Making Applications
Applying to university
During their final year of secondary schooling A-level
students will start to think seriously about their future
careers. Many of them will be applying to university.
Producing a ‘Personal Statement’
Some students are now being asked to produce a personal
statement as part of their application to university. This
should be single spaced on one side of A4 paper. Two thirds
of it should be about you, your qualifications and experi-
ences and one third should give your reasons for studying a
particular course. This should include the career you wish to
follow as it will presumably be related to the course you
hope to study. Part of this can be used when writing a
‘profile’ for your CV (see page 150). In both the personal
statement and the profile you need to ‘sell yourself’. How-
ever, while you shouldn’t be too modest, it is important not
to go ‘over the top’.
Applying for a job
Because of the increase in the number of websites and the
increasing popularity and ease of e-mail, applying for a job
has changed over the past few years. Most employers will
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