When used properly, a professional profile can make your resume irresistible to hiring managers. So what are you waiting for? Read on to find out how to write an effective resume profile, and land yourself more interviews in the future.
Table of Contents:
- What is a Professional Profile?
- Difference Between Main Resume Intros
- The Four Points of a Professional Profile
- Resume Profile Examples
- Download Our Professional Profile Template Pack
1. What is a Professional Profile?
A professional profile is a powerful resume introduction that gives hiring managers a detailed look at your job-related skills and expertise.
It is often referred to as a resume profile (the two terms are synonymous), and depending on your preference can be written in paragraph form or as a list of bullet points.
Consider these two styles for your own profile:
We know what you are thinking! “Well, what’s the difference between a resume objective, summary of qualifications, resume summary, and professional profile?”
Good question.
2. What is the Difference between a Resume Objective, Qualifications Summary, Resume Summary, and Professional Profile?
This is the million-dollar question. The beginning of your resume is essentially the “elevator speech” through which you introduce yourself to the hiring manager.
All three styles have the same purpose—to grab the attention of the hiring manager by highlighting your relevant qualifications.
However, the method by which they deliver this information differs slightly.
Elements of a Resume Objective
- Position-centered
- Customized to a specific job description
- Often styled as a statement of 2-3 sentences
Let’s compare a resume objective and professional profile:
Elements of a Qualifications Summary
- Focuses more on your career achievements
- Consists of 5–6 bullet points that showcase your most impressive accomplishments
- Applicant-tracking system friendly because it targets specific keywords related to the job
Next, let’s compare a qualifications summary and professional profile:
Elements of a Resume Summary:
- An eye-catching introduction that features 4–5 bullet points, each including a subheading, statistic, and an example of an achievement
- Highlights your key characteristics, skills, and accomplishments with compelling resume adjectives
- Contains numbers, which are proven to attract a hiring manager’s attention
Here is a resume summary compared with a professional profile:
Elements of a Resume Profile:
- A mix of both a career objective and qualifications summary
- Can be styled as either a paragraph or bullet point list
- Since they are not necessarily targeting a specific position, professional profiles are great when uploading your resume to job search sites and networking resumes
The profile is a bit more structured than the career objective or qualifications summary as it focuses on four key points.
3. The Four Points of a Professional Profile
Depending on how much experience you have, your profile can include an additional point.
That said, we recommend not going over five points in your professional profile because you risk losing the attention of the hiring manager.
To maintain readability, aim for 500 characters or less.
1: Years of Experience or Education
You should begin by giving your years of experience in a particular position. Leading with your experience will garner the attention of the hiring manager and prove you can perform the position. Make sure to include your job title!
Here’s how the first point might look for an accountant:
- “A certified public accountant with 5+ years of experience in ledger processes and account reconciliations.”
For students or recent graduates with little to no experience, you should focus on extracurricular activities, relevant coursework, or volunteer experience.
Here’s how the first point of a recent graduate might look:
- “A recent graduate of the School of Accounting at James Madison University, with in-depth knowledge in corporate financing and operational accounting.”
2: Specialty Area of Experience
The next point should mention a particular specialty within the industry that you possess. This will prove that you are an expert in your field.
If you can’t think of a specialty, consider adding a job duty that you excel at.
Here’s an example:
- “An expert at performing large enterprise audits of $100 million.”
Notice how the point quantifies the candidate’s specialty with an actual dollar amount to give their point more weight and reassure the hiring manager.
3: Industry-Relevant Skills
In your third point, you should showcase the skills that you will be able to contribute to the specific job.
Research the skills your industry values the most and add those that you possess.
If you are changing your career path, consider skills that might contribute to your new position. And if you have any certifications or licenses pertinent to your industry, add them here!
Check out this example from the accountant:
- “Possess comprehensive knowledge of database software, and strong oral communication in English and Spanish.”
4: Achievements
Your final point should stress your career achievements. Remember that relevance is the key.
Stating that you came in first at the state fair’s hot-dog-eating contest won’t impress an employer looking for an accountant! Instead, add achievements that are applicable to the industry.
If you have multiple achievements, then feel free to add a fifth point to your profile.
Here’s what our accountant added:
- “Corrected errors within our annual budget analysis, which led to a 15% reduction of costs.”
4. Resume Profile Examples from Four Industries
Professional profiles can be written several different ways, so we’ve included text samples to give you a more concrete idea of what yours might end up looking like.
The four resume profile examples below should help get you on the right track:
Example 1 (Administrative Assistant)
- Administrative Assistant with 6+ years of experience assembling flawless presentations, preparing facility reports and maintaining the utmost confidentiality
- Adept at interdepartmental coordination and communication
- Possess comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
- Honed company filing and reporting procedures, saving $4000 annually
Example 2 (Waitress)
- Project Execution: Implemented new menu introduction strategies, increasing customer purchases of wine by 10% on average.
- Management: Assisted in the training of 6 new waiters, ensuring restaurant methodology and practices
- Awards & Recognition: Frequently praised for excellent service on restaurant’s online rating system
- Salesmanship: Deep and broad knowledge of wines and pairings
Example 3 (Janitor)
- Janitor with 7+ years of experience handling the maintenances of hotels and schools
- Specialize in working with teams to achieve institutional efficiency goals
- Proven management skills and in-depth knowledge of safety regulations
- Restored HVAC system, saving the hotel +$50,000 in repair costs
Example 4 (Customer Service Representative)
Customer service representative with over 4 years of experience in account administration and telephone sales. Expert at designing and implementing sales strategies. Possess excellent customer service, sales, and communication skills. Implemented a new sales strategy, cutting training expenses by 90% while increasing close ratio by 10% within a 3-month window.
5. Looking for a Great Professional Profile Resume Template?
Check out our gallery of HR-approved, battle-tested professional profile templates. They are free to download and will help you land interviews faster:
Gates Gray
Stonehenge Red
Armstrong Blue
Johansson Red
Murray Blue
Freeman Gray
Washington Red
Connery Gray
Download These Resume Profile Templates
Have any comments or questions? Our staff of in-house resume experts are waiting in the wings and ready to help you in any way possible.
In the meantime, check out our robust guide outlining how to write a resume if you’re struggling to finalize your application, or use our easy-to-use resume builder if you’re in a hurry. Good luck on the job hunt!
