How to Write a Personal Statement

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement reflects your personality and work history, expressing who you are and what you have accomplished. It also sets clear objectives and goals about where you plan to go next on your career journey.

People have different backgrounds and experiences, and a personal statement provides employers with a brief personal summary and description of your skills, knowledge, and career goals. This segment is helpful if you are changing industries, other job roles and responsibilities, or even if you are looking to progress further in your chosen career.

A personal statement aims to hook employers and influence them to read more by providing intriguing details about yourself. But how do you write a personal statement for your resume that will grab the employer’s attention? We will take a closer look at the tips on providing the best possible statement that will prove to the employers why you would be a fantastic asset to a team.

Pre-Writing Preparations

Before you start writing your statement, prepare and think about what you will be writing about. You could have excellent work experience, but the impact can be reduced if it isn’t arranged correctly, so planning your statement is crucial.

A well-written personal statement can only be produced with a planned and refined structure. This will set out the information in a way that will stand out and showcase your writing skills, allowing you to start sharing your skills in the very few first words of the resume, which can make all the difference. Although there isn’t one “correct” way of structuring your statement, there are some things that need to be included:

Clear introduction of relevant personal information
Description of why you are looking for that specific job
Description of the highlights of your work history and career
Academic achievements
A clear conclusion

Set Up Goals

Another segment of your personal statement should focus on your career aspirations and why you are applying for the position. So far, you have already communicated your skills and qualifications, so expressing your goals should be direct and concise.

Identify Your Target Audience

Identifying your target audience means you will be writing a targeted resume for a specific job opening and a resume that will align with the company’s culture and values.

Each time you apply for a job, tailoring the personal statement and the resume will help you stand out and make your resume more relevant for this specific position. Targeted resumes should feature relevant industry keywords so your employer can quickly see your experience in the field. Also, many companies use an applicant tracking system that will screen your resume automatically, so having relevant keywords can help when going through the software.

Composing a Personal Statement

The personal statement should be attention-grabbing and compelling and focus on the particular position you are applying for.

A personal statement that is compelling and descriptive should include five simple elements:

State who you are
Include some of your most prominent skills
Include a few achievements
Address the name of the target company
Explain your future career goals and expected responsibilities

Establishing Strong Introduction

When writing a personal statement, it’s important to start with a clear introduction that outlines where you currently are in your career. This should communicate your last job position and include information about the qualities that make you the right choice for the job you are applying for.

Body: Highlight Skills, Experience and Accomplishments

Highlighting your specific skills, accomplishments, and experience is another essential part of your personal statement. This will help you communicate your abilities and expertise, demonstrating why you are the perfect candidate for this position and the value you would bring to the organisation. This section should outline all of the relevant accomplishments to the position you are applying for and how they can be beneficial for the company. You should also mention a particular course if it’s relevant to the job.

If you are wondering which accomplishments should be mentioned, select the ones that directly translate to the position you are applying to. This way, you can quickly establish yourself as the best choice for the job.

Memorable Conclusion

The closing line of an excellent personal statement may sound challenging, but what you aim with this part is to leave a bold and memorable impression on your readers, allowing them to get a clearer picture of you and why you would be a valuable asset to any team.

Use this space to leave no doubt to your readers what an excellent addition you would be to their team and address the central question – why should the company hire you?

Best Practices and Writing Tips

Many personal statements are written in one paragraph at the top of your CV. You must keep the personal statement forms consistent with the rest of your resume, which means the font size and style should be the same throughout the document.

Also, consider the voice you would like to use. The personal statement can be written in the first or third person, but maintain the voice throughout the resume and do not switch between the two as you write. Some of the other tips to have in mind when writing a personal statement and a resume overall include:

Have a clear and concise layout
Tailor your personal statement to each application
Be honest
Check for spelling and grammatical errors

Be Clear

Your personal statement should be clear and concise and limited to only a few sentences, a small paragraph or up to 300 words. This should be enough to make an impactful personal statement that will remain easy to read by your potential employer.

Show, Don’t Tell

Your personal statement should communicate how suitable you are for the position and the value you will bring to the organisation. This section should outline all of your achievements relevant to the position you are applying for and show that you have appropriate and essential qualities for the organisation.

Avoid Overused Phrases and Clichés

Hiring managers carefully examine the job description. You can gather all relevant information from the job description to determine which relevant skills to highlight that will point them towards deciding on choosing you as their top candidate. Including relevant keywords specific to the job can help you position yourself among the top candidates and applicants. However, it is crucial to avoid using cliches and overused phrases in your personal statement as they can make personal statements less impressive and unique.

Your statement should also outline as many similarities as possible with the job description so that when the hiring managers go through the first few sentences, they will feel like you are the exact person they have been looking for.

Proof Read and Edit

Once you’ve created a personal statement you are happy with, always review it a few times to check and fix any potential mistakes.

It is also good to ask a friend or colleague to review your personal statement and get feedback. Don’t copy other statements you may see online, as plagiarism software may pick you up.

Olive Recruit’s Seal of Approval for a Great Personal Statement

The best personal statements have a strong professional and personal tone with direct and relevant information. Our team at Olive Recruit can help you create your own, as we understand the importance of leaving a good first impression.

Olive Recruit is a permanent staffing solutions partner for companies and candidates across the UK, and our goal is to match candidates to organisations that will be the perfect fit. We aim to help candidates find their dream job with a company that will truly value them.