Is there any point in personal statements?
You may be an, "Exemplary team player with a keen interest in financial markets and a passion for making profits," or even an, "Intuitive salesperson with a record of exceeding expectations," but does anyone really care if you write it at the top of your CV?
No.
Personal statements are probably the most overrated element of a CV. They're increasingly popular, particularly among university leavers, but largely ignored.
"They're pointless," says the head of recruitment at one large US bank. "Given it's a testimonial on yourself, it's not vastly credible - you're hardly going to say, 'I'm a thoroughly unreliable, miserable, argumentative misanthrope.
"I certainly wouldn't put one on my CV and would discourage everyone I know from doing so," he adds.
Peter Harrison of Harrison Careers, a careers consultancy specialising in financial services, concurs with personal-statements-are-pointless perspective: "They're mostly completely pointless and a load of waffle," he says. "Personal statements are simply an assertion of characteristics and intent. What recruiters are much more interested in are your education and academics."
If you really must write one
If you're overwhelmed by the urge to write a personal statement, you may be able to limit the damage by following these instructions:
1) Keep it factual:
"Recruiters want evidence based information," says Janet Moran at the CV House. "A short introduction that summarises your professional experience can help." (Eg. "A UK equities salesperson with a history of selling into institutional clients.")
2) Keep it concise:
"If you're writing a personal statement, keep it concise and mention tangible benefits that show the client why they'd want to recruit you," says Andrew Hanson, director of financial services recruitment at Robert Walters.
