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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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How to Write a Resume Personal Statement

What is a resume personal statement?

A resume personal statement expresses who you are, where you’ve been, and sometimes where you plan to go next right at the top of your resume.

Everyone has different circumstances, so the personal statement helps to orient a potential future boss in terms of what they are about to read in the resume. Think about what you would like to share that matters to you. This space is particularly useful if you are changing industries , coming back in to the employment market or looking for a promotion. Your shop window starts here. The personal statement may be the only thing than an employer reads.

The resume personal statement hooks in a reader, influencing them to read more. So, how do you write a resume personal statement that is both natural and grabs an employer’s attention? Offer them a brief insight into who you are and why you would be a fantastic hire. So what do you write in a personal statement for a job?

This guide will cover:

• The basic formatting of a personal statement: How to tailor your personal statement to give you a competitive advantage
• Personal statement examples you should (and shouldn’t) use
• Practical steps for getting started on your resume personal statement

The personal statement format

The personal statement is a short paragraph that sits right below your contact information at the top of a resume . It sums up your experience, goals and skills with confidence. Think of your resume’s personal statement like an extended tagline for your career. A resume personal statement should include:

• Between 50 and 200 words in 3 - 4 sentences
• Your title or function, for example “Junior developer” or “Passionate hospitality manager”
• An opening hook
• Soft skills and hard skills
• Impressive facts and stats
• Your short and/or long-term goals
• Job-specific slant for the position you’re applying to

This may seem like a lot to cram into 200 words but perfecting your elevator pitch shows that you have a firm grasp of why your experience, goals, and skills make you the perfect fit for the job. Go all out to make this as fitting for each role as possible. Too often candidates come up with what they see as the perfect introduction to them and forget about how a hiring manager for each specific role might read it. Be flexible with the personal statement. It might not present the very best version of you - it should present the best version of you for this particular role.

This brief introduction is only a short piece of text, it is not disruptive and in many cases even serves as a welcome addition to what is otherwise a dry and impersonal document. It should be clear to you by now how we feel about the personal statement: Include it, especially because it allows you that bit of creativity that may make all the difference. Adopt a conversational tone and consider using the first person for these few lines. Third person (past tense) is standard for resumes, but if you want to go personal, this is where to do it.

How do I start my personal statement? How do you not start a personal statement? Even with a personal statement of 3-4 lines, sometimes the first sentence is the hardest. Even the first few words can have a disproportionate effect on how your personal statement is viewed. Your starting "hook" should make your fit with the role clear and specific. Use an example that is as unique to you as possible - you have to make your future employer sit up and pay attention. The first word of your personal statement should never be "I" - a great resume explores the potential of a common partnership and should not be a uni-directional monologue.

Align your resume’s personal statement with the job description

The hiring manager delicately chose every word in their job description. Gather clues from its tone, which skills they highlight, and any hints that point toward their dream employee. One of the top resume tips from HR managers is to include relevant keywords specific to the job posting itself as well as the actual wording of the job title .

What would this job description look like in 3 - 4 sentences? What keywords, skills, and tone would the job description have?

While still sticking to the facts about who you are and your experiences, your resume personal statement should highlight as many similarities with the job description as possible. When the hiring manager reads the first few sentences in your resume, they feel like you are exactly the person they were describing when they wrote the job description.

Position of the personal statement

Recruiters still prefer to see a candidate's personal details at the top (or running along a column on either side) of the resumes that cross their desk. This allows them to quickly search through the resumes that Applicant Tracking Systems have sorted into their virtual “yes” pile. You do not want your (relatively modern) personal statement to get in the way of this tradition. 

The best place to put your statement is after your personal details (if they are at the top) and before your employment history section. Remember that the length of your resume is important. If you have already been very selective and cannot possibly leave out any more information and if adding your personal statement means your resume spills over onto a third page, you may consider not including your statement for the position in question. This ensures you comply with the unwritten rule that a resume should not be longer than two pages.

What is a good personal statement length? 200 words is the maximum suggested length, but if you go with one powerful sentence that you want the hiring manager to remember for the rest of the interview process, then why not? Less is more, but you have to be confident in your application to go with this option.

Plan to write your resume personal statement last

Instead of getting stuck at the beginning trying to write the perfect statement, skip this section and jump right into your employment history first. Once you’ve added your relevant work experiences , take a look at your keywords, phrases and skills from your past positions.

Your complete work history and the job description for the job you want are the foundations for your personal statement. By writing your resume personal statement last, it should be easier to get started once you have the right inspiration.

It might be the case that you leave a certain number of lines for the personal statement on your resume and write an individual statement for each role. You will often have a public version of your resume that is accessible on job boards (etc), so there should still be an "ideal" personal statement version.

How do I write a resume from scratch? While it is good advice to write the resume personal statement after your have written the resume itself (giving your brain a chance to ponder your true highlights), starting writing a resume is a mammoth task in itself. There are many useful pieces of advice when sitting down to write a resume, but for me, the key is to think about the reflecting the combination of what you are good at, what you enjoy and how those things will contribute to the direction of your career. For sure, be honest about your experience, but there has to be a creative flavour of ensuring that your past adequately reflects where you want to go.

Check out resume personal statement examples

Before you dive into writing, get a sense for different rhythms and layouts by checking these resume personal statement examples. How do you write a good personal statement?

Let's start with the basics. Since every person is unique, all personal statements should be unique too. You should, therefore, resist the urge to (largely) copy someone else's existing statement. This is the only spot on your resume to let your voice be heard, so try to write something that would prompt a friend to exclaim, “That sounds like something you’d say!” while, of course, keeping it professional.

Example. Innovative Executive Assistant with 10+ years of experience with global financial firm assisting a team of three C-Level directors. Expertly coordinate travel, manage large-scale expense reports, and streamline communication and calendars across departments..Seeking an Executive Assistant role with the Resume.io team to expand my office management career and thrive in an environment that requires independent problem-solving skills and focus under short deadlines.

The example above does the following things:

• States their title in the first sentence
• Includes specifics such as team size and duties
• Succinctly sums up major responsibilities and skills
• Highlights hard skills —experience arranging travel and expense reports—as well as soft skills —grace under pressure, attention to detail and communication.
• Specifically tailors the final statement with the company and/or job description

Here are a few more resume personal statement examples:

Experienced Digital Marketing Manager with five years of expertise in heading up a global firm. Increased inbound leads by 500% and raised online sales from 100,000 annually to over 2 million in a three-year period. Looking to grow career by applying skills to the Resume.io marketing team.

Straight to the point and accomplishment focused, without the use of “I”. Now let’s look at a less effective example:

I have worked as a Digital Marketing Manager for five years. During this time I have been an important and hard-working member of the team and showed my ability to work under pressure to deliver on company targets. I am looking to bring my skills to a new role in digital marketing.

Generic and ignores accomplishments. Also, too many uses of “I” in a passive voice.

Next is an example of a personal statement that focuses more on career objectives . A career objective can be used as a way to get across your skills and experience, without the personal bit. It’s a good option if you’re an entry-level candidate or college graduate without a lot of experience in the industry you’re applying for. The idea is, because you don’t have the relevant experience to talk about, you pull skills and experience from other areas of your resume so you can show you have what it takes.

Keep your career objective brief — 2-3 sentences max — following the same rules as the personal statement.

Content writer with three years' experience in a large e-commerce company. Delivered content that grew brand social presence to over 700,000 across three channels and improved email open rates by 48%. Looking to further career by joining the Resume.io as an SEO Executive.

See how it uses transferable skills? Combining these with numbers makes them all the more impressive.

And a less effective resume personal statement example:

I am a content writer looking to secure a role as an SEO Executive. While I have no experience in this field and am a dedicated individual and a keen learner. My enjoyment of how search engines work will help me excel in your company.

There’s not enough here to capture attention and it doesn’t sell transferable skills. Whichever type of opening statement you go for, if you have numbers to show, make them count.

Writing your personal profile resume

Always write the first draft of a personal profile resume without editing. Don’t worry about length or word choice in the first pass. Brag about yourself, be proud of your accomplishments , and add in all of your most impressive stats.

Some of the best writing happens without editing too soon, so don’t worry about sounding over the top or egotistical, that’s what editing your personal profile resume is for. If the goal is to get 3 - 4 perfect sentences, it’s likely your first draft will be closer to 6 - 8, maybe even longer. Then consider which parts are closest to helping you get the job and cull the rest. It might seem brutal, but brevity is critical at the top of your personal profile.

Polish your personal statement and experiment

Once you’ve narrowed your focus, use the following questions to help you review your work and edit your statement:

Is my first sentence clear and concise? The opening line should state your position and use strong, enthusiastic language to hook in the reader. It often includes years of experience as well.

Is it direct opposed to passive? A strong sense of self comes through in a personal statement. Instead of sentences that begin with “I believe I am…” or “I enjoy…” be bold. Get right to the point and take ownership of your skills .

Does it include objective information? For this one, try to get inside the hiring manager’s mind. If you were filling this role, what boxes would you need to check off? The second and third sentence often include specific skills, facts or figures to support this need.

Does it read naturally? Even with all these specifics, the statement should still be easy to understand and have a natural rhythm when read aloud. Cut out any jargon that acts as filler or that changes your tone. Formality may vary from company to company, but personal statements should always reflect the type of employee or person you are.

What are three tips for writing a personal statement?

• Make sure that your personality comes across in the writing.
• Quantify any accomplishments and include financials where possible.
• If you are at a moment of career change, don't fail to mention your goals.

Common mistakes in personal statements

When writing your personal statement, beware of platitudes. These are clichéd expressions that have become meaningless from overuse. They induce recruiters to roll their eyes and move on to the next candidate. Think of such terms as “an administrative jack-of-all-trades” or “a cog in the wheel’ and being ready for a “new challenge.”  Definitely avoid this list of human resources’ most hated resume phrases. 

Try to be original in your choice of words and ask a friend or family member to take a critical look at your personal statement when you are done. By the way, you should always have someone proofread your entire resume when you think you are ready to send it.

Some people call their personal statements " resume objectives ." This is something else entirely. A resume objective is required when a candidate needs to project their hopes for their next role that differe from their previous experience a little. This objective can then be used to outline the motivations behind a career change and is also common with early-career professionals. 

Does a personal statement need a title? Some resume templates might call the opening statement a summary and others may exclude a description entirely. Either option is fine as employers are conditioned to expect a few lines at the to of a resume to serve as a headline for your job application.

What do employers expect from your resume opening statement?

Sometimes it is useful to consider job seeking activity from the point of view of the end hiring managers. External recruiters are important people to impress, but it is the employers that will be making the ultimate hiring decision. They will be reading lots of resumes, so what would they want to read in your resume opening statement?

• They will want the resume opening statement to be written for them. When you are on the hunt for a new member of your professional family, an intensely personal connection is vital from the first lines.
• They will expect a quantifiable context to your resume opening statement. Impressive words come easily when you really need a job, but backing them up with numbers to demonstrate their scale is less simple.
• They will expect to be impressed. If you cannot impress a specific employer for a specific role with the first lines of your resume, then the role is almost certainly not for you. Nothing to shout about? Move on.

Key takeaways

Think of your CV personal statement as the first 2 minutes of an interview—whether on the phone or in person. The HR manager asks you to “tell me a little about yourself,” and you have a quick minute to set the tone for the rest of the conversation. Similarly, the CV personal statement should include:

• A natural, yet professional CV tone that reflects your personality
• The top reasons your experience makes you a unique fit for this position
• Why this role aligns with your career plans
• Facts and data on your CV that back up your earlier points

Crafting a personal statement for each role will cause some serious thought. What is your essential fit for the role that will make a hiring manager sit up and think "wow, I need to have them on my team?" What would you want to read if you were in their shoes. You will definitely have lots to say, but keep it simple and powerful.

One more good CV statement example:

Expert SEO copywriter with a decade of B2C and B2B experience across three industries. Versatile in writing social, website and long-form copy to convey each brand’s unique tone and message. I cultivated 15 new clients in two years and grew readership by over 200%. I am now seeking to expand my editing and content creation expertise in a Marketing Manager position.

Once you’ve mastered writing your CV personal statement, this clear sense of who you are and what you want will prepare you to pitch yourself during interviews.

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CV Personal Statement Examples and Tips

Your personal statement is the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will read when flicking through what will usually be a huge pile of CVs. With so much competition, you need a personal statement that grabs their attention for all the right reasons. But how do you write one? Here’s our guide along with a couple of personal statement examples for inspiration.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a concise paragraph that sits at the top of your CV just below your name and contact details and tells the reader why you would be a fantastic asset for their company. It should include a summary of your most relevant skills and experience and give the recruiter an insight into your ambitions and character.

Your personal statement should explain:

• Who you are
• Your suitability for the role and the value you can add
• Your career goals

Conveying all that information in just a few sentences is certainly not easy, but with research suggesting that recruiters spend an average of just six seconds reviewing each CV before deciding whether the applicant is a good fit, you must get it right.

How to write a winning personal statement for your CV

No one has your specific skills and experience, so your personal statement must be unique. However, there are some universal tips you can follow.

• Length, formatting and tone of voice

Probably the biggest challenge you’ll face when writing a personal statement for your CV is keeping it between 50 and 150 words, or around four or five lines of text. It should be clean and concise, formatted consistently and written in the same font and point size as the rest of your CV.

Personal statements can be written in the first (“I am a marine biologist”) or third-person (“Marine biologist looking for”), but whatever voice you choose, keep it consistent throughout your CV.

Recruiters read so much hyperbole and waffle that being honest and understated will help you stand out. This is not The Apprentice, so buzzwords, empty promises and meaningless metaphors should be avoided at all costs.

• Back up your claims

Cliches like ‘hard worker’ or ‘experienced’ are just empty words that recruiters see hundreds of times a day. Instead, establish your credentials with relevant vocational qualifications or professional memberships you have and quantify the level of experience you have. For example, “I am a RICS qualified surveyor with eight years’ experience working for a property development company”.

• Include statistics from your career

Including specific data or statistics in your personal statement will immediately make it stand out from the hundreds of others recruiters read every day. Metrics of success are far more memorable than simply listing your achievements. For example, “I introduced a new lead qualification tool that increased sales by 15 percent”.

• Remove pronouns in the third person

The personal statement on your CV is the one place where it’s okay to talk about yourself in the third person. However, using pronouns, for example, “he is a conscientious worker with 12 years of experience...” is a step too far. Instead, drop the pronouns, so that would become “A conscientious worker with 12 years of experience…”

Personal statement examples

Here are a few examples of personal statements to keep you on the right track and hopefully provide a little inspiration.

Written in the first person by a graduate looking for their first professional role.

I am a recent graduate with a first-class degree in economics, specialising in econometrics and international trade. I have commercial experience in the finance sector courtesy of an internship with a UK corporation, where I developed the technical data engineering skills you are looking for. I have a proven ability to meet deadlines and produce consistently high-quality work, as evidenced by my degree, and would relish the chance to develop my skills within your organisation.

Written in the third person by an experienced purchasing manager looking to climb the ladder.

Purchasing manager with 12 years of experience who wants to progress to a more senior role within the aviation industry. Has developed strong and lasting relationships during previous managerial positions in the sector and wants to put this strong network to good use to add value to your business.

Time to get hired

Writing a winning personal statement that you’re happy with and that summarises your skills and experience effectively in just a few lines will take time. However, using these tips and examples as a guide and editing your personal statement for every role is an important piece of the puzzle.

To hear Guardian Jobs reader Elia’s story and how her Personal Career Management programme helped land her ideal job watch the video .

Personal Career Management can offer you a  free review to assess your needs and to see which programme is right for you.

To book call Personal Career Management on 01753 888 995 or fill in the contact form .

Personal Career Management are Career Management Partners for the Guardian and are a specialist career coaching and outplacement company.

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Project Manager CV examples

Landing the most exciting and high-paid project manager jobs, requires an attractive project manager CV.

Here you’ll find 7 real-life project manager CV examples, followed by an in-depth guide on how to write your own interview-winning CV.

No matter what your industry or experience-level, this guide will arm you with everything you need to impress recruiters and bag the project manager job you’ve always wanted.

CV templates 

Project manager CV example

Build your CV now 

    Top tips for writing a project manager CV

• Head your CV with an eye-catching headline that outlines the types of projects you manage, including size, monetary value and industry – think of it as an “elevator pitch”
• Throughout the CV, highlight quantified results you have achieved on projects, such as saving time and money, or improving a process
• Keep our CV under 2 pages and break text up as much as possible to ensure a quick and easy reading experience for busy recruiters.

Construction project manager CV

    Top tips for writing a construction project manager CV

• Ensure that your CV is divided up into clear logical sections with bold headings, so that hiring managers can navigate it easily
• In your CV profile and throughout your work experience, be sure to highlight the areas of construction that you specialise in (e.g. residential, commercial, electrical etc.) and demonstrate your expertise
• Describe how your input has helped employers to deliver important construction deliverables such as getting buildings completed on time and meeting health and safety regulations

ERP project manager CV

    Top tips for writing an ERP project manager CV

• Keep your CV brief and use a simple format and structure – this will make it easy for ERP hiring managers to find the info they need
• Research your target roles thoroughly and ensure you highlight your most in-demand skills in the top quarter of your CV – this will make a big impact when recruiters open your CV
• Highlight important metrics that you have contributed to, such as cost savings for clients, process improvement and successful delivery

Graduate project manager CV

    Top tips for writing a graduate project manager CV

• To compensate for you lack of experience, be sure to write detailed descriptions of any Uni work placements , projects or volunteer positions you have completed
• Decide on an industry you would like to enter, research it thoroughly and build your CV around your findings, to ensure you are including relevant info for your target employers
• Provide plenty of detail around core project management skills you learnt in your degree, such as planning, scheduling, organisation , and risk management

IT project manager CV

    Top tips for writing an IT project manager CV

• Use your CV profile and core skills to provide a high-level overview of your IT expertise and the types of projects you deliver
• Focus your CV around the business benefits your IT projects and expertise deliver- e.g. A system implementation that saves your employer time and resources
• In your role descriptions, provide overview of your projects including metrics like size, monetary value and time scales

SAP project manager CV

    Top tips for writing a SAP project manager CV

• Head your CV with an eye-catching profile that outline the types of SAP projects you manage, including size, monetary value and industry – try to capture recruiters’ attention in a few seconds
• Highlight quantified project results such as successful delivery metrics, user acceptance, process improvement and financial savings
• Break text up and use bullet points to provide an easy reading experience for busy recruiters and hiring managers

Technical project manager CV

How to write a project manager CV

Once you’ve checked out the above project manager CV examples for inspiration and guidance, it’s time to start writing your own interview-winning CV.

The following step-by-step will walk you through the process of researching, structuring and writing a CV that will get you noticed by recruiters and land you plenty of interviews with leading project management employers.

Guide overview

• Pick your project management niche

Project manager skills

• Format & structure your CV
• Work experience 
• Qualifications
• Hobbies & interests

Pick your project management CV niche

For your CV to have maximum impact, you should give it a narrow focus to appeal solely to the employers you are trying to attract.

Too many candidates make the mistake of thinking that if they include a hugely broad range of skills in their CV , then they will attract everyone – this method is rarely successful.

If you make your CV too broad, you will not appear as an an expert in any particular field, which will weaken your CV’s effectiveness.

To give a non-work example of this: Say you were looking for really great steak for an evening meal and were presented with these two options:

• A steak house with only steaks on the menu
• A gastro-pub with a huge range of meals and 2 steaks on the menu

Which would you choose?

Probably the steak house because their offering focuses entirely on your main requirement. They do one thing and they do it well.

The same mindset is true of recruiters and hiring managers when they are looking to find a candidate. They will often have a very specific brief and they will want to hire somebody who matches it as closely as possible.

As a project manager, you may have worked across many different types of projects and multiple industries, so focusing your CV can sometimes be tricky – but try to give it as narrow focus as possible and remember that it’s OK to have multiple CVs that are targeted to different areas if need be.

Becoming a specialist in this way, is often the best route to landing the highest paying jobs .

For project managers, there are 2 levels of CV focus:

This is the actual type of projects that you lead which could be anything from IT infrastructure or construction, to business change or client onboarding.

If you’ve worked predominantly or exclusively within one industry then it would be wise to add this as a second level of focus to your CV – although it’s not compulsory as many project managers work cross-industry.

This way you can give yourself a dedicated focus and even a professional title to build your CV around.

For example

• Investment banking systems implementation programme manager
• Pharma HR transformation project manager
• Retail digital marketing  project manager
• Business change management consultant
• Consulting PMO manager

Once you’ve decided upon a focus for your CV, you can start doing your research.

Do some solid research

You wouldn’t start a project without fully understanding your client or stakeholders’ needs as it would likely lead to a disaster.

And you shouldn’t start writing your CV without understanding your target employers’ requirements for the same reason.

Many project managers write their CV based on what skills and experience they think are important. But this is a big mistake that will set you up to fail.

Before you start writing your CV, you need to know exactly what your target employers want from a candidate, so that you can fill your CV with compelling content and reduce or omit the less relevant details.

There are a number of ways to do this:

Hit the job boards

One of the easiest ways to find out which of your skills are most in demand is to browse through lots of relevant job adverts and make a list of the most frequently appearing requirements.

This will also give you an idea of the terminology expected by recruiters and which aspects of your work may not be so interesting to them.

Browse LinkedIn

A global people search for project managers on LinkedIn returns over 7 million results, so you should be able to find some inspiration there.

If you’re already on LinkedIn, (which you really should be as a project manager) then you will probably already have a solid network of project manager profiles to scan through. Focus on individuals who work in the types of role you want to work in and take note of the skills they include and how their profile is written.

If you’re not already on LinkedIn, then sign up and start connecting with colleagues.

Pick up the phone

It may seem a bit old fashioned, but speaking to recruiters is an excellent way to get a feel for which skills are in demand in the market.

So if you’ve got some recruitment contacts from previous job searches, give them a call, tell them you are on the market and ask what’s out there.

You might get some cold responses but if you can have a good chat with just one or two good recruiters, that’s all you need to get some insider knowledge on current market demands – and it’s also a great way to get yourself back on a few radars and build relationships.

Once you’ve done a decent amount of research, you will know exactly what skills and knowledge your target employers are looking for. Now you can start writing your project management CV with a huge head start over most other candidates on the market.

The infographic below shows some skills that are important for most project managers and should work as a good starting point – although your individual situation will have its own unique skills required.

Project management requires a broad range of technical and interpersonal skills to deliver projects successfully.

How to format and structure your Project manager CV

In this section, I will run through how to structure and format your CV to create a professional outlook and ensure your CV is easy to read.

I will not go into much detail on each section here, but just provide an overview of each one – the detail will come in the profile , roles and education chapters.

Overall format and structure

The main point to bear in mind when writing your CV is that it is the very first impression you will make on a potential employer, so it needs to look slick. It’s like your marketing material  for your services or your shop window,  so any mistakes or flaws in presentation will hurt your chances of landing interviews .

Secondly, recruiters and hiring managers are usually very short on time, so your formatting and structure must allow them to read your CV with ease and speed whilst highlighting the most important aspects.

This diagram gives a high level explanation of how to structure your CV.

Quick tip:  To get a head start on creating your own interview-winning CV, use one of our professional CV templates .

I advise you to make your CV around 2 pages  long but that is not a set-in-stone rule – it’s just a guideline to help you hold readers’ attention. Your CV will not be automatically rejected if you stray on to the third page a little.

Project managers (especially in the contract market ) can often have long and varied career histories so sometimes it’s impossible to squeeze it all on to 2 pages. Try not to go onto the 4 th though as it’s unlikely employers will want to read that far.

CV formatting

Simplicity is key when formatting your CV – there’s no need to complicate it. Just use a clean simple font and break the text up as much as possible to ensure the CV is easily read and navigated.

Writing your CV profile

Your CV profile is a short introductory paragraph that summarises your experience and the benefits of hiring you.

Sitting at the very top of your CV, the profile plays a very important role. It needs to grab readers’ attention and ensure they read the rest of your CV. If your profile doesn’t contain the information that relevant recruiters want to see, they may just shut your CV straight down and move onto the next one in their inbox.

You need to make your CV profile count.

The idea is to give readers a well-rounded summary of what you do and the benefits of employing you as a project manager. It needs to be short, sharp and punchy – delivering just enough information to entice the reader in and instantly make them think you could be the right candidate for the job.

As a project manager, your profile should ideally include some of the following details:

• Type of projects or programmes you lead
• Industries worked in
• Size and scale of projects (typical budgets, users affected, locations etc.)
• Impact of your projects
• Methodologies & tools
• Technology knowledge
• Specialisms within project management e.g. planning, leading workshops etc.

Here is an example of a typical project manager profile – try and keep yours around the same length and keep it very high level.

Do not write your reasons for applying to roles in your CV profile – save them for your cover letter.

See also: Project manager cover letter guide

Core skills

A core skills section is a very simple but effective section you can add to the bottom of your profile.

It’s essentially a bullet pointed list of attributes which ideally should relate directly to the requirements that your employers are looking for. Some good things to include would be methodologies , technical skills and specialisms.

The effect is that each point jumps out of the page at the reader and shows them that you are a good fit for the role, just from glancing at your CV. This helps you to create that big instant impression that you need to get a response from your job applications.

You can also quickly switch these points around when applying for different roles in order to tailor your CV without spending too much time on each application.

Project manager CV work experience

Your role descriptions give you a great opportunity to showcase your skills and more importantly, describe the impact you make.

As a project manager, your CV needs to show employers the change that you have driven, and how you did it.

Role structures

How you structure each role will depend on which of the following 2 categories it falls into

i) Multi-project roles: Managing a number of successive projects over a long period of time (usually permanent roles)

ii) Single project roles: Manging a single project for the duration of the entire role (usually contract roles)

i) Structuring Multi-project roles

If you’ve managed several projects across the duration of one role, then you should head the role up with an outline that describes who you work for, where you sit within the organisation, the type of projects you are responsible for and how your ongoing work benefits your employer.

Then use bullet points to detail your activities, showing both input and output where possible.

See our professional CV templates

Then add a Key Projects and Achievements section to demonstrate the projects you have delivered during your role. Be selective about the projects you choose to include because adding too many projects may waste space and adding projects that are irrelevant to the jobs you are applying to will not be of any value.

If you are running short on space, only include the most relevant and impressive projects.

ii) Structuring Single project roles

If the role involved the delivery of just one project from start to finish (such as a contract role) then head the description up with an outline that describes the employer and high level overview of the project you were responsible for.

Then detail your responsibilities in short sharp bullet points and try to demonstrate the impact of your actions where possible.

Round the role off by including some major achievements made on the project.

See our  best CV templates  for more examples of role structures.

Role content

The content of role descriptions will obviously vary depending on each candidate and role, but broadly speaking you need to show how your own personal actions have driven the project forward. Be careful not to talk about the overall movements of the project without making it clear what your contributions were.

So daily/weekly tasks such as planning, reporting , leading workshops etc. need to be described in a way that shows how you interact with colleagues and stakeholders whilst driving the project towards completion.

Quick tip:  If you struggle to write professionally, or English isn’t your first language, I would recommend using our quick-and-easy CV Builder – It highlights your mistakes and provides suggestions for corrections.

The importance of numbers

Metrics are very valuable in project management so they should feature heavily in your CV.

Throughout your CV and especially in your role descriptions, numbers are an extremely helpful tool for demonstrating how much impact you have made.

When a recruiter or hiring manager reads your CV, providing them with some solid facts and figures allows them to quantify your value and benchmark you against other candidates.

For example, you may want to include stats like:

• Size of budget managed
• Number of people/teams led
• Costs saved
• Revenue generated
• Number of locations (e.g. global rollout for 10 offices)
• Number of people affected by project

Businesses are very interested in these types of figures and including them shows employers exactly what sort of return on investment they can expect from employing you.

Education and qualifications

Generally speaking your education should be listed at the bottom of your CV (especially if you are an experienced candidate) – however, you should mention important qualifications at the top of your CV, in your profile and core skills section to ensure they are noticed.

So, what are the most important qualifications for a project manager’s CV?

Project manager qualifications

Certifications play an important role in your project management CV, and provide an excellent method of proving your competence to would-be employers.

As somebody who has recruited extensively within project management myself, I’ll walk you through the qualifications that really carry clout in the industry, and will help you to land better roles.

Prince2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is the most widely recognised and sought-after project management certification in the UK , Europe and Australia.

Prince2 provides a high-level framework for project delivery using a structured approach with defined plans and stages.

Not only does it look great on your CV, it will also help you to become a better project manager.

So, what are the benefits of obtaining a Prince2 certification?

• Boost your CV – Prince2 is the most widely used project framework globally , so employers are always keen to hire project staff who have an in-depth understanding of it.
• Earn more – The average salary for roles requiring Prince2 certification is £50,000 – which represents a 15% increase on non-qualified PM roles .
• Transition into new roles quickly – Prince2 provides a robust framework to help you deliver projects across all industries, so you can hit the ground running in any new role.
• There are no prerequisites – Unlike some other PM certifications, you don’t need to have any prior qualifications or experience to start an entry-level Prince2 training course

Prince2 Foundation or Prince2 Practitioner?

Prince2 offer 2 levels of certification – Foundation and Practitioner

Broadly speaking, Foundation is the entry-level qualification, and practitioner is the more advanced training.

This table gives an overview of the differences between the two.

You must hold Prince2 Foundation before you are able to enrol on Practitioner training.

Do you need Prince2?

In my opinion, Prince2 certification is vital for a project manager’s CV, because employers love to see it, and recruiters are trained to look for it.

If you don’t have Prince2, and you’re competing for roles with candidates of similar experience who do have the certification – you’re putting yourself at a big disadvantage.

Simply put; having Prince2 on your CV will open more doors for you and allow you to earn more money.

How to obtain Prince2 qualifications

Becoming Prince2 certified requires a short period of training, followed by an exam which you must pass.

Prince2 courses can be taken via numerous training providers and learning can be done through online materials, online lessons, or even classroom sessions.

The exams can also be carried out online or in classrooms.

Most people can complete the training within a matter of weeks – but it will of course depend on your other commitments.

Other project management qualifications

Whilst Prince2 is the largely considered to be the most essential qualification for project managers cross-industry in the UK, Europe and Australia – there are some other globally recognised accreditations to consider.

PMP (Project Management Professional) – More widely recognised outside of Europe and considered by some to be a step up from Prince2 – PMP certifies your ability as a project manager as opposed to teaching you a framework like Prince2. You must have several thousand hours of project experience and some formal qualifications before you can enrol on a PMP course.

Agile – Used predominantly within the software industry, The Agile framework is designed to manage projects that deliver development of products or services.

Interest and hobbies

I’ve personally never seen a candidate’s interests and hobbies have any affect (positive or negative) on their application for a project manager role, so it’s entirely up to you as to whether you include them or not.

If you do choose to include them, keep it brief and focus on constructive or impressive achievements such as organising charity fund raisers or running marathons.

Hopefully, this guide and example CV has given you a good idea of how to write you own project management CV that will allow you to quickly communicate your value to recruiters.

Once you’ve perfected your CV, work tirelessly to market yourself and ensure you land the best offer you can achieve.

You can also check out our business analyst CV example .

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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Personal Statements: Examples, Do's and Don'ts

As the name suggests, a personal statement is unique to everyone, but that does not mean there are not specific personal statement rules and guidelines to follow. Being able to quickly showcase your skills, personality and job fit can be challenging, so we are here to shed some light on structuring a personal statement that’ll make you stand out from the crowd. 

In this guide, we will be looking at how to write a personal statement and the do’s and don’ts. By the end, you should have a better idea of how to structure a personal statement and impress your potential new employers.

💡 Note: We will be covering professional personal statements and not personal statements for University admissions in this article.

What is a personal statement?

Often confused with a cover letter or supporting statement, a personal statement is a small section on various forms of CVs. A personal statement is often no more than a few sentences where you can quickly summarise your skills, experience and job fit into a bitesize paragraph. 

A personal statement gives you the opportunity to briefly sell yourself to your potential employer and showcase why you are the best candidate for the role. It is important to note that not all employers will require a personal statement, but if done correctly they can help set you apart from other applicants. 

What makes a good personal statement? 

As a personal statement is essentially a summary of the rest of your CV and you as a person, you want to ensure you list all the most important things from your CV that are the most relevant to the job you are applying for. You should never use the same personal statement, when applying for multiple jobs you can use a similar statement for each, but it should be tailored to each individual role if possible. 

How to start a personal statement 

Start your personal statement by introducing yourself and set the tone for the rest of your personal statement.

You want to capture the employer’s interest and summarise exactly why you are a perfect fit for the role. Most personal statement examples start with saying the role you are currently in, how much industry experience you have and key achievements or relevant skills and statistics. 

How to finish a personal statement 

A good way to finish your personal statement is to summarise your overall goal or aim when moving forwards towards this job and your career.  This means you have spoken about the past, present and future, in just a few lines and gives the employer a good idea of you and your potential. 

How to finish a personal statement can vary from role to role, but this is a good rule of thumb and will stand you in good stead, as with any application, tailor it to the job, some may call for this, some may not.

Personal statement do’s

• Tailor your personal statement - utilise the job description to help you highlight exactly what the employer is looking for, highlight the skills and experience it calls for. The job description is the blueprint to your personal statement for that role, so try and signpost your abilities from the exact things the employer is looking for.
• Be concise - ensure that you keep your personal statement short and relevant, aim for the maximum of a few lines or around 200 words at most. Find the most important and relevant things that you can say within that word count.
• Highlight you - candidates have a habit of being too generic and not showcasing themselves, it is called a personal statement, so keep it personal to you. Personal does not mean talking about your dog though, but how you personally can succeed at this job.
• Include tangibles - always try to give additional details that add value to your application, for instance, quantifying something always makes it sound better. ‘Increased sales by 35%’ sounds better than just saying ‘increased sales’.
• Hit key points - a good personal statement will be able to give the employer a quick summary of you and entice them to read more or move you forward to the interview stage.
• Get a second opinion - having someone else read over your personal statement can be a real help, they may spot something you haven’t or not understand something the way you had intended. This will help improve your finished personal statement.  

Personal statement don’ts

• Use the same wording - you can actually hurt your own chances if you use an overly generic personal statement. You want to show that you have put effort into your application and impress the employer.
• Make it too long - candidates will often confuse their personal statement with a cover letter, this is a short rundown of you, focus on skills, successes, and statistics, things that can be quickly digested. Grab their attention with your personal statement, but do not bore them with an essay.
• Go too personal - this may sound strange, but remember you are writing a professional application, and not setting up a dating profile. Focus on what you can bring to the company, and how your skills would be perfect for the role.
• Send off your first draft - always read over your personal statement a few times to make sure it flows right and rolls off the tongue. Having a spelling or grammar mistake can ruin your chances of getting the job.
• Be too broad - showing that you understood the job description and are a good candidate for the role can be evident if you have a good personal statement, but being too broad will make you look like you copy and pasted the same response to 20 applications.

What next? 

Now you have a better understanding on how to structure your personal statement to increase your chances of getting your new role, you want to start your job search . Currently at Michael Page, we have over 10,000 live jobs on the site so submit your CV today to become discoverable for new roles added in your industry. 

For more CV and cover letter advice , read through our collective library of articles that’ll help you create a winning CV. 

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CV Personal Statement:  Examples and Actionable Tips

Fact: recruiters spend only 6 seconds reviewing each CV. So poorly organized CVs inevitably get discarded. 

Having an effective CV layout is the first step to attracting their attention. And the second step is topping that CV with a compelling personal statement (also known as a personal profile, personal summary, or executive summary).

What is a Personal Statement in a CV? 

A personal statement for a CV is a short and compelling paragraph that summarizes why you’re the most qualified person for the offered role. It tells the reader who you are and what valuable qualifications you will be bringing to their company.

NB : Opening statement, personal profile, personal summary, or executive summary are the other common names for a personal statement. 

Many believe that the work experience section is the most important element of a CV. Yet, it is your personal statement that can end up making or breaking the success of your job application. 

Because it provides the reader with a quick answer to one question they have on their mind: Are you qualified for the job or not? 

Remember: You’ll be directly competing with numerous other applicants with similar skills and work experiences. A compelling CV statement sets you apart by giving the reader a condensed snapshot of who you are as a person. 

Do I Need To Include a Personal Statement On My CV?

The short answer is YES! A personal statement entices the reader to read your entire CV by giving them a preview of your most valuable skills. It also helps you differentiate from other candidates by explaining your background, motivation, and personal character traits concisely. 

In essence, a personal statement helps you express why you are the right choice for the job in one condensed paragraph.

Where Should a Personal Statement Go in a CV?

A personal statement goes into the header area of your CV. Include it right under your name and contact details as a separate, highlighted area. A good personal statement is about 3-4 sentences long and occupies not more than 1/4th of the page. 

Alternatively, you can design a two-column CV and allocate the upper sidebar area for your personal statement. As a recent survey found, 77% of recruiters prefer two-column CVs to single-column ones.

Sample personal statement placement on a CV template

What Do You Write in a CV Personal Statement?

A compelling personal statement summarizes your professional and educational background; highlights the main skills and accomplishments. It can also express your career objectives and/or interest in the particular industry or subject if you’re a current student or recent graduate.  

Personal Statement Examples for CV 

To give you an idea of how to write your statement, let’s look at some examples.

Remember: You need to write a unique personal statement for your CV. Simply copying and using these examples may not be the best move because the sample CV statements won’t reflect your unique experiences and personality. 

Good CV Personal Statement Examples

Employers want to see experts. Therefore, your personal statement must speak directly to your most marketable skills. 

You should never come off sounding desperate or diminish your worth (even if you have been recently laid off ). Use a confident tone with first-person implied and strong verbs to describe your core competencies and other benefits you can bring to the workplace. 

General Jobseeker Personal Statement Example

Highly motivated, fully trained engineer with 15 years of experience in the telecoms industry. Worked with XYZ Telecoms Ltd, Cool Mobile Carrier, and Acme Telco as a field engineer and project team leader. Successfully managed large commercial telecom infrastructure installations. Currently unemployed due to the relocation of the company. Open to new opportunities in NOC. 

Personal Statement CV Example For an Administration Position 

Adaptable and resourceful facilities manager with experience in supporting enterprise-sized organizations in real estate, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing industries. Strong organizational skillset: Six Sigma, standardized method of procedure (MOP) policies implementation. Was responsible for facilities operations on 2.4 million square feet in a 20-building chemical manufacturing campus, serviced by a 20+ people team of building engineers, electricians, HVAC technicians, and cleaners.

Accountant Personal Statement CV Examples

Below are two samples for a senior and a junior accountant. 

Chartered Accountant 

ACCA-certified accountant for mid-market and enterprise-sized companies. Conducted due diligence and tax audits for FTSE 500 companies. Commenced for a 100% accuracy track record in financial reporting, as well as fast turnaround on complex analytical reviews. Provide on-demand advisory on trust setup, company incorporation, and tax deferrals. 

Account Assistant 

Detail-oriented, certified accounting assistant with experience in payroll administration. Familiar with Gusto, Xero, and Intuit software. Effectively process payroll, benefits, taxes, and social contributions for over 1500 employees per month. Possess a strong foundation in employee classification,  tax reporting, and financial management. 

CV Personal Statement Examples for Students

Whether you’re applying for an internship or looking for a part-time job , a compelling personal is a must-have for a student CV. 

Since your work experience history may be a bit “thin”, you need to persuade the employer via other means — your transferable skills, academic interests, and personal traits. A personal CV allows you to spotlight all of these. 

Remember that you are bringing your energy, dedication, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn to the table. As you will not have any employment history, you need to make sure to get your personality and your soft skills over in your statement.

CV Statement for a Student Looking for a Full-Time Summer Job 

Junior copywriter, enrolled in a BA Writing Program at the University of Manchester (graduation date: fall 2025). Alumni of the 2022 Copywriting Bootcamp program from Matters Agency. Well-versed in target audience analysis, brand positioning, and editorial campaign planning. Writing clips for eCommerce and SaaS brands are available in my portfolio.  

CV Statement for an Internship 

Second-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Leeds, seeking to apply theoretical knowledge in safety system design. Proficient in AutoCAD and completed a series of blueprints for fire and water safety systems as part of my coursework. Fast learner, self-starter, and team player, I’m excited to contribute my technical expertise to a dynamic engineering team.

CV Statement for a Student Looking for a Part-Time Job 

Junior front-end developer (React, Angular JS), seeking a part-time programming position in the Great London area. Current availability is 10-15 hours per week, preferably with hybrid work arrangements. Solid understanding of design systems and UX/UI best practices. Past work experience in finance and eCommerce sectors. 

CV Personal Statement Examples for 16-Year-Olds

Joining the workforce straight after high school makes sense if you want to take a gap year or pursue trade education later on. The wrinkle, however, is that most employers may be wary of your age and lack of experience.

The goal of a personal statement is to dispel those doubts by showing that you’re a serious, mature, and hard-working candidate, eager to learn and hone your craft. 

Personal Statement for a Barista Position 

Genuine coffee lover and frequent guest at Maddie’s Cafe, I would love to join the barista team. As a former head of the prom planning committee, I understand the importance of good teamwork, efficient planning, and following instructions. My main objectives are to learn more about beverage prep and deliver exceptional experiences to customers. 

CV Personal Statement Examples For A Graduate

Your personal statement should focus on your main educational attainments and experiences. If you are applying before you have had your degree results, it is fine to give a projected grade. You can also mention any specific modules you have studied that are relevant to the job on offer and how much you enjoyed working on them.

Remember: Your goal is to explain why you’re interested in this role and what you could bring to the table. 

Graduate Personal Statement Example

Business administration graduate with a 1:1 honors degree from XYZ University. Interested in an entry-level merchandising position within your Commercial Sales Department to expand my knowledge in retail merchandising, procurement, and inventory management. Looking to apply my analytical and data modeling skills for merchandising strategy optimization. 

Personal Statement for High School Graduate 

Energetic and enthusiastic high school graduate (June 2023) with top A-levels grades in English, Maths, and French. Seeking an entry-level role in sales, where I can make use of and develop my language skills. My long-term career goal is to further my language qualifications and position myself as a European sales manager living and working overseas for a global company.

Personal Statement Examples for CV With No Experience

Lack of experience in a particular role or industry should never discourage you from applying. Although you may not tick all the criteria boxes, you still have transferable skills and unique work experiences to showcase.

Moreover, ongoing talent shortages are prompting employees to reconsider their hiring criteria, plus invest more in new hire training and upskilling. Four in five companies now struggle to fill in open vacancies, which is the highest number in the past 17 years. 

So take your chances and apply even if you don’t have sufficient work experience. 

Personal Statement Example with No Relevant Work Experience 

Former front-desk hotel employee, looking for an opportunity to leverage strong service orientation and organizational skills in new roles (Customer Success or Customer Support). Familiarity with appointment booking software, digital chat apps, and CRM software. With my strong commitment to personal growth and my adaptable nature, I believe I could be a valuable asset to customer-centric teams.  

Personal Statement Example with No Industry Experience 

Self-starter with a BA degree in Communication and experience in corporate event management seeking a transition to music festival management. Experienced in organizing off-site events for 100+ people (including location scouting and travel coordination). I thrive in fast-paced environments and am eager to build a strong network of new partners. 

Discover even more personal statements from our collection of CV examples . 

CV Personal Statement For A Career Change

Career change is a big decision, but it can lead to a more fulfilling professional life. Besides, you’re not completely starting anew. Many of the hard and soft skills are quite universal. There is any number of different jobs that need the same set of skills that you have developed, so always try to lead with these and use real-life examples of your experience.

Career Change Personal Statement Example:

Working for the past 10 years as a regional sales manager has allowed me to develop keen skills in building strong working relationships and lucrative networks. Communication skills I developed during my time at my current employer enabled me to win vital contract wins that increased sales revenue by 20% over three years. I am now ready to take on a new challenge and want to work in the charity sector so that I can use my skills to give something back for the direct benefit of others.

How To Write A Strong Personal Statement for a CV 

An effective personal statement summarizes your skills and experience in a relevant way i.e., it indicates how you can be of help to the employer. 

In short, a compelling CV personal statement: 

• Lists your most marketable skills and qualifications 
• Highlights your industry knowledge and work experiences 
• Mirrors some of the key phrases, used in the job description 

And here’s how to write a personal statement that makes a mark.

1. Review the Job Description Once Again 

As you go through the role description, pay attention to the words, used by the employer, to describe the candidate’s requirements, duties, and personality. Keep those in the back of your head. 

These are the keywords you’d want to use all around your CV — in the personal statement, work experience, education, and skills areas. 

2. Do a Mental Tally of Your Skills 

Try to remember the times in your previous work roles when you accomplished notable objectives, went above and beyond expectations , or otherwise did better than your peers.  

Note down everything that springs to mind including your years of experience in a similar role, challenges you took on and the positive results achieved, new projects you kick-started – anything that has close relevance to this new position.

3. Make a Draft Personal Statement 

Write down a sample personal statement. Don’t worry about the length – just put as many details as you’d like on paper. Once you’re done, revisit the job description. See how your personal statement compares to the description. Does it paint a picture of someone who would fit the role? 

4. Edit for Clarity and Briefity 

A good CV personal statement shouldn’t be longer than 3-4 sentences. Take a critical look at your draft version and condense it to the bare essentials: 2-3 main skills, a major accomplishment, and a note on your motivation and/or personal traits. 

Other things that don’t belong in your personal statement are:

• Explanation of employment gaps or present unemployment status 
• Information about hobbies or personal interest 
• Any mention of references or recommendations 
• Irrelevant skills or work experiences 

Want to stand out even more? Add a persuasive opening statement that highlights your strengths as a candidate. 

A compelling personal statement can be the key between your CV making the ‘yes’ pile or the reject bin. Take some time to get your statement right and always write a new one for each job you apply for by mirroring the employer’s language. 

Finally, to give your CV a polishing touch, try out one of our fancy, but free CV templates , coming in multiple styles: professional, modern, simple, and creative!

Elena runs content operations at Freesumes since 2017. She works closely with copywriters, designers, and invited career experts to ensure that all content meets our highest editorial standards. Up to date, she wrote over 200 career-related pieces around resume writing, career advice... more

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• • Directed operations of a high-volume steakhouse, consistently achieving top 5% in company performance metrics.
• • Streamlined the table allocation process which led to a 20% increase in evening service efficiency.
• • Cultivated supplier relationships, negotiating contracts that reduced overall ingredient costs by 15%.
• • Implemented targeted staff training programs that resulted in a 35% reduction in service times.
• • Developed local marketing campaigns, increasing brand presence and monthly covers by 25%.
• • Established a guest feedback system to track service quality, resulting in a customer satisfaction score improvement to 95%.
• • Assisted in the overall business operations, contributing to a 30% growth in annual revenue.
• • Oversaw training and management of a staff team of 40, achieving a record low staff turnover rate of 5%.
• • Managed inventory control systems, cutting waste by 10% while maintaining supply quality.
• • Implemented customer relationship initiatives that increased repeat patronage by 40%.
• • Organized and executed special events, boosting off-peak sales by 50%.
• • Managed shift operations and staff for an Italian restaurant, increasing upsell strategies revenue by 20%.
• • Enhanced the reservation system, resulting in a 15% decrease in customer wait times.
• • Coordinated front and back of house communication, improving overall service delivery to diners.
• • Provided staff training to enhance service skills, leading to a 10% increase in positive online reviews.

Manager CV Examples & Guide for 2024

Your manager CV must showcase your leadership skills. Highlight your experience in guiding teams to success. Demonstrate your ability to make strategic decisions. Include examples of your problem-solving prowess that positively impacted business outcomes.

All CV examples in this guide.

Traditional

Resume Guide

CV Format Tips

Summary or Objective?

Experience on Your CV

No Experience?

Top CV Skills

Education & Certifications

Key Takeaways

Navigating the fine line between under- and overqualified candidates is a perennial CV challenge faced by managers seeking the ideal fit for their team. Our comprehensive guide provides you with the critical insights and practical tools necessary to efficiently identify the candidates whose skills and experience align perfectly with your company's needs.

• Answer job requirements with your manager CV and experience;
• Curate your academic background and certificates, following industry-leading CV examples;
• Select from +10 niche skills to match the ideal candidate profile
• Write a more succinct experience section that consists of all the right details.

Do you need more specific insights into writing your manager CV? Our guides focus on unique insights for each individual role:

• Business Development CV Example
• Business Consultant CV Example
• Business Manager CV Example
• Senior Business Analyst CV Example
• Business Analyst CV Example
• Management Consultant CV Example
• Category Manager CV Example
• Investment Manager CV Example
• Environmental Consultant CV Example
• Strategy Consultant CV Example

Structuring your manager CV layout: four factors to keep in mind

• Follows the reverse chronological order in the experience section by first listing your most recent jobs;
• Incorporates your contact information in the header, but do skip out on the CV photo for roles in the UK;
• Is spotlighted in the most important sections of your CV, e.g. the summary or objective, experience, education, etc. to show just how you meet the job requirements;
• Is no longer than two-pages. Often, the one-page format can be optimal for your manager CV.

Before submitting your CV, you may wonder whether to export it in Doc or PDF. With the PDF format, your information and layout stay intact. This is quite useful when your CV is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS) . The ATS is a software that scans your profile for all relevant information and can easily understand latest study on the ATS , which looks at your CV columns, design, and so much more.

Use font size and style strategically to create a visual hierarchy, drawing the reader's eye to the most important information first (like your name and most recent job title).

The top sections on a manager CV

• Professional Summary to highlight leadership skills because it sets the tone for the CV and showcases managerial expertise.
• Core Competencies section is crucial as it outlines the specific management skills and knowledge areas.
• Work Experience with measurable achievements to demonstrate how past management was effective and result-oriented.
• Educational Background to establish credibility and show relevant qualifications for the managerial role.
• Management Training & Certifications to present specialised knowledge and commitment to professional development.

What recruiters value on your CV:

• Highlight your leadership experience by showcasing specific examples of teams you've led, projects you've managed, and successful outcomes you've achieved, as this demonstrates your capability to take charge and deliver results.
• Emphasise your strategic thinking skills by mentioning occasions where you've contributed to long-term planning, decision-making processes, or the development of business strategies that have positively impacted the company.
• Detail your financial acumen by including instances where you've managed budgets, cut costs, or driven revenue growth, to show your ability to handle the financial responsibilities that come with managerial positions.
• Showcase your interpersonal and communication skills by providing examples of how you've successfully navigated conflict resolution, negotiations, or how you've built and maintained stakeholder relationships.
• Include any relevant managerial training, certifications, or continuous professional development initiatives you've undertaken that demonstrate a commitment to improving your management capabilities and staying updated with industry best practices.

Recommended reads:

• Reverse Chronological CV: Stuck in the Past or Future-Proof?
• How to Choose The Best Font For Your CV (Tips & Examples)

Tips and tricks on writing a job-winning manager CV header

The CV header is the space which most recruiters would be referring most often to, in the beginning and end of your application. That is as the CV header includes your contact details, but also a headline and a professional photo. When writing your CV header:

• Double-check your contact details for spelling errors or if you've missed any digits. Also, ensure you've provided your personal details , and not your current work email or telephone number;
• Include your location in the form of the city and country you live in. If you want to be more detailed, you can list your full address to show proximity to your potential work place;
• Don't include your CV photo , if you're applying for roles in the UK or US, as this may bias initial recruiters' assessments;
• Write a professional headline that either integrates the job title, some relevant industry keywords, or your most noteworthy achievement.

In the next part of our guide, we'll provide you with professional CVs that showcase some of the best practices when it comes to writing your headline.

Examples of good CV headlines for manager:

• IT Project Manager | PRINCE2 Certified | Agile Methodologies | Strategic Planning | 10+ Years Experience
• Marketing Manager | Brand Development | Digital Campaigns Expert | CIM Diploma | 5 Years Progressive Experience
• Financial Manager | ACCA Qualified | Budget Control | Risk Management | 15+ Years Senior-Level Insight
• Operations Manager | Efficiency Optimisation | Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | 8 Years Industry Leadership
• HR Manager | CIPD Certified | Talent Acquisition | Employee Relations | 12 Years People Management
• Sales Manager | B2B Sales Growth | CRM Specialist | Strategic Partnerships | Over 7 Years Expertise

What's the difference between a manager CV summary and objective

Why should it matter to you?

• Your manager CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value . Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.

Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.

CV summaries for a manager job:

• A results-driven finance manager with over 12 years of experience in optimising fiscal policies for improved profit margins within the retail sector. Skilled in embracing modern accounting technologies, leading successful teams, and implementing financial models that contributed to a 25% increase in cost-efficiency for a multinational corporation.
• Dynamic marketing manager with a decade's worth of experience refurbishing brand images, spearheading market penetration strategies, and orchestrating award-winning campaigns in the consumer goods sector, resulting in a turnover surge by 40% for a leading European brand.
• Former healthcare professional eager to transition into financial management, bringing 8 years of experience in hospital administration and a solid foundation in budgetary oversight, quantitative analysis, and strategic cost reduction initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency without compromising patient care.
• Experienced software developer looking to leverage 15 years of technology expertise and a passion for solving complex problems, into a project management role within the construction industry. Known for innovating user-centric solutions which have propelled startup ventures into competitive market players.
• Keen to delve into the realm of project management, leveraging a strong academic background in business administration and a fervent zeal for team leadership. Committed to honing proficiency in agile methodologies and collaborative practices to exceed stakeholder expectations as a fresh entrant in the tech industry.
• A fresh MBA graduate with a thirst for knowledge and a determination to excel in the telecommunications sector, seeking to employ strategic thinking skills, nuanced understanding of market dynamics, and an inherent ability for persuasive communication to drive organisational success and growth.

The best formula for your manager CV experience section

The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:

• showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
• highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords , technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
• listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career ;
• featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.

When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb , then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:

Best practices for your CV's work experience section

• Demonstrated effective leadership by consistently exceeding team targets and KPIs through strategic planning and performance optimisation techniques.
• Enhanced team productivity by implementing innovative project management tools and techniques, resulting in a 20% reduction in project turnaround time.
• Led a department of 30 employees, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development that reduced staff turnover by 15%.
• Managed cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects within budget and timeline constraints, securing an average of 95% client satisfaction rating.
• Successfully negotiated contracts with key suppliers, achieving cost savings of up to 10% while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Initiated and executed a successful digital transformation strategy, which increased operational efficiency by 25% and enhanced data-driven decision-making.
• Developed and maintained strong, productive relationships with stakeholders, consistently managing expectations and project deliverables to ensure alignment with company goals.
• Implemented a comprehensive risk management framework that reduced project risks by 30% and ensured regulatory compliance across the board.
• Cultivated a culture of innovation that led to the introduction of two new market-leading products, directly contributing to a 10% increase in market share.
• Led a cross-functional team of 25+ towards the successful launch of a new product line, achieving a 20% market share within the first 6 months post-launch.
• Implemented rigorous cost-control measures across the department, successfully reducing operational expenses by 15% while maintaining team productivity.
• Drove a company-wide digital transformation initiative, integrating advanced CRM tools that improved customer relationship management and increased repeat business by 30%.
• Strategically realigned the regional sales strategy, leading to a sustained 10% year-on-year growth in a competitive market.
• Developed and fostered partnerships with key vendors, ensuring a 25% reduction in supply chain costs and an improvement in material sourcing lead-times.
• Championed the adoption of lean management principles that streamlined processes, resulting in increased operational efficiency and a 40% reduction in waste.
• Spearheaded a customer service overhaul that improved service delivery metrics by 50%, reflected in customer satisfaction surveys.
• Piloted a successful employee development program that reduced staff turnover by 20% and enhanced team capabilities through targeted training.
• Directed the negotiation and finalization of a major contract with a key client, securing a deal worth £5m over three years and expanding the company's industry footprint.
• Managed the turnaround of the underperforming North East division, improving performance by 35% within the first year through strategic planning and team leadership.
• Cultivated a culture of innovation that encouraged the development of a patent-pending inventory management system, enhancing stock visibility and reducing holding costs by 22%.
• Coordinated with marketing teams to create targeted campaigns that effectively penetrated new market segments, increasing brand awareness and customer base by 18%.
• Orchestrated the launch of a new flagship store, which became the top-performing location within its first year, driving an annual revenue increase of £1.2m.
• Introduced advanced data analytics to the sales forecasting process, resulting in a 15% improvement in inventory accuracy and reducing stock-outs.
• Fostered a collaborative work environment that improved team morale and reduced conflict, which played a key role in the store consistently exceeding sales targets by 10-15% each quarter.
• Guided the business through a critical growth phase, doubling the number of outlets from 15 to 30, while maintaining a strong EBITDA margin of 18%.
• Enhanced operational systems, processes, and policies in support of the organization's mission, leading to a 20% increase in overall efficiency.
• Championed a customer loyalty program that resulted in a 45% increase in repeat patronage, significantly boosting the brand's market position.
• Implemented a strategic growth plan that increased the company's footprint by entering into two new international markets, amplifying the annual revenue by £3m.
• Established a comprehensive risk management framework that reduced operational risks by 26% and safeguarded company assets.
• Optimized supply chain logistics by integrating a cutting-edge inventory tracking system that minimized stock discrepancies and saved £80k annually.
• Led organizational restructuring to improve efficiency, which contributed to a 15% increase in productivity and a 10% decrease in overhead costs.
• Directed a product rebranding strategy across all platforms, enhancing the brand's visibility and contributing to a 25% upsurge in sales.
• Negotiated with software vendors to implement a new ERP system that improved data accuracy and employee productivity by 20%.

Hard skills and soft skills to showcase your unique skill set on your manager CV

Did you know that your CV will mostly likely be assessed by recruiters based on skill alignment? And that means that the way you feature your key skills across different CV sections will play a crucial role in landing you that first interview. We recommend you add your:

• technical capabilities or hard skills in your CV experience, certificates, projects, etc. Use your past accomplishments to prove your technical capabilities. List up to a dozen different software or hardware in your dedicated skills section to match the job keywords;
• personal and communication skills or soft skills in your CV strengths, achievements, summary/ objective, etc. Soft skills are a bit more difficult to prove. How do you define your aptitude in active listening? So, instead of just listing the skill name, include a tangible metric to show your success.

On a final note, when you're in a hurry to create your profile, you may misspell a particular technology or soft skill. That's why we suggest you copy and paste the particular skill name (or keyword), directly from the job advert. This would also help you to pass any initial Applicant Tracker System (ATS) tests.

Top skills for your manager CV:

Project Management

Budgeting & Financial Management

Data Analysis

Performance Monitoring

Strategic Planning

Risk Management

Business Development

Operational Efficiency

Human Resources Management

Supply Chain Management

Communication

Problem Solving

Time Management

Decision Making

Adaptability

Conflict Resolution

Emotional Intelligence

Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.

Further professional qualifications for your manager CV: education and certificates

As you're nearing the end of your manager CV, you may wonder what else will be relevant to the role. Recruiters are keen on understanding your academic background, as it teaches you an array of hard and soft skills. Create a dedicated education section that lists your:

• applicable higher education diplomas or ones that are at a postgraduate level;
• diploma, followed up with your higher education institution and start-graduation dates;
• extracurricular activities and honours, only if you deem that recruiters will find them impressive.

Follow a similar logic when presenting your certificates. Always select ones that will support your niche expertise and hint at what it's like to work with you . Balance both technical certification with soft skills courses to answer job requirements and company values. Wondering what the most sought out certificates are for the industry? Look no further:

• How to Include CV Coursework on Your CV
• How to Showcase Your Educational Achievements on CV: Examples, Templates, & Guide for 2024

Key takeaways

Here are five things you need to remember about writing your manager CV for success:

• Sort your experience based on the reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent career items, to showcase how you've grown your career;
• Include within your CV header your relevant contact details, a headline that could spotlight your unique value, and a photo - if you're applying for roles outside the UK or US;
• Decide to use the CV summary, if you happen to have more professional experience, and an objective, if you want to showcase your career goals;
• Within the experience section, write your bullets using action verbs, skills, and success, instead of just merely listing your on-the-job responsibilities;
• Prove your technical skills, using your education and certificates, and your soft skills, with your achievements and strengths sections.

Looking to build your own Manager CV?

• CV Examples

Frequently Asked Questions About Manager CVs

Q: what should i include in my manager cv, q: how do i showcase my leadership abilities on my manager cv, q: should i tailor my manager cv to each job application.

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Best CV Personal Profile Examples

What is a CV personal profile?

A personal profile, also known as a CV summary, is the opening statement of your CV. It is a short introduction which outlines your personal characteristics, telling the prospective employer what kind of a person you are, the attributes and qualities that you possess and the work experience that you have.

How to write a CV profile statement from scratch

When writing your personal profile, ensure it is:

• Short (no more than 6 lines);
• Relevant to the job you are applying for, and;
• Contains some real-world examples .

Be bold, be confident and talk about yourself in a positive way.

Your personal profile is not the place to be humble; it is your chance to be noticed and tell the potential employer exactly who you ‘really’ are and what you can do for them.

Warning: Do not go ‘over the top’ and give the impression that you are either very arrogant or simply too good to be true! Keep it balanced and realistic, bearing in mind the needs of the employer.

Click here if you want to see a bad example of a personal profile.

What information to include on a personal profile

The purpose of your personal profile is to concisely present your skills, qualities, work experience, and your career goals and ambitions. Consequently, you can mention anything from the following categories when constructing your personal profile:

Personal Qualities

• Self-motivated
• Having an eye for detail
• Management skills
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Design skills
• 5 years experience in …
• Excellent track record of …
• Extensive background in …
• Previous work experience in …

An ideal statement should have at least one example for each of these three categories.

How long should my profile statement be?

There are no set rules about the length of a personal profile, however, it is highly recommended to keep it ideally within the 50/80-words boundary (no longer than six lines). The reason for this is because employers, in the first instance, tend to scan CVs rather than extensively read it. Keeping it short and to the point increases the chances that they will actually read it.

Furthermore, as the total length of a CV is only 2 A4 pages long, having a short statement frees us valuable space for other key sections of your CV such as the work experience, education and skills sections .

Winning personal profile CV examples from all job sectors

Business management cv profile.

• The candidate mentions their key personal skills and qualities that are relevant and important when managing a business.
• The candidate mentions their relevant work experience in the field, indicating that they are able to work within multiple job sectors.

IT CV profile

• The candidate correctly highlights their areas of expertise, such as designing websites, networking and managing databases. It is clear from these examples that the individual has a broad understanding of IT and would be able to work on a wide range of IT projects.
• The candidate reassures the prospective employer that although they are working in a very technical field, they have the ability to work with a wide range of people. Interpersonal and communication skills are key to any job.

Student CV profile

• The above personal statement is clear and informative, making it clear that the applicant is a student, currently completing their university degree, and are looking to work part-time in the industry.
• It is always a good idea, as the candidate has done in this example, to clearly mention your availability for work and also the reasons for why you are seeking work. “Making money” is not a good enough reason for an employer to give you a job. The candidate has mentioned that they wish to put into practice what they have learned and make a positive contribution to the employer.

HR CV profile

• The candidate highlights that they have previous work experience in Human Resources (HR), making them familiar with the payroll systems and employment law. Additionally, they indicate some personal qualities (such as interpersonal skills and being sensitive to people’s privacies) which would be highly beneficial for the role that they are applying for.

Manager CV profile

• The candidate not only states that they have three years’ of experience in management but they also mention the positive contribution that they made to that organisation. In this case, it was a significant improvement in the performance of the team that they were managing.

Sales/retail CV profile

• Just by looking at the profile statement of this individual, we can conclude that this person has thorough experience of sales and is able to handle the various aspects of the selling process. Additionally, their promotion indicates that they are a high achiever.

Teaching CV profile

• In just a few lines, the candidate demonstrates a great deal of compassion, empathy and care for young people and their futures. This level of care and concern, along with an enduring passion for teaching, are the key ingredients of being successful in any teaching careers.
• The candidate indicating that they are able to work with young children from all backgrounds and walks of life. This is important, especially when living in today’s multicultural and diverse societies.

Engineering CV profile

• The candidate correctly highlights their previous work experience and areas of expertise. This makes them look like a very competent and accomplished chemical engineer, increasing the chances of being invited for an interview.

Designer CV profile

• This is an effective statement because the candidate highlights their valuable 1st class degree in Graphic Design and previous work experience in the design industry. Additionally, the candidate makes mention of their personal qualities, such as having the ability to think outside the box, to further indicate their suitability for the job.

Hospitality CV profile

• The above is an excellent example of how profile statement should be constructed; it contains references to their previous work experience in the same industry, personal qualities that are relevant to the job (e.g. having a passion for food and socialising with people) and their job achievements (e.g. winning an award). Any employer reading this statement will have to think twice before they put it in the rejection pile!

Admin CV profile

• The candidate mentions their previous work experience project management and providing administrative support to businesses.
• This admin personal statement clearly demonstrates that the individual is aware of all the challenges that administrators face; working in a busy working environment, handling multiple projects simultaneously, prioritising tasks and achieving the highest standard of work.

Customer service CV profile

• The candidate indicates that they are able to resolve customer enquiries and complaints face-to-face, over the phone or via email. This ability enables them to work in a variety of different job settings, i.e. a call centre, on the shop floor or at a desk.
• Their statement contains a tangible example of accomplishment (i.e. successfully resolving 150 customer enquiries or complaints).

Media CV profile

• The candidate has included many examples of their previous work experience and competencies in the field. Any employer interested in hiring an experienced camera operator will most certainly be impressed and continue reading the remainder of their CV.

Healthcare CV profile

• The candidate highlights that they are able to work with a variety of different people, something which is essential as physiotherapists will be working with people from all backgrounds and ages.
• The statement includes personal qualities that are important to have as a physiotherapist, such as being caring and friendly. Although some careers advisors do not recommend generic words such as ‘caring’ and ‘friendly’, it is nevertheless recommended to include them if they truly reflect your personality and if the rest of the personal statement contains specific information which is not generic in nature.

Writer CV profile

• This profile is short and punchy, increasing the chances that it will be read in full by the prospective employers
• The candidate highlights their career achievements by stating that their works have been accepted and published by leading newspapers and magazines – a testimony to the high quality of their work.

Science CV profile

• This statement is short and to the point; highlighting all the important information such as the candidates work experience, expertise and some personal qualities and characteristics.

Do I need to include a personal statement on my CV? No, it is entirely optional to include a personal profile on your CV. However, it is generally recommended to include one, particularly as it serves as a little “About me” section at the top of your CV. Every written document has an introduction, why shouldn’t a CV?

Can I use the first person tense in my statement? Yes, the first and third person tenses are both fine to use – but not both. Decide on the one tense and stick to it.

Where should I include the profile statement on my CV There is no fixed place in which you should put your personal profile. Some candidates place it at the bottom of their CVs. Ideally, you should position it at the top of your CV.

What is the most important thing to include on a personal profile? Real-world examples and tangible performance indicators, for example; increased sales by x percent, managed x number of people, won such-and-such awards, improved productivity by x percent, etc. These types of information are highly valuable, as opposed to saying that you are the “best salesperson in the country” and not backing it up with any evidence!

Need help with other sections of your CV?

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