter how big the achievement, how top the skill or how much effort you put into winning that award.
Now, let’s cover a practical example.
Let’s say that 2 candidates are applying for a Junior Javascript Developer position.
Here’s a resume profile done right:
- Recent Computer Science graduate with hands-on experience. Took part in 6-month-long Agile development process project, working with: JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, Ajax, Rest, XML, Angular 2+ and jQuery. Completed “The Complete JavaScript Course 2019: Build Real Projects” course from Udemy. PMP Agile Certified Practitioner.
- Recent Computer Science graduate with 6 months of experience with JavaScript. Currently ongoing Master’s in Photography. Certified lifeguard and professional football player. Freelance writer with over 200,000 regular monthly readers.
See the difference between the two? The first is 100%, completely focused on the role.
The second, well, not so much.
Which one would you call in for an interview? Exactly!
Step #3 - Focus on Achievements (Instead of Responsibilities)
And last but not least – focus on achievements.
Your resume profile should be a summary of the biggest wins in your career (not a list of things you’ve done).
Your goal here is to “Wow” the recruiter, not to get them saying “Oh, well, that’s OK, I guess.”
So for example, let’s see how this is NOT done
- Seasoned recruiter with experience in publishing job ads, sourcing candidates, and conducting interviews.
See the issue here? Anyone that’s into recruitment can say they’ve done this. You’re not saying anything special.
Now, what if we turn this example into an achievement:
- Seasoned recruiter with X+ years of experience in tech hiring. Hit and exceeded hiring KPIs by over 50% for 2019’s first and third quarter. Specialized in working with senior talent in software engineering and executive management.
See the difference? The first example is a very generic candidate, while the second is a high-achiever.
In some fields, you might not have a lot of achievements to mention - and that’s totally OK.
If you’re a cashier, for example, you can’t say that “you’ve processed over 1,000 transactions per month.”
In such cases, it’s totally OK to stick to responsibilities and experiences instead!
[Bonus] The Novorésumé Formula for Writing Resume Profiles
Having some difficulties with your resume profile?
- [Your Field] professional with X+ years of experience, skilled in [Skill 1], [Skill 2], and [Skill 3]. Looking to apply my [Domain] knowledge as a [Job You’re Applying For] at [Company X]. Experience in [Top Achievement #1] and [Top Achievement #2].
Now, here’s what the template looks like when put into practice:
UX / UI Designer with 5+ years of experienced, skilled in Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. Looking to apply my software design know-how as a lead UX designer at Company X. Previous experience in designing most of [Software Startup A] and [Software Startup B]’s software UX and UI.
Resume Profile Q&A
Still have some questions on how to polish up your resume profile? We’ve got you covered:
Q: How do I list a resume profile as a student?
A: Simple! Go for a resume objective, instead of a profile. In that case, you’ll focus more on your skills and goals instead of work experience.
Don’t forget to specify where and how you got those skills. No need to go into in-depth explanations, but make sure they sound realistic and avoid vagueness at all costs.
Still have some space left? Feel free to add relevant university projects you’ve completed.
Soon-to-be graduate from XYZ University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. 4.0 GPA in Experimental Psychology. Took part in a month-long internship at the university psych lab. Excelled at psych questionnaire development and implementation, and SPSS data analysis. Excited to transfer and develop skills further as a Junior Psychological Measurement Specialist at ABC Ltd.
Are you struggling with creating your first student resume? Check out our guide on how to create a resume with no experience!
Q: How do I list a resume profile as a career-changer?
A: What you need to do here is focus on your transferable skills. Like so:
“Customer Support Specialist with over three years of experience in first and second-line phone and chat technical support, looking to transfer communication skills as a Sales Representative at XYZ Ltd. Excellent track record of reliability, being the main POC for all escalation points, and likeability, having received an average of 9.3/10 customer rating for the last two quarters.”
23+ Practical Resume Profile Examples (For Every Field)
Need some inspiration with your resume profile?
Here are 23 practical resume profile examples you could borrow ideas from...
Customer Service & Sales
Customer Service Specialist Resume Profile
“Motivated and experienced first-line customer service and support specialist with over three years of work put into tech support, troubleshooting and customer satisfaction. Experienced with LiveAgent and ZenDesk. Excellent track record in providing excellent support service. XYZ Ltd.’s employee of the month for May 2019 for receiving a 99.99% support satisfaction rate.”
Not sure how to build a customer service resume? We have a guide for that!
Sales Associate Resume Profile
“Accomplished Sales Associate with experience in business and private persons insurance sales. Excellent people and communication skills, proven by last two quarters’ personal success in exceeding department’s KPIs by 25%.”
Want to create a sales associate resume that lands you the job? Check out our guide!
Administration
Executive Assistant Resume Profile
“Executive Assistant with 2+ years of experience as the companies’ CEO right-hand man. Successfully carried out all key administrative tasks, from communicating with company clients to data entry and creating well-researched office documentation. Highly skilled at MS Office tools.”
Receptionist Resume Profile
“Motivated, communicative receptionist with 5+ years of experience as an office administrator and receptionist in both big and small companies. Meticulous record-keeping, and experience working with MS Office Pack, Intranet and physical bookkeeping.”
For more examples, check out our receptionist resume guide.
Data Entry Clerk Resume Profile
“Data entry clerk with 3+ years of experience in high quantity complex data screening, entry and maintenance. Highly skilled at Excel; extremely fast typer and knowledgeable about digital databases. Strong attention to detail and dedication to the job.”
Marketing
Copywriter Resume Profile
“SaaS copywriter specializing in landing page optimization. 2+ years of experience writing compelling content for e-mail, Facebook and Google marketing. Experienced in using Google Optimizely and Firebase for A/B testing. Previously worked with Unbounce to create and test new landing pages from scratch.”
PPC Specialist Resume Profile
“Driven PPC Specialist with over 4 years of experience in digital marketing. Proficient at: Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager and LinkedIn Ad Platform. Some copywriting skills gained through freelancing. Experience handling an advertising budget of $80,000 with excellent ROI results.”
Need help creating your marketing resume? We’ve got your back!
Business and Management
Project Manager Resume Profile
“Dedicated project manager with 3+ years of experience managing IT projects. Managed 5+ software projects from beginning to completion. Basic understanding of several programming languages, including React, Node.Js, and Java. ”
Check out our project manager resume guide for more examples!
Business Analyst Resume Profile
“Results-driven Business Analyst with over 7 years of experience in consulting businesses, analyzing their processes and operations and presenting them with practical business solutions. 2 years of experience consulting one of the Fortune 500 companies. Experience using several business process management software solutions, including Appian BPM. Helped increase XYZ LTD’s manufacturing output by over 2.5%.”
Human Resources (HR)
Human Resources Resume Profile
“HR Specialist with two years of experience in developing small companies’ HR strategies, employee training and organizing company events, while under a tight budget. Experienced with the entire talent acquisition process from recruitment to the retention of employees.”
Recruitment Specialist Resume Profile
“Recruitment Specialist with a B.A. in Human Resources and M.A. in Work and Organizational Psychology with full-scope recruitment experience with both active and passive candidate sourcing. Sourced, interviewed and hired 15+ software engineers in Company X’s expansion efforts to Canada in 2021.”
Finance & Accounting
Bank Teller Resume Profile
“Bank Teller with one year of experience as the front office cashier and customer service representative at XYZ Bank’s main office. Experienced with handling customer transactions and inquiries. Highly skilled at customer satisfaction, following bank SOPs and complying with data privacy and safety deposit box standard guidelines.”
Check out our bank teller resume guide for more examples!
Accountant Resume Profile
“Certified Public Accountant with over 8 years of experience. Solid knowledge of US GAAP and accounting systems. Top skills include budget forecasting, advanced computer skills, and analytical reasoning. Looking for a new challenge as an accountant at Company X.”
Check out our accountant resume guide for more examples!
Food & Service
Waiter/Waitress Resume Profile
“Experienced Waitress with a polite and friendly demeanor. Skilled at working in fast-paced environments; extremely good memory and able to memorize menus quickly and without fault. Previous experience includes working in Restaurant X and Bar Y.”
Check out our guide to server resumes for more examples!
Supermarket Cashier Resume Profile
“Experienced and reliable cashier with a polite and friendly demeanor. Worked at Happy Fun Resort over the past 2 summers as cashier in Company X and Company Y. Strong computer skills and experience working with PoS systems. ”
Discover how to make a cashier resume that excels with our article!
Housekeeper Resume Profile
“Dedicated and hard-working housekeeper with 6+ years of experience with both hotel and private home housekeeping. Very punctual and efficient. Previous experience working at Hotel X and Uncle Bob’s Private Cleaning Crew.”
Technical & IT
Data Analyst Resume Profile
“Data Analyst with 3+ years of experience. Highly data and detail-oriented with excellent analytical thinking. Background in mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Proven track record of using data to improve company operations. ”
Check out our guide to the data analyst resume for more examples.
Software Engineer Resume Profile
“Full-stack software engineer with 5+ years of experience developing end-to-end software solutions. Worked as head engineer at Tech Company X, leading a team of developers working on a new software solution in the Fin-Tech industry. Expert in Node.Js, React, and Java.”
Discover how to make a software engineer resume that excels with our article!
IT Specialist Resume Profile
“Dedicated IT specialist with 5+ years of experience. Previous positions involved network management and database administration. Advanced knowledge of SQL, C++ and Linux. ”
Need an extra push with your resume? Discover top tips on creating an IT resume in 2023.
Computer Science Resume Profile
“Results-oriented computer science student from University Y looking for an entry-level software engineering position. Good communication skills and team player, having led several teams for university projects. Practical experience working with JavaScript, MySQL, and PHP. ”
For more on computer science resumes, check out our dedicated guide.
Medicine
Nurse Resume Profile
“Nurse RN with 8+ years of experience providing excellent patient care. M.A. in nursing. Expert at charting, patient care, and medicine administration. Seeking to leverage my experience as a nurse at Hospital X.”
Discover more nurse resume examples in our dedicated guide!
Dental Assistant Resume Profile
“Dental assistant with over 5 years of experience in the field. Charged with direct patient care, patient record-keeping, and routine lab works. Strong knowledge of the Dentrix software.
Graphic Design
Graphic Designer Resume Profile
“Graphic design specialist with 3+ years of experience working with design and marketing agencies. Responsible for every step of the design process, from conceptualization, to execution. Practical experience in designing flyers, websites, landing pages, and more. Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite and MS Office. Good communication skills.”
Need an extra push with your resume? Discover top tips on creating a graphic designer resume in 2023.
UI/UX Designer Resume Profile
“Detail-oriented UX / UI designer with 5+ years of experience creating end-to-end digital experiences. Designed software solutions in the fin-tech and hr-tech industries. Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite. Fluent in English, Spanish, and French.”
Other Fields
Architect Resume Profile
“Architect with 4+ years of experience in landscape design, interior and exterior design, with a focus on designing commercial and residential buildings. Strong attention to detail and creative thinker.”
Discover the top tips for creating an architect resume in 2023 with our guide.
Warehouse Worker Resume Profile
“Hard-working warehouse worker with 4 years of experience in the industry. Physically fit, able to lift heavy objects. Previous experience at Made Up Delivery Solutions involved shipping, receiving and packaging goods.”
Discover more nurse warehouse worker resume examples in our dedicated guide!
Key Takeaways
And that’s a wrap!
Now, let’s summarize everything we’ve learned:
- A resume profile is a short, 2-4 sentences run-down of your top career highlights and achievements
- A resume profile is also known as a resume summary and resume profile statement.
- Don’t have much work experience? You might want to go for a resume objective instead.
- Every good resume head should include your years of experience (“5+ years of experience doing…”), top achievements (“Increased XYZ LTD’s ROI by X%”), and relevant skills (“Skilled in React, Node.JS, and Java”).
Looking for more career and resume advice? We recommend checking out our career blog for industry-leading articles on how to land the job & succeed in your career!
