8 Steps to Writing a Bio Like a Pro (Chris Brogan in Fact)

8 Steps to Writing a Bio Like a Pro (Chris Brogan in Fact) A short professional bio has become increasingly important as most of us suffer from information fatigue and cannot be bothered to read lengthy documents about anybody. Experts such as Matthew Levy reckon your bio is the most important document you will ever write. A bio is useful for a host of reasons such as applying for a job, publishing an article or guest blog post, general networking etc. It’s basically a great vehicle for quickly communicating who you are and what you do. You are likely to have a bio somewhere on the Internet already. If you write a blog, it will be your About page. If you are on LinkedIn, it will be your summary. If you are on Twitter, it will be your, wait for it… Bio! These three most probably have different lengths, with the minnow being Twitter that only allows for a 140 character bio. As writing a professional bio is the hottest thing since sliced bread, you best get on with it and follow these simple steps to do your personal brand proud. Here are the a few tips followed by a sample bio by Chris Brogan. 1) Identify your purpose: Why are you writing this bio? Who will read it? You need to take some time to think about your readers and what you want them to think about you. People write anything from professional bios for getting freelance work, a comedy bio full of in-jokes for your friends or a bio for the back of their next piece of pulp fiction. Keep your audience in mind when authoring your bio. 2) Third person perspective: This is your Harry Lime moment. Your bio should sound as though it were objectively written, although it is obviously anything but. If you look at any book cover, the bio will be in the narrative mode even though the author has probably written it themselves. So instead of writing “I have lived in Switzerland and I speak 3 languages”, try “John has lived in Switzerland and he speaks 3 languages”. 3) Micro,  short and long: You will need a micro, a short and a longer bio for different purposes. You will find that your bio will be requested in different lengths and therefore it’s advisable to keep three or even more versions. The micro bio is basically a sentence that you can use as your elevator pitch and on your Twitter profile. The short one should be one paragraph long and cover all the need to knows. The longer one adds the nice to knows and should sum you up completely. As a rule of thumb, the shorter one should be roughly a hundred words; the long one could be up to one page. 4) Start with your name: You will want to put your name in the first sentence of your bio so the reader catches on and realizes what they are reading. Just like when you are introduced to somebody, you will start with your name and then move on to pleasantries. 5) State your business: Just like a resume, you want to drop your occupation and accomplishments in there early. The reader needs to be hooked and enticed to keep reading. An example would be to write that you are an “open market sales person” and you have “increased sales by 200%” in your current position music to the ears of any sales manager. 6) Throw in some personality: Add some flavor to your bio by including something unexpected. This can be a bit of humor or just curious information that you think people will be interested in, such as you being a fine wine connoisseur â€" already a topic for conversation. I am sure you have read words to this effect at the end of a bio: “and in his spare time, he really enjoys writing about himself in the third person”. A little witty twist at the end can tell a lot about your personality. 7) Contact details: End your bio with your contact details or hyperlink the content to ways of contacting you like your email or your LinkedIn profile. 8) Read and rewrite: Get your friends to proof your bio before you publish it anywhere. Remember that your bio is a living document and you should review it on a monthly basis. As it’s fairly short it won’t take you too long to make changes that can be quite important to the reader. Example: Now let’s have a look at how a pro does it. Chris Brogan is a well known social media guru and on his eponymous blog he has a micro, a short and a longer bio. This micro bio is a good example of an informational sentence, starting with his name, what he does and ending with his contact details. Next are both the short and long bios from his About page. The first paragraph on its own serves as a short bio, all four paragraphs constitute Chris’ long bio. He has cleverly stuffed his bio with hyperlinks, so that the interested reader can learn more instantly by clicking on the links. The text again starts with his name, tells more in detail what he does and lists a number of achievements Chris has to his name. Most of us won’t have as many accomplishments to stick on a bio so here is our chance to add our own character to it. Conclusion: Your bio is getting more and more important and you should make sure it sells you and brings out your personal brand. I hope these tips and sample bios have been helpful, do let me know if you have any other thoughts and ideas on bios. Now that you have a great bio, remember to reach out to the right people and make sure they read it! RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Building a Perfect LinkedIn Profile

Accountability Matters - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Accountability Matters - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career At  work we hear a lot about responsibilities and commitments. These terms are usually applied to tactical and specific actions and deliverables. They are not typically indicative or  definitive  of who we are and what we perceive ourselves to be. Our personal Level of Accountability (LOA)  is something we assign, define and measure ourselves…about ourselves. We also hear a lot of politicians talk about accountability. The problem with most of the statements from politicians is that they are usually referring to someone else  â€œdoing” the task  when they talk about accountability. Too many politicians have learned the Delegate and Blame game. There are exceptions. I’m not painting all politicians with the same broad brush here. Our Level of Accountability defines who we are and how far we are willing to go to deliver what we promise. As I mentioned in parts 1 and 2 of this 3 part series. People want to count on you to get stuff done. Can they?   If you say you are going to do something…Do you? Even if it means you work late into the night or spend more time and effort than you initially expected? Each of these points help others know they can count on you to do what you said you would. Each of these form a critical part of your Level of Accountability. Delegated accountability is still yours Delegating a task does NOT abdicate the person from owning the task and owning the accountability. If you ask someone to do something Do you still expect it to be completed? (Hint: Of course you do!) In a work environment there are nuances between managers, colleagues, customers and partners for the implied Level of Accountability. But, I can guarantee you that people ARE paying attention. People ARE keeping score. This is especially true for new employees. I don’t just mean young employees just entering the workforce. I also mean employees that transfer from another department or from outside. They are under scrutiny. People are watching…and not just their direct managers. They want to see how good this new person is. They want to see how much they commit to. They want to see how they deliver. In short, they want to measure the Level of Accountability. Crowd Source Idea: Perhaps for my a future post I’ll write about “The Art of Delegation” (let me know if you are interested in this topic  in the comments or directly.) My bad How often do we hear…“This  was my fault. I own this” in work or social conversations? My guess is… not too often. I’m not advocating that you take responsibility and become accountable for something that is outside your purview. However, I am suggesting that you take it on the chin when it was your task and you missed the mark. Raise  Your LOA If you have an idea to help address or otherwise solve a specific issue…speak up. Even if a problem is not of your doing. If you can help solve it…it can increase your Level of Trust Accountability  with your colleagues, your peers, your manager and depending on the scope of the issue with your customers and partners. My challenge to you Next time something that you “owned” becomes unraveled and does not meet your standards or the standard for which you made a commitment to deliver… I challenge you to own it. To stand up and say it. Say… “This is my fault, my responsibility.” I like it  when someone stands up and takes responsibility for a problem, issue or concern. It tells me they have a firm understanding of their Level of Accountability. It tells me that they realize they will take a hit for missing the mark. It also tells me they have the gumption to stand up and take it… to own it. Question: Do you perceive someone that is willing to take the blame as weak? For me… I don’t think any less of the person for standing up and taking responsibility and owning the accountability. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. I may not be happy with them and the impact it may have on other projects. However, I’m happy they are willing to own it. Question: How often have we sat in a room and been asked… “Who’s responsible for this?” And all that happens is everyone looks at their shoes or just looks around. In business and in life… there are doers and there are takers. Sometimes the takers are the ones that accept responsibility and own the accountability. Key point: accountability does NOT always mean fixable This does not mean you are going to fix it. Sometimes there is no fixing possible. If it was a time based thing (and really, what isn’t time based) the clock may have run out and your only recourse is to never let it happen again. What can you do? One thing to consider are better questions. Asking better questions can lead to Increased LOA through LOT and LOI Consider taking the time to be upfront and ask the tough questions. The reason to ask the tough questions up front is to insure you understand the issues and the timelines. Also, to insure your Level of Trust (LOT) and your Level of Intent (LOI) are kept at the high standards that you expect from yourself and everyone you work with. By asking questions up front. By agreeing to what the specific asks and requests are. By fully understanding the timelines and deliverables. You can do a much better job of making and keeping commitments. In short… being accountable. Accountability Matters. Make sure yours is at a very high standard. Demand it of yourself and expect it of others. Author: Jeff   is a veteran in the Enterprise Content Management industry. Over the past 20 years he has worked with customers and partners to design, develop and deploy solutions around the world. Jeff is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle. He has worked for Microsoft, FileNet (IBM), K2, Captaris, Open Text, Kofax and Kodak. He speaks and blogs about ECM and the Intersection between Social, Mobile and Cloud Computing.

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Avoid Being a Job-Hunting Jerk

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Avoid Being a Job-Hunting Jerk The working world seems much more casual these days, with technology executives wearing hoodies to meetings and employees drinking beer in the break room on Friday afternoons. But that casual atmosphere doesnt necessarily translate to the job search process, and taking a too-casual approach can make you seem rude, unprofessional and not worth hiring. So, whether its learning how to shake hands properly or cleaning up your social media profile, its time to learn the correct job seeking tips and techniques. Here are some of the things you need to think about: 1. Clean up your social media profiles Before you ever begin your job search, you need to take a long, hard look at what youve posted online, and what others have posted about you. Sinceone in three employers have rejected job candidatesbecause of something they have read about them online, you must make sure your various profiles are scrubbed clean of anything that could be deemed controversial (passed-out-drunk photos from a frat party, for example). Change as many settings as you can to Privateand use sites like LinkedIn or Twitter (read more here)

Patent-Free Protection for Your Business Ideas

Patent-Free Protection for Your Business Ideas Are you an entrepreneur that is scared that your new business idea will be stolen and along with it your dreams of starting your own business?   No worries my entrepreneurial friend, continue reading and discover some of the best ways to protect your business idea and launch your new firm. None of these methods require applying nor getting a patent and paying for legal services. But they will help you protect your intellectual property. You cant keep your idea secret because you need to talk about your business to potential workers, investors, shareholders to plan your business launch. Also, you will want to take advantage of your industry mentors and business experts by discussing your product ideas and get their invaluable feedback. While being issued a patent, either design or utility, is  a great   way to secure your new idea, it is often unobtainable for entrepreneurs due to expensive legal fees and long delays and waiting periods for patent issuance.  Many entrepreneurs have tight startup budgets so they cannot get trademark registrations nor patents. Bootstrapped entrepreneurs   may utilize these powerful, and cheap, tips to protect   intellectual property and get their brand new product launched safely. Get to Know the Person First Before you meet with prospective investors or producers take the opportunity to research them online. Enter their names and firm names, and read about their business deals and their personalities. Learn if they are reliable and have practiced business ethically.  You will get a good sense of the person and their character and if you want to work together or not, by analyzing their opinions, forum remarks and informative articles. Get Competitors on Your Team Believe it or not, your competitors might be your very best partner in protecting your business trade secrets if you make them a part of your success group. Hire them as vendors or distributors so that they have a vested interest in keeping your ideas protected because they will also profit from your success. Existing businesses might be the ones most likely to steal your product ideas. But they could also take it to market faster with their existing contacts and resources. Investors Are Your Safest Gamble All   angel investors and venture capital firms are the safest places to discuss your ideas. Their   business reputation is at stake.   Its very unlikely theyll even consider the betrayal of stealing your business plans. If they took inventors creations, they would be out of business quickly. However, keep in mind that when you present your idea, someone else may have already shared a similar idea. Use Non-Disclosure Agreements Very Carefully A NDA or Non-Disclosure Agreement is the legal document used in these cases to maintain secrecy.  It is a contract between you as the owner of the intellectual property and the person whom you are telling. They agree not to disclose to anyone your idea or invention by signing the agreement. Be warned that many venture capitalists will refuse to sign an NDA.   And a   prospective business venture can be destroyed by you, the entrepreneur, being too paranoid.   Dont Tell Them Everything When you talk about your new product creation dont reveal every detail and creation process. Maintain a few essential facts on your own. In the startup phases of investment and discussion, complete disclosure isnt necessary nor advisable. As you proceed to accepting investments or hiring employees, then is the time to use legal documents such as the NDA   to secure your trade secrets and business ideas legally.  This is how my Aunt Joan keeps her pound cake recipe a secret.   She always leaves out a key ingredient when she shares the recipe. No wonder my cake always turns out like a brick! This guest post was authored by Marsha Kelly Marsha Kelly sold her first business for more than a million dollars. She has shared hard-won experiences as a successful serial entrepreneur on her Best4Businesses blog . Marsha also regularly posts business tips, ideas, and suggestions as well as product reviews for business readers. As a serial entrepreneur, Marsha has learned what products and services really work well in business today. You can learn from her experiences to build your businesses and life financially.

What Are The First Things You Should Know About Writing A Resume And Cover Letter?

What Are The First Things You Should Know About Writing A Resume And Cover Letter?The first thing you should know about writing a resume and cover letter is that there are no 'reading levels' as such. In other words, it does not matter whether your resume or cover letter is written for a 12-year-old as long as you get it in the mail. This can be a bit of a problem, but there are techniques to help overcome this and make sure you get it in the mail. Here are a few tips.First off, a final note: if you're sending your resume to a specific position, or to a specific company, you should have the proper company information included. Otherwise, your resume will be thrown in the junk pile. In other words, don't panic. If the information on your resume is incorrect, contact the company directly, and make sure they get it corrected. They may want to add your name to their official lists, if the information is incorrect.So, what are the first things you should consider when writing a resume and cover letter? First of all, be specific about the job you're applying for. In other words, keep your job title as close to the top of the resume as possible. This will give you the best chance of being considered.Another important thing to consider is the date you started working for the company. Again, be specific here. If you took a temporary job at the start of the year, make sure the date is clearly stated.If you worked at the same company for a few years, but it was more than a year ago, that's a different story. It's up to you how to fill out your details, but just be sure you mention the time period.If you worked at the same company for five years, that's a little more than five years ago. You've been working there for longer than five years. Again, if you're going to fill out a resume, you must make sure it is dated correctly. In addition, it's okay to use some numbers here and there to represent a few years (e.g., three years).Now, if you need to change your resume to a co ver letter, all you have to do is take a look at the last paragraph. That's where you list the dates you've worked for the company, and it's all legal. No matter how many years or months you've worked, you've got to state that in your cover letter.Again, the purpose of your resume and cover letter is to get you noticed. So make sure you do that.

Quitting with style. And cake. - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Quitting with style. And cake. - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog If you gotta quit (and sometimes you gotta) you might as well do it with style. Related posts Top 10 bad excuses for staying in a crappy job. How to know its time to quit. Top 10 signs youre not happy at work. Best resignation letter ever. How Kim found the courage to quit. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Find the Career Coach Whos Right For You - Jane Jackson Career

Find the Career Coach Whos Right For You - Jane Jackson Career How to find the Career Coach Whos Right For You I am honored to share this excellent article written by Dorie Clark,  marketing strategist and professional speaker  and lecturer at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is the author of Reinventing You and Stand Out.Read the original article in hbr.org  When you’re in the midst of a mid-career crisis or professional reinvention, the right career coach can be a lifesaver, helping you identify potential future directions and the path to reach them. But how do you find the right one? As an unregulated industry, anyone can hang a shingle and declare themselves a “career coach,” an “executive coach,” or even a “life coach.” Some are talented and knowledgeable, and others not so much. Since writing Reinventing You, I’ve often been asked for recommendations about hiring a career coach. Here’s the advice I give.Understand when you need to reach out. Because it can be complex to hire a career coach (How do I know who’s good? What if it’s a waste of money?), many people delay the process until they reach a breaking point â€" they’ve lost their job, or they’re so miserable at their current one, they’re on the brink of quitting. But  as with most things, preventative measures are best, and you’re far better off speaking with someone before you’re overwhelmed and desperate.If you’re not sure if you’re  ready to hire someone yet, do some  investigating. Get recommendations from friends and colleagues, scour blogs and do research online (because thanks to Skype, the coach you hire doesn’t need to be local), and create a timeline for yourself. If you don’t have time in your life now to explore work with a career coach, when will you? After tax season? In six months, after the new product launch? Make a firm commitment to revisit it down the line.And keep in mind that if you’re facing a broader upheaval in your life, you may want to consider seeing a therapist (which will of ten be covered by insurance), rather than a career coach, which won’t.Identify what you want to learn. Because coaches come from such widely divergent backgrounds, they have different skills and insights to offer you. If you want to make the right choice, identify upfront what you’d like to learn from the experience.  If you’re feeling dissatisfaction with your professional life, start by combing the aisles of your bookstore; a variety of career books such as What Should I Do With My Life? or How Will You Measure Your Life? can help you ascertain the broad themes you’d like to explore, so your work with a coach can be more targeted.If you want to understand how to navigate office politics better, you may want to consider hiring a coach who has personal familiarity with corporate life, so she’s speaking from experience rather than theory. Other coaches specialize in particular types of transitions, such as guiding people toward nonprofit or socially meaningful careers, or w ork with specific demographic groups. I even know one woman who bills herself as a “Workplace Cancer and Disease Crisis Coach.”Give them a test drive. Ten or 15 years ago, you would have had to vet your coach through a personal meeting or phone call, and perhaps by talking with their past clients. That’s still a good idea, but today you have another tool in your arsenal. Legitimate professionals have embraced content creation, including blogging, podcasting, videoblogging, and more. Almost every coach will have a “paper trail” allowing you to see for yourself the kinds of issues they’re writing and thinking about, how they approach the situation, and their personal style. You may be drawn to someone with a more reserved and serious style, or want an encouraging cheerleader. By consuming their content in advance, you can make an informed choice about whether you’ll “click” professionally.Recognize it’s not forever. As you grow professionally, your challenges will evolve over the years. Today, you may be looking for help finding your true passion or making a career change; in 10 or 20 years, your goal may be a fulfilling second act in retirement. It’s important to recognize that different coaches may be uniquely suited to help you at different phases.When I first started my consulting business, I devoured the works of one author whose approach I found particularly salient, and even paid to participate in various in-person workshops and a mentor program. His advice on starting and setting up a business was invaluable, but became less relevant as I fixed my sights on bigger goals and began to be able to predict exactly what he’d say. Today, I’m focused on learning from those who have already excelled at my next targets, such as writing a bestselling book and dramatically expanding my email list. Any decision you make to work with someone is revocable if it’s not working or if you outgrow the approach; by staying in touch with your goals , you can adjust accordingly.It can be difficult to navigate a professional reinvention on your own. A good career coach can save you countless hours of frustration by sharing best practices with you and helping you avoid common pitfalls as you transition. But finding the right one makes all the difference.If youd like to have a chat about how career coaching can help you, schedule a complimentary conversation now.Dorie Clark is a marketing strategist and professional speaker who teaches at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is the author of Reinventing You and Stand Out. You can receive her free Stand Out Self-Assessment Workbook.