You likely have an idea of how to write a good CV. Your education, employment history, and academic qualifications are easy to put together because all you need to look at are the dates, the specs of your previous jobs, and what you have managed to achieve in recent years.
The personal statement tends to be a tricky component of your CV. Thankfully, this guide is going to help you craft a winning personal statement. The personal statement found in a CV is also called a professional profile or a personal profile. And it’s an essential part of a CV that most people get wrong.
What is a personal statement?
You need to keep in mind that this personal statement is different from the personal statement that you compose for a university or college application. The personal statement of your CV is a short paragraph that usually appears at the document’s top section, below your name and contact information. It helps the recruiter have a powerful and clear overview of you. It is comprised of three key aspects namely:
- Who are you?
- Are you suitable for the role?
- What are your career goals?
Research studies show that recruiters spend an average of six seconds looking at a CV before deciding whether the candidate is an ideal fit. Since the personal statement is the first section of your CV, it needs to be powerful and tailored to the post you are applying for to showcase your suitability successfully. If it doesn’t, you are not likely to convince the hiring team that you are the ideal person for the job.
Length and format
A powerful and interesting personal statement should be clear and concise. It’s usually around four sentences long. So, that’s around fifty to two hundred words. When it comes to the layout, it needs to be consistent with the format of your CV. This means that you should maintain the font type, font size, and text justification.
Your ‘personal statement’ heading should be added in the same way that you’d title other sections of your CV. However, if there isn’t enough space, you can cut the formatting details since every recruiter will know this paragraph whether it has a heading or not.
Another important aspect that candidates rarely think about is the voice they write in. The first and third person is acceptable when writing your CV. Choose a viewpoint that you’re most comfortable with. However, you can always hire personal statement helpers to help with writing and keep your statement aligned with the rest of your CV.
If you choose to write in the third person, do away with all pronouns. Otherwise, it may end up sounding awkward instead of objective.
Tips to write a CV personal statement
Now that you know the purpose of a personal statement and how it should look like, let’s focus on the tips to write a good personal statement. When writing, you need read different templates. Keep in mind that your statement should be tailored to the position you are applying for.
1. State where you stand
The first section of your personal statement should tell your prospective employer where you stand in your career and professional field. Think of your current employment position, what you like about your job and the valuable qualities related to the respective vacancy.
2. Suitability and what you offer
The next section should focus on your achievements in line with the requirements found in the job description. Doing this will help you show the employer that what you can offer is impressive and valuable. You need to address the specifications of the job from the beginning to ensure that you are the ideal person for the job.
3. Career goals
The last section of your statement should be short and snappy to reaffirm why you are applying for the post.
Mistakes to avoid
There are several personal errors that you need to avoid. Avoiding these mistakes will make your statement powerful and persuasive:
1. Overuse of buzzwords
Buzzwords are good. And in most cases, you’ll find them in lots of job adverts. However, it’s always important to use them sparingly since they don’t provide evidence of your skill or ability. It’s always important to show your employer that you are ambitious or self-motivated with examples.
2. Generic personal statement
After writing your statement, you might think that it will work for all applications. Most of the time, it will, because, the jobs you’ll apply for will be similar in many ways. However, you must tailor your personal statement to target the specific skills that your vacancy requires. Otherwise, it won’t be effective.
Conclusion
A curriculum vitae personal statement allows you to introduce yourself to your prospective employer in a few sentences. They cover your career goals and qualifications in a couple of sentences. And this makes it easier for recruiters to determine whether you are the right person for the job.
Since the personal statement is the first section your employer will see, it needs to be compelling and captivating. You also need to tailor it to the position that you are applying for. As you write your statement, you need to avoid overusing buzzwords and using one personal statement to apply for different jobs. By using the tips that we’ve discussed here, you’ll soon receive a call from your employer. And it’s going to be good news!
About the Author
Paul Calderon is an exceptional writer and proof-reader. He is interested in drawing, literature, health, and personal development. He enjoys painting and singing during his free time.
