Resume Opening Statements: Do You Need One? (+Examples)

Are you feeling stuck writing your opening statement for a resume? Well, don't get discouraged just yet.

Your resume opening statement is meant to drive the reader to dig deep into your qualifications. And while it's one of the first impressions a potential employer has of you, that doesn't mean you need to dedicate a significant amount of time and energy to crafting a professional profile that covers all of your extensive experience, specific goals, personal interests, and career dreams.

Below you'll learn what a resume opening statement is, whether or not you need one, how to create one, and get resume opening statement examples. You'll also find an alternative that may help you convey your skills for each unique job even better.

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Need a resume opening statement? Write one with Teal's AI Resume Builder.

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What is a resume opening statement?

A traditional resume opening statement is a short paragraph or several bullet points near the top of your resume used to provide a concise overview of your skills, qualifications, and career goals. It's a personal statement with the exclusive purpose of catching the attention of potential employers to make a positive first impression. 

A resume opening statement usually includes some combination of your:

1. Professional job title

2. Years of experience

3. Educational background

4. Key skills

5. Notable achievements

6. Career goals

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An example of a resume opening statement would look something like this: 

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Resume opening statements vs.alternatives

Two other types of commonly used resume openers are resume introductions and resume objectives. 

Resume introductions focus on your overall profile as a high-level overview of your background, and they read similarly to the example below. 

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Finally, a resume objective or resume objective statement focuses exclusively on your career goals and briefly describes what you hope to achieve in your next role. It often includes information about why you applied to a position and outlines what you're looking for, like this resume objective statement:

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The case against a traditional opening statement

The resume opening statement, resume objective, or resume introduction has been a standard piece of the job application puzzle for years. But a common misconception is that they should include your career goals, overall application objective, or less tangible skills—limiting their effectiveness.

Talking about your career goals as a resume objective before the reader knows all of the great things you're capable of doing in the role you're applying for does little to differentiate you from other candidates. 

The modern resume objective is to prioritize a concise and impactful format that quickly highlights your relevant qualifications and achievement-based bullets. In fact, your entire resume should only be one page long (possibly two if you have over ten years of experience). Hiring managers often prefer to see a clear demonstration of skills and experiences that align with the specific job requirements they are applying for.

So, what makes a good opening statement for a resume in today's market? 

A professional summary. 

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A better alternative: the professional summary 

A good opening statement for a resume in today's modern job market is a professional resume summary.

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"From an intentionality perspective, professional summaries are like a trailer for a movie. It's supposed to excite you and hook you into reading the rest of the document. Tactically, this is where you've got to be a good writer and hook in the reader. 

I don't think a company really cares what you want to do in your career or where you want to take it. What a company wants to hear is how you can help them; how your credentials, your ability, and your experience are of value to them. So I see it as a strategic play on the resume. To make that compelling and concise pitch for why they should continue to read the rest of the document." - Teal CEO and Founder, Dave Fano

What a summary is as an opening statement for a resume

A professional summary is concise, targeted, and showcases your unique value proposition—without any unnecessary details. It serves as a brief introduction to who you are as a professional. By moving away from the traditional opening statement and embracing a more tailored and impactful approach, you can better position yourself for success in a competitive job market.

And by incorporating keywords from the job description or industry-specific language, using a professional summary as your resume opening statement can demonstrate your expertise and understanding of the role—increasing your chances of grabbing the hiring manager's or prospective employer's attention.

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How to write a resume opening statement

If you’ve made it this far and still feel that an opening statement is right for your resume, here’s how to create one effectively. While a professional summary might often be a better fit, an opening statement can work when you want to combine your qualifications with a clear career objective. Here’s how to structure it:

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Step 1: Combine qualifications with career goals

An opening statement typically includes both your current qualifications and what you aim to achieve in your next role. It’s a way of saying, "Here’s what I bring to the table, and here’s what I’m looking for." This should always be tied to the role and company. You can also leverage ChatGPT resume prompts to summarize and synthesize your information.

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Step 2: Be concise and focused

Keep your statement short and specific—2-3 sentences that highlight your experience, skills, and career objectives. Avoid going into too much detail about your past or making the statement too broad.

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Step 3: Make your goals relevant to the job

Your career goals should align with the position you’re applying for. If you're applying for a management role, mention leadership experience and aspirations to grow in that area. Tailor it to show how your goals fit with the company’s needs.

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Step 4: Include industry or field-specific keywords

Using the language you identified in Step 1, incorporate industry- and job-specific keywords and phrases in your summary. Using keywords can help your resume get noticed quickly, whether scanned by a human recruiter or by an applicant tracking system (ATS). It also demonstrates you understand the role you're applying for.

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Step 5: Quantify when possible

Including metrics or achievements helps give weight to your statement. Highlight specific results from your experience, but still tie it back to what you aim to accomplish next.

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Step 6: Proofread and edit your content.

After drafting your professional summary, review it for clarity, grammar, and typos. Ensure it flows smoothly and effectively communicates your strengths. Remember, it should be an overview of your professional experience and nothing more.

Now that you know the steps, let's take a look at some resume opening statement examples.

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Resume opening statement examples

Here are some resume opening statement examples that combine skills, experience, and career goals:

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Front-end developer resume professional summary

Skilled frontend developer with 4 years of experience successfully designing, developing, and maintaining front-end web applications. Achieved measurable success in increasing page load speeds by 20%, leading to increased website conversion rates. Led the implementation of new front-end development system, which resulted in a 15% reduction in development time and a 20% increase in website performance. Seeking to leverage expertise in improving page load speeds and user experiences to drive conversion optimization in a senior developer role.

Check out more front-end developer resume professional summaries in these front-end developer resume examples.

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Java back-end developer resume professional summary 

I'm a highly motivated, results-driven Java Back-end Developer passionate about developing and maintaining back-end systems, collaborating with front-end developers, and troubleshooting to resolve any bugs promptly—ensuring customer satisfaction. With a focus on performance optimization, I consistently achieve measurable results, such as improving response time by 20%. I am looking to contribute technical expertise and troubleshooting skills in a role that focuses on scalable solutions and innovation.

Find more professional summary inspiration in these samples of back-end developer resumes.

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Senior customer success manager resume professional summary

Senior Customer Success Manager with over 6 years in tech process optimization, reporting, and customer training. Proven track record of identifying customer needs and implementing strategies that resulted in 96% customer satisfaction and 2x retention, along with cost savings. Exceptional ability to collaborate with teams and eager to apply leadership skills in a director-level role where I can expand customer success programs and improve team performance.

To see more examples of customer success professional summaries, explore these customer success manager resume samples.

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Administrative assistant resume professional summary

Organized and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant with 5+ years of experience in tech environments, improving office workflows by 37%. Looking to bring strong operational skills and project management abilities to a growing company that values efficiency.

For more administrative resume professional summary inspiration, check out these administrative assistant resume samples.

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How to use Teal to create your resume opening statement

With the Teal AI Resume Builder, you can consistently generate and refine a good opening statement for a resume for every job application you submit.

With Teal, you can quickly and easily write the statement yourself. Or you can use the built-in AI functionality and generate one with the click of a button.

Teal's generative AI pulls keywords (like technical skills, soft skills, and other important language) from the job description and details from your work history and other professional experience to create an effective, tailored statement every time. If you're writing an opening statement, simply add your specific goals at the end.

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Then, click the check box next to the summary you want to use for the role you're applying for.

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Write your resume opening with Teal

The opening statement for a resume should draw attention, align with the role you're applying for, differentiate you from other job seekers, and drive a hiring manager or recruiter to want to learn more about your impressive experience and skills. And to accomplish this, instead of a resume opening statement, opt for a more modern professional summary.

Teal offers all the tools you need to write a resume with an attention-grabbing summary using relevant keywords from the job description and your previous experience as a guide.

Sign up for Teal for free to create an opening statement for your resume today.