CV - Personal Statement?
Discussion
Evening gang,
I'm just re-doing my CV. Last done about 4 years ago. I'm reading a lot of advice about including a small Personal Statement as a kick off. Sort of a "Hey, I'm this this and this, aren't I great" few lines.
This wasn't around last time I did my CV. Is it something that you (as an interviewer, for an IT role) would welcome or would I look like a jumped up mobile phone salesman?
I'm just re-doing my CV. Last done about 4 years ago. I'm reading a lot of advice about including a small Personal Statement as a kick off. Sort of a "Hey, I'm this this and this, aren't I great" few lines.
This wasn't around last time I did my CV. Is it something that you (as an interviewer, for an IT role) would welcome or would I look like a jumped up mobile phone salesman?
Cant comment for IT, but every CV we have received has had a personal statement.
Most are a waste of space and simply state they are highly motivated and work well both individually and as part of a team.
However some use it as a good space to sell themselves and set a good first impression. Any positive statement you can evidence makes a good first impression in my view.
For example one of the graduates I interviewed said he thought he had good project management skills from the fund-raiser he coordinated over the summer. This gave us the opportunity to ask him a specific question and show him that I had taken time to read his CV - It also helped him launch into a well rehearsed explanation of his role in the charity event.
It certainly wont hurt to put in and it gives you a change to steer a question or two.
If it makes a difference the role was engineering based.
Most are a waste of space and simply state they are highly motivated and work well both individually and as part of a team.
However some use it as a good space to sell themselves and set a good first impression. Any positive statement you can evidence makes a good first impression in my view.
For example one of the graduates I interviewed said he thought he had good project management skills from the fund-raiser he coordinated over the summer. This gave us the opportunity to ask him a specific question and show him that I had taken time to read his CV - It also helped him launch into a well rehearsed explanation of his role in the charity event.
It certainly wont hurt to put in and it gives you a change to steer a question or two.
If it makes a difference the role was engineering based.
I would do it slightly differently...
After personal contact information in the header of the first page, I would go for a short section called "career highlights", this is where you can add all the gems from your past right up at the top of your CV where they are most likely to be read. Don't be to w
ky about it, just get the facts and make sure you lay it out well and FFS get the spelling and everything else right!
After personal contact information in the header of the first page, I would go for a short section called "career highlights", this is where you can add all the gems from your past right up at the top of your CV where they are most likely to be read. Don't be to w
ky about it, just get the facts and make sure you lay it out well and FFS get the spelling and everything else right! Cogcog said:
Why wouild I believe you?
Assertations of your self worth mean nowt to me as a selector. I want to see fact, not opinion.
Tell me how much experience you have in a key area, and what projects you have been involved in and your role.
so you honestly don't care how the person sees themselves? (assuming you will get the fact anyway)Assertations of your self worth mean nowt to me as a selector. I want to see fact, not opinion.
Tell me how much experience you have in a key area, and what projects you have been involved in and your role.
"A people-oriented team player with first class customer service skills and experience and the ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels. Quick thinking, with a practical, common sense approach to managing difficult customers or dealing with the unexpected. Cool under pressure, he has a keen sense of humour and a friendly, approachable manner."
Do I care what any of you think? Only if you're offering me a job.
Do I care what any of you think? Only if you're offering me a job.
Go on then - mine's much longer and has formatting on the real thing!
Personal statement
Qualified accountant with big four and a wide range of industry and public sector experience who thrives on the challenges of working in a changing environment and strives to have an immediate impact on profitability, process and culture.
Enjoys managing projects, either in a team environment or on own, particularly working with non-financial senior management. Significant experience in evaluating and improving business processes and in the design and development of management information systems that add value to the business user.
Key strengths
• Understanding how the business works and using this knowledge to develop better processes and more relevant management information.
• Enjoys working with and helping develop team members.
• Communicating complex financial ideas to non-finance professionals and showing how these concepts affect the business.
This seems to have worked for me so far but always interested in feedback!
Personal statement
Qualified accountant with big four and a wide range of industry and public sector experience who thrives on the challenges of working in a changing environment and strives to have an immediate impact on profitability, process and culture.
Enjoys managing projects, either in a team environment or on own, particularly working with non-financial senior management. Significant experience in evaluating and improving business processes and in the design and development of management information systems that add value to the business user.
Key strengths
• Understanding how the business works and using this knowledge to develop better processes and more relevant management information.
• Enjoys working with and helping develop team members.
• Communicating complex financial ideas to non-finance professionals and showing how these concepts affect the business.
This seems to have worked for me so far but always interested in feedback!
Pothole said:
" particularly working with non-financial senior management"
because they never question your jargon filled 'explanations' like financially qualified SM would do?
In the world of accountancy being able to talk to people don't don't understand accruals etc is a big seller. The thing with all these personal statements is they should be aimed at the person who is doing the recruitment - mine will be read by a Finance Director, they'll be able to see I can do numbers from my previous roles, what they will be interested in is can I communicate with the business.because they never question your jargon filled 'explanations' like financially qualified SM would do?
Ali_D said:
Pothole said:
" particularly working with non-financial senior management"
because they never question your jargon filled 'explanations' like financially qualified SM would do?
In the world of accountancy being able to talk to people don't don't understand accruals etc is a big seller. The thing with all these personal statements is they should be aimed at the person who is doing the recruitment - mine will be read by a Finance Director, they'll be able to see I can do numbers from my previous roles, what they will be interested in is can I communicate with the business.because they never question your jargon filled 'explanations' like financially qualified SM would do?
Pothole said:
Ali_D said:
Pothole said:
" particularly working with non-financial senior management"
because they never question your jargon filled 'explanations' like financially qualified SM would do?
In the world of accountancy being able to talk to people don't don't understand accruals etc is a big seller. The thing with all these personal statements is they should be aimed at the person who is doing the recruitment - mine will be read by a Finance Director, they'll be able to see I can do numbers from my previous roles, what they will be interested in is can I communicate with the business.because they never question your jargon filled 'explanations' like financially qualified SM would do?
I was also trying really hard to make a serious point as when I can be bothered to reply to a thread its normally with a piss take. hmmph
I have one. I work in IT and I just use it as 3 or 4 lines on what I would try to say in an interview if someone asked me to describe my best qualities and what I could bring to the job.
I.e. ( from memory, and quickly so not perfect )
Excel VBA RAD developer with over 5 years experience of working in the Investment Banking industry. Accustomed to dealing with high level clients through to MD's & Head of Desks both in support issues and also ongoing development of trading sheets/systems. <snip> etc etc.
I think its just a nice summary of the cv that they can get a good feeling about you from the off ( if you are well tailored to the role ) rather than having to look through the recent education, skills, and work history for whether you are up to it.
Just my 2p though
I.e. ( from memory, and quickly so not perfect )
Excel VBA RAD developer with over 5 years experience of working in the Investment Banking industry. Accustomed to dealing with high level clients through to MD's & Head of Desks both in support issues and also ongoing development of trading sheets/systems. <snip> etc etc.
I think its just a nice summary of the cv that they can get a good feeling about you from the off ( if you are well tailored to the role ) rather than having to look through the recent education, skills, and work history for whether you are up to it.
Just my 2p though
Edited by BluePurpleRed on Wednesday 24th November 13:27
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