How to write a knock-out Personal Statement

Despite often being overlooked for education roles, a great personal statement, or ‘cover letter’, to accompany your application can often be the deciding factor in securing your desired role, and is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd in the ever-competitive job market. In our opinion, it’s certainly worth taking the extra time and effort to craft a great statement. For our top tips, read on.

1. Sell yourself

While many people balk at the idea of talking themselves up and showing off their achievements, a personal statement is not only the perfect place to do this, it is essential. This is not the time to be shy! Take some time to reflect on your achievements and talk yourself up.

2. Give evidence

So you’ve talked yourself up to the maximum – excellent. Now, make sure you qualify your statements with evidence. So, if you’ve stated that you’re a highly skilled educator who instills inspiration in their students, you now need to give an example of when you did this; was there an initiative you were part of, or an event you made happen, or a particularly proud career moment when you demonstrated these skills? Make sure you include it, otherwise your statements could read like hot air rather than outstanding credentials.

3. Don’t waffle

While it might be tempting to highlight every single seemingly-significant moment in your journey to education, it’s important not to waffle. A personal statement shouldn’t read like a life story, and if it does, it risks putting off a busy recruiter. Ensure instead that you are clear and concise, and be selective about what you include.

4. Personalise

If you really want to stand out, you need to personalise your statement- it’s called a ‘personal’ statement for a reason! Having a good general cover letter is sensible, but it’s often quite easy to tell that you’re reading a one-size-fits-all personal statement. Instead, use your ‘general’ cover letter as the starting point or basis for each individual application and then take the time to flesh it out. You’ll always make the most impact if you tailor each letter to suit the role you are applying for.