How to Write Powerful Resume Headlines? 47 Examples

Read the example below:

"Shed Your Job Search Problems For Lifetime"

How does that sound to you? Fascinating. Yes, because it targets the pain points of a job seeker and unfulfilled desires of not getting hired.

The headline above is a reference taken from the famous book Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich by the world's greatest copywriting coach, David Garfinkel.

However, that's just an example of a catchy headline and we won't be writing the same in a resume. A resume headline is different. Let's show you what is a resume headline using a mammoth list of resume headline examples.

Resume Headline Examples

Alright then now you know what is a resume headline. The resume headline examples above are conspicuous, quirky, and easily memorable.

The hiring department would internally communicate using keywords or phrases from your resume headline like - hey joe, can you email the resume of that ambulance driver with a clean driving record? Do you want that to happen with your resume? Should the hiring manager remember you? Then continue reading this post because there's a lot more ahead.

Make your resume in no time using our resume builder. Simply fill in the details and it's done. Take the help of a ready-to-use resume template. If this is your first attempt at making a resume then refer to our resume examples.

Back to resume headline, how to write one for your resume? Before we get into the nitty-gritty of writing a good resume headline we need to discuss - Why do we require a resume headline in the first place?

Why is a Resume Headline Important?

A resume headline is the title of the resume and it attracts the hiring manager's attention. Not only draws the attention but also persuades the employer to read further. There are a lot of details in your resume and you have put a ton of effort and energy to write all of them.

Do you want the employer to put away your resume without looking into it? Definitely no. This is the reason why we should write the best resume headline.

How to Write an Effective Resume Headline?

There are creative methods to write a good resume headline. That's good news, however, you need to be careful with it because if that doesn't make the employer happy then the game is over.

Considering the same, we have compiled in-depth resume headline writing tips. Read them carefully and practice them to write a good resume headline.

It Must Be to the Point - No Confusion

We call these kinds of headlines no-fuss headlines. They are direct to the point without playing with words and vocabulary. Refer to the below examples.

• Determined academic advisor delivering value-added counsel
• Admin clerk well-versed in the modern filing system
• Business development professional who guarantees revenue growth
• A qualified ambulance driver with a clean driving record

The above examples remind us of concise resume headlines, they are short but tell the hiring managers a lot about the job seekers. The headlines above would sound simpler if you remove power words like accountable, well-versed, specialist, and qualified. Try it.

In short, the headlines above are pretty simple, fuss-free, and straightforward. Therefore, keep it that way.

Include Experience

Adding experience to the headline shows a proven track record of employment. It creates a professional persona for job seekers and further makes a strong resume headline. But that doesn't mean not adding "it" will generate a negative impact. No, it doesn't work like that.

There are different styles and methods to write a resume headline and including experience is one of them. Hence, years of experience will surely develop a good resume headline but you can still manage to write a great resume headline without it.

Refer to the examples below.

• Accountable telemarketer with 3 years of experience
• Corporate event promotion specialist with 7 years of experience
• Creative golf instructor with 7 years of experience teaching golfers
• Groundbreaking soccer player with 6+ years of on-field experience

Add Skills and Achievements

If you are scratching your head wondering how a short sentence will integrate both skills and achievements then you are probably right. It seems like asking more than you can eat but here's the catch.

You don't have to write all the skills and achievements in a single sentence! We can do that in the resume summary. As of now include the most relevant skills or an achievements to make a catchy resume headline. Read a few examples below.

• Well-informed logistics assistant offering a productive workspace
• Visionary voice actor, 280 films, and 28 voice-over profiles
• Architectural assistant specialized in structural architecture
• Robotics engineer delivering sophisticated production solutions
• Devoted restaurant manager achieving yearly revenue growth

Job seekers with these types of resume headline are sure shot to get a call from the employer. Every employer wants to hire an employee who is either a specialist, productive, versatile, or competent in achieving targets.

The bottom line is - to show benefits to hiring managers.

Memorable Resume Headline

It's not like the hiring manager has to prepare for a competitive exam and thus needs to memorize resume headline. Then what's the point?

The resume headline must lay a long-lasting impact on a hiring manager. To do this you should be writing memorable headlines. Considering the short attention span of an individual in today's social media environment it becomes crucial to write a short resume headline.

Long phrases or sentences having 10-12 words in a row would make it difficult to remember. Hence, not only memorable but a resume headline must be short having 5-6 words excluding articles and other grammatical elements.

• Dental receptionist proficiently assisting dentists.
• NBCOT-certified & experienced orthopedic technician.
• Diligent pharmacist with a certified medical background.
• Finance officer disciplined in financial analysis

A good resume headline contains limited words making them one-liners. Refer to the resume headline examples above.

Read the Job Description First

Carefully reading the job description when planning to write a resume is the first thing every job candidate must do. Even seasoned professionals follow this practice while making a job application.

What's the advantage of reading the job description? The short answer is huge. A job listing is a set of requirements posted by the employer. It has everything that an employer is expecting from the applicant. It means the job posting contains keywords that can be used to draft a resume as well as the resume headline.

For instance, your job title is a front-end developer and you come across a job opening - Need a front-end developer experienced in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The employer's requirements perfectly match your job title.

Avoid Generic Terms

Generic terms are cliche and almost every resume under the sun uses them. For example, responsible, hard-working, experienced, full-time, seeking employment, skilled, motivated, energetic, etc. Eliminate extensive and repetitive use of not-so-worthy words to write a resume headline.

Instead use powerful words like trained, reliable, inspiring, disciplined, proactive, trustworthy, detail-oriented, meticulous, industrious, and so on to invite the hiring manager's eye.

Summary of How to Write Impressive Headline for a Resume

Writing a compelling resume title is easy than said but needs a little creativity and practice. With this thought, we will conclude our resume headline post followed by some tips.

• Introduction to resume headline
• Resume headline examples
• Importance of a resume headline
• How to write a resume headline
• Tips for writing a good headline for a resume

Powerful Tips for Writing a Good Headline for a Resume

• A resume title must have fewer words, not a few sentences. One sentence only.
• Hustle with writing multiple headlines and selecting the best one.
• It must be friendly to pass applicant tracking systems.
• Include professional and personal attributes along with soft skills.
• Integrate specific keywords from the job ad to generate a catchy title.
• Add relevant experience with numbers to show your professionalism.
• Internship experience can be a part of the resume title for less experienced applicants.
• Writing a couple of key skills in the headlines can make them easily memorable.
• Write the headline in title case and without extra makeup like bold or underline.

Resume Headline FAQs

How to write good resume headlines?

The ground rule of writing an excellent resume title is to keep it simple and memorable. This way you can invite the attention of potential employers. For instance, a data-driven project manager with supply chain project management expertise. This title speaks about who you are and what have you done so far. Hence, follow the basic rule - Keep it simple!

What is a good headline?

Certain factors make a resume title good. For example, the length, language, use of relevant keywords, and how intelligently you have included relevant skills from the job description. All this will collectively make a good headline and motivate members of hiring teams to read the entire resume.

Why my resume keeps getting rejected?

There could be various factors why this is happening. A resume is a collection of professional data in a textual format. Since it is textual we tend to make it over adorable. For example. using capital letters instead of title case. Using colourful fonts, unorganized resume structure, and a lot more. However, you must focus on writing an impressive summary, a compelling resume headline, and impressive achievements, skills, and experience. By doing this the resume shows you as a strong candidate and team player in front of the employer.