Personal Statement 

You should spend time revising and refining your personal statement; using a word processing program will facilitate the continuous improvement of your personal statement. 

A “Personal Statement” is an opportunity to “sell yourself” and to demonstrate good communication skills! Read the requirements for this carefully. 

The ACP Application requires you to address the following: 

Introduce yourself and your interest in dietetics. Then describe the unique characteristics that will make you a successful student and intern in the ACP and in the dietetics profession. Finally, what is one area of improvement that you need to work on and how do you plan on making improvements? Aim for 1-2, double-spaced clear and concise pages. 

You should spend time revising and refining your personal statement; strive for continuous improvement of your personal statement. 

The James W. Stuckert Career Center is available for guidance on this. However, you need to start early! Contact information: 408 Rose Street Lexington, KY 40506 Phone: 859 257-2746 ukcareercenter@uky.edu 

Quick Tips for Personal Statements 

This statement is a very important part of the application and reflects your individuality. If written well, the personal statement can clearly and concisely reveal who you are and why you may be the “best” choice for the program. This is your chance to tell YOUR story.

• Be sure to highlight your achievements and leadership roles. 
• Discuss career goals/career interests you would like to pursue (not “personal” goals”). 
• Be concise in your statement and get to the point. 
• Take the time to proofread for grammar and spelling. No typos! • Be sincere. 
• Enthusiasm and eagerness can set you apart. Make it memorable! 

Résumé Tips 

You will need to develop a professional resume and bring it with you to the interview. The content of a typical resume includes: 

• Contact information 
• Objective Statement (or not, this is your personal choice) 
• Education/Training 
• Work Experience 
• Volunteer Activities/Experiences (including Leadership) 
• Awards/Honors/Scholarships 
• Professional memberships/affiliations 

Quick Tips for Resumes 

• STRONGLY encourage using Canva for templates. 
• Your resume should be neat, orderly, and professional. Pay particular attention to grammar and spelling. 
• Highlight your accomplishments. Include relevant work experience like summer jobs, internships, and externships. Add campus activities and community service projects, as well as club and student organization memberships. 
• Match your skills and work experience to the coordinated program. Remember you are selling yourself as the best person for the job. 
• Be clear. Write concise sentences with action verbs. Use verbs like directed, managed, supervised, budgeted, established, or improved. Strong verbs give your resume added punch. 
• Organize your resume with your most relevant skills and experience at the top. List your work history in reverse chronological order. 
• Clearly label each section. Use bullets for each sentence and keep your sentences short. 
• Use a standard font in a size that is easy to read. Be consistent with your headings and subheadings. 
• Visit The Career Center and have them review it, as well. 

References 

The ACP application requires two references. The ACP wants references from people who know you professionally or academically – i.e., advisors, professors, Registered Dietitians, or employers. Personal letters from friends or an employer related to “household” functions (i.e. babysitting, house cleaning, etc.) are not appropriate. Choose people that really know the quality of your work, your character, work ethic, and potential as a nutrition professional, and can write you a STRONG reference! 

The two recommendations are to come from: 

1. Academic Professor (does not have to be from the DHN Department) 
2. Work or volunteer supervisor 

Requesting a Recommendation: 

1. Ask permission to use the individual as a reference and provide them with any requested data (résumé or list of pertinent activities). 
2. Provide adequate time for the person to complete the reference (at least two weeks).  
3. Give exact instructions on how to complete the reference, the deadline, and procedures.  
4. Provide the writer with the appropriate forms and an explanation of the program. 
5. Send an old-school, hard copy thank you note to the reference writer. 

Interviews 

The ACP interview will be done in person. Interviews will be held in October. Each interview will last 20-25 minutes and is usually completed with a panel of 4 reviewers. 

Preparing for the Interview 

Obtain as much information about the interview as possible. For example, research the program as much as possible and prepare answers to common interview questions. Also, create and write down questions to ask during the interview, but only if the information cannot be easily found on the website, handbook, etc. It is very important to present yourself as a professional during the interview process. 

Interview Day 

If the interview is in person, dress appropriately, be timely and bring resumes (at least five). Dress more professionally than you might expect. 

Quick Tips for Interviews

• Be on time. 
• Dress professionally. 
• Make eye contact. 
• Use a firm handshake. 
• Be positive and enthusiastic. 
• Listen attentively, consider jotting down notes. 
• Research the organization and program before the interview. Thoroughly review the program and organization websites and cover the basics: history, mission statement, location, etc. 
• Practice answering common interview questions. 
• Make the connection. Be able to apply your work and school experiences to the coordinated program. 
• Give specific examples to illustrate your successes. Remember, you are selling yourself as the “best” candidate for the program! 
• Use your research to ask pertinent questions. Don’t ask questions that can be easily answered on the program’s website. 
• Thank the interviewers for their time 
• Follow-up quickly. Send a thank you note or email within 24 hours of the interview. 

Parts of this document have been adapted and are used with permission from the University of Wisconsin