January 16, 2010

Are you boring hiring managers with your bio?

• 4 Comments |
• E-mail |
• Print
• • Share:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

First impressions, as we all know, are lasting ones. It's important that your introduction, be it a cover letter or informational inquiry, practically jumps off the screen. Why is it, then, that so many informational bios written by job seekers are so achingly dull?

That's the question Seattle-area media relations expert Nancy Juetten has asked herself for the last nine years she has been in business as publicist. "People are getting so discouraged about the job market these days," she says. "Maybe they don't see that their bios are boring people to tears. If they're snoozin' halfway in, you are not gonna win."

Last fall, Juetten (rhymes with "button") decided that some life needed to be injected into the art of biography-writing with her "Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide." This 52-page book (also available in a downloadable format) provides helpful examples, sample templates and informative articles about ways to punch up your life story and "start a conversation" with a hiring manager.

"Here is the acid test," she said. "If you read your bio and your heart doesn't skip a beat, it's a fair bet that a decision-maker will feel the same way."

Here are some tips that Juetten says will make your bios irresistible:

Reduce the use of "I." Hiring managers are looking to solve problems, not hear your life story. "It's not really about you," Juetten says. "It's what you can do for your clients, your employer. Switch the 'I-you' ratio around and see how quickly the reader can be engaged."

Edit length to suit the employer's needs. For some positions, such as a radio announcer, two sentences, max, will suffice. For a more technical fields, such as IT or engineering, you'll need more details. But for whatever position is available, "Brevity is an art," Juetten says. "No one has time to read your manifesto." One example she cites comes from the Twitter profile from on of her colleagues, Nancy Marmolejo, founder of Viva Visibility: "Nancy Marmolejo, branding and social media strategist, fun, friendly, smart as a whip, and prone to creative outbursts."

Include some of your personality. "People want to do business with people they like, trust and respect," Juetten says. "Say things about yourself that invite people to feel that way about you." Once, while working with a computer technician who "didn't have a lot of personality" in his original bio, Juetten asked him what his "a-ha!" moment was when he realized his true calling. It turns out he was the first kid in his class to buy a Commodore 64 computer. "That's a great anecdote that shows how he is truly passionate about technology," she says.

Avoid 'boilerplate' terms. In a sea of cover letters that contain the same, stale language about "being a team player" and possessing "strong communication skills," the more clever descriptions will stand out and create a stronger connection with hiring managers. "As a publicist, I have to be able to keep a secret," Juetten says. "I could certainly say, 'I know how to keep a secret,' but that's a boilerplate way to say it. Rather, I tell people, 'I know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, and I'll never tell.' That is a really great way to make that point, and it always delivers a smile, too."

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

• 4 Comments |
• E-mail |
• Print
• • Share:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Read more

4 Comments

Orin Grinnell on January 16, 2010 11:39 AM | Reply

Hi

Would you be interested in critiqueing my resume?

If so, please respond to my email and I will attach my resume for you to view.
Its not getting my work:-(

Rod Mattson on January 17, 2010 3:54 PM | Reply

Hey there Orin,

The problem with not getting work is not your resume in most cases; it's the fact you are looking in the same places for jobs as everyone else.

Rod Mattson
www.MattsonCommunication.com
http://MattsonCommunication.blogspot.com

Katy Rey on February 11, 2010 8:16 AM | Reply

Orin, I agree with Rod on that. Also you really have to watch your spelling and diction - in other words, when you wrote "Its not getting my work" you actually meant "It's not getting me work." I realize you were not submitting this to a future boss, however ... whenever you are writing in regards to your career, it should ALWAYS be as professional as possible. You NEVER know who is reading or watching. You want to make yourself look as good as possible at all times. Future bosses are just looking for reasons to eliminate people. That's just the way it is right now. Good luck to you and your search. I know it's very frustrating right now.

Laoukoura on February 15, 2010 6:06 AM | Reply

Please Orin,
would you mind send me this resume... I like working on resumes...

Leave a comment

* required field

Your name: *

E-mail address: (Will not be displayed)

Your comment: *

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.