The personal statement or additional information section is usually found at the end of an application and is a chance for you to show the employer why you should be hired above the other applicants. This section usually comes with instructions such as:
‘Please use this section to explain why you feel you are suited to this job and what you can bring to it’
or
‘Please include any further information relevant to the person specification, such as the skills, knowledge and experience you have’
Online applications usually have a word count limit and paper applications generally have a blank box to complete or ask for your statement on a separate piece of paper.
Personal statement guidelines
- Read the job description and person specification carefully
- Pick out key points of the job description or person spec and make sure you elaborate, giving tangible examples of how you show these characteristics, skills or examples of experience. Be specific!
- If you are completing your statement on a separate piece of paper ensure it is no longer than 2 sides of A4
- Break it down into sections i.e. experience, events and marketing, ensuring you hit all relevant key responsibilities
- Show some knowledge of the company, that you have done your research and this isn’t a generic application
- It’s really important that you give examples because they provide clear evidence that you’ve got a skill and know how to apply it in real situations.
- In addition to showing how you meet the person specification, you also need to show your enthusiasm for the job and what attracted you to the organization.
- After providing an example, reflecting on the experience shows that you can learn from your experiences and are always trying to improve.
- Remember your transferable skills
Your Unique Selling Point
Key to selling yourself on any application is to identify your Unique Selling Point USP and getting that message across to the company you are applying to. Your USP are the points, skills and achievements that make you different form other candidates that are applying for the same job and show why you should be hired above the others. Firstly you need to identify your own USP.
Skills and Expertise
- Write down a list of your skills and expertise
- How are they different from the other candidates?
- How can you specifically benefit the organisation?
- These may include: communication, planning, time management, information gathering, teamwork, interpersonal skills, management, leadership, IT or language skills
- Once identified it’s time to demonstrate how you have used these skills
Benefits
- Employers are looking for solutions to problems so how are you going to be their solution?
- Highlight key skills they are looking for and demonstrate how you have used these skills
Figures
- Identify and highlight any impressive numbers or figures form your previous work history to impress the compan
Career Portfolio
- Every individual’s work history will be unique so use this to your advantage when applying for vacancies.
Qualifications
- Do you hold specific qualifications that will benefit the company?
Once you have identified all of these areas you will have your Unique Selling Point which will enable you to continue with your application based around these facts.