What is a CV personal statement?
A CV personal statement is a 3–4 sentence paragraph at the top of your CV that addresses your target company directly and summarises your job-specific achievements, qualifications, and skills.
A well-written personal statement on your CV gets the reader interested in learning more about you by summarising your biggest professional strengths and selling points.
Below are examples of personal statements for CVs for various types of job applications, followed by tips for how to write your own personal statement.
16 good CV personal statement examples
Need ideas for writing a CV personal statement that highlights your relevant skills and experience?
Here are 16 CV personal statement examples from different industries and levels of experience. Even if you don’t see an example that exactly matches your job title, you can adapt the general concepts to meet your needs:
1. Administration CV personal statement
Applying for an administration role? Here’s a personal statement from an administrative assistant’s CV that shows you how to write your own:
Related CV samples: Administrative CV, administrator CV
2. Customer service CV personal statement
This personal statement for a customer service position uses strategic bolding to highlight the applicant’s years of experience:
Related CV samples: Customer Service CV, customer service advisor CV
3. Waiting staff CV personal statement
Here’s a personal statement for a CV that you can imitate if you’re applying for server positions:
Related CV samples: Waiter/Waitress CV, barista CV
4. Retail assistant CV personal statement
Below is a CV personal statement example for retail assistants:
Related CV samples: Retail CV, retail assistant CV
5. Graduate CV personal statement
View this CV personal statement for writing ideas if you’re a recent graduate:
Related CV samples: Graduate CV, CV examples for students
6. Engineering CV personal statement
This personal statement for a CV explains an engineering applicant’s educational background and technical skills:
Related CV samples: Engineering CV, design engineer CV, civil engineering CV
7. Project manager CV personal statement
If you’re applying for project management roles, look at this example:
Related CV sample: Project manager CV
8. Marketing CV personal statement
Here’s an example of a personal statement for a marketing CV:
Related CV samples: Marketing CV, digital marketing CV, marketing manager CV
9. Teaching assistant CV personal statement
Use this CV personal statement to help you write your teaching assistant CV:
Related CV samples: Teaching assistant CV, tutor CV
10. Accountancy CV personal statement
This accountant CV describes the applicant’s top accounting skills and years of experience:
Related CV samples: Accountancy CV, assistant accountant CV
11. Cleaner CV personal statement
Mention your professional demeanour and previous recommendations to stand out as a cleaner job candidate, like so:
Related CV sample: Cleaner CV
12. School leaver CV personal statement
If you’re applying for jobs after your secondary education, include your GCSEs and T-Levels (if applicable) in your CV’s personal statement to give recruiters a clear picture of your level of training:
Related CV sample: School leaver CV
13. Data analyst CV personal statement
This personal statement from a data analyst CV highlights the applicant’s relevant analytical skills, including their SQL expertise and data modelling proficiency:
Related CV sample: Data analyst CV
14. Primary teacher CV personal statement
Include your teaching qualifications and specialisations when writing your teaching CV personal statement so employers know you’re qualified as soon as they start reading:
Related CV sample: Teacher CV
15. Career change CV personal statement
Transitioning to a new career path? Here’s an example of how to write a personal statement for a career change CV:
16. Delivery driver CV personal statement
Don’t have much space left on your CV for your personal statement? This delivery driver candidate displays their time management skills and educational background in three short sentences:
Related CV samples: Delivery driver CV, driver CV
How to write a CV personal statement
Follow these three steps to write the best CV personal statement for your next job application:
1. Describe your professional experience
In the first sentence of your personal statement, outline your professional experience and include a key trait (e.g., a unique adjective that describes how you work, such as ‘fast-learning’).
For instance, if you’ve got three years of experience as a barista, here’s an example of how to start a personal statement for a job with similar requirements:
Sentence 1: list your professional experience and key traits
Hardworking barista with 3 years of experience in a customer-facing role.
If you haven’t got any formal work experience, mention your highest level of education and any placements you’ve had instead:
Sentence 2: mention your educational background and placements
Motivated sixth form leaver with four A-Levels and a week’s work experience at HSBC in Darlington.
2. Add key skills and accomplishments
In your second sentence, expand on the key skills you’ve listed on your CV that apply to the job. If possible, also mention any noteworthy achievements from previous positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
For example, the second sentence of a call centre representative’s personal statement might say:
Sentence 3: write about your key skills and accomplishments
Skilled at resolving customer complaints with a 100% client satisfaction rate.
Note how you can add hard numbers (‘100%’). Adding numbers to your CV personal statement puts your achievements in context, and lets employers see what kind of performance you’ll be capable of if they hire you.
Add an extra sentence if you’d like to give even more details about your achievements and capabilities or mention any special trade licences you have.
3. State your career objective
The final sentence of your CV should summarise your most job-relevant career goal and directly target the company you’re applying for. Use the company’s name and the job title here to tailor your CV to the role.
Tailoring your CV to the position shows you’ve considered the company’s needs and aren’t just sending your CV to every company with openings.
Here’s an ideal final sentence for a retail position:
Sentence 4: target a specific employer
Seeking to apply my unrivalled interpersonal skills and provide customers with great service in the retail assistant role at River Island.
3 tips for making a job-winning personal statement
Below are three tips for how to perfect the structure and word choice for your CV’s personal statement to give yourself the best chance of landing an interview:
1. Don’t make it too long
Wondering exactly how long your CV personal statement should be? Aim for under 100 words to increase the likelihood that the recruiter will read to the end.
Here’s what a personal statement of the right length looks like as part of the structure of a CV:
2. Use the right font
Your personal statement should use the same font as the rest of your CV. Use one of the best CV fonts throughout your document, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica.
3. Don’t use ‘I’
In your CV personal statement, avoid using ‘I’. Not using ‘I’ takes up less space on a CV and sounds more professional, as you can see:
Using ‘I’ in a CV personal statement
I’m a personable teaching assistant with 7+ years of experience in the classroom. I’ve been recognised for my ability to help pupils with special needs prepare for KS2 SATs, with all my pupils to date gaining ‘AS’ outcomes. I’m hoping to bring an exceptional standard of support to teachers at Green Lane Primary School.
Removing ‘I’ from a CV personal statement
Personable teaching assistant with 7+ years of experience in the classroom. Recognised for my ability to help pupils with special needs prepare for KS2 SATs, with all to date gaining ‘AS’ outcomes. Hoping to bring an exceptional standard of support to teachers at Green Lane Primary School.
Frequently asked questions about CV personal statements
Here are 3 common questions about putting a personal statement on a CV:
1. Do I need a personal statement on my CV?
Yes, you need a personal statement on your CV.
Although a personal statement isn’t a must-have requirement, it gives your CV a competitive advantage by showing employers you’ve personalised your CV to fit their company requirements.
A CV personal statement also emphasises your most hirable qualities in a place employers can easily see.
2. What is the difference between a CV and a personal statement?
Here’s the difference between a CV and a personal statement:
- A CV is a job application document that summarises your work experience (including volunteer and internship work), education, and skills to help employers decide whether to interview you
- A personal statement is a university application essay that explains why your educational history and goals make you a good fit for the program you’re applying for
Here are resources to help you write a CV or a personal statement:
3. How do you write a personal statement for a CV when you’re a teenager?
Even if you’re a teenager with no work experience, you can write a CV personal statement (also called a CV ‘About Me’ section) that helps you get hired. Here’s how:
- describe the skills you’ve developed in school or through extracurricular activities that’ll help you succeed in your target job
- highlight any relevant volunteer, internship, or part-time work experience you have
- note any awards you’ve received to show that you’re able to exceed expectations
- customise your statement to the job advert by including the company name, your desired job title, and an explanation of how you could help the company reach its goals
Here’s an example of a well-written personal statement from a CV for a teenager:
Enthusiastic and friendly secondary school pupil currently completing my GCSEs. Excellent self-discipline from years of practice as a pianist. Skilled with numbers and received the ‘Cardinal’s Exceptional Maths Pupil’ award in June 2022. Seeking a responsible summer position as a part-time waiter at Brighton Cheery Restaurant.
