The top of your CV is the thing that employers and recruiters see first and your personal statement is imperative to defining who you are and why it’s essential to read on!
Many miss out the opportunity to ‘sell themselves’ and their skills in a personal statement. Possibly because it’s not always easy to do that as opposed to the core information such as employment history and education/qualifications.
What is a personal statement?
A personal statement, or profile is a professional ‘About me’ paragraph. It doesn’t need to be any longer than a few sentences, but needs to prefix your CV with an overview of who you are, your skillset, experience and motivations. It should sell your strengths, career goals and what makes you stand out. A good personal statement should entice further reading and keep employers hooked on your CV for longer.
Why is it even a thing?
You don’t have to have a personal statement, it’s individual choice but it’s advisable to help your CV stand out from the crowd. It demonstrates early on who you are and helps employers understand in short paragraph form an overview of your skill-set and experience. See it as a bite sized chunk of information to encourage your CV to hold the attention of its reviewer for longer. If you’re entering a competitive marketplace it’s essential, as it is in sales. Employers will look for how you sell yourself.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Keep it to the point, 4/5 lines maximum
- Sell your key skills and experience and what makes you stand out
- Tailor your personal statement per job that you’re applying for, identifying key transferrable skills and experience
- Use it as an opportunity to sell yourself
- Read it to yourself, to a friend and check for spelling and grammar. Put yourself in the shoes of an employer, if you read that would you be intrigued to read on?
Don’t:
- Waffle
- Write in the third person
- Make it generic. It needs to stand out from the crowd
- Overdo it – any more than a short paragraph is going to tip your CV over 2 pages. It needs to be short, sharp and punchy
- Use jargon
For CV crafting advice check out our article https://www.glurecruit.co.uk/writing-a-winning-cv/ and contact one of our recruitment specialists on 01143211873