what is a personal statement?
This
is a succinct summary of self that provides information that sets you apart
from the competition to probable employers or intended university. It is either
included in a CV, resume or university application letter. It involves selling
yourself to the respective party while staying relevant to a particular topic
or interest. Additionally, it is advisable that you include your skills and
experiences and explains them in a brief and concise manner. Moreover, consider
the fact that a personal statement should allow you to say all about yourself
in a brief and appropriate manner using about 150 words.
What should you include in a personal statement?
This
may differ when writing a college application form to when applying for a job.
The main points nonetheless include;
·
Who
are you?
·
What
is it that you can offer?
·
What
are your career dreams, goals and objectives?
Writing
on your skills may prove a difficult challenge. To make your work easier you
may use the job description provided by the employer to act as guidance in
explaining your skills and experiences provided you maintain relevance and
observe honesty. Despite insisting on writing a brief statement, ensure you
write something that makes sense and abides with the grammatical rules.
The
tense used when writing a personal statement is not defined or specified. The
persona is undefined too. The persona and tense of your choice should, however,
remain consistent throughout your statement.
The
personal statement changes with each job application as it is aimed at pleasing
the employer and each employer/ job require a different set of skills from the
next. Most importantly, you should be authentic in your writing. Generic
writing easily rules you out as they consider people to shortlist.
What are the do and don’ts to perfect your personal statement?
Do’s;
·
Be
straightforward- ensure your statements are straight to the point and are
easily understood. As earlier stated provide all the required info in about 150
words. The university or college applications may require you to write a longer
essay.
·
Maintain
focus- always answer the question earlier stated i.e. who are you, what are
your career goals and what can you offer? Use these questions as a guideline
and answer them in relation to the job description.
·
Quantify
achievements- the description of you should not be basic. When stating
achievements it is vital to quantify where possible. E.g. instead of writing “I
have helped companies increase their profits”, write “I have helped X company
to increase its profits by y%”.
·
Avoid
being a platitude- hiring agencies deal with a lot of CVs and therefore a lot
of personal statements. Use of clichés will only discourage your acceptance. Be
as personal as you can possibly can. Phrases such as a team player only prove
you have nothing unique to offer. Remember you are trying to stand out from a
crowd of fellow applicants.
·
Use
adjectives that help your cause e.g. successfully, experienced etc.
Don’ts;
·
Focus
on unnecessary attributes, skills or experiences. Provide what makes you unique
and increases your chances to stand out
·
Confuse
tenses, make grammatical or spelling errors, use colloquialisms. The personal
statement is part of a formal document and therefore should also be official.
In addition, proofread your work to avoid simple errors that may be used to
rule you out. Always consider the application as competitive and you strive to
be the best.
·
Elaborate
on achievements as if you are writing a cover letter. A cover letter is where
achievements are elaborated on and the roles you played in particular stages
spelt out. In a personal statement, however, the key is to mention the
achievements and experiences
·
Provide
your achievements as if it is a list. Your listed achievements and experiences
should be used to form concise but elaborative statements e.g. a qualified and
experienced author of three publications within 5 years.
Following
the above guidelines, you are bound to write a perfect personal statement.
