How to Write a Personal Statement with Example

Learning how to write a  great personal statement is a vital skill when applying for jobs, in this blog post we will discuss various strategies you can use to write a great personal statement with plenty of examples.

What is a Personal Statement

A personal statement provides color to your CV or resume, it helps fill the blanks, provides context and insight into who you are as a person and a professional. A personal statement should be no longer than ¼  of a page A4 and up to 100 words.  

In this blog post, we’re going to be looking at personal statement examples UK, the USA, and the rest of the world. As well as various types of personal statement examples for job, graduates, school leavers and experienced civil service, NHS, and tech professionals for Google and Amazon. 

Also, what is equally as important as writing a great personal statement is that once you arrive at the interview stage, is that you’re ready to perform at your best and learn the STAR interview technique and calm your interview nerves. We recommend that you consider signing up for our free interview coaching or if you have a civil service interview consider researching civil service interview questions and answers.

How to Structure a Personal Statement

A personal statement structure should be done in a systematic way. This is important because you’re trying to cover a lot of information in a very short amount of words,  therefore being succinct and efficient with your language is critical.  There are four key steps that I recommend when it comes to structuring a personal statement:

1. An initial over the line this should cover your current job role, how many years of experience you possess, and the Industries/sectors that you worked in and the companies that you worked in. If you’re someone with very little experience, then include the university you have studied at. 
2. Talk about the specific quantifiable skills you possess for example if you’re a scientist he might want to mention the lab techniques that you are familiar with if you’re a software engineer talk about the programming languages you are trained in,  and in project management the types of qualifications and specific analysis techniques you have experience in.
3.  Talk about the major achievement that you’ve made this can be singular or multiple for example in project management you can say you delivered over 7 high-profile projects valued in excess of 2 million.
4.  Current career goals and objectives. For example, currently seeking an exciting role within the FMCG sector.

How to start personal statement examples:

Below is a list of personal statement examples to open with:

Example One

Project manager possessing over 4 years of professional experience within the I.T, and financial services sector, working for the likes of  Citigroup, Google, and Stripe. Strong working knowledge of PRINCE2 methodologies Kaizen, Six Sigma, and JIT.

Example Two

Software engineering graduate with 6 months of professional experience possessing a 2:1 grade from Oxford University. Experience of a range of programming languages, including Java, JavaScript,  Python, and Ruby.

Example Three

Highly experienced HR  director (CIPD)  with over 20 years of experience across the third sector, civil service, and the NHS. Expert knowledge of policy development, staff governance, and organizational cultural transformation.

Example Four

MBA qualified project manager, and product manager with 5 years of product development experience working for the likes of Dyson Amazon, and AWS.  Expertise includes full product life cycle, development experience, and conducting product stress test analysis. 

How to end a personal statement examples

Below are a list of personal statement examples to finish with:

Example One

Ready for an immediate start and currently seeking an exciting opportunity with a reputable organization.

Example Two

I believe with my current experience I’m ready for the next step in my career where I can contribute towards helping an ambitious organization achieve its mission, vision, and goals.

Example Three

Considering all of the above, I believe I can become a valuable asset to any organization that’s seeking to excel in providing the highest quality product or service. 

Example Four

I believe with my expertise and motivation I can help contribute towards achieving the organization’s ambitions and goals.

How to write a personal statement with Example

There are various styles of personal statements that can be written depending on the sector that you’re in and where you are in your career. Below are different strategies that you can use to help you and being able to adapt your personal statement examples.

How to write a University Personal Statement

A personal statement for a university means that the person writing it probably has very little work experience. So the main focus  of this particular personal statement structure will include the following: 

1. Write about what your goals and ambitions are related to your career and where you see yourself in the future.
2. Think about what value this university can offer to you in alignment with your goals and ambitions and what you enjoy doing in your free time.
3. Talk about the value that you can bring to the university through your studies and work experience.

Example University Personal Statements

Below is a list of good personal statement examples. 

University Personal Statement Example One

I’m passionate about helping people and I believe by becoming a nurse, I will have the opportunity To make a difference. Seeing your program and the fact that you are a leading  University in nursing really excites me. I believe my hard-working attitude combined with my enthusiasm to learn will make me an asset to the program. 

University Personal Statement Example Two

I’m currently a student at XYZ College. My desire is to become an investment banker and I believe that by studying economics and finance I will be able to achieve my dream. I also have a passion for sports and play rugby. Your university has a fantastic economics and finance program along with a sporting heritage which excites me.  I believe that the combination of my grades (BBB),  enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment. I can be a great fit for the program and university.

How to write a School Leaver Personal Statement

For school leavers, a personal statement is likely as important as a CV or Resume because it will provide context to a very short CV. In most cases, the personal statement will act as a supporting statement for a job. Just as a school leaver’s CV is likely to be on the shorter side, so will their personal statement. Below I’m going to provide you with some short personal statement examples for school leavers.

School Leaver Personal Statement Example One

Hard-working school leaver who has recently completed his GCSEs.  I’m an empathetic and enthusiastic person. I believe my personality makes me a great fit for a customer services role. I’m a team player and in my free time participating in many sporting activities including football and tennis. 

School Leaver Personal Statement Example Two

Recent school leaver with three A’s, three BS, and 2C’s in their GCSEs.  I’m looking for an exciting part-time opportunity within customer services. I feel that my enthusiasm, positive energy, and desire to learn will make me an excellent fit within your organization.

School Leaver Personal Statement Example Three

I’m an energetic, diligent young professional who is looking to start my career as an administrator.  I have excellent typing and Microsoft Office skills and am very familiar with Microsoft Excel. I’m a team player and would love to join your organization and help you achieve your company goals.

How to write a Graduate Personal Statement

A personal statement for a graduate is critical as the graduate job market is extremely competitive and your personal statement could be the difference between getting an interview and not getting a job interview.  Below is a list of key rules for writing a graduate personal statement:

1. Mention the university that you studied, the degree course, and the grade that you achieved.  Now if your grades or the university aren’t particularly good, then simply mention the course.
2. List the skills, techniques, and knowledge areas that you studied in university courses that would be beneficial for the job.
3. Talk about what your career objective is and your career goals and how this aligns with the organization. 

Graduate Personal Statement Example One

A recent graduate from Oxford University with a 2.1  in PPE (Philosophy, Politics & Economics).  Possessing a strong understanding of financial techniques including cost modeling, Economic impact analysis as well as studying the philosophy of Economics.  Currently seeking an exciting opportunity within the Financial Consulting sector. 

Graduate Personal Statement Example Two

Enthusiastic graduate in Marketing with first-class honors. With knowledge and experience of a range of subjects including social media engagement, and theory of marketing and completed a  Project on developing a complete social media campaign. Seeking an opportunity with a creative Boutique firm where I’m able to learn and contribute. 

How to write an Unemployed/redundancy Personal Statement 

If you’re currently unemployed or have been made redundant my suggestion is very simple: you should never draw direct attention to your unemployment at this stage in the job search process.  A personal statement for job is a sales pitch and you only want to focus on the positives. When one is unemployed or has been made redundant a clear positive for the company is the fact that you will be able to start the job immediately.  A good personal statement example would be the following.

Unemployed/redundancy Personal Statement Example

Business development & Sales Manager with over 20 years of professional experience within the Automotive, Precision Engineering, and FMCG sector. Possessing a track record of successfully driving sales growth (£3m of new business in 2022). Available for an immediate start and seeking a position within a value-focused organization. 

Career break personal statement example

Software engineer with expertise in Java, JavaScript python (full stack experience),  with over 10 years of professional experience.  This includes working with AWS, Google, YouTube, and Waze.  After recently returning from her career break and traveling, I’m now ready for a new challenge and I’m seeking an exciting organization where I can help towards achieving their mission and goals.

Career change personal statement example

Experienced, hard-working professional with over 8 years of professional experience within the corporate sector. Experience includes project management, business analysis, and budget management.  Currently undergoing a career change and looking to work within the charitable sector I believe many of the skills that I possess are transferable and I look forward to joining an organization where I can contribute and make a difference.

Personal Statement Frequently Asked Question

Do you need a personal statement for an apprenticeship?

Yes, you should include a personal statement if you are applying for an apprentice role, since you have so little to no work experience as a school leaver your personal statement will give the hiring manager deeper insight into to the qualities you possess and your suitability for the role.

How long should a personal statement be for a job?

A personal statement should ideally be around 100 words long,  less than a ¼ of a page of A4. Anything longer than that will turn the personal statement into a cover letter. This is obviously something that we don’t want to do since the personal statement is just a snapshot of who you are and what you can bring to the job.

What is a supporting statement for a job?

A supporting statement is a short paragraph which is providing an overview of who you are and what value you can bring to the organization. Is there to enhance your CV  or Resume? 

How to write a personal statement for a job

There are four key steps to follow when writing a personal statement: the first talk about your current job and how many years you’ve worked, secondly talk about quantifiable skills that you can bring to the role, thirdly talk about your achievement and finally what your current goals are.

How to write a supporting statement for a job examples

Writing a supporting statement is virtually the same as writing a personal statement the slight difference being that a supporting statement, it’s something that doesn’t necessarily include anything personal but rather just purely focuses on your professional expertise.