The personal statement is the most important aspects of the circum vitae or the CV.
This is the first section that the potential employer will read about you and in just a few articulate words this section must favorable you to encourage the reader to continue.
A personal statement can make or break a CV and this guide will provide information and details on how to write the best possible CV personal statement.
The CV personal statement must be at the top of the page first just below your name and the brief contact details.
The start of the personal statement should be as close to the top of the page as possible to allow the maximum detail to be fitted on the first page of the CV. Never waste the space on the first page with unnecessary white space or side formatting.
The personal statement for a CV may be surrounded by faint lines or subtle borders to add personalisation but never incorporate elaborate or strong patterns as these may make the whole document look unprofessional.
The start of the personal statement may have an introduction or title such as “personal statement”, “personal statement and career aspirations” or some other short description.
The formatting of the section should be justified and aligned with the main body of the document to ensure a coherent structure especially if the employer decides to print out the document. Formatting discrepancies are more obvious on printed documents than screen documents and formatting errors indicate a careless attitude.
The suggested link for a personal statement should be no longer than five lines of text. Any longer may mean unnecessary waffle and may dilute the effect of a carefully written introduction. These five lines should comprise of four sentences.
The first two sentences should be based upon your key skills which are relevant to the job position. The third sentence should focus on your goals, aims or aspirations, which could cleverly align with reasons for seeking new employment. The fourth sentence should include your skills set similar to the first two sentences but been much shorter and almost act as a call to action.
These four sentences should summarise you so completely that the employer has no real necessity to continue reading. The aim of the personal statement is short, direct, clear and descriptive. If your personal statement does not summarise you totally in four sentences then unfortunately it needs to be rewritten.
Related Pages and Random Possibly Useful Guides