How to Write a Supporting Statement - Free Template

What is a supporting statement?

Have you considered the purpose of a supporting statement as part of an application? In this article, Clare Hall, Employment Adviser, explains what employers will be expecting from this aspect of the recruitment process.

Increasingly, prospective candidates are required to complete a section which outlines both their motivation to apply and their suitability for the role.

This might appear as an open text box on an online application form. Where you can populate your response to a specific instruction or question.

For example, “Tell us about your experience and how you meet the requirements of the role”.

Alternatively, the employer might offer you the opportunity to upload a separate document.

Regardless of the format, you will need to make sure you are confident and clear about what they want you to address through your content.

It is therefore essential to thoroughly review and understand what the role involves and the criteria outlined as part of the person specification before developing your content.

You will need to present your statement convincingly and compellingly.

Read the latest guide from jobs.ac.uk on how to write a supporting statement or download the free supporting statement template to assist you with your next application.

Download Supporting Statement Template

How to get started with your supporting statement

Step 1 – Check what is required by the employer

Re-read any instructions and ensure you follow them

For instance, have they specified a structure or asked you to include specific information?

What is the indicative word count, if any?

Also, have the role description and person specification to hand to help inform your ideas.

Step 2 – Consider your style

An employer will want to get a sense of both your experience but also your potential enthusiasm.

A professional tone to your writing is important, but you need to write in a style that is true to yourself.

The supporting statement offers an opportunity to convey key information from your experience that is relevant to the role. Evidence will be key to convincing them to invite you to the next stage of the recruitment process.

Step 3 – Determine your structure

You need to develop a strong opening paragraph that encourages the reviewer to read on.

You could look to draw on your own research about the employer and the role itself to make a connection with those assessing your application.

A top tip is to present your content in a structure that makes it easy for the employer or recruiter to find the information relevant to them.

You can use sub-headings, ideally linked to those used in the person specification, to organise your writing.

This will allow the reader to cross-reference your evidence of both their “essential” and “desirable” criteria with ease.

By using the information provided, you can be confident that your application is tailored to the specific role.

Whilst there will be some examples from your experience you can consistently draw on, avoid copying and pasting content directly from previous applications.

Aim to reference the specific role within your content.

Step 4 – Develop your examples and evidence

Whilst it can be tempting to outline and discuss your experience more broadly. The employer will be looking for specific details of where you have previously developed and applied your knowledge.

They will also want evidence of skills and behaviours that indicate you are a strong “fit” for the role and their organisation.

It is crucial to back up any of your claims with evidence to ensure your statements – across applications – are meaningful.

The STAR technique can offer a helpful writing framework to assist you in developing your examples and evidencing competencies required as part of the person specification.

Step 5 – Proofread

There is no doubt that putting together tailored, high-quality supporting statements for each application is time-consuming.

Ensure you factor in time to proofread your content for any spelling and grammatical mistakes as this could make all the difference to your application being taken seriously.

Also revisit the structure and flow of your content to ensure that these are effective.

You might choose to utilise AI to assist you with this process. This will enable you to identify any errors and ensure you are consistent in the presentation of your information.

Final top tips

If there is scope to do so, incorporate some information about your career aspirations.

You could outline how the position relates to your longer-term career plans. Especially if the organisation is committed to training and development, including professional accreditation.

Make sure any goals you outline are aligned with what the organisation can offer.

This will also be a key consideration for future interview preparation.

You can also demonstrate your motivation to apply by reiterating what appeals to you about working in the sector or with the specific company.

You can also refer to aspects of the job outlined in the role description that you find interesting.

This content may be best suited to a concluding paragraph.

Finally, whilst it may be tempting to work directly online to populate a text box, we would always encourage you to develop your content in a separate document.

This will allow you to regularly save your content to avoid any disappointment should you experience any technical issues online.

Access our 10-step checklist before you send future applications for more ways to produce a high-quality application overall.

How do I write a supporting statement for my application?