Should I use the essential criteria as headings in my personal statement?
Using Essential Criteria as Headings in a Civil Service Personal Statement
Hello,
I am applying for a HEO role from outside the Civil Service. The advert asks for a 1,000-word personal statement against six essential criteria.
I have seen conflicting advice about headings. Some people say that copying the criteria as headings makes the statement easy to score. Others say the statement should flow as one narrative and that headings look basic or waste words.
The application form does not ban headings. I want the panel to find the evidence quickly without making the statement look mechanical.
Should I use the exact criteria as headings, shortened headings or no headings at all?
Quick Answer
Use criterion headings when the form accepts them and they help the reader match evidence to the advert. Keep them short and exact enough to be recognisable, then make the paragraphs beneath them read naturally.
Read our HEO Personal Statement Help for the full guidance.
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How I Would Decide Whether Criterion Headings Help This Application
Continue reading to see when headings improve the sift, how I would format them and when a joined-up structure would work better.
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