By Gillian Saunders with help from ChatGPT

 A well-crafted personal statement has the power to open doors, whether you’re applying for graduate school, applying for funding, or seeking career opportunities. In this transformative workshop on writing effective personal statements, participants will gain insight and receive practical guidance to create compelling narratives that showcase their personal and professional journey and their unique strengths, experiences, and aspirations. Participants will learn how to align their narratives with the expectations of admissions committees or potential employers, ensuring their applications stand out from the crowd.

In this workshop on Wednesday, July 26, 3 to 4 pm in Library room 129, we’ll cover the following components of writing a killer personal statement:

1. Crafting a Captivating Story: Writing a personal statement is an art form. Through engaging exercises and examples, attendees will learn how to structure their statements effectively, capturing attention from the very first sentence and maintaining engagement throughout while being concise and accessible to a wide range of potential readers.
2. Showcasing Experiences and Achievements: A standout personal statement highlights the writer’s unique experiences and accomplishments. In this workshop, we’ll discuss techniques for identifying your most compelling qualities, skills, and experiences, enabling you to articulate their individual strengths with clarity and conviction. Participants will explore effective ways to communicate their achievements, emphasizing their relevance to the desired academic program or professional field.
3. Demonstrating Genuine Passion and Fit: Admissions committees and employers seek individuals who are genuinely passionate about their field and who will be a good fit for the existing culture and values of the institution or workplace. In this workshop, participants will learn how to convey their enthusiasm and demonstrate their alignment with the values and goals of their desired program or organization. They will gain tips for researching their target institutions or companies, showcasing their knowledge and skills, and illustrating their fit within the larger context.

Writing a powerful personal statement is a transformative process that enables you to present your unique narrative in a compelling way. This workshop equips participants with the necessary tools to craft personal statements that stand out, leaving a lasting impact on admissions committees and potential employers. With confidence and practice participants will be ready to take the next step towards their academic and professional aspirations and know where to get further help if they need it.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

-Gillian

P.S. This blog post was co-written with ChatGPT! We’ll also cover ways you might use AI and other handy tools to your advantage for ideas about how to organize your statement and ways to optimize your language for accuracy, concision, and other things the people who are in charge of hiring you or approving your applications and proposals like to see!

Workshop details

Professional Writing Step 1: Write a Killer Letter!  3 to 4pm, July 26 in Library room 129

Step 1 of writing professionally is to enter into a “profession” by getting a job! In this workshop, you’ll learn about and practice writing a killer cover letter and analyze resumes and CVs for academic and non-academic purposes. We’ll also review samples created by AI tools and discuss how these can help and hinder standard writing tasks. Contact Gillian (eal1@uvic.ca) for more information.