How to Write a Civil Service Personal Statement for Jobs

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A man smiles next to a list with the title "Civil service personal statement" and these tips:

- Summarize work experience
- Cite specific skills or proficiencies
- Include details about work style or personality traits
- Share relevant career goals

When you apply for a job, the recruiter receiving your application usually doesn't know you personally. Therefore, your best chance of making a positive first impression is writing a good CV and complementing it with a clear personal statement. The same holds true for civil service jobs, where personal statements can be even more important. In this article, we explain why writing a personal statement for applications to civil service roles is important, the different things you need to keep in mind and give example statements that you can customise for your own needs.

What to include in a civil service personal statement

There are several important parts to a civil service personal statement that complement each other and ensure that you present yourself as the ideal candidate for whatever role you're applying to. The idea behind writing this is to show recruiters that you're the perfect candidate for the role and then back this up by pointing to specific instances in your career where you performed well in similar roles. You can find out exactly what the role requires you to do through the job description and tailor your personal statement for each application.

You can back your claims up by showing how your skills were acquired as a result of your previous work experience. Through these anecdotes, try to convey to the recruiter that you're qualified and motivated to do the job. The ideal length of a personal statement varies from industry to industry and can be anywhere between 250 and 1,200 words.

Related: How To Write an Attention-Grabbing Personal Statement

How to write a personal statement for a civil service job

Follow these steps to write a personal statement to get a job in this sector:

1. Introduce yourself

Briefly introduce yourself to the employer with a summary of your interests or skills that are relevant to the job. It's also useful to state your interest in the job, and you can share any experience you have that relates to this position. Try to reflect your personality in your personal statement. This can motivate the reader to engage more with your application, and it helps employers determine if you're a good fit for the role.

2. Share relevant skills, experience or interests

In the body of your statement, you can further expand on the skills or experience you have to provide more context and show how you can benefit the company. Typically, the body paragraph can be two to three sentences long. Consider the following topics when writing the body paragraph of your statement:

• Achievements: Mention any degrees, certifications or awards you have and explain how they qualify you for the role. The civil service includes education and certification requirements in their job descriptions, so you can review this when brainstorming which achievements to mention.

• Experience: Share specific details about your prior experience, including job duties similar to the responsibilities for the position you're applying for. This is a great way to show your qualifications for a role.

• Special skills or talents: Include your skills or special talents that may impress the employer and demonstrate how your abilities can benefit the role. You can review the job description to find skills that the employer may seek.

• Professional goals: Consider sharing your professional goals and explain how this job fits into your career plan. This shows your interest in advancing in this career as well as your ability to take initiative.

Related: 10 Best Skills To Include on a CV

3. Explain why you're applying for the job

In the conclusion of your statement, summarise your qualifications and reiterate your interest in the position. Consider mentioning your excitement to be part of the team or how you can benefit the civil service by working in this position. Include a call to action, prompting the reader to contact you for more details or an interview. This can increase your chances of employment.

4. Proofread your statement

Be sure to proofread and edit your statement so that the document is error-free and gives the employer a great impression. It can be useful to ask a friend to read it before submitting it to ensure that your writing is professional. Feedback may also help you improve your writing.

Related: Positive Feedback: Why It's Important and How to Give It

Tips when writing a personal statement

Here are tips for you to keep in mind while writing your personal statement:

• Be brief: Be considerate of the recruiter's time by keeping your statement brief. Try to be selective about the information you share and ensure that every sentence is concise.

• Tailor your application: Recruiters may read many personal statements and CVs in a day, so it's important to personalise your application so that it attracts attention and doesn't sound generic. You can appeal to the company by choosing keywords from their job description and writing about what you like about the civil service.

• Answer each question uniquely: If the application requires you to answer a few questions as part of the application process, ensure that each of your answers is unique. These questions are an opportunity to show your personality and demonstrate why you're the best candidate for the position.

• Mention all the relevant experience you have: If you have prior experience in the field you're applying to work in, mention it in your personal statement. This signals to the employer that you know what the role entails and are familiar with the daily job responsibilities.

• Focus primarily on skills and effects: While talking about your work experience, focus primarily on your skills and the effect you had in your previous workplace. Sharing how you can affect the work environment or contribute to goals may impress employers more than knowing your job duties.

• Be authentic: Highlight what makes you unique and what value you alone add to the organisation. It's important not to exaggerate your abilities, as you want to provide an accurate representation of yourself.

Examples of a civil service personal statement

The civil service is a large organisation and encompasses many different roles. Each of these requires its own personalised personal statement. The examples below may give you a better idea of the structure and language to use in a personal statement:

Personal statement for an administrator role

I recently graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Management. While earning my degree, I developed management and assessment skills that can be useful in your field office. I'm interested in this opportunity because your office has an outstanding reputation for performance and for being a great environment to work in.

I have gained experience in administrative tasks by assisting in the university admissions office. My organisational skills helped develop a user-friendly system to access student applications and keep track of their records. I believe I would make a significant addition to your team because of my dedication to make an impact and provide support to staff members. I have also learned customer service skills that are useful to resolve problems and offer great service to your clients.

As an enthusiastic administrative assistant, I can introduce innovative organisational methods to the office and keep client records safe and easily accessible. I would cherish the opportunity to join your staff. Thank you for your consideration.

Related: A Guide To Civil Service Jobs

Personal statement for a policy officer role

As a consultant with over 15 years of experience in both the private and public sectors, I am excited to be applying to your office for the role of policy officer. As a consultant, I have developed strong communication and leadership skills that are useful in performing job duties, such as enforcing directives and overseeing communication with the public.

My experience working in the public sector as a consultant for various civil service departments has acquainted me with creating budgets, reviewing legislature and providing recommendations for policy. I am familiar with the process of implementing policy and could apply my knowledge to communicate effectively with the public and other departments.

While I took a sabbatical from work before my child was born, I am now ready to get back into the industry, and I hope you can provide me with the opportunity to do so. I have extensive experience and excellent reviews as a consultant everywhere that I have worked. I hope to have the chance to demonstrate these skills for you too, and I am confident that I can be an asset to your team.

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