Advertisements for Yourself: The Dos and Don’ts of Creating Your Professional Summary
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Remember that classic commercial one-liner? True then; true now. And most definitely true when it comes to writing your professional summary. It’s the very first thing an employer will see, and although it’s not public, it’s external facing, an enticement to learn more. Bold, confident, concise, and chock full of experience, this is your opportunity to celebrate your best self. Think of it as the highlights reel of your C.V., your most baller work face. In other words, if your professional summary doesn’t draw in the employer, your professional summary isn’t working hard enough for you. Here, some pro tips for how to get it to work harder.
Do …
Think in terms of your professional brand value. Connect the dots for your audience between your value and their needs. This is the ultimate answer to that horrible perennial cocktail party question, “So … what do you do?”
Stop apologizing! Emphasize the skills you have that will get you hired. You don’t need to explain why you’ve stepped away from the traditional full time work force, or why you’re pursuing new avenues. Your career is a marathon with different paces at different markers, don’t treat it like a sprint.
Have a friend read it over. Because your best friend knows how amazing you are and will make sure you are selling the most badass version of yourself versus burying the lead.
Don’t …
Simply reiterate your resume. This shouldn’t be a copy and paste job. Nor should it be the 5000 word corporate bio crafted by a professional at your last place of employment. Rather, it’s the story of your professional life in a few fast and punchy sentences, the top line highlights.
Talk about what you want. This isn’t about what you’re looking for; it’s about who you are.
Be long-winded. This is your elevator pitch, not a cover letter. Brevity is key.
Personal Summary Do Example: Specific about where she has worked and her particular expertise and experience in house and as
a consultant.
I have provided insights and analysis for customers in pharmaceuticals, consumer package goods and financial services since 2002. My experience spans from the
most elite advertising agencies such as EURO RSCG Tatham and DDB to premier Fortune 500 clients, Pfizer, P&G, JNJ, Novartis, Microsoft and many more. As an
independent professional, I am a qualitative moderator, strategic planner and marketing consultant.
Personal Summary Don’t Example: Not enough specifics— use names of companies and metrics to prove your success. Reads
stream of conscious not tight and cohesive. Unnecessary to put in personal social work unless it works in with professional story and/
or goals.
Media and tech industry leader with extensive experience across the US, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. An accomplished strategist, business
developer, product leader, marketer and researcher having led strategic initiatives for numerous leading media brands, negotiated partnerships, established new
business ventures, managed cross-functional project teams and launched products and services all over the world. In addition to my extensive career in the media
sector, I am also the founder of Pebbles of Hope, a non-profit formed to help premature babies thrive through parent education. I am also a full-stack developer
with programming skills in Python, Java and Ruby. I am seeking a senior level strategic part-time or project-based role focused on product development and
management, particularly for a consumer-focused product in the technology sector. I love exploring and evaluating growth opportunities for a business, launching
new products, conducting research and developing strategic plans.