CV Writing
Profile, Career Statement or Objective Statement

When writing your profile or career statement section for your Curriculum Vitae you must consider the type of “job area” for which you are applying.

What "job area" are you applying for? What attracts your eye when you read the vacancy or appointments paper? This can become your career objective or statement whether it is a promotion, similar position, or change of career direction, you should decide to use one.  

Your Career Statement can be used in the closing line of the profile section of your Curriculum Vitae to give your reader a general idea of your area of expertise. This also takes away any risk, the reader may have in hiring you, as the recruitment process becomes mutually beneficial and that will  communicate and high degree of staff retention, (this can be emphasized in your covering letter and at interview if there seems to be a skills deficit).

Career objectives can be a generalized within the Curriculum Vitae to a given job area, unless you are absolutely definite about you specific job target.

Often the covering letter is the best place to be specific. In the letter you can personalize your objective for each job opening.

There is nothing wrong with using an objective statement on a Curriculum Vitae, as long as it does not limit your job choices. You can alter individual CVs personalized objectives that reflect the actual job title for which you are applying, but this is usually not recommended as it gives the impression of being too targeted.

It is best to give the impression that you have just pulled the Curriculum Vitae out from the draw and wrote the letter specifically to a given job. You should write the career statement in the "third person" as if is a reference or testimonial to you (see examples on our home page)

Write a precise career statement in the letter using the "first person" ( I did....... I was...... I have.....) . You should name the position you want in the title of the letter and within the text. Use different colour paper and a different font. It is best to attach your letter to your Curriculum Vitae  with a staple so if a cleaner came along and knocked over all the stacks of sorted CVs on a hiring manager's desk, he or she could put yours back in the right pile without even thinking about it.

You can give a brief overview of your qualifications. This qualifications summary, can be placed at the beginning of your Curriculum Vitae . You can include some of your personal attributes (if you have limited skills or experience), special skills or past experience that is difficult to get across, can be brought forward and mentioned in your profile.

Do not mention the standard buzzwords / phrases regarding, communication skills, interpersonal skills, or how reliable, enthusiastic, determined you are or it will end up sounding the same as everybody else’s Curriculum Vitae.

Here are some sample profiles and career statements, CV writing Index.