Write a Winning Personal Profile
Many jobs boards and online platforms you can use to search for work offer the facility to set up a personal profile. These profiles can be a powerful tool to increase visibility if optimised correctly and if well written can encourage employers to reach out to you. Your profile is like your business card on the internet, and it's important to make a good impression with potential employers. Is a way for you to promote your skills, knowledge and expertise. It should highlight your experience, achievements and what you can do for potential employers.
- On the most basic level, there are several factors to take into consideration as you write your profile:
- Use simple, clear language
- Highlight your most relevant skills and experiences
- Avoid using phrases like "I'm a hard worker" or "I'm a people person"
- Use keywords that will help your profile show up in search results
- Tailor your profile to each platform you're using
- Highlight achievements and skills that are relevant for the vacancies you search for
Personal profiles should not be a generic statement filled with cliche's. It should be well thought out and tailored to the opportunity you are looking for - whether this is freelance work or an employed position.
The Headline
The headline is one of the first things potential employers will see, so it's important to make a good impression.
Your headline should describe what you do and who you help. For example, "I help small businesses increase profitability with their social media presence" Many people simply state their job title but this is a huge wasted opportunity. The headline is your chance to attract attention and get people to read your profile.
Before you move on to the main section of the profile, spend some time thinking about the audience. Who will be reading it and what do you want them to do? What tone will they expect? What language should you use?
When you know who you are writing for, this will help you create a tighter summary that will appeal directly to the recruiters or business owners you want to work with.
With your headline written, it’s time to move on to the main section. Include the following:
Skills - Highlight the skills that are most relevant to the opportunity you're seeking. Don’t just state you have a skill. Summarise how you have used it and the result you have achieved. You can also state any education you have completed to master the skill if it is a vocational based one.
Achievements - Are there any significant things you have accomplished throughout your career? Make them relevant to the jobs and opportunities you are looking for. This could include awards or recognition for your contribution to a project or event, or the achievement could be a result you delivered for a client.
Expertise - Showcase your knowledge and expertise in your chosen field. How have you used your expertise to make the workplace or the lives of your customers better. Always follow your sentences explaining knowledge or expertise with a practical example of how you used it in a beneficial way.
Value - What can you offer potential employers? Why should they hire you? Are there any areas where you excel? Include all of these things in your summary.
Where you can, everything should relate to the potential recruiter rather than you. Position your profile so the reader can immediately sense that you will be an asset to their company.
Optimise
Depending on the platform, you should optimise the professional profile around specific keywords that you want to be found for such as 'Copywriter', 'Engineer', or 'Graphic Designer'.
When potential employers search for someone with your skills, you want to make sure your profile comes up in the results. Use relevant keywords throughout your profile to increase your chances of being found.
Show Your Personality
People connect with people, so use the personal profilesection to show your personality. Share relevant things that are important to you, your values and vision. This is also a great opportunity to show off your writing style and voice. Potential employers will want to see if you're a good fit for their company culture, so don't be afraid to infuse some of your personality into the profile.
The goal is to give potential employers a taste of who you are as a person, not just what you can do.
Final Thoughts
Your personal profile is an important tool in your job search arsenal. By optimising and tailoring it to each opportunity, you can increase your chances of being found and hired for the jobs you want.