How to Write Effective Personal Statements for Resumes?

Nowadays, it is not hard to come across your dream job. However, the competition is lower than ever, and employers seek specialists in an online job search. Therefore, you should take the time out to create a powerful professional statement to stand out from the rest of the applicants.

To write an effective personal statement for resumes, first of all, you have to pinpoint what you want and why you need a specific job. Secondly, you should support your argument with factual evidence and show how your skills can contribute to your field if hired. Also, use a resume layout that is specific to the job you are seeking.

What is a Personal Statement

A personal statement is a short letter written by an individual to a prospective employer. The purpose of these statements is to introduce the applicant and describe their suitability for the position. It is usually the first thing that an employer reads, and it is the quickest way to determine if the applicant can be considered for an in-person interview or not.

It can be used as an opportunity to add information that does not fit within the body of a well-written resume, such as passions, professional experiences, etc., while still covering other salient points such as skill sets and education levels. Similar in format to other promotional documents like letters of reference or resumes, a personal statement is generally one paragraph long with some form of introduction at the beginning and conclusion at the end. Sometimes employers may ask for a personal statement as part of the original job listing, so applicants must write something that directly addresses the job description. Other times, applicants may decide to use a personal statement to describe what they intend to do once they obtain the position.

What to Include in Your Personal Statement

When writing your personal statement, remember that you have just one chance to make a good impression. It is where you state your intentions and what you hope to accomplish in your career. You can write about your ambitions, reasons for applying, professional/academic accomplishments, and why you believe this position would be the perfect fit for you. This will be a way for employers to see that you have specific goals in mind for the future and that the position you are applying to requires those specified goals.

It is important to note that a personal statement is not meant to replace experience; instead, it is used as a means of promotion. Therefore, one should not write anything that can be taken as bragging. An applicant can mention achievements or successes but must tie them to a job or career objective if they wish to include them.

Checklist for Writing Personal Statement

Before you start writing, do not forget to organize your thoughts and assess your objectives. It is good to write down a list of questions that you may need to answer in the personal statement. This will help you get all of your thoughts into order.

Make sure that you are sticking with your goals and objectives when creating this document.

Carefully choose your words as employers and recruiters will be looking for a job well done. Do not be afraid to rewrite them if you feel that they do not sound good.

Ask someone else to read over your personal statement for resumes. They may spot mistakes or areas that need improvement that you have missed on your own. Ask them if they understood the meaning and message of the document, as it is important for your audience to know what you are trying to say.

Decide on the most important points you want to make in your personal statement and write these down. Of course, you can only write so much in one document, so you need to make sure that you have their attention.

Personal Statement Examples

Let’s review some sample personal statements to give an idea of how to do it.

  1. One of my most significant accomplishments in school was when I started up a local recycling program and raised awareness by spreading information.
  2.  I enjoy taking on leadership roles because I know that it is not always about the grades but the experience you accumulate through volunteering, tutoring, and advocating for social causes.
  3.  As a member of my school’s alumni association, I actively attended workshops where I received valuable information on how to resume my career-best.
  4. By volunteering at the local high school and teaching math, I was able to gain valuable experience working with students with special needs.
  5. In college, I participated in many leadership development programs, such as tutoring disadvantaged children and volunteering for many community service projects.

How to Write an Effective Personal Statement

What you include in your statement is essential, but also how specific you make it. For example, if you were writing to a college admissions officer, why would they want to know about all the volunteer work or any community service projects that you have done? It is a great idea to include information about why it was necessary and how it helped shape your career goals. This can be incorporated into other sections of your resume, as well as into the personal statement.

Common Mistakes For Writing A Personal Statement

  1. Not having a clear objective – To choose the job that you are going to apply for, it is crucial that you understand why the company is hiring and what your specific goals are going to be. An excellent personal statement will allow the employer to tell whether or not they think you can fulfill their expectations. If there are no objectives in your message, it will seem as though you are trying too hard to make a good impression.
  1. No paragraphs, no structure to how your thoughts are organized – The organization of the personal statement is very important. You want to be able to follow the steps in a logical order. If you put together your thoughts in a haphazard way, it will seem as though you are rambling, and those that are reading your statement will feel like they don’t know what you are trying to say.
  1. Too much information or too many agendas – Your statement is one page; do not include unnecessary material that may bore the reader or distract them from what you are trying to say. On the other hand, you want to make sure that everything is pertinent and doesn’t slow the reader down or make them think there is excess information. If anything, it will cause them to think twice about your application.
  1. Badly Structured Writing – You want to write in a clear, concise manner that does not include any jargon or other unnecessary words so that your statement is easy for employers and recruiters to understand. If the person reading your personal statement thinks that it is too complex, they may just end up deleting it before even reading it.

In closing,

It’s crucial to write an effective personal statement for resumes by first identifying what you want and what you hope to accomplish by applying for a certain job. Secondly, support your resume with factual evidence that shows how your skills can contribute to the field if hired. Last but not least, use a layout that is specific to the job you are seeking. If this sounds like something, you would like our team of experts at Resume For The Win could help with, please contact us today to get started on helping build out your resume right away.