Your personal statement is the hiring manager’s first perception of you, it’s what sets you aside from every other candidate applying for the same role.
It needs to be a short paragraph at the top of your CV that covers who you are, your value to an organisation and your career objectives, essentially, it’s your USP (unique selling point).
When writing your personal statement, you must remember your CV will only ever be in front of the recruiter or hiring manager for a matter of seconds before they determine if you are the right fit for the role, therefore, it needs to be compelling, affective, and straight to the point.
How to create a personal statement
Use this structure for your personal statement:
Begin with explaining your career, what your current position is and what industry you have experience in. Include your personal attributes that mirror the qualities required for the role you’re applying for.
The next part should cover why you’re the perfect fit for the role, pick out some relevant key skills and highlight your achievements that could make a difference to their business. For example, if this is a management role, demonstrate your leadership skills.
Explain why you’re applying for this role, for example, if you are a recent graduate looking for an opportunity to pursue a career in a certain field where you can use the skills acquired during your degree and continue to learn in a practical environment, or whether you’re an experienced professional ready for a new challenge and the chance to further develop your leadership abilities.
Top tips for writing your personal statement
Use these top tips to help with writing your personal statement:
This needs to be short, sharp and attention grabbing to entice your reader, so limit this paragraph to a maximum of 200 words, using smaller sentences.
You need the hiring manager to believe you can do the job and enhance their business, using real life experiences and achievements will support your application.
Decide whether you choose to write in first person ‘I am a …’ or third person ‘A self-starting…’, either is accepted, but keep it consistent throughout your statement. Use words that demonstrate your personal values.
To ensure your personal statement stands out and is easy to read, keep the rest of your CV uniformed and well presented, use section headers, bullet points, consistent gaps between paragraphs and sentences and font size.