Resumes - Secrets of the Career Summary - Is it Mandatory?

A Career Summary is not mandatory. However, there are times when it will give you a tremendous advantage over the competition.

THE TRUE PURPOSE OF YOUR CAREER SUMMARY

The purpose of this section is to make your key qualifications instantly recognizable, and stand out in the mind of employers. When you have Relevant, Obvious, Specific, and Exceptional qualifications sprinkled throughout your job history, the summary gives you an opportunity to collect them all into one place -- right at the top of your resume. Employers will find them faster, which is super important, and they will pack more punch because they will be seen as a collection, rather than a number of scattered, individual items.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T USE A CAREER SUMMARY

If you don't include this section, employers will base their decision to interview you almost entirely on your most recent experience. That's because the stuff at the top of the first page of your resume gets the most attention. If you have only worked at one job, the Career Summary is not needed, and may in fact be redundant and work against you.

IF YOU DECIDE TO USE A CAREER SUMMARY

The easiest and most powerful approach is to customize the summary for the position. Write and format the rest of your resume without a Career Summary, and leave a gap between your contact information and your job experience, about 1/3 of the page. When you come across a position that you want to apply for, fill the space with bullet points that match your experience with the job requirements.

For example, if they need:

• 3 to 5 years of experience in accounting
• Able to do administrative tasks
• Must multi-task

You create bullet points like these:

• 3+ years of experience in accounting
• Adept at administrative tasks including: phones, calendar, meetings, coordinating events
• Multi-tasks strategic objectives with tactical issues

Ready to learn more about how to get more interviews for each resume you send out?

Download my FREE 12-page report, "Anatomy of a Perfect Resume," at
http://www.magneticresume.com so you can learn:

The 4 most common deadly mistakes that people make and how to fix them!
How to create the perfect Career Objective & Career Summary sections
How to maximize your resume so you're the candidate your next boss wants to meet!

Scott Shane Holt has seen it all while hiring over 100 people, in good times and bad, and as an executive coach helping managers and other professionals accelerate their careers.

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