Hints and Tips

The tip will help you with your Linked-In profile to make sure you stand out from the crowd.

As a Consultancy firm that relies on connecting with wealth practitioners who have expertise in specific areas, we use LinkedIn as a tool to find new connections that may be suitable to join our Associate network. We have access to LinkedIn Recruiter, which many other types of companies such as recruitment agencies will use. We want to share our insight of what we have learnt to help you create and adapt your profile to ensure its as effective as it can be and ensure your profile gets in front of the right people for the right roles at the right time. The LinkedIn Hints and Tips sessions we have run with our associates tells us that there are many things that the users of LinkedIn are not aware of.

Linked-In Hints & Tips: Recorded & Written by Matt Short and Giang Hughes.

Here at Simplify we review a large number of CVs, and many do not include a profile or personal statement. They are often generic and some lack detail or thought. Many of our Associates and prospective candidates we talk to have many years of experience, so crafting a powerful summary to highlight your accomplishments and skills shows us, at a glance, why you’re qualified for the role.

A CV profile or personal statement is an important tool when writing your CV. The description will highlight your skills and expertise and shows us and potential employers what assets you will bring to the role. It is also the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will see when opening your CV, so it is worth investing a lot of time and effort into it.

There are many benefits to a good personal summary, it will help you stand apart from the competition and is an opportunity to sell your capabilities by highlighting the relevant skills and experience you possess. By giving the reader a snapshot of your professional experience and suitability for the position and encourages them to read the rest of your CV.

General guidelines for writing your personal profile:

Place your profile where it is highly visible.

Place your profile section at the top of your CV page, above your work and employment history, so that the employer can see it when they first review your CV.

Keep it short and concise.

Whether it is written in bulleted form or a paragraph, write no more than 5-8 lines to ensure you get your message across quickly to time-strapped employers and hiring managers.

Highlight aspects of your CV that are relevant to the job.

Tailor the personal profile to the role. Using a job spec if you have it, is a good reference point. Use the skills and experience you have to match the requirements and address the employer’s specific needs. Assess your credentials and select skills, experiences, and specialist knowledge that you want to highlight.

Evidence your achievements.

Include your highest levels of achievement and include examples or facts and figures to evidence the results you have achieved. Using metrics to show your achievements will make a difference.

Provide personal attributes.

Include your personal attributes as this does not necessarily come across in the rest of the CV but avoid clichés. Terms such as ‘works well in a team’ or ‘always goes the extra mile’ are overused and cliched so focus on tangible industry specific content.

A strong personal statement is vital if you want to land the right role for you.

Written by Giang Hughes.