good nursing summary for resume

The Ultimate Guide to Nursing Resumes in 2024

How to write a nurse resume, nurse resume research, nursing resume readers & robots, choose a nurse resume format, nurse resume format & design, writing your nursing resume, common resume mistakes, nursing resume templates, nurse resume faqs.

Expert Reviewed by: Amanda Guarniere, NP, Founder of the Resume RX

In 2024, a vague, uninspiring nursing resume just won't cut it. Recent years have fostered growing competition for the best nursing jobs , creating a greater need for nurses to learn how to write exceptional nursing resumes. With vast opportunities and diverse requirements from various employers, every nurse must put their best foot forward to market themselves for the best positions. 

However, this ever-changing world of online applications and robotic resume readers makes it more complex for nurses to get to the first rounds of interviews. This article will help you tackle the daunting task of writing a nursing resume that stands out. We'll help you build a better nursing resume by giving you an inside look at how robotic resume readers work and providing tips on how to make your resume, things you should and shouldn't include, and provide examples and templates.

Think of your job search as your own personal marketing campaign. And the product is you! Your resume is an advertisement for your professional nursing brand. A brand is more than a logo - it’s the overall impression you give your audience. In this case, your audience is a potential employer. 

As with any advertisement, the goal of your nursing resume is to pique your audience’s interest in a limited amount of time. It’s commonly said that hiring managers will spend less than ten seconds reading your resume. And in many cases, it has to first be screened by a resume-reading robot before it reaches human hands.

So, you must carefully curate your brand for these employers. Captivate them with your professionalism, unique skillset, experience, and personality using your nursing resume. These tactics may help get your foot in the door for an interview, where you can close the deal by impressing them in person.

The first and most important step in any marketing campaign is the research phase. The more you learn about potential employers, the better you can tailor your registered nurse resume to their requirements.

Initial Employer Research for Nursing Resumes

Before you begin tailoring your resume for specific jobs, take some time to answer the following questions about each company:

• Who are they?
• What is their company culture?
• What do they struggle with as an organization?
• What qualities are they looking for in a potential candidate?
• Which of their desired qualities do you possess?

Researching Company Culture and Values

The internet has made it fairly easy to hop online and start your research right now from your mobile device. Employers' websites and social platforms will give you an inside glimpse at their culture and values.

Instead of simply reading a job posting, take a few extra steps to investigate the employer's online presence:

• Check out the company website - what does their mission statement say?
• See what they tweet about
• Investigate what photos they post on Instagram
• Learn about the articles they share on Facebook
• Check their LinkedIn - do you have any connections at the company?
• Look at their Google ratings

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Examine Required vs Preferred Nursing Qualifications

The research phase isn't just about investigating the company - you also need to understand the job description. Specifically, understanding the difference between "required" and "preferred" qualifications will help you build a tailored resume for each job:

Required Qualifications

These are just what they say - requirements. Those who do not possess these qualifications will not be considered. 

Preferred Qualifications

Skills that are desired but are not deal-breakers for the employer. You may still be considered even if you do not possess these. 

As you personalize your nursing resume to different opportunities, these qualifications will, in part, guide what you do and do not include. You should include any and all required qualifications if you want an employer to consider your candidacy. 

If you do not possess some or all of the preferred qualifications, you can apply anyway and still be in the running. However, including the ones you do possess on your tailored nursing resume is always the best practice.

Build a Master Resume

You may want a solid starting point from which you can use your research to build a dedicated resume for each position you apply for. Queue the "master resume," a comprehensive working document that highlights everything you've accomplished and every skill you've fostered as a nurse thus far. 

We recommend starting with a foundational nurse resume so that you can alter it for each role you apply to. This way, you won't be rewriting a new resume for every single position. But you'll also avoid submitting "cookie-cutter" resumes that employers won't bother looking at twice.

Use Research to Personalize Your Nursing Resume

Dale Carnegie once said that “A person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Personalizing your RN resume matters, with both how you mention and address the future employer and how to include your specific qualifications that match what they are looking for.

Using your research and leveraging your professional brand and personality to target your nurse resume could lead to the interview of your dreams. Not targeting it, however, could lead you on the fast track to nowhere.

The internet revolution transformed the hiring process, impacting the entire labor market in a very short time. 15 years ago, printing your resume on off-white linen paper and hand-delivering it to employers was the status quo. But as little as five years later, doing so might only get you some perplexed looks and urges to apply online.

Technological advances will continue shaping the job market in 2024.  USC Annenberg reports that up to 55% of companies are making investments in AI recruiting measures. But even now, many employers screen online applicants using resume-reading robots. 

This section explores how these bots impact the hiring process and how to get your nursing resume past them and into a real person's hands.

What Is a Resume Reading Robot?

ATS systems are highly technical but can only do what their program says, unable to come close to human discretion. So, knowing how ATS systems work can help you write a resume that passes their screening.

Here's a brief overview of how employers use ATS software to screen nursing applicants:

1. Knockout Questions

Recruiters can use an ATS to scan for keywords or "knockout questions" like "Do you have an active Washington State Nursing License?" These functions help them swiftly eliminate unqualified candidates.

2. Disqualifying Statements

They may also configure the ATS to include “disqualifying statements.” An ATS searching for these statements will automatically reject nursing resumes with certain keywords or phrases. 

For example, an ATS screening for bachelor's-trained nurses might reject resumes that mention an associate's degree. If you have both, consider listing only your BSN.

3. Keyword Screening

Finally, recruiters may use the ATS to find resumes with exact keywords or phrases. These may include qualifications listed in the job description, degrees, or skills. They can program the ATS to reject any application that does not include their specified keywords.

How Does ATS Work?

Not all ATS systems are created equally. They vary greatly in their functionality and behavior. Most ATS systems are programmed to score resumes according to keywords. However, they can be configured to search and score resumes based on various other criteria.

The results are imperfect. Some ATS systems can't differentiate between titles, such as Clinical Nurse II and Registered Nurse, or distinguish between the terms BLS and Basic Life Support. So how do you navigate these intricacies in your nursing resume?

Best Practice:   R ead the job description and use the exact wording for the qualifications listed that you possess.

If you use acronyms and abbreviations, make sure to spell out the entire word, followed by the shortened version. It would be disappointing to have all the requested qualifications but be filtered out by the ATS because you used only the acronyms when the robot was programmed for the full phrases spelled out.

What Are the Shortcomings of ATS?

The problem is that ATS does not ‘read’ a resume as a human would - it simply collects data. It doesn’t care about aesthetics, either. It is programmed by an employer to search for the right keywords, in the right order, on the right part of the resume.  

Also, the system can get confused pretty easily. For example, if the font is too fancy or if it encounters unrecognizable symbols, it may score the resume as ‘unqualified’ and move on to the next resume. It does what it is configured to do, nothing more and nothing less.

While ATS has streamlined the hiring process for employers, it’s also made job search extremely challenging for the job seeker. In fact, 94% of hiring professionals say that ATS has positively influenced their hiring goals, while 80% of job seekers say that their online job search is stressful.

What Other Hiring Technology Might I Encounter?

Recently, some employers have started to use artificial intelligence in a different way - during the interview process. Rather than having strict ATS filters, they offer more candidates the opportunity to interview, but there is a catch.

You don't interview with the employer but with a computer. In these one-way or “on-demand” interviews, you essentially get the opportunity to record your video response to interview questions. After you submit it, hiring managers or recruiters review the video responses before choosing the candidates for formal interviews.

Does Every Employer Use ATS?

While many employers use ATS, there are definitely employers who still rely on human resource professionals to screen resumes. In those instances, a human resources professional usually skims the resumes and invites the most qualified candidates in for an interview.

The problem here is that most employers will receive hundreds of resumes for a single opening. To get through the resumes quickly, the HR professional may resort to a simple scan of the resumes knowing that even qualified applicants may not make it. It’s simply a way to reduce the number of applicants.

In either case, the goal of the modern resume is to ‘sell’ yourself in an organized, targeted manner for a specific role. The best way to design an effective, attention-grabbing resume is by making strong assertions in the beginning followed by supporting evidence.

How to Get Past the ATS

• Target your resume to the specific position. Do this by reading job descriptions and selecting keywords noted in the descriptions - competencies, skills sets, education, and experience.
• Match individual experiences to keywords/key skill sets found within the job posting.  
• Research the employer and target the resume based on the facility's values and culture. 
• Make strong assertions within the top ⅓ of the resume.
• Follow those assertions with supporting evidence.
• Include a “ Professional Summary ” if you are an experienced Nurse.
• Only apply to roles that you match 100% of the “Required Qualifications.” 
• Use simple fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri.
• Never use smaller than 10-point font. See Part 5 for more styling suggestions. 
• Use simple black bullet (dots) points, not special bullet symbols.
• Save your resume as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.
• If using an abbreviation, always spell out the words followed by the abbreviation or acronym. You never know how the abbreviation was entered into the ATS. 
• Use standard, simple section headers such as “Work History” or “Education.”
• Settings you’ve worked in 
• Patient demographics
• Policies/procedures
• EMR/EHR used
• Medications administered
• Equipment used
• Don’t use the same title as at your current employer if it is different from the title in the job description. Use the title in the job description. 
• Don’t overload your resume with keywords. Use them appropriately. Overusing keywords will flag a resume and could cause the ATS to lower your score.
• Don't forget to support the keywords you use with evidence throughout your resume.
• Do not put your contact information in the header section because ATS will not see it.
• Do not include tables because most ATS can’t read them. Other ATS can only read them if their operator programmed them to do so. 
• Do not use creative section headers such as “Where I’ve Worked” because the ATS likely doesn’t understand what that means.
• Don’t include a headshot, graphics, special fonts, photos, colored fonts, or unique bullets. 
• Do not state, “References available upon request.” It takes up too much space and is unnecessary. If employers want references, they’ll ask. 
• Don’t place skills at the bottom of the resume. Many ATS systems only scan the top ⅓ of the resume for keywords. If you have important keywords at the bottom, the ATS may not see them and could disqualify your resume. 
• Don’t use “I” statements; resumes should be written in the third person. 
• Do not rely on resume builder software. Stay in control of your registered nurse resume.

How to Spot an ATS

If you’ve ever visited a job posting and seen an “APPLY NOW” button, you’ve encountered the elusive resume-reading bot. ATS requires candidates to enter data on the front end. 

Maybe you’ve gone through the steps to create a login, complete the application and upload your resume. Perhaps you didn’t realize at the time that you were entering your information into an applicant tracking system.  

Raise your hand if you never heard back from an employer after applying online. Raise your other hand if you received an automated response “thanking” you for your interest and never heard back!

Now, keep in mind that it can be difficult to stand out when you are applying for a job online, especially when there is an ATS involved. As you consider your overall job search strategy, try to think of other ways that can increase your chances of getting a job. Don’t be afraid to ask your network connections for referrals and recommendations, or let friends and family know what type of position you are looking for and where. While your resume is absolutely important, it isn’t the only tool that can lead to you getting a job.

Prior to ever typing words onto your resume, it’s important to first decide on a resume format. There are three types of resume layouts. While we highly recommend the reverse-chronological layout for most nursing professionals, we’d encourage you to make the best choice for yourself.

Here’s a breakdown of the three most popular types of resume layouts: 

1. Reverse Chronological Nursing Resume

This layout focuses on career history and lists jobs in reverse chronological order. We recommend this type of registered nurse resume for the majority of healthcare professionals and will focus the details of this article on the format. It is best suited for:

• New nursing graduates
• Nurses with fewer than 5 roles within the past 5-7 years. 
• Travel Nurses with <10 completed assignments
• Nurses with experience in only 1-2 specialties
• Nurses applying for a similar role
• Nurses wanting to show vertical career progression 

2. Functional Nursing Resume

This nurse resume layout places emphasis on skills and deemphasizes work history. However, it does not pass the ATS test well, and hiring managers overall do not prefer it. We recommend against this layout for the majority of nursing professionals. Typically, people who use this format are: 

• Changing careers
• Have large gaps in employment
• Do have years of experience in the role in which they are applying

3. Combination Nursing Resume

This layout is a mixture of the reverse chronological and the functional resume. While it places emphasis on skill sets, abilities, and accomplishments, it also highlights applicable work history. We recommend combination resumes for nursing professionals with the following background, goals, and barriers: 

• Nurses with experience in multiple specialties and/or medical professions
• Seasoned travel nurses with >10 completed assignments
• Nurses with multiple small gaps in employment
• Nurses looking to change specialties
• Nurses interested in changing careers

Writing a nursing resume can feel overwhelming. It’s no easy task! Nowadays, nursing resumes must be able to pass through resume reading software before it even reaches a recruiter. That’s why we’ve put together THREE nurse resume templates to cater to your unique professional needs and employment situation.

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The first formatting and design consideration you should make when creating your nursing resume is how well an  ATS will read them. We recommend the following comprehensive design and formatting guidelines to appease common ATS systems:

Many experts believe you can achieve the perfect balance of text to white space in your nursing resume using the following margin settings:

• Top Margin: 1"
• Side Margins: .63"

Left alignment is standard since that’s how most people (and robots) read. You may think a justified alignment looks tidier, but it can leave uneven gaps between words and ultimately make text harder to read. 

In the nursing profession, length should not be the focus of the resume. While we recommend 1-2 pages, some nurses may have resumes with 3 (or more) pages.

Don’t stress over length too much. If the resume is slightly over the page amount by a few lines try changing the margin, font style, font size, or shortening statements. The bottom line is it should look visually appealing and should include keywords.

We recommend  Times New Roman or Arial to best utilize the functionality of the ATS. However, this is your personal preference. Take note that Times New Roman can be difficult to read if it is smaller than 11pt.

If you are striving for a resume that looks visually appealing when printed, there are great ways to achieve that without going overboard with design. For example, you could use the “small caps” feature for headings, which keeps the font the same but adds a bit more character and differentiation. Or, you could try a font pairing, using serif fonts for headers and sans serif for body text.

Important Note: Different font styles will take up different amounts of space. See how these identical statements look vastly different despite both being in 11 pt font:

Experienced Travel Nurse with 8 years experience in critical care nursing.

Throughout the resume, there should be different-sized fonts. We recommend the following for each section: 

It’s important to note that 10-point font should be the smallest size on the resume. 

While some ATS systems claim to read colors, we encourage you to simply use black. 

Special Characters

We recommend keeping the resume very simple. Basic bullet points (black dots) may be used when desired. Simple lines are acceptable as well. 

Design Features to Avoid

The following design features are best left off the resume: 

• Multiple font styles
• Special characters

As you’ve learned, ATS systems skim resumes and locate specific information in the correct order. We’d suggest using the following categories and section headers to optimize your nursing resume for ATS scoring.

Contact Information

This is the first section of the resume and does not require a title. Your name should be front and center. Don’t make the recruiter search for it. Make sure it’s the largest font on the page. While there are varying opinions on the exact placement of the name, we recommend a simple classic version in the following format:

Your name should be the first thing a recruiter, hiring manager, or ATS system sees on your nurse resume. It should share a line with your nursing credentials and be in a bold, readable, 18-22 pt font. If you go by a different name, make sure to list both in this section.

Nursing Credentials

Your nursing credentials should directly follow your first and last name on a nursing resume. The preferred order to list these in is Highest degree earned, Licensure, then National Certifications.

We've included a  credential quick reference guide below to help you fill out your resume perfectly.

The days of listing your home address on a resume are over - most employers don't need this information, and we advise against including it on your resume as a security precaution. However, this is a personal decision you can make at your own discretion.

You should never leave your location off completely because many employers have location parameters set in their ATS systems. Ensure you include your city and state in the contact information portion of your nursing resume.

Phone/Texting Number

Oh, technology! Yes, some employers will actually text their candidates. Make sure to indicate if you receive texts and whether the phone number is a cell phone or a home phone. This is a great time to make sure your voicemail message states your full name and is professional.

Email Address

It is in your best interest to ensure that you have a professional email address that does not reveal your age. Age discrimination is real, and listing your birth year or using an antiquated email service like AOL can definitely trigger it.

Your email address should include a variation of your name and some numbers if necessary. You can even make a totally separate email account and use it only for your job search.

LinkedIn Profile

If you have a LinkedIn profile definitely include it. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, you could be missing out on opportunities. Now is the time to create one!

In your settings, you can easily create a shortened LinkedIn URL that doesn’t have a bunch of random numbers and letters.

How Your Digital Footprint Impacts Your Nursing Job Search

Though you may not list it, you should consider your social media and online presence when you complete the contact information portion of your resume. Potential employers will likely look you up online. Many Recruiters tell us that looking a candidate up on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter is one of the first things they do. So, make sure everything you post online is what you would want an employer to see. 

Additionally, online behavior can benefit you. Do you have a nursing-related website or blog? Are you an Instagram celebrity? Maybe you created a successful YouTube channel when you were a newbie nurse. Include all this on your resume if it relates to nursing. This is all part of your unique brand!

Nursing Resume Credential Quick Reference Guide

According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (AACN), the preferred order is Highest degree earned, Licensure, and National Certification.

Educational degrees include doctoral degrees (Ph.D., DrPH, DNS, EdD, DNP), master’s degrees (MSN, MS, MA), bachelor’s degrees (BS, BSN, BA), and associate degrees (AD, ADN).

Licensure credentials include RN, LPN, CNA, and APRN.

National certification , which is occasionally voluntary for nurses and obligatory for advanced practice nurses, is awarded through accredited certifying bodies such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), includes RNBC (Registered Nurse-Board Certified) and FNP-BC (Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified).

You may also choose to include awards and honors:

Outstanding achievements in nursing, such as FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing).

Other certifications that recognize additional skills, such as the EMT-Basic/EMT, awarded by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Here is an example of contact information on a nursing resume that puts it all together:

Penny Lite, BSN, RN   Los Angeles, CA | Text/Call: (987) 654 - 3210 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/pennylitern

Professional Summary

Don’t make an employer (or ATS) search your entire resume for reasons to invite you to an interview. Tell them right off the top exactly why you are the best candidate for the role.

Every position is unique, and this is your first opportunity to optimize the resume for ATS and to also catch the employer’s eye. Spend a little time to target it and let your qualifications and accomplishments shine. 

While there is some debate about how to introduce your resume, we suggest using a professional summary as opposed to a career objective. The professional summary can be formatted in either a short paragraph or a bulleted list asserting qualifications and providing a concise career snapshot.

How to Write a Professional Summary for a Nursing Resume

Think of your resume summary as an “elevator pitch” - a quick, attention-grabbing, loaded statement that entices the reader to want to continue on. Your professional summary is unique to you and should be targeted to a specific role, just like the cover letters career counselors used to tell us about.

However, it could definitely include the following information: 

• Number of years of experience in a specialty 
• Common keywords found in nursing job descriptions e.g., excellent patient care, acute care, family education, compassionate
• Facility designations or info about facilities 
• Supervisory experience and number of subordinates
• Special certifications or awards
• Language abilities
• Soft skills such as patience, compassion, and a cooperative spirit

Nursing professional summary example: 

4+ years nursing experience with strong clinical background in critical care (CCU) and intermediate care nursing (IMCU). Proactively streamlines operations, initiates tasks, and supports the healthcare team while prioritizing excellent patient care. Champions patient and family education by providing compassionate, inclusive care that encourages self-sufficiency. Recipient of the Daisy Award. Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Nursing Skills and Areas of Expertise

List your nursing skills within the top ⅓ of the resume - Don't make the common mistake of adding them last. With the popularity of ATS, this mistake could cost you an interview. This is especially true in nursing, as the profession requires very specific skills. 

Additionally, your hard skills should be directly targeted to the role as expressed in the job description. Is the employer asking for a specific EMR that you are experienced with? List it! Are you an expert at starting IVs because of your five years of experience in the emergency room? List it!

This should not be a generic list of skills but a specific list that is as quantified as possible. It’s possible that if you are a newer nurse or are making a specialty pivot you may not have hard skills to include. In that case, it’s okay to omit this section and highlight your transferable  soft nursing skills within your job history.

While most nurses list their license titles on their resumes, it’s been our experience that they leave off a few very important details - most notably, whether the license is active and the expiration date. 

Why is this important? Including this information lets potential employers know that you are ready to start work ASAP. They don’t have to wait for the licensing process. Including your license number is optional, and you can make this decision based on your privacy comfort. The employer will likely be verifying your license online anyway (this is all public information).

If you are an advanced practice nurse, you may decide to leave off license numbers for privacy purposes, especially your DEA number or controlled substance registration number.

Here’s an example of how to list your licensure:

Registered Nurse - California, #RN00101, expires 4/17/2024.

Certifications and Credentials

This is another key section where some important details are typically missing on the nursing resumes we’ve seen. While most nurses list their credentials, it’s important to list them in a specific manner.

Don’t simply list acronyms, as some ATS systems may not be programmed to read shortened versions. Make sure to list the accrediting body, credential/certification number (where applicable), and expiration date. 

Here’s an example of how to list your certifications and credentials: 

Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, expires: 12/1/2021

Work History

Employers want to know what you can do for them, period.  Nurse recruiters we’ve talked to will zero in on this section. What are they looking for? Evidence, facts, quantifiable points - proof to support the assertions made in your resume summary.

Vague work histories are particularly frustrating to employers - especially when applicants copy and paste job descriptions. To avoid falling into those pitfalls, try incorporating these tips: 

Use simple section headers such as “Work History” or “Relevant Experience,” these are ATS friendly. “What I’ve Done” is not. 

List your experience in reverse chronological order.  If you have a lengthy employment history, you may consider only including the most recent 10-15 years of experience. This will shorten your resume and also limit the chances that you’ll encounter age discrimination. Looking at the big-picture experience from 25 years ago doesn’t necessarily speak to your recent nursing experience because employers care about what you can do for them now.

Work History Format

Adding your work history in a logical format can help your nursing resume beat the ATS and impress recruiters. We recommend using the following format for each work history segment:

1. Job Title and Specialty

This is a controversial subject, but we believe employers care more about what you’ve done than who you’ve worked for. Use the job title as it is listed in the job posting, or use a more industry-wide job title. Registered Nurse as opposed to Clinical Nurse II. 

2. Facility Name

Add the name of the facility or company you worked for after your job title. You can add this on the same line or a different line, but using the same line will optimize space.

3. Employment Dates  

These are important and can be listed in a number of ways. However, it’s been our experience that specific dates are not necessary for a resume. On an application, yes, on a resume, not so much. You can simply list the months and years (mm/yy - present).

4. Facility-Specific and Unit-Specific Information

This information is helpful and important to employers but is left off the majority of resumes we’ve seen, it includes: 

• Trauma level: level I, II, III
• Facility Designations 
• Total Hospital beds
• Total unit beds

Primary Duties and Accomplishments

This section looks best in a bulleted list of no more than six points and should include duties, noteworthy accomplishments, and achievements. It’s important to emphasize specific duties and not be too vague.

Also, try your best not to simply regurgitate basic nursing duties that would be assumed of your role. This will take up valuable space on your resume and not really tell the reader much about you !

Wondering what specifics to include? Here are a few questions to get those wheels turning:

• What illnesses, injuries, or traumas do you care for? 
• What cases do you work on? 
• What type of medications do you administer and how? 
• What therapies do you perform? 
• What equipment do you use? 
• How have you improved processes? 
• When have I been first or best?
• No. 1 achievement in each position?
• Which achievements have the most impressive numbers?
• When have I been publicly recognized?

Write Strong Nursing Resume Bullets

Wondering how to order your bullets and what to include? Try this: start with a verb leading to quantifiable data or a specific point and include a relevant duty.

Use our comprehensive tables to build compelling nursing resume bullets that make your achievements shine:

Here is a brief work history resume example for nurses that puts it all together:

Registered Nurse, Acute Care - Example Medical Center 09-19 - Present

• Supervised staff of 15 registered nurses, 8 certified nursing assistants, and 7 paramedics while multitasking excellent patient care. 
• Cared for up to 4 patients per shift with acute neurological disorders, including strokes, spinal cord injuries, and head trauma.

Education and Training

In the nursing profession, education and training are of utmost importance. If you have work experience, this section can be fairly brief.  You should list your relevant degrees in chronological order. 

There are varying opinions regarding the specific ordering of education. However, we believe that the degree or certification title should be listed first. Employers care firstly that you have the education requirement they need and secondarily where you obtained the requirement. 

We suggest the following format:  Degree or Certification Title (acronym), Institution Name 

Here’s an example: 

Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN), University of Washington 

Should I Include Graduation Dates on a Nursing Resume?

You are not required to include your college or high school graduation dates on your nursing resume , as it could reveal your age. Age discrimination is the top form of employment discrimination and affects all age groups. If you graduated more than 10-15 years ago, it may be a good idea to omit the date.  But this is a personal decision you should make at your own discretion.

Should I Include My GPA on a Nursing Resume?

Including your GPA in your nursing resume is optional. If you are particularly proud of your GPA, by all means, add it! However, it is not required. If you graduated with honors that you are proud of, you can definitely include that as well. Again the resume is a unique snapshot of you!

Should I Include my Non-Nursing Degrees and Credentials?

If you possess other degrees not related to nursing, it is not necessary to include those on your nursing resume. Some second-career nurses like to list this information, especially if there has been an interesting career pivot or one that brings a lot of value to your role as a nurse. Remember, you are telling your personal, unique story, and you get to decide what to include.

How Do I Add In-Progress Advanced Education Programs?

If you are currently enrolled in higher education to advance your studies within the nursing field, that should be listed on your resume and state that the degree is pending or in progress. However, if you started a graduate degree program, never finished, and do not plan on finishing, it is unnecessary to include it on the resume. 

Should I Include my High School Education?

Nurses do not need to include their high school diplomas on their resumes. The nursing profession requires completion of higher education, and therefore, your higher degree trumps your diploma. 

Awards, Accomplishments, and Affiliations

Though this section is not required, we encourage including awards and accomplishments that are relevant to the nursing profession. These details will provide the potential employer with more proof and evidence of who you are as a nurse. 

In this section, you can include: 

• Awards and recognitions that are specific to the hospital or facility where you work, e.g. the Daisy Award, Employee of the Month, and Nursing Excellence Award
• Professional memberships and affiliations relating to nursing and/or healthcare
• Volunteer work, if it relates to nursing

We suggest the following format: Title, organization, year

Here are a couple of examples:

• Recipient, Nursing Excellence Award, Washington Medical Center
• Volunteer, American Red Cross - Haiti - 2012

Naming Your Nurse Resume Save File

One last thing, saving! Don’t just give your resume any old name! Hiring professionals sometimes receive multiple documents from candidates, and they don’t want to waste time sorting through every document to find the resume. Some prefer to organize resumes by specialty. Tell them exactly which document is your resume. 

We suggest the following format: firstlast_specialty_resume.doc

Here’s an example:

PennyLite_ICU_resume.doc

We’ve seen a lot of resumes over the years, and you might be surprised by the amount of strange information people have included on them. So, here are the top mistakes we’ve seen:

Woot! If you’ve made it this far you should have an excellent understanding of how to write a great nursing resume. We know it’s a lot of information right now, and we hope that you’ll use the information to advance your career.

For a little more help, try using our free resume templates. And when you’ve landed your next interview, check out the next part in this series, The Complete Guide to Nursing Job Interviews .

>> Download free nurse resume templates!

What should be included in a nursing resume?

• A nursing resume should include your education, experience, including clinical, work, and volunteer, any certifications you have, and skills. 

How do I write a nurse resume?

• You can use a template to fill out your nursing resume or fill out your own. 

How do I list my nursing skills on my resume?

• List skills that are in the job description or outline on the facility’s website. For instance, common nursing skills include critical thinking, teamwork, communication, team management, and high ethical standards. 

Do you put RN after your name on a resume?

• You can include "RN" or "RN, BSN"  if you have other credentials. If you haven’t passed your NCLEX yet, you can put G.N. for Graduate Nurse.

How long should a nurse's resume be?

• A nursing resume should be no longer than 1-2 pages. 

What is your greatest skill as a nurse?

• The most valuable skill you have as a nurse may depend on your exact role and specialty, but in general, communication, kindness, empathy, and critical thinking are highly valued traits as a nurse. 

How far back should a resume go?

• If you’re a recent graduate, you don’t need to go to high school, just include your college experience and degree. For experienced nurses, include all relevant experience. 

Amanda is an Ivy-league-educated nurse practitioner and career mentor who helps nurses find and land their dream jobs. She founded The Résumé Rx  in 2018 to help nurses with career and résumé strategy  Learn more about Amanda and her products at  www.theresumerx.com  and follow her on Instagram  @theresumerx.

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How to Write an Effective Nursing Resume Summary

Writing an effective nursing resume summary is easier said than done. Studies show that recruiters spend mere seconds reviewing a resume and these days that’s after the resume has made its way through the applicant tracking system. An effective nursing resume summary is concise and easy to read. It correlates the candidate’s experience with the job description in question. And it piques the reader’s interest to the point that they will continue reviewing the resume in greater detail.

How long do recruiters spend reviewing a nursing resume?

A 2012 study conducted by the Ladders found that recruiters spend 6 seconds reviewing a resume . That’s right, 6 seconds. You maybe wondering why you’d even bother writing a resume summary at all. Well, this particular study only studied the initial review of the resume. Initially, recruiters typically go straight to a review of the last two jobs held by the candidate. They want to know immediately if they are working with a candidate that has experience in the particular job capacity in question. So they look at the job title and the dates of employment. Recruiters also focused on the employers and education of the candidates.

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Of course, this study was conducted on recruiters reviewing the resumes of general professionals as opposed to professionals in the healthcare field. We’d expect slight variations from recruiters in the healthcare field. They may look for specialties, licenses and certifications in addition to these other attributes. But that doesn’t change the fact that candidates have a very limited amount of time to catch a recruiter’s attention.

If recruiters see some or all of what they’re looking for in an initial review, then they may give the resume a closer look. Even then, the resume may only receive 20 seconds total . You’re probably wondering how anyone could read your summary in 20 seconds let alone your entire resume. Well, they’re actually reviewing it as opposed to reading it. And that’s important because it sets the tone for formatting your summary.

How should your nursing resume summary be formatted?

Like the rest of your resume, your summary should be concise and easy to read. The reader should be able to review it quickly and pick up on the keywords and concepts that they’re looking for. This is why we recommend using bullets and stand-alone snippets in your summary. By doing this, you’re playing to the realities of the review process.

Most summaries are written in paragraph form. This is fine for conveying large volumes of information in a more compact space, but it assumes that the reviewer is actually going to take the time to read it. Unfortunately, they will not do this in the vast majority of cases. Therefore, a summary written as a big, long paragraph may prevent the reviewer from picking up on the key points or distract them from even reviewing it at all.

By contrast, a summary written with bullets and stand-alone snippets allows the reviewer to quickly scan this section and easily pick up on the keywords and points you’re making. You might include a quick snippet from an online evaluation or professional endorsement and provide a link to the site where the rest of the information can be reviewed. You may also provide a brief overarching summary of your skills in bold print and then provide bullets for the rest of the information you’re seeking to convey.

What should be included in your nursing resume summary?

There are many possibilities for your summary and there is no exact science as to what to include. Different people will have different cards to play based on their level of experience and the specifics of their job search. The only certainty is that you should always due your best to match your skills and the information you convey on your resume with the qualifications and job description in question.

You might include the following in your summary:

• Years of relevant experience.
• A summary of your qualifications for the job in question.
• A sense of your work or management style.
• Personal characteristics that make you a good fit for the job and/or company.
• Professional achievements.
• Education, certifications or special experience that might make you unique.
• Measurable improvements that you’ve made for previous employers.
• Accolades or awards that you’ve received from previous employers.

When considering what to write in your summary, do your best to avoid stand-alone cliches like “team player” or “results oriented”. Instead, try to convey these concepts with concrete examples. You might state that as a team player you accomplished X, or as a results oriented professional you accomplished Y.

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that the rest of your resume supports your summary. Remember, your goal is to convey as much information that’s pertinent to the job in question. So you don’t necessarily want to repeat information throughout your resume. As a healthcare professional, you have no shortage of highly technical skills and diverse job duties to convey so making sure your resume isn’t repetitive shouldn’t be a problem.

Sample Nursing Resume Summary

Below is one example of a summary:

Registered Nurse with over 7 years of critical care experience. Specialized practice in cardiovascular surgery, post-operative recovery, and intensive care.

• Extensive experience and thorough understanding of pathophysiology and pharmacology of critically ill patients.
• Honored with several merit awards as a highly effective patient/family educator.
• Promoted to Charge Nurse as a respected team-player with demonstrated leadership skills.
• Current member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) since 2008. AACN Ambassador since 2011.

Related posts:

• 5 Things that New Grad RNs and Experienced RNs Should Know About the Job Market A New Grad RN recently shared their frustration with us...
• Nursing Resume Objective or Summary? Nurses often wonder if they should include an objective or...
• How to Write an Exceptional New-Grad Nursing Resume This guide was written by experienced nursing recruiters and is...

Love your reference “rap sheet” I was A travel nurse for 14 years and that’s exactly what it looks like. I always list it as one entry and it works fine. Good Luck!!

Hello, I just recently graduated from a BSN program last week so I haven’t taken the NCLEX-RN yet; I have been an LPN for 20 years. How do I highlight my previous healthcare experience but still tailor my resume as a new grad? Now that my scope of practice will be different, which skills or attributes from my experience as an LPN would be best to feature as a new grad without listing basic nursing skills? Also, how should I word the fact that I don’t have a license yet? Is it appropriate to say “license pending?” Also, should I list my name followed by BSN or LPN?

Congratulations, Brandee! There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but here are my recommendations. Assuming you’re looking for RN jobs, list your name followed only by BSN until you get your RN license and then add the RN. In the Licenses and Certifications section of your resume, list the RN license as Pending and provide a status, ie. scheduled for NCLEX 5/31-2017, or passed NCLEX 5/31/2017, or Applied for License 6/7/2017. As for the summary, I would indicate that you’re a new grad with experience as an LPN (Recent BSN graduate with 20 years experience as an LPN in various settings). From there, try your best to highlight how your experience relates to the qualifications and requirements for the specific job your applying for. And remember, always be looking for ways to explain why you’re the solution to their problems….rather than explaining what they can do for you. I hope this helps!

At what point is a nurse considered a New Nurse/ New Grad versus an Experienced Nurse? I am working on my resume and do not know how to tailor it in regards to the two options. I graduated Dec 14′ and worked my first nursing position in May 15′. I have had one other job since then and currently seeking another. So in total, I would say I have about 1 1/2 years of nursing experience.

I would say that 1 year or more of experience makes you experienced. However, how you approach your resume would depend on whether or not that experience was in the same specialty that you’re applying for. For example, if you have 1 year of experience in Long Term Care, but your applying for jobs in a hospital’s ICU, then you might want to include details about clinical rotations in the ICU during your schooling, in addition to your experience in LTC. I hope this helps!

I am also having difficulties creating a resume. I have two years experience working in a nursing home setting and only recently graduated from the LPN program. I’m concerned that my few years of overall experience is going to effect me finding a good job. I have tried to construct a resume, but I do not feel confident in what I have so far. Any suggestions/references would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you, Sandy B.

I am struggling in writing my resume. I am not sure how to present myself. My most recent jobs included the Program Nurse head for a Life Skills Program for medical fragile children and the nurse in charge of all the medical needs for a camp, including managing all aspects of the clinic. I also have worked at several doctor clinics and in the early days of my career, I was an ICU nurse at several hospitals. I would like another position in some type of nurse management. Suggestions on how to summarize myself?

Thanks for the inquiry, Jean. There’s no easy way to summarize your experience when attempting to transition into a new area of the field. My recommendation would be to review each job posting for hints about qualifications and requirements that you may be able to equate to your past experience. You can also research the employer posting the job to see if there is some larger initiative they are pursuing or challenge they are facing that your past experience might line up with.

You can also review the job descriptions for similar jobs of many different employers to find hints about the qualifications that are being sought for the type of position you’re interested in. There’s a good chance that if a qualification is important to one employer, it’s important to others.

The main goal is to convey how you are going to help solve the problems an employer is facing; how you are the best solution for their hiring need. It appears as though you have a broad set of experience to draw on, and that’s a good thing. The tasks are 1) equating your experience with the qualifications of the new job and/or 2) conveying how your experience will help you solve an employer’s problem and 3) succinctly distilling this into 2 to 4 bullet points in your resume summary.

I hope this helps!

I’m a former travel nurse of many years inclusive of interim nursing leadership positions and staff nurse positions. Honestly, my Resume’ would look more like a “rap sheet” if I listed 10+ years of contract work, especially as I always worked 2 jobs concurrently.

Now that I have my BSN and will complete my MSN: Nurse Executive specialty track degree within 6 months, I am looking to move from Director roles into the C-Suite.

Any suggestions how to summarize or should I list each contract job?

Congratulations or your recent and upcoming achievements! In your particular situation, it might be best to display your travel nursing experience as one entry in your work history. For example:

Travel Nurse 2006-2016 Worked for various agencies completing short term assignments across the country, gaining proficiency with a diverse set of charting systems, processes, procedures, organizational structures and management approaches.

Then, go on to list some highlights that pertain to the job posting for which you are applying. Donna Cardillo recommends this approach . Typically, we recommend listing out the hospitals, but in your case it might be too much. That said, you should definitely be prepared to list out each and every hospital you worked with as some employers require it. I hope this helps!!

Thank you for this article! Helps a lot =)

Thanks for letting us know; we’re glad to hear it’s useful!

Great advice, thank you so much for getting back to me! 🙂

Any advice for a New Grad RN looking for a 1st job? Preceptorship in pediatrics but I am going to apply to medsurg positions as well. What should I highlight in my executive summary? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the question. Here is an article dedicated to new-grad nursing resumes. There’s a bit about summaries there. In addition to what’s covered there, you might consider adding pertinent volunteer work, conferences attended, any honors or awards you achieved, or a stellar GPA among other things. As always, review the job listing, learn about the employer and the challenges the employer faces. Then, try to highlight anything in your experience that might align. I hope this helps!

Thanks for sharing very informative

What about a med/surg nurse who wants to apply for a psych nurse position? Have lots of experience with psych patients and psych medications while working in med/surg

Thanks for the inquiry, Kayla. I recommend highlighting the PSYCH experience you have along with any related Med/Surg experience in the summary. Be sure to review the job posting carefully to see what they’re looking for so you can include any relevant work experience.

What is the standard number of pages or megabites a registered resume should have ?

There isn’t a standard length or file size for nursing resume. Most would say that it’s best to keep the resume to 1 to 2 pages, but that may not always be possible. Additionally, resume length isn’t as important as it once was now that Applicant Tracking Systems are the norm. Here is an article with some more considerations on the topic.

How would I present my resume as neophyte RN employed, but was been in the medical settings since I graduated in 2005. I worked in family doctor’s office as over all in charge. Had3 months practice as RN float temporary while working on my papers to stay for good (acute, long term and dementia) and CNA of 4 yrs. Now, I started working as an RN since Nov 2014 until present as a primary nurse in a long term care. I really want to be a dialysis nurse. I had my 800 hours clinical hours wayback in 2006.

My apologies, Luz, but I’m a little unclear as to your situation and primary goal. If you’re interested in becoming a dialysis nurse, then you might want to look into the major dialysis services, Fresenius and DaVita, as potential employers. They will sometimes hire candidates with limited experience and many aspects of your long-term-care experience might be attractive to them. I hope this helps!

I have a question- thank you. I would like to become a dialysis nurse however, I have no experience in that area I have worked in cardiac telemetry and psyche. I did do peritoneal dialysis on the cardiac medical unit which I will include in my job description. Please advise how to open the door into a new arena of nursing. Thank you so very kindly, El. Towne

Thanks for the question! Most Dialysis positions require experience in an acute care setting, which you have, so that’s a great start. You also have some relative experience in the field. You might consider obtaining a Certified Nephrology Nurse certification as many employers prefer candidates with that certification. Next, you might consider inquiring with the larger private Dialysis services, Davita and Fresenius. The ratings for these employers on Glass Door and Indeed are just so-so, but they might be a great way to get 1 to 2 years of experience in the specialty before searching for a more desirable hospital based position. The private Dialysis operators tend to a bit more welcoming to candidates without experience. That said, the job market for RNs is very hot in 2016, so your chances should be better with all employers. I hope this helps!

What about for a second career new nurse? I have over seven years of experience in the communications field with three years of supervisory experience. I recently graduated with my BSN and passed the NCLEX. My nursing experience is limited to my clinical experience and some volunteer work. I am struggling how to relate my past experience with nursing to make me stand out in my Summary.

Yes, it’s difficult to relate experiences in other industries to nursing because employers are typically seeking candidates with experience in the technical aspects of nursing. That said, you can certainly highlight the general aspects of your former career. Your promotion, leadership, team-work and other aspects are all good qualifications to address in your summary. Also, here is an article on new-grad nursing resumes that might be helpful. I hope this information helps!

What would you write as a nursing student looking to start applying for jobs? I have no experience other than what my clinicals have offered me. I wont be taking my boards for about 5 months still. Set to graduate in December (3 more months.

How would you suggest is the best way to present that as a RN, I simultaneously held the titles of ADON, Wound Nurse, and Charge Nurse at my most recent employer? Initially I was hired as a Charge Nurse, then I was promoted to ADON but I still had to work as a Charge Nurse 3 of my 5 scheduled days so I functioned in the role of ADON only on Monday and Tuesday. Later it was determined there was a definite need for consistent and routine wound monitoring, so I evolved into the Wound Nurse for the facility. Working with physicians I developed new protocols for wound assessment, treatment, and management and every Monday I functioned in the role of Wound Nurse. Is it best to break each job into its own summary and bullet list? I’m in over my head trying to figure out the best way to present myself in a resume now, including the profile.

Hey Tereasa,

Thanks for the inquiry. This is a great problem to have for your nursing resume! I agree it’s difficult to manage though. Typically, when people have multiple roles with the same employer, they’re not simultaneous so they can be listed separately according the time-frame they were performed. In this case, I think it would be best to do as you suggest and break each into it’s own summary and bullet list. The reason is that these are all very different roles. Something like below:

Employer Name Employer information (location, details, etc.) Job Title: Charge RN, ADON, Wound Care Nurse Hired as a Charge RN, I was promoted to ADON and also accepted a role as the Wound Care Nurse for the facility.

Charge RN: Start Date-End Date

• Accomplishment 1
• Accomplishment 2

ADON: Start Date-End Date

Wound Care Nurse: Start Date-End Date

I think something like that works well in this case. It might take up quite a bit of space, but you’ve accomplished a lot! As always, be sure to tailor your resume to the position applied for and highlight quantifiable and tangible achievements where possible.

As for your resume summary, I think it’s best say something like, “X years experience as Charge Nurse, X years experience as an ADON, and X years as a Wound Care Nurse.” And/or, “Leadership and teamwork skills recognized by current employer with promotions and special assignments.” Remember, the summary itself is just that, a quick summary designed to pique interest and get the reader to spend more time reviewing the rest of the resume and the actual accomplishments. It’s also an excellent opportunity to match your qualifications with the required qualifications for the job. So, if the job is looking for X years experience as an ADON, then you might say, “Over X years experience as an ADON.” I hope this information helps and please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.

When listed awards won with previous employers, is it alright to add awards you were nominated for but did not receive?

Great Question! Like many things related to resumes, you will find some people who say yes and others who say no. I would say that it depends on how well you can quantify the nomination. For example: One of five Staff Nurses out of 160 to be nominated for the X Award.

Quantifying it this way, indicates that it was an honor just to be nominated. If you’re able to do this, or something like it, then adding the nomination to your resume could be useful. I hope this helps!!

Thank you. Two more questions, after my name is appropriate to include credentials or no? I have seen differing opinions. My university awards a BS not a BSN, so my credentials will be BS, RN. Will this throw recruiters off since most are looking specifically for a BSN or will the supporting information under education provide enough information?

That’s a tough one. I’m not sure that I have seen a BS instead of a BSN. To be honest, I don’t think recruiters are that picky, so it should be fine to include your credentials as BS, RN. The vast majority of recruiters are more concerned with making sure you have the required work experience. That said, if you’re a new grad, it shouldn’t matter either.

Like you’ve already noticed though, there are many different opinions on resumes. I typically encourage people to include the credentials after their name and I think your situation is no different.

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Resume Worded   |  Career Strategy

Nursing resume summary examples.

Approved by hiring managers, here are proven resume summary examples you can use on your Nursing resume. Learn what real hiring managers want to see on your resume, and when to use which.

• Critical Care Nursing
• Entry Level Nursing
• Nursing Education
• Nursing Management
• Oncology Nursing
• Pediatric Nursing
• Public Health Nursing
• Senior Nursing
• Surgical Nursing
• Nursing resume templates
• Similar summary examples

Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight certifications.

The mention of being a "Certified Nursing Professional" immediately highlights key qualifications, a crucial factor for recruiters who often skim resumes. This not only grabs attention but also helps your resume pass through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter based on keywords.

Quantify Experience

Stating "7+ years of experience delivering patient-focused care" provides a clear picture of your professional journey. This not only shows you're experienced but also underscores your patient-centric approach, a soft skill highly valued in nursing.

Showcase Achievements

"Reduced patient recovery time by 20%" shows your tangible impact in previous roles. Such quantifiable achievements can sway recruiters in your favor as they provide a snapshot of what you could potentially accomplish in their organization.

Emphasize Leadership and Coordination

"Coordinated multidisciplinary teams across three hospitals" demonstrates both leadership and organizational skills, crucial for nursing roles that involve coordinating with various departments.

Demonstrate Ability to Handle Pressure

By stating experience in "working in high-pressure environments", you convey ability to maintain performance under stress, a key trait in the fast-paced healthcare field.

Critical Care Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight your area of expertise.

Mentioning your expertise in trauma and emergency care lets recruiters know that you're not just a regular nurse but one who can handle high-pressure situations effectively.

Speak to your achievements

Reducing a patient mortality rate is a significant achievement that speaks volumes about your skills and dedication. It's the kind of accomplishment that sets you apart.

Show your team management skills

Showing that you've managed a team, especially in an intense setting like an ICU, demonstrates your leadership and ability to handle responsibility. It's important to show you're not just capable of doing the work, but leading it too.

Show recognition

Brag a little. If you've been recognized for your patient care, it means you've made a significant positive impact. It shows you are capable of not just doing your job, but excelling at it.

Don't let a subpar resume hold you back from your dream job. Our tool helps you optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems and human recruiters alike. Get a comprehensive analysis and start landing more interviews today.

Entry Level Nursing Resume Summary Example

Showcase specialized expertise.

Describing "expertise in pediatric care" helps position you as a specialist in a particular area, useful for roles requiring specific skills.

Highlight Clinical Hours

Providing a count of your "800+ clinical hours" is a concrete way of demonstrating on-the-job learning, especially important for entry-level roles.

Present Soft Skills

By mentioning "efficiency and compassionate care", you showcase your soft skills - qualities often sought after in patient-centric nursing roles.

Demonstrate Initiative

The "streamlined patient intake process" suggests you're proactive and capable of identifying and solving problems, qualities highly desired by employers.

Nursing Education Resume Summary Example

Specify role.

Term "Nursing Educator" specifies your role and sets the stage for your resume. This helps recruiters quickly identify if your profile matches their search.

Display Experience Breadth

"Decade of experience in academic and clinical settings" shows a wide range of experience, which can make your profile more appealing to recruiters looking for versatile educators.

Exhibit Curriculum Development Skills

"Developed curriculum for nursing programs" demonstrates your ability to create educational content, a key requirement for teaching roles.

Demonstrate Influence

"Influenced over 500 nursing careers" shows your impact on future healthcare professionals, and adds a humanizing touch to your achievements.

Nursing Management Resume Summary Example

Showcase leadership.

"Proven track record in managing large healthcare teams" shows your ability to handle responsibility and lead effectively, both crucial in managerial roles.

Quantify Efficiency

By stating that you "increased efficiency by 35%", you provide a measure of your administrative capabilities and impact on operations.

Highlight Patient Centricity

"Pioneered a patient-first approach" illustrates your dedication to patient satisfaction, a key indicator of quality healthcare delivery.

Demonstrate Regulatory Knowledge

"Navigating the complexities of healthcare regulations" and "ensuring compliance" shows your understanding of the legal framework in healthcare, a crucial aspect in nursing management.

Oncology Nursing Resume Summary Example

Showcase your specialization.

A niche skill, like palliative care in oncology nursing, can make you a valuable asset. It's not just about being a nurse; it's about being a nurse with a specific skill set that could be critical in some situations. This can give you an edge in the selection process.

Quantify your impact

ATS scan for numbers as they signify measurable impact. Stating that you've managed care for over 50 patients demonstrates your ability to handle workload and stress. Make your contributions tangible to grab attention.

Demonstrate innovative thinking

Your unique approach to patient care not only shows your innovative thinking but also your commitment to improving patient outcomes. It shows that you're not just doing your job, but you're actively seeking ways to do it better.

Mention your leadership skills

Training junior nurses emphasizes your leadership skills and your ability to pass on your knowledge to others. Your experience in this area assures employers that you can guide others in complex situations.

Pediatric Nursing Resume Summary Example

Highlight specialization.

"5+ years of experience in neonatal care" immediately shows your specialty. Recruiters looking for pediatric nurses would find this compelling and relevant.

Show Impact on Patient Outcomes

"Improved neonatal health outcomes by 30%" provides a measurable impact of your work. Such quantitative accomplishments can help you stand out.

Proof of Handling Complexity

"Managed complex cases" indicates capability of handling challenging situations, a sought-after trait in specialties like pediatric nursing.

Highlight Patient Education Skills

"Demonstrated expertise in patient education" emphasizes your ability to effectively communicate with patients and families, a crucial aspect of nursing.

Public Health Nursing Resume Summary Example

Passion goes a long way.

Mentioning your passion for community healthcare not only shows your drive but also your commitment to the well-being of the community. It gives a sense of your purpose and motivation, which is inspiring.

Show your initiative

Launching a successful immunization program shows your initiative, leadership, and ability to manage large-scale projects. It's an achievement that demonstrates real impact.

Prove your effectiveness

Reducing community health issues by a quarter through education initiatives highlights your effectiveness and dedication to preventive healthcare. This shows that you're not just reactive, but proactive in your approach to healthcare.

Show your versatility

Managing healthcare delivery for diverse populations across urban and rural settings shows your adaptability and understanding of different healthcare environments. It makes you a more versatile and attractive candidate.

Senior Nursing Resume Summary Example

Impress with extensive experience.

Mentioning "over 15 years of experience in critical care" immediately signals a deep level of expertise and knowledge, crucial for senior roles.

Highlight Leadership Skills

As a senior nurse, "leading a team of 20 nurses" showcases your ability to manage, lead, and inspire a team, an essential skill for senior positions.

Quantify Success

"Reduced patient mortality rate by 10%" provides a concrete achievement to recruiters, illustrating your impact on patient outcomes.

Demonstrate People Development

"Implemented a mentorship program" indicates your commitment to staff development. This could be a deciding factor for recruiters looking for leaders who can develop their teams.

Surgical Nursing Resume Summary Example

Proven expertise matters.

Stating your proven expertise in perioperative care not only shows your skill but also gives assurance to the employer about your ability to deliver in the operating room. It adds weight to your resume.

Don't shy away from numbers

Assisting in 500+ surgeries is a strong statistic that demonstrates your experience and reliability. Numbers make your accomplishments concrete and more impressive.

Show your contributions to improvement

Improving surgical outcomes is a crucial contribution in a field where precision matters the most. It shows that you're not just doing your job, but you're making a real difference.

Showcase your leadership skills

Managing surgical teams is not an easy task. Mentioning this shows you can handle pressure, coordinate tasks effectively, and lead a team in high-stakes situations.

Nursing Resume Templates

Dental assistant.

Respiratory Therapist

Medical Resume Summary Examples

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• > Dental Assistant Summary Examples

Medical Resume Objective Examples

• > Case Manager Objective Examples
• > Dental Assistant Objective Examples

Medical Resume Guides

• > Case Manager Resume Guides
• > Dental Assistant Resume Guides

Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.

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29 Nursing Resume Examples That Worked in 2024

• Nursing Resumes
• Nursing Student Resumes
• Nursing Resumes by Credentials
• Nursing Resumes by Role

Writing Your Nursing Resume

Although the demand for nurses is growing, getting a job in the nursing industry isn’t easy, especially if you’re making a start or submitting a letter of resignation at your current position. 

How are you supposed to know how to  write a stunning resume  so employers will immediately want to hire you and create a cover letter detailing your accomplishments? 

Getting into the nursing field is tough, so  we analyzed dozens of nursing resumes to learn what works and what doesn’t to help you get a great nursing job .

No matter your specialty or where you’re in your nursing career, we’ve got 29 nursing resume samples to help you  make a resume online  from scratch or update your current resume to get you your next nursing job in 2024!

Nursing Resume

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• One of the quickest ways to do so is by including your licenses in your title. This clearly signals to the employer that you’re qualified for the position.
• Adding an optional licenses section is another way to demonstrate your abilities, so if you have the room, make sure to add that section.
• Instead, tailor your resume to the  nursing job description . What keywords did they list? What responsibilities do they expect you to complete? Use this as your guide to include what employers most want to see.

Experienced Nurse Resume

• Some professions require CVs for senior-level officials, while other industries are fine with a resume no matter their seniority level. Check the job description to see what kind of information the employer requires, so you know what to write.
• Try to demonstrate the different specific responsibilities you’ve had throughout your career. What kinds of clinical techniques have you done? For example, have you assisted with ADLs, administered particular tests, or diagnosed specific types of diseases?

Nursing Student Resume

• The key is to be specific about what you contributed or learned during your time in school.
• How did you assist your peers or supervisors? Did you witness anything especially noteworthy? What did you learn? Listing details like these helps employers qualify your abilities. 
• While an objective is strictly optional, it’s a great way to convey your excitement for the position and some of your relevant skills. 

New Grad Nursing Resume

• If you lack experience, that’s okay! Just include more details about your clinical rotations. You can also mention non-healthcare-specific work experience if you have it.
• For example, does the job description talk a lot about compassionate care? Then you should include the phrase “compassion” in your skills section.

• As you progress, unleash quantified achievements in your previous roles, emphasizing how you helped patients and improved outcomes (hint: reducing medication errors by 28% and enhancing patient safety).

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Resume

• In addition to your title, if you have any certifications or additional licenses, include them on your resume in a designated section.
• If you’re struggling to know what to write on your CNA resume, it can help to look at  CNA resume examples  and local CNA job descriptions to determine what employers want to see and what metrics to include. 

RN BSN Resume

• Go beyond helping patients and list all the times you’ve helped doctors treat a condition more quickly or improved after-surgery recovery rates. Add how you’ve endeavored to assist patients remotely during tough times (if any) such as providing remote sessions during COVID-19.

Registered Nurse Resume

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Resume

• If your current specialization is different from the job description, don’t stress! You should still be specific about your experience, but focus on transferable skills that go hand-in-hand with other fields.
• For example, do you specialize in long-term care, nephrology, or developmental disabilities? Include how you applied those abilities throughout your LPN resume.
• Of course, you need to include where you got your nursing degree, but don’t stop there! Adding a certifications or licenses section can show off your training and catch a hiring manager’s eye quickly.

Nursing Manager Resume

• How far back should you go? You wonder. If you have a master’s degree in nursing or healthcare management, make that the centerpiece of your education section. Otherwise, a bachelor’s degree fits the bill! Of course, don’t forget to add the institution’s name and the year you graduated.

Critical Care Nursing Resume

• Gain promotion and assume a new role with greater responsibility after that. Use this to show your dedication by backing your achievements with numbers.

Director of Nursing Resume

• List down all the variety of software you’re proficient in and write how you’ve used each right from the beginning of your career. Last but not least, never forget to add your RN license!

NICU Nurse Resume

• Use the career objective to frame your clinical experience through the lens of NICU by highlighting your ability to communicate with families or work in high-pressure environments.

Operating Room Nurse Resume

• Surgeons are always seeking cutting-edge technology that can unlock new medical capabilities. Showcase your expertise in working with these innovative systems—like robotic arms—to enhance your operating room nurse resume .

School Nurse Resume

• Are you skilled in using platforms specific to educational institutions, such as SchoolMessenger? Include them on your school nurse resume to prove that you’re prepared to handle the caseload.

Telemetry Nurse Resume

• You can bolster your telemetry nurse resume by listing any special certifications that further qualify you for the task, such as Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS).

Nurse Practitioner Resume

• The best format for nurses in 2024 is the reverse-chronological format since it shows how you’ve grown your skills over the years. However, if you have a gap in your job experience, there are other formats you can use to disguise that.
• Adding a few splashes of color to your  nurse practitioner resume  makes it look prettier and helps readability. Just be sure to choose a color that is easy on the eye (no neons, please).

ICU Nurse Resume

• To avoid the fear of the blank page, start by using a  resume outline  to give you a basic structure to follow and show you what your finished resume should look like.
• So, when you’re writing the work experience bullet points, use general responsibilities like “provided effective care”), but be specific about how you helped your patients (and what resulted from your ministrations). 

Travel Nurse Resume

• To help stand out above the competition, clarify your work experience sections so employers know if you’ve had traveling nurse contracts or not. 
• More likely than not, you don’t need a resume objective or summary, nor do you need to list individual projects. Remember that you can go into more detail about achievements and skills in your  nursing cover letter .

Charge Nurse Resume

• For example, have you had the opportunity to manage or lead co-workers? Have you ever trained a nurse and oversaw scheduling? Be specific about how you’ve managed projects and people and what resulted from your leadership.
• Want to know a quick and easy way to write a  charge nurse resume ? Start by using a  resume template  to format your information, then fill in the blanks with specific details about your past experience and skills.

Chief Nursing Officer Resume

• This formatting showcases your career growth and leadership development by highlighting your most recent (and likely most relevant) job. 
• We recommend you include six to 10 skills, with at least 70 percent hard skills such as BLS, QA/QC, federal compliance, and fiscal health analysis.

Telehealth Nurse Resume

• Luckily, there are multiple  resume tips  you can incorporate to make your resume a cut above the rest, including choosing specific hard skills in your skills section and formatting your resume in reverse-chronological order.
• If you have a degree higher than a high school diploma, ignore your high school information since employers don’t need it. If you have multiple nursing degrees, include all of them.

Nurse Consultant Resume

• Use business-related numbers like sales growth or revenue/profit increases to demonstrate your worth as an employee.
• Don’t forget to add other sections to showcase your training and certifications.
• If you decide to include these sections, keep them brief and include only what’s relevant to the job you’re seeking.

Office Nurse Resume

• Do your homework on the environment you’re applying to work in, and ensure you showcase why you’re a good fit for that specific job. After all, an ER unit with high patient turnover may be much more interested in your high-efficiency standards than an in-home clinic that consistently services a much smaller patient load.
• Sure, your resume may look good when you finish writing it, but have you run it through a  resume checker  yet? You might not realize you’ve been using passive voice or inconsistent punctuation, and even though you’re not applying for a job as an English Teacher, a hiring manager won’t be thrilled if you overlook little details when they’re going to literally put lives in your hands.

Home Dialysis Nurse Resume

• Unfortunately, as much as it may be interesting for you to look back over your life history, most hiring managers won’t be quite as thrilled about the prospect. Adding a career summary to your resume can give recruiters the highlights, without drowning them in a sea of information.
• Trust us on this, nothing bothers a hiring manager more than a resume that is 1.01 pages long.

ER Nurse Resume

• Certifications like the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) depict that you’ve done the work and undergone the rigorous training needed to be an ER nurse.

Labor and Delivery Nurse Resume

• If you’ve spent your time outside work organizing events to promote women’s health and reproductive rights, it’s a powerful statement that shows your passion and commitment and deserves to be mentioned in your resume.

Nurse Manager Resume

• If you’re well versed with a particular HR management tool or medical management software, it’s one less thing a hospital or healthcare center will have to train you on.

Pediatric Nurse Resume

• An extensive program, like a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, from an esteemed institute like Johns Hopkins University, for example, is a worthy inclusion in your pediatric nurse resume , demonstrating that you’ve learned from the best.

Related resume guides

• Physician Assistant
• Dental Assistant

Hiring managers typically receive a torrent of resumes whenever there’s an open position, so if you prepare your nursing resume haphazardly, you are more likely to get the boot than the job. To avoid that sad scenario, you need to make your nursing resume readable, logical, and pleasing to the eye. It should showcase your skills and experience while being ATS-compliant, and it should show off a bit of your personality, too. 

It make sound like an impossible task, but before your get overwhelmed, start by taking it one step at a time. First, choose your formatting style: reverse-chronological, functional, or hybrid.

Reverse-chronological, functional, and combination/hybrid format

A well-structured resume is essential for your job search. Even if your resume has perfect content, if your resume isn’t easy to skim at a glance, it’s unlikely you’ll be called for an interview. Your content matters, but so does  how  you present that content. Therefore, proper  resume formatting  is a salient feature you don’t want to get wrong.

There are three popular formatting options for designing your resume in 2024: reverse-chronological, functional, and hybrid. 

• Focuses more on your skills
• Ideal for a recent graduate or an entry-level candidate
• Reverse-chronological format
• The most common format
• Lists relevant experiences and skills in reverse-chronological order
• The best for making it past the ATS
• Combines functional and reverse-chronological features
• Highlights both your skills and experience
• Ideal if you have a handful of experience or are re-entering the workforce

The best bet for a nursing resume would be the reverse-chronological format. This helps the recruiter see your upward career progression. If you started as an intern in a given health organization, and then moved up the career ladder to become a full-fledged nurse, your potential employer will be able to track your progression and assess your qualifications faster.

Contact header

It’s important to include the relevant contact header information in the right order. If you’re a nurse, your   contact header should have the following:

• Your name —Employers won’t automatically know you, so you need to include your first and last name. 
• Phone number —Use your personal cellphone number instead of a work phone in case a potential employer calls when you’re not on the job.
• Email address —Include a professional email address, preferably combining your first and last name.
• City & state —This is optional but recommended so employers know if you’re local. 
• LinkedIn —Some employers require your LinkedIn profile, but even if it’s not mandatory, it’s helpful for employers to see your career progression.

The contact header should be, you guessed it, at the top of the page. Good font choices are Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, all at 12 point size. When it comes to color, remain conservative with black and white. Some  resume templates  can format your resume to strikingly display your contact information, just like this header:

Will your nursing resume beat the ATS?

Optimizing your resume for the Application Tracking System (ATS) increases your chances of being called for an interview. The ATS is a tool that many companies use to quickly scan resumes and weed out applicants without relying on someone to read through them first.

Most resumes aren’t designed to beat ATS, and end up being filtered out before they ever reach the recruiter. However, if you know how to properly  format your resume , you’ll pass the ATS scan and make your way to a person. Here’s what you should know about the role of fonts, font size, margins, header names, logical order, skills, and page length, as far as ATS-friendly resumes are concerned:

• ATS-friendly fonts make it easy for a computer to read your resume. Some of the most commonly used ATS-friendly fonts include: Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial. Preferably, they should have a font size of 10-12 points.
• Beyond just font type, font size also matters. Preferably, your body font size should be 10-12 points, while your headers can be bigger.
• Margins also matter, since the ATS automatically assumes your margins are the standard size of one-inch all around. Any bigger or smaller, and the ATS might mis-read your resume.
• Keywords are the main focus of the ATS, so make sure your skill keywords and header names match what’s in the job description.
• The ATS is not sensitive to the number of pages, but one page is the standard across professions. 

Writing your nursing resume

Putting together an effective nursing resume may seem overwhelming and not worth your effort. However, putting in the extra effort now will pay off when you get an interview. And remember, you’re not doing this alone. We’re dedicated to helping you  write an amazing resume  by providing advice on common frustrating decisions like this:

• When an objective is most useful on your nursing resume
• When a summary can be the preferred choice
• How to list your most relevant nursing work history
• Adding volunteer work and academic endeavors when work history is light

Do you need an objective or summary on your nursing resume?

When crafting your nursing resume, you have the option to use career objectives and summaries.

When to include a career objective in your resume:

• You can use an objective when changing or modifying your career.
• For instance, if you plan to change from a surgical assistant registered nurse to an emergency room registered nurse, you’d use an objective to highlight that you’re pursuing a new subfield within nursing.
• Use a career objective if you’re looking for an entry-level job and lack experience. 

When a summary is right for your resume:

• Use a summary to highlight your most valuable experience and skills. These are ideal when you have vast experience in nursing.
• For example, if you’ve worked in a health setting for 10 or more years, you can include a summary.
• A summary is effective for connecting varied work experiences.

When not to use objectives or summaries:

• Skip the objective or summary if you’re not planning to customize it to each position you apply for. Otherwise, it’s generic filler that takes up too much white space.
• This lacks specificity and reads “I just need a job to pay the bills.” While that may be true, employers want to know you’re passionate about your work and will improve your workplace.
• This lacks depth and work history details that should hallmark a summary. It’s void of substantial expertise, specializations, and skill specifics.

When objectives or summaries are worth including:

• This objective highlights the years of experience and the candidate’s field of expertise while also naming the potential employer.
• This summary highlights their years of experience, the key areas they’ve worked in, and their specialities within those fields.

Nursing work experience?

Don’t forget to indicate relevant experience in your resume. While we wouldn’t recommend including every job you’ve had since you were 16, you can get away with adding work experience from different fields if you’re an entry-level candidate.

However, if you’re applying for a senior position, you’ll need to include at least  three  nursing positions on your resume, especially if you’re applying for a managerial or specialty position. For instance, a director of care management requires nine years of experience, four of which must be managerial.

Conversely, a registered nurse position may require one year of direct patient care. The responsibilities, in this case, are not very demanding. If you lack experience overall, you can include any academic projects and volunteer work that is relevant to the  nursing job description .

Writing your job experience bullet points for your nursing resume

Three examples of poor job experience bullet points for nurses:

• Generally, you should avoid using “I,” and you should include specifics, not just generic statements of experience.
• This bullet includes “I” and lacks job specifics and quantifiable metrics.
• Although it may sound nice on the surface, it doesn’t answer exactly what the patient did and the results of their work.

Three examples of good job experience bullet points for nurses:

• This uses an action verb combined with quantifiable metrics.
• Again, this uses an action verb but furthermore, it describes exactly what the candidate provided (primary care training). 
• Specific, pertinent job duties show employers your skills and can also help you pass the ATS; two thumbs up for this one!

Quantify your impact as a nurse

When preparing your resume, remember that no employer wants to waste time reading vague statements about your performance. Instead, they want to see supporting details. So, whenever you can, you should quantify your impact and achievements.

For instance, if you say you “served many patients daily,” a potential employer might wonder about the exact number because ‘many’ is a relative term.

Examples of how to quantify metrics:

Suppose the  nursing job description  asks for a training specialist who can train other nurses. In that case, you can indicate the number of training sessions you conducted per day in your previous employment.

• Number of clinical training sessions per day
• Trained 75% of new hires on pre and postoperative care >20 days per month

Some of the health facilities labor under tremendous pressure. The number of patients you serve per day can help potential employers gauge whether you will cope well under pressure. So, it’s lucrative to include the number of patients you served per a specific amount of time.

• Number of patients served in a day 
• Worked in a setting with a 6:1 patient-nurse ratio, receiving 400+ visitors per day

Top skills for your nursing resume

It’s helpful to understand the differences between hard and soft skills to list in your  resume skills section . Keep the number of skills you list in between six and 10 to avoid overwhelming the reader.

Hard skills are those tools you use to do the job, aka technical abilities that require training. 

Examples of hard skills:

• ERM systems
• Medical documentation
• Infant and child care
• Emergency care
• Ambulatory care
• CPR certified

On the other hand, soft skills are abilities that are harder to quantify and are more personality-based.

Examples of soft skills:

• Communication 
• Professionalism
• Positive attitude

Get noticed! Look for keywords within a job description:

• Many companies use ATS to scan resumes for keywords from the job description, so it’s in your best interest to include the right keywords.
• Include keywords in both your  nursing cover letter  and resume. 
• Choosing keywords from the job description helps you customize your resume and thus, makes you more appealing to the hiring manager.
• Employing the right keywords makes your resume relevant and noticeable, giving you an edge over the competition.

Nursing education and certifications

When preparing your nursing resume, include all the elements that will increase your chances of getting the job. You need to indicate the following:

• Your education level
• Any certifications or licenses
• Your experience in other nursing environments
• Your years of experience as a nurse

On the topic of licenses, you need to share your area of specialization. Specialists include registered nurses (RNs), certified registered nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists. Including your area(s) of expertise helps potential employers determine whether you’re the right candidate for the job.

Besides, including this information is easy to do and shouldn’t take up much space! Simply place certifications and licenses in a short section toward the bottom of your resume: 

Should you add projects, interests, or hobbies to your nursing resume?

Most of the time, you don’t need to include projects or  interests/hobbies on your resume . However, you may be able to add them depending on your level of experience and the type of role you’re seeking.

If you’re an experienced nurse, you’ve likely gained tangible experience that’s more important than undergraduate projects you’ve completed. Instead, you should highlight your key areas of experience and show your new employer how you’ll impact their business.

In the same vein, you may not need to indicate your hobbies or interests unless it’s encouraged. However, you can gain an advantage over the competition if you have strong qualifications and hobbies that match the company culture. 

To help you determine whether or not to include hobbies, visit the company’s website and read the “About Us” section to gauge whether they have a unique cultural fit. 

If you’re an entry-level candidate or a recent graduate, listing hobbies and projects can help you fill space and showcase your personality. However, it’s always good to review the job description to ensure these additions are relevant. Either way, keep the project and hobbies lists short and at the bottom of your resume.

Examples of hobbies/interests:

• Volunteering for community health services
• Learning new languages

Examples of projects:

• Organized and led breast cancer awareness campaign for two consecutive semesters
• Researched mental and psychiatric issues for semester-long experiment

Adjust your nursing resume for every job application

Remember to customize your resume when applying for a new job. Even if you’re only applying for specific roles, like LPN jobs, that doesn’t mean every job description for that title requires the same qualifications. There’s usually something unique to each position. Thus, for every application, make sure you tailor the following sections:

• (These can stay mostly the same, but you should adjust responsibilities and keywords slightly.)

To recap, each job description comes with different skill requisites. Furthermore, remember to note keywords you can use within the body of your resume and cover letter.

Your nursing resume must be error-free

As a nurse, you need to show the hiring manager that you’re observant and have an eye for detail. Remember, you’ll be working with patients and should demonstrate accuracy and precision. To ensure a flawless resume, run your document through a  resume checker  and have your colleagues proofread it. Don’t let typos cost you a job!

Confidently land your next Nursing gig

Many job seekers languish in the job market, especially considering the number of nursing graduates produced by universities each year and the fierce competition. So, you must be creative and savvy to survive the market. Happily, you’ve already taken the first steps by reading this guide, so congratulations!

We know you’ve worked hard to get this far, and we wish you all the best as you write a power-packed nursing resume and get ready for interviews in 2024! 

6 New Grad Nursing Resume Examples + How To Write

Are you a new grad nurse or about to complete your nursing degree? If so, congratulations on your impressive accomplishment! At this point, you may be wondering what is your next action in the strategy to secure a job. If so, read on for vital information to help you successfully navigate the unchartered territory of finding employment as a nurse. Preparing a top-notch resume is an essential step in securing a position after graduation. When thinking about how to compose a resume, you might ask, what are some exceptional examples of new grad nursing resumes? This article, 6 best new grad nursing resume examples, will guide you through the process of creating a professional new grad nursing resume that is sure to impress. Additionally, well-structured resume examples will visually aid you in designing your resume that is sure to catch the eye of your future employer.

What Exactly Is A New Grad Nursing Resume?

How is a new grad nursing resume different from an experienced nursing resume, 4 reasons why an exceptional resume makes a difference to new grad nurses, 1. you may be competing with experienced nurses-, 2. there may be many candidates-, 3. highlights new skills-, 4. helps to get your foot in the door-, what are some exceptional examples of new grad nursing resumes, example #1: resume of diane joyner, diane joyner, licenses and credentialing, clinical experience, student nurse.

• Performed new mom, baby and labor and delivery patient care duties on a 12-bed obstetrics unit. • Team leader for student nurse rotation on 2 occasions. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-3 patients each week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics.

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 28-bed pediatric unit. Commended by clinical instructor, preceptor, and unit nurses for ease of adaptation, enthusiasm, and expert nursing care of children on unit. • Team leader for colleagues on 4 occasions. • Developed nursing care plans on 3-10 patients per week. • Developed and instituted engaging quiet activity lessons and entertainment boxes for children while in the hospital. • For children in quarantine, developed exercises to promote circulation and heart health while recovering in isolation, if applicable. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

• Provided nursing care in a busy inner-city ER, ICU, and CCU. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours. • Evaluated at 100% by the instructor for competence in critical care skills.

• Completed 30 outpatient hours as a public health nurse, either traveling for home visits or at a community clinic. • Evaluated and developed plans of care for patients from 7 months to 70 years old. • Completed 30 additional outpatient hours in a public elementary and middle school.

• Performed basic nursing care in a 400-bed community hospital with 2-4 adult patients daily. • Administered nursing services to seniors and disabled patients in community rehab and nursing facilities. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

Work History

Certified nurses aid.

• Performed basic hygiene and health aide services in a 300-bed nursing facility during vacations and summer.

Secretary to Bloomsburg University Department of Nursing

• Performed basic office duties such as filing, answering phones, and typing reports.

Babysitter for 2 diabetic sisters

• Hired to babysit and carefully monitor 2 diabetic children where carb counting, blood sugar monitoring, and insulin injections were necessary.

• Hostess, waitress, cook, and dishwasher duties as needed in a bustling restaurant.

Volunteer Work

• Mother of a newborn • Candy striper • Campus Catholic Organization • Church nursery worker • St Francis Soup Kitchen • Campus blood drive

What Makes This An Exceptional New Grad Registered Nurse Resume:

Example #2: resume of jan beck, licenses and credentialing.

1/2021-4/2021 Boseman, Montana

• Performed new mom, baby, and labor and delivery patient care duties on an 8-bed birthing center. • Developed nursing care plans on 1-2 patients each week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics.

9/2020-11/2020 Boseman, Montana

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 20-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

1/2020-5/2020 Boseman, Montana

• Provided nursing care ER, ICU, and CCU. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours. • Evaluated at 99% by the instructor for competence in critical care skills. • Selected consistently by the staff and clinical instructor to work on Covid and burn units along with special cases.

11/2019-12/2019 Boseman, Montana

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a 150-bed psychiatric hospital. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2 patients per day.

9/2019-10/2019 Boseman, Montana

• Completed 30 outpatient hours in a high school health clinic.

1/2019- 5/2019 Boseman, Montana

• Performed basic adult nursing care in a 200-bed community hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

WORK HISTORY

University lab assistant.

5/2019-Present Boseman, Montana

• Selected by nursing faculty to assist in Anatomy and Physiology labs along with Microbiology lab.

Student Tutor

1/2020-Present Boseman, Montana

• Tutored students in course work for science, health, computer technology.

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Graduated second in nursing class with a 3.96 GPA • Received 4.0 in all clinical rotations • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Award for future nurse in excellence and scholarship

Example #3: Resume of Joan Zimmerman

Joan zimmerman.

1/2021-4/2021

• Completed 60 clinical hours rotating between urgent care and family health clinic. • The preceptor stated she felt very confident in all skills and knowledge to independently care for patients under her supervision.

9/2020-11/2020

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 60-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per day. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

1/2020-5/2020

• Provided nursing care ER, ICU, and CCU. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours. • Evaluated at 100% by the instructor for competence in critical care skills. • Team head 3 out of 10-week rotation. • Nurses on the unit commented daily on my advanced knowledge of cardiovascular conditions and ability to handle patient care efficiently.

11/2019-12/2019

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a 241-bed psychiatric hospital. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2 patients per day.

9/2019-10/2019

• Completed 60 outpatient hours rotating between units for women’s health, labor and delivery, NICU, PICU, and newborn nursery.

1/2019-5/2019

• Performed basic nursing care on adults in a busy 600-bed hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

Walmart Cashier

5/2017-Present

Honors and Awards

• Graduated first in nursing class with a 3.99 GPA • Received 4.0 in all clinical rotations • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Future Nurse Leader Award • School of Nursing Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award

Volunteer and Leadership Experience

• President of Student Nursing Association • Captain of the high school basketball team

Example #4: Resume of Lizzie Arndt

Lizzie arndt.

1/2021-5/2021 Jersey City, New Jersey

• Completed 60 clinical hours performing home health services on patients of a variety of ages and conditions, including prenatal and postnatal care. • Developed new mom instructional videos on breastfeeding and bathing.

9/2020-11/2020 Eastman, New Jersey

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 62-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per day. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics. • Rotated onto pediatric burn unit.

1/2020-5/2020 Eastman, New Jersey

• Provided nursing care ER, ICU, CCU, and adult burn unit. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours.

11/2019-12/2019 Eastman, New Jersey

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a state prison on both men’s and women’s units. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 1-3 patients per day.

9/2019-10/2019 Eastman, New Jersey

• Completed 60 outpatient hours rotating between units for women’s health, labor and delivery and NICU, PICU, and newborn nursery. • Achieved 100% on clinical skills and knowledge testing. • Developed competency checklist for pre- and post-natal teaching of pregnant women and new moms. • Established support reference material for new mom packet.

1/2019- 5/2019 Eastman, New Jersey

• Performed basic adult nursing care in a busy 575-bed hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours in the hospital and adjoining rehabilitation center.

Swim Instructor and Lifeguard

5/2017-Present Jersey City, New Jersey

• Graduated first in nursing class with a 3.95 GPA • Received 4.0 in all clinical rotations • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Outstanding Nursing Student Award • Scholarship for swimming • Scholarship for academic excellence

Extra-Curricular Activities

• Division I swimming all 4 years in college

Example #5: Resume of Lynn Horton

Lynn horton.

• Performed new mom, baby and labor and delivery patient care duties on a 50-bed women’s health unit. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics.

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 20-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-4 patients per week. • Rotated onto pediatric oncology unit to care for 1-2 oncology patients per day. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

• Provided nursing care in ER, ICU, and CCU units. • Completed 96 hours total of critical care clinical hours.

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours at a 40-bed detox and substance abuse facility. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2-3 patients per day. • Assisted nursing and psychiatric staff with detox and substance abuse treatment and therapy.

• Completed 30 outpatient hours in a home health agency to include care for adults and children with cancer.

• Performed basic nursing care in a 600-bed community hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

Certified Nurse Assistant

• Provided comfort and basic care to adult patients with cancer.

• Graduated Magna Cum Laude • Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society • Award for future nurse in excellence and scholarship

Volunteer and Extra-curricular Activities

• Served as a companion and nurse’s aide to a friend dying of cancer • Division III university softball player

Example #6: Resume of Paul Linney

Paul linney.

1/2021-4/2021 Tampa, Florida

• Performed new mom, baby and labor and delivery patient care duties on a 30-bed birthing center. • Performed basic nursing and prenatal care to walk-in women’s health center. • Completed 75 clinical hours in obstetrics and women’s health.

9/2020-11/2020 Tampa, Florida

• Performed patient care duties on a busy 38-bed pediatric unit. • Developed nursing care plans on 2-3 patients per week. • Completed 75 clinical hours in Pediatrics.

1/2020-5/2020 Tampa, Florida

• Provided nursing care in ER, ICU, and CCU units. • Completed 90 hours total of critical care clinical hours.

10/2019-12/2019 Tampa, Florida

• Completed 30 psychiatric clinical hours on a 62-bed psychiatric unit, which included detox and substance abuse treatment. • Completed psychiatric evaluations and instituted and monitored mental health treatment plans on 2-4 patients per day. • Assisted nursing and psychiatric staff with detox and substance abuse treatment and therapy. • Achieved 100% for clinical rotation. • Selected as team leader 5 out of 8 weeks on unit. • The Nurses and the preceptor remarked weekly about comfort level and ease with working with psychiatric patients.

9/2019-10/2019 St. Pete, Florida

• Completed 30 outpatient hours in a community center for at-risk youth. • Held group sessions for abused and traumatized teens. • Met individually with 2 patients per week for individual counseling and psychiatric sessions and care.

1/2019-5/2019 Tampa, Florida

• Performed basic nursing care in a 300-bed community hospital with 2-4 patients daily. • Completed 100 hours total of med-surg clinical hours.

VOLUNTEER AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• Boys Club of Clearwater • Paxton Ministries Soup Kitchen • Special Olympics

HOW TO WRITE AN EXCEPTIONAL NEW GRAD RN RESUME?

1. proper format.

• Your name and contact information at the top of the page • Easy to read (not fancy) fonts such as New Times Roman, Arial, and Calibri • Font size 11 or12 • Stay consistent in fonts and style types • Be concise • No abbreviations or slang

2. Summary or objective

• Professional goals • Name of unit and institution where you are applying • Nursing skills and qualities pertinent to the position • Degrees and professional certifications

3. Licenses and credentialing

• The full name of your license or certification • Institution or body that issued license

4. Education

• Official school name • Location of the school • Dates you attended or graduated • Degree that you completed

5. Clinical rotations

• The type of the clinical rotation • Dates of the rotation and total hours completed • Name of institution (and city/state) of clinical • Name of unit you worked on

6. Work history

• Position held, then the name of the company/organization where you worked and the city and state with starting and ending date of hire • In a few words, describe the job

7. Volunteerism

• Church bake sales, nursery work, chicken BBQ worker, soup kitchen, and vacation bible school assistant • Hospital candy striper • Homecoming committee • Musical lighting and props • Prepped dinners for a homeless shelter • Assistant to professor • Staffed nursing department booth for college fairs • Blood pressure checks for health fairs • Assisted with blood drives on campus

8. Honors and awards

9. skills/language summary, 10. appropriate length, 11. match your resume to the job, 12. proofread, 7 common mistakes to avoid when writing your new grad nursing resume, 1. not including non-work experience-, 2. being too modest-, 3. too wordy-, 4. not personalized-, 5. leaving out accomplishments-, 6. not customizing-, 7. not proofing-, 3 consequences of a poorly written new grad rn resume, 1. you may never get an interview-, 2. your resume sets the stage-, 3. you may receive lower compensation-, my final thoughts, frequently asked questions answered by our expert, 1. what is the difference between new grad nurse resume and new grad nurse cv, 2. as a new grad nurse, when should i write my resume, 3. do i need a different resume for each new grad nursing job i apply to, 4. how long is my new grad nursing resume good for, 5. how many words should a resume be for a new graduate nurse, 6. how much time does it take to write an exceptional resume for a new grad nurse, 7. what is the best resume format for new grad nurses, 8. should i put my gpa on my new grad nurse resume, 9. should skills be on my new grad nurse resume, 10. what is a good objective for a new grad nursing resume, 11. how to list registered nurse license on my new grad nursing resume.

• Full name of nursing license • The body that issued the license • Expiration date

12. Should I Put Clinical Experience On My New Grad Nursing Resume?

13. should i include preceptorship on my new grad nursing resume, 14. can i ask someone else to write my new graduate nurse resume, 15. is it a good idea to use ready templates to write my new graduate nurse resume, 16. are there any online apps or tools that make writing a good resume for a new graduate nurse easy.

77+ Resume Summary Examples [& How-to Guide for 2024]

Most companies get hundreds or even thousands of applications monthly.

Hiring managers don’t have the time to read each resume in detail, so they usually end up scanning it for five to six seconds.

So, unless your resume manages to grab the hiring manager’s attention in those few seconds, they’ll just toss your application aside and move on to the next one.

That’s why, you want to make sure that the hiring manager can instantly tell that you’re the right candidate for the job before they even read your resume in depth. 

This is where writing an attention-grabbing resume summary comes in!

In this guide, we’re going to cover: 

• What Is a Resume Summary?
• Tips for Writing an Effective Resume Summary 
• 77+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples

Let’s dive in.

This guide is part of our larger resume series. If you want to start from the basics, take a look at our comprehensive guide on how to make a resume .

What Is a Resume Summary? 

A resume summary is a section that summarizes your resume’s contents. It’s placed in your resume’s header, close to your 

contact information , and it’s the first thing hiring managers see when they look at your resume.

When done right, your resume summary serves as a snapshot of your entire career. It shows that you’re a qualified candidate in less than five seconds, and it gets the hiring manager interested in reading the rest of your resume.

So, what makes a resume summary effective?

A good resume summary is two to four sentences long and includes:

• Your years of experience and job title
• Some of your biggest achievements to date
• A couple of your most essential skills that are relevant for the role

Let’s look at an example:

• Detail-oriented Technical Writer with 7+ years of experience in writing end-user documentation, specializing in user help guides. Excellent writing, analytical thinking, research, and time management skills. Rewrote over 80% of user help guides for 30+ products at Company X, resulting in a 42% decrease in product-related customer support calls.

New to resume-making? Give our resume summary video a watch before diving into the article!

When Should You Use a Resume Summary?

Hiring managers skim through resumes before deciding to read them, so candidates who grab their attention from the start stand a better chance of grabbing their attention. This is why you should always include a brief paragraph in your resume header that summarizes your strengths as a candidate.

Depending on your experience level, you can choose between a resume summary or a resume objective .

Resume objectives focus on professional goals, skills, and motivation for applying for the job, so they’re perfect for students, recent graduates , and other entry-level workers.

A resume summary, on the other hand, is perfect for seasoned professionals, as it focuses more on your past work experience and how it relates to the job you’re applying for. So, if you already have some work experience, we recommend sticking to a resume summary.

If you’re embarking on a career change , on the other hand, you can choose between a resume summary or a resume objective, depending on how your previous skills and work experience relate to the job.

When you’re making your resume, write your resume summary last. Creating a resume summary is much easier once you’ve already finished up your work experience section! 

5 General Resume Summary Examples

There are different aspects of your professional background that you can focus on when writing your resume summary.

Let’s look at some examples and what they do right:

• A hard-working bartender with over five years of experience providing professional service at various bars across Brooklyn. I have received the Hospitality Skill Certification for Bartenders and I know how to make over 200 alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. Seeking the Head Bartender position at Bar X, where my skills and beverage knowledge can be leveraged to offer customers the highest quality of service.

Above all, this resume summary shows how experienced the candidate is. Their main selling point is their vast bartending knowledge, followed by an impressive bartending qualification and customer service skills .

• Communicative financial analyst, specializing in informative and persuasive financial presentations, cost accounting, and team management. Master’s Degree in Finance and two related certifications from the Corporate Finance Institute. Extensive experience with a variety of software programs, including SQL, Equitrak, and Lawson.

What sticks out the most in this resume summary is the candidate’s educational background and certifications. It matches the field they’re applying for, and their knowledge also extends to the most important professional software.

• Human Resources Manager with 7+ years of experience seeks to improve overall efficiency at XYZ Office. Career highlights include handling all employee relations in a 75-employee finance firm, reducing recruitment lead time by 35%, and increasing employee retention by 17%.

In addition to the candidate’s long professional experience, the most impressive part of this resume summary is their achievements . The candidate also made sure to quantify their professional accomplishments, which gives you credibility and shows you know what you're talking about.

• Detail-oriented receptionist with 4+ years of experience in customer service. Efficient in performing the administrative and front-desk tasks of large-scale offices. Fluent in Norwegian, English, Spanish, and Swedish. Proficient in MS Office Suite and ZenDesk.

This resume summary shows off the candidate’s key skills, including language proficiency , extensive customer service experience, and computer skills .

• Hard-working and passionate Secondary Social Studies teacher with 10+ years of experience in creating positive environments in which teenagers can learn and grow. Incorporates interdisciplinary knowledge into the classroom to engage students of all learning orientations. 

This candidate mentions they have more than a decade of work experience , but the main takeaway is what they can do on the job. The hiring manager who reads this resume summary can immediately see what this applicant can bring to the team.

How to Write a Resume Summary

Now, let’s get down to business – how can you write a resume summary that’s guaranteed to catch the hiring manager’s attention?

Let’s start with the basics. Here’s what your resume summary should include:

• Experience. If you have a lot of relevant professional experience, you should summarize it. This may include your job titles and years of experience in the field. (e.g., “Facebook marketer with 5+ years of experience..." )
• Skills. Mention your areas of expertise, specializations, certifications , and/or skills. (e.g., “Experienced in managing Facebook ad accounts and SEO copywriting..." )
• Achievements. Add one or two impressive achievements to show what you can do. (e.g., “Managed over $100,000 in marketing budget over several accounts and reduced annual company costs by 16%.” )

The next step is to take your resume summary from good to great by following these expert tips:

#1. Tailor Your Resume Summary

You could be an excellent candidate with tons of work experience, but if your resume summary isn’t tailored to the job ad, the hiring manager probably won’t be impressed.

If the hiring manager doesn’t see your value in the first seven seconds of reading your resume , you probably won’t get them to give it a second glance.

This is where tailoring your resume summary comes in. Just reference the job description to make sure your work experience, skills, and achievements all match what the employer is looking for in a candidate.

Let’s go over it in detail.

Imagine you’re applying for this specific job:

The ad tells you exactly what the company is looking for in a candidate.

So here’s what a resume summary tailored to this ad might look like:

• Professional marketer manager with 5+ years of experience in digital marketing. Social media marketing experience, including Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn advertising. Experience in managing an account with a monthly budget of $30,000. B.A. in marketing management. Fluent in German. 

By carefully tailoring your resume summary to the ad and mentioning what the company is looking for, the hiring manager will be hooked! They’ll immediately think, “This is the right person for the job!” and read the rest of your resume in detail.

Tailoring your resume summary to the job description can also help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems that companies use to filter through resumes. This is software that scans applications and disqualifies candidates who don’t mention specific skills or add enough keywords from the job description throughout their resume, so the more you tailor your resume to the job, the better your chances!

#2. Quantify Your Achievements

Your resume summary is supposed to be brief, which means you’re not supposed to list all your achievements. So, make sure to mention the ones that are most relevant and impactful for the role you’re applying for to pique the hiring manager’s attention.

The best way to back up your accomplishments is by providing concrete data.

Quantifiable achievements are instantly more credible and more likely to leave a good impression than vague statements. 

Let’s compare:

• Helped customers sign up on our platform.
• Onboarded 100+ customers to our SaaS platform with a retention rate of over 75%.

See the difference? In fact, the first example sounds more like a responsibility than an achievement.

Here’s what this applicant's entire resume summary would look like:

• Customer service representative with 5+ years of experience in telephone customer service, tech support, and customer care. Familiar with Intercom, Drift, and several other customer service software solutions. Handled up to 100 calls daily with a retention rate of over 75%. 

In some fields, there aren’t many achievements that you can mention. For example, saying that you served 50 people a day isn’t an achievement if you're a server. Don’t fret! In such cases, it’s OK to stick with your key responsibilities simply.

#3. Use Power Words and Action Verbs

Saying you’re a “team player” who was “responsible for” this or “managed” that is boring.

To stand out from every other applicant using the same words, you need to use the right action verbs and power words .

These words can make your skills and achievements pop, and the hiring manager will appreciate that you’re going the extra mile to describe your experience.

Let’s compare how the same sentence with and without power words plays out:

• Spearheaded Company X’s content marketing operations.
• Responsible for content marketing at Company X.

While both of these sentences say the same thing, the first one makes you seem more competent and implies initiative and leadership skills. The second just comes off as passive.

To drive the point home, here’s what a resume summary looks like packed with action words:

#4. Follow Our Formula

When you get down to writing your resume summary, you might still not be sure where to start or what to add.

Don’t worry!

We have a tried and tested formula that you can follow to write the perfect resume summary.

77+ Convincing Resume Summary Examples (For Different Fields)

Need inspiration to write your resume summary? No sweat!

We’ve curated a list of 77+ resume summary examples for different professions to help inspire you.

Sales and Customer Service Resume Summary Examples

#1. sales associate resume summary.

“Enthusiastic and knowledgeable sales associate specialized in upselling furniture and dealing with customer objections. Proven 2-year track record of success at Company X, having exceeded department KPIs by 40-50% for 6 months in a row.”

Read the full sales associate resume example here.

#2. Account Manager Resume Summary

“Client-oriented account manager with a successful track record in the oil industry. Managed accounts worth over $500K while working with clients such as BP and Lukoil.”

#3. Software Support Specialist Resume Summary

“Software support specialist with 5+ years of experience in providing support and assistance to clients, managing user accounts, and recruiting and hiring new IT support interns. Built customer relationships and trust with 20+ B2B clients. Skilled at simplifying complex problems, making it easy for non-technical specialists to solve IT issues.”

#4. Customer Service Representative Resume Summary

“Dedicated and trustworthy customer service specialist with four years of experience in online software troubleshooting, tech support, and customer care. Experienced in using Intercom and Drift. Received an average 87% customer satisfaction rating to date, 15% higher than the company average.”

Read the full customer service resume example here.

#5. Cashier Resume Summary

“Reliable and detail-oriented cashier. Skilled at mathematics, thinking on my feet, and solving any potential customer issues that arise without help from management. Experience in training and onboarding 3+ new cashiers at Company X.”

Read the full cashier resume example here.

#6. Retail Manager Resume Summary

“Retail Manager with 5 years of experience managing mid-sized retail stores. Increased store revenue by 15% through effective team management and customer engagement strategies. Proficient in inventory control, merchandising, and staff training. Looking to leverage retail management expertise in a larger, high-volume store setting.”

Read the full retail manager resume example here.

#7. Barista Resume Summary

“Passionate Barista with 2 years of experience in specialty coffee shops. Known for crafting signature beverages and maintaining high standards of customer service. Consistently received positive feedback for friendly demeanor and quick, accurate order fulfillment.”

Read the full barista resume example here.

#8. Server Resume Summary

"Dedicated Server with 3 years of experience in fast-paced dining environments. Skilled in order accuracy, multitasking, and providing exceptional customer service. Recognized for ability to maintain composure and efficiency during peak hours."

Read the full server resume example here.

#9. Waiter Resume Summary

“Positive and friendly waiter with 3 years of experience working at a fast-paced Italian restaurant. People skills with a proven ability to upsell alcohol, desserts, and appetizers to customers. Memorized restaurant’s wine stock and accompanying meals to the T.”

Read the full waiter resume example here.

#10. Front Desk Agent Resume Summary

“Front Desk Agent with 4 years of experience in the hospitality industry, excelling in customer service at busy city-center hotels. Skilled in handling reservations, guest inquiries, and providing travel recommendations. Committed to enhancing guest experiences and maintaining a high standard of service.”

#11. Housekeeper Resume Summary

“Hard-working house-keeper with 5+ years of experience. Past experiences include working as a housekeeper in hotels as well as private residences. Proven time-management skills and deep familiarity with all cleaning materials and tools.”

#12. Line Cook Resume Summary

“Line Cook with 3 years of experience in high-volume kitchens. Efficient in meal preparation and plating, with a focus on maintaining quality and speed. Trained in various cuisines and knowledgeable about food safety standards.”

#13. Restaurant Manager Resume Summary

“Professional restaurant manager with a strong interest in providing the highest standards of customer service and ensuring customer satisfaction. Skilled at reducing staff turnover, conflict resolution, marketing, and upselling techniques. Increased restaurant revenue by 20% through advertising lunch menu and word-of-mouth strategies.”

#14. Bar Manager Resume Summary

“Experienced Bar Manager with 7 years overseeing busy urban bars. Successfully increased annual sales by 20% through innovative marketing and menu redesign. Expert in inventory management, staff training, and creating a welcoming atmosphere for patrons. Seeking to bring leadership and efficient operational skills to a high-end establishment.”

Read the full bar manager resume example here.

Administrative and HR Resume Summary Examples

#15. receptionist resume summary.

"Organized Receptionist with 3 years of experience in corporate and medical office settings. Efficient in managing multiple phone lines, scheduling appointments, and providing administrative support. Known for a welcoming demeanor and effectively handling client inquiries."

Read the full receptionist resume example here.

#16. Recruiter Resume Summary

"Communicative professional with 5+ years of experience in recruitment. Worked with every part of the recruitment process, including sourcing, vetting, and onboarding of candidates. Passionate about IT recruitment, having worked as a tech recruiter at Company X. MBA from University X."

Read the full recruiter resume example here.

#17. Human Resources Specialist Resume Summary

“Human Resources Specialist with 6 years of experience focusing on employee retention and satisfaction. Implemented employee engagement programs that increased retention rates by 25%. Skilled in conflict resolution, performance management, and creating positive work environments. Dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee development.”

Read the full human resources resume example here.

#18. Office Manager Resume Summary

“Office manager with 5+ years of experience in controlling inventory, ordering and tracking new supplies, developing procedures and training material for staff. Strong communication skills, organized, with a track record of success.”

Read the full office manager resume example here.

#19. Secretary Resume Summary

“Professional Secretary with 4 years of experience in fast-paced legal and corporate environments. Proficient in document preparation, managing executive schedules, and coordinating meetings. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, ensuring efficient office operations.”

#20. Executive Assistant Resume Summary

“Accomplished executive assistant with experience in providing support to a high-level CEO and other executives for 4 years. Helped with everything from customer support to data entry and preparing well-researched documents. Skilled at time management, proficient in MS Office and Adobe Photoshop.”

Read the full executive assistant resume example here.

#21. Administrative Assistant Resume Summary

“Experienced administrative assistant seeking to leverage advanced administrative skills for improved efficiency at Media XYZ. 5+ years of industry experience includes decreasing data entry mistakes by 23%, decreasing negative feedback by 11%, and giving insights into creating paperless office environments.”

Read the full administrative assistant resume example here.

#22. Data Entry Resume Summary

“Data entry clerk with 3+ years of experience in verifying complex data, maintaining databases, and producing monthly reports using advanced Excel functions. Known for quick typing skills, eye for detail, and the ability to keep clients and employers happy.”

Read the full data entry resume example here.

Finance Resume Summary Examples

#23. accountant resume summary.

“Licensed Certified Public Accountant with 10+ years of experience in budget analysis, financial audits, and forensic accounting. Created financial reports within a five-person finance team and managed a $500,000 budget. Over the two years working there, helped cut annual company expenses by 15%.”

Read the full accountant resume example here.

#24. Financial Analyst Resume Summary

“Dedicated financial analyst with a track record of successful investments. 5+ years of experience in investment banking, with a focus on the oil industry. Responsible for analyzing potential investments, as well as conducting industry, market, and company-specific research. MBA in Finance.”

Read the full financial analyst resume example here.

#25. Bank Teller Resume Summary

“Bank teller with 2+ years of experience in client-facing roles at Bank X, where I handled customer transactions, cross-selling bank products, and keeping customers happy by providing a professional and efficient service. Followed strict and safe deposit box operations guidelines and processed 100+ customer transactions daily.”

Read the full bank teller resume example here.

#26. Banker Resume Summary

"Experienced Banker with 5 years of expertise in personal and small business banking. Managed a portfolio of high-value accounts, increasing client satisfaction and financial performance. Skilled in financial advising, loan processing, and risk management. Committed to helping clients achieve their financial goals with tailored solutions."

Read the full banker resume example here.

Business Resume Summary Examples

#27. business analyst resume summary.

“Solutions-driven business analyst with over 5 years of experience in consulting businesses and analyzing their operations. Previous experience in working with Consulting Company X and Consulting Company Y. Strong understanding of digital transformation. Improved a client company’s processes by taking them online, which improved manufacturing output by 3%.”

Read the full business analyst resume example here.

#28. Business Development Manager Resume Summary

"Dynamic Business Development Manager with 7 years of experience in identifying and pursuing new market opportunities. Led initiatives that resulted in a 30% increase in annual revenue. Strong background in strategic planning, client relations, and market analysis. Proven ability to drive business growth and forge strong partnerships.”

Read the full business development manager resume example here.

#29. Project Manager Resume Summary

“Project manager with a proven track record of working with agile and waterfall project management methodologies. Managed 5+ teams of software projects over the past 3 years. Basic understanding of several programming languages, including Java, React, and NodeJS.”

Read the full project manager resume example here.

Marketing and Advertising Resume Summary Examples

#30. marketing executive resume summary.

"Accomplished Marketing Executive with 10 years of experience in developing and executing comprehensive marketing strategies in the technology sector. Led campaigns that increased brand awareness by 40% and consistently exceeded sales targets by 15-20%. Expertise in digital marketing, market research, and team leadership. Committed to driving market growth and enhancing brand positioning for leading tech companies."

Read the full marketing executive resume example here.

#31. Marketing Manager Resume Summary

“Marketing manager with 4+ years of experience in a corporate environment. Good eye for design, with experience in creating marketing materials with Canva. Intermediate copywriting skills, having worked on the company website, flyers, and several other content pieces.”

Read the full marketing manager resume example here.

#32. Social Media Marketing Manager Resume Summary

“Creative social media manager with 2+ years of experience and a passion for boosting brand awareness and customer engagement. Skilled in copywriting and basic graphic design tools. Personally started and grew a Facebook page for my consultancy brand from 0-1,000+ in just a month. Looking to help Company X establish an online presence and increase their social presence.”

#33. Content Marketer Resume Summary

“Accomplished professional with 3+ years of experience in marketing, content writing, and outreach. Experience in writing for high-authority publications like Forbes, Business Insider, and more. Looking to help Company X increase their online presence and generate more leads through content.”

#34. SEO Specialist Resume Summary

“Results and data-driven SEO specialist with experience in keyword research, developing and marketing evergreen content, and increasing overall website rankings. Freelancing for over 2 years. Grew Company X from 50,000 daily visits to 100,000 within a year by creating long-form content and conducting backlink outreach.”

Read the full digital marketing resume here.

#35. PPC Specialist Resume Summary

“Data-driven SEM professional with 5+ years of experience with Google Analytics, AdWords, Google Display Ads, and Facebook/LinkedIn Ads. Managed a monthly advertising budget of $50,000 over 4 clients.”

IT and Software Development Resume Summary Examples

#36. it specialist resume summary.

“Competent IT specialist with 5+ years of experience working with Windows Server 2016. Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert. Advanced knowledge in SQL, C++, Bash, and Linux.”

Read the full IT resume example here.

#37. Software Engineer Resume Summary

“Results-oriented software engineer with a focus on the design and implementation of relational database systems. 8+ years of experience in developing cutting-edge engineering solutions with a wide range of eCommerce and technology features. Skilled in agile processes, backend and frontend development, and creating eCommerce websites that integrate with Paypal, Stripe, and other payment APIs.”

Read the full software engineer resume example here.

#38. Cyber Security Resume Summary

"Cyber Security Specialist with 6 years of experience in threat analysis and network defense. Implemented security protocols reducing data breaches by 40% at TechSecure Inc. Certified in CISSP and experienced in cybersecurity technologies including firewalls and endpoint security. Eager to bring advanced threat detection and mitigation strategies to XYZ Cyber Solutions."

#39. Web Developer Resume Summary

"Dynamic Web Developer with 3 years of experience in designing and developing user-friendly websites. Proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React. Developed an e-commerce site that increased client sales by 30%. Looking to contribute innovative and efficient web solutions at CreativeWeb Studios."

Read the full web developer resume example here.

#40. Computer Scientist Resume Summary

“Creative and people-oriented computer scientist with up to 2 years of working with tech startups. Advanced knowledge of software design principles and agile development principles. Led and managed a team of five in developing new software from concept to delivery.”

Read the full computer scientist resume example here.

#41. Data Scientist Resume Summary

“Business-minded data scientist with a demonstrated ability to deliver valuable insights via data analytics. 10+ years of professional experience in working with CEOs and VPs of Fortune 500 companies. Deep understanding of statistical models, algorithms, and multivariate analysis.”

Read the full data scientist resume example here.

#42. Data Analyst Resume Summary

“Detail-oriented data analyst passionate about helping businesses grow. Former small business owner. Conducted research using three different focus groups and increased sales by 10% over 4 months. MBA recipient with strong technical skills in data mining and data, survey creation, and quantitative methods.”

Read the full data analyst resume example here.

#43. DevOps Engineer Resume Summary

"DevOps Engineer with 8 years of experience in automating and optimizing mission-critical deployments. Led a team that reduced deployment times by 50% through CI/CD pipeline enhancements. Skilled in cloud technologies and infrastructure as code with certifications in AWS and Terraform. Committed to improving operational efficiency at XYZ Tech."

Read the full DevOps engineer resume example here.

#44. AI Engineer Resume Summary

"AI Engineer with 4 years of experience specializing in machine learning and natural language processing. Developed AI models that improved customer interaction accuracy by 35% for a leading tech firm. M.Sc. in Artificial Intelligence. Passionate about deploying cutting-edge AI solutions at AI Innovators Inc."

Read the full AI engineer resume example here.

#45. Java Developer Resume Summary

"Experienced Java Developer with 5 years of experience in building scalable and efficient applications. Contributed to a major project that enhanced application performance by 25%. Strong background in Spring Framework and microservices. Aiming to apply robust coding skills to develop innovative software solutions at XYZ Tech Solutions."

Read the full Java developer resume example here.

Health and Medicine Resume Summary Examples

#46. nurse resume summary.

“Registered nurse specialized in psychiatric nursing. Developed strong psychiatric evaluation and treatment planning skills after 5 years of working at Hospital X. Experienced in administrative work, management, and training new employees.”

Read the full nurse resume example here.

#47. Medical Assistant Resume Summary

“Certified Medical Assistant with 10 years of experience in working in a fast-paced environment, handling confidential paperwork, administering medication, and providing quality patient care. Proven ability to create positive rapport with patients, family, and staff. Completed and submitted clinical documentation following hospital regulations and experience in supporting diagnostic and technical treatment procedures.”

Read the full medical assistant resume example here.

#48. Dental Assistant Resume Summary

“Licensed dental practitioner with 4+ years in helping dentists prepare, perform, and document procedures. Strong hand-eye coordination, with skills in 4-handed dentistry and working with patients.”

#49. Dentist Resume Summary

"Experienced Dentist with 10 years of practice in general and cosmetic dentistry. Committed to providing exceptional patient care, demonstrated through a consistent record of patient satisfaction and successful dental procedures. Proficient in the latest dental technologies and techniques, including digital radiography and CAD/CAM dentistry, with a strong focus on preventive care and oral health education."

Read the full dentist resume example here.

#50. Pharmacist Resume Summary

"Detail-oriented Pharmacist with over 7 years of experience in retail and hospital settings. Proven ability in medication therapy management and pharmaceutical care, with a track record of efficiently managing prescription processing and patient counseling. Skilled in utilizing digital prescription systems and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of drug interactions and healthcare regulations."

Read the full pharmacist resume example here.

Creative Resume Summary Examples

#51. graphic designer resume summary.

"Senior graphic designer with 6+ years of experience in website design and branding, across a wide range of industries. Extensive experience in multimedia, marketing, and print design. Highly skilled in communications, digital storytelling, and Adobe Creative Suite."

Read the full graphic designer resume example here.

#52. UI/UX Designer Resume Summary

“Proactive UX designer with 5 years of experience in delivering enjoyable web and mobile products for the FinTech industry. Designed UI, UX, and marketing materials for 6 apps and 3 games at Company X, 2 of which were featured in Apple’s App Store. Skilled with Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite.”

#53. Product Designer Resume Summary

“Creative designer with 7 years experience in product design, packaging, and graphic design. Expertise in new product design, brand identity, and market research. Created and launched a new line of award-winning tableware that generated over $1 million in sales the first year.”

#54. Creative Director Resume Summary

“Experienced creative director, with 10+ years of experience in the advertising industry. Over the past 3 years, managed 2 separate creative teams, creating video ads for company clients. Worked with some high-profile clients, including IBM and Phillips.”

#55. Game Designer Resume Summary

"Innovative Game Designer with 5 years of experience in creating engaging and immersive gaming experiences. Led a team that developed 'AdventureQuest,' a game that won 'Best Mobile Game' at the Indie Game Awards and achieved over 500,000 downloads within the first year. Skilled in gameplay mechanics and story development, with proficiency in Unity and Unreal Engine. Dedicated to crafting games that resonate with players, combining artistic vision with user-friendly design."

Read the full game designer resume example here.

#56. Animator Resume Summary

"Creative Animator with over 8 years of experience in 2D and 3D animation, specializing in character and environmental animation. Proficient in using Maya, Adobe After Effects, and Blender, with a strong background in motion graphics and visual effects. Known for delivering high-quality animations under tight deadlines, contributing to successful animated features and advertising campaigns."

Read the full animator resume example here.

#57. Illustrator Resume Summary

"Award-winning Illustrator with a decade of professional experience, recognized for innovative and impactful visual storytelling. Recipient of the 'Illustrator of the Year' award at the Global Art Forum, with a portfolio that includes book illustrations, advertising campaigns, and digital content."

Read the full illustrator resume example here.

#58. Photographer Resume Summary

"Professional Photographer with a Master's in Fine Arts and 6 years of experience in commercial and portrait photography. Known for a unique aesthetic that combines technical skill with artistic creativity, resulting in visually stunning compositions. Holds a certification in digital photography from the Professional Photographers of America, with a portfolio that has been featured in several national photography exhibitions."

Read the full photographer resume example here.

#59. Actor Resume Summary

"Versatile Actor with 3 years of experience in commercials and television, known for a dynamic range that adapts seamlessly to varied roles. Strong background in stage combat and period drama. Proficient in multiple dialects and expressive character portrayal, enhancing authenticity in every performance."

Read the full actor resume example here.

#60. Writer Resume Summary

"Professional Writer and Blogger with 2 years of experience, specializing in lifestyle and travel content. Successfully increased blog readership by 40% over two years and contributed featured articles in 'Traveler's Digest' and 'Modern Living' magazines."

Read the full writer resume here.

#61. Editor Resume Summary

"Dedicated Editor with 10 years of experience in translated literature, focusing on Mandarin and Cantonese works. Expertise in preserving the original tone and cultural nuances, ensuring translations resonate with English-speaking audiences. Collaborated with acclaimed authors from China and Hong Kong, contributing to over 30 translated novels. Committed to bridging the gap between Eastern and Western literary worlds through meticulous and sensitive editing."

Read the full editor resume example here.

Education Resume Summary Examples

#62. professor resume summary.

"Distinguished Professor with 15 years of experience in higher education, specializing in Modern Literature. Published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and 3 books, receiving the Excellence in Research Award twice. Secured $500,000 in research grants and led multiple international academic collaborations. Committed to fostering critical thinking and research skills in students, enhancing the academic prestige of the department."

Read the full academic CV example here.

#63. Teacher Resume Summary

“Dedicated Teacher with 4 years of experience in elementary education, specializing in innovative teaching strategies. Implemented a project-based learning approach that increased student engagement by 30%. Eager to bring creative teaching methodologies and a passion for educational excellence to School ABC, contributing to student development and academic success.” 

Read the full teacher resume example here.

#64. Tutor Resume Summary

“Experienced Tutor with 2 years of expertise in mathematics and science, adept at simplifying complex concepts. Consistently helped students improve their grades by an average of one full letter grade.”

#65. College Student Resume Summary

"Proactive College Student majoring in Business Administration with strong leadership skills, demonstrated through roles in student government and the debate team. Organized multiple campus events, enhancing student engagement and participation. Seeking to apply organizational and communication skills in a professional internship, contributing to company projects while gaining hands-on experience."

Read the full college freshman resume example here.

#66. High School Student Resume Summary

"High School Student with 3+ months of experience as a cashier. Excellent time-management and communication skills. Actively involved in extracurricular activities, demonstrating strong teamwork and responsibility. Looking to join Retail Store X as a part-time sales representative."

Read the full high school resume example here.

Other Resume Summary Examples

#67. architect resume summary.

"Professional and creative architect with 10 years experience in developing construction drawings, 3D models, and doing design rendering. Served as a project architect at company X and won an honorable mention as a staff architect at XYZ Construction Awards 2023."

Read the full architect resume example here.

#68. Electrical Engineer Resume Resume Summary

"Electrical Engineer with 4 years of experience in power systems and automation. Holds a Master's in Electrical Engineering and a certification in PLC programming. Proven expertise in designing and implementing efficient electrical solutions for industrial applications."

Read the full electrical engineer resume example here.

#69. Interior Designer Resume Summary

"Creative Interior Designer with 3 years of experience, recognized for increasing client satisfaction by 30% through innovative design solutions. Portfolio includes residential and commercial projects, with a focus on modern and sustainable designs. Skilled in AutoCAD and 3D visualization, transforming client visions into reality."

Read the full interior designer resume example here.

#70. Construction Project Manager Resume Summary

"Construction Project Manager with a decade of experience in overseeing large-scale commercial and residential projects. Proven track record of completing projects on time and within budget, reducing costs by 20% on average. Skilled in team leadership and effective communication. Committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality."

Read the full construction project manager resume example here.

#71. Operations Manager Resume Summary

"Dynamic Operations Manager with 2 years of experience in streamlining processes for increased efficiency. Expertise in supply chain management and cost reduction strategies."

Read the full operations manager resume example here.

#72. Event Planner Resume Summary

"Seasoned Event Planner with 5 years of experience, successfully organized over 100 corporate and private events. Increased event attendance by 40% through innovative marketing strategies. Excited to bring expertise in event coordination and vendor relations to XYZ Celebrations."

Read the full event planner resume example here.

#73. Warehouse Worker Resume Summary

“Seasonal warehouse worker with experience working for Supermarket X and Supermarket Y. Diligent, organized, and very hard-working. Previous experience working in the service industry for 2+ years.”

Read the full warehouse worker resume example here.

#74. Welder Resume Summary

"Skilled Welder with 7 years of experience in MIG, TIG, and arc welding. Proficient in reading blueprints and maintaining high standards of safety and quality."

Read the full welder resume example here.

#75. Real Estate Agent Resume Summary

"Experienced Real Estate Agent with 6 years in residential and commercial property sales. Achieved a 25% year-on-year increase in sales volume. Known for excellent negotiation skills and a deep understanding of market trends."

Read the full real estate agent resume example here.

#76. Flight Attendant Resume Summary

"Dedicated Flight Attendant with 1 year of experience, fluent in Spanish and French. Excelled in providing top-notch customer service, contributing to a 15% increase in passenger satisfaction. Fluent in English, French, German, and Arabic. Eager to bring customer care expertise to Airline XYZ."

Read the full flight attendant resume example here.

#77. Paralegal Resume Summary

"Paralegal with 3 years of experience in corporate law, proficient in legal research and document drafting. Certified in legal software applications, enhancing case management efficiency."

Read the full paralegal resume example here.

#78. Social Worker Resume Summary

"Compassionate Social Worker with 6 years of experience in child and family services. Successfully managed caseloads of up to 50 people, improving service delivery by 20%. Skilled in crisis intervention and developing tailored support plans for diverse case needs."

Read the full social worker resume example here.

Resume Summary FAQs

Do you still have some questions about resume summaries? Check the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

#1. How Do You Write a Resume Summary with No Experience?

If you have no work experience whatsoever, you should write a resume objective instead of a resume summary.

A resume objective is also a brief paragraph that goes at the top of your resume. However, instead of focusing on your professional experience and accomplishments, it highlights your career goals, aspirations, skills, and academic achievements.

If you have any informal experience that’s relevant to the job, such as volunteer work or relevant coursework , you can still write a resume summary to highlight why you’re a great candidate.

#2. How Do I Start My Resume Summary?

The best way to start your resume summary is by writing down your job title and exact years of experience. You can also add an adjective that describes your strongest character traits or work ethic.

To make this easy, try this formula:

[Adjective/character trait] [job title] [your experience]. Looking to help/support/apply/assist/etc [employer’s name] [describe how you can be of help to the company]. [Your top achievements/qualifications]. 

#3. How Long Should My Resume Summary Be?

The resume summary should be brief and attention-grabbing. Ideally, it should be between two and four sentences long.

Its goal is to provide a snapshot of your career that can captivate the hiring manager into reading more.

If you want to give the employer more details and elaborate on why you’re the best candidate for the job in your own words, you can also write a cover letter to complement your resume.

#4. Should a Resume Summary Be Written in the First or Third Person?

As a general rule, your resume should avoid using first-person pronouns . This includes your resume summary.

That said, the third person sounds too impersonal – as if somebody else wrote the resume summary instead of you. Luckily, there’s a neat trick you can use to make your text flow better—just get rid of the pronouns altogether.

This way, instead of writing, “She is a marketer with 5+ years of experience in XYZ,” you can write, “Marketer with 5+ years of experience in XYZ,” and get your point across just as effectively.

#5. Should You Always Use the Same Resume Summary?

As a general rule, you shouldn’t use the same resume summary when applying to different jobs.

Your resume summary should be tailored to the specific job ads and reflect how you can meet the company’s unique needs. If your current resume summary can be applied to different job applications, it isn’t as effective and tailored as it should be.

When writing your resume, go through the job ad for the specific position and try to include the skills or qualifications the employer is looking for. Make sure to also mention any relevant experience and your top achievements, and you’ll have the perfect resume summary.

#6. What Are Other Names for a Resume Summary?

Across the internet, you might find different names for what we’re calling a resume summary in our article. Some of these names include:

• Resume profile
• Career summary
• Personal statement
• Qualifications summary
• Summary of experiences
• Summary of qualification

If you’re heading for a career in academia, a “personal statement” means something different. Check out our detailed guide to writing an academic personal statement to learn more!

Key Takeaways

And that’s our full guide to writing a resume summary!

Hopefully, now you feel more confident about adding this finishing touch to your resume.

Before we go, let’s recap everything we covered about writing resume summaries:

• A resume summary is a two to four-sentence long paragraph that tells the hiring manager your key selling points. These can include your years of experience, exact job title, relevant skills, qualifications, and impressive achievements.
• If you don’t have any work experience, you can opt for a resume objective instead. This way, you can focus more on your professional goals and motivation for applying.
• The goal of a resume summary is to catch the hiring manager’s attention. Do this by tailoring your resume summary to the job ad and addressing what the company needs in a candidate.
• Back up your achievements with data whenever possible. Mentioning the exact numbers, dates, and results makes you seem more credible.
• Use power words and action verbs instead of generic descriptions to make your resume summary pop.

Need more career advice? Check out our career blog for more useful articles!

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How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
• Resume Interests Section
• Address On Resume
• Relevant Work Experience
• Anticipated Graduation Date On Resume
• Education Section On Resume
• Contact Information On Resume
• Statement Of Qualifications
• How To List Publications On Resume
• Accomplishments On Resumes
• Awards On Resume
• Dean's List On Resume
• Study Abroad On Resume

Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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