Elena Prokopets
Fact: recruiters spend only 6 seconds reviewing each CV. So poorly organized CVs inevitably get discarded.
Having an effective CV layout is the first step to attracting their attention. And the second step is topping that CV with a compelling personal statement (also known as a personal profile, personal summary, or executive summary).
What is a Personal Statement in a CV?
A personal statement for a CV is a short and compelling paragraph that summarizes why you’re the most qualified person for the offered role. It tells the reader who you are and what valuable qualifications you will be bringing to their company.
NB: Opening statement, personal profile, personal summary, or executive summary are the other common names for a personal statement.
Many believe that the work experience section is the most important element of a CV. Yet, it is your personal statement that can end up making or breaking the success of your job application.
Why?
Because it provides the reader with a quick answer to one question they have on their mind: Are you qualified for the job or not?
Remember: You’ll be directly competing with numerous other applicants with similar skills and work experiences. A compelling CV statement sets you apart by giving the reader a condensed snapshot of who you are as a person.
Do I Need To Include a Personal Statement On My CV?
The short answer is YES! A personal statement entices the reader to read your entire CV by giving them a preview of your most valuable skills. It also helps you differentiate from other candidates by explaining your background, motivation, and personal character traits concisely.
In essence, a personal statement helps you express why you are the right choice for the job in one condensed paragraph.
Where Should a Personal Statement Go in a CV?
A personal statement goes into the header area of your CV. Include it right under your name and contact details as a separate, highlighted area. A good personal statement is about 3-4 sentences long and occupies not more than 1/4th of the page.
Alternatively, you can design a two-column CV and allocate the upper sidebar area for your personal statement. As a recent survey found, 77% of recruiters prefer two-column CVs to single-column ones.
Sample personal statement placement on a CV template
What Do You Write in a CV Personal Statement?
A compelling personal statement summarizes your professional and educational background; highlights the main skills and accomplishments. It can also express your career objectives and/or interest in the particular industry or subject if you’re a current student or recent graduate.
Personal Statement Examples for CV
To give you an idea of how to write your statement, let’s look at some examples.
Remember: You need to write a unique personal statement for your CV. Simply copying and using these examples may not be the best move because the sample CV statements won’t reflect your unique experiences and personality.
Good CV Personal Statement Examples
Employers want to see experts. Therefore, your personal statement must speak directly to your most marketable skills.
You should never come off sounding desperate or diminish your worth (even if you have been recently laid off). Use a confident tone with first-person implied and strong verbs to describe your core competencies and other benefits you can bring to the workplace.
General Jobseeker Personal Statement Example
Highly motivated, fully trained engineer with 15 years of experience in the telecoms industry. Worked with XYZ Telecoms Ltd, Cool Mobile Carrier, and Acme Telco as a field engineer and project team leader. Successfully managed large commercial telecom infrastructure installations. Currently unemployed due to the relocation of the company. Open to new opportunities in NOC.
Personal Statement CV Example For an Administration Position
Adaptable and resourceful facilities manager with experience in supporting enterprise-sized organizations in real estate, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing industries. Strong organizational skillset: Six Sigma, standardized method of procedure (MOP) policies implementation. Was responsible for facilities operations on 2.4 million square feet in a 20-building chemical manufacturing campus, serviced by a 20+ people team of building engineers, electricians, HVAC technicians, and cleaners.
Accountant Personal Statement CV Examples
Below are two samples for a senior and a junior accountant.
Chartered Accountant
ACCA-certified accountant for mid-market and enterprise-sized companies. Conducted due diligence and tax audits for FTSE 500 companies. Commenced for a 100% accuracy track record in financial reporting, as well as fast turnaround on complex analytical reviews. Provide on-demand advisory on trust setup, company incorporation, and tax deferrals.
Account Assistant
Detail-oriented, certified accounting assistant with experience in payroll administration. Familiar with Gusto, Xero, and Intuit software. Effectively process payroll, benefits, taxes, and social contributions for over 1500 employees per month. Possess a strong foundation in employee classification, tax reporting, and financial management.
CV Personal Statement Examples for Students
Whether you’re applying for an internship or looking for a part-time job, a compelling personal is a must-have for a student CV.
Since your work experience history may be a bit “thin”, you need to persuade the employer via other means — your transferable skills, academic interests, and personal traits. A personal CV allows you to spotlight all of these.
Remember that you are bringing your energy, dedication, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn to the table. As you will not have any employment history, you need to make sure to get your personality and your soft skills over in your statement.
CV Statement for a Student Looking for a Full-Time Summer Job
Junior copywriter, enrolled in a BA Writing Program at the University of Manchester (graduation date: fall 2025). Alumni of the 2022 Copywriting Bootcamp program from Matters Agency. Well-versed in target audience analysis, brand positioning, and editorial campaign planning. Writing clips for eCommerce and SaaS brands are available in my portfolio.
CV Statement for an Internship
Second-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Leeds, seeking to apply theoretical knowledge in safety system design. Proficient in AutoCAD and completed a series of blueprints for fire and water safety systems as part of my coursework. Fast learner, self-starter, and team player, I’m excited to contribute my technical expertise to a dynamic engineering team.
CV Statement for a Student Looking for a Part-Time Job
Junior front-end developer (React, Angular JS), seeking a part-time programming position in the Great London area. Current availability is 10-15 hours per week, preferably with hybrid work arrangements. Solid understanding of design systems and UX/UI best practices. Past work experience in finance and eCommerce sectors.
CV Personal Statement Examples for 16-Year-Olds
Joining the workforce straight after high school makes sense if you want to take a gap year or pursue trade education later on. The wrinkle, however, is that most employers may be wary of your age and lack of experience.
The goal of a personal statement is to dispel those doubts by showing that you’re a serious, mature, and hard-working candidate, eager to learn and hone your craft.
Personal Statement for Apprentenship Position
With a strong interest in woodworking and construction, I am eager to gain practical experience and develop my carpenter skills with XYZ Bureau. My grandfather taught me how to work with various tools (chisels, saws, hammers) and apply suitable techniques to different types of wood. I have since worked on recovering vintage desks, bookcases, and сabinets and would like to continue evolving my skills in furniture design with your bureau.
Personal Statement for a Barista Position
Genuine coffee lover and frequent guest at Maddie’s Cafe, I would love to join the barista team. As a former head of the prom planning committee, I understand the importance of good teamwork, efficient planning, and following instructions. My main objectives are to learn more about beverage prep and deliver exceptional experiences to customers.
CV Personal Statement Examples For A Graduate
Your personal statement should focus on your main educational attainments and experiences. If you are applying before you have had your degree results, it is fine to give a projected grade. You can also mention any specific modules you have studied that are relevant to the job on offer and how much you enjoyed working on them.
Remember: Your goal is to explain why you’re interested in this role and what you could bring to the table.
Graduate Personal Statement Example
Business administration graduate with a 1:1 honors degree from XYZ University. Interested in an entry-level merchandising position within your Commercial Sales Department to expand my knowledge in retail merchandising, procurement, and inventory management. Looking to apply my analytical and data modeling skills for merchandising strategy optimization.
Personal Statement for High School Graduate
Energetic and enthusiastic high school graduate (June 2023) with top A-levels grades in English, Maths, and French. Seeking an entry-level role in sales, where I can make use of and develop my language skills. My long-term career goal is to further my language qualifications and position myself as a European sales manager living and working overseas for a global company.
Personal Statement Examples for CV With No Experience
Lack of experience in a particular role or industry should never discourage you from applying. Although you may not tick all the criteria boxes, you still have transferable skills and unique work experiences to showcase.
Moreover, ongoing talent shortages are prompting employees to reconsider their hiring criteria, plus invest more in new hire training and upskilling. Four in five companies now struggle to fill in open vacancies, which is the highest number in the past 17 years.
So take your chances and apply even if you don’t have sufficient work experience.
Personal Statement Example with No Relevant Work Experience
Former front-desk hotel employee, looking for an opportunity to leverage strong service orientation and organizational skills in new roles (Customer Success or Customer Support). Familiarity with appointment booking software, digital chat apps, and CRM software. With my strong commitment to personal growth and my adaptable nature, I believe I could be a valuable asset to customer-centric teams.
Personal Statement Example with No Industry Experience
Self-starter with a BA degree in Communication and experience in corporate event management seeking a transition to music festival management. Experienced in organizing off-site events for 100+ people (including location scouting and travel coordination). I thrive in fast-paced environments and am eager to build a strong network of new partners.
Discover even more personal statements from our collection of CV examples.
CV Personal Statement For A Career Change
Career change is a big decision, but it can lead to a more fulfilling professional life. Besides, you’re not completely starting anew. Many of the hard and soft skills are quite universal. There is any number of different jobs that need the same set of skills that you have developed, so always try to lead with these and use real-life examples of your experience.
Career Change Personal Statement Example:
Working for the past 10 years as a regional sales manager has allowed me to develop keen skills in building strong working relationships and lucrative networks. Communication skills I developed during my time at my current employer enabled me to win vital contract wins that increased sales revenue by 20% over three years. I am now ready to take on a new challenge and want to work in the charity sector so that I can use my skills to give something back for the direct benefit of others.
How To Write A Strong Personal Statement for a CV
An effective personal statement summarizes your skills and experience in a relevant way i.e., it indicates how you can be of help to the employer.
In short, a compelling CV personal statement:
- Lists your most marketable skills and qualifications
- Highlights your industry knowledge and work experiences
- Mirrors some of the key phrases, used in the job description
And here’s how to write a personal statement that makes a mark.
1. Review the Job Description Once Again
As you go through the role description, pay attention to the words, used by the employer, to describe the candidate’s requirements, duties, and personality. Keep those in the back of your head.
These are the keywords you’d want to use all around your CV — in the personal statement, work experience, education, and skills areas.
2. Do a Mental Tally of Your Skills
Try to remember the times in your previous work roles when you accomplished notable objectives, went above and beyond expectations, or otherwise did better than your peers.
Note down everything that springs to mind including your years of experience in a similar role, challenges you took on and the positive results achieved, new projects you kick-started – anything that has close relevance to this new position.
3. Make a Draft Personal Statement
Write down a sample personal statement. Don’t worry about the length – just put as many details as you’d like on paper. Once you’re done, revisit the job description. See how your personal statement compares to the description. Does it paint a picture of someone who would fit the role?
4. Edit for Clarity and Briefity
A good CV personal statement shouldn’t be longer than 3-4 sentences. Take a critical look at your draft version and condense it to the bare essentials: 2-3 main skills, a major accomplishment, and a note on your motivation and/or personal traits.
Other things that don’t belong in your personal statement are:
- Explanation of employment gaps or present unemployment status
- Information about hobbies or personal interest
- Any mention of references or recommendations
- Irrelevant skills or work experiences
Want to stand out even more? Add a persuasive opening statement that highlights your strengths as a candidate.
Conclusion
A compelling personal statement can be the key between your CV making the ‘yes’ pile or the reject bin. Take some time to get your statement right and always write a new one for each job you apply for by mirroring the employer’s language.
Finally, to give your CV a polishing touch, try out one of our fancy, but free CV templates, coming in multiple styles: professional, modern, simple, and creative!
