How to Write a Compelling CV Summary

The CV summary might be the only part that a hiring manager or recruiter reads.

If it is not compelling, why would they bother taking the time to read the rest?

You will have likely spent countless hours thinking about what you can bring to your next role, so the CV summary is where you articulate your value. You will have so many things to say, so here are a few thoughts to help you find some focus:

Mention the title that you are applying for. If possible, use the exact title that is on the job description to describe yourself. You may have done many things, but this is the phrase that the ATS software and hiring managers will be looking for. Focus their attention.

Example: “I am a qualified child psychologist with seven years of experience….”

Share your unique skillset. Look at one demand of the job description that others are most unlikely to satisfy – and then share a relevant achievement to show that you have what it takes. You will only be exceptional if you can boast things that others cannot.

Example: “I possess five current patents for my market-leading packaging solutions….”

Share personal motivations. You might have certain deeply held motivations for the role that you would like to mention and then expand upon at interview. Employees who are personally connected to the position will likely contribute more and stay longer.

Example: “As an environmental campaigner, working in clean energy would be a dream….”

Pick two adjectives that fit their culture. A factual CV is not usually a place for descriptive words, but a couple of (meticulously chosen) adjectives to describe you in the summary will hit hard. Choose words that fit the culture first (and the role second). Do some research.

Example: “meticulous and data-driven operations manager….”

Optimise keywords for each role. While a well-written summary will leave a good impression, the keywords you include will convince a hiring manager to read on. Pass the ATS test. Scan the job description for each role and amend it as appropriate. 

Example: “Coded 15+ Android apps with Java, Kotlin and C++….”

Only share numbers that will impress. While your CV should be packed with quantifiable achievements, only share a number or percentage in your CV summary if it is impressive and relevant. Ideally, use the full number (and not the abbreviated k) – it grabs the attention.

Example: “Grew our social audience by 552% to 65,135 across Twitter and LinkedIn…”

A CV summary is different to a career objective. Younger job seekers or career changers often use a career objective to define what they want from their next role. They put it at the top of their CV to give a future boss an idea of their future motivations. A summary might also contain an objective, but it should mainly be about your value.

In terms of the summary format, you might choose 3-5 lines of free-flowing text or a mix of text and bullet points. It is like an elevator pitch, so a conversational tone is more effective. Resist the temptation to use emojis – pick your words carefully.

Your CV will take a few days to write and likely undergo several revisions, so write the summary last when you understand your core messages. Ideally, you should seek to tweak the summary for each role if possible – avoid generic messages wherever possible. 

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).