The professional summary sits at the very top of your CV. It's the first thing a recruiter reads — and often the only thing they read before deciding whether to continue. Getting it right is critical.
A CV summary is 2–4 sentences that introduce you as a professional. It should capture your job title, years of experience, key strengths, and what you're looking for next — all in under 100 words.
Avoid: Generic phrases like "hardworking team player with excellent communication skills." These appear on almost every CV and add no value whatsoever.
"Consultant Physician with 15 years of clinical experience in Internal Medicine and Preventive Cardiology. Experienced in managing complex multi-morbidity patients in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Holds MCPS in Family Medicine and a Postgraduate Diploma in Cardiology from Middlesex University London."
"Full-stack software engineer with 7 years of experience building high-traffic web applications in Python and React. Delivered a microservices migration that reduced server costs by 35%. Seeking a senior engineering role at a product-focused company."
"Data-driven marketing manager with 9 years of experience in B2B SaaS. Grew organic traffic from 12,000 to 180,000 monthly visitors and reduced CAC by 28%. Looking for a head of marketing role at a scale-up with ambitious growth targets."
"Computer science graduate with a 2:1 degree and a dissertation on machine learning applications in healthcare. Completed a summer internship where I built automation tools that saved the team 6 hours per week. Eager to join a graduate software programme."
"Secondary school English teacher with 11 years of experience. Consistently achieved above-average results at GCSE and A Level. Passionate about inclusive education and experienced in supporting students with SEND needs."
"PMP-certified project manager with 8 years of experience delivering complex IT infrastructure projects on time and under budget. Successfully managed a £4.2M ERP implementation across 6 countries."
"Registered nurse with 6 years of ICU experience. Skilled in managing critically ill patients, ventilator weaning, and CRRT. Completed a postgraduate certificate in Critical Care Nursing."
"ACCA-qualified accountant with 10 years in audit and financial reporting. Track record of identifying process improvements that reduced month-end close time by 3 days."
"Former teacher transitioning into corporate L&D, bringing 9 years of curriculum design and facilitation experience. Completed a CIPD Level 5 qualification and delivered training to 300+ professionals."
"COO with 20 years of operational leadership in retail. Led a company through 3x revenue growth to £85M, overseeing a team of 400+ across operations, supply chain and customer service."
Write your CV summary last. Once you've filled in every other section, you'll have a clearer picture of your strongest selling points — and your summary will almost write itself.
Ready to build your CV? Use our free CV generator — or hire a professional writer on Fiverr for a polished result.