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Writing a Personal Statement - 10 Top Tips for Success
LikePersonal statements are more often than not required when completing an application for college, university and for job roles. As a careers advisor, a personal statement is, in my opinion, is the most important section of any application. It can make all the difference in separating you from other applicants. The personal statement also tells the employer or admissions team who you are as a person. This is your opportunuty to let them know what you are about!
Writing a personal statement is just that - personal to you! Nevertheless, there are lots of tips that can make writing your personal statement easier. Here are my top ten tips to help in this area:
1. The personal statement is an opprtunity for you to really sell yourself. Pinpoint a few examples of when you did a good job. Questions that you can ask yourself are, for instance, was there a time when you lead a team or a project - explain what the project or situation was, what was the task that you had to achieve, what actions did you do to acheive the task and what was the result. This is the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
2. It might sound contrite, but the personal statement is all about what you have experienced and done in your life, that might be relevant to were you are applying. Univeristies and employers want to know that they are recruiting a committed person. Demonstrate this in your writing. Using words such as ' exceptional skills', ' fantastic communicator' will make all the difference to your application as a whole.
3. Organise your personal statement. Make sure that it makes sense. Look at the structure. Does it flow or is it stilted? Is it clear and concise? Reading the statement out aloud, perhaps recording it, and playing it back to yourself can often let you spot where it can be improved.
4. Proofread the statement. Ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. It's also a good idea to ask someone else, a friend or family member to read through the statement, They can often provide constructive feedback and remind you of examples that you might want to include.
5. If you are applying to university or college, show your passion for the subject. An exceptional personal statement lets the reader know why you want to study at that particular university or college and why you have chosen to study that subject. Could it be that you have always wanted to work in a particular industry and recognise that you need a certain qualitifaction in order to achieve your dream. Have you chosen to study at a university because of its reputation in a certain subject? Give the reader a real feel for your goals, motivation and hopes for the future.
6. Keep an eye on the word count. Often personal statement are limited to either a certain number of words or characters. You might start writing the first draft of the statement and have too many words or characters. This is normal, as personal statement writing can involve drafting several versions, until you get to a version of the statement that is concise, flowing and contains exactly what you want to say.
7. Personal statement writin does take time. One big tip is to make sure that you have the time to dedicate to this task. Rushing a personal statement is not recommended, Instead, take some time to think about what you want to say, and start writing.
8. Make an impact. A good personal statement should make an impact. Remember to list any work or roles you have been involved in. This might be related to your academic work, volunteering opportunities undertaken in the past, sporting achievements, memberships of teams, hobbies or part time work to name a few.
9. Mention any work experience. This might be related to the subject you want to study or job role that you are applying for, or not. The aim is to let the reader know that you are familiar with organising yourself to do work. This is extrememely valuable as it demonstrates that you have been involved inconnecting with other people in the work environment and that you have skills which are transferable.
10. Describe your experiences, rather than making a list. Point out where you have used, for example, your communication, analytical skills, problem solving, interpersonal skills, how and where you have adapted yourself to make sure of a positive result.
So, when you have to write that personal statement, I hope that the above top ten tips will help you to achieve this easily!
If you require further advice and would like the help of a student advisor, please don´t hesitate to contact me!