A personal / supporting statement on a job application is so important

Personal statements, or supporting statements as they can sometimes be called, are a common feature on health care job application forms. It’s the employer’s opportunity to understand more about who you are, how you present yourself and why you’re suitable for the job.

I know how it feels when you’ve found a job you’re interested in, you download the job application form and your heart sinks because there is a huge void entitled “Supporting statement – tell us about yourself and why you’re the most suitable candidate for this vacancy”.

Don't let it dishearten you, or worse yet, deter you from applying. Whilst it does take time and effort to write an excellent personal statement, it will be worth your while if you get it right.

An employer wants to see that you can present a coherent and logical case that you are the right candidate for this role. If you’re an experienced nurse or midwife, you should detail your current role responsibilities, relevant CPD (Continuing Professional Development) achievements and how your skills can be applied to your new job.

If you’re a student nurse/newly qualified, go into detail about your relevant placement experience and why you’re interested to pursue a career in that particular specialism.

An employer will also be looking at your personal statement to see that you can spell correctly, write coherently and can portray confidence in your own abilities through the words on the page. It’s easy to spot someone who isn’t confident in their own skills through their personal statement, so yours should sing your praises not undersell you.

If you’re not sure where to begin, get all your ideas and the points you want to make together in a draft format before putting them into a list. Ordering the points you want to make will help your writing flow together and eventually produce a convincing argument that you are the right candidate for the job.

Be careful that you don’t recycle a personal statement you’ve written for a previous application in it’s entirety. While you may be able to borrow certain elements from an old one, it’s essential that you tailor each personal statement to the job you’re applying for.