What Is a Statement of Qualifications? (+ How to Write One)

There are plenty of challenges in the job search, but capturing the attention of a prospective employer ranks near the top of the list. It feels like you need a confetti cannon or marching band to stand out to recruiters.

A statement of qualifications is a powerful way to command the attention of hiring managers by pulling your most impressive achievements, relevant skills, and key takeaways into an easy-to-read bulleted list.

Wondering how to write a statement of qualifications—or if you even need one? This guide covers what you need to know, including:

• What is a statement of qualifications?
• How to write a statement of qualifications
• Use this statement of qualifications template to get started
• Statement of qualifications examples

Struggling to land interviews with your resume? Get started with Teal’s AI Resume Builder for free.

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What is a statement of qualifications?

A statement of qualifications (SoQ) is a list of three to six bullet points that capture your most pertinent or transferable skills, work history, and achievements to a specific position or job description.

Think of it like your highlight reel. It calls attention to your skills and tangible results that relate directly to the job in question. You might also see it called a “summary of qualifications” or “qualifications summary.”

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Who needs a statement of qualifications?

If this concept is new to you, don’t be alarmed. A statement of qualifications doesn’t carry the same weight in the hiring process as a resume or cover letter. That said, there are times you may need to prepare this statement.

When you need a statement of qualifications

• The job posting specifically asks for one: Statements of qualification are more common in government and public sector jobs, but you might also see requests in industries like engineering, construction, IT, healthcare, science, and research.
• You have an opportunity to submit additional materials: If you have the chance to submit supplemental materials with your job application and resume, this statement can highlight your best qualifications, demonstrate extra effort, and help you stand out from the competition.

Even if you don’t plan to submit your statement to apply for a position, creating one can be a helpful exercise. As you write, you’re forced to focus on your most notable qualifications, achievements, and experiences, which can be valuable groundwork when it comes to resume writing, crafting your cover letter, or preparing for upcoming job interviews.

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How is a statement of qualifications different from a resume or cover letter?

Your statement of qualifications is an entirely separate document from your resume or cover letter. If asked to submit one, do not combine it with other files.

However, your statement of qualifications will overlap with your other career documents, as it summarizes the high points. Because the content itself is similar, so will your approach to writing it, including:

• Understanding the job qualifications so you can emphasize relevance
• Focusing on your most impressive accomplishments
• Using action verbs to highlight your contributions
• Including quantifiable results to demonstrate your impact

And again, even if you don’t actually need to submit a written statement to an employer, writing one can help you better identify what skills and qualifications you want to highlight in your other documents and conversations. For example, the information you uncover when writing your statement could also be adapted and used in your resume summary, your cover letter, or even in a dedicated resume section. 

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How is a statement of qualifications used in the hiring process?

If an employer or hiring manager asks for a statement of qualifications, they’re using it as part of the initial screening process—likely even before they look at your resume or the rest of your application. The hiring manager will review the submitted statements to create a shortlist of candidates that should move forward.

Think about it this way: Scanning a list of three to six points is a lot faster and easier than reviewing a resume. So, if and when a company requests a statement of qualifications from applicants, they’re likely using it as a tool to narrow down the initial pool of candidates in an efficient way.

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How to write a statement of qualifications

Whether the job ad specifically asked for this document or you want to use it to do your due diligence or stand out to the hiring manager, these steps and tips will help you write a great statement that summarizes your most important details and qualifications.

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1. Analyze the job description

Much like with your resume, relevance is the name of the game. Your impressive skills don’t matter if they aren’t relevant to the role. Conversely, they could make you seem overqualified for a job.

In order to understand exactly what makes you qualified for a position, you need to start by identifying the expectations set in the job description.

Comb through the job posting and pay close attention to the job title, responsibilities, skills, education, and other qualifications the employer lists. Highlight or note the ones you possess.

For each bullet point in the job ad ask yourself, “Do I have this?” or “Have I done this?” If your answer is yes, highlight it and then create a separate sheet where you can jot down specific examples of how you satisfy those requests or demands. That brainstorming document will be valuable as you move into the next steps.

Or, make this even easier with Teal’s Matching Mode. Select a bookmarked job and Teal will compare your resume and surface important keywords from the job description that you should add or emphasize.

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2. Identify your highlights

If you’ve been in the workforce a while and aren’t making a major career change, you likely match a lot of the job qualifications. Now it’s time to pull out the best ones. Revisit the job posting to understand the most notable skills and experiences that qualify you for the position or let Teal’s Matching Mode automatically surface them for you.

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To find skills and qualifications that are important, look for ones that are:

• Listed under “required qualifications” or a similar header
• Frequently emphasized
• Listed under “preferred but not required” or a similar header

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TIP: If you’re struggling to narrow down your list, ask yourself this: If you could only tell the hiring manager five things about your skills, experience, and work history, what would they be?

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3. Quantify and specify your achievements

A solid statement isn’t just a list of what you did—it also explains why that mattered. When you have your list of the achievements and skills you want to include, add extra impact by quantifying your results or incorporating specific examples.

Statement of qualifications example

Basic: Led and managed a sales team to consistently surpass sales quotas.

Better: Led a team of 10 sales representatives to consistently surpass sales quotas, resulting in a 15% year-over-year increase in team performance.

See the difference? Metric-driven business achievements go beyond lip service or buzzwords and provide recruiters the real-world proof of ways that your skills and knowledge have contributed to company success.

If you’re struggling to add metrics to your own bullet points, Teal’s AI Resume Achievements feature can help. 

Within a resume, click “Add achievement” and “Write with AI” to get three auto-generated achievements to consider and customize. While they’re created within the Resume Builder, you can also use them on your statement of qualifications as well.

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4. Put together your points

When you know what skills you want to highlight and what results you achieved with those skills, it’s time to put together your bullet points. These need to be short yet impactful. This statement of qualifications format can help you write points that are clear, concise, and compelling.

How to structure your statement of qualifications bullet points

Action verb + task + metric = outcome

Statement of qualifications example using that format

Resolved outstanding customer service inquiries and complaints efficiently, achieving an average response time of under two minutes that led to a 95% customer satisfaction rate

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5. Consider your order

Your statement of qualifications is short. So, in an ideal world, employers are making it through your entire list before deciding whether to move you forward in the process.

Even so, it’s smart to think about the order. All of them are important (otherwise they wouldn’t appear on your statement at all), but putting your most essential qualifications at the top ensures they capture the hiring manager’s attention right away.

If aspects like education level or experience seem crucial, it’s worth dedicating your first bullet to your current job title, education, or years of experience to set the scene for the rest of your list.

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6. Refine your document

While your statement itself is short and simple, add some extra polish by putting your bullet points on a document that matches your resume and cover letter (with the same header on top).

Not only does that make your statement look more finished and professional, but it also ensures prospective employers know who that list belongs to if it gets separated from your application or other career documents.

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7. Proofread and polish

When you have your list almost finished, dedicate enough time to proofread and confirm that your document is error free. It’s also worth briefly revisiting the job posting to review your statement with relevance top of mind. When it comes to your search for a new job, details can make the difference. 

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Start with a statement of qualifications template

A powerful statement is one that you both personalize to your experience and tailor to a specific job. However, this simple summary of qualifications template can help get the wheels turning.

Statement of qualifications template

• [Adjective] [job title] with [number] years of experience in [key responsibility] and [key responsibility]
• [Action verb] [accomplishment or skill] that led to [specific result or impact] within [timeframe]
• [Action verb] [task or project] by [method or strategy], achieving [metric] in [goal]
• [Action verb] [skill or experience] to [compete task or achieve goal] leading to [metric] for [company, team, or project]
• [Action verb] [accomplishment or task], which resulted in [metric] in [timeframe]

Fill in the blanks to generate your own list. Struggling to find the right words? Teal’s AI Resume Achievements will automatically generate quantified achievements you can tailor and use.

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Statement of qualifications examples

A template is a reliable starting point, but seeing what that template can turn into is even more helpful. Using the template above, here are three statement of qualification examples in a variety of industries.

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Content marketing manager statement of qualifications example

• Experienced content marketing manager with eight years of experience in creating high-quality content and developing successful content strategies.
• Devised a comprehensive content plan that led to a 40% increase in organic website traffic within 6 months.
• Optimized social media campaigns by conducting A/B testing and data analysis, achieving a 25% boost in audience engagement in two months.
• Leveraged SEO skills to improve search engine rankings, leading to a 30% increase in inbound leads for the marketing team.
• Created engaging blog posts and video content, which resulted in a 50% rise in reader engagement in four months.

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Senior software engineer statement of qualifications example

• Skilled senior software engineer with 10 years of experience in full-stack development and system architecture design.
• Designed and implemented key software features that led to a 30% improvement in application performance within three months.
• Led the development of a major software project by using Agile methodologies, achieving on-time delivery completion that was under budget by 10%.
• Utilized advanced problem-solving skills to optimize existing code, leading to a 20% reduction in system bugs for the development team.
• Mentored junior engineers in coding best practices and software development principles, which resulted in a 50% increase in team productivity in six months.

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Customer support specialist statement of qualifications example

• Dedicated customer support specialist with 5 years of experience in resolving customer inquiries and providing exceptional service.
• Handled complex customer issues that led to a 90% resolution rate within 24 hours.
• Streamlined the support process by implementing a new ticketing system, achieving a 20% reduction in response time in three months.
• Leveraged strong communication skills to assist customers effectively, leading to a 95% customer satisfaction rate for the support team.
• Trained new support team members in company policies and customer service techniques, which resulted in a 30% increase in team efficiency in six months.

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Summarize your skills to stand out in your job search

A statement of qualifications sounds formal and intimidating. But in reality, it’s a short list that captures your most relevant skills and experiences, so they’re not overlooked by hiring managers.

Even if you aren’t asked to submit a statement of qualifications with your job application, here’s a free piece of advice: Creating one is still a helpful exercise.

Not only does the process help you better understand what a role or organization needs and how you match, but it also lays the groundwork for a far more compelling resume, cover, letter, and interview conversation.

Think about it this way: When you take the time to understand your own career highlight reel, you’re better equipped to incorporate those points in every aspect of the hiring process.

Writing impactful achievements can be hard, but Teal’s AI Resume Achievements and Matching Mode features can take the pain out of the process by automatically finding the right keywords to include and generating metric-driven achievements.

Sign up for Teal for free today.