Personal
Statements
General
Guidelines and Tips
A
personal statement
is a chance to demonstrate
your unique qualifications,
writing ability,
priorities…a
chance to show who
you are and why you
are perfect for the
position or deserving
of the scholarship
you are applying
for. Whether it is
grad school, a scholarship,
an internship, or
a job, your personal
statement serves
three purposes:
1.
To show how well you
can express your ideas
in English – assessing
your thinking and writing
skills.
2.
To show how much thought
you have put into the
position you are applying
for; how much you know
and why you think that
you are capable of
doing work/research
in this field; the
thought you have put
into your application
will translate into
your interest in this
field or position.
3.
To give you a chance
to present your intellectual
accomplishments in
a way other than academic
records.
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Structure
Your
personal statement
should be long enough
to express yourself
without repetition,
but try to keep it
around a page in
length. A general
guide is to write
in essay format with
an introduction with
a main argument,
a body, and a conclusion. Here
are some ideas for
paragraph structure:
--Paragraph
1--
Begin with a good ‘hook’ to
grab the reader’s
attention, but try
to avoid clichés. Once
you have their attention,
state the thesis and
introducing the body
of your personal statement. Keep
this paragraph short – a
few sentences will
do. It should
identify something
about yourself and
your interests that
separates you from
other candidates.
--Paragraph
2--
This is the start of
the body of your P.S.,
and should provide
evidence to support
your argument . Show
how your background
and your academic preparation
are ideal for the program. Call
attention to relevant
courses, research experience,
special workshops , and
overall intellectual
development, that are
related to the kind
of application you
are preparing .
--Paragraphs 3 & 4--
Here is where you get
a chance to really
present your professional
goals. What could
you do with this scholarship
money that makes you
stand out? Why
do you want to do research
with this professor
or organization? Why
did you choose this
program for grad school? Why
are you the perfect
candidate for this
opportunity and why
is this opportunity
equally perfect for
you? Show that
you know what you’re
interested in, and
you know that through
this opportunity you
will be on your way
to achieving your goals.
--Paragraph
5--
In a few sentences,
summarize your background
and goals and reaffirm
that this choice is
right for you. Tie
up your personal statement,
refer back to the opening
paragraph and re-state
your main argument
or thesis.
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The
DO’s and DON’T’s
of Personal Statement
Writing
DO:
-
give
your P.S. a thesis
/ main argument
-
brainstorm
before you begin
-
use
concrete examples
to distinguish
yourself from
others
-
begin
with an attention
grabber - an
anecdote or description,
but avoid cliches
-
end
with a conclusion
that refers back
to the opening
statement and
restates your
thesis or main
argument
-
revise
at least three
times!! Try reading
it aloud to yourself
-
get
an outside opinion...have
someone else
read it
-
be
meticulous about
spelling and
grammar
-
write
clearly and succintly
DON’T:
-
include
information that
doesn't follow
your thesis or
main argument
-
write
in an autobiography,
itinerary, or
resume prose
(e.g., "My
interest in endangered
lemurs began
in elementary
school.")
-
be
afraid to start
over
-
try
to impress the
readers with
excessive vocabulary
-
rely
solely on computer
spell check
-
provide
a collection
of general statements
and platitudes
-
give
excuses for poor
test scores or
GPA's
-
provide
false information
-
be
afraid to ask
a friend, family
or faculty member
to read your
draft and critique
it
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Resume
Writing
Creating
a Resume
A resume is
a brief, concise
document that presents,
and effectively sells,
your most relevant
and positive credentials
for employment, admission
to graduate school,
consideration for
a scholarship or
fellowship, or other
professional purpose.
Essentially, your
resume is used as
a marketing tool
or advertisement
to help you obtain
an interview, and
in the end, land
you the position
you are looking for.
Getting
Started
A good
way to begin is to
determine your objective
- the position to
which you are applying.
If you are applying
for more than one
position, you may
need to modify your
resume, depending
on the skills and
qualifications necessary
for the position.
Therefore, it is
good to have a central
resume with a compilation
of your previous
experience, education,
references, etc.,
and use only the
necessary information
depending on the
job.
General
Guidelines
As
you are writing your
resume, put yourself
in the readers' shoes:
what would you look
for in a candidate?
Your resume should
include pertinent
information, but
should not be too
detailed...save the
details for the interview.
Some
pointers:
*Be
clear and concise.
Use bullet points,
short sentences, and
key phrases.
*Keep
it short, under two
pages is a good guideline
(using 12pt. font).
*If
applicable, try to
use action words, such
as %'s, $'s, and #'s.
(For example, "I
increased sales by
65%).
*Highlight
your strengths!
*Match
the needs of the hiring
company. Pull out keywords
from the position announcement
and use them in your
resume.
*Get
an outside opinion!
Have a friend, professor,
advisor, or critique
service read your resume.
Ask for feedback: you
want as much input
as possible.
*Read
it outloud...you may
realize something just
isn't quite right.
*REVISE,
REVISE, REVISE! A good
resume will be the
product of several
editing and revising
sessions.
*Don't
rely solely on computer
spell check, it doesn't
catch everything.
*Maintain
a positive attitude
throughout the resume.
Structure
Your
resume should contain
five main topics:
an objective, education,
previous experience,
additional skills
and achievements,
and additional documents
.
I.
OBJECTIVE
At
the beginning of your
resume, you need to
state an objective.
The objective states
the desired position,
and will change with
each new job application.
II.
EDUCATION
In
this section, let the
employer know where
you go to school, your
major, graduation or
anticipated graduation
date, and if you think
it will benefit you,
include your G.P.A.
III.
EXPERIENCE
As
a general guideline,
you want to include
three previous jobs
you have held that
relate to the position
you are applying for.
Highlight any significant
achievements you had.
If you do not have
any career-related
experience, it is o.k.
to list other jobs
that highlight other
important skills that
every employer is looking
for, such as work ethic,
customer service, initiative,
etc. Include dates
worked at each job.
IV.
ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND
ACHIEVEMENTS
In
this section, list
any other skills that
you possess that may
help you land this
position. Examples
include computer skills,
field skills, certifications,
honors, activities,
leadership skills,
languages, etc.
V.
ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS
As
far as what other additional
documents you need
to provide, each employer
may be different. Some
will require education
documentation, such
as a copy of your college
transcripts. Often,
you need to provide
up to three references.
Try to find a professor,
advisor, former employer
...someone that knows
you well and will give
the employer a positive
report on you. Some
jobs will require letters
of recommendation.
A tip in getting these: DON'T
DELAY!! Professionals
are very busy people,
and they may not be
as prompt as you need
them to be. Give them
plenty of notice, and
tell them about the
position you are applying
for so that they know
what strengths of yours
they should highlight.
A good letter of recommendation
may be the step that
takes you to the top
of the employers' lists!!
Before
you send in your resume, BE
SURE IT IS COMPLETE! Don't
forget your cover letter
and any additional
supporting documents.
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Click
HERE for
an example of a resume
that could use some
work, and learn some
tips on how to improve!
Helpful
Links
Still
not quite ready to
begin writing your
resume or personal
statement?
Here
are a few helpful links
that will give you
additional pointers
and walk you through
the process:
How
to Get Your Personal
Statement Noticed!
How to Write a
Superior Grad School
Application Essay
http://www.how-to-write-a-resume.org/
http://www.jobweb.com/
http://www.howtowritearesume.net/
http://www.jobsearch.about.com/
http://www.hotjobs.yahoo.com/
http://www.content.monster.com/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/
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