10 Tips for Writing the Perfect Personal Statement

The reason for application or personal statement is possibly the most important part of any job application. Your ‘Reason for Application’ is where you can show schools why you are perfect for the job, so it is important to take your time to get it right.

Here are 10 tips to ensure your personal statement is the best it can be and give you the best chance of securing an interview.

1) Use the Person Specification provided on most adverts on Kent-Teach as the basis for your reason for application. Work your way through the document and include as many key words as possible and criteria listed into your statement. This will ensure that when your application is shortlisted you have addressed the criteria and can demonstrate that you meet any competencies required for the role.  

2) Ensure you write a new personal statement for each role you are applying for. We recommend that you keep a template saved on your device which you can use and add to or amend to fit each vacancy. Each application should be tailored to the role and the school you are applying to work in.

3) Use examples in your reason for application, for example you could include ‘I am able to teach using a wide range of teaching strategies to meet differing learning styles’ and explain what strategies you have used and how these were successful. 

4) Ensure you write enough to showcase your skills and talents but equally try not to write too much. 1 side of A4 is normally sufficient but we recommend you do not exceed 2 sides of A4 as this will be too long and the shortlisting team may lose interest before they reach the end! Imagine reading 20 applications forms each with reasons of applications that exceed two pages, and you will understand this tip!

5) Show you are passionate about your profession or about the role; why are you applying for the job? What draws you to it?

6) Visit the school beforehand if possible or take a virtual tour on their website if this is available. Mention that you have visited or taken the tour as this shows you have taken an interest in the school.

7) Explain why you want to work at that specific school, do they have a reputation for excellence in a particular field or perhaps they have a large number of disadvantaged pupils which you feel you can impact positively? Whatever the reason you want to work there then make sure you explain this.

8) Talk about career progression. Schools will be interested in candidates that can demonstrate that they are thinking of their professional development.

9) Mention any volunteering experiences you have if you do not have work examples, you can even talk about your hobbies especially if they are relevant to the role or have helped you learn transferable skills. 

10) For our final tip we recommend that you check once, check twice, and check again! Spelling and punctuation are really important and need to be correct. Make sure that you check your application yourself and ask a family member or friend to check it too, a fresh pair of eyes will often pick things up that you have missed.

So, there we have it, our top ten tips to writing the perfect reason for application. Follow these steps to give yourself the best chance of being offered an interview. 

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