BE SELF-RELIANT IN YOUR CAREER

WRITING A GOOD CV PERSONAL STATEMENT

A personal statement is generally the first thing included in your CV, and is a brief personal summarygiven to potential employers to help you positioned from the competition. You need to show off your strengths and skills, talk about your achievements and share your career ambitions. Your statement should be a small, few sentenced ranging from 50-150 words representing who you are as a professional, and what you have to offer in relation to experience and ambition. In many ways, your personal statement is a piece of self-marketing. The CV is there to tell your work history and achievements, but the personal statement is a good chance to reveal a little bit of your personality.

Why Personal Statement?

It gives you a chance to market yourself to the employer in a small and easy-to-digest paragraph. By summing up the precise skills and experience that make you perfect for the position, you’re proving your suitability and convincing the recruiter to read on. In fact, a well-written personal statement can mean the difference between standing out from the crowd and your application being rejected. 

Structuring Your Personal Statement

In order to determine the structure of your personal statement, it helps to answer the following questions:

·        Why does this role interest you?

·        Why are you suited to this role?

·        Do you have any previous jobs or training that relate to this line of work?

·        Have you taken part in any projects that help demonstrate your capabilities?

·        What specialist skills do you have that make you an ideal candidate?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a better idea of what you have to offer. This can then determine the structure of your statement, as you’ll know what to emphasize and what to downplay. For instance, if you don’t have any practical work experience, you can always touch on your academic accomplishments or transferable skills gleaned over the years.

Beginning Your Personal Statement

Start your personal statement with a brief professional summary about yourself. Example: “Recent graduate with a degree in English from Bath University. Practical work experience as the former editor of Bath University student blog and magazine. Looking to start my career in journalism in a role where I can build on the skills gained at university and through my editorial experience.”

Ending Your Personal Statement

Your personal statement should end with your objective. It’s a chance to wrap-up your statement with a clarification on why you want the role and why you’re best suited to it. Below is a good example of a CV personal statement;

“I am an ambitious purchasing manager looking to progress into a senior purchasing position within the automotive sector. I have developed communication skills when working in managerial positions at large automotive corporations, nurtured successful working relationships and, resultantly, possess an advantageous professional network. Due to over 12 years of experience within this industry, I am fully equipped with commercial awareness and product knowledge. I am looking to secure a challenging role in a market-leading automotive company where I can bring fresh strategic vision and value to the business.”

In a competitive job market, it’s important to make sure that every part is covered. With a well-written and professional personal statement, you have an opportunity to make your CV stand out from the rest of the pack.