Getting shortlisted for a job or a university admission can be difficult if you don’t know how to craft a professional personal statement. Despite your excellent qualifications, it is vital to note that you may fail to get recruited for a particular position if your account is not written well.

In this post, you will get a lot of insights regarding a personal statement. Let us go on!

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is an account showing your qualifications, skills, talents, or experience, and it is usually included in a job application, resume, or university application.

It is essential to bear in mind that personal statements for university admission are a bit longer than those used for a job application. For instance, the college entry statement is 4-5 paragraphs, whereas those for CVs are crafted in one section. However, note that different universities have unique requirements regarding the number of words in a personal statement. Therefore, before you start writing, ensure that you understand the respective institutions’ guidelines to avoid making unnecessary mistakes.

How to Structure a Personal Statement

Knowing how to write a personal statement can help you get shortlisted for a job opportunity or university admission despite stiff competition from the other candidates. If you want to compose a strong personal statement, it is advisable to break the task into manageable parts, such as the introduction, body, and conclusion. After that, you can start crafting the body, then go to the end, and finally finish with the introduction.

The following is a highlight of how you can craft the different sections of a personal statement.

• The introduction

Ensure that you write a perfect introduction that reflects your personality. For instance, mention who you are, your academic qualifications, experiences, and reasons why you are interested in a particular position or admission.

If you are applying for a job, highlight why you are interested in the opportunity, and mention whether your skills align with it. However, for a university program, it is vital to show how a particular degree is consistent with your career aspirations.

• The body

In this section, you are supposed to give a highlight on various aspects, such as your qualification, level of experience, interests, and many more. More importantly, it is advisable to restrict yourself to writing only personal details that are relevant to the job or university admission you are applying for.

If you are crafting a personal statement for a job application, using two or three sentences is adequate for the contents of the body. However, for a bachelor’s degree, you may use one paragraph, while for a postgraduate program, using at least two sections is satisfactory.

The following is a description of some of the parts you are supposed to focus on while crafting the body.

• Academic qualifications

Your academic qualifications refer to the degrees, awards, or certifications you have acquired in the course of your schooling. State your skills in chronological order, starting from the most recent to the oldest.

• Experience

Experience is a very critical aspect when it comes to a job application. In your resume, mention the number of years you have worked in your previous positions. It is vital to note that according to some university requirements, those who have experience in specific areas have an added advantage in getting admission for postgraduate degrees. Therefore, it is crucial to read all the job/degree requirements thoroughly before you make any application.

• Skills

It is essential to mention only the skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. For instance, if you are vying for a managerial position, you may indicate that you are endowed with interpersonal and supervisory skills. However, if you are applying for student positions, mention the values that the institution is interested in.

• Your fitness for the job/university admission

In this section, state why you are the right fit for the job or university admission. You may mention the skills you have and your experience. If you are inexperienced, you may state that you are willing to learn very fast to add value to the organization or earn university credentials.

• Professional goals

It is vital to show how the job/admission you are applying for aligns with your career objectives. For instance, if your career is to become an accountant, applying for a bachelor’s degree in Commerce fits well with your future goals.

• The conclusion

The conclusion you compose should leave an excellent impression on the recruitment manager or the college admission officer. Therefore, ensure that you state clearly why you qualify for the position and how you will excel on the job based on your experience.

• Career objectives

Indicate how the position you are applying for can help you achieve your future career. If you are looking for college admission, it is crucial to show how the university’s mission will assist you in pursuing your academic course.

• Summary of the personal statement

Conclude by giving a summary of the main points in your account. Ensure that your conclusion falls between 1-2 sentences, and finally, connect your qualifications, skills, and experiences with your career goals with the organization or university.

• Editing your personal statement

Once you have crafted your personal statement, it is crucial to proofread and edit. You may do this by reading it loudly to see whether the proper transition of content flows from one sentence to another, or from paragraph to paragraph. Also, ensure that you edit your document to ensure that its content is easy to read, and there are no grammar errors.

How Should I Start a Personal Statement?

Ensure that you start with an opening sentence that can draw your audience into reading the document. If you want the university to consider your admission, you must craft content that has relevant ideas as per the admission requirements.

The following is a description of essential aspects to consider when starting writing your personal statement for university admission.

• Go straight to the point and avoid wasting time in devising a catchy opening
• Express your interest in the course to justify why you chose it.
• Start by explaining why you have chosen the program
• Give reasons why you are interested in pursuing the course
• Show your understanding and the motivation of the degree you are expecting to pursue

Most importantly, if you want to craft a stiff opening sentence, write the other sections, and then write the introduction later.

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be?

A personal statement for university admission can be between 1-3 paragraphs, depending on the type of the program you want to pursue. For instance, if you are applying for a bachelor’s degree, you may craft a personal statement with one paragraph. However, for postgraduate admission, you may use two to three sections. Also, you may use one paragraph if the personal statement is meant for an employment position.

How Should I end My Personal Statement?

You should end your personal statement by proving to the university admission officer that you are the best candidate for the position. It is vital to note that the conclusion section is the end of your personal statement. Therefore, ensure that it is neither too short nor too long. The conclusion should be 1/3 of the entire paper and should highlight a summary of your qualifications, skills, and experience.

Note that an admission officer uses the conclusion to form a second impression of your candidature. The following tips can help you to make your conclusion strong.

• Key points

If the personal statement is for college entry, highlight crucial reasons why you want to pursue the course, your inspiration for the program, and what you want to be after finishing your studies.

• Use a short concluding story

Conclude your personal statement with a short story showing how you have developed the skills and experience.

• Your experience and skills

Show your readers how you would use your expertise to achieve your objective. Mention how you would use your knowledge, such as leadership, to teach teamwork among other students or staff.

• Highlight your strengths

Prove to your audience that you are ready for the task, and you can help them solve their problems.

• Restate your personal statement

Restate the primary aspect of your account to emphasize the main ideas to your audience.

Expert Advice to Help You Create the Best Personal Statement

Writing a personal statement can be difficult if you don’t have adequate skills and experience to compose it. If you are experiencing such challenges, contact Peachy Essay writers for help.

The following tips can help you create the best personal statement.

• Mention something unique about yourself

Avoid redundancy by not repeating things that are already in the application. Instead, mention something new about yourself. For instance, state how your way of worship has influenced your studies or how your previous mentor assisted you to achieve your goals.

• Take enough time to brainstorm topics

For you to craft an exciting statement, ensure that you select original and easy to handle item. Therefore, chose the right topic based on the themes and experiences that are unique to you.

• Mind about the words, tone, and voice you choose

Ensure that you write your statement in simple language. Avoid using great vocabulary and complicated sentence structure. Communicate using a tone that portrays professionalism and care for your audience. Also, it is crucial to crafting an essay that reflects your voice; therefore, desist from using redundant words that have no value.

• Practice severally

When crafting a personal statement, the first draft might have some inadequacies. Therefore, it is advisable to compose the piece several times until you come up with the best document.

• Avoid procrastination

Note that a strong personal statement takes a long time to compose. Therefore, start early by brainstorming topics and then write your first draft before the college reopens.

What You Need to Know About the Ins and Outs of a Personal Statement

Before you craft your personal statement, it is vital to know what you should include or exclude. The following is a highlight of the ins and outs of a personal statement.

• Ins of a personal statement
• Use a polite and positive tone to attract the reader’s attention
• Keep your statement short and concise
• Give a summary of your employment history
• Highlight your skills
• Indicate the role or the program you are applying for. State reasons why you believe you are the best fit
• Read the job description thoroughly and write the personal statement based on its language
• Outs of a personal statement
• Irrelevant personal information

Avoid unnecessary information, such as mentioning that you are being widowed or divorced. Note that your recruiter or the admission officer doesn’t base their decisions on such.

• Flamboyance

Avoid creating an impression that shows that you are overconfident or proud because it may work against you.

• Use of unverifiable claims

When composing your statement, avoid making arguments that you can’t substantiate.

• Non-original content

Ensure that the content you craft is unique and stop copying information that belongs to other people.

• Lies

Avoid giving incredible information about your personal details, qualifications, or experience.

Drafting Your Personal Statement

A personal statement is an essential document that you can use to introduce yourself to the university, especially when seeking admission. Through this document, the college admission officer can get crucial details that can help him decide on your entry.

Before you draft a college admission personal statement, you should brainstorm the topic, practice writing the document severally, edit, and submit the final copy.

A personal statement is one of the soft skills required by many universities before admitting students for different programmes. It is crucial to crafting it well to emerge among the best candidate. If you are not sure of what is expected, it is advisable to consult a professional writing company for assistance.

Best Ways to Structure Your Personal Statement

The way you organize your personal statement matters a lot to the position you are applying for. A personal statement is structured based on the introduction, body, and conclusion.

The following is a highlight of the best ways you can use to structure your personal statement.

• Find out whether the role you are seeking interests you

Ask yourself how the role interests you before selecting the topic

• Determine whether you are suited for the role

Based on the role’s descriptions, evaluate yourself, and decide whether you have met the requirements.

• Previous job experience

Find out whether you have any prior experience matching the role you are applying for.

• Skill

Determine whether you have met the skills required for the position

Once you have considered the above factors, you can then decide how to structure your personal statement. For example, you may determine what to include or exclude while crafting the document.

Personal Statement Dos and Don’ts

A personal statement is a very critical document that can determine whether you are going to get your college admission or not. It is vital to note that before you craft the statement, you already have your hard scores, such as grades. Therefore, to compose a strong document, you should familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts, as explained below.

• The Do’s of a personal Statement

The following are the do of a personal statement.

• Write a compelling and memorable story

If you want to attract the attention of the admission officers, it is vital to tell a unique story about yourself and why you think you are the best fit.

• Mention your strengths and weaknesses

In the personal statement, highlight your accomplishments and instances where you have done something good.

• Stick to the recommended word limits

Note that every university has its prescribed word limit for personal statements. Therefore, it is vital to stick to the limit to avoid tiring the admission officers with extra work.

• Use the right grammar

After writing your personal statement, it is vital to proofread and edit it to ensure that it has no typos or grammar mistakes.

• The Don’ts of a personal Statement

To avoid redundancy, don’t repeat words or phrases that have already been used in your application.

• Don’t write sensitive issues

Avoid writing sensitive topics, such as sexual issues or violence because your readers may perceive them wrongly

• Don’t write it at the last minute

If you want to craft a high-quality statement, start it early since doing it in the last minute is prone to mistakes.

Final Thought on How to Write Personal Statement

Writing a personal statement can be an easy task if you understand its structure and how to compose it. If you are unsure of how to go about it, it is vital to consult experts, such as Peachy Essay Writers, for assistance.