My offering to the discussion is as follows:
1. In the interests of brevity, there is little value in a "Personal Statement". Referees should be the people to testify to the strengths and admirable attributes of a prospective staff member. Consider your referees carefully!
2. On that note, nominate your referees on the resume - the comment "referees on request" means extra effort in having to go through the motions of asking for them... time spent that could be avoided (and might be by a busy CP!). Have one or two professional referees, possibly one personal if that is felt relevent.
3. Always ask your referees for consent before nominating them on your resume. I have seen that come unstuck for hopefuls more times than I care to remember! A simple "are you happy to be a referee for me in the future?" mitigates potential embarrassment. Personally, I am taken aback when I get called up by a company conducting a reference check for a person to whom I have not given my consent as a referee.
4. Photos on a resume should, perhaps, be avoided. If one is included - be really careful with it! No embellishments on fancy uniforms, but a plain white / blue pilot shirt is fine. Get someone who knows how to use a camera to take the photo so that it does not look like a prison mugshot. You should not be leaning on your favourite aircraft, rather a neutral colour background will suffice. The intent is to have the viewer remember you - not some C152... Be careful of the goofy grin facial expression - for this reason I reckon the photo needs to be avoided. The ideal first visual impression is best delivered in person...
Most importantly,
5. If you are new to the industry, good luck and more power to you, but your resume is likely to be very similar to the several hundred others that companies receive. Therefore, the best resume for the first flying job is always one that is followed up by an actual visit to the company. That shows the prospective employer many positive characteristics (including courage) and allows for easy resume follow up. Many CPs will "blow off" drop in hopefuls, but many will take the time to meet them. Research how different companies handle this for your maximum chance of success.
There have been a lot of good pointers in the posts above - so hopefully there will be some improvement in what gets around now!