How important is a personal statement on a CV?

[SparkwoodAnd21]

I’m applying for casual or retail type work that doesn’t require any specific qualifications or skills that really need talking about much. Will my past experience be enough? I’m 41, if that’s relevant. If I need one, what do I say?

I'm a manager who hires a lot - I rarely read them. I am scanning to see the info I want in the CV: do the experience and qualifications match what I asked for in the job description? I tend to be put off by excessively wordy personal statements, but a couple of sentences doesn't influence me in either direction. Most people seem to put something like "A committed [job title], looking for the next opportunity to develop my career. I am confident, conscientious, and equally at home working independently or as part of a team." Inoffensive, but doesn't really tell me anything, which is why I skim or ignore them!

Having said that, a brief covering letter that shows me you've done some research and know something about our company/industry does make me pay a bit more attention.

Thanks for the reply Magic. So do you think as long as I have a decent cover letter tailored to the job, a personal statement isn’t necessarily too important?

A good (succinct) cover letter, a CV that matches the criteria in the job description, and excellent proof reading before sending - those would be my top three!