The profile summary is the short paragraph at the top of your CV, right under your name. In Finnish it's called profiili or esittely. A recruiter often reads it first and decides in seconds whether to keep reading. That makes it the most important part of your CV, and also the part most people get wrong.
Answer three questions
A good profile is 2–4 sentences and answers three questions, in this order:
- Who are you? Your field, your studies or degree, and how much experience you have.
- What can you do? Your two or three strongest skills, the ones that matter for the job.
- What are you looking for? The kind of job you want, and where.
That last question is the one most people skip. Finnish recruiters like it when the candidate is clear about what they want, because it shows you've thought about the role.
Common mistakes
- A list of personality words. "Hard-working, reliable, fast learner, team player." Every CV says this, so it tells the recruiter nothing. Show these qualities through your experience instead.
- Repeating your work history. The profile is a summary, not a copy of the experience section below it.
- Too long. More than 4–5 lines and recruiters start skipping it.
- The same profile for every job. Adjust the last sentence to each job you apply for. It takes one minute and makes a real difference.
- No mention of Finnish. If you're learning Finnish, a short mention in the profile or the language section is a positive signal.
Before and after examples
The same profile in Finnish
If you apply in Finnish, the same three-part structure works. Here is the warehouse example in Finnish:
You can write the profile with "I" (minä) or without it, but stay consistent. Both are common in Finland.
Quick checklist for your profile
- 2–4 sentences, no more than about 5 lines
- Says who you are, what you can do and what you're looking for
- No list of personality words without evidence
- Matches the job you're applying for
- Mentions Finnish if you're learning it
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Get your free CV reviewThis article is general guidance based on publicly available Finnish job-search resources. It is not professional advice and does not guarantee interviews or job offers.
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