How to Write a Headline for a Resume in 2024 (60 Examples)
A resume headline is great opportunity to immediately grab a recruiter’s attention with a brief one-line statement describing your skills and experience. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to write a compelling headline for a resume.
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A punchy, concise resume headline is what grabs a recruiter’s attention and makes them click on your resume. This one-line sentence shows your experience, skills and achievements and entices the reader to want to know more about you.
We’re here to show you how to write an impactful resume headline that gets you noticed!
Here, we’ll discuss:
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What is a headline for a resume and why is it important?
A good headline for a resume is a brief introduction that showcases your job title, professional background, and top skills and achievements.
It’s an opportunity for job applicants to identify themselves by their most impressive and relevant professional accomplishments — not just their name.
With a resume headline, the recruiter immediately learns information about you before scanning the rest of your document.
Therefore, this headline becomes an almost foolproof way to intrigue recruiters quickly when your resume lands in their hands or inbox.
What is a good headline for a resume?
The key to writing a resume with a good headline for a resume lies in keeping it concise and choosing job-relevant achievements.
A good resume headline can include some of the following:
- Job title
- Years of experience
- Soft and hard skills
- Career accomplishments
- Quantifiable achievements
- Relevant certifications
Check out this example of a resume headline:
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60 resume headline examples
Looking for inspiration for your resume headline? We’ve written 60 resume headline examples for the top job, plus resume examples for different industries.
Resume title examples:
Accounting resume headlines
- Accountant Graduate With 2 Years of Internship Experience at PwC and Nielsen
- Project Accountant Experienced at Managing Over $3 million Annually
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with Dual Degree in Business Management
- Renowned Accountant With Innovative Risk-Aversion Strategies in Banking Sector
- Dependable Accountant Helping Small Businesses Save 35%+ of Annual Budget
Administrative resume headlines
- Detail-oriented and Organized Legal Secretary With Paralegal License
- Receptionist With Experience Handling Multi-Line Phones With Over 150+ Lines
- Personal Assistant of Two of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 With 10 Years Remote Work Experience
- Secretary With 15+ Years of Experience Assisting Top Investment Bankers in New York
- Administrative Assistant with Project Management Certification and Marketing Degree
Customer service resume headlines
- 5x Top-Performing Customer Service Representative of Prestigious CS Agency
- Customer Service Professional With Sales Background and Excellent Verbal Skills
- Client Relations Manager of the Highest-Grossing Luxury Brand Store in California
- Bilingual Call Center Operator With Multitasking Skills and Finance Background
- Experience Manager at One of the Top 10 Boutique Hotels in the Caribbean
Education resume headlines
- Teacher with 15+ Years of Experience Innovating Science & Social Studies Curriculums
- K12 Teacher Successful at Managing Multiple 30+ Classrooms
- Certified Public Librarian With Dual Education Degree and MLS
- Dedicated School Principal of the Top Performing School in the District
- Motivated Teacher’s Aid With CPR License and Physical Sciences Degree
Food service resume headlines
- Experienced Bartender and Mixologist at Two of New York’s 50 Best Bars
- Motivated Cook and Fast Learner With 3-Years Experience at High-End Restaurants
- Quick and Efficient Cashier with excellent Mental Mathematics and Customer Service Skills
- Restaurant Host with Hospitality Degree and Sommelier Certification In Process
- Barista Winner of Brooklyn’s Latte Art Competition with Experience in National Coffee Chains
Health care support resume headlines
- Dermatology Medical Assistant With Experience in Top Dermatology Clinics in Miami
- Compassionate Home Health Aide With Psychology Background and Critical Care Experience
- Senior Care Assistant With 5+ Years of Experience in Private Senior Living Facilities
- Phlebomotist With Excellent Bedside Manners and Interpersonal Communication
- Patient Service Coordinator With Experience Attending Clinics with 50+ Daily Patients
Human resources resume headlines
- HR Specialist With Expertise Onboarding and Handling Acquisitions and Mergers
- Human Resources Manager With 10+ Years in the Startup Sector in Silicon Valley
- Proactive Recruiter Responsible for Key Hires in Uber, Slack and Microsoft
- Certified HR Coordinator and HR Consultant, Member and Collaborator of SHRM
- HR Intern With Advanced Excel Skills and Strong Knowledge of Worker’s Compensation
Information technology resume headlines
- Organized IT Help Desk Technician With Cybersecurity Specialization
- IT Manager With Experience Successfully Leading 100+ Team Members
- Experienced Scrum Master With Extensive Knowledge of Atlassian JIRA and Agile practices
- Computer Technician Skilled in SQL Server Applications and Computer Set-Up
- Technical Support Engineer With 9 Years of Experience Streamlining Repair Processes
Marketing resume headlines
- Account Executive Responsible for Contributing to Agency’s Induction to the PRSA
- Experienced Brand Manager of Two of the Top 50 Global Brands of 2022
- Social Media Manager Experienced at Content Creation for Accounts With 50k+ Followers
- Visual Merchandiser With Master’s Degree from the Best European Design School
- SEO Analyst With 10+ Years of Experience Meeting Maximum ROI on Paid Search Campaigns
Nursing resume headlines
- Highly knowledgeable CRN Known for Developing New Nursing Educational Models
- Nursing Assistant With High Computer Literacy and Fluent in Chinese
- Operating Room Nurse With Excellent Suturing Skills and Plastic Surgery Expertise
- ICU Registered Nurse With Great Leadership Skills Works Well in Fast-Paced Environments
- Labor and Delivery Nurse With Doula Certification and Perinatal Loss Training
Retail resume headlines
- Reliable Retail Associate With Experience in Fashion, Shoes and Jewelry Stores for 8 Years
- Efficient Store Manager With Associate Degree in Warehouse Management
- Convenience Store Clerk With Superb Customer Service and Cash Register Skills
- Highly-organized Retail Assistant Manager With Strong Salesfloor Experience
- Regional Manager With Experience Successfully Overseeing Rebranding and Retraining Operations
Sales resume headlines
- Salesperson With the Highest Sales Record in the Region in 2019 and 2022
- Car Salesman With 10+ Years of Experience in Top Selling Mercedes Dealer
- Results-Driven Sales Operation Analyst With Demonstrated Expertise in Project Management
- Telemarketing Agent 6x Recipient of Employee of the Month Award
- High-Performing Outside Sales Representative With Experience in Solar Power and HVAC
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How to write a headline for a resume
Writing a great resume headline is super simple once you know the steps.
Follow these tips to ensure your resume headline gets your value across and stands out:
- Stick to a formula. If you’re unsure where to start, fill in this formula for a good resume headline: Your job title + years of experience + Relevant skills/achievement/qualifications.
- Put it right where recruiters can see it. Place your headline for a resume at the top of your resume, ideally below your name in your contact information for visibility. Learn more about the ideal spot to place your sections on our How Should A Resume Look Like article.
- Keep it short and to the point. Your resume headline should be one-sentence long and written concisely. Avoid unnecessary articles (“a,” “an,” “the”) and too many descriptive words.
- Don’t confuse it with a resume summary or objective. The resume headline is just one brief phrase to quickly identify you as a candidate, whereas the resume summary and resume objective consist of longer statements with more accomplishments.
- Write it in Title Case. Capitalize key words of your resume headline just like newspapers do.
- Include relevant keywords. Browse the job description of your desired role and pinpoint repeated skills or qualifications — resume keywords. You should include the keywords that reflect your abilities in your headline.
- Highlight up to two skills. If you’re a recent graduate with no experience, include no more than two skills in your headline. You want to save your critical skills for other sections of your resume.
- Compensate for lack of work experience. If you haven’t spent many years in the workforce, highlight internships, extracurricular activities or certifications on your resume headline instead.
- Use action verbs. Include strong action verbs that explain what you accomplished, like “revitalized” and “coordinated.”
- Focus on your current achievements, not your goals. This isn’t the place to share what you aspire to do. Instead, mention your top selling points as a candidate.
- Write a new resume headline for each job. One of the biggest lessons in resume writing is to update your resume to each job application. The same goes for your resume headline — feature the information most relevant to what the employer needs from a candidate.
Key takeaways
You’ve now got all you need to write a punchy and effective resume headline!
Here are the top takeaways you should remember when writing your headline for a resume:
- Your resume headline should consist of a single, snappy sentence.
- It goes on top of your resume, right below your name.
- The headline features your top selling points as a candidate.
- Use the resume headline formula: “Job title + Years of experience + Skill/Accomplishment/Qualification”
- Always Write Your Resume Headline in Title Case.
- Tailor your resume headline to each job application.
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