Personal Statement

[Mathew]

Hi,
I'm going to try and write my CV over the holidays, so any tips on making the personal statement sound good? Only needs to be a couple of paragraphs at the most.

Thanks! :)
Matt

[Deak]

Just be truthful ... what have you done (school, college (?), work(?)), a little bit about yourself (age,name etc.) What can you do, can you use a computer if so what, word, excel etc...

[Inseriousity.]

can you use a computer if so what, word, excel etc...

????
If he's not applying to anything computer-related, it'd be pointless putting computing knowledge in.

Keep it relevant. No point saying how you play farmville growing seeds, make it fit around the subject you're applying for. Sooo I suppose that begs the question what you applying for?

[Deak]

????
If he's not applying to anything computer-related, it'd be pointless putting computing knowledge in.

Keep it relevant. No point saying how you play farmville growing seeds, make it fit around the subject you're applying for. Sooo I suppose that begs the question what you applying for?

I get what you are saying but I only put that as an example & yes it does depend on what the job is that you are applying for.

[Mathew]

????
If he's not applying to anything computer-related, it'd be pointless putting computing knowledge in.

Keep it relevant. No point saying how you play farmville growing seeds, make it fit around the subject you're applying for. Sooo I suppose that begs the question what you applying for?
Nothing in particular at the moment, I think it's just to get it started and then it can be redone again in January. We're doing the whole work shadowing thing at the moment and (hopefully) they'll be able to get me in at a newspaper. I ticked the journalism / writing and the media / publishing boxes :P

[danzooo]

One thing to really focus on with the personal statement is to make it personal - filling it with tripe about all your work experiences and good grades, awards and achievements etc, while very good, is very boring. Universities like to see people as individuals, too - so talk about your hobbies, interests, what you like to do at the weekends etc. Make it interesting, try to sum yourself up as a person on the statement, rather than just going on about how brilliant you are academically.

[Conservative,]

Put all your achievements...all..

So, for example, I would put - House Captain, Class councillor 3 times, French Prize, Science Mastermind, Form Prize, Prefect.

It doesn't matter, they want to see that you've done well at school. So any prizes you've won - put them. And then put relevant information about what you are doing, as others said, if you're applying for a computer job, put any experience with computers/what you are competent with.

Put any work experience - it shows you've been in the workplace and know what to expect (roughly).

Put all your GCSE results and any other exams/results - music is often looked fondly upon if you've done grades...

so yh :)

other than that - keep personal info relevant, if you're apply to a computer shop don't put "I enjoy skateboarding" put "I enjoy coding & fixing computers" or w/e.

[Shar]

Don't waffle on too much just keep it short and sweet, and include stuff that will match the characteristic of the job you're applying for etc.

[Jessicrawrr]

Tell them the main things they need to know, like if your a good teamworker, it would be good if you put down any computing knowledge just incase the job you are applying for requires using computers :D