How to Write an Effective Career Summary

Standing out from the crowd of applicants for an open position can be tough, especially in an economy recovering from recession. Though more jobs are becoming available, competition is increasing. Job seekers looking for a way to stand out should always include a career summary on a resume; not only does it show recruiters and hiring managers why the job seeker fits the position, but it may also showcase skills other applicants don't have. Writing an effective career summary on a resume can be hard, especially for those who don't have a lot of professional experience.

Begin creating a career summary by listing all of the appropriate qualifications. If the job seeker has never had a full-time job before and is just entering the workforce, she can include experience gained from part-time jobs, from her academic career and from her volunteer opportunities. It's important to remember, however, that including irrelevant experience to try and pump up the career summary can come off as long-winded or just invaluable. If she can't explain why a certain skill is directly relevant to the position she's applying for, she shouldn't include it.

Next, meet the needs of a company by including ways in which experience addresses certain aspects of the role because it shows the company that the job seeker understands the qualities and expertise the company desires. Job seekers should never send a single resume to multiple jobs. Instead, practice reflective listening through a resume. Customizing summaries on a resume is essential in effective job searching.

Another way to write a good career summary is to avoid making assumptions; personal traits may not be important or desirable to certain companies. While a job seeker may think she's dedicated, hard-working and timely, these traits are all subjective and may not actually be true. Moreover, they may not be necessarily what the company wants to see in a career summary. These traits are best discussed in the interview, and they often make for good talking points when the job seeker has to answer questions about strengths and weaknesses.

Finally, remember to proofread! The job seeker is telling a company about all the professional, relevant experience she has, and the hiring manager is highly interested and about to reach for the phone, when he stumbles across a typo, then another, and then another. Don't make the mistake of embarrassing and unprofessional typos and grammar.

Writing a career summary can be a time-consuming practice, but getting into the habit of writing a customized one for every resume sent out is an extremely effective way to search for a job, and it makes job seekers stand out among the applicants who send the same resume to every open position.

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