Tips and Advice

Should I include a personal statement on my CV/Resume?

Your CV/Resume should do one thing above allothers: get you an interview. Surveys suggest the average recruiter will spend just 30 seconds looking through your CV/Resume - hence you need to make that impression quickly and a well thought out personal statement will go along way in helping you to accomplish this.   

Above all, your personal statement needs to stand out. It is probably the most important part of your document. As a Business Analyst, your aim is to credibly highlight your professional attributes and goals, showing why they should carry on reading the rest of your CV. While there are no hard and fast rules - it is best not to use more than 50 words. Try not to use the typical stock phrases and ‘buzz' words that have become tired and clichéd as now they often don't have the impact some feel they had several years ago.

Think about what you can offer to the employer as that is what the recruiter will be looking for. Employers want to know what you will do for them. How will you help their business. It should be clear from the job spec what they are looking for you to do, so emphasise what you can bring to the table in terms of your previous experience and success. But remember that your personal statement shouldn't simply tell a recruiter what you have done in the past and why it is that you are applying for this job. Your education and work history sections will do this.

You need to emphasise in the best possible way why your strong points are of benefit to your potential employer. Hence you might include a statementlike “Use my Business Analysis expertise in analyzing business objectives, processes and resources and then translating this into the successful delivery of tangible benefits to the business.”

Give plenty of time to and think carefully about your personal statement and how you can use this to nail that all important interview!