How Tech candidates should write a CV profile in 2026

No-nonsense tips for the IT crowd on the CV’s perhaps most important section, the Profile/Summary, from an expert who’s improved thousands of CVs.

I want to provide technology job applicants with some no-nonsense, straightforward advice on how to write the Profile section of a CV.

But before I do, as an expert who’s improved thousands of CVs, here’s my top tip in 2026 for how IT industry workers should approach this first part of the CV.

Write it last!

The Profile should be the LAST section on your CV which you write

By writing the Profile once every other section is complete, you come at it with all the already inputted experience, skills and achievements fresh in your mind. And the confidence from writing the rest of your CV, so it is so much easier to do!

Otherwise, try composing the Profile first, and writer’s block will attack, and you’ll stop before you start.

Now you know about when, read on to find out how to write your CV Profile as an IT job candidate, writes Kick-Ass CV Coach and LinkedIn adviser Rebecca Pay.

What is a CV profile?

On a CV, the Profile is that bit at the start; some call it a Summary, Professional Summary or the Objective.

In 2026, it needs to be your elevator pitch. The instant and undeniable reason to read the rest of your CV.

CV Profile as a tech job-seeker in 2026: Dos and don’ts

Don’t be tempted to write a buzzword soup.

There is an art to writing the Profile, but one ring does not rule them all. There are multiple ways to do it.

Just make sure you own your way.

Your CV Profile needs to sound like you, so:

use natural speech

write it in the first person

don’t drift into slang and keep out anything unprofessional.

With your Profile, you want to stand out, but for the right reasons! One of those will be drilling down into your Unique Selling Point (USP).

Your USP: what actually makes you different in tech - 3 prompts

You have a unique set of skills and experience.

The key for techies in 2026 when it comes to writing your CV Profile is thinking about these in combination with how you approach your work.

Here are three prompts to help you get closer to your USP as a techie:

Do you think differently from most other techies?

Do you solve problems in a new or unique way?

Do you use your background in hairdressing or hospitality or customer service to inform how you speak to people on all levels?

How to write a CV Profile

Don’t just write something that sounds like any tech person who does your job. It simply won’t be good enough in today’s IT jobs market.

Stuck? Well, try thinking about your journey.

What have you achieved, or what was the outcome for your employer or client?

Three CV Profile-writing tips on ‘journey’

Still stuck on ‘journey’?

Ask others.

Look at appraisals (if you’re an IT full-timer)

Revisit client feedback (if you’re an IT freelancer)

Chances are; you will come up with some great stuff.

A strong tech USP is not what you know, it’s how you apply it - under pressure, with real people involved.

Should you adapt CV Profile to fit each IT job application?

Yes, but only to an extent.

Keep it sounding like you, if you need to adapt it too heavily maybe the technology role isn’t a good fit.

But don’t be afraid to slide in some of the more relevant experience that matches what they are looking for.

You want to make a hiring manager’s job easy, not a hunt for a needle in a tech stack.

Which font is best for the CV Profile of a technology job candidate?

As a technologist seeking employment in 2026, your CV Profile needs to be in a modern and readable font, like Calibri. Nothing too fancy or unusual and avoid old-fashioned ones like Arial and Times New Roman unless you want them to think you still write on stone tablets.

Overuse of italics or bold is ill-advised.

How long should a techie’s CV Profile be in 2026?

As for the length of your CV Profile, 80-100 words is usually about right.

And for goodness’ sake, please spell check the Profile within an inch of your life! Use Grammarly or AI, as well as spell check.

Is your CV Profile authentic?

You won’t want to be exposed at the interview should your tech job application prove successful, so next up, check that your CV Profile is authentic.

The best way? Ask someone who knows you and isn’t afraid to tell you what they think.

You want to get a genuine opinion on whether the Profile sounds like you.

Final checks

Finally, read your CV Profile out loud.

This will help you decide if it sounds engaging or repetitive.

You don’t need to list every tool or piece of software you have ever used; the Profile is for impact, the Skills section is for your tools or frameworks.

CV Profile - in a nutshell for techies in 2026

Overall, if you want your CV to work in the IT jobs market of 2026, it needs to have a Profile that gets to the point, makes a point and sounds like you. Engage them with this first paragraph and you’ll have a high chance of nabbing that interview. First impressions still count, making the Profile section perhaps the CV’s most important.

Which is why it pays to write it last and make it kick-ass!

If you’d like any hands-on help or a free template you can join her community here or check out the website kickassCVs.com.

How to write a kick-ass CV Profile as a tech job candidate?