Tips on writing a personal statement

— filed under: Personal statements

Take the personal statement very seriously - it could be the deciding factor in making your application successful.
Give yourself plenty of time to write the personal statement.
Read and follow any instructions - e.g. it may be stated that it should be hand-written or typed (if hand-written, make sure that it is legible!).

Write a positive and interesting personal statement to hold the attention of the reader.
Make sure that you address any specific questions that are asked - do not ignore them or think you can get away without answering them.
Be specific and provide appropriate evidence, e.g. if you are applying for a teacher training course, don't just say that you would make a good teacher; give examples of previous experience working in a classroom and activities where you have been involved with children.
Try to make your personal statement unique or distinctive in some way. One way to make it individual is to give a detailed example of something specific to your own experience, such as an event that influenced your decision to pursue a particular course or career.
Be succinct and avoid using long and ambiguous words or overly long sentences.
Adhere to the stated word limits - personal statements are often limited to 250-500 words, or one typed page, so write concisely while still providing enough detail.
Tailor your personal statement to the job or course you are applying for - do not use exactly the same one for different jobs.

Spell and grammar check your personal statement to avoid careless and easily correctable errors - ask a friend to read it for you to do a final proof before you send it.
Bring a copy of your personal statement to the Careers Service for one of the careers advisers to discuss with you.
Keep a copy of what you have written as it will probably be referred to at interview.

Careers Service