Personal Statement Examples

  
If you are going for an entire change this can be very daunting and could leave you unsure of how to explain your reason for career change and why you want to do a new role or new challenge.

You need to first look at the skills that you have that cross over to a new role and match any transferable skills to the job role that you are now interested in doing.
Consider why you want a change of career and why you have picked to apply for the role that you have?

If you have been on any training courses that are applicable to your new role then highlight these within your personal statement to show that you are serious about your career change and shows why you are making this change.

The below personal statement can be used as an example for your application:
A professional individual is seeking a new challenging career after many years of being in (what kind of profession). I am an enthusiastic person who strives to achieve as much as possible and is always keen to learn new skills and improve upon my career.

Career change personal statement example

I have excellent skills in (what which is related to your profession of choice) and I learn new skills quickly. I am an excellent team worker but I am also able to work on my own initiative as is required. I am self motivated and keen to follow my dream of becoming a (what career choice you want to go into).

I have completed (what training course or work experience or what that introduces you to this new career) and I am very keen to continue learning and I am able and willing to do this in my own time to be a success for any future employer.

  
If you have had a break from your career and you want to begin applying for jobs again it is important to address this rather than leaving an employer to imagine what the gap is for.

Many people have gaps in their CV such as: Travelling, Maternity/Paternity Leave, Returning to work once children are at school age, Relocation etc and most reasons are genuine but an employer will not be aware of this so it is important to explain why you have had a period of not working and why you are now looking to get into work. You can do this by highlighting the experiences that you do have and matching your up to date CV with the skills and attributes that they are looking for in the role they are advertising.

Below is a personal statement that you can use as an example:

Career Break Personal Statement Example

I am an enthusiastic and passionate individual who is keen to continue my career in (what area – or if this is a new area change to keen to begin my career) following a break from my career.

I am self motivated and methodical in my work. I plan and organised my work schedule and like the challenge of working to tight deadlines. I have always been interested in (what subject relevant to the job role) and am willing to undergo any further training in or around this subject to improve myself for my career prospects.

I am a reliable and honest person who is keen to succeed and following a career break from (what are the reasons for your career break) I am now keen to continue and progress further. I am a dedicated and thorough individual who pays great attention to detail and hopes to continue in a career I consider to be important.

  
If you are seeking an Accounting career then you will have either begun some accounting qualifications or be an expert with figures and looking to begin some accounting qualifications and looking for a Trainee position. 

Whatever path you are looking to go down means that you will need to be from the same background – someone who is good with mathematics enjoys working with figures and detailed information and someone who can concentrate with numbers for long periods of time. You will also need to have excellent communication skills and be able to explain the numbers and what they mean to clients with less knowledge than yourself.

If you are ready to begin applying for roles then you need to assess your skills and experience to date and outline what the relevant skills are that an employer would be interested in that is appropriate to the role they are recruiting for.

If you are ready to apply for roles then you need to work on your personal statement
to sell your skills and experience to an employer. Please see the below example that could act as a guide:

Accounting Personal Statement Example

A methodical and intelligent worker who has always had a passion for accounting from a young age and works well with numbers for long periods of time. I have excellent concentration skills and pay great attention to detail.

Having done (what accounting qualifications and what experience) I am now keen to expand my skills and looking to complete (what further qualifications) in order to be a successful accountant.

I am a self motivated individual who is dedicated to my chosen career profession of Accounting and have got good experience of working on my own initiative as well as part of a bigger team environment.  I am looking to learn as much as I can now to further my career for myself and my future employer.

  
If you have finished university and are applying for graduate positions then it is important to remember that Employers taking on graduates will be interested in firstly the degree that you have done and the grade you gained and also what other experiences you have gained along the way.

This could be employment related skills through a year in placement or through a part time job to support your degree course or experiences more practical that show other skills and attributes such as Team working or hands on practical experience.  By looking closely at what the job requirements are you can match what skills you have and what you think they would be looking for in someone to do this graduate role. It is important to make sure that you stand out from the crowd as many companies get a number of graduate applications each year and you need to be different.

If you are looking for an example of how to write your personal statement, please see below:

Graduate Personal Statement Example

I am a recent Graduate having qualified in (what subject area) with a (what grade) from (which university) seeking to begin a career in (the career choice).

I am a determined and enthusiastic individual who enjoys working and learning new skills. I have chosen (the career choice) as (what reason – look at the things you have learnt in your degree and what you can take from it) and want to make a real success out of the skills and experience I have learnt from my degree.

I am self motivated, a team player and very eager. I have a proven background in having excellent communication skills which has been gained through my customer service work experience I have done part time whilst studying for my degree. I like a challenge and feel that I work well under pressure whilst working to tight deadlines.

  
If you are pursuing a career in Accounting and Finance then you could have been to University and studied a degree in Accounting and or Finance or you may have done a course at a local college or could already have been in the Accounting and Finance world for a number of years and just seeking a new role and a more exciting challenge or the next step up the ladder after staying in the same role for a long time.

Whatever you reasons, it is important to focus on the specifics of what an employer is looking for in the role they are advertising to ensure that you can do the role that you are wanting to and can highlight this in a personal statement on your CV or application.

Related: Accounting Personal Statement Example

If you are looking for an idea on what to write in your personal statement, please see the below example which you can use as a guide:

Accounting and Finance Personal Statement Example

I am a driven individual who enjoys a powerful career in the Accounting and Finance industry for (how many years). After (number of years) I am looking to move up to the next phase of my career and feel that I have gained enough experience to date to be able to accomplish this.

I am a methodical worker who is able to concentrate for long periods of time working with difficult figures and reports and communicating effectively with clients. I have excellent communication skills both orally and verbally and pay great attention to detail in my work.

I am dedicated and keen to learn new skills to improve my experience for the benefit of me, my clients and the company I work for. I am a very motivated person who is very keen to have a successful career within the Accounting and Finance world for a very long time.

  
A career in Aeronautical Engineering is a very complex profession where you will need to be degree educated with some previous work experience through your degree or through training done after qualifying in Aeronautical Engineering.

You will have a very logical and technical mind and be very interested in Engineering and the processes of Engineering. You will have specialised in working with aircraft and space craft and be involved in the research and design, development, construction and testing of any new and refurbished aircraft.  You will be very methodical in your work and understand the process of the workings of aeronautical equipment and make improvements to the future of air and space craft.

If you are preparing for applying for a role within an aeronautical engineering position then it is important to prepare your personal statement based on what you have learnt through your degree and experiences you have gained in this area.

The below personal statement can be used as an example:

Aeronautical Engineering Personal Statement Example

I am a technical and proficient engineer who has been eager to specialise and work with aircraft for many years. I graduated in (when) from (what university) with (what grade) and feel privileged to be able to work with aircraft and improve the future travel for the world.

I am very motivated in my work and with over (how many years experience) I am looking for a new challenge and feel that the skills I have gained are transferable to your role. I am technically minded and very enthusiastic towards Aeronautical engineering and the constant developments. I feel excited to be part of something that changes and that is very important throughout every country.

I have excellent research and development skills and I am always keen to learn new skills and improve on my skills and experience.  I am a good communicator both verbally and orally and feel able to work on my own initiative as well as working as part of a wider team.

  
If you are looking for a career in Actuarial Science then you will be degree educated with a BSc Hons in Actuarial Science or you could have a Mathematics degree and be very experience in working with statistics to analyse risk.

You could be beginning your career as a recent graduate or you could be looking for a new challenge or the next step up the career ladder. Even as a recent graduate you need to have some previous financial experience in the finance or insurance related industries.

Before writing your personal statement make sure you have outlined the skills that you have achieved so far and what you need to learn and how you are going to do this. 

Please see the below personal statement example which you could use as a guide:

Actuarial Science Personal Statement Example

I am an intelligent individual who enjoys working with numbers and figures. I have always enjoyed solving problems and working things out and this is the reason for pursuing my choice of career. I graduated in (when) (what subject) from (what university) with (what grade) and I am very privileged to be working in such an interesting career subject.

I work in a methodical manner and like to work things out carefully and efficiently. I am very enthusiastic about my career and keen to continue learning to be successful within Actuarial Science. I am able to concentrate on information and figures for long periods of time whilst remaining accurate in my work. 

I am motivated to work and to learn, I am keen to explore different industries and am happy to learn whatever I need to be successful. I am a team player and extremely dedicated to my role. I have excellent communication skills and feel able to present my information and findings to any number of people in a non technical manner so that the information is interpreted well.

Good luck.

  
If you are following a career in Anthropology you will have studied a degree at university in Anthropology or History focusing on the past and present of humans and mankind. This is a very detailed career choice and depending on what area that you have specialised in you could be involved in the teaching or research of these roles.

The main specialism’s are: Socio cultural Anthropology, Biological or Physical Anthropology, Archaeology and Linguistic Anthropology.  Each area of specialism varies but the main focus is still on the past and present history of people, buildings, cultures etc and looks at the similarities and differences, the development and behaviour and the patterns of communication of these people.

These are very complex areas and one which requires a great deal of research and thought. If you are looking to pursue or continue your career as an Anthropologist please see the below example personal statement which you can use as a guide.

Anthropology Personal Statement Example

I am a degree educated Anthropologist who has gone on to specialise in Archaeology. I enjoy looking into the past of people and their cultures and I am keen to continue learning about these exciting times.

I am a thorough and dedicated individual who enjoys researching and looking into the past through pottery and animal bone and structures etc, it is very interested and I feel privileged to be able to work in this area.

I am able to concentrate for long periods of time, happy to work in all weathers and always keen to try new challenges and new areas of work to find out the history of past people, cultures and buildings, places etc.  I am able to communicate well with others, enjoy helping people discover new experiences and I am very hard working. I am keen to learn new skills and eager to be successful within my chosen career.

Good luck.

  
If you have been made redundant or unemployed for a period of time and you are looking for new roles that you can apply for then it is important to be clear with this information to an employer so that they know the reason behind you not being in work at the moment and look at this reason in a positive rather than a negative light.

In this day and age a lot of people have unfortunately been in a position of redundancy or unemployment and a lot of the time they had no choice in this matter and this period of unemployment can be a very difficult time for many people so it is important when applying for new jobs to be very upbeat and positive and view it as a good thing that allows you to start a new role, a fresh challenge using the skills and experience that you have gained from the past.

Related: Career Break Personal Statement Example

Below is a personal statement that when completing your application you could use as a guide:

Unemployed  Redundancy Personal Statement Example

I am a motivated and enthusiastic (what is your career choice) individual with a background in (what environment or industry have you been used to working in). Following a period of unemployment due to (reason) or after being made redundant (because of?) I am now seeking a new role that I can get my teeth into.

With over (how long and doing what?) experience I have learned to be dedicated to my role, I like to enjoy my work and thrive upon new challenges. I have excellent communication skills both orally and verbally and feel that I can use these well in any new role and company.

(Any successes to mention here – best sales person, excellent accounts payable clerk etc) I am now seeking the right opportunity to move my career forward and hopefully be more successful that I was in my previous position.

  
If you are leaving school soon and looking to begin work and are ready to start applying for jobs then once you have highlighted what kind of jobs you want to apply for then you need to start looking at what skills and experience you have to offer an employer.

Starting a career at such an early age allows employers to mould you into their company without already having any bad habits. It also means that you will be given the opportunity to learn as much as you can and take on board what you can depending on how much you want to put into your career.

Related: School Leaver Cover Letter

Before doing your personal statement within your application you will need to consider carefully what skills and attributes you have to offer and tailor this to what specific job you are looking to apply for. This could mean tailoring each statement if you are going to be applying for different things.

Below is an example personal statement that you can use as a guide:

School Leaver Personal Statement Example

I am a young, keen individual who is eager to begin a career in (what depending on the role you are applying for). I will be leaving school/I left school (when) and am interested in working in your industry/company.

I work hard, enjoy learning and like to do things that are hands on where I can feel the jobs getting done and see the success this brings. I have always had a passion for (career choice) and have done (what towards beginning this career choice).

I am very enthusiastic and have tailored my education round (what career choice to be interested in) and ready to begin learning whilst doing something that I enjoy. I want to be successful in my career and am prepared to put the hours and effort into my career to achieve this.