The Student Room Group

should you put unrelated work experience in PS?

I'm applying for GFX at Uni and was wondering if I should put unrelated work experience on my PS like Mataland and somewhere where I may work this summer like a charity shop. maybe from them I could stem how to communicate with a customer? because as a GFX designer you have clients and will need to communicate with a team if you aren't freelance?

However, for somewhere like a kitchen assistant for patients at the NHS where I couldn't stem anything from... would that be bad for a PS because it's unrelated? thanks.
Your kitchen assistant taught you punctuality, efficiency, sticking to deadlines (being ready for lunches). Being able to show you've done work is always great for an employer - you're willing to get stuck in and work!
Reply 2
AFAIK It depends entirely on what other work experience you have. Mentioning it can't hurt but prioritise better stuff if you have it.
Original post by mustangmix
I'm applying for GFX at Uni and was wondering if I should put unrelated work experience on my PS like Mataland and somewhere where I may work this summer like a charity shop. maybe from them I could stem how to communicate with a customer? because as a GFX designer you have clients and will need to communicate with a team if you aren't freelance?

However, for somewhere like a kitchen assistant for patients at the NHS where I couldn't stem anything from... would that be bad for a PS because it's unrelated? thanks.

The prospect of conjuring up a personal statement is quite daunting. I suggest that you should try to avoid nonessential information. For example: mentioning NHS would be more suited if someone was applying to a healthcare role. It is a broad suggestion but I would advise you to write as many experiences and then pick out the most relevant when re-drafting. Once you're in the flow of writing the PS you'll find that you can't mention as much as you would have liked due to the limit. So, simply include information which 'cuts to the chase'. Anything charity related is always good to mention.
Reply 4
Original post by _Constantine_
The prospect of conjuring up a personal statement is quite daunting. I suggest that you should try to avoid nonessential information. For example: mentioning NHS would be more suited if someone was applying to a healthcare role. It is a broad suggestion but I would advise you to write as many experiences and then pick out the most relevant when re-drafting. Once you're in the flow of writing the PS you'll find that you can't mention as much as you would have liked due to the limit. So, simply include information which 'cuts to the chase'. Anything charity related is always good to mention.


i can't help but think it will appear quite dull if it only included relevant information, you say charity is a good mention so should i add an end paragraph saying something like 'as an enthusiastic volunteer blah blah' and talk about working in a charity shop and as a member of my school eco council?
Original post by mustangmix
i can't help but think it will appear quite dull if it only included relevant information, you say charity is a good mention so should i add an end paragraph saying something like 'as an enthusiastic volunteer blah blah' and talk about working in a charity shop and as a member of my school eco council?


Like I said it's a broad suggestion and so you'll have to decide for yourself what is relevant and not. Obviously, you wouldn't merely list your experiences as that would come across rather dull. Remember the PS is to allow tutors to gain an idea of how you are as a person and if you're suitable or not. So you'll have to find a balance between which provides both. Look up some submitted PS (for other degree course as well) to give some sort of an idea how other students structure theirs. http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Category:Personal_Statements_by_Subject. Mentioning school council is also good.
Original post by mustangmix
I'm applying for GFX at Uni and was wondering if I should put unrelated work experience on my PS like Mataland and somewhere where I may work this summer like a charity shop. maybe from them I could stem how to communicate with a customer? because as a GFX designer you have clients and will need to communicate with a team if you aren't freelance?

However, for somewhere like a kitchen assistant for patients at the NHS where I couldn't stem anything from... would that be bad for a PS because it's unrelated? thanks.

Unless it is directly relevant to your subject/career OR it is a vital part of what makes you tick then it doesn't belong in a PS.

The people reading your PS will have done a degree in that subject, probably a PhD and have dedicated their professional lives to working in that subject and sharing their knowledge of that subject for others - NEVER be worried about your PS appearing to be too focused on the subject you're applying for.

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/personal_statement_builder/ is a really useful tool to help you not only structure and draft your statement but to make sure you include the right sort of information and avoid the most common mistakes :smile:

Edit: you've had a lot of advice on this thread and some of it is good and other parts are downright incorrect. The TSR wiki and builder has the experience of university students and admissions staff built into it.

Be very wary about taking advice on your PS from people who are not yet at university.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 7
Just talk in slight detail about maybe 1 job if you dont have any other extar curic which you want to put in.

Again just touch up on a few skills which may be required for the course, so communication yes, analytical skills yes... maybe less so for stuff like punctuality
Original post by PQ
...and other parts are downright incorrect. The TSR wiki and builder has the experience of university students and admissions staff built into it. Be very wary about taking advice on your PS from people who are not yet at university.

Out of interest PQ, which parts are incorrect?
Reply 9
Original post by PQ
Unless it is directly relevant to your subject/career OR it is a vital part of what makes you tick then it doesn't belong in a PS.

The people reading your PS will have done a degree in that subject, probably a PhD and have dedicated their professional lives to working in that subject and sharing their knowledge of that subject for others - NEVER be worried about your PS appearing to be too focused on the subject you're applying for.

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/personal_statement_builder/ is a really useful tool to help you not only structure and draft your statement but to make sure you include the right sort of information and avoid the most common mistakes :smile:

Edit: you've had a lot of advice on this thread and some of it is good and other parts are downright incorrect. The TSR wiki and builder has the experience of university students and admissions staff built into it.

Be very wary about taking advice on your PS from people who are not yet at university.


hi even on the PS builder the second last part talks about other positions of responsibility i've had... so are you sure I shouldn't add the Eco Council. Mataland and working at a NHS kitchen for patients
University's barely look at PS anyway, but don't make it a CV they want to know work/extra curricular experience however what they do not want is a list. They usually are more interested in the effect a job had on you than what the job was.

For example on my PS I stated I volunteered as a teaching assistant in a Mathematics classroom and this led me to wanting to study Maths further as I loved explaining complex problems to my peers. This meant I had to learn some of the more complex topics of the Maths course in great detail so I could explain it with ease. (Not exact wording but you get the point)
Reply 11
so i should volunteer as a mealtime assistant at the nhs its sounds as good as charity?
Original post by mustangmix
so i should volunteer as a mealtime assistant at the nhs its sounds as good as charity?


You shouldn't do this for you ps. Do it because you want to.

As I said unless it is relevant to you subject or a vital part of who you are leave it out of your ps.

Charity work doesn't "look good" unless it is relevant to your subject. Admissions staff aren't recruiting nice people they're recruiting people capable and willing to learn.
Reply 13
but it even in the ps builder page there is a paragraph where it says you should add extra stuff you've done not necessarily related to your degree
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by mustangmix
but it even in the ps builder page there is a paragraph where it says you should add extra stuff you've done not necessarily related to your degree

No it suggests that if you want to include it it should go at the end and should contain no more than 50 characters/2 sentences. It also states that positions of responsibility etc are better included in your reference than your PS.

If you're applying for graphic design then no admissions tutor will give a **** about your time volunteering as a mealtime assistant in a hospital.

However this is YOUR PS that means it is personal to you - feel free to ignore this advice (and this advice with quotes from admissions staff stating the same thing) if you desperately want to devote your time to non-relevant volunteering roles instead of building up your portfolio of design work.
Reply 15
Original post by PQ
No it suggests that if you want to include it it should go at the end and should contain no more than 50 characters/2 sentences. It also states that positions of responsibility etc are better included in your reference than your PS.

If you're applying for graphic design then no admissions tutor will give a **** about your time volunteering as a mealtime assistant in a hospital.

However this is YOUR PS that means it is personal to you - feel free to ignore this advice (and this advice with quotes from admissions staff stating the same thing) if you desperately want to devote your time to non-relevant volunteering roles instead of building up your portfolio of design work.



ok thanks ill listen to this advice. so if someone was a prefect at their school they should not mention that as it's unrelated to their degree? i understand everything you're saying but it just seems so strange when i always hear teachers seeing how good xunrelated is for a personal statement
It's absolute bottom of the barrel stuff. Slightly below 'general studies developed my skills for this degree in the following ways'.

Talk about why you want to study the subject, what you find interesting about it, what your favourite aspects of it are, etc, first.

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