How to create a BIOGRAPHY for a resume package
A BIOGRAPHY for a resume package is a great way for you to introduce and explain to a potential employer how your history has helped prepare you for the position they are trying to fill. This article covers the "how to" of creating a personal biography.
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Instructions
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Collect. Start your biography by collecting information about your life. Remember the organizations you were part of, the jobs you had, the accomplishments of your life. (it is easier if you had kept a record of this information all along) If you haven't kept a record of this information, spend time digging through old photo albums, awards, or even talk with your extended family members to spark your memory.
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Categorize. After you have collected all the "data", record it. On a piece of paper, or Word program, make a chart of three general categories and place each item in its appropriate spot. Three general categories I use are Birth to High School Graduation, College Years, Adult Career Life to Present.
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Write. Use a separate piece of paper to start writing a paragraph for each category. For example, use one piece of paper for the category of "College Years". When writing, use simple sentences to start with. (it is very difficult to write a final draft on the first attempt) Sentences like "I joined a fraternity" or "I was a college athlete". Later we will use sentence combining to make the sentences flow with a powerful impact. However, at this step change the "I" to third person "he".
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Edit. When you have written three separate paragraphs, on three separate papers, it is time to edit your work. Why the three separate pages you ask? Trust me, it makes it easier to handle. When editing, you will combine experiences to make compound complex sentences. As in the examples above, your new sentence could read "In addition to his Sigma Nu fraternal participation, he also was a college 3 meter springboard diver". Start by combining two sentences, and then adding a third if possible. I find it a challenge to see how many simple sentences I can combine into one, GIGANTIC, powerful, impacting sentence.
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Check. When writing about yourself (which is really an auto-biography) it is sometimes hard to stay removed and objective. Go back over the paragraphs to check to see if it is telling ALL ABOUT your great experiences and qualities. Also remember to stay in "third person" while you edit.
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Introduce. Now that the body of your BIOGRAPHY is written, it's time to tackle the introduction. I usually keep the introduction short, 3 to 5 sentences, and include a variety of items: things like quotes, snippets, generalities, attention grabbers. I suggest sticking to a "format" of writing an introduction that begins with a strong statement like "Still teaching, Garth has carried his passion for . . . ", then a few sentences that tell the reader what you are doing now, or are qualified in. Remember, you are grabbing their attention to continue to read about you.
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Conclude. The last paragraph of your BIOGRAPHY should sum up your current skills and how they will help your prospective employer. This is the LAST thing they will read so it needs to give a lasting impression. As in the introduction, I keep it short, no more than 5 sentences, and it should include how YOU have made a difference in other's lives.
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Save a copy of your document in a Word processing program to make it easy to edit. If you change positions, update it on a free evening so when you are looking for a new job your work is already done!
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Tips & Warnings
include a statement at the bottom of your biography (a quote, a belief, an attitude about life)
read biographies of famous people and "mimic" the author's style
have a friend read your biography and give you feedback on the way it "reads"
read it ALOUD to hear how it sounds
don't use information that will not help you get the job
don't share extremely personal information
- Photo Credit photo by garth fout
