Center on Your Superpower
Even with careful editing, your resume will contain a lot of information. To make sure your reviewer doesn’t miss the message that you are the strongest candidate for the position, consider leading with a brief summary statement that captures your “superpower”— the unique combination of skills, experiences, and traits that drives your most significant contributions in the workplace. A summary statement is not the same as an objective statement. An objective statement tells the reviewer you want the job; a summary statement tells the reviewer they want you.
Identifying your superpower and figuring out how to express it can be challenging. I’m still wrestling with mine, in fact. You can see my current version, which emphasizes my communication skills combined with my dual background in teaching and policy, here— but even as I write this post, I’m thinking about how I might change that. And that’s okay. Writing is thinking, and there is value in taking time to deeply understand what you love and what you’re good at.
There are plenty of strengths assessments and other tools out there to help you center on your superpower, but in a pinch, here are some questions that can guide you:
Whether you are on the job or off, what kinds of tasks or activities get you “in the zone”? When do you find yourself enjoying your work so much that you forget to look at the clock?
Think of a time or two when you feel you truly made a positive impact. What did you do that made the difference?
What are you the go-to person for? If a coworker or family member comes to you for help, what are they most likely asking you to do?
As you look across your varied experiences, what are the common threads that tie them together?
Once you’ve settled on a word or phrase that resonates with you, do a quick gut-check. Read back over your resume with that superpower in mind and see if it shows up as you describe your work experience. It will likely take a few tries to arrive at a concept that works for you and capture it in a summary statement, but don’t give up. Going through this process will help you better understand yourself, clarify your vision for your job search, and give you plenty to talk about when your superpowered resume lands you that first interview.