Writing a personal statement

Some applications have a "Personal statement" or "Additional information" section. It's the key section on this type of application form and will take the most amount of time to complete. A personal statement should be a positive summary of you and your motivations for applying for an opportunity.

Before you start writing your statement, make sure you have read the section on demonstrating you meet the criteria.

• Think carefully before you write anything. Decide what you need to include based on your key selling points.
• Structure your statement by relating it to the Person specification. If there isn’t a formal job specification available, then write it against the competencies that they say they are looking for.
• If you are writing a personal statement for a course, look carefully at the course description and entry requirements.
• Start with a strong opening paragraph to grab the attention of the recruiter. Try to be original in what you write throughout your statement, and make sure that it is relevant.
• Be clear in what you write so the recruiter or academic tutor doesn't have to hunt around for your skills, qualifications or experiences. Make it easy for them to see that you have what they are looking for. Consider using sub-headings and bullet points to help.
• Do not miss things out. Try to address all the essential requirements.
• Write concisely. Don’t make the statement too long with superfluous detail, or too short. There should be enough to sell yourself without boring them. Stick to a word count if there is one.
• Make sure you check spelling and grammar. Recruiters will be reviewing your writing ability. Set your spell checker to UK English if you are applying for jobs in the UK.
• Get a second opinion on your statement. Ask friends or family, and ideally someone knowledgeable about the role or course you are applying to.

How to structure your personal statement

Make sure that you include all the information asked for, and base your statement on what the employer is looking for in the job advert, person specification or the typical skills needed for this type of work. One good idea is to create sections using sub-headings based on the employer's requirements.

If you aren't given specific instructions about content, you should always aim to include the following:

Why you've decided to apply for the job

Describe what motivates you and attracts you about the job. Show that you have a realistic understanding of what's involved and can draw parallels with positive experiences you have already had, even if these have been in different settings.

Why this organisation?

Say why you want to work for this particular organisation. For example, this might be related to its clients, values, reputation or staff development policy.

Draw on the research you've done in preparing to apply and don't just make it up. For example, their projects, values or personal development opportunities may have taken your interest.

Whatever captures your attention, try to be as specific and authentic as possible. Generic statements do not tend to work well here.

Make the match against the person specification or job description

Many recruiters use the person specification as a selection tool when reviewing your statement. For this reason, it's important that you evidence their criteria as clearly as possible.

To achieve this, you could

• use the key competencies as sub-headings to signpost the recruiter to the relevant information
• theme different key competencies into separate paragraphs. Ideally, order these paragraphs in the order that they appear in the person specification, so that it's easy for the recruiter to follow
• theme key experiences in separate paragraphs in order of relevance, eg a paragraph on your education, then your projects, then your work experience etc. Clearly demonstrate the relevant skills and experiences when describing these experiences

For example, if the person specification states "must have the ability to prioritise and manage a busy workload", describe in detail how you have developed this skill and provide evidence from your course, work experience or interests.

If there isn't a formal specification available, then write it against the competencies that they say they are looking for in the advert or from wider research.

This is the opportunity for you to demonstrate your relevant skills, attributes and specific knowledge, so make sure you sell yourself.

Things you haven't had chance to tell them about in other parts of the form

You might also use this section to set out experiences that you feel are of secondary importance, ie things that are still relevant but which you haven't written about elsewhere in the form.

For example, you might write about interests, leisure pursuits or volunteering experiences that are not directly relevant to the job but where you have developed some pertinent transferable skills.

You could also use this section to explain how you coped with any setbacks and refer to qualities such as determination and persistence. This can be helpful to explain re-sits, changing courses, lack of relevant experience or time gaps.

Write positively about the experience, for example, what you learnt from it and what you have done to address the issue since then, if applicable.

End with a closing paragraph

Try to end on a high note, with a positive concluding statement. You could reiterate your motivation and commitment or, if you have one, provide a relevant and memorable fact about yourself.

Dealing with difficult issues or disclosing a disability

You can include a short paragraph about any difficult issues, such as re-sits, changing courses, lack of relevant experience or time gaps. Explain how you coped with any setbacks and refer to qualities such as determination and persistence.

Write positively about the experience, for example, what you learnt from it and what you have done to address the issue since then, if applicable.

If you have health-related issues or a disability, it's your decision whether to disclose this in your application. You may wish to read further advice on this topic or discuss this with an adviser.

Key tasks

Research the opportunity

Before writing your personal statement, make sure you've done your research into the opportunity and reflected on how you meet the requirements. For further information on how to do this, see Preparing to write an application form.

Draft your statement first

Draft your personal statement in a separate Word document, so you can keep a copy of your responses. This will be important to reflect on if you're invited to an interview.

It also enables you to proofread your work to check for spelling and grammar. If possible, get someone else to proofread your personal statement.