Back in the day, finding a job was as simple as writing up a decent CV and applying. Unfortunately, in today’s hyper-competitive job market, that’s not the case anymore. Thanks to the power of the internet, employers are connecting with applicants from all across the globe, which means a lot more competition for job openings.
Nowadays your CV needs to stand out from the rest for you to have any hope of getting hired. How do you make your CV stand out you ask? With a well written personal profile. Writing a personal profile for your CV that will set you apart from other candidates may seem like a daunting task — but lucky for you, we’re here to help.
In this article, the Coople Team will guide you through the process of writing a powerful personal profile that will increase your chances of getting hired. We’ll explain exactly what a personal profile is, what to write in a cv profile, and even give you some pointers to help you get started.
What is a personal profile?
You can think of a cv personal profile as a quick introduction or shortened version of your cover letter that’s meant to convince employers or recruiters to keep reading.
For your potential employer, it’s vital to see the most relevant information to the job at one glance. Oftentimes recruiters don’t have the time to dive deep into a CV, which is why we need to make their lives easier by offering them the right information within seconds.
How to write a personal profile for your CV
Although it may seem scary at first, writing a personal profile is actually quite easy once you get down to it. Most CV profiles follow the same simple structure:
- A short introduction
- Valuable skills
- Career ambitions
Pro Tip: Each job opening is unique and values skills in different ways, which means you should tailor your cv and profile accordingly.
Introducing yourself
In the first sentence of your profile, all you need to do is state your professional status. This could be your job title, degree, etc. and can be done both in the first or third person. In fact, you can — and maybe should, avoid using pronouns entirely.
Your CV is all about yourself, so using pronouns like “He” “She” or “I” is unnecessary because their use is implied. Consider the phrase: “I am a software developer seeking new opportunities”. It’s a nice line, but you’ll quickly start to sound repetitive when you list out your accomplishments: “I did x” “I managed y”.
Now let’s remove the pronouns: “Software developer seeking new opportunities”. This phrasing is not only more concise and to the point, it also avoids repetition.
Example: “Highly competent Web Developer with a proven track record in designing websites, managing databases and networking.”
Show off your skills
This is the most important part of your profile, where you can show off to potential employers everything you bring to the table.
As previously mentioned, not all job openings require the same skills, so take a long hard look at the job description and edit your profile accordingly. If you have the space, you can even throw in some evidence of those skills at work!
Example: “Committed team player with strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated success in managing clients of all backgrounds.”
State your career ambitions
Stating your career ambitions may seem like an impossible challenge. After all, most of us don’t know what we’ll eat for lunch, let alone what we’ll be doing in a couple of years! Don’t worry though, no one is asking you to do that.
Instead, in this section, you should state your short term goals. That could be anything from finding a job after graduation to moving into a management position. Try to convey your intended career path, the skills you aim to strengthen, your determination to succeed and grow within the position you are applying for and how it fits in your career trajectory.
Example: “Eager to face new challenges in order to grow and further improve my IT skills. My greatest passion is using my technical know-how to help small businesses thrive. ”
Personal profile pro tips
Getting people jobs is what we do, which means we see hundreds of resumes every day. Over time, we’ve learnt what really makes or breaks a personal profile. Follow the tips below to make your best first impression:
Be concise
Recruiters don’t have the time or willingness to go through endless paragraphs, so don’t write your entire life story. Your CV personal profile should contain all the important information and be presented in a concise way, meaning 4 to 6 lines, at most.
Get your friends involved
There’s nothing worse than a potential employer finding grammatical mistakes in your CV. Those are avoidable and shouldn’t taint all your valuable skills.
Get a friend to thoroughly proofread your CV and profile. They might spot grammatical errors you didn’t see and make sure that the text is clear, to the point, and easy to understand.
Use online templates
There’s no need to re-invent the wheel. Perform a Google search for ‘CV profile examples’ and check out HR websites or blogs, you will find a plethora of different suggestions and templates. There might be one that speaks to you. Make use of it!
Ready to apply?
Once you have your personal profile and the rest of your curriculum vitae polished, complete with a professional profile picture, all that’s left is to go out and land that dream job you’ve been looking for. Simply download the Coople App and start applying today!