When you’re looking for IT contracting jobs, finding ways to stand out from the crowd is essential. By having a well-written professional summary on your resume, you can separate yourself from the competition. Plus, you give the hiring manager a clear indication of your suitability as a candidate, increasing the odds that they’ll keep reading.
If you want to learn more about professional summaries, including how to write a professional summary for your resume, here’s what you need to know.
What a Professional Summary Is, and How It Compares to a Resume Objective
Also known as a resume summary, a professional summary is a section on your resume that provides hiring managers with a quick overview of your career. Usually, a professional summary is just one or two sentences long, highlighting just your most valuable skills and relevant experience.
Unlike a resume objective, professional summaries don’t typically discuss what you’re hoping to find in your next role. Instead, it presents an enticing value proposition, not wholly unlike an elevator pitch.
The goal of a professional summary is to showcase yourself as a strong candidate immediately. By doing so, the hiring manager is effectively encouraged to keep reading.
When and Why to Include a Professional Summary
Generally speaking, it’s wise to include a professional summary on every resume. You get to show the most important parts of what you bring to the table immediately. Plus, since it stands in a section on its own and sits near the top of the document, it often draws the eye, ensuring the hiring manager can review your value proposition quickly.
With a professional summary, you also have a chance to separate yourself from the competition. While professional summaries are gaining popularity among candidates, they aren’t universally used. By having one, you can potentially boost your position.
How to Write a Professional Summary for Your Resume
As mentioned above, a professional summary is typically only one to two sentences long. Additionally, they technically feature sentence fragments like the rest of a resume. You won’t use any “I” statements. Instead, you’ll create snippets that showcase your expertise.
Typically, you want to review the job description as a starting point. Identify any keywords associated with top priority skills in the ad, and make sure to feature at least one or two in the summary.
Once you find the keywords, craft a sentence or two that showcases those capabilities in reference to your broader career. For example, if you’re a software developer, you may write something similar to the following:
Software developer with 7+ years of application creation and maintenance experience. Expertise in Java, Python, JavaScript, and C++
Ultimately, your main goal is to remain concise and ensure the summary packs in a lot of information without going beyond one or two sentences. That gives the hiring manager a quick overview, enticing them to keep reading to get more details.
Find The Best IT Contracting Jobs
If you’re looking for IT contracting or Pharma jobs, the staff at Alpha Consulting wants to hear from you. Contact us to speak with one of our recruiters today.
