How to write a personal statement for your CV (with examples)

The personal statement (or personal profile) is the short paragraph at the top of your CV, just under your name. It is the first thing a recruiter reads, so it should quickly answer three questions: who are you, what can you offer and what are you looking for?

How long should it be?

Three to five lines, around 50 to 150 words. Write it in the first person without "I" at the start of every sentence, or in a neutral style. Be consistent.

What to include

• Your current role or situation (student, career changer, experienced manager)
• Your main strengths, backed by a fact or a figure
• The type of role you want, in the words of the job advert

Examples

Retail: Customer-focused sales assistant with 3 years' experience in busy high-street stores. Consistently met weekly sales targets and trained 5 new starters. Looking for a supervisor role where I can lead a small team.

Graduate: Business Management graduate from the University of Leeds with a placement year in marketing. Confident with data, Excel and social media analytics. Seeking a graduate marketing role in a growing company.

Career change: Former hospitality manager moving into HR, with 6 years of recruiting, rota planning and staff training. Currently completing a CIPD Level 3 qualification.

Healthcare: Compassionate care assistant with 2 years' experience in residential care, including dementia care and medication rounds. Holds the Care Certificate and is keen to move into a senior role.

No experience: Motivated school leaver with 7 GCSEs including English and Maths, looking for an apprenticeship in IT. Built my own website and helped run the school's computer club.

Mistakes to avoid

Clichés with no proof ("hard-working", "passionate"), long paragraphs, and a generic statement you send to every employer. Adjust it for each application: you can use the CVLibre AI to tailor it to a job advert in seconds.