What are highlights on a resume? Think of them as the top stories of your professional journey—the achievements, skills, and experiences that best define your career’s “wow” moments. They illustrate your value in a way that’s easy to scan and impossible to ignore, helping you stand out in a competitive job market.
In this guide, we’ll cover how to craft impactful highlights, where to include them, and how to tailor them for specific roles. Whether you’re new to the workforce or a seasoned pro, these tips will help you use resume highlights to land your next big opportunity.
Why are resume highlights important?
In a hiring process where recruiters have limited time, well-crafted highlights help you quickly communicate why you’re the ideal candidate. They prioritize impactful achievements, ensuring that your key strengths don’t go unnoticed.
Including highlights is a great strategy if you want your resume to work both for an in-depth reading and at a glance. By showing your key strengths upfront, you make it easier for recruiters to see how your experience aligns with their needs.
Moreover, highlights serve a dual purpose: when crafted thoughtfully with job-specific keywords, they optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS), as well as for humans. This ensures your application ranks higher in these systems, increasing the likelihood of it reaching a recruiter’s desk.
How to list career highlights on a resume
Now that we know what resume highlights are and why it’s worth featuring them on a resume, let’s get to the most pressing question: how to list them? Try the actionable tips in the DOs column, and avoid the mistakes listed in the DON’Ts.
These guidelines apply no matter where you decide to place your highlights on your application.
| DOs | DON'Ts |
|---|---|
| Use bullet points: Structure your highlights as concise bullet points to ensure they’re easy to scan and visually appealing to recruiters. | Overloading with details: Keep highlights to the point, avoiding lengthy explanations that dilute impact. |
| Be direct: Make sure each bullet is descriptive and detailed to ensure clarity and readability. | Avoid vague language: Replace generic phrases such as "helped with" or "responsible for" with precise, action-oriented descriptions that highlight your impact. |
| Quantify results: Include metrics to demonstrate the scale of your impact (e.g., “Boosted customer satisfaction by 20%”). | Listing irrelevant experience: Ensure every highlight aligns with the job role and showcases relevant skills or accomplishments. |
| Start with action verbs: Use powerful and specific verbs like “spearheaded,” “revamped,” or “executed” to show initiative and results. | Repeating content: Avoid duplicating the same highlights across multiple sections; instead, rephrase or provide additional context to maintain variety and depth. |
Where to include my resume highlights
The decision of where to place your resume highlights depends on your overall strategy. Do you want to grab attention immediately, provide context for your achievements, or create a standalone showcase of your accomplishments?
Choosing the right placement is key to aligning your resume with the job you’re applying for. Each section offers unique opportunities to emphasize your strengths, so it’s important to be intentional about where and how you present your highlights.
In the summary
Positioned right after your name and contact information, this is the first thing hiring managers see—making it the most valuable real estate of your resume. So use it to outline your top achievements in as few words as possible.
Here’s what a well-written summary could look like:
This Salesforce Administrator’s key resume highlights include leading a CRM overhaul that boosted sales efficiency by 30% and reduced customer onboarding time by 25%. Strong user empathy and communication skills, which contributed to successful tool adoption across cross-functional teams, are also emphasized.
In the experience section
An experience-based resume highlights your abilities related to the job you’re pursuing, so always tailor your application. In your experience section, provide context and delve into how your contributions positively impacted workflows and your colleagues.
Instead of repeating generic job descriptions, focus on concrete examples that demonstrate the value you added to previous roles.
03/2017 - 08/2022 
- •Led a team of 12 to deliver a product launch 15% ahead of schedule, resulting in a $1.2M revenue increase within the first quarter.
- •Implemented agile project management practices, reducing project cycle times by 20% across multiple teams.
- •Developed and executed risk management plans, minimizing project delays and maintaining a 95% on-time delivery rate.
- •Facilitated cross-departmental collaboration to streamline processes, increasing operational efficiency by 25%.
The highlights in this section are concise, action-oriented, and tailored to emphasize leadership and impact, such as leading a team to deliver a product launch early, boosting revenue by $1.2M, and improving efficiency through agile practices.
In a separate section
If you want to feature your accomplishments even more prominently, creating a dedicated section for your resume highlights can be the way to go. Keep in mind, though, that careful execution is required to be effective.
With Enhancv you can create a section tailored to your unique career story. The flexibility of our builder allows you to name the section in a way that reflects your strengths, personality, and professional journey.
Here are a few resume highlights examples to inspire you:
Most proud of
A section with this name lets you show accomplishments that truly resonate with you on a personal level. It’s perfect for outlining achievements that may not fit into traditional categories but demonstrate perseverance, creativity, or adaptability. For example, you could share how you overcame a major challenge or contributed to a cause you deeply care about.
Strengths
A “Strengths” section is ideal for emphasizing the qualities that set you apart. Target your strong attributes towards the specific job, and don’t use generic buzzwords like “motivated,” “friendly,” etc. Instead, highlight tangible skills or traits, like “strong analytical problem-solving” or “excellent cross-team collaboration.”
Sometimes it’s tough to write about your strengths on your own, so if you’re unsure where to start, ask friends or colleagues for insights—they often see strengths you might overlook.
Projects and/or Publications
Every side project or publication—offline or online—brings you bonus points, so make sure to mention them, too. Even if they aren’t immediately connected with your work experience, hiring managers like to see candidates self-motivated and passionate about growth.
Day of my life
How do you spend your day? Do you love running or listening to music? Have you started learning how to play the guitar or the piano?
The “Day of My Life” creative section helps you connect on a more personal level by sharing a glimpse into your daily routines, hobbies, or personal development activities. It humanizes your resume and might even spark a connection with the hiring manager.
Your resume isn’t just a document—it’s a reflection of your unique professional and personal story. Customize your sections to stand out and show the real you to potential employers.
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How resume highlights evolve over time
As your career progresses, your resume highlights should adapt to reflect your growth. Entry-level candidates may focus on academic or volunteer achievements, while mid-career professionals should emphasize measurable impacts and career advancements. Senior-level professionals can show leadership roles, strategic contributions, and legacy projects to demonstrate their expertise and lasting value.
Conclusion
Resume highlights are your career’s standout moments, tailored to show your value to employers. Use them strategically to ensure your skills and achievements shine.
Make one that's truly you.
