An ‘About Me’ section on a resumé can make a lasting first impression on a potential employer. Similar to a resumé summary, it’s a section that tells a hiring manager who you are: your qualifications, key skills and professional experience.
Learning how to write an ‘About Me’ summary on a resumé can be a great way to make your application stand out, and let a hiring manager know why you’re a good candidate for the role. So, how do you introduce yourself on a resumé? In this article, we explain why an ‘About Me’ section is so important, what to include in it, and examples that you can use as a guideline.
The ‘About Me’ section on a resumé is a short professional bio, typically a few sentences long. It tells people who you are, highlighting your most relevant skills and experience. Your ‘About Me’ section should grab the attention of the hiring manager by portraying you as the best fit for the advertised position.
Some other reasons why it’s important are:
With the above in mind, you might be wondering: what can I write in the ‘About Me’ section? You don’t need to put much in your ‘About Me’, it’s just a quick snapshot of where you are in your career and the most relevant information for the advertised role. Here are some of the main components to include in your ‘About Me’ section.
Your ‘About Me’ section should start with an opening sentence that catches the hiring manager’s attention by answering the core needs of the advertised role. For example, if the position is for a receptionist, you should lead with a statement that shows you can fill that role. Be specific about your experience and skills.
Instead of writing: I am a highly experienced receptionist…
Write: I am a diploma-qualified receptionist with 5 years of experience in a finance setting, with strong office-administration and client-service skills.
When writing your ‘About Me’ section in your resumé, match your skills and qualifications to the job ad. If the job ad lists a certain skill as an essential criteria or a degree as desirable, be sure to include these details. This will make it easy for the hiring manager to see you have the basics pof what they’re asking for. For example, if the job ad asks for experience in Adobe Photoshop, you should include it in your summary:
I am a graphic designer with 3 years’ agency experience and advanced knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud software, including Photoshop.
Rather than listing off skills, if you can, include a tangible result that demonstrates how you have used your knowledge and abilities in the workplace. This could be figures you achieved, projects you have completed, or a noteworthy achievement in your industry.
For example:
I am an SEO specialist with 12 years’ experience and a track record of successful content optimisation for more than 50 clients across APAC.
Your career goals show the hiring manager that you’re aligned with their organisation’s overall objective and vision. By including a career aspiration in your ‘About Me’ section, you show that you’d be a good cultural fit as well. For example, if a job ad mentions opportunities for progression, your ‘About Me’ could include that your goal is to have a leadership position in your industry. If the company you’re applying at is a small business, you would avoid mentioning any career goals to do with working overseas or leading a large team.
For example:
I am a data analyst with 4 years’ experience in the travel-tech sector. I have advanced skills in Tableau and MySQL and am looking to apply my knowledge within a large, global organisation.
When deciding what to write in ‘About Me’ in your resumé, there are some pitfalls you should avoid. Here’s a quick overview of things to do (and not do) to help you write an ‘About Me’ section that strikes the right notes.
Before writing your ‘About Me’, it can help to first see a few examples, to give you ideas on the types of skills you should include. You can use these ‘About Me’ job application examples as a template for your own, just substitute in your own experience, relevant to the advertised role.
Accomplished professional with X experience in [industry], specialising in [skill/experience]. Expertise in [specific task/responsibility] and proven ability to [achievement/outcome]. Looking to [career move you want to make].
Motivated [area of study] student studying eager to begin an internship/traineeship position in [industry/type of company]. Strong foundational [specific skills] skills and knowledge of [knowledge area].
Fine Arts graduate with specialist knowledge in [study focus area]. Proficient in [relevant skill 1], [relevant skill 2] and [relevant skill 3]. Eager to apply my [specialisation] knowledge and leverage my qualifications into a marketing role at a leading [city] agency.
Project manager with 8 years of experience looking to pivot to [new field]. Proven track record leading teams of [number-of-team-members]+, leading national projects and heading global accounts.
Senior executive with more than a decade of experience leading ASX companies in various c-suite roles. Track record of driving multimillion-dollar revenue growth for a diverse range of organisations and industries. Leader of high-performing management teams and seasoned public speaker looking for my next challenge.
After you’ve chosen an ‘About Me’ in a resumé sample as a starting point, you need to make it unique to you and relevant to the role. Some ways to personalise your ‘About Me’ section include:
It’s also important to proofread your ‘About Me’ (and the rest of your resumé) to ensure it’s free from errors and is easy to understand.
To provide the best overview of who you are and what you offer potential employers, your ‘About Me’ section should neatly summarise your relevant work experience, skills, qualifications and achievements. A well-written ‘About Me’ section in your resumé is a great way to get a hiring manager’s attention and show why you’re the ideal person for the job.
Wondering what should I write about me in a resumé? This section is a short summary of your professional background, with details like your qualifications, experience and achievements, wrapped up in two or three sentences.
Your ‘About Me’ section is an important part of your resumé because it gives hiring managers a quick overview of your professional background, without them having to read your resumé in detail. It provides context about who you are and what you can offer their organisation.
A good example of an ‘About Me’ section should include your professional identity (customer service officer, designer, engineer, teacher, etc.), your years of experience, any special skills or accomplishments, and your career goal (if it aligns with the role you’re applying for). This could look something like:
Diploma-qualified graphic designer with six years of experience and specialisation in UX-UI design. Highly skilled in app design and functionality for e-commerce platforms. Eager to take the next step in my career, ideally leading design and branding projects within an international agency.
Some things you should exclude in a resumé ‘About Me’ section may be:
Always prioritise the skills and experience that match the job ad. Try to address what the employer is looking for and only mention abilities and qualifications that are relevant to that role.
When writing a ‘summary of me’ in a resumé (also known as your ‘About Me’ section), you should include information like:
The resumé summary acts as a professional bio; your most relevant job experience, skills and achievements at a glance.