Your personal statement – sometimes referred to as the profile section - of your CV can have many uses, however the main purpose is to ‘sell yourself’ and effectively put across why you’re the best person for the job.

This is then often the reason why most people say the personal statement is the hardest part of a CV to do. As well as trying to explain who you are, your career goals etc. you also need to ensure that the statement is relevant to (ad tailored) to each job role you’re applying for.

XCL Group have some top tips below, of how to write a good personal statement and how you can make sure your it stands out, and for the right reasons…..

Why do I need a personal statement? 

Given it’s one of the most important parts of your CV, it gives you chance to establish your skills and experience; while explaining why you’d be the best person for the job, in a one short, easy to read paragraph.

When written well, the personal statement can help you really stand out from the crowd.

How long should a personal statement be?

There isn’t a set length for a personal statement, but as a rule of thumb ideally it should be 80 – 150 words / four or five lines.

This is enough to showcase that you’d be a strong candidate for the role and also encourage the potential employer to read on – without wasting valuable space, within the first page of your CV.

What person & tense should it be written in?

As a whole, your CV, including the personal statement, should be written in the first person e.g. “I,” “my,” etc.

However, when it comes to which tense to write in, this then depends on what it is you’re writing about. Because you’re often talking about yourself and your current employment state, the personal statement would be ‘present tense’, for example; “I am an Electrical Engineer, with X number of years’ experience….”. But if you’re to include previous work history and responsibilities these would be written in the ‘past tense’, so that you’re making it clear they are past activities, so as to avoid any confusion from the reader.

What to include in your personal statement

As mentioned above, the main purpose of your personal statement is to present to the reader who you are and what you do. So ideally it should include:

·        Current or previous role, and your level of experience in the role.
Note: If you have little / no work experience relevant to the role, you could include your relevant education achievements instead.

·        Mention your industry background, which will then give context to your experience.

·        Your key strengths and skills that are the most crucial for the role you’re applying for.

·        Any additional knowledge or experience you have that is relevant to the role.
E.g. if you’re applying for an IT support job, you may want to include the systems you are most familiar with.

Whatever you decide to include in your personal statement, make sure that everything is relevant to the job role you’re applying for. Every role, and every organisation, is different, so be sure to cross-reference your CV with the job description and tailor your personal statement to best match what each employer will be looking for.

Writing an effective personal statement is no easy task but hopefully these tips should help you get off to a good start.