How to write a Civil Service personal statement (statement of suitability)

What a personal statement is for

Civil Service Careers says its purpose is "to showcase your relevant skills and experience against the job requirements". Applications are assessed against the requirements in the advert, and those that best meet them go through to the next stage. Your statement should show how you meet the essential criteria, including any behaviours, experience and technical requirements the advert lists.

Is a statement of suitability the same thing?

In practice, yes. Some adverts call it a "statement of suitability" or a "supporting statement" rather than a personal statement. Whatever the name, it's your evidence against the advert's criteria, so follow the advert's own instructions on what to cover and how long it can be.

How to write one

1. Start from the person specification. List each essential criterion, then pick a real example for each from work, volunteering or other experience.
2. Use examples, not claims. Show how you tackled similar tasks, and include specific facts and figures that show the results of your work.
3. Make your own contribution clear. Don't assume the reader knows your situation; explain what you did and why it meets the criterion.
4. Structure is up to you. STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is often suggested for behaviour examples, but one organisation's guidance notes you don't need a specific format for a personal statement. What matters is that each criterion is clearly evidenced.
5. Use the word limit. Civil Service Careers warns that a statement that's too brief won't give enough detail and evidence to be assessed fully. Then proofread.

How long should it be?

Word limits aren't set centrally: each advert sets its own. One department's guidance says statements often have limits of 500 to 1,250 words, and behaviour examples are usually 250 words each.

Your CV

Try our free Civil Service CV checker to see how well your CV evidences the behaviours for your target grade.

Many roles ask for a CV too. Civil Service Careers says your skills and experience are scored against the essential criteria, so keep it relevant, and tailor it to the role. You may be asked for an anonymised CV, with details such as your name, age or gender removed, and to list only qualifications relevant to the role, so irrelevant information isn't taken into account. There's no official CV template.

Using AI: what's allowed

The official guidance says AI tools can help you refine your ideas, check spelling and grammar, and structure your own examples, for example using STAR. They must not be used to invent or inflate your skills and experience or to create generic responses to paste in, and applications can be rejected where AI is used inappropriately. Many adverts also ask you to confirm your examples are your own.

That's the principle behind what we're building: help to find and organise your real examples, never to write experience you don't have. See our FAQ, and the guides to behaviours and interviews.