How to write a Highlights or Summary statement.

This is probably the second most error-prone point people have on their resumes (the first is putting job duties in their bullets). Which is a bit shocking, considering how easy they are to write. Follow this formula:

1. The number of years of experience.
2. A success or award, preferably tied to the job you are applying to.
3. As #2. You can also put in any rare or special skills (foreign languages, for example).
4. A humanizing element.

Let's unpack a little:

• Number of years of experience... there are a number of ways to say this. The important thing is to get that number out there. As a bonus tip - putting a plus after your number always looks more impressive. "5 years experience" vs. "5+ years experience"
  • Industry veteran with 5+ years of experience.
  • Certified manager with over 8 years of experience.
  • New graduate with 14 months of programming experience.
  • Former teacher transitioning into banking with six months of experience.
• A success can be anything. Did you sell more? Did you make something? Did you prevent something bad? If you don't have any obvious successes, then any way of showing you were appreciated helps. Even those stupid "employee of the month" awards can show impact.
  • Self-published a book that has sold over 5,000 copies.
  • Self-published an app that has been downloaded over 20,000 times.
  • Was awarded Employee of the Month 8 times.
• Your second success can be broader. If you have something just as good, by all means, put it down. Otherwise, you can put down any useful tidbits here.
  • 4+ years experience in phone sales and 3+ years experience in pizza delivery.
  • Fluent in English, Korean, Spanish and Klingon.
  • Re-designed the menus at "Wok This Way" Chinese restaurant.
• Humanizing elements can be anything to make you a person, rather than a collection of numbers and events. This helps the reviewers, as it gives them something to remember you by. "I can't decide which one... should we pick the former Opera singer or the karate guy?"
  • Dedicated world traveler who has been to 12 countries in the past decade.
  • Member of the local Toastmasters club.
  • Passionate swimmer and mountain biker.

Now that you have them all together, how do you make the section? If you wanted a highlights section... congrats! It's done. Keep them bulleted. If you want to make it a Summary Statement, then just link them all together in a paragraph. Take a look at the following example:

Michael Jordan

• 15+ years professional basketball experience.
• 6 NBA Championships, 14-time NBA All-star.
• 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist.
• Starred in Space Jam alongside Bugs Bunny.

(Or, as a Summary:)

15+ years professional basketball experience. 6 NBA Championships, 14-time NBA All-star. 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist. Starred in Space Jam alongside Bugs Bunny.

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Take a look at this... even if you didn't own a TV from 1984-2003, you get the idea this guy is a pretty good basketball player. Note that he isn't listing his stint in baseball... we are only listing successes and highlights. The last line not only adds a note of humor, it shows that this guy is more than a basketball machine.