- 27 June 2018
- 4 min read
How To Write A Personal Statement For Your Next Job In Healthcare
SubscribeAn excellent personal statement is the key to success in every healthcare job application you make and in this article we look at the steps to follow in order to create the ideal one.
Your personal statement should add a dimension to your application that a list of jobs and qualifications cannot. It should speak directly to the recruiter about who you are, and why you are suitable for this particular healthcare job.
Whether you’re an experienced healthcare professional or applying for your first job in healthcare, your personal statement needs to reflect your passion and suitability for this particular job.
If you’ve written a personal statement before for a previous job application or university course application, you can use ideas and themes from that but you can’t simply use the same one again.
A personal statement must be tailored for each situation, and when you’re applying for healthcare jobs you need to tailor it according to the person specification and job description of the vacancy you’re interested in.
Start with a brainstorm of ideas
If you try to sit down and write your personal statement from scratch by starting with the first sentence, you could find your finished personal statement has no coherence and does not follow a logical order.
By brainstorming your ideas first you can prioritise the points you want to make and assemble all the evidence you want to mention that will back up the claims you’re going to make.
In order to avoid repetition in your personal statement, pick out a couple of points you want to make in your opening statement that really establish you as a serious contender for the job; for example, your qualification or current employment.
Then move on to the centre section where you should elaborate on the all the reasons why you are perfect for the job! Use the person specification and job description from the vacancy advert as a reference and try to check off the points you’re making with the requirements of the employer.
Your closing section should summarise the main points you want the employer to remember you for, especially your professional expertise if you applying for a doctor job, dentist job or any other senior healthcare professional job.
Search Jobs
1000s of jobs for Nurses & Care Professionals. No.1 for UK nursing, care & healthcare jobs.
Search JobsPut words around your ideas
As you begin to put your ideas into sentences, be mindful of the length of your personal statement. It’s easy to write too much, but you are more likely to be successful if you are succinct and coherent.
It’s essential as you’re writing that you use a variety of examples from your experience to illustrate each point you’re making because you want to demonstrate the range of your experience.
It will also help to make your personal statement as memorable as possible because the employer will have a really good insight into your history and how your experience can make you ideal for their job vacancy.
Proof-read and edit your personal statement several times
When you think you have your personal statement completed go back and proof read it to spot any spelling errors, and to check that the information you have given is accurate.
Your personal statement forms part of your job application so you can be sure that when you apply you are required to confirm all information is correct to the best of your knowledge.
Whether you’re an experienced healthcare professional in a particular field, or you’re applying for your first healthcare assistant job, the personal statement is an essential part of the job application.
It’s your only opportunity to talk directly to the employer before they decide whether or not you are suitable for the job and therefore should be offered an interview.
Try to imagine the questions they will be asking themselves when reading your personal statement and provide clear, concise answers to as many of those questions as you can anticipate.
Once your personal statement has secured you an interview, you'll be wanting advice on how to smash your interview, right? Take a look at how to successfully prepare for interviews in healthcare to find out how to do just that.
Looking for a job in medicine or health care? Next Steps... Create an account. We will help you build a CV as part of that process. This will get you ready to start searching for jobs.
About this contributor
Nurses.co.uk Co-founder / Co-owner
I believe people working in healthcare should be able to choose to enjoy work. That is, choose an employer who reflects their values and provides them with a sustainable career. This leads to better patient care, higher retention rates and happier working lives in this most important employment sector.
More by this contributorWant to get involved in the discussion?
Log In Subscribe to commentSimilar Articles
More on this topicOptometry interview tips and experience
How to successfully prepare for interviews in healthcare
21 Top Tips When Interviewing For Radiography Jobs