Boosting your professional profile

Your professional profile is the section that should sit at the top of your CV underneath your contact details. This is your elevator pitch and your chance to showcase your skills and any expertise which are relevant to the role. It should grab the attention of the reader and encourage them to read the remainder of your CV.

It is therefore vital that this is tailored towards the position you plan on applying for. If it is too broad or generic you run the risk of the recruiter moving to the next CV because you don’t clearly match then requirements of the role. Remember, the average time a recruiter looks at your CV is between 5-7 seconds so you need to make every second count!

How do you write this section?

This should be around six to eight sentences long depending on how extensive your career is. If you are still at university or have just graduated this can be four to six sentences.

You should write all of your Professional Profile in the third person and avoid the use of “I” to be consistent with the rest of your CV. For the avoidance of doubt this does not mean referring to yourself by your “first name”. A key tip for writing this section is to mirror the job advert and ensure you are capturing the key elements i.e. the “must haves” in your Professional Profile.

Opening sentence

You should start with an effective opener which explains who you are and your background so the recruiter can see straight away that you have a job title they are interested in as well as the industries you work within. So, for example, make sure you mention the key elements in the first line: A dynamic and target driven Sales Director with substantial expertise increasing revenue within the pharmaceutical industry.

The middle section

You should then summarise your skills and capabilities.
– Do you lead a team and does that matter for the role?
– Do you manage client accounts, establish relationships or performance manage staff?
– Do you have a qualification that is relevant to the job position? If relevant you need to include this, such as being a Chartered Accountant or Mechanical Engineer etc.
– Can you speak more than one language and, if so, does that matter for the role?

Closing statement

You can finish this off with a closing statement that either summarises your softer skills or anything else you wish to highlight.

The remainder of your CV

Your CV should be tailored accordingly and if you would like more information you can get your Free CV Review or Order your new CV. Remember, your CV must help you stand out from the crowd so give yourself the best chance and take the time to get it right!

Good luck!

*Emma Alkirwi is the Managing Director of the CV Guru which is the leading service provider of professionally written CVs, LinkedIn Profiles, cover letters in the UK and they also provide specialist consultancy services.  Emma has over 10 years experience in recruitment and employment related services covering a wealth of industries. Having been a professional employment consultant for several years, she has provided professional advice covering everything from professional CV/LinkedIn writing, effective job searching, interview skills and preparation, presentation techniques and general professional coaching.

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