Applicants are often told that they need to begin their Personal statements with a bang. Tell an over-the-top story, open with an emotional tear-jerker, or start things off with some clever turns of phrases that will make the reader remember you.

This is horrible advice.

In 99% of cases, a “hook” of this kind will come across as insincere or gimmicky. It almost always feels like the writer is trying too hard. That why I often tell clients “let’s turn down the volume here” so that we can work to make the opening more sincere and authentic.

In this brief video, I talk about why you should avoid hooks and a technique for how to think about your openings.

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