How to Write a Human Resources Resume Summary

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Your resume summary ideally focuses on what you can offer the employer, whether it’s soft skills, technical skills, special credentials, awards or other achievements. An effective resume summary acts as an enticement for a hiring manager to read the rest of your resume. In this article, you can explore what a resume summary is and the benefits of having one, followed by steps to write a resume summary for a human resources professional with tips and examples.

What is a resume summary?

A resume summary is a short professional statement that introduces what makes you valuable to an employer. This introduction is typically located at the top of a resume, acting as a highlight reel of your most relevant skills and experiences. This helps an employer to immediately see if you possess the skills and background required for the role. 

A resume summary can be three to five sentences to summarize your skills, experience and achievements as they relate to the specific position. If you’ve got an abundance of HR experience, you should try to curate your best accomplishments and experiences to include in your summary.

How to write a human resources resume summary

Follow the steps to craft your human resources resume summary:

1. First, write your resume then focus on your summary

Your resume summary should appear first on your finished resume, but it should be written last. It’s much easier to write your summary after you’ve completed the other sections of your resume, as you can refer to them as an overall picture and pluck the best examples out for your summary.

2. Second, lead with your title

The first sentence should state your professional title and number of years of experience. 

3. Next, pick the top three most impressive parts of your resume 

Paraphrase your best and most relevant skills and experience into brief highlights that connect with the role you’re applying for. Keep in mind that you’re trying to entice the employer to read further. 

4. Then, use relevant keywords wherever possible

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is capable of scanning resumes for keywords before they even get into the hands of an employer. It is important to include keywords that are shown in the job description to show that your experience and qualifications align with the requirements of the role.

5. Next, remember to relate each sentence to the job requirements 

Make sure to show employers the connection between your qualifications and the job requirements. This helps close the gap between what you’ve accomplished and what the position requires.

6. Last, finish by summing up what you can offer to an employer

Re-read your summary to make sure that it focuses on what value you can offer to the company and not on what you want from them. 

Human resources resume summary tips

Here are a few tips to consider when writing your own HR resume summary: 

  • Look through job descriptions that interest you and take note of the required qualifications. Align your skills and achievements with what the employer is looking for.
  • Emphasize your accomplishments, quantifying when possible. For example, stating that you increased employee retention by 25% is more impactful than simply saying that you are friendly and helpful. 
  • Keep it short. Three to five concise sentences are the maximum that you should include in your resume summary.
  • Use an active voice. Begin your statement with a strong adjective for yourself and include key action words to describe your experience.
  • Proofread your resume summary several times. You may even consider sending your resume summary to a trusted friend for a peer review. They may catch mistakes that you missed.

Resume summary examples for HR professionals

 The following examples can be used as guidelines when writing your own human resources resume summary:

Example 1

‘Highly competent Human Resources Manager and SHRM-CP with 12 years of experience. Implemented process improvements to boost staff retention by 25%, cut recruiting lead time by 40% and increase employee training participation by 18%. Expert in applicant tracking systems, benefits management and payroll management.’

This applicant starts off by showcasing their experience in the field, and then gets to the heart of their impressive accomplishments. There are plenty of keywords for ATS to pick up, and the whole thing is concise and easily scannable.

Example 2

‘Human Resources Generalist with six years of experience managing hiring and onboarding, employee benefits and payroll, performance tracking methods and HR records. Reliable, knowledgeable and highly organized team player with excellent communication skills, team building and relationship management. Highly proficient with HRIS software as well as ATS.’

The applicant starts off by highlighting their experience in HR roles and continues to build on this pattern throughout the summary. They showcase their hard and soft skills using basic terms for easy understanding, and they use keywords to please the ATS. The tone is written in a genuine manner that does not seem forced.