Is the summary section on a resume really needed?

I'm trying to redo my resume and was wondering whether the summary section was something that should be included or just optional.

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Comments

spiderjericho

Like the name says, it gives a brief synopsis of you.

Objective is pretty worthless. It basically tells the employer you're looking for a job.

I can look at the summary and get a quick picture. Then if I'm interested, I can look at the rest of your resume.

matt333

personally I don't have one, I don't see the point in having one. My resume has Certs, education, technical skills and work experience.

EdTheLad

matt333 wrote: »

personally I don't have one, I don't see the point in having one. My resume has Certs, education, technical skills and work experience.

I Agree

pamccabe

I use a summary instead of an objective. My summary is just a list of bullet points that the job ad is asking for that I can't fit in the work experience section.

N2IT

Professional summary is the most important part of the resume (IMO)

Plantwiz

Depending on your Resume layout maybe, but you can touch on some of this in your cover letter, and the rest is for the interview.

DoubleNNs

spiderjericho wrote: »

Objective is pretty worthless. It basically tells the employer you're looking for a job.

I've been using a summary in the past. However, after passing the ICND2 and getting my full CCNA, I plan to switch over to an objective instead in order to convey the fact that I want to move into a more technical networking position - hopefully one where I'd be able to touch Cisco configs, even if just for monitoring and verification.

Would that be an appropriate use of an objective statement? - since I'm trying to get further into that part of the IT field. Or would a summary still be more beneficial?

Tremie24

I'd leave it off, that's what your cover letter is for, I've been told by many people who critique resumes for living to leave if off. If I were to have one, I would make a sentence or two long. But personally I wouldn't put one on there.

Danielm7

Tremie24 wrote: »

I'd leave it off, that's what your cover letter is for, I've been told by many people who critique resumes for living to leave if off. If I were to have one, I would make a sentence or two long. But personally I wouldn't put one on there.

This is of course assuming you can even put in a cover letter. Online applications seem more and more common lately where you have to just fill in the boxes and at best paste in a text copy of the resume.

pert

DoubleNNs wrote: »

I've been using a summary in the past. However, after passing the ICND2 and getting my full CCNA, I plan to switch over to an objective instead in order to convey the fact that I want to move into a more technical networking position - hopefully one where I'd be able to touch Cisco configs, even if just for monitoring and verification.

Would that be an appropriate use of an objective statement? - since I'm trying to get further into that part of the IT field. Or would a summary still be more beneficial?

No one cares what your objective is, least of all a stranger reading your resume for potential employment. They care about what you can do for them. If you want a specific role, then apply to those roles and use your summary to convey how you are a good choice.

networker050184

Agree 100% with pert, The objective is pretty useless. I wouldn't have your resume in front of me if your objective wasn't to get the job.

I think the summary is very important. If you use one make sure it is well written. It's always the first thing I read along with a little skimming to start narrowing down the pile of resumes. If you don't have one it's not going to disqualify you or anything though but people might miss some of the points you want emphasized while they are skimming.

DoubleNNs

My main goal for the objective was less for the Employer and more for recruiters. Especially since I'm coming from more of a support background aiming to move towards networking in the next few months, i didn't want recruiters to contact me w/ jobs aligned w/ the positions I've already done, but instead positions I'm interested in moving up towards.

But if it's deemed useless, I guess I'll refrain from including one.

networker050184

Recruiters are going to send you whatever regardless of what your objective or summary states as long as you hit some key words in a search. I highly doubt they even look at your actual resume judging from some of the off the wall positions I've been contacted about by them.

redz

networker050184 wrote: »

off the wall positions I've been contacted about

I get one about SharePoint development work almost on a weekly schedule. No, Harry Reinhardt, I don't do SharePoint! Leave me alone!

Seriously, "summary": good, "objective": the precursory answer to stale interview questions like "what are your short term goals?"

ande0255

Yeah I sum up my skills and career interests in the first sentence, and my future ambitions in the second sentence of a summary section, as it gives a good but brief introduction of your to the interviewer.

I definitely am in favor of a brief summary at the top of resumes.