how to write a personal brand statement for your resume

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How To Write A Personal Brand Statement (With Examples)

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Whether you’re looking for a job , trying to expand your business and reach new clientele, or searching for career opportunities as an independent contractor, writing a powerful and engaging personal brand statement can help you reach all your professional goals .

A strong personal brand statement that communicates your values, skills, and abilities is the foundation for building a solid and versatile personal brand that will carry you through your professional career.

Key Takeaways:

A personal brand statement is 1 to 3 sentences that uniquely sum up your values, skills, and expertise.

Write a personal brand statement by first picking your audience and medium , then brainstorm, write a rough draft, and edit.

Emphasize your unique value in your personal brand statement.

Personal brand statements are helpful for standing out and networking.

What Is A Personal Brand Statement?

Tips for writing a personal brand statement, why is a personal brand statement important, 13 inspiring personal brand statement examples, final thoughts.

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A personal brand statement is a one-to-three-sentence catchphrase that sums up your values, what you do, and your unique skills and abilities in your field of expertise. The most impressive personal brand statements read like slogans and work to capture the essence of your resume in just a few short lines.

That means writing a personal brand statement that’s short, catchy, compelling, descriptive, and unique all at the same time. Crafting a personal brand statement is much like writing a professional bio , in that it should communicate your personality, skills, and experiences.

A well-written personal brand statement is short and to the point and works to give prospective clients or employers an idea of what you offer and how you can benefit them.

Writing a personal brand statement is much like writing a vision statement , or a mission statement or slogan for a business. Typically, the branding message should be a short elevator pitch highlighting your professional skills and strengths or a unique value proposition.

To write a personal brand statement:

Pick your audience and medium. Before you write your personal brand statement, you need to know who it is for and how you are going to share it. Your personal brand statement could be for potential employers, clients, or peers to network with, or all of them combined. By knowing who you want to speak to, you will be more targeted in your words.

Equally important is knowing how you are going to share your personal brand statement. Will you share it on social media? Will it go on your personal website? Will it be supplemental material for your portfolio or resume ? The type of medium shouldn’t change the statement too much, but again, knowing what you plan to do with your personal brand statement helps you focus.

Brainstorm. Before you get to writing, brainstorm your values, your goals, your skills, and your experiences. Don’t worry so much about form or relevancy, the point is to get everything that makes you “you” onto paper. Once this is done you can have some more separation and look at yourself from a new perspective.

Write a rough draft. Write a rough draft of your personal statement. It is OK if it is longer than three sentences. The rough draft will help you focus in on your qualities you wish to define your personal brand statement.

Edit and get feedback. Here is the tricky part. You need to bring your rough draft down to something easily consumable. Pick your most important quality you want to define your personal brand statement. Be efficient and honest with your words to make it unique to you. Ask for feedback from your peers. It can help if you can find someone who is similar to your target audience, such as a professional mentor or former boss .

With this in mind you are on the right path to coming up with your own personal brand statement.

If it’s your first time writing a personal brand statement, we’ve got you covered. Many of the rules you follow when writing a traditional resume can also be applied to a personal brand statement. However, there are a few specifics you’ll need to keep in mind to write a perfect personal brand statement.

Here are the top five tips all professionals should follow when crafting a strong brand:

Understand your brand. Before you set out to write your personal brand statement you need to understand your brand and think about what you’re aiming to accomplish in your professional punchline.

To understand your brand you should think about your core values , what your most desirable skills, abilities, and qualifications are, what audience you want to appeal to in your personal brand statement, and what sets you apart from your peers. Having a strong brand identity will help you find career success.

Appeal to your audience. No matter what industry you work in, it’s important to think about your audience when crafting your personal brand statement. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your branding and marketing strategies and craft a message that resonates with career professionals and reaches your target network.

Emphasize your unique value. The best personal brand statements highlight an individual’s unique abilities and strongest selling points. By emphasizing your unique value your personal brand statement will serve to help you stand out and articulate your passions and motivations.

Be consistent and clever. Being consistent and highlighting your skills and services in a catchy way is essential in clearly communicating your brand. Ensuring that your personal brand statement is consistent with your actual values and professional abilities and is written cohesively and cleverly will help you stand out and build your brand.

Pay attention to your tone of voice. Your tone of voice can be very important when building a strong brand. Depending on what you aim to accomplish in your personal brand statement, you may want to use a casual, professional, or straightforward tone of voice.

Using an acceptable tone of voice will help your craft powerful branding that differentiates you from your peers and resonates with your target audience.

An effective personal brand statement can set you apart from the competition, help people recognize and remember you, help you network and find opportunities for career development, and grow your audience or client list.

Whether you’re a job-seeker, freelancer, entrepreneur , or employer, having a personal brand statement is an important element of branding and marketing and can be essential in finding and maintaining professional success.

Personal branding is also a great way for established industry professionals to find opportunities to participate in speaking engagement and professional networking events since the majority of professionals with a strong brand identity have an established online presence.

Personal brand statements are the perfect platform for showcasing your knowledge on a specific company or your industry expertise and can be displayed as an objective statement on your professional resume or your website, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile.

If you’re looking to get hired, land a big job interview, get a promotion , expand your professional network, and increase your likelihood to find overall career success, writing a powerful personal brand statement is essential.

When it comes to powerful branding and the brand development process, a little inspiration can do a long way. Here are 13 inspiring personal brand statements from established professionals across a wide range of occupational industries.

Marie Forleo. Marie Forleo, the host of the award-winning show MarieTV, keeps it light and simple with her personal brand statement. It reads:

Hi, I’m Marie. An entrepreneur, writer , philanthropist, and an unshakable optimist dedicated to helping you become the person you most want to be.

Nick Loper. Nick Loper, an entrepreneur and business coach , uses attention-grabbing words to connect with and draw in customers. His personal brand statement is short but striking. It reads:

Let’s build job-free income.

Selena Soo. This marketing and publicity strategist ’s brand statement is genuine, professional, and direct. The statement reads:

I’m a publicity and marketing strategist who helps experts, authors, and coaches go from ‘hidden gem’ to admired industry leader …and even a household name.

Adam Cobb. As a fitness and nutrition coach, exercise, a healthy diet, and a spiritual awareness are at the core of Adam Cobb’s life and career. He reiterates that in his personal brand statement, keeping things clear and concise. The statement reads:

Move well, eat well, think well.

Irene Koehler. Working as a personal branding coach, Irene Koehler knows a thing or two about personal brand statements. She keeps hers short, punchy, and powerful. It reads:

I transform accomplished women from unknown to unforgettable with a strategic, trustworthy personal brand.

Darrell Franklin. As the head of industry at Google, Darrell Franklin lets his leadership skills and industry expertise shine in his personal brand statement. It reads:

Innovation is in my blood…I seek to find ways to adapt when needed and disrupt when possible. For the past 15+ years, I have been at the forefront of digital evolution and transformation as an intrepid business strategist , thought leader, and functional operator , and called on to develop solutions and technologies that have enabled stronger customer engagement, retention, and loyalty.

Jessi Fearon. This personal finance and budget blogger gets right to the point in her personal brand statement. It reads:

Real life on a budget.

Tony Robbins. Tony Robbins is known for his inspiring self-improvement books and speeches. He’s almost equally as known for his personal brand statement. The statement is crisp and motivational, reading:

Transform your life.

Larry Kim. Larry Kim, CEO of MobileMonkey, Inc. and founder of WordStream, Inc., recognizes the importance of diversity and creativity. The marketing expert has set himself apart from his peers through a unique, fun, and nontraditional approach to a personal brand statement. The statement reads:

Be a unicorn in a sea of donkeys.

Brittany Berger. Content marketer Brittany Berger knows how to stand out from the crowd . Her personal brand statement peaks interest and grabs attention by challenging popular and traditional ideas. The statement reads:

Create less content. (It’ll be fine! I promise!)

Chandler Bolt. Chandler Bolt is an author and the founder of Self-Publishing School who, through a clever, motivational, and relatable personal brand statement, inspires his clients to publish their first book. His statement reads:

Hi, I’m Chandler Bolt. Six-time bestselling author and founder of Self Publishing School. There’s a book inside you, And my goal is to help you find it and go from blank page to bestselling author — even if you’re busy, idea-less, or bad at writing like me.

Ann Handley. This best-selling author and digital marketing expert uses a casual tone in her personal brand statement but gets straight to the point to capture interest and increase her marketability. Her statement reads:

Empowering ridiculously good marketing.

Andrea Perez. After an impressive career, Andrea Perez, global vice president and general manager for Nike’s Jordan Women’s brand, knows she’s valuable as a consumer marketer. Her personal brand statement exudes confidence and professionalism . It reads:

I’m a modern, fearless, digitally-driven, and globally savvy brand/ business leader with over 15 years of experience representing two of the most exciting, influential consumer brands in the world. I live for opportunities to deliver game-changing, digital and physical global marketing programs that deepen consumer connections, accelerate revenue, and drive brand growth.

Writing a short, strong, and catchy personal brand statement is the perfect way to convey your value as an industry professional and showcase your personality , passion, skills, and values. Summing up your experience and abilities in a personal brand statement or tagline can lead to various opportunities for professional growth.

By following the tips and examples provided in this article you’ll be one step closer to establishing your brand appealing to potential customers, professional connections, and employers.

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Elsie is an experienced writer, reporter, and content creator. As a leader in her field, Elsie is best known for her work as a Reporter for The Southampton Press, but she can also be credited with contributions to Long Island Pulse Magazine and Hamptons Online. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Stony Brook University and currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee.

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.

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• Personal Brand Statement Examples

10 Personal Brand Statement Examples to Inspire You

By Biron Clark

Published: November 11, 2023

Biron Clark

Writer & Career Coach

Today’s job market and business markets are more competitive than ever. In order to succeed, you’ll need to set yourself apart with a good personal branding strategy.

And one of the first things you need to do when creating your personal brand is  establish a powerful personal branding statement. This short statement will be the foundation of all of your branding efforts moving forward, so it’s important to get it right.

In this article, we’ll look at tips for creating a unique personal branding statement , and 10 of the best personal brand statement examples to inspire you.

Let’s get started…

What is a Personal Brand Statement?

A personal brand statement is a one or two-sentence phrase that accurately sums up what you do and what you stand for. It’s essentially your unique selling proposition, the thing you do better than any of your competitors. Think of it as your slogan. The best personal branding statements are catchy, memorable, and attention-grabbing.

It’s worth creating a personal branding statement whether you’re a job seeker, freelancer, or entrepreneur. Anyone looking to network and stand out can benefit from having a great personal brand statement.

Coming up with the perfect statement is tricky, though…

It needs to be short while also conveying the value you provide to employers, clients, or customers. It should also have a certain level of intrigue that makes people want to learn more about you .

Your personal brand statement is the first thing people will associate with you, so take your time and come up with something you’re completely happy with.

So just what should a personal brand statement look like? It really depends on you and your personality, but below are some sample personal brand statements to consider.

Let’s say you’re a digital marketer . Your personal branding statement could be:

I develop powerful digital marketing strategies that help businesses find new customers.

Or if you’re a real estate agent you could say something like:

I can help you find your dream home for the price you want.

An effective personal brand statement is short and to the point, so choose your words carefully. Utilize words that evoke emotion and hone in on the one benefit you provide that people will be most interested in.

Don’t worry if you’re still not sure how to go about creating your personal branding statement. In the next section, we’re going to look at the best personal branding statement examples from around the web.

Creating a Personal Branding Statement: 10 Best Examples

It can be difficult to imagine what the ideal statement should look like on your own, so we’ve assembled some best personal brand statement examples from multiple categories. These personal branding statements have absolutely nailed it and are compelling, engaging, and extremely effective. 

Use the personal branding statement examples below for inspiration when coming up with your own.

1. “I help thought leaders write great books in just 90 days. 300 satisfied clients so far.”

– Mindy Gibbins-Klein

This personal brand statement follows a classic formula: “I help ___ do ___”.

The first blank is your ideal type of customer or employer.

Then, the second blank is the result you help them achieve. This can be their desired result/outcome of working with you, the main problem they need solved, etc.

We consider this basic “I help ___ do ___” formula as the go-to option for most job seekers, freelancers, consultants and coaches. 

This person then added a unique touch to their personal brand statement by including some social proof, where they said, “300 satisfied clients so far.”

Mentioning that you’ve helped many clients/companies succeed in the past is a great way of showing you’ll be able to help the next customer, too.

This next personal branding statement example uses the same general formula, so don’t worry if you don’t quite “get it” yet.

Here it is:

2. “I help manufacturing organizations improve their processes to reduce waste and grow profits.”

– Kent Blumberg

While this might appear a bit different than the first personal branding statement example we looked at, it’s also based on the, “I help ___ do ___” format.

(You could re-organize this to follow that formula word-for-word and say: “I help manufacturing organizations energize, focus and align their operations….”)

This personal branding statement does a great job of being specific in terms of the target customer, and result they’ll get by working with this person.

If you’re going to use this layout/formula for creating your own personal branding statement, you want to be narrow and focused, just like this example is.

So what type of employer or client can you help most? Large corporations? Growth-stage companies? E-commerce companies? That’s the type of phrase you want to use. In the example above, the target client is “manufacturing organizations.”

Then, the outcome/result of working with this person is also crystal-clear in this example: faster processing, less waste, and more profits.

Now let’s move on to some personal brand statement examples that get a bit more creative…

3. “Let’s build job-free income.”

– Nick Loper

Wouldn’t you like to have an income without having a job? Of course you would. That’s why Nick Loper’s personal branding statement is so effective.

Nick’s blog Side Hustle Nation discusses all the different ways entrepreneurs can build their own business and eventually escape the corporate grind. By using a term like “job-free income” he really zeroes in on exactly what his audience is looking to achieve, allowing him to immediately get their attention.

We love using the word “Let’s” because it shows that you’ll be partnering and working toward a common goal. At the time of writing this article, our own headline on our homepage uses this idea and says, “Let’s find your dream job”.

4. “Do you want more traffic?”

– Neil Patel

Ok, so this is more of a question than a statement. But every business and website wants more traffic, and Neil Patel has the knowledge and know-how to make it happen.

Neil is one of the world’s leading online marketers who is world-renowned for his SEO and traffic creation prowess. His personal branding statement is extremely simple, but it works because he has the reputation to back up his claim that he can, in fact, get you more traffic. Using a question is also a way to spark intrigue and curiosity.

There are no rules you  must follow when creating a personal branding statement. It’s okay to think outside the box and ask a question or do something different than the competition.

5. “Move well, eat well, think well.”

– Adam Cobb

This personal brand statement is another example of how you don’t always have to be overly sophisticated or clever. Sometimes simple is best.

Adam Cobb is a fitness and nutrition coach who aims to help improve lives through exercise, healthy eating, and spiritual awareness. So, his personal branding statement perfectly sums up exactly what he’s all about and how he can help you. If you can concisely describe exactly what you can do for people you’re sure to come up with a powerful personal branding statement.

Note that you could also adapt this to fit the go-to formula we looked at earlier: I help ___ do ___.

Here’s how it’d look: “I help people move well, eat well, and think well.”

Or you could even make it better-targeted and more narrow (as mentioned, it’s good to be specific/precise about who you can help). Here’s an example of how this personal brand statement could be narrowed further: “I help busy professionals move well, eat well, and think well.”

6. “Helping you build a big brand with your small business.”

– Kate Toon

Do you have a niche are a particular clientele that you service? Consider working that into your personal branding statement, as Kate Toon has done here.

Kate is a copywriter who specializes in helping small businesses reach a wider audience. She could have focused on her expert copywriting skills or her knowledge of SEO (search engine optimization). Instead, she speaks right to her target audience and tells them exactly how she can help them. Remember, it’s not always about what you can do, but also who you can do it for.

7. “Achieve social media mastery.”

– Mari Smith

Do you want to be great at something? Or do you want to be a master? Sometimes, it’s all about finding the right words in order to really make an impact.

Mari Smith rose to prominence as one of the leading authorities on social media marketing. She now provides expert training and consulting services to some of the world’s leading businesses. Mari could have promised to help people become a social media “expert,” “professional,” or “whiz.” But by saying she’ll help you achieve mastery of the subject she really sets herself apart from her peers.

8. “Create less content. (It’ll be fine! I promise!)”

– Brittany Berger

Sometimes by subverting expectations, you can really grab people’s attention. This personal brand statement is an excellent example of that.

Brittany Berger is a leading content marketer that uses a slightly different angle to get clients. She promotes actually creating less content, and instead focuses more on effectively using content to gain traffic. Wouldn’t you love to get better results with less effort? That’s exactly what Brittany promises. Adding “It’ll be fine! I promise!” also infuses a bit of personality into her statement, which helps improve its effectiveness.

9. “It’s time to unleash your epicness.”

– Felicia Hatcher

These days people want everything to be epic. So why can’t you be epic too?

Felicia Hatcher’s motivational speeches are legendary. As a former “C” student who secured $130,000 in free money for college, she helps show people how anyone can find success.

Her personal brand statement is another great example of how choosing your words carefully can make a huge difference in effectiveness. “Epicness” may not be a real word, but it tells you right away that Felicia is going to teach you things that no one else will, and probably have high-energy and enthusiasm for what she does.

10. “Be a unicorn in a sea of donkeys.”

– Larry Kim

If you’re ever unsure about what approach you should take with your statement, go for something completely unique and different to set yourself apart.

Larry Kim is a search marketing expert, and the founder of Wordstream and Mobile Monkey. His personal brand statement, “Be a unicorn in a sea of donkeys,” is completely different than anything used by his peers, and yet it perfectly conveys his message. Don’t follow the masses. Be different. Be special. This personal brand statement example is wildly creative and yet perfectly understandable.

Now It’s Your Turn

You’ve seen 10 of the best personal brand statement examples from real people and businesses. Now it’s your turn to create one for yourself. Consider your personality, what’s important to you, and the value you can offer, and come up with something that’s uniquely you.

About the Author

Read more articles by Biron Clark

2 thoughts on “10 Personal Brand Statement Examples to Inspire You”

“Be a unicorn in a sea of donkeys” – Genius!

I’m not looking for a job, but I think that considering my personality is very important for me and my personal brand. Thank you very much for the suggestions.

Comments are closed.

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10 personal brand statements to put all eyes on you

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What’s a personal brand statement?

How to put your personal brand statement to use

Benefits of crafting a personal brand statement, how to write a personal brand statement: 6 steps, 10 personal brand statement examples, it’s time to market yourself.

“Just do it.” “Because you’re worth it.” “All the news that’s fit to print.” At least one of these phrases is probably familiar. You might even see corresponding products or brands flash before your eyes. 

Big brands carefully construct slogans, catchphrases, and mission statements that are so catchy they pop into your head too often. This is great branding in action. These phrases get stuck in your head and impact your decision-making , insert themselves into conversations so people remember them more, and affect what you purchase or use.

But brand awareness isn’t limited to big business — you can apply it to your career, too. Whether you’re a freelancer or mid-level manager, lawyer or content creator, marketing yourself with a personal brand statement helps you control your professional narrative.

What’s a personal brand statement? 

A personal brand statement is 1–3 sentences that clearly illustrate who you are, what you do, and what makes you unique professionally. It summarizes your skills, experience, and vision so readers quickly understand your value.

A great personal brand statement is snappy and attention-grabbing, demonstrates your personality, and balances professionalism and personableness. 

Think of it as an elevator pitch . If you had to self-promote to a recruiter, potential employer, or client, this statement tells them why you stand out and leaves them wanting to know more.

You can use your personal brand statement in several professional materials and platforms. Anywhere you network , job search , or show off your brand is a great place to add your statement. This includes:

Your resume or CV ’s mission statement

Incorporated into your personal value statement or career statement

Any social media platforms where you have a professional online presence, like your Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn profile

A professional website or online portfolio

Since your personal brand lives on many platforms, you may have to edit your statement to follow character limits on social media profiles or appeal to a specific target audience. 

Imagine you’re a graphic designer that makes design video tutorials to promote your work. Your selling points for a potential employer or client might not be as effective on your social audience. You’ll need to revise your statement to fit different requirements while maintaining a consistent brand image across platforms.

Here’s how your personal brand statement template might change from one platform to another:

Your resume:

“Award-winning graphic designer and digital marketing consultant with 15 years of experience. I’m insatiably curious, motivated by storytelling, and passionate about building impactful brands through the power of design.”

Your YouTube channel:

“I’m [name], an award-winning graphic designer, consultant, and teacher who wants to show you how to tell incredible stories through design. 

Let’s start creating!”

Your portfolio website:

“I build ridiculously good-looking brands. 

Hire an award-winning graphic designer and consultant who brings 15 years of storytelling expertise to your team.”

All three statements communicate the same important details, such as years of experience, job title, and reputation. Together, they build a strong personal brand that’s consistent and recognizable across platforms.

Successful entrepreneurs and professionals know there’s always an opportunity around the corner. Ensuring you have a good personal brand statement is an essential marketing strategy for leaving a good first impression on anyone that visits your website or scans your social accounts. 

Here are four benefits for crafting a solid personal brand statement:

Provides job opportunities: A good personal brand statement aligns you with the job opportunities that fit your skills and profile. Showing off your best self helps you catch the eyes of recruiters, hiring managers , and potential business partners. 

Increases your self-awareness: Personal brand statements require you to think about your career strategically, as if you were a small business. You can regularly revisit your personal brand statement to build self-awareness regarding your intentions, sense of purpose , and personal development goals. 

Controls the narrative: A personal brand statement allows you to tell your story and manage people’s impressions of you. You can choose the characteristics and accomplishments you want people to imagine when they think about you.

Helps you build your network: You never know when a networking opportunity will pop up. Having a go-to elevator pitch to introduce yourself in professional situations or creating online marketing materials that speak on your behalf will strengthen your potential for new relationships.

Selling yourself in just a few sentences requires creativity, intention, and careful editing. To create your personal brand statement, start with these six steps. 

1. Define your target audience

First, you need to understand who’s tuning in. This involves defining different audiences across platforms, like your website versus social profiles. 

To understand your target audiences, consider what you’re selling, as this value should be the focal point of your brand statement. If your target market is potential customers, this is your product or service. If you’re trying to network, it might be your expertise and skill set.

2. Identify your value proposition

Consider what makes you special. An effective personal brand statement leaves your reader wanting more, so put yourself in your target’s shoes: what would inspire you to stop scrolling and keep reading?

Examine your past experiences and identify consistent accomplishments, personality traits , and accolades. Maybe a manager or coworker frequently points out some unique skills. These are what makes you distinct. 

3. Express your personality

Depending on your industry, job role, and experience level, finding the balance between professionalism and personableness can be challenging. To get your creativity flowing , pay attention to how other thought leaders and creators in your field represent themselves.

Then add some creative action words to showcase your accomplishments. Or think critically about your positive personality traits to find what makes you stand out .

4. Be concise

With a personal brand statement, less is more. Most people skim websites and socials , and hiring managers only spend seven seconds looking at a resume . Whether it’s a recruiter checking out your LinkedIn profile or a potential client skimming your website, clarity and purpose help your target audience make the snap judgment you want them to. 

5. Write like everybody’s watching

Chances are high that interested hiring managers pay attention to your social media platforms , even if your profiles don’t relate to your job search or position. Ensure that the catchphrases, profile bios, and taglines across your internet presence are consistent and professional. You could also keep your personal profiles private so your target audience only stumbles on brand-specific content. 

And be honest about yourself. The purpose of your personal brand statement is to accurately represent your skills, experience, and reputation. If you oversell your abilities, you may end up disappointing someone that reaches out and realizes the pitch isn’t the same as the product. 

Don’t wait until you start a job search to revisit your personal brand statement across different platforms. Check-in with your statement regularly, like when you write your yearly goals , update your resume, or hit a self-improvement milestone.

If you’re unsure where to start, here are 10 examples of personal brand statements you can shape to fit your needs:

I’m a doctor and philanthropist who’s passionate about helping others. I’ve raised more than $5M for cancer research and can’t wait to share your organization’s cause.

I’m a ghostwriting professional that’s passionate about helping others bring their stories to the world. Let me use my five years of writing experience to help you complete your book.

Career coach with 10 years of experience helping freelancers, startup founders, and entrepreneurs kick-start their businesses. I’ve worked with small businesses and Fortune 500 CEOs. 

Let’s build the website of your dreams. I’m a self-taught programmer, YouTuber, and bonafide geek that loves everything web design. 

Detail-oriented copy editor and grammar nerd. I have experience in B2B and B2C SEO-driven content marketing. 

I’m [name], a maximalist graphic designer, illustrator, and lover of everything MCM with eight years of experience making brands of all sizes stand out in a crowd. 

Best-selling author, teacher, and public speaker. I’ve sold more than a million books. Check out [name of book], for sale at your favorite book-seller.

Lover of numbers. Organized accountant with 18 years of experience. I specialize in corporate taxes, budgets, and pricing. 

Communications expert and branding consultant. I build holistic branding strategies across web, print, and mobile that bring brands to life. 

I’m an economist with 20 years of experience in public policy and government aid for community outreach programs. 

Everyone has something that makes them a unique professional in their field. And the world deserves to know about it. 

Now that you understand personal brand statements and how having one benefits your career, it’s time to hit the drawing board. 

Start by understanding your value proposition and goals. Then write a statement that shows you off and is adaptable across different platforms. Just do it — you’ll be happy you did.

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Madeline Miles

Madeline is a writer, communicator, and storyteller who is passionate about using words to help drive positive change. She holds a bachelor's in English Creative Writing and Communication Studies and lives in Denver, Colorado. In her spare time, she's usually somewhere outside (preferably in the mountains) — and enjoys poetry and fiction.

Build the career you want. These 12 books will show you how

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How to Write a Resume Branding Statement: Recruiter-Backed Insights

A recruiter weighs in on what a branding statement is, when it’s essential, and when to leave it out.

7 months ago   •   5 min read

Your skills, education, experience, and unique personality make you an asset in your field — but how do you make that clear to potential employers?

Quick answer: With your resume branding statement. Your resume branding statement summarizes everything that makes you the right candidate for the role.

A well-written personal branding statement grips recruiters’ attention and makes you stand out from the pile of other candidates with similar experience.

In this article, we’ll explore what a resume branding statement is, how to write one, and when and when not to include it. We’ll also provide important resume branding tips to keep in mind, examples, and a template to help you write your own resume branding statement!

What is a resume branding statement?

Think of your resume branding statement as your personal sales pitch. Candidates often put it at the top of their resumes — under their contact information, above their experience section.

Your resume branding statement is the first impression employers will get from you and, in this competitive job market, a memorable first impression is crucial.

For example:

Dependable and resourceful office administrator with typing speed of 65 wpm, and 8 years of experience improving sales and customer satisfaction. Seeking to expand career and join a new team in pharmaceutical sales.

What to include in your resume branding statement

Summarizing all your skills, experience, and strengths into a few lines may seem like a daunting task. To simplify things, here’s what you need to include in your resume branding statement:

• Your professional title : Include your title, which should be the same as the position you are applying for, helping recruiters picture you in the role they are trying to fill.
• Skills : Obviously, you aren’t going to fit them all here; just choose 2 or 3 of your skills that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.
• Strengths : Use strengths as you would use adjectives when describing yourself in your branding statement.
• Rewards : If you were given any rewards within the field you are applying for, incorporate them into your resume branding statement.
• Accomplishments : Use your resume branding statement to highlight any significant accomplishments that make you stand out.
• Amount of experience : If you’re an experienced professional in the field you are applying for, make that clear in your resume branding statement.
• Career goals : Will the role help with your career goals? If so, put that into your resume branding statement to let recruiters know your commitment to the field.

Tips for writing an eye-catching resume branding statement

• Make it succinct: Your resume branding statement should be no more than 50 words.
• Put it at the top of your resume: Your resume branding statement should go right below your contact information and before your work experience.
• Match your branding statement to the company’s mission: Browse the company’s website to find the skills and values the company you’re interested in wants to find in their candidates.
• Use the right keywords : Pay attention to the language used in the job description to describe the ideal candidate, and use some of those keywords in your resume branding statement. Our Targeted Resume tool will analyze the job description and identify important keywords and skills in no time. Try it out!
• Ask yourself what image you want to project: Think of your unique personal attributes, skills, achievements, values, and career goals that set you apart from other candidates.
• Avoid repetition: Do not list accomplishments, traits, and skills you’ve already included in other parts of the resume in your branding statement.
• Use quantifiers: Provide proof of your success with quantifiable results .
• Avoid buzzwords : Keep it real. Don't sound like you’re ‘too good to be true.’
• Your branding statement may not need a title: A branding statement is pretty self-explanatory so no title is necessary. That being said, you could use the title of Branding Statement at the beginning if you wish.
• Proofread:  Make sure that your resume branding statement is well-written, grammatically correct, free of mistakes, and conveying exactly what you want it to.
• Check your resume: Use our free resume scanner, Score My Resume , which assesses your resume against certain criteria and provides tips to improve it.

Driven marketer with excellent written and verbal communication skills, and 22 years of experience improving consumer reach by 60%. Seeking to become an industry leader within ResumeWorded’s management team.

When to include a branding statement in your resume

It’s important to note that resume branding statements aren’t a must. Here’s when a resume statement should definitely be a part of a resume:

If you’re changing careers

If you’re applying for a job in a new field , a branding statement can be a quick way to kick off your resume by telling recruiters why you are great for the role, even if it is different from your previous work.

Creative and organized consultant seeking to help companies with their waste management in order to maximize their profits.

Senior-level hires

If you’re already a seasoned professional within the field you’re applying for, use a branding statement to make that clear at the beginning of your resume.

Justice-oriented family lawyer with strong problem-solving skills ready to put my 25 years of legal expertise to work as a partner of your firm.

You’re applying for a job that requires a specific skillset

Sometimes job descriptions mention specific skills and achievements as part of the requirements. Use your resume branding statement to make it clear that you are the right candidate for the role.

Sales-oriented and outgoing realtor with 6 years of experience and a proven track-record helping people find homes in their desired neighborhoods. Hoping to grow my career with a new team of realtors and brokers.

Extensive experience

If you have 20 years of experience or over in the field you are applying for, you would make an asset to the company.

Compassionate and knowledgeable mental health nurse with 30 years of experience with case management helping clients achieve their best outcomes. Seeking a role in the criminal justice system to help former inmates reintegrate into their communities.

When NOT to include a resume branding statement

Your brand is already in-line with the job you are applying for.

If your work experience and educational background are both in line with the job you’re applying for, it’s already implied that you have what recruiters are looking for. In this case, a resume branding statement may seem redundant.

You’re a student or recent graduate

If you’re in school or recently finished your education, you likely don’t have a lot of work experience and a resume branding statement may not help your case. Highlight relevant coursework and/or internships instead. Check out our post The Proper Way to Include an Internship on a Resume .

Resume branding statement template

To help you get started, we’ve created a template that you can easily copy, paste and insert into your own resume.

[Strength] and [strength] [professional title], with [number] years of experience in [skill/accomplishment]. Seeking to accomplish [career goals].

Resume branding statement examples

Mid-level job seeker resume branding statement:.

Research analyst with methodological approach to projects and 5 years of research writing experience. Hoping to improve research skills with new projects at Resume Branded University.

Senior-level job seeker resume branding statement:

Patient and knowledgeable physics teacher with 23 years of experience helping high school students connect with science in new ways. Looking to teach higher-level students at Somewhere University.

Experienced/Senior-Level job seeker resume branding statement:

Financial Analyst with 27 years of experience applying organizational and leadership skills to support the needs of the firm’s clients and staff. Seeking to take career to the next level with a managerial role at Anywhere Bank.

Key takeaways for crafting your branding statement for your resume

• Emphasize your skills, achievements, and career goals in a way that sets you apart from other applicants.
• Avoid buzzwords and cliches in your resume branding statement.
• Focus on specific and measurable accomplishments and use active language and examples that show how you’ve used your abilities.
• Tie your unique personality traits into your resume branding statement.
• Incorporate the skills and keywords that are in the job description and on the company’s website to align with the job you’re applying for.
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How to Add a Branding Statement to Your Resume

What Is a Branding Statement?

• What to Include in a Branding Statement
• Where to Put Your Branding Statement

Update All Your Online Profiles

• Resume With a Branding Statement

More Resume Heading Options

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc. / Getty Images

The growing popularity of personal branding and a job market that continues to be competitive has increased the use of branding statements at the top of resumes.

A branding statement is a short, catchy statement that highlights your most relevant expertise in about 15 words or fewer. If you include a branding statement, you can elaborate further on your key qualifications through a longer summary statement .

What to Include in Your Branding Statement

A strong branding statement conveys exceptional qualities, skills, experiences, or areas of knowledge that distinguish you from the average candidate. Your statement should express how you add value and produce results that impact the bottom line in your target sector.

Branding statements should be tailored toward a particular job and show how you have the qualifications to excel in that position.

Take an Inventory

Start by taking inventory of your accomplishments in your most relevant roles. Make note of the personal assets which you drew upon to generate those successes. Analyze the requirements of your target job and look for the overlap with your chief assets.

Describe Your Strengths

Select three or four adjectives that describe your key strengths. Weave together the adjectives with your desired job title or role and tie them to the value-added.

Where to Put Your Branding Statement

Your branding statement should be listed between the Contact and the Experience section of your resume:

Janna Cramson 1001 Northwest Ave, Apt 1 Bethesda, MD 20810 E: janna.cramson@email.com C: 555-555-5555

Creative, skilled, social media expert with five years of experience managing professional social media accounts.

Professional Experience

Social Media Manager , XYZ PR Firm , Bethesda, MD November 2020-Present

Also take the time to review your LinkedIn profile and the other information you have online to make sure it's consistent.

Taking the time to update your brand—and to rebrand yourself, if necessary - will help you remain a competitive candidate throughout your career.

Resume Example With a Branding Statement

This is an example of a resume with a branding statement. Download the resume template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more resume options.

Resume Example With a Branding Statement (Text Version)

Benjamin Applicant 123 East Street, Oakland, CA, 94610 Home: 555-555-5555 Cell: 555-123-4567 benjamin.applicant@email.com

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Detail-oriented development assistant experienced in coordinating extensive fundraising efforts and drafting successful grant proposals.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Development Assistant, Children’s Hospital, Oakland, CA July 2020 – present

• Manage fundraising efforts including organizing mass mailings and writing and sending appreciation letters to donors.
• Enter and maintain data in donor database; responsible for answering any questions regarding donor data.
• Manage general logistics within the development office through administrative assistance, such as drafting mail, filing, faxing, and answering phone calls.

Recruitment Manager, ABC Education Nonprofit, Oakland, CA August 2018 – June 2020

• Identify and pursue over 500 prospective applicants for our teacher fellowships.
• Maintain regular communication with more than 250 career centers and student organizations at top colleges and universities.
• Manage the company’s hiring process through resume reviews, phone interviews, and in-person interviews.
• Manage a team of three employees, training new members, and creating and delegating assignments.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

Bachelor of Arts, 123 College , San Diego, CA May 2018 Major: Marketing

Certifications

Certificate of Fundraising, XYZ University December 2018

• Received the award for best final grant proposal of 35 students.

What’s the difference between an objective, a headline, a profile, a summary, and a branding statement on a resume?

Here’s more information on each of the other options for upgrading your resume, so it’s more than just a list of the work you have done:

• Resume Objective : Short synopsis of your employment goals as they relate to the job you’re applying for.
• Resume Headline : Phrase that highlights your value as a candidate.
• Resume Profile : Brief summary (paragraph) of your skills and qualifications for the position.
• Resume Career Summary : Lists your key achievements, skills, and experience.

When considering what to include on your resume, decide which type of heading will best showcase your qualifications for the job. What’s most important is to make sure that you take the time to specifically relate your skills to those the employer is seeking.

Top 10 Personal Brand Statement Examples To Follow

Updated: March 11, 2024

Published: June 18, 2023

In a 2022 personal branding trends study, most respondents said they consider personal branding an essential component of work and their everyday life. 

It found that 75% of Americans trust someone with a personal brand, and 63% are likely to buy from someone with a personal brand. 

As an entrepreneur who is always on the lookout for customers or potential investors, you know that trust is key. Developing a personal brand for yourself can be an effective tool to help grow your business.

What is a personal brand statement?

A personal brand statement is a couple of sentences that highlights your unique skills and experience. It’s meant to be a quick introduction to people who discover you online because it summarizes what you can offer them.

Basically, it’s a catchphrase, tag line, or elevator pitch for you as a professional individual. While it showcases what you do professionally, you can also display your personality.

Why leaders should have a personal brand statement

You make a better first impression.

As the saying goes, “You only have one shot to make a first impression.” The challenge for entrepreneurs is that you don’t always know when that opportunity arises, as many first impressions happen online.

When a potential client or investor hears about you, their first instinct is to look up your social media profiles. If you’ve got a clear and well-thought-out personal brand statement, you’ve got a better chance at making them stick around for second and third impressions.

You can establish yourself as a thought leader

Thought leadership is a powerful content marketing tactic that can help you reach bigger audiences and generate leads for your business. When you’re known as a leader in your particular industry, that automatically gives you a higher level of credibility. 

A personal brand statement can strengthen your thought leadership strategy by clearly stating your area of expertise.

You can create networking opportunities

Whether you’re looking for top talent, new clients, or potential investors, networking is half the battle. 

Personal brand statements make it easy for potential connections to understand exactly what you do and what you value. Without it, you may miss out on opportunities simply because they didn’t know that you had something relevant to offer them.

Best personal brand statement examples for leaders

“bilingual creative who lives at the intersection of business & design.” —chris do.

Source: Chris Do’s LinkedIn page .

Chris Do is a multi-hyphenate: a designer, creative strategist, public speaker, founder, and CEO of The Futur, an online education platform.

What makes it great : Because he wears so many hats, Do’s personal branding statement is better than trying to explain everything he does.

“Helping people find their zen in the digital age.” —Shama Hyder

Source: Shama Hyder’s homepage .

Shama Hyder is the founder and CEO of Zen Media, a marketing and PR firm. She’s also written a book about digital marketing .

What makes it great : Hyder’s brand statement is an attention-grabbing play on her company’s name and showcases one of her key values: making clients feel a sense of calm in a fast-paced digital world.

“Write better sales emails faster with our in-inbox coach.” —Will Allred

Source: Will Allred’s LinkedIn page .

Will Allred is the co-founder of Lavender, an AI-powered email software startup.

What makes it great : Brooklin Nash, CEO of Beam Content, shares, “In one sentence, Allred captures the entire focus of his social presence: to help salespeople write better emails faster while demonstrating his authority and sharing his product in the second part of that headline.”

“Keeping it awkward, brave, and kind.” —Brené Brown

Source: Dr. Brené Brown’s homepage .

Brené Brown has a Ph.D. in sociology and is the author of several books that cover topics like shame, vulnerability, empathy, and courage.

What makes it great : Dr. Brown’s personal brand statement embodies her mission statement of encouraging people to embrace their vulnerabilities by sharing her own.

“Empowering ridiculously good marketing.” —Ann Handley

Source: Ann Handley’s homepage .

Ann Handley is a digital marketing expert and bestselling author. Her company helps marketers get tangible results.

What makes it great : Sharon Jonah, creative director and founder of digital marketing agency Buzz Social, shares, “In four words, we understand what Handley does, how she does it, whom she’s speaking to, and how she speaks.”

“Still just a girl who wants to learn. Youngest-ever Nobel laureate, co-founder @malalafund and president of Extracurricular Productions.” —Malala Yousafzai

Source: Malala Yousafzai’s Twitter profile .

Malala Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel laureate and an activist whose fund aims to remove the barriers to female education around the world.

What makes it great : Her bio highlights her impressive achievements with language that makes her sound relatable. 

“Marketing. Strategy. Humanity.” —Mark Schaefer

Source: Mark Schaefer’s homepage .

Mark Schaefer is an educator, speaker, marketing consultant, and author. He’s developed corporate marketing strategies for brands like Microsoft, IBM, and AT&T.

What makes it great : “It’s subtle, concise, and creative. It describes what Schaefer does, what he focuses on, and his unique and distinguished approach,” says Omer Usanmaz, CEO and co-founder of mentoring and learning software Qooper. 

“Empowering successful women to take control of their finances.” —Jennifer Welsh

Source: Jennifer Welsh’s LinkedIn profile page .

Jennifer Welsh founded Money School, a digital course that teaches women about personal finance. What makes it great : Welsh’s strong personal brand statement says exactly what she does and whom she does it for. 

“Let’s make Excel the solution, not the problem.” —Kat Norton (Miss Excel)

Source: Miss Excel’s homepage .

Kat Norton (known as Miss Excel) became famous on TikTok for her bite-sized Microsoft Excel tutorials. She now offers Excel courses on her website.

What makes it great : Norton’s clever statement shows that she understands her audience's problem and highlights her personality.

“‘The Customer Whisperer.’ I help marketers discover the hidden reasons why customers buy so they can become un-ignorable.” —Katelyn Bourgoin

Source: Katelyn Bourgoin’s LinkedIn page .

Katelyn Bourgoin is a creator and serial entrepreneur who founded a branding agency, a mentoring platform for female entrepreneurs, and a restaurant consulting firm. She trains entrepreneurs to uncover what makes their products “un-ignorable.”

What makes it great : Bourgoin’s clever branding statement effectively tells marketers that she can help them understand their customers better and make their brands memorable.

How to write a personal brand statement

Writing an effective personal brand statement can be tough because it requires you to be catchy yet compelling. It should give audiences all the necessary information in a sentence or two.

Here are some tips for writing your own:

Think about your unique value proposition

A unique value proposition (or unique selling point) is what makes you different. It tells people why they should try your product or service, network with you, or invest in your business.

Tip : Identify your core values, goals, and strengths.

If you don't know what those are, ask yourself:

• Why am I building my brand?
• What do I want my audience to know me for?
• How do I do things differently?
• Do I have a distinct skill set, experience, point of view, or passion?
• What value do I bring to my audience?

Keep it short and sweet

Your brand statement should be simple and easy to understand. 

The goal is to have someone look at your profile or website and immediately understand who you are and what you do, so keep it brief. Keep in mind that you don’t need full sentences either. 

Start by writing one to three sentences that outline what you do, for whom, and how you do it. You can also add a sentence about values. 

Then, look at different ways you can shorten them. Or pick out the most specific and impactful words and see what happens when you simply list them. 

Showcase your personality

Injecting your personality empowers you to share what you do without being bland or boring. Being authentic also helps attract like-minded customers, investors, and peers. 

At the end of the day, there are other people out there who may offer similar services or solve the same problems for your target audience. Your personality can set you apart.

“Don't be afraid to inject a bit of humor, quirkiness, and passion. It’ll help make you more memorable and help you stand out from the crowd,” says Usanmaz.

Ideally, you want customers to know what you do and get a little taste of what it will be like to work with you.

A personal brand statement conveys your mission, differentiates you from competitors, and attracts your target audience. Use these tips and real-life examples of personal brand statements to inspire you to write your own.

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Resume personal statement examples

If you want to secure job interview, you need a strong personal statement at the top of your resume.

Your resume personal statement is a short paragraph which sits at the very top of your resume – and it’s aim is to summarize the benefits of hiring you and encourage employers to read your resume in full.

In this guide I have included 17 resume personal statement examples from a range of professions and experience levels, plus a detailed guide of how to write your own personal statement that will get you noticed by employers

Resume templates 

17 resume personal statement examples

To start this guide, I have included 10 examples of good personal statements, to give you an idea of how a personal statement should look , and what should be included.

Note: personal statements are generally used by junior candidates – if you are experienced, check out our resume summary examples instead.

College graduate resume personal statement (no experience)

Although this college graduate has no paid work experience , they compensate for it by showcasing all of the skills and knowledge the have gained during their studies, and demonstrating how they apply their knowledge in academic and personal projects.

When you have little or no experience, it’s important to draw out transferable workplace skills from your studies and extracurricular work, to showcase them to employers.

College graduate resume personal statement (part time freelance experience)

This candidate has graduated college with a degree in biochemistry but actually wants to start a career in marketing after providing some digital freelance services to fund their studies.

In this case, they haven’t made much mention of their studies because they aren’t relevant to the marketing agencies they are applying to. Instead they have focused their personal statement around their freelance work and passion for the digital field – although they still mention the fact they are degree educated to prove their academic success.

High school leaver resume personal statement (no experience)

This candidate is 16 years old and has no work experience whatsoever, but they compensate for this by detailing their academic achievements that relate to the roles they are applying for (maths and literacy are important requirements in finance and accountancy roles).

They also add some info on their extracurricular activities and high school work-placements, to strengthen this student resume further.

Top tips for writing a resume personal statement

• Thoroughly research the jobs and companies you are planning to apply for to identify the type of candidate they are looking for – try to reflect that in your personal statement
• Don’t be afraid to brag a little – include some of your most impressive achievements from education, work or personal life
• Focus on describing the benefits an employer will get from hiring you. Will you help them to get more customers? Improve their workplace? Save them time and money?
• If you have no work experience, demonstrate transferable workplace skills from your education, projects, or even hobbies

High school leaver resume personal statement (part time experience)

Although this person has only just left high school, they have also undertaken some part-time work in a call center alongside their studies.

To make the most of this experience, they have combined their academic achievements with their workplace exposure in this personal statement.

By highlighting their future studies, summer programme involvement, work experience and expressing their ambitions to progress within sales, this candidate really makes an appealing case for hiring them.

College leaver resume personal statement (no experience)

This candidate has left college with good grades, but does not yet have any work experience.

To compensate for the lack of workplace exposure, they have made their honor results prominent and highlighted skills and experience which would benefit the employers they are targeting.

Any recruiter reading this summary can quickly understand that this candidate has great academic achievements, a passion for IT and finance and the ability to transfer their skills into an office environment.

College student resume personal statement (freelance experience)

As this student has picked up a small amount of freelance writing work during their studies, they have made sure to brag about it in their personal statement.

They give details on their relevant studies to show the skills they are learning, and boost this further by highlighting the fact that they have been applying these skills in a real-life work setting by providing freelance services.

They also include key action verbs that recruiters will be looking for , such as creative writing, working to deadlines, and producing copy.

Academic resume personal statement

Aside from junior candidates, the only other people who might use a personal statement, are academic professionals; as their resume’s tend to be more longer and detailed than other professions.

This candidate provides a high level overview of their field of study, length of experience, and the roles they have held within colleges.

High school leaver resume personal statement with sports experience

Although this person has no work experience, they are still able to show employers the value of hiring them by selling their other achievements and explaining how they could benefit an organization.

They expand on their sports club involvement to demonstrate their teamwork, leadership skills, communication and motivation, which are all important traits in the workplace, and will be looked upon favourably by recruiters and hiring managers.

They also draw upon their future plans to study business studies at college and take a part time job, to further prove their ambition and dedication.

History graduate resume personal statement

This history graduate proves their aptitude for both academic achievement and workplace aptitude by showcasing valuable skills from their degree and voluntary work.

They do this by breaking down the key requirements for each and showing how their skills could be beneficial for future employers, such as listening, communication, and crisis management.

They also describe how their ability to balance studies alongside voluntary work has not only boosted their knowledge and skills, but also given excellent time management and organizational skills – which are vital assets to any employer.

Law graduate resume personal statement

This legal graduate makes the most from their college work placements by using it to bulk out the contents of their resume personal statement.

They include their degree to show they have the necessary qualifications for legal roles, which is crucial, but more importantly, they showcase how they applied their legal skills within a real-life work setting.

They give a brief overview of the types of legal professionals they have been working alongside and the type of work they have been carrying out – this is all it takes to get the attention of recruiters and show employers they have what it takes to fulfil roles in the legal sector.

Medical student resume personal statement

This medical student proves their fit for the role by showcasing the key skills they have gained from their studies and their work experience placements.

In just these few sentences, they are able to highlight the vast amount of experience they have across different disciplines in the industry, something which is particularly important in the medical sector.

As they have not graduated yet and are still studying, they have provided proof of their most recent grades. This can give the recruiter some indication as to the type of grade they could be graduating with in the near future.

Masters student resume personal statement

This masters student has started by specifying their area of study, in this case, accounting, and given details about the specific areas of finance they are most interested in. This can hint towards their career goals and passions.

They have then carefully listed some of the key areas of accounting and finance that they are proficient in. For example, business finance, advanced corporate finance and statistics.

They have also outlined some of the transferable skills needed for accounting roles that employers will be looking out for, such as communication, attention to detail and analytical skills.

Finance student resume personal statement

As this finance student has recently undertaken some relevant work experience, they’ve made sure to shout about this in their personal summary.

But more than this, they have included a list of some of the important finance skills they gained as a result of this work experience – for example, financial reporting, processing invoices and month-end reconciliations.

Plus, through power words and phrases such as ‘prevent loss’ and ‘improve upon accuracy and efficiency’, they have also showcased how they can apply these skills in a workplace setting to benefit the potential employer.

Internship resume personal statement

This digital marketing professional has started their personal summary by outlining their most relevant qualifications and work experience, most notably their freelance role as a content manager.

They have also provided examples of some of the key marketing skills that potential employers might be looking for, including very detailed examples of the platforms and tools they are proficient in – for example, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest.

They have then closed their statement by giving a detailed description of the type of role or opportunity they are looking for. In this case, an in-house position in a marketing company.

College graduate career changer personal statement

Switching careers as a college graduate can be tough. Especially when it comes to writing a personal statement that will attract employers in your new chosen field.

This candidate is looking to move from history teaching into journalism, so they have created a statement which briefly mentions their current workplace, but mainly focuses on highlighting transferable skills which are relevant to journalism. They achieve this by discussing the writing skills they use in their current role, and mentioning their hobby of writing – including some publications they have been featured in for extra brownie points.

Business management graduate personal statement

This business management proves their ability to work within a junior business management position by swiftly highlighting their impressive degree (to ensure it is not missed) and summarizing some of the real-life experience they have gained in management during their college placements and volunteering. They do not let their lack of paid work experience, stop them demonstrating their valuable skills.

PhD graduate

PhD graduate roles attract a lot of competition, so it’s important that your resume contains a personal statement that will quickly impress and attract recruiters.

This candidate provides a short-but-comprehensive overview of their academic achievements, whilst demonstrating their exceptional level of knowledge in research, languages and publication writing.

By highlighting a number of skills and abilities that are in high-demand in the academic workplace, this resume is very likely to get noticed and land interviews.

How to write a personal statement for your resume

Now that you’ve seen what a personal statement should look like and the type of content it should contain, follow this detailed guide to one for your own resume – and start racking those interviews up.

Guide contents

What is a resume personal statement?

Resume personal statement or resume summary, personal statement format, what to include in a resume personal statement.

• Personal statement mistakes

How to write persuasively

A personal statement is a short paragraph at the top of your resume which gives employers an overview of your education, skills and experience

It’s purpose is to capture the attention of busy recruiters and hiring managers when your resume is first opened – encouraging them to read the rest of it.

You achieve this by writing a tailored summary of yourself that explains your suitability for the roles you are applying for at a very high level, and matches your target job descriptions .

One question candidates often ask me is , “what is the difference between a personal statement and a resume summary?”

To be honest, they are almost the same – they are both introductory paragraphs that sit at the top of your resume… but there are 2 main differences:

A personal statement tends to be used more by junior candidates (college graduates, high school leavers etc.) and is relatively long and detailed.

A resume summary tends to be favoured by more experienced candidates , and is shorter in length than a personal statement.

Note: If you are an experienced candidate, you may want to switch over to my resume writing guide , or example resume summaries page.

To ensure you grab recruiters’ attention with your personal statement, lay it out in the following way.

Positioning

You need to ensure that your personal statement sits at the very top of your resume, and all of it should be totally visible to readers, without the need to scroll down the page.

Do this by reducing the top page margin and minimizing the space taken up by your contact details.

This will ensure that your whole personal statement can be seen, as soon as your resume is opened.

We have a resume template which can help you to get this right.

Size/length

Your personal statement needs to contain enough detail to provide an introduction to your skills and knowledge, but not so much detail that it bores readers.

To strike the right balance, anything between 8-15 lines of text is perfect – and sentences should be sharp and to-the-point.

As with the whole of your resume , your personal statement should be written in a simple clean font at around size 10-12 to ensure that it can be read easily by all recruiters and employers.

Keep the text color simple, ensuring that it contrasts the background (black on white is best) and break it into 2 or even 3 paragraphs for a pleasant reading experience.

It should also be written in a punchy persuasive tone, to help you sell yourself and increase your chances of landing interviews , I cover how to do this in detail further down the guide.

Quick tip: A poorly written resume will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy Resume Builder to create a winning resume in minutes with professional resume templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Once you have the style and format of your personal statement perfected, you need to fill it with compelling content that tells recruiters that your resume is worth reading.

Here’s what needs to go into your personal statement…

Before you start writing your personal statement, it’s crucial that you research your target roles to find out exactly what your new potential employers are looking for in a candidate.

Run a search for your target jobs on one of the major job websites, look through plenty of adverts and make a list of the candidate requirements that frequently appear.

This research will show you exactly what to include in your personal statement in order to impress the recruiters who will be reading it.

Education and qualifications are an important aspect of your personal statement, especially if you are a junior candidate.

You should highlight your highest and most relevant qualifications, whether that is a degree or your GED. You could potentially go into some more detail around modules, papers etc. if they are relevant to the roles you are applying for.

It’s important that you discuss the experience you have gained in your personal statement, to give readers an idea of the work you are comfortable undertaking.

This can of course be direct employed work experience, but it doesn’t have to be.

You can also include:

• High school/college work placements
• Voluntary work
• Personal projects
• Hobbies/interests

As with all aspects of your resume , the content should be tailored to match the requirements of your target roles.

Whilst discussing your experience, you should touch upon skills used, industries worked in, types of companies worked for, and people you have worked with.

Where possible, try to show the impact your actions have made. E.g.  A customer service agent helps to make sales for their employer.

Any industry-specific knowledge you have that will be useful to your new potential employers should be made prominent within your personal statement.

For example

• Knowledge of financial regulations will be important for accountancy roles
• Knowledge of IT operating systems will be important for IT roles
• Knowledge of the national curriculum will be important for teachers

You should also include some information about the types of roles you are applying for, and why you are doing so. Try to show your interest and passion for the field you are hoping to enter, because employers want to hire people who have genuine motivation and drive in their work.

This is especially true if you don’t have much work experience, as you need something else to compensate for it.

Resume personal statement mistakes

The things that you omit from your personal statement can be just as important as the things you include.

Try to keep the following out of your personal statement..

Irrelevant info

Any information that doesn’t fall into the requirements of your target roles can be cut out of your personal statement. For example, if you were a professional athlete 6 years ago, that’s great – but it won’t be relevant if you’re applying to advertising internships, so leave it out.

Generic clichés

If you are describing yourself as a “ dynamic team player with high levels of motivation and enthusiasm” you aren’t doing yourself any favours.

These cliché terms are vastly overused and don’t provide readers with any factual details about you – so keep them to a minimum.

Stick to solid facts like education, skills , experience, achievements and knowledge.

If you really want to ensure that your personal statement makes a big impact, you need to write in a persuasive manner.

So, how do you so this?

Well, you need to brag a little – but not too much

It’s about selling yourself and appearing confident, without overstepping the mark and appearing arrogant.

For example, instead of writing.

“Marketing graduate with an interest in entering the digital field”

Be creative and excite the reader by livening the sentence up like this,

“Marketing graduate with highest exam results in class and a passion for embarking on a long and successful career within digital”

The second sentence is a much more interesting, makes the candidate appear more confident, throws in some achievements, and shows off a wider range of writing skills.

Quick tip: A poorly written resume will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy Resume Builder to create a winning resume in minutes with professional templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Your own personal statement will be totally unique to yourself, but by using the above guidelines you will be able to create one which shows recruiters everything they need.

Remember to keep the length between 10-20 lines and only include the most relevant information for your target roles.

You can also check our college graduate resume example , our best resume templates , or our library of example resumes from all industries.

Good luck with the job hunt!