Personal Profile on Resume

When you are writing a resume, you know you need to focus on your skills and experience. You want to show that you’re the right person for a position in your career of choice. That’s precisely where a personal profile on a resume comes in. Also called a resume objective, this is a block of text that contains details about what you’re capable of.

This is a short section of the resume that delves into what makes you special. Here is where you explain what you’ve done in the past, what you want to do in the future, and why you should be hired. The rest of your resume will act as an anchor that shows all the things you can do in more detail.

If you’re not sure where to start when creating a personal profile on a resume, don’t worry. This guide will provide a series of tips and examples that can be used to make the process efficient and simple. First, we want to talk about what a personal profile is and whether it’s something you want to incorporate into your resume.

What is a personal profile on a resume?

Before we jump into the details, first we want to look at a personal career profile definition. The first thing to be aware of is that this section of a resume goes by a ton of different names. You might hear it referred to as a CV summary, a personal summary, a resume objective, a personal objective, and so on. While these names are all unique, what they describe is not.

The personal profile in a resume is where you share details about your experience, skills, goals, and achievements. A hiring manager or recruiter looks at this to find out what qualities and attributes you have, as well as what kind of person you are and what professional experience you have had in the past.

Should you include a personal profile on your resume?

In theory, adding profile statements on resumes isn’t mandatory. However, we highly recommend you add one to the document. It’s something that managers expect to see and if you don’t include it, it might leave you going unpicked for a job you’re highly qualified for.

Using a personal profile for resumes is the best way to show who you are, what your goals are, and what kind of things you can do. Once someone from job postings reads it, they have a much better sense of who you are, even before they ever meet you in person.

Why should you take the time to craft a personal profile on a resume? Because it’s a great way to make an excellent first impression. As everyone knows, you only get a single first impression, so you want to do it right. By incorporating your experience and skills related to the role into this resume section, people are more likely to keep reading.

How to write a personal profile on your resume: 5 pro tips that work

Later on, we’ll share a few resume personal summary examples that you can use to pen your experience, skills, job titles, and more. Before we get into that, we want to share some tips that will make the writing process easier. Keep in mind that this section is important but short. You need to focus on putting the right information down.

As you create a personal profile for a resume, remember that it acts as a snapshot of who you are as a professional. Yes, it’s only a few sentences that summarize the resume or CV, but it says a lot to a potential employer. You want to tailor it to the specific role and your unique skillset.

Tip #1: Focus the personal statement on the role

You’ll notice in CV personal profile examples that each of them is tailored to a certain role. This is something you should do too. You can’t write a generic resume objective and paste it on every resume you send to different jobs. The point is to show how you are a good fit for a specific role.

Every role is different. Some will focus on a certain set of skills, while others might highlight other abilities. Looking at the job advertisement can tell you where to set your focus to do things first.

Tip #2: Profile statement examples are short

While there are different ideas of exactly how long a personal statement should be, everyone agrees you should try to make it short. Most resumes are a maximum of one to two pages, and the summary statement should only be a small portion of that space. This is why it’s important to focus on your qualifications and skills.

The profile statement should be only a few sentences long. If you notice that you’re going over four sentences, it’s time to stop and revise. A long paragraph is far less likely to be hard-hitting and interesting to the hiring manager. Get to your point immediately and share what makes you a great job candidate.

Tip #3: Talk about your experience

If you have a relevant skill that fits the job description, this section is a good place to insert it. However, most resume summaries largely focus on a wide variety of work experiences. Highlight your professional goals and achievements. At the same time, avoid unnecessary adjectives to make the most of your word count.

There are several things to put forth with the personal statement. You want to show your qualifications, relevant industries you’ve worked in, key job titles, and any processes and software you’ve worked with. Things that don’t have anything to do with the role should be nixed in favor of more relevant information.

Tip #4: Add figures and statistics

Anyone can create a profile for a resume that is full of untruths. This is why you must back up what you have to say. When you can use numbers as a way to quantify what you’re capable of, make sure you take advantage of that. This could be something as simple as writing “10+ years of experience in forensic accounting.”

Years of experience, university degrees, and impressive results are all excellent choices for filling out a personal statement. Make sure your best achievements and accomplishments are front and center. Focus on those to create a great resume personal profile that anyone will enjoy reading.

Tip #5: Make sure to proofread

Your resume and cover letter should be simple to read, and the same applies to your personal statement. This is why you need to make sure it’s clear and simple to read. The best way to do this is by editing it at least once after you finish it. Spelling or grammar mistakes can detract from your message, so fix them before you send your application.

All in all, the personal profile on your resume should reflect your career up to now. You want it to give details what who you are, what you can do, and what you’re looking for. The stage of your career can have an impact on what you add to your objective.

For instance, someone who has just graduated might be looking for an internship or entry-level position. Another person might be searching for a new industry to work in. The profile statement lets you share exactly who you are and what kind of situation you are in. It lets you show your skills so you get noticed.

What does a good sample profile for a resume look like? 3 winning resume personal profile examples

Whether you’re an entry-level candidate or someone who has extensive experience in a role, building an effective personal profile takes time and brain power. You need to pay attention to the details as you start to write this section of the resume. Not only do you want to represent yourself well, but you want to be sure the hiring manager or recruiter sees all the value you will bring to a brand. The personal statement is where you do all of this.

The examples below are designed to help you create a personal statement that gains attention and moves you forward in the process of getting a position. You can use parts of these examples in your own personal statement or just let them help with creating a creative block of text that sells you well.

Example #1

In this particular personal summary resume example, you learn about the experience and skills of the applicant. You can see where they have made a positive contribution at their past places of employment, which gives an idea of what they’re capable of in the future.

This sample is for an academic position and focuses on the skills and achievements that matter in that kind of environment. It’s easy to use as a guide to creating your own statement for a position in any industry. Just change things out and update them to match your goals and experience.

What makes this a good example

As a resume objective (and a written elevator pitch), this personal summary is a good one to use. It not only provides information on career goals but what a person has done in the past. You get a good idea of what the applicant is capable of, which makes it easy to gauge them as a potential employee.

In addition, this is a short personal statement for a resume. It won’t take up much room and lets you use the rest of the resume for other information. It gives the most important details but lets you go into detail in the experience, education, and skills sections.

Example #2

The second personal profile summary is focused on a customer service job as opposed to an academic one. But that doesn’t mean you need to be in a certain sector to use this personal statement or one similar to it. It has a good flow that can be used for all sorts of purposes.

For those who are in search of this same sort of position, feel free to edit the example to ensure it shows all your top achievements. Include degrees, experience, and skills that would be a good choice for the role you want to apply for.

What makes this a good example

Candidates can look at this example as a way to see how to add qualifications and relevant work experience. Relevant experience is the most important thing to include. Not everyone will have it, but when you do, that’s what you want to focus on. Add in quantified information about how you helped your past companies succeed.

This offers a good idea of how you might set up a personal description if you’re looking for a job that has more responsibilities. In this case, the person wants to move into management and has focused the objective on that with a list of reasons they’re ready to move forward.

Example #3

The last of our personal description examples is great for job seekers with experience and skills to share. Candidates will see that the extensive background is kept at the forefront of the blurb so managers notice it right away. A degree (or several) and qualifications can also be added to show why the person is a good choice.

In some positions, certain skills or knowledge of technologies are especially important. You can see how the potential employee weaves those in, so it’s clear they have the skills for the role. Do the same when you build your own personal profile.

What makes this a good example

There are a lot of things that are done right in this final example. It shows the person’s number of years in the role, what they know how to do, and what they want to do moving forward. You get a quick idea of what they can handle and how they’d fit into the workplace. It has all the needed information without a lot of extra fluff.

When you create your own personal profile, use this or the other examples as a guide for how your own should look in the end. If it’s easy to read, has all the required information, and doesn’t take much too much space, you’ll be good to move forward.

Where on your resume should you include your personal profile?

When you look at personal profile examples, you might wonder where this block of text goes. The answer is either as a resume header or just below that section. It all comes down to where you have the personal information of the employee situated. Those who have it at the top of their resume will want to put their personal objective right underneath. On the other hand, if the contact info is on a sidebar, placing the objective on the very top of the main section works just as well.

In either case, this section should be at the top of your resume. It needs to be one of the first things that a recruiter or manager sees. It frontloads a ton of information about why you would be a great person to have on the team. You don’t want to risk being missed among everything else on the resume.

How to format the personal profile on your resume

Thankfully, the format for a creative personal profile is very simple. The block of text is short and sits toward the top of the resume. The idea behind a personal statement is to include your goals, skills, and experience related to the position you want to acquire. Regardless of your role or industry, the personal profile is a short paragraph that sums up your career. It should contain the following -

• Anywhere from 50 to 100 words in no more than four reasonably short sentences
• The function or title you wish to (or already) hold, such as hospitality manager or senior developer
• An opening hook that draws eyes
• Both hard skills and soft skills
• Statistics and facts that are impressive
• Short and/or long-term goals you have
• A specific slant toward the position you are applying for

When you see this list, it might seem as if it’s going to be far more than 200 words in total. However, it can be done. It’s a matter of breaking things down into goals, skills, and experience so it’s clear you are a great candidate for the job. Many people focus on having the perfect introduction rather than what the hiring manager wants to see. Be flexible and show the best you for a specific role.

The personal profile is a brief piece of text that can add some personality to what is otherwise a dull and impersonal document. The personal statement can offer a bit of creativity and a conversational tone different from the rest of the resume. While the third person is most common, you can change things up if you like.

Key takeaways

Writing the personal statement for your resume should be done after the rest of the document is complete. If you want to move forward with your career, it’s important to tailor the personal statement to the specific job you are interested in. While doing so, make sure you center the statement around who you are, what skills you have, your top achievements, and how you hope to help the new employer.

A good personal profile will typically be under 200 words and only a few sentences long. Avoid using generic buzzwords or jargon as it can detract from your message. After you’ve finished your objective and the resume looks great, all that you have left to do is pen a cover letter. Create one for the job before you move forward in the application process.

You can use a personal profile sample from this guide to craft your own. However, candidates must edit it to include their key qualifications and accomplishments. For even more help, our resume builder offers a variety of tools to craft a resume that is sure to turn heads. All you have to do is choose a template and move forward. Good luck with the job search!

FAQs

Do I have to include a personal profile on my resume?

It isn’t mandatory to add a personal profile, but it is recommended. It’s a good way to show off your skills and the quality of work you’ve done in the past. Take a look at personal profile examples for resumes to get an idea of what yours should look like when it is complete.

In addition, your sentences should be reasonably short. Long run-on sentences will make it more challenging to read for a recruiter or manager. Focus on your top accomplishments if you have too much to say.

How long should my personal profile statement be?

In general, a personal profile statement should be very short and concise. Rather than guessing, make sure that you do not go over four sentences. Going longer may cause a manager to skim over what you have to say. A maximum of about 200 words is considered customary for this part of a resume.

How do you write a personal profile on a resume for an internship?

Personal profile examples for students searching for an entry-level position, such as an internship, are similar to those for more experienced workers. Keep it simple, lead with a strong asset, include work experience you have, and include your top achievements.

Those who have no work experience of the formal variety can include volunteer work, gig positions, and other things. The important aspect of this is showing what you are good at and how that relates to the internship that you are hoping to get.