A personal testimony is a tool that you could use to apply for various positions. For example, you may need to write a personal testimonial for a college application. This could also be important for applying for a job. No matter why you need a testimonial, writing about yourself is never easy. You may not get good results showing off or being modest. First you need to ask yourself the right questions and come up with ideas carefully. Then start writing and reviewing your testimonial. Focus on what makes you unique and why you would be a great addition to the institution you are applying to.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Brainstorm Before You Write
Step 1. Read the directions or job advertisement carefully
Mark key words and phrases. This will allow you to determine what to say in your personal testimony. For example, if your job posting has a requirement for management experience, organizational skills, and knowledge of a particular software, you will need to mention these topics when writing.
If you are applying for more than one position, you may find that the job requirements coincide. At this point, it might help to build a list that orders the charges around key words or phrases. In other words, make a list of positions classified according to job requirements (eg, management experience, organizational skills, etc.). You can use this list as guidelines later, as you review your personal testimony to fit each position
Step 2. Reflect on your professional experience
First use the phrases you have highlighted and make a list of your past work experiences that demonstrate your ability in these requested areas.
- If you have worked a lot in your college years or have done so recently, what have you learned (for example, leadership or management skills) and how has that work contributed to your development? Which are your career goals?
- Make a list of your skills (eg, leadership, verbal communication, analytical ability) and think of an example for each of them. You can also identify an example that relates to all or most of the skills you listed.
Step 3. Make a list of personal qualities
You can also make a list of your personal traits (eg, integrity, compassion, perseverance, etc.) that are related to the positions you are applying for. You can also write about the challenges you have overcome.
Make sure you can clearly link these personal qualities to a particular professional example. You will need to be able to point out a case where you have been persistent or have shown compassion. This example will have to be related to the job you are applying for
Step 4. Identify your reasons for applying
By detailing your reasons for applying to a particular organization or company, this will help you identify how your skills, your goals, and your experience match those of that organization or company.
- You can start with questions similar to the following:
- At what point did you become interested in this area and what has motivated your interest and strengthened your belief that you are suitable for this field?
- How have you learned about this field? Has it been through courses, publications, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with other professionals?
Step 5. Consider if you can post photos and videos
If you are submitting your testimonial online, you may be able to add unique content to it. If you're applying for a job in a creative field, you can benefit from looking for a way to add photos and videos. For example, if you are applying for a makeup artist job, you could stand out by adding some photos of your previous clients or a link to your website. If you're applying for a job on a movie, see if you can put a link to any of the videos you've produced on the internet.
Method 2 of 3: Develop the Specific Concepts
Step 1. Answer the questions they ask
If you are writing to multiple organizations, the requests will likely have similar questions. However, you must create a personal testimonial for each request. You must answer all the specific questions about your abilities.
- If slightly different answers are required, you should create different texts for each request and make sure that your answer is appropriate for the question asked.
- However, you may not have to rewrite the entire text for each organization or position. Make small changes first, such as modifying the use of words to reflect what is stated in the job posting.
- You might notice that there is a certain overlap between the questions that you must answer in each text. If so, you can reuse the sections you wrote for a previous testimonial. You just have to change the name of the organization or company.
Step 2. Research the ethics and corporate culture of the company
The organization or company you are applying to wants to know that you are interested in them. They might even ask you to answer this question in your personal testimony. Do some research to find out what differentiates them from other organizations, and make your text reflect what you have researched.
- Your text should show your interest, even if the company or organization does not ask you specifically why you are interested in it. You can do this by putting examples and evidence that are important to them and that reveal what you can do for them in the future, if they grant you the position.
- List the skills you have that would make you suitable for the position. For example, say that you have worked in a volunteer program (such as the Peace Corps in the US) after college and that you are applying for a master's program in political science focused on international relations. Tell what you have learned during your service about problems that occur in other parts of the world.
Step 3. Find the right approach for your experience
If you are like many other people, your life may seem to lack emotion. Identifying a way to make it interesting can be a great challenge. Finding a perspective or providing a story is essential to provide a quality personal testimonial.
- Reflect on what makes you unique. If you were to define yourself as a person, what experience would you mention to do so? Perhaps your family has a long history of local political action. You could have campaigned for every election since you were seven.
- This story could be a great start to a personal testimony for a job in the political arena. To start, you could write something like "Without exaggeration, I can tell you that I have participated in the democratic process since elementary school." You can highlight your ongoing commitment to politics and mention related educational and work experiences in the process.
Step 4. State your skills specifically
It is not enough to say that you would make an excellent doctor, sales manager, or graduate student. Instead, support your claims with specific reasons and evidence. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer or other professional should be logical, and should be based on specific experience that is described in your text.
- What makes you a suitable applicant for a certain position? This is your chance to show off. Mention your previous work experience and any awards or recognitions you have received. Talk about your posts, if you have any.
- Mention your skills in detail. If you are applying for an administrative position, indicate the speed with which you type. If you are applying to a software company, list all types of software and computer programs that you can run efficiently.
Step 5. Show your talents with evidence
Supporting your claims with concrete evidence will help convince your audience. This will also give them reasons to trust you and believe what you say about yourself. You can show off a bit in this section. This is your chance to prove your worth.
- For example, if you state that one of your strong qualities is your leadership ability, provide details about jobs in which you have assumed a leadership role and indicate how your leadership character has been essential to the success of the team.. If you have won an award for leadership, please indicate it.
- If you have worked in a management position, indicate the number of people who were under your command and provide an example of an initiative you have led. Emphasize the results of the initiative and relate it to the work you could do in the new position you are applying for.
- Provide current examples and information. For example, if you are using a quarterly profit increase percentage to demonstrate your business knowledge, provide the most recent information you have, rather than indicating profit increases from 10 years ago. If you use outdated information, your potential employers may believe that you do not want to talk about your current productivity because your numbers are low.
- If you are putting testimonials as evidence, use those that have been written by experts in your field. For example, if you are applying to a graduate program in factual literature. Indicate that John D'agata has reviewed your thesis and post all the positive comments he has made.
Step 6. Make an overview of any specific knowledge you have that would be useful to the organization
The middle section of your text could indicate your interests and your experience in your particular field, as well as part of your knowledge of it. Be as specific as possible regarding your knowledge of the area. Use the language that professionals use when communicating this information.
- Use specific language that is relevant to the position. You must use this language correctly, so you will give the impression of having a deep knowledge about a certain field. For example, imagine that you are applying to a graduate program in English literature. Talk about the literary genres that interest you the most to study and the type of analysis that interests you the most. For example, are you interested in postcolonial, feminist, or postmodern studies?
- Highlight your most important work experience. If you're applying for a job in a biology lab, don't tell them you've done volunteer work at a local animal shelter. Describe your work experience in a biology lab and emphasize an important discovery you have made or a skill you have gained.
Step 7. Post a story
By nature, people are interested in stories. If you can find a way to include a short story in your testimony, this can help set you apart. You should choose a story that highlights what you can bring to an organization. Talk about a time when you resolved a conflict at work. Mention a personal triumph that has improved your attitude. However, the story should be accurate and you should not provide highly personal information.
Method 3 of 3: Perfect Your Personal Testimony
Step 1. Find ingenious ways to distinguish yourself
If your text is authentic, lively and different, this will allow you to take the lead. If you distinguish yourself on your own, you will make them remember you.
- Find ways to write with attitude. You can write a personal testimonial with a little ingenuity. Testimonial readers are likely to review hundreds of them every day. A fun introductory line can really set you apart. Let's go back to the example of applying for a job in politics. You organized a campaign with your family when you were young. You can start by writing something like, “Imagine a 4-foot-tall 8-year-old who passionately hands out yard signs to middle-aged mothers who take their children to sports activities in a typical neighborhood. from the US Midwest. This is my presentation for the political process in North America. "
- Take care of possible objections. This can set you apart. Imagine what are the doubts that the reader might have in relation to you. For example, "I might seem a bit young or naive, but I think my youth only reinforces my passion and energy for politics."
Step 2. Your introductory paragraph should be solid
The introductory paragraph is usually the most important. This is the part where you will gain or lose the attention of the panel of interviewers. This paragraph will become the framework for the rest of the text.
- Try to put in a fun and attention-grabbing introductory line. Don't start by writing something that sounds too general. If you write something like, "I'm 27 years old and I'm a happy marketer looking for a new experience," try rephrasing it in a more forceful and entertaining way. For example, write something like "I've been captivated by the world of marketing since I finished college 5 years ago, now I'm ready for some great new challenges."
- Read your introductory paragraph several times to make sure there are no typos. If readers are going to review hundreds of personal testimonials, a typo is a good reason to dismiss one. Make sure all your text is free of typographical errors, particularly your introductory paragraph.
Step 3. Remove all irrelevant information
All examples and all sentences should relate to the questions or topics you need to address in your personal testimony. Remove all irrelevant information.
- A good idea is to recheck the job posting as you read your testimonial, so that you will remember the keywords and key phrases you highlighted. Check that everything you have placed in your text is related to the topics and requirements you wrote down before. Delete everything that is unrelated.
- Delete all references to experiences or achievements from high school or previous years, unless you just graduated from high school.
- Identify anything that could be construed as controversial, such as anything that reveals a particular religious or political affiliation.
- In general, do not enter personal information such as your age, marital status or race, unless it is relevant to the job title.
Step 4. Stick to the word requirements
Never exceed the limit of words allowed; be as brief as possible. If you exceed this limit, this shows that you have no regard for the lack of time of the person in charge of reading your document and that you cannot explain your points effectively.
Step 5. Check carefully
Write and review your personal testimonial very carefully. If your work has typographical or grammatical errors, the person reading it will think you are unprofessional. You have to make a good impression, even before people know you; To do this, send a perfected testimony.
Step 6. Have someone else read your work
No matter how good you are at writing, asking someone else to read your testimonial will help you identify any typographical or other errors left in your work. Ask a friend or family member with good writing skills for help.
You can also pay a professional editor. If you put a little more money into honing your personal testimonial, it could lead to your dream job
Advice
- Focus on your core skills and qualities.
- Keep your text clear, concise, and timely.
- Focus on specific accomplishments.
- Your text should not exceed two pages, or a maximum of three.
- Try to memorize your text. You never know when or where you might meet a potential employer.