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How Do You Describe Analytical Skills on a Resume?

11 min read · Updated on December 11, 2023

Analytical skills are in high demand and can help you stand it out from the competition. But how do you communicate them in the right way on your resume? This blog will walk you through each step.

Challenges inevitably arise at work. Employers cherish employees with unique abilities to face problems and find solutions.

Analytical skills allow you to assess data and processes to find solutions that can boost productivity and address a company's challenges. Many job descriptions even include some form of analytical skills as a requirement.

It's one thing to possess problem-solving skills – being able to describe them clearly on your resume is another.  Anyone can say they are a “critical thinker” or that they “think outside the box,” but those cliched phrases are easily dismissed, especially if there are no accomplishments on your resume to support the claim.

How do you describe your analytical skills in ways specific enough to attract a reader's attention? How do you demonstrate that they have brought tangible value?

In this blog, we'll cover:

What are analytical skills?

Why do they belong on a resume?

Where to place your analytical skills on your resume

The skills that enable you to investigate a problem and find the ideal solution in a timely, efficient manner are known as analytical skills.

Analytical skills are used when detecting patterns, brainstorming, interpreting data, integrating information, and making decisions based on multiple factors. They can encompass both quantitative and methodical skills or more creative and innovative abilities. 

If you're unsure which analytical skills you possess, if any, take a detailed look at your accomplishments and your methods for getting the best results. You might have more than you think.

Here are a few analytical skills to get you started:

A creative eye can spot trends in data that others may not see. Creativity is also useful for problem-solving when the obvious solution is not always the best solution. Creative thinkers often find effective solutions to big problems.

Creative skills include: brainstorming, collaboration, optimization, predictive modeling, restructuring, strategic planning, and integration.

Critical thinking 

Thinking critically means being able to avoid the obvious. It refers to evaluating information and then making a decision based on your findings, often exploring even impossible angles to find a solution. Critical thinking is what helps an employee make decisions that help solve problems for a company. 

Critical thinking skills include: process management, auditing, benchmarking, big data analytics, case analysis, causal relationships, comparative analysis, correlation, deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, diagnostics, dissecting, evaluating, data interpretation, and troubleshooting.

Communication

Once you have a solution, you have to communicate it to your colleagues so that it can be shared and implemented. Effective communicators know how to discuss patterns, conclusions, and recommendations. They know how to draw attention and inspire colleagues. If the goal is to find a solution as a group, good communicators also know how to lead teams in effective collaboration.

Analytical communication skills include: problem sensitivity, active listening, reporting, surveying, teamwork, oral communication, written communication, and conducting presentations.

Data analysis

Data analysis is the ability to systematize information in order to uncover patterns and dependencies. No matter what the career field might be, data analysis involves being able to examine a large volume of data and identify trends in that data. It goes beyond simply reading and comprehending the information to clarifying larger concepts and presenting conclusions for top decision-makers. It can also involve the ability to see past the data and find the “spaces in between”. Sometimes the data you need isn't obvious. You need not only to see what is in front of you, but what is missing. 

Data analysis skills include: observation, business analysis, SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), cost analysis, credit analysis, financial analysis, industry research, policy analysis, predictive analytics, process analysis, qualitative analysis, and ROI analysis.

Why are analytical skills important on your resume?

Facing and overcoming challenges is critical to a company's survival. An employee with analytical skills can find new solutions to problems that arise and can lead teams down new paths to bolster efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Decisions and actions are based on those skills. This is why the most sought-after employees and executives have a proven record of verifiable analytical skills. 

The ability to see trends, draw conclusions, and communicate options is a must in finances, data science, medicine, marketing, law, and many more industries.

That's why it's crucial to highlight what analytical skills you have for a potential hiring manager. But, simply saying you have “analytical” or “critical thinking” skills in a cover letter means next to nothing. Use your resume to demonstrate your skills in action.

How to demonstrate analytical skills on your resume

The keyword here is “demonstrate”, as in demonstrate the skill or skills in use. Countless resumes will use phrases like “critical thinker”, “communicator” or “solution-oriented”, but can you show how you've utilized a skill in a way that has brought value to an employer? 

Give examples of situations in your job where those skills lead to a solution

Describe a specific process you utilized

List major achievements enable by your analytical skills

Include specific training courses related to analytical skills

Use synonyms to avoid repeating “analyzed,” “analysis,” and “analytical skills.”

Where do I list analytical skills on the resume?

The summary.

The summary is a good place to introduce a skill that has served you repeatedly throughout your career. If you've assisted clients in analyzing their workflow, have often been called upon to find unique solutions, or are a manager known for leading teams through difficult situations, this is the place to introduce that.

Here's an example: Solutions-driven market analyst with 6+ years of experience consulting businesses on trends and products. Lead partner for Consulting Company X. Extensive experience with digital transformation. Revolutionized a client's reach by 20% by taking them online.

Work history

The work history is the ideal place to list analytical skills that lead to demonstrable successes. Here, you have the opportunity to use stats, percentages, and dollar amounts to show how your ability to assess and solve problems increased revenue, advanced markets, or led teams.

In the work history section, you're less likely to use the terms that define analytical skills and more likely to describe them indirectly by showing the success they've brought. 

Make use of the STAR (Situation–Task–Action–Result) model when selecting accomplishments to list in your work history. 

Situation: The employer wanted to achieve a target. 

Task: You were tasked with devising solutions to meet this target.

Action: What steps you took to perform the task. (also, what analytical skills you used)

Result: What was the result of your actions?

When phrasing the accomplishment in your work history, follow the ATM model: Action verb // Task // Metric . Here's an example:

Analyzed $80k/month marketing spend // to optimize reach ; // increased conversion by 15% MoM and d ecreased cost per acquisition by 20%

Take a look at the following example. This resume shows how this person's strong data analysis and market research skills helped advance his company into a new market; how their process analysis skills helped optimize their inventory system; and how their communication skills helped them train and manage staff. The words “invented” and “generated” also elicit creativity.

WORK HISTORY

Project Manager

Artus Springs - Phoenix, AZ

01/2017 - 02/2020

Developed a market entry strategy for the Northwest market, leading to $1.3 million in new market revenue in the first 2 years of operations

Increased stock turnover by 30% and KPIs by 15% by overhauling the inventory management process

Successfully managed a 5-member leadership team

Organized and led events with 40 suppliers

Recruited and trained  a diverse team composed of 100+ brand ambassadors

Invented cross-category marketing solutions, bringing +12% market advertising penetration

The skills section

Because analytical skills are often listed in job descriptions, hiring managers will look for them in the skills section. ATS systems will also scan the skills section to filter for resumes with relevant skills. So, if the job listing to which you are applying clearly lists specific analytical skills that you have, be sure they are listed in your skills section as well. 

Beyond that, it's important to list your analytical skills here in any case. But beware – less is more. Don't list every analytical skill in existence. The key is to list skills that specifically relate to the job or have a strong focus on the industry. Remember, it's crucial to tailor each resume to a specific job offer. That includes the skills section. For example, if the job posting doesn't explicitly list desired skills, look for keywords in the job description that might allude to helpful analytical skills. Is it a management position? Communication skills are a must. Is it a sales position that expresses a hope to expand markets? Market analysis and projection modeling are key.

Also, whichever skill you list in the skills section, be ready to be asked about it in an interview. Before you add a skill to your list, consider whether you can back it up with an anecdote, evidence, or achievement.

The next key is to strive for word choices that are as specific as possible. If the job description calls for “communication”, of course, list that. But is there a specific area of communication in which you excel? Do you have experience with “team management,” “surveying,” or “giving presentations”?

Remember there are both soft skills and hard skills that qualify as analytical skills. “Data analysis” can be trained, but “market prediction” is a skill developed with experience. When considering which analytical skills you possess, look to both categories.

See this example for a research assistant resume:

SPECIAL SKILLS

analytical skills

deductive reasoning

problem-solving

communication

qualitative analysis

quantitative analysis

strategic thinking

data management systems

A special achievements section

An achievements section doesn't occur on every resume, but there are a couple of reasons to include one. For example, an accomplishments section can be helpful if you have impressive achievements outside of the workplace, such as community organizing, volunteering, or hobbies with impressive, relatable skills. 

If you're in a senior executive position in your career, it can be helpful to add a Career Highlights section at the top of your resume, showcasing the many accomplishments you've achieved throughout your career.

On the opposite end, if you're just beginning your career journey, but have significant achievements in school or your community, an accomplishments section is a great place to list them.

If you're looking to use this section to highlight your analytical skills, make sure to focus on accomplishments with demonstrable results.

See the examples below.

Example #1: outside the workplace

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Raised $10,000 for lymphoma research through community fundraisers

Created annual “Feed the Homeless” events within my community, raising $1,500 avg.

Led Girl Scout Troops on hikes of the full length of the Appalachian Trail in 2018-2022

Example #2: career highlights

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Led a team of 15 employees in a local call center location for more than 5 years

Created and implemented a new training program which resulted in a 25% increase in customer satisfaction

Managed an international customer service team of 25+ employees

Implemented Lean Management directives at company X, which cut overall operating cost by 35%

Example #3: recent graduate

EXTRACURRICULARS

Tutored SAT and ACT improving their test scores by 40% for the average student.

Tutored 4 students in linear algebra, helping them improve by two grades on average.

Organized debate club travel logistics for away meets.

Analytical skills in your education section

If you have a degree, advanced training, or other qualification that could help demonstrate analytical skills, make sure you list it in your education section. Majors in computer science, engineering, mathematics, or statistics demonstrate analytical skills. If you're a recent graduate, include relevant minors. If the job is specifically looking for particular skills and you've taken seminars or have received certifications for new skills, be sure to highlight them under education.

Davis University, Bachelor of Science

Major in Computer Science

Minor in Statistics

Teaching assistant Sept 2019 - May 2020

Analytical skills are in high demand. Understanding how to communicate yours effectively on your resume will help you stand it out from the competition. Be specific and authentic. 

Analytical skills are those skills that allow you to discover patterns, think critically and find unique solutions for success. Consider not only your greatest achievements but also your day-to-day successes when looking for your analytical skills. 

TopResume understands that talking about skills and achievements can be a difficult challenge. Reach out to our expert team of resume writers to help build your resume that successfully highlights your skills. 

Recommended reading:

What's an ATS-Friendly Resume? And How to Write One | TopResume  

How to Write a Chronological Resume (Tips + Examples) | TopResume  

Resume Objective Examples That Get You Hired | TopResume

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

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Strong Analytical Thinking Skills: Example Usage on Resume, Skill Set and Top Keywords in 2024

Three ways to show your analytical skills on your resume in 2023!

Is your resume ATS-friendly?

Drop your resume here or upload a file to find out if the skills in your resume are readable by an ATS.

In This Guide:

What are analytical thinking skills, why are analytical thinking skills important on your resume.

What traits, skills, and abilities help you demonstrate strong analytical skills on your resume?"?

How to demonstrate strong analytical thinking skills on your resume

Analytical thinking skills are a set of soft skills that help you recognize, collect and process data related to a problem that needs to be solved efficiently. They also help you identify improvement possibilities or predict and prevent disaster.

Great analytical thinking skills usually cover a spectrum of abilities such as Communication, Creativity, Critical thinking, Data analysis, and Research.

To demonstrate what we mean, let’s have a quiz. In WW2, the RAF aimed to reinforce their airplanes so that they have a better chance of survival. They knew which parts of the airplane received the most bullet holes. So, what did they do? Keep reading and you will find out.

Because analytical thinking skills are a set, you will need to demonstrate them indirectly in your resume, highlighting the abilities we mentioned a few lines earlier. HR officers will look for them in the skill section, especially if the job title you are applying for contains the word “analyst”.

In simple words, analytical thinking skills ensure survival and progress. In the corporate world, analytical skills are vital for making an enterprise profitable. Those with analytical skills show the way and lead the path. Decisions and actions are based on those skills and without them, any company is doomed. This is why the most sought-after employees and executives are the ones with a proven record of analytical thinking. To see patterns and trends, to draw logical conclusions, and be able to communicate that within the organization is a must in finances, data science, medicine, marketing, law, and many more well-paid and prestigious positions.

What traits, skills, and abilities help you demonstrate strong analytical skills on your resume?"?

• Observation skills and curiosity : sometimes the data you need to solve a problem is not delivered to your desk. You need not only to see what is in front of you, but what is missing. Remember our RAF planes? Some came back, but some did not.
• Research : once you notice a problem, you will have to look for data. Here you need to be patient, study the problem, and collect all the relevant information and data you can. You need to be creative in finding places where to look for it.
• Data analysis : to analyze data, you need to be able to concentrate and systematize the information. This is where the patterns and dependencies will show up. Your job is to make sense of it and come up with a conclusion.
• Creativity and Critical thinking : to be able to think critically and creatively means to be able to avoid the obvious. Often, critical thinking means exploring even impossible angles to find a solution. A good example that comes to mind is Israel’s 10th man approach, depicted in the movie “Z world war”. The rule states that the 10th member of their council is obligated to doubt anything if all nine others agree on a decision. By the way, do you still think about the RAF planes? Back then they found the solution, avoiding the obvious.
• Communication : once you have a solution, you will need to find a way to communicate it to your colleagues. Here you need to know how to present the information when to present it, how to draw attention and how to inspire.
• Give examples with critical situations on your job that demonstrate those skills
• Describe a specific process or method you use
• Think of major achievements and breakthroughs made possible by your analytical skills
• If you practice brain games and read a lot of books, make sure to include this in the “Interests” section, as these improve analytical skills.
• List specific courses or certificates related to analytical skills

Writing “Strong analytical thinking skills” on your resume is simply not enough. You will need to prove your case, convincing the HR officer that you might be able to think analytically. You have to show examples, achievements and be creative. Remember, the HR officer uses analytical skills as well to find a suitable candidate.

Below you will find relevant examples that will help you start:

Example 1: Show your analytical thinking skills in your experience bullet point

• • Developed a market entry strategy in California, targeting 1 million bottles sold in the first year of operations
• • Increased the store turnover by 20%and the main KPIs by 15% by proficient management of stock and orders
• • Successfully managed and motivated a 5-member team, reducing the staff turnover to 0
• • Successfully managed events with more than 50 suppliers involved and up to 500 participants
• • Recruited, trained and managed multicultural team composed of approximately 100 persons
• • First ever digital content into TV integration increased impressions +2%
• • Invented a cross-category solutions, bringing +3% penetration on Telivus portfolio and +5.7% sales increase

Example taken from our Project Manager resume guide

The applicant demonstrates strong analytical skills by meeting his sales forecast. His analysis of stock and orders allowed him to implement a strategy that resulted in savings for the company. This also shows that he can work with data. The experience in managing events with more participants and at a bigger scale repeatedly shows the candidate’s ability to plan and communicate. The word “Invented” speaks of creativity.

Example 2: Demonstrate analytical skills in your resume summary

Example taken from our Software Engineer resume guide

We can see that the candidate has a major achievement. More importantly, the achievement is for an “optimized” network. Any optimization is a result of analytical skills. Especially useful are achievements confirmed by a third-party organization.

Example 3: Use your achievements to make the point

Example taken from our Resumes of Chernobyl article

This is what counts. We can see that Mr. Legasov “Led the investigation” of the Chernobyl disaster, which is to show that he conducted research and collected data. Then he analyzed the data and using creative and critical thinking he came up with conclusions and solutions. “Pointed to the problems” is the most incredible part of his achievements. Although the party and the whole political situation did not allow for honesty and the spread of information, he put his will and communication skills and work and informed the world about the dangers of RBMK-1000 reactors.

Top related skills to strong analytical skills:

• Public Speaking
• Demonstrate, do not claim: Lead the HR officer through your achievements and results.
• Make them believe in you: List any awards and recognition.
• Be wise with words: Sort and clear sentences. Action and power verbs. Only the essence. You will explain the details later at the interview.

And what happened to those pilots and their planes? An analyst at the RAF concluded that they need to reinforce the parts of the plane where there are no bullet holes. The reason for this was that although hit many times, the planes they studied returned after all. The rest hit in other places, did not.

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Analytical Skills for Your Resume

If you’re reading over a description for a job, you may have come across a requirement such as “Possesses strong analytical skills.” This may leave you wondering: what are analytical skills, and how can I showcase them on my resume?

Analytical skills are commonly listed in job descriptions. These are the skills that allow you to make decisions effectively and solve difficult problems. While you may not know it, you will already have exercised many analytical skills that you can mention on your resume, whether you have done so in the workplace, in school, or elsewhere.

Find your bootcamp match

In this article, we’re going to discuss the basics of analytical skills, why they are important, and walk through a few analytical skills you can mention on your tech resume .

What Are Analytical Skills?

Analytical skills are skills that practice analytical thinking. This is a method of thinking where you first observe a problem, then use the information you have gathered to develop deeper insights into that problem.

Analytical skills are used in a wide range of scenarios in the workplace. For instance, brainstorming new ideas involves a high degree of analytical thinking, because you need to be able to critically evaluate ideas and figure out which ones are worth pursuing.

Making decisions is another scenario where analytical skills may come up. This is because you will need to be able to first analyze a problem before you can make an informed decision about how that problem can be solved.

Analytical thinking involves the ability to try out different approaches and see what works. There is often not one clear answer to a problem that a business faces, and so if you possess analytical thinking skills, you should be competent in trying out ideas, and iterating upon those ideas based on your findings.

Why Do Employers Value Analytical Skills?

Analytical skills are a type of “soft skill”—a trait that is not trained, rather acquired—and are in high demand in the modern workforce.

Analytical skills are important, especially in modern businesses, because they allow you to come up with solutions to difficult problems effectively. Being able to break down a problem into smaller parts, analyze them, and determine an actionable solution can help you tackle tough organizational challenges that a business may be facing.

There are a number of jobs that require analytical skills. For instance, programmers , teachers, data analysts , accountants , and salespeople all need to be comfortable exercising analytical thinking skills.

Examples of Analytical Skills

If you notice that a job description asks for analytical skills, you may be wondering what you can do to your resume to align yourself with those skills.

Here are a few analytical skills you can mention on your resume to showcase your capacity to think analytically:

• Communication
• Critical thinking
• Problem Solving

#1: Communication

In order to solve difficult problems, you need to be able to work in a team.

When you are solving a problem, you’ll first need to work with other stakeholders to determine exactly what problem you need to solve and walk through what approaches have been tried in the past to solve the problem. Then, you’ll need to work with a team to come up with a solution, and implement that solution based on the specifications you have created.

You should be able to effectively communicate using both written and verbal methods of communication, such as presentations, talking with others, and writing memos.

#2: Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a skill that allows you to think clearly and rationally, and find logical connections between different ideas.

When you’re solving a problem for a business, you will need to figure out all the main features of that problem. You’ll also have to discover why a problem has arisen in the first place. To do so effectively, you will need to be capable of using logic to understand the problem at hand.

#3: Research

Before you can solve a problem, you need to know all about the problem you are trying to solve. This will involve researching the context behind a problem, and collecting any data that will help you better understand the problem at hand.

In the workplace, research may involve working with team members to better understand a problem or creating official methods to collect data to answer a question. For instance, if you are a marketing manager who wants to know why a campaign performed so well, you may have to create a metrics dashboard to analyze data on the effectiveness of a campaign.

#4: Problem Solving

Once you have identified a problem, you need to come up with a solution. In the workplace, you’ll use analytical thinking skills to consider the data you have collected, and figure out what an effective solution to a problem would be.

Then, once you have come up with a solution, you will need to figure out how you can implement that solution. This will involve considering all the constraints within which you need to operate—such as financial or resource limitations—and breaking down your solution into simple and addressable components.

#5: Creativity

To come up with a solution to a problem, you should be able to think creatively.

When you’re working in a business, you may realize that the most obvious solution is not the best option. For instance, if you are trying to reduce overhead, you may realize that cutting certain obvious expenditures is not a good idea because it will impact employee morale. In this case, you would need to come up with other creative ways to reduce overhead.

How to List Analytical Skills on Your Resume

You can highlight analytical skills in three different places on your resume. These are in the summary, professional history, and skills sections.

Let’s walk through an example of how analytical skills can be listed in each of these sections.

Motivated account manager with five years of experience effectively identifying the needs of clients and solving for those needs.

"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"

Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot

Professional History

Account Manager

J. Davis Paper Company

March 2015 – Present

• Maintained and expanded relationships with core customers.
• Generated monthly accounts closing reports and analysis.
• Liaised with other account managers on core clients.
• Helped identify new ways to improve communication channels with clients.

Administrative assistant skills: organization, time management, resourcefulness, critical thinking, problem solving, written and verbal communication, ability to anticipate needs.

Analytical thinking skills are a crucial component of every industry, from teaching to healthcare to manufacturing. People with analytical thinking skills are those who can effectively identify problems, break them down into smaller parts, and come up with creative solutions to those problems.

If you are applying for a job that seeks analytical skills, make sure that you take some time to consider which skills you have that you could mention on your resume. Ensure that those skills appear prominently on your resume, so that you can position yourself as someone who has the right skills for the job.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

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What are analytical skills? Examples and how to level up

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What are analytical skills?

Why are analytical skills important, 9 analytical skills examples, how to improve analytical skills, how to show analytical skills in a job application, the benefits of an analytical mind.

With market forecasts, performance metrics, and KPIs, work throws a lot of information at you. 

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, not only do you have to make sense of the data that comes your way — you need to put it to good use. And that requires analytical skills.

You likely use analytical thinking skills every day without realizing it, like when you solve complex problems or prioritize tasks . But understanding the meaning of analysis skills in a job description, why you should include them in your professional development plan, and what makes them vital to every position can help advance your career.

Analytical skills, or analysis skills, are the ones you use to research and interpret information. Although you might associate them with data analysis, they help you think critically about an issue, make decisions , and solve problems in any context. That means anytime you’re brainstorming for a solution or reviewing a project that didn’t go smoothly, you’re analyzing information to find a conclusion. With so many applications, they’re relevant for nearly every job, making them a must-have on your resume.

Analytical skills help you think objectively about information and come to informed conclusions. Positions that consider these skills the most essential qualification grew by 92% between 1980 and 2018 , which shows just how in-demand they are. And according to Statista, global data creation will grow to more than 180 zettabytes by 2025 — a number with 21 zeros. That data informs every industry, from tech to marketing.

Even if you don’t interact with statistics and data on the job, you still need analytical skills to be successful. They’re incredibly valuable because:

• They’re transferable: You can use analysis skills in a variety of professional contexts and in different areas of your life, like making major decisions as a family or setting better long-term personal goals.
• They build agility: Whether you’re starting a new position or experiencing a workplace shift, analysis helps you understand and adapt quickly to changing conditions. 
• They foster innovation: Analytical skills can help you troubleshoot processes or operational improvements that increase productivity and profitability.
• They make you an attractive candidate: Companies are always looking for future leaders who can build company value. Developing a strong analytical skill set shows potential employers that you’re an intelligent, growth-oriented candidate.

If the thought of evaluating data feels unintuitive, or if math and statistics aren’t your strong suits, don’t stress. Many examples of analytical thinking skills don’t involve numbers. You can build your logic and analysis abilities through a variety of capacities, such as:

1. Brainstorming

Using the information in front of you to generate new ideas is a valuable transferable skill that helps you innovate at work . Developing your brainstorming techniques leads to better collaboration and organizational growth, whether you’re thinking of team bonding activities or troubleshooting a project roadblock. Related skills include benchmarking, diagnosis, and judgment to adequately assess situations and find solutions.

2. Communication

Becoming proficient at analysis is one thing, but you should also know how to communicate your findings to your audience — especially if they don’t have the same context or experience as you. Strong communication skills like public speaking , active listening , and storytelling can help you strategize the best ways to get the message out and collaborate with your team . And thinking critically about how to approach difficult conversations or persuade someone to see your point relies on these skills. 

3. Creativity

You might not associate analysis with your creativity skills, but if you want to find an innovative approach to an age-old problem, you’ll need to combine data with creative thinking . This can help you establish effective metrics, spot trends others miss, and see why the most obvious answer to a problem isn’t always the best. Skills that can help you to think outside the box include strategic planning, collaboration, and integration.

4. Critical thinking

Processing information and determining what’s valuable requires critical thinking skills . They help you avoid the cognitive biases that prevent innovation and growth, allowing you to see things as they really are and understand their relevance. Essential skills to turn yourself into a critical thinker are comparative analysis, business intelligence, and inference.

5. Data analytics

When it comes to large volumes of information, a skilled analytical thinker can sort the beneficial from the irrelevant. Data skills give you the tools to identify trends and patterns and visualize outcomes before they impact an organization or project’s performance. Some of the most common skills you can develop are prescriptive analysis and return on investment (ROI) analysis.

6. Forecasting

Predicting future business, market, and cultural trends better positions your organization to take advantage of new opportunities or prepare for downturns. Business forecasting requires a mix of research skills and predictive abilities, like statistical analysis and data visualization, and the ability to present your findings clearly.

7. Logical reasoning

Becoming a logical thinker means learning to observe and analyze situations to draw rational and objective conclusions. With logic, you can evaluate available facts, identify patterns or correlations, and use them to improve decision-making outcomes. If you’re looking to improve in this area, consider developing inductive and deductive reasoning skills.

8. Problem-solving

Problem-solving appears in all facets of your life — not just work. Effectively finding solutions to any issue takes analysis and logic, and you also need to take initiative with clear action plans . To improve your problem-solving skills , invest in developing visualization , collaboration, and goal-setting skills.

9. Research

Knowing how to locate information is just as valuable as understanding what to do with it. With research skills, you’ll recognize and collect data relevant to the problem you’re trying to solve or the initiative you’re trying to start. You can improve these skills by learning about data collection techniques, accuracy evaluation, and metrics.

You don’t need to earn a degree in data science to develop these skills. All it takes is time, practice, and commitment. Everything from work experience to hobbies can help you learn new things and make progress. Try a few of these ideas and stick with the ones you enjoy:

1. Document your skill set

The next time you encounter a problem and need to find solutions, take time to assess your process. Ask yourself:

• What facts are you considering?
• Do you ask for help or research on your own? What are your sources of advice?
• What does your brainstorming process look like?
• How do you make and execute a final decision?
• Do you reflect on the outcomes of your choices to identify lessons and opportunities for improvement?
• Are there any mistakes you find yourself making repeatedly?
• What problems do you constantly solve easily? 

These questions can give insight into your analytical strengths and weaknesses and point you toward opportunities for growth.

2. Take courses

Many online and in-person courses can expand your logical thinking and analysis skills. They don’t necessarily have to involve information sciences. Just choose something that trains your brain and fills in your skills gaps . 

Consider studying philosophy to learn how to develop your arguments or public speaking to better communicate the results of your research. You could also work on your hard skills with tools like Microsoft Excel and learn how to crunch numbers effectively. Whatever you choose, you can explore different online courses or certification programs to upskill. 

3. Analyze everything

Spend time consciously and critically evaluating everything — your surroundings, work processes, and even the way you interact with others. Integrating analysis into your day-to-day helps you practice. The analytical part of your brain is like a muscle, and the more you use it, the stronger it’ll become. 

After reading a book, listening to a podcast, or watching a movie, take some time to analyze what you watched. What were the messages? What did you learn? How was it delivered? Taking this approach to media will help you apply it to other scenarios in your life. 

If you’re giving a presentation at work or helping your team upskill , use the opportunity to flex the analytical side of your brain. For effective teaching, you’ll need to process and analyze the topic thoroughly, which requires skills like logic and communication. You also have to analyze others’ learning styles and adjust your teachings to match them. 

5. Play games

Spend your commute or weekends working on your skills in a way you enjoy. Try doing logic games like Sudoku and crossword puzzles during work breaks to foster critical thinking. And you can also integrate analytical skills into your existing hobbies. According to researcher Rakesh Ghildiyal, even team sports like soccer or hockey will stretch your capacity for analysis and strategic thinking . 

6. Ask questions

According to a study in Tr ends in Cognitive Sciences, being curious improves cognitive function , helping you develop problem-solving skills, retention, and memory. Start speaking up in meetings and questioning the why and how of different decisions around you. You’ll think more critically and even help your team find breakthrough solutions they otherwise wouldn’t.

7.Seek advice

If you’re unsure what analytical skills you need to develop, try asking your manager or colleagues for feedback . Their outside perspective offers insight you might not find within, like patterns in. And if you’re looking for more consistent guidance, talking to a coach can help you spot weaknesses and set goals for the long term.

8. Pursue opportunities

Speak to your manager about participating in special projects that could help you develop and flex your skills. If you’d like to learn about SEO or market research, ask to shadow someone in the ecommerce or marketing departments. If you’re interested in business forecasting, talk to the data analysis team. Taking initiative demonstrates a desire to learn and shows leadership that you’re eager to grow. 

Shining a spotlight on your analytical skills can help you at any stage of your job search. But since they take many forms, it’s best to be specific and show potential employers exactly why and how they make you a better candidate. Here are a few ways you can showcase them to the fullest:

1. In your cover letter

Your cover letter crafts a narrative around your skills and work experience. Use it to tell a story about how you put your analytical skills to use to solve a problem or improve workflow. Make sure to include concrete details to explain your thought process and solution — just keep it concise. Relate it back to the job description to show the hiring manager or recruiter you have the qualifications necessary to succeed.

2. On your resume

Depending on the type of resume you’re writing, there are many opportunities to convey your analytical skills to a potential employer. You could include them in sections like: 

• Professional summary: If you decide to include a summary, describe yourself as an analytical person or a problem-solver, whichever relates best to the job posting. 
• Work experience: Describe all the ways your skill for analysis has helped you perform or go above and beyond your responsibilities. Be sure to include specific details about challenges and outcomes related to the role you’re applying for to show how you use those skills. 
• Skills section: If your resume has a skill-specific section, itemize the analytical abilities you’ve developed over your career. These can include hard analytical skills like predictive modeling as well as interpersonal skills like communication.

3. During a job interview

As part of your interview preparation , list your professional accomplishments and the skills that helped along the way, such as problem-solving, data literacy, or strategic thinking. Then, pull them together into confident answers to common interview questions using the STAR method to give the interviewer a holistic picture of your skill set.

Developing analytical skills isn’t only helpful in the workplace. It’s essential to life. You’ll use them daily whenever you read the news, make a major purchase, or interact with others. Learning to critically evaluate information can benefit your relationships and help you feel more confident in your decisions, whether you’re weighing your personal budget or making a big career change .

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Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

20 examples of development opportunities that can level up your career

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Expert Tips for Highlighting Analytical Skills on Your Resume: 2024 Edition

In a data-driven world, your resume needs to keep up. Our 2024, recruiter-approved guide on embedding analytical skills in your resume includes which skills to list, synonyms to use, and 15+ examples.

2 years ago   •   12 min read

Analytical skills are an integral part of any job, be it a data analyst role or a senior management position. But what exactly are employers looking for when they ask to see analytical skills on your resume?

Analytical skills refer to your ability to break down problems and come up with appropriate solutions. These skills are useful in any field, but especially in roles involving science, data, engineering, or other tech-heavy processes. Typically, to show analytical skills, you need to describe a situation or a problem at a previous job, detail how you came up with a solution, and quantify the benefits of your solution. In other words, how did your solution benefit the company or project as a whole?

In this article, we’ll explain what the best analytical skills are to showcase on your resume, how to tailor your skills to each application, how to highlight specific analytical toolsets depending on your industry, and how to show analytical skills in each section of your resume.

Let's start with a quick "how to" before diving into exactly what analytical skills employers are looking for.

A step by step guide to demonstrating analytical skills on your resume

If you're applying for a job that requires strong analytical skills, you should:

• Think of a time when you had to analyze something and include examples in your work experience accomplishments. Be as specific as possible and include the results of your actions.
• Include a section for projects and other activities where you’ve used analytical skills.
• List any relevant degrees or other qualifications in your education section.
• Mention technical skills related to analysis in your skills section.
• Highlight analytical skills in your resume summary and cover letter.
• Use synonyms to avoid repeating “analyzed,” “analysis,” and “analytical skills.”

We'll go into each of those in a little more detail below, but first — what are employers actually looking for when they ask for analytical skills?

Analytical skills to list on your resume

If a job posting mentions analytical skills, that means the company is looking for applicants with abilities in:

• Problem solving
• Observation
• Data analysis
• Critical thinking
• Decision making
• Machine learning
• AI-driven data interpretation
• Deductive reasoning
• Forecasting
• Brainstorming
• Troubleshooting
• Predictive modeling
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis
• Organization
• Communication
• Feedback and reporting

How analytical skills are changing in 2024

With the rise of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial intelligence (AI), traditional analytical roles are evolving to include these new and emerging skill sets. As AI and ML reshape conventional analysis methods and data-driven decision-making, modern recruiters expect to see experience with these types of tools for a variety of roles moving forward.

Studying modern AI and ML tools can help you update your resume and remain competitive, especially in technical roles. Consider investing in online learning, qualifications, and certificates to add these skills to your resume, as this will help your resume stand out in 2024, particularly for modern data-driven roles.

Should you still list analytical skills for non-technical roles?

It's important to mention analytical skills on your resume, even when applying for non-technical roles. In today’s diverse job market, roles in areas like marketing, human resources, and administration still benefit significantly from analytical thinking, even if it’s not directly a data-driven role.

Demonstrating your ability to analyze consumer trends, assess employee data, or manage complex scheduling shows versatility and critical thinking, and highlights your capacity to approach problems creatively, all of which are excellent transferable skills to highlight for any industry.

How to show analytical skills on your resume

Now that you understand what employers are looking for, how do you prove that you have what it takes?You can demonstrate analytical skills on your resume by giving examples of where you:

• Analyzed data to come up with solutions or improve processes
• Worked with numbers (i.e. show your numerical and quantitative abilities)
• Managed budgets or involved in organizational planning
• Designed processes, background research, etc.

In addition to the traditional work settings, it's important to showcase how you've used analytical skills in remote or hybrid work environments, as employers increasingly value candidates who can adapt their problem-solving skills to virtual settings. Highlight examples where you have successfully managed or participated in remote projects, used digital communication tools, or independently solved problems while working remotely.

Synonyms for analytical skills

Where do you begin when demonstrating analytical skills on a resume? With action verbs . These are the heart and soul of your bullet point accomplishments and the clearest way to tell recruiters what you actually did.

Starting with "analyzed" sounds like a no-brainer, and it should definitely be in there once or twice. More than that, however, and it’s likely to make a hiring manager's eyes start to glaze over. Try shaking it up with synonyms like:

• Interpreted
• Investigated
• Extrapolated

Where to put analytical skills on your resume

The best way to demonstrate any kind of soft skill is to scatter it throughout your resume — that way, instead of just saying, "I have great analytical skills" and leaving it at that, you're painting a picture of exactly what you bring to the table.

This means you should include analytical skills in your:

• Work experience bullet points
• Projects or additional section
• Education section
• Skills section
• Resume summary
• Cover letter

Here are some examples of what that should look like.

In your work experience section

The best place to include analytical skills on your resume is in your work experience section . Why? Because a) it’s the part of your resume recruiters pay the most attention to, and b) it shows how you’ve actually used those skills in a professional setting.

Include bullet point examples of times you’ve analyzed data, including what impact your accomplishment had on the company’s bottom line, as shown in the example below.

In a projects or additional section

Your resume doesn’t have to be limited to paid work experience. If you’ve completed significant personal or university projects, activities, competitions, or certifications , feel free to list these in a section titled “Projects,” “Other,” or “Additional Information.”For example:

In your education section

If you have a degree, major, or other qualification that could help demonstrate analytical skills, make sure you list it in your education section . This could include majors in computer science , engineering, mathematics, or statistics.

If you’ve taken courses or projects in AI, machine learning, or advanced data analytics, highlight these to demonstrate your understanding of current industry trends.  If you’re a recent graduate, you could also include minors or relevant coursework .

For example:

In your skills section

Technical skills like data visualization or engineering software , proficiency with standard techniques, programming languages, and other tools and frameworks can all go in the skills section of your resume, as shown in the example below.

Alongside traditional analysis tools, mention your proficiency with modern AI and machine learning software, visualization tools like TensorFlow or PyTorch, and any other modern data analysis frameworks you're familiar with to show that you’re up-to-date with current and emerging tools.

If you’re not sure of which technical skills to include on your resume, use the tool below to search for the job you’re applying for and it’ll give you a list of relevant skills. You can also upload your resume to the tool — it’ll perform a quick scan and tell you which skills are missing from your resume.

In your resume summary

When applying for roles involving data analysis, put your analytical skills front and center in your resume summary . Your summary should be 3-6 lines, including your key skills and experience related to data analysis. For an even better chance of getting past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) , include a resume title that matches the title of the job you’re applying for. For example:

In your cover letter

If you want to talk about your skills in a little more depth, your cover letter is the ideal place. Reinforce that you’re a good fit for an analysis-heavy role by expanding on how you’ve used your analytical skills, including the context, end result, and how you plan to use those skills in the position you’re applying for.

Here's an example:

During my internship with Airbus working with fluid mechanic technology I evaluated wind tunnel and flight test data in order to reduce external airframe noise emissions. The analysis that I conducted involved examining data under varying flight conditions and extracting useful information. At the conclusion of my internship, I was able to provide my group with recommendations for improving the model scale testing in the wind tunnel to make better predictions for the flight test outcomes. My work was part of the group’s task to provide continual improvements to the company’s commercial aircraft. I would be excited to use my analytical skills to improve hardware systems, especially early in their life-cycle at Raytheon, when recommendations can have a high impact and positive result for the end user.

Sample resume with analytical skills

Really need to emphasize analytical skills on your resume? Here's an example of what you should be aiming for:

You can download this resume template in Google Docs or as a Microsoft Word document.

Notice that not once does this example use the words “strong analytical skills.” Instead, it demonstrates these skills through previous experience, technical skills, appropriate qualifications, and the use of resume power words.

Get a free resume analysis

The best way to figure out if your resume conveys enough analytical skills is to upload it to the tool below — you'll get a confidential resume review, with a detailed analysis of your analytical skills.

Analytical skills bullet point examples

You don’t have to start from scratch when coming up with examples of resume accomplishments that demonstrate analytical skills. Here are some examples to help you get started:

Don't just say that you analyzed something — mention exactly what you did and what the results were.

Led the first major effort to A/B test the company's core sales landing page and optimize it for customer acquisition; resulted in a 18% increase in new customers.

You can always list hard skills in your Skills section, but it's even better if you can weave them into your bullet points as well.

Built Looker dashboard using data from MySQL and MongoDB to visualize core business KPIs (e.g. Monthly Recurring Revenue), saving 18 hours per week of manual reporting work.

What employers care about most is the bottom line, so if you made a measurable impact on your company, start with that.

Reduced signup drop-offs from 35% to 18% and increased user engagement by 20%, through a combination of hypothesis testing, segmentation analysis and machine learning algorithms.

Problem solving and critical thinking are essential components of analytical skills. Hiring managers aren't just looking for someone who can solve the problems presented to them — they want people who can seek out answers on their own.

Implemented crash reporter and used findings to fix three biggest causes of crashes; fixes reduced customer support calls by 30%.

Communication and analysis may seem like very different skills, but they often go hand in hand. The best employees are the ones with a healthy mix of hard and soft skills — things like teamwork, leadership, and communication.

Co-led task force to realize $1.62m annual savings; analyzed large sets of data to improve fixed and variable cost inputs and recommended additional invoice validation measures.

How to tailor your analytical skills to match the job description

Matching the skills you highlight on your resume with each specific job description is an essential part of showing a recruiter why you’re the right candidate for the job, and how your previous experience is relevant to their position.

Here's how to tailor your analytical skills to each job you apply for:

• Analyze the job description : Carefully read the job posting and identify any analytical skills specifically highlighted in the text. Employers often list specific tools, methodologies, or problem-solving approaches they prefer, so take note of these.
• Use relevant keywords : Look for keywords in the job description and use a keyword finder to generate a list of relevant words to include on your resume. Including these keywords not only shows that you have the specific skills a recruiter is looking for but also helps your resume get past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
• Customize your experience : In your work experience section, emphasize aspects of your previous roles that align with these keywords and requirements. For example, if the job requires data visualization, highlight your experience with tools like Tableau or Power BI, and demonstrate your practical experience in contexts similar to what the job will entail.
• Highlight transferable skills : If you are switching industries or applying for a role that involves a different kind of analysis than you've done in the past, focus on transferable analytical skills like data interpretation, statistical analysis, or logical reasoning.
• Quantify your achievements : Whether discussing projects, specific tools, or transferable skills, use metrics to quantify your experience. For example, instead of simply saying that you “worked to improve the efficiency of your project’s marketing campaign” , write that you "Used statistical analysis to improve marketing campaign efficiency, resulting in a 20% increase in customer engagement."

How to highlight specific analytical tools on your resume

When applying for roles that require proficiency in specific analytical tools, it's crucial to highlight and mention the particular tools you have experience with. These tools are likely the exact tools you will be using in your new position, so it’s important to be specific about your experience with each one, even if you’re just a beginner.

• Split up your skills list: Dedicate a portion of your skills section to list the analytical tools you are proficient with, like Excel, SQL, Python, R, Tableau, SAS, or SPSS.
• Highlight your proficiency: Be specific about your level of expertise, such as beginner, advanced, or expert, and the projects you’ve used them in. Even if you are only a novice in a skill, it is worth including if it’s relevant to your application.
• Mention specific tools in your work experience bullet points: Directly mention tools in your work experience section, to demonstrate not just the particular tool but also how you have used it in a work context. For example, “Utilized Python and Pandas library for data manipulation and analysis in a market research project.”
• Describe specific projects and the scope of your skills : If you’ve worked on academic or personal projects that involved data analysis, describe the tools and software you used, the scope of your involvement, and the positive results. This showcases your practical application of these tools in real-world scenarios, even if you lack paid experience with these skills.

How to showcase analytical skills at different career stages

Whether you're just starting out, are mid-career, or are looking for senior positions, here are tailored tips to highlight your analytical skills effectively.

Entry-level candidates

For entry-level candidates, focus on educational and project experience, especially if you lack extensive paid work experience. You can highlight analytical skills you learned through university projects, internships, and relevant coursework and showcase your eagerness to learn and adapt by including relevant certificates or workshops.

Conducted comprehensive data analysis using Python during a university project, resulting in actionable insights to improve campus recycling programs.

Mid-level candidates

If you have a range of paid experience, provide examples of how you've applied specific analytical skills in your previous roles. Show your skill development by discussing how you've expanded your skill set over time, such as learning new data analysis tools or methodologies relevant to your field.

Leveraged data analytics to optimize supply chain processes, resulting in a 15% reduction in costs over two years.

Senior professionals

If you’re applying for a senior position, you want to demonstrate your leadership in analytical roles. Focus on how your analytical skills have contributed to strategic decision-making and leadership, and highlight the impact of your analytical skills on company goals, such as improving efficiency, increasing revenue, or driving innovation.

Guided a team in the implementation of advanced data modeling techniques, enhancing predictive capabilities by 25%.

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CV personal statement examples

If you want to secure job interview, you need a strong personal statement at the top of your CV.

Your CV personal statement is a short paragraph which sits at the very top of your CV – and it’s aim is to summarise the benefits of hiring you and encourage employers to read your CV in full.

In this guide I have included 17 CV personal statement examples from a range of professions and experience levels, plus a detailed guide of how to write your own personal statement that will get you noticed by employers

CV templates 

17 CV personal statement examples

To start this guide, I have included 10 examples of good personal statements, to give you an idea of how a personal statement should look , and what should be included.

Note: personal statements are generally used by junior candidates – if you are experienced, check out our CV profile examples instead.

Graduate CV personal statement (no experience)

Although this  graduate has no paid work experience, they compensate for it by showcasing all of the skills and knowledge the have gained during their studies, and demonstrating how they apply their knowledge in academic and personal projects.

When you have little or no experience, it’s important to draw out transferable workplace skills from your studies and extracurricular work, to showcase them to employers.

Graduate CV personal statement (part time freelance experience)

This candidate has graduated with a degree in biochemistry but actually wants to start a career in digital marketing after providing some digital freelance services to fund their studies.

In this case, they haven’t made much mention of their studies because they aren’t relevant to the digital marketing agencies they are applying to. Instead they have focused their personal statement around their freelance work and passion for the digital field – although they still mention the fact they are degree educated to prove their academic success.

School leaver CV personal statement (no experience)

This candidate is 16 years old and has no work experience whatsoever, but they compensate for this by detailing their academic achievements that relate to the roles they are applying for (maths and literacy are important requirements in finance and accountancy roles).

They also add some info on their extracurricular activities and school work-placements, to strengthen this student CV further.

    Top tips for writing a CV personal statement

• Thoroughly research the jobs and companies you are planning to apply for to identify the type of candidate they are looking for – try to reflect that in your personal statement
• Don’t be afraid to brag a little – include some of your most impressive achievements from education, work or personal life
• Focus on describing the benefits an employer will get from hiring you. Will you help them to get more customers? Improve their workplace? Save them time and money?
• If you have no work experience, demonstrate transferable workplace skills from your education, projects, or even hobbies

School leaver CV personal statement (part time experience)

Although this person has only just left school, they have also undertaken some part-time work in a call centre alongside their studies.

To make the most of this experience, they have combined their academic achievements with their workplace exposure in this personal statement.

By highlighting their GCSE results, summer programme involvement, work experience and expressing their ambitions to progress within sales, this candidate really makes an appealing case for hiring them.

College leaver CV personal statement (no experience)

This candidate has left college with good grades, but does not yet have any work experience.

To compensate for the lack of workplace exposure, they have made their A level results prominent and highlighted skills and experience which would benefit the employers they are targeting.

Any recruiter reading this profile can quickly understand that this candidate has great academic achievements, a passion for IT and finance and the ability to transfer their skills into an office environment.

College student CV personal statement (freelance experience)

As this student has picked up a small amount of freelance writing work during their studies, they have made sure to brag about it in their personal statement.

They give details on their relevant A level studies to show the skills they are learning, and boost this further by highlighting the fact that they have been applying these skills in a real-life work setting by providing freelance services.

They also include key action verbs that recruiters will be looking for , such as creative writing, working to deadlines, and producing copy.

Academic CV personal statement

Aside from junior candidates, the only other people who might use a personal statement, are academic professionals; as their CV’s tend to be more longer and detailed than other professions.

This candidate provides a high level overview of their field of study, length of experience, and the roles they have held within universities.

School leaver CV personal statement with and sports experience

Although this person has no work experience, they are still able to show employers the value of hiring them by selling their other achievements and explaining how they could benefit an organisation.

They expand on their sports club involvement to demonstrate their teamwork, leadership skills, communication and motivation, which are all important traits in the workplace, and will be looked upon favourably by recruiters and hiring managers.

They also draw upon their future plans to study business studies and take a part time job, to further prove their ambition and dedication.

History graduate CV personal statement

This history graduate proves their aptitude for both academic achievement and workplace aptitude by showcasing valuable skills from their degree and voluntary work.

They do this by breaking down the key requirements for each and showing how their skills could be beneficial for future employers, such as listening, communication, and crisis management.

They also describe how their ability to balance studies alongside voluntary work has not only boosted their knowledge and skills, but also given excellent time management and organisational skills – which are vital assets to any employer.

Law graduate CV personal statement

This legal graduate makes the most from their work university work placements by using it to bulk out the contents of their CV personal statement.

They include their degree to show they have the necessary qualifications for legal roles, which is crucial, but more importantly, they showcase how they applied their legal skills within a real-life work setting.

They give a brief overview of the types of legal professionals they have been working alongside and the type of work they have been carrying out – this is all it takes to get the attention of recruiters and show employers they have what it takes to fulfil roles in the legal sector.

Medical student CV personal statement

This medical student proves their fit for the role by showcasing the key skills they have gained from their studies and their work experience placements.

In just these few sentences, they are able to highlight the vast amount of experience they have across different disciplines in the industry, something which is particularly important in the medical sector.

As they have not graduated yet and are still studying, they have provided proof of their most recent grades. This can give the recruiter some indication as to the type of grade they could be graduating with in the near future.

Masters student CV personal statement

This masters student has started by specifying their area of study, in this case, accounting, and given details about the specific areas of finance they are most interested in. This can hint towards their career goals and passions.

They have then carefully listed some of the key areas of accounting and finance that they are proficient in. For example, business finance, advanced corporate finance and statistics.

They have also outlined some of the transferable skills needed for accounting roles that employers will be looking out for, such as communication, attention to detail and analytical skills.

Finance student CV personal statement

As this finance student has recently undertaken some relevant work experience, they’ve made sure to shout about this in their personal profile.

But more than this, they have included a list of some of the important finance skills they gained as a result of this work experience – for example, financial reporting, processing invoices and month-end reconciliations.

Plus, through power words and phrases such as ‘prevent loss’ and ‘ improve upon accuracy and efficiency’, they have also showcased how they can apply these skills in a workplace setting to benefit the potential employer.

Internship  CV personal statement

This digital marketing professional has started their personal profile by outlining their most relevant qualifications and work experience, most notably their freelance role as a content manager.

They have also provided examples of some of the key marketing skills that potential employers might be looking for, including very detailed examples of the platforms and tools they are proficient in – for example, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest.

They have then closed their statement by giving a detailed description of the type of role or opportunity they are looking for. In this case, an in-house position in a marketing company.

Graduate career changer personal statement

Switching careers as a graduate can be tough. Especially when it comes to writing a personal statement that will attract employers in your new chosen field.

This candidate is looking to move from history teaching into journalism, so they have created a statement which briefly mentions their current workplace, but mainly focuses on highlighting transferable skills which are relevant to journalism. They achieve this by discussing the writing skills they use in their current role, and mentioning their hobby of writing – including some publications they have been featured in for extra brownie points.

Business management graduate personal statement

This business management proves their ability to work within a junior business management position by swiftly highlighting their impressive degree (to ensure it is not missed) and summarising some of the real-life experience they have gained in management during their university placements and volunteering. They do not let their lack of paid work experience, stop them demonstrating their valuable skills.

PhD graduate

PhD graduate roles attract a lot of competition, so it’s important that your CV contains a personal statement that will quickly impress and attract recruiters.

This candidate provides a short-but-comprehensive overview of their academic achievements, whilst demonstrating their exceptional level of knowledge in research, languages and publication writing.

By highlighting a number of skills and abilities that are in high-demand in the academic workplace, this CV is very likely to get noticed and land interviews.

How to write a personal statement for your CV

Now that you’ve seen what a personal statement should look like and the type of content it should contain, follow this detailed guide to one for your own CV – and start racking those interviews up.

Guide contents

What is a CV personal statement?

Cv personal statement or cv profile, personal statement format, what to include in a cv personal statement.

• Personal statement mistakes

How to write persuasively

A personal statement is a short paragraph at the top of your CV which gives employers an overview of your education, skills and experience

It’s purpose is to capture the attention of busy recruiters and hiring managers when your CV is first opened – encouraging them to read the rest of it.

You achieve this by writing a tailored summary of yourself that explains your suitability for the roles you are applying for at a very high level, and matches your target job descriptions .

One question candidates often ask me is , “what is the difference between a personal statement and a CV profile?”

To be honest, they are almost the same – they are both introductory paragraphs that sit at the top of your CV… but there are 2 main differences

A personal statement tends to be used more by junior candidates (graduates, school leavers etc.) and is relatively long and detailed.

A CV profile tends to be favoured by more experienced candidates , and is shorter in length than a personal statement.

Note: If you are an experienced candidate, you may want to switch over to my CV profile writing guide , or example CV profiles page.

To ensure you grab recruiters’ attention with your personal statement, lay it out in the following way.

Positioning

You need to ensure that your personal statement sits at the very top of your CV, and all of it should be totally visible to readers, without the need to scroll down the page.

Do this by reducing the top page margin and minimising the space taken up by your contact details.

This will ensure that your whole personal statement can be seen, as soon as your CV is opened.

We have a Word CV template which can help you to get this right.

Size/length

Your personal statement needs to contain enough detail to provide an introduction to your skills and knowledge, but not so much detail that it bores readers.

To strike the right balance, anything between 8-15 lines of text is perfect – and sentences should be sharp and to-the-point.

As with the whole of your CV or resume , your personal statement should be written in a simple clean font at around size 10-12 to ensure that it can be read easily by all recruiters and employers.

Keep the text colour simple , ensuring that it contrasts the background (black on white is best) and break it into 2 or even 3 paragraphs for a pleasant reading experience.

It should also be written in a punchy persuasive tone, to help you sell yourself and increase your chances of landing interviews , I cover how to do this in detail further down the guide.

Quick tip: A poorly written CV will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to create a winning CV in minutes with professional CV templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Once you have the style and format of your personal statement perfected, you need to fill it with compelling content that tells recruiters that your CV is worth reading.

Here’s what needs to go into your personal statement…

Before you start writing your personal statement, it’s crucial that you research your target roles to find out exactly what your new potential employers are looking for in a candidate.

Run a search for your target jobs on one of the major job websites , look through plenty of adverts and make a list of the candidate requirements that frequently appear.

This research will show you exactly what to include in your personal statement in order to impress the recruiters who will be reading it.

Education and qualifications are an important aspect of your personal statement, especially if you are a junior candidate.

You should highlight your highest and most relevant qualifications, whether that is a degree, A levels or GCSEs. You could potentially go into some more detail around modules, papers etc. if they are relevant to the roles you are applying for.

It’s important that you discuss the experience you have gained in your personal statement, to give readers an idea of the work you are comfortable undertaking.

This can of course be direct employed work experience, but it doesn’t have to be.

You can also include:

• School/college Uni work placements
• Voluntary work
• Personal projects
• Hobbies/interests

As with all aspects of your CV , the content should be tailored to match the requirements of your target roles.

Whilst discussing your experience, you should touch upon skills used, industries worked in, types of companies worked for, and people you have worked with.

Where possible, try to show the impact your actions have made. E.g . A customer service agent helps to make sales for their employer.

Any industry-specific knowledge you have that will be useful to your new potential employers should be made prominent within your personal statement.

For example

• Knowledge of financial regulations will be important for accountancy roles
• Knowledge of IT operating systems will be important for IT roles
• Knowledge of the national curriculum will be important for teachers

You should also include some information about the types of roles you are applying for, and why you are doing so. Try to show your interest and passion for the field you are hoping to enter, because employers want to hire people who have genuine motivation and drive in their work.

This is especially true if you don’t have much work experience, as you need something else to compensate for it.

CV personal statement mistakes

The things that you omit from your personal statement can be just as important as the things you include.

Try to keep the following out of your personal statement..

Irrelevant info

Any information that doesn’t fall into the requirements of your target roles can be cut out of your personal statement. For example, if you were a professional athlete 6 years ago, that’s great – but it won’t be relevant if you’re applying to advertising internships, so leave it out.

Generic clichés

If you are describing yourself as a “ dynamic team player with high levels of motivation and enthusiasm” you aren’t doing yourself any favours.

These cliché terms are vastly overused and don’t provide readers with any factual details about you – so keep them to a minimum.

Stick to solid facts like education, skills , experience, achievements and knowledge.

If you really want to ensure that your personal statement makes a big impact, you need to write in a persuasive manner.

So, how do you so this?

Well, you need to brag a little – but not too much

It’s about selling yourself and appearing confident, without overstepping the mark and appearing arrogant.

For example, instead of writing.

“Marketing graduate with an interest in entering the digital field”

Be creative and excite the reader by livening the sentence up like this,

“Marketing graduate with highest exam results in class and a passion for embarking on a long and successful career within digital”

The second sentence is a much more interesting, makes the candidate appear more confident, throws in some achievements, and shows off a wider range of writing skills.

Quick tip: A poorly written CV will fail to impress recruiters and employers. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to create a winning CV in minutes with professional templates and pre-written content for every industry.

Your own personal statement will be totally unique to yourself, but by using the above guidelines you will be able to create one which shows recruiters everything they need.

Remember to keep the length between 10-20 lines and only include the most relevant information for your target roles.

You can also check our school leaver CV example , our best CV templates , or our library of example CVs from all industries.

Good luck with the job hunt!

Personal Statement Skills: What You MUST Include!

When you write your personal statement, you’re frequently told to include ‘skills’. But what skills should you include, how should you write about them and why are they important?

The skills to include in your personal statement are the ones which best illustrate your suitability for academic study and your knowledge of your intended subject. You should include skills gained from relevant practical experience and those which are suited to further progression in the subject.

I’ve explained each of these four skills areas in detail below, so that you can create a compelling, successful and skills-rich personal statement in no time at all…

Evidence Your Suitability with Academic Skills

If you’re planning to study at degree level or beyond, the institution you are applying to needs to see evidence of your academic suitability in your personal statement. Yes, you’ll predicted grades to support you, but that’s not enough. What’s key is to evidence your broader academic ability, not just your subject knowledge.

You can click here to read my post on exactly how to make your personal statement outstanding!

Academic abilities break down into three sections, and you need to include examples of each of these in your application:

The logical way to approach these three elements is to combine them into a single point. Each point should show that you have successfully made use of research skills, analysed the relevant data and presented it well, regardless of your subject focus.

You can discover resources that will help you develop your research and analytical skills here , and find out how to strengthen your study skills here .

Take a look at the following extract. It covers all three elements in a concise and compelling way, and it is the kind of approach you need to aim for in your own personal statement:

If you’re not sure about the best way to structure your work, or want some extra support with your spelling, punctuation and grammar, then I often steer students towards using Grammarly . It’s a free piece of software that can really lift your writing; it’s highly intuitive and allows you to phrase content in a concise and compelling way. If you want to find out more about how to make Grammarly work for you, check out this link .

Show the Skills that Prove Your Subject Knowledge

As well as being an appropriately academic candidate, admissions teams will want to see strong evidence of skills related to your subject. They will expect a range of relevant, tangible skills, built up over time and related to both academic and practical study.

They will also want to see evidence that you have acquired skills based on practical experience and engagement with your chosen subject outside of the formal curriculum .

The table below lists the kinds of opportunities that might equip you with the subject-specific skills you should include in your personal statement:

Just like your academic skills, it is important to put these into context using the following formula:

Explain the relevant skill you have, identify how this skill was developed and indicate how it will be of value on the course you are applying for Your Personal Statement Support

Here’s an example that follows this formula, so that you can see how you might write it down effectively:

Shine by Including Transferable ‘Soft’ Skills

For a long time, transferable or ‘soft’ skills we considered less important in academic applications. You would often hear of students who had been told to ‘add a sentence about their hobbies’. This is not the case today, and admissions officers and employers want to be reassured that applicants have the interpersonal and social skills to succeed in a pressurised and often stressful environment.

In a high-IQ job pool, soft skills like discipline drive and empathy mark those who emerge as outstanding. Daniel Goleman

What kinds of transferable skills are universities looking for?

• Punctuality and preparedness
• Ability to study independently and effectively
• Motivation and dedication
• Physical stamina and engagement
• Teamwork and cooperative skills
• Organisation
• Pressure management and well-being strategies
• Awareness of personal finance
• Awareness of multi-form diversity
• Effective use of technology (personal and professional)
• Community contribution and volunteering

As before, the important thing is to make sure you put these transferable skills into context. Don’t write them like the list above but indicate why and how they are of value to you and those around you.

For more powerful personal statement strategies, check out my post here .

Prove you have the Skills to Succeed in the Future

Last of all, your personal statement should indicate that you’ve got the potential to develop the skills you’ll need after you graduate, whether that’s in the workplace or in further study.

Common examples include:

By illustrating your existing use of these skills, you are reassuring an employer or course leader that you are not only likely to complete the course, but will be ready to move forwards with strategy and purpose once you graduate.

Good luck with your personal statement, and don’t forget to contact me if you’d like some 1-1 support. You’ve got this! D

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet.

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

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Economics Personal Statement Advice

Our co-founder, Tom, shares his thought processes with us on writing his UCAS personal statement applying for Economics back in 2002.

Here, I share each part of my final personal statement and the reasons why I wrote it this way.

For more information on how I went about writing it, please see the personal statement writing guide . You can also see the final statement as a whole.

If you feel you need a little extra help with your personal statement, please check out our range of personal statement editing and critique services .

Examination of any quality newspaper will probably demonstrate that more of the headlines address economic problems than any other topic.

This is the first line of the personal statement, and so could be one of the most important things read by the university you apply to.

I tried to use it to convey what subject I am taking with out sounding too full of myself - and also show I'm interested in the news.

The importance and relevance of economic related disciplines to the modern world have led me to want to pursue the study of the subject at a higher level.

Here I'm telling the reader that I think Economics is a genuinely useful subject and that I would like to study it.

I'm trying not to look like I'm selling myself too much by concentrating on the subject rather than myself.

I am particularly interested in the behaviour of firms and organisations from an economic point of view and I have based my A-level coursework in this field.

Here I move onto myself - I tell the reader one of my particular interests about the subject and more importantly what I did in relation to this interest.

There's no point stating you are interested in a subject and not saying either why or what you did about it.

During my study, I have come across many real life complexities and while attempting to explain these theories, I have developed a keen interest in analysing and understanding how the world of business is influenced by economics.

This part is basically waffle and probably shouldn't be in the statement - its only purpose is to impress the admissions tutor (it probably didn't work) and lead smoothly into the next paragraph.

I have created an economics revision website for A-level and GCSE students. It is primarily intended to help younger students gain an understanding of core economic principles but has also helped me improve my own computer and presentational skills.

This is better - it says what I have done related to my subject, which wouldn't be examined or count for anything. I have also pointed out the reasons I did this and why I feel it helped me.

Notice I included a URL - this can be a good idea because it gives the reader something else to look at.

In my case it can show exactly how much dedication I put into creating my website and how I excel at doing this.

I was not 100% sure it was a good idea though, as I could find no guidance about putting URLs in personal statements, and thought it may just seem pretentious to the reader.

I regularly read newspapers and economic publications to keep up to date with economic developments and I am able to use my mathematical and analytical skills to apply different economic theories to a range of real-life economic situations.

Again, what I do to show I am interested in my subject and why.

Also a small part about my abilities to round off this part of the statement. I've really no idea how this part comes across to the reader.

Last year, I took part in an economics and business project called Young Enterprise in which I set up a small company and sold products to students at our school. I enjoyed the chance to put some of my business economic theory into practice and was able to enhance my management and communication skills. I also gained a distinction in the associated exam.

Here I talk about practical experience and what I feel I had gained from it.

It tells the reader that I take part in group activities and practice group management and communication skills. It also shows that I can put the skills I have into practice by doing something like this.

To gain practical experience in the workplace, I worked for two weeks at a small software company specialising in financial software. I currently have a part time job and this has taught me much about teamwork, responsibility and time management in the workplace.

Again, discussing my work experience - I mention what I did, why I did it and what I learned.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, swimming, sketching and solving puzzles and logic problems. I have redesigned and been responsible for the maintenance of my school's website (www.schoolsurlhere.sch.uk).

Penultimately, instead of talking about my skills and interest in Economics, I talk about what I do in my spare time.

Here I elaborated a bit - I don't really have much of an interest in sketching or solving puzzles and logic problems, but I do try a bit of both occasionally, so thought it would be safe to put down.

The main reason I included them is because I thought I needed some interests other than the standard reading and going out with friends.

I decided not to put down my computer and web design skills because they had been mentioned already, but did write about how I designed my schools' website.

I also wrote I maintained it, showing I have a position of responsibility .

I believe that I will gain a highly marketable set of skills from the study of economics at university. I have found economics to be a challenging and diverse discipline and I am interested in both macro and micro economics. It is this variation of perspective, combined with its real world importance, that makes economics an appealing subject to study at university.

Finally, I finished with a short sentence on what I thought I would get out of university. I would have put what I was going to do afterwards but didn't really know.

I rounded off my personal statement with my personal opinion of Economics. As well as the first line, the last line is probably quite an important part of the personal statement.

So I finished with (hopefully) a statement of why Economics was important to me, and why I wanted to study it.

Hope this analysis of my personal statement is useful to all prospective undergraduates. It got me 5 out of 6 offers from my chosen universities, so must have done something right!

For further help and advice, please see:

• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement Editing Services
• UCAS Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Writing Tips
• Personal Statements: Advice From A Teacher

Best of luck with your personal statement writing!

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PrepScholar GRE Prep

Gre prep online guides and tips, 3 successful graduate school personal statement examples.

Looking for grad school personal statement examples? Look no further! In this total guide to graduate school personal statement examples, we’ll discuss why you need a personal statement for grad school and what makes a good one. Then we’ll provide three graduate school personal statement samples from our grad school experts. After that, we’ll do a deep dive on one of our personal statement for graduate school examples. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a list of other grad school personal statements you can find online.

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a chance for admissions committees to get to know you: your goals and passions, what you’ll bring to the program, and what you’re hoping to get out of the program.  You need to sell the admissions committee on what makes you a worthwhile applicant. The personal statement is a good chance to highlight significant things about you that don’t appear elsewhere on your application.

A personal statement is slightly different from a statement of purpose (also known as a letter of intent). A statement of purpose/letter of intent tends to be more tightly focused on your academic or professional credentials and your future research and/or professional interests.

While a personal statement also addresses your academic experiences and goals, you have more leeway to be a little more, well, personal. In a personal statement, it’s often appropriate to include information on significant life experiences or challenges that aren’t necessarily directly relevant to your field of interest.

Some programs ask for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose/letter of intent. In this case, the personal statement is likely to be much more tightly focused on your life experience and personality assets while the statement of purpose will focus in much more on your academic/research experiences and goals.

However, there’s not always a hard-and-fast demarcation between a personal statement and a statement of purpose. The two statement types should address a lot of the same themes, especially as relates to your future goals and the valuable assets you bring to the program. Some programs will ask for a personal statement but the prompt will be focused primarily on your research and professional experiences and interests. Some will ask for a statement of purpose but the prompt will be more focused on your general life experiences.

When in doubt, give the program what they are asking for in the prompt and don’t get too hung up on whether they call it a personal statement or statement of purpose. You can always call the admissions office to get more clarification on what they want you to address in your admissions essay.

Quick side note: we've created the world's leading online GRE prep program that adapts to you and your strengths and weaknesses. Not sure what to study? Confused by how to improve your score? We give you minute by minute guide.

You don't NEED a prep program to get a great GRE score. But we believe PrepScholar is the best GRE prep program available right now , especially if you find it hard to organize your study schedule and don't know what to study .

Click here to learn how you can improve your GRE score by 7 points, guaranteed .

What Makes a Good Grad School Personal Statement?

A great graduate school personal statement can come in many forms and styles. However, strong grad school personal statement examples all share the same following elements:

A Clear Narrative

Above all, a good personal statement communicates clear messages about what makes you a strong applicant who is likely to have success in graduate school. So to that extent, think about a couple of key points that you want to communicate about yourself and then drill down on how you can best communicate those points. (Your key points should of course be related to what you can bring to the field and to the program specifically).

You can also decide whether to address things like setbacks or gaps in your application as part of your narrative. Have a low GPA for a couple semesters due to a health issue? Been out of a job for a while taking care of a family member? If you do decide to explain an issue like this, make sure that the overall arc is more about demonstrating positive qualities like resilience and diligence than about providing excuses.

Specific Examples

A great statement of purpose uses specific examples to illustrate its key messages. This can include anecdotes that demonstrate particular traits or even references to scholars and works that have influenced your academic trajectory to show that you are familiar and insightful about the relevant literature in your field.

Just saying “I love plants,” is pretty vague. Describing how you worked in a plant lab during undergrad and then went home and carefully cultivated your own greenhouse where you cross-bred new flower colors by hand is much more specific and vivid, which makes for better evidence.

A strong personal statement will describe why you are a good fit for the program, and why the program is a good fit for you. It’s important to identify specific things about the program that appeal to you, and how you’ll take advantage of those opportunities. It’s also a good idea to talk about specific professors you might be interested in working with. This shows that you are informed about and genuinely invested in the program.

Strong Writing

Even quantitative and science disciplines typically require some writing, so it’s important that your personal statement shows strong writing skills. Make sure that you are communicating clearly and that you don’t have any grammar and spelling errors. It’s helpful to get other people to read your statement and provide feedback. Plan on going through multiple drafts.

Another important thing here is to avoid cliches and gimmicks. Don’t deploy overused phrases and openings like “ever since I was a child.” Don’t structure your statement in a gimmicky way (i.e., writing a faux legal brief about yourself for a law school statement of purpose). The first will make your writing banal; the second is likely to make you stand out in a bad way.

Appropriate Boundaries

While you can be more personal in a personal statement than in a statement of purpose, it’s important to maintain appropriate boundaries in your writing. Don’t overshare anything too personal about relationships, bodily functions, or illegal activities. Similarly, don’t share anything that makes it seem like you may be out of control, unstable, or an otherwise risky investment. The personal statement is not a confessional booth. If you share inappropriately, you may seem like you have bad judgment, which is a huge red flag to admissions committees.

You should also be careful with how you deploy humor and jokes. Your statement doesn’t have to be totally joyless and serious, but bear in mind that the person reading the statement may not have the same sense of humor as you do. When in doubt, err towards the side of being as inoffensive as possible.

Just as being too intimate in your statement can hurt you, it’s also important not to be overly formal or staid. You should be professional, but conversational.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Our graduate school experts have been kind enough to provide some successful grad school personal statement examples. We’ll provide three examples here, along with brief analysis of what makes each one successful.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 1

PDF of Sample Personal Statement 1 – Japanese Studies

For this Japanese Studies master’s degree, the applicant had to provide a statement of purpose outlining her academic goals and experience with Japanese and a separate personal statement describing her personal relationship with Japanese Studies and what led her to pursue a master’s degree.

Here’s what’s successful about this personal statement:

• An attention-grabbing beginning: The applicant begins with the statement that Japanese has never come easily to her and that it’s a brutal language to learn. Seeing as how this is an application for a Japanese Studies program, this is an intriguing beginning that makes the reader want to keep going.
• A compelling narrative: From this attention-grabbing beginning, the applicant builds a well-structured and dramatic narrative tracking her engagement with the Japanese language over time. The clear turning point is her experience studying abroad, leading to a resolution in which she has clarity about her plans. Seeing as how the applicant wants to be a translator of Japanese literature, the tight narrative structure here is a great way to show her writing skills.
• Specific examples that show important traits: The applicant clearly communicates both a deep passion for Japanese through examples of her continued engagement with Japanese and her determination and work ethic by highlighting the challenges she’s faced (and overcome) in her study of the language. This gives the impression that she is an engaged and dedicated student.

Overall, this is a very strong statement both in terms of style and content. It flows well, is memorable, and communicates that the applicant would make the most of the graduate school experience.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 2

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 2 – Musical Composition

This personal statement for a Music Composition master’s degree discusses the factors that motivate the applicant to pursue graduate study.

Here’s what works well in this statement:

• The applicant provides two clear reasons motivating the student to pursue graduate study: her experiences with music growing up, and her family’s musical history. She then supports those two reasons with examples and analysis.
• The description of her ancestors’ engagement with music is very compelling and memorable. The applicant paints her own involvement with music as almost inevitable based on her family’s long history with musical pursuits.
• The applicant gives thoughtful analysis of the advantages she has been afforded that have allowed her to study music so extensively. We get the sense that she is insightful and empathetic—qualities that would add greatly to any academic community.

This is a strong, serviceable personal statement. And in truth, given that this for a masters in music composition, other elements of the application (like work samples) are probably the most important.  However, here are two small changes I would make to improve it:

• I would probably to split the massive second paragraph into 2-3 separate paragraphs. I might use one paragraph to orient the reader to the family’s musical history, one paragraph to discuss Giacomo and Antonio, and one paragraph to discuss how the family has influenced the applicant. As it stands, it’s a little unwieldy and the second paragraph doesn’t have a super-clear focus even though it’s all loosely related to the applicant’s family history with music.
• I would also slightly shorten the anecdote about the applicant’s ancestors and expand more on how this family history has motivated the applicant’s interest in music. In what specific ways has her ancestors’ perseverance inspired her? Did she think about them during hard practice sessions? Is she interested in composing music in a style they might have played? More specific examples here would lend greater depth and clarity to the statement.

Sample Personal Statement for Graduate School 3

PDF of Sample Graduate School Personal Statement 3 – Public Health

This is my successful personal statement for Columbia’s Master’s program in Public Health. We’ll do a deep dive on this statement paragraph-by-paragraph in the next section, but I’ll highlight a couple of things that work in this statement here:

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• This statement is clearly organized. Almost every paragraph has a distinct focus and message, and when I move on to a new idea, I move on to a new paragraph with a logical transitions.
• This statement covers a lot of ground in a pretty short space. I discuss my family history, my goals, my educational background, and my professional background. But because the paragraphs are organized and I use specific examples, it doesn’t feel too vague or scattered.
• In addition to including information about my personal motivations, like my family, I also include some analysis about tailoring health interventions with my example of the Zande. This is a good way to show off what kinds of insights I might bring to the program based on my academic background.

Grad School Personal Statement Example: Deep Dive

Now let’s do a deep dive, paragraph-by-paragraph, on one of these sample graduate school personal statements. We’ll use my personal statement that I used when I applied to Columbia’s public health program.

Paragraph One: For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a Veterinarian and an Epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crises, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

This is an attention-grabbing opening anecdote that avoids most of the usual cliches about childhood dreams and proclivities. This story also subtly shows that I have a sense of public health history, given the significance of the AIDs crisis for public health as a field.

It’s good that I connect this family history to my own interests. However, if I were to revise this paragraph again, I might cut down on some of the detail because when it comes down to it, this story isn’t really about me. It’s important that even (sparingly used) anecdotes about other people ultimately reveal something about you in a personal statement.

Paragraph Two: Recent years have cemented that interest. In January 2012, my parents adopted my little brother Fred from China. Doctors in America subsequently diagnosed Fred with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). My parents were told that if Fred’s condition had been discovered in China, the (very poor) orphanage in which he spent the first 8+ years of his life would have recognized his DMD as a death sentence and denied him sustenance to hasten his demise.

Here’s another compelling anecdote to help explain my interest in public health. This is an appropriately personal detail for a personal statement—it’s a serious thing about my immediate family, but it doesn’t disclose anything that the admissions committee might find concerning or inappropriate.

If I were to take another pass through this paragraph, the main thing I would change is the last phrase. “Denied him sustenance to hasten his demise” is a little flowery. “Denied him food to hasten his death” is actually more powerful because it’s clearer and more direct.

Paragraph Three: It is not right that some people have access to the best doctors and treatment while others have no medical care. I want to pursue an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia because studying social factors in health, with a particular focus on socio-health inequities, will prepare me to address these inequities. The interdisciplinary approach of the program appeals to me greatly as I believe interdisciplinary approaches are the most effective way to develop meaningful solutions to complex problems.

In this paragraph I make a neat and clear transition from discussing what sparked my interest in public health and health equity to what I am interested in about Columbia specifically: the interdisciplinary focus of the program, and how that focus will prepare me to solve complex health problems. This paragraph also serves as a good pivot point to start discussing my academic and professional background.

Paragraph Four: My undergraduate education has prepared me well for my chosen career. Understanding the underlying structure of a group’s culture is essential to successfully communicating with the group. In studying folklore and mythology, I’ve learned how to parse the unspoken structures of folk groups, and how those structures can be used to build bridges of understanding. For example, in a culture where most illnesses are believed to be caused by witchcraft, as is the case for the Zande people of central Africa, any successful health intervention or education program would of necessity take into account their very real belief in witchcraft.

In this paragraph, I link my undergraduate education and the skills I learned there to public health. The (very brief) analysis of tailoring health interventions to the Zande is a good way to show insight and show off the competencies I would bring to the program.

Paragraph Five: I now work in the healthcare industry for one of the largest providers of health benefits in the world. In addition to reigniting my passion for data and quantitative analytics, working for this company has immersed me in the business side of healthcare, a critical component of public health.

This brief paragraph highlights my relevant work experience in the healthcare industry. It also allows me to mention my work with data and quantitative analytics, which isn’t necessarily obvious from my academic background, which was primarily based in the social sciences.

Paragraph Six: I intend to pursue a PhD in order to become an expert in how social factors affect health, particularly as related to gender and sexuality. I intend to pursue a certificate in Sexuality, Sexual Health, and Reproduction. Working together with other experts to create effective interventions across cultures and societies, I want to help transform health landscapes both in America and abroad.

This final paragraph is about my future plans and intentions. Unfortunately, it’s a little disjointed, primarily because I discuss goals of pursuing a PhD before I talk about what certificate I want to pursue within the MPH program! Switching those two sentences and discussing my certificate goals within the MPH and then mentioning my PhD plans would make a lot more sense.

I also start two sentences in a row with “I intend,” which is repetitive.

The final sentence is a little bit generic; I might tailor it to specifically discuss a gender and sexual health issue, since that is the primary area of interest I’ve identified.

This was a successful personal statement; I got into (and attended!) the program. It has strong examples, clear organization, and outlines what interests me about the program (its interdisciplinary focus) and what competencies I would bring (a background in cultural analysis and experience with the business side of healthcare). However, a few slight tweaks would elevate this statement to the next level.

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples You Can Find Online

So you need more samples for your personal statement for graduate school? Examples are everywhere on the internet, but they aren’t all of equal quality.

Most of examples are posted as part of writing guides published online by educational institutions. We’ve rounded up some of the best ones here if you are looking for more personal statement examples for graduate school.

Penn State Personal Statement Examples for Graduate School

This selection of ten short personal statements for graduate school and fellowship programs offers an interesting mix of approaches. Some focus more on personal adversity while others focus more closely on professional work within the field.

The writing in some of these statements is a little dry, and most deploy at least a few cliches. However, these are generally strong, serviceable statements that communicate clearly why the student is interested in the field, their skills and competencies, and what about the specific program appeals to them.

Cal State Sample Graduate School Personal Statements

These are good examples of personal statements for graduate school where students deploy lots of very vivid imagery and illustrative anecdotes of life experiences. There are also helpful comments about what works in each of these essays.

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However, all of these statements are definitely pushing the boundaries of acceptable length, as all are above 1000 and one is almost 1500 words! Many programs limit you to 500 words; if you don’t have a limit, you should try to keep it to two single-spaced pages at most (which is about 1000 words).

University of Chicago Personal Statement for Graduate School Examples

These examples of successful essays to the University of Chicago law school cover a wide range of life experiences and topics. The writing in all is very vivid, and all communicate clear messages about the students’ strengths and competencies.

Note, however, that these are all essays that specifically worked for University of Chicago law school. That does not mean that they would work everywhere. In fact, one major thing to note is that many of these responses, while well-written and vivid, barely address the students’ interest in law school at all! This is something that might not work well for most graduate programs.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 10

This successful essay for law school from a Wheaton College undergraduate does a great job tracking the student’s interest in the law in a compelling and personal way. Wheaton offers other graduate school personal statement examples, but this one offers the most persuasive case for the students’ competencies. The student accomplishes this by using clear, well-elaborated examples, showing strong and vivid writing, and highlighting positive qualities like an interest in justice and empathy without seeming grandiose or out of touch.

Wheaton College Personal Statement for Graduate School Sample 1

Based on the background information provided at the bottom of the essay, this essay was apparently successful for this applicant. However, I’ve actually included this essay because it demonstrates an extremely risky approach. While this personal statement is strikingly written and the story is very memorable, it could definitely communicate the wrong message to some admissions committees. The student’s decision not to report the drill sergeant may read incredibly poorly to some admissions committees. They may wonder if the student’s failure to report the sergeant’s violence will ultimately expose more soldiers-in-training to the same kinds of abuses. This incident perhaps reads especially poorly in light of the fact that the military has such a notable problem with violence against women being covered up and otherwise mishandled

It’s actually hard to get a complete picture of the student’s true motivations from this essay, and what we have might raise real questions about the student’s character to some admissions committees. This student took a risk and it paid off, but it could have just as easily backfired spectacularly.

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

In this guide, we discussed why you need a personal statement and how it differs from a statement of purpose. (It’s more personal!)

We also discussed what you’ll find in a strong sample personal statement for graduate school:

• A clear narrative about the applicant and why they are qualified for graduate study.
• Specific examples to support that narrative.
• Compelling reasons why the applicant and the program are a good fit for each other.
• Strong writing, including clear organization and error-free, cliche-free language.
• Appropriate boundaries—sharing without over-sharing.

Then, we provided three strong graduate school personal statement examples for different fields, along with analysis. We did a deep-dive on the third statement.

Finally, we provided a list of other sample grad school personal statements online.

What’s Next?

Want more advice on writing a personal statement ? See our guide.

Writing a graduate school statement of purpose? See our statement of purpose samples  and a nine-step process for writing the best statement of purpose possible .

If you’re writing a graduate school CV or resume, see our how-to guide to writing a CV , a how-to guide to writing a resume , our list of sample resumes and CVs , resume and CV templates , and a special guide for writing resume objectives .

Need stellar graduate school recommendation letters ? See our guide.

See our 29 tips for successfully applying to graduate school .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

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20 September 2023

6 minutes read

Crafting Your ABA Personal Statement: Your Path to Becoming a BCBA

Dirghayu Kaushik

When it comes to pursuing a career in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), your personal statement plays a pivotal role.

This document serves as your gateway to the world of ABA, allowing you to analyze behavior, apply your skills in diverse classrooms, and make a meaningful impact on individuals with autism and other disorders.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve deep into the nuances of crafting a stellar ABA personal statement, from its importance to the key elements that should be included.

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• Understanding the Significance of an ABA Personal Statement

In this section, we will explore the fundamental significance of an ABA personal statement in the context of your career aspirations. It’s not just a piece of writing; it’s your bridge to the world of ABA.

Why Your Personal Statement Matters

Your personal statement introduces you to graduate programs, mentors, and future colleagues. It’s a reflection of your passion, commitment, and understanding of applied behavior analysis. Let’s dive into why this document is so crucial.

The Power of Personal Statements in ABA 

Personal statements in ABA have the power to not only showcase your dedication but also set you apart from other applicants. We’ll explore how a well-crafted personal statement can be your ticket to success in the field.

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Analysis – The Cornerstone of ABA

Analysis is at the heart of ABA. This chapter delves deep into the concept of analysis and how it should be highlighted in your personal statement.

Mastering the Art of Behavior Analysis

Behavior analysis is the essence of ABA. Learn how to showcase your analytical skills in your personal statement, providing concrete examples of real-life situations where you’ve applied this core principle.

Case Studies in Behavior Analysis

Let’s explore some case studies in behavior analysis that you can include in your personal statement. These stories will demonstrate your practical experience and understanding of ABA.

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• Embracing the World of Behavior

Behavior is the canvas on which ABA practitioners work. This chapter explores how you can effectively discuss behavior in your personal statement.

Understanding and Influencing Behavior 

Explain how you’ve sought to understand and influence behavior in your personal and professional life. Share anecdotes of challenging situations and your successful interventions.

Positive Impact through Behavior Analysis

Narrate stories of how you’ve made a positive impact on someone’s life through ABA interventions. Highlight the transformative power of behavior analysis.

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• The Journey Towards BCBA Certification

This chapter outlines your educational path and the steps you’ve taken to become a BCBA.

Educational Background and ABA

Discuss your educational background, including your undergraduate and graduate studies. Mention any certifications or coursework related to ABA and behavioral analysis.

The Role of Certification 

Delve into the significance of certification in the ABA field. Explain your commitment to becoming a board-certified behavior analyst and how this journey aligns with your long-term career goals.

Navigating Diverse Classrooms with ABA

Your experiences in diverse classroom settings are valuable. This chapter guides you on how to effectively discuss these experiences in your personal statement.

Inclusivity in Education

Discuss the importance of inclusivity in education and how ABA has influenced your approach. Share anecdotes of your work as an educator or occupational therapist.

A Window into Classroom Dynamics 

Provide insights into the dynamics of diverse classrooms and how your knowledge of ABA has shaped your teaching methods and strategies.

A Passion for Early Intervention

If you have a passion for early intervention, this chapter is dedicated to showcasing it in your personal statement.

Early Childhood Education and ABA

Share your passion for early childhood education and how ABA can be a crucial tool in identifying and addressing behavioral issues in young children.

Impact in Early Intervention

Narrate stories of how your involvement in early intervention programs has made a positive impact on young children and their families. Highlight the transformative role of ABA in this context.

• Building a Strong Foundation

Your education and foundational knowledge are essential. This chapter provides guidance on highlighting your academic achievements.

The Academic Journey 

Discuss your academic journey, from undergraduate studies to postgraduate endeavors. Mention any research or coursework that demonstrates your commitment to ABA.

Building a Strong Foundation 

Explain how your academic experiences have built a strong foundation for your future as a BCBA. Emphasize the importance of continuous learning and growth in the field.

• The Path Forward as a BCBA

Becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is not just a destination; it’s the beginning of a fulfilling career in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). In this chapter, we will explore the journey that awaits you after earning your BCBA certification and how your ABA personal statement connects to your professional path.

Continued Professional Development

Your journey as a BCBA begins with a commitment to continuous professional development. ABA is a dynamic field with evolving best practices and research. As a BCBA, you’ll need to stay current with the latest advancements in ABA techniques, research findings, and ethical standards.

• Maintaining Your Certification: After becoming a BCBA, you will need to fulfill ongoing requirements to maintain your certification. This typically involves completing continuing education units (CEUs) and adhering to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) ethical guidelines. Your personal statement can reflect your dedication to ongoing learning and adherence to ethical standards.
• Specialization and Advanced Training: Many BCBA practitioners choose to specialize in particular areas of ABA, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), organizational behavior management (OBM), or school psychology. You can use your personal statement to express your interest in these specialized fields and how you plan to pursue advanced training and expertise.
• Making a Lasting Impact

As a BCBA, your ultimate goal is to make a lasting and positive impact on the lives of individuals with behavioral challenges. Your ABA personal statement should reflect this commitment and your vision for the future.

• Client-Centered Approach: Emphasize your dedication to tailoring ABA interventions to the unique needs of each client. Share stories of your experiences where your client-centered approach led to significant improvements in behavior and quality of life.
• Collaboration and Advocacy: A critical aspect of being a BCBA is working collaboratively with other professionals, educators, and families to support individuals with behavioral disorders. Discuss your willingness to collaborate and advocate for individuals with autism, developmental disorders, or other conditions in educational and clinical settings.
• Contributing to the Field: Express your desire to contribute to the field of ABA through research, publication, and mentorship. Share your plans for conducting research or participating in projects that advance the knowledge and application of ABA principles.
• Leadership and Supervision: As a BCBA, you may take on leadership roles and provide supervision to other behavior analysts or technicians. Explain your aspirations to mentor and guide future ABA professionals, reinforcing your commitment to the growth of the field.

Wrap up your personal statement by expressing your commitment to making a lasting impact in the field of ABA. Share your vision for the future and how becoming a BCBA is a step towards achieving it.

In conclusion, your ABA personal statement is not just a document; it’s a testament to your passion and commitment to the field of applied behavior analysis.

With the insights provided in this extensive guide, you can craft a compelling personal statement that not only meets the 2500-word requirement but also resonates with admissions committees and mentors alike.

By aligning your personal statement with the core principles of ABA, you can embark on a rewarding journey towards becoming a BCBA and contributing significantly to the field of education and therapy.

What is the purpose of an ABA personal statement?

An ABA personal statement serves as your introduction to graduate programs and potential mentors. It allows you to showcase your passion, commitment, and understanding of applied behavior analysis. Essentially, it’s your statement of purpose, explaining why you aspire to become a BCBA.

How long should my ABA personal statement be?

While there is no strict word limit, a well-structured ABA personal statement typically ranges from 500 to 700 words. However, for more comprehensive content, such as in-depth guides, it can exceed 2500 words.

What should I include in my ABA personal statement?

Your ABA personal statement should include elements such as your personal journey and motivation for pursuing ABA, experiences applying ABA principles, and how ABA aligns with your career goals. It should also incorporate real-life anecdotes and examples of your work in the field.

How can I showcase my analytical skills in the personal statement?

To demonstrate your analytical skills, describe specific cases where you’ve analyzed behavior and implemented ABA strategies. Discuss the results and how they influenced your understanding of behavior. Include data-driven approaches you’ve used.

Is it essential to mention my educational background in the personal statement?

Yes, your educational background, especially in psychology or related fields, is important to demonstrate your foundation in ABA. Mention any relevant coursework, certifications, or degrees.

What should I focus on if I’m interested in early intervention?

If you have a passion for early intervention, express it in your personal statement. Discuss the importance of identifying and addressing behavioral issues in children at a young age. Highlight any relevant experiences or volunteer work in early intervention programs.

Can I include case studies in my ABA personal statement?

Absolutely, including case studies in your personal statement can be highly effective. These real-life examples illustrate your practical experience and understanding of ABA principles. Be sure to highlight the challenges faced and the successful interventions applied.

How can I make my ABA personal statement stand out from others?

To make your personal statement stand out, focus on your unique experiences and how they relate to ABA. Highlight any exceptional achievements, impactful stories, or innovative approaches you’ve taken in the field. Be genuine and passionate in your writing.

What is the role of certification in ABA, and should I mention it in my personal statement?

Certification, such as becoming a BCBA, is highly regarded in the ABA field. You should definitely mention your commitment to pursuing BCBA certification in your personal statement. Explain how this certification aligns with your long-term career goals and commitment to the profession.

How can I convey my vision for the future in my ABA personal statement?

In your personal statement, you can convey your vision for the future by discussing your long-term career goals, aspirations, and how you see yourself contributing to the field of ABA. Share your passion and dedication to making a lasting impact.

• Analysis - The Cornerstone of ABA

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Table of Contents

• • Understanding the Significance of an ABA Personal Statement
• • Analysis - The Cornerstone of ABA
• • Embracing the World of Behavior
• • The Journey Towards BCBA Certification
• • Building a Strong Foundation
• • The Path Forward as a BCBA
• • Making a Lasting Impact

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