A résumé is only as good as the amount of attention given it by the person reading (or skimming) through it. The object is to quickly grab the attention of the reader and provoke them into reading further. Having a lengthy, wordy page will provide more information, but also makes things appears bulky and can turn away the reader before they get to experience the depths of who you are. The key is to include eye-catching, job related keywords that are immediately seen when skimming the document.
A personal profile is like an opening ad for who you are, and introduction of sorts. This section typically replaces the objective statement that is commonly used. You may also hear it referred to as a résumé profile, or career summary section. It is a preview of the actual résumé and should always be placed at the top directly under your contact information. While the actual résumé is a condensed view of your career and skills, a personal profile is even more condensed, usually focusing on keywords directly applicable to the job being applied for. It is not a series of actual sentences, but simply short phrases filled with desired keywords.
The suggested length of this section is about five to eight lines in length. Again, avoid using full sentences, and just use concise phrases. For instance, do not say “I have obtained a master’s degree in Journalism from Regent University” but rather simply say “Master’s degree: Journalism.” Or, if the position you are applying for is not related to journalism, simply says “Master’s degree: Regent University.” Here are a couple prime examples of a personal profile statements as offered by eHow:
Master’s degree in English Literature, searching for employment in the high school education field, six years’ experience in teaching literature, grammar, and creative writing, served as assistant department chair at Indianapolis High School, trained in English as a Second Language education, conflict resolution and education of mentally disabled students.
Bachelor’s degree in film studies, master’s degree in journalism, looking for journalistic employment covering the nuances of the entertainment industry, specializing in film direction and cinematography, three years’ experience as assistant set director for local television series, two years’ experience as entertainment columnist at Indianapolis Star newspaper, extensive experience with a variety of interviewing techniques.
The goal of this section is to offer, right up-front, a set of powerful, keyword laden opening remarks that highlight your abilities and will hopefully catch the eye (or scanner) of the reader, causing them to look further into the details you provide further below. Remember, though, that the keywords and phrases here should be directly targeted to the job. Tweak the phrases to include only the portions that are related to the position, and leave out the unrelated sections which may appear in the résumé further down. If you have two or more separate objectives, you should consider writing different versions of your personal profile.
Before you begin considering what to put into this section, you should have completed some research, knowing what specific skills/talents that are desired for the position. Then jot down a list of your top skills, the ones directly related to those desired by the employer that best “sell” you for the position. Organize them based on importance and relevance, and then begin formatting this section, remembering to specifically use those keywords directly related to and desired by the position listing.
Just remember, the goal is not to come up with an evergreen statement about yourself that you will then include on each and every résumé you send – that defeats the purpose. The purpose is to come up, each time, with a summary that includes your strengths that are directly focused on the position requirements, using the specific keywords found directly in the job’s requirement listing statement. This section will be different from job application to job application. If you want a better chance of success - don’t get lazy and do it any other way.
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