How to Write a Biography
You’ve probably seen the typical, stodgy executive biography we’ve all become used to. It’s usually a boring walk through the candidate’s career history. No pizzazz … not much to spark interest … no personal touchpoints!
Imagine recruiters and hiring managers reading one of these flat, yawn-inducing accounts. Aside from learning the candidate’s career progression and maybe a few career highlights, they’re left with little or no indication of who that person is, how they make things happen, how they get their teams engaged, and what value they’ll bring to their next employer.
But when energized with personal branding and designed to generate chemistry, your bio can be an interesting, vibrant read differentiating your unique promise of value and helping people assessing you determine whether you’ll be a good fit for their organization.
The beauty of a brand biography
Your career bio and executive resume work in tandem as the foundation for all of your personal brand marketing communications, both online and offline. Written in narrative form, custom-made for storytelling, brand bios are all about linking the candidate’s softer skills to their value proposition in a compelling way that resumes don’t allow.
Everyone loves a good story. Recruiters and hiring decision makers are no exception!
To get your juices flowing, here are a few questions from the brand bio worksheet I use with my clients:
1. What are three or four defining moments for you as your career progressed? Think of events or projects that shaped your career path, had the most impact on making you who you are today, and led you to add value to your companies.
2. Which of your personal attributes have been most beneficial to you in your career?
3. How have adversity and challenges made you stronger and a more valuable employee?
4. What are the two or three most important lessons you learned along the way that others could benefit from?
5. Who have you mentored and how did your guidance impact that person, your team, your department, and your company?
Incorporate these tactics to move your bio from bland to brand-solid:
Pack a punch and stand out in the first paragraph.
Compel readers to want to keep reading. Capture attention with your leadership brand, or lead with a quote from an industry celebrity or subject matter expert. Or even add a quote of your own that encapsulates your brand value — it could be something that others tell you you’re always saying — or a direct quote about you from someone you’ve worked with.
Leverage storytelling to evidence your unique promise of value.
In a narrative format usually written in third person, your bio provides supporting evidence backing up your value proposition and helps readers understand how you make things happen. Storytelling using actual examples conjures up the impact you’ll have on their organization and helps them envision you in the position they’re trying to fill.
Make it a good read!
The writing should come from your own voice and follow a consistent theme reinforcing your brand attributes. For instance, if you’re known for cleaning up problems, weave that driver throughout your mini-career stories.
Format the document for visual appeal and ease in reading.
Break up long, dense paragraphs into two or three smaller ones to add more white space, drawing readers’ eyes down the page and compelling them to read the entire document. One innovative technique is to include high-impact sub-headings throughout, which is also an opportunity to build in more relevant keywords. I used this innovation in my own brand bio.
Include a sneak peek into your life outside the workplace.
Definitely write about your community involvement and any volunteering activities. The commitment to giving back is an important trait for any leader worth her or his salt.
At the end of your bio, talk about your spouse and children noting briefly what they’re doing. Discuss your non-professional passions and hobbies. You may find that your key brand attributes come into play when you pursue these activities. Having a shared hobby with the readers of your bio can spark additional interest in you.
Your career biography offers value in job search and beyond:
- The “About” page on your blog or website is actually a bio. Remember that, because most recruiters and hiring decision makers are searching online to source and assess top talent. They may see your bio (or “About” page) before they see your resume. It has to stand on its own as a personal marketing document.
- Parts of your bio, along with your resume, should be incorporated into your LinkedIn profile to help generate interest and chemistry.
- Bios are essential introductions for speaking engagements. When making a presentation or giving a speech, give your bio to the introducer ahead of time.
- Encapsulate your full bio into a tidy one or two paragraph mini-bio to include when you guest blog, write articles or white papers, or publish anything online or offline.
- Follow up networking events by sending your bio to people you’ve connected with. It’s less formal than your resume.
You can see how executive branding and career storytelling come together in a career bio I created for a VP in Real Estate Acquisitions and Business Development.
Check out Brand-Yourself’s other articles on how to write a bio, see which tips work best for you, and get started on your own bio.
An Executive Personal Branding, Online Identity and Job Search Strategist, Meg is a 20-year careers industry professional and one of only a handful of people worldwide to hold both the Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist and Master Resume Writer credentials.
“I love my work collaborating with savvy corporate leaders and entrepreneurs who know where they’re going, but need help differentiating their unique promise of value in the new world of work and executive job search, and positioning themselves to work their passion. My clients are typically c-suite, senior-level executives and rising stars.”
Find out more about Meg at Executive Career Brand, and by viewing her LinkedIn profile and following her on Twitter.