Hi, here are some tips to consider if you’re writing a personal statement for a Civil Service job application.
Tip number one: Review the Essential Criteria
What you write will depend on the Essential and Desirable criteria set out in the job advert.
Your statement must address these criteria and provide evidence that you possess these skills and that experience.
Tip number two: Provide Evidence
It’s not enough just to list the criteria and say I have these skills. A good personal statement must show how from your experience, you have used these skills.
When writing your personal statement you might want to consider using the STAR framework. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. And can be a useful tool to help structure your evidence.
Tip number three: Use the word count
If you don’t use all of the word count you’ll miss the opportunity to add detail to our evidence. One common mistake candidates make is to assume that because they’ve included a lot of information in their CV, that their personal statement doesn’t have to be that detailed. But actually, your personal statement should be comprehensive enough to succeed on its own.
Tip number four: Write clearly
To help us understand your examples avoid using acronyms without spelling out what they stand for. Avoid using jargon. Try throughout your examples to use active language. Tell us specifically what you did, not what other people might have done.
Tip five: Take your time
You don’t have to submit your personal statement the very moment you finish writing it. Use the time before the application deadline to edit it, craft it, polish it. Make it as good as it possibly can be. Writing your personal statement well won’t guarantee that you get an interview, but it will give you the best possible chance of showcasing your skills and your experience.
Hopefully these tips will help. Good luck!
For more, see careers.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying