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How to write your
Personal Statement

Your personal statement

The purpose of a personal statement is to showcase your relevant skills and experience against the job requirements. 

The statement is your opportunity to give examples of how you fit the requirements of the job. 

When writing a personal statement it is important that you:

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  • Read the job specification so you are clear about the job requirements.
  • Outline the skills and experience that you have that are relevant to the job and use examples to help demonstrate this.   Wherever possible include specific facts and figures that demonstrate the tangible results of your work.
  • Keep to the word limit. If your statement is too brief it will not provide the required depth of detail and evidence to be assessed fully. 
  • Proofread your statement before submitting it to make sure it is clear, easy to read and relevant.

How we recruit

We assess a combination of behaviours, strengths, experience, ability and technical skills. Find out more about how this helps us to find the right person for each role.
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How to write your CV

For some jobs, you will be asked to provide a CV (curriculum vitae) as part of your application. Here you can find information on how to write the best CV.

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Behaviours

The Civil Service Behaviours are one element of the Success Profile. These are the things that people do that result in effective performance. Read more about why we use Behaviours to assess you here.

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Assessments and interviews

The recruitment process, and what evidence is asked for, varies depending on the job you are applying for. Here you can read about the different stages of recruitment.

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Success Profiles guides

GOV.UK hosts a huge amount of detailed guidance on the different elements of Success Profiles.