How to write a resume headline (with examples)

A resume headline is a one-line statement that opens your resume by summarizing your experience, key skills, and value to the target organization. It serves a similar function to a news headline, grabbing the hiring manager’s attention and highlighting why you’re the most qualified candidate for the role.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• What a resume headline is (with examples)
• How a resume headline differs from a resume title
• The step-by-step process for writing a strong headline
• Common mistakes to avoid when crafting your headline

From resume headlines for career changes to options for those with abundant experience, you’ll also get 30+ professional headline examples across multiple fields and career stages, as well as specific answers to key questions to help ensure that your headline stands above the rest.

Should you include a resume headline?

Crafting a compelling headline for resumes is the perfect way to catch a hiring manager’s attention right from the start. It can benefit almost anyone, including:

• Entry-level employees or fresh graduates with little or no work experience
• Candidates who want to highlight achievements, such as prestigious scholarships or military medals
• Career changers who need to showcase skills or character traits that make them a good fit
• Experienced professionals with key achievements who need to create a focused, cohesive resume
• Applicants who wish to include more keywords to optimize their resumes for ATS software

The only reasons you might not include a resume headline would be:

• Doing so keeps you from fitting your resume on a single page
• You’re submitting a creative resume for an artistic role where your imagination matters more than any other attribute

Otherwise, learning how to write a good resume headline will help you clearly display your value and draw your reader in.

Most hiring managers only spend a few seconds looking at each resume, so use a resume headline to catch their attention immediately rather than hope that they read through years’ worth of experience — chances are they’ll just see a huge block of text and their eyes will glaze over.

Resume headline vs. resume title: What’s the difference?

Though many resume articles use the terms “resume headline” and “resume title” interchangeably, they aren’t the same. A resume title is a brief phrase that indicates your professional title or role, while the resume headline details your experience and key skills.

As you can see, headlines are much more detailed. Using resume and cover letter examples that include them can enable your true value to shine through.

How to write a resume headline

Writing a strong resume headline for finance, technology, sales, or even teaching might seem daunting, especially if you aren’t a wordsmith. Here are some resources to help you write a resume headline:

Tip 1: Keep it short

You want potential employers to easily remember you, so a good resume headline should be short and sweet. Even when working from resume headline examples, make sure to keep it to a single sentence — or better yet, just one powerful phrase. Remember, you can elaborate more in your resume summary or resume objective.

Tip 2: Place it at the top

A good resume headline should go at the top, just under your name and contact information. When you model resume headline examples that format things this way, there’s less of a chance that the hiring manager will skim over it, and when it grabs their attention, they’ll keep reading rather than flipping to the next resume in the stack.

Tip 3: Use keywords from job descriptions

Before you can write a good resume headline, you must understand the job posting and job description. Then, tailor your resume headline examples to the specific job position by carefully analyzing the job posting and understanding the employer's requirements. Incorporate relevant keywords and phrases that align with the desired skills and qualifications.

For example, if the employer is seeking a high school teacher with ESL experience, include those exact specifics in your headline.

Tip 4: Use title case

Any good resume headline should be written in title case. Use resume headline examples that have the first word as well as all nouns, verbs, and adjectives capitalized.

Tip 5: Use standard job title language

Recently, employers have started using more creative job titles than in the past, which can cause some confusion about what it is that you actually do. In that case, you can reword your official job title (along with any resume headline examples you’re using), so long as it’s still true and accurate. 

For example, if your official title is “client success agent,” consider clarifying that to “customer service representative.” This will allow you to create a good resume headline and help your resume pass the ATS scan and prevent bewilderment for hiring managers.

Tip 6: Include quantifiable data/accomplishments

Potential employers love to see a good resume headline that provides quantified proof of your experience and professional accomplishments, so work that into your resume headline examples if possible.

This could be anything from stating how many years of experience you have to sharing the percentage by which you grew a company’s revenue or that you are a two-time recipient of a relevant award.

Tip 7: Add relevant soft skills

If you have the space, add in a few applicable soft skills, like adaptability, leadership ability, or communication expertise, to your resume headline examples. Not only will this help you craft a good resume headline, but it also showcases the fact that you have in-demand competencies.

Tip 8: Avoid cliches/jargon

Finally, stay away from resume headline examples that include cliches and jargon like “highly motivated” or “skilled.” These words shouldn’t be included in a good resume headline because they’re generic and broad, and won’t provide any valuable information to the potential employer. Instead, demonstrate your motivation and skills with your quantified accomplishments.

Use Jobseeker’s resume builder to create a short, impactful headline that gets attention and leaves the reader wanting more. With a vast selection of resume headline samples for every industry, our tool is exactly what you need to submit a winning application that puts you miles ahead of the competition.

Resume headline examples

Looking for some resume examples to help you devise a strong resume headline for an accountant, graphic designer, or another role? Here are a few to inspire you.

Best resume headlines by profession

• Photographer: Award-Winning Photographer with 200+ Images Published Digitally and in Print
• General Leadership: Decorated Army Veteran with 10 Years of Leadership Experience
• Graphic Design: Dynamic Graphic Designer with Proven Track Record in Innovative Visual Solutions
• Nurse: Recently Graduated RN with Emergency Clinical Intern Experience
• Customer Service: Bilingual Call Center Associate with 6 Years of Experience
• Engineer: Graduate Engineering Student and Recipient of XYZ Scholarship
• Administrative Assistant: Efficient Administrative Assistant with Extensive Office Software Expertise
• Research: Honors Biology Student and XYZ Lab Intern
• Sales Manager: Top-Grossing Vehicle Sales Manager
• Sales Representative: Personable Sales Representative Driving Revenue Growth Through Exceptional Client Relationships
• Accountant: CPA With 7+ Years in Financial Auditing and Tax Consulting 
• Marketing Manager: Experienced Marketing Manager with 5+ Years of Award-Winning Campaigns
• Software Developer: Experienced Software Developer for E-Commerce Websites
• Teacher: Dedicated Teacher with 15+ Years Experience Raising Student Achievement Scores 20% Year Over Year
• Project Manager: Organized Project Manager with Proven Track Record of Delivering 10% Under Budget
• Pharmacy Technician: Certified Pharmacy Technician with Sterile Compounding Experience
• Business Analyst: Detail-Oriented Business Analyst with Proven Track Record of Delivering Tangible Process Improvements
• Truck Driver: Experienced CDL Driver with 10+ Years of On-Time Deliveries
• Quality Assurance: Experienced Software Tester Reduces Defects By 30%
• HR Specialist: Results-Driven HR Specialist with 8+ Years in Recruitment and Employee Relations

Common mistakes to avoid when writing a resume headline

When tweaking your resume and cover letter templates to include an effective headline, make sure to steer clear of the following:

• Being Too Vague: Avoid generic titles that don’t include quantifiable achievements or specific skills
• Using Cliches: Eliminate overused terms like “hard working” or “expert”
• Not Tailoring to the Job: Use specific and industry-appropriate keywords from the job description
• Overloading With Keywords: Disperse keywords naturally throughout the text and avoid keyword stuffing
• Using Incorrect Job Titles: Confirm that titles accurately reflect your experience while following industry standards

Avoiding these mistakes as you learn how to write a good resume headline or cover letter will ensure that you come across as a competent professional.

Key takeaways

Whether you need a resume headline for a career change or you want to focus on your expertise in your current field, this section of your document can significantly boost your job search success. When crafting your headline, make sure to:

• Understand the difference regarding a resume headline vs. resume title
• Highlight your experience, education, skills, and quantifiable achievements 
• Use keywords from the job description in a natural and compelling way
• Avoid vague terms, cliches, and incorrect or outdated job titles
• Tweak your resume headline samples to tailor them to each application
• Keep your resume headline short and to the point

Need help writing a resume headline that grabs attention? Jobseeker offers a powerful resume builder to help you craft a professional document in minutes. With headline-friendly resume templates and eye-catching designs, you can create a resume that puts you ahead from the very start.