A personal profile is your opportunity to make a good first impression with your CV. The aim is to create a piece of text that gives your future employer a snapshot of who you are and your experience.
The key ingredients to a personal profile are:
- Personality (are you hardworking, enthusiastic, funny, a team leader?)
- The most significant part of your work life (relevant degree or training, awards or achievements)
- Programmes or procedures you are experienced in
- Years of experience in a particular field if applicable
- Interest in pursuing a career in the role you’re applying for
The ideal length of your personal profile should be relative to the length of your career. For example, the longer you’ve been working, the more succinct you’ll be about yourself so you can focus on the other parts of your CV. If you’re new or returning to work, you may feel you want to say more if you have fewer or shorter roles featured in the rest of your CV. Approximately 4-5 sentences is enough space to say who you are in a nutshell, without over-explaining.
A great tip is to mirror the language included in the job advert – if the employer states they’re looking for someone enthusiastic and excited by new challenges, use those words to describe yourself!
Using industry-appropriate language can also be helpful, for instance, for applying for roles in the dental industry, it would be useful to highlight if you are a caring person, interested in people or friendly.
Your personal profile may feel quite similar to writing a cover letter – read our guidance on writing the perfect cover letter here.