CV Summary Examples & How to Write One in 2025

Writing a strong CV summary can feel like a daunting task. How do you highlight your best achievements and top skills in just a few sentences, without overwhelming the reader? It might seem tricky at first, but it’s absolutely doable—and well worth the effort.

In this article, I’ll show you what a CV summary is and why it matters. You’ll get practical tips, learn how to craft your own, and see standout examples that grab recruiters’ attention right away. Let’s dive in.

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What is a CV summary?

A CV summary is a brief section positioned at the top of a CV that highlights your key skills, professional achievements, and career goals. It typically consists of 3 to 5 concise sentences that highlight your most relevant qualifications, helping to capture the employer’s attention.

Here’s a CV summary example to explain it even more clearly:

CV summary example

This sample summary for a CV ticks all the boxes: it emphasises the candidate's skills, experience, and notable achievements, effectively showcasing their value proposition to potential employers.

Why is a CV professional summary so important?

In today’s labour market, recruiters often sift through numerous applications to identify the best candidates quickly. Including a CV summary allows you to present your professional qualifications, making it easier for employers to assess your suitability for the role at a glance. This encourages recruiters to delve deeper into your CV, improving your chances of getting an interview.

Every good personal summary for a CV has to do the following three things:

• Introduce yourself as a professional, highlighting your key traits and qualities.
• Show what you can offer by giving examples of your past achievements.
• Outline your career goals and how they align with the company’s objectives.

Here’s a CV summary example that does the above:

Professional CV summary—example for the UK market

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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How to write a CV summary?

Creating a compelling summary for a CV takes planning. Before you start, make sure you’ve covered these steps:

1. Review the job advertisement

Ensure that your personal summary for a CV addresses specific expectations and requirements outlined in the job ad. A good summary for a CV focuses on your experiences and professional goals, but it also demonstrates your alignment with the company’s values and missions. Research the company and its culture to gain insight into its direction and objectives.

2. Mention the span of your experience

In your CV summary, highlight your expertise, years of experience, and a key trait.

• If you’re currently employed, include your job title.
• If you’re still studying, mention your field of study.
• If you’re unemployed, add any relevant volunteer work, freelance projects, or personal initiatives that demonstrate your commitment.

You can also mention your area of specialisation to help recruiters quickly see if you’re a good fit.

3. Summarise your key achievements

Recall 1–2 standout achievements that are related to the job you’re interested in. Use short, dynamic sentences that present quantifiable information, demonstrating your professionalism and efficiency. Use keywords from the job description to make your CV summary more targeted and relevant.

CV summary example highlighting achievements

4. Point out your strongest skills

Mention the key skills and traits, including technical skills, that make you a great fit for the given position. You can highlight your skills in combination with your accomplishments and experiences, or specify particular skills that make you a standout candidate. If there are any areas of your work that you feel particularly confident about, add them.

CV summary example focusing on skills

5. Explain your goals and motivations

At the end of your CV summary, say how you want to contribute to that particular company and what value you can add as an individual. How do you want to utilise your skills and expertise? How could the company benefit from your experience? Be sure to mention the company name as well as the job title.

10 CV summary examples for top UK jobs

Below are CV summary examples for some of the most sought-after jobs in the UK, showcasing the skills, experiences, and achievements that can make a candidate shine:

CV summary example for a project manager

CV summary example for a marketing manager

CV summary example for an administrative assistant

CV summary example for a teacher

CV summary example for a nurse

CV summary example for a financial analyst

CV summary example for a software engineer

CV summary example for a data scientist

CV summary example for an engineer

CV summary example for a Human Resources manager

How to write a CV summary statement if you have no experience?

Even if you haven’t held a paid job before, you can still create a strong CV summary by focusing on relevant activities and qualities. Start by highlighting any volunteer roles, internships, and placement work you’ve done. For example, mention specific tasks you handled, skills you developed, or positive outcomes you contributed to during these experiences.

If you haven’t had these opportunities yet, don’t worry. In this case, write a statement that explains why you’re motivated and how your values align with the company. Research the company, its mission, values, and read about its corporate culture.

Plus, you can lean on academic achievements and any relevant project work you’ve done. Check out our guide on how to write a student CV, which shows how to approach a personal summary for a CV before you’ve got any real work experience to speak of.

CV summary example for students

Tips for writing a strong CV summary

Here are some additional tips to make your CV summary encourage employers to get in touch with you:

1. Be concrete

Be as specific and concrete as you can. In your CV summary, quantify the benefits you brought to your employer and put as many numbers as you can.

2. Use action verbs

Include a strong, dynamic verb to start each achievement, such as ‘negotiated’, ‘led’, ‘achieved’, ‘produced’, ‘saved’, or ‘developed’. Structure each point as an accomplishment statement, clearly showing what you did. 

3. Keep it concise

Make your personal summary for a CV brief and focused. Choose the most essential information, and aim for 3–4 sentences so that your CV doesn’t exceed one page. Don’t go over 50–150 words in total.

4. Avoid generic statements

Generic, worn-out statements won’t make your CV summary stand out against other candidates. Try to reflect your individuality, your unique traits, and key strengths that make you a professional everyone loves to work with.

5. Write it last

Your CV summary comes first in your application, but don’t feel pressured to write it immediately. Having worked through and prepared your work experience section with job descriptions, writing the CV summary will become much easier. 

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

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Trust me, these tips will put you on the road to an effective CV summary. Writing the first one can be challenging, but it becomes much easier with practice.

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with LiveCareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.

Sources

• Gibson K., (2023) 7 Ways You Can Achieve Your Professional Development Goals. Harvard Business School Online
• Gov.uk, Volunteer opportunities, rights and expenses