How Do You Stand Out When Writing a Personal Statement?
How Do You Stand Out When Writing a Personal Statement? A Personal Statement is used to grab the attention of the recruiter or hiring manager and summarizes essential experiences or training that you can bring to this position. In this article, we’ll show you how to write a compelling personal statement and what makes a good personal statement?
A personal statement is a way to separate yourself from the other applicants. This statement summarizes your experience and highlights your unique talents.
What is a personal statement?
A personal statement is a brief description of why you’re qualified for and interested in the job you’re applying for. Your personal statement should tell employers why your training, education, experience, and career goals make you the best fit for the job.
University personal statements are typically three or four paragraphs. When included in job applications and resumes, these statements are generally a single paragraph.
Tips on writing a strong personal statement.
- Write it early
- Be honest
- Focus on your strengths.
- Be humble
- Make your introduction captivating.
- Ignore the word count in drafts
- Make it personal.
- Own it.
What is the best way to start a personal statement for a job?
You want to capture the employer’s interest and summarise exactly why you are a perfect fit for the role. Most personal statement examples start with saying the role you are currently in, how much industry experience you have and key achievements or relevant skills and statistics.
How to Write a strong personal statement.
If it’s for a job, always begin by reading the job description carefully and thoroughly. Your personal statement should be tailored to each job description, so it explicitly states the value you’ll bring to the position you are applying. A generic personal statement cannot do that.
#1: How to start a personal statement
While introducing yourself in a career summary format, your CV’s opening statement needs to hook your reader, compelling them to read the next sentence, and the next. The opening sentence of your personal statement should include:
- Your job title.
- Number of years’ experience.
- Active positive words or verbs.
- A particular expertise you have.
Write an introduction that reflects you and your personality. It should say why you are interested in the job or degree and, if appropriate, your recent experience with the job type or course topics. Consider addressing what first interested you in the position’s listing if its a job application.
#2: Expand on relevant skills, interests and experiences
The body of your personal statement lets you share more about your relevant skills, interests and experiences. Write about personal details that relate to the job or course for which you are applying.
For your relevant skills and talents:
Describe the talents and skills you have learned during university or on your career path. Consider mentioning specific skills discussed in a job listing or values the school is looking for in students.
Your professional or academic goals:
Write about how the job or course you are applying for fits into your dreams for the future. Consider selecting a specific goal the job or course can help you achieve.
Your achievements and experience:
Write about your degrees, certifications, awards, years of industry experience and positions you have held that relate to the job’s responsibilities or the university’s educational offerings.
What you would bring to the organization:
Discuss why you feel you would be an asset to the company or university. You can mention your experience or eagerness to learn specific skills, perform tasks or earn credentials in a field.
#3: How to end a personal statement
If you’re at a relatively early stage in your career, state your career goal. Remember, this must relate to the role you’re applying for.
For Example
“My career goal is to gain responsibility for leading on a project and managing delivery successfully, actively contributing to achieving the business goals.”
If you’re a bit further along in your career, state more specific goals and why you’d like to work for the employer.
An example personal statement ending for career developer
“Hoping to join an innovative and dynamic company, and develop my social media and marketing skills further.”
The final section of your statement, you can include:
- Summary of your personal statement: A brief summary of the main points in your statement can be an effective strategy for a one-sentence conclusion or one sentence of a larger conclusion.
- Link back to your introduction: Revisit your introduction and what interested you in the position, school or degree program. Consider extending this idea by combining your desire with your qualifications.
- Extension of your professional goals: Some statements for job applications may include specific references to your goals and how the position can help you achieve those goals. For a university personal statement, reinforce how the school’s mission or coursework can prepare you for a career.
Sample Personal Statement Template For Admission into Graduate School
[Your Name]
Personal statement for [X] program
[The name of the school]
- Introduction: Your introduction should state your interest in the program and the university. Explain the experiences that made you interested in the field.
- Section one: Education. Explain any education that helped you prepare for the program. Include specific courses and subjects and how they apply.
- Section two: Additional research. Explain any additional research you conducted outside of school. Include any volunteer experiences or seminars you attended to learn more about your interests.
- Section three: Work experience. Explain your work experience and what skills and knowledge you gained.
- Section four: Hobbies. Include this section only if your hobbies apply to the program. Try to make it as relevant as possible.
- Conclusion: Reiterate your interest in the program and the skills and experience that qualify you. This is also the time to include post-study aspirations if you have a specific career path in mind.
What should be include in my personal statement?
- Avoid generic statements such as “possess good communication skills”.
- Include your immediate career objective. It helps the employer understand why you’re applying.
- Skills that make you stand out from other applicants. Think about the unique value you can bring to the employer.
- Your passions, as long as they’re relevant. For example, if you’re passionate about the environment and are applying for a job in a sustainability organisation it can help you stand out.
- Evidence of how your skills, competencies and experiences match the requirements set out in the job description/advert. Think of examples that help to bring what you’re saying to life.
- Be concise. 150 words maximum. Lengthy blocks of text are a turn off when you have a huge stack of CVs to get through.
- Skills that are specific to the job. A good example would be “skilled in taking client briefs and presenting findings to stakeholders”.
- Language comparable to that used by the employer in the job description, their website, or their social media channels. Doing this will go a long way to showing that you’re a good fit for the organisation.
Things not to include in a personal statement?
- Lists of unsubstantiated adjectives and buzzwords. You should concentrate on what genuinely differentiates you from other candidates.
- Uninteresting and uninspiring phrases. Using clichés that could describe anyone in any role at any level is a big turn off.
- Negative language. Your personal statement needs to be a buoyant and positive introduction to you.
- Personal information. There’s no requirement to let an employer know your marital status or how many dependants you have.
- Generic statements that you use for every job you apply for. Employers won’t be impressed if you don’t take the time to tailor your personal statement to their job.
- Disjointed statements. You can’t rely on the fact that the reader will join the dots between what you can offer and the results you can deliver for them. Spell it out.
- Exaggerations, embellishments, or lies – these could be found at a later stage, such as during an interview.
Personal statement examples
Personal statements to help you write your own.
#1: Project manager personal statement
“As a seasoned project manager who excels in identifying problems and finding solutions, I can save your company a considerable amount by speeding up project execution. My track record tells my story better than I can: I saved my previous employer over $200,000 in the past three years by completing projects an average of 10% faster than my peers.”
#2: Graduate personal statement example
“A recent business economics graduate with a 2:1 honours degree from the University of X, looking to secure a Graduate Commercial Analyst position to use and further develop my analytical skills and knowledge in a practical and fast-paced environment. My career goal is to assume a role which allows me to take responsibility for the analysis and interpretation of commercial data for a well-respected and market-leading leading company.”
#3: Example Personal statement for a career change that can appear on resume/ CV
“Certified electrician with more than seven years in the field and five years as a manager seeking a role in maintenance project management. Experienced in contract work as well as staff positions with private companies and government agencies. Strong attention to detail that is useful when completing wiring installations, reviewing contracts, and performing quality checks. Prepared to bring a team-oriented approach to your organization.”
#4: Personal statement for a university application
“I am applying for a position in your Master of Business Administration course because I’m passionate about advancing my marketing career and interested to learn more about management strategies. I first became interested in marketing while earning my Bachelor of Science in Business at Peru State College in Nebraska. I was fascinated by the way marketers could use images and text to persuade consumers to purchase products and the range of different modern marketing tools, including social media and virtual reality.
After graduating, I began working as a marketing coordinator with The Digital Eye. My eagerness to learn and try new methods saw me quickly progress through the company. As I moved from simple research and administrative tasks to coordinating marketing events and assisting with the creative process, my passion for marketing grew. I feel I am ready to take the next step in my career and work as a marketing manager. Studying a Master of Business Administration at NYU Stern School of Business would help me gain the skills I need to transition into my desired role. I feel the coursework in leadership, production management and operation management would help me succeed in a managerial position. I also appreciate that your school offers online classes and part-time study. These options would help me devote the time I need to excel academically without compromising my performance at The Digital Eye.
I respect your school’s reputation for excellence and commitment to career development. I believe it would be a stimulating learning environment and a place where I could connect with several like-minded students. My passion for learning and my exceptional academic and professional record would make me an asset to your school. I fondly recall my time at Peru State College and hope I can make more special memories studying at NYU Stern School of Business.”
#5: Trial lawyer personal statement
“Growing up in a working-class neighborhood of St. Louis, I developed a thick skin and a disciplined approach to problem solving by discerning people’s interests and motives. This motivated me to study law to fight against bullies and injustice. In the past decade as a trial lawyer for Morgan, Brooks and Blake, I’ve developed a conflict resolution model that has won more than 90% of the time and always put my clients’ interests first.”
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