Personal Statements- what do they want from me????

Tomorrow marks 5 years of me joining the ONS and also the Civil Service for the first time.

Applying for a job at the ONS was the first time I had ever been asked to write a personal statement for an application process and quite frankly it put me off. I didn't even apply for the first recruitment job I saw because I couldn't face writing a personal statement. But then to be blunt I needed a job. I was coming to the end of my gardening leave and I needed money. I needed a purpose again and it was a blinking good job on paper, so it was time to try and work out what a personal statement was........

Like many of you I was faced with the dilemma of writing a personal statement and felt anxious about what to include. I had worked in recruitment for over 10 years at this point and had never come up against a personal statement before I started applying for my now awesome job at the ONS, so I was more than a little nervous about what to include.

Was 1250 words enough to showcase how awesome I am and how I am the best person for the job etc etc etc? I was not sure, although I guess the fact I am writing this blog suggests that those 1250 words were indeed enough………………phew!

Anyway enough ego boosting from me, I wanted to write a little blog with some hints and tips about what to consider when writing a personal statement and hopefully allay a few fears if you have never written one before or struggle to write them currently.

1.??????Always focus on you. We want to know what you did not what your team did. Use ‘I’ instead of ‘We’. Ownership is very important, and these words are your opportunity to showcase what you can bring. Once you have written your personal statement make sure you proofread it and search for the word ‘we’ and remove!

2.??????Make sure you are writing against the essential criteria outlined in the advert. Behaviours are not explored in this section so there is no need to write about them here. We are looking for you to showcase how you meet the essential criteria within the word count provided. A lot of people misread the instructions and don't write against the essential criteria which means they don't get through to interview as we can't see how you meet the criteria.

3.??????Ask yourself why am I telling them this? Does this example match the criteria required? We are interested in the so what? You need to make sure you explain the outcome of the example you are giving so we can see how you have demonstrated that specific skill or experience. Do not make sweeping statements without providing the evidence to back it up!

4.??????Use the word count evenly across your examples and try to get as close to the word count as possible as this will help you to provide detailed responses to the essential criteria listed. No need to waste words telling us you're excited for the opportunity, use those words to explain why you're the best person for the exciting opportunity.

5.??????Do not use jargon or technical terms. Treat this as you writing to a stranger who knows nothing about you or what you do and use language that they can clearly understand. Simple is always best.

6.??????Do not overthink it- if the advert interests you and you think you meet the criteria tell us- do not second guess what you are saying just go with your gut.

7.??????Take your time and brainstorm some examples to make sure you choose the best one that showcases your talent, skills, and experience.

8.??????Proofread it- Does it flow? Does it make sense? Does it do me justice?

9.??????Use the STAR Acronym to help you structure your answers:

The ‘STAR’ approach may help you present your evidence more successfully, particularly when providing evidence of past experience. The majority of your words should be on the “how” and your own “actions”.

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The STAR Approach to Presenting Your Results

·??????Situation – briefly describe the context and your role

·??????Task – the specific challenge, task, or job that you faced

·??????Action – what you did, how and why you did it

·??????Result – what you achieved through your actions

We want to know about your own experience and skills. Your answers should focus on telling us your own actions rather than actions completed as a whole group. When working in a team or group, we would like to know what you personally did.

10.??And finally don’t be afraid to sell yourself, this is your opportunity to showcase what you can bring to the ONS and why you are the best person for the job so bang your own drum, blow your own trumpet- we absolutely want to hear it!

Hopefully, this will provide you with a bit of guidance and moral support to write the personal statement.

From someone who has been in your shoes remember nobody knows you better than you.

Believe in yourself and you will be fine.

Best of luck and happy writing!

Much love

JT