Reviewing your CV after a long period in employment can be a daunting process. Career history, skills and achievements all need updating, as does your personal profile. This will be the first thing prospective employers are likely to read, you've got a limited amount of time to grab their attention, so the personal profile needs to make you stand out from the crowd. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone to brag about our achievements, but on our CV, that is exactly what we must do. Renovo’s career coaches can help you overcome this barrier, and assist you in identifying any areas for development in your CV. Our career coaches often find that many individuals’ CVs do not feature a personal profile – a brief 4 to 6 line summary of who you are, the skills you have to offer and how you can add value to an employer. If you need to add a personal profile to your CV, or aren’t sure if yours is as effective as it could be, Renovo’s career coaches are here to help. We’ve put together a few tips that’ll be sure to improve your CV and catch employers’ attention.

Be concise and informative

The ability to write concisely is vital in every aspect of the job seeking process. Cover letters, application forms, and the entire CV must be as concise as possible. Recruiters and employers aren’t likely to the time or inclination to read through pages of text when they’re receiving a high number of applications every day. Your personal profile should be no more than 4 to 6 lines long. It must get straight to the point, mentioning the job title in the first line where possible.

Tailored

Again, an employer is more likely to take an interest in your application and CV if it’s immediately clear that you’ve tailored it to their vacancy. Mention specific skills included in the job description or advert, and if you’ve a specific type of experience that they’ve asked for include this too. Of course, don’t list all of your relevant skills – that’s for later in the CV – just showcase 2 to 3 expertise that have been highlighted as being particularly important to the potential employer. Tailoring your profile to the role may take 10-15 minutes for each application, but it’s likely to be the difference between your CV being overlooked or making it through to the next round of the process.

Writing style

Write the profile in a statement format.  Avoid using ‘I’ or ‘me.’ Keep the tone neutral. Employers appreciate a formal, less personal tone. Above all, be specific. Include relevant achievements, as long as they can be explained in only a few words. Keep a narrow focus – listing too many skills can look unrealistic or unfocussed.

An effective profile enables an employer to  quickly grasp who you are in a nutshell what you do, how you do it and to what result, allowing them to identify how you can add value within their business. The remainder of your CV should go into more detail about your achievements, skills and qualifications. Renovo’s career coaches can assist you in all aspects of the job seeking process. Get in touch now to make your career transition straightforward – and successful.

EXAMPLE PROFILES

• Weak profile: ‘I am a qualified I am seeking a position where I can use my skills and have the opportunity to progress. I am proactive, have a great sense of humour and can cope in a busy environment.’
• Strong Profile: ‘Professional Qualified Accountant with extensive experience in the preparation of financial accounts, budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis. Successfully implemented new processes which have resulted in significant reduction of costs. Possesses excellent communication and interpersonal skills supported by the ability to work to tight deadlines and using own initiative.’