Summary of qualifications

Overview
Bullet points
Tips for writing
Examples

Overview of the summary of qualifications

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 scan through each résumé, this is the section they often scan first (Woodrow, 2021). What they see here will likely determine whether they read any of the other sections below it. If you have 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-to-six bullet points, this section 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 brainstorming and crafting bullet points. Regardless, if you seek 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 workshop or book an appointment with a career advisor.

Summary of qualifications - bullet points

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 include them in sections such as education, activities and interests. Experience bullet points provide supporting evidence to support claims made in the summary of qualifications.

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

Skill: Program planning and delivery

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples
Summary of qualifications bullet point	Nature enthusiast with more than five years’ experience in leading well-organized outdoor activities including wilderness excursions and search and rescue operations.
Related experience bullet point	Independently prepared exploratory nature hikes and educational activities, resulting in high quality interactive program delivery.

Skill: Research/report writing

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples
Summary of qualifications bullet point	3+ years of experience in environmental research, combined with a solid academic background specializing in sustainability management.
Related experience bullet point	Created written reports, using MS Word and Excel, to summarize project findings and offer recommendations, which stimulated economic sustainability in the rural community.

Skill: Communication

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples
Summary of qualifications bullet point	Exceptional ability to communicate complex ideas effectively to diverse audiences, both orally and in writing, strengthened through two years of experience as a teaching assistant.
Related experience bullet point	Communicated complex concepts related to policy and governance in a clear and concise manner when addressing student questions during office hours and via online message boards and email.

Skill: Project management

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples
Summary of qualifications bullet point	Strong project coordination, data analysis, information synthesis and report writing as demonstrated through research experience.
Related experience bullet point	Managed project deadlines and stakeholder communications using Airtable to coordinate and delegate specific tasks to team members.

Skill: Data collection/analysis

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples

Bullet point types	Bullet point examples
Summary of qualifications bullet point	Solid technical background in statistical software, MS Excel and MATLAB.
Related experience bullet point	Collected and analyzed survey data in MATLAB to determine [X] result.

“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.”

Tips for writing summary of qualifications bullet points

Typically, craft three to 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.

Expand the following content for more information.

Highlights of Qualifications

Three years’ experience in report writing and research developed in the field of health sciences Excellent interpersonal skills developed through international volunteer experiences with multidisciplinary teams
Strong time management skills, attention to detail and critical thinking skills resulting in a first year GPA of 4.0 and academic awards including Dean’s List
Efficient worker; demonstrated through effective completion of tasks with tight deadlines
Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and literature searches
Written and verbal fluency in French

Career Summary

Experienced engineer, with more than eleven years’ structural engineering experience, specializing in construction
Proficient in use of project management software, including MS Project and Primavera
Effective leader of large-scale projects from concept to completion, including overseeing multimillion dollar highway construction development
Skilled supervisor with thorough knowledge of quality control, cost control, progress evaluation, policy development/implementation, and documentation
Recognized for effectively managing a range of technical projects and programs, and consistently exceeding performance targets

Profile

Nature enthusiast with more than five years’ experience in leading well-organized outdoor activities including wilderness excursions and search and rescue operations
Highly skilled in kayaking, hiking, rock and mountain climbing, canoeing, sport fishing and hunting
Trained in Emergency Level First Aid and CPR (Level C)
Able to work in any season and in all weather conditions
Highly reliable with excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Summary of Qualifications

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills developed through more than two years working as an aquatics deck supervisor
Strong organizational and leadership skills developed as a summer camp counsellor
Excellent co-operation and teamwork skills through lifeguarding in a team setting
Extensive knowledge of human anatomy
Intermediate level MS Word and Excel
Standard First Aid with AED; National Lifeguard certified

Highlights of Qualifications

More than four years writing and editing experience from volunteering on the school newspaper and an editorial board
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and G Suite gained from projects in various professional and volunteer positions
Excellent leadership skills developed by heading the Student Leadership Council in school
Skilled at fostering positive relationships through six years as a Girl Guide patrol leader

Next: Experience section on a résumé