Writing an effective personal profile on your CV

Reviewing your CV after long term employment can be a daunting process. Employment details, skills and achievements all need updating, as does your personal profile. This will be the introductory paragraph of your CV and the first area that 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.

Strengths and achievements

It may not come naturally to sell yourself and highlight career achievements, but on your CV it is important to demonstrate your strengths and why you are the most suitable person for the position. Avoid a generic, broad profile and instead tailor the profile to match the companies specific business needs.  Many job-seekers fail to include this section but most employers and recruiters expect it. Remember that you only have 30 seconds to grab the employers’ attention – so this is the bit that has to make the recruiter read on!

The profile length should be a 6-7 line summary of who you are, including the skills you have to offer and how you can add value to an employer. The ability to write concisely is vital in every aspect of the job seeking process. Understand the key requirements of the job description and ensure you focus on what areas of expertise you can offer in line with their needs. Recruiters and employers are most likely to skim read CVs if they have a large volume to work through, so It must get straight to the point, mentioning the job title in the first line where possible. 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 discarded instantly or making it through to the next round of the process.

Be specific

Write the profile neutrally and avoid using ‘I’ or ‘me.’ 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 and covering all bases can remove much of the strength from a personal profile.

In summary, the 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. Here at Renovo the 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.