A profile summarises selected parts of your career at the beginning of the CV. It is useful when it makes the connection to the vacancy clearer. It replaces neither your employment history nor evidence of your skills.
1. Decide whether the profile adds something
The University of Zurich CV materials describe the personal profile as optional. You can omit it if it merely repeats job titles or general qualities. The requirements of the specific application take priority.
A profile can, for example, explain the connection between two different fields. That connection must be real: which previous experience helps with the new task? The examples below are writing exercises, not claims about how every recruiter decides.
2. Write three notes before the first sentence
Write these points separately:
- Field: Where have you actually worked or trained?
- Contribution: Which two relevant tasks did you perform yourself?
- Connection: Which task matters for the advertised role?
Turn them into an initial version of two to four short sentences. This length is a writing aid, not a Swiss rule. Include only facts you can explain elsewhere in the CV or in an interview. If you want to enter a new field, state that intention rather than presenting it as existing professional experience.
3. A fictional before-and-after example
Someone is moving from retail into order processing. They have answered customer questions, entered orders and discussed outstanding deliveries with the warehouse.
Before: ‘I am a motivated, flexible and successful person with extensive experience, looking for an exciting challenge.’
After: ‘Retail experience focused on customer enquiries and order entry. In my last role, I coordinated outstanding deliveries with the warehouse. I would like to bring this experience to order processing.’
The second version identifies the field, tasks and intended change. It claims neither formal training in order processing nor increased sales. The example is fictional; do not copy duties or skills that are not yours.
4. Mention results only when they are accurate
A documented result can complement a task. You need a relevant period, a reference measure and an honest account of your contribution. Without these, a concrete duty may be the better wording. Do not invent a percentage to make the text impressive.
Courses and interests are not useless simply because they are older. Check their relevance and what you can actually apply. The profile need not include everything; details can go in the appropriate CV section. The UZH CV guidance stresses adapting the CV to the vacancy and using precise wording.
5. Check the draft sentence by sentence
Review my profile using three columns
Write each sentence on a separate line and add:
- Evidence: Which role or actual experience supports the claim?
- Relevance: Which advertised task does it match?
- Correction: Which general word can I replace with an actual task?
Delete or clarify a claim if you cannot find supporting evidence. Read the finished version aloud and check whether you would speak that way in an interview.
Then compare profile and CV: do roles, dates and skills agree? If changing fields, is the distinction between past experience and your goal clear? A profile promises no interview and does not replace a complete application. For a general introduction, visit the PARAT homepage.
