Resume Profile Explained (with Examples)

Make an impact with a knock-out profile

When it comes to job search success, nothing is more important than ensuring that your resume captures an employer's attention. After all, even the best resumes are useless if no one reads them. Of course, that raises an important question: is there anything you can do to make your resume get the attention it deserves?

In this post, we'll explain how a great resume profile can help you to solve that challenge. We'll explain how a resume profile works, when you should use it in your resume, and how to create a profile that immediately commands interest. Finally, we'll provide several resume profile examples that you can customize and use in your own resume.

What is a resume profile?

If you're already familiar with the resume objective statement or resume summary, then the concept of a resume profile should be easy to understand. Put simply, the resume profile is an introductory paragraph that quickly summarizes your skills and experiences in a way that motivates hiring managers to continue reading your resume.

As you'll discover in our resume profile examples later in the post, a great profile focuses attention on your best skills, experience, and achievements. You can think of it as an elevator pitch for your resume - a quick snapshot that provides just enough information to make the reader want to learn more about you.

What types of resume profiles can you use?

To better understand the resume profile, it may help to look at some of the different types of resume profiles that job seekers can use. There are three different types of common profiles, including the objective statement, summary, and summary of qualifications.

Objective statement

The resume objective statement is often considered obsolete, since it tends to focus more on your career goals than the employer's needs. It's often used by entry level workers with little experience or career-changers who need to explain why their skill set makes them a good candidate for the job. To use it effectively, job candidates need to ensure that they include some language that explains how they can benefit the employer if they're hired. For example:

“Creative social media professional with 3 years of experience and proven results. Skilled in cross-platform engagement enhancement and brand development. Looking for an opportunity to work with a company that prioritizes customer experience and brand loyalty. Experience includes increasing customer engagement by 130% over a six-month period.”

Summary paragraph

The resume summary has replaced the objective statement in most modern resumes - and for good reason. This brief paragraph may also mention one or two key skills, but its primary focus is on detailing your important work experience and measurable achievements. As a result, the summary is a preferred option for job seekers with significant experience, since it's designed to demonstrate your value as an employee. Below, is an example of this type of profile statement:

“Accomplished Project Manager with more than ten years of successful team building and project execution expertise. Skilled in process development, workflow management, and collaboration with stakeholders. Received Agile Leader award in 2018. While at ABC Corporation, developed personnel resource allocation program that increased project efficiency by 48% in the first year of use.”

Summary of qualifications

The third option is the summary of qualifications. The main difference between this type of summary and the summary paragraph involves the format choice. Instead of being one block of text, it combines a brief paragraph with several bullet point examples of notable achievements. For example:

Dynamic Team Leader with 7 years of experience in customer management, problem-solving, and team building. Proven to increase team productivity, enhance the customer service experience, and provide real value to an employer.

Led 30-person team of technical professionals, with 95% customer satisfaction
Reorganized project workflow for ABC Corporation, increasing efficiency by 45%
Developed training program that reduced employee onboarding costs by 17%

What elements should you include in your resume profile?

Before you create a resume profile, it's important to think about the types of information you want to include for your reader. What types of qualification is the employer evaluating as part of its hiring decision? Does the job description focus primarily on core skills? Do you have achievements that are likely to make a positive impression on the hiring manager?

There are many different profile elements that you can include, so you'll need to prioritize based on the employers' needs. The fact is that you won't have room in your profile to cover all these different types of information, so choose wisely:

Skills that are relevant to the position you're seeking
Your length of experience
Notable achievements, preferably ones that you can quantify with real numbers
Core personal characteristics that make you a good fit for the role
Your career aspirations - preferably noted in a way that shows how they align with the company's vision

Again, make sure that you focus attention on the job posting, taking note of every key skill and experience that the employer cites as required qualifications. You'll want to tailor your profile - and the rest of your resume - to align with those stated employer needs.

Pro tip: Make special note of those job requirements, since you will want to use the same language in your resume. Those keywords are essential for ensuring that your resume can satisfy any applicant tracking system screening the employer might be using.

You should also do some research to learn more about the company's culture. That will enable you to further tailor your resume profile to include personal traits that highlight how well you'll fit into that environment. Sometimes, those little details can make the difference between you and another similarly qualified candidate.

How to write your own resume profile: tips

When you're ready to create your resume profile, it's important to know how to do it the right way. Since it's the first thing employers will see after they're done reading your contact details, you need to make sure that it's as compelling as possible. The following tips can help.

Write this part of your resume last

Even though your profile section will be near the top of your resume, you should still create this important section last. Why? Well, it's simple: since the resume profile serves as a summary of your qualifications, it's helpful to get the rest of the resume done before you start on that summary.

Make it brief

Be as concise as you can. Again, think of this profile section as a salesperson's elevator pitch. It doesn't need to tell your entire employment story, but should instead serve as a brief highlight of your greatest hits. As a rule, try to restrict this paragraph to no more than four sentences. If you use a summary of qualifications, include just one or two brief sentences and three or four bullet points.

Choose the best profile type for your job search needs

Which type of profile should you create? If you're an entry-level employee, you may want to focus on a modified objective statement - one that focuses on your career goals, while highlighting the ways in which your skills can benefit the employer. If you have more experience, you may want to rely on the summary paragraph. Just be sure to include at least one measurable achievement to highlight your value.

If you're switching careers and need to focus attention on transferable skills, you may even want to rely on a summary of qualifications. Those bullet points can be a great way to emphasize specific skills and highlight the value that you've provided for previous employers.

Tailor the profile to your desired position

Make sure that your profile aligns with the job you're seeking. You can do this by including some core keywords from the job posting, detailing your qualifications. However, make sure that your profile ultimately aligns with who you are as an employee. If you take the tailoring to extremes, you may end up with a profile that fails to accurately represent your personality and character.

Don't be afraid to add personality

Speaking of personality, this is the place to add that personal touch. Your skills, work experience, and education sections are not appropriate for adding personality, but a few well-chosen words in your profile can help the employer to better understand you as a person.

Of course, make sure that your personal flourishes fit with the type of job you're seeking. For example, a few words about your fun work style will be appreciated if you're applying for a customer service or similar position. That same language may not be as useful if you're seeking a role in a law firm. Use your best judgment as you determine how much personality to put into any profile.

Use measurable achievements

We've already mentioned measurable achievements several times, but it's important to highlight them once again. Your resume profile should include at least one quantifiable accomplishment, backed by real numbers that demonstrate the value you've provided. For example:

Implemented new networking system that reduced downtime by 33%, improving both efficiency and productivity and providing 12% cost savings for the company
Led sales team effort that increased new customer acquisition by 13% while generating $12 million in new revenues in the first six months of the fiscal year
Created an online customer engagement program that increased website visits by 45%, enhanced new sales activities by 13%, and boosted revenues by 10% within one quarter of implementation

Resume profile examples you can use

As you might expect, your approach to creating a resume profile can also differ based on the type of job you're seeking. That's because different job roles require different skill sets, experiences, and personal qualities.

To get you started, we've compiled resume profile examples covering a wide variety of professions. You can use these professional profile examples as templates for your profile, or simply refer to them for guidance as you create your own unique resume opening.

Resume profile examples for students

Recent Information Technology graduate focused on operating and security software management. Seeking employment with a dynamic software firm in need of advanced networking and troubleshooting expertise. Experience includes a one-year internship with DynacorpX, providing testing and problem-resolution that helped increase company productivity by 14%.

Resume profile example for entry-level applicants

Friendly, detail-oriented, and organized customer service professional looking to be part of an energetic, mission-focused team.

Skilled at developing organizational processes, managing records, and engaging customers
Successfully resolved customer complaints, with 90% satisfaction rate while volunteering with FreshStart
Broad computer systems expertise, including database and presentation platforms

Resume profile example for career-changers

Personnel-focused Sales Team Leader with 10+ years of experience in team building, training, and sales program development. Looking to transition to a project management role to better use organizational and project implementation skills. While at ABC Corporation, successfully created and executed a sales process reorganization that cut waste by 45%, saving the company more than $40,000 per year.

Resume profile example for a Graphic Designer

Dynamic and innovative Graphic Designer with 4 years of experience in the gaming and entertainment industry. Skilled in developing storyboards, character animation, typography, and general layouts. Creative successes include development work on more than 200 unique graphic design projects that helped to generate more than $300 million in revenue.

Resume profile example for a Marketing Manager

Creative Marketing Manager focused on data-driven solutions. More than 8 years of experience in building collaborative teams capable of overcoming any challenge. While at XYZ Inc., led a 10-person team responsible for broadening target audience by 200%, increasing company revenues by 120% over a three-year period. Expertise includes digital marketing campaigns focused on driving new customer acquisition and target audience engagement.

Resume profile example for an Accountant

Detail-oriented finance professional with 7 years of accounting expertise. Proficient in accounting best practices, including creation and management of financial reports, regulatory compliance, tax issues, and budget management and forecasting. Reorganized DEF Corporation's accounting department, reducing inefficiencies by 28%, cutting costs by 19%, and improving productivity by 33%.

Resume profile example for an Administrative Assistant

Reliable Administrative Assistant with 8 years of experience in office management and personal assistance. Comprehensive expertise in presentation development, scheduling management, reporting, and confidentiality. Reorganized filing and reporting systems at Beagle Law, improving client response times by 40%, reducing redundancies, and cutting labor costs by 12%.

Resume profile example for a Data Scientist

Fact-driven Data Scientist with 8 years of experience in data analysis, predictive modeling, and data mining. Proficient with SQL, Python, Tableau, and other common data visualization systems. While at DataCore, took the lead on development of new processes that increased decision-making efficiency by improving the company's ability to use data to gain useful insights. Project resulted in an 18% increase in overall departmental productivity.

Resume profile example for an HR Manager

Personnel-focused HR Manager with 7 years of experience managing human resources functions. Expertise in recruitment, onboarding processes, employee training and relations, and performance reviews. Designed AmAm's new HR policies to align with new firm policies, emphasizing progressive discipline and promotion of a positive work environment. Effort resulted in a 33% reduction in turnover and 43% increase in employee satisfaction.

Resume profile example for a Teacher

Results-oriented educator with 6 years of experience as a middle school Teacher. Expertise in crafting challenging but engaging lesson plans designed to encourage critical thinking and classroom participation in an inclusive way. Dedicated to professional development to stay abreast of current educational best practices and focused on enhancing each student's ability to achieve success. Specific competencies include English, US History, and Basic Civics.

Resume profile example for a Construction Manager

Task-oriented construction professional with more than 10 years of experience in both commercial and residential project management. Led teams responsible for completing more than 60 construction projects valued at more than $40 million dollars, with a 99% on-time and under-budget record of success. Bilingual (English and Spanish) manager with expertise in budget allocation, resource management, project estimates and implementation.

Craft the best possible intro for your resume!

No matter what type of resume profile you decide to use to introduce yourself to prospective employers, your goal should always be the same: to create a powerful and compelling message that inspires employers to read the rest of your resume. The tips and resume profile examples we've provided should ensure that you have everything you need to craft your own profile narrative.

Still not sure if your resume profile has what it takes to capture your reader's interest? Get a free resume review from our team of top experts today!