What is a resume headline?
A strong resume headline is a short statement at the top of your resume that proves your value proposition.
With only a few words, these one-liners communicate who you are as a candidate and what you bring to the table.
When written effectively, they help recruiters and potential employers quickly decide whether you are a strong candidate.
Importance of an effective resume headline
A well-crafted and targeted resume headline can impact your chances of getting hired.
Here are some more reasons why you should include one on your resume.
- Your resume headline is the first thing recruiters see when checking your resume. It is your elevator pitch so you have to make it count.
- At a glance, your resume headline proves to recruiters that you are the ideal candidate for the job. It showcases your key accomplishments, skills, and the value you bring to the company.
- A high-impact headline makes you stand out from other job candidates. It helps you stay top-of-mind to recruiters.
- Over 97 percent of Fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS). An ATS is a software recruiters use to screen resumes based on keywords. The resume headline then is critical real estate where you can put keywords recruiters might search for.
How to write a resume headline
No need to overcomplicate things! Resume headlines that pack a punch are easy to write.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Step 1. Read the job description
First things first. You need to read the job posting and understand what the job requires. Then, you can draw on your skills, qualifications, and accomplishments and see how they match what the job needs.
Here’s an example of a job posting for a Senior Auditor:
Tailoring your resume headline to the job description is crucial to your job application. Doing this proves to recruiters that you are proactive and that you are the best candidate for the role.
Step 2. Mark the keywords in the job description
Keywords can be:
- Job titles
- Hard skills
- Soft skills
- Other industry-specific words
When you submit your resume, it usually goes through the ATS. Recruiters will then look for the best candidates to interview by searching for specific keywords. Only those who match the keywords will be seen by the recruiters.
Therefore, incorporating these keywords into your resume headline will increase your visibility.
How to spot keywords
Here’s how to easily find the right keywords:
- Check for technical skills, specialization, software, or industry jargon mentioned in the job description.
- Note the soft skills required for the job.
- Keep an eye out for keywords that are repeated frequently. This is a telling sign that the word is important and that recruiters will look for it in a candidate.
Once you have these keywords, you need to narrow them down and strategically incorporate the top keywords in your resume headline.
or example, if you are applying as a Content Writer and the job description mentions “Search Engine Optimization,” make sure to use the full term instead of just “SEO” in your headline.
To save you time and ensure that you have the right keywords in your headline, you can scan your resume with Jobscan’s resume scanner.
All you have to do is upload your resume into the tool and add the job description of the role you are applying for.
Jobscan will then give you a match score that shows how optimized your resume is for the job. It also outlines key improvement suggestions and gives you a list of keywords you need to include.
Here’s what the keywords section of the report looks like:
How do you make your resume stand out to recruiters who spend an average of 7.4 seconds reviewing your application? Enter the resume headline. This is the first thing recruiters and managers read.
A strong headline hooks the recruiter’s interest and increases your chances of landing interviews.
In this guide, you will learn tips and see examples of how to write an attention-grabbing resume headline that will help you stand out.