How to Write a Summary of Qualifications for a Resume

The summary of qualifications section of a resume outlines the skills of a person that are reflected in their work experience. This summary should in fact summarize the person's skills in three to five bullet points and is the first section listed on a resume. This is also a place where attributes, such as punctuality and honesty, can be conveyed that would otherwise not be appropriate under work experience.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Summary of Qualifications

1. Brainstorm about the skills and attributes that you possess. These skills need to pertain to the type of job you are trying to obtain. It might be helpful to reference the job description. Start writing down skills such as "Proficient in Microsoft Office applications," "Punctual," "Created employee handbooks," "Ranked #1 salesperson in past two positions," etc. Write down as many as you can and then narrow the list down later. It can also be helpful to brainstorm with someone who knows you in the working world, because they might be able to distinguish traits that you were not aware of.

2. Review your list. You might be able to combine multiple items on your list to create one thorough bullet point. For example, list items such as "Punctual," "Proficient in AutoCAD," "Completes projects under budget" and "goal oriented" could be combined to read "Punctual AutoCAD professional with a track record for finishing projects on time and under budget."

3. Compare your list to your work experience. Does your list help summarize your work? Does your list summarize the skills for the job you want to obtain? If not, work on creating a more accurate list. If your list includes "Ability to read people" and you have held jobs that do not require customer service adjust your skill to read "Ability to work well with a team by understanding the needs of my peers."

4. Narrow your list down to three to five bullet points that most accurately and effectively summarize your work experience. These bullet points are the first list on your resume and can be the only area a recruiter may read, make sure that these bullet points reflect how you want to be summarized as a potential candidate. Keep in mind that a resume is never complete, and new work experiences or a new career direction affect the content of your summary of qualifications.

Tips & Warnings

• Understand the difference between being "proficient" and "familiar" of a computer application. Proficient communicates to the reader that you thoroughly understand the program and will not require much guidance and familiar communicates that you understand what the program does and have general knowledge of how the program works. Since your summary of qualifications and work experience are directly related, editing of work experience may be needed to more accurately communicate your skills.

Resources

• Words That Weaken Your Resume

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