Dear Karen,

As promised last time, we will continue with our response to your query regarding suggestions for writing effective career objectives or summary statements this week.

We highly recommend the inclusion of a branding statement in your résumé. In the previous response, our focus was on strategies for crafting effective objectives. We will now turn our attention to applying a similar approach to the writing of an effective profile or summary statement.

Branding statements in the form of a profile or summary are used to highlight specific skills that are relevant to the potential job. They are useful when you are posting a general résumé, as in the case of a prospecting application.

People with one or more years of relevant experience will find it useful to use a profile instead of an objective. It is also an excellent tool for people switching careers, especially when the academic major is not a direct match to the desired position.

Typically profiles/summaries are written with a lead statement followed by bullet points. Alternatively, all statements can be bulleted using three or four statements on average. Your top three or four skills that are a good match for the employer’s needs should be easily identifiable. The following guidelines will help you in structuring your statements.

Format for lead statement

i. Lead with a description of your profession

Examples:

• Completing a degree in marketing with a minor in management studies

• Public relations professional, corporate writer and events planner

ii. Summarize your skills, highlight your areas of expertise, and be sure to quantify accomplishments as much as is possible

Examples:

• “… with three years of experience as graphics designing and video editing…”

• “…Interned as research assistant; collated and assisted with analysis of more than 5 national polls.”

iii. Close with an accomplishment or personal statement

Examples:

• “…attained national recognition as lead debater for two consecutive years.”

• “…recognised for consistently producing error-free output; earned reputation for team building.”

iv. Optional: Follow with bullets to highlight related knowledge, proficiencies, accomplishments, and/or personal qualities.

Sample Profile/Summary

An accomplished writer with internship experience at two major media houses seeks position as a journalist.

• Demonstrated ability to analyse situations and develop news and human interest stories.

• More than 20 articles accepted for publication in local and campus newspapers.

• Received Silver Pen award in senior year; recognised for excellent interviewing skills.

Trusting you will find these guidelines beneficial to your needs.

Sincerely,

Career Advisor

Carolyn Marie Smith is associate vice-president of student services at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Manchester. Submit your questions to her at careeradvisor@ncu.edu.jm