A good personal statement is one of the most essential parts of a university or job application. It will describe a person’s key skills, experience, and strengths. Writing a personal statement is vital for anyone who wants to demonstrate to a potential employer or university that they are the best person for the job or course of study.
In the presented article, you will familiarise yourself with the statement examples and learn a lot of helpful information on this topic.
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If you compare different personal statement examples, you will see that they differ from one another, depending on the purpose of the assignment – admission to graduate school, getting your first job after graduation, changing careers, and so on. To write a proper CV personal statement, you need to do a thorough job and pay enough attention to the matter so that the endeavor is successful.
A successful career starts with presenting yourself as a professional. CV personal statement is a short paragraph in the form of a written explanation of who you are, your skill set, your higher education, whether you have extensive experience in a particular field, etc. This short paragraph summarises all your professional achievements when applying for a job. This text is often longer for academic purposes, like a short essay introducing yourself to the admission committee.
Relevant information in the personal statement allows you to know your qualifications, interests, motivation, and other essential factors. A professional career requires understanding how valuable you are as a professional, which must be adequately described in the application.
A proven track record, description of valuable skills, and work experience allow you to precisely describe to the hiring manager who you are. Personal branding is rapidly evolving and becoming an essential part of the job search process. To get the position you want, more than just a CV and cover letter is needed, you should also consider a CV personal statement. It is what will make a positive impression on the hiring manager. Every day, this recruiter looks at dozens of different CVs, and the winning personal statement will make you remembered as the best candidate.
Personal statement examples allow you to cope much faster and more efficiently. If you follow an already prepared template, there is less risk of making mistakes and writing something wrong. The personal statement template includes a list of specific paragraphs that allow you to outline all the important information about the applicant: whether they have transferable skills, their career goal, work experience in the relevant field, and much more. Here are a few guidelines on what a CV personal statement should include.
All personal statement examples, without exception, are sure to include a list of the key skills listed on the CV. You should also describe any notable achievements in past jobs relevant to the new position you are applying for.
Here’s a little tip for you: It’s the numbers that catch your eye best when you’re reading. That is why it is best to include them in the text. In this way, a potential employer can understand exactly what results you will help to achieve. For example, a personal statement example of a call centre manager may include, “99% of the clients I served were satisfied with the high quality of service”. In addition, you can add another sentence with your achievements, abilities, if you have specific qualifications, licence, etc.
A CV personal statement should always be addressed to someone – a specific person, committee, or department reading it. Make sure you know the company/school/university well. In some situations, it may be easy to determine exactly who will be reading your text. You can find this from the job posting, company website and other sources.
CV personal statement should be structured in a certain way so that it is easy to read. If you are writing a general response, it is best to group the submitted letter according to a simple principle: a paragraph on your past, present and future. Suppose you are writing a personal statement in response to a specific question. In that case, it is best to break it into several paragraphs that reflect the main idea as correctly as possible.
By being well organised, you can demonstrate that you are thorough in your approach. In addition, you can add specific examples from your personal life to support your career goals and achievements. You can even add a little detail for the most complete picture.
Sometimes, a small detail in a school leaver’s statement or a full-fledged specialist with years of experience can ruin the whole impression. With this small text, the hiring manager gets acquainted first, so you must be 100% sure you have correctly conveyed the main message. Writing a personal statement is a complicated process. You can use ready-made statement examples, study the recommendations of professionals and put in a lot of effort. If you have already learnt why it is so important to write a personal statement and what nuances to consider, it is also worth familiarising yourself with what you should and should not do.
All good statement examples are made according to certain rules. When writing your own, you should follow the following tips:
A small useful recommendation: it is best to use the words “developed”, “successful”, “experienced”, “brought results”, “track record”, and so on while writing. Never use clichés.
At the same time, specific prohibitions are nuanced and should be avoided while writing. These may include:
Here is one more recommendation: After completing the work, reread it and check the spelling. Also, ensure no personal information, slang, jargon or colloquialisms.
Ready-made personal statement examples for jobs should help you get the job done. Of course, the statement is uniquely tailored to you to reflect your individual work experience, skills and other strengths. At the same time, you can use personal statement examples, adapting them as much as possible to suit you. They may vary depending on your level of qualification.
This situation often refers to a school leaver’s personal statement who is looking for their first job and is minimally qualified to perform professional tasks. In this situation, you can write the following:
“Highly motivated and hardworking individual who has recently completed A-Levels and has high grades in Biology and Exact Sciences. I am looking for an internship placement in the chemical industry to develop a keen scientific interest and start a career as a chemical engineer. My main career goal is to become a successful engineer with long-term aspirations and lead project management in the future.”
In this situation, it means a career break, personal statement or a simple change of position. Medium qualification implies a fully established specialist: it can be a graphic designer, data analyst or any other employee who has decided to change jobs or come back to work after a long break (the reason for a career break can be anything – long-term illness, parental leave, etc.). The text could be as follows:
“Senior Digital Marketing Manager with years of experience in the e-commerce industry. Have years of work experience with several multinational companies for whom I have developed global marketing strategies, improving market reach. Currently looking for a marketing position in a multinational company”.
Career change personal statement also requires a special approach. In this situation, the text may look as follows:
“My analytical skills, proactive and persistent approach as a sales manager have resulted in hundreds of lucrative contracts. My networking skills have enabled my team to attract important clients. And my ability to build strong relationships with my clients has resulted in an 18% increase in contract renewals. After 10 years in sales, I’m considering a career change and am currently looking for a new position requiring my keen attention to detail, professionalism and courtesy”.
When reviewing applications in response to an open position, the average hiring manager spends 5-7 seconds reading one CV. A candidate should not have a long time to make a lasting impression. CVs are usually generalised lists that don’t say anything about the candidate, their work experience and why they want to get a certain position. With a CV personal statement, you can stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your personality to the recruiter.
It is always worth reading the job description in detail, as your statement must be fully relevant to the vacancy.
As you tailor your CV to a particular vacancy, tailor your statement similarly. In this situation, you must consider your desired work experience, skill set, education, and more. It is most often listed in the requirements section.
As your career evolves and grows upwards, you must make appropriate changes to your brand. Updating your statement will allow you to improve your image and attract the attention of employers, new clients and partners. If you have set a career change goal, it is best to redesign your brand completely. The same is required if you notice very few responses to your CV. Sometimes, the new changed presentation allows you to make yourself a more attractive specialist to increase your competitiveness against other candidates.
