It’s an overview of what you have to offer and it is read first. It helps employers ‘Quickly’ learn whether you have the skills and background they are searching for and it creates an opportunity for your Résumé’to be read further.
In my recruiting career, I have seen Résumé’s without a summary section or with a dry and generic summary statement and it always painstakingly took time for me to read the whole Résumé’ and get a gist of the skills offered and the years of experience, accomplishments, etc.
Eventually, I choose to trash Résumés that do not have a meaningful and to the point summary, simply because I did not have the time.
What a summary should entail in limited words and preferably in this order:
1. Strong character trait
2. Years of experience
3. Domains of work
4. Geography covered
5. Your unique achievement with the outcome
6. Address your value proposition targeted to the employer’s need.
If you are a fresher skip steps 2,3 & 4 and highlight your education and skills instead.
DM me if you wish to get your Résumé written professionally.