Personal statements

The purpose of a personal statement is for recruiters/admissions officers to understand you and your suitability for the job or course that they are offering and not because they want to make things difficult for you. It is an opportunity for you to present your goals, experiences and qualifications in the best possible way as well as demonstrating your written communication and other skills. From your point of view the main purpose of a personal statement is to make your application stand out against all the others.

You may be asked for a personal statement as part of an application for a postgraduate course or as part of a job application form. Some personal statements may have a word/character limit whereas others will not. If there is no word limit, one page of A4 is usually suitable.

Preparation

Have a thorough look through the course/job description and identify aspects of that course/job that stand out to you. This could include identifying certain modules which appeal to you based on your background or future career ambitions, availability of sector-leading equipment or renowned academic staff leading research in the sector.

Research the company/university/organisation in more detail by browsing through their website, LinkedIn page and other relevant resources (university league tables, graduate employer league tables etc.). Follow them on LinkedIn to see their updates which will also build your own commercial awareness.

Planning your personal statement

Based on the information you have gathered, consider the following when planning:

• How does the job or course link with your career ambitions?
• What differentiates this course/job and university/company to you from its competitors?
• What interests you about the field of work/study?
• What relevant skills/experiences do you have that will help you be successful in this line of work?
• What difficulties have you overcome and what skills did you use in order to do so?
• Why should you be chosen above the other applicants?

Writing your first draft

Make sure that your statement has a clear structure so recruiters can easily recognise what parts of the requirements you are addressing. We suggest using a structure similar to this:

• Opening section: Start with a strong introductory paragraph about why you want the opportunity that will grab the reader's attention. This can be what makes your application unique. Try to draw them in but not be clichéd with your statements – be original and authentic.
• Middle section: Provide details of your interests, knowledge and experience that are relevant to the opportunity to show you can do the role or study. Try to provide recent and relevant examples and ensure these evidence the competencies that required for the opportunity. Make sure that your examples and evidence link back to the course/job specification as tailoring is critical. Aim for around three paragraphs in this section this middle section of your personal statement.
• End section: Summarise your suitability and motivation for the job or course and demonstrate what particularly attracts you to this employer or course provider. Do not include any new information in this section.

Top tips

• Try to make your statement unique – be clear and concise and try to avoid using long sentences.
• Carefully tailor your personal statement to the job or course you are applying for. Copying and pasting from another application will tend not to be very successful. As with cover letters if you could substitute the name of the employer, organisation or course provider for another, then you have not tailored your statement sufficiently.
• Avoid clichés. Saying ‘I first wanted to be a dentist when I was x years old’ doesn’t really add any value to your personal statements and doesn’t sound believable.
• Take time and care over your personal statement – be unique and original.
• Try and show the same passion for the subject as the admissions officer from that course likely has.

Personal statement tips and templates from Prospects

Re-writing and proof reading

It can be tricky to write a perfect personal statement at the first time of asking. This is why it is vital to proof-read it for spelling and grammatical errors, as well as re-drafting it to improve the logic/structure and language. Remember to check back against the job description/course description to make sure your personal statement is being tailored to the opportunity and covered all the key points.

For further advice and guidance, please book in for a one-to-one application coaching appointment with one of our advisors. To book an appointment, please login to your graduate MyCareers account.

Additional resources

• Find A Masters provide some helpful tips about structure, things to avoid and some example personal statements.
• Prospects offer further support on structure and some more specific information and examples when writing personal statements for Law, Psychology and Teaching.