What should I include in my career progression essay, and what should I leave out?
A career progression essay reflects your professional journey: how you reached your current role, what you learned, and the impact you made. Quantify achievements where you can, and leave your future goals for a separate goals essay, unless the prompt asks for them.
A career progression essay tells the story of how you got to your current role and what you learned along the way. It focuses on the past and present, and covers future plans only if the prompt asks.
What to Include and Avoid
| Include | Avoid |
|---|---|
| How you progressed to your current role | Discussing career goals unless the prompt asks for them |
| Your learnings along the way | Vague claims without evidence |
| Impact and achievements, quantified where possible | Mixing it up with a goals essay |
| Conflict resolution, de-escalation or initiatives you took | Skipping concrete examples |
Making It Specific
Numbers make your essay stronger. For example, you could mention an efficiency improvement you led or the number of major accounts you handled at once, but only use figures that are true for you. Some universities may club this question with your contribution to the programme or your future goals, so read the prompt carefully.
My Advice
Write down three moments where you made a measurable difference, then choose the ones that show growth. Check each university's essay prompt and word limit on its official page.
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