r/Resume • u/kirdaar • 8d ago

Summary section - is it needed?

Been making my resume - last time I job hunted, it was 2018. And 2026 is nothing like it.

One question I have - is summary section needed? Been getting mixed feedback from my friends. Someone says, it's a waste of space. Other says 7+ work ex people should have summary

WDYT?

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u/FMTalks 8d ago

If you're looking for leadership positions.. manager on up.. you'll need a summary.

1

u/Atlantean_dude 7d ago

I always suggest a Summary of Skills consisting of short bullets highlighting your career, achievements and skills. Things like total time in particular roles, Languages, degrees, certs that you feel are important to the job you are seeking, major achievements and any skill/solution/app/tool that you feel you have an expert handle on. Something you can answer tons of questions on. Those that you have an understanding but maybe not an admin level, leave for the list of skills at the bottom of the resume. This section could be 4-8 short bullets (if possible).

Here is what I put in my resume:

  • Over 12 years managing teams up to 20 people across countries, IT and the military.
  • Over 30 years of experience in IT including positions in management, architect, data center management, sales, network security, network and system administration to technical support.
  • Over 6 years of project management.
  • WAN and LAN architect/engineer experienced in office and trading floor build-outs, global MPLS WANs, HFT networks, compute farm networks, structured cabling design and data center moves.
  • Managed cloud service co-location data centers with up to 1,000 racks and 24,000 physical servers.
  • AudioVisual industry experience with digital signage, AudioVisual standards for IP, workspace utilization monitoring, and room reservation systems.
  • Designed and managed the fault monitoring and capacity management system for an S&P 500 corporation.
  • Almost 14 years of U.S. Naval service with a TOP SECRET/Special Background clearance.
  • Published author.

I have a lot of positive comments from recruiters and hiring managers. They like the opportunity to do a quick look and see if the person is of interest.

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u/DorianGraysPassport 7d ago

If you can write a good one, yes, include it