Is a summary necessary on a resume? The short answer is: absolutely not!

“No paragraph should ever lead your resume!” warns J.T. O’Donnell, LinkedIn Influencer and founder of Work It Daily. “It does not get read.” This is especially true if you plan to write an “objective” statement about yourself such as: “I’m a high-achieving top performer with outstanding and incredible skills…”

This is a HUGE no-no, according to J.T. “I get the same answers all the time from recruiters—they don’t like [summary statements],” she says. “In fact, it’s like double nails on a chalkboard to a recruiter to see [them].”

Why A Resume Summary Doesn’t Work

Studies show that you have six seconds to make an impression with your resume. According to J.T., recruiters will scan your resume in a Z-pattern (left to right across the top fold, down across the page, and over). In those six seconds, they have to decide if they’re going to keep reading. So, what are they going to be drawn to on a resume?

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“I cringe when I see people waste valuable space in the top fold of their resume with this big, long summary paragraph,” says J.T. “Do NOT do it!”

What To Do Instead

Instead of struggling to write your resume, learn how to properly format it for success. This includes changing your top fold from a summary or objective statement to an experience summary, which is a list of 6-8 hard or transferrable skills needed for the specific job you’re applying for. Also, don’t forget to quantify your work experience so your resume stands out from the competition!

If you want to learn more about how to do this, we can help.

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you write your resume—the right way.

It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Work It Daily