FAQ Personal
Statement |
| Most
people won’t be able to just
start writing the statement off the
top of their head so it’s a
good idea to jot down a few notes
first. The main things to think about
are:
Write
down as many personal qualities you have: It has to
be all Positive.. OK ( In my experience as a Employment
Advisor I have seen some negative Personal Statement
, and I have to say….you are just wasting Employers
Time…No chance of Getting that Job. REMEMBER
the Key Word is (POSITIVE) positive and more positive
words.
• What personal qualities,
interests and experience do I have?
•
What are my other interests and skills?
These are the main things to start with - if this
still doesn’t help, you can look at a few more
detailed starting points. Many people have trouble
writing about themselves and their personal qualities,
so if you’re having trouble with this step,
pop down to a library or bookstore and get a book
out on writing CVs which will go into this process
in much more depth.
Something which helped me was to put these headings
down on a piece of paper, in a rough table, and to
carry that piece of paper around with me. Every time
I thought of something, I was able to write it down
before I forgot about it.
Things to consider
• Get your personal statement typed up on a
word-processor, for example Microsoft Word. Then copy
and paste it onto your Job Application Form.
• Have a backup of the file containing your
personal statement in a different place from your
original statement file, for example on a disc.
• Don’t add in extra spaces (e.g. at the
beginnings of paragraphs as indentation), since these
are removed.
What should you include in Your Personal Statement?
A basic list, which isn’t conclusive, is:
• Interest in the course: Why do you want to
do it.
• Relevant work experience
• Skills and qualities required
• Interest in your current studies
• Career Aspirations
• Enthusiasm for the subject
• How are your current studies related
• Any other interest/hobbies/experiences you
wish to mention
•
Write down yours here:
1. _________________
2. ___________________
3. _______________________
4. __________________________
5. _____________________________
What’s
the most important part?
A good first sentence will get the reader interested
and ensure they actually read your statement rather
than skim it. A good ending will ensure the reader
remembers your statement is selling. The first line
is probably the thing to work on at most people put
their reasons for studying the subject at the top,
and this is generally regarded to be the most important
bit of the statement.
What sort of structure should I use?
Most people write their personal statement in an essay
style, starting off with the course, and why they
want to do it, then talking about their relevant work
experience and skills and finishing off with extra
curricular activities though you can use any style
which fits you. As a guide, spend around 60% of the
space talking about your job and how you’re
suited to it, and 30% on your work experience and
other activities that are relevant to your subject
and 10% or less on hobbies and activities that can't
be related back to your subject.
Should I talk about my qualifications?
No. Normally this goes under Qualification columns
so I would advise you not duplicate the same thing.
How do I prioritise my ideas?
A simplistic approach is to include anything about
the Job towards the beginning of the statement, and
anything that is less relevant towards the end.
A very simple structure might be:
• Introduction: Why do you want to do the Job,
how did you make your decision, show your enthusiasm
for the subject.
• Relevant work experience: Anything that you
have done which is relevant to the subject can go
here. Also mention career aspirations.
• Enthusiasm for current jobs, and how they
help with the future jobs.
• Skills and qualities: What skills and qualities
do you have, and that will you need to do this job.
Don't just list skills though, give examples of circumstances
when you've demonstrated skills?
• Anything else: This paragraph usually contains
hobbies/interests/sports/music/charitable work. Try
to link it with the course or at the least link it
to how you manage to stay sane while studying. If
you're deferring entry, an explanation of your gap
year plans can go here.
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After
you've written it
• Check it.
• Get someone else to check it
• Check it once more yourself.
I cannot emphasise the importance
of checking your Personal Statement,
especially when it comes to Spelling,
Punctuation and Grammar. No matter
how good the content of your Personal
Statement, if it reads like it was
written by a 5-year old, it won't
reflect very well on your ability
to cope with a Job.
All The Best Rama
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