A Person's Worth a Thousand Words

Hi.

What’s up?

Cool.  Me?

Not much, I’m only in the process of writing the single most important document of my existence.  My personal statement.  We’ve been told that when it comes to bagging an internship, it is this essay that can break us or make us.  Those that have “gone” before us and people like, Jenny Westerkamp, author and founder of allaccessinternships.com, have instilled this fear in our little senior hearts.  In a good way.  If a person’s essay isn’t the biggest way applicants are evaluated, they’re likely not far behind.

Personal statement writing is a time for deep reflection.  As well as a time to consider all of the little things that have made you into the unique applicant that you’ve become.  It’s a time to suggest your strengths and to admit your faults- and an opportune time to address how you’re working to diminish the latter.  It’s a humbling time that requires patience and honesty.  It lets you list the things that you’ve learned and mention things that you plan on learning.  You can convey your intentions for the near and distant future, and count your accomplishments.  You can become neurotic about it, like me.  Wording everything just perfectly.  Methodically.  Honestly.  Making sure that each word serves a specific purpose.  These essays are supposed to be 1,000 words and mine’s already over 3,000.   How does one summarize their situation and justify their shortcomings?  How does one indicate that they’re more than the eye can see and convince a panel of evaluators to put their faith in you?  It’s not easy.  I’m, in a thousand words, figuring out what’s important to mention but more importantly… what’s not.

Then, when it’s all over, I hope that what made the cut in my final draft said it best.

Back to it!  Thanks for the break Lemons.

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