Curriculum Vitae: Guidelines on Writing a Personal Profile

Business WritingTechnical and Business Writing
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Anna
Jul 19, 2018

You might be wondering if a personal profile is still expected when applying for jobs or for a promotion now that almost everyone has an online profile that can be easily accessed by company recruiters. You will be surprised to know that you are, indeed, under no obligation to write a personal profile when you are applying for your dream job, especially since submitting a personal profile is no longer part of the norm. However, studies show that recruiters and hiring managers only spend an average of 10 seconds assessing an applicant’s resume. So how can you make your resume stand out and urge the recruiter to spend more than 10 seconds on your application? Yes! That is through a personal profile. 

Writing Your Personal Profile

Believe it or not, preparing and writing a personal profile, also known as a personal statement, is not difficult. A personal profile is a short summary of your personal qualities, strengths, and career goals. This should be on top of your resume, and it serves to advertise your qualities to your potential employers in a comprehensive manner. With the help of a personal profile, your potential employer will get a grasp of your qualities, strengths, and career goals in a matter of seconds. Finding your career path is within reach!

Main considerations

  1. Format specifications.
    Four to six short- to medium-length sentences is the commonly accepted length of personal profiles. Anything more than 200 words is likely to bore the recruiter. As much as you are excited to write everything about you, you need to carefully choose only the highlights.
  2. Be direct.
    Since you are limited to just four to six sentences, go straight to the point. Do not play around with dramatic words or metaphors.
  3. Be natural .
    It goes without saying that your tone should be professional. However, you must remember, too, that you need to create an impression of confidence while not sounding too proud.
  4. Stick to one point of view.
    You may choose to write either in first person or in third person. Write in the perspective that you are most comfortable with. But do not ever mix the two perspectives as this is a symptom of poor writing. Pick one and stick to it.
  5. Grammar.
    If you are not confident enough about your grammar, enlist the assistance of an editor or someone qualified who can proofread it for you. Even if you are confident with your writing skills, a fresh eye can help you make your personal profile even clearer and more concise.

Writing the personal profile

A personal profile consists of three parts: the introduction to yourself, your qualifications, and your long-term goals.

  1. Introduction to yourself
    “A Literature graduate from the University of Michigan looking for an entry level in…”
    “An enthusiastic sales manager seeking to continue career growth into…”
     “A software developer with 27 years of experience wishing to manage aspiring and junior level…”
  2. Your qualifications
    The second part should be realistic and based only on what is stated in your resume. Do not exaggerate or fabricate information because you may end up in trouble if a background check is carried out. Mention only relevant and worthy information for they can boost your chances of success. Remember—the shorter, the better.
    For example, if you have a past experience as a salesman, you may simply write “an experienced real estate sales agent.”
    You do not need to write that you are a “results-driven real estate professional who has extensive experience in expert marketing to upper-class clients.” Your recruiter will probably skip reading your personal profile with such a statement.
  3. Your long-term goals
    The third part contains your goals. Like a thesis and conclusion to an essay, this determines your personal profile’s success. You must convince the recruiter that hiring you is a wise and worthy move.
    Here is a good example: “I am seeking to utilize my writing and editing skills in a diverse, intellectually stimulating environment where I can grow in and be a solid contributor.”

A personal profile is an extremely short piece of writing. Preparing one requires a number of editing and adjustments. Technically speaking, writing a personal profile is not that complicated, but it does require attention to detail. As you probably notice now, this article is longer than the personal profile that you are preparing to write. Follow these tips and increase your chances of landing that dream job!

Writing help for students and professionals 

If you are among the people who struggle to write for yourself because it is simply not your forte, then maybe it is time to seek help from a ghostwriting service online. Like painting, not everyone can have a strong writing ability. There is no need to compromise your career or grade because of your writing ability. CustomEssayMeister can help you write your personal profile, along with custom essays, term papers, case studies, research papers, and other coursework.

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