Your resume needs a hard-hitting summary if you want recruiters to keep reading it. A great summary includes a combination of your skills and notable achievements, which sounds simple in theory until you actually sit down to write it.

In this article, I’m going to show you how to add some spice to your summary statement so you can wow recruiters enough to give you an interview.

1. Use Quotes

Pick one or two quotes from your LinkedIn recommendations to show how your previous employers value your talent.

Choose quotes that emphasize skills or experience required in your target position, not just any positive attribute. For instance, if your target job is in IT project management, a great quote would contain information about your ability to deliver projects on deadline and on budget.

2. Focus on Your Unique Selling Proposition

Not all of your skills and achievements are worthy of emphasizing in the summary statement. For example, skills and certifications almost everyone with your job title has should be either on the skills, training, or work history section of your resume.

List only the accomplishments you have other candidates may not have or the level-up skills and certifications that are not common in your field but definitely gives applicants a leg-up. Working with a big player in your industry is a good example of this, as well as being a top-ranking employee for your whole company.

3. Add Quantifiable Figures When Possible

A great resume summary statement is detailed, and that means quantifiable figures so recruiters can picture the ROI you can bring to the table when you’re hired. Quantifiable figures can be numbers, performance metrics, or percentages tied to your achievements.

4. Let Your Personality Shine

No one likes to work with a boring person, so don’t be afraid to show your personality in the summary statement. Besides, typical summaries are often dry so spicing it up a bit will make recruiters less tempted to skim through your summary statement.

You can do this by adding some humor, talking about how you approach work, or just changing dry business jargon into something a little more understandable.

5. Mention Relevant Names

Did you work for a multi-national company, Fortune 500, or well-known personality? Mentioning them on your resume will do wonders for your credibility. Just make sure you’re not bound by a non-disclosure agreement to avoid any trouble.

The First Impression                                                                                   

Remember, the summary statement is the recruiter’s first impression of you. Think of it as the handshake before you’re in the actual interview.