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Your personal statement

The purpose of a personal statement is to showcase your relevant skills and experience against the job requirements. The statement is your opportunity to give examples of how you fit the requirements of the job. When writing a personal statement it is important that you:

Read the job specification so you are clear about the job requirements.
Outline the skills and experience that you have that are relevant to the job and use examples to help demonstrate this. Wherever possible include specific facts and figures that demonstrate the tangible results of your work.
Keep to the word limit. If your statement is too brief it will not provide the required depth of detail and evidence to be assessed fully.
Proofread your statement before submitting it to make sure it is clear, easy to read and relevant.

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For some jobs, you will be asked to provide a CV (curriculum vitae) as part of your application. Here you can find information on how to write the best CV.

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CV Personal Statement Examples and Tips

Your personal statement is the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager will read when flicking through what will usually be a huge pile of CVs. With so much competition, you need a personal statement that grabs their attention for all the right reasons. But how do you write one? Here’s our guide along with a couple of personal statement examples for inspiration.

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a concise paragraph that sits at the top of your CV just below your name and contact details and tells the reader why you would be a fantastic asset for their company. It should include a summary of your most relevant skills and experience and give the recruiter an insight into your ambitions and character.

Your personal statement should explain:

Who you are
Your suitability for the role and the value you can add
Your career goals

Conveying all that information in just a few sentences is certainly not easy, but with research suggesting that recruiters spend an average of just six seconds reviewing each CV before deciding whether the applicant is a good fit, you must get it right.

How to write a winning personal statement for your CV

No one has your specific skills and experience, so your personal statement must be unique. However, there are some universal tips you can follow.

Length, formatting and tone of voice

Probably the biggest challenge you’ll face when writing a personal statement for your CV is keeping it between 50 and 150 words, or around four or five lines of text. It should be clean and concise, formatted consistently and written in the same font and point size as the rest of your CV.

Personal statements can be written in the first (“I am a marine biologist”) or third-person (“Marine biologist looking for”), but whatever voice you choose, keep it consistent throughout your CV.

Recruiters read so much hyperbole and waffle that being honest and understated will help you stand out. This is not The Apprentice, so buzzwords, empty promises and meaningless metaphors should be avoided at all costs.

Back up your claims

Cliches like ‘hard worker’ or ‘experienced’ are just empty words that recruiters see hundreds of times a day. Instead, establish your credentials with relevant vocational qualifications or professional memberships you have and quantify the level of experience you have. For example, “I am a RICS qualified surveyor with eight years’ experience working for a property development company”.

Include statistics from your career

Including specific data or statistics in your personal statement will immediately make it stand out from the hundreds of others recruiters read every day. Metrics of success are far more memorable than simply listing your achievements. For example, “I introduced a new lead qualification tool that increased sales by 15 percent”.

Remove pronouns in the third person

The personal statement on your CV is the one place where it’s okay to talk about yourself in the third person. However, using pronouns, for example, “he is a conscientious worker with 12 years of experience...” is a step too far. Instead, drop the pronouns, so that would become “A conscientious worker with 12 years of experience…”

Personal statement examples

Here are a few examples of personal statements to keep you on the right track and hopefully provide a little inspiration.

Written in the first person by a graduate looking for their first professional role.

I am a recent graduate with a first-class degree in economics, specialising in econometrics and international trade. I have commercial experience in the finance sector courtesy of an internship with a UK corporation, where I developed the technical data engineering skills you are looking for. I have a proven ability to meet deadlines and produce consistently high-quality work, as evidenced by my degree, and would relish the chance to develop my skills within your organisation.

Written in the third person by an experienced purchasing manager looking to climb the ladder.

Purchasing manager with 12 years of experience who wants to progress to a more senior role within the aviation industry. Has developed strong and lasting relationships during previous managerial positions in the sector and wants to put this strong network to good use to add value to your business.

Time to get hired

Writing a winning personal statement that you’re happy with and that summarises your skills and experience effectively in just a few lines will take time. However, using these tips and examples as a guide and editing your personal statement for every role is an important piece of the puzzle.

To hear Guardian Jobs reader Elia’s story and how her Personal Career Management programme helped land her ideal job watch the video .

Personal Career Management can offer you a free review to assess your needs and to see which programme is right for you.

To book call Personal Career Management on 01753 888 995 or fill in the contact form .

Personal Career Management are Career Management Partners for the Guardian and are a specialist career coaching and outplacement company.

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Personal Statements: Examples, Do's and Don'ts

As the name suggests, a personal statement is unique to everyone, but that does not mean there are not specific personal statement rules and guidelines to follow. Being able to quickly showcase your skills, personality and job fit can be challenging, so we are here to shed some light on structuring a personal statement that’ll make you stand out from the crowd.

In this guide, we will be looking at how to write a personal statement and the do’s and don’ts. By the end, you should have a better idea of how to structure a personal statement and impress your potential new employers.

💡 Note: We will be covering professional personal statements and not personal statements for University admissions in this article.

What is a personal statement?

Often confused with a cover letter or supporting statement, a personal statement is a small section on various forms of CVs. A personal statement is often no more than a few sentences where you can quickly summarise your skills, experience and job fit into a bitesize paragraph.

A personal statement gives you the opportunity to briefly sell yourself to your potential employer and showcase why you are the best candidate for the role. It is important to note that not all employers will require a personal statement, but if done correctly they can help set you apart from other applicants.

What makes a good personal statement?

As a personal statement is essentially a summary of the rest of your CV and you as a person, you want to ensure you list all the most important things from your CV that are the most relevant to the job you are applying for. You should never use the same personal statement, when applying for multiple jobs you can use a similar statement for each, but it should be tailored to each individual role if possible.

How to start a personal statement

Start your personal statement by introducing yourself and set the tone for the rest of your personal statement.

You want to capture the employer’s interest and summarise exactly why you are a perfect fit for the role. Most personal statement examples start with saying the role you are currently in, how much industry experience you have and key achievements or relevant skills and statistics.

How to finish a personal statement

A good way to finish your personal statement is to summarise your overall goal or aim when moving forwards towards this job and your career. This means you have spoken about the past, present and future, in just a few lines and gives the employer a good idea of you and your potential.

How to finish a personal statement can vary from role to role, but this is a good rule of thumb and will stand you in good stead, as with any application, tailor it to the job, some may call for this, some may not.

Personal statement do’s

Tailor your personal statement - utilise the job description to help you highlight exactly what the employer is looking for, highlight the skills and experience it calls for. The job description is the blueprint to your personal statement for that role, so try and signpost your abilities from the exact things the employer is looking for.
Be concise - ensure that you keep your personal statement short and relevant, aim for the maximum of a few lines or around 200 words at most. Find the most important and relevant things that you can say within that word count.
Highlight you - candidates have a habit of being too generic and not showcasing themselves, it is called a personal statement, so keep it personal to you. Personal does not mean talking about your dog though, but how you personally can succeed at this job.
Include tangibles - always try to give additional details that add value to your application, for instance, quantifying something always makes it sound better. ‘Increased sales by 35%’ sounds better than just saying ‘increased sales’.
Hit key points - a good personal statement will be able to give the employer a quick summary of you and entice them to read more or move you forward to the interview stage.
Get a second opinion - having someone else read over your personal statement can be a real help, they may spot something you haven’t or not understand something the way you had intended. This will help improve your finished personal statement.

Personal statement don’ts

Use the same wording - you can actually hurt your own chances if you use an overly generic personal statement. You want to show that you have put effort into your application and impress the employer.
Make it too long - candidates will often confuse their personal statement with a cover letter, this is a short rundown of you, focus on skills, successes, and statistics, things that can be quickly digested. Grab their attention with your personal statement, but do not bore them with an essay.
Go too personal - this may sound strange, but remember you are writing a professional application, and not setting up a dating profile. Focus on what you can bring to the company, and how your skills would be perfect for the role.
Send off your first draft - always read over your personal statement a few times to make sure it flows right and rolls off the tongue. Having a spelling or grammar mistake can ruin your chances of getting the job.
Be too broad - showing that you understood the job description and are a good candidate for the role can be evident if you have a good personal statement, but being too broad will make you look like you copy and pasted the same response to 20 applications.

What next?

Now you have a better understanding on how to structure your personal statement to increase your chances of getting your new role, you want to start your job search . Currently at Michael Page, we have over 10,000 live jobs on the site so submit your CV today to become discoverable for new roles added in your industry.

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By Nik Taylor (Editor, The Uni Guide) | 18 August 2023 | 22 min read

How to write an excellent personal statement in 10 steps

Stand out from the crowd: here's how to write a good personal statement that will get you noticed

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Your personal statement forms a core part of your university application, and the sooner you get going, the better you can make it. You may think that your personal statement won’t matter as much to unis as your grades and experience but a great personal statement could make all the difference between you and a candidate with the same grades. Sure, your application might not reach that deal breaker stage. But is it something you want to leave to chance? Here we’ll take you through the process of planning, writing and checking a good personal statement, so you end up with something you can submit with confidence. And to make sure the advice we're giving you is sound, we’ve spoken to admissions staff at loads of UK universities to get their view. Look out for video interviews and advice on applying for specific subjects throughout this piece or watch our personal statement playlist on YouTube .

Are you looking for personal statement examples? Check our library of hundreds of real personal statements, on The Student Room

The university application personal statement is changing in 2025
University admissions service Ucas has announced that a new style of personal statement will be launched in 2025. This will affect anyone making a university application from autumn 2025 onwards. .

Personal statement deadlines

You'll need to make sure you've got your personal statement written well in advance of your application deadline. Below are the main university application deadline dates for 2024 entry.

2024 entry deadlines

16 October 2023: Deadline for applications to Oxford and Cambridge universities, along with most medicine, dentistry, and veterinary courses. 31 January 2024: Deadline for applications to the majority of undergraduate courses. After this date, universities will start allocating places on these courses – but you can still apply after the 31 January deadline , as this article explains . 30 June 2024: Students who apply after this date will be entered into Clearing .

Read more: Ucas deadlines and key application dates

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a central part of your Ucas application, where you explain why you’ve chosen a particular course and why you’ll be good at it. It's your chance to stand out against other candidates and hopefully get that all-important offer. You only write one personal statement which is then read by each university you apply to, so if you are applying for more than one subject (or it's a combined course) it's crucial that you include common themes or reference the overall skills needed for all subjects. Personal statements are especially important if you’re trying to get on a very competitive course, where you need to do anything you can to stand out to admissions tutors. Courteney Sheppard, senior customer experience manager at Ucas, advises that your personal statement is "the only part of the application that you have direct control over. Do lots of research to demonstrate your passion, curiosity and drive to pursue your chosen subject." There’s a limit on how much you can write: your personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters (including spaces) or 47 lines of 95 characters (including spaces); whichever is shorter. This may appear generous (read: long) but once you've got going you may find yourself having to edit heavily.

Read more: teacher secrets for writing a great personal statement

1. Plan what you want to cover

The first thing you need to do is make a plan. Writing a personal statement off the top of your head is difficult. Start by making some notes, answering the following questions:

What do you want to study?
Why do you want to study it?
What is there about you that shows you’re suited to studying this subject at university? Think about your personality, as well as your experiences.
What are your other interests and skills?

These few points are going to form the spine of your personal statement, so write them in a way that makes sense to you. You might want to make a simple bulleted list or you might want to get all arty and use a mindmap. Whatever you choose, your aim is the same. You want to get it clear in your own head why a university should offer you a place on its course. Getting those details down isn't always easy, and some people find it helpful to make notes over time. You might try carrying a notebook with you or set up a memo on your phone. Whenever you think of something useful for your personal statement, jot it down. Inspiration sometimes comes more easily when you’re thinking about something else entirely. It might help to take a look at The Student Room for some sample personal statements by university and sample personal statements by subjects , to give you an idea of the kind of thing you want to include.

Read more: personal statement FAQs

2. Show off your experience

Some things are worth adding to your personal statement, some things are not. Firmly in the second camp are your qualifications. You don’t need to mention these as there’s a whole other section of your personal statement where you get to detail them very precisely. Don’t waste a single character going on about how great your GCSE grades are – it’s not what the admissions tutor wants to read. What they do want to see is: what have you done? OK, so you’ve got some good grades, but so do a lot of other applicants. What have you done that’s different, that shows you off as someone who really loves the subject you’re applying for? Spend some time thinking about all the experience you have in that subject. If you’re lucky, this might be direct work experience. That’s going to be particularly appropriate if you’re applying for one of the more vocational subjects such as medicine or journalism . But uni staff realise getting plum work experience placements is easier for some people than others, so cast your net wider when you’re thinking about what you’ve done. How about after-school clubs? Debating societies? Are you running a blog or vlog? What key skills and experience have you picked up elsewhere (eg from hobbies) that could be tied in with your course choice? Remember, you’re looking for experience that shows why you want to study your chosen subject. You’re not just writing an essay about what you're doing in your A-level syllabus. Use this checklist as a guide for what to include:

Your interest in the course. Why do you want to spend three years studying this subject at university?
What have you done outside school or college that demonstrates this interest? Think about things like fairs/exhibitions, public lectures or voluntary work that is relevant to your subject.
Relevant work experience (essential for the likes of medicine, not required for non-vocational courses such as English )
Skills and qualities required for that career if appropriate (medicine, nursing and law as obvious examples)
Interest in your current studies – what particular topics have made an impression on you?
Any other interests/hobbies/experiences you wish to mention that are relevant either to the subject or 'going to uni'. Don't just list your hobbies, you need to be very selective and state clearly what difference doing these things has made to you.
Plans for a gap year if you’re deferring entry.

Read more: 6 steps you need to take to apply to university

3. Be bold about your achievements

Don't be bashful about your achievements; that’s not going to help you get into uni. It's time to unleash your inner Muhammed Ali and get all “I am the greatest” with your writing. Do keep it focused and accurate. Do keep your language professional. But don’t hide your qualities beneath a layer of false modesty. Your personal statement is a sell – you are selling yourself as a brilliant student and you need to show the reader why that is true. This doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and if you’re finding it difficult to write about how great you are it’s time to enlist some help. Round up a friend or two, a family member, a teacher, whoever and get them to write down your qualities. Getting someone else’s view here can help you get some perspective. Don’t be shy. You are selling your skills, your experience and your enthusiasm – make sure they all leap off the screen with the way you have described them.

Read more: the ten biggest mistakes when writing your personal statement

4. How to start your personal statement

Type your personal statement in a cloud-based word processing program, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word and don’t copy and paste it into Ucas Hub until it’s finished. One of the benefits of doing it this way is that you can run spell check easily. (Please note, though, that Word adds "curly" quotation marks and other characters (like é or ü) that won't show up on your Ucas form, so do proofread it on Ucas Hub before submitting it to ensure it is how you typed it.) Another big benefit is that you'll always have a backup of what you've written. If you're being super careful, you could always save your statement in another place as well. Bear in mind that extra spaces (eg adding spaces to the beginnings of paragraphs as indentation) are removed on Ucas. In your first sentence, cut to the chase. Why do you want to do the course? Don’t waste any time rambling on about the daydreams you had when you were five. Just be clear and concise – describe in one line why this course is so important to you. Then, in the rest of your intro, go into more detail in demonstrating your enthusiasm for the course and explaining how you decided this is what you want to do for the next three or more years. However you choose to start your statement, just avoid the following hoary old chestnuts. These have been some of the most used lines in personal statements over the years – they are beyond cliche, so don’t even think about it.

From a young age I have (always) been [interested in/fascinated by]…
For as long as I can remember, I have…
I am applying for this course because…
I have always been interested in…
Throughout my life I have always enjoyed…
Reflecting on my educational experiences…
[Subject] is a very challenging and demanding [career/profession/course]…
Academically, I have always been…
I have always wanted to pursue a career in…
I have always been passionate about…

5. Focus your writing on why you've chosen that subject

So you’ve got your intro done – time to nail the rest of it. Bear in mind that you’ve got to be a little bit careful when following a personal statement template. It’s easy to fall into the trap of copying someone else’s style, and in the process lose all of your own voice and personality from your writing. But there is a rough order that you can follow, which should help keep you in your flow. After your opening paragraph or two, get into any work experience (if you’ve got it). Talk about extracurriculars: anything you've done which is relevant to the subject can go here – hobbies, interests, volunteering. Touch on your career aspirations – where do you want this course to take you? Next, show your enthusiasm for your current studies. Cite some specific examples of current work that you enjoyed. Show off your relevant skills and qualities by explaining how you’ve used these in the past. Make sure you’re giving real-world examples here, not just vague assertions like “I’m really organised and motivated”. Try to use examples that are relevant. Follow this up with something about you as a person. Talk about non-academic stuff that you like to do, but link it in some way with the course, or with how it shows your maturity for dealing with uni life. Round it all off by bringing your main points together, including a final emphasis of your commitment to studying this particular course.

Read more: how to write your personal statement in an evening

6. How long should a personal statement be?

You've got to work to a very specific limit when writing your personal statement. In theory you could use up to 4,000 characters – but you’re probably more likely to be limited by the line count. That's because it's a good idea to put line breaks in between your paragraphs (to make it more readable) and you only get a maximum of 47 lines. With this in mind, 3,500 characters is a more realistic limit. But when you’re getting started you should ignore these limits completely. At first, you just want to get down everything that you feel is important. You'll probably end up with something that is far too long, but that's fine. This is where you get to do some polishing and pruning. Keep the focus of your piece on the course you’re applying for, why you want to do it and why you’re perfectly suited to it. Look through what you’ve written so far – have you got the balance right? Chop out anything that goes on a bit, as you want each point to be snappy and succinct.

Read more: universities reveal all about personal statements

7. Keep it simple

8. Smart ways to end your personal statement

Writing a closing line that you’re happy with can feel as tricky as coming up with your opener. What you’re looking for here is a sign-off that is bold and memorable. The final couple of sentences in your statement give you the opportunity to emphasise all the good stuff you’ve already covered. Use this space to leave the reader in no doubt as to what an excellent addition you would be to their university. Pull together all your key points and – most importantly – address the central question that your personal statement should answer: why should you get a place on the course?

Read more: universities explain how to end your personal statement with a bang

9. Make sure your personal statement has no mistakes

Now you’ve got a personal statement you’re happy with, you need to make sure there are no mistakes. Check it, check it a second time, then check it again. Once you’ve done that, get someone else to check it, too. You will be doing yourself a massive disservice if you send through a personal statement with spelling and/or grammatical errors. You’ve got months to put this together so there really is no excuse for sending through something that looks like a rush job. Ask your teachers to look at it, and be prepared to accept their feedback without getting defensive. They will have seen many personal statements before; use what they tell you to make yours even better. You’ve also got another chance here to look through the content of your personal statement, so you can make sure the balance is right. Make sure your focus is very clearly on the subject you are applying for and why you want to study it. Don’t post your personal statement on the internet or social media where anyone can see it. You will get picked up by the Ucas plagiarism checker. Similarly, don't copy any that you find online. Instead, now is a good time to make your parents feel useful. Read your personal statement out to them and get them to give you feedback. Or try printing it out and mixing it up with a few others (you can find sample personal statements on The Student Room). Get them to read them all and then try to pick yours out. If they can't, perhaps there's not enough of your personality in there.

10. Don't think about your personal statement for a whole week

If you followed the advice at the very start of this guide, you’ve started your personal statement early. Good job! There are months before you need to submit it. Use one of these weeks to forget about your personal statement completely. Get on with other things – anything you like. Just don’t go near your statement. Give it a whole week and then open up the document again and read through it with fresh eyes. You’ll gain a whole new perspective on what you’ve written and will be well placed to make more changes, if needed.

Read more: how to write your personal statement when you have nothing interesting to say

10 steps to your ideal personal statement

In summary, here are the ten steps you should follow to create the perfect personal statement.

Personal statement dos and don'ts

Remember that your personal statement is your personal statement, not an article written about your intended field of study. It should tell the reader about you, not about the subject.
Only put in things that you’re prepared to talk about at the interviews.
Give convincing reasons for why you want to study the course – more than just "enjoying the subject" (this should be a given).
For very competitive courses, find out as much as you can about the nature of the course and try to make your personal statement relevant to this.
Be reflective. If you make a point like 'I like reading', 'I travelled abroad', say what you got from it.
Go through the whole thing checking your grammar and your spelling. Do this at least twice. It doesn’t matter if you’re not applying to an essay-based course – a personal statement riddled with spelling mistakes is just going to irritate the reader, which is the last thing you want to do. If this is something you find difficult then have someone look over it for you.
Leave blank lines between your paragraphs. It’s easier for the reader to get through your personal statement when it’s broken into easily digestible chunks. Remember that they’re going to be reading a lot of these! Make yours easy to get through.
Get someone else's opinion on your statement. Read it out to family or friends. Share it with your teacher. Look for feedback wherever you can find it, then act upon it.
Don’t write it like a letter. Kicking off with a greeting such as "Dear Sir/Madam" not only looks weird, it also wastes precious space.
Don’t make jokes. This is simply not the time – save them for your first night in the union.
Don’t criticise your current school or college or try to blame teachers for any disappointing grades you might have got.
Be afraid of details – if you want your PS to be personal to you that means explaining exactly which bits of work or topics or activities you've taken part in/enjoyed. It's much more compelling to read about one or two detailed examples than a paragraph that brushes over five or six.
Just list what you're doing now. You should pull out the experiences that are relevant to the courses which you're applying to.
Mention skills and activities without giving examples of when they have been demonstrated by you or what you learnt from them. Anyone can write "I have great leadership skills" in a PS, actually using a sentence to explain when you demonstrated good leadership skills is much rarer and more valuable.
Refer to experiences that took place before your GCSEs (or equivalent).
Give explanations about medical or mental health problems. These should be explained in your reference, not your PS.
Apply for too many different courses, making it difficult to write a convincing personal statement which supports the application.
Write a statement specific to just one institution, unless you're only applying to that one choice.
Copy and paste the statement from somewhere else! This means do not plagiarise. All statements are automatically checked for plagiarism by Ucas. Those that are highlighted by the computer system are checked manually by Ucas staff. If you’re found to have plagiarised parts of your statement, the universities you apply to will be informed and it could jeopardise your applications.
Use ChatGPT or another AI program to write your personal statement for you. Or, if you do, make sure you thoroughly edit and personalise the text so it's truly yours. Otherwise you're very much at risk of the plagiarism point above.

You may want to look at these...

How to write your university application.

Tips for writing your university application, including deadlines and personal statements

The Ucas personal statement is changing in 2025

A question-based personal statement will be required as part of university applications from autumn 2025 onwards

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It might feel like it's taking forever for your uni offers to come through. Find out what's going on, and when you should hear back

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Writing a personal statement for your CV

CV personal statements are like the sales pitch of your CV, but not everyone thinks they're useful. Discover if they're really necessary, how to write a CV personal profile and templates for inspiration

What is a CV personal statement?

A CV personal statement is a concise paragraph or summary, which details what you can bring to a job or company. It's also known as an opening statement, personal profile, personal summary or executive summary.

Sitting at the top of your CV, it's your opportunity to sell yourself to employers and to highlight the relevant skills and experience you possess.

While effectively and succinctly convincing recruiters that you're a good fit for the role, a personal statement gives you the chance to show off your strengths and share your career goals.

'The focus of your CV statement should be to target your offer to employers - why should they hire you and how are you different to other graduates? Therefore, making your personal statement as unique as possible is crucial to ensure you stand out from the crowd,' explains Alex Proctor, careers consultant at the University of Bradford.

Do I need a personal summary on my CV?

Traditionally, almost all CV types include a personal statement but there is some debate about whether you actually need to include one.

Some recruiters and careers advisers believe that personal profiles are one of the most important parts of a CV, as they provide an easily accessible overview of a candidate's ability, while others feel that personal statements are a waste of valuable space and time.

The latter belief is often the case with graduate CVs, as some employers feel that those just stepping onto the career ladder don't necessarily have enough knowledge or experience to warrant a personal statement. Because of this, a graduate's personal profile runs the risk of being bland and generic and stating things that should be a given, such as, 'I'm hardworking and organised,' which is why some recruiters believe that they are best suited to more senior CVs.

So while your CV doesn't need a personal statement, employers spend only seconds looking at application documents. With this in mind, a CV personal statement gives you an invaluable opportunity to make your application stand out as quickly as possible.

Alex believes 'that a CV personal statement is a good idea, because employers often have so many CVs to read through and the personal statement, if clear and concise, can elevate your chances of getting through to the next stage of the recruitment process.'

If you'd like to include a personal statement on your CV it might be best, as a graduate, to focus on your educational background and the career path you'd like to embrace. If you have relevant experiences use these to make your personal statement unique. 'If you haven’t got much work experience, focus on what experience you can extract from your degree,' advises Alex. 'If you have taken part in various projects demonstrate what your role was. Alternatively, if you have written a dissertation, showcase your topic and what skills you have developed from this experience. Employers will value your individuality even if you haven't had masses of practical work experience.'

If you're struggling to give it context and get it right, make an appointment with your university's careers or employability service and ask an adviser to help you hone your writing.

What should I include in my CV personal profile?

In terms of length, a CV personal profile should be no longer than 150 words. 'It should be short, impactful and aligned effectively with the CV content,' explains David Ainscough, careers consultant team lead and deputy director at the University of Cambridge.

'A personal CV profile should include details of your educational background, evidence of work experience, as well as your career aspirations. You ideally need to ensure you are telling the reader what you can offer skill-wise and don't be afraid to also share any accomplishments,' adds Alex.

If you're struggling with what to write, break your personal statement down into three parts. Focus on:

who you are
what you can offer
your career aims.

Start by introducing yourself. For example, 'A recent graduate with a 2:1 in English literature from the Hillview University' or a 'Highly-skilled physiotherapist with five years’ experience…'

Next, detail what you can offer the company. Ask yourself why you're suited to the role and cover any relevant skills or experience. If you lack practical work experience instead draw attention to your academic achievements, such as contributing to university publications, which developed written communication, attention to detail and teamworking skills. Or how you applied skills learned on your physical therapy degree during your time as a physio assistant for university sport teams.

Conclude your personal statement by highlighting your career goals. For example, 'I am looking to start my career in the exciting world of publishing and to develop the skills learned through my university studies and internships.'

It's up to you how you present this information; there is no hard and fast rule. However, personal statements are generally displayed as a single paragraph, without a title or subheading. You'll need to keep it consistent with the rest of your CV formatting, meaning that the font size and type will need to be the same throughout your document.

Also, consider the voice and tense you'd like to use. Personal statements can be written in either the first or third person, but you'll need to maintain this voice throughout - don't switch between the two.

Take a look at how to write a CV .

How do I make my CV personal statement stand out to employers?

'Remember that first impressions count so make sure you're giving the recruiter a comfortable reading experience. Layout and clarity are crucial,' says David.
Tailor your CV personal statement (and CV in general) to each application.
Be honest. Untruths are easy to uncover and lying on your CV is a criminal offence.
Provide evidence of skills and experience but remember to keep it brief. For example, 'experienced event manager, who led a team to organise a charity ball for 150 people, raising £5,000 - a 20% increase on previous years.'
Use the job description to help form your CV personal profile.
Stick to the word limit.
Check for spelling and grammar mistakes. The personal summary sits at the top of your CV so any errors will be immediately apparent.
'Keep it fresh. It needs to be reviewed in each application you make so consider something new to say each time,' adds David.
Read it aloud once you've finished writing to make sure it flows.
Copy and paste from your cover letter or from online CV personal statement examples. Your personal summary needs to be unique and personal to you.
Include unnecessary personal information such as your age, marital status etc.
Use clichés, slang or jargon.
Use bland, empty statements like 'I work well independently and as part of a team'. This tells employers absolutely nothing about what you’re capable of.
Overuse buzzwords.
Include quotes from previous employers.
Ramble. Recruiters don't have time to read through waffle, so get to the point.

Think about the connotations of the words you use - 'currently studying' implies things might change, 'trying' implies failure, 'might' or 'maybe' sounds like you're not sure. The words you use have power so choose them carefully. You want to sound confident, positive and enthusiastic.

Find out more about the top 7 CV mistakes .

CV personal statement examples

To help you get started take a look at the following CV personal profile examples.

As a recent graduate from the University of Townville, with a 2:1 honours degree in marketing, I have undertaken internships at industry-leading agencies such as Beyond Imagination and Noah Freemans. These placements have allowed me to develop sector knowledge and gain hands on experience, as well as expand transferable skills such as commercial awareness, communication and negotiation and analytical skills. My career aim is to gain a role which allows me to further my expertise and take on increased responsibility at a market-leading digital marketing agency.

I am a highly motivated 2:1 forensic science graduate from Groveshire University, looking to secure a graduate position that enables me to use and develop my analytical, attention to detail and communication skills. I have gained relevant experience in both scientific and hospital laboratories, which allowed me to build on my problem solving, concentration and team working skills. My career goal is to assume a role that enables me to analyse and interpret forensic data and to eventually move into crime scene investigation.

Remember; avoid copying and pasting ready-made examples. Instead use them as a guide to craft your own, tailored CV personal statement. Take a look at our example CVs .

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career-advice.jobs.ac.uk

What You Should Include in a Personal Statement

what should you include in a personal statement

Many job application forms include a large space for candidates to write something about themselves that will convince employers to hire them. This can be quite daunting: what should you include in a personal statement and, more importantly, what should you NOT include?

What is a personal statement?

In this article, a personal statement refers to a particular type of information needed on an application form. This is required on the application form for teacher training positions and on the UCAS undergraduate and postgraduate application forms. Some CV advisers also recommend including a small ‘personal statement’ in the heading of a CV. This is rarely found on academic CVs though.

What not to include

It is very important that you tailor each personal statement for the specific job you are applying for. Do not simply copy and paste an old personal statement into your new application.

Do not simply write ‘ see my attached CV/cover letter’ . While you may find yourself repeating much of the information contained within those documents, it is essential to try to craft something novel here.

Although it is often called a ‘ personal statement ’ this section of an application form does not require you to give ‘personal’ information about things such as your hobbies or interests. While your interests might make you sound like a rounded individual (whether you enjoy the theatre, scuba diving or whatever), employers in a competitive job market do not actually care about such things. They want to know why you are the best person for the job. So, unless the form specifically requests you to do so, don’t reveal details of your life outside the world of work.

Personal statements written by those hoping to get on an undergraduate or postgraduate course are slightly different, so do not be misled by the vast numbers of websites advertising help with writing personal statements. These are aimed at high school and college students and are less relevant to you as a job seeker.

How to structure it

It is important not to make a personal statement into a dense, unreadable text block. You must write good prose in full sentences and break it up into concise paragraphs. Use subheadings to help guide the reader’s eye to the most important information. Try to write in a style that makes your statement fresh and slightly different from the formal prose of most of your application content. You are trying to sell yourself as an attractive personality as well as a professional employee.

Include such things as:

Events from your education/career to date that are specific to the job. This can include volunteer work, mentoring, leading projects etc.,
What attracts you to the prospective job
The skills and knowledge base you have that is relevant to the job
What is the unique contribution you can make to the university/company? Check online for their mission statement and refer to it when describing how you can contribute
Refer directly to the job description using the same language and offer concrete examples of your own competence. Then, relate that to your own experiences. You might have to be creative here! Tailor your answer to the job you’re applying for and make it appear as if you are extremely keen to pursue a career in that area! However, try to make your statement as honest as possible; you want to come across as a real person and not simply parroting what you think the employers want to hear. It is a difficult balance to achieve so put some thought and preparation into this

And don’t forget!

As with all parts of your application , make sure as many people as possible proofread your personal statement. Nothing says ‘unprofessional’ like a personal statement full of typos or grammatical errors. Also, while you may think you have expressed yourself very clearly, other readers may be able to highlight sentences or words that are incorrect, irrelevant or could be more clearly expressed. A good personal statement passes through many drafts, so make sure you give enough time to the writing and re-drafting process.

We hope you find our tips on what you should include in a personal statement helpful. You can find more helpful advice here:

How To Write A Flawless Cover Letter
CV Cover Letters With Impact
Writing a Personal Profile for your CV
How To Write A Personal Statement

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Dr Denise White FRSA

Dr Denise White FRSA is a multi-award-winning intellectual disability and music expert. Having over 25 years’ experience in the field of early years, primary, post-primary, special educational needs, further and higher education, Denise is known for her innovative and creative teaching methods that transforms lives. She is an advocate for inclusive and community-based ethical learning and teaching models.

She is a passionate education advocate with the talent to develop inspiring hands-on lessons that will capture a student’s imagination and breed success.

Known as ‘The Music Doctor’, Denise is an Author at Bookhub Publishing. Her Music Doctor Series will launch in March 2019. Denise is also a Speaker, Trainer, Consultant, Mentor and Researcher.

Web: www.themusicdoctor.co.uk

Twitter: @_TheMusicDoctor

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Personal Statements: Examples, Do's and Don'ts

💡 Note: We will be covering professional personal statements and not personal statements for University admissions in this article.

What is a personal statement?

What makes a good personal statement?

How to start a personal statement

Start your personal statement by introducing yourself and set the tone for the rest of your personal statement.

How to finish a personal statement

Personal statement do’s

Tailor your personal statement - utilise the job description to help you highlight exactly what the employer is looking for, highlight the skills and experience it calls for. The job description is the blueprint to your personal statement for that role, so try and signpost your abilities from the exact things the employer is looking for.
Be concise - ensure that you keep your personal statement short and relevant, aim for the maximum of a few lines or around 200 words at most. Find the most important and relevant things that you can say within that word count.
Highlight you - candidates have a habit of being too generic and not showcasing themselves, it is called a personal statement, so keep it personal to you. Personal does not mean talking about your dog though, but how you personally can succeed at this job.
Include tangibles - always try to give additional details that add value to your application, for instance, quantifying something always makes it sound better. ‘Increased sales by 35%’ sounds better than just saying ‘increased sales’.
Hit key points - a good personal statement will be able to give the employer a quick summary of you and entice them to read more or move you forward to the interview stage.
Get a second opinion - having someone else read over your personal statement can be a real help, they may spot something you haven’t or not understand something the way you had intended. This will help improve your finished personal statement.

Personal statement don’ts

Use the same wording - you can actually hurt your own chances if you use an overly generic personal statement. You want to show that you have put effort into your application and impress the employer.
Make it too long - candidates will often confuse their personal statement with a cover letter, this is a short rundown of you, focus on skills, successes, and statistics, things that can be quickly digested. Grab their attention with your personal statement, but do not bore them with an essay.
Go too personal - this may sound strange, but remember you are writing a professional application, and not setting up a dating profile. Focus on what you can bring to the company, and how your skills would be perfect for the role.
Send off your first draft - always read over your personal statement a few times to make sure it flows right and rolls off the tongue. Having a spelling or grammar mistake can ruin your chances of getting the job.
Be too broad - showing that you understood the job description and are a good candidate for the role can be evident if you have a good personal statement, but being too broad will make you look like you copy and pasted the same response to 20 applications.

What next?

Career advice
Management advice
Salary centre

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Top Tips for Creating Your Personal Statement

When applying for any personal care assistant role, we know it’s important to put our best foot forward.

When applying for any personal care assistant role, we know it’s important to put our best foot forward. However, our minds can go blank when looking at the section that asks us to write about ourselves. How do we ensure we’re sharing the right information, conveying our suitability for the role and highlighting all of our strengths and attributes, whilst also keeping our statement easy to read, factual, friendly and to the point?

In this article, we will share our tips for creating a personal statement for a personal care assistant job, whether you have no experience or many years of experience, be it informal or formal. We’ll guide you on how best to showcase your skills and effectively communicate your experiences. When completing your UKCIL application, you can scroll down the form to see the list of skills that are often required of a carer - using these as a prompt, you can expand on anything you wish to within your own personal statement.

Apply Successfully with Little or No Formal Experience

If you have little or no previous care experience, you may feel unsure about what to put in your personal statement but rest assured, of the thousands of carers we have working with us, hundreds start working with our clients having had little or no previous experience, so don’t let this fact put you off applying.

What successful carers need to have in common is the right attitude - they demonstrate a willingness to help, be good listeners and be empathetic. Also, in terms of skills, although you may lack formal training, you will most likely find that you already have many of the soft skills that most of the individual employers working with us are looking for, whilst specific skills can be learnt along the way. Soft skills are non-technical skills that demonstrate how you work and interact with others. Unlike hard skills, they're not necessarily something you'll learn in a course, instead they're something you’ll often build through day-to-day experiences. You may well have acquired these when working with others in any capacity and / or whilst looking after a loved one.

Be Sure to Include your Soft Skills

The core soft skills that individual employers seek in carers are:

A caring nature is important: You may be required to do all sorts of tasks, including ones involving personal hygiene and so being compassionate and respectful, whilst providing a safe environment for the person you are caring for is an essential requirement. Because your focus needs to be the wellbeing of others, you will need to maintain drive and energy in your role
A sensitive personality is very helpful as your client may be going through a difficult time and experiencing changes that they didn’t expect or want. Your sensitivity and empathy can make them feel more relaxed and comfortable about in talking to you
Reliability and trustworthiness - For vulnerable people this is a crucial soft skill that they seek in someone who is caring for them. You will need to provide a sense of security and may provide support to maintain their daily routine, so they are very reliant on you and want to feel as though they are in safe hands
Excellent communication skills mean you are able to effectively share your own perspectives, so that they are heard and understood, whilst also being able to acknowledge others so that they feel heard and understood. This is a vital skill as you’ll be communicating with others all the time in your new role
Team work - Being able to work as a team is essential when working as a personal care assistant and will be useful for when you are dealing with the individual employer you’re working for, their loved ones, and / or any supporting bodies / healthcare professionals they are working with
Problem solving - Sometimes, unexpected issues can arise that you may need to resolve. Being able to identify a problem, think on your feet and often critically so that you can determine the best resolution will be vitally useful to the person you are working for
Time management - When working as a personal care assistant, you will have pre-agreed times for when the individual employer and their family will be expecting you to arrive and to support them. Once you arrive, you may be required to wake someone up, help them to to bed or prepare a meal and feed them, so it is vitally important that you arrive on time and complete the agreed tasks in the given timeframe so as not to interrupt their routine
Adaptability - For a personal care assistant, no two days are the same. Being able to adapt your approach depending on your client and their needs is an extremely important skill.

Soft skills are also transferable skills that you can use in many different situations, and you may already have examples of when you used these skills that you are able to highlight within your personal statement.

Tell the Employer WHY You Want to be a Personal Care Assistant A personal statement is a chance to express yourself to the employer so don’t forget to include why you are pursuing a career as a care assistant. Let them know why you think you are the right person for the role, and why you have chosen this role.

Share Your Experience

Whatever your previous role(s) - formal or informal - and wherever you were based, communicating your duties, learnings and responsibilities will help to create an effective personal statement for a care assistant role. Remember to highlight any relevant previous experience: Maybe you studied in a related field, gained experience through looking after a loved one or did some work as an unpaid carer. These experiences can give you more than enough skills to start your career as a care assistant.

Within your personal statement, you could include the condition(s) you supported with and how you cared for any individual(s). Highlight how you learnt to support them, what you learned from your experience and how you think this will benefit you in the job you’re applying for. Highlighting moments that stand out for you and discussing the skills you have gained so far, through the support you have provided, especially when it relates to the job requirements of the role you’re applying to, is sure to make your personal statement stand out.

Introduction to Direct Payments for Social Care in the UK

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Personal statement examples by subject: complete list

Take a look at how other students have written their personal statements

When you're writing your university personal statement, a little inspiration can be handy.

On The Student Room, we have hundreds of real personal statements written by students when they applied for university in previous years.

You'll find all of these listed below, in order of subject.

For more help with writing your personal statement, our personal statement section is a good place to go. You can also find tips and discussion in the personal statement advice forum .

If you've already been to university, you can add your own personal statement to the library to help others.

And don't forget our sister site The Uni Guide , which has expert advice on getting your personal statement sorted.

Accounting personal statements
Actuarial science personal statements
Anthropology personal statements
Archaeology personal statements
Architecture personal statements
Art and design personal statements
Biology personal statements
Biomedical sciences personal statements
Business, marketing and management personal statements
Chemistry personal statements
Classics personal statements
Computer science, computing and IT personal statements
Cultural studies personal statements
Dentistry personal statements
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Education and teaching personal statements
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Geography personal statements
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Midwifery personal statements
Music personal statements
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Nursing personal statements
Performing arts personal statements
Pharmacy personal statements
Philosophy personal statements
Philosophy politics and economics (PPE) personal statements
Physics personal statements
Politics personal statements
Postgraduate personal statements
Psychology personal statements
Religious studies personal statements
Social sciences personal statements
Social work personal statements
Sociology personal statements
Sports science personal statements
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How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement for Your CHS Online School Application

How to write the perfect Personal Statement for your CHS application (and actually have fun doing it!)

As part of the CHS admissions process , we ask that each and every student writes a thoughtful personal statement; but what does that actually mean and how do you write the perfect personal statement to catch the eye of our admissions team?!

Writing a personal statement can feel daunting—like a mix of bragging and confessing your hopes and dreams on paper, but it really doesn’t have to be a chore! In fact, writing your personal statement can be an exciting opportunity to showcase the real *you* in ways you never imagined, plus give a level of catharsis and meaning to the next important step in your life and education. So, grab your favourite snack, put on some feel-good music, and let’s dive into how to craft a personal statement that *wows* the admissions team of your dream online school (that’s us by the way!).

Step 1: Find your *WHY* (but make it personal)

Admissions Registrars and our SLT love hearing about your passion and purpose, but they don’t want a cookie-cutter response. What makes you *you*? Why do you want to pursue this specific method of study.

Instead of saying, “I want to join CHS because I want to advance in my education,” dive deeper. Tell a story about the exact moment you realised this was the path for you. Our website has a wealth of information about our school, so be sure to weave some understanding of our shared goals into your writing.

Once you have added a bit of YOU into the personal statement, you have provided us with that personal touch that makes your “why” come alive!

Step 2: Show off your skills (but keep it cool)

We always ask potential students to showcase their hobbies, interests and good character in their personal statement. Of course, you’ll want to talk about your skills and achievements, but no one wants to read a dry list. Think of it as highlighting your superpowers.

If you’re tech-savvy, don’t just say, “I’m good with computers.” Instead, illustrate how your skills have come in handy in real life. Maybe you built a website for a local charity, or maybe you solved a technical issue for a friend that had everyone else stumped.

Boom. Now you’re a tech hero, not just another person with “computer skills.”

Step 3: Talk about your journey, not just the destination

Sure, schools care about your goals, but they also want to know how you got to this point. What experiences have shaped your path? Did you overcome a major obstacle? Are you laser-focused on your sport of choice? Are you passionate about spending more time with your pets and developing ideas for a future business?

Share those moments of growth! Online schools, especially, appreciate learners who are adaptable and self-motivated. Highlight your ability to stay disciplined and learn independently.

Step 4: Show some personality

It’s easy to get lost in the formality of writing a personal statement, but don’t forget to let your personality shine through. Are you funny? Creative? Quirky? This is your chance to show the admissions team who you *really* are.

If you’re witty, sprinkle in some humour. If you’re deeply passionate, let that passion come across with vivid language. The trick is to be authentic.

Step 5: Wrap it up with confidence (but no pressure)

Finally, in our quest for how to write the perfect personal statement, we recommend that you end with a bang! Reiterate your excitement about online learning and the opportunities it will allow you, and how you’re ready to contribute to our amazing community of learners. This isn’t just about how the school will benefit you; mention how *you* will bring something special to the table.

But I already knew all this! Just tell me what you need from me?!

Ok, Ok. Here is our list of requirements for personal statements:

Personal statements should be written by the applicant, without the use of AI. Yes, we all appreciate the ways in which AI can benefit the world, but the school ethos is that we want YOUR work, not that of ChatGPT (and trust us, we will know!). This doesn’t mean you can’t run your personal statement past your parent or friend for a sense check or inspiration.
Personal statements should be long enough for us to gain an idea of your true personality and motivations. Please make sure your personal statement is at least 500 words.
Focus specifically on why you are excited about moving to online learning- what will you gain in your life from reclaiming time and taking things online?
Extra-curricular activities are a must! We always encourage our students to ensure they are taking part in extra-curricular activities in their local area (although we do offer an excellent range of online clubs). Tell us more about how you get out into the world on a regular basis.
Check your personal statement and get feedback from a friend or mentor. This will ensure the most accurate version and the best illustration of you!
Don’t forget to attach your latest grades report with your personal statement- this helps us to build a full picture of you as a student.

And there you have it!

We hope this guide has been helpful in showing how to write the perfect personal statement for you! Creating a personal statement doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth. Think of it as your chance to tell your story, reflect on your journey, and imagine the exciting road ahead. With a little creativity, authenticity, and a dash of personality, your personal statement will shine—and you’ll enjoy writing it!

Good luck and remember: You’ve got this! 🎉

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If you're writing a psychology personal statement, describing your personal insights into the subject or how you've pursued your interest outside the classroom will impress over quoting Freud or Milgram (which might sound a little pretentious). That's what psychology admissions tutors told us when we asked them what they're looking for in your personal statement.

Five things to include in your psychology personal statement

The University of Bristol highlights five elements of a strong, academically focused psychology statement:

Ensure it is well structured and well written .
Give details of any specific interests or ambitions you have that relate to the content of the course.
Demonstrate your enthusiasm for psychological research as a focus for academic study.
Provide evidence of when you have pursued your interest in psychology outside the classroom (see above!)
Give examples of non-curricular activities you are involved in which indicate the contribution you are likely to make to university life. Any relevant work experience you have under your belt is also worth talking about. But if you haven't gained experience in the field directly, think creatively - there might be ways to link observations from your part-time job, voluntary work or extra-curricular activities to psychology. One successful applicant finished her statement with a short paragraph about her Saturday job on a supermarket fish counter, describing the satisfaction she got from knowing how to gut and fillet a mackerel. Linking her experience to psychology in an innovative but relevant way was a lot more interesting than just saying it had improved her teamwork or communication skills, which are a bit broad.

Psychology tutors tell it like it is

Here are some more points to avoid:

A lack of understanding: ‘Some applicants display a misconception of what psychology is. We want to know that you understand the importance of scientific elements of the course and the importance of statistics and experimentation’.
Not enough engagement with the subject: ‘Some applicants are rejected because of a lack of commitment to the subject, especially in cases where it appears that they’ve applied for a mixture of courses rather than five psychology ones’.
Making it too personal: ‘Some applicants expand too much on personal circumstances, such as mental health issues or life events. Studying psychology may not necessarily help, so don't overplay personal stories’.
Getting the tone wrong: don’t just say you ‘want to help people’ and don’t use inappropriate language like ‘less fortunate people’. Also, avoid inserting sophisticated language or phrases if you don’t fully understand them – ‘straightforward language is never a bad thing’.

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