A resume makes your first impression before a recruiter. Therefore, it needs to be highly effective as many applicants might be hustling for the same position you are applying for.
You can write an engaging resume opening statement to impress the recruiter and beat your competitors in the resume screening round.
Most recruiters consider this section as an important part. Hence, you need to pay keen attention while writing your resume opening statement.
Considering this, we are answering some fundamental queries related to the resume opening statement in this guide. Here you will get useful answers to these questions:
- What is a resume opening statement?
- How to write a resume objective?
- What should you include in your resume introduction?
- What should you avoid while writing a resume introduction?
- When can you avoid writing a resume opening statement?
What is a Resume Opening Statement?
A resume opening statement is the first thing that most recruiters read in a resume. No matter if your resume is checked by a machine or a human, the resume opening statement is the most important element of it.
We can divide the resume opening statement into three types:
Resume Summary Statement
A resume summary statement will present you as a brand before the recruiter. In addition, it will highlight the essential information of your resume with your professional strengths.
You can mention your skills, qualities, and professional achievements related to the targeted job profile in your resume summary statement.
Your resume summary must not exceed 6 lines, and you should use easy-to-read English language while writing it.
Also Read: How to write a resume summary?
Resume Objective Statement
A resume objective statement is suitable for entry-level professionals who do not have anything to show as professional experience.
The resume objective must convince the recruiter that you know your goals and have industry-specific skills. In addition, your resume objective must match your targeted position to prove your worth before the recruiter.
Resume Offering Statement
A resume offering statement is opposite from a resume objective statement as it focuses on the job requirements.
In this type, you will be writing about your skills and accomplishments align with the Job requirements.
It puts more impact on the recruiter, as every hiring professional will prioritize a person addressing company needs rather than describing personal objectives.
Also Read: How to write a resume objective?
How to Write Your Resume Opening Statement?
You might consider referring to the resume summary examples and resume objective examples available online while writing your resume introduction. However, without proper guidance, you will end up more confused.
Considering this, we have crafted some practical steps to follow while making your resume opening statement:
- Use easy English language and avoid complex vocabulary
- Start with your job title and mention your experience
- Describe your strengths, skills, and achievements
- Quantify your information wherever possible
- Align your information with the targeted profile to validate your potential
- Do not write more than 6 lines as a resume opening statement
Also Read: How to write personal statement in a resume?
What to Include in Your Resume Opening Statement?
The resume opening statement must be impressive to beat other applicants. Hence, you must ensure the availability of these points in your resume opening statement to emphasize its effectiveness:
- Qualification
- Experience
- Skills
- Accomplishments
If you have 15+ years of experience and your resume opening statement goes beyond six lines, you can mention your information in bullet points to minimize complexity.
General Mistakes to Avoid While Framing Your Resume Opening Statement
Most job applicants make some mistakes while framing their resume opening statements. Unfortunately, these mistakes make their resume opening vague, and they face rejection in many cases.
We have analyzed some resumes and picked those mistakes, which can be emitted o enhance your shortlisting chances in the screening round:
- Using one resume opening statement for every job application
- Making it self centered
- Being Vague
- Lengthy paragraph
- Invaluable Content
When Don't You Need a Resume Opening Statement?
A good resume opening statement can add great value to your resume. However, you can avoid it in two cases mentioned below:
- When you have a self-explaining career trajectory
You can avoid a resume opening statement if your work experience and education are aligned with your targeted profile.
- If you are a student or recent graduate
If you are a student, you will not have any work experience to summarize. Hence, it will be better to showcase your educational qualification upfront along with your industry-specific training or internship details.
Tips to Frame an Impressive Resume Opening Statement
Your resume opening statement will be the first resume section the recruiter might notice. Hence, it must be engaging, impressive, and convincing to prove your eligibility for the applied job profile.
You can follow these below-given tips to write a job-winning resume opening statement for your next job switch:
- Do Not Duplicate Achievements
Try to mention your achievements that are not present in any other section of your resume. You can connect your skills and qualities with other sections but unique achievements will make your resume openings statement more attractive.
- Review The Job Description & Resume
We recommend you read the job description and other resume sections thoroughly before writing the resume opening statement. The job description will tell you company requirements. Hence, you must try to write a resume opening statement concerning those requirements.
- Connect Your Education & Professional Experience
You should connect your resume opening statement with other essential sections of your resume like education and work experience. It will help you maintain the consistency throughout the resume for better results in the recruitment process.
- Be Result Oriented
You should be specific while writing your accomplishments and capabilities in the resume opening statement. For that, you can quantify your achievements wherever possible with actual figures.
- Use Technical Keywords
Try to add technical keywords mentioned in the job description to your resume opening statement. For example, if the job description says that the company is looking for a professional with XYZ certification, don't hesitate to add that to your objective statement.
- Eliminate Buzzwords
Try to avoid buzzwords as much as you can while writing your resume summary or objectives. For example, if you are passionate about coding, you can save it for your cover letter. Showcase the statistics on how your skills and abilities helped your company improve profits.
- Be Concise
Don't pull your resume objective statement too much. Instead, try to be concise and mention only highlighting details and achievements of your career.
- Proofread Twice
Everyone makes mistakes, but wise ones check their work on completion and rectify them on time. Hence, you should proofread your resume introduction twice after writing it to rectify small punctuation mistakes or spelling errors.
Key Takeaways
A resume opening statement can impress the recruiter and boost your shortlisting chances if you frame it elegantly. These points will help you to write a professional summary for resume in 2022:
- Use simple English language and avoid complex vocabulary to improve readability
- Do not exceed more than 5 lines while writing your resume opening statement
- Add technical keywords picked from the job description to your resume introduction
- Mention your current profile, experience, skills, and achievements in your resume opening statement
- Proofread your resume objective statement after writing it to rectify errors
You can also check out Hiration’s 360-degree Career Service Platform to build a professional resume. It comes with 24/7 chat support to assist you during your entire resume and cover letter building process. Apart from this, our experts will always be available at support@hiration.com for every career-related queries.