Thursday, February 7, 2013

Relationships R Really Relevant

Going through a stack of (mostly inept) applications for an App Dev position tonight, I started thinking about something I've recently read.  Did you know the resume is a dying genre?

As interviewers needing to score a solid hire, we can snoop around LinkedIn or Google to quickly summarize your worth, but does this really tell your story?  Do you want us to go there, really?  Wouldn't it be opportune if you were able to convince busy me that we share something in common?  How well we will relate to each other?  That you can help me?

Enter the bio.  The new genre for telling us not just what you've done, but who you are.  It's no secret that people hire people they can work with - that they can relate to and identify with. Trust comes from personal disclosure and there aren't any lines on the resume for that!  Your bio can tell the bigger story, your story.  And if you don't think you have one, it may just be time to reinvent yourself.

Your bio should address these questions:
  1. Who am I?
  2. How can I help you?
  3. How did I get here?
  4. Why can you trust me?
  5. What do we share in common?
Your bio is critical.  If you explain this well, you set the tone and people will be drawn to you.  It's not easy - you need to give a peek of the real you and how you see the world.  It's a balancing act - self-promotion is obnoxious and yet nobody wants to hire a bore, or a prude.

How to get started?  Share a point of view and show how you see the world.  Don't forget to tell how you came to see the world this way.  Convince me that you believe in yourself - this is huge, I no longer babysit!  And reinforce that you're not so different from me.  Reveal something, like a hobby you obsess on or a guilty pleasure you enjoy occasionally.  This builds a connection, and adds to your story.

Ready . . . or not?

1 comment:

  1. Seems like seeking a new position and revealing something personal share something in common, both involve risk. There is also the promise of reward for taking the risk.

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