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How to Write a CV Profile

Present employers with a profile statement that sums up your proposition concisely.

A profile statement (sometimes called a summary statement) is your opportunity to distil down what you have to offer a potential employer to a few well-chosen words (typically around three or four lines' worth). It appears on the first page of the CV, most commonly straight after the name and contact details, and should give a concise overview of your relevant skills, experience and qualifications.

Your profile statement is your first real opportunity to grab the reader's attention. Its importance should not be underestimated. We talked earlier about how somebody reading your CV decides whether or not you're worth an interview within an average of just eight seconds. By the time they've read your profile, a significant number of recruiters will already have decided whether or not you might fit the bill. Get the tone and content of the profile wrong and you're heading for the reject pile. Catch the recruiter's eye in a positive way and at least you can count on the next few lines of your CV being looked at.

The profile generally has three elements to it:

1. Function, level, sector

2. Key strengths in regard to the vacancy applied for

3. Accountability or contribution

FUNCTION, LEVEL, SECTOR

This reflects the type of job you do, the level you do it at and the sector(s) where you have gained your experience. For example, you might be one of the following:

Qualified Accountant operating at senior management level in the manufacturing sector.
Experienced and resourceful General Manager with proven background in the packing industry.
Part-qualified HR professional with a strong recruitment background gained in the financial sector.

You'll notice in the second and third examples that the basic information is supplemented by adjectives, which are there to add more detail about the individual. This is a good tactic, but don't waste your time including adjectives that are weak or neutral. Examples of positive personal characteristics include: results-orientated, energetic, creative, adaptable, articulate, logical, committed and leading edge.

The other thing to notice about all three examples is that they all describe the applicant in the third person, which is very much the norm in profile statements and what I would always recommend. The curious thing about writing a profile statement is that it's you writing nice, positive words about, well, you. It's only a literary conceit I guess, but the use of the third person does play that down a shade.

KEY STRENGTHS IN REGARD TO THE VACANCY APPLIED FOR

'In regard to the vacancy' is a key phrase. This is not the moment to set out the allsinging, all-dancing, wide-screen picture of absolutely everything you're good at. If the recruiting organisation is looking for somebody who is strong at A, B and C, then you need to focus on your personal capabilities at doing A, B and C. An example of this element of the profile would be: 'Highly experienced sales negotiator, with strong project and cost management skills.'

ACCOUNTABILITY OR CONTRIBUTION

This is your opportunity to indicate what you contribute to an organisation's performance. Here are some examples:

Proven track record of successfully managing IT projects in excess of 10 million.
Successfully turned around three lossmaking businesses, bringing each into profit within two years of arrival.
Internal consultant with a strong background in change management.

WORD OF WARNING: WHERE'S THE BEEF?

By putting together each of these three elements, you can create a strong, incisive profile. Remember though that whilst you're at liberty to describe yourself in very complimentary terms, you'll need to provide 'proof' of your accomplishments elsewhere in your CV. As a Recruitment Consultant once told me: 'Profiles are basically bullshit unless there's real concrete evidence to back them up.'


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