People often read various articles about successful managers, directors, doctors…These stories inspire readers to achieve something amazing themselves. At first glance, it seems not so easy. What to do? Where to start?  The basic step is to realize WHAT you want to do. Some people know this since their childhood, other find themselves only after a long and hard work. There‘s no piece of advice that suits to everybody. It‘s really personal thing. However, after you realize it (let‘s call this stage „step 0“), things become more clear. There‘re two options:  try to establish your own business or to find a job in already existing company. As Days of Opportunities is more connected with finding a permanent job or internship, in this section we‘ll concentrate on the second case.

Usually, your carreer starts with the letter of application(or a personal statement)- the thing which encourages(or not)  the employers to read your CV. So how to write it that readers would be sure that you‘re the one they tried to find? Hope some info below would be useful.

 1) PREPARE YOUR MATERIALS

Before you sit down to write, do some preparation in order to avoid frustration during the actual writing process. Obtain copies of documents such as transcripts, resumes and the application form itself; keeping them in front of you will make your job of writing much easier.

2) WRITE A FIRST DRAFT

Answer the Question: A major problem for all writers can be the issue of actually answering the question being asked. For example, an application might want you to discuss the reason you are applying to a particular program or company.

Consider The “I” Problem: This is a personal statement; using the first person pronoun “I” is acceptable. Writers often feel rather self-conscious about using first person excessively, either because they are modest or because they have learned to avoid first and second person (“you”) in any type of formal writing.

Avoid Unnecessary Duplication: Sometimes a writer has a tendency to repeat information in his or her personal statement that is already included in other parts of the application packet (resume, transcript, application form, etc.). However, it is more efficient and more effective to simply mention academic progress briefly (“I was on the Dean’s List“ or “I have taken numerous courses in the field of nutrition”) and then move on to discuss appropriate work or volunteer experiences in more detail.

Make Your Statement Distinctive: One way to do this is to include at least one detailed example or anecdote that is specific to your own experience—perhaps a description of an important family member or personal moment that influenced your decision to pursue a particular career or degree.

Keep It Brief: Usually, personal statements are limited to 250–500 words or one typed page, so write concisely while still being detailed. Making sure that each paragraph is tightly focused on a single idea (one paragraph on the strengths of the program, one on your research experience, one on your extracurricular activities, etc.) helps keep the essay from becoming too long.

Personal Statement Format

As mentioned before, the requirements for personal statements differ, but generally a personal statement includes certain information and can follow this format (see following model).

Introduction

Many personal statements begin with a catchy opening, often the distinctive personal example mentioned earlier. From there you can connect the example to the actual program/position for which you are applying. Mention the specific name of the program or company, as well as the title of the position or degree you are seeking.

Detailed Supporting Paragraphs

Subsequent paragraphs should address any specific questions from the application, which might deal with the strengths of the program/position, your own qualifications, your compatibility with the program/position, your long-term goals or some combination thereof. Each paragraph should be focused and should have a topic sentence that informs the reader of the paragraph’s emphasis.

Conclusion

Tie together the various issues that you have raised in the essay, and reiterate your interest in this specific program or position. An application letter contains many of the same elements as a personal statement, but it is presented in a business letter format and can sometimes be even shorter and more specific than a personal statement. An application letter may not contain the catchy opening of the personal statement but instead includes detailed information about the program or position and how you found out about it. Another difference between a personal statement and an application letter is in the conclusion, which in an application letter asks for an interview.

3) REVISING THE PERSONAL STATEMENT/APPLICATION LETTER

This revision needs to occur on both the content level (did you address the question? is there enough detail?) and the sentence level (is the writing clear? are the mechanics and punctuation correct?).

Retrieved from http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/personal_statement.shtml

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