The personal statement on an English CV: how to write one, with examples

What a personal statement is and what it's for

The personal statement is the short opening paragraph the recruiter reads first, right under your contact details. In 3-4 sentences it has to answer a single question: why should I keep reading this CV?

It isn't a biography. It's a sales pitch for yourself. Whoever's reading spends just a few seconds on the first pass: if the opening lines don't say who you are and what you bring, the CV lands in the reject pile. That's why it's the most strategic section of the document, even though it's the shortest.

For the full picture of how a CV is structured, start with our guide The English CV, done right.

The three-part structure

A strong personal statement always follows the same pattern:

1. Who you are: your job title and years of experience. E.g. "Project manager with 7 years of experience in the construction sector."
2. What you offer: 2-3 key skills, ideally backed by a measurable result. E.g. "Specialised in budget control and team coordination, with a track record of delivering projects 15% under budget."
3. What you're after: the goal or type of role you want, aligned with the job ad. E.g. "Now seeking a senior role in an international engineering firm."

Keep the whole thing within 50-80 words. If you're not sure what to cut, drop every word that doesn't help the recruiter decide to call you in.

Ready-to-adapt examples

Experienced profile:

"Results-driven sales manager with over 8 years of experience in the B2B software industry. Skilled in lead generation, key account management and CRM strategy, consistently exceeding targets by 20%. Looking to bring strong commercial results to a fast-growing SaaS company."

Graduate or first role:

"Recent economics graduate with a strong interest in data analysis and a 6-month internship in financial reporting. Proficient in Excel and SQL, with solid problem-solving and teamwork skills. Eager to start a career as a junior business analyst."

Career change:

"Customer service professional transitioning into UX design, with a Google certification and three completed portfolio projects. Combines five years of direct user contact with practical research skills. Seeking a junior UX role in a product-focused team."

Notice the constant: no "I am", noun-based phrasing, a concrete result, a clear goal.

Mistakes to avoid

• Empty phrases. "Hard-working team player with excellent communication skills" says nothing: everyone writes it. Swap the adjectives for proof.
• Too long. A ten-line paragraph isn't a personal statement, it's a letter. Stay under 80 words.
• The same text for every application. Change the job title and skills for each ad.
• Literal translations from Italian. "Dynamic and stress-resistant" sounds unnatural in English. Go for idiomatic phrasing like "thrives in fast-paced environments".
• Writing it first. Fill in your experience and skills first, then summarise: the statement will come out sharper.

How to write it well in English

CV English is lean and action-oriented. Open every sentence with a noun or a participle ("Experienced...", "Skilled in..."), use strong verbs and numbers wherever you can. Watch the variant too: pick UK or US English and stay consistent (specialise vs specialize).

If you'd rather start from your Italian CV and get a professional, ready-localised version, EuroCV Pro translates and adapts your CV into 7 languages, personal statement included, respecting the idioms and conventions of each market. That way you avoid literal translations and start from text that's already ready to fine-tune for each ad.