HOW TO WRITE ABOUT
YOURSELF
(WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE AN IDIOT)
SUZAN ST MAUR
HowToWriteBetter.Net
suzan@suzanstmaur.com
http://www.HowToWriteBetter.Net
HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
How To Write
About
Yourself
By Suzan St Maur
From a 2-line bio to a full length autobiography
… this book shows you how to make the most of yourself,
truthfully and thoroughly, without exaggeration. People
usually find it hard to write about themselves, but Suze
demystifies the process to make it easy for you.
Published by Suzan St Maur
HowToWriteBetter.net
All rights reserved. В©Suzan St Maur 2013
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CONTENTS
Introduction
1. “About Us” pages for your business
2. Personal “about” pages/bios/profiles
3. CVs/rГ©sumГ©s
4. Covering letters and emails
5. Personal statements (university)
6. Personal statements (CVs/rГ©sumГ©s)
7. Getting good testimonials
8. Your personal brand
9. Personal blogging
10. Autobiographies
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The author
Canadian born, UK-based Suzan St Maur
trained as a journalist and then as an advertising copywriter and has worked across
a wide spread of commissioned writing
genres since the 1970s, as well as researching and writing more than 30 published
nonfiction books – with several more in the
pipeline. Her key area of expertise is deli-
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vering unique written content and editing
for business and general nonfiction, and
she helps people produce more effective
written material of their own, more quickly
– from entire books down to micro-blogging.
On Suze’s website, HowToWriteBetter.net, you’ll find more than 300
articles on how to improve your writing skills. And whether for business
and pleasure, yourself or a friend, these books by Suze will get you writing
superbly …
Banana Skin Words and how not to slip on them: the right answers to
around 1,500 commonly mis-spelled and other wrongly used English
words and phrases in one handy, 73-page eBook.
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The English Language Joke Book: hundreds of humorous posts, jokes,
anecdotes and real-life laughs, with dozens of illustrations, about this crazy
language of ours – in a chunky, 115-page eBook.
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The 30 Day Basic Business Writing Challenge: if you worry that mistakes in
grammar, spelling, punctuation etc. might let you down, here’s an easy,
fun way to perfect your business writing so it’s as professional as you are –
either as a 30 day eCourse, or as an eBook/Kindle.
Business Writing Made Easy: fact-packed 200 page print or Kindle book
that gets you writing fast and well for any of today’s common business
media, from press releases to blogposts and web pages to ads. (Also
on Amazon USA, other Amazons, and Kindle.)
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English To English: the A to Z of British-American translations: over 2,000
commonly used English words that can cause confusion, chaos, red faces
and even cost you money if you use them in the wrong way, in the wrong
country ... especially for business and social purposes. (Also on Amazon
USA, other Amazons,and Kindle)
How To Write Winning Non-fiction: if you want to write a high-quality
non-fiction book, get it published and make it commercially successful,
this book treats you to a masterclass that covers all you need to know
about creating, crafting, writing and pitching your next bestseller! (Also
on Amazon USA, other Amazons, and Kindle)
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Dedication
To Debbie Sinfield
…one of the best writers I know,
and a great friend, sadly
stricken by the terrible MS.
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Introduction
Before we get into the specific areas, let’s start with some general hints
and tips on how to approach any project that involves writing about
yourself…
What you want to achieve
Before you do anything else, ask yourself not what you want to say, but
what you want to achieve with the text. Be honest with yourself and don’t
be overly ambitious. Once you’ve clearly identified your objective keep it
in mind throughout the writing exercise. You’ll find that keeps you on track
far more effectively – what you want to achieve should define what you
say.
For example: which of the following objectives do you think would help
you to write a good personal statement for your CV/RГ©sumГ©:
1. I am a very good software engineer and I need a job
2. You have just found the ideal software engineer to fill your
vacancy
Or on the “about” page for your website:
1. I am a nice person with some interesting hobbies, as well as being
a very good illustrator
2. I am the sort of person you will like doing business with
Forget modesty
As an experienced salesperson would say, “if you don’t think you’re good,
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why the hell should I?” Equally of course you don’t want to exaggerate
your strengths – that can lead to problems when you’re eventually called
upon to deliver! But be realistic
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about what you can do and don’t be afraid to describe it in a positive
light.
A useful way to achieve this is to step outside of yourself and regard
yourself as a product or better still, as a brand. For the purposes of this
exercise you are not Mary Doe the person. You are writing about Mary Doe
the brand (see “personal branding,” below.) It’s not as difficult as it sounds;
write in the third person to start with, if you find that more comfortable.
Imagine you’re a colleague writing about you.
Who are they and what’s in it for them?
Where possible, identify the audience who will be reading your text and
aim your writing squarely at them. It’s possible that the “core” of your text
can remain the same for a number of different purposes, with individual
“tops and tails” aimed at specific audiences. The more relevant your text is
to the reader – telling him/her how you and your service meet their needs
– the more successful the text will be.
Bear in mind that whoever reads this text probably won’t care much about
you; they’ll only care about what you can do for them. Structure everything
with that in mind. If you need to include factual/statistical information
(educational details,
qualifications, etc.) then make sure you put it in a box so it’s visually
separated from the main text.
First person or third person?
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A few paras ago I suggested writing in the third person to make it easier
for you to regard yourself in an objective light. However there are times
when you may need to present your text in the first person – e.g. in a letter
or email. Try where possible to use the third person – if for no other reason
than it gives you more leeway
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to write enthusiastically about yourself. Have a look at these two mini-case
histories – which do you think sounds more professional and less
conceited?
Third person
With 10 years' experience in retail HR management, John was able to
identify quickly the cause of the staff unrest, before it began to disrupt the
workflow. His considerable negotiating skills got the entire team together
and communicating, and without finger-pointing or allocation of blame he
re-distributed the workload. Within just 24 hours what could have become
a costly strike was resolved thanks to John's efficient handling of the
problems, and staff morale increased significantly.
First person
With my 10 years' experience in retail HR management, I was able to
identify quickly the cause of the staff unrest, before it began to disrupt the
workflow. My considerable negotiating skills got the entire team together
and communicating, and without finger-pointing or allocation of blame on
my part I re-distributed the workload. Within just 24 hours what could
have become a costly strike was resolved thanks to my efficient handling
of the problems, and staff morale increased significantly.
Testimonials are valuable
Where appropriate, use short clips of testimonials from existing clients or
customers. Avoid the pleasantly banal bits and use phrases and sentences
that have some meaning and bite. A sentence or two normally is plenty –
any more and the reader will probably just skim over it. I go into quite a bit
of detail on how to get good testimonials later in this book.
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Good writing style is essential
Follow the rules of modern business writing; keep it simple. Use “active
voice” rather than “passive voice” where possible. Keep your sentences
down to a sensible length and use no more than three or four sentences
per paragraph. Use cross headings and “pullouts” to break your text up
visually and allow the reader to pick up on the main points.
Be sure that your grammar, spelling and punctuation are right. Although
standards have been slipping in the last few years the recent publication of
the “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” book has focused everyone’s attention on the
technical aspects of writing again. Goofs of this nature make your text, and
you, look amateurish.
Do a reality check on your text after you’ve completed it. Show it to friends
and colleagues and ask not if they “like” it, but if they feel it represents you
fairly – and if not, why not. Then take other people’s opinions on board,
but don’t lose sleep over them. At the end of the day you probably know
yourself, and your market, better than anyone else. Don’t be afraid to make
final judgments.
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1. How to write a good “about us” page
for your business
Have you ever visited a company website and despite reading all about its
products and services, couldn't find out who and what they were … or
where they come from?
It happens all too often. You go to the "contact us" page and you find a
blank email form or boxes to fill that tell you nothing. You go to the "about
us" page (if there is one) and all it tells you is that the company is the finest
purveyor of whatever in the world. (Not where in the world, of course.)
I've got to the stage now that I've worked out ways of second-guessing
those basics from subtle clues … like the currency used, the form of
company name suffix, the spellings (American or British English) and even
by clicking through to the company that designed the website, to see
where they are based. But this is a very unreliable way of finding out the
information.
How do these people expect to build trust and confidence in their
business – especially in the anonymous twilight zone of cyberspace –
without at least telling site visitors a bit about themselves?
Never mind who I am, just buy my stuff
Think about it. Would you approach someone at a networking event and
say, "never mind where I come from or what my background is – just take
it from me, I'm the best person to train your store staff…" ?? No. So why do
it on your website, when you're not even there in person to give people
some idea of your identity?
Of course if your company is Kelloggs or Proctor & Gamble or Coca Cola,
you probably don't need to worry too much. But given
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that our businesses and/or our employers' businesses aren't quite so well
known, I believe we owe it to site visitors the courtesy of a short
explanation to locate us in time and space.
It doesn't have to be a 2,000 word essay, unless your company history
happens to be very interesting indeed. And for a commercial website, it
doesn’t have to go into the CEO’s sailing on weekends or the Chairman’s
lovely
Rottweilers that he breeds in his
spare time. (Personal “about” pages
are another ballgame and we’ll go
into that a bit later.) You just need a
non-sales, factual few lines that
sketch out the background to your
business, how it came into existence,
where you're based and – if appropriate – who its key players are.
However even when people do include an "about us" page on their site,
often they use the wrong information and the wrong approach. Usually,
that takes the form of a thinly-disguised piece of selling copy that contain
few or no facts and only the vaguest of references to their people,
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establishment and ethos.
Some real-life examples…
Here are a few examples of poor "about us" text. They're real excerpts from
real "about us" pages, with the names blanked out (so I don't get sued!)
You have found us because you are looking for sound, financial
advice. As professional Independent Financial Advisers, XXXX YYYYY
are authorised to deal with many forms of financial services, and
specialise in giving advice to clients on a wide range of subjects to
assist with personal financial planning. We listen to your needs, and
offer clear, no-jargon advice on the most
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appropriate financial products for your personal circumstances.
There are two things wrong here. One is that it tells you nothing about the
company other than the fact that they think they're pretty good. The other
is that it's full of boring clichГ©s we've read hundreds of times before, and
they no longer impress us in the slightest. Why couldn't they just say
where they are, how long they've been established, what sort of financial
services they offer, what experience their key people have, etc.?
XXXXX YYYYY is a partnership based in ZZZZZZZ specialising in all
aspects of tax affairs. We have highly qualified people offering
services ranging from simple accountancy procedure to large and
complicated tax investigation cases involving businesses and
individuals. We are happy to welcome all clients both business and
personal regardless of wealth. Our current range of customers varies
from those requiring help with the basic self assessment forms to
handling the affairs of an international sporting celebrity.
This one is a bit more informative, but expresses about as much
personality as sink full of dirty dishes. Who are the highly qualified people?
When was the company founded – last week? And "regardless of wealth?"
You mean you might give me the time of day even if I'm not an
international sporting celebrity? That's patronizing, and it puts me off.
Here’s another doozer…
XXXXXXX is a company of sales people who teach selling. Our
consultants all have many years of sales and management experience.
In addition, everyone undertakes a continuous training and
development program. We maintain outstanding quality through
rigorous trainer accreditation. You can depend on XXXXXXX to repair
sales problems and deliver learning results.
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There is one word that springs to mind here: underwhelming. Sales people
who teach selling … no kidding. Who are they? Where are they? How long
has the company existed? Why was it founded? Why should I believe I can
depend on you?
OK. Now for some better ones:
XYZ was founded by XXXX ZZZZZZZ in (month) (year.) XXXX was one
of the first surveyors to both recognise the potential of capital
allowances in investment properties and to establish and refine a
procedure for their maximisation that satisfied HMRC. In the late
19XXs he jointly developed the first specialist teams of capital
allowances surveyors and in 19YY co-founded AAAAA BBBBB CCCCC,
the first independent firm of capital allowances consultants.
That's better. Doesn't say where they're based but provided that's made
clear in very obvious places elsewhere on the site, it's not a problem. At
least, though, we get a clear picture of the who and the what which makes
us more likely to trust that they know what they're doing. Also, we're not
being sold at by a string of empty sales pitches.
The Pizza XXXXX was originally named Pizza YYYY, and was
established in late 200X by an ex-pizza shop owner. His intentions
were simple - to get pizza shops on-line selling pizzas! At the time the
dotcom bubble was yet to burst and capital investment was being
offered from every angle. We decided to start with little investment
and go for sustained growth. This sound financial foundation allowed
us to keep costs low and borrowing
to a minimum. Whilst many dotcoms have had the plug pulled, we are
here to stay.
Once again, it doesn't tell us where, but that's made clear elsewhere. I'd
like to have read about their devotion to quality of
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the product in the early stages, too, not just the fact that they're unlikely to
go bankrupt tomorrow. But at least it gives you an impression of the
business, where it has been, and where it's going.
XXXXX was established in 19XX by its president, YYYYY ZZZZZ. Mr.
ZZZZZ is the originator of Xxxxxx, a discipline designed to inspire and
support human potential and well being in individuals and
organizations. The theoretical framework for Xxxxxx is based upon a
comprehensive study of Western psychology, cybernetics, Neuro
Linguistic Programming (NLP)* and the Japanese arts of Aikido, and
"sei tai". The practical foundation for XXXXX's work rests upon Mr.
ZZZZZ's XX years of business and consulting experience, which
includes XX years spent in Japanese and other Asian business circles.
This text goes on to describe both the technique's history and the
company's evolution in some detail – too much, perhaps, and it might
have been better summarized here with the clickthrough option to more
detail elsewhere on the website. No matter. You certainly feel reassured
that Mr ZZZZZ knows his stuff and can be relied upon to deliver.
Conclusions?
“About us” pages for business should not be “about us.” They should be
“about why we’re in a position to deliver results for you,” our prospective
customer. Most business communication should emphasise the “you”
angle and be centred around the “what’s in it for them” concept.
Particularly in a business “about” page text, always keep focused on what’s
in it for your reader – and you won’t go far wrong.
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And depending on how “hard sell” you want your site or blog to be, you
might want to consider offering readers a gentle call to action at the end of
your text … giving them a clickthrough to your services page, perhaps, or
asking them to sign up for your newsletter, or even directing them to your
most recent blog post or news story.
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2. Personal “about” pages, bios &
profiles
Personal “about” pages can take many forms, not least of which is the page
that appears on your personal (or your 1-person business) website, blog,
blogsite or whatever. These are sometimes called “bios” (short for
biographies) but often a bio is what you’ll asked for to support
contributions to a website or magazine, a special interest or sporting
magazine, etc., as well as on a platform of your own.
In our current mood of business being driven, to a significant extent, by
the influence of social media, these personal “about” pages or bios tend to
be informal and chatty and as such provide you with a very good
opportunity to express your true personality through what you write.
All the same, you must still bear in mind what your audience wants to
know about you, and why. This can vary quite a bit from one purpose to
another, but it’s not difficult to tailor your text to suit the requirements.
Let’s say you work as a graphic designer, you live in Milton Keynes with
your wife and two young children, your hobbies are gardening,
bird-watching and fishing, and you are disabled. For a general “about”
piece you would include all that information in roughly that order. But let’s
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say you’re contributing a guest post to a blog about fishing. Your order of
priority then would change as follows:
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1. Your hobby of fishing and experience of it
2. Your location
3. Your job
4. Your family and other hobbies
5. Your disability (if you want to, but only if you feel it’s necessary)
If you’re writing for a parenting blog or magazine, the priorities will change
again:
1. Your two children and your wife
2. Your disability (if it affects the way you parent)
3. Your location
4. Your hobbies
5. Your job
If you’re writing for a publication or website connected with your
disability:
1. Your disability
2. Your job and how it’s affected by your disability
3. Your family
4. Your hobbies
And so-on.
First person or third person again?
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“About” bios aren’t quite the same as personal selling documents like CVs,
however I prefer writing in the third person for more business-inclined
and/or formal purposes, and only use the first person where I am expected
to write in an informal, me-to-you style.
Here are a few examples of my own texts. Although much of the core
information is the same pretty well throughout, you can see
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how I adapt it and re-angle it to suit the purpose concerned. You’ll see that
I use the third person except for the “personal” page on my website and
Twitter, where formality is actively discouraged (and anyway you can get
more information into fewer characters using the first person!)
100 word bio for writers’ website
Canadian born Suzan “Suze” St Maur has worked as an advertising
copywriter, script and speechwriter since the 1970s, as well as researching
and writing more than 20 published nonfiction books – with several more
in the pipeline. Her key area of expertise is writing for business and general
nonfiction, where she helps people produce more effective written
material of their own, more quickly – from entire books down to
micro-blogging. One of her latest books, “How To Write Winning
Non-fiction” is an Amazon category best-seller, and currently she is
working on a new book on business writing for the 21st century.
Personal “about” page on own website
I'm a born and bred Canadian but have been based in the UK for many
years. Currently I live with my teenage son in a rambling old house near a
city called Milton Keynes, just about bang in the middle of England. Apart
from going to school, my son plays drums in a rather good (proud Mum
talking) metal rock band … click here if you'd like to listen to some
samples.
We have various (rescued) dogs and cats and until relatively recently I had
a horse, who is now retired. In my spare time I edit the newsletter of the
local horse riding Club and hope to own another horse one day.
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My other interests include healthcare, food and wine, animal welfare and
very, very amateurish gardening. I am a 2 x
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cancer warrior (superficial bladder cancer 2003, stage 1/2 breast cancer
2005, unconnected) and have been writing a humorous blog about cancer,
CancerComicStrip.
Bio on book jacket, “ The Pony Lovers’ Joke Book”
Canadian born, UK based Suzan St Maur is a leading international business
writer, editor and best-selling author. She has written more than 20
published books including several joke books, of which the all-time
favourite, “The Horse Lover’s Joke Book” has been consistently in the top
ten Amazon category best-sellers since the early 2000s.
Suzan started riding when she was 11 years old and soon joined the
Whaddon Chase Pony Club, of which she has very fond memories and to
whom she now occasionally offers her help. She is also a committee
member of the BRC affiliated Aspley Guise & District Riding Club. She has
had to have a few years off riding due to ill health but spends many a
weekend writing for dressage judges.
Suzan lives in Bedfordshire with her son, three dogs, and three cats
Bio on book jacket, “How To Write Winning Non-fiction”
Canadian born Suzan “Suze” St Maur
has worked as an advertising copywriter,
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script and speechwriter since the 1970s,
as well as researching and writing more
than 20 published nonfiction books – with
several more in the pipeline. Topics are
an eclectic mix ranging from business
and marketing to weddings, green living,
jokes, jewellery, health and safety, and of course – writing. Suze also edits
other people’s nonfiction books as well as coaching them through the
writing and publishing process.
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She lives near Milton Keynes, UK, with her student/musician son and
numerous rescued pets. For more information
go http://HowToWriteBetter.net
Bio on book jacket, “The A to Z of Wedding Wisdom”
Canadian-born Suzan St Maur is a researcher, writer and author
specialising in business, consumer and humour topics. She has extensive
experience of writing across all media in both corporate and
entertainment fields, and is also well known as a business and humorous
columnist on hundreds of websites internationally. As well as writing her
own material she edits other people's books, scripts and text, and advises
on book preparation and publication.
She has 22 published/commissioned books to her name including the
popular "Wedding Speeches For Women," also by How To Books.
Suzan lives in Bedfordshire, UK, with her teenage son and various pets. She
has been married more than once and consequently has personal
experience of most of the main issues affecting weddings!
You can read more about Suzan and her work on her
website, http://HowToWriteBetter.net
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Profile on LinkedIn, social/business networking site (business
use)
Canadian born Suzan St Maur (a.k.a. “Suze”) was transported to the UK
when a child and despite resultant cultural challenges managed to leave
British secondary
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school with a couple of “A” levels and no talent for anything other than
writing, so her career options were fairly clear cut.
She attended and graduated from the then-famous Watford Art School
advertising writing course and worked in London ad agencies as a
copywriter for a few years, before deciding she was far too bolshie to be an
employee and so became a freelancer.
While comfortably paying her mortgage and bills her work took off into
the areas of business theatre and corporate video, in which disciplines she
became the Grandma Moses of corporate script and speechwriting for
many years.
Suze also developed useful skills as a conference and video producer,
largely in emergencies caused by the actual practitioners’ bunking off
through illness, drunkenness, excessive use of recreational substances, etc.
It’s amazing how fast you can learn to do a job if the person who should be
doing it is in la-la-land and the client expects a top job, right now…
These days Suze concentrates on printed/electronic words. She enjoys
coaching new authors and editing other people’s books in addition to
running her other business interests, writing her own books, blogs and
articles, plus giving workshops, radio interviews, etc., on how to make your
writing more successful. She has had over 20 books of her own published,
with several more contracted. These titles include 10 on writing for
business/general nonfiction, five about weddings, and five joke books. She
has edited a number of other people’s nonfiction books and currently is
working with two other authors on their autobiographies.
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Profile pieces on Facebook page (business and personal use)
Writing coach, editor and best-selling author, helping people write more
effectively for business and general nonfiction. See how my "How To Write
Winning Nonfiction" helps you write a successful book of your
own- http://tinyurl.com/ycxqxkz
I'm the wrong side of 50, overweight, and a 2 times cancer warrior (breast,
currently in abeyance, and bladder which was removed recently.) I run a
blog about the humorous incidents occurring to cancer sufferers,
here: http://www. CancerComicStrip.blogspot.com
I'm married but have been separated for a long time, and live with my
teenage son who is on a gap year now and hopes to go to Uni to study
political science (can't imagine where he got his brains from ... certainly not
from me!)
Profile on Twitter, micro-blogging site (business use)
I help people create text that works - from whole books to microblogs.
Also an editor / proofreader / writing coach. Have had 30+ books of my
own published, too.
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What about “elevator speeches?”
Elevator speeches are a delightfully North American invention if for no
reason other than North American cities tend to have very tall commercial
buildings, and people – whilst travelling in their elevators (lifts) – have the
opportunity to share their raison d’ètre with whoever happens to be going
up or down with them at the same time.
Despite many North American buildings being unbelievably tall, their
elevators move fast, so whatever you say to your co-elevatoree on the way
up or down needs to fit into around 30 seconds or so.
Realistically, “elevator speeches” are set pieces in which you need to define
why you exist – in business terms – within a very short space of time
whether you’re yomping up and down in an elevator, speed-networking at
a F2F meeting, or
chatting to a potential client while
waiting for a bus or train. Whatever the circumstance, this is not the right
occasion for trotting out your mini-biography, no matter how concise it
might be. (Photo thanks to Pzado.)
Whereas bijou biographies talk about you, elevator speeches must talk
about what you do for your clients. Big difference. However don’t be
intimidated. All you need to do is identify how whatever your skill or
business capability is, helps clients do their stuff better.
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To illustrate, here is a short bio of mine, followed by an equivalent
“elevator speech…”
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Bijou bio:
Suzan St Maur is a leading business writer, best-selling author, editor and
writing coach. Check out how she can help you write more effectively
here: http://HowToWriteBetter.net
Elevator speech:
I help people create text that works - from whole books to microblogs. I’m
also an editor / proofreader / writing coach with 30+ published books of
my own, so I really do know how to help you achieve your non-fiction
publishing dreams!
See the difference? Hope so….!
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3. CVs / RÉSUMÉS
Not surprisingly, how to write good CVs or résumés (I’ll call them CVs from
now on as that’s shorter!) is one of the most widely searched terms within
the “how to write” category on Google. Yet despite there being endless
advice on how to prepare a good CV on the internet, in recruitment
agencies, in careers advisory services at schools and almost everywhere
else connected with employment, bad CVs still circulate in far too high
numbers.
Considering that your CV is probably the most important document you’ll
ever create as “writing about yourself,” this is crazy. Getting your CV into
good shape is not rocket science, but it is a bit fiddly and requires a lot of
checking and double-checking. And every bit of that is worthwhile,
because this document is the only tool you’ve got to help you open doors
in a huge, competitive marketplace where everyone else is trying to slam
your fingers in them.
One British expert I interviewed some time ago for an article on CVs made
a point that I hadn’t thought of before, and that is the way we focus on our
pasts in CVs is not so much about the past as it is about supporting your
value now and in the future. And that’s a very good objective to keep in
mind when you’re preparing your CV.
Combined with that is our perennial old favourite, the “what’s in it for you”
element as far as the reader is concerned. In this case your audience is
either a prospective employer or someone representing him/her, so
whatever goes into the version of your CV you prepare for them must do
one of two things:
1. Show them or at least suggest how your contribution is going to be
very valuable to them
2. Impress upon them that you have the right social, sporting and other
skills to support your business value
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That may seem hard and cynical. However much as it’s OK to be human
and touchy-feely, prospective employers or their agents wading through
dozens of CVs are not going to care about your embroidery hobby unless
they happen to be looking for an embroidery expert to fill the vacancy.
Keeping your CV brief and totally, utterly relevant is critically important
because of the limited time available to read it, and also to show readers
that you respect their busy lives.
Where do people go wrong with CVs?
Some experts say that to get noticed you should break away from the
traditional format and layout of a CV (see below) as that will get you
noticed and make you stand out in the slush pile, but others say although
it might make you stand out it could do so for the wrong reasons.
Prospective employers
and especially recruitment agents of all
levels prefer to work within their comfort
zones and an all-singing, all-dancing CV
that thumbs its nose at conventional
formatting will irritate them, which is hardly
the impression you want to create.
Where people do go terribly wrong is within one of these areas:
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Using standardized CV templates downloaded from the
internet. These can provide a useful starting point, but because they are
standardized they tend to have a standardizing influence on you, which is
not what you want. You need to follow the conventional structure of a CV,
but that’s where the resemblance between you and the rest of the world
finishes.
Not taking enough time over the compilation of the CV. As I
mentioned earlier, this document is probably the most important one
you’ll ever write about yourself, and it’s the one tool
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that can make or break your career. Give it the time and effort it deserves.
Use of tired clichГ©s. We all chuckle at some of these hairy old
business-speak terms and point out how meaningless they have become
through over-usage. So why on earth include any in your CV? Yet it’s
surprising how many people fall back on the clichГ©s. But you need to get
out of that comfort zone and use terms and phrases that make you stand
out.
Inappropriate use of humour or informality. This is not a time to
write in the way that you would chat to friend over a latté – you want to be
taken seriously. The right tone is professional, with no bullshit.
Incorrect grammar, spelling,
punctuation & syntax. You’d think
everyone would know how important this
is, wouldn’t you? Yet it’s amazing how
often small goofs get missed, even with
spelling and grammar checkers. Get your
CV proof-read by several different people,
if necessary.
Wording that’s too arrogant, or too meek. Although it’s
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important that your CV is positive and shows you in your best light, it’s not
the place to go into too hard a selling mode because that can make you
look either a) conceited, b) desperate, or both. Conversely wording that’s
so mealy-mouthed it comes over almost as apologetic is just as bad. A
bold, straight-from-the-shoulder approach that’s professional and
respectful is ideal.
Too many assumptions about what you can do for the new
employer. Although it’s important to make all of your CV relevant to the
vacancy in question, it’s dangerous to assume you know a lot about the
company’s expectations of you. Often job
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specifications are unclear and/or inadequate and if you go into a lot of
detail about what transpires to be wrong information, it will make you look
stupid.
The whole thing is too long and detailed. If you are a young
student / graduate, your CV really shouldn’t be longer than about two or
three pages. Older people who have been in employment for longer can
get away with longer CVs, but even so remember to edit, edit, edit. The
shorter the message, the more powerful it will be provided it gets the key
points across.
Your personal interests give a negative impression of who
you are. Much as you may be proud of the fact that all by yourself
you’ve been a successful breeder of racing pigeons since you were 12,
whether you like it or not that could suggest that you’re a bit of a loner.
Not good in our team-orientated business world. It’s better in a case like
this to emphasise your role within the pigeon racing community, and the
ways in which your expertise is shared and appreciated.
The format and content of your CV
Much as some of us (“moi” included) consider the reverse chronological
order common in traditional CVs to be a bit illogical, in the minds of
prospective employers and their agents this is how it should be done. And
who are we to try to overturn that perception, especially when we need a
job?
Most experts advise that you massage this format to increase focus on the
best points in your career so far. You can do this by summarizing the so-so
parts while highlighting the important parts. Don’t just say what you did
for a previous employer; say what you did and how it improved the
performance of the department / company concerned. This then links
what you’ve done for earlier employers into what, possibly, you could do
for the next one: an
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essential element of a CV but not one which necessarily you can spell out
in anything other than general terms – see above.
Don’t assume they’ll understand everything. Although you
know what you achieved in a particular role, a prospective employer – and
particularly an agent who is unlikely to be an expert in your industry – will
not understand everything in your terms. Make sure you express
everything in terms everyone would understand. If you’re applying for a
high-tech or otherwise complex vacancy, write out the techie bits on a
further sheet and make sure that’s hanging on the back of your CV. Point
readers towards it so they can view it if they want to.
If you’re older that 20-something, don’t bang on about your
education. If you’re a youngster looking for a job after having done just
a couple of paper rounds,
by all means sing out your scholastic
achievements because – let’s face it – that’s
pretty much all you’ve got going for you right
now. (See sample CVs below.) But once
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you’re further up the career food chain,
dump the details and just include the good
bits. Prospective employers like good academic
qualifications but tend to be much more interested
in how you get on in the workplace.
Application forms: what about these?
A lot of companies and organizations avoid the CV route when seeking
employees, largely because the wildly varying CVs they are likely to receive
will drive their HR people or their HR agents utterly nuts. Application forms
have the reassuring ability to homogenize the process and so, with a bit of
luck, make it easier for everyone to see who shakes down as most
appropriate and why.
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Although an application form should not alarm you – because the content
concerned is simply information adapted from your regular CV – actually it
can challenge you somewhat more to show what you can do for the
recruiter concerned in a rather more focused way.
However don’t be intimidated by application forms. Simply approach
them in a way that, probably, is appropriate for CVs too:
Be honest and be informal, but be respectful
Be brief/concise (don’t waste their time on irrelevant bullshit)
Express yourself in a positive light but don’t brag/boast
Ensure you answer the questions accurately
Ensure your responses are angled towards “what’s in it for you,” i.e.
the employer
Basic essentials of a CV
Okay, let’s now look at the basic structure and content of what most
employers or their agents in the UK and USA would consider appropriate
for a CV. Here’s how it can go, not necessarily in the commonly used order.
First of all, here’s the order you would use if you’re a graduate looking for a
first fulltime job:
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Personal information
Personal statement
Education (reverse chronological order)
Qualifications (reverse chronological order)
Work Experience (reverse chronological order)
Skills (languages, IT skills, driving licences etc – keep these relevant)
Interests and hobbies (make these varied and interesting – don’t just
say “socializing” or “clubbing” – and avoid mentioning too many that
suggest you’re a loner, e.g. reading)
Personal achievements (sports, hobbies, voluntary work etc.)
References / referees
For someone who is further along in their career, a different order is
appropriate – something like this, depending on what you’re applying for:
Personal information
Personal statement
Post-grad / tertiary / professional qualifications
Skills (languages, IT skills, driving licences etc – keep these relevant)
Jobs and work achievements (reverse chronological order)
Personal achievements (sports, hobbies, voluntary work etc.)
Education (reverse chronological order but not detailed)
Qualifications (secondary education e.g. GCSEs and “A” levels)
Interests and hobbies (make these varied and interesting – don’t just
say “socializing” or “clubbing” – and avoid mentioning too many that
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suggest you’re a loner, e.g. reading)
References / referees
Now. What about someone who has had a long layoff due to taking a
career break to have a family, or who is seeking work after having a family
with no particular previous work experience?
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Personal information
Personal statement
Achievements (managing a home, multi-tasking re: children and
domestic issues, running/participating in school/social groups,
supporting/working in partner’s business, etc.)
Skills (focusing on management, childcare, multi-tasking – trust me,
these skills are valuable to a potential employer! – along with
languages, IT skills, driving licences, etc.)
Earlier work experience (if relevant)
Education (reverse chronological order)
Qualifications (if appropriate)
Interests and hobbies (make these varied and interesting – don’t just
say “socializing” or “clubbing” – and avoid mentioning too many that
suggest you’re a loner, e.g. reading)
References / referees
How to turn facts into selling points
Just as is the case with any other “selling” document (and that’s what your
CV is) here you need to turn features into benefits.
In the case of people who have a reasonably star-studded career track so
far and/or those with good academic qualifications, the features
(achievements and qualifications) aren’t hard to turn into benefits. All you
need to do is relate what shakes down from a particular
achievement/qualification to the ways in which that can benefit an
employer.
Even something like “captain of rugby team for 3 years running” – though
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not of interest on its own – can be interesting if it’s phrased as “being
captain of our rugby team for 3 years running, I have become adept at
leadership and team leading skills – often under difficult, challenging
conditions.”
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What about someone who hasn’t done much for a few
years?
Don’t worry. Particularly in the case of “women returners,” things really are
looking up despite the economic pains going on at the time I’m writing
this. And don’t be intimidated by the fact that what you have been doing
may be viewed as “domestic” and therefore of little importance. That just
isn’t true; more and more, large corporations are coming to respect the
skills perfected by people in precisely those circumstances.
In your CV, focus on what you have learned during your time away from
the coalface. If you’re a “woman returner” explain how you’ve managed
your family, its finances and everyday management. If you’ve been
involved with running the PTA at your child’s school, been a school
governor, been a carer to someone, etc., etc., put this forward – pull out
the benefits to a potential employer through what you have learned.
Running a family home, keeping up to speed with one or more children’s
daily requirements and perhaps helping out at a playgroup or seniors’ care
centre involves:
Multi-skilling
Leadership
Forward planning
Financial planning & budgeting
Adaptability
Mentoring
Etc.
Running or helping to run a soccer team, general youth, keep fit, karate,
line dancing, or similar group involves:
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Multi-skilling
Leadership and/or teamworking
Marketing
Public Relations
Forward planning
Financial planning & budgeting
Motivational work
Coaching
Mentoring
Etc.
And don’t be cynical about the skills you develop in such practices,
because potential employers aren’t. What you achieve as a mover and
shaker with your local cricket team or keep fit group is every bit as
important as the – let’s face it, similar – skills you’d acquire in the
workplace.
Ummm … I’ve been bumming around for a while…
Why you have been out of the workplace for a while is another issue, and
one which you must address honestly – or your credibility will go through
the floor. I don’t suppose I need to remind you that lying about it is a bad
idea.
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BUT - being unemployed for a while – even
a long while – is not tantamount to being a
leprosy sufferer. Unless you’re a total waster
(in which case you wouldn’t be reading this)
you need to get your self-esteem together
and get out there.
So how do you relate this stuff – really – to impress a potential employer?
It’s not rocket science: just put yourself in the shoes of someone who is
being paid to consider employing you. If you have been out of work for
some time, explain why. Show that you didn’t
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sit around doing nothing; tell them about the voluntary work you did
while job hunting, how you became a carer for a relative or neighbour,
how you coached your daughter’s netball team, how you travelled in the
Himalayas, etc.
Always relate the activity to the outcome, because it’s the outcomes that a
prospective employer will use to judge what you might be able to do for
them. So state how much money the voluntary work raised/saved for a
good cause … how the relative or neighbour benefitted from your care …
how much your daughter’s netball team improved while you were
coaching them … how your travels in the Himalayas broadened your
outlook and helped you become a more rounded person … and so-on.
The “so what” test
This is a useful device that I use for all kinds of business writing, and it
works well for people’s CVs, too. After every statement, ask yourself “so
what?” That should lead you to qualify the statement with another phrase
or sentence that suggests “what’s in it” for the reader. Obviously you don’t
want to lead readers by the nose and state how you think your skill or
achievement will work out in practice at the new job, but a strong hint is
very helpful. For example…
Experience using Sage and most other financial software packages,
equally proficient in all
Captain of 6th form rugby team, took team to first place in XXXXshire
schools league
Part-time volunteer, animal charity shop, varied experience of retail
sales and management
Full, clean driving licence held since 200X, has own car
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Sample CV: “A” LEVEL SCHOOL LEAVER
Curriculum Vitae
Name Name
Address 1
Address 2
Address 3 and postcode
Tel: 01234 567 890
Mob: 01234 567 890
Email: namename@namemail.com
DOB: XX / XX / XX
Age: XX yrs
NI Number: AB 12 34 56 Z
Current status:
Seeking full-time employment
Summary
I am a hard-working person with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm plus growing entrepreneurial
spirit. These qualities will help ensure that I make a creative, valuable contribution to my employers'
business. Through my school, sporting and social activities I have also developed good team skills which
I hope my future employers will find helpful in the workplace.
Work Experience History
2010 (July) to 2010 (Sept) Warehouse Operative & Sales Executive,
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XXXXXXXXX Plant Sales Ltd (full-time) (their website)
Meeting & greeting customers, as well as advising
Creating & filing invoices etc.
Organising incoming & outgoing stock
Uploading & cataloguing stock information
Uploading information to online sites
2009 (Feb) to 2009 (June) Warehouse and Customer Assistant
XXXXXXX Building Supplies Ltd (part-time) (their website)
Customer assisting & advising
Warehousing of deliveries
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2008 (June) to 2008 (Sept) Cashier and General Assistant
XXXXXXX Restaurants (part-time) (their website)
Customer interface
Cashier’s duties
Basic cookery skills
Maintaining cleanliness, health & safety
2005 – 2008 Office Assistant
XXXXXXXXX Marketing (their website)
Filing, photocopying
Telephone answering
Handling post (incoming & outgoing)
Word processing
Qualifications obtained
BCS Level 1 Certificate of IT Users (ECDL Part 1)
Full (clean) UK driving licence held since August 2009. Has own car.
Educational history
XXXXXXXXXXX School
Town, County
2004 – 2010
A Levels attained: Economics B
Politics C
Psychology B
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A/S Levels attained: Biology
Economics
Politics
Psychology
Extra-curricular appointment Sept 2008: Deputy Head of Sound, XXXXXXXXXXX School (College of
Performing Arts)
GCSE Results: Mathematics A grade
French A “
English Literature A “
Religious Studies A “
Biology B grade
English B “
Physics B “
Business Studies B “
Music B “
Graphics B “
Chemistry C grade
12+ test passed, mark 134 (out of 144)
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XXXXXXX Middle School
Town, County
2001 – 2004
XXXXXXXX Lower School
Town, County
1997 – 2001
Sporting Interests
Golf - to Junior Golf Association Gold Standard
Tennis – keen social player
Badminton – keen social player
Baseball – played XXXXXXXXX Youth team 2002-2003
Member, XXXXXXX Health & Fitness Club, Town
Comments:
“(Name) is a delightful student, generous-hearted, good-humoured and unfailingly polite. He is also
extremely able. It is my sincere hope that he “raises his game” in the few remaining weeks, and exceeds
some of these predicted grades. I would love to be congratulating him on this in September!”
Head of Year, XXXXXXXX School
Referees:
Mrs Name Name (Head of Y13)
XXXXXXX School
Address 1
Address 2 and postcode
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Phone 01234 567 890
Email name@XXXXXXschool
(Plus two further references – names, company names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.)
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Sample CV: OLDER JOB SEEKER
Curriculum Vitae
Name Name Name
Address 1
Address 2
Address 3 and postcode
Phone: 01234 567 890
Email: namename@namemail.com
DOB: Xth Month 19XX
Driving Licence:
full, clean, held XX years.
Summary
(First) Name is enthusiastic and well organised with a proven ability to prioritise, and an engaging
personality. He is looking to contribute his skills to a company in a role that is challenging, stimulating
and varied - where he can add to its success by drawing from his experience, using his creative energy,
and learning new ways to provide effective solutions.
Experience
Month 200X – Month 200X
Company, County, their website
Trainee Branch Manager
Carried out various business roles including:
XXXX co-ordinating, liaising with private customers, and with corporate and business XXXX
customers, from initial contact to XXXX completion.
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Carrying out regulatory vehicle checks and inspections.
Planning and booking in of XXXXXXXX.
Dealing with XXXXXXX operatives, preparing paperwork in line with processes in order to ensure
smooth running of the business.
Knowledge of selling insurance according to FSA regulation including complaints procedures.
Collecting and processing payments by card, working out final balances/invoices.
Month 200X – 200X
Company, Parent Company, County, their website
XXXXXX Administrator
Client Liaison for multi-national XXXXXXX firms such as Multi-National Name, Multi-National
Name, etc.
Preparing paperwork for Veritas (ISO) Inspection.
Administration of overseas airfreight/FMCG freighting tasks.
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Month 200X – Month 200X
Lincolnshire/Staffordshire
Personal Care Worker
During this period (First) Name took a career break to develop his interpersonal skills and experience the
personal care industry.
* Month 200X – Month 200X: worked as a full time carer to an elderly disabled lady who has now gone
into sheltered accommodation. Managed her personal paperwork, finances and personal care needs.
* Month 200X – Month 200X: provided assistance to a local disabled lady; helping with accounts through
the use of excel spreadsheets, general household duties, including sorting paperwork, re-decorating and
gardening .
Month 200X – Month 200X
XXXX XXXXXXX Ltd, County, their website
Sales Coordinator
In the first year of joining the business, (First) Name doubled sales revenue and continued to increase
sales year on year. Further activities were as follows:
* Managed the business for holiday periods and ad-hoc, duties included: workforce management,
planning daily work schedules, use of company vehicles and storage unit to maximise revenue. He also
undertook invoicing and stock ordering.
* Gathered information on target areas for efficient use of canvassing to boost market coverage; creating
new leads to increase sales.
* Housing estates with frequent and fast property sales were targeted. This included dealing directly with
firms supplying �For Sale’ signs.
* (First) Name was involved with the review and modernisation of the brand including the design of
company sales literature and livery, creating a fresh and inviting look.
* Undertaking surveys, covering sales for domestic (household), office (commercial), European and
international XXXXXXX. This included dealing and liaising with freight forwarders in order to supply a
complete and competitive quotation for customers.
* Monitoring FSA regulations in order to provide insurance.
Month 199X – Month 200X
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XXXXX XXXXX Ltd, County, their website
Sales Coordinator
(First) Name took the role of the domestic, international and smaller office and commercial sales
representative for the company. Activities included:
* Project management of office XXXXXX, the largest of over 800 staff (XXXXXXX Council).
* Gaining the professional qualification XXXX (XXXXX XXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXX) 200X-200X - Including
EU Working Time Directive.
* Increasing turnover through sales, within 6 months of joining the business, bringing in a total of
ВЈ269,000 in 200X-X.
Graduate Placements
Month 199X – Month 199X
XXXXXX Newspapers Ltd, City
* Worked in the advertising sales department.
* Helped to produce client reports based upon their specific target segments.
* Upon completion of work placement, David was invited by the company to stay on for a further 3
months.
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Month 199X – Month 199X
Foreign Bank, City
* Worked with the bank’s treasury department.
* Working on ensuring corporate compliance for the bank.
* Responsible for overseeing that the liabilities of the bank were within Bank of England guidelines
Education
199X – 199X
University of Place, City
Degree in Business Studies & Marketing.
BA with Honours (2.2)
199X – 199X
XXXXXXX Grammar, City, County
A Levels: Economics (B), General Studies (B), History (C), German (E)
Nine G. C. S. E.’s: grades achieved 2 x A’s & 7 x B’s.
Interests
Church bell ringer (campanology). (First) Name was appointed as Tower Captain at XXXXXX Church
(CRB checked and cleared); and regularly rings at XXXXXXXX Cathedral as well as at churches in the
XXXXXXXX area.
Field Hockey player for Town’s 6th’s in the XXXXX XXXXXX League, awarded top goal scorer 200X/0X
season.
Gardening is also a hobby that he enjoys. In addition he likes to play the piano having passed Grade 6,
particularly playing baroque. Photography is a new interest which provides a creative outlet.
References
(Five – names, company names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.)
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What did you think of these two sample CVs? They are both real ones – I
haven’t made them up, but obviously I removed all names and
identification points to protect the innocent!
How would you improve on them? What opinion would you form of the
candidates concerned?
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4. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD COVERING
LETTER OR EMAIL
Recent letters accompanying CVs I have received have made me cringe
with embarrassment on behalf of the writer ... usually a student looking for
either a temporary or permanent placement in a marketing job. The reason
why is that so often the letters are totally "me" orientated ... all about what
"I" have done and how "I" want to achieve this or that, usually ending on a
none-too polite request for them to be informed of any vacancies. Why
should I inform them of any vacancies? Not once in their covering letter do
they say, or suggest, what might be in it for me as their prospective
employer.
Most experts agree that the sensible way to approach the covering letter
is to abide by conventions of whatever industry you're in. If you're in any
of the business communication industries, your covering letter will need to
be "you" (reader benefits) orientated if it's going to attract the right sort of
attention. If you’re in IT, you may not need a covering letter at all. Overall,
though, it’s considered a polite way to introduce your CV and provided
that it doesn’t slow the reader’s progress through the pile, it can be a very
good way of flagging you up and capturing the reader’s attention.
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Layout of the letter
This should follow the normal pattern of an ordinary business letter,
something like this:
If you are sending your CV by email as an attachment, the email itself
needs to cover the same topics but obviously in a less formal, abbreviated
way, e.g.
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Covering letters or emails when you’re going around
job agencies
Very often when you’re job hunting around the agencies F2F or by
telephone the agents concerned will tell you to email or send your CV to
them directly. In this case the covering letter or email only needs to
confirm and remind them of who you are – something like this:
Covering letters or emails when responding to job
ads, etc.
This is where you need to get a bit more creative, as unlike the agency
staff, the recipients of your CV are likely to be a) the person who might
employ you or b) someone pretty close to him/her.
First of all this is where your capability
at business writing comes under
scrutiny, as much of the text in the CV
is likely to be bullets and contractions
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– but here your words need to flow.
You also need to be very concise so
you get them wanting more very
quickly. And it goes without saying that your spelling, grammar and
punctuation must be perfect. First impressions count here like anywhere
else. Pay particular attention to spelling the person’s name as shown –
ditto the company name and address. Use a standard business letter
layout or email layout as I showed you above, and if sending hard copy
make sure you use plain, good quality white A4 paper.
The objective here is to make your application stand out from the crowd,
and there’s one way I have suggested to many people that seems to work
pretty well. This involves researching the company concerned and picking
up on a particular issue with which you can offer a definite connection. The
structure of your main body text might go something like this:
Dear XXXXXX (Manager of Pizza Restaurant)
I am applying for your position of waiter as advertised in today’s
XXXXXXXXXX. My CV is attached for your information.
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You might find it useful that my late grandfather was Italian, from Naples
which as you know is the home of the pizza – and I have loved both
making and eating pizzas since early childhood. You’ll find that much
within both my work experience and hobbies relates to this.
I do hope I may look forward to hearing from you - and eventually to
contributing good value to your restaurant.
(Etc.)
How about this one:
Dear XXXXXXX (Manager of residential SEN children’s school)
I am applying for your position of part-time care assistant as advertised in
today’s XXXXXXXXXX. My CV is attached for your information.
Although I have not been formally employed for a few years while raising
my young family, you may be interested to know that along with doing
this I also acted as personal carer to my grandmother from 200X to a few
weeks ago when she was obliged to move into a nursing home. I enjoyed
caring for her increasingly challenging needs and you may agree with me
that this experience is transferable to your care assistance role.
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I do hope I may look forward to hearing from you - and eventually to
contributing effectively to your school.
(Etc.)
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And for someone further up in the big bad business world:
Dear XXXXXXX (MD of Volkswagen Audi dealership)
I am applying for your position of marketing manager as advertised in
today’s XXXXXXXXXX. My CV is attached for your information.
Although as you’ll see from the CV that my recent experience in
automotive marketing has been with Peugeot/Citroën, you’ll be interested
to know that I have a passion for Mark 1 VW Golfs and have three models,
all in showroom condition, which I take to concours d’elegance all over the
UK.
I do hope I may look forward to hearing from you - and eventually to
contributing positively to your dealership and my favourite marque.
(Etc.)
What if there’s nothing to pull you out and get you
noticed?
If you can’t think of anything special to pull out of your employment
toolkit, don’t worry – just make the recipient of the covering letter feel
good – without excessive flattery or any grovelling, of course!
Your second paragraph (after the salutary one) should pick up on
something like…
…I have always admired XXXXX pizzas – I plus many of my friends and
family are regular customers there, and as such
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it would be especially gratifying for me to be able to make a positive
contribution to your restaurant …
…that having brought up three young children, some of whose school
friends were SEN, I have valuable first-hand experience of day-to-day care
and management of most age groups and enjoy interaction with children
of all abilities…
…that although my recent marketing experience has been in the luxury
goods sector I have always loved the Volkswagen brand for its quality and
no-nonsense sophistication and I’m confident that my experience can be
harnessed to add significant value to your dealership…
There are thousands upon thousands of websites and books that give you
information on how to put your CV and covering letter/email together, and
by all means look them up. However don’t take it all too seriously, and
remember that a) simpler is always better and b) never forget that your CV
and covering letter are all about you – not some stereotype candidate that
we well-meaning advisers have concocted. Trust your instincts. And good
luck!
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5. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD PERSONAL
STATEMENT FOR UNIVERSITY OR
COLLEGE
Before I go any further, I have to point out that there are myriad resources
both on the internet and within print books that will indicate exactly what
you need to include in your university personal statement – and if in the
US your admission essay – so for me to detail it all here would be
superfluous.
In addition to that, whichever university to which you are applying will
undoubtedly offer detailed guidelines on what they expect you to include
in your statement. Beyond that, your school or college from which you will
be graduating to university will have trained staff who know just what you
need to include in your personal statement and/or admission essay, for
whichever and however many universities.
In the UK, the key contact forum is UCAS which as you probably know
already can be accessed here: http://www.ucas.ac.uk
So why have I included a piece on this at all?
Business writing approaches can be very helpful
Those of you who read my business writing stuff regularly will know that I
bang on endlessly about the “you” angle, and particularly the need to
infuse your writing with an emphasis on “what’s in it for me, the reader.”
Much as university personal statements and the US-favoured admission
essays would appear to be all about “me” the applicant, let’s not kid
ourselves. What’s going to get you in the door is not
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“all about me” but “all about how I am a suitable student to work well
within your university and probably help bring it some good brownie
points into the bargain.” Cynical? Yes. Unrealistic? No.
As I have suggested, there are endless websites and books available that
will tell you the structures, approaches and “tones of voice” which work
best for any particular university application. I can’t duplicate these here
(no space) and in any case, in the main they offer you lots of good advice
that I wouldn’t know about, not having been to university myself.
Please use these – and especially use the advice given to you by your
school or college – as much as you can.
So what advice can I, speaking as an old goat, offer?
What I do know about as I suggested above, has little to do with university
requirements and everything to do with basic business writing psychology
that helps you, as the “product,” to get your foot in the door.
Take a look at these tips, because they will help
you to angle your university application material
in a way that can grab readers harder. Try to include the tips as and when
you can, and don’t let the academic types in your life deflect you from
creating material that appeals to its readership rather than anything else…
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Write as people speak, but don’t just write down a monologue
Write in terms of “me,” but don’t use a pompous “royal we” approach
If you want to use your “personal brand voice” (see below) make sure
it speaks the reader’s language
Make every sentence relevant to the audience – “what’s in it for
them?”
Wherever possible write to “you” – not to anyone in the 3rd-person
Don’t just get to the point – start with it, and phrase it so it will grab
the audience’s attention
Say what you mean and don’t procrastinate with fuzzy language
Be informal but be careful not to be overly familiar
Use go words, not slow words – sharper nouns, stronger, shorter
verbs
Use active rather than passive phrasing (“go to bed now,” not “it’s
time you went to bed”)
Although simple is usually better, don’t over-simplify – it can seem
childish or patronising
Especially with online text but with print too, avoid long blocks of text
because they’re uninviting to read
Visually break up long sections of text by peppering them with
cross-headings or emboldened key points
Keep online sentences and paragraphs short, and vary the length of
offline sentences
Don’t go into more than one idea per sentence
Write so that one sentence flows logically into the next
One-word or verbless sentences are useful for pacing and effect, but
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only if you use them sparingly
Where possible start new paragraphs with links like “Of course,” or
“However,” to keep the audience hooked
Use a list or bullet points to put across more than two or three items
in a sequence
Keep jargon to a minimum and be sure your audience will understand
what you do use
Avoid meaningless or valueless clichГ©s because they make your
writing seem unoriginal
Learn the difference between poor clichés and your subject’s
commonly used terms, and use the latter intelligently
Avoid adjectives and superlatives that smell phoney, e.g. “best,”
“fastest,” “exciting”
Use the most visual adjectives and adverbs you can think of – they’re
powerful
Use “Plain English” wherever possible – even college professors are
unimpressed with a lot of long words where short ones will do
Check for small grammatical and punctuation goofs – they make you
look amateurish
Check for spelling mistakes and don’t rely totally on your spellchecker
Proofread your work backwards – it sounds crazy but you don’t miss
spelling mistakes that way
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6. HOW TO WRITE A GOOD PERSONAL
STATEMENT FOR YOUR CV/RÉSUMÉ
Many people panic when asked to write a personal statement to head their
CVs because despite their ability to detail their careers right back to their
nursery schools, summarizing it all into a couple of hundred words freaks
them out.
Are you one of those? Fear not.
So what constitutes a good CV personal statement?
If you search this term and associated ones on Google you’ll find huge
amounts of information and advice, and most of it is good.
But once again I would urge you to phrase that paragraph or two in terms
of:
What your particular strengths are and how they are relevant to the
job in hand
How you feel you can harness/adapt your previous experience to
deliver in the job you’re applying for
Why you personally feel your contribution to your new employer will
be valuable
Provided that you stick to those criteria, or at least something resembling
those, you won’t go far wrong. But whatever you do, avoid focusing on
“me” and what I’ve done or might do. Much as it may sound harsh,
potential employers (or their agents) don’t care, unless you underline to
them the ways in which whatever you do / have done could benefit
them.
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Examples from the real-life CV samples earlier in this
book
School leaver:
I am a hard-working person with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm
plus growing entrepreneurial spirit. These qualities will help ensure that I
make a creative, valuable contribution to my employers' business. Through
my school,
sporting and social activities I have also
developed good team skills which I hope
my future employers will find helpful in the
workplace.
Older job seeker:
(First) Name is enthusiastic and well organised with a proven ability to
prioritise, and an engaging personality. He is looking to contribute his skills
to a company in a role that is challenging, stimulating and varied - where
he can add to its success by drawing from his experience, using his creative
energy, and learning new ways to provide effective solutions.
What do you think of these personal statements from CVs (they are real –
not made up) … ??
Do you think they work, or could you improve on them?
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7. TESTIMONIALS: HOW TO GET GOOD
ONES
Testimonials have a bit of a chequered history. In the past they were
over-used in press advertising and some unscrupulous advertisers even
faked them. It's only in comparatively recent times, when advertising in
most industrialized countries has been regulated, that readers know
testimonials have to be genuine.
There may still be the odd person or two who sneers at testimonials and
endorsements, but in the main people now accept them for real, and
believe in their honesty. This makes them powerful.
Testimonials aren't just useful in advertisements, either. They can be used
to strengthen your case even when putting forward business proposals,
writing reports, in email signatures, and in particular, in CVs.
However getting good testimonials isn't easy. Robert Middleton, US
professional service marketing guru, agrees. Here is an excerpt from his
excellent newsletter, "More Clients"…
The dilemma is that it's damn hard to get a good testimonial. Even if you get a
willing person, it often takes ages for them to write it. And when they do write
it, it doesn't say what you
hoped it would. And if you write it for them, all your testimonials start
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sounding the same. It often ends up being a hassle and, after several
unsuccessful attempts, it drops off the radar screen.
There is really only one way: get someone else, such as a marketing or PR
person, to interview your client, transcribe the interview, edit it to emphasize
the most important points and then get the testimonial giver's approval to use
it.
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And, believe it or not, people are almost always happy to be interviewed. They
are delighted to help you if you helped them. And this approach makes the
process so easy.
Another reason why you can be the wrong person to do the interview, in
my opinion, is because your interviewee may feel a little intimidated if you
are the person s/he is actually dealing with. A neutral third party will not
intimidate the interviewee in the same way, and can probably get away
with asking more pointed questions than you can, anyway.
You don't necessarily need to go outside your own comfort zone to find
the right person to do the testimonial interview. It could be someone from
a different school or college, or from a different branch or office of what
you have been doing. It could even be someone who works in the next
room – as long as they know the background and do not know you, the
interviewee.
What about interviewing by email?
I find this works quite well and certainly saves time, which is a bonus when
you want to get a testimonial from a very busy person. With emailed
questions that person can answer them in their own time. Provided that
you phrase the questions very carefully (see below) you should get
answers as good as you would face-to-face – possibly better, because
people tend to waffle on less when their typing their answers. And finally
of course, you don’t have any transcription to do … you just cut and paste!
So, how should this third party set about interviewing
the testimonial giver?
Even if you are interviewing via email, it’s still better to get someone else
to ask the questions – not you – for the same
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reasons as we’ve looked at above. Testimonial givers will still feel
uncomfortable writing about you, to you – even if they can’t see you.
We can begin by taking a leaf out of a journalist's book, and never ask a
question that can be answered with a "yes" or a "no." The easiest way to do
that is to start all questions with, once again, the journalist's old favourites
of "who, what, why, how, when and where."
Questions like "what do you think of
So-and-so's" product/service" are too
vague and are likely to elicit a weak
response. "Do you think So-and-so's
service has increased your profitability?"
is likely to get a "yes" without the
specifics or worse still, a "no!"
Here are various versions of some strong questions which should get more
interesting and useful responses. You can mix and match them to suit your
own needs.
Questions that lead to good testimonial responses
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What is it that you think makes XXX different from his/her
competitors/peers?
Earlier on, you mentioned that XXX is better than his/her
competitors/peers. Why would you say that is?
Just how much better than the competition/other students/etc. do
you feel XXX really is?
Why do you feel that XXX is more efficient/effective/skilled than
other, similar (whatevers)?
How would you rate your experience of working
with/teaching/employing XXX?
Compared with his/her competitors/colleagues/peers, how would
you rate your experience of working with/teaching XXX?
On a 1 to 10 scale, how would you rate your experience of working
with/teaching XXX, and why?
What difference has XXX made to your business's/department's
performance ?
What is it about XXX's performance/class contribution that makes
him/her different?
What was it that made you choose XXX in the first place? / What was it
that made you decide to be interviewed about XXXXX today?
What was it that made you choose XXX instead of his/her competitors
/ What is it that sets XXX apart from your other students?
What was it that made you change from your previous (whatever) to
XXX? / Why do you think XXX is so well suited to his/her present
educational course?
What additional benefits have you found through using XXX? / What
benefits has XXXX brought to your class and his/her peers?
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Of all the benefits of XXX we've talked about, which is the most
important to you, and why?
What are the three main benefits of working with / teaching XXX?
In summary, then, what would you say is the key benefit of working
with / teaching XXX?
In summary, then, what difference has working with/ being in a class
with XXX made to you?
How important is it to you that you should work with/stay in touch
with XXX in the future?
What sort of future do you think XXX can look forward to?
If I were someone considering employing / enrolling XXX, what advice
would you give me?
Editing testimonials for your CV and other purposes
When editing testimonials, try to keep them short. Readers have a way of
switching off if there is more than a sentence or so to read. If necessary,
you can split one person's testimonial into two, three, or more sections,
but always be honest and attribute each section to the correct person.
Then always, always run the finished testimonial past whoever has said it,
for their approval. Often people will tell you not to bother but I feel that it's
a courtesy you should not ignore. Also, if ever there should be any
comeback, you have covered yourself; for this reason, ensure that the
person responds to you saying they have approved the quote. If they don’t
respond, don’t use it.
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The other point you need to clarify with the testimonial giver is how they
want to be acknowledged. Some will want to retain their anonymity but if
you are to be believed, you must ask them to agree to substantiate their
quote privately if someone were to challenge it. Very few people will
refuse to do that, provided that you respect their privacy and only
approach them about it if someone genuinely wants to pursue it.
Others will want some sort of credit; for example, their website's URL. Don't
feel irritated by this – it may be free publicity for them, but it makes the
testimonial even more genuine, so you win, too.
Finally, who should you pick as a testimonial giver?
Usually your first inclination is to approach the person you have had the
most contact with during your business relationship or education. But
whether that's a good idea or not depends on who they are in the pecking
order. It may be that instead of, or in addition to that person, you also want
to get someone else in their organization to be interviewed.
Judge that on the basis of what sort of decision maker your document,
website, brochure, CV or whatever is aimed at. Then, see if you can get
equivalent decision makers in the testimonial-giver's organization to give
you quotes. Because they are coming
from the same place as your target audience, they are likely to say things
that will appeal.
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8. YOUR PERSONAL BRAND AND HOW
TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT
“Brand” is a popular word at the moment. And because many of us
understandably view “brands” as belonging to such outfits as the Kelloggs,
CocaColas, Microsofts, Googles, General Motors and other organizations of
this world whose employees if laid out head to foot would stretch from
here into the next galaxy, we don’t understand how brands and branding
can work for us personally.
If you are keen to learn more about the deep science of branding, help
yourself to gobs of information about that on Google. If, on the other
hand, you would like to know how the rudiments of personal branding can
help you get on in your career in what many gurus would consider
somewhat simplified terms, stay tuned right here.
Who am I?
This is the first basic question that really matters with personal branding,
whether you are someone setting out into business as a sole trader
(working under your own name) or as a jobseeker looking for permanent
employment.
It may seem stupid to ask yourself this question, especially if you have
been on the planet for more than 20 or 30 years. But rather in the same
way as people in sales will say to you “if you don’t think you’re good, why
the hell should I?” … here we can ask the same question at a more basic
level…
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If you don’t know who
you are, how the hell
can anyone else?
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Yet if you are to move on in your career or other interests – especially now
that our online personas have become so important to both social and
work issues – the people who matter have to know who you are and what
you stand for. For me, that’s all the justification you need to develop your
“personal brand;” all else stems from that thought.
Who am I and what do I do for you?
With all this “who am I” stuff it would be very easy to become too
introspective and, frankly, spend too much time searching for your
persona up your own orifices. Although old-fashioned selling techniques
may be passé in direct ways, the concept is still buried deep in people’s
brains.
So who you are is all fine and dandy provided that you can swiftly say or at
least hint at why who you are is going to benefit whoever your message is
aimed at.
So how does my brand work out for my business?
If you’re running a business, you’ve got to create an image that sets you up
as the best possible choice within your industry area. You have to look at a
number of issues here:
Have you already got a reputation as a good carpenter / plumber /
electrician / consultant / therapist / coach / whatever?
What benefits does your experience and great successes for earlier
customers offer new customers?
Are you one of several people / companies offering a similar service in
your area?
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If you’re someone offering a service similar to that of hundreds of
others, why should someone choose you?
Etc.
Creating a good personal brand can be very simple
Here I’m taking an example of local advertising from one of my earlier
books, but I have adapted it to show how this local carpenter creates his
own personal brand within a small marketplace, and on fairly simple
terms…
Meet John The Carpenter
John is running a business within a fairly contained locality. His business
consists of just him, perhaps with an assistant now and again plus an
apprentice if he can arrange the necessary red tape, and also his wife who
does the accounts and the admin. He needs to create his “personal brand”
in order to stand out from his competitors in the locality, if he is to build on
his existing customer base and grow his business. First of all, let’s look at
how John can build up his local business without recourse to social media,
blogging, etc…
So what have we got, with no frills?
John the carpenter is really good at making things out of
wood
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We’ll get a lot more done a lot faster if we forget that and instead focus on
what we want to achieve.
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John wants to increase and consolidate his business as a
carpenter specializing in woodwork for people’s homes in
this area.
Now we need to figure out the best way for him to do this. In the
advertising world this would be handled by the planners/account team
etc. But we’re talking DIY branding here. So first step is, take a closer look
at John’s target audience. Who are they, and what do they want from
carpentry?
John the carpenter’s potential customers are well-heeled
local home owners who are prepared to pay well, but only for
high quality work and service they can depend on
What do we deduce from this? Obviously, a low-price story won’t impress
them. In fact if anything it will put them off John. What is likely to work is a
quality story. Also, we notice an element of insecurity here too, which we
can use to help establish John’s reliability.
Because the nature of John’s work is essential pretty personal – he
specializes in carpentry for people’s homes, don’t forget – he needs to
reflect that in his personal brand not only to attract customers, but also to
inspire their confidence in him and his abilities.
Now, what has John got to offer that other carpenters haven’t? Why
should people pick up the phone to call him? Why should they trust him
with something as important as the contents of their homes?
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John’s personal brand values
John the carpenter is highly skilled
He has 20 years’ experience
He’s a local man, born and bred
He’s worked for some of the city’s most respected residents,
including the Mayor – some for many years
He has glowing testimonials from many of his customers who
are prepared to say so if a new customer wants to ask them
That’s all excellent stuff, but there’s a problem here. Those are similar to
features - not benefits. Features are what something or someone is (so
what?) and benefits are what it/he/she does (for me? That’s more
interesting.) It’s easy to turn a feature into a benefit. Just add a “so” at the
end of the feature and fill in the blank. This is how John’s personal brand
values benefit his customers:
John the carpenter is highly skilled - so he knows what he is doing
and you can rely on that
He has 20 years’ experience - so he won’t waste your time or money
because he knows what works and what doesn’t
He’s a local man, born and bred - so he’s not likely to do a
moonlight flit having half-completed your work, because people know
where to find him
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He’s worked for some of the city’s most respected residents,
including the Mayor – some for many years – so the guy must be
doing something right
He has glowing testimonials from many of his customers who
are prepared to say so if a new customer wants to ask them –
so we have proof that he’s doing something right; these days testimonials
legally have to be true
Now, we need one key benefit to focus the personal branding on. You get
that by asking what does all this really boil down to? First the feature...
John the carpenter is
acknowledged as
XXXtown’s leading
quality carpenter for
people’s homes
And the resulting benefit - what does this do for you?
John the carpenter gives you high-quality carpentry you can
really rely on
How do we get the personal brand to portray that
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benefit?
We portray it by implanting a sentiment – one that instantly captures the
benefit.
Sentiments don’t have to be touchy-feely. They can be based on anything
from sex and rock’n’roll to hard-nosed financial or
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management issues. Whatever the choice, the secret of a message that
works is to choose the right sentiment and then use it so the audience
immediately grasps the benefits of buying your product or service.
In this case, by adding a sentiment into our brand’s message we see a
powerful benefit coming through:
Because you really care about the quality of everything in
your home, only John is good enough to do your carpentry.
That’s lumpy, so let’s develop a concept that says it in a shorter but sharper
way:
Only you value the quality of new woodwork in your home as
much as John the carpenter does.
I like that as a concept, but it might be seen as not hard enough, even for
this end of the market. What about a concept that touches on the
insecurity issue (mentioned above) as well....
The dependable handcrafted carpentry service your home
deserves … now available from XXXtown’s leading expert
John the carpenter
Or this, making even more of that insecurity...
Chances are, most carpenters could do a good job on the
woodwork in your home.
If you don’t want to leave it to chance, call John the
carpenter.
All this is the approach I use when developing brand or promotional copy.
Other pro writers will use a slightly different
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approach. But there will be many common denominators, because the
basic method works.
If I had to pick one single element from this as the most important of all, I’d
say remember my cute little phrase: features smell, benefits sell. If
everything you write for this purpose is benefits led, you won’t ever go far
wrong.
So what is JohnTheCarpenter’s brand after all that?
Here’s a surprise: it’s NOT “TheBestCarpenter” … “CarpenterExpertise” …
“YourBestCarpenter” … or even “YourBestCarpenterIn XXshire” and other
equally, ostensibly plausible brands.
Why? Purely because of this: why should John advertise every one of his
competitors along with his own business? A generic name is all fine and
dandy, but it doesn’t pull you out as the one to contact. This is something
that many sole traders fail to understand.
So now, his actual brand:
JohnTheCarpenter.
Substantiated by the most important of his core brand values, which are:
1. Highly skilled in quality work
2. Experienced
3. Local
4. Reliable
5. Track record
So his brand (with accompanying tagline which he could probably drop
once he is better known) might go something like…
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JohnTheCarpenter
Creating fine quality woodwork
in XXXXtown since 199X
Your personal brand should be visually appealing,
AND relevant
The major corporate organizations regularly spend millions on having a
new corporate identity designed and implemented, sometimes with
disastrous and horribly expensive mistakes. (E. G. British Telecom … their
previously bright yellow repair vehicles which everyone could see and
recognize when they were parked on the side of the road, were repainted
in a gentle, touchy-feely pale grey with a shadowy logo on the side.
Consequence was that they disappeared visually into their surroundings
and dozens were hit and often written off. But we digress.)
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Particularly as media you use to promote your personal brand is likely to
be quite diverse, often with less than high-resolution reproduction, you
can waste your time and money on fancy logos and typography that come
across as pretty disappointing when viewed.
You’ll have noticed that even the likes of Kelloggs, BMW, Mercedes, etc.
will make sure their logos are promptly supported by their names, despite
the fact that their logos have become icons in modern history. By all means
use a visual interpretation of your name or business, but make it easy – and
quick - for people
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to recognize and appreciate you and what you stand for. And always
remember not to let the tail wag the dog – a logo is there to support your
personal brand, not demand an explanation. For a small business, when in
doubt, leave the logo out and just go for strong branding based on your
name alone.
You can always add a logo to that later when your business grows.
Your personal brand must show you as the person
people need
JohnTheCarpenter may only operate within a relatively small urban or
semi-urban area, but that’s OK. In fact, that’s good, because he will find it
relatively easier to identify his potential market than were he to be
available to work nationally.
You might snigger at the thought that a carpenter should sell his wares
to local customers on the internet which is international and all that. But
whatever you do, don’t lose sight of the fact that that internet is very
powerful on a local basis … in fact sometimes, even more powerful than
other media when you consider the influence of its social media platforms
like Facebook and Twitter.
Your personal brand must be consistent
Unless you use your personal brand consistently, it won’t work no matter
how powerful and appropriate it is. Consistently means across every item
of paperwork, business cards, press
advertisements, emails and email signature files, newsletters, online ads,
offline and online service directories, articles, press releases, social media
posts, blogging, etc., and of course your own website and/or blog.
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Your promotional copy should pick up on your core brand values, and any
non-advertising output you do (like blogs, articles, newsletters, email
marketing, social media posts etc.) should pick up on those too. For
example:
High quality wood working focusing on quality elements
Antique wooden furniture, its care etc
Famous cabinet makers through history
Types of antique or unusual furniture
Repairs to wooden structures and furniture
Resurfacing/French polishing/etc
Stripping to bare wood
Wooden flooring, installation, care, repairs
Wood sculpture
Luxury kitchens
Extensions
Loft conversions etc
Wood sustainability issues
Exotic woods like ebony and mahogany, etc
How to spot “cowboys” in the woodworking trade
How to commission fine quality carpentry, get quotes, judge
estimates etc
And so-on – everything that’s relevant and/or connected to the upper
end of the carpentry/joinery/cabinet making marketplace.
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HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
9. WRITING YOUR PERSONAL BLOG
Perhaps the biggest joy of blogging is the freedom it gives you to write
whatever you want to and see it, within seconds, published on the screen
in front of you.
With personal blogging, you need to be sure of one key point – what is
your reason for doing it in the first place?
Many people view their blogs almost as online journals – in fact that’s how
the whole blogging concept started. In this case you use it record what’s
going on in your life, key events and your thoughts about them, and
anything else that takes your fancy.
However you could be running a personal blog alongside a business or
special interest blog. In this case, as there will be linking between them,
your personal content needs to be mindful about what you say in the
other one or ones.
First person, second person, third person?
The internet is informal, and blogging is an even more informal
manifestation of that. So to blog in the third person – especially when it is
a personal blog – would seem ridiculous. Whatever you write is going to
be seen as coming from you, the person (not the brand) and perhaps your
partner and family.
Using the second person (i.e. “we”) when you’re describing the fun you
and the kids had at the safari park is perfectly OK. However you must avoid
anything that smells of the “royal we” when what you really mean is “I.”
Once again, informality is key on the
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internet and anything even vaguely pompous or patronizing sticks out like
the proverbial sore thumb.
What’s in it for them?
Although a personal blog necessarily is going to be more “me” focused
than, say, marketing or promotional text, you still don’t want to ram too
much of “me” down your readers’ throats. (Remember the old joke about
the conceited actor who bored his date to tears talking about himself for
hours, then finally turned to her and said, “well, that’s enough about me.
Now: what do YOU think about me?)
My interpretation of a good personal blog is the way “I” (i.e. author) share
my experiences, thoughts and conclusions in an entertaining and
meaningful way with “you,” the reader, so that “you” the reader get as
much out of what I write as “I” do. That’s not a commercial statement, or
indeed a commercially adequate proposal – but with human nature being
as selfish as it is, it’s a reality.
So once again when writing we must keep one eye on the old advertising
adage of always ensuring you focus on “what’s in it for them,” your readers.
You can’t expect many return visits or onward sharing of your posts if
readers find them boring, self-congratulatory, narrow-minded, or bigoted
in any way.
Themes
Strictly speaking your personal blog does not have to have a particular
theme or slant, but unless you’re a famous actor, pop star or reality TV
personality, the harsh truth is people will not be interested in a blog that’s
just about you and your day-to-day life.
I made this mistake when I started one of my blogs, “The Suze Report.” I
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HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
thought it was enough to share my interpretation of
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current affairs and other issues that made me laugh, and included all sorts
of posts from the slightly naughty to the not-so-slightly naughty.
Result? Despite having stopped posting there a good few months ago I’m
still getting dozens of hits per month, only because people searching for
words like “penis” … “bum” … “spliff” … “Viagra” … “poop” … etc. have
been driven there by our trusty search engines. So sorry folks to disappoint
you, but those search terms haven’t led to anything more vile on my blog
than a few naughty laughs. Moral of the story? Narrow your focus a bit.
Your personal blog’s theme doesn’t need to be anything exotic; it just
needs to help create a focus for what you have to say. This could be your
favourite hobby … your location/environment … your family and
parenting … your way of life … your faith and what that entails … etc.
Don’t restrict yourself unnecessarily, but at the same time don’t let your
blog drift without some sort of direction.
A perfect essay?
Blog posts do not have to be perfectly crafted pieces of prose – in fact
that’s the beauty of blogging…total de-restriction on earlier modes of
communication and the freedom to do and say what you like without
someone criticizing you for it.
Well, that’s the theory, anyway. Whether we cyber-hippies like or not,
however, the bottom line is that badly crafted and badly written blog
posts say about as much for you as if you to wear a dirty old shirt and jeans
to a formal gala event. If you want
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credibility and respect, you have to write reasonably well and construct
your blog posts properly.
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What’s “properly?” Well, again, we’re not talking university level language
here, but on the other hand your grammar, syntax, punctuation and
spelling need to be pretty much OK if you’re to retain the respect of your
readers. Your posts need to stay on topic without wandering off into the
wild blue yonder and ideally need to have a beginning, a middle, and an
end. That’s not a very tall order now, is it?
Not too many links
In blogging and indeed nearly all over the place on the internet, including
links in your text to other, relevant pieces of information has become very
popular. When I’m writing blog posts I always make sure my key points are
backed up by a link to something somewhere else on the internet that
supports what I’m saying, although there are times when I wonder just
how valid some of those links are.
That’s not the only point to consider, however. I don’t know about you, but
when I peruse a piece of prose on the internet and find it peppered with
more links than there are baubles on a Christmas tree, it gives me
cyber-indigestion. I enjoy clicking on the odd link here and there while I’m
reading online text but if I’m offered the opportunity to click on just about
every other word, I begin to feel sick … and tend to move on elsewhere.
Don’t let that happen to your blog.
If you do want people to know where else to get further information in
droves, save your links for the end of your blog post and gather them all
there.
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Make it easy for readers to share your posts
Being a total technodork I am certainly not the right person to advise you
on the technicalities of setting up your blog, but I do know that for sheer
readability and credibility ratings you need to make your personal blog
posts easy for others to share, if you want to get the widest possible
coverage.
That means you need to install appropriate plugins … and/or, install
buttons from the best of the social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn,
Twitter, et all. Don’t ask me how to do that because I don’t know, but our
Sarah Arrow does – buzz her and she’ll tell you how,
here: SarkEmedia.com
Video, audio etc.
As technology moves us farther and farther on in terms of what we can
achieve with relatively simple kit to put ourselves online in visual and
audio terms as well as in pure text, we can rejoice in there being myriad
simple ways in which to present ourselves.
But be warned; no matter how excellent the technology, if you are not
someone who should be voicing or visually presenting a piece online, on
your blog, then don’t do it. There is nothing worse than seeing a twitchy,
nervous talking head bobbing about against the background of a white
tablecloth while trying to remember what the hell to say as the
remotely-driven video camera rolls on relentlessly, accompanied by an
echoey soundtrack that appears to have been recorded around 100 metres
down a smelly well.
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If you can afford to do video or audio
properly, then by all means go ahead
with it for your blog. But frankly, unless
you’re a rock star, forget the fancy
toy-toys. Instead focus on some good,
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relevant, informative and entertaining text content that everyone will
enjoy.
If you must include video and/or audio, however, here are a few tips to
help you do it well…
Audio tracks: “a word in your ear”
Someone once said that audio listeners aren’t one audience of thousands;
they’re thousands of audiences of one. Always communicate with “you” in
a personal style, as if you were talking to the listener direct. Get it right, and
your close proximity to the listener’s ear is a powerful communication tool.
Get it wrong, and you
unleash the equivalent strength of hostility. Never patronize or talk down.
Speak as if you’re talking to a friend. Be honest and realistic – no hype or
bullshit.
Work with the online text – don’t fight it or mirror it. There’s no point
telling people what they already can see. Use spoken words to add a
dimension to the written text, or to embellish images where there is little
or no text. Don’t depend too heavily on the audio content to get important
messages over, because some people don’t even have their speakers on all
the time.
And as for sound quality, see below…
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Video clips
With video cameras being so easy to use and video material being so easy
to upload, it’s not surprising that many people think it’s equally easy to
produce good video content and performance. However, they’re wrong.
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Whereas there are high-tech, high-quality solutions for all the practical
elements of making a video, once it comes to who says what and how, no
amount of technology can improve on a bad performance.
The camera exaggerates even the slightest movement and makes it look
maniacal. On the other hand, once you recognize this point and make
yourself sit absolutely bolt still, you’ll look like a ventriloquist’s dummy. It
takes a lot of training and practice to hit the right balance, as any TV
newsreader will tell you.
The answer? Unless you happen to be very good at
on-camera presenting, don’t do it. Instead use the off-camera
interview technique.
This technique is often used on TV by news reporters and documentary
directors, where you see the interviewee talking to an unseen someone
just beside the camera.
It’s brilliant for two reasons: one, the camera in this case is recording one
half of a genuine conversation between two people which is far more
natural and relaxed than a “talking head” and two, you don’t have to
remember your lines in anything like the same detail.
All it needs is for someone to sit beside the camera (or it can be the person
running the camera, depending on whether you use remote control or
not) and ask you questions which you will have pre-agreed, but not
over-rehearsed. You then look at the person (so your eyeline ends just to
one side of the camera) and reply to him or her. The person’s questions can
then be cut out afterwards, or if you really like the “fly-on-the-wall”
approach, you can leave them in.
Whoever asks the questions must take care not to phrase them in such a
way that you automatically respond with either a “yes” or a
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“no” as this can make the dialogue fall rather flat. The way to avoid that is
to ask “open” questions and these are what journalists use – start every
question with
what
who
where
why
when
which
how
etc.
And finally, leave a short gap between the question and your answer so
that if you decide to edit out the questions later, it can be done cleanly.
Similarly, don’t talk over each other as that can mess up the soundtrack.
As I mentioned just now, another damning element of DIY
videos (and audio tracks) that you find is that the voice of the
speaker sounds like s/he was talking from the bottom of a
well – echoing, hollow and distorted.
This usually arises when you are using the camera microphone to record
the sound; no matter how much camera manufacturers swear up and
down that their on-camera mics are of excellent quality, in the main they
are not.
Rather than go to the expense and palaver of setting up individual mics,
you can simply ensure that the place where you record your video is as
sound-dead as possible. A nice, fluffy, thickly carpeted, softly furnished
living room is ideal, well away from domestic noises. And avoid shooting in
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large open spaces, outdoors, and anywhere with hard floors and few soft
furnishings.
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Pictures and illustrations
As people say “the jury is still out” on how many – if any – pictures you
should include in your personal blog.
Some bloggers say to keep it to one, max, per blog post. Others say you
should use a good few. What is the right answer?
As always, I think the right answer is to make a judgment on each blog
post as you write it. Some will demand one illustration; some will demand
several; some will demand none. You simply have to use your common
sense.
And for more information on personal blogging?
Check out these ladies’ blogs for all you need to know:
Sarah Arrow – http://sarkemedia.com
Barbara Saul - http://blogmistress.com
Ileane Smith (USA) - http://basicblogtips.com/about
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10. WRITING YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Obviously I’m not even going to try to show you how to write a
best-selling, 100,000 word autobiography here because that’s a
completely different topic!
However, many of us are either called upon
or feel inclined to put together our own
history and that of our forefather and
mothers, so I thought I’d write a short piece
on how to go about doing that.
There’s lots of advice around on the internet
about how to put your autobiography
and/or family history together into book
form – for example,
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http://www.mediacollege.com/writing/genealogy/family-history.html
But how do you go about structuring it?
Telling some of your story in stories
People love to read good stories. And even if your only readership will
consist of friends and family, you want your work to be entertaining
enough to keep them turning the pages. Long narratives, no matter how
peppered with sex, drugs, rock & roll, scandal and shopping, end up being
very boring.
Obviously a long sequence of stories would get a bit tedious, too, but a
combination of the two approaches can work very well. This means that
you use the narrative as the main structure and hang stories off that,
almost as illustrations or punctuation.
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Chronological structure works best
Amongst professional authors (and ghostwriters) there are various
different fashions in terms of how biographical material is set out.
Invariably these fashionable approaches involve mixing up past, present
and future, jumping back and forth from decade to decade in what seems
like an attempt to keep the readers on his or her toes.
Those approaches can work, but they need to be done well. And as we’re
looking here at simple ways of conveying your life story and possibly that
of your family, leapfrogging decades is merely going to cause confusion.
My advice is, stick to chronological order as much as you can.
This may involve a certain element of yo-yo mode if, for example, you write
a chapter about one branch of your family from the year dot to the present
date, and then move on to use the same approach to another branch of
the family. But provided that you make clear when and where everybody
fits into your past, it will work out OK.
Working through your structure
In my experience whatever you’re writing – from a business proposal to a
full-length novel – the more effort you put into planning out its structure,
and the more detail you can incorporate, the easier the work will be to
write in the end.
Whether you use your laptop or a large piece of doodling paper and a
pencil, it’s easy to start with just a list of chapter headings, like this:
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THE STORY OF ME
1. Where I was born and grew up
2. My Mum’s background and family
3. My Dad’s background and family
4. My siblings and how we got on when we were young
5. My school days
6. The teenage years
7. My parents’ divorce and how I dealt with it
8. University
9. Mum’s new life with my stepdad
10. My first proper job
11. Meeting my partner and getting married
12. Our kids & what they were like when little
13. My progressing career
14. My hobbies
15. Where we are today
Next, we want to add some detail, so I’ll show some example for chapters
1, 2, and 3. When doing this for real you would probably go on to add
more and more sub-sections, so creating a very useful framework for your
actual writing…
1. Where I was born and grew up
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a. Eldest child
b. Spoilt baby
c. First sibling – how I felt jealous
d. Second sibling
e. What life was like at home
f. Family holidays
g. Family pets
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HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
2. My Mum’s background and family
a. Where she was born and raised
b. Her parents (my maternal grandparents)
c. Her ancestors
d. Her siblings
e. Her education and career
f. How she met my Dad (her version)
g. What she wanted for their wedding
h. How she felt when she had me
3. My Dad’s background and family
a. Where he was born and raised
b. His parents (my paternal grandparents)
c. His ancestors
d. His siblings
e. His education and career
f. How he met my Mum (his version)
g. How he coped with the wedding hysteria
h. How he felt when they had me
Great. Now, look through your list (which as I said should be rather more
detailed than this) and see how many entertaining stories you or your
relatives can recall, to act as “illustrations” to the narrative. Bear in mind
the stories do not have to be funny; they can also be sad, poignant, tragic.
What makes them “entertaining” is the fact that they appeal to readers’
emotions, e.g.…
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HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
1. Where I was born and grew up
a. Eldest child
b. Spoilt baby
c. First sibling – how I felt jealous (story: stealing my sister’s food)
d. Second sibling
e. What life was like at home (story: brother’s chemistry accidents)
f. Family holidays (story: caravan blowing over)
g. Family pets (story: dog chewing up brother’s course work)
2. My Mum’s background and family
a. Where she was born and raised
b. Her parents (my maternal grandparents) (story: immigrating from
Poland)
c. Her ancestors (story: Nazi horrors in Poland)
d. Her siblings
e. Her education and career (story: getting excluded from school for
smoking)
f. How she met my Dad (her version) (story: the blind date that went
wrong)
g. What she wanted for their wedding
h. How she felt when she had me (story: nearly named me Reuben
after uncle, re: big nose)
3. My Dad’s background and family
a. Where he was born and raised (story: no money so slept in a
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HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
drawer)
b. His parents (my paternal grandparents)
c. His ancestors (story: distant relatives were Romany gypsies: how we
found out)
d. His siblings
e. His education and career (story: how he regrets having dropped
out of school)
f. How he met my Mum (his version) (story: taking 6 months to set
up blind date)
g. How he coped with the wedding hysteria (story: getting drunk the
night before)
h. How he felt when they had me
…and so-on. I don’t know about you, but that strikes me as looking like it
will be a very interesting read!
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HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
For further information on writing a personal autobiography, try these
resources:
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Autobiography
http://www.your-life-your-story.com/autobiography.html
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HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF
THE END!
If you have any comments or questions about this book, please give me a
shout on suze@suzanstmaur.com and I’ll be only too pleased to help you
as much as I can.
Don’t forget to keep watching the site for more tips, articles and books to
help you write better.
In the meantime, I wish you happy writing about yourself!
Suze.
http://HowToWriteBetter.net
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