How to Write a Great About Me, Professional Summary or Profile Section for Your Resume or Personal Website

The About Me or Professional Summary section has become one of the most important parts of a modern resume and personal website. Whether it appears as the opening paragraph of your resume, the overview of your CV or the About page on your website, this short section sets the tone for your entire professional identity.

Recruiters skim hundreds of profiles in a week. Hiring teams look for clarity, intent and personality—quickly. A strong About Me or Profile Summary helps them understand who you are, what you bring to the table and the direction you’re moving in. When written well, it becomes a quiet but powerful advantage.

This guide breaks down what makes a great summary, how to write one that fits both resumes and personal websites and how to adapt it to different roles without sounding generic or repetitive.

Your summary is the first “storytelling moment” in your professional identity. It’s where you translate years of experience into a simple narrative someone can grasp in seconds. It doesn’t replace your resume—it frames it. It doesn’t replace your website—it humanizes it.

For resumes

A Professional Summary at the top of your resume helps recruiters understand your strengths before they scan your bullet points. It gives context to your experience and aligns you with the role you’re targeting.

For personal websites

Your About page allows more personality and depth. It connects your background, your values and your goals. People who click on your About page are genuinely evaluating you—so clarity and intention matter.

No matter where it appears—resume, CV or website—great summaries share the same essential building blocks. These elements work together to create a clear, confident introduction.

1. A simple, confident opening line

Start with who you are and what you do. Avoid jargon. Avoid buzzwords. Aim for a clean statement of identity.

2. A brief professional narrative

Summaries aren’t biographies, but a short narrative gives people context. It should explain the path that led to your current direction without overwhelming them.

3. Your strengths or focus areas

This is where you highlight what you’re known for—skills, domains, strengths or the type of work you enjoy most. Specificity builds trust.

4. A sense of direction

Forward-looking statements show intentionality. They help people understand what opportunities or collaborations fit you.

5. (Optional for resumes) A human detail (strongly recommended for websites)

People remember human details far more than lists of achievements. One or two small personal notes make your profile feel grounded without being unprofessional.

1. For Resumes: Keep It Role-Specific

Your About Me or Profile Summary on a resume should be tight, practical and aligned with the job you’re targeting. Think of it as a navigation guide for the recruiter.

What to emphasize:

• your primary role or expertise
• your strongest capabilities or outcomes
• one clear directional statement (“now focusing on…”)

Recommended length: 2–4 sentences.

2. For Personal Websites: Expand Your Story Thoughtfully

Your website allows you to be more expressive. Here, your About page becomes a broader introduction—still concise, but more human and narrative-driven.

What to emphasize:

• a short career or learning story
• your values, philosophy or approach
• the kind of work that excites you
• a touch of personality

This version should feel conversational, not corporate.

1. Designers and Creative Professionals

Highlight your creative approach, design philosophy and the types of problems you care about. A personal detail can help your creativity feel relatable and grounded.

2. Software Engineers

Focus on your interest in building, the domains you enjoy and how you think about solving problems. Mention the technologies or challenges that energize you.

3. Product Managers & Business Roles

Your summary should show clarity of thought. Highlight your experience shaping products, collaborating across teams or solving strategic problems.

4. Students & Early-Career Professionals

Keep it honest and forward-looking. Emphasize what you’re learning, the skills you’re developing and where you want to grow.

1. Introduce yourself clearly
“I’m a [role] focused on [skills/strengths].”

2. Add a background line
“I began my career in [area], which shaped my interest in [direction].”

3. Highlight what you enjoy or value
“I enjoy working on [problem/area] because [reason].”

4. Add a future focus
“I’m currently exploring/working toward [goal].”

5. Add a human detail (website only)
“Outside of work, I enjoy [interest].”

This formula adapts to resumes, CVs, LinkedIn summaries and website About pages effortlessly.

1. Sounding like everyone else

Generic buzzwords weaken your message. Specificity wins.

2. Writing too much

Whether it's a resume or website, keep paragraphs digestible.

3. Turning it into a job description

Your summary is about you, not your list of duties.

4. Forgetting the reader

Your About Me should communicate value, not just biography.

Your About Me, Profile Summary or Professional Summary is one of the most versatile and impactful parts of your professional identity. It sets the tone, aligns your strengths with your goals and helps people understand you quickly—whether they’re scanning your resume or browsing your website.

With a clean structure and a few honest lines, you can turn a simple summary into a compelling narrative that makes your resume and personal website work together seamlessly.