Improving your CV: creating an effective personal profile

Reviewing your CV can be a daunting process. Employment details, skills and achievements all need updating, as does your personal profile. This will be the first thing prospective employers are likely to read and with a limited amount of time to grab their attention, your personal profile needs to stand out from the crowd. Here is an explanation of what a personal profile is and why you need it with some details of what to include and what to avoid.

What is a Personal Profile?

The personal profile is a 7-8-line paragraph which sits underneath your contact details at the top of a CV. Employers and recruiters find this part of the CV valuable as they typically spend only 20-30 seconds reviewing each CV. It should provide a brief overview of you as a professional and provide a concise summary of your experience, relevant skills and value you can bring. It needs to be tailored against each role you apply for and include what makes you unique and why you are the ideal fit for the position. Regardless of what format of CV you choose to use, it is essential to include a profile.

What to include

Keywords - Employers configure Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to look for keywords that match the job description. Keywords help demonstrate that your skills align with the requirements of the role. Read the job description thoroughly to see what the recruiter is looking for and then sell your relevant experience back to them. Choose 2-3 areas of expertise or skills required and feature these within your profile. Also, if you have held a similar job title, refer to yourself as that title in the first line of your profile.

Industry Experience - Employers and recruiters often look for candidates with specific industry or sector experience. Referencing the industry immediately highlights to employers that you have relevant expertise. Using industry terms in the profile and throughout your CV can also improve the chances of your CV passing through an ATS. If you do not have specific experience in that field, focus on the relevant transferable skills you have to offer.

Technical Skills & Qualifications - Highlighting your technical skills and qualifications where relevant in the profile, instantly shows the employer that you possess the essential technical skills or qualifications for the role. Whilst these will appear later on in the CV, referencing you have a degree in a participant subject, you are certified or technically competent can rank your CV higher than others.

A Career Objective – Including a career objective in your profile can be beneficial, but it's not always necessary. Whether to include it depends on your specific situation and career goals. If you're a recent graduate, a career objective can help clarify your professional goals and intentions to potential employers. If you're transitioning to a new industry or job function, a career objective can explain your motivations and highlight your transferable skills.

What to Avoid

Writing in the first person e.g. ‘I am a very experienced HR Business Partner’ can take up valuable space. Where possible keep it neutral and to the point e.g. ‘An experienced HR Business Partner’. Don’t focus too much on including lots of personal attributes e.g. confident, enthusiastic, friendly, the employer wants to know more about the skills and expertise you have to offer.

Be mindful of how many skills you include as listing too many can look unfocussed. Avoid common skills such as ‘team player’, ‘good communicator’ and be more specific around the context of how you have used them e.g. ‘Builds strong stakeholder relations with an ability to influence or challenge thinking at board level’. The profile should be more about what you can offer the employer, not what type of company you want to work for or what your next career move needs to look like.

Use Connecting Sentences

Once you have considered what to include in your profile, think about additional qualities, values or strengths and how you can align them to your skills and experience using connecting sentences. A connecting sentence will link your sentences, helping you to create succinct statements.

Here are some examples of connecting sentences:

• A proven track record of
• Highly skilled in
• Extensive experience of
• Possesses a strong understanding of
• Technically skilled in
• Industry experience includes

Writing a profile after you have drafted the rest of your CV may feel easier as you can reflect on experience gained and identify themes and skills acquired within their responsibilities and achievements.

Final Thoughts

Remember - your personal profile should be a brief summary of you and what you are looking for, as well as the value you can provide employers. The remainder of your CV should go into more detail about your achievements, skills and qualifications. Good luck with your job search!