What is a Resume Headline?
A resume headline or resume title is a brief phrase that highlights your qualifications as a candidate. A headline, which appears at the top of your resume beneath your name and contact information, allows a recruiter or best staffing companies to quickly and concisely see why you are the best candidate for the job. It is a one-line phrase found on a resume.
Resume headlines are ideal for candidates with extensive experience. A headline allows you to condense your skills and work experience into a brief phrase to impress the hiring manager quickly. Less experienced applicants, on the other hand, can use headlines to highlight personal qualities. A headline allows you to curtail your skills and work experience into a brief phrase that will impress the hiring manager right away. Your headline is a quick way for an employer to see why you’re a good fit for the job.
Who Is Appropriate for Using Resume Headlines?
Anyone, regardless of industry, title, or level of experience, can use a resume title. If you’re a seasoned professional, a resume headline allows you to highlight a few of your most notable accomplishments. If you have little job experience or are new to the job market, the headline will allow you to share your qualifications. Candidates at the entry-level who lack relevant experience can use headlines to highlight soft skills, tool proficiency, and winning characteristics.
Suggestions on How to Write a Resume Headline
Resume Headline Should Be Brief!
A resume headline should be no more than one short phrase; it should not even be a full sentence. The goal is to state your value as a candidate in a concise manner. It should not be longer than a phrase. Make it brief and straightforward. A complex sentence can be challenging to read. Keeping your header brief ensures that the recruiter or there are many hiring agencies like the one FMCG Recruitment Agency reviewing your resume can quickly review and remember the headline content.
Resume Headline Should Not Sound Vague
Your resume headline should contain specific language and information. Replace ambiguous adjectives like “creative” and “hardworking” with more concrete language. Your headline’s descriptors should stand out from the crowd and be supported by your summary. Be as specific as possible. Avoid ambiguous descriptors such as “successful” or “go-getter,” as well as business clichés such as “synergy” or “move the needle.” Provide specific skills and, if possible, exact numbers that quantify success.
Tailor Your Headline
Write a new headline for each job. While it will require some extra effort, make a new headline for each job application. Again, this shows hiring managers that you took the time and care to tailor your resume to their specific job openings. Make your headline unique each time, emphasizing your relevant skills and experience.
Custom headlines that include the job title for which you’re applying indicate to recruiters and applicant tracking systems (ATS) that you’re a good fit for the position. Make a list of the skills, experience, and attributes that make you a strong candidate after reading the job description. Then include these in your headline.
Mention Experience
Include the number of years of relevant experience. If you are a seasoned professional or subject matter expert with more than five years of experience in your field, consider including this information in your headline. If you have less than five years of experience, save this information for your professional summary and focus your resume summary on highlighting skills and achievements. Include any certifications and licenses you have. If a particular license or certification is listed as a preferred or required qualification on the job, include it in your resume headline.
Incorporate keywords
Use keywords that demonstrate your skills and/or experiences as they relate to the job description. Using words directly from the job description will demonstrate that you are a good fit for the position. If at all possible, include the job title in your headline.
Take keywords from the job description and include them in the title of your resume. Try to use one or two difficult skills. Most importantly, include your job title. This is the most powerful resume keyword, and the headline provides a natural opportunity to include it, particularly if you have never held the exact position before.
Positioning and Size of the Headline
When someone picks up your resume, the headline should be one of the first things they read. Employers are more likely to see and read it if it is placed at the top of the page, directly below your name and contact information. Capitalize the words in your headline so that it looks like a resume title. This is an effective method for making your headline stand out.
Resume Headlines Examples
Here are a few examples of good resume headlines for various careers that communicate a candidate’s worth and suitability for the job in a concise and easy-to-read statement:
Award-winning Editor Skilled in Web Design
Cook with Extensive Fine Dining Experience
History student with curatorial experience who is detail-oriented
Army Veteran Recognized for Tenacity and a Strong Work Ethic
Bilingual Nursing Graduate with Rural Health Care Experience
Internship Experience in Global Economics for an Excited New MBA Graduate
Executive Assistant with a background in administration and ten years of experience
Senior Accountant with Five Years of Accounting Experience who is goal-oriented
Headline Examples for Resume Profiles
#1 Example of a Resume Headline
A worker who is detail-oriented and has years of administrative experience
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An innovative scheduling system was successfully implemented to organize meetings and travel schedules more efficiently.
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Customer service skills that have won awards.
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Fluent in French
#2 Example of a Resume Headline
IT Professional with Ten Years of Software Support Experience
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Can operate on a variety of platforms.
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Extensive training experience with various software for interns and new hires.
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Simplifying explanation of complex software issues.
#3 Example of a Resume Headline
Sales Executive with Insurance and Healthcare Management Experience
Created and implemented sales strategies to achieve an annual revenue growth of 25%. Highly effective management skills; capable of motivating sales force and designing incentive programs to meet short- and long-term sales targets.