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How to Write a Resume Personal Statement

What is a resume personal statement?

A resume personal statement expresses who you are, where you’ve been, and sometimes where you plan to go next right at the top of your resume.

Everyone has different circumstances, so the personal statement helps to orient a potential future boss in terms of what they are about to read in the resume. Think about what you would like to share that matters to you. This space is particularly useful if you are changing industries , coming back in to the employment market or looking for a promotion. Your shop window starts here. The personal statement may be the only thing than an employer reads.

The resume personal statement hooks in a reader, influencing them to read more. So, how do you write a resume personal statement that is both natural and grabs an employer’s attention? Offer them a brief insight into who you are and why you would be a fantastic hire. So what do you write in a personal statement for a job?

This guide will cover:

• The basic formatting of a personal statement: How to tailor your personal statement to give you a competitive advantage
• Personal statement examples you should (and shouldn’t) use
• Practical steps for getting started on your resume personal statement

The personal statement format

The personal statement is a short paragraph that sits right below your contact information at the top of a resume . It sums up your experience, goals and skills with confidence. Think of your resume’s personal statement like an extended tagline for your career. A resume personal statement should include:

• Between 50 and 200 words in 3 - 4 sentences
• Your title or function, for example “Junior developer” or “Passionate hospitality manager”
• An opening hook
• Soft skills and hard skills
• Impressive facts and stats
• Your short and/or long-term goals
• Job-specific slant for the position you’re applying to

This may seem like a lot to cram into 200 words but perfecting your elevator pitch shows that you have a firm grasp of why your experience, goals, and skills make you the perfect fit for the job. Go all out to make this as fitting for each role as possible. Too often candidates come up with what they see as the perfect introduction to them and forget about how a hiring manager for each specific role might read it. Be flexible with the personal statement. It might not present the very best version of you - it should present the best version of you for this particular role.

This brief introduction is only a short piece of text, it is not disruptive and in many cases even serves as a welcome addition to what is otherwise a dry and impersonal document. It should be clear to you by now how we feel about the personal statement: Include it, especially because it allows you that bit of creativity that may make all the difference. Adopt a conversational tone and consider using the first person for these few lines. Third person (past tense) is standard for resumes, but if you want to go personal, this is where to do it.

How do I start my personal statement? How do you not start a personal statement? Even with a personal statement of 3-4 lines, sometimes the first sentence is the hardest. Even the first few words can have a disproportionate effect on how your personal statement is viewed. Your starting "hook" should make your fit with the role clear and specific. Use an example that is as unique to you as possible - you have to make your future employer sit up and pay attention. The first word of your personal statement should never be "I" - a great resume explores the potential of a common partnership and should not be a uni-directional monologue.

Align your resume’s personal statement with the job description

The hiring manager delicately chose every word in their job description. Gather clues from its tone, which skills they highlight, and any hints that point toward their dream employee. One of the top resume tips from HR managers is to include relevant keywords specific to the job posting itself as well as the actual wording of the job title .

What would this job description look like in 3 - 4 sentences? What keywords, skills, and tone would the job description have?

While still sticking to the facts about who you are and your experiences, your resume personal statement should highlight as many similarities with the job description as possible. When the hiring manager reads the first few sentences in your resume, they feel like you are exactly the person they were describing when they wrote the job description.

Position of the personal statement

Recruiters still prefer to see a candidate's personal details at the top (or running along a column on either side) of the resumes that cross their desk. This allows them to quickly search through the resumes that Applicant Tracking Systems have sorted into their virtual “yes” pile. You do not want your (relatively modern) personal statement to get in the way of this tradition. 

The best place to put your statement is after your personal details (if they are at the top) and before your employment history section. Remember that the length of your resume is important. If you have already been very selective and cannot possibly leave out any more information and if adding your personal statement means your resume spills over onto a third page, you may consider not including your statement for the position in question. This ensures you comply with the unwritten rule that a resume should not be longer than two pages.

What is a good personal statement length? 200 words is the maximum suggested length, but if you go with one powerful sentence that you want the hiring manager to remember for the rest of the interview process, then why not? Less is more, but you have to be confident in your application to go with this option.

Plan to write your resume personal statement last

Instead of getting stuck at the beginning trying to write the perfect statement, skip this section and jump right into your employment history first. Once you’ve added your relevant work experiences , take a look at your keywords, phrases and skills from your past positions.

Your complete work history and the job description for the job you want are the foundations for your personal statement. By writing your resume personal statement last, it should be easier to get started once you have the right inspiration.

It might be the case that you leave a certain number of lines for the personal statement on your resume and write an individual statement for each role. You will often have a public version of your resume that is accessible on job boards (etc), so there should still be an "ideal" personal statement version.

How do I write a resume from scratch? While it is good advice to write the resume personal statement after your have written the resume itself (giving your brain a chance to ponder your true highlights), starting writing a resume is a mammoth task in itself. There are many useful pieces of advice when sitting down to write a resume, but for me, the key is to think about the reflecting the combination of what you are good at, what you enjoy and how those things will contribute to the direction of your career. For sure, be honest about your experience, but there has to be a creative flavour of ensuring that your past adequately reflects where you want to go.

Check out resume personal statement examples

Before you dive into writing, get a sense for different rhythms and layouts by checking these resume personal statement examples. How do you write a good personal statement?

Let's start with the basics. Since every person is unique, all personal statements should be unique too. You should, therefore, resist the urge to (largely) copy someone else's existing statement. This is the only spot on your resume to let your voice be heard, so try to write something that would prompt a friend to exclaim, “That sounds like something you’d say!” while, of course, keeping it professional.

Example. Innovative Executive Assistant with 10+ years of experience with global financial firm assisting a team of three C-Level directors. Expertly coordinate travel, manage large-scale expense reports, and streamline communication and calendars across departments..Seeking an Executive Assistant role with the Resume.io team to expand my office management career and thrive in an environment that requires independent problem-solving skills and focus under short deadlines.

The example above does the following things:

• States their title in the first sentence
• Includes specifics such as team size and duties
• Succinctly sums up major responsibilities and skills
• Highlights hard skills —experience arranging travel and expense reports—as well as soft skills —grace under pressure, attention to detail and communication.
• Specifically tailors the final statement with the company and/or job description

Here are a few more resume personal statement examples:

Experienced Digital Marketing Manager with five years of expertise in heading up a global firm. Increased inbound leads by 500% and raised online sales from 100,000 annually to over 2 million in a three-year period. Looking to grow career by applying skills to the Resume.io marketing team.

Straight to the point and accomplishment focused, without the use of “I”. Now let’s look at a less effective example:

I have worked as a Digital Marketing Manager for five years. During this time I have been an important and hard-working member of the team and showed my ability to work under pressure to deliver on company targets. I am looking to bring my skills to a new role in digital marketing.

Generic and ignores accomplishments. Also, too many uses of “I” in a passive voice.

Next is an example of a personal statement that focuses more on career objectives . A career objective can be used as a way to get across your skills and experience, without the personal bit. It’s a good option if you’re an entry-level candidate or college graduate without a lot of experience in the industry you’re applying for. The idea is, because you don’t have the relevant experience to talk about, you pull skills and experience from other areas of your resume so you can show you have what it takes.

Keep your career objective brief — 2-3 sentences max — following the same rules as the personal statement.

Content writer with three years' experience in a large e-commerce company. Delivered content that grew brand social presence to over 700,000 across three channels and improved email open rates by 48%. Looking to further career by joining the Resume.io as an SEO Executive.

See how it uses transferable skills? Combining these with numbers makes them all the more impressive.

And a less effective resume personal statement example:

I am a content writer looking to secure a role as an SEO Executive. While I have no experience in this field and am a dedicated individual and a keen learner. My enjoyment of how search engines work will help me excel in your company.

There’s not enough here to capture attention and it doesn’t sell transferable skills. Whichever type of opening statement you go for, if you have numbers to show, make them count.

Writing your personal profile resume

Always write the first draft of a personal profile resume without editing. Don’t worry about length or word choice in the first pass. Brag about yourself, be proud of your accomplishments , and add in all of your most impressive stats.

Some of the best writing happens without editing too soon, so don’t worry about sounding over the top or egotistical, that’s what editing your personal profile resume is for. If the goal is to get 3 - 4 perfect sentences, it’s likely your first draft will be closer to 6 - 8, maybe even longer. Then consider which parts are closest to helping you get the job and cull the rest. It might seem brutal, but brevity is critical at the top of your personal profile.

Polish your personal statement and experiment

Once you’ve narrowed your focus, use the following questions to help you review your work and edit your statement:

Is my first sentence clear and concise? The opening line should state your position and use strong, enthusiastic language to hook in the reader. It often includes years of experience as well.

Is it direct opposed to passive? A strong sense of self comes through in a personal statement. Instead of sentences that begin with “I believe I am…” or “I enjoy…” be bold. Get right to the point and take ownership of your skills .

Does it include objective information? For this one, try to get inside the hiring manager’s mind. If you were filling this role, what boxes would you need to check off? The second and third sentence often include specific skills, facts or figures to support this need.

Does it read naturally? Even with all these specifics, the statement should still be easy to understand and have a natural rhythm when read aloud. Cut out any jargon that acts as filler or that changes your tone. Formality may vary from company to company, but personal statements should always reflect the type of employee or person you are.

What are three tips for writing a personal statement?

• Make sure that your personality comes across in the writing.
• Quantify any accomplishments and include financials where possible.
• If you are at a moment of career change, don't fail to mention your goals.

Common mistakes in personal statements

When writing your personal statement, beware of platitudes. These are clichéd expressions that have become meaningless from overuse. They induce recruiters to roll their eyes and move on to the next candidate. Think of such terms as “an administrative jack-of-all-trades” or “a cog in the wheel’ and being ready for a “new challenge.”  Definitely avoid this list of human resources’ most hated resume phrases. 

Try to be original in your choice of words and ask a friend or family member to take a critical look at your personal statement when you are done. By the way, you should always have someone proofread your entire resume when you think you are ready to send it.

Some people call their personal statements " resume objectives ." This is something else entirely. A resume objective is required when a candidate needs to project their hopes for their next role that differe from their previous experience a little. This objective can then be used to outline the motivations behind a career change and is also common with early-career professionals. 

Does a personal statement need a title? Some resume templates might call the opening statement a summary and others may exclude a description entirely. Either option is fine as employers are conditioned to expect a few lines at the to of a resume to serve as a headline for your job application.

What do employers expect from your resume opening statement?

Sometimes it is useful to consider job seeking activity from the point of view of the end hiring managers. External recruiters are important people to impress, but it is the employers that will be making the ultimate hiring decision. They will be reading lots of resumes, so what would they want to read in your resume opening statement?

• They will want the resume opening statement to be written for them. When you are on the hunt for a new member of your professional family, an intensely personal connection is vital from the first lines.
• They will expect a quantifiable context to your resume opening statement. Impressive words come easily when you really need a job, but backing them up with numbers to demonstrate their scale is less simple.
• They will expect to be impressed. If you cannot impress a specific employer for a specific role with the first lines of your resume, then the role is almost certainly not for you. Nothing to shout about? Move on.

Key takeaways

Think of your CV personal statement as the first 2 minutes of an interview—whether on the phone or in person. The HR manager asks you to “tell me a little about yourself,” and you have a quick minute to set the tone for the rest of the conversation. Similarly, the CV personal statement should include:

• A natural, yet professional CV tone that reflects your personality
• The top reasons your experience makes you a unique fit for this position
• Why this role aligns with your career plans
• Facts and data on your CV that back up your earlier points

Crafting a personal statement for each role will cause some serious thought. What is your essential fit for the role that will make a hiring manager sit up and think "wow, I need to have them on my team?" What would you want to read if you were in their shoes. You will definitely have lots to say, but keep it simple and powerful.

One more good CV statement example:

Expert SEO copywriter with a decade of B2C and B2B experience across three industries. Versatile in writing social, website and long-form copy to convey each brand’s unique tone and message. I cultivated 15 new clients in two years and grew readership by over 200%. I am now seeking to expand my editing and content creation expertise in a Marketing Manager position.

Once you’ve mastered writing your CV personal statement, this clear sense of who you are and what you want will prepare you to pitch yourself during interviews.

How To Write A Resume Essay

Writing a resume essay is a tricky thing to do. It can be  difficult for even experienced writers  to create an interesting, persuasive piece that appeals to employers. That is why it is so common to use templates or generic resumes with tweaks here and there.  

However, this may not work in every situation! If your career has some major changes coming up (or maybe you just don’t like what you are writing at the moment), then it is worth looking into other types of resumes.

If yours need revamping, there are many ways to go about doing it. The best way depends on your personal style, what messages you want to send, and how you feel about yourself as a person.

Create a good outline for your resume essay

Now that you have done some research, gathered some samples, and organized all of your materials, it is time to start writing!

When writing a resume essay, there are several components that must be established first. These include an introduction, body, and a conclusion.

The introduction should tell who you are and what you want to achieve with your career.  This is followed by the body, which is typically where you describe past experiences. The body can also be used to emphasize why you are qualified for a position and how well you performed during previous jobs. Your conclusion reiterates your goal and describes how you will contribute to the employer’s company as a member of the staff.

With this structure in place, now you can begin writing about yourself and your achievements. Stay focused and try to use examples that relate to the job opening they represent.

Use an eye-catching title

Now that you have addressed the overall structure of your resume essay, it is time to think about what to include in your resume. While some employers may not read beyond the first few lines of your application, they will probably spend several minutes reading through your career highlights and achievements.

As such, it is important to make sure that these things can be seen easily by potential employers. The trick is to pick a strong theme or focus each body paragraph on, then use this focused content as supporting examples.

Your goal should be to create a powerful overall message which inspires action. If possible, refer back to the initial body paragraph or bullet point to reinforce this. Make sure to organize your thoughts and writing process to flow naturally without too much interruption.

General rules apply when proofreading and editing your work, so be careful to stick to them! Avoid using short forms or slang words. Use appropriate grammar and vocabulary to convey messages clearly.

Begin writing

Now that you have done some research, gathered your thoughts, and picked your career goal or career field, it is time to start writing!

Your resume should be a concise document that leaves no room for interpretation. It should grab their attention within the first few lines and show off your skills and achievements clearly.

Do not underestimate how much content matters in a successful resume, so make sure to keep that tip in mind as you write. Make sure to include enough details about yourself and your career goals.

Make sure to proofread your essay several times to ensure that there are no mistakes.

Ideas about what to write on the main body

Now that you have addressed how to begin, you will want to know what to include in the body of your essay. You should devote at least two paragraphs to this step!

In the first paragraph, you can discuss why you are qualified for a position. It is important to emphasize your strengths, but also note any weaknesses or areas where you feel you do not possess enough knowledge.

You may also mention some experiences or achievements that are related to the job posting. For example, if the advertisement asked whether you had supervised employees before, then you could talk about a project as an intern or assistant manager.

Your second paragraph should be dedicated to discussing how well you fit into the organization’s culture. This includes things such as whether you would be able to handle their current projects, and if there are any opportunities available to you.

If possible, add testimonials and references from past employers or colleagues. These proofs help bolster your confidence and message, while also supporting your case.

Even if you use templates, it is not the same as writing yourself! Your career will depend on how well you represent yourself, so make sure yours says good things about you.

Include examples of achievements that show who you are as a person. Tell stories that emphasize your strengths. Include testimonials and proof of success.

Remember, this essay does not have to be longer than one page, but it should be full of information. Take your time and edit out anything that you do not feel fits.

Good luck with all of your applications! May God bless you richly.

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How to describe yourself in your CV

When you submit your CV to a potential employer, you want it to speak volumes about your skills, qualifications and your personality. The problem is, describing yourself and letting your personality shine through on just one (or two) A4 pages can be tricky.

If this sounds like a familiar struggle, there’s good news! There are several things you can do to effectively describe yourself on your CV and boost your chances of landing your dream job – and we’re going to look at these below.

Describe yourself in your CV profile

• Example CV profiles

Describe yourself in your work experience

Power words to describe yourself.

CV templates 

Sitting right at the top of your CV is your personal profile . Not only is this the first thing the recruiter will see, but it also offers you the perfect place to describe yourself.

Your profile acts as an introduction; your elevator pitch , if you will, which is why it needs to grab the recruiter’s attention. It affords you the chance to highlight your key selling points and provide impressive facts and figures to back these up.

To describe yourself here…

• Give readers the highlights: Talk about your most impressive high-level achievements , for example, what qualifications do you have? Or how long have you worked in your industry?
• Sell yourself: Don’t be afraid to brag a little by using powerful verbs to describe your skills and expertise.
• Describe the benefits of hiring you: More importantly than talking about yourself, is talking about how your work helps employers. For example, do you save them money? Boost profits? Or help them to improve services and products? This is what recruiters really want to know.

Example profiles

With so much riding on your personal profile, you want to get it right. Otherwise, you might find that your application is repeatedly passed over.

To help you create a powerful personal profile that effectively describes who you are and why you’re so great, we’ve pulled together a number of example profiles below:

Admin profile

This is an example of a great personal profile for several reasons. Firstly, by highlighting their key skills, which are relevant to the role this early on, they are helping the recruiter to quickly see that they are a good fit for the role. This is particularly important as they will scan over your CV in a matter of seconds. This is also a good technique in case your CV is going through an ATS or screening tool.

Build your CV now 

Not only this but by talking about their fast-track promotions, they are able to show their professional growth. It also indicates that they are a dependable employee with a commitment to providing great work.

Customer service profile

In this example, the writer leads with their experience and quantifies this in years to show the span of their impressive career in the customer service industry.

They also demonstrate that they are passionate about their career, in this case in technology and highlight the key skills that are relevant to the role throughout, which, as we know, quickly proves to recruiters that they are a good match for the position.

Student profile

This student starts their profile strong by stating that they are bi-lingual, which is a highly sought-after skill in lots of professions.

They also talk about their extracurricular activities , which shows that they are proactively pursuing their personal passions, as well as doing all they can to bolster their knowledge in subject areas relevant to the role. This shows they are keen to learn, which is something employers are always looking for in an employee.

As well as your personal profile, your work experience section gives you another chance to describe yourself and showcase your best qualities.

Rather than simply listing your job title and employer, you have the chance to add context to your experience. You should use the following structure and to provide a pleasant reading experience and give recruiters all the information they are looking for.

Once again use facts and figures to increase the accuracy of your descriptions and highlight how you’ve added real value to past roles.

For example, rather than saying ‘managed the company’s social media accounts’, you could say ‘managed the company’s four key social media accounts, which led to a 66% increase in engagement and followers over six months’.

If you are struggling to describe yourself with impact, steal some of our power words  from below to give your CV a boost.

Employers love to hire people who can make improvements to their team, business, products, systems or services etc.

Use this term to describe what positive impacts you have made for previous employers.

“Improved the staff booking process by decreasing the amount of steps required to make a booking”

Companies and organisations have limited resources, whether they are money, supplies, people, or anything else.

If you can reduce the waste of valuable resources, then you should be highlighting it in your CV.

“Arranged new office supplies which reduced budget spend by 25% every month”

The ability to coach others is valuable in all lines of work, so try to  include  mentions of this key word in your CV, if you can.

“Coached junior team members to improve their skills and increase work quality across team”

Good products and services start as ideas and then need to be developed by good people, to bring them to life.

Show your involvement in development wherever possible in your CV

“Developed a new product feature which enabled users to decrease wastage by 20%”

Launching products and services is crucial for commercial businesses, so be sure to highlight your involvement in launches.

“Launched 3 new products in year one and generated £900k in sales”

Accomplished

Accomplishments drive success, so be sure to show recruiters what you have achieved in your CV.

“Led a major research project and accomplished a major discovery in the energy saving field”

Training new staff is a crucial element of growing a business or team – showing instances where you have trained staff is always impressive.

“Trained all new staff in the use of new IT systems and office processes.”

The power of influence is a great way to drive productivity and results – if you are able to influence others and achieve positive outcomes, write about it in your CV

“Influencing colleagues to record more sales data by producing weekly “good news stories” emails”

Negotiation is a powerful tool in business, and not just for sales-people. Perhaps you have negotiated better terms from a supplier, or negotiated more budget from a stakeholder – any impressive negotiating you have done, is worth a mention in the CV.

“Negotiated longer payment terms with suppliers, freeing up short-term cash for other expenses”

Employers will always welcoming savings, whether they are financial savings, saving resources, or saving time. Use facts and figures to show any savings you have made in previous roles.

“Saved 30 hours of writer resource time by introducing new article templates and guidance”

To leverage, means to “use something to it’s full advantage” – so use this phrase to give examples of your resourcefulness.

“Leveraged existing customer relationships to gain referrals for new customers by launching referral reward scheme”

To secure something for an employer is an impressive feat. If you’ve secure anything for previous employers, whether it be business, data or exclusive rates, mention it in your CV.

“Secured top tier event venues for our marketing events for the next 3 years”

Networking with colleagues, stakeholders, customers and suppliers can allow you to build strong relationships and generate better results from them.

“Liaised with a number of large-account clients to discover more business needs and upsell services”

If you are in a management position, you need to delegate tasks effectively, so that you can dedicate your time to high-value work.

“Delegated admin tasks to junior staff, to allow senior team members more time for client management duties”

How To Write A Successful Essay About Your CV

• Views 14722
• Author Sandra W.

Writing A Successful CV Essay

A CV stands as your own personal ‘brochure’ when introducing yourself to a prospective employer. It needs to highlight your unique selling points in such a way that a prospective employer cannot wait to meet you. It should be concise, accurate, and truthful and tailored to the position you are applying for and importantly should be free from spelling and grammatical errors.

Layout And Format

Make sure that you try to stick to a maximum of two sides of A4 paper. Sometimes this can be difficult, think about the work experience that you have already, and relate it to the role that you are applying for. The key is making sure that the content is informative. Keep it simple and uncluttered. Use headings and bullet points to assist the reader. Do not add a photo or a border. Stick to one font that is clean (Times New Roman, Arial, or Verdana are recommended with a font size of 10 – 12).

Get someone else to proof read, perhaps a lecturer; and that are no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. If the industry you wish to enter is artistic, you may want to be more creative but make sure that it still serves as the ultimate document to market your skills, experience, and overall suitability to a role.

Personal Details

This should be your name, address, email, telephone, mobile number, and nationality. There is no need to add your date of birth and a photograph. This may sound like common sense but ensure that all of your details are up-to-date and correct. Your email address should be appropriate and your application could be ignored if it is not.

You may wish to include information for your website or blog or even LinkedIn profile and this is not a bad idea. Employers will be able to access your work, see what you are capable of, and get a sense of your ideas and creativity. This may not relate to every role that you are applying for; a data entry role does not necessarily need you to demonstrate your writing skills but more your eye for detail.

Personal Statement

A personal statement can encourage an employer to read the rest of your CV. It is a summary of who you are. It should include:

• The industry you are interested in,
• What your unique skills and experiences are,
• Your areas of expertise

Always be original.

Education And Qualifications

Start with your most recent education and work backwards. You should detail your university degree and grade, college and A levels, then school and GCSEs. List key components from your degree such as modules that you have studied projects and the topic of your dissertation, to demonstrate how you fit with the specific requirements listed in the job description.

Work Experience

Start with the most recent and relevant; include the name of the company, location, and date of employment. Provide a brief description of what the role entailed but do not re-write the job description. Do not mention salary, this is something that you can discuss at the interview stage. Give examples of your work successes and achievements even if these were in a voluntary role or working in an area that does not relate to your chosen career path. Think about experience, that shows your work ethic and that you can work in a team. Cut out cliché phrases use verbs and prove your actions.

Interests And Achievements

Make this section as short as possible. Try to show the employer what type of person you are personality wise, but also highlight skills that are relevant to a certain role. Make sure that your interests reflect your personality. Some interests may relate to a job and can show that you are different from other applicants. What makes you stand out or encapsulates your personality or you as a person? Your achievements should be any awards, top classifications, scholarships, or impressive facts that may show leadership and successes.

Employers might not ask for some references at this stage. However, it is not a bad thing to state ‘references available on request’ as long as you make sure that you do have two references available when asked. Your referees should be one academic; this could be a lecturer or tutor and if possible one from your most recent employer.

Use Bullet Points - this helps make your CV look neater and not too bulky.

Use Action Verbs - in order to create an active and interesting document. Action verbs demonstrate something that you did. For instance:

• Acquired, allocated, arranged,
• Budgeted, balanced, briefed
• Coached, collected, clarified

Save More Than One Version - some employers may ask for your CV in a different format.

Address Gaps In Your CV - if you have not been in employment for more than three months then say how you been using that time. Do not mention anything that you consider as a failure, be positive, and say what you have learnt within that time.

Tailor your CV – move sections around and if there are certain requirements for a role that you have, make these more prominent. If you need to show your previous experience in a particular role, then embolden this point. Try to reflect that you have all or most of the skills asked for.

If your CV results in follow-ups and interviews - you will know that the format and content is correct for your profession, if you are not getting any positive response then review and amend.

Be confident, concise and tell the truth - If there is a specific achievement that you are most proud of, for example certain grade, make sure to feature them first. Appear positive, keep your details brief, and make sure that you are not giving altered information to make yourself look more suitable for a role. An employer will reject you based on misleading or inaccurate information.

  Never fold your CV – Most people send CVs online, however if you are handing out a paper copy do not fold it when handing it to a potential employer. It should be neat, crisp and presented in an envelope or plastic folder. Make sure that you never print double sided you may think that you are tricking an employer into only one side of A4, but it looks unprofessional and untidy.

Make sure that you have a covering letter to support your CV

LinkedIn – More and more companies are using LinkedIn to attract students, graduates, and young professionals. Therefore, having your CV on your profile or at least outlining your education, skills, and experience will help you when using social media in your job search.

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Academic CV (Curriculum Vitae) for Research: CV Examples

What is an academic CV (or research CV)?

An academic CV or “curriculum vitae” is a full synopsis (usually around two to three pages) of your educational and academic background. In addition to college and university transcripts, the personal statement or statement of purpose , and the cover letter, postgraduate candidates need to submit an academic CV when applying for research, teaching, and other faculty positions at universities and research institutions. 

Writing an academic CV (also referred to as a “research CV” or “academic resume”) is a bit different than writing a professional resume. It focuses on your academic experience and qualifications for the position—although relevant work experience can still be included if the position calls for it. 

What’s the difference between a CV and a resume?

While both CVs and resumes summarize your major activities and achievements, a resume is more heavily focused on professional achievements and work history. An academic CV, on the other hand, highlights academic accomplishments and summarizes your educational experience, academic background and related information.

Think of a CV as basically a longer and more academic version of a resume. It details your academic history, research interests, relevant work experience, publications, honors/awards, accomplishments, etc. For grad schools, the CV is a quick indicator of how extensive your background is in the field and how much academic potential you have. Ultimately, grad schools use your academic resume to gauge how successful you’re likely to be as a grad student.

Do I need an academic CV for graduate school?

Like personal statements, CVs are a common grad school application document (though not all programs require them). An academic CV serves the same basic purpose as a regular CV: to secure you the job you want—in this case, the position of “grad student.” Essentially, the CV is a sales pitch to grad schools, and you’re selling yourself !

In addition to your college transcripts, GRE scores, and personal statement or statement of purpose , graduate schools often require applicants submit an academic CV. The rules for composing a CV for a Master’s or doctoral application are slightly different than those for a standard job application. Let’s take a closer look.

Academic CV Format Guidelines

No matter how compelling the content of your CV might be, it must still be clear and easy for graduate admissions committee members to understand. Keep these formatting and organization tips in mind when composing and revising your CV:

• Whatever formatting choices you make (e.g., indentation, font and text size, spacing, grammar), keep it consistent throughout the document.
• Use bolding, italics, underlining, and capitalized words to highlight key information.
• Use reverse chronological order to list your experiences within the sections.
• Include the most important information to the top and left of each entry and place associated dates to the right.
• Include page numbers on each page followed by your last name as a header or footer.
• Use academic verbs and terms in bulleted lists; vary your language and do not repeat the same terms. (See our list of best verbs for CVs and resumes )

How long should a CV be?

While resumes should be concise and are usually limited to one or two pages, an academic CV isn’t restricted by word count or number of pages. Because academic CVs are submitted for careers in research and academia, they have all of the sections and content of a professional CV, but they also require additional information about publications, grants, teaching positions, research, conferences, etc. 

It is difficult to shorten the length without shortening the number of CV sections you include. Because the scope and depth of candidates’ academic careers vary greatly, academic CVs that are as short as two pages or as long as five pages will likely not surprise graduate admissions faculty.

How to Write an Academic CV

Before we look at academic CV examples, let’s discuss the main sections of the CV and how you can go about writing your CV from scratch. Take a look at the sections of the academic CV and read about which information to include and where to put each CV section. For academic CV examples, see the section that follows this one.

Academic CV Sections to Include (with Examples)

A strong academic CV should include the following sections, starting from the top of the list and moving through the bottom. This is the basic Academic CV structure, but some of the subsections (such as research publications and academic awards) can be rearranged to highlight your specific strengths and achievements. 

• Contact Information
• Research Objective or Personal Profile
• Education Section
• Professional Appointments
• Research Publications
• Awards and Honors
• Grants and Fellowships
• Conferences Attended
• Teaching Experience
• Research Experience
• Additional Activities
• Languages and Skills

Now let’s go through each section of your academic CV to see what information to include in detail. 

1. Contact Information

Your academic curriculum vitae must include your full contact information, including the following: 

• Professional title and affiliation (if applicable)
• Institutional address (if you are currently registered as a student)
• Your home address
• Your email address
• Your telephone number
• LinkedIn profile or other professional profile links (if applicable)

In more business-related fields or industries, adding your LinkedIn profile in your contact information section is recommended to give reviewers a more holistic understanding of your academic and professional profile.

Check out our article on how to use your LinkedIn profile to attract employers .

2. Research Objective or Personal Profile

A research objective for an academic CV is a concise paragraph (or long sentence) detailing your specific research plans and goals.

A personal profile gives summarizes your academic background and crowning achievements.

Should you choose a research objective or a personal profile?

If you are writing a research CV, include a research objective. For example, indicate that you are applying to graduate research programs or seeking research grants for your project or study

A research objective will catch the graduate admission committee’s attention and make them want to take a closer look at you as a candidate.

Academic CV research objective example for PhD application  

MA student in Sociology and Gender Studies at North American University who made the President’s List for for six consecutive semesters seeking to use a semester-long research internship to enter into postgraduate research on the Impetus for Religious In-groups in Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century.

Note that the candidate includes details about their academic field, their specific scholastic achievements (including an internship), and a specific topic of study. This level of detail shows graduate committees that you are a candidate who is fully prepared for the rigors of grad school life. 

While an academic CV research objective encapsulates your research objective, a CV personal profile should summarize your personal statement or grad school statement of purpose . 

Academic CV personal profile example for a post-doctoral university position

Proven excellence in the development of a strong rapport with undergraduate students, colleagues, and administrators as a lecturer at a major research university. Exhibits expertise in the creation and implementation of lifelong learning programs and the personalized development of strategies and activities to propel learning in Higher Education, specifically in the field of Education. Experienced lecturer, inspirational tutor, and focused researcher with a knack for recognizing and encouraging growth in individuals. Has completed a Master’s and PhD in Sociology and Education with a BA in Educational Administration.

What makes this CV personal profile example so compelling? Again, the details included about the applicant’s academic history and achievements make the reader take note and provide concrete examples of success, proving the candidate’s academic acumen and verifiable achievements.

3. Education Section

If you are applying to an academic position, the Education section is the most essential part of your academic CV.

List your postsecondary degrees in reverse chronological order . Begin with your most recent education (whether or not you have received a degree at the time of application), follow it with your previous education/degree, and then list the ones before these.

Include the following educational details:

• Year of completion or expected completion (do not include starting dates)
• Type of Degree
• Any minor degrees (if applicable)
• Your department and institution
• Your honors and awards
• Dissertation/Thesis Title and Advisor (if applicable)

Because this is arguably the most important academic CV section, make sure that all of the information is completely accurate and that you have not left out any details that highlight your skills as a student. 

4. Professional Appointments

Following the education section, list your employment/professional positions on your academic CV. These should be positions related to academia rather than previous jobs or positions you held in the private section (whether it be a chef or a CEO). These appointments are typically tenure-track positions, not ad hoc and adjunct professor gigs, nor TA (teacher assistant) experience. You should instead label this kind of experience under “Teaching Experience,” which we discuss further down the list.

List the following information for each entry in your “Professional Appointments” section:

• Institution (university/college name)
• Department 
• Your professional title
• Dates employed (include beginning and end dates)
• Duties in this position

5. Research Publications

Divide your publications into two distinct sections: peer-reviewed publications and other publications. List peer-reviewed publications first, as these tend to carry more weight in academia. Use a subheading to distinguish these sections for the reader and make your CV details easier to understand.

Within each subsection, further divide your publications in the following order:

• Book chapters
• Peer-reviewed journal articles
• Contributions to edited volumes equivalent to peer-reviewed journals

All of your other research publications should be put into a subcategory titled “Other Publications.” This includes all documents published by a third party that did not receive peer review, whether it is an academic journal, a science magazine, a website, or any other publishing platform. 

Tip: When listing your publications, choose one academic formatting style ( MLA style , Chicago style , APA style , etc.) and apply it throughout your academic CV. Unsure which formatting style to use? Check the website of the school you are applying to and see what citation style they use.

6. Awards and Honors

This section allows you to show off how your skills and achievements were officially acknowledged. List all academic honors and awards you have received in reverse chronological order, just like the education and professional appointments sections. Include the name of the award, which year you received it, and the institution that awarded it to you.

Should you include how much money you were awarded? While this is not recommended for most academic fields (including humanities and social sciences), it is more common for business or STEM fields.

7. Fellowships and Grants

It is important to include fellowships and grants you received because it evidences that your research has been novel and valuable enough to attract funding from institutions or third parties.

Just like with awards and honors, list your grants and fellowships in reverse chronological order. Enter the years your fellowship or grant spanned and the name of the institution or entity providing the funding. Whether you disclose the specific dollar amount of funding you received depends on your field of study, just as with awards and honors.

8. Conferences Attended

Involvement in academic conferences shows admissions committees that you are already an active member of the research community. List the academic conferences in which you took part and divide this section into three subsections:

• Invited talks —conferences you presented at other institutions to which you received an invitation
• Campus talks —lectures you gave on your own institution’s campus
• Conference participation —conferences you participated in (attended) but gave no lecture

9. Teaching Experience

The “Teaching Experience” section is distinct from the “Professional Appointments” section discussed above.  In the Teaching Experience CV section, list any courses you taught as a TA (teacher’s assistant) you have taught. If you taught fewer than ten courses, list all of them out. Included the name of the institution, your department, your specific teaching role, and the dates you taught in this position. 

If you have a long tenure as an academic scholar and your academic CV Appointments section strongly highlights your strengths and achievements, in the Teaching Experience sections you could list only the institutions at which you were a TA. Since it is likely that you will be teaching, lecturing, or mentoring undergraduates and other research students in your postgraduate role, this section is helpful in making you stand out from other graduate, doctoral, or postdoctoral candidates.

10. Research Experience

In the “Research Experience” section of your CV, list all of the academic research posts at which you served. As with the other CV sections, enter these positions in reverse chronological order.

If you have significant experience (and your academic CV is filling up), you might want to limit research and lab positions to only the most pertinent to the research position to which you are applying. Include the following research positions:

• Full-time Researcher
• Research Associate
• Research Assistant

For an academic or research CV, if you do not have much research experience, include all research projects in which you participated–even the research projects with the smallest roles, budget, length, or scope. 

11. Additional Activities

If you have any other activities, distinctions, positions, etc. that do not fit into the above academic CV sections, include them here.

The following items might fit in the “Additional Activities” section:

• Extracurriculars (clubs, societies, sports teams, etc.)
• Jobs unrelated to your academic career
• Service to profession
• Media coverage
• Volunteer work

12. Languages and Skills

Many non-academic professional job positions require unique skillsets to succeed. The same can be true with academic and research positions at universities, especially when you speak a language that might come in handy with the specific area of study or with the other researchers you are likely to be working alongside.

Include all the languages in which you are proficient enough to read and understand academic texts. Qualify your proficiency level with the following terms and phrases:

• IntermediateNative/bilingual in Language
• Can read Language with a dictionary
• Advanced use of Language
• Fully proficient in Language
• Native fluency in Language
• Native/Bilingual Language speaker

If you only have a basic comprehension of a language (or if you simply minored in it a decade ago but never really used it), omit these from this section. 

Including skills on an academic CV is optional and MIGHT appear somewhat amateur if it is not a skill that is difficult and would likely contribute to your competency in your research position. In general, include a skill only if you are in a scientific or technical field (STEM fields) and if they realistically make you a better candidate.

13. References 

The final section of your academic CV is the “References” section. Only include references from individuals who know you well and have first-hand experience working with you, either in the capacity of a manager, instructor, or professor, or as a colleague who can attest to your character and how well you worked in that position. Avoid using personal references and never use family members or acquaintances–unless they can somehow attest to your strength as an academic.

List your references in the order of their importance or ability to back up your candidacy. In other words, list the referrers you would want the admissions faculty to contact first and who would give you a shining review. 

Include the following in this order:

• Full name and academic title
• Physical mailing address
• Telephone number
• Email address

Academic CV Examples by Section 

Now that you have a template for what to include in your academic CV sections, let’s look at some examples of academic CV sections with actual applicant information included. Remember that the best CVs are those that clearly state the applicant’s qualifications, skills, and achievements. Let’s go through the CV section-by-section to see how best to highlight these elements of your academic profile. Note that although this example CV does not include EVERY section detailed above, this doesn’t mean that YOU shouldn’t include any of those sections if you have the experiences to fill them in.

CV Example: Personal Details (Basic)

Write your full name, home address, phone number, and email address. Include this information at the top of the first page, either in the center of the page or aligned left.

• Tip: Use a larger font size and put the text in bold to make this info stand out.

CV Example: Profile Summary (Optional)

This applicant uses an academic research profile summary that outlines their personal details and describes core qualifications and interests in a specific research topic. Remember that the aim of this section is to entice admissions officials into reading through your entire CV.

• Tip: Include only skills, experience, and what most drives you in your academic and career goals.

CV Example: Education Section (Basic)

This applicant’s academic degrees are listed in reverse chronological order, starting with those that are currently in progress and recently completed and moving backward in time to their undergraduate degrees and institutions.

• Include the name of the institution; city, state, and country (if different from the institution to which you are applying); degree type and major; and month/year the degree was or will be awarded.
• Provide details such as the title of your thesis/dissertation and your advisor, if applicable.
• Tip: Provide more details about more recent degrees and fewer details for older degrees.

CV Example: Relevant Experience (Basic)

List professional positions that highlight your skills and qualifications. When including details about non-academic jobs you have held, be sure that they relate to your academic career in some way. Group experiences into relevant categories if you have multiple elements to include in one category (e.g., “Research,” “Teaching,” and “Managerial”). For each position, be sure to:

• Include position title; the name of organization or company; city, state, and country (if different from the institution to which you are applying); and dates you held the position
• Use bullet points for each relevant duty/activity and accomplishment
• Tip: For bulleted content, use strong CV words , vary your vocabulary, and write in the active voice; lead with the verbs and write in phrases rather than in complete sentences.

CV Example: Special Qualifications or Skills (Optional)

Summarize skills and strengths relevant to the position and/or area of study if they are relevant and important to your academic discipline. Remember that you should not include any skills that are not central to the competencies of the position, as these can make you appear unprofessional.

CV Example: Publications (Basic)

Include a chronological (not alphabetical) list of any books, journal articles, chapters, research reports, pamphlets, or any other publication you have authored or co-authored. This sample CV does not segment the publications by “peer-reviewed” and “non-peer-reviewed,” but this could simply be because they do not have many publications to list. Keep in mind that your CV format and overall design and readability are also important factors in creating a strong curriculum vitae, so you might opt for a more streamlined layout if needed.

• Use bibliographic citations for each work in the format appropriate for your particular field of study.
• Tip: If you have not officially authored or co-authored any text publications, include studies you assisted in or any online articles you have written or contributed to that are related to your discipline or that are academic in nature. Including any relevant work in this section shows the faculty members that you are interested in your field of study, even if you haven’t had an opportunity to publish work yet.

CV Example: Conferences Attended (Basic)

Include any presentations you have been involved in, whether you were the presenter or contributed to the visual work (such as posters and slides), or simply attended as an invitee. See the CV template guide in the first section of this article for how to list conference participation for more seasoned researchers.

• Give the title of the presentation, the name of the conference or event, and the location and date.
• Briefly describe the content of your presentation.
• Tip: Use style formatting appropriate to your field of study to cite the conference (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

CV Example: Honors and Awards (Basic)

Honors and awards can include anything from university scholarships and grants, to teaching assistantships and fellowships, to inclusion on the Dean’s list for having a stellar GPA. As with other sections, use your discretion and choose the achievements that best highlight you as a candidate for the academic position.

• Include the names of the honors and official recognition and the date that you received them.
• Tip: Place these in order of importance, not necessarily in chronological order.

CV Example: Professional/Institutional Service (Optional)

List the professional and institutional offices you have held, student groups you have led or managed, committees you have been involved with, or extra academic projects you have participated in.

• Tip: Showing your involvement in campus life, however minor, can greatly strengthen your CV. It shows the graduate faculty that you not only contribute to the academic integrity of the institution but that you also enrich the life of the campus and community.

CV Example: Certifications and Professional Associations (Optional)

Include any membership in professional organizations (national, state, or local). This can include nominal participation as a student, not only as a professional member.

CV Example: Community Involvement and Volunteer Work (Optional)

Include any volunteer work or outreach to community organizations, including work with churches, schools, shelters, non-profits, and other service organizations. As with institutional service, showing community involvement demonstrates your integrity and willingness to go the extra mile—a very important quality in a postgraduate student or faculty member. 

While the CV template guide above suggests including these activities in a section titled “Additional Activities,” if you have several instances of volunteer work or other community involvement, creating a separate heading will help catch the eye of the admissions reviewer.

CV Example: References Section (Basic)

References are usually listed in the final section of an academic CV. Include 3-5 professional or academic references who can vouch for your ability and qualifications and provide evidence of these characteristics.

• Write the name of the reference, professional title, affiliation, and contact information (phone and email are sufficient). You do not need to write these in alphabetical order. Consider listing your references in order of relevance and impact.

CV Editing for Research Positions

After you finish drafting and revising your academic CV, you still need to ensure that your language is clear, compelling, and accurate and that it doesn’t have any errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. 

A good academic CV typically goes through at least three or four rounds of revision before it is ready to send out to university department faculty. Be sure to have a peer or CV editing service check your CV or academic resume, and get cover letter editing and application essay editing for your longer admissions documents to ensure that there are no glaring errors or major room for improvement.

For professional editing services that are among the highest quality in the industry, send your CV and other application documents to Wordvice’s admissions editing services . Our professional proofreaders and editors will ensure that your hard work is reflected in your CV and help make your postgrad goals a reality.

Check out our full suite of professional proofreading and English editing services on the Wordvice homepage.

How to Write a CV (Curriculum Vitae) in 2024 [31+ Examples]

Plenty of job-seekers spend weeks, and even months, looking for a job. It can be a slow and demoralizing process where you don’t get a single response after dozens of applications.

This is where perfecting your CV can make a real difference.

Your CV is the document that could open the door to your dream job. If you get it right, you can expect interview calls left and right.

But how can you make sure you have a job-winning CV?

Well, we have an answer.

And while it may be a little bit long, it’s worth every second of your time. 

If you want to perfect your CV, you have to grease up your elbows, get your reading glasses, and make sure every little detail is polished to perfection. Once you do that, believe us – it’s going to be worth it.

By building the perfect CV, you’re investing in yourself, and you’re increasing your chances of landing your next gig.

And our article is here to help!

We’re going to guide you through everything you need to know about making a CV, such as:

• The 7 Steps to Writing a CV
• 13+ Helpful Tips to Enhance Your CV
• 19 Real-Life CV Examples for Different Professions

…and much more!

So, let’s get into it.

Do You Need a CV or a Resume?

You might have noticed that when you’re applying for a job, some employers ask for a CV, while others prefer your resume.

But how do the two differ?

The answer depends on where you’re from.

In most of the world, including all of Europe and Asia, a CV and a resume are the same thing and are often used interchangeably. So if you’re applying for a job that asks for a CV, you should know that it’s the same as a resume.

Now, if you’re applying for a job in North America, it’s a bit different.

In the United States , a resume is a one-page summary of your skills and professional experience.

Meanwhile, a CV is a lot more detailed. Curriculum vitae is the Latin term for “course of life,” and it’s meant to include all your experience so far, including all levels of education, publications, projects, and more.

Typically, a CV is only required in the US and Canada when you’re applying for an academic or research position. Unlike a resume, which should only be one or two pages at most, an academic CV can be as long as necessary.

This guide is going to focus on how to write a CV for a regular job search. If you need to write an academic CV for a position in academia, check out our article for that instead.

How to Make a (Perfect!) CV

Most job-seekers use the default Word templates to create their CVs.

The problem here is that those default templates are often bland and don’t make your CV stand out. You want your job application to immediately capture the hiring manager’s attention, not blend in with the rest.

Setting up your CV template is also a very time-consuming process.

You’ll spend hours trying to make your CV’s contents fit within the template’s layout. And then, just when you’re at the finish line, you make one tiny tweak, and the whole thing gets completely messed up.

Now you’re back to where you started, looking for a CV template that’s easier to work with.

So why not take a shortcut?

Just use our CV builder and skip the hassle. Novorésumé lets you create a one-page CV for free, and it’s super easy to customize.

And the best part?

All of our CV templates are created in cooperation with hiring managers from around the world to make sure your CV is industry-ready, stylish, and optimized for the Applicant Tracking Systems ( ATS ) that most companies use.

Here’s how one of our CVs and one made with a regular text editor template compare with each other:

What to Include in Your CV

Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks. So, what goes into a CV , exactly?

Now, there is no golden rule, and not every CV has the same sections. A lot depends on your level of experience and what exactly you’re applying for.

Let’s look at the most common sections you can choose from.

• Contact information
• CV Summary or objective
• Work experience
• Certifications
• Awards and Honors
• Personal Projects
• Volunteer Experience

We’re going to look at each of these sections and guide you through writing them, step by step.

#1. Choose the Best CV Format

Before you start filling in the contents of your CV, you have to make sure it’s going to be reader-friendly and look good. 

The first thing hiring managers notice is what your CV looks like, and then decide whether to read it. So, this is your chance to make a strong first impression.

This is where your CV format comes in.

Like with resume formats , there are three different formats you can choose from:

• Reverse-chronological. This is by far the most popular CV format among hiring managers worldwide, so it’s the best choice for most job-seekers.
• Functional. This CV format focuses more on skills than work experience. It’s a good choice if you’re just getting started with your career and have little to no experience.
• Combination. The combination CV format is a great choice for experienced job-seekers with a very diverse set of skills. It’s useful if you’re applying for a role that requires expertise in several different fields and you want to show all that in your CV.

So, which one should you choose?

In 99% of cases, you want to stick to the reverse-chronological CV format . It’s the most popular format, and it’s what hiring managers expect to see.

For this reason, the rest of this article will teach you how to make a reverse-chronological CV.

And Don’t Forget About Your CV’s Layout

Your CV’s layout is just as important as its format.

The layout is what determines whether your CV looks organized or cluttered, whether it ends up being too short or too long, and ultimately, if it’s boring and unimpressive or attention-grabbing and easy on the eyes.

Here are some CV layout tips you should keep in mind:

• Keep it to one page. You should only go for a two-page CV if you’re sure you can’t summarize yourself on one page. Don’t waste precious space on your CV on your life story – no one’s going to read it!
• Use clear and consistent section headings. Pick a heading and use it for all the section headers so the hiring manager can easily navigate through your CV. Keep the colors and font size consistent so your CV is easy on the eyes.
• Leave ample white space. Without the right amount of white space, your CV will end up looking cluttered with information. Just set your page margins to one inch on all sides so your text fits just right on the page.
• Pick a professional font. We’d recommend sticking to a font that’s professional but not overused. For example, fonts like Ubuntu, Roboto, Lora, or Overpass. Avoid Times New Roman, and never use Comic Sans.
• Choose the correct font size. As a rule of thumb, go for 11-12 pt for normal text and 14-16 pt for section titles. This helps keep your details clear and keeps the hiring manager from having to squint to read your CV.
• Save it as a PDF file. Make sure to save your CV as a PDF file, unless the employer specifically requests a different file format. You don’t want to risk sending your CV in as a Word file and messing up your document’s formatting after you put in all that hard work.

Another thing you need to consider is whether you’re going for a classic-looking CV template or something modern .

If you’re pursuing a career in an industry like law , banking , or finance , you might want to stick to a traditional CV template.

But if you’re applying to a startup where individuality and innovation are part of the company's values, you can pick a creative CV template .

#2. Add Your Contact Information

Once you’ve done formatting your CV, you need to start filling it up with the right information .

The contact information section is easy to fill but important to get right. After all, even if you have the most impressive CV, it’s not going to matter much if the hiring manager can’t contact you.

So, neatly place your contact information at the top of your CV in a designated CV header , so the hiring manager can spot it right away. 

Make sure you triple-check everything in this section so that there are no typos and everything is up to date.

Must-Have Information

• Full name. Place this at the top of the page. The preferred format here is listing your first name and then your family name. (e.g.: John Smith, instead of Smith, John.)
• Email address. Use an email address that’s professional and easy to spell, like a combination of your names. (E.g.: [email protected])
• Phone number. Add a reliable number where the hiring manager can easily reach you. Include the country dial code if you’re applying internationally.
• Location. Add your city and state/country. If you plan to relocate for the job or want a remote position, make sure to specify so on your CV.

Optional Information

• Job title. Include your professional title underneath your name. Write it down word for word, whether it’s “Digital Marketing Specialist” or “Senior Copywriter.” Just don’t make up job titles like “Marketing Wizzard” or use funny job-title buzzwords .
• Social media. As long as it’s relevant, you can add links to any social media or other website that can help your case. For example, having a complete and optimized LinkedIn profile can increase your chances of getting an interview.
• Portfolio. If you’re looking for a job as an illustrator or other artistic position, you should provide a link to your portfolio. On the other hand, if you’re a software developer, you could include a link to your GitHub account instead.

It’s also important to know what information not to disclose on your CV.

This varies from country to country, so make sure to check what the common practices and laws around these are in the specific place where you’re applying for a job.

• Date of birth. Unless this is explicitly requested in the job ad, the hiring manager doesn’t need to know how old you are. It’s not important for their decision-making, and it could even lead to age-based discrimination.
• Unprofessional email address. Your quirky, old childhood email address doesn’t belong on your CV. Instead of [email protected], use a mature [email protected] email address.
• Headshot. (USA, UK or Ireland) In most English-speaking countries, it might even be illegal to include a picture of yourself on your CV . However, including a picture is the norm in most of Europe and Asia. Make sure to check the regulations for each specific country or industry you’re applying to before sending in your CV.

Now let’s look at an example of what a CV’s contact information section looks like:

#3. Write an Attention-Grabbing CV Headline

Research says that, on average, hiring managers look at CVs for up to six seconds at most!

That sounds a little harsh, right?

You spend days—weeks even—crafting the picture-perfect CV that represents you in a nutshell. 

And what does the hiring manager do?

They glance it over for a few seconds (if you’re lucky!) and move on. 

As unfair as that might be, how exactly are you supposed to capture someone’s attention in a matter of seconds?

This is where adding a brief paragraph at the top of your CV comes in.

Your CV headline should be right next to (or above) your contact information so that it’s the first thing the hiring manager reads.

Depending on your level of experience, your CV headline can be either a CV summary or an objective.

Both your CV summary and objective are your first attempt at grabbing the hiring manager’s attention. Make sure you use clear language so that the hiring manager doesn’t have to read your headline a few times to understand it—because they simply won’t read it.

Think of this as your elevator pitch. You need to convince the hiring manager to give you a shot within those six seconds of skimming your CV. 

But if you’re not sure whether to use a CV summary or a CV objective, here’s a rundown of each:

As the name suggests, a CV summary is a brief recap of your career so far. If you do it right, it can show the hiring manager that you’re a qualified candidate in two to three sentences.

Here’s what your CV summary should include:

• Your job title and the amount of experience you have so far.
• A few of your greatest professional accomplishments or responsibilities.
• Your most impressive skills that match the job.

Now, let’s look at a well-written CV summary:

Professional and creative architect with 10 years experience in developing construction drawings, 3D models, and doing design rendering. Served as a project architect at company X and won an honorable mention as a staff architect at XYZ Construction Awards 2023.

Usually, we recommend that job-seekers with work experience use a CV summary. 

But if you’re a recent graduate , an entry-level professional, or you’re going through a career change, a CV objective might be a better choice.

CV Objective

A CV objective is meant to express your professional goals and aspirations and tie them in with your academic background and any relevant skills you might have for the position.

It’s two to four sentences long, and unlike a CV summary, a CV objective tells the hiring manager what your motivation is, so it’s the go-to CV headline for candidates with no work experience .

Here’s an example of what a student’s CV objective might look like:

Recent graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Finance, equipped with strong analytical and mathematical skills. Eager to launch my career in banking at XYZ Bank, where I can apply my knowledge gained through coursework and internships to help clients achieve their financial goals.

#4. Show Off Your Work Experience (the Right Way!)

You’ve made it this far, and now it’s time to really show the hiring manager that you’ve got what it takes for the job.

Your work experience section is the main section of your CV, and it’s where most hiring managers will jump when looking at your job application. 

It’s also the deciding factor in whether you’ll get hired or not.

So, let’s start by showing you how to format your work experience correctly:

• Job title/position. Your job title goes on top of each work experience entry you include on your CV.
• Company name/location/description. Name the employer and include the general location, such as the city and state/country where you worked. In some cases, you can also briefly describe the company, particularly when the organization isn’t well-known.
• Dates employed. Add the approximate period of time that you were employed at each company. Don’t give exact dates; the standard format here is mm/yyyy.
• Achievements and responsibilities. What you did while employed is the core of each work experience entry. List your achievements and responsibilities in bullet points instead of paragraphs, so they’ll be easier for the hiring manager to read at a glance.

While it might sound straightforward, it can be tricky to sum up your work experience in just a few bullet points.

Most people just list their responsibilities next to the position.

While this approach is okay, it can only take you that far. Hiring managers likely know exactly what your responsibilities and day-to-day tasks were in your previous job. It’s your achievements they really care about.

So, you should take advantage of the work experience section to make it clear how you took the company from point A to point B.

Here’s an example of what a well-written CV’s work experience looks like:

Your work experience entries should always be listed in reverse chronological order, starting with more details about your most recent job and working their way back to the past.

CV Tips for Listing Work Experience

• Quantify your achievements. Whenever possible, always include concrete data that backs up your accomplishments. These can be percentages, budget amounts, or the amount of time a specific task or achievement took you to accomplish.
• Tailor your CV to the job ad. Make sure to tailor your CV to the specific job ad. Pay close attention to the requirements and focus on information that shows how you meet the employer’s needs.
• Incorporate keywords. Beating the ATS can take a little more effort. Add enough relevant keywords from the job ad so your CV makes it in front of a hiring manager.
• Use powerful action words. The hiring manager is bored of reading what you “managed” and what you were “responsible for.” Instead, make your CV sound more interesting by using powerful, attention-grabbing words, like facilitated, spearheaded, designed, conceptualized, etc.

Looking to write the perfect ATS-proof CV ? Check out our guide here.

#5. Skills Section on Your CV

Next, it’s time to consider your skills.

Along with your work experience, the skills on your CV make up 90% of the hiring decision .

So, you want to make sure that your skills show that you’re the perfect candidate for the job.

There are two types of skills you should include on your CV:

• Hard Skills. These are measurable abilities that can range from using Photoshop to being able to solve complex mathematical equations. They’re directly related to your tasks.
• Soft Skills. Also known as personal skills, these are a mix of communication skills , personal traits, career attributes, and more. They can include leadership, critical thinking, and time management , just to name a few.

Here’s what your skills section would look like on your CV:

Follow these tips to format this section perfectly:

• Separate hard and soft skills. Keep your hard skills separated from your soft skills to make your CV easier to navigate.
• Tailor CV skills to the job ad. Carefully read the job ad and find out what the employer’s requirements are. Add any of the listed skills that you do have to your CV.
• Add experience levels for hard skills. Categorize your hard skills by proficiency so the employers know what to expect from you and how much training you might need.
• Include transferable skills. Regardless of the job you’re applying for, you probably have tons of skins that can come in handy for the position you’re applying for.

Wondering what skills to mention on your CV? Check out our list of 101+ essential skills for inspiration!

#6. Education Section on Your CV

Another important part is the education section of your CV. 

Here’s how you should format it:

• Program Name. Your major and degree type should be listed first. (E.g.: “B.A. in Business Administration” )
• University Name. Add the name of the institution. (E.g.: “New York State University” )
• Dates Attended. Use a mm/yyyy format for the dates you attended. (E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012” )
• Location. If your university is less well-known, you can also add the location. (E.g.: “Stockholm, Sweden” )
• GPA. Use the appropriate grading system for the country you’re applying to work in. (E.g.: In the USA, it would be “3.9 GPA” )
• Honors. Add any honors and distinctions you’ve been given. (E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude )
• Achievements. You can mention interesting papers you’ve written, projects you’ve done, or relevant coursework you’ve excelled in.
• Minor. “Minor in Psychology”

Let’s look at what this section can look like in practice:

You’ve got the basics now! Now, here are a few tips to keep in mind to perfect this section:

• If you’re making a CV as a student and don’t have any work experience yet, you can list your education section at the beginning of the page instead.
• You can add your expected graduation date if you’re still pursuing your degree.
• If you already have relevant work experience, just keep this section short and sweet.
• Recent graduates can expand on their education more and add optional information like projects, classes, academic achievements, etc.
• Always list your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with your highest degree on top. Your highest and most recent degree is usually enough, so if you have a Master’s degree that’s relevant to the job, there’s no need to mention your earlier degrees.
• Don’t add your high school degree to your CV if you already have a university degree. It doesn’t have as much weight, and you can use the space for something else.
• Only mention your GPA if you had an impressive academic career. Anything below a 3.5 GPA doesn’t need to be on your CV.

Are you in the process of applying for college? Check out our guide to writing a college application CV to wow that admissions officer!

#7. Leverage Optional CV Sections

So far, we covered the most important CV sections that are mandatory for any job application.

Now, it’s time to take a look at the optional sections that can help you stand out.

Optional CV sections aren’t the biggest game-changers for your job hunt , but they’re a great option if you have some leftover space and want to spice up your application.

These include:

• Certifications. Continuous learning leaves a great impression on hiring managers. If you don’t have work experience in the field yet, showing you’ve taken the first step, such as a Coursera or Google Certificate, can show your genuine interest in the specific field.
• Awards and recognitions. Your CV is the best place to show off. Include any awards or acknowledgments, such as a hard-to-come-by scholarship .
• Publications. Whether you’re a freelance writer or a distinguished academic, relevant publications are always impressive. Make sure to include a link so the hiring manager can read your work.
• Languages. Being able to communicate in more than one language is always a bonus, so include your foreign languages and add your level of proficiency for each on your CV.
• Personal projects. If you worked on a mock software product during university or you run your product review YouTube channel, you can add it to your CV.
• Volunteer experience. Studies show that listing volunteer experience can increase your chances of getting hired, especially if you have less work experience. Volunteering shows you like meaningful work, which means you’re more likely to be a loyal employee.
• Hobbies and interests. While it’s still debated if hobbies or interests should ever make it onto a CV, adding a bit of extra information about yourself can give the hiring manager insight into you as a person and make you stand out. Some hobbies can even back up your skills, such as painting, which proves your creativity.
• Extracurricular activities. If you don’t have much experience outside of school, any clubs and activities you took part in can show employers how you honed certain skills or managed your time.

Trying to write your first CV as a college freshman ? Check out our detailed guide to learn how!

13+ Expert CV Tips

You’ve got the gist of how to make a CV. Now, it’s time to make it really stand out from the crowd!

Follow these exclusive CV tips to take your CV game to the next level:

• Make sure that the professional title underneath your name matches the job title of the position you’re applying for. Hiring managers usually hire for several roles at once, so this can give them a cue about which job you’re after, and help things go smoother.
• Always mention promotions from your previous roles. Your work experience entries should highlight the specific achievements that helped you earn them.
• Use Laszlo Bock’s formula to describe your achievements: accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z . This takes your work experience to the next level and clearly shows the hiring manager how you can contribute to their team.
• List your achievements and responsibilities in bullet points. This makes your CV easier to read, and it’s likelier that the hiring manager will see your impressive achievements while skimming through.
• Avoid personal pronouns like “I” or “me,” and never refer to yourself by name. Try an altered third person, such as “managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.” in place of “I managed data integrity at XYZ Inc.”
• The ATS might reject your CV unless the sections are named correctly.  For example, names like “career history” or “expertise” should be  “work experience” and "skills", respectively. It also makes it easier for the hiring manager to find what they’re looking for when reading your CV.
• Only include important keywords from the job ad , not all of them. The keywords you use, such as relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences need to make sense in context since you want to get past the ATS and impress the hiring manager.
• If you don’t have much relevant work experience, highlight your transferable skills . These can come from personal projects or extracurricular activities and help you stand out from other candidates.
• Use color strategically to make headings, bullet points, or key elements you want to highlight really pop. Just don’t use too much of it – the information on your CV should be more impressive than the design.
• Skip the line “references available upon request.” The hiring manager knows that they can request references from you, so don’t waste valuable CV space telling them they can.
• Your CV should be optimized for mobile devices. Hiring managers tend to use their mobile phones as often as desktop computers, and having your CV saved to a PDF file can ensure that your formatting stays the same across any device.
• Remember to change the name of the CV file you plan to send. It should include your name and the position you’re applying for. Skipping this small detail can leave a bad impression on the hiring manager.
• Try reading your CV out loud when you’re finished writing it. You might notice awkward phrases or spelling mistakes that you would have otherwise missed.
• Tools like DocSend can track your CV. Use it to get a notification whenever a hiring manager opens your CV, and to even track how long they spend looking at it.

3 Types of CVs

If you apply everything we’ve talked about so far, you should have a perfectly well-rounded CV. You’re prepared to take on the job market!

But just in case you aren’t sure what a great CV looks like, here are some examples of different types of CVs that you can use for inspiration.

#1. Graduate CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a student CV here.

#2. Academic CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing an academic CV here.

#3. Executive CV Example

19 CV Examples for Different Jobs

Knowing how to write a CV is one thing, but making a CV that stands out is something entirely different. Without inspiration, even top career experts might stumble on a roadblock or two.

Check out the following effective CV examples for specific jobs to get a better sense of what a good CV looks like:

#1. Nurse Practitioner CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a nurse CV here.

#2. Data Scientist CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a data scientist CV here.

#3. Business Analyst CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a business analyst CV here.

#4. Digital Marketing CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a digital marketing CV here.

#5. Software Engineer CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a software engineer CV here.

#6. Construction Project Manager CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a construction project manager CV here.

#7. Customer Service CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a customer service CV here.

#8. High School CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a high school CV here.

#9. Student CV Example

#10. Server CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a server CV here.

#11. Actor CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing an actor CV here.

#12. Web Developer CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a web developer CV here.

#13. Engineering CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing an engineering CV here.

#14. Computer Science CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a computer science CV here.

#15. Architect CV Example 

Check out our full guide to writing an architect CV here.

#16. Data Analyst CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a data analyst CV here.

#17. Remote Job CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a remote job CV here.

#18. Sales Associate CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a sales associate CV here.

#19. Receptionist CV Example

Check out our full guide to writing a receptionist CV here.

Want to see more examples? Check out our compilation of 80+ CV examples for different fields .

• Administrative Assistant CV
• Bartender CV
• DevOps Engineer CV
• Executive Assistant CV
• Flight Attendant CV
• Graphic Designer CV
• Paralegal CV
• Pharmacist CV
• Recruiter CV
• Supervisor CV

Next Steps After Your CV

After you’ve got your CV ready, it’s time to focus on other parts of your job application.

Your CV is the first step in your job search, but to land the job you want, you need to prepare a matching cover letter and nail the upcoming job interview.

#1. Write a Great Cover Letter

The best way to complement your CV is by writing a cover letter.

Now, you might flinch at the idea of having to write a cover letter. Unless you’re looking for a job as a writer , you’re probably not too confident in your ability to write a great cover letter.

Thankfully, writing a cover letter is very easy.

Cover letters act as a direct message to the hiring manager. They should be no more than a single page and use between 250 and 400 words . This gives you the chance to explain, in your own words, why you’re the best candidate for the job.

There are plenty of cover letter tips that can help point you in the right direction, so you’ll be able to write the perfect cover letter in no time.

Just follow this structure:

• Include your contact details. Add the same contact information as on your CV, and the contact information of the hiring manager, such as their name, job title, the company’s name, and its general location.
• Present yourself. Start your cover letter by stating who you are, what your relevant work experience is, and what excites you about the position. Include an impressive achievement or two, your crucial skills, and what you can do for the employer’s company.
• Build your case. Check the job ad for the candidate requirements and explain how you meet them. Do research on the company so you actually know what you like about it, and make sure to mention it in your cover letter. Convey your genuine excitement for the opportunity and express your confidence that you can contribute to their mission.
• Conclude it politely. End your cover letter by summarizing how you meet the employer’s needs for a candidate and thanking the hiring manager for their time. Include a call to action, like "Please feel free to contact me at the provided email or phone number so that we may discuss my application in more detail."  
• Finally, add a polite closing line and sign your full name underneath.

Not too hard, right? Here’s a real-life example to show you how a cover letter looks:

Want to perfect your cover letter? Learn about the most common cover letter mistakes and check out cover letter examples for different professions here.

#2. Ace The Job Interview

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations are in order. But you can’t celebrate just yet.

The final gatekeeper standing between you and your dream job is the interview process.

If you hate job interviews, you’re not the only one. After all, having to convince a stranger to hire you isn’t most people’s idea of fun.

Here’s the silver lining: most interviewers ask the same questions.

All you have to do is research what the common questions are and show up prepared.

Some of these common interview questions include:

• Why do you want to work here?
• Why should we hire you?
• Tell me about yourself.
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

These might sound cliche, but they’re popular questions for a reason.

Interviewers want to get to know you as an employee and determine if you’d fit within their company’s culture.

So, check out our guide to the 35+ Job Interview Questions and Answers and learn how to ace your next interview.

Key Takeaways

At this point, you should feel pretty confident about writing your CV.

The whole process might seem a bit intimidating at first, but now that it’s broken down into bite-sized pieces, we’re sure you’ve got it.

Before we let you go and land that dream job, let’s just recap some of our key points:

• Save time by using a free CV builder to create yours with as few obstacles as possible. There’s no need to mess around with formatting for hours before you even get the chance to write your CV!
• The essential information on your CV includes contact information, a CV summary or objective, work experience, education, and skills. If you have space, you can optionally include sections like certifications, awards, languages, hobbies, and interests.
• Responsibilities aren’t as impressive as achievements, so use your CV to focus on those times you went above and beyond at your job instead of just your daily tasks.
• Always tailor your CV to the specific job you’re applying for. Use the job ad as a reference and emphasize the skills and experience you have that match what the employer is looking for.
• Don’t forget to prepare for the rest of the job application process by writing an equally well-crafted cover letter and practicing how you’ll answer the most common interview questions.

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• Resume and Essays

In This Section

• Degree Program Prerequisites
• Application Fee
• Letters of Recommendation
• Academic Transcripts
• Standardized Test Scores
• Reapplying to HKS

All of our master’s degree programs require that you submit your résumé and at least four essays, which vary by program.

A résumé is required of all applicants. This document should highlight the following information: employment, including titles and dates (months and years) for each position, job responsibilities, reason for any gaps in employment history; academic degrees, achievements, and honors; volunteer, public service, and political work; recent leadership experiences; extracurricular activities (months and years) and interests.   

MASTER IN PUBLIC POLICY

The Harvard Kennedy School motto, echoing the President for whom the School is named, is “Ask what you can do.” Please share with the Admissions Committee your plans to create positive change through your public leadership and service. (500 word limit)  

The MPP curriculum is designed to broaden students’ perspective and sharpen skills necessary for a successful career in public service through a rigorous set of courses that draw on the social sciences but are adapted for action. Please describe how the MPP curriculum at HKS would leverage your distinctive abilities and/or fill gaps in your skill set as you equip yourself to achieve your career goals. (500 word limit) 

Personal History Essay  

Harvard Kennedy School believes that academic excellence and personal growth rely on engaging with varied perspectives, embracing our unique differences, and relishing healthy debate. Please share how you would contribute to the vibrant and diverse learning environment that is HKS. (250 word limit) 

adversity Essay 

Describe a time when you faced adversity or a significant challenge to achieving your goals, and how navigating through this shaped your educational or career trajectory. (250 word limit) 

Perspectives Essay 

Describe a time when interactions with others and/or an experience caused you to change your mind or expanded your point of view. (250 word limit)  

Optional Statement 

If you have any concerns about your prior academic, professional, or personal background that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee, please provide an explanation. (250 word limit) 

MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

International development essay.

Discuss your decision to choose international development as your professional career. Also, explain how developing your analytic skills relates to your career in development. (750 word limit) 

Leadership Experience Essay

Describe an event or experience in which you exercised a significant decision-making, management, or leadership role. (750 word limit) 

Public Policy Essay

Describe a public policy or public management problem related to international development and analyze a range of solutions. (750 word limit) 

Personal History Essay

Harvard Kennedy School believes that academic excellence and personal growth rely on engaging with varied perspectives, embracing our unique differences, and relishing healthy debate. Please share how you would contribute to the vibrant and diverse learning environment that is HKS. (250 word limit)

MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Two-year mpa essay.

There are many pathways one can pursue in order to make a difference in the world. Why is the MPA Program at HKS an appropriate pathway to achieving your goals? (500 word limit) 

MID-CAREER MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Career goals essay.

Submit a statement that discusses your career goals, as well as the factors that led you to select the Mid-Career MPA program as a means of furthering your personal and professional goals. Be as specific as possible in describing how your expected course of study will enable you to build on your prior professional experience and achieve those goals. (500 word limit)  

Professional Contribution Essay

The Harvard Kennedy School motto, echoing the President for whom the School is named, is “Ask what you can do.” Please share with the Admissions Committee how you have created positive change thus far in your most substantial professional leadership and/or public service role. (500 word limit)   

JOINT DEGREE AND CONCURRENT DEGREE

An essay response in addition to the program essay prompts is required for those submitting a separate admission application to a joint or combined partner program. If an applicant is applying to both a joint degree program partner school (HBS or HLS) and a combined degree partner school, the text of the essay prompt is the same. 

Applicants should note that only MPP and MPA/ID applicants are eligible to apply to the HBS and HLS joint programs. 

If an applicant is applying to varied joint/concurrent professional programs (e.g. law and business) the prompt will only be displayed once and it is up to the applicant to determine how best to respond. For those applying to different programs, for example law and business, it is wise to address both types of programs, but it would not be necessary to address each individual school.  

Joint or concurrent degree program essay  

Harvard Kennedy School’s mission is to improve public policy and leadership across the United States and around the world, so people can lead safer, freer, and more prosperous lives. How will a joint/concurrent degree enhance your pursuit of this mission? (400 word limit)

Have a language expert improve your writing

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• Knowledge Base
• College essay

How to Write About Yourself in a College Essay | Examples

Published on September 21, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability. Your essay shouldn’t just be a resume of your experiences; colleges are looking for a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

To write about your achievements and qualities without sounding arrogant, use specific stories to illustrate them. You can also write about challenges you’ve faced or mistakes you’ve made to show vulnerability and personal growth.

Table of contents

Start with self-reflection, how to write about challenges and mistakes, how to write about your achievements and qualities, how to write about a cliché experience, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Before you start writing, spend some time reflecting to identify your values and qualities. You should do a comprehensive brainstorming session, but here are a few questions to get you started:

• What are three words your friends or family would use to describe you, and why would they choose them?
• Whom do you admire most and why?
• What are the top five things you are thankful for?
• What has inspired your hobbies or future goals?
• What are you most proud of? Ashamed of?

As you self-reflect, consider how your values and goals reflect your prospective university’s program and culture, and brainstorm stories that demonstrate the fit between the two.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Writing about difficult experiences can be an effective way to show authenticity and create an emotional connection to the reader, but choose carefully which details to share, and aim to demonstrate how the experience helped you learn and grow.

Be vulnerable

It’s not necessary to have a tragic story or a huge confession. But you should openly share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences to evoke an emotional response from the reader. Even a cliché or mundane topic can be made interesting with honest reflection. This honesty is a preface to self-reflection and insight in the essay’s conclusion.

Don’t overshare

With difficult topics, you shouldn’t focus too much on negative aspects. Instead, use your challenging circumstances as a brief introduction to how you responded positively.

Share what you have learned

It’s okay to include your failure or mistakes in your essay if you include a lesson learned. After telling a descriptive, honest story, you should explain what you learned and how you applied it to your life.

While it’s good to sell your strengths, you also don’t want to come across as arrogant. Instead of just stating your extracurricular activities, achievements, or personal qualities, aim to discreetly incorporate them into your story.

Brag indirectly

Mention your extracurricular activities or awards in passing, not outright, to avoid sounding like you’re bragging from a resume.

Use stories to prove your qualities

Even if you don’t have any impressive academic achievements or extracurriculars, you can still demonstrate your academic or personal character. But you should use personal examples to provide proof. In other words, show evidence of your character instead of just telling.

Many high school students write about common topics such as sports, volunteer work, or their family. Your essay topic doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, but do try to include unexpected personal details and your authentic voice to make your essay stand out .

To find an original angle, try these techniques:

• Focus on a specific moment, and describe the scene using your five senses.
• Mention objects that have special significance to you.
• Instead of following a common story arc, include a surprising twist or insight.

Your unique voice can shed new perspective on a common human experience while also revealing your personality. When read out loud, the essay should sound like you are talking.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

First, spend time reflecting on your core values and character . You can start with these questions:

However, you should do a comprehensive brainstorming session to fully understand your values. Also consider how your values and goals match your prospective university’s program and culture. Then, brainstorm stories that illustrate the fit between the two.

When writing about yourself , including difficult experiences or failures can be a great way to show vulnerability and authenticity, but be careful not to overshare, and focus on showing how you matured from the experience.

Through specific stories, you can weave your achievements and qualities into your essay so that it doesn’t seem like you’re bragging from a resume.

Include specific, personal details and use your authentic voice to shed a new perspective on a common human experience.

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Read the college essay a Harvard grad wrote about McDonald's that landed him offers from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton

• Cofounder of AI company Exa Jeffrey Wang wrote his college application essay about McDonald's.
• The Harvard graduate said he wanted to make his essay authentic and entertaining.
• Wang said he got into Yale, Harvard, and Princeton using the same essay.

When Jeffrey Wang was a high-school senior in Connecticut in 2014, he wasn't sure what to write about for his college application essay.

He thought about writing his essay on a subject he enjoyed at school or a project he'd worked on. But he knew others would have the same idea .

Wang told Business Insider he grew up in a middle-class family in the suburbs of Cheshire, CT. He felt he didn't have anything extraordinary to write about.

"I hadn't spent any summers abroad, and I hadn't done any fancy programs," he said.

He wanted to show his personality

He read Harry Bauld's book, 'On Writing the College Application Essay,' which made him realize college admissions officers wouldn't have time to read each essay diligently.

He said he realized his primary objective should be to entertain the admissions officer reading his essay .

"For the most part, they're just looking for character," Wang said. He decided to write about studying at McDonald's.

He told BI he thought it might pique an admissions officer's interest and illustrate his character: someone who did well at school but also hangs out at a McDonald's.

Wang said he also wanted to use his essay to challenge assumptions admissions officers might have. "I'm an Asian-American with a perfect SAT score. Maybe that looks pretty cookie-cutter on paper," he said.

Authenticity is key

The essay summarizes how Wang discovered his local McDonald's was an ideal place to study and meditate. He mentioned he liked interacting with different community members and how it was a more efficient and affordable study space than other options. The underpinning message is finding joy or peace in unusual places.

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"For the most part, it was a pretty authentic essay," Wang said, adding that he included a few "intellectual references," such as a novel and a physicist, to show the admissions officer he was smart. He said if he were to write it now, he'd leave out the big words and references.

His parents were worried the topic was too risky, but Wang said he felt confident, and if an admissions officer didn't like it — the school wasn't the right fit.

He got into Yale, Harvard, and Princeton

Growing up, Wang dreamed of attending Yale in his home state of Connecticut. He applied to Yale under early decision , using his essay about McDonald's.

Wang received an offer of financial aid from Yale, but he told BI he wanted to see if he could get more from other colleges.

He applied to Harvard, Duke, Princeton, MIT, and others with the same essay. He got into both Princeton and Harvard, and received offers of financial aid from them both. Business Insider has verified these offers with documentation.

Wang chose to study computer science at Harvard in 2015 because he said it was the best for STEM subjects, and he wanted to be further away from home.

He still tries to live authentically

Wang said if his friends read his essay now, 10 years after he submitted it, they'd recognize his personality in it. It shows his "scrappy" attitude to life, he said.

After graduating from Harvard in 2019, he started working as a software engineer for a tech company in San Francisco. He quit in 2022, and cofounded his startup Exa, a search engine for AI, in 2023.

Wang believes that prioritizing authenticity helped his success since college. "If you do things that you feel are authentic or that are right, you'll be rewarded for it," he said.

Do you have a college admissions success story? Email Ella Hopkins at [email protected] .

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