Resume Tip – The Summary

Make an effective “Summary”, if not you might be turning off important people who are reading it. Writing a good resume Summary isn’t easy. From your career in the military, there are so many things that you can put into the Summary, but are they relevant? A good way to approach this question is to put yourself in the shoes of the company recruiter or hiring manager, and think about what you would like to see in a prospective candidate. When you finish your resume, sit back and look at the top third of the first page. Then ask yourself, “Would I like to interview me?” Maybe ask a friend to do the same thing, especially if they have already transitioned out of the military.

Most people who served in the military had some level of leadership responsibility. Sometimes these came in the form of collateral duties or what you were told to do, even though it wasn’t really in your job title. Some of our most proud memories in the service came from those accomplishments. I’m sorry to say, but many of these additional roles or achievements might not be very relevant with respect to the job you are trying to pursue. With the Summary, you are really trying to give them a quick overview of your relevant experience and skills. So, keep it relevant!

One common mistake I see in military resumes from a single or second tour service member is that they tend to write too many Summary bullets relating to leadership when they are pursuing an Operator or Technician level position. In this case, try to craft just a few leadership-based bullets in a more “Lead Technician” role where you were “hands on” with the tools or operating the plant. Try not to position yourself right out of the job from the get-go. Other areas of importance include; explaining the technical experience in a way the hiring team will understand, spell out acronyms if you are going to use them again in the resume, and don’t make the Summary too long. Also, try not to write a bullet in the Summary, then repeat the same exact statement in your experience/employment section.

Conclusion

The Summary is a very useful part of your resume, especially when the hiring team might not have any prior military experience. A good Summary will give you an edge over the other people competing for the same open slot. Indeed.com has some good resources that you can use when writing a resume. Check out this link: (https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/6-universal-rules-for-resume-writing). If you are working with a good recruiter, they should be able to help you with tailoring your resume to better suit the type of position you are pursuing. This post is geared more for the individuals just getting out of the military, but does this make sense to you?