Writing a compelling personal profile

Most people are aware that to get ahead in life, particularly in terms of career advancement, there is a need to write a compelling personal profile that can be used to promote oneself when the opportunity arises. However, all too often this objective is not achieved and there are a number of reasons for this failure

The purpose of a profile

Perhaps the most important problem many people have with writing a compelling profile can be defined as errors in the initial approach to the profile. Most people will sit down with a blank sheet of paper in front of them and ask the question - "what can I tell the reader about me?" In fact the correct approach is to reverse this question. What you really need to be asking yourself at this stage is "What does the reader want to know about me?"

To react positively to this question what you need to be looking at is the reason for writing the profile in the first place. For example, is it for a new position of employment, to assist in seeking promotion in your current place of work or for some other purpose? The approach that you take to the two former options, being career related will, by definition, be different to the third.

The content

For a work related profile, whilst the prospective employer might want to receive some idea of your personal interests and educational career, particular in terms of exams and qualifications, these should not overpower the profile. By this what is meant is that the profile does not need to contain a long documentary of what hobbies and interests you may have. It is important to keep this section, which should always be the last section on the profile, short, succinct and to the point. However, if any of these points are salient to the position that you are applying for they should be highlighted. For example, if you have an interest in caring for animals or children and are applying for a role in the veterinary or childcare professions it is essential to mention your interests in this regard, albeit briefly.

Concerning the work experience aspect of the profile it is important to include accurate details of your work history. This should include a description of your role and what skills it required or had been learnt; details of your responsibilities, including those that entailed leading or managing other staff members and contact details of your past employer for reference purposes. If this is an application for your first position of employment then include within this section details of any work experience you might have undertaken that will stand you in good stead for the role being offered.

Other factors

In addition to the above aspect of writing a compelling profile there are a number of other factors that need to be considered. Firstly, particularly for a job application, it is essential that the profile is brief and to succinct. The last thing you want is for a busy human resource manager, who might have dozens of applicants for the advertised position, to say is "I have not got time to read all this" and cast your application aside because the profile element of it is too time consuming. Similarly, first impressions count. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your personal profile is presented in a manner that is professional, pleasing to the eye, easy to read and free from grammatical and spelling errors. Secondly, it is essential to present a positive image of yourself, so make sure your successes are the focus of the profile. Thirdly, be truthful. Lies will be found out! Also important is not to scrimp on cost by trying to squeeze your profile into an undersized envelope. It is better to bear the extra cost of an A4 or letter sized envelope so that when the profile is removed it is still in pristine condition.

And finally

Finally, before presenting a sample of how the sections of a compelling profile should be presented, it is important to mention that, even if your profile is not intended for employment purpose, for example it might be an application for membership of a specialist club; most of the above advice is still relevant. The only difference is that this will concentrate more upon your personal achievements and interests, with work skills only being relevant if they relate to the association where membership is being applied for or a specific position within that association.

Sample layout for a compelling profile

First section - Personal and contact details, with house and mobile phonr number and photograph if possible

Second section - Work history - last position first, highlighting your main duties and responsibilities

Third section - Work skills and qualifications
Fourth section - Personal interests and achievements