What to include in a personal statement

Your personal statement sits at the very top of your CV and is the first thing a recruiter reads. It's your elevator pitch — 3 to 5 sentences that answer three questions: who you are, what you bring, and what you're looking for.

The three-part formula

Part 1 — Who you are: Your job title, years of experience, and area of expertise.

"Experienced software engineer with 6 years building scalable web applications in React and Node.js."

Part 2 — What you bring: Your top 2–3 skills or achievements.

"Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and delivering projects on time and under budget."

Part 3 — What you want: What kind of role or environment you're seeking.

"Seeking a senior engineering role at a product-led company where I can drive technical architecture decisions."

Tailor it every time

Your personal statement should be rewritten for every application. Read the job description carefully and mirror the language used. If they say "collaborative," use that word.

What not to include

• Clichés like "hardworking team player" or "passionate individual"
• Vague claims with no evidence
• Why you want to leave your current job

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