Fish4jobs How to Write a Personal Profile

1. Contact: 0345 3000 406 or customerservices@fish4.co.uk
Write a profile that packs a punch
The personal statementisyourchance to shine.Yougetto show off yourstrengths,shout
aboutyour achievementsandshare yourcareeraspirations.Butclutteritup withboring
businessspeakandyouendupsoundinglike everyone else.
Here’showto make yourprofile pop:
• In 50 to 150 words,tell themwhoyouare (educationandworkhistory),whatyou
can offer(skillsandachievements) andyourcareeraim(whatjobyou want).
• Banishclichéssuchas ‘hardworker’and ‘workswell individuallyoras part of a
team’.
• Make itspecifictothe job (if you’re applyingdirectly) ortothe type or role (if you’re
workingona job site or witha recruitmentagency).
Examplesthatsell...
“Enthusiasticschoolleaver with five GCSEs looking foran apprenticeship in the
engineering field. Possessing good written and verbalcommunication and an
interest in engineering which hasspanned my lifetime with particularpassion
forelectrics. For my GCSE Design & Technology project,Ibuilt a working
calculatorand wasawarded an A*. Looking fora startin the exciting world of
electrical engineering whereI can learn a tradeand realise a lifetime ambition.”
“A pro active sales professionalwith over6 yearsexperience.Working asa sales
executivefor BSkyB,Ihit my sales targetsand waspromoted within two years.
This role haveenabled me to develop a valuableand transferableskillset which
standsmein good stead fora Sales Managerrole. ”
The devil’sinthe detail
Your CV is not the place to gettoo personal.Share yourlove of social media,andyour
would-be managermightpicture youtweetingthrougheverymeeting.
Instead,include hobbiesandintereststhatdemonstrate aparticularskill orare relevantto
the job you’re applyingfor:
• Captainof school hockeyteam(showsleadership)
• Volunteer/communitywork(showsyou’re proactive)

2. Contact: 0345 3000 406 or customerservices@fish4.co.uk
• Visitingartgalleriesandmuseums(if applyingforajob insomethingrelevant...)
Likewise,steerclearof anypersonal informationthatdoesn’timpactyourabilitytodo
the job,including:
• Date of birth,marital status,numberof childrenorreligion.
• Data that couldbe usedinidentitytheftsuchasyour National Insurance
numberor passportnumber.
• A photo,unlessyou’vebeen askedtosubmitone.
Make it visible
Eventhe bestwrittenCV can’t do the jobif no one seesit.Whenuploadingtojobsites,
alwaysselectthe ‘public’or‘visible’optiontoensure yourdetailsappearinsearchresults.
Includingjobtitlesandkeywordsfromyourideal jobdescriptions,suchassectors,
qualificationsandcourses,willalsohelpgetyounoticed.
AndremembertokeepyourCV updated.Recruitersoftenfilterbythe lastday,weekor
monthso make sure your resume neverreachesitssellbydate.