Resumes alone aren’t enough anymore. A simple list of your past jobs only tells part of your story. Traditional resumes show your work history, but they miss the most important part—who you are as a person.

Today’s job market wants more than just your experience. Companies are looking for people who fit their team and culture. This means you need to share more than just what jobs you’ve had.

A resume shows your work history, which is important. But a professional profile that includes your work history plus your personality traits, people skills, and career goals. This gives employers the complete picture of who you really are.

Think of your professional profile as your full story—the part that helps recruiters and hiring managers quickly see why you’d be a great fit for their team. It works alongside your resume and other application materials to show your whole self, not just your job titles.

Let’s look at what a truly effective professional profile means today and how you can create one that helps you stand out and find the right job.

What is a professional profile?

A professional profile is a snapshot of your work experience, personality traits, people skills, and career goals all in one place. It shows employers the complete picture of who you are, not just what jobs you’ve held. This helps them get to know the real you and gives you a better chance to make a lasting impression. When you apply to jobs that match your profile, you’re more likely to stand out and land the role.

How is a resume different from a professional profile? A resume shows your work history and key personality strengths. A profile adds much deeper insight into who you are as a person and worker. Your resume might highlight that you’re a caring leader who led a team of five people. Your profile would add details about your leadership style, what motivates you at work, and how you handle challenges – giving employers a complete understanding of how you’d fit on their team.

Let’s look at the parts that make up a strong profile:

Work experience: Not just job titles, but what you actually learned and achieved.

Personality traits: How you naturally work. Maybe you’re creative, careful, or good at seeing the big picture.

People skills: The ways you work with others, like being a good listener or helping teams solve problems.

Career goals: Where you want to go next and why that path matters to you.

In the past, when companies asked for a ‘professional profile,’ they just wanted a short summary of your work history at the top of your resume. But today’s job market wants more. Modern profiles for job seekers show the whole you, including how you work and what drives you.

Employers want to know more than just your skills. They want to know if you notice small mistakes others miss. Or if you have lots of ideas. Or if you solve problems well. Or if you work well with others. This helps them picture how you’ll fit on their team.

What makes a strong personal professional profile?

A strong personal professional profile stands out because it feels real and unique to you. Many people write generic profiles that could describe anyone. They use fancy work words but don’t show who they really are.

The best profiles don’t just list these elements—they bring them to life:

Work experience that shows growth – Instead of just listing jobs, show how you’ve learned and improved over time. Share what challenges you overcame, not just your job title.

Personality traits in action – Don’t just say you’re “detail-oriented.” Share how your careful nature helped catch a major problem before it affected customers.

People skills with real examples – Instead of claiming you’re “a team player,” describe how you brought together different viewpoints to create a better solution.

Career goals with clear reasons – Beyond saying what job you want next, explain why this path matters to you and how it builds on your strengths.

A good personal professional profile helps people remember you. It should sound natural and conversational, like how you’d really talk but not filled with stiff business words that nobody uses in real life.

Using personality science helps you find what makes you special. These are like your “superpowers.” You might learn you’re really good at seeing things others don’t notice. Or maybe you help people feel calm when they’re stressed. Or you might be great at making hard ideas easy to understand. These insights make your profile much more interesting than just listing job duties.

Once you have a strong profile you’re confident with, you need to use it in the right ways. A professional profile with personality can help you stand out and find better job matches.

Here are simple ways to share your profile:

On LinkedIn – Update your About section with key parts of your profile and add a link to your full professional profile. Don’t just paste your resume summary.

In job applications – Add a short version at the top of your resume or in cover letters, or include a link to your full profile.

With referrals – Send your profile to people who might recommend you for jobs.

In interviews – Use parts of your profile to answer questions about who you are and how you work.

Hiring teams see hundreds of applications. Your profile helps them remember you as a real person, not just another resume in the stack. When you share what makes you unique, you stick in their minds.

Your profile also helps you find the right jobs. If a job posting doesn’t match your values or work style, you can save time by focusing on better fits. This is much better than applying to everything and hoping something works out.

Our Career Paths tool can help you discover careers that match your personality and profile. By understanding what makes you unique, you can find roles where you’ll naturally do well.

Remember: Your professional profile isn’t just for getting any job—it’s for finding the right career for you long-term.

Your profile is more than a document—it’s a tool for alignment

Your professional profile isn’t just for getting hired. It helps you find jobs where you’ll actually be happy and do your best work.

When you know your profile well, you make smarter job choices. You can spot roles where you’ll truly fit, creating better career alignment between your work and who you are.

Most people treat job hunting like a numbers game by sending dozens of applications and hoping for calls. A better approach is seeing your job search as a chance to learn about yourself.

This builds confidence. You’ll walk into interviews knowing your strengths and what you’re looking for. You can spot warning signs of bad fits and explain why you’d shine in roles that match your profile.

Understanding your personality makes finding the right career less random. Instead of jumping between jobs that don’t work out, you can move toward roles that use your natural talents.

Ready to build your profile?

A myTrudy Profile can help you understand and showcase who you really are at work.

When you build your profile, you’ll discover:

Your work style – How you naturally approach tasks and projects

Your strengths – What you’re truly good at and enjoy using

What matters to you – The values that drive your career decisions

Understanding yourself better makes finding the right work much easier. When you know what makes you unique, you can confidently pursue opportunities that truly fit who you are and create a career that feels fulfilling, not just functional.