The Biography: A Tactical Advantage?

As we have stated elsewhere, we do not recommend indiscriminate use of the Executive Resume as stand-alone mailer. In fact, we even discourage posting the resume on line except in special circumstances. Why? Very simply, your resume is the simplest way for prospective employers to “weed you out” of the running for any highly-contested job opening . . . which describes most of the overt “opportunities” you will find without too much digging.

The Hidden Job Market is a Treasure Hunt.

Since something like 80% of all management jobs are never widely publicized, you are (or, at least, should be) fully committed to being on a treasure hunt. Brandishing your resume (or some version of it) about advertises that you are looking for some job . . . or any job. And, while that can work for someone coming out of school with no established career path, it can work against you when your career has taken on more definition or even some unwanted “baggage.” The biography lets you put your best foot forward . . . first!

A well-written biography can say more about who you are.

A resume deals largely with the work you’ve performed. Let’s say you are posting your profile on LinkedIn, or sending out a few networking letters or requesting an Informational Interview. Enclosing your resume telegraphs the wrong message.

Attaching a short bio does several things. Here are some of the most important:

It allows you to control the message and the medium, emphasizing areas most likely to be of interest to the reader/s while avoiding subjects that might not be helpful.
It carries the weight of some prestige. It implies that you are important enough that someone wrote a bio on you, maybe for a speech, a panel appearance or an article.
It briefly touches on areas that can (and should, if you’re clever) pique the reader’s interest and build some anticipation for a meeting.

Stand out from the crowd.

Perhaps most important, not sending a resume separates you from the stampede of people applying for a job. (Remember the banker’s credo: “Only loan to people who don’t need the money!”) Regardless of the immediate purpose of your letter, the real objective is to get an interview or at least an introduction. You must give the recipient some ammunition to help you . . . without burdening her to worry that you’re looking for a job at her company.

“I’m enclosing a short biography that should give you an idea of my professional background and interests.”

Or, if you’re responding to a lead about an upcoming job opening . . .

“I don’t have an up-to-date formal resume at hand, but I’m enclosing a biography that was used in a series of white papers published last year. If appropriate, I’ll send along a resume in the next couple of days.”

Etc.

Different Shapes and Sizes to fit Changing Needs.

We suggest having at least three biographies in your computer, ready to modify, as necessary, to meet various conditions: a short, one-paragraph version, a half-page (three paragraphs) version and a one-page, more in-depth version. The full-page biography should allow for insertion of three to five bullet-point listings of accomplishments. All versions should be written in the third person.

While there are hundreds of examples of good resumes of all types available to the job seeker, good examples of biographies for use in the Executive Job Search are less plentiful. We suggest you check out author biographies in non-fiction, business texts, conference and seminar brochures in your field for good examples. Check back with us periodically as we post examples.

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SBI!