The Executive Summary is the “Elevator Pitch” of your resume.
It should be short, succinct, informative, and most importantly - unique to you.
The Executive Summary is NOT an Objective Statement. If you still have an Objective Statement on your resume, scrap it. Everybody applying to this job has the same objective: to get this job.
The Executive Summary should tell your story, highlight your accomplishments, and show the reader what you’re most proud of.
Executive Summaries should be 3-4 bullet points at the top of your resume and if the reader were to stop reading there, they would know all they need to. No need to mention education in this section - and your credentials should be after your name, which is above the Executive Summary; example: Danielle M. Minteer, Ph.D., P.M.P.
The first bullet point should sell yourself in 1 sentence. What is the #1 thing the hiring manager needs to know about you?
The next 2-3 bullets should emphasize the most relevant skills tailored to the job description (you should have a resume for every job you apply to);
What makes you uniquely qualified for this job? Describe any awards, honors, publications here;
The last 1-2 bullets should include the soft skills you have which are relevant to the job - leadership, communication, project/budget/vendor management;
Convey all of your most key strengths and impressive achievements here.
Your Executive Summary should make you stand apart from the other applicants and should make the hiring manager want to keep reading.
Here is my personal Executive Summary from a Project Management position I applied to a couple of years ago:
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