In this article we share tips on creating an “About Me” section in your resume. From the skills to include to the key components, we share it all.
Crafting a Compelling “About Me” Section on Your Resume
The ‘About Me’ section is a critical component of your resume that can play a big role in whether or not you land an interview. Though it is brief in nature, this paragraph is usually the first thing a recruiter reads, and therefore your first impression on the company. It serves as a snapshot of who you are, why you are applying to the role, and most importantly why the recruiter should care about your application and keep reading the details. In general, recruiters will spend on average just 30 seconds scanning a resume, so this section needs to be concise, powerful, and tailored to the role you are applying to. In this article, we share expert tips for the ‘About Me’ section of the resume and strategies to ensure recruiters are excited to keep reading your resume and bring you in to meet you in person during an interview.
Resume Customization is Key
Here at ReysUp, we often hear about candidates who create a strong resume template, and then just copy and paste it for a variety of roles. And we get it. Writing a resume takes time, and especially in today’s job market, you have to apply to a ton of roles to even land a callback. That said, this is a very poor strategy and something we highly encourage you not to do.
Not only can a generic resume come across as impersonal, but more importantly it may not highlight the specific skills and experiences that make you the ideal candidate for a particular role. Most tenured recruiters will be able to quickly suss out if a resume has simply been copy and pasted. These resumes often rely on vague language and tend to overlook the key details that are crucial for someone applying to a specific job. This in turn weakens your brand and implies that you aren’t serious enough about the role to spend 30 minutes to update your resume.
Candidates should take advantage of this portion of the resume and show that they deeply understand the demands of the role and show how they are uniquely equipped to meet them. For example, if you are applying to be an Account Executive (AE), your ‘About Me’ section should highlight your ability to grow sales, build strong partnerships, operate in stressful environments, and exceed aggressive quotas. On the flip side, if you are applying to be a Marketing Analyst, your ‘About Me’ section should focus more on your data analysis skills, ability to do robust market research, and your expertise in translating trends and insights into actionable recommendations.
Skills and abilities you should highlight for different types of roles
As mentioned, your resume is your chance to convey your personality and experience to the recruiter before you get to meet in person. For this reason, it’s imperative that you focus on the right skills and abilities and use the right words that will resonate with the recruiter off the bat.
Example roles and how to think about skills:
- Account Executive (AE): Focus on things like assertiveness, being results-oriented, and relationship building. Highlight your ability to close deals, work well under pressure, and deliver consistent strong results.
- Marketing Analyst: Focus on things like analytical ability, detail-orientedness, and strategic thinking. Highlight skills in data analysis and manipulation, telling stories with data, and developing data-driven marketing strategies and recommendations.
- Account Manager: Focus on things like client empathy, problem solving, and communication skills. Highlight your ability to develop and grow client partnerships, resolve customer issues, and maintain high client satisfaction.
- Sales Manager: Focus on things like leadership ability, mentorship experience, and strategic planning. Highlight your experience leading sales teams in the past, developing go-to-market strategies, coaching underperformers, and developing top talent.
- Finance Analyst: Focus on things like analytical ability, financial acumen, ability to perform thorough risk assessments. Highlight your skills in financial modeling, budgeting, forecasting, and providing insights that drive business decisions.
- Program Manager: Focus on things like organization, multi-tasking, past project leadership. Highlight your skills in managing complex and nuanced projects, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and consistently delivering projects on time and within budget.
The components of the ‘About Me’ section
A strong ‘About Me’ section usually consists of 4 distinct sections:
- General introduction
- Strengths overview
- Industry experience
- Key accompaniments
Here are some examples of how to craft each section.
General Introduction
This is where you introduce yourself and summarize your professional brand. Make sure to keep it concise and focus on your most relevant experiences.
- Example 1: “Accomplished sales & account management leader with 10+ years of experience in SaaS and marketplace businesses.”
- Example 2: “Analytical marketing analyst with 6 years of experience in digital marketing and consumer insights.”
Strengths Overview
This is where you show that your core strengths align with the job you’re applying for and that you are well positioned to do the job at hand. Make sure to review the job description (JD) to understand the skills that are most important. For help with this, be sure to check out our free resource on how to analyze and map job descriptions for skills in our ‘behavioral Interview workbook’ download here.
- Example 1: “Strengths include developing and growing strategic partnerships to drive revenue, leading teams to achieve aggressive goals, & cross-functional collaboration.”
- Example 2: “Expert in conducting comprehensive market research, optimizing marketing campaigns, and utilizing data to drive marketing strategies and recommendations.”
Industry Experience
This is where you should briefly mention the industries you have worked in, especially if they are relevant to the job you’re applying for. If you don’t have direct industry experience, but similar industry experience, this is also a good place to spell that out.
- Example 1: “Experience in food & logistics, payments, & telecomm.”
- Example 2: “Experience in e-commerce, digital media, & retail.”
Key Accomplishments
This is the most important part of the ‘about me’ section. It’s where you can share your biggest, more impressive accomplishments to get the recruiters attention and convince them that your resume is worth reading further. When you can, make sure to use numbers to quantify your impact, as this adds credibility to your claims.
- Example 1: “I‘ve grown a company’s net revenue by +X%, maintained a Y% customer retention, and signed the largest deal in company history within my 1st year on the job.”
- Example 2: “I’ve successfully managed marketing budgets exceeding $2M, achieved a 30% increase in conversion rates through targeted campaigns, and contributed to a 20% YoY growth in online sales.”
Final thoughts: expert tips for the ‘About Me’ section
- Be concise: Just remember, recruiters spend only a few seconds on this section. Make every word count by being clear, concise, and to the point.
- Use action words: Always try to start your sentences with strong action verbs like “led,” “managed,” “developed,” or “increased” to convey a sense of accomplishment.
- Include keywords from the job description: Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) like SmartRecruiters to filter out resumes before a human being reads it. For this reason, make sure to incorporate keywords from the job description to increase the chances of your resume getting past these systems.
- Show your personality: While professionalism is important, don’t be afraid to let a bit of your personality shine through too. This can make you seem more personable and enjoyable to work with!
- Revise and edit over time: This goes without saying, but make sure to proofread your ‘About Me’ section for spelling and grammar errors. Also, make sure you adjust this as you apply to different roles. Remember copy and pasting is not a good strategy, though tempting!
In Summary
The ‘About Me’ section is a really powerful tool that you can use to get a recruiter’s attention and set the tone for the rest of your application. It’s important to customize this for each role that you are applying for to make a strong impression and increase your chances of landing an interview. Just remember, this section is your opportunity to sell yourself in a few sentences – so make sure it counts. Good luck!
