Two BIG Reasons You Need A Good Profile On Your CV

There are two big reasons that you need a good profile on your CV. 

1. To highlight that you are a good match for the role
2. To give your reader reasons to carry on and read the rest of your CV

Your profile sits at the top of your CV between your header information (name and contact details) and the main body of your CV (career summary if it's reverse chronological and key skills and achievements if it's functional).

It may surprise you to know that not every CV is read all the way through (or even at all). If your cover letter is good, they will click on your CV. Typically only the top third to a half a page will appear on their screen, so you've got to make it count. 

Lets look at an example: 

Highly regarded Office Manager & Facilities Coordinator with exceptional organisational, communication and interpersonal skills gained through 15 years  working with several leading global organisations.  A track record of delivering excellent customer service to both internal and external clients and achieving significant cost savings. Respected for managing projects with a “can do” attitude, and proficient in working to tight deadlines in fast moving demanding environments

Key points to note: 

• The language is sharp and to the point (no room for "I" and "me")
• Putting their role description/job title in bold will draw the reader into the profile from their name and position them in the reader's mind as they read the CV
• It avoids phrases "ability to" which don't actually say they did anything 
• Phrases such as "Respected for" and "Track record of" are strong as they suggest that others think well of them and they have evidence to back up their claims
• There's not much, if any, evidence here. We find out about some of their key skills in relation to the job and a bit about who they are. The evidence will be in the main body of the CV in the form of achievement/contribution statements

Just remember to tweak your profile, and the rest of your CV, to target each role that you are going for. And remember to keep a copy of exactly what you sent to whom, so that when you go for interview you know what they know about you.

Check out the video which is a taster of what you'll find in the CV module of The Career Base Camp, your one-stop-shop for everything you need to manage your career.