Whether you are applying for a position as an employee or a student, you will often be asked to include a personal interest statement or essay as part of your application. The purpose of this essay is to give potential employers or admission officers specific knowledge about your skills and career goals. It will demonstrate whether or not you have what it takes to become an asset to the organization you wish to join. Simultaneously, this essay will reveal how well you can organize your ideas, how creative you are, and how competent you are as a writer.
Instructions
1. Read the requirements carefully to determine how you should respond. For example, if the organization to which you are applying requests you to provide a detailed description of your past experiences and how those experiences qualify you for the position, do not simply offer the story of your life. Likewise, if you are asked to discuss your strengths and limitations, be sure to do so thoroughly and equally.
2. Write an introductory paragraph that demonstrates you understand the requirements and sets out the specific areas you are planning to address in the body of your essay. For example, suppose you are applying to a college that has asked you to describe a personal failure and discuss what you learned from that experience. Your introduction should give a short overview of the experience itself and then close with a sentence such as, "This experience has taught me A, B and C." A, B, and C will then become the topics of the subsequent paragraphs.
3. Include specific examples in the body of your personal statement. Don't just write, "This experience taught me be patient and persevering." Instead, describe exactly what happened to bring you to this realization. Use color, smell, taste, sound--make the reader feel what you felt.
4. Pull it all together in your concluding paragraph. Highlight your main points again, in different words so as not to be repetitious. Remind the reader of your original thesis and how you developed it. End with a strong, memorable closing sentence.
5. Put the statement away for a time. Then return to it and proofread it carefully. Ask a trusted friend to proofread it, too. Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes will weaken your candidacy for the position.
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