How to Write a CV Professional Summary (10 Examples You Can Copy)

The professional summary is the short paragraph at the top of your CV. Recruiters often decide in seconds whether to keep reading, so these 2–4 sentences matter more than any other part of your CV.

The 3-part formula

A strong summary answers three questions:

1. Who are you? Your job title and years of experience.
2. What are you good at? 2–3 skills that match the job advert.
3. What have you achieved? One result, ideally with a number.

Formula: [Job title] with [X years] of experience in [field]. Skilled in [skill], [skill] and [skill]. [One achievement with a number].

10 examples by job

Accountant
Chartered accountant with 6 years of experience in audit and corporate tax. Skilled in IFRS reporting, SAP and Excel modelling. Reduced month-end closing time by 30% by automating reconciliations.

Sales executive
Results-driven sales executive with 4 years in B2B software sales. Strong in prospecting, negotiation and CRM management. Exceeded annual targets three years in a row, reaching 128% of quota in 2025.

Registered nurse
Compassionate registered nurse with 5 years of experience in busy medical-surgical wards. Skilled in patient assessment, medication safety and patient education. Trusted to mentor new graduate nurses.

Software developer
Full-stack developer with 4 years of experience building web applications with JavaScript, React and Node.js. Cut page load times by 45% on a high-traffic e-commerce site.

Teacher
Dedicated secondary-school English teacher with 7 years of classroom experience. Skilled in differentiated lessons and exam preparation. Raised pass rates in my department from 72% to 89%.

Customer service representative
Friendly customer service professional with 3 years of experience in call-centre and live-chat support. Known for calm problem-solving and clear communication. Maintained a 96% customer satisfaction score.

Marketing specialist
Digital marketer with 5 years of experience in paid social, SEO and email. Grew organic traffic from 8,000 to 41,000 monthly visits in 18 months.

Project manager
PMP-certified project manager with 8 years delivering construction and fit-out projects worth up to USD 12M. Delivered 14 projects on time and within budget.

Graduate / fresher
Recent business graduate with strong Excel, research and presentation skills. Led a 5-person final-year project that surveyed 300 customers for a local retailer. Eager to start a career in sales or operations.

Career changer
Former hospitality supervisor moving into HR, with 6 years of experience hiring, training and scheduling teams of up to 20 staff. Completed a CIPD Level 3 certificate in 2026.

Mistakes to avoid

• Clichés with no proof, like "hard-working team player". Show it with a result instead.
• Writing in the first person. Leave out "I" and "my" to save space.
• One summary for every job. Change the skills to match each advert.

Write yours now

Open the free CV builder, go to Profile summary and use the formula above. The preview shows exactly how it looks on your CV.