resume examples leadership

30 Examples: How to List Leadership Skills on Your Resume

By Status.net Editorial Team on December 12, 2023 — 11 minutes to read

Leadership skills on your resume showcase your ability to manage teams, projects, and organizations effectively. These skills indicate that you can assume responsibility, guide others, and make informed decisions.

Here’s a quick breakdown of key leadership skills to include:

• Communication : You need to articulate your ideas clearly and listen effectively.
• Teamwork : Collaborate well with others and build strong team synergy.
• Problem-solving : Find solutions to issues and think critically to overcome challenges.
• Innovation : Show creativity and the willingness to try new approaches.
• Reliability : Demonstrate dependability in completing tasks and maintaining work ethic.
• Mentoring : Guide and support the development of peers or team members.

Highlight the skills that align closely with the roles and responsibilities of the position you’re applying for. This customization will help your resume resonate with potential employers.

Identifying Your Leadership Qualities

To effectively showcase your leadership skills on a resume, start by pinpointing what you bring to the table as a leader. This will help tailor your resume to highlight your unique strengths.

Self-Assessment

• Begin with some honest self-reflection.
• Consider your previous experiences where you took charge—whether formally or informally—and think about the skills that helped you succeed in those roles.
• Were you good at setting clear goals, or perhaps your strength lay in motivating a team? List down these instances and skills.
• Try categorizing them under relevant skill sets like communication, problem-solving, or team motivation.

Feedback from Peers and Mentors

• Next, reach out to colleagues and mentors who’ve seen you in action.
• Ask them to share their perspectives on your leadership abilities. This step not only gives you additional insights but also validation for the skills you’ve identified through self-assessment.
• Compact these insights into clear bullet points, such as “recognized by team for effective conflict resolution” or “commended by manager for strong project vision and execution”.

Showcasing Leadership Skills in Different Resume Sections

Professional summary.

Your professional summary is a teaser of your capabilities and accomplishments. Mention a standout leadership achievement or characteristic here. For example, if you spearheaded a project that exceeded targets, you could start with, “Dynamic team leader who successfully drove project X to completion, exceeding goals by 20%.”

Work Experience

In your work experience section, quantify leadership accomplishments with specific results. Under each relevant job title, describe how you guided teams or projects. Use bullet points like:

• Led a sales team to a record-breaking year, increasing revenue by 30%.
• Managed cross-departmental collaborations to streamline the product development process.

Your skills section should concisely list leadership qualities that match the job description. You can focus on skills such as:

• Critical thinking
• Team building
• Strategic planning
• Effective communication
• Decision making
• Conflict resolution
• Emotional intelligence
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving
• Accountability
• Visionary thinking
• Influencing others
• Cultural intelligence
• Time management
• Performance management
• Change management

Categorize them as ‘Leadership Skills’ to make them easily identifiable.

Education and Certifications

Include any leadership roles you held during your education or mention relevant certifications. If you were a club president or coordinated a major event, it’s worth mentioning. For example:

• President of the Student Council, managing a team of five to organize school events.
• Certified Project Management Professional with expertise in agile leadership practices.

Quantifying Your Leadership Impact

When listing leadership skills on your resume, showcasing the tangible impact you’ve had in past roles can make a significant difference. Employers value candidates who can demonstrate their leadership skills with clear evidence of success.

Example Achievements:

Project management.

• Coordinated a team of 10 to deliver a web development project, resulting in a 30% increase in user engagement within three months.

Team Development

• Mentored five junior staff to advance into mid-level positions, enhancing team productivity by 20%.

Using Specific Metrics:

Revenue growth.

• Spearheaded a new market strategy that led to a revenue boost of $100K in the first quarter.

Cost Reduction

• Implemented operational efficiencies that cut supply costs by $50K annually.

Tailoring Leadership Skills to the Job Description

When crafting your resume, aligning your leadership skills with the specific requirements of the job description can make a significant impact. This customized approach shows employers that you’re not just a great leader, but the right leader for their team.

Researching Job Postings

Start by thoroughly reading job postings in your field, focusing especially on the responsibilities and qualifications sections. Here you’ll find keywords and phrases that companies use to describe their ideal candidate. Make a list of these terms, particularly those related to leadership.

Matching Skills to Employer Needs

Once you have your list, match your own experiences and skills with the needs of the employer. Did you spearhead a successful project? That’s a great opportunity to highlight your strategic planning abilities. Have you overseen a team? Mention your supervisory experience and how you’ve fostered team productivity and morale. Ensure each skill you list is presented in a way that’s directly applicable to the job you’re aiming for. Use bullet points for clarity:

• Strategic Planning : Organized a fundraiser that exceeded goals by 30%, illustrating strong strategic planning and execution abilities.
• Team Leadership : Led a team of 10 sales associates to a record-breaking quarter, demonstrating effective team motivation and leadership skills.
• Conflict Resolution : Resolved interdepartmental conflicts by mediating discussions, resulting in improved communication lines and a 15% increase in project efficiency.

Tailoring your leadership skills to the job description not only positions you as a qualified candidate but also demonstrates your attention to detail and your commitment to the role.

Writing Compelling Bullet Points

Crafting your bullet points with clear action verbs and specific outcomes will make your leadership skills shine on your resume.

Action Verbs

When you start your bullet points, kick off with a strong action verb that showcases your leadership skills. This approach brings energy and clarity to your experience. Check out these verbs to strengthen your resume:

• Coordinated
• Implemented
• Streamlined
• Facilitated
• Revolutionized
• Spearheaded
• Transformed

Concrete Outcomes

Highlight the results of your leadership using concrete numbers and outcomes. These specifics will paint a picture of your effectiveness. Here are examples showing how to do this:

• Boosted sales by 20% through strategic leadership of a cross-functional team
• Cut costs by 15% by streamlining in-house training processes
• Increased team productivity by 30% by implementing a new project management system
• Developed a new employee engagement program that reduced turnover by 25%
• Led a marketing campaign that generated a 40% increase in qualified leads
• Improved customer satisfaction scores by 35% as a result of a team restructuring initiative
• Enhanced operational efficiency by redesigning the workflow, saving the company 1000+ hours annually
• Closed deals with 3 major clients, resulting in a revenue increase of $1.5M
• Drove the company’s expansion into two new international markets within a year
• Oversaw a budget of $500,000 while cutting unforeseen expenses by 10%
• Guided a project team to deliver all projects within deadline, 95% of the time
• Achieved a record low employee turnover rate of 5% through improved morale and leadership engagement
• Raised $200,000 in funding for a community service project by leading fundraising efforts
• Completed a company-wide audit leading to a reduction in operational waste by 20%
• Accelerated the company’s growth by 200% in three years through strategic partnerships
• Revamped the onboarding process, resulting in a 50% decrease in new hire ramp-up time
• Delivered a cloud migration project that improved system uptime by 99.9%
• Successfully coached a team of junior managers to achieve their KPIs six months in advance
• Pioneered a new customer feedback system that improved product development cycles by 30%
• Secured a 98% client retention rate through effective team leadership and problem-solving strategies
• Launched a diversity initiative that increased minority representation in leadership roles by 40%
• Orchestrated a department merger without disruption in services or employee satisfaction
• Built a volunteer program that contributed over 500 hours of community service per year
• Engineered a supply chain logistics plan that saved the company $250,000 annually
• Cultivated a culture of innovation that resulted in filing 10 new patents
• Designed a comprehensive risk management strategy reducing liability exposure by 20%
• Consolidated multiple legacy systems into a singular platform, enhancing productivity by 15%
• Commanded a national conference with over 300 delegates, showcasing organizational leadership
• Initiated a quality control protocol that improved product quality by 22%
• Masterminded a program that positively impacted over 10,000 local residents

Leveraging Extracurricular and Volunteer Experience

When detailing your leadership skills in a resume, don’t overlook extracurricular and volunteer experiences. These activities are fertile ground for showcasing your leadership qualities, especially if your professional experience is limited.

Organize Your Points Start by listing leadership roles in clubs, sports teams, or community groups. Did you captain your soccer team or head a fundraising event? This shows commitment and the ability to manage a group towards a goal.

• Led practices and strategy sessions.
• Coordinated team logistics for traveling to matches.

Highlight Achievements Quantify your impact where you can. If you raised a notable amount of money for a cause or increased club membership, include these achievements. This demonstrates the tangible outcomes of your leadership.

• Increased club membership by 20% through targeted recruitment campaigns.
• Organized a charity run, raising $5,000 for local food banks.

Showcase Soft Skills Volunteer work often requires collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. Reflect on instances where you used these skills during your extracurricular activities.

• Coordinated with a team of 10 volunteers to optimize the adoption process.
• Fostered communication between the shelter staff and potential pet adopters.

Use Strong Verbs Employ action verbs to convey your role in leading the effort.

• Chaired the annual book fair, managing over 50 volunteers.

Highlighting extracurricular and volunteer work can fill in the gaps and project a well-rounded image of your leadership capabilities. Tailor these experiences to align with the job you’re applying for, reinforcing the relevance of your skills.

Fine-Tuning and Proofreading Your Resume

Before you hit send on your application, take a moment to double-check your resume. Ensuring every detail is accurate and polished reflects your strong attention to detail—a vital leadership trait.

Start with these steps:

• Spell-check : Use tools like spellcheck to catch any typos or misspellings. However, don’t rely solely on this; some mistakes can slip through.
• Grammar check : Programs like Grammarly are a second pair of eyes, but again, they aren’t foolproof. Read through each line to catch errors a computer might miss.
• Consistency : Review for uniformity in font size, type, and heading styles. Consistent formatting is key for a professional look.

Hand your resume to a trusted friend or mentor for feedback. They might spot errors you’ve overlooked and provide suggestions to enhance your leadership descriptions.

Finally, print out your resume: sometimes, physical copies reveal mistakes that aren’t as obvious on-screen. Scan each section carefully, checking for proper alignment and spacing, and be certain that all of your leadership skills shine with precise, clear language.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

• Not specific enough: Rather than claiming you have “excellent leadership skills,” illustrate this with concrete examples. Showcase situations where you guided a team towards a goal. For instance, “Led a team of six in developing a new marketing strategy, resulting in a 20% increase in sales.”
• Overloading your resume with clichés: Terms like “outside-the-box thinker” and “team player” are vague and overused. Reveal how you breathe life into these phrases. Instead of “team player,” you might say, “Collaborated with cross-functional departments to streamline project processes, enhancing productivity by 15%.”
• Ambiguity about your role in a team achievement: Clarify your contributions to a team success. Instead of “Contributed to a project that won an industry award,” detail your specific actions: “Designed the key product features for an award-winning mobile app.”
• Avoid listing leadership qualities without context. Your skills should tie back to actual results or improvements made. Also, resist the urge to embellish achievements, as this can lead to a lack of credibility if questioned during an interview.
• Using too much jargon or technical language can make your leadership skills unclear to the reader. Explain your accomplishments in straightforward terms that anyone can understand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of leadership skills to put on a resume.

Consider adding skills such as conflict resolution, team building, strategic planning, and effective communication. You might also highlight your ability to delegate, your decision-making prowess, and your knack for inspiring others.

How can I describe my team leadership experience in a resume?

When you describe your team leadership experience, start with a strong action verb followed by the scope of your responsibilities and the impact made. For instance, “Led a team of 12 in completing a cross-departmental project ahead of schedule, increasing efficiency by 15%.”

What kind of leadership achievements should I highlight on my resume?

Showcase achievements where you’ve had a measurable impact. This could be project completions under budget, improvements in team performance metrics, or successful launches of new initiatives. Quantifying these with percentages or dollar figures makes your contribution more tangible.

How would I write a resume headline if I’m applying for a leadership position?

Think of your headline as your professional tagline. If targeting a leadership role, a powerful headline could be “Innovative Team Leader with Proven Record of Elevating Operational Success” or “Visionary Manager with 10+ Years of Experience in Team Growth and Strategic Planning.”

What’s a good way to illustrate leadership skills during an interview?

During an interview, use specific stories that demonstrate your leadership skills. Discuss challenges you’ve faced, how you addressed them, the actions you took, and the results that followed. This method paints a clear picture of your leadership style and effectiveness.

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10 Leadership skills to include on your resume + examples

1. Creativity

2. planning, 3. people management, 4. adaptability, 5. communication, 7. decisiveness, 8. change management, 9. delegation, 10. influencing skills.

Leadership skills are always at the top of a hiring manager’s priority list. 

It doesn’t matter how experienced you are or what function you work in, making things happen with others is central to most roles. Demonstrating these leadership skills on your resume and cover letter is therefore an important step to securing that interview.

You bring value if you have a top skillset, but if you multiply that value if you are able to level up the performance of those around you. Great leaders raise the output of the collective. That is a valuable commodity indeed.

With the variety and nuance of leadership skills that you could mention, how do you decide which are most important and how you might include them in your resume? What are the leadership needs of those that will be around you? What would make the most difference to the company? Let’s consider the following:

What are leadership skills?

• Which leadership skills do employers value most?
• How to include leadership in your resume?
• 10 leadership skills with examples for your resume
• How to tell your leadership story in your cover letter

Developing your leadership skills will make a difference to you, those around you and to your employer. Leaders are not born; they are made. Tell your future boss the story of how you became the leader that you are today. Leadership is a journey and they will hope that you will grow further in your leadership abilities with them. They will be keen to nurture you in this endeavour.

I’m not a manager. Why are leadership skills important for me?

You don’t have to be a manager to be a leader. If your colleagues look to you for guidance, you are a leader. If you make a decision that other people respect, you are a leader. If you volunteer for a difficult task and set an example, you are a leader. If you can talk through such situations in your resume and during your job search, your future employer may see you as a leader too.

Great leaders take their people with them on a journey of personal development and business success. Both the challenges and makeup of their teams will vary, so the suite of leadership skills that any leader will be required to deploy at any one time will change with the demands of the situation that they face.

Each leadership skill (as with any behaviour) comprises a great deal of nuance and its effectiveness will greatly depend on how it is delivered. 

Delegating a task politely, while offering a reason and making sure that there is a benefit for the person doing it is likely to be successful. Bluntly telling someone to do it may not be.

Every leader is different and there are certain aspects of leadership that you will naturally gravitate towards. As with cultural fit, if the leadership fit is right between you and your future employer, your chances of getting the job will increase significantly.

Which leadership skills do employers value most? Every employer will place a different value onto each leadership skill. Some cultures will be strong on creativity and vision, while others will centre around planning and change management. If you do your homework, you will be able to write a leadership-led resume that reflects the sort of qualities that your future employer values. Great resumes get down to this granular level of detail. 

Showing off your promotion doesn’t have to be hard. In this blog, we reveal three of the simple ways you can list this achievement on your resume.

How to highlight leadership skills when applying for jobs

One of the simplest signposts to your leadership capabilities on your resume comes in your job title. In terms of how future employers will perceive you, having the word manager or team leader at the end of your title will create a favourable impression. It is well worth negotiating impressive sounding titles with employers for exactly this reason, but you should resist the temptation to make them up on your resume. It is not hard to check.

Surprisingly, the place where you should never list your leadership skills is in the resume skills section. You need to be able to show off the behaviors and impacts of your leadership, so a brief “influencing skills” description won’t cut it. Resume skills should be reserved for the harder technicals skills that will make you stand out from your competition.

The best places to organically weave leadership skills into your career story are in the resume summary and employment history section . Your future employer will know what is involved with your various achievements, so although you may not be explicit about the skills that you utilised, they will be able to read between the lines.

What is the most important leadership skill?

If a leader is not proficient in written and oral communication, then all the other skills are suddenly so much less effective. Creativity is no use if you cannot translate your vision to others. Planning is pointless if no one understands their role. Change management will fall at the first hurdle, as there won’t be a clear direction. Communication underpins everything about leadership.

10 Leadership skills with examples for your resume

These top ten leadership skills form a part of every leader’s interpersonal toolkit.

Being a conduit for innovation and creativity at the head of a team is one of the most powerful leadership qualities. When people have a leader who is happy to hear their diverse ideas and give them a chance to prove their validity, they will be brave in their decisions and push the boundaries further than the competition. 

Varied perspectives bring unexpected solutions in a creative team – you never know when the next bright idea will come along. This leadership skill makes you someone to follow for breakthrough ideas.

“Developed a totally new way of recruiting customer service staff by advertising to our loyal customers. People love the brand – 45% increase in applications.”

Setting objectives, hitting milestones and achieving goals is the fuel of a high-performing team that is going places. Ambitious employees only learn when they are on a journey, so great planning skills help to keep everyone on track. Leaders use strong facilitation and problem-solving skills to keep projects ticking along, and risk management often plays a significant role in being prepared for the inevitable unforeseen obstacles.

Most people in a company have so much going on that they find it hard to plan. When there is a leader who manages to tie all the relevant threads together into a cohesive plan, everyone feels more secure in their work.

“Facilitated a planning session for a project with over 30 internal and 10 external contributors. Managed the critical path and finished 15% ahead of schedule.”

Managing the varied personalities of those around you and building a cohesive team that pulls in the right direction lies at the core of people management . There are a whole host of leadership skills required to give everyone the space and opportunity to develop together. 

Recruiting the right blend of talent and retaining them is a key measure of success, but sometimes you just have to look at who has moved on to better things. People management skills means making a difference to others for their benefit, reaping the rewards while they are with you, but knowing that they will also leave you because of you.

“Developed a group of young graduates into the most successful sales team in the company’s history. 70% of them have now been promoted and moved on.”

Rolling with the punches and adapting when you need to (or even before you need to) is a key attribute of any leader. When your team has a certain amount of momentum it is not easy to change direction, but the more adaptable the leader, the easier their people will be able to transition from goal to goal. 

Be accountable in your response to change, check back that you are on the right path and never stop iterating. One of the key leadership skills is knowing when to change your leadership approach. When the environment around you changes, you need to adapt with it.

“Realising that our project was not achieving our goals, so we reset our ambitions, changed scope and sourced a new partner to eventually hit our budget target.”

Conveying your ideas and the ideas of your team to a broad audience is key to getting everyone on board and looking in the same direction. Relationships improve, there is less conflict and innovative ideas have the chance to be aired. When people are clear about the thoughts of others, they can modify their speech and behaviors to create a harmonious and productive atmosphere. 

Written skills cannot be underestimated in the leader’s armoury: influencing others when they read your words is an essential communication skill. It is also a fact that every great leader needs to be a fantastic listener. It's an important soft skil l for any leader.

“I was the go-to bid writer for our procurement team, winning over 60% of tenders. 2,000 words can make the difference – if they are the right words.”

Sometimes you need to have strategic thinking to be able to see three steps ahead and anticipate what is to come. Big picture thinking means constantly questioning whether you are on the right path to a destination that may lie far in the future. Your analytical skills in such future gazing should be top notch and your fingers should always be on the pulse of your market to detect any changes that may alter your path.

Leadership skills depend on taking your team on a journey - the best leaders share a picture of what the future looks like and map out the route to get there.

“Spotted a client management trend in the FinTech area that allowed us to increase our marketing touch points with clients by 75%”

One of a leader’s roles is to rubber stamp difficult decisions that could have gone either way. It is rare to find a total consensus in any team, so decisiveness proves to be a key leadership skill. People follow a leader because they trust their judgement – a leader who wavers and is constantly unsure will not inspire anyone. 

Be brave, take the plunge and make decisions with the best possible facts and opinions at your disposal at any given time. Everyone has doubts that plague their dreams - while a leader should not hide their vulnerability, it is a useful example for those that follow them if they are seen to have the courage of their convictions.

“Facing a deadline of a week to decide on the final brand direction, we worked nights to enable us to make the best possible decision.”

Understanding change, overcoming the resistance to change and then implementing change is a constant cycle of renewal and reassessment for any leader. The leadership skill of change management requires a strong process orientation and an ability to understand how all the different cogs of the machine related to each other. 

A leader is required to drive through change and communicate the vision as the process is rarely without obstacles. Often business development managers will showcase this in their resumes.

“Having 60% of the team change after a business merger was no simple proposition, but we recovered and were beating our budget within 4 months.”

No boss can do everything by themselves and only the worst ones try to. When you have a mountain of work to do, you need to understand who is best placed to do it (also who would benefit from doing it). Delegating a difficult task to someone and mentoring them through it is one of the best ways of achieving your goals. 

You don’t have to tell them what to do, merely set them off in the right direction and give them a nudge whenever required. Resist the temptation to check up on people too often. Show your team and colleagues that you trust them to do the best possible job with the tasks that you have set them.

“Needing to find $300k of cost savings before the budget round, we brought a procurement expert into the team who then worked with us to deliver $425k.”

Presenting critical information to a group of people is a skill that will bring countless benefits to your career. Which of your presentation skills need a little more polish?

Understanding others and tapping into their motivations to help further your own agenda lies at the heart of effective influencing. Persuading others works best when you view matters from their perspective and the best leaders spend the majority of their time thinking about their direction from the point of view of those around them. 

Building close relationships , and being grateful to all involved in your dream will get you a long way. There is little more magical than understanding why someone might be interested in doing something and then seeing their eyes light up when you point it out to them. Most people walk around with tunnel vision.... expand their perspectives.

“Traditionally, the sales and marketing departments had not been close, so we did employee swaps for a three month period to appreciate a different perspective.”

8 more characteristics of a good leader  

Motivation – The ability to push your people above and beyond impossible tasks.

Self-Awareness – Knowing yourself is key to understanding your impact on others.

Time Management – If you are not in charge of your day chaos will follow in your wake.

Focus – Leaders have a hundred and one priorities – deal with the ones that matter most.

Responsibility – Being a leader is the ultimate responsibility. Can you handle it?

Organization – When you have a team, you have countless spinning plates to keep in the air.

Consistency – People will trust you when you deliver on a consistent basis.

Honesty – This is rare in senior management, but if you are honest you will be followed.

Your resume may be the most important page you write in your life. Follow our top 20 resume writing tips to make yours a success.

Mentioning leadership skills in a cover letter

The free-flowing nature of a cover letter allows for more of a human aspect to your leadership story. While a resume is traditionally more factual, a cover letter covers more of the behavioral side. 

The stories that you choose to tell should closely align with the types of leadership situations that you will face in your new role. Don’t hesitate to change your cover letter if you feel that certain types of behavior might not be common. There is nothing worse for a potential employer than reading a cover letter and thinking “Well, that sort of thing doesn’t happen here often.” Leadership skills are great if they are the right leadership skills.

Choose suitable action verbs to give your leadership stories some extra weight and make sure that you quantify your contribution as clearly as possible (at the same time as highlighting the role of those around you). True leaders don’t make it all about them.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership skills are some of the abilities that hiring managers care about the most so pay attention to where and how you include them in your application.
• The resume skills section is ironically the least effective place to show leadership skills – try backing up your achievements in the employment history section instead.
• Your cover letter allows you to go into even more detail regarding situations in which you demonstrated leadership skills.

The opinions expressed are solely those of Find My Profession. Click to see our Advertising Disclosure.

45 Key Leadership Skills for a Resume (All Industries)

Show that you are an effective leader on your resume. Find top leadership qualities and synonyms and how to include them on your resume (with examples).

What are leadership skills and why do you need to include them on your resume?

The answer to this question is simple. You need to show your potential employers that you can manage a team and get results.

Companies like Amazon are very serious about leadership skills.

They won’t hire you if you don’t have leadership capabilities.

This is true even if you are applying to non-leadership positions!

In this article, we will explain the 9 most important leadership skills for your resume.

We will also share 45 leadership skill synonyms that you can sprinkle into your resume.

Let’s define leadership and get a deeper look into the nature and reality of leadership itself.

What Are Leadership Skills?

Leadership skills are the abilities that allow you to direct, supervise, and guide a group of people to achieve goals in unison. It’s not only being able to give direction to subordinates. It’s being able to inspire your team members to achieve the objectives of the organization.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

Leadership traits are essential for management, executive, and supervisory roles. But most positions required them in some form.

Leadership ability is also essential for rapid and desirable career growth.

For quick reference, here are 45 leadership skills and adjectives for a resume. Pick the skills that best describe your abilities.

Don’t use too many leadership adjectives throughout your resume. This will increase each one’s impact!

Where To Include Leadership Skills on Your Resume

Above is a list of the top leadership skills.

Now it’s time to get them added to your resume.

To include the best leadership traits on your resume:

• Analyze the job posting. Determine the most important leadership skills for the position you are applying for.
• Compare those skills with the ones you have.
• Weave these skills into various sections of your resume.

Here is a sample resume with leadership skills used throughout the resume:

We’ll walk you through each section of your resume and how to include the skills that make you a great leader.

Leadership Skills in Your Resume Title

Take your resume to the next level by adding leadership skills to your resume title.

Your resume title should tell the hiring manager what role you are applying for, but you can do more than that.

Including leadership skills here will set you apart from your competition.

You can add 3 – 5 skills to your title such as:

• Sales Leadership
• Team Development & Coaching
• Executive Leadership
• Turnaround Strategy

Remember to check the job description to know which skills to include in your title.

Leadership Qualities in Your Resume Summary

Your resume summary section is a great place to showcase your leadership skills.

Back up the skills you mention with a few great examples from your career.

Here’s a sample resume summary for a retail manager:

Highly accomplished Senior Retail Manager with extensive experience directing operations across multiple retail locations towards growth and profitability. Developed career track record of success in support growth results at leading retailers. Skilled in team engagement, human resource management, and training and development. Described by superiors as a winning goal-achiever in the face of obstacles.

The sample summary includes leadership traits (in bold).

Leadership Traits in Your Skills Section

The skills section of your resume is important. It will show the hiring manager that you have the necessary skills for the job you are applying for.

List your skills front and center on your resume.

Don’t leave this section off of your resume or place it at the bottom of the second page.

You can name this section with various titles like:

• Core Competencies
• Area of Expertise

Here you will list 10-15 of your best and most relevant skills for the job you are applying for. Include both hard (or technical skills) and soft skills like those listed above.

Leadership Skills in Your Work Experience

Add leadership skills to the professional experience section of your resume.

Always try to highlight your skills with examples, results, and numbers.

Here are some sample statements that include leadership skills:

Developed and managed a team of 10 call center employees, providing ongoing coaching , mentoring and feedback to ensure optimal performance.

Implemented an improved culture focused on growth and leadership development, which significantly reduced turnover and resulted in extremely high employee retention rate of 92%.

Built, developed and managed a staff of 7 sales professionals, providing coaching and mentoring to support their personal growth and achievement of challenging quotas.

The samples use numbers to quantify leadership skills (in bold). They also show what actions led to the accomplishments.

Check out our 20+ resume samples to see different formatting options for your resume.

Leadership Traits to Add to Your Resume

Now we will discuss each individual leadership trait and provide some synonyms to use on your resume.

1. Communication

Communication is the heart of effective leadership.

It doesn’t matter how skilled you are at your work and how much passion you have for it. If you do not know how to transfer your knowledge and passion to others, you can’t be a good leader.

Many other leadership skills are useless without effective communication skills.

Include the following on your resume to show that you have communication skills:

• Active listening
• Articulation
• Non-verbal communication
• Public speaking

Include examples of using your communication skills to get work done effectively.

2. Creativity

We often think that creativity isn’t learned, it’s inherent.

But that is far from the truth. You can develop your creativity through experience and practice.

And, creativity is very much required for effective leadership.

These words on your resume will show that you are creative:

• Imaginative

It is a good idea to avoid the use of the word “creative” itself due to its being overused. Instead of directly stating it, you need to show how you were creative or use the words above.

3. Dependability

A leader that is not dependable is not a leader at all.

What makes a good leader is that people know that they can rely on you and jump into action with a simple request.

That’s the magic of dependability in a leadership role. Your team must know they can count on you to tackle any issues that may come up.

These words will help you to express your dependability on your resume:

• Credibility
• Reliability
• Responsible
• Trustworthy

Don’t forget to show how dependable you were to everyone in your previous role.

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching,” according to C.S. Lewis.

Being ethical is an essential leadership skill. If the leader does not do what is right in every situation, how can the followers?

An ethical person will keep their commitments, take responsibility, and respect their employees.

You can show your ethical characteristics with the following words on your resume: 

Include the words above to show that you are a leader and an employee that can be trusted.

5. Motivation

The ability to motivate others is essential for effective leadership.

Motivation and productivity go hand in hand. A motivated team is a productive team.

And, the leader must keep their team motivated to achieve their goals.

The following words will help you to explain your ability to motivate others: 

• Encouraging
• Stimulating
• Influential

Include some succinct stories of your motivational skills at play and how it helped your colleagues and team members.

6. Optimism

A positive outlook is sometimes all you need to get through a tough assignment.

Optimism in a leader is a godsend. We all love to work with someone who always sees and brings out the best in us, instead of being doubtful.

Positivity as a leader will also make your leadership experience a fulfilling one.

The following words will help you to represent your positive attitude on the resume:

• Enthusiastic

Remember that positivity is not about blindly being optimistic for every solution, it’s about finding the best logical solution and keeping unfaltering faith in your discernment.

7. People Management

To be a great leader, it takes technical knowledge as well as the ability to manage people.

Keeping people aligned with your vision is the art of a true leader.

A significant part of corporate leadership is people management.

These are the words to use on your resume to show your people management skills.

• Constructive feedback
• Conflict resolution
• Team building

Include any training you have in HR management.

8. Project Management

Leading a project involves coordinating a lot of moving parts. It takes many skills to be an effective project manager.

From planning to allocating resources to monitoring progress, this skill covers it all.

Add these words to your resume to convey your project management skills:

• Agile/Scrum
• Lean thinking
• Organization
• Risk management

Be sure to quantify your projects on your resume by including your results. Include any PM certifications you have in the education section of your resume.

9. Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking is the ability to take complex problems and determine logical solutions.

Strategic thinking requires clarity of thought and a deeper understanding of the situation.

It is an essential leadership trait.

The following words show your strategic thinking capabilities:

• Problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Decision making
• Visionary thinking

Showcase tasks you have accomplished by strategic thinking and what the results were.

Key Takeaways

What we have learned about leadership skills and how to include them on your resume is quite simple:

• Leadership qualities are sought-after skills in today’s job market.
• You must show quantifiable leadership skills on your resume. It is the first contact with a potential employer.
• Leadership traits are indispensable for management, executive, and supervisory roles. They are also essential for teamwork and career growth.
• Read the job announcement to determine the leadership skills required for the job.
• Include your leadership skills in various sections of your resume with quantifiable examples.

Keep these guidelines in mind to create a resume that moves you into your next leadership role.

Or contact a professional resume writing service to do it for you.

Find My Profession ‘s team of experts can help job seekers craft a resume that effectively showcases their leadership abilities and stands out from the competition. Contact us today!

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How to List Leadership Skills on a Resume | Best Skills and Examples

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What are leadership skills?

Examples of leadership skills, how to improve leadership skills, how to list leadership skills on your resume.

Listing your leadership skills on your resume can increase your perceived value to a prospective employer, making you a more appealing candidate for the job. This is especially important if you are applying for a managerial or executive role. Even if you are seeking an entry-level position, you can showcase your leadership skills to let the hiring manager know that you can assume an important role in the future. This article will discuss how you can properly list leadership skills on your resume to stand out from other job applicants.

Leadership skills refer to abilities and strengths that enable you to oversee processes, direct initiatives and guide your team members toward specific goals. Since a leadership position involves a wide array of tasks, you will need to have multiple skills to become an effective leader, such as making sound decisions, allocating resources and motivating your staff. Although they are considered soft skills, you can learn leadership skills through lessons, practice and experience.

The leadership skills you need may vary depending on the employer and job position. However, certain leadership skills are generally considered more important. 

The following is a suggested list of the top leadership skills to include on your resume:

Communication skills

Communication skills are essential because they enable you to clearly convey your vision, objectives and strategies to your staff. As a leader, you have to know how to address your team, explain the requirements of a project and provide details of the tasks that need to be done. With good communication skills, you will also be able to know the strengths and weaknesses of your team members and delegate tasks to the right people.

Examples of communication skills:

• Active listening
• Verbal communication
• Nonverbal communication
• Assertiveness
• Friendliness

Organizational skills

If you are a leader in a company, you often have to handle several different tasks at the same time, such as instructing your team members, monitoring your projects and solving problems. Multitasking can easily result in confusion and errors, which can jeopardize the progress of your project. If you have the ability to organize your tasks, you will be able to create an efficient work process and stay focused on your goals, even if you face unexpected situations.

Examples of organizational skills:

• Goal-setting and deadline-setting
• Schedule creation
• Project management
• Team management
• Multitasking
• Event coordination
• Strategy implementation
• Problem-solving

Motivational skills

Many factors can cause your team members to feel discouraged and lose focus on their responsibilities, from workplace conflict to personal problems. To be an effective leader, you have to know how to motivate them to maintain a high level of productivity and keep working toward your goals. Inspire your team members to follow your vision, make them feel valued, and help them achieve personal and professional growth.

Examples of motivational skills:

• Motivational strategy creation
• Appropriate delegation
• Positive communication and feedback
• Performance recognition
• Relationship building
• Reward program implementation

Decision-making skills

As a leader, you constantly have to make important decisions that can have an impact on the success of your team or company. You have to be able to choose the right actions and the most effective solutions, sometimes within a very short time. If you are a competent decision-maker, you can help your company create effective strategies, minimize risks, solve problems and manage projects successfully.

Examples of decision-making skills include:

• Data analysis
• Critical thinking
• Brainstorming
• Forecasting
• Strategizing
• Ability to think under pressure

Conflict resolution skills

Workplace conflict can lead to an unpleasant work environment that can have a negative impact on productivity and morale. If you are in a leadership position, you should be able to help conflicting team members reach a fair resolution and show respect toward each other. Conflict resolution skills can result in an amicable, cohesive team that is committed to achieving company goals.

Examples of conflict resolution skills:

• Analytical thinking
• Communication
• Negotiating
• Trust-building

To become a good leader, you have to constantly invest time and effort to improve your existing leadership skills and learn new ones. 

Follow these tips to build better leadership skills:

1. First, learn from successful leaders

Many successful leaders provide tips on how to become great leaders through books, interviews, workshops and courses. You can learn real-life lessons and proven leadership philosophies from these leaders and adapt them to suit your own career.

2. Second, think beyond your job description

If you are currently employed, you should try to go beyond your job description. Leaders have to do more than their regular work duties. Ask your manager for more responsibilities, especially those that allow you to assume a leadership role.

3. Third, practice leadership skills in your free time

Find as many opportunities as you can to practice your leadership skills. You can start a new website or join a local club or charity organization. This is a great way to learn or improve specific leadership skills.

By properly listing your leadership skills on your resume, you can present yourself as an ideal candidate for the job and distinguish yourself from other applicants. 

Here are a few useful tips for highlighting your leadership skills on your resume:

1. First, include leadership skills mentioned in the job description 

Your potential employer may include a list of required leadership skills in the job description. Mention those skills in your resume to show that you have the specific skills needed to perform the job.

2. Then, quantify the impact of your leadership

By including measurable results along with your leadership skills, you can show the hiring manager the extent of your leadership abilities. This will allow them to have a clearer idea of your potential value to the company.

3. Last, use powerful verbs

Powerful verbs can help you capture the hiring manager’s attention and make a stronger impact. Examples of powerful verbs include ‘spearheaded,’ ‘empowered,’ ‘motivated,’ ‘launched,’ ‘engaged,’ ‘pioneered’ and ‘created.’

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8 Leadership Skills to Include on Your Resume

A typical corporate job posting receives about 250 resumes Glassdoor reports . So how can you stand out from a sea of applicants? If you want to move into a management or executive position, adding leadership skills to your resume is a good way to get noticed. 

This article offers a definitive list of eight leadership skills examples for your resume. 

1. Analytical Decision Making

Employers ranked analytical/quantitative skills high in the Job Outlook 2019 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Nearly 72% said they look for this characteristic among potential employees. Analytical decision makers use facts from a variety of sources to inform their choices. To appeal to employers, highlight job roles and workplace wins that required research and analysis.  

2. Communication

Communication is one of many important leadership skills examples for your resume. Effective communication is essential to present a company’s mission, vision, and goals to employees. Written communication skills were the top ranked attribute in NACE’s survey; 82% of employers value these skills. Verbal communication skills weren’t far behind; 67% of employers ranked verbal communication skills. Convey your communication expertise in your resume by highlighting written and verbal projects you contributed to—such as corporate reports, case studies, newsletters, training materials, meetings, and public speaking events.

3. Delegation

Leaders know when to delegate work to their team members. There are many ways to successfully delegate . Demonstrate your delegation skills on your resume by describing how you managed a team or project. Provide specific examples of how you delegated responsibilities, established expectations, tracked progress, and provided feedback.

4. Teamwork

Of the leadership skills examples to include on a resume, teamwork should definitely be highlighted. Leaders must be able to tackle complex problems and engage their teams in decision making. In other words, today’s leaders must be great team players. According to NACE’s Job Outlook Survey 2019, almost 79% of employers value teamwork, making it a desirable leadership skill to include on your resume. Use your resume—and job interview —to stress your ability to work with others and passion for accomplishing team goals. 

5. Adaptability

In the Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics’ 2018 article, “ Future Trends in Leadership Development Practices and the Crucial Leadership Skills ,” adaptability was ranked high in the list of crisis management leadership skills. Leaders don’t just need to adapt well during times of crisis, however; they also must adapt well to everyday changes. Great leaders respond to changing needs and pivot the direction of a team or organization when necessary. Demonstrate your adaptability on your resume by describing when you had to shift directions in response to a change of plans or an unplanned event.

6. Creative Problem-Solving

Obstacles arise, even in well-planned projects. How do you problem solve? Do you look for ways to turn problems into opportunities, lead brainstorming sessions to find solutions, or use the “ five why’s ” technique to uncover the root of the problem? The point is, there are many ways around a problem, and employers value creative problem-solving. This is a great leadership skill for a resume. Use your resume to demonstrate how you’ve creatively removed an obstacle to aid a project’s success.

7. Trustworthiness

Good leaders can be trusted to meet deadlines, better their employees, and be role models for their teams. According to an Indeed.com article, “ Q&A: What Makes a Good Professional Role Model? ,” accountability, hard work, positivity, persistence, integrity, and respect are traits of workplace role models. Rather than state that you are trustworthy, demonstrate your trustworthiness by incorporating some of these traits into your resume.

8. Tech Savviness

Technology is part of nearly every job, and leaders are expected to leverage it for growth, innovation, and efficiency. Show the full breadth of this leadership skill on your resume by listing your experience with industry-specific technologies, whether that’s computer languages, coding, or project management systems. If you’ve used technology to streamline or improve a process, mention this as well.

Expand Your Leadership Skills With a Leadership and Management Certificate

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of leadership skills examples, including these leadership skills on your resume could help you get noticed by your ideal employer. If you’re looking to grow your leadership skills, explore Wharton Online’s Leadership and Management Certificate Program . In this flexible program, students learn how to apply the latest management concepts from Wharton’s world-class faculty. The world is expanding, and your leadership skills should do the same. Request information today .

Download our eBook: Women in Leadership

Women represent more of the workforce than they used to, but they’re still underrepresented in management. Download our free eBook, “Women in Leadership: The Data-Driven Guide to Leadership Skills for Women,” for a detailed look at what obstacles exist for women pursuing leadership roles and how to overcome them.

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The Wharton School is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.

Strong Leadership Skills: Resume Guide, Example Usage, and Skill Set for 2024

Here are the top ways to show your team leadership skills on your resume. Find out relevant team leadership keywords and phrases and build your resume today.

Is your resume ATS-friendly?

Drop your resume here or upload a file to find out if the skills in your resume are readable by an ATS.

In This Guide:

How is showing you’re a good team leader useful for your job hunt, what skills and qualities help you highlight your team leadership skills, leadership skills: key takeaways for your resume.

Having strong leadership skills means being able to lead, influence, and guide others, be they colleagues, friends, or even strangers.

What’s more, great leaders are natural problem-solvers. Think of someone between your favorite superhero and your best friend.

But putting ‘leadership skills’ in the skills section of your resume is surely not something we advise you to do. It does not mean anything and might make you sound shallow.

Instead, prove that you’re an active listener, a strong decision-maker, and an empathetic problem-solver.

Being a team leader has little to do with your job title. “Leader” is not just a formal title but also essential roles in each team.

Let’s consider scenario #1 - you may either be applying for an operational, a specialist, an expert job or your future job title might not explicitly say “leader”, “manager”, or “chief operations officer”. Besides that, having leadership skills would still be extremely attractive displayed on your resume. Exerting a certain set of leadership skills could be beneficial for your career and for your growth. It could be very useful in building good relationships and group dynamics within the team you’re working with. In addition, it could also be beneficial in putting you out there in the eyes of your managers when it’s time for promotion.

On the other hand, if you’re after a people managing position, then you already know the importance of leadership skills for your work success, growth, and satisfaction. Forming an effective team is an art on its own and its components are motivation, support, understanding, and focus - on the tasks, on the people both as a team, and as individuals.

The question then is, if team leadership consists of so many integral parts, how to best describe and showcase your experience on your resume? Let’s dive in.

Read this: 300+ Must-Have Skills for Your Resume

Similar to most soft skills, the best way to prove you have a certain skillset is to disintegrate it into its constituent parts and then provide examples for each of them. In this way, you are not only specific and detailed, but also show your definition and understanding of the skill.

You can usually tell someone is a good leader by exerting the following:

• Communication and listening -- good communication skills are the platforms upon which we all build our lives, both professional and personal. Being able to listen actively, ask nonjudgmental questions, seek to understand, and speak with empathy are key if you want to be viewed as a true leader.
• Mediation and problem-solving -- being in the position of the team leader, you often need to juggle different people’s interests. Being able to balance between various points of view and not take sides but rather try to listen and proactively offer solutions, are qualities that help build confidence and in your skills and persona, and a sense of openness in your team members.
• Consistency, discipline, and vision -- consistency leads to trust which then leads to open sharing and being able to move forward and progress. Discipline is the fuel on the path of that progress and success. Vision is the goal at the end of the path, but also the reason for stepping on the road in the first place. Good leaders combine all of that
• Empathy, active listening & support: problems arise all the time. Recruiters know this, and that’s why they don’t want you to ignore them or magically make them disappear. Knowing how to deal with them through being an empathetic and supportive listener is a whole other story though. In fact, these skills can actually decrease the number of problems over time.
• Creativity & strategic thinking: it might sound as if creativity is the opposite of strategic thinking, but the truth is – they are intrinsically linked. Adapting ideas from different contexts to build improved and innovative strategies is essentially what every leader should know how to do.
• Flexibility & organization: being organized and setting good examples for others is crucial, but welcoming setbacks and delays with a high level of flexibility is even more important. The combination of these two skills will show employers that you’re a strong leader who is able to handle all types of situations.

How to demonstrate team leadership skills on your resume

• Think of instances when you took the initiative and united the team around an idea of yours that lead to success
• Describe a time when you helped resolve a team conflict or deescalate a situation
• Give examples of innovative ideas or approaches that took your team efforts to the next level
• Mention situations when you were able to listen actively, motivate, and provide support to your team members
• Explain the relation between consistency, discipline, and trust by providing an example of your experience
• Talk about a difficult situation that you were able to overcome by exerting original thinking and mediation
• Mention times when plans have changed drastically, but you’ve handled the situation well
• Talk about some team issues you have helped resolve or avoid
• Demonstrate how responsible you are when it comes to organizing your time and meeting tight deadlines
• Share how your ability to be an empathetic listener has helped your team in the past
• Point out the link between your creativity and your ability to keep your eye on the prize

Saying things such as “I’m a good leader who has managed a team of 4 people” sounds impressive, but managing people does not directly imply how and why that makes you a good leader.

To make this statement believable and persuasive, you need to go into detail and support it with examples.

Try to dig deeper by pondering the following questions:

• What exactly did you achieve when you managed this team?
• Did you take any specific classes or receive any certifications or coaching on being a leader?
• What did your team members say about working with you?
• What did you learn from that experience?
• Have you ever led a successful project?
• When was the last time you had to resolve a work-related issue and how did you do it?
• How do you deal with unsupportive or unengaged team members?

To help you describe your own experience, here are some real life examples from other Enhancv users’ resumes.

Get inspired to craft and enhance your own resume.

Example 1: Show team leadership skills in your experience

Job Situation: Product manager applying for the role of Director of Product Management

• • Managed multiple product lines, all the way from the idea stage through their delivery for teams developing software for hospitals and clinics
• • Promoted products to both internal and external customers increasing penetration of customer base to 85%
• • Worked in collaboration with clients and stakeholders with a budget of $2M
• • Developed and managed goals, objectives, procedures and work standards minding all applicable local and foreign regulations
• • Served as a mediator between stakeholders and different teams involved, making sure all interests are taken into consideration

Do you notice what will tip the scales in this candidate's favor? That's right - achievements, instead of a responsibilities list.

They quoted their measurable results, such as "increasing penetration of customer base to 85%".

This example implies their agility, focus, and consistency.

By developing and managing goals, objectives and procedures, this Product Managers shows good vision and discipline - other important leadership skills.

They also were able to collaborate with different stakeholders and take into consideration their collective interests - a good example of mediation and problem-solving. The use of active verbs in the description such as “promoted” and “developed” shows proactiveness and focus.

We can see here that even though leadership skills are not explicitly stated in the experience section, they are well represented and implied.

Let's see another example.

• • Monitored progress and set deadlines for as many as 50% of our projects
• • Was appointed first POC for new colleagues who had difficulties settling in
• • Explained our suggestions to clients and worked to find a middle ground with them
• • Developed a mentorship program that linked junior PMs with senior PMs and resulted in 58% more motivation for all colleagues

The snippet of this senior project manager resume proves their leadership skills in two ways.

Firstly, the fact that they begin each bullet with an action verb shows they’re willing to take the initiative.

Secondly, they have highlighted their ability to work with people quite well. Even in challenging contexts, such as finding a middle ground with unhappy clients and increasing the levels of motivation for both junior and senior colleagues by 58%.

Highlighting the fact that they have been responsible for monitoring progress and setting deadlines, on the other hand, proves their strong organizational skills.

Tired of boring design ideas for your resume? Check out our modern resume builder!

Example 2: resume summary

Job Situation: Software developer with 4 years of experience applying for the role of Technical Team Lead

In those 3 short sentences, we get the idea that this Software Engineer has an affinity for tech and teamwork. They speak of collaboration, valuing teamwork, and approaching both tech and communication challenges with a people-first motto.

This summary definitely states the intention of the IT professional to move from a more tech to a more people position like a Team Lead.

Let's dive into another example.

The resume summary is a great place to showcase your leadership skills in a couple of sentences.

This Digital Marketing Manager’s resume summary proves that they have strong collaboration and organizational skills, as well as high levels of flexibility and creativity. Thus, it proves their leadership skills without making them sound boastful.

What’s more, they also add the keyword ‘leader’ which gives them bonus points, especially when it comes to passing ATS checks.

Still not sure what to include in your resume summary? Check out this guide!

Example 3: Key achievements

Job Situation: Finance Manager outlines his achievements

A great way to combine both your experience and your strengths is to use the Achievements section. In this example we can see that this Financial Manager is proactive, team-oriented, social, collaborative, and proactive - all good team leadership qualities that cannot be missed by an experienced recruiter’s eye.

Let's look into another example.

In case there’s something you’re extremely proud of and want to highlight, use the Achievements (also called Most Proud Of) section.

This resume snippet proves the applicant’s leadership skills by emphasizing their ability to lead teams to success and manage conflicts easily. They also share their leadership award, which proves that they’re a likable and valuable individual.

Looking for more reasons to add an ‘Achievements’ section? Read this article!

Example 4: Demonstrate your leadership skills through other sections of your resume

Job Situation: Graphic Designer describes his volunteering experience

• • Taught 60+ kids from 3 different classes, ages 12-16 how to work with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Job Situation: HR Specialist describes her extracurricular activities and additional courses

Look at the examples above. They prove that you don’t need to be an executive or even a manager to have leadership skills.

In fact, enrolling in different courses on the topic shows you’re passionate about becoming a great leader and improving day by day. The same goes for volunteering roles .

So think about mentioning something besides your work experience. Maybe you were in charge of some school event? Or maybe you enrolled in a course about empathy and communication?

In short, you can add any kind of extracurricular activity that requires high levels of emotional intelligence , teamwork , organization, and flexibility.

• Demonstrate devotion: talk about projects where you had to leave personal preferences aside and focus on common goals and benefits
• Prove you’re a team player: share more about the times you had to lead teams and mention how you’ve earned success
• Keep it to the point: use action verbs and choose the words you go for carefully; you’ll have plenty of time to elaborate on your strengths during the interview
• Use all parts of your resume: try to showcase your leadership skills in as many sections as possible (but be careful and don’t go over the top)

Looking for more tips on crafting a job-winning resume? Check out this guide!

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How To Show Leadership Skills on Your Resume - According to a Hiring Manager

If you’re applying for most mid- to senior- level roles, you’ll need evidence of leadership skills on your resume. Here are some recruiter-backed tips on how to demonstrate them effectively.

3 years ago   •   10 min read

If you’re applying for a senior-level role or one that involves managing others, hiring managers will be looking for evidence of leadership skills. That part’s pretty straightforward — what’s less straightforward is communicating those skills on your resume.

Unlike hard skills like programming or foreign language proficiency , leadership is a soft skill, which means you can’t simply list it in your skill section and move on. So, how do you demonstrate leadership on your resume?

Quick guide to showing leadership skills on your resume

Here's our quick-start guide to listing leadership skills on a resume:

• Look at the job description you're applying for to get a sense of what specific leadership skills you need.
• Start each bullet point accomplishment with a strong action verb .
• Explain a task or project and what your role was.
• Include metrics to show the impact of what you accomplished.
• Highlight positions of leadership in your resume title and summary.
• Get personalized feedback on any potential areas of improvement before you hit "submit" by running your resume throguh our Resume Scanner .

Here’s a good example of how to show soft skills like leadership on a resume:

What recruiters really want when they ask for leadership skills

Showing leadership is more than just saying that you once managed a team (though that’s a great place to start). When recruiters ask for good leadership skills, they’re really asking for a range of soft skills, such as:

• Decision making
• Problem solving
• Managing employees
• Team building
• Communication
• Conflict resolution
• Risk taking

The best way to know exactly what leadership skills a recruiter is looking for is to check the job description. For each role mentioned in the job ad, tailor your resume to include a bullet point that demonstrates that particular skill.

For example, if the job description mentions "motivation,” you could show this by saying that you "spearheaded an employee engagement program, resulting in a 10% decrease in annual employee turnover." If the job description mentions "setting goals,” you could say you "conducted yearly performance reviews and established goals, increasing efficiency by 10%."

How to show leadership skills on your resume

Once you’ve determined what skills the job is asking for, here’s how to describe your leadership skills on your resume.

Start with a strong action verb

Always start your statements with a strong action verb. Verbs like “ led , launched, directed, and spearheaded” all paint a picture of a proactive leader, which is what you’re aiming for. Need help brainstorming? Our action verbs database has more examples you can use to boost your resume.

Be specific

If you’re applying for a leadership role, focus on accomplishments that show how you’ve demonstrated leadership skills in previous positions. Increasing revenue, coordinating stakeholders, managing a team, and acquiring new talent are all things that employers will want their senior-level staff to do, which makes them perfect additions to a resume. The more specific you can be, the better. For example:

Bad: Increased productivity.‌‌‌‌

Okay: Increased productivity by discovering and sharing new techniques.‌‌‌‌

Excellent: Increased productivity by 20% by becoming a subject matter expert on a new automated tracking tool and sharing it with the team.

Use bullet points

Always use bullet points to describe your experience. This makes your resume easier to skim and less cluttered. Your bullet points should focus on high-level outcomes rather than individual responsibilities and be relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Quantify your skills

Quantifying skills simply means turning your experience into a measurable statement that reflects the positive impact of your work. Think of it as backing up your claims with hard facts and impressive statistics. Here’s how to quantify your leadership skills:

• Identify a key achievement : Reflect on your previous roles and choose an impressive accomplishment, project, or task that involved leadership. Did you lead a project, increase efficiency, or improve team morale?
• Describe the scope of the project : How many people were under your leadership? What was the budget of the projects? These figures provide a scale to your leadership role.
• Show the positive result : Look for concrete metrics that demonstrate the impact of your leadership. Did your strategies increase sales, reduce costs, or improve customer satisfaction? Use percentages or financial figures to illustrate these achievements.

For example, rather than saying , “Led a team,” say that you “Led a team of 12, achieving a 30% increase in productivity over six months.”

Let's take a look at another example of how to quantify leadership skills:

Find out if your resume shows leadership

Once you’ve finished, upload your resume to the tool below. It’ll rate you on core competencies — including leadership skills — and give you instant feedback on how to optimize your resume to land the job you want.

Where to show leadership skills on your resume

You can showcase your leadership skills in various sections of your resume, including your work experience, resume summary, and resume header.

In your work experience section

Your work experience section is the most common and most crucial area to showcase your leadership skills. Each past role should detail specific accomplishments through bullet points, using quantifiable outcomes to demonstrate the positive impact of your leadership.

Here is an example of a resume showcasing leadership skills under work experience:

In your resume summary

Including a resume summary is optional, but can be a good idea if you're trying to highlight a specific skill, like leadership. A resume summary should go above your work experience and be limited to 3-5 lines. Be sure to include any key skills and standout accomplishments, including specifics about the size and context of previous teams you've led.

In your resume header

If you want your leadership skills to be the prominent focus of your resume, include them in your resume header. Using a professional title that reflects your experience, such as 'Strategic Team Leader,’ or ‘Project Leader’, indicates to the reader that leadership is a key component of your experience and skills.

How to show leadership skills outside of a professional setting

Leadership isn't only confined to traditional job roles. If you don’t have much paid experience with leadership, don’t worry; you can demonstrate leadership through various activities, including volunteer work, personal projects, freelance or contract work, and virtual or remote settings.

Volunteer and community work

Volunteer and community work can be a great way to showcase leadership. Focus on organization skills, emphasizing event planning, team coordination, communication, and public speaking. Quantify your experience with statistics, such as the number of people involved, the amount of money raised, and the scale of the project.

For example:

Led a team of 20 volunteers in a city-wide clean-up, collecting over 1,000 pounds of litter.

Personal Projects

Personal projects are excellent for demonstrating self-motivation and creativity, both of which are key leadership traits. Describe the project's scope, your role in its development, and any significant outcomes. If your project led to notable results, like receiving an award or recognition, highlight it.

Independently developed and managed a comprehensive digital art portfolio, showcasing a collection of over 50 original artworks.

Freelance and Contract Work

In freelance and contract work, leadership is often demonstrated through effective client management and the ability to multitask across various projects. Discus skills such as managing client expectations, meeting tight deadlines, and resolving conflicts to show leadership, adaptability, and organizational skills.

Managed a diverse client base, successfully delivering over 30 web development projects within budget and deadlines over two years.

Virtual and Remote Work

Leadership in virtual and remote work settings is becoming increasingly crucial in today's work environment. Highlight experiences where you've successfully managed or coordinated remote teams, focussing on effective communication, timely project completion, and achieving set goals. Emphasize the results, such as improved team performance, successful project outcomes, or innovative remote collaboration, to showcase your effectiveness as a virtual leader.

Led a remote team of 15 members across five countries in executing a major marketing campaign for an international product launch.

What not to do: Avoiding common mistakes

Don't use leadership buzzwords.

Buzzwords are overused words and phrases, like “creative thinker” or “good team player,” that take up space on your resume without saying anything about your actual skills or experience. Instead, replace buzzwords with accomplishments that demonstrate skills in action.

Don't list soft skills as skills

Soft skills like leadership, communication, and time management don’t belong in your skills section. You need to show a recruiter proof of these skills through quantified experience rather than simply listing them as skills. Your resume skills section should be reserved for hard skills , such as technical expertise, digital tools, languages, and programming skills.

Don't repeat yourself

If your eyes are starting to glaze over after the fifth time you've started a sentence with "Led ..." the hiring manager is likely skipping over it, too. Avoid repetition by using appropriate synonyms for the specific skills you're trying to convey. For example:

If you spearheaded a project: Initiated, Established, Pioneered, Launched, Organized

If you managed employees: Supervised, Ran, Directed, Headed, Delegated

If you led coaching or training: Mentored , Trained, Coached, Guided, Motivated

Don’t forget Keywords

Including the right keywords is crucial for a high-performing resume - Not only to show a recruiter why your experience is relevant but to get your resume past ATS . While leadership is an important thing to showcase, “Leadership” itself is not a keyword. Keywords tend to be hard skills and qualifications, while soft skills are evaluated by a recruiter rather than ATS.

Use the job description to find relevant keywords to include in your resume, or use a keyword finder to generate a list of must-include words. If you need help finding hard skills and keywords relevant to the leadership role you’re applying for, use the tool below to find competitive keywords for your industry.

Don't exaggerate your leadership experience

It’s important not to overstate your experience when trying to show leadership. Over-exaggerating your skills can harm your professional reputation and lead to unrealistic expectations once you start the job.

Use specific examples and quantifiable achievements to represent your leadership experience honestly; for example, if you led a small team on a project, don't imply that you were overseeing an entire department.

If your leadership opportunities have been limited, focus on potential and growth rather than exaggerating past roles. Highlighting real instances where you showed leadership qualities, even in smaller tasks or projects, can be more impactful than overstated claims.

Examples of leadership skills on a resume

Here are some leadership skills examples for your resume, whether you’re just starting out in a leadership role or applying for an executive-level position.

Entry-level: If you’re just starting out in leadership

Not all leadership skills involve managing others. Promotions demonstrate your commitment and ability to add value to the company, which all hiring managers are looking for.

Promoted within 12 months due to strong performance and organizational impact (one year ahead of schedule).

If you’ve never led your own team, you can still show leadership skills and your ability to manage others through accomplishments like coaching, mentoring, and leading individual projects.

Coached 3 summer interns and submitted final performance evaluations.

Show that you can do the day-to-day work of management by detailing the number of people in the teams you’ve led or the size of the company. This is true even if you’ve only led small teams to date — if you’re applying for a job leading a much larger team or facility, you can address that in your cover letter.

Hired and trained team of six employees with two direct reports; promoted 6 months ahead of schedule

Mid-Level: If you have some leadership experience

The ability to take initiative is an important aspect of leadership. You can highlight this even without direct leadership experience by describing a time you spearheaded a new development and what the results were.

Drove redevelopment of internal tracking systems in use by 125 employees, resulting in 20+ new features, reduction of 20% in save/load time and 15% operation time

Good leaders are also effective communicators. This is another soft skill that doesn’t belong on a list, but you can demonstrate it by mentioning what you did in terms of outreach, management, or external partnerships, and what benefit it had to the company.

Managed business development opportunities that resulted in a 45% increase in partnerships.

Recruiters are looking for leaders who understand their business and are able to help it grow. Emphasize this skill by including accomplishments related to business development, strategy, and analysis.

Developed strategic insights across 5 product teams, including revenue, marketing and operations departments.

Senior-level: If you’re applying for high-level leadership positions

The best thing you can do to demonstrate your leadership experience is to be specific. What exactly did you do? What aspects of running the business were you in charge of? What was the scope of your work? The more detailed your metrics are, the more impressive your accomplishments will be.

Directed agency fundraising revenue generation, daily program business operations, community outreach membership recruitment, and human resources in 30 suburbs in the city for organizations with assets of $8M.

If you’re applying for a high-level position, you need high-level accomplishments. Launching an office shows that you can lead new developments while the increase in revenue emphasizes that you can do it effectively.

Launched Miami office with lead Director and recruited and managed new team of 10 employees; grew office revenue by 200% in first nine months (representing 20% of company revenue).

Another crucial aspect of high-level leadership is the ability to drive the company forward. Developing new strategic goals in addition to achieving existing ones shows your ability to be proactive, not just reactive.

Worked with CEO and 5 development team members to plan strategic goals to grow as a global company in the next 3 years.

How to show both leadership skills and teamwork on your resume

Demonstrating a balance of leadership and teamwork on your resume is essential, as it shows you’re capable of leading while also being an active team member.

Highlight examples where you led projects or initiatives, emphasizing your role in guiding and inspiring team members. Showcase times when you contributed as a part of a team, supported team goals, helped resolve conflicts, or played a key role in achieving a group objective.

Spearheaded a marketing campaign, leading a team of 5, which resulted in a 20% increase in sales.

As Project Lead, directed a team of 6 in the comprehensive redesign of a major e-commerce website, enhancing user experience and functionality.

How to show the progression in leadership skills

Showing the progression of your leadership skills is key to demonstrating adaptability and growth on your resume. Start by highlighting early leadership experiences, showing how your skills have developed from initial roles to more complex responsibilities.

For example, you might begin with examples of leading small projects or teams and progress to managing more significant initiatives. Emphasize how you adapted to different challenges and learned new strategies over time. This could include transitioning from a hands-on leadership style to a more strategic role, or learning to lead remote teams effectively.

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How To Showcase Leadership Skills On Your Resume (With Examples)

• Most Common Skills
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• Leadership Skills On A Resume
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• Team Player
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• Plan Of Action
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• Organizational Behavior Management
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Find a Job You Really Want In

When brainstorming a list of skills that you have, you likely will think of hard skills at first. That is, skills that you have mastered to some degree through classes or on-the-job experience. Examples of hard skills include computer programming languages, foreign languages, technology skills, and other certifications.

Soft skills , on the other hand, are the intangible qualities and interpersonal abilities you possess that make you a great person to work with.

Here we’ll be discussing one soft skill in particular: leadership. We’ll cover what leadership skills are, what words to use in your skills section to highlight your leadership ability, and show you examples of different methods of including leadership skills on your resume.

Key Takeaways:

Leadership skills include team-building, conflict resolution, decision-making, and more.

Leadership can come in many different forms – if you’ve ever worked on a team with other people, you probably had to use some leadership skills even if you were not the formal “ leader .”

When listing leadership skills on your resume , be sure to demonstrate the skills you’ve had experience using by giving specific examples of times you faced problems and had to solve them.

The Best Leadership Skills for a Resume

Examples of leadership skills on a resume, final thoughts.

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Leadership skills are skills that show your capacity to lead a group to achieve a goal. Leadership styles and skills show a lot about a potential job candidate — how they can interact in a team setting, how they can communicate with others, and how they can reflect upon the project and provide constructive feedback.

Most importantly, however, a job candidate with good leadership skills is more likely to finish tasks and work well with fellow team members than those who do not possess leadership qualities .

Typically when people think of “leaders,” they often create an image in their mind about a strong-willed, enthusiastic, and incredibly charismatic person who can make a crowd follow them without a second thought. They think a good leader is the epitome of the “extrovert ideal.”

Don’t worry — leadership isn’t all about being able to stand up and transform a room. It’s also about being able to listen to the advice and ideas of others, give constructive criticism and be able to receive it, as well as being able to delegate the tasks to people with the best ability to complete them.

Here are the nuts and bolts to leadership skills on a resume:

Do not lie about leadership skills. Think of skills that you have demonstrated in your work/school experience and list those.

List skills that answer how you communicate with others, how you interact with groups of people, and any skills that point towards your leadership style .

List these skills in the skills section or the accomplishments section of your resume.

When looking for new employees, recruiters are looking for a well-rounded person who has the hard skills needed for the job, as well as the soft skills to be able to work seamlessly and effectively as part of the team.

While you may want to list “leadership skills” as a skill in the skills section, it isn’t the best idea to do so because saying you are a leader doesn’t show them how you are a leader.

When thinking of leadership skills, think of times when you worked in a group setting. What worked well and what didn’t? Leadership can be many things, but often, it is about how someone can effectively navigate interpersonal communication among a group to utilize the strengths of each member to achieve the goal.

To do so, a leader often possesses these main qualities that can be used on a resume.

Communication. Communication shows your ability to speak effectively with others. What many people miss about communication, is that communication isn’t all about you talking. Active listening is a crucial part of communication that is an incredibly important leadership skill to have.

With great communication skills , you can build trust, express care, and clarify issues as they arise. Knowing how, when, and how often to communicate with team members requires finesse, and great leaders know how to deliver, thoughtful, impactful, and concise information to all relevant parties.

Decision-making. This leadership skill shows your ability to make executive order on a project when asked to make a decision. It involves weighing the pros and cons and coming up with a compromise that best suits the goal and the team.

The buck stops somewhere, and while collaboration is key to a successful business, so is decisive action. Being a leader means being accountable for your final decisions and being comfortable being the person who makes those calls. Even if you’ve worked independently, showcasing your decision-making skills can help enliven the picture of you as a leader.

Conflict resolution. Not all teams work perfectly and sometimes a team is faced with a setback that is outside of their control. But when that happens, how do you deal with it? If you are able to handle stress and resolve it quickly, conflict resolution would be a great leadership skill to mention.

Often, you’ll be asked to mediate decisions or challenges between team members or even across departments. It’s essential that you’re viewed as an impartial arbiter who makes choices based on logic, not favoritism. Portraying yourself as a resolver of disputes implies great leadership skills and potential.

Teamwork/Team-building. Being a leader is also being a fellow team member. Some attributes that make good team members are dependability, integrity , and decisiveness.

Some leaders are more democratic than others, but every leader needs to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of those she manages. Team-building exercises and organic collaborative situations allow you to determine the best use for each team member.

Organization. As a leader, you’re expected to have a high-level, big-picture view of situations. That requires particularly good organizational skills . To manage a team, you need to know what everyone is up to and how progress is ticking along.

Being able to communicate, make decisions, and solve problems all rely on your ability to have a clear vision. And for that, you’ll need to stay organized.

Delegation. Leaders can’t do everything on their own. They need to know how projects can be done both efficiently and effectively by delegating tasks to team members with the appropriate backgrounds.

If you’ve ever assigned tasks, that’s a real-world leadership skill that employers love to see.

Time management. A key part of organization is time management. Your team counts on you to keep an eye on the grand scheme of things and ensure that projects finish on time.

To that end, you need to anticipate problems and be proactive about solving them. A good leader builds enough time into their day to deal with the unexpected as it arises, while leaving enough time to manage all the rest of their daily tasks.

Problem-solving. Some leaders like to be super hands-on while others prefer to step back and trust their team to figure out solutions. Regardless of your style, you’re going to be called on as a problem-solver , and probably quite often.

The ability to think through a problem logically and arrive at the optimal solution is a goal for every member of your team, but a leader has to be the one to make the final decision.

Flexibility. Those who panic at the first sign of an unexpected hurdle are not cut out to be leaders. Projects rarely go off without a hitch, and a leader needs to remain cool and collected when things go awry.

Leaders also have to work with a diverse team, and that often means adjusting your leadership style or motivation strategies depending on the individual you’re dealing with.

Ability to teach and mentor. Not all leaders have to instruct their subordinates, but it’s a useful skill to have nonetheless. It goes hand in hand with communication, but requires additional patience and a capability for simplification.

Effective feedback. People count on leaders to update them on the quality of their work and your expectations of them. When someone does a great job, a good leader recognizes that and tells that person, specifically, why they’re happy with the process and/or results.

On the flip side, leaders also need to provide constructive criticism to team members who are underperforming. You don’t want to make people feel bad about themselves — you just want to provide actionable steps toward improvement.

These skills compose the core values of leadership, but leadership is a fluid concept. There are many different types of leaders and if the more common leadership skills above don’t apply to you, there are many others to consider.

Listing leadership skills is most often done in a bullet-point form on a resume under the skills section of the resume. Like so:

Skills Mentoring and training Project management Negotiation Team-building

Or, if you’re doing a functional resume or choosing to provide more detail on each skill, you could do something like:

Skills Leadership: Managed teams of up to 30 employees and contractors by delegating tasks, tracking KPIs, and executing high-level goals of the company Training: Led a weekly technology workshop that introduced teams to new software and processes — saw a 14% increase in task completion after rollout

However, anyone can list these skills on a resume. What will really make you stand out as a candidate and showcase your skills in a more realistic light is by emphasizing the use of these skills when describing your roles and outcomes for each job experience.

For example:

Work Experience Resident Head Advisor | Raleigh College | June 2020-Present Managed fifteen resident junior advisors by delegating resident life tasks Led crisis intervention teams and effectively resolved resident conflict Mentored students by supporting, listening and offering feedback during counseling sessions

Or even in a volunteering situation:

Volunteer Experience Fundraising Coordinator | Kitten Mittens | April 2016-August 2018 Coordinated a team of volunteer fundraisers to raise $15,000+ each quarter Presented results at semi-annual meetings to the board of directors Led workshops on handling stray cat situations with both volunteer groups and the local community

You may feel that you cannot sum up a leadership skill in one word and that’s perfectly fine. Many skills are best described in a few words and can be used under the skills or achievement sections of your resume.

Some common phrases include the ability to teach and mentor , relationship-building, problem-solving, positioning team members, and conflict resolution.

Describing leadership skills may seem daunting at first, but there are many different types of leadership .

If you aren’t the type to stand at the front of the room presenting and delegating tasks, don’t think that you have no leadership qualities. In fact, many good leaders are those who work in small groups and moderate discussion.

So if you are looking for different types of phrases or keywords to use to describe leadership skills on a resume, read back through the choices outlined above. Maybe some will surprise you and you’ll find you have more leadership skills than you thought.

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Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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Executive Resume Examples and Templates for 2024

• Resume Examples

How To Write an Executive Resume

• Resume Text Examples

As a senior executive, your resume will be much more heavily scrutinized when compared to entry-level and mid-career candidates. Companies invest more time and resources into experienced professionals, and you’ll need to craft an accomplishment-driven resume to differentiate yourself from the competition. Over the course of this guide, we’ll provide expert tips to help you translate your career experience into an impactful marketing document.

• Entry-Level
• Senior-Level

1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your executive qualifications

Your opening summary is a key aspect of the resume. The goal is to create a compelling snapshot of your career to establish your personal brand and draw the reader in. As an executive, you’ll want to focus on presenting yourself as a thought leader within your industry. For example, if you worked primarily with Fortune 500 companies in the technology industry, you should highlight this in your first two sentences. If you’ve cultivated global leadership experience, you should mention it in your profile. Try to balance telling your unique story while highlighting qualifications that match the position you’re applying for.

Professional Profile - Example #1

A Vice President with 10+ years of experience within the banking industry, specializing in financial analysis, investment strategy, marketing, and regulatory compliance. A proven track record of building relationships with enterprise customers and identifying opportunities to enhance the growth of client portfolios.

Professional Profile - Example #2

A Technology Executive with 10+ years of experience specializing in product innovation, business development, and go-to-market strategy. A proven track record of developing business strategies to drive revenue growth and expand market share. A strong history of engaging with C-level executives and investors to define product strategy.

2. Add your executive experience with compelling examples

As an executive, you’ll want to provide tangible examples of your high-level responsibilities, such as defining strategic direction for organizations and interfacing with C-level executives. Hard numbers and data can also help bolster the impact of your bullet points, but not every contribution is easily quantified. For instance, if you worked to establish a forward-thinking and inclusive work culture, this is worth highlighting even if it can’t be measured with a monetary figure or percentage. Focus on showcasing industry-specific projects and accomplishments while also capturing your leadership experience.

Professional Experience - Example #1

Professional experience.

Vice President, Trust Bank, Philadelphia, PA October 2016 – Present

• Oversee all aspects of client relationships for 15+ accounts valued at $20M, expand revenue opportunities, conduct due diligence, and led client implementations to generate an additional $1.2M in annual revenue
• Lead projects for client initiatives, serve as a liaison between client and business units to ensure successful implementation, and manage stakeholder expectations
• Coordinate cross-functionally with legal, enterprise risk, and compliance teams to mitigate financial risks and ensure regulatory compliance.

Professional Experience - Example #2

Vice President, Excelsior Technologies, San Francisco, CA October 2016 – Present

• Oversee a team of five Directors with over 300+ direct reports, define strategic direction for the business unit, manage P&L valued at $50M, and establish a forward-thinking work culture centered on innovation, collaboration, and inclusion
• Develop high-impact go-to-market strategy to expand customer acquisition across digital platforms, contributing to a $10M increase in revenue across five product lines
• Interface with C-level executives, senior management, and investors to assess market trends, define product messaging, and expand reach across untapped verticals

3. List any education and certifications relevant to executives

In addition to your education, you should incorporate industry certifications to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise within your field. Leadership credentials are also valuable for executives, specifically if they pertain to change management and organizational development.

As an executive, prospective employers will often expect more credentials due to your years of experience within your industry.

Certifications

• [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
• Certified Technical Product Manager, PMHQ, 2015
• Certified Product Manager (CPM), AIPMM, 2013
• [Degree Name]
• [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] [Dates Enrolled]
• Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Product Management
• UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, San Francisco, CA September 2011 – June 2013

4. Include a list of skills and proficiencies related to executives

Organizations utilize Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to identify qualified candidates for job openings, even at the executive level. If your resume lacks a certain number of key terms from the job description, you may be rejected at the onset of the application process. Poor targeting might also fail to impress the hiring manager, even if your resume does advance to the next phase. As you build your resume, try to incorporate key skills and qualifications directly from the posting using tangible examples from your career. Below, you’ll find a wide range of potential keywords you may encounter during the job search:

How To Pick the Best Executive Resume Template

When selecting a template for executive-level positions, you should choose an option that fits your personal brand without obscuring your content. Be thoughtful in your usage of color and graphics. Despite the visual appeal, this can often have the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for. When in doubt, choose a well-organized, straightforward template that keeps the reader’s focus firmly on your career achievements and qualifications.

Executive Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

John Bergsen (123) 456-7890 [email protected] LinkedIn | Portfolio Philadelphia, PA 12345

Senior Director, Corbin Financial, Philadelphia, PA June 2013 – October 2016

• Managed and developed client relationships generating over $24M in annual revenue for a leading investment firm, educated clients on new product capabilities and risk analytic tools, and successfully grew portfolio by $5M
• Collaborated with product development, sales, and technology teams to expand product offerings, enhance the RFP process, and develop new value-added services
• Certified International Investment Analyst (CIIA), ACIIA, 2016
• Certified Fund Specialist (CFS), IBF, 2013
• Investment Banking
• Regulatory Compliance
• Stakeholder Management
• Client Relations
• P&L Management

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Temple University, Philadelphia, PA September 2011 – June 2013

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Finance Temple University, Philadelphia, PA September 2007 – June 2011

Yaling Zhang (123) 456-7890 [email protected] LinkedIn | Portfolio San Francisco, CA 12345

Vice President, Excelsior Technologies, San Francisco, CA February 2016 – Present

Senior Director, Arkon Technology Inc., San Francisco, CA June 2013 – February 2016

• Managed a team of 30+ engineers, software developers, and data scientists, collaborated with SMEs to define product vision, and established go-to-market strategy
• Pivoted a core product line to a new vertical, created a high-level framework to define market opportunity and value proposition, and achieved executive buy-in, which resulted in over $5M in incremental revenue
• New Product Introduction
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Technology Innovation

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Product Management University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA September 2011 – June 2013

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Computer Science University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA September 2007 – June 2011

Cameron Malfara (123) 456-7890 [email protected] LinkedIn | Portfolio New York, NY 12345

A dynamic Sales Director with 10+ years of experience building and leading high-performance sales organizations to exceed revenue targets for enterprise companies. A proven track record of establishing enduring relationships with clients founded on trust and integrity. Adept at defining innovative growth strategies to drive new business development.

Vice President of Sales, Grayson Medical Device Co., New York, NY July 2016 – Present

• Manage a sales department comprised of 50+ representatives and account managers, oversee all aspects of the sales cycle, and develop high-impact training programs to improve close rates, resulting in a 160% quota attainment across the team
• Serve as the point of contact for client stakeholders and C-level executives, represent the company at trade shows and industry conferences, and secure six new accounts generating $6M in new revenue
• Recruit, develop, and retain top talent, identify opportunities to enhance performance, and establish a positive work culture centered on inclusion and empowerment

Senior Director, Johnson Healthcare Solutions, New York, NY June 2013 – July 2016

• Coordinated with regional managers to define sales strategy and identify new business opportunities for three territories generating over $30M in annual revenue
• Planned and delivered professional development sessions for sales representatives to improve selling tactics, resulting in a 15% increase in sales revenue
• Established and maintained professional networks, prospected for new clients, and attended meetings with key executives to build long-term relationships
• Certified Master Sales Professional, NASP, 2015
• Certified Professional Sales Leader (CPSL), NASP, 2013
• Sales Strategy
• New Business Development
• Territory Management
• Organizational Development

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Strategic Selling & Sales Leadership Columbia University, New York, NY September 2011 – June 2013

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Marketing Columbia University, New York, NY September 2009 – June 2013

Joe Battinieri - Senior Talent Acquisition Professional, LinkedIn

Meet our Expert: Joe has over 20 years of experience in Recruiting and Human Resources. His background includes in-house and consulting recruiting roles. He has executive search and talent acquisition leadership expertise in a variety of industries and is currently focused on sales, marketing, client services, and product roles.

1. What are the most in-demand skills for executives that should be featured on a candidate’s resume? -

The most important and in-demand skill for an executive is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the understanding and managing one's own emotions and the emotions of others. It is important for leading a team, effective collaboration, conflict resolution, and building a positive workplace culture. It helps build credibility, communicate ideas, build relationships, and address stakeholders, board members, and team members. Other in-demand skills include strategic planning, the ability to zoom in/ zoom out, industry knowledge, and budget management.

2. What work experience and other accomplishments are hiring managers looking for in an executive? -

Hiring managers want executives with a strategic vision, growth mindset, and operational excellence. Depending on the role, a successful executive will have experience with increasing revenue, reducing software development cycles and errors, delivering new products to market, and increasing customer retention. All of these experiences demonstrate a leader’s success in supporting a company’s strategic growth- critical for an executive’s success.

3. What else, in addition to a resume, should an executive candidate be prepared to provide hiring managers? -

In addition to a resume, executives should have a cover letter that strongly aligns with the role they are applying for. Executives should also be ready to share any executive presentations, speaker engagements/TED talk videos, publications, or articles that highlight their experts.

4. What advice would you give an executive candidate about their job search? -

Your network is critical to your job search. Executives should leverage industry contacts and current and former colleagues. These people know you best and can speak to your abilities. They may also be able to help the candidate vet a company. External recruiters that either placed the executive or people on their team should also be included in your job search.

Interview advice: Executives are hired for their people leadership and expertise in a specific function. Be prepared to highlight your ability to be strategic and share the data that supports your story for both.

Frequently Asked Questions: Executive Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for executive resumes -.

It’s easy to find yourself running short on action verbs during the resume-building process. Often there’s only a limited number of words you can use to convey your career achievements and experience accurately. Utilizing an array of action verbs is important, as repetition may cause your bullet points to appear redundant to the hiring manager. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of verbs you can use to craft your professional experience section:

How do you align your resume with a job description? -

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , jobs for top executives are expected to grow by 6% between 2021 and 2031. This equates to over 180,000 new openings each year. Despite the high number of opportunities on the open market, executive-level roles are highly competitive, and you’ll need to carefully align your resume with each individual job description.

For example, if you’re applying for a VP-level position at a data science company, you’d want to demonstrate your thought leadership experience with machine learning products. If you’re applying for an executive role that requires an extensive background in stakeholder management, you’d want to showcase examples of your interfacing with C-level executives.   By aligning your resume with the job description, you’ll give yourself a tactical advantage over the competition during the job search.

What is the best executive resume format? -

Reverse chronological is the ideal format for job seekers at the executive level. This ensures that your most recent and impactful achievements are featured at the top of your document. Functional resumes should be avoided here, even if you plan on making a career transition, as you’ll be expected to provide tangible examples of your experience when applying for executive roles.

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Manager Leadership Resume Samples

The guide to resume tailoring.

Guide the recruiter to the conclusion that you are the best candidate for the manager leadership job. It’s actually very simple. Tailor your resume by picking relevant responsibilities from the examples below and then add your accomplishments. This way, you can position yourself in the best way to get hired.

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Pick from the thousands of curated job responsibilities used by the leading companies, tailor your resume & cover letter with wording that best fits for each job you apply.

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• Assist the Director and Senior Manager with the execution and ongoing development of all development programs/leadership initiatives
• In conjunction with Director and Senior Manager, use insight to create and support developmental programs that enhance the CB & GWM leadership strategy
• Provide support and work closely with Director, Leadership and HR Relationship Managers to pull and create reports from the Global Talent Management (GTM) system for worksheet preparation, analysis, audits, etc
• Contribute to the creation of leadership materials, including presentation decks, for use by the SVP Human Resources, VP Human Resources, Relationship Managers, and Director Leadership
• Under the direction of the Director and Senior Manager, develop and champion recommendations and solutions that contribute to defining and closing CB & GWM’s current and/or future leadership gaps
• Project manage and event manage assigned development programs that enhance the leadership strategy
• With Director and Senior Manager, prepare materials and co-host HR Relationship Managers LRP Kick-Off sessions, VP Kick-Off sessions, etc
• Identify new business opportunities and support business development efforts such as proposal development and leading new business pursuits
• Application of psychology and knowledge of adult learning to create leadership development programs
• Develop, coach, and mentor junior staff
• Advise clients on the development and implementation of comprehensive leadership strategies
• Write proposals and statements of work
• Design leadership development programs
• Willingness to travel 70% of the time
• In conjuction with the Director, Information Technology HR, uses insight to create and support developmental programs that enhance the Technology Blueprint leadership strategy
• Creates leadership materials, including presentation decks, for use by the VP Information Technology, HR,Director Information Technology, HR, Relationship Managers
• Organizes and facilitates materials for use in leadership resource planning and succession planning meetings
• Partners with Corporate HR and Information Technology RMs to assist with the design of strategic leadership business solutions
• Act as a member of the larger IT&S HR team, providing input and direction on overall HR issues and represent the views of the business lines on these issues
• Maintain an awareness of emerging trends and best practices in HR and liaison with HR peers, both within and outside of Scotiabank to ensure policies and procedures stay current and market competitive
• Working with the senior management team in support of short and long term business strategies. In conjunction with the Director, HR determine the major HR implications of these strategies and plot the course to enhance the business success through new and innovating HR ideas
• Supports, develops, refines and executes on the Canadian Banking & Global Wealth Management Strategy to ensure the right talent is available to the business lines to achieve their business goals
• Play a supporting role in the content development for and implementation of specialized leadership programs and materials by
• Leverage strong written and communication skills to create and deliver presentations on leadership to key audiences
• Coaching and Support
• With guidance from the Director and Senior Manager, provide strong leadership to motivate individual and team performance; exhibit an ability to listen, negotiate and communicate goals; share knowledge; experience and responsibility when coaching leadership program participants towards their career and development goals

15 Manager Leadership resume templates

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• A seasoned Change Management Leader (7+ years) with strong skills and relevant experience executing and leading in the following areas
• Change Management strategy development and tactical planning to deliver desired business outcomes
• Communications Development & Marketing (communications plan, messaging and deliverables including development of collateral materials)
• Change Metrics and Assessments including focus group/surveys, etc
• Change Leadership Coaching & Development
• Training to Support Effective Organizational Change

Manager Leadership Resume Examples & Samples

• Supports, develops, refines and executes on the Canadian Banking & Global Wealth Management Strategy to ensure the right talent is available to the business lines to achieve their business goals
• Under the direction of the Director and Senior Manager, develop and champion recommendations and solutions that contribute to defining and closing CB & GWM’s current and/or future leadership gaps
• In conjunction with Director and Senior Manager, use insight to create and support developmental programs that enhance the CB & GWM leadership strategy
• Provide strong support to business line leaders to ensure that key talent is nurtured and the business segments have the support they require to adequately develop and retain key performers
• Provide support and participation in the year round leadership resource planning (LRP) process by
• Organize and facilitate materials for use in leadership resource planning & succession planning meetings
• With Director and Senior Manager, assist in planning and creating support materials for quarterly leadership forums and leadership roadshows
• Input information into GTM resulting from discussions with the Director, Leadership, HR Relationship Managers, CB & GWM leaders and other sources
• Pull/compile reports, talent profiles and other relevant information to support LRP roundtables
• Coordinate information and timelines with HR Relationship Managers and other RMOs to ensure information and materials required for roundtable discussions and meetings are complete and available in a timely manner
• Ensure processes are in place to maintain accuracy of information in the GTM system for CB & GWM employees and jobs (i.e. TBH jobs are reviewed on a quarterly basis and deleted as required, talent flags are accurate, successors are reviewed/input/updated, etc.)
• Collaborate with other RM Offices to ensure sharing of information about employees with dual and matrix reporting
• Sound knowledge of HR policies and related philosophies and strong knowledge of the Bank’s Leadership Strategy and related priorities
• Leadership Resource Planning experience
• Strong working knowledge of Bank’s Global Talent Management System
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with strong analytical skills
• Detailed knowledge of the Bank’s structure including the matrixed relationships spanning business lines, geographies and functions

Leadership Edge Manager Resume Examples & Samples

• Minimum 8 years of overall Human Resources/Learning experience with a strong background in learning and management/ leadership development
• Highly consultative and collaborative. Demonstrated ability to marshal resources across organizational lines to deliver against goals
• Excellent consulting and influencing skills
• Exceptionally client/customer focus with proven relationships with key business partners and stakeholders
• Ability to work collaboratively across and within the Leadership Edgeteam as well as develop strong working partnerships with clients and HR colleagues
• Strong executive presence - able to work with senior leaders and employees at all levels
• Progressive and innovative in approach
• Partner and influence key stakeholders in multiple cultures and business roles
• Conduct a training needs analysis
• Bring teams and groups together and work towards a common goal
• Work across geographies and within a matrix
• Strong sense of urgency and action focused, despite ambiguity
• Demonstrated ability to move between the very strategic and highly tactical with ease
• Masters degree in Human Resources, Training/Development, Adult Education or related discipline desired
• Seeking candidates located in one of our global hubs, i.e. New York, London or Hong Kong

Senior Manager Leadership Resume Examples & Samples

• Uses analytic and strategic skills to support, develop, refine and execute the Information Technology leadership strategy to ensure the right talent is available to the business line to achieve its business goals
• Support of business line leaders to ensure that key talent is nurtured and the business segments have the support they require to adequately develop and retain key performers
• Leverages strong written and verbal communications skills to deliver presentations on leadership topics to key audiences
• Act as a member of the larger IT&S HR team, providing input and direction on overall HR issues and represent the views of the business lines on these issues
• Define and develop the corresponding HR tactics to support the business strategies ensuring that all actions fit with the overall HR goals and objectives of the Scotiabank group
• Sound knowledge of the Bank’s Leadership Strategy and related priorities
• Strong working knowledge of the Bank’s Global Talent Management System
• Comprehensive knowledges of the Bank’s Technology Blueprint
• Excellent relationship building skills
• Strong business acumen competency to align both business objectives and Leadership strategies with corporate goals (Financial, Customer, Operational & People) to maximize shareholder value
• A self-starter who is able to work independently
• Ability to manage shifting priorities and to prioritize tasks
• Strong diagnostic skills followed by good ability to evaluate options/alternatives and develop solutions/recommendations to complex and multi-dimensional problems/issues
• Solid negotiation and influencing skills to work with both the line management and the Global HR policy groups
• Strong project management skills and effective execution skills to ensure successful delivery/implementation of special initiatives, products, processes and policies
• Strong team focus to work closely with assigned client group and peers
• Previous Leadership experience supporting IT is considered an asset

Senior Manager Leadership Effectiveness Resume Examples & Samples

• 7+ years in learning and development, specifically focused on leadership and team effectiveness
• Bachelor’s degree, Master's preferred, in instructional design, Adult Education, Organization Development, Human Resource Management, Business or related field
• Depth of experience in instructional design –proven track record of designing, developing and executing leadership development solutions for management and/or executive level leaders
• Uses deep understanding of the Leadership Strategy, creativity and insight to develop programs that enhance the Leadership Strategy
• Uses analytic and strategic thinking skills to refine and execute the Leadership Strategy to ensure the right talent is available to the business line to achieve its business goals
• Leverages skilled coaching and developing talent abilities to work directly with individual program participants
• Using skilled communications abilities, presents a compelling view of leadership development both individual and group contexts
• Leading and managing ongoing concurrent leadership programs and processes that proactively strengthen Scotiabank’s Leadership Strategy
• Leverages highly skilled relationship and influencing abilities to bring business and functional partners together
• Management responsibilities
• Exceptional communication, analytic and problem-solving abilities
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, creative thinking and project management skills with a proven ability to lead enterprise wide projects/strategic initiatives
• Independent/autonomous and still a team player
• Excellent facilitation skills and a positive, enthusiastic approach
• Resilient and adaptive to rapidly changing circumstances with the ability course correct
• Skilled at building trusted relationships with the ability to influence without authority

Senior Site Leadership Manager Resume Examples & Samples

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Construction Management from an accredited university or college
• Minimum of 5 years of third-party construction site supervisory experience
• High energy, with strong communication skills and ability to function well in a team environment and in isolated / remote locations
• Demonstrated ability in meeting schedule commitments
• Ability to support complex multi-task activities
• Computer literate, Word, Excel, Power Point, remote connectivity, on-line tools etc
• Proven Track record of completing projects on time and within budget
• Experience in project cost controls & procedures
• Experience with GE Equipment Installations
• Experience with Primavera scheduling of projects
• Demonstrated installation and/or commissioning of Energy Services Projects and Utility Substation transmission and distribution equipment
• Experience with Transmission Line projects
• Ability to plan and sequence construction tasks including civil, steel erection and protection and control elements based on supplied project documentation

Leadership Senior Manager Resume Examples & Samples

• Engagement Management: Lead engagement planning and budgeting; mobilize and manage engagement teams; define deliverable structure and content; facilitate buy-in of proposed solutions from top management levels at the client; direct on-time, quality delivery of work products; manage engagement economics; manage engagement risk
• People Development: Perform role of counselor and coach; provide input and guidance into the staffing process; actively participate in staff recruitment and retention activities; provide leadership and support for delivery teams
• Lead project teams to asses senior C-suite executives
• Lead project teams
• Facilitation of workshops, team meetings and executive education experiences
• Scope leadership projects, including number and level of resources, duration, and cost
• Minimum of 8 years related experience in consulting or industry
• Minimum of 6 years’ experience leading project teams on Leadership Strategy, Assessment and Development
• Minimum of 4 years’ experience architecting client solutions and developing proposal
• Demonstrated influence and leadership abilities in building or leading Leadership functions

Manager, Culture & Leadership Resume Examples & Samples

• Teach For America corps member and/or staff member experience is preferred
• Two years’ experience achieving ambitious outcomes as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development at Teach For America or instructional dean/coach in a school, district, or network preferred
• Experience with adult learning design and/or teaching/coaching adult learners
• Experience with curriculum development preferred
• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred
• Experience working in the Oklahoma educational landscape is preferred, but not required
• An understanding and deep belief in fostering culturally responsive educators
• Ability to design high impact adult learning experiences that lead to change in the classroom
• Ability to build relationships and create alignment with individuals from a wide range of perspectives
• Sophisticated ability to influence others (peers and/or corps members) to achieve outcomes; experience in lateral management preferred
• Ability to track tasks, assess progress, and follow through on the execution of plans
• Deep understanding of race and class and a commitment to social justice
• Ability to analyze and use large amounts of data to inform and adjust strategy
• Strength in developing strong peer relationships that drive results and contribute to a thriving culture

Manager, Alumni Leadership Resume Examples & Samples

• Utilizing our communications system to inform and inspire alumni
• Supporting team events with a high level of logistical work - including design and team communication
• Support regional efforts to increase participation in annual Alumni Survey
• Support the planning and execution of our annual alumni induction event to unite, inspire, and connect corps members, alumni, and community partners
• Tracking and updating Alumni Affairs data in our contact management database to ensure accuracy to drive team priorities
• Alumna/us already engaged in the work of Teach For America preferred
• Interest in or experience with School Leadership or school leadership programs highly preferred
• 3-5 years teaching experience preferred
• Experience working/living in Mississippi strongly preferred
• Proven ability to leverage relationships towards the achievement of concrete goals
• Strong project management skills - proven ability to set vision for an initiative and execute on the vision
• Proven ability to operate effectively in an entrepreneurial environment
• Proven commitment to learning and continuously developing
• Proven record of achieving ambitious results
• Demonstrated commitment to Teach For America's mission and core values
• Exceptional relationship building skills
• Strong adult facilitation skills
• Operates with a high level of personal responsibility, optimism and good judgment
• Must be proficient in MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Experience in web-based communications preferred
• 4-6 years of professional experience required; significant experience managing projects to reach and exceed ambitious goals
• Experience with the Los Angeles educational landscape preferred
• Teach For America Alumna/us preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to craft high quality written communications and professionally respond to alumni, internal and external partners
• Excellent relationship-building skills – Ability to develop and cultivate effective and authentic relationships and engage with internal and external stakeholders in a meaningful way to understand their objectives and needs, and to invest them in our work
• Critical thinker who displays strong judgment in prioritizing problems to solve and opportunities to pursue
• Ability to manage small and large projects to reach and exceed ambitious goals
• Ability to prioritize and demonstrate good judgment
• Ability to track and analyze data strategically and purposefully
• Motivated by achieving results through others and able to manage others towards outcomes
• Proficiency with Salesforce or similar Constituent Relationships Management (CRM) preferred
• 2+ years professional work experience preferred
• Experience with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Drive, Outlook, Web design/maintenance, and/or Salesforce highly preferred
• Previous project and data management experience preferred
• Teach For America alumni strongly preferred
• Strong strategic thinking and systems orientation
• Flexible and optimistic approach; commitment to overcoming obstacles and comfort with ambiguity
• Strong personal responsibility; takes ownership for quality work
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit
• Demonstrates professionalism, poise, and judgment at all times
• Excellent relationship building skills – friendly, approachable, and enjoys developing relationships
• Superb customer service skills
• Ability to thrive in a goal-oriented, fast-paced, and entrepreneurial environment, including the ability to be flexible in project execution

Leadership Client Manager Resume Examples & Samples

• Bachelor's degree required, major in Business or Technology preferred
• Prefer three or more years professional experience
• Technology knowledge or experience a plus
• Proven Performance
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple requests
• Ability to problem solve and bring forth timely resolutions

Category Leadership Manager Resume Examples & Samples

• Expert in the analysis of syndicated (Nielsen / IRI) data and household panel data leading to key insights and business recommendations on the key sales controllables of distribution and assortment, pricing, and promotion
• Develops impactful customer specific category development recommendations in support of key business building initiatives
• Has a broad understanding of Kraft and category businesses and key industry and category drivers
• Leads the identification of category / customer business opportunities and develops the recommendations for customer category development initiatives
• Establishes customer category priorities that are consistent with goals and objectives as defined by the customer
• Category Development representative to insure that customer, consumer, and category insights are delivered for fact based decision-making. Understands, applies, and can explain category management best practices
• Minimum 5 years consumer products industry experience
• Strong analytic / problem solving capability
• Strong syndicated and panel data knowledge
• Good project management and training skills
• Solid written / oral communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong industry / sales knowledge with emphasis on category and space management
• Solid organization, project management and planning skills with the ability to execute with minimal supervision
• Ability to work in a dynamic environment with frequent interaction and outside of the Kraft Heinz
• People management experience and skills

Senior Manager, Change Leadership Resume Examples & Samples

• Engage with Change Leaders across Medical Devices on their local strategies to identify key opportunities and barriers across regions, franchises, and functions
• Create strategy for sustainable model of tools and trainings for local areas, and partner with change network leaders to implement
• Drive integration of transformation projects and change management, including identifying interdependencies, overall monitoring, and assessing risks
• Champion goal alignment and support the integration with core business processes and sustainability
• Build deep change management knowledge and expertise across Medical Devices
• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced Degree is preferred
• A minimum of 6 years’ business experience required
• Experience managing complex projects is required
• Experience leading and influencing teams is required
• Experience evaluating data and insights is required
• Experience driving and implementing change is strongly preferred
• Experience is Medical Device industry is preferred
• Strong influencing and active listening skills are required
• Up to 30% global travel is requiredStrategic Planning

Senior Manager Ministry Leadership Formation Resume Examples & Samples

• Graduate degree with preferred substantive coursework or major field of study in theology, organizational development, psychology, leadership development, or a related field. A graduate degree in Theology (MA, MDiv, MHCM, Spirituality) is strongly preferred
• 5 years progressively responsible and successful leadership experience, some of which has been specifically devoted to planning, designing, delivering, and managing direct adult learning programs with participants from diverse backgrounds. Additionally
• Previous participation in a Catholic healthcare leadership formation program is required
• Proven experience in effectively designing and delivering formation, leadership formation, and/or values-based leadership programs is highly desired
• Experience managing and facilitating group learning and group process is required
• Outstanding and proven organizational, interpersonal, facilitation and communication skills are critical to the success of this position
• Ability to align and integrate formation program objectives with Mission, values, strategic plan
• Leading group process facilitation, teaching, and learning process engagement for adults
• Familiarity with the rhythms and methods of spiritual direction or faith formation
• Highly developed and exceptional written and oral communication skills, adapted to the needs of those being served
• Maintaining positive relationships, building trust, collaborative engagement, and open communication
• Excellent program administration and coordination skills, including development of work plans, metrics, monitoring processes, resource management, short and long range planning
• Highly developed decision-making skills using common sense, analysis, experience, and good judgment
• At minimum, facility in using Microsoft PowerPoint, Outlook and Word is required
• Demonstrated commitment to the Mission, values, and heritage of Providence Health & Services, St. Joseph Health, and its affiliates
• Demonstrated personal integrity, veracity, and trust
• Curiosity, openness, attentiveness, critical thinking, and committed to ongoing personal learning are key personal attributes
• Maturity, professionalism, and ability to work with diverse groups
• A welcoming presence and sense of humor
• Self-starting and independent in managing multiple projects and accountabilities
• A practical and common sense approach to developing programs and resources that fit the unique needs of formation participants
• The ability to work effectively with leaders at multiple levels of ministry in a credible and professional manner
• Ability to manage shifting and competing priorities, and to succeed and thrive in a fast-paced environment with multiple assignments and changing needs
• Unless otherwise noted, the ability to work an occasional flexible schedule (evenings) and regular travel are both required
• Determination of additional program specific requirements is driven by participant and program needs and ultimately rests with the Vice President, Ministry Leadership Formation.  

Manager, Leadership & Succession Resume Examples & Samples

• Supports senior leadership of Talent Management in developing the enterprise-wide leadership talent philosophy and leadership brand and competencies in alignment with Sanford’s mission, vision and strategy
• Provides best in class expertise on how to develop leaders at all levels of the organization. Creates leadership development and succession programs, processes and tools, including e-learning technologies. Maintains strong understanding and working knowledge of leadership development and succession planning trends and industry leading practices
• Designs the program content for leadership academy programs, ensures consistency with the mission, vision and values of Sanford, establishes curriculum components that represent the highest and best learning opportunities for current and future leaders, and promotes the development of the competencies and skills needed. Evaluates and reports program performance metrics
• Liaise with Human Resources (HR) leadership team to ensure alignment of leadership development programs with the broader HR vision and strategy. Create formal selection process for formal leadership development opportunities. Uses assessment and selection expertise and talent profiles to identify future leaders and succession planning
• Oversees a network of internal and external resources to support system and local leadership learning and development needs. Develops RFPs and selects third parties to develop and deliver leadership programs
• Creates succession management program aligned with workforce planning to plan for and anticipate changes in the leadership pipeline and needs in the future. Integrates leadership development and succession plan with other Talent Management functions (e.g., performance management, organizational effectiveness, talent management for high potentials)
• Collaborates with the HRSPs and business leaders to match participants with appropriate development or executive coaching opportunities
• Assesses program effectiveness through evaluations and other measurements to ensure quality outcomes; report program objectives and progress quarterly. Utilized data to analyze trends on leadership development outcomes and recommend improvements
• Evaluated and approved requests for ad hoc leadership development outside of established programs. Successful candidates will have
• Knowledge of HR policies, procedures, and programs
• Ability to identify and understand leadership challenges to building a leadership pipeline
• Ability to collaborate effectively with other members of HR and senior business leadership
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and key external constituents, including vendors
• Ability to guide, mentor, and develop employees
• Ability to manage teams, including direct reports. Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information
• Strong consulting and influencing skills (influence/persuade business leaders to enact change)

Manager, Collective Leadership Resume Examples & Samples

• Manage communications and operations for the DFW Alumni Advisory Board and Texas Alumni Collaborative (25%)
• Weekend and evening work will be required—flexibility in scheduling is necessary
• Ability to travel around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Why do you want to join our team as the Manager, Collective Leadership?
• What skills, experience, and/or mindsets do you have that would help you be successful in this role?
• Expert in the analysis of syndicated (Nielsen/IRI) data and household panel data leading to key insights and business recommendations on the sales controllables of distribution and assortment, pricing, and promotion
• Skilled in relational database architecture and product attribution in order to serve as primary contact for Kraft Heinz Company’s C-Store data aggregator
• Develops impactful, customer-specific category development recommendations in support of key business-building initiatives
• Has a broad understanding of Kraft Heinz, our businesses and key industry drivers
• Distills data from varied syndicated and primary research sources into actionable insights
• Expert in MS Excel and highly skilled in PowerPoint presentation development

Manager, Leadership Resume Examples & Samples

• Support the leadership strategy to ensure the right talent is available to the business line to achieve their goals and strengthen leadership capabilities by
• Providing support to the Leadership team on talent management, leadership and employee development initiatives and support with talent analysis
• Improving processes to facilitate more effective coordination of leadership initiatives
• Providing advice & counsel, and when required, support to Business HR partners on leadership processes
• Supporting the development of targeted employee segments by coordinating development opportunities throughout the year with Business HR teams (e.g. networking events, speaking engagements, leadership panels)
• Support the Leadership Resource Planning (LRP) process by
• Ensuring the right tools and templates are being used to enhance the LRP process and manage consistent execution and alignment to Global Leadership’s guidelines
• Providing ongoing advice, counsel and support to Business HR partners regarding LRP process and execution
• Performing audits and ensuring processes are in place to maintain the accuracy of information (i.e. TBH jobs are deleted as required, talent flags/succession lists are correct, etc.)
• Support the design of development programs by
• Supporting the design of leadership development programs for targeted employee segments in coordination with other COEs (i.e. establish program objectives, format/structure, selection requirements etc.)
• Guiding the research and identification of best practices that will set the strategic direction of specific initiatives
• Coordinating with Business HR for the required oversight during program implementation and once implemented through measurement and tracking of KPIs
• Be an engaged member of the larger HR team by
• Participating in broader team functions and initiatives
• Supporting the Director and VP, Leadership in managing operational risk by providing oversight in the execution of process, policies and guidelines
• Knowledge of Scotiabank’s leadership strategy and Leadership Resource Planning process
• Familiarity with services provided by other COEs, Global HR Services and Business HR partners
• Excellent customer-centered relationship building skills and ability to influence without direct authority
• Ability to work under pressure and strong organizational skills to juggle competing priorities without compromising quality

Manager, Thought Leadership & Insights Resume Examples & Samples

• Develop a pipeline of ideas to explore with relevant stakeholders applying disciplined project management skills
• Continue to develop and evolve thought leadership strategy within the region to push boundaries and make meaningful impact
• Research, organize and write engaging content for thought leadership, brand and digital
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with internal business partners across marketing, product, sales, compliance and investments
• Work closely with internal teams to coordinate, edit and review thought leadership from a global perspective
• Create web content and develop content for social media, video and PR opportunities
• Act as a writing and editing resource to the Marketing team, ensuring high quality and accurate content is being produced by the company
• Ensure consistency in the company’s voice, key messages and editorial style across markets, channels and media
• Keep up to date with developments in financial markets and maintain a deep understanding of investment communications developed by our peers
• Edit and proof external communication materials to ensure content has a clear message and consistent tone and style, while ensuring there are no compositional errors, adhere to established standards and uphold the firm’s brand
• Extensive experience in marketing, journalism or communications within the asset management / finance or professional services industries, with strong experience writing investment related content
• Knowledge of investment products ideal and good knowledge of financial markets and investment/ financial concepts
• Proven and exceptional writing skills to help create a wide range of communication materials for various audiences
• Excellent native English verbal communication skills, Chinese a plus
• Demonstrate ability to capture complex ideas and write clear, concise and engaging content across different media including print, digital and video. Data visualization expertise is a plus
• Ability to work at a fast pace with strong attention to detail, highly organized and strong project management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and willingness to collaborate with all levels at the firm
• Creativity—able to recommend new and unique ideas
• Curiosity, drive and resourcefulness to do more research as required
• Ability to work well in a team environment, as well as to handle multiple simultaneous assignments, work independently, and assume personal responsibility for deliverables
• Ability to effectively manage new projects, existing maintenance, shifting priorities, and multiple tasks
• Ability to prioritize work with competing business initiatives and time constraints
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and potential competing interests
• Advanced computer skills including Bloomberg terminal and knowledge of digital marketing platforms a plus

Senior Manager Leadership Facilitation Latam Resume Examples & Samples

• Works with Director of Global Programs, Director of Learning for International Banking and country learning teams to lead LATAM leadership facilitation function by
• Proven leadership abilities, and ability to communicate a vision with clarity
• Demonstrated success at collaborating with a network of internal and external colleagues, subject matter experts and business leaders in order to get results
• Confident and assertive with excellent influencing and networking skills
• Fluently bilingual English-Spanish (required)
• 7 + years of professional experience in consulting, leadership, change management, facilitation, within a large, complex corporate environment, preferably with global scope
• 5 + years of professional experience in developing and implementing business strategies
• 5 + years experience as a people manager
• Advanced degree in one of the following required: Performance Consulting, Adult Education, Educational Technology, or Instructional Design
• Coaching designation from an International Coach Federation accredited program is preferred

Related Job Titles

Resume Summary with No Experience: Examples for Students and Fresh Graduates

By Biron Clark

Published: December 18, 2023

Recent Grads | Resume/CV

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

If you’re looking for how to write a summary for your resume with no work experience , you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to walk you through exactly what to do, and then we’ll look at resume summary examples for entry-level job seekers, students and fresh graduates. 

How to Write a Summary For Your Resume With No Experience:

First, a resume summary is different than an objective . And it’s much better. Putting an objective on your resume is outdated and unnecessary. Resume objectives are useless because they don’t share anything the hiring manager doesn’t already know (such as “my goal is to obtain a position in the ___ industry”). So what we’re doing here is better and will help your resume stand out from people who simply put an objective. Whereas, the resume summary gives a quick highlight reel of your qualifications, education, and more. If you’re not sure what a resume summary actually is, check out this article on 10 resume summary examples . And while it’s easier to figure out what to put if you’ve built up some work experience, you can still write an effective resume summary with no work experience whatsoever.

So in this article, I’m going to show you how. What should go into your summary when you don’t have any work experience? 

1. Put academic accomplishments and leadership

What did you study? Did you just graduate with a degree? Mention that. If you took a leadership role in your class projects, or clubs/groups at your school, you can mention that too. Leadership doesn’t need to be in a job to get the hiring manager’s attention! Taking a leadership role in a sports environment is impressive as well. You’re not going to mention specific accomplishments in your resume summary usually (you can do that later in your resume), but you can say things like “proven leadership” or “natural leader”, etc.

2. Put your interests and passions

Are you passionate about startups and technology? Great, put that. Want to make a difference in the world, and focus your career on social impact? Mention that. This can include the grades you received, but also leadership positions you led, and clubs/groups you participated in.

3. Put “hard” skills

If you’re proficient in any tools, technologies, etc… you can include that in your resume summary. Don’t list 20 things. That’s what your “Skills” section is for. But pick the three or four things that are most relevant for the job you’re applying for.

Coming up in this article, we’re going to look at two resume summary examples for people with no experience. .. and in the second example, you’ll see how this would look.

4. Include soft skills

Are you great at analytical thinking? Do you love working as a part of a team? Are you great at multi-tasking and handling a fast-paced team environment? While these shouldn’t be the main focus of your resume summary section, they can be worth mentioning. It’s especially good to include soft skills that you see mentioned in the job description.

For example, if you see they mention wanting someone who’s great at multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment, and you feel that describes you well, then your resume summary is the perfect place to include this.

5. Put statements that will grab the employer’s interest and make them want to ask you questions!

If you mention leadership they’ll want to ask you more about your leadership experiences. That’s a good thing. Remember, whatever you put, they’ll probably ask you about. So as you write your summary for your resume, try to think about what you want them to discuss with you, and what you want a chance to talk about. And try to “tailor” your resume to fit the companies you’re applying to. If you’re applying to large corporations don’t start your summary by saying “Startup enthusiast”.

3 Resume Summary Example for Students, Fresh Graduates and Entry-Level Job Seekers:

In this section, I’m going to share three examples of how to write a summary for your resume with no experience. You can use these resume summary examples as a student, entry-level job seeker, or any job search where you don’t have experience:

Resume Summary with No Experience – Example #1: Economics Student

Enthusiastic, highly-motivated Economics student with proven leadership capabilities, who likes to take initiative and seek out new challenges.

In this example above, you’re showing that you completed your Economics degree and have an interest in the subject, and you’re mentioning leadership and making the reader want to learn more about this. You’re also making yourself sound ambitious and motivated at the end, which is always a good thing (I’m referring to the part that says “who likes to take initiative and seek out new challenges). Notice the format too. This is how I recommend phrasing it. Don’t say “I am a ___”. Just start with the descriptive words.

This is a simple yet effective resume summary example for students OR recent graduates.

Resume Summary with No Experience – Example #2: Fresh Graduate in Computer Science

Computer Science graduate passionate about data engineering and machine learning. Highly-capable leader, having led multiple Senior class projects to completion. Proficient in a range of modern technologies including Python, Java and Scala.

This is another good example of a student or fresh graduate resume summary that still shows your skills and academic focus, even if you have no formal work experience.  In this entry-level resume summary example, you’re highlighting accomplishments and leadership as a student and you’re also showing that you’re passionate about your work. Saying you’re passionate about data engineering is much better than just saying, “Looking for a job in data engineering.” They’ll know you’re looking for jobs because you applied. Taking up space to say it is a bad use of this area of your resume, and is why I never recommend having a resume “Objective” section. The summary exists instead of an “Objective” and is much better.

The example above also included some great programming keywords (Python, Java, Scala) to help get past any automated application systems and grab the hiring manager’s attention very quickly when they first look at your resume. If you work with any tools or technologies that have names like these, you can include it in your entry-level resume summary if you’d like. Other examples of tools/technologies: Photoshop, MS Excel, etc.

If you decide not to include these on your resume summary, make sure to include them elsewhere such as your Education or Skills section .

Resume Summary Example with No Experience #3: Math Student Graduating Soon

4th year mathematics student passionate about statistics and data analysis. Proven project leader. Active member of Boston University’s Mathematics Club. Speaker at 2018 “New York Young Mathematicians Conference.”

This resume summary example for students shows how you can list accomplishments even if you’ve never formally worked before. Did you participate in any clubs at school? Have you led any class projects? These are impressive pieces you can add to your resume summary with no experience formally working. 

How to Write a Resume Summary For Students/Fresh Graduates – Quick Recap

• Skip buzzwords like “hard-working” and put real academic accomplishments instead, like projects you produced and tasks you led
• Include what you’re interested in and passionate about to show them why you are applying for this position
• Mention hard skills like “Java Programming” or “Excel,”  especially if they’re listed on the job description
• Include soft skills as well like, “excellent at multi-tasking”, especially if you saw these keywords anywhere on the job description
• Include statements in your resume summary that will catch the employer’s interest and make them want to talk with you and ask you more. Remember – the entire goal of your resume is to get invited to interview. So if you did anything unique like giving presentations, working in an internship , participating in a school club, etc., you can include this in your entry-level resume summary.

If you follow the tips above, you’ll have a great entry-level resume summary that will stand out and catch a recruiter’s or hiring manager’s attention so you can get more interviews.

After you write your entry-level resume summary, here are two more articles that may be helpful when job searching with no experience:

• The best times of year to job search
• How to create a great elevator pitch for job hunting

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

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This site was pretty helpful in guiding me throughout my school resume, would love other tips would do well.

This is a great guide. If only schools were actually interested in teaching children real life skills like this.

Hi, I am a student who has been finding it very difficult to make resumes due to the lack of working experience. I am currently trying to find a job while studying at the same time. I am in University completing a certificate and will soon be applying for a BA in Psychology and Criminolgy. However, I wish to apply for a part time job in the fashion industry. Can you please leave me some tips about what I can do to ensure that I can find a job without needing experience.

Your page has really helped, Thank you.

Hi, I’m a job seeker with 2 years experience working as a cart collector at grocery store and an Associate’s Degree in Computer Information Systems, is this a good professional summary?: “Reliable team member with a keen interest in information technology and other applications. Capable of handling multiple projects within deadlines. Eager to apply my professional and academic background as an Administrative Assistant at Bogdan Contracting.”

I’ve been job seeking since October 2018, I’m hoping I can start a career in tech support as soon as possible.

Hi Marcais,

I think it sounds pretty good. My least favorite part is the first word, though. “Reliable” sounds pretty average/boring. Sure, you show up, do your job, etc. That’s what I think when I hear “reliable”. But not much more.

I’d look for a better word to lead off with.

I would like to say thank you for making this article about writing a summary for a resume. For the past couple of months, I have been struggling to find someone who can help me with that because I don’t have a lot of experience in my field (i.e. engineering). I do have one question though. Is it appropriate to use first-person nouns in the summary section? I have seen people do that, but I find it quite odd.

Please let me know as soon as you can. Thank you.

Hi Frances,

I’d avoid saying, “I” if that’s what you’re asking.

Just say “Led team of 7 people to accomplish ___”

Just start without a pronoun.

Another example: “Highly-accomplished accounting professional who has ____”

Comments are closed.

80+ Resume Summary Examples for Popular Roles & Industries [2024]

3 key takeaways

• What a resume summary is
• How to write a great resume summary with the Teal AI Resume Builder
• 80+ examples of resume summaries

Resume summary examples are great tools to help you write a personalized resume summary.

A resume summary is a concise overview of your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. It's important because it gives a hiring manager or recruiter a quick idea of your top qualifications and potential fit for a position. By looking at examples, you can better understand  how  to summarize your experience and skills in a way that aligns with best practices.

Below is a list of 80+ professional summary examples for a resume. Don't want to scroll through them all? No problem. The examples are categorized and then broken down further into specific roles to make finding what you need even easier.

General resume summary examples

Functional professional resume summary examples, industry-specific professional resume summary examples, specialized skills professional resume summary examples, experience level professional summary examples.

Struggling to update your resume and land interviews? Get started with Teal’s AI Resume Builder today.

What is a resume summary?

A resume summary (also known as a professional summary) is a short paragraph at the top of your resume that highlights your top qualifications, professional skills, and accomplishments as they relate to the job description for the position you’re applying for. It's different from a resume objective in that a resume objective also focuses on your overall career goals.

Think of your resume summary as your professional highlight reel—a condensed showcase of your top professional moments and abilities designed to leave readers excited to hit the play button on your complete story.

What makes a good resume summary?

Good resume summaries have a few components that make them compelling, dynamic, and captivating. 

Professional job title or branding statement

Start your summary for a resume with your current job title or a short phrase that best describes your professional persona.

For example: Enthusiastic Marketing Manager with 5+ years of SaaS experience

Skills and qualifications 

Highlight your top most relevant skills. These most valuable skills could range from hard, technical skills like Python and Scrum to soft, transferable skills like leadership or teamwork.

Key accomplishments

Share one or two significant achievements that demonstrate your impact (this shows how you can add value to a potential employer).

Years of experience 

If applicable, briefly mention how many years of experience you have in your field or relevant roles. (But if you don’t have many years of experience, that’s okay, too!) 

And remember, while your resume summary should reflect who you are professionally, good resume summaries always echo the needs of the job description—and you can do this by tailoring your resume summary. 

Tailoring your resume summary to the job description

The ultimate goal of your resume is to show a potential employer why you're the best fit for the job. To do this, don't use the exact same resume summary for every job. Instead, tailor it (and your entire document) to the job description. 

A resume summary tailored to the job incorporates relevant skills and experiences that align with the needs of the role. 

For example, say a job ad has these keywords:

• Editorial planning
• SEO optimization
• Collaboration
• Conversion rate
• BOFU content
• AHREF'S
• Google Analytics

Using those words, your resume summary could look something like:

Experienced content strategist with over 5 years in editorial planning, SEO optimization, and remote collaboration, successfully driving a 7-9% conversion rate from BOFU content to product signups while leveraging tools like AHREFs and Google Analytics to enhance organic growth and user engagement.

Tailor your resume summary with Teal

Using the free Teal Resume Summary Generator , you can create your own summary or use Teal's Generative AI, which pulls keywords like technical skills, soft skills, and other important language from the job description as well as details from your work history and professional experience to create a tailored resume summary statement every time.

Use Teal's Resume Summary Generator to write a tailored, impactful start to your resume.

80 resume summary examples

Ready for the resume boost you came for? Take a look at 80 of the best professional summary examples for your resume.

Before you jump right in and explore a selection of resume summary examples, let's analyze a few samples and talk about some minor optimization changes that could make them even better. 

1. Digital administrative assistant

As a highly organized Digital Administrative Assistant with 10 years of experience, I specialize in digital administration. Adept at managing calendars, coordinating travel, and optimizing office workflows, I've increase in operational efficiency by 15%. Using Google Suite and Trello I've streamlined document management, improving team productivity by 8% YoY.

2. Human resources intern

As a driven Human Resources Intern, I'm in the process of earning my HR degree and have applied my knowledge in a practical setting, where I improved the recruitment process efficiency by 20%. My adaptability and interpersonal skills enable me to work effectively with diverse teams, contributing to company-wide initiatives that have increased employee engagement by 10%.

3. Sales account executive

With 12 years of success in SaaS Sales Account Management, this Account Executive is adept at building strong relationships and driving revenue growth through exceptional proficiency in sales data analytics. Their consultative approach and solution-oriented mindset have led to exceeding sales targets by 25% YoY. As a professional, they have nurtured key accounts resulting in a 30% increase in customer retention. They thrive in fast-paced startup environments and are committed to delivering an exceptional CX to nurture long-term partnerships.

4. Senior visual designer

As a Senior Visual Designer with 15 years of experience, I've successfully improved brand engagement for B2B clients, with a notable website redesign increasing user engagement by 40%. My expertise in combining artistic design with UX has led to the successful delivery of projects on time and within budget, meeting and exceeding key performance metrics. 

5. SEO content writer

As an enthusiastic SEO Content Writer with a flair for storytelling, I'm dedicated to creating high-quality, engaging content that converts. I have a strong understanding of SEO content writing principles and continuously stay updated with industry trends to optimize content performance. My passion for writing has increased website traffic and a 10% boost in organic search rankings for the sites I've worked on. I am eager to contribute my skills and grow professionally in a dynamic and results-driven team.

Now, let’s explore some resume summary examples based on multiple jobs, curated to showcase core competencies and specialized skills that align with roles across industries.

Leadership and Management

6. Chief executive officer (CEO)

With over 20 years in the tech industry, I've driven a remarkable 23% YoY revenue growth at Clark Corp as the CEO. My software background, mastery of strategic product development, and deep market analysis skills are matched by my commitment to team building, problem-solving, and visionary leadership of over 300+ people. My focus on fueling innovation and growth drives my dedication to delivering unparalleled value.

7. General manager

As a seasoned General Manager with 30+ years of demonstrated leadership success in the manufacturing industry, I've driven consistent 15%+ annual growth and implemented effective cost reduction strategies by 10%—leveraging expertise in strategic planning, team management, and fostering a culture of profitability. 

8. RevOps manager

Experienced RevOps Manager with 10+ years of proven expertise in optimizing revenue operations and enhancing sales efficiency in SaaS. I  achieved a remarkable increase in sales revenue by 20% year-over-year through process optimization and data-driven strategies. I'm also adept at cross-functional collaboration and customer-centric lead management, resulting in a 15% reduction in sales cycle time and enhanced operational efficiency.

Technical and IT

9. IT support specialist

As an IT Support Specialist with 4 years of dedicated service at Apple, I consistently maintained a customer satisfaction rating of over 95% through exceptional technical assistance and problem-solving expertise. I'm proficient in diagnosing and resolving hardware and software issues, ensuring seamless operations and maximum customer satisfaction. I take pride in my demonstrated ability to deliver top-notch support through clear communication, patience, and a customer-centric approach. I'm eager to leverage my expertise to continue offering outstanding IT support.

10. Network engineer

As an enthusiastic Network Engineer with 11 years of experience at Washington State University, I've designed, implemented, and maintained secure network infrastructures to support the university's academic, research, and administrative operations. I’ve achieved an average network uptime of 99.99%, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for a diverse user base. Additionally, I’ve successfully reduced network response time by 20% by implementing cutting-edge technologies and optimizations. I take pride in collaboration and teamwork, leveraging my expertise to enhance network performance.

11. Systems administrator

As a Systems Administrator with a proven track record of 8 years, I specialize in managing and optimizing cloud-based infrastructure at startups, particularly with expertise in services like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. I'm skilled in deploying and maintaining critical systems, ensuring 99.9% uptime, and proficient in scripting and automation to streamline routine tasks and improve efficiency. My strong communication and collaboration skills are demonstrated by my ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

(Check out these system administrator resume examples for more professional summaries.)

Creative and Design

12. Graphic designer

As a Creative Graphic Designer with 3 years of experience in the mortgage industry, I'm adept at producing intentional designs that effectively communicate and resonate with target audiences. I'm known for crafting a high-impact ad for a white paper that generated an impressive $33k in just 2 weeks. I'm also proficient in Adobe Creative Suite—translating concepts into visually compelling graphics across print and digital platforms. My passion for blending artistic innovation with strategic thinking delivers captivating visuals that leave a lasting impression. 

13. Multimedia artist

As a recent college graduate and Multimedia Artist with a strong foundation in visual arts and digital media, I'm eager to apply my creative skills and passion for storytelling to deliver compelling multimedia experiences across platforms. I completed a dynamic internship with Pandoc, where I honed my skills in Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects) to create engaging visual content. My GPA of 3.8 showcases my dedication to academic excellence and strong work ethic. 

14. UX designer

As a UX Designer with 7 years of experience in e-commerce, I skillfully blend creativity and data-driven insights to shape resonating digital experiences. I have a track record of crafting intuitive interfaces that have led to a 25% increase in user engagement and a 15% reduction in bounce rates. I thrive on transforming complex challenges into captivating solutions, and I'm proficient in conducting user research, implementing user-centered design principles, and utilizing prototyping tools like Adobe XD. 

Marketing and Sales

15. Business development rep

Business Development Representative with 2 years of success in the video software industry. I skillfully tied lead generation and strategic outreach initiatives, increasing close win rates by 20% and consistently exceeding quarterly sales targets by an average of 15%—showcasing my ability to identify high-potential prospects and cultivate relationships that result in successful conversions. I'm also proficient in leveraging Salesforce to manage leads, track customer interactions, and drive efficient sales processes.

16. Inside sales

With 2 years of experience in health tech inside sales, I've driven revenue growth through strategic client engagement and data-driven strategies. I've consistently surpassed quarterly targets, achieving a remarkable 19% increase in sales. My proficiency in LeadSquared enabled me to manage leads efficiently, resulting in a 15% reduction in response time and streamlined sales processes. I've optimized my sales approach to exceed close win rates and drive revenue growth by leveraging data mining and analytics tools and my exceptional communication, collaboration, and follow-up skills.

17. Marketing manager

With 4 years of experience in growth marketing, I've implemented successful digital marketing strategies, developed automated metrics dashboards, optimized campaigns with A/B and multivariate testing, and launched successful campaigns across formats. I've also monitored industry trends and best practices, uncovered trends and opportunities for growth, and formed close relationships with cross-functional teams. By utilizing data mining and analytics tools, I've achieved an average increase of 40% in revenue from organic channels, a 25% increase in engagement, and a 17% increase in reach.

(See more examples of good resume summaries in these marketing manager resume examples .)

Customer Service and Support

18. Customer service representative

Experienced Customer Service Representative with a proven track record of delivering exceptional support and resolving inquiries effectively in the telecommunications industry for 5 years. Proficient in active listening, problem-solving, and empathetic communication to ensure customer satisfaction. Skilled in utilizing CRM software to manage and track interactions, resulting in a 20% improvement in response time. Adept at diffusing tense situations and addressing customer concerns, leading to a 15% increase in positive feedback and a 9% reduction in churn rates YoY.

19. Help desk analyst

Seasoned Helpdesk Analyst with 12 years of experience in the financial services industry, adept at diagnosing technical issues, providing efficient solutions, and ensuring seamless user experiences. Proficient in utilizing ticketing systems and remote support tools, resulting in a 25% reduction in average ticket resolution time. Skilled in delivering clear and concise instructions to users, fostering a 20% decrease in recurring issues. With a proven track record in SQL database troubleshooting and administration, I thrive in fast-paced financial environments and excel at addressing complex challenges.

20. Technical support specialist

Experienced Tech Support Specialist known for exceptional second-line and desk-side incident management—consistently resolving 150 escalated Service Desk tickets per month while adhering to documented processes. I identified critical issues impacting business operations, resulting in minimized downtime, and managed equipment inventory, reducing maintenance response time by 20%. I also provided monthly in-room support for 50+ audio-visual/video conferences, utilizing diverse conferencing platforms. 

Administrative and Support

21. Administrative assistant

Administrative Assistant with a remarkable 11-year journey in the data and analytics industry. Adept at coordinating schedules, managing correspondence, and streamlining office operations. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and showcasing exceptional organizational and multitasking skills. Known for my adaptability and strong attention to detail, which have contributed to a harmonious and efficient work environment. Instrumental in reducing office supply costs by 15% through strategic vendor negotiations.

Pro Tip: Use the Match Score within the Teal AI Resume Builder to quickly compare your entire resume (including your resume summary) to a job posting to see how closely your experience aligns.

Want to boost your resume score ? (You should aim for 80% or above.) Incorporate more of the identified keywords to highlight your unique, relevant skills and stand out. 

22. Executive assistant

Highly organized and detail-oriented Executive Administrative Assistant with 4 years of experience streamlining processes and improving efficiency. My development and implementation of new systems resulted in a 30% reduction in time spent searching for documents and a 20% reduction in invoice processing time. I'm skilled in managing executive calendars, coordinating events, and maintaining budgets, with a strong commitment to providing exceptional support to senior leadership.

23. Office manager

Seasoned Office Manager with 17 years of expertise in the biotechnology sector. Skilled at overseeing daily operations, managing resources, and fostering a collaborative atmosphere. Proficient in Scum, showcasing my ability to streamline processes and drive project success. Known for my strong leadership and interpersonal skills, which have resulted in a cohesive and motivated team. Effective team communication and support successfully maintained a 99% employee satisfaction rate.

24. Receptionist

As an enthusiastic Receptionist with one year of experience, I bring a fresh perspective and a strong commitment to delivering exceptional customer experiences. Proficient in managing phone systems and directing inquiries, I prioritize efficiency and professionalism in all interactions. Known for my strong communication skills, I create positive first impressions and ensure seamless visitor experiences. Achieved a 95% customer satisfaction rate by providing prompt and helpful assistance to visitors and callers.

Finance and Accounting

25. Accountant

Highly experienced Accountant with an impressive 24-year tenure in the Consumer Electronics industry. Adept at managing financial data, analyzing budgets, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Proficient in financial software and Excel and for my exceptional attention to detail and analytical skills. Known for my ability to implement cost-saving measures, resulting in a cumulative $1.5 million saved over the years. By optimizing expense tracking and identifying inefficiencies, I have reduced expenses by an average of 10% annually.

26. Financial analyst

Dynamic Financial Analyst on a fast growth trajectory within information technology; With 2 promotions in 4 years, I've demonstrated exceptional analytical and forecasting skills. I’m proficient in advanced Excel functions and software like Tableau and SAP Business Objects and data-driven decision-making. I've also contributed to a 15% increase in revenue growth by identifying untapped market opportunities and recommending targeted expansion strategies.

27. Payroll specialist

A Payroll Specialist with 13 years of experience, I'm adept at managing payroll processes, ensuring compliance, and optimizing efficiency. Proficient in Quickbooks, I'm known for my accuracy– with a 99.9% error-free payroll processing rate, resulting in enhanced employee satisfaction and streamlined operations. My effective communication skills have fostered positive relationships with internal teams, leading to a 25% reduction in payroll-related queries.

Engineering and Technical

28. Civil engineer

Civil Engineer with 2 years of experience in the Construction industry with expertise in AutoCAD and structural analysis software. Known for my teamwork and adaptability, I've successfully contributed to completing two projects ahead of schedule and collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure adherence to safety standards, resulting in a 15% reduction in safety incidents.

29. Electrical engineer

Highly skilled Electrical Engineer with 4 years of experience designing and implementing innovative solutions for industrial automation, renewable energy, and power distribution systems. Proven track record in increasing production efficiency by 25%, reducing energy costs by 30%, and improving equipment uptime by 10%. Exceptional skills in electrical schematics, troubleshooting, and safety systems, with a strong commitment to delivering results and exceeding expectations.

30. Mechanical engineer

As a visionary leader and VP of Mechanical Engineering with 40 years in manufacturing, I've overseen the successful execution of projects, resulting in a 30% increase in production capacity and a 25% reduction in manufacturing lead times. Proficient in strategic planning and team management, I've fostered collaboration and innovation, resulting in a 20% improvement in team productivity. My commitment to quality and safety has led to a perfect regulatory compliance record and a 95% customer satisfaction rate. Eager to continue shaping the future of manufacturing through visionary leadership and technical excellence.

These industry-specific professional summary examples for a resume showcase expertise and accomplishments that align seamlessly with the demands and expectations of a targeted field.

Technology and Software Development 

31. Backend developer

Experienced backend developer with 4 years of experience in developing and maintaining high-performance systems in the technology and software development industry. I implemented a caching strategy that reduced API response time by 30%, leading to a 20% increase in user engagement. I’m also skilled in implementing new data management systems, streamlining data processing—improving data accuracy by 20%. I’m a strong collaborator with a track record of delivering on-time and on-budget projects and initiatives.

32. Frontend developer

Frontend Developer with 7 years of experience in tech; I'm experienced in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and creating intuitive UI that elevates the UX. My mastery of responsive design, CSS pre-processors, and front-end frameworks has led to faster load times and improved user engagement. I've collaborated to deliver projects with a 95% on-time completion rate through teamwork and open communication. Known for my creative problem-solving and user-focused design, I'm excited to create visually appealing and functional web applications at JACTec & Co.

(For more professional summaries, check out these frontend developer resume examples .)

33. Software engineer

As a recent college graduate with a degree in Software Engineering and a specialization in technology and software development, I bring enthusiasm and a strong foundation in modern coding practices. My senior project, which involved developing a mobile app with a team of 5, received an "A" grade and achieved a 4.8/5 user satisfaction rating in beta testing. By implementing agile methodologies, we reduced development time by 25% and increased app functionality by 30%. Eager to apply my skills and passion for innovative software solutions to contribute to the success of dynamic development teams at TealHQ.

Marketing and Advertising

34. DemandGen manager

DemandGen Manager with 3 years in the AI industry, using Marketo and Google Analytics, I executed data-driven digital marketing campaigns that contributed to a 30% increase in lead generation. My strategic approach to content personalization also increased email open rates by 25% and with an average CTR of 3.4%. I'm skilled in campaign optimization and A/B testing—achieving a 20% uplift in conversion rates. Known for my analytical mindset and adaptability, I'm committed to driving demand and fostering customer engagement in AI.

35. Brand strategist

Level C certified Brand Strategist with 6 years of experience in the SaaS industry, specifically in video software,  I've led initiatives that drove a 15% increase in brand awareness and a 20% improvement in brand loyalty. I've translated strategic insights into compelling campaigns, resulting in a 30% boost in engagement across digital platforms. My collaboration and leadership skills have enabled cross-functional teams to deliver projects 95% on time and 100% within budget.

36. Social media coordinator

Social Media Coordinator with 2 years of experience in gaming and video games, using social media management tools like HootSuite and data analytics, I've cultivated a 200% growth in social media followers and achieved a 30% increase in engagement. My skills in consumer research and emerging/current trends have enabled me to implement predictive content strategies, contributing to a 20% improvement in click-through rates. Known for my creativity and adaptability, I thrive in fast-paced environments and excel at fostering meaningful online connections.

37. Clinical nurse specialist

Clinical Nurse Specialist with a decade of experience in the healthcare industry and expertise in patient care within diverse settings, including family practices and large hospitals, I'm adept in diagnosing and treating complex medical conditions. I'm also a skilled leader, overseeing teams to success with a 25% improvement in efficiency. I'm trained in advanced clinical procedures and evidence-based medical practices. I also have a 

38. Medical technician

As a Medical Technician with 9+ years of experience, I deliver precise diagnostic results, using advanced techniques and adhering to quality control standards—ensuring accurate medical data. I improved lab efficiency by streamlining workflows, reducing turnaround time by 15%. I hold an ASCP Medical Laboratory Technician certification and have Strong attention to detail and organizational skills. I'm also a collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal abilities.

39. Telemedicine specialist

Innovative Telemedicine Specialist with 2 years of experience in healthtech. Proficient in virtual diagnosis and treatment, leveraging telehealth for remote patient care, engagement, and process streamlining. Achieved a 150% expansion in patient reach and a 40% reduction in appointment wait times. My exceptional communication skills drive impactful virtual interactions in digital healthcare. I look forward to using my strong adaptability to build lasting patient rapport at MedTechMed.

40. Credit analyst

Experienced Credit Analyst with over 15 years of expertise in assessing risk and determining creditworthiness. I have expertise in analyzing financial statements, evaluating market trends, and making data-driven lending decisions. I successfully managed a portfolio of over 100 clients, maintaining a low default rate of 2%. My effective communication and collaboration have fostered strong relationships with clients and cross-functional teams.

41. Investment banker

Highly accomplished Investment Banker with 18 years of experience in managing complex financial transactions. My skills in mergers and acquisitions, raising capital, and providing strategic financial advisory services led to over 30 successful deals valued at $2B+, resulting in substantial client returns. I'm also adept at navigating regulatory environments and cultivating client relationships for long-term partnerships.

42. Risk manager

As a seasoned Financial Risk Manager with 12 years of experience at Wells Fargo, I oversee risk assessment and mitigation strategies. I've implemented risk management frameworks that led to a 20% reduction in high-risk exposures. I also have a track record of enhancing compliance and internal controls. I hope to use my strong analytical skills and outstanding leadership to ensure proactive risk management at CitiGroup.

Education and Academia 

43. College professor

Accomplished College Professor at Purdue with tenure, providing 10+ years of transformative education in the Department of Computer and Information Technology, specializing in Cybersecurity. I've been recognized for innovative curriculum design and interactive teaching methods resulting in a 15% increase in student engagement and improved learning outcomes. As a dedicated mentor committed to fostering critical thinking and professional growth in students, I hope to share my expertise at Northwestern University.

44. Instructional designer

Results-driven Instructional Designer in EdTech with 3 years of experience as a remote employee with Udemy, I excel at creating engaging and effective online learning materials. I spearheaded the development of 15+ courses, reaching 10,000+ students and achieving a 92% completion rate. My strong creative skills and technical proficiency ensure seamless e-learning experiences for students of all abilities and levels.

45. Educator

As a dedicated Elementary School Teacher with 2 years of urban education experience, I'm passionate about fostering a dynamic classroom environment that supports student growth and learning. My differentiated instruction methods resulted in a 17% increase in standardized test scores. I was also the 2023 recipient of the Principal's Award for Teaching Excellence. My strong classroom management skills and empathetic communication create a positive and inclusive learning space for all students.

Manufacturing and Engineering

46. Industrial engineer

As an Industrial Engineer with 9+ years of experience optimizing manufacturing processes for Emerson, I streamlined production workflows, leading to a 15% increase in overall efficiency. I also use Lean Six Sigma methodologies and data-driven insights for continuous improvement. I was recently recognized nationally for my innovative problem-solving which resulted in 11% cost savings. As a collaborative team player known for fostering strong partnerships across cross-functional teams, I'd like to continue my success in contributing to the achievement of operational excellence at Caterpillar Manufacturing.

47. Manufacturing supervisor

Experienced Manufacturing Supervisor with 25+ years of leadership overseeing shifts and teams of over 50 people. I'm accomplished in optimizing production schedules, reducing downtime by 25%, and maintaining a safety record with zero lost-time incidents. I'm also an effective communicator and team motivator, ensuring cohesive operations and on-time deliveries.

48. QA manager

Quality Assurance manager with 9 years of experience in developing and implementing comprehensive quality assurance programs resulting in a 2x reduction in mistakes and 18% average reduction production costs. Skilled in collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify and resolve quality issues, improving reliability and increasing customer satisfaction ratings 4x. Proven ability to develop and execute test plans and test cases, resulting in a 25% increase in testing efficiency and coverage.

Unique skill sets can set you apart from other candidates in today's job market. Take a look at some more nuanced and specialized skills professional summary examples to get an idea of what that can look like. 

Artificial intelligence (AI)

49. AI engineer

AI Engineer with 2 years of experience at CNA Insurance, specializing in rapidly deploying AI/ML solutions to production within a DevOps environment. I was instrumental in successfully implementing an AI-driven chatbot system, resulting in a 20% reduction in customer query resolution time. I've also been recognized for my expertise in building scalable machine-learning platforms and data pipelines. Proficient in Python coding, with hands-on experience in utilizing Kubeflow, Airflow, and Docker for efficient workflow management and containerization. 

50. Senior machine learning engineer

Results-driven Senior Machine Learning Engineer proficient in developing and implementing advanced machine learning algorithms that improved system accuracy by 25%. I'm adept at leveraging TensorFlow and Python for model development and deployment. I have strong familiarity with practical aspects of machine learning, utilizing technologies like pandas, TensorFlow, Spark, and scikit-learn. I'm experienced in structured programming languages like C, C++, Java, R, and Python. I'm also an AWS Certified Solution Architect with expertise in cloud infrastructure.

51. Robotics scientist

Innovative Robotics Scientist with 10 years of experience in the field, driving breakthrough advancements in automation and autonomous systems. Expertise in developing control algorithms for agile robotic platforms, resulting in a 40% reduction in response time. Proficient in ROS (Robot Operating System) and C++ programming for real-time control. I'm accomplished in developing state-of-the-art computer vision systems, boosting object recognition accuracy by 30%. I've also demonstrated success in leading interdisciplinary teams and publishing 15 research papers in top robotics journals.

(For more samples of professional summaries like these, check out some AI resume examples. )

Data Analysis and Analytics

52. Data analyst

As an experienced Data Analyst with over 5 years in data and analytics with a keen eye for consumer and market trends, I've skillfully designed and implemented surveys to gather and analyze digital marketing data, resulting in informed decision-making. I've prepared detailed reports on consumer behavior, competitor activities, and sales, contributing to a 10% increase in sales strategies' effectiveness. I also have extensive experience collaborating with marketing teams, utilizing analytical tools and programming skills in R and SQL to forecast market trends and inform innovative marketing strategies.

53. Data scientist

Results-oriented Data Scientist with a quantitative background and 5 years of experience collaborating closely with stakeholders to execute measurement strategies, build machine learning models, and advise on experimental design. I'm proficient in using Python and Dataiku for feature engineering and production-ready model creation (which contributed to a 15% increase in conversion propensity predictions). I'm skilled in SQL and Python, with expertise in solving business problems and optimizing audience segmentation through machine learning.

54. Statistician

A Statistician with 2+ years of experience specializing in advanced statistical analysis and machine learning techniques, I collaborate extensively with executive leadership, utilizing Python and R for data analysis to deliver critical insights for regulatory authorities. I'm recognized for developing predictive models and algorithms that enhance data-driven decision-making, contributing to developing scientific podium and publication strategies. I also simplify complex data relationships and trends for cohesive communication and presentations.

Project Management

55. Agile project manager

Agile Project Manager with a demonstrated history of orchestrating high-performing teams in complex technology programs with a successful delivery of 8 major projects within the past year—each meeting scope, timeline, and budget targets. I use Waterfall and Agile delivery approaches and manage stakeholder relationships, budgets, risks, and operations. I'm skilled in organizing and executing Agile ceremonies, ensuring seamless execution and fostering continuous improvement.

56. Construction project manager

Experienced Construction Project Manager with a strong background in multifamily, high-rise, and commercial construction, known for leading and completing 12 successful mixed-use development projects—adhering to local building codes and regulations. I'm also recognized for managing high-end restaurant and retail construction and exhibiting exceptional leadership skills in overseeing diverse project teams. I'm detail-oriented and innovative, proficiently coordinating subcontractors, schedules, and on-site production, resulting in on-time and quality project completion.

57. IT project manager

IT Project Manager with 6+ years of experience, I've successfully managed multiple concurrent IT infrastructure projects. Using my skills in budget management, cross-functional collaboration, status reporting, and project management tools Microsoft Project, Excel, Visio, and PPM, in my previous operations manager role, I executed and completed 10 complex IT/Infrastructure and airport operation projects, meeting all project goals 96% within allocated budget.

Multilingual 

58. Interpreter

As an 7-year experienced Medical Interpreter, I possess strong Spanish language abilities in written and verbal communication, with proficiency in interpreting and translating intricate medical and healthcare terminology from English to Spanish. I also excel in articulating and responding to cultural nuances related to healthcare issues. With a Bachelor's Degree, I have a proven track record of delivering high-quality medical interpreting services within a tightly regulated healthcare environment. I'm dedicated to ensuring optimal communication between healthcare providers and patients and would love to use my skills alongside the team at Lurie's Children's Hospital—upholding the principles of service excellence.

Entrepreneurship and Startup 

59. Co-founder

Accomplished Co-Founder with a track record of transforming a multimedia software startup from a 2-person team to a thriving workforce of 120 employees. Instrumental in driving an exceptional increase in revenue by 300% within the first two years. Led product development efforts resulting in the launch of three new software solutions that garnered over 500,000 downloads YoY. As a veteran myself, I'm seeking to transition to an executive leadership role at a non-profit that supports veterans' career development and well-being.

60. Sales development manager

Target-smashing SDR with 3 years of experience in the tech startup arena, driving revenue growth through strategic sales initiatives. I've orchestrated a 30% improvement in lead conversion rates by implementing targeted outreach strategies and led a high-performing team of 4 to achieve a 40% increase in outbound messaging, resulting in a 20% boost in overall closed win rates. I leveraged in-depth knowledge of Dock.us' digital sales room technology to position the company as a market leader in the tech sales landscape and am looking to transform the team at Copy.io.

(For more good resume summaries and inspiration, explore these example resumes for sales managers .)

61. Startup CEO

As a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience, I leverage technology to empower individuals and businesses. As Founder & CEO of Tuul, I've propelled the platform's user base to over 60,000 within a year, driving engagement and professional growth. As a Co-Founder of CAISEY, I successfully grew it into a 63-member team and catalyzed its acquisition by WW, Inc. During my tenure at WW, Inc., I spearheaded teams that opened and sold over 2 million square feet of space per month, contributing to a 400% increase in company valuation over four years. 

Ethical Hacking

62. Ethical hacker

Enthusiastic Junior Ethical Hacker with a Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity. I'm ready to contribute to the Cybersecurity team at impact.com, coordinating penetration testing and supporting audits. I'm committed to enhancing cybersecurity practices and participated in 10+ penetration testing projects during my academic studies, consistently uncovering and mitigating vulnerabilities. I averaged an impressive project grade of 98%, reflecting exceptional attention to detail and mastery of ethical hacking principles.

63. Information security analyst

A Dedicated Information Security Specialist with over 5 years of experience shaping security practices. I have experience working closely with product teams to architect secure solutions and facilitate product security activities—including conducting valuable threat modeling exercises. My broad security knowledge encompasses Development Security and Security Architecture. I've successfully led 5+ threat modeling exercises that have significantly strengthened product security, enhancing overall defense against potential threats.

64. Penetration tester

Strategic Penetration Tester experienced with 8 years of experience in cloud security and methodologies. I'm proficient in Burp Suite Pro, Nessus, Metasploit, and Cobalt Strike and skilled in evaluating cloud system security configurations. I hold a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification, led multiple penetration testing assessments within tight deadlines, and was recognized company-wide for improving security posture and ensuring resilient systems.

Whether you’re just starting out and creating a resume with minimal experience or a seasoned C-suite executive looking for a new opportunity, a professional summary offers prospective employers a high-level overview of your skills. 

Below are some resume summary examples across experience levels to help you get started.

Student resume summary examples 

65. College student

As a dedicated College Junior pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education with a 3.7 GPA, I bring my passion for nurturing children and creating safe learning environments to my role as a Nanny. Leveraging knowledge gained throughout my active involvement in Big Brothers, Big Sisters and my role as the Early Childhood Education Club President, as well as my communication, patience, and problem-solving skills, I'm focused on fostering meaningful relationships with children and supporting their developmental growth while ensuring their safety and well-being.

66. Research assistant

With an academic journey focused on psychology and a keen interest in cognitive development; I'm a detail-oriented Research Assistant adept at qualitative research methodologies, having contributed to three research projects examining the impact of technology usage on preschoolers' cognitive skills. My diligent efforts resulted in the publication of two papers in reputable journals and earned me a commendable GPA of 3.9, underscoring my rigorous analytical skills and dedication to advancing scientific knowledge.

67. Student assistant

As a proactive and organized high school Student Assistant, I leveraged my excellent time management and communication skills to provide essential administrative support to the school office. Through my active involvement in the Future Leaders Club and my role as Secretary in the Science Enthusiasts Society, I demonstrated my commitment to extracurricular engagement and showcased my ability to collaborate effectively within diverse teams.

Experienced Tutor with 3 years of success in helping children develop and improve Math understanding and practice. I'm skilled in monitoring student progress, providing feedback to parents, and assisting students in developing important study skills. I achieved a 25% increase in overall student performance and a 20% increase in student engagement through personalized tutoring.

Entry-level resume summary examples 

69. Entry-level backend developer

Entry-level Backend Developer looking to leverage my expertise in developing database schema and objects, creating REST APIs for third-party integrations, and optimizing product development by creating unit tests to make a positive and meaningful impact. With my knowledge of relational database systems, technical documentation creation, and troubleshooting experiences, I'm confident I can ensure quality development and support processes at DavyTex.

70. Junior email marketing specialist

Results-oriented Junior Email Marketing Specialist with a proven track record of driving customer engagement and optimizing email performance for an average open rate of 32%. I'm skilled in developing targeted campaigns, implementing A/B testing strategies, and collaborating with design teams to enhance email design and branding. Proficient in HTML and CSS coding, with a strong focus on email deliverability and staying up-to-date with industry best practices.

71. Entry-level customer service associate

As a motivated customer service professional with a background in conflict resolution, innovative problem-solving, and creating excellent customer service-focused solutions, I'm seeking to leverage my expertise in a SaaS environment to create exceptional customer service experiences and efficiently resolve issues with a commitment to providing my 95% on-average customer satisfaction.

(If you’re a student or  just starting out in your career, check out this beginner's guide to writing a resume summary for some additional guidance and examples.) 

Mid-level and experienced resume summaries

72. Experienced travel nurse

Experienced Travel Nurse with 4 years of expertise in developing and implementing patient care plans that resulted in a 25% decrease in readmission rates and a 15% increase in patient satisfaction scores. I collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to provide optimal patient care, resulting in a 20% reduction in hospital-acquired infections. I'm skilled in administering medications and treatments with a 99% accuracy rate, performing diagnostic tests, and educating patients and families about health maintenance and disease prevention.

73. Mid-level videographer

With 9+ years of experience in video production, video editing,  and audio engineering in the e-commerce food and service industry, I've created 400+ original, long-form high-quality video recordings, adjusted to changing lighting conditions, and implemented a color correction and grading process. I've also become adept at using AI to complement my process to enhance production efficiency and visual effects. My skills have allowed me to troubleshoot and edit footage in high-pressure situations, increasing viewership, web presence, and overall audience engagement.

74. Mid-level content marketing manager

As a content marketing manager with 5+ years of experience, I specialize in crafting compelling narratives that drive brand engagement and lead generation. My expertise in developing data-driven strategies has resulted in a 30% increase in organic traffic and a 20% rise in conversion rates across multiple B2B campaigns. Skilled in SEO optimization, I've successfully boosted keyword rankings and improved website visibility. With a passion for team collaboration and innovative content, I'm excited to leverage my skills to elevate ZneDigital's presence across channels and elevate marketing success.

Senior and executive level

75. Chief evangelist

Dynamic Chief Evangelist with a passion for driving technology adoption and innovation across diverse industries, I'm an expert in problem-centric communication, resulting in a 15% growth in market understanding and a 20% improvement in customer engagement. I've implemented strategies to foster cross-functional collaboration, generating a 30% increase in information sharing and accelerating technology development. I'm also recognized for transforming into an "inside-out, outside-in" leader, translating customer insights to inform strategy, and contributing to a 40% growth in innovation initiatives. 

76. Chief marketing officer (CMO)

Experienced CMO with 10+ years in digital CPG. My annual marketing plans resulted in consistent 15% YoY growth. With a keen ability to analyze market trends, I drove a 12% increase in market share. I'm skilled in negotiating strategic advertising contracts, yielding a 25% boost in brand visibility. As a strong relational leader, I aligned teams for 10% efficiency gains and oversaw successful field marketing initiatives. I'm also well known for my strategic vision, collaborative approach, and expert communication.

77. Chief of staff

Accomplished Chief of Staff with a track record of elevating operations in edtech. I spearheaded a visionary home office strategy, boosting cross-functional collaboration by 20%. I also strategically guided ELT expansion, resulting in a 25% growth, and successfully launched an additional expansion campus. My skills in data management cut student testing result turnaround by 20% and enhanced reporting efficiency by 40%. 

78. Senior sales director

Seasoned Senior Sales Director with over a decade of expertise in the ecommerce sector. I boosted annual revenue by 30% through strategic planning and dynamic team leadership, fostering collaborative efforts and achieving a 25% increase in customer retention rates. My data-driven decision-making with exceptional interpersonal skills to built and nurtured high-performing sales teams, resulting in consistent overachievement of quarterly targets. My strategic approach to expanding market reach increased customer base by 20% and solidified partnerships with key industry players. Using my negotiation skills, I closed high-value contracts, contributing to a 15% growth in average deal size.

79. VP of partnerships

As an Experienced VP of Partnerships, I have a record of driving revenue growth through strategic collaborations in tech. I've successfully executed partnership strategies, resulting in a 20% increase in revenue. I'm skilled in identifying and engaging potential partners, and I've negotiated agreements that led to 300+ mutually beneficial collaborations, enhancing market position and extending reach. Using my team leadership skills, I've built and managed high-performing partnerships teams, fostering a collaborative environment that drives innovation and delivers excellence. I bring an MBA and a profound understanding of the US market.

80. Chief administrative officer

Chief Administrative Officer with 17 years of experience in high-level operational and administrative management. Expert in strategic planning and financial oversight within B2B SaaS, streamlining processes for 20% efficiency gains, and optimizing budgets to save 15% annually. Skilled in data analytics and project management, leading teams to 25% increased productivity.

Tips for writing a strong resume summary

Last but certainly not least, let’s take a quick look at what makes good resume summaries stand out from the competition. 

Use the right resume summary language and tone 

When writing professional summaries for your resume, use a professional and confident tone. 

Include concise language highlighting your key skills, accomplishments, and industry-specific knowledge to showcase your understanding of terminology and expectations.

Using the first-person voice whenever possible also brings a sense of authenticity and directness to your resume summary—enabling you to convey your unique personality and passion. Here's an example to use as a guide.

Third-person voice

‍ Robert is a skilled project management professional with expertise in Agile methodologies, successfully leading cross-functional teams and delivering projects 95% on time and within budget—increasing client satisfaction 3x through meticulous planning and effective communication.

First-person voice

A skilled project management professional with expertise in Agile methodologies, I have a successful track record of leading cross-functional teams of 15+. I've consistently delivered projects on time and within budget, achieving a 95% on-time delivery rate. My commitment to meticulous planning and effective communication has led to a 3x increase in client satisfaction.

Quantify resume summary achievements

Like the example above, incorporate quantifiable metrics whenever possible to showcase your impact in previous roles. Numbers like percentages, growth rates, or specific data help demonstrate your contributions and provide a clear understanding of your capabilities.

Avoid common resume summary mistakes

• Exclude generic statements whenever possible, and be specific to your qualifications
• Provide unique insights into your capabilities and career journey through numbers, metrics, and data.
• Keep the summary concise and focused, at most 3-5 sentences.
• Tailor your resume summary to the job description to demonstrate how your skills align with the role.
• Highlight skills and experiences relevant to the position.

The Teal AI Resume Builder can help you avoid common resume summary mistakes by giving insight into the keywords and language hiring managers and recruiters are looking for. 

Then, use the generative AI to incorporate that specific language into your professional summary. 

Try it for free today and see for yourself . 

Perfect your resume summary with Teal

An effective resume summary that aligns with the role you're applying for can be the key to standing out and unlocking new opportunities. 

Use Teal's free AI Resume Builder and the summary examples above as a guide to write yours. With Teal, you'll have access to the right keywords to create a summary that resonates with hiring managers and recruiters.

Or, save yourself the work and use Teal's Generative AI to write your professional summary in just one click!

Once you've created your summary, Teal's Match Score compares your entire resume against any job description so your resume aligns with each unique role you apply for.

Don't stop here. Take the next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good summary statement for a resume.

A good summary statement for a resume might say something like: "Experienced [Title] with over [Years of Experience] years in [Industry], I've used [Hard Skill] with [Soft Skill] to [Metric] and [Outcome]. I'm also strong in [Hard Skill] as evidenced by [Metric] and [Outcome]."

What are 3 things you should include in a resume summary?

Three things you should include in a resume summary are your professional title, key skills (both hard and soft), and notable achievements with metrics that quantify your success.

What is an example of summary about yourself?

An example of a summary about myself could be:

"Experienced Marketing Manager with over 10 years in  B2B SaaS, skilled in digital marketing strategies and Google Analytics. Using my strong leadership and collaboration skills, I've retained 95% of my team over five years with a record of increasing customer engagement by 40% and growing revenue by 10% MoM."

Kayte Grady

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