Tips to write an outstanding personal profile for your CV

So, you’ve aced your exams? Result! Thrown your mortarboard in the air at graduation? Winning! And are now faced with sprucing up your CV and jumping on the career ladder… Eek!

But don’t fret. We’re here to help you write an outstanding CV – and it starts with perfecting your CV’s personal profile.

In this article, you’ll learn how to write a strong personal statement that makes your CV stand out from the crowd.

We’ll explain:

• What is a personal profile on a CV?
• How to structure a personal summary
• Our top tips for writing one that stands out

Your personal profile is the text that sits at the top of your CV, usually underneath your name and contact details. Essentially, it’s the introduction to you, explaining who you are, your skills and your career ambitions.

Since first impressions count, it’s an important (but often overlooked) part of a CV. You only have those four or five lines to convince your potential employer to keep reading the rest.

Sound daunting? Don’t worry. Personal profiles are surprisingly easy to write once you’ve got the hang of them. They’re basically mini versions of a cover letter. Stick to the advised personal profile structure and you’ll be onto a winner.

There are three main points to cover in your personal profile:

• Who you are
• What you’ll offer the employer
• Your career ambitions

In your first sentence, all you need to do is state your professional status. Simple. If you’re a recent grad, it’s probably going to be something like:

“I’m a recent graduate with a first-class honours degree in Maths from Loughborough University, seeking a role in…”

We recommend including your degree classification as it adds extra credibility to your qualification. But don’t feel you’ve got to include where you graduated from if you’re running out of room. The employer will read where you’ve studied in your CV’s education section, so keep things short. Space is precious on your CV so minimise repetitions wherever possible.

This section is your time to shine.

The following sentences are where you need to big up your most impressive skills, strengths and qualities. Don’t know what to say? Think about soft skills developed through studying, work experience placements or a talent you’ve got.

To impress the employer, tailor what you say to the job spec. So, if you’re going for a sales role, your extensive photo-editing experience won’t be of interest. But if you’re applying to be a designer, you’d want to shout about it. Even if you haven’t worked in a role like the one you’re applying for, think about the transferable skills the employer will be looking for and emphasise them.

In addition, provide evidence of your relevant skills. Hiring managers want to know you’ve got the skills, not just the talk. For example:

“During university, I developed excellent time management and organisational skills due to close-knit coursework deadlines and exams. As a result, I’m adaptable and able to work well under pressure.”

The last part of your personal profile is highlighting your career ambitions.

Don’t worry. No one is expecting you to know what you want to do for the rest of your life. But employers still want to hear that you’re passionate about their sector.

Explain what you want to do for the short term, what career paths appeal to you (and why) and define any skills you want to develop. For example:

“I’m looking to secure a new opportunity in an innovative, friendly workspace, where I’ll utilise my communication skills and in-depth knowledge of geography.”

Following the structure of explaining who you are, what you’ll offer and your ambitions is a great start to writing a great personal profile. The next step? Choosing the right words.

Everyone’s different, so everyone’s personal profile will be unique. But there are some golden rules that’ll help you keep it professional and increase your chances of making it to the interview stage.

A graduate CV will usually be only one page in length. That doesn’t give you much room for a personal statement.

On average, you’ve got around four or five sentences to play with. But even then, don’t feel like you’ve got to use the lot if you run out of things to say. Over-stuff your statement and you’ll dampen your impact. Keep it to the key selling points and it’ll be more powerful.

Make sure what you’re saying relates to the job you’re applying for. If it won’t be of interest to the person reading it, cut it out. Everything you say in your personal statement needs to be to the point. Make every word count.

There’s no harm in saying you’re a “highly motivated individual” or that you’ve got “extensive knowledge”. But plugging your profile with too many buzzwords is off-putting and reduces the value of what you’re saying. Plus, remember that the person reading your CV won’t necessarily be an industry expert. So, make sure it’s easy for everyone to understand. If it’s too confusing, it’ll be skimmed and skipped.

Personal profiles are an essential part of a strong CV. Although writing about yourself is initially scary, it’s simple once you know what to include.

Follow our structure and our top tips and you’ll have crafted the perfect intro to your CV in no time.