personal statement about resume

How To Write A Resume Personal Statement (With Examples)

In This Guide:

The purpose of a resume personal statement, the elements of a good personal statement, the construction of a good personal statement, final words: writing a resume personal statement.

Quick Answer: A personal statement on a resume summarizes the benefits of hiring you and encourages recruiters to pay attention to your resume. It's the first section of the resume that recruiters see, so it should be brief, easy-to-read, and attention-grabbing. Your statement should include who you are, suitable skills, achievements, your target company, and what you hope to do for your new employer. It should be short and concise, mentioning only the most relevant information for your target roles.

Landing a job interview requires a memorable resume. Including a good personal statement at the top of your resume is a perfect way to do it.

Essentially, your resume personal statement is a brief paragraph that aims to summarise the benefits of hiring you and encourage employers to pay attention to your resume.

If you are wondering whether you should include it.

And you will see why. In this article, we have all the information you need on how to write an eye-catching personal statement and a couple of useful examples.

Hundreds of resumes go through the hands of a Recruiter in just a day. So, you understand how important it is to grab his or her attention in just seconds. One really effective way is to write a personal statement at the top of a resume.

By including a strong personal statement you would for sure get more attention than one without.

1. State who you are

Begin with a description showing your current position in your profession and field of specialization. You could also include what you like most about your work and any characteristics and skills that would make you the perfect choice for the position.

2. Add measurements to your achievements

After that, you should communicate how suitable for the position you are and what is your value to the organization. This section should highlight accomplishments relevant to the position you are applying for. Show that you could be beneficial for the company.

If you are wondering which accomplishments to mention, select those that directly associate with your position. If the position requires managerial experience, mention previous situations that have placed you in such a role. This way, you could quickly establish yourself as the right candidate for the job.

3. State your career objectives

The third section of your personal statement should state why you are applying for this particular position. You have already communicated your skills and qualifications in the previous sentences, so you write the last one concise and direct.

4. Keep your personal statement short

Your whole personal statement should be short, concise, and easy to read. Keep in mind to use simple sentences telling the recruiter the most important information for you.

After telling you how to structure it, see how it is done.

“An efficient, and reliable administrative professional with 8+ years of experience supporting executives, sales personnel, and managers to improve the internal operations for their businesses.

Proficient in CRM applications and design programs. Diversified skill set covering administrative support, client relations, human resources and recruiting, account management, and project management. Excellent interpersonal, phone, and digital communication skills.”

“As a recent graduate from the University of Townville, with a 2:1 honors degree in marketing, I have undertaken internships at industry-leading agencies such as Beyond Imagination and Noah Freemans. These placements have allowed me to develop sector knowledge and gain hands-on experience, as well as expand transferable skills such as communication, negotiation, and analytical skills. My current goal is to gain a role that allows me to further my knowledge and take on increased responsibility at a market-leading digital marketing agency.”

“I am a highly competent IT professional with a proven track record in networking and managing databases. I have strong technical skills as well as excellent interpersonal skills, enabling me to communicate easily with clients. I am eager to be challenged in order to grow and further improve my skills. My greatest passion in life is using my technical know-how to benefit other people and organizations.”

Resume Personal Statement for Career Changers Example

Experienced Sales Manager

“As a Sales Manager with 7 years of experience, my tenacious and proactive approach resulted in numerous important contract wins. My excellent networking skills have provided my team with vital client leads, and my ability to develop client relationships has resulted in a 16% increase in business renewals for the organization I work for. I currently seek a new challenge which will utilize my meticulous attention to detail and friendly, professional manner.”

Resume Personal Statement for Entry Level Job

Entry Level Business Analyst

“Enthusiastic Business Analyst, skilled in leadership and communication. Seeking to enhance understanding of key metrics for IPSoft. As a business report writer for Valens Securities helped grow employee grasp of key concepts by 42%. My PowerPoint presentation of GBMP’s Policy Deployment plan was turned into a webinar that got 2,300 views.”

Resume personal statement for experienced professional

Experienced Teaching Assistant

“Enthusiastic teaching assistant with 6 years of experience. Seeking to maintain a graduate teaching assistant position at St. Andrews University. Mentored 70+ students for 3 years. Delivered lectures, edited 2 books. Commended by 2 professors for research quality. Graded 1000+ student papers. Skilled in materials development and research.”

And if you are still not sure how to write your personal statement, go through our Resume Examples . They are all approved by top Hiring Managers and have helped thousands get their dream job.

Your personal statement will be totally unique to yourself, but by using the above tips and tricks we gave you, you will be able to create one which shows the Hiring Managers everything they need.

Remember to keep it short and only include the most relevant information for your target roles.

Do you have any other questions about personal statements on a resume? Give us a shout-out in the comments below!

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 How to Write a Personal Statement with Examples

Quick Navigation:

What is a personal statement?

How to write a personal statement, what to include in a personal statement, personal statement examples, tips for writing a personal statement.

A personal statement highlights your industry credentials, previous noteworthy accomplishments, what you can bring to the company and how your interest in the role can achieve a company’s goals. What you write in a personal statement also conveys a great deal about yourself, including your talents, goals, outlook and work ethic. This article shares steps and examples that you can follow when writing your own personal statement.

A personal statement is a description that combines your notable abilities and career objectives in a brief paragraph to help hiring managers determine whether your qualifications are suitable for a position. It also summarizes substantial information that shows how much you understand the job. When writing a personal statement, it’s vital to make a connection between you and your desired job. 

Here are some steps to follow when writing a personal statement:

1. Firstly, research the company

Read the company’s profiles, achievements, vision and goals. Analyze and understand the position for which you’re applying, and find ways to connect it to the company’s overall goals. 

2. Then, make a list of your achievements

Create a list of your education and academic qualifications, training, accomplishments, skills and experience relevant to the job. Pick the most noteworthy achievements out of this list to add to your personal statement.

3. Next, demonstrate your qualifications

Using your knowledge about the company, write a brief paragraph about why you are the best person for the job. Be sure to add the most important details about you and your professional life, which includes highlighting how employing you can help the company fulfill its goals.

4. Finally, keep your personal statement short and readable

While there is no definite word count, a good personal statement should usually be about a paragraph long. What’s essential is that you can summarize all of the crucial points within a few detailed sentences. Keeping your statement easily readable can ensure that you maintain an employer’s attention.

If you’re applying to a job or updating your resume, one of the first things to do is to write a compelling personal statement highlighting essential details about yourself and your professional achievements. 

Here are the following parts you can use to help you write a personal statement:

Personal history

A good personal statement shares details that will give the hiring manager an idea of who you are both as a person and as an employee. For example, if you’re looking for an entry-level position, you can note that you’ve graduated with honors. As another example, listing your experience as a team leader can make it easier to demonstrate your qualifications for a management position. Make sure the personal history you include aligns with the position and the company’s goals.

Skills and work contributions

Your personal statement should emphasize the skill sets and talents that you can contribute to the company. Your expertise is not limited to technical aspects. It could also be communication, leadership, time management and similar skills. Communicate how these substantial assets of yours can contribute to the company’s objectives.

An example could be explaining how your expertise in programming software helped your former company secure a long-term contract. Describe how the company can benefit from your skill and experience.

Purpose and career goals

Your purpose conveys how your chosen career path aligns with the position you’re applying for. Although you can write about how the job will help your professional interests, it’s more important to identify how the company can benefit from hiring you.

For example, it could be as simple as your eagerness to seek a position as an operations supervisor, which means you must highlight how your leadership skills can help you manage teams so they can reach a sales quota. Start by explaining how your education, skills and experience have prepared you for the leadership role and, subsequently, how it can benefit the company.

Although it is a personal statement, it is best to find a balance between your individual and professional details. Keep in mind that you also only need to include details that are relevant to the position. If you’re trying to become a graphic artist, for example, focus primarily on your artistic achievements, awards, experience and goals in your statement.

Here are some examples of personal statements for different goals and career paths:

Engineering personal statement

‘Accomplished mechanical engineer with a master’s degree in modeling and simulation and more than 10 years of supervisory experience in an international manufacturing company. My technical and problem-solving skills helped develop test procedures that increased machine sales by 65% in a single financial year.’

Photographer personal statement

‘Veteran photographer with over five years of experience serving as a trainer for both photographers and editors in a regional publishing house. Supervised photo shoots for magazine features and covers that earned national recognition and awards. Searching for a leadership position in a national publication.’

Sales director personal statement

‘Target-oriented sales director within the tourism sector with over 20 years of experience in sustainable travel management. Proven success in both environmental tours and managing farm-to-table restaurants and accommodation. Increased previous company’s sales by 60% by implementing a two-year marketing plan.’

Here are some tips you can use when writing your personal statement:

• Use a template.  Have a general personal statement you can use as a template and then customize it depending on the job description.
• Use specific keywords and quantifiable metrics.  This can help your resume or cover letter make it through any application tracking software.
• Talk to your colleagues. The people you work with can give you deeper insight into your work output and character.
• Focus on the content first and the length later. You don’t need to worry much about the length of your statement when making a draft. You can always edit and shorten it.
• Use action words.  Descriptive words make it easier for employers to envision the achievements you’ve accomplished in your professional life.
• Make a strong first impression. A personal statement is often the first impression you make on a hiring manager. Because of this, it’s important to select only keywords, skills and experiences that are significant to your desired position.

How to Write a Resume Personal Statement (with examples)

Published on:

• June 23, 2023

“I’m a recent graduate applying for a new job / changing careers or industry / returning to the workforce after a long break… How am I going to impress a hiring manager or recruiter?

The answer lies in your personal statement on your CV or resume.

Your personal statement should consist of a few short and direct sentences. It appears on top of your resume right after your name and contact information on your resume or CV. Your resume personal statement should be a short summary of why you’re the right fit for the job. Alternatively, it is also known as a career summary or resume profile.

A resume personal statement should be written in the same way as elevator pitches. The objective is to convince the hiring manager that your CV is worth reading while introducing yourself in a concise and clear manner.

CV Personal Statement/Profile: Why It’s Important

Your resume personal statement serves as a quick way to introduce yourself to potential employers. In a short paragraph, they summarize your qualifications and career goals, making it easier for a hiring manager to decide whether you’re fit for the job.

Located at the top of your CV, it’s your chance to really sell yourself to employers and showcase the relevant skills and experience you have.

You can express your career goals and showcase your strengths in a personal statement while proving to recruiters that you’re an ideal candidate for the position.

Essentially, the personal profile gives a few seconds of insight into who you are that should entice employers to look at your CV closely.

The summary serves as a concise introduction to what you can bring to the table, which will help the reader make a decision on whether they would like to proceed with reviewing your resume. Thus, it should be filled with related and concise information–the skills you have acquired and the key contributions you have made over the course of your career.

Do you know that a hiring manager takes only about 6 seconds to glance over a resume before deciding whether or not to read it?

So, it’s crucial for you to summarize in around 50-200 words what you can bring to the table, including who you are, your strongest skills, and accomplishments.

Want to make sure that your resume profile/personal statement will boost your chances of getting job interviews?

Then, remember to tailor your personal statement to the specific job description. It should explicitly demonstrates what value you’ll bring to the job you are applying for. Generic personal statements can’t achieve that.

Also, you must decide if you are writing your personal statement in the first-person or third-person perspective. It should be written in the same way as the rest of your CV and cover letter.

How to Write a Personal Statement for a CV/Resume?

In your CV personal statement or a profile, include the following five factors to give a good first impression to hiring managers:

• Who you are or your professional title
• Your  1–3 top skills
• Your 1–3 best achievements
• Your target company’s name
• Your goals for your new employer (how you hope to contribute to your new employer)

Personal Profile for a CV—Example

“Growth marketing specialist (who you are) with 7 years experience in multichannel digital marketing in the health and beauty industry (your skills). Increased organic social media strategies at Skin Naked leading to a 10% cost savings in ads and a 155% boost in revenue sales for 6 months (achievements). Looking to leverage sustainable growth strategies through social media, content, and email marketing for Sassy Lingerie   (the target company and the goals you hope to achieve).”

How to Write a CV Profile?

Creating a strong CV personal statement might seem challenging at first. Here’s a simple step-by-step strategy that’ll help.

• Identify the most important requirements and responsibilities in the job description.
• Highlight your most relevant skills and achievements on your CV.
• Include all your best and proudest achievements in your personal statement.

Personal profiles might work as both a CV summary and a CV career objective, depending on your level of experience.

It’s best to use a CV summary if you have years of relevant work experience . Give a brief description of your career — highlight your measurable accomplishments and showcase your skills.

When writing an entry-level CV or changing careers, use a CV objective . Explain the skills you’ve learned so far and how well your abilities will fit in. Focus on the value you can offer, make the employer aware that you’re there to help solve their pain points.

Check out some general tips for writing an effective CV personal profile and keep these in mind when applying for a variety of industries and job positions.

1. Keep your personal statement short

Each day, recruiters have hundreds of resumes to review. They won’t bother to read a 4-page resume. Your resume has approximately 6 seconds to impress a hiring manager – so make sure you utilize your space effectively.

When writing a personal statement, how long should it be?

A good rule of thumb is to write a short paragraph of 50 to 200 words. That is usually between 3 and 6 sentences. Be sure to highlight your most relevant accomplishments, but don’t overuse them. Take the time to make every word count on your CV as this will serve as your elevator pitch to sell yourself effectively to potential employers.

2. Add measurements to your achievements

When listing your achievements, show quantitative data if you can. Because employers love to see concrete evidence of your performance, it’s crucial that you show results in numbers and percentages. Whenever possible, include figures to illustrate your contributions to a project.

For your quantitative achievements, consider some of these questions:

• How much money savings did your company make? Ex. 10% early project delivered with 15% cost savings
• Have you increased your sales or revenue? Ex. Achieved $500K monthly recurring revenue consistent in 6 months
• How many colleagues have you trained or supervised on your team? Ex. Trained 7 junior programmers in 2 years.

3. Avoid jargon and CV buzzwords

It is important to utilize keywords from the job description when writing your CV. But avoid using them as jargon or generic buzzwords. You should avoid cliche words such as:

• Go-to person/guy/girl
• Hard-working team player
• Results-driven/detail-oriented
• Thinking outside the box

You can find more generic buzzwords here which will do more harm than good in your resume.

4. Don’t mix the grammatical person

If you’re writing your CV in the UK, it’s OK to write in either the first or third person. However, you can’t do both at once. Additionally, career experts recommend removing the pronouns completely.

CV Personal Statement/Personal Profile Examples for Different Professions

In the following examples, you’ll find samples for a variety of professions. Our CV personal statements are sorted into two categories: CV personal statements for experienced candidates and CV profiles for entry-level candidates or those without experience.

CV Personal Statements for Experienced Candidates

Example #1 – Copywriter CV Personal Statement

“A conversion-focused direct response copywriter and editor with 5+ experience in the health supplements space. Wrote a sales page for Free Your Gut that accumulated $1.8M in revenue sales for 3 months with conversion rates of 65%. Interested in expanding direct response copywriting expertise for a consultancy and media buyer position at Goodlife Naturals Inc.”

Example #2 – Marketing Specialist CV Personal Statement 

“Maryland-based growth marketing specialist, with 7+ years of experience converting users at a 53% rate for a local mobile carrier and increased sales by 66% in 12 months. Seeking to leverage leadership excellence and marketing skills to raise ROI and lead-generation efficiency for Talk Mobile.”

Note: The sample includes skills and accomplishments and measures them to prove them. Furthermore, it clearly states its value proposition or offer.

Example #3 – Accounting Clerk CV Personal Statement

“Highly-trained, efficient accounting clerk with 6 years experience in providing quality, error-free accounting and clerical support. Reduced reconciliation discrepancies by 55% by using QuickBooks effectively. Technically adept with modern accounting applications software to streamline processes. Ensured biweekly payroll and benefits of 350+ employees. Organizes and plans effectively so that key responsibilities can be completed within strict deadlines. Seeking to provide my accounting skills at AccountPro Corporation.”

Example #4 – Software Architect/Engineer CV Profile Examples

“Highly-motivated and detail-oriented software architect/engineer with 10+ years experience in tech space. Managed and trained a small group of 7 coders at Transferly Systems. Delivered projects 10% ahead of schedule with 15% fewer errors than any other team. Would like to work for KingSumo as a developer with strong programming skills. ”

“Computer science specialist with solid experience in Ruby, Oracle, C++, Java, and C#. A versatile software developer with experience in a wide range of projects. I am looking to join a fast-paced fintech/SaaS company.”

Tips: You should not list all your professional skills in your CV personal statement. Focus on what is important when you write. Provide examples of your expertise to validate your claims.

See some more samples:

Example #5 – Graphic Designer CV Personal Statement

“Creative graphic designer with 5+ years of experience. Seeks to use excellent time management, graphics design, and curation skills to lower project time at Tiny Steps Inc. Developed and curated over 200+ graphics projects which increased website traffic by 45%, conversion rate by 55% within 18 months for Moore Gears Corp.”

Example #6 – Civil Engineer CV Profile

“A seasoned civil engineer with eight years’ experience in project management and construction. With a proven track record of safety on construction sites. Completed project 21 days ahead of schedule at a cost saving of 17% with 0% incident on site. Leveraging safety, leadership, and project management skills handling 500+ workers and subcon Looking for a civil engineering job position in MegaCon Contracting Services Inc. to provide safety assurance during project execution.”

Not a fan of the plain paragraph style? Bullet points also work well in your CV personal statement. See the below sample:

Example #7 – Office Manager CV Profile

• A reliable and highly efficient office manager with more than five years of experience at a large corporation.
• Appointed an executive secretary position in under 2 years.
• Increased office productivity by 15% by introducing a time management system.
• Seeking excellent project management and organization skills to help Hogan & Paul’s Inc. reduce office administration costs.

We understand if you felt overwhelmed by the CV personal statement samples above. You can still effectively sell yourself in a CV profile even if you lack a great deal of work experience. Take a look at these examples:

Personal Statement Examples for CV with No Experience

Example #8 – Recent Graduate CV Personal Statement

“Highly-motivated B.A. Marketing graduate from Glendale University seeking a position as a PR assistant at MindView Corp. Leveraging on excellent data-analysis and creative storytelling techniques to create compelling and hyper-targeted marketing campaigns tailored to MindView customers.”

Case in point, you want to convey you’ve learned a lot already and you have what it takes to help their organization or company.

Example #9 – Graduating Student CV Personal Statement/Objective

My career goal is to join the Department of Marine Biology at Hawaii State University after graduating from California University with a degree in marine biology. Utilizing the skills I gained from volunteering at California University to maintain the university’s research databases and library in order to ensure students have easy access to them.”

“I’m  an enthusiastic and passionate senior year student of marine biotechnology. I’m  interested in joining a research team to gain experience in research, especially in collecting, dissecting, and analyzing clinical samples’ data.”

Note: The incorrect sample does not specify a position. Employers instantly see that as a red flag. This indicates that the job seeker is probably emailing the same CV to every company within 30 miles of home.

Example #10 – Graduating Student CV Personal Statement

“I am a recent Johnson University graduate with an honors degree in broadcast journalism with internships at ABC TV3 Corporation for 1 year.  My internship allowed me to realize invaluable experience in the broadcast industry and hone my skills to contribute to fast-paced, professional environment .”

Note: It is important to highlight relevant skills and experiences in your personal statement. Recent graduates lack practical experience in the workforce, so interpersonal and soft skills like being successful and a trusted team member are critical.

Example#11 – Junior Business Analyst CV Personal Profile

“With 5+ years as a finance & security analyst, currently seeking a role at ThriveSpot to make actionable insights on financial metrics. Created business reports for OmniSpring to grow employee understanding of key concepts by 19%. Helped create a slide presentation of SWOT analysis, which was turned into a webinar with 2,700+ views.”

Tip: It’s absolutely okay to mention impressive achievements in your CV personal statement even if you were just a mere part of the team.

Example#12 – Medical Assistant CV Personal Statement

“An efficient and passionate health care provider/medical assistant who has enjoyed volunteering and support for 55+ seniors in elderly care facility. Seeking to help CradleCare maintain and improve the company’s industry-leading patient satisfaction level through quality and dedicated health services.”

Example #13 – Personal Statement for a Career Change CV

“With 10+ years extensive experience as a sales manager building high-functioning sales teams that consistently achieve budget figures. Led a 20% increase in annual renewals across the board with the growth of the sales team’s talents. Seeking to further develop my sales skills after 10 years by taking on new challenges and opportunities in SaaS/Fintech.” 

Example #14 – Returning to the Workforce Personal Statement 

An accomplished and highly motivated office administrator, I seek a new career opportunity after taking time off to raise my family. Successfully conducted meetings and coordinated client projects to keep the office running smoothly and efficiently using Microsoft Office, Project Management, and communication software. After volunteering for a local charity for several years, I am now committed to returning to work full-time.”

In some cases, re-entering the workforce after a break can be difficult. In this statement, the candidate explains why they took a break from work, their qualifications, and what they did during that time. Moreover, whenever someone lacks professional experience during the hiatus, the candidate can use the skills they learned as a volunteer so it becomes highly relevant.

Marissa Letendre, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Marissa Letendre is a senior HR leader and resume expert with over 12 years of experience. She has worked for both startups and Fortune 50 corporations and has helped thousands land jobs at top companies. Marissa has written on a wide range of topics, including employee engagement, career development, resumes, job searching, recruiting, and organizational effectiveness and has been featured on sites such as Slack and The Undercover Recruiter.

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How To Write A Personal Statement For Your Resume (With Examples).

You need to write a personal statement for your resume and are looking for examples.

You could make it easy for yourself and hire a professional resume writer such as myself .

But maybe your budget is limited – or maybe you don’t feel that hiring a professional resume writer is worth it ( Are Professional Resume Writers Worth The Cost? ).

Either way, no problems.

You’ve Come to the Right place.

The best way to write an eyeball-grabbing personal statement for your resume is by knowing what NOT to do.

I’m about to show you some examples of very underwhelming, yet typical personal statements. I will then explain what makes them so average – so that you don’t make the same mistakes when you write your own.

If you follow my advice, you’ll end up with a killer killer personal statement for your resume that will position you as the winning candidate in front of potential employers.

But before I get stuck into it, let me give you a quick heads-up. What I’m about to tell you will help you write a much more persuasive resume.

Brand Yourself.

The personal statement sets the foundation of your personal brand .

The idea of a professional or personal brand isn’t new. The term was first coined by business management consultant Tom Peters back in his 1997 essay The Brand Called You .

In it, Peters claimed that:

“You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description…You’re every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop.”

What Peters described was a ‘value proposition’. You can begin to discover what yours is by asking yourself the following three questions:

• What makes you  uniquely attractive to employers ?
• What makes you uniquely different from the next similarly qualified candidate?
• And, most importantly, what organisational problems can you solve that no-one else can ?

Answering these three questions in your personal statement is your number one priority. To keep you on track, remember JFK’s famous inaugural quote:

“Ask not what your employer can do for you; ask what you can do for your employer.”

Example of a bad personal statement #1:

Let’s perform an autopsy of a personal statement taken from a typical run-of-the-mill resume that I found online.

Can you spot any problems with it – before I shine a light on them?

This example makes the wrong first impression with “Results-orientated…”.

Generic phrasing is a real snooze for recruiters . They look through dozens of resumes per day and most kick off with some variation of this line.

The second sentence in the above example starts well with an attempt to identify a skill that solves a problem and delivers an outcome:

“Possessing a track record helping to optimise operational processes whilst maximising profit…”

But then ends in a way that doesn’t make much sense:

“…within a challenging fast paced environment requiring high degree of communication, flair and the ability to meet tight deadlines.”

A personal statement for a resume needs to be snappy. A sentence should take up no more than 2 lines, have no more than 2 clauses or related to more than one core competency.

Snappy sentences bring impact. In the above for example, the writer could have made his/her point with much more impact by saying:

“I possess a track record of optimising operational processes whilst maximizing profit.”

What’s an objective?

It’s the once-popular resume item which now firmly belongs in the dustbin of history. You see it in the example above as part of this sentence:

“Seeks a challenging and varied position…”

Truth is, your objective is implied in the act of submitting your job application. By reiterating it on your resume you waste valuable real estate – and squander an opportunity to sell yourself.

Recruiters want to know how you can solve their problems, not how they can solve yours.

Example of a bad personal statement #2:

Let’s dissect another example of a personal statement. This one will teach us a few different lessons:

“Market strategy analist…”

This example shows us the typical shotgun approach – cramming all areas of experience in to cover the bases:

“…cross functional expertise in business and financial analysis, accounting, marketing and new business development…”

Serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk wisely told us: “ No matter what you do, your job is to tell your story”.

Great stories have structure, cohesion and flow – and so should the personal statement on your resume.

It needs to paint a clear and coherent picture of your expertise and value proposition, so avoid standalone sentences like the one in the above example:

“Proven history of improving operations and increasing profitability. Ability to talk and conduct business in French and Spanish languages…Excellent interpersonal and analytical skills.”

As personal statement examples go, the one isn’t ‘bad’ – but it is boring.

Whilst we get a good overview of skills and experience (albeit in a somewhat clumsy manner), it fails to tell us anything ‘personal’.

Research shows that more than ever, employers are recruiting for culture fit .

A personal statement for a resume should be an introduction to your brand – in your voice.

Absence of all pronouns (as we see in the example above), creates an impersonal, distant resume. Give your recruiters a voice that they can connect with by writing your personal statement in the first voice.

For example:

“I am a professional, committed and ambitious Chartered Internal Auditor with more than 20 years’ experience…”

The difference is subtle, but noticeable, isn’t it?

My Final Piece of Advice.

As you continue your research on how to write a personal statement for a resume, it’s important that you know a lot of the ‘advice’ out there is poor. Consistent, but poor.

Most of the guidance on writing a personal statement for a resume is dated. So-called ‘gurus’ will tell you to describe your best assets, focus on your strengths and highlight your accomplishments.

This approach might have worked 10 years ago.

To win in today’s job market, you need to focus on how your best assets, strengths and accomplishments solve organizational problems.

This is the core of your personal brand.

To find out more about my approach, you can read my interview with the Huffington Post – Building A Personal Branding Company .

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How to Write a Personal Statement for a Resume (with AI 🤖)

3 key takeaways 

• Learn how to craft a personal statement that defines your career goals, skills, and professional narrative.
• Discover the importance of tailoring your personal statement to a specific role.
• Understand how to leverage AI tools like Teal's AI Resume Builder to create and polish an effective personal statement.

You're skilled, ambitious, and ready to seize new professional opportunities. But so are many other job seekers.

So how can you stand out in a sea of applicants and make a lasting impact on hiring managers? That's simple : crafting a unique "Personal Statement" resume section that captures who you are as an individual—the "you-ness" that makes you an irresistible candidate.

The problem is that "simple" doesn't always mean "easy."

Luckily, by the end of this post, you'll be able to confidently write a resume personal statement for any opportunity that comes your way. 

Understanding personal statements on resumes and CVs

A personal statement is a concise paragraph or summary, similar to a resume headline , at the top of your resume. Its purpose is to articulate your career goals, highlight your skills, experiences, and what you can bring to the role.

This is a valuable opportunity to make a lasting first impression on the hiring manager or recruiter and stand out among the endless number of applicants you're likely competing with.

While building your resume, you may have also heard of a "professional statement" (sometimes called an " opening statement ") or a "resume objective." Though similar, they are subtly different from personal statements. 

Here's a breakdown:

Your resume's personal statement is a comprehensive declaration that outlines your career objectives and highlights your skills, experiences, and the unique value you can bring to a role. It provides a fuller picture of you as a professional, making it a great choice for experienced candidates with various skills and achievements they want to draw attention to. 

A resume professional summary , or short professional bio , is a concise summary that specifically targets your industry expertise and key achievements. It draws attention to your relevant professional experiences and successes. 

Typically, the resume summary statement is the ideal choice for seasoned professionals with a history of tangible results and accomplishments in their field.

A resume objective highlights your qualifications, but it's typically a straightforward declaration of your career goals, too. It's usually a bit shorter and focuses on what type of role or industry you want to work in. Resume objectives can benefit those who are at the beginning of their career or going through a career change, such as re-entering the workforce or transitioning between fields , and don't have an extensive track record to showcase.

The choice between a resume personal statement, professional statement, and a resume objective ultimately comes down to your career path and the specific requirements of the job you're eyeing. 

Once you've decided to write a compelling personal statement, you need to know the right way of going about it. 

How to write a personal statement for a resume

You'd think that writing about yourself would be easy. After all, who knows your past experiences and future ambitions better than you? 

And yet, it's those "About Me" resume sections and resume personal statements that are one of the most frustrating pieces of writing a resume; they're often the most impactful, too. Because, again, they're the hook that introduces the very uniqueness of you . 

Consider the following tips for writing a standout personal statement: 

1. Self-reflection: Look at your career goals, skills, resume achievements , current position, and any special value you bring to an organization. Reflecting on these aspects provides a solid foundation for your personal statement.

You might find it helpful to use a mind map or SWOT analysis to organize your thoughts. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, and it's a strategic planning tool used to evaluate these four aspects of a project or personal development.

This exercise will help you identify your resume strengths and selling points, providing a solid foundation for your personal statement.

2. Start with a strong opening: Your opening sentence should be compelling and immediately convey your professional identity. Think of it as your personal "elevator pitch." Here are some examples:

• Strong opening : "As a seasoned Project Manager with a decade of experience in the tech industry, I specialize in leading cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects on time and under budget. "
• Weak opening : "I'm a hard-working professional looking for a project management role."

The strong opening immediately establishes the individual's professional identity, highlighting their experience, industry, and key skills. On the other hand, the weak opening is vague and doesn't convey the person's unique value or area of expertise.

3. Align with the job description: Your personal statement should align with the role you're applying for. Read the job description carefully, then tailor your summary statement to highlight the skills and experiences most relevant to the role.

This is where Teal's Job Application Tracker and AI Resume Builder comes in. 

Leveraging the power of AI, Teal extracts and prioritizes the critical keywords, both hard and soft skills, present in the job description you're targeting.

Then, you can use AI to automate your personal statement: 

Create multiple versions of your professional summary using Teal’s AI integration feature within the AI Resume Builder.

Note: This feature is called "Professional Summaries," but it allows you to beat the blank page quickly. You can then tailor this to be more aligned with a professional statement to help you stand out.

Not only does this help you shape a compelling personal statement much more quickly, but it also gives you an edge with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) . Hiring managers often use ATS software to prioritize candidates based on keyword matching (though it's worth mentioning that this software never filters out applicants altogether). 

By using Teal's AI Resume Builder to incorporate the necessary hard skills , soft skills, and keywords into your personal statement, you increase your odds of standing out in the crowded job market.

Sign up for Teal's AI Resume Builder today!

4. Keep it concise: A personal statement should be brief and to the point. Aim for no more than 150 words or three to four sentences. The best way to approach this is to draft your personal statement without any word limit, then review and revise it, cutting out any fluff or unnecessary details. 

Ask yourself if each sentence is critical to the narrative and truly adds value. Remember, every word counts. Writing an effective personal statement requires careful thought and attention to detail. 

However, advances in generative AI can help streamline this process. 

What to avoid when writing a resume personal statement

When writing a personal statement, it's just as important to know what to steer clear of as it is to know what to include. 

So, here are some key points to keep in mind:

1. Being vague: Remember, your personal statement is your unique story. Generic phrases like "hard-working professional" or "team player" won't help you stand out. Instead, aim for specific details about your experiences and achievements that demonstrate these traits.

2. Using complex jargon: While you need to communicate your industry knowledge, a personal statement loaded with jargon can be off-putting and difficult to understand. Keep your language clear and concise.

3. Writing an autobiography: A personal statement isn't a full personal profile. It's not meant to be a comprehensive rundown of your life story. It should focus on relevant skills, experiences, and goals that align with the position you're applying for. 

If it doesn't add value to your application, leave it out.

4. Using third-person language: Your resume personal statement highlights your qualifications, experiences, and skills. Opt to write a resume personal statement in the first person point of view using words like "I," "my," and "me" to provide a more personalized and authentic perspective.

5. Ignoring the job description: Tailoring your personal statement to the specific role is crucial. If you're not aligning your skills and experiences with the requirements mentioned in the job description, you're missing an opportunity to demonstrate how well you fit the role.

Again, this is something that Teal's AI Resume Builder helps you with natively. 

6. Negativity: Your personal statement should reflect positivity and enthusiasm for the role you're applying for and the value you can bring. Avoid mentioning negative experiences or failures unless you can highlight what you learned from them. 

Here's an example of a negative vs. a positive personal statement: 

• Negative : "After a string of unsatisfying jobs and a career path that lacked direction, I'm now looking for an opportunity in a company that values its employees and provides clear career progression."
• Positive : "With a passion for employee engagement and a track record in driving positive workplace culture, I'm eager to bring my experience and enthusiasm to a forward-thinking company that values innovation and employee development."

In the negative example, the focus is on past dissatisfaction, which can give a negative impression to the reader. But the positive example emphasizes enthusiasm, experience, and a clear vision of what the applicant can bring to the role and company. 

It also subtly communicates past success (i.e., a track record in driving positive workplace culture) without explicitly resting on your laurels.

Resume personal statement examples

So now that you know the best practices for crafting a resume personal statement, let's take a look at a few personal statement examples broken down by industry and role level. We'll explore personal statements for job examples in the following fields: 

• Management 

Let's dive right into writing personal statements for sales roles. 

1) Sales roles

Entry-level: "A recent graduate of Business Administration with a passion for sales and demonstrated customer service skills. Earned top sales honors during internship experience and eager to bring my dedication and drive to a dynamic sales team."

• Analysis : This personal statement showcases a recent graduate's passion and early success in sales. It emphasizes their eagerness to contribute to a team and references the valuable experiences that have prepared them for a sales role.

Mid-level: "Sales manager with five years of experience in the retail sector and a record of exceeding sales targets by up to 40%. Proven ability to build relationships and improve customer satisfaction. Seeking to leverage my skills to enhance profitability and growth in a forward-thinking organization."

• Analysis : Here, the candidate highlights their successful sales track record and solid, relevant experience, key selling points for a mid-level position. The candidate also presents their goal, which aligns with the interests of prospective employers.

Senior-level: "Seasoned sales leader with over a decade of experience managing high-performing teams in the tech industry. Expertise in strategic planning, market research, and contract negotiation. Committed to driving revenue growth while fostering a supportive team environment."

• Analysis : As a good personal statement, this example positions the candidate as a seasoned leader with significant industry experience. It emphasizes the candidate's commitment to revenue growth and team development, two critical areas of interest for employers at this level.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of CV personal statements for Sales Managers

2) Marketing roles

Entry-level: "Creative and detail-oriented Marketing graduate with a solid understanding of social media strategies and branding. I have proven skills in project management from internships and campus activities. Seeking to apply my innovative thinking and leadership skills in a dynamic marketing team."

• Analysis : This personal statement example communicates the applicant's foundational marketing knowledge, creativity, and leadership abilities. It hints at a well-rounded candidate with theoretical understanding and some practical experience.

Mid-level: "Results-driven marketing professional with six years of experience in digital marketing. Specialized in SEO and content creation, consistently increasing web traffic by 35%. Looking to leverage my expertise to drive brand growth and visibility in a challenging role."

• Analysis : This statement reflects the individual's experience and accomplishments in the field of digital marketing. The candidate exhibits a clear specialty, proven results, and an ambition to drive growth, which is appealing for a mid-level role.

Senior-level: "Strategic Marketing Director with over 15 years of experience leading cross-functional teams in the FMCG sector. Proven track record in executing successful global marketing campaigns, driving sales growth, and building strong brand identities. Looking to leverage my experience to drive strategic growth in a dynamic organization."

• Analysis : Here, the emphasis is on the senior role's leadership and strategic experience. The candidate effectively highlights their proven success in executing global marketing campaigns and driving growth, which is essential for senior roles.

Read more about writing a strong personal statement as a Marketing Manager

Entry-level: "Organized and empathetic HR graduate with strong employee relations and recruitment knowledge. Successfully implemented a new employee onboarding process during an internship. Excited to apply my people skills in a dynamic HR team."

• Analysis : This statement showcases the candidate's theoretical knowledge and some practical experience in HR, emphasizing their achievements during an internship and their enthusiasm for applying their skills.

Mid-level: "HR professional with five years of experience in benefits administration and talent acquisition. Expert in aligning HR strategies with business goals. Seeking to leverage my people-centric skills to drive employee satisfaction and retention."

• Analysis : The candidate presents their expertise in essential HR functions and their ability to align HR strategies with business goals—key to a mid-level role.

Senior-level: "HR Manager with a decade of experience in creating and implementing HR policies and procedures. Proven ability to enhance organizational performance through implementing effective HR strategies. Eager to drive change management initiatives in a large-scale organization."

• Analysis : This statement highlights extensive experience in HR management, demonstrating the ability to improve organizational performance. This strategic focus is ideal for senior-level roles.

Management roles

Entry-level: "Motivated business graduate with proven leadership skills acquired through student council and team sports involvement. Demonstrated ability in team coordination and project management. Ready to bring my strong decision-making skills to a promising management role."

• Analysis : As a good personal statement this example offers a glimpse of the applicant's leadership and decision-making skills—critical attributes for a management role.

Mid-level: "Experienced manager with a strong record in managing teams of up to 20 in the logistics industry. Excellent problem-solving and communication skills that have been used to turn around underperforming teams. Seeking to leverage my managerial skills in a challenging new role."

• Analysis : This statement presents the candidate's proven managerial and problem-solving skills, making them a strong contender for a mid-level management role.

Senior-level: "Dynamic executive with over 15 years of experience in strategic planning and business development. Proven ability to drive profitability and build strategic partnerships. Seeking to leverage my leadership skills to inspire and drive a successful team."

• Analysis : Here, the focus is on strategic, high-level skills and achievements which are suitable for an executive role.

Entry-level: "IT recent graduate with strong theoretical knowledge in software development and database management. Completed an internship that honed my skills in network solutions. Excited to bring my technical skills to a dynamic IT team."

• Analysis : This statement provides a solid base of IT knowledge with a hint of real-world experience, making it ideal for an entry-level candidate.

Mid-level : "IT specialist with over five years of experience in systems analysis and design, networking, and server management. Proven track record in resolving complex IT issues within tight deadlines. Looking forward to applying my problem-solving skills in a challenging IT environment."

• Analysis : The candidate here showcases their experience and problem-solving skills, two significant selling points for mid-level IT roles.

Senior-level: "IT Director with a decade of experience in managing diverse teams and implementing IT strategies that support business objectives. Expertise in cloud computing and IT infrastructure development. Seeking to leverage my technical and leadership skills in a forward-thinking organization."

• Analysis : The statement effectively displays the candidate's leadership skills, strategic abilities, and technical expertise, fitting for a senior IT role.

Each of these examples of personal statements for resumes should provide you with a framework to create and personalize your own. But if you need some help, there's always AI in your corner.

How to tailor your personal summary with AI 

Thanks to Teal's AI Resume Builder , creating the perfect personal statement has never been easier. Our built-in generative AI provides an excellent starting point, producing a draft tailored to your career level and role in seconds.

However, a personal statement shouldn't be a cookie-cutter paragraph— it needs to be uniquely you . 

Here's how you can make it happen with Teal .

1. Use AI to start: Type in your desired role and let the AI generate a custom draft. This provides a solid base, saving you time in getting started and providing a structure to work with.

2. Implement a SWOT analysis: Recall our advice about self-reflection? Apply that here . Use the SWOT analysis to reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the desired job role. 

3. Revise the opening: Make the first line count. While AI provides a generic opening, you should edit it to make it more compelling. Remember, your opening line is your 'elevator pitch,' and it needs to stand out.

4. Tailor with keywords: Teal's AI Resume Builder automatically pulls critical keywords from the job description you're targeting, ensuring your personal statement aligns with what the employer is looking for. Just make sure these keywords naturally fit within your personal statement to maintain a coherent narrative.

In short, Teal is the easiest solution for creating personal statements as a unique resume personal profile. To see what you can do with Teal, we've crafted over 3,000 personal statement examples in our CV Samples collection . Take a look.

Final thoughts

Crafting a captivating personal statement on your resume is your golden ticket to making a memorable first impression. It's not just about what you say but how you say it, and that's where the distinction lies between good and great.

And what's even better? You don't have to do it alone. 

The AI Professional Summary feature is here to be your personal writing assistant. Are you ready to let your resume make an impact? 

Give Teal's AI Resume Builder a spin to try out the Professional Summary feature and see how quickly it improves your personal statement. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can ai enhance the personalization of a resume's personal statement, what are the common pitfalls to avoid when using ai to write a personal statement for a resume, how long should an ai-assisted personal statement for a resume be.

Nathan Thompson

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• Writing Tips

How to Write a Personal Statement for a Resume

4-minute read

• 1st December 2019

If you’re preparing a resume or CV, you may need to write a personal statement or profile. But what exactly is a personal statement in this context? How does it help you land a job? And what goes into a perfect personal profile? In this post, we answer all your questions.

What Is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement – sometimes known as a personal profile or career objective – is the part of a resume, CV, or application form where you set out who you are and what you want to achieve.

In a professional context, this is typically a short paragraph near the top of your resume (just after the contact information ). The idea is to summarize your skills, experience, and ambitions, giving the reader an instant picture of why you’re a great candidate.

And as it may be the first thing a recruiter reads, you need it to be perfect!

5 Tips on Writing a Perfect Personal Statement

But what goes into a good personal statement? Our top tips include:

1. Keep It Short

A personal statement on a resume should be around 50 to 200 words. The aim is to summarize your skills and experience, with the evidence for these covered by the rest of your resume and your cover letter. As such, you should stick to the key details that make you a good candidate for the role.

2. Answer “Who” and “What”

A good profile should answer “who” and “what” questions. In particular:

• Who are you? – A brief summary of who you are and your past experience.
• What can you offer the company? – A line or two about what makes you a strong candidate for the role to which you’re applying.
• What are your goals? – A line about your current aims and career goals.

Ideally, this will give recruiters an initial sense of why you’re right for the role.

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3. Tailor Your Personal Statement to the Role

Most people will start with a “generic” statement based on their overall experience. But, like the rest of your resume, your profile should reflect the job specification for the role to which you’re applying.

When you’re preparing your resume, then, make sure to tweak your personal statement according to the job requirements.

4. Avoid Clichés and Buzzwords

To make it stand out, try to avoid clichéd buzzwords in your personal statement. This isn’t to say that being an “excellent communicator” or a “strategic thinker” is a bad thing. But so many people have used these terms now, they can sound empty unless you also provide evidence.

So, for instance, if you wanted to emphasize your communication skills, rather than just saying “excellent communication skills,” you would want to say something more like “A strong communicator who has helped to coordinate several successful team projects.”

5. Get It Proofread!

As with any professional writing, it pays to get your personal statement proofread . An expert editor can help you eliminate errors and maximize the impact of your language. And this will help you make a great first impression on employers, boosting your chances of securing an interview.

An Example of a Personal Profile

To finish, we’ll provide an example of what a personal statement or profile might look like. This one is clear and concise, and yet also detailed:

I am a recent graduate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston with a GPA of 3.5, seeking to put my skills to work. During my studies, I developed in-depth technical knowledge from working on several civil and electrical engineering projects. I was also involved with the successful Formula SAE team at UH. My ultimate goal is to lead an engineering team in the automotive industry, so I am looking to progress my career in a role that offers relevant experience.

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Are you familiar with the resume personal statement?

It is the quickest way to introduce yourself to the recruiters and lay out your professional prospects in a short statement.

A resume personal statement can do the talking for you if crafted in the right way.

Let us discuss in detail about CV personal statement and get you started with all the dos and don'ts around it.

You can also get a deeper understanding of the following FAQs around resume personal statement:

• What is a good personal summary for a resume?
• Should I include a personal statement on my resume??
• What should you include in a personal statement?
• What is a resume summary and objective?

What Is a Personal Statement on a Resume?

A resume personal statement is like a summary or objective of your resume.

It is a short paragraph that sums up your work experience, skills set, and achievements. A CV personal statement validates your efficiency as a professional.

The resume personal statements consist of the following points:

• An introduction of who you are
• The value you add to the organization
• The objectives of your career

This short statement works magic on the recruiters during job applications. It makes it easier for them to identify your core skills and potential while raising your chances of landing the targeted job profile.

Also Read: How to Write Resume Summary Statement?

Do You Need a Personal Statement on a Resume?

Providing a resume personal statement is important as it makes it easier for the recruiters to recognize your potential right away.

The main benefits of a resume personal statement are listed below:

• It enables you to introduce yourself to the recruiters
• It gives you the chance to showcase what you can bring to the table
• It allows you to highlight your professional achievements
• It provides you the opportunity to showcase your skills and strengths
• It allows you to share your career goals or objectives

Simply put, resume personal statements are the window to your resume, and adding them to your resume can communicate your potential to the recruiters.

How to Write a Resume Personal Statement?

While some may think that drafting a resume statement is a complicated task, you should know that it is quite easy if done the right way.

You need to add only the important points that validate your professional capabilities in a resume summary statement.

Here is what you need to do to create the perfect CV personal statement.

Follow the given guideline to make your resume stand out amongst hundreds of applicants:

1. Introduce Yourself

Start your resume personal statement by introducing your professional self. Doing so will make the recruiters identify where you stand professionally right away.

Example: 5+ years experienced software engineer with a prolific track record in software and IT management.

From the given example, we can see how a short sentence is enough to make an impactful first impression on the recruiters.

It states who you are as a professional by highlighting your current or most recent job profile. It also states the years of experience and level of specialization you possess.

The trick here is to state the years of experience you possess and give an insight into your professional background.

2. Add Your Professional Achievements

State what you have achieved during your professional experience to demonstrate that you have the potential to produce desired results for the organization.

Example: Possesses extensive experience in administering development, implementation, and management of IT systems, resulting in improved accessibility.

This allows the recruiters to assess your caliber and determine your suitability for the targeted profile.

3. Mention Your Core Skills

A resume personal statement is not the place for you to brag about every skill that you possess, but a subtle mention of what your core skills are is enough.

Example: Highly skilled with Linux and Unix server architecture combined with an in-depth knowledge of a range of technological applications.

Mentioning some relevant skills, as shown in the example can make the recruiters recognize your efficiency in specific skills that they require their potential employees to possess.

4. Include Suitable Keywords

The Applicant Tracking System allows the recruiters to filter through hundreds and thousands of resumes to save time and select suitable applicants.

Hence, your resume needs to contain suitable keywords that are relevant to the targeted job profile. And the resume personal statement is one of the best places to include such keywords.

Practice drafting your resume personal statement after the rest of your resume is done and dusted.

Doing so allows you to pick important points and relevant keywords from the details listed in the main context of the resume and shed the spotlight on them.

Example: Junior web developer with 4+ years of experience in assisting the senior manager to develop and implement user interactive internal web pages by using languages such as HTML and CSS to enhance user interactions. Highly skilled in customizing content management systems to manage various website properties and deliver timely site redesigns.

If you are applying for a web developer profile, adding relevant keywords related to web development or programming languages can make your resume get past the ATS with ease.

Difference Between Resume Summary and Objective Statement

Both resume summary and objective statements give an overview of your resume but the messages they deliver are different.

A summary statement describes your qualifications and professional expertise that throws light on your suitability for the targeted job profile.

On the other hand, an objective statement describes your career goals and the kind of job or industry that you prefer.

A resume summary highlights what you have achieved and how it can benefit the organization. Whereas an objective highlights what you can bring to the table despite having no or very little experience.

Also Read: How to Draft a Resume Objective Section?

Tips for Writing The Perfect Resume Personal Statement

Here is a list of some dos and don'ts while drafting your resume personal statement:

• Limit your personal statement to 3-4 lines
• Include only important points
• Highlight the years of experience you have (if you are an experienced professional)
• Mention your relevant skills and expertise
• Add relevant keywords as per the job description
• Proofread your resume personal statement

Resume Personal Statement Examples

How do you write a personal statement for a resume?

The personal statement for resume needs to be customized according to the years of experience that you have and the skills that you possess.

Check out the given CV personal statement examples for reference:

Resume Personal Statement for Data Engineer

10+ years experienced data engineer armed with demonstrated capability of designing and maintaining data pipelines to facilitate deeper analysis and meet both functional and non-functional business requirements. Adept at liaising with product owners and business stakeholders to design scalable solutions by optimizing organizational processes. Proficient in creating highly scalable data processing frameworks to ensure a smooth business workflow.

Also Read: How to Create the Best Data Engineer Resume?

Resume Personal Statement for Graphic Designer

Enterprising graphic designer with 5+ years of experience in establishing brands through creative concepts. Proficiency with publishing tools comprising Photoshop, InDesign Quark, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro to deliver top-notch visual content. Efficient in analyzing products to create visuals that justify their worth and establish brands to elevate business growth.

Also Read: How to Curate a Professional Freelance Graphic Designer Resume?

Resume Personal Statement for IT Professional

15+ years experienced IT professional with a proven track record of handling web development, design, and various interactive projects based on languages such as HTML, PHP, SQL, and XML. Highly skilled in leading teams of web developers and programmers to develop state-of-the-art corporate intranet and implement advanced CMS solutions using open source tools and Drupal. Adept at providing dynamic and marketing-friendly front-end solutions to assist management in performing SEO, web analytics, and A/B testing.

Also Read: How to Create a Job-worthy IT Resume?

Resume Personal Statement for Certified Professional

Certified business intelligence developer with 3+ years of experience in designing software solutions by translating business requirements into scalable BI projects. Proficient in ensuring the integrity of data while diagnosing and troubleshooting technological issues.

Also Read: How to List Certifications on Resume?

Key Takeaways

• Draft your personal statement after you complete the rest of your resume.
• Always keep your resume personal statement short and precise within a 3-4 line limit .
• Include details that reflect your achievements and core skills to validate your potential.
• Customize your CV personal statement in line with the job description of the profile that you are applying
• Add suitable keywords in your summary statement to rank high on the ATS

Go to Hiration's 360-degree Career Service platform which has 24/7 chat support for any assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

You can also write to us at [email protected] .

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How to Write a CV Personal Statement [+4 Real-life Examples]

Creating an effective CV takes time and close attention to detail. You've already included your jobs and experience , and now you want to allow the recruiter or hiring manager to understand the strategic value you can add.

This is when you need to utilize a personal statement at the top of your CV.

How to Write a CV Personal Statement [+4 Real-life Examples] 

What is a Personal Statement? 

A personal statement is a few brief and direct sentences at the top of your CV. The personal statement is also referred to as a career summary or personal mission statement.

This is used to grab the attention of the recruiter or hiring manager and summarizes essential experiences or training that you can bring to this position.

Why do I Need a Personal Statement?

A recruiter or hiring manager is tasked with sorting through an enormous amount of resumes every single day. A personal statement is a way to separate yourself from the other applicants.

This statement summarizes your experience and highlights your unique talents . The CV personal statement is meant to demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for the job. 

Even med students need a medical school personal statement , as it is what differentiates them from all the other students applying. Plus, it allows them to share their personal stories and objectives.

Where do I Start? 

Always begin by reading the job description carefully and thoroughly.

Your personal statement should be tailored to each job description, so it explicitly states the value you’ll bring to the position you are applying. A generic personal statement cannot do that. 

Once you have a solid handle on the job description, you can begin writing. It’s important to keep your personal statement brief, about 50-200 words will do.

Don’t forget that you have your whole cover letter to show some personality and include engaging content.

The personal statement should be a quick summary that highlights why you are the best person for the job. 

You’ll need to decide whether you are writing your personal statement in first- or third-person. This should follow how you've written the rest of your CV.

For example, if you've already written, “I grew and developed a team of 50 salespeople,” in your CV then you will want to keep your personal statement in first-person to match the prevailing style.

No matter what you choose, make sure that you keep it consistent throughout. Do not switch between first- and third-person as that will get confusing to the hiring manager.

Writing a personal statement for your CV in first-person does not mean you need to start every sentence with “I.”

There are ways to craft your personal statement to sound snappy, concise and personal, and here are a few examples to help inspire your personal statement. 

CV Personal Statement Examples

It doesn’t matter what chose as your desired career or how much experienc e you have, use these examples to drive the creation of your own personal statement.

You can take snippets from each or write something completely different. Always remember that your personal statement is a reflection of yourself and should align with your own personal goals and experience.

If these examples don’t fit your exact career, feel free to take some pointers and write yours from scratch. 

#1: Personal Statement Example for Recent Graduate CV

“As a recent graduate from university, with an honors degree in communications, I held several internships within leading organizations, including Bertelsmann. These internships enabled me to gain experience in the field and learn how to serve up valuable contributions in a fast-paced, professional environment.”

Explanation: This example should be customized to include the university you’ve graduated from and any relevant internships. A compelling personal statement always highlights relevant skills and experiences.

In this case, a recent graduate does not have extensive experience in the workforce, so soft skills like experiencing success in a fast-paced work environment and becoming a trusted team member become even more critical.

#2: Personal Statement Example for Returning to the Workforce CV

“A highly motivated and experienced office administrator, I am currently looking to resume my professional career after an extended hiatus to raise my family. Proficient in all Microsoft Office programs, I can lead meetings and work with clients to keep your office running smoothly and efficiently. After spending several years volunteering as an administrative worker for a local charity, I am committed to resuming my professional career on a full-time basis.”

Explanation: After time off from a career, it can be hard to break back into the market. This personal statement outlines the reason for the break, the relevant qualifications and what the applicant has been doing in between jobs.

Any volunteer experience becomes highly relevant when there is no concrete professional experience to draw upon, to demonstrate the use of those skills. 

#3: Personal Statement Example for a Career Change CV

“With over 15 years as a sales manager, I have extensive experience building high-functioning sales teams that consistently achieve budget numbers. In fact, my ability to grow talent led to a 20% increase in annual renewals across the board. Now, after 15 years, I am seeking new challenges to flex my marketing muscles in a fast-paced environment.” 

Explanation: When changing careers , it's essential to highlight skills that are transferable between industries.

In this case, leadership and team-building experience can apply to any industry. Homing in on concrete numbers and percentages increases credibility when applying for a position.

The applicant ends with the reason behind the desired career change. This part is not necessary but may be appealing to some hiring managers who are wondering what the impetus for the career change.

#4: Personal Statement Example for a Experienced Professional CV

“As a friendly, professional and highly trained educator, I am passionate about teaching and have an innate ability to understand student’s needs. Creating a safe and productive environment for optimal learning is my top priority. I’ve worked as a teacher for nearly 10 years in a variety of subjects and my experience and skill set make me the perfect fit for your team.”

Explanation: With more experience comes more skills and a better idea of strengths and weaknesses. Showcasing your passion for the industry is a great way to begin a personal statement, as it shows the hiring manager your dedication to the craft. 

A personal statement can be written in many different ways, but it is ultimately up to you to determine what skills you want to highlight for your chosen position.

You can follow these examples or take learnings from each to contribute towards your personal statement. 

If you understand the job you are applying for and know the unique skill set that you bring to the table, you will have a stellar personal statement for your CV that will get you across the table from the hiring manager in no time.  

Suggested Reading:

• How to Write a CV (Curriculum Vitae) in 2024 [31+ Examples]
• 43+ Resume Tips and Tricks to Land Your Next Job
• 150+ Must-Have Skills for Any Resume  [With Tips + Tricks]
• How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself”

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4 Ways To Take Your Resume From Good To Great

What really makes a great resume for today's job market? The use of a branding statement, a tag line or two, relevant keywords/key phrases, and a situation/action/results writing style can actually increase the return of your resume .

Related: The Worst Resume Advice I’ve EVER Heard

Let's review why each are increasingly important for job seekers competing in today's highly competitive job market. Including these can take your resume from good to great, and ultimately help you get the job you deserve.

1. Branding Statement

Personal branding is hot - very hot! Once paralleled with top business professionals such as Bill Gates, Donald Trump, and let's not forget Oprah, personal branding strategies are now applied to job seekers. Branding is not made up of one thing, but of many. According to Wikipedia.org, personal branding "is not limited to the body, clothing, appearance and knowledge contained within, leading to an indelible impression that is uniquely distinguishable."

Can branding techniques be used for job search purposes? Absolutely. Start by using a branding statement within your resume. Typically a one or two-liner, a branding statement could be an umbrella statement relative to the broadness and depth of you.

To develop a branding statement, take your 15-second elevator pitch and rework it to include key points relevant to talent recruiters. For those who don't have an elevator pitch, write a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) about your professional career and value. Then, boil the paragraph down to a couple of sentences. Lastly, fine-tune the statement until it contains the exact wording that helps sell you to the hiring community.

2. Using Tag Lines

If a branding statement was a book title, a tagline would be the subtitle.

Tag lines are terrific, enabling those who review your resume to immediately see your value... all from a mere skim. Oh sure, resume management systems are certainly ruling the roost when it comes to resumes these days, but real people are actually out there reviewing soft and hard copy resumes, so definitely write your resume for those pesky RMS systems, and don't forget about the human beings, too.

Taking a variety of forms, tag lines can be a group of keywords or a sentence fragment. The first example tagline below (Award-Winning Designs - Community Project Lead - Travel Internationally) was perfect for this client. She was targeting a high-end, executive role for a major community development company with project interests on a national and international level. Certainly, we could have included this information within the intro statement, or elsewhere, but a more strategic placement adds visual interest and introduces a bit more white space to attract readers' eyes.My favorite use of tag lines is to include a quick "content snapshot" where you would otherwise see blank space. For example, readers would learn this individual is a turnaround expert by simply reading the resume; but honestly, who reads an entire resume these days?Taglines are another way for readers to quickly learn more about you and what you have to offer, putting you one step closer to being called for an interview.

3. Keywords & Key Phrases

Want to know an insider's secret to identifying ideal keywords and key phrases for your resume? Print those ideal job ads and get out a highlighter. Highlight job tasks, concentrating on nouns/actions. Then, cross-reference the highlighted keywords against your resume. Is there an important keyword (skill) missing from the resume? Does the resume need a bit more tweaking to accommodate more relevant keywords and key phrases? Sometimes a job description is filled with poppy-cosh, and by focusing primarily on those specific skills (keywords), you're somewhat getting rid of the "content fat," enabling you to see what's ultimately important to the hiring company.

4. Situation/Action/Results (SAR) Writing Style

A SAR writing style introduces achievements into a resume, adding numbers and percentages to add visual breaks in text for readers' eyes... it's that simple. Hiring managers and recruiters love achievements within a resume because each represents an action and result on the part of the candidate.

Introduce more achievements into your resume by focusing on your specific job area, department, or the company as a whole. Think about situations you faced during your tenure, how you responded, and the results from each action. Did you increase sales? Save the company money? Cut dependency on a specific resource? If you weren't in a lead/management role, maybe you assisted a team with achieving a sales goal or securing that million-dollar client.

Some actions seem small, but in the end, may have resulted in a big impact. For example:

Provided extensive team support during the development and integration of a new incentive program offered to the SE sales team; program added $3.2 million in new sales and was later introduced to other US-based territories.

• Day In The Life Of A Successful Job Seeker ›
• 6 Tips To Make Your Resume Better Than The Rest ›
• Good vs Bad: How Are You Assigning Value To Career Experiences? ›

Spring Cleaning: 4 Ways To Fix Your Job Search

Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.

In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.

For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.

Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach

Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:

• How did I learn about this job?
• How did I apply for the job?
• Did I earn an interview?
• What was the ultimate result?

A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:

Negative Trends

You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.

The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations , and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.

One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.

The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.

This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.

Positive Trends

You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.

The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview . This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.

The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback , and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.

Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.

The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.

Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention

Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.

Let's start with resumes!

Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers . It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.

The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.

Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.

While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.

As for writing a good cover letter , the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter . When you write a disruptive cover letter , you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.

If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.

Build Your Personal Brand

Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand .

Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"

Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.

By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.

You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.

Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search

Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.

There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:

• Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
• Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
• Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle , even better!

Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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Pursue Your Doctorate: DBA Program Admission

If you’re pursuing admission to a Doctor of Business Administration program, you should understand the necessary qualifications and prepare the appropriate application materials to have your best chance of getting admitted to this prestigious doctoral program.

We'll share everything you need to know about DBA admission to increase your appeal as an applicant, including techniques for writing an impactful personal statement and managing financial aspects associated with enrollment in a business administration doctorate program—key strategies designed to aid you in securing your spot within a DBA program.

Navigating the DBA Program Application

A strategic approach is crucial when applying for a doctoral program such as a business administration program. The application process for a DBA program is more complicated than applying for a master's degree in business; it's a two-phase journey that starts with a preliminary application and may advance to additional materials submission and interviews.

Here's an overview of what's required in each phase of the application process for the Executive Doctor of Business Administration at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School:

• Personal Statement/Essay 
• Resume 
• Research topic proposal (one-page essay)
• Intellectual contributions (optional)
• Online application
• Official transcripts
• TOEFL, PTE, IELTS Score, if applicable
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Graduate degree from an accredited institution*
• Time management plan
• Research Proposal (3 pages)
• Optional: Recommendation letters

You'll also need a minimum of 10 years of full-time work experience as well as a business-related master's degree.

Preparing Your Phase 1 Application Materials

To make a strong case for your admission, you need to prepare your Phase 1 application materials meticulously and submit them before the application deadline.

Crafting a Personal Statement That Resonates

Your personal statement is a narrative that tells your unique story. It's where you connect your past experiences with your future ambitions, all through the lens of seeking a DBA. This document should weave together your motivations for pursuing a doctor of business administration, how it aligns with your career goals, and why you've chosen a particular institution.

Start by reflecting on your journey: what drives you, how have your experiences shaped your aspirations, and how will a DBA propel you forward? Be specific about the aspects of the DBA program that excite you and how they align with your professional development plans. It’s also beneficial to express why the chosen institution stands out to you, whether it's their innovative approach, faculty members, or the impact of its alumni network.

Showcasing Your Professional Journey With a Solid Resume

Your resume is a representation of your professional life and should highlight your achievements, leadership roles, and contributions to your field. For a DBA application, focus on experiences that underscore your managerial and leadership skills and any accomplishments that demonstrate your capacity for critical thinking and strategic decision-making. Tailor your resume to emphasize relevance to the DBA program, showcasing how your background equips you for the challenges and rigor of doctoral-level study.

Choosing a Research Topic

The research topic proposal is your chance to show the admissions committee your areas of interest and potential research directions. This one-page essay should clearly articulate a research question or area you’re passionate about, its relevance to contemporary business challenges, and how it aligns with the DBA program’s strengths. Your proposal doesn’t have to be a commitment to a specific dissertation topic but should demonstrate your ability to think critically and identify areas ripe for scholarly inquiry.

Showcasing Intellectual Contributions

Though optional, detailing your intellectual contributions can significantly bolster your application. This includes published works, presentations, or any projects that demonstrate your scholarly engagement and contributions to your field. Including these accomplishments shows the admissions committee your commitment to academic excellence and your potential as a researcher.

Completing The Online Application

The online application is where all the components of your application come together. It’s essential to ensure that every section is completed accurately and thoroughly. Pay close attention to application deadlines as well as the admissions requirements of each section, adhere to word limits, and recheck for any errors or omissions. The online application is also an opportunity to express your interest in the program and articulate your professional and academic goals succinctly.

Essential Qualifications for DBA Admission

DBA applicants are required to have a master’s degree, which comes after obtaining a business administration degree, such as a bachelor’s degree, from an accredited U.S. university or its international equivalent. An MBA or related graduate degree with a significant focus on business administration is often considered essential. The previous graduate coursework must be closely related to business administration to align with DBA program expectations.

In addition to academic qualifications, professional experience is given considerable weight, with a minimum requirement of ten years of full-time business or management experience. DBA programs, in essence, evaluate overall readiness for a doctoral program, encompassing factors such as previous graduate coursework, GPA, professional experience, and personal qualities.

Advancing Your Academic Credentials

An MBA or a graduate degree in a related field is often seen as evidence of the necessary academic foundation for DBA studies. Holding an MBA is a common entry requirement for DBA programs, positioning candidates with this qualification favorably. Discussing any relevant educational background helps establish the continuity and progression of the applicant’s academic journey towards the DBA program.

Demonstrating Professional Experience

Demonstrating professional experience is a significant aspect of the DBA application process. DBA programs often seek candidates with significant work experience, with a preference for those possessing substantial experience in business or management positions and a history in senior management or executive-level roles.

Highlighting managerial or executive roles, along with the influential impact made in these positions, showcases the applicant’s preparedness for doctoral-level business studies. Demonstrating leadership skills and the ability to lead transformational changes within organizations is a critical attribute that DBA admissions committees look for.

Financial Considerations for Pepperdine University's DBA Applicants

The prestigious DBA program at Pepperdine University, located in Malibu, California, promises not only a transformative educational experience but also entails specific financial planning due to its unique structure and offerings.

Pepperdine University's DBA program stands out not only for its rigorous curriculum and esteemed faculty but also for its comprehensive cost structure designed to support students throughout their academic journey. The program's tuition is calculated at $3,275 per unit, encompassing a total of 55 units throughout the three-year program. This pricing model is inclusive, covering more than just the tuition; it extends to fees, all meals during the six residential sessions, access to cutting-edge online course content and research resources, and software licenses necessary for a fruitful learning experience.

Paying For Your DBA at Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University is committed to supporting students through a range of financial aid opportunities, including scholarships, loans, and grants designed to make your doctoral journey more accessible and affordable.

Federal Loans : For U.S. citizens or permanent residents, federal loans can be a viable option to fund your DBA studies. The Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan, requiring credit approval, provides the opportunity to borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid, at a fixed interest rate of 8.05% for the same period. Federal loans come with various repayment terms and options, including income-based repayment plans and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Private Loans: Students also have the freedom to explore private loans from any lender of their choice. While Pepperdine Graziadio Business School does not endorse any specific lenders, various online resources can help you review the terms and conditions of private loans favored by other students at the school.

The Yellow Ribbon Program : For veterans, the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program offers additional financial support for tuition and certifiable fees that exceed the benefits payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. This program allows eligible veterans, active service members, and spouses of active service members to receive matching contributions from Pepperdine and the Department of Veterans Affairs towards their unmet costs. It's a valuable resource for those who have served our country and are now pursuing advanced education in business administration.

Language Requirements for International Students

International applicants aspiring to join DBA programs must demonstrate English proficiency for admission, typically by providing TOEFL or IELTS scores. If your native language is not English or if you haven’t earned a degree from an institution where English is the language of instruction, you need to submit a TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS score.

The minimum TOEFL scores accepted are 80 for the iBT and 550 for the pBT, while the minimum IELTS requirement is an overall score of 7 with no individual module score below 6. TOEFL and IELTS scores that are two years old or older are generally not acceptable for application purposes. Getting a firm grasp on the language requirements is a key step for international applicants aiming for DBA program admission.

Contacting the Admissions Office for Assistance

While preparing your DBA application, it’s natural to have questions or require clarifications. Prospective students are encouraged to directly reach out to the admissions office with any questions they might have to gain clearer insights about the DBA program.

Keeping the lines of communication open with the admissions office and the admissions committee can contribute to being well-prepared and informed throughout the application process, including the admissions review process.

The Decision Process and Next Steps After Acceptance

At Pepperdine University's Graziadio Business School, each DBA application undergoes a comprehensive review by our admissions committee. This process involves a holistic assessment of your application materials, including your academic qualifications, professional experience, personal statement, and potential for research and leadership in the field of business administration. We aim to identify candidates who not only meet the program's academic standards but also demonstrate a strong alignment with our values and the potential to contribute significantly to the business community.

Admissions decisions are made with careful consideration and deliberation to ensure that selected candidates are well-suited to thrive in and contribute to our DBA program.

Next Steps After Acceptance

Being accepted into Pepperdine University's DBA program is an achievement that marks the beginning of an exciting and challenging academic journey. Here are the critical next steps you should take after receiving your acceptance:

• Confirm Your Enrollment: Upon receiving your offer of admission, you will be asked to confirm your intent to enroll in the DBA program. This step usually involves submitting a completed Intent to Enroll form and making a non-refundable deposit to secure your place in the program. The deposit amount and due date will be clearly stated in your acceptance letter.
• Plan Your Finances: Review the financial aid options available to you, including scholarships, loans, and grants. If you haven't already, now is the time to finalize your financial planning for your DBA studies. The financial aid office at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School can provide guidance and support in exploring the various financial resources available to you.
• Prepare for Residency Sessions: The DBA program at Pepperdine includes immersive residency sessions that are integral to the learning experience. Begin making arrangements for travel and accommodation if necessary, and mark your calendar for these important dates. The program office will provide detailed information about the schedule and expectations for these sessions.
• Engage with the Pepperdine DBA Community: Start connecting with your future classmates, faculty, and the broader Pepperdine community. Engaging early can help you build a supportive network and ease the transition into the doctoral program. Look out for invitations to pre-program workshops, networking events, and other opportunities to get involved.
• Set Personal and Professional Goals: Finally, take a moment to reflect on your goals for pursuing a DBA at Pepperdine. Consider how you plan to leverage this opportunity to advance your career, contribute to the field of business administration, and achieve your personal and professional aspirations.

Pursue an Executive Doctor of Business Administration Program at Pepperdine University

Pursuing a DBA program is a significant step in your academic and professional journey. With the right preparation and understanding of the admissions process, you can improve your chances of securing a spot in a prestigious DBA program like the one offered at Pepperdine University. Remember, the journey to a DBA degree is not just about meeting the DBA admission requirements, but also about demonstrating your unique value and potential contributions to the field of business administration.

Learn more about how to achieve your career goals with a degree from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.

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Prince William to resume royal duties after Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis

LONDON — Britain's Prince William is set to return to official royal duties Thursday for the first time since his wife, Kate, the Princess of Wales, announced she was receiving treatment for cancer .

William, the Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, will visit west London and the adjacent county of Surrey to highlight the work of community and environmental impact organizations in the area, Kensington Palace said in a statement Tuesday.

They will be William's first public engagements since Kate revealed almost a month ago that she was undergoing chemotherapy for an as-yet unspecified form of cancer.

In the weeks before the news became public, William, 41, canceled a number of engagements , including a memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of Greece, as he juggled being with his wife and looking after their children.

After Kate's video announcement, the couple missed the Easter Sunday service in Windsor, a high-profile annual royal engagement.

On Thursday, William will visit Surplus to Supper, a food bank that distributes more than 3 metric tons of food per day, much of which would otherwise go to landfills. He will also stop by a youth center in West London to which the food bank sends regular donations.

"Protecting the environment for future generations is one of The Prince of Wales’s key priorities and in 2020 he launched The Earthshot Prize, a global environmental prize and platform to discover, award, celebrate and scale ground-breaking solutions to repair and regenerate the planet," Kensington Palace said.

William is following in the footsteps of his father, King Charles III, who has long championed environmental and social causes.

William was at a soccer match in Birmingham last week , watching his beloved Aston Villa with his son George, in what was the pair's first public appearance since the news of Kate's diagnosis.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Search the United Nations

14 april 2024, secretary-general's remarks to the security council on the situation in the middle east [as delivered].

Madam President,

Excellencies,

The Middle East is on the brink.

The people of the region are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict.

Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate.

Now is the time for maximum restraint.

This emergency session has been convened upon an urgent request by the Permanent Representative of Israel, who noted in his letter dated 13 April to the President of the Security Council, that Iran had launched – and I quote -- “a direct attack from within its territory of more than 200 UAVs, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles towards Israel in clear violation of the UN Charter and international law.” [unquote]

Yesterday, the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran also addressed a letter to the President of the Security Council, stating that – and I quote -- “in the late hours of 13 April 2024, the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out a series of military strikes on Israeli military objectives.”  [unquote]

He stated that the action was taken – and I quote -- “in the exercise of Iran’s inherent right to self-defence as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, and in response to the Israeli recurring military aggressions, particularly its armed attack on 1 April 2024 against Iranian diplomatic premises” – unquote.

According to the latest reports, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles from its territory toward Israel, with most intercepted.

Several missiles reportedly struck within Israeli territory, one of which damaged an Israeli military facility in the south of the country.

And overall, a few civilians were injured.  

When the nature of the attack became clear, I stated the following last night and I quote:

“I strongly condemn the serious escalation represented by the large-scale attack launched on Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran this evening.

And I call for an immediate cessation of these hostilities.”  [unquote]

I remind all Member States that the Charter of the United Nations prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.

Furthermore, the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law, as I stated when condemning the 1 April attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

It’s time to step back from the brink.

It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East.

Civilians are already bearing the brunt and paying the highest price.

And we have a shared responsibility to actively engage all parties concerned to prevent further escalation.

As the Friendly Relations Declaration of 1970 states, acts of reprisal involving the use of force are barred under international law.

We have a shared responsibility to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.

We have a shared responsibility to stop violence in the occupied West Bank, de-escalate the situation along the Blue Line, and re-establish safe navigation in the Red Sea.

We have a shared responsibility to work for peace.

Regional – and indeed global -- peace and security are being undermined by the hour.

Neither the region nor the world can afford more war.

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CV personal statement examples

If you want to secure job interview, you need a strong personal statement at the top of your CV.

Your CV personal statement is a short paragraph which sits at the very top of your CV – and it’s aim is to summarise the benefits of hiring you and encourage employers to read your CV in full.

In this guide I have included 17 CV personal statement examples from a range of professions and experience levels, plus a detailed guide of how to write your own personal statement that will get you noticed by employers

CV templates 

17 CV personal statement examples

To start this guide, I have included 10 examples of good personal statements, to give you an idea of how a personal statement should look , and what should be included.

Note: personal statements are generally used by junior candidates – if you are experienced, check out our CV profile examples instead.

Graduate CV personal statement (no experience)

Although this  graduate has no paid work experience, they compensate for it by showcasing all of the skills and knowledge the have gained during their studies, and demonstrating how they apply their knowledge in academic and personal projects.

When you have little or no experience, it’s important to draw out transferable workplace skills from your studies and extracurricular work, to showcase them to employers.

Graduate CV personal statement (part time freelance experience)

This candidate has graduated with a degree in biochemistry but actually wants to start a career in digital marketing after providing some digital freelance services to fund their studies.

In this case, they haven’t made much mention of their studies because they aren’t relevant to the digital marketing agencies they are applying to. Instead they have focused their personal statement around their freelance work and passion for the digital field – although they still mention the fact they are degree educated to prove their academic success.

School leaver CV personal statement (no experience)

This candidate is 16 years old and has no work experience whatsoever, but they compensate for this by detailing their academic achievements that relate to the roles they are applying for (maths and literacy are important requirements in finance and accountancy roles).

They also add some info on their extracurricular activities and school work-placements, to strengthen this student CV further.

    Top tips for writing a CV personal statement

• Thoroughly research the jobs and companies you are planning to apply for to identify the type of candidate they are looking for – try to reflect that in your personal statement
• Don’t be afraid to brag a little – include some of your most impressive achievements from education, work or personal life
• Focus on describing the benefits an employer will get from hiring you. Will you help them to get more customers? Improve their workplace? Save them time and money?
• If you have no work experience, demonstrate transferable workplace skills from your education, projects, or even hobbies

School leaver CV personal statement (part time experience)

Although this person has only just left school, they have also undertaken some part-time work in a call centre alongside their studies.

To make the most of this experience, they have combined their academic achievements with their workplace exposure in this personal statement.

By highlighting their GCSE results, summer programme involvement, work experience and expressing their ambitions to progress within sales, this candidate really makes an appealing case for hiring them.

College leaver CV personal statement (no experience)

This candidate has left college with good grades, but does not yet have any work experience.

To compensate for the lack of workplace exposure, they have made their A level results prominent and highlighted skills and experience which would benefit the employers they are targeting.

Any recruiter reading this profile can quickly understand that this candidate has great academic achievements, a passion for IT and finance and the ability to transfer their skills into an office environment.

College student CV personal statement (freelance experience)

As this student has picked up a small amount of freelance writing work during their studies, they have made sure to brag about it in their personal statement.

They give details on their relevant A level studies to show the skills they are learning, and boost this further by highlighting the fact that they have been applying these skills in a real-life work setting by providing freelance services.

They also include key action verbs that recruiters will be looking for , such as creative writing, working to deadlines, and producing copy.

Academic CV personal statement

Aside from junior candidates, the only other people who might use a personal statement, are academic professionals; as their CV’s tend to be more longer and detailed than other professions.

This candidate provides a high level overview of their field of study, length of experience, and the roles they have held within universities.

School leaver CV personal statement with and sports experience

Although this person has no work experience, they are still able to show employers the value of hiring them by selling their other achievements and explaining how they could benefit an organisation.

They expand on their sports club involvement to demonstrate their teamwork, leadership skills, communication and motivation, which are all important traits in the workplace, and will be looked upon favourably by recruiters and hiring managers.

They also draw upon their future plans to study business studies and take a part time job, to further prove their ambition and dedication.

History graduate CV personal statement

This history graduate proves their aptitude for both academic achievement and workplace aptitude by showcasing valuable skills from their degree and voluntary work.

They do this by breaking down the key requirements for each and showing how their skills could be beneficial for future employers, such as listening, communication, and crisis management.

They also describe how their ability to balance studies alongside voluntary work has not only boosted their knowledge and skills, but also given excellent time management and organisational skills – which are vital assets to any employer.

Law graduate CV personal statement

This legal graduate makes the most from their work university work placements by using it to bulk out the contents of their CV personal statement.

They include their degree to show they have the necessary qualifications for legal roles, which is crucial, but more importantly, they showcase how they applied their legal skills within a real-life work setting.

They give a brief overview of the types of legal professionals they have been working alongside and the type of work they have been carrying out – this is all it takes to get the attention of recruiters and show employers they have what it takes to fulfil roles in the legal sector.

Medical student CV personal statement

This medical student proves their fit for the role by showcasing the key skills they have gained from their studies and their work experience placements.

In just these few sentences, they are able to highlight the vast amount of experience they have across different disciplines in the industry, something which is particularly important in the medical sector.

As they have not graduated yet and are still studying, they have provided proof of their most recent grades. This can give the recruiter some indication as to the type of grade they could be graduating with in the near future.

Masters student CV personal statement

This masters student has started by specifying their area of study, in this case, accounting, and given details about the specific areas of finance they are most interested in. This can hint towards their career goals and passions.

They have then carefully listed some of the key areas of accounting and finance that they are proficient in. For example, business finance, advanced corporate finance and statistics.

They have also outlined some of the transferable skills needed for accounting roles that employers will be looking out for, such as communication, attention to detail and analytical skills.

Finance student CV personal statement

As this finance student has recently undertaken some relevant work experience, they’ve made sure to shout about this in their personal profile.

But more than this, they have included a list of some of the important finance skills they gained as a result of this work experience – for example, financial reporting, processing invoices and month-end reconciliations.

Plus, through power words and phrases such as ‘prevent loss’ and ‘ improve upon accuracy and efficiency’, they have also showcased how they can apply these skills in a workplace setting to benefit the potential employer.

Internship  CV personal statement

This digital marketing professional has started their personal profile by outlining their most relevant qualifications and work experience, most notably their freelance role as a content manager.

They have also provided examples of some of the key marketing skills that potential employers might be looking for, including very detailed examples of the platforms and tools they are proficient in – for example, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest.

They have then closed their statement by giving a detailed description of the type of role or opportunity they are looking for. In this case, an in-house position in a marketing company.

Graduate career changer personal statement

Switching careers as a graduate can be tough. Especially when it comes to writing a personal statement that will attract employers in your new chosen field.

This candidate is looking to move from history teaching into journalism, so they have created a statement which briefly mentions their current workplace, but mainly focuses on highlighting transferable skills which are relevant to journalism. They achieve this by discussing the writing skills they use in their current role, and mentioning their hobby of writing – including some publications they have been featured in for extra brownie points.

Business management graduate personal statement

This business management proves their ability to work within a junior business management position by swiftly highlighting their impressive degree (to ensure it is not missed) and summarising some of the real-life experience they have gained in management during their university placements and volunteering. They do not let their lack of paid work experience, stop them demonstrating their valuable skills.

PhD graduate

PhD graduate roles attract a lot of competition, so it’s important that your CV contains a personal statement that will quickly impress and attract recruiters.

This candidate provides a short-but-comprehensive overview of their academic achievements, whilst demonstrating their exceptional level of knowledge in research, languages and publication writing.

By highlighting a number of skills and abilities that are in high-demand in the academic workplace, this CV is very likely to get noticed and land interviews.

How to write a personal statement for your CV

Now that you’ve seen what a personal statement should look like and the type of content it should contain, follow this detailed guide to one for your own CV – and start racking those interviews up.

Guide contents

What is a CV personal statement?

Cv personal statement or cv profile, personal statement format, what to include in a cv personal statement.

• Personal statement mistakes

How to write persuasively

A personal statement is a short paragraph at the top of your CV which gives employers an overview of your education, skills and experience

It’s purpose is to capture the attention of busy recruiters and hiring managers when your CV is first opened – encouraging them to read the rest of it.

You achieve this by writing a tailored summary of yourself that explains your suitability for the roles you are applying for at a very high level, and matches your target job descriptions .

One question candidates often ask me is , “what is the difference between a personal statement and a CV profile?”

To be honest, they are almost the same – they are both introductory paragraphs that sit at the top of your CV… but there are 2 main differences

A personal statement tends to be used more by junior candidates (graduates, school leavers etc.) and is relatively long and detailed.

A CV profile tends to be favoured by more experienced candidates , and is shorter in length than a personal statement.

Note: If you are an experienced candidate, you may want to switch over to my CV profile writing guide , or example CV profiles page.

To ensure you grab recruiters’ attention with your personal statement, lay it out in the following way.

Positioning

You need to ensure that your personal statement sits at the very top of your CV, and all of it should be totally visible to readers, without the need to scroll down the page.

Do this by reducing the top page margin and minimising the space taken up by your contact details.

This will ensure that your whole personal statement can be seen, as soon as your CV is opened.

We have a Word CV template which can help you to get this right.

Size/length

Your personal statement needs to contain enough detail to provide an introduction to your skills and knowledge, but not so much detail that it bores readers.

To strike the right balance, anything between 8-15 lines of text is perfect – and sentences should be sharp and to-the-point.

As with the whole of your CV or resume , your personal statement should be written in a simple clean font at around size 10-12 to ensure that it can be read easily by all recruiters and employers.

Keep the text colour simple , ensuring that it contrasts the background (black on white is best) and break it into 2 or even 3 paragraphs for a pleasant reading experience.

It should also be written in a punchy persuasive tone, to help you sell yourself and increase your chances of landing interviews , I cover how to do this in detail further down the guide.

Quick tip: A poorly written CV will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to create a winning CV in minutes with professional CV templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Once you have the style and format of your personal statement perfected, you need to fill it with compelling content that tells recruiters that your CV is worth reading.

Here’s what needs to go into your personal statement…

Before you start writing your personal statement, it’s crucial that you research your target roles to find out exactly what your new potential employers are looking for in a candidate.

Run a search for your target jobs on one of the major job websites , look through plenty of adverts and make a list of the candidate requirements that frequently appear.

This research will show you exactly what to include in your personal statement in order to impress the recruiters who will be reading it.

Education and qualifications are an important aspect of your personal statement, especially if you are a junior candidate.

You should highlight your highest and most relevant qualifications, whether that is a degree, A levels or GCSEs. You could potentially go into some more detail around modules, papers etc. if they are relevant to the roles you are applying for.

It’s important that you discuss the experience you have gained in your personal statement, to give readers an idea of the work you are comfortable undertaking.

This can of course be direct employed work experience, but it doesn’t have to be.

You can also include:

• School/college Uni work placements
• Voluntary work
• Personal projects
• Hobbies/interests

As with all aspects of your CV , the content should be tailored to match the requirements of your target roles.

Whilst discussing your experience, you should touch upon skills used, industries worked in, types of companies worked for, and people you have worked with.

Where possible, try to show the impact your actions have made. E.g . A customer service agent helps to make sales for their employer.

Any industry-specific knowledge you have that will be useful to your new potential employers should be made prominent within your personal statement.

For example

• Knowledge of financial regulations will be important for accountancy roles
• Knowledge of IT operating systems will be important for IT roles
• Knowledge of the national curriculum will be important for teachers

You should also include some information about the types of roles you are applying for, and why you are doing so. Try to show your interest and passion for the field you are hoping to enter, because employers want to hire people who have genuine motivation and drive in their work.

This is especially true if you don’t have much work experience, as you need something else to compensate for it.

CV personal statement mistakes

The things that you omit from your personal statement can be just as important as the things you include.

Try to keep the following out of your personal statement..

Irrelevant info

Any information that doesn’t fall into the requirements of your target roles can be cut out of your personal statement. For example, if you were a professional athlete 6 years ago, that’s great – but it won’t be relevant if you’re applying to advertising internships, so leave it out.

Generic clichés

If you are describing yourself as a “ dynamic team player with high levels of motivation and enthusiasm” you aren’t doing yourself any favours.

These cliché terms are vastly overused and don’t provide readers with any factual details about you – so keep them to a minimum.

Stick to solid facts like education, skills , experience, achievements and knowledge.

If you really want to ensure that your personal statement makes a big impact, you need to write in a persuasive manner.

So, how do you so this?

Well, you need to brag a little – but not too much

It’s about selling yourself and appearing confident, without overstepping the mark and appearing arrogant.

For example, instead of writing.

“Marketing graduate with an interest in entering the digital field”

Be creative and excite the reader by livening the sentence up like this,

“Marketing graduate with highest exam results in class and a passion for embarking on a long and successful career within digital”

The second sentence is a much more interesting, makes the candidate appear more confident, throws in some achievements, and shows off a wider range of writing skills.

Quick tip: A poorly written CV will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to create a winning CV in minutes with professional templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Your own personal statement will be totally unique to yourself, but by using the above guidelines you will be able to create one which shows recruiters everything they need.

Remember to keep the length between 10-20 lines and only include the most relevant information for your target roles.

You can also check our school leaver CV example , our best CV templates , or our library of example CVs from all industries.

Good luck with the job hunt!