When it comes to writing an admission essay, it can be difficult to think of a topic to write about and how to develop that topic. One useful tip is to use your resume as guide. Although your resume may just be full of bullet points, it holds a lot of information about who you are and what you have been through. Read on to learn more about how to use your resume to write a compelling admission essay.
Examples of personal statement: Create an outline of information you want to include
Before you get to writing, you may want to create an outline. The good thing is, because your resume is probably in a timeline format, you already have a basic outline to work from. Go over a few personal statement examples, and see how writers have probably used their resumes to reflect on their achievements and experiences. Based on this, make an outline based on some of the most interesting points in your life or career, such as a challenging time in your life. Remember not to choose too many things to write about, or you may not be able to go into depth about such topics.(1)
Personal statement examples: Discuss your skills and experiences from your resume in detail
Now that you have chosen some of the instances that you want to write about, you should try to focus on how you have developed as a result of these occurrences. Talk about the experiences that you encountered, the skills that you honed, or the character traits that you have developed along the way. Remember that you want to expound on your resume instead of merely re-enumerating your achievements.(2)
Examples of personal statements: Make substantial conclusions on how your skills and experiences make you a strong candidate
Finally, make a conclusion that brings together everything you have written about in your essay. You have already written about certain experiences and discussed how your personality has developed throughout the years. Now, your goal is to explain why you make a good candidate for the school you are applying to. Avoid bragging and instead go with the flow by mentioning how your skills and experiences have prepared you to deal with the challenges of college and your life after college.(3)
(1) http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/writing/template.html
(2) http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/essay_tips/
(3) http://www.infoplease.com/edu/fastweb/10tipsforwritingadmissionsessay.html
Your resume will be one of the first things that admissions committees and possible employers get to see from you. Resumes outline the experience, training, and education that you have had which is relevant to the field you are entering into. As a main component of your application package, it is important to make an exceptional resume; here are a few things to keep in mind in writing that resume.
Keep it concise
It can be tempting to write down all of your educational and professional accomplishments on your resume. Still, you have to consider how many resumes employers have to go through. Keep your resume concise by going straight to the point and keeping things short – one to two pages should be all you need. You can use bullet points for each accomplishment and skip the long explanation. If the readers have any questions, they can be answered during the interview.
Read, revise, and get and advice
Once you have finished making your resume, be sure to read it over a few times. Take a break from making your resume, revisit it and see what revisions you can make. Here are some simple tips on how to revise your resume:
* Make sure there are no grammatical, spelling, or syntax errors.
* Try not to sound redundant by avoiding repetitive words or phrases.
* Be honest and confident, but avoid sounding boastful.
* Make sure that all information is relevant, true, and complete.
After you have revised your resume and you think it is ready for submission, seek the advice of colleagues, friends, relatives and guidance counselors. Have them read your resume and give you their comments and suggestions. Make changes appropriately.
Tying in your resume with your application package
Once you have finished your resume, you will want to compile it with all of your other application requirements. If asked for a personal statement, you can use the essay to explain how the experience, training, and education mentioned in your resume has impacted you as a person. Use examples of personal statements to get an idea of what employers and admissions committees look for. You can also get ideas, themes, and topics from examples of personal statement available online.
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