Step 1 - Understand the role

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSONAL STATEMENT AND A COVER LETTER

You might be thinking, “Isn’t a personal statement the same as a cover letter?” and it is true that there are some similarities, such as: F A personal statement should begin with an engaging opening paragraph stating why you are interested in the role and aim to grab the reader’s attention, in the same way as a cover letter. F They should also both end with a closing statement that leaves the reader thinking you are professional and courteous, keen on the job and that they would like to find out more about you.

Cover letters are used both when applying for advertised positions and, also, when contacting an organisation to make a speculative application with a CV. You would write this speculative cover letter tailored to the company, selling your skills, experience and potential should any vacancies arise. For an advertised position requesting a letter and CV, the job advert may describe what needs to be addressed in the cover letter. A personal statement is always within an application to an advertised specific role. The key difference is that a personal or “supporting” statement needs to address all the points in the person specification and provide enough evidence to show that you meet all the requirements to allow you to move to the next stage of the recruitment process. The employer will be reading your statement and scoring you against the person specification before comparing your score against other applicants. The truth is, if you do not meet all the “Essential Criteria” listed in the Person Specification, it is highly unlikely that you will be invited to interview. Therefore, it is so important to target your application to each job you apply for, and carefully match your statement to the criteria that are listed.

STEP 1

UNDERSTAND THE ROLE AND THE ORGANISATION

If you do not fully understand what you are applying for, it will be difficult to write an engaging and relevant personal statement. Be sure to read the job description, job advert and any other information available until you feel that you could explain what the job is in your own words. This will make the process a lot easier. Do some research on the organisation, but at this stage just consider their culture and values, as you need to focus on writing about you. Read enough so you feel like you ‘get’ the organisation and what they are about (as well as understanding clearly what they do). You could find information in many places: F The “About Us” section on the company website. F Google them, see if they appear in any press stories. F Check out the company values (usually searchable on their website). F Make sure you are clear on where this job fits within their company. Many organisations have multiple divisions or sections that do completely different things.