Page Comparison

This section goes by many names on a résumé. Select one that reflects who you are and how you want to represent yourself for the position and sector. Some examples include:

Summary of Qualifications

Highlights of Qualifications

Career Summary

Career Profile

Professional Profile

Executive Summary

Key Competencies

Highlights

Profile

Relevant Competencies

When hiring managers are scanning through each résumé, this is the section they often scan first (Woodrow, 2021). What they see here is likely to determine whether they decide to read any of the other sections below it. If you have very limited time to customize your résumé for a particular job, you may want to customize this section first.

A summary of qualifications section provides you with the opportunity to write a concise and accurate overview of your skills, abilities and knowledge across your experiences. In three-six bullet points, this section quickly summarizes your unique and tailored qualifications for the role.

The summary of qualifications should respond to a hiring manager’s main concern: “What experiences, qualifications, skills, personality traits, values and accomplishments make this person a strong candidate for the position within my organization?”

Your summary of qualifications should entice a hiring manager to reflect on what they would want to learn about you in an interview. It is recommended that you use industry specific terms and phrases as a way of communicating your value to, and knowledge of, the sector or organization.

Highlight any unique achievements that will help you stand out among other applicants. Represent your abilities accurately and honestly. You may draw from any area of your life (e.g., academic experience, work experience, volunteering, extracurriculars or other activities).

Some people have difficulty identifying their skills, competencies and the impact of their work. It may be that you have been raised not to “brag” about your abilities or achievements. Or perhaps you experience challenges when it comes to brainstorming and crafting bullet points. Regardless, if you are seeking to describe your skills and strengths more effectively, consider self-assessment activities to help you uncover your strengths. For more guidance on articulating your strengths, attend a CCD workshop or book an appointment with a career advisor.

The bullet points you write in the summary of qualifications section are slightly different than the bullet points you will find in other places on a résumé:

• Summary of qualifications bullet points make broad claims about your skills and experience (e.g., Proficient programmer with three years of experience using X, Y and Z languages). This is what employers often see first and could influence whether they decide to keep reading. These claims should always correspond to specific evidence provided in your experience bullet points.

• Experience bullet points describe a specific experience and are included in remaining sections such as work experience, volunteer experience, etc. You may occasionally decide to include them in sections such as education, activities and interests. Experience bullet points provide supporting evidence to back up claims made in the summary of qualifications.

Here are some examples of how summary of qualifications bullet points correspond to experience bullet points.

Skill: Program planning and delivery

Skill: Research/report writing

Skill: Communication

Skill: Project management

Skill: Data collection/analysis

“The summary of qualifications bullet points give a broad introduction targeted to a particular position. Experience bullet points provide specific evidence from various experiences that back up the claims you make in your summary of qualifications.”

Typically, craft three-six summary of qualifications bullet points. The order of the bullets may change depending on your experiences, the relevance to the role and the conventions of the industry.

Below are some of the common components to consider including:

• Experience relevant to the position sought (e.g., paid/unpaid work, academics, research or extracurricular activities)

• Relevant knowledge/skills/expertise with a general reference to the role, sector or context in which you developed the skill.

• Include this level of detail in only a few bullet points so the section doesn’t become too lengthy (e.g., “Excellent communication skills as developed through/gained by 10+ years of debate”)

• Education and training

• Personality traits that are listed in the job description and relevant to the position

• Fluency in a language other than English, if relevant, specifically noting your level of verbal and/or written competency

• Employment eligibility-related information

•  This is an optional component of your summary of qualifications section and/or your cover letter. You may include it if you think it would be beneficial.

• It is illegal in Canada for employers to ask for your citizenship status. Employers can only ask if you are eligible to work in Canada which does not require you to disclose your citizenship status. These laws are in place to reduce discriminatory bias in the hiring process. To learn more, feel free to consult the section on safety and your rights at work.