Personal statement guide

What to write in a CV personal statement.

Three to four sentences at the top of your CV: who you are professionally, your strongest relevant evidence, the specialism that fits this job, and what you are looking for next.

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The four-sentence structure

Each sentence has one job. Write them in this order and the statement almost writes itself.

  • 1. Who you are: role plus years of experience, in the field the job is in.
  • 2. Your strongest evidence: one concrete achievement with a number or scale.
  • 3. Your specialism: the skills or setting this specific employer asked for.
  • 4. What you want next: the role you are applying for, said plainly.

Worked examples

Experienced professional: 'Project manager with nine years delivering software in regulated environments. Led a 14-month platform migration across four squads on a £2.4m budget. Comfortable in both agile and stage-gate governance. Looking for a senior delivery role in financial services.'

Graduate: 'Marketing graduate (2:1) with a 12-month agency placement year. Ran analytics reporting across six client accounts and supported a paid social campaign that beat its click target. Strongest in campaign measurement and content. Seeking a first full-time digital marketing role.'

Career changer: 'Customer service team leader moving into people operations. Led a team of eight advisors, ran quality reviews and built new-starter coaching from scratch. CIPD Level 3 completed this year. Looking for an HR coordinator role where coaching experience transfers.'

Phrases to delete

These appear on almost every CV, which is precisely why they carry no information.

  • 'Hard-working team player with excellent communication skills'.
  • 'Passionate about delivering results'.
  • 'Thinks outside the box' and any other stock phrase.
  • Anything you cannot back with a bullet further down the page.

Common questions

How long should a CV personal statement be?

Three to four sentences, roughly 50 to 80 words. It sits at the top of the first page and should be readable in about ten seconds.

Should I write it in the first or third person?

Either works, but be consistent. Most UK CVs drop the pronoun entirely: 'Registered nurse with seven years on acute wards' rather than 'I am a registered nurse'.

Do I need a personal statement at all?

It is optional, but useful when your next role differs from your last, or when a recruiter needs context quickly. If it only repeats your job title, cut it and use the space for experience.

Write it in the builder.

Draft your CV, run the ATS check against a real job ad, and download a PDF.

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