Whatever you do in your Summary of Qualifications, don’t use hackneyed phrases such as “Excellent written and oral communication skills,” “Outstanding organizational abilities,” “Goal-oriented individual,” or other overused, vague lines. Columbus’s resume would have gotten lost in the pack if it had read as follows:
Summary of Qualifications
- Exceptional organizational and people skills
- Goal-oriented, self-motivated individual
- Excellent written and communication skills
Terms of Employment
The Summary of Qualifications section is a brief set of points that say you’re qualified for your Job Objective. This section can also be called:
- Highlights of Qualifications
- Qualifications
- Highlights
- Summary
- Profile
There’s room to be creative in naming this section, so go for it!
Career Casualty
Don’t make the employer read the entire resume to realize that you’re the perfect candidate for the job. Hit a home run with stunning statements in the first few lines.
Don’t get me wrong–the meanings behind most of those phrases are wonderful and maybe perfectly true for you. But because these cliches appear on almost everyone’s resume, they don’t have punch and, frankly, are not taken seriously.
Bonus Check
Writing your Summary of Qualifications section is a great way to prepare for in-person introductions at networking events. In such quick conversations, you’ll want to say the most impressive things about yourself in less than a minute. Although you don’t want to recite your Summary of Qualifications verbatim, you can talk naturally about the ideas you’ve developed for that section.
