My Philosophy:
- Why choose only one career? — Boxing people is such common practice that we forget to think outside the box.
- Apply, apply, apply — If you don't apply to that job or that university, you have zero chances of getting in. Apply first, think about finances, responsibilities, life later. There is no point in anticipating problems that you do not yet have.
- Be yourself — If you pretend to be someone else in the interview, you’ll have to keep pretending every day at work. But if you're real from the start, and they hire you, you’ll know they value you — not a version you made up.
- Rejection is redirection — If it wasn’t a match, there’s a reason. Whether you were overqualified, under-excited, or not aligned with the culture — better to walk away than be stuck somewhere you don’t belong.
Why am I giving this advice?
Many intelligent, bright people don’t land opportunities due to a misunderstanding of what a personal statement is. I’ve lived in Brazil, Spain, the UK, and Belgium — and I’ve seen how different the education and hiring processes are. For instance, Brazil focuses heavily on grades; in the UK, once you hit the grade threshold, your personal statement becomes the differentiator.
I’ve helped over 50 people refine their personal statements. Not all were successful — some got in, some didn’t — but I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. Successful ones led to:
- Undergraduate and postgraduate offers at top UK and US universities
- Training contracts at leading law firms
- Graduate jobs at competitive companies
I’ve been rejected too, a lot — which helped me grow and improve. My personal statements did help me achieve:
- An undergraduate degree from UCL (BASc)
- A job at a startup (Sweatcoin) straight out of university
- A training contract (and lawyer role) at a top 5 UK law firm
- A network of brilliant people I’ve helped, who now help others
Example statements
Here are a few real, anonymised personal statements — from law, business, tech, to the arts and sciences. Every company and university has a plagiarism software so please don’t copy them, it will immediately reject your application, but use them to inspire and understand just how personal, specific, and human they are.
Questions to ask yourself before writing
I created this form to help you get your ideas flowing. You’re welcome to just use it as a guide — or submit it if you’d like my input. If you opt in for help, I’ll choose who to personally support based on the answers, as I can’t help everyone (I really wish I could!).