Ahh, the personal statement. There you are, sitting poised over the laptop, ready to unleash the power of the written word and in two short paragraphs you will have sealed the job deal!!
Sounds good?
Well, in truth, it is often not that easy. We freeze. The little voice of self-criticism chimes in and spoils the whole thing and we wander off to make a cup of tea, determined to return with greater resolve and creativity.
The problem with the personal statement is that we have started to place so much weight on it. We have been told many things we should include and shouldn’t. We have been told to ‘Get creative with it’ ‘Get clever with it’ ‘Sell yourself in it’ and while these all sound great, in truth what employers want is clarity and to believe that you know who you are, where you are going, what you want and how you will be an asset to them and the job.
Simple?
In my years of reading CV’s and recruiting, I have seen some great personal statements. So what made them great and what didn’t work?
Beware another list of ‘Do’s’ and ‘Dont’s’ is on the horizon...
1 / Your statement should relate to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a role in engineering, don’t state that you have always aspired to be in a dance troupe. Sound obvious? Trust me, it is not. If you are applying for more than one job and are interested in two separate roles make the statement for each application different. If you don’t you will fall between two stools and seem indecisive.
2 / If you are applying for a job you haven’t much experience in, make sure you do your RESEARCH. Show in your personal statement that you understand the job and what it involves. Research the company using LinkedIn and look at the types of people employed there. Look at the company website, paying particular attention to the language and tone the company uses.
3 / Watch your spelling and grammar. This should be impeccable and with Spellcheck, Grammarly and various on-line tools these days, employers are not forgiving of mistakes. It shows a lack of care and attention and sends the wrong message to a future employer. We all get absorbed in our writing and that is good but step away from it for a day or so and come back to it with fresh eyes. Remember one idea per sentence. One great idea per paragraph.
4 / Do not name drop. Although you may have had work experience many years ago with your father who owns such and such a large, highly successful whatever, most employers want to know what you have been doing recently and that you have done it off your own back. Name dropping comes across as crass and a little bit desperate.
5 / Don’t use quotes. A while back it seemed to be the thing to start a personal statement with a famous quote that meant something to you.
Whichever way you look at it, it isn’t your words and it is a turn off for recruiters and employers alike. Equally, don’t use phrases such as “From a young age”
We are where we are now and employers want to know what you can offer right now.
Do you have any great tips for writing personal statements?
If so, feel free to comment and share!
Jo Norfolk X