5 Tips for writing a personal statement to engage care clients

There are many reasons why you may need to write a personal statement as a paid carer. If you’re applying for an employed position, you will need to put a personal statement on your CV to display your suitability for the role. Similarly, if you’re applying for an employed position with an individual, they may ask for a personal statement along with your CV. You may also be asked to supply a personal statement if you are applying for a training course or university degree, but these are often more reflective, detailed and longer essay-style personal statements.For those working in a self-employed capacity, you may wonder why you would need a personal statement at all – after all, you’re not applying for a role in the traditional manner. However, a personal statement can act as a powerful marketing tool, when done right. You can use your personal statement anywhere you have an online presence. If you have a profile on the YtB Carer Register, we highly recommend adding a personal statement here.[ADS]But what is a personal statement? It’s essentially a short statement about yourself that is designed to ‘sell’ yourself to the intended reader. If you’re going for a job, you have just a few lines to explain why they should consider your application further and why you are right for the role. If you’re looking to attract clients as a self-employed paid carer, your reader will be your potential new clients, so trying to showcase what you can do for them within your statement.A well-written, considered and balanced personal statement can make the difference in how much you stand out among other paid carers competing for the same position or clients. Here we have put together five top tips for writing a personal statement, as well as an example, to help you write your own.1. Keep it shortA personal statement is not an essay (except in some circumstances, such as university applications, where the meaning it a little different). Most personal statements will fall between 100 and 200 words; when printed, you don’t want to run over more than four or five lines of text. Any more than that and you risk losing the interest of the person reading it. Your statement is an introduction to who you are and what you can do, so it should be long enough to cover the key points, but leave the reader wanting to find out more by delving into your CV or online profile. 2. Cover the main pointsWhat should you put into your personal statement? You should let people know who you are, why you are qualified to do the role/the services you’re offering, what you can offer (your Unique Selling Points) and why you’re right for the role or the client. If there is a job description of the role you are applying for, then you should ensure that your personal statement covers any required attributes for the role. However, if you’re writing a statement with the intention of attracting new clients, have a good think about the kind of clients you want to gain. You want to choose the right clients for your business, and your personal statement should therefore be tailored to speak to those people. For example, if you want to work with older people with dementia, mention any specific dementia training or experience you have in this area. 3. Be consistent in styleOne of the biggest no-nos when it comes to writing a personal statement is muddling up different tenses. Pick one and stay with it. When you’re writing for the care industry, and particularly if you’re writing to attract clients, you might find that first person is the best option. By using ‘I’ you can come across as more relatable and personable, which are key skills when it comes to working with people. Use full, flowing sentences too, even though this will eat into your word count. A bullet-point style or abrupt sentences might be shorter, but it’s harder to get a sense of the person who is writing it. 4. Ask for a second opinionIt’s definitely worth getting someone else to look over your personal statement before you send it out. An objective person’s opinion can help you see things you hadn’t noticed. We don’t just mean spelling errors or grammatical problems, although it is best to iron these out, but another person can tell you how they think you come across in your statement and how it reflects you. It may take a few drafts to get it right. 5. Change and adaptYou may need to write your personal statement many times for different purposes. For example, if you are going for a specific role with a care provider or individual employer, you will want to make sure that your statement reflects the role you are applying for and the skills needed. If you are using your personal statement to market your own services, such as on your YtB Profile page, you will want to keep this up to date as your business grows and update it if you take any new training qualifications that you should mention as a headline point. ExampleNow that we’ve gone over the main points, you might be feeling ready to write your own personal statement for yourself as a paid carer. We have put an example here of a personal statement that could be used by a self-employed paid carer. However, it’s important that your personal statement is unique, so while it’s a good idea to look at examples of other statements, you need to tailor it to suit your own needs.

I am a highly qualified care and support worker, with more than 8 years’ hands-on experience working with people with long-term care needs. I am especially passionate about working with older people, helping them to maintain their independence, dignity and privacy, while meeting their care needs in a professional and friendly manner. Having worked for a number of well-established care providers, I am now using my skills to deliver personalised care in the local community in a self-employed capacity. This enables me to tailor my services to meet individual needs through the careful development of personal care plans, with comprehensive insurance, risk assessment and safeguarding policies in place.