A personal statement has many uses, but its primary purpose, above everything else, is to sell yourself to the reader. A CV personal statement is also a personal profile or a career summary. It is a short but compelling portion that highlights your key skills, experience, and career aspirations. This part sits on the upper part of the CV, where it reflects your professional identity. It helps recruiters quickly understand your capabilities and what you can bring to the table. Now, if you have no idea how to write this document, here is a complete guide that includes CV personal statement examples as well.
What is a CV Personal Statement?
A personal statement is a small paragraph that leaves a very strong impression on its reader. In a professional CV, this statement is a crucial part as it highlights your unique talents, professional accomplishments, goals, and other factors. This part of the CV should be well-written and tailored according to the industry or a specific job you are applying to, as it increases your chance of landing an interview. However, if you are still unsure how to craft a personal statement properly, you can always contact professional CV writing services online for guidance.
Some Tips Before Writing A CV Personal Statement
1. Keep It Brief And To The Point
When writing a personal statement, remember to keep it concise and focused on specific details. It should be around 100-200 words with short paragraphs and avoid unnecessary details.
2. Highlight Key Achievements and Skills
In this portion, make sure to mention your special skills and key achievements in your professional career. It will make you stand out in the eyes of recruiters.
3. Strong Opening Statement
Your statement should have a strong start and grab the reader’s attention. Avoid generic phrases such as “I am a very hard-working individual”; instead, use phrases such as “Result-oriented individual and a Team lead of 30 people”.
4. Use Numbers
When crafting your statement, be sure to quantify metrics, such as “increased sales by 30%” or “achieved 100% customer satisfaction.”
5. Tailor It To The Position You Are Applying For
Using the same generic statement in your CV can reduce your chances of securing a job. To ensure you make an impact, customize your statement for each job application by highlighting the skills essential for that specific role.
6. Maintain a Professional Tone
Your statement should have a professional yet engaging tone. Avoid using overly complex words or clichés.
How to Write a CV Personal Statement
– Start With Professional Experience And Education
Start your statement by stating who you are, what your professional experiences are, and the level of education you have. The opening statement should have an attention-grabbing adjective that defines one of your professional traits, words such as ‘Dedicated’ or ‘Detail-oriented’. You should also mention your current job and the qualities that make you the right choice. However, if you lack work experience, highlight your highest level of education and any small jobs or internships you might have done before. For example, “A finance Student with 3 ‘A’s in A-Levels, with a month’s internship at an ABC firm.”
– Key Skills and Accomplishments
In the second sentence of your statement, highlight the main skills you possess and two or three major achievements in your career. Make sure to be extremely picky while selecting your accomplishments, as you aim to grab the employer’s attention and stand out. For instance, “Skilled sales expert with an increase of 50% sales annually”.
– Career Goals
The last section of your statement should discuss your career objectives and what you want to achieve. Mention the company and the role you would like to target and achieve. Customize your CV whenever you apply for different roles in different companies. Here is an example: “With my problem-solving ability and my team-leading skills, I am seeking to apply for the position of Lead Business Manager at River Island.”
Do not worry if you haven’t updated your resume in a very long time and are now looking for a career shift or a new job. If you are unsure of how to update your CV, seek professional help from any online agency. They will offer CV creation assistance and personal statement writing services. With their help, you can either give your previous vitae a makeover or get a fresh resume with a statement written from scratch.
Some Personal Statement Examples
High School Student Personal Statement
“Curious and Innovative creator with an “A*” in all his GCSEs and currently studying at Abbey’s College Manchester. Passionate about Coding, robotics intelligence, and AI, and very eager to expand my knowledge of coding and AI through a full-time internship at Data Root Labs summer program.”
Graduate Personal Statement
“A motivated and detail-oriented Business Management graduate with a strong foundation in financial analysis and project management. I am a data-driven decision-maker with a problem-solving mindset, and my experience in internships and part-time roles has developed my leadership and teamwork skills. Seeking to apply for an entry-level position in business consultancy to apply my analytical skills and contribute to organizational success.”
Marketing Specialist Personal Statement
“Senior Digital Marketer with 10 years of experience in running data-driven campaigns to increase brand engagement and visibility. Experience working with multi-national brands and developing their global marketing methods. Expertise in Social Media marketing, content strategy, and digital advertising, leading to a 40% increase in brand awareness for previous employers. In search of a senior marketing role where I can showcase my creativity and analytical skills to promote growth and innovation.”
Career Change Personal Statement
“An experienced Customer Service Professional transitioning into a Software engineer, bringing exceptional communication skills and a deep understanding of consumer behaviour. A motivated Software engineer with proficiency in JavaScript, Python, and full-stack development. I bring strong analytical skills, problem-solving capabilities, and effective communication skills. Passionate about leveraging technology into business efficiency and excited to make an impact with an entry-level role in an organization.”
Mistakes to Avoid While Writing Your Statement
- Being Too Generic
- Using too much terminology
- Reliance on ChatGPT
- Making it too long
- Forgetting to proofread
- Not tailoring according to the role
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long should a Personal Statement be?
Ideally, your statement should range between 150 and 250 words. Keeping it concise and relevant.
2. Can I show my personality through humour in my statement?
Humour can help show off your personality, but you have to be careful to ensure it does not overshadow your abilities and skills.
3. Can I include personal interests in my statement?
Add them only if they are relevant to your job role or can be transferable to your industry.
Final Takeaway
A CV personal statement is crucial for your job application as it explains your unique skills, abilities, work experience and career goals concisely yet effectively. With the given CV personal statement examples, you can understand why having an impactful vitae with a personalized statement is important and what tips you should follow to achieve that. We hope it will make your job search easier.