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Solve anything with Dr. Mark: Career advice for the working class; Resume or biography?

By Dr. Mark Goulston, Source: Tribune Media Services

Q: I am sometimes asked for a biography and sometimes asked for a resume when applying for a job. What are some of the do's and don'ts for preparing either?

A: Los Angeles based professional business writer Pat Kramer suggests preparing a resume if you have had work experience in many different jobs over a period of time. The resume is meant to be a snapshot tying together a wealth of experience in short, easily digestible statements.

As far as the do's and don'ts involved, a resume is usually one page in length, although it can go two pages. It should be easy to read using bullets to list information whenever possible. Short statements are best but be sure to include any highlights or accomplishments that are measurable, such as, "During his first year as GM, the company's sales increased by 33 percent." Stay away from using superlatives or cliche expressions to describe your job performance; just state the facts.

Biographies are editorial short stories that chronologically sum up one's experience in a particular profession or overall career. Entertainers, speakers, award recipients, board members, company executives and entrepreneurs commonly use bios to provide a snapshot of their accomplishments in their industry.

A biography should build one's credibility by highlighting his or her expertise. Most bios are just a few paragraphs long; however it can be one to two pages in length. The format should include a brief summation of one's overall credentials, then briefly describe the most recent occupation, then each previous job in short paragraph form. As in the resume, one should refrain from using adjectives and superlatives and stick to facts and figures that describe one's experience.

Biographies can be used as sales and promotion tools on a company Web site, in a press kit or as an introduction when someone is receiving an honor or being introduced as a speaker.

In general, if you are a job seeker, you will need a resume and if you are an entrepreneur or consultant, you will use both a resume and a biography. Since you never know when you might need one, keep your resume or bio updated and always have someone else proofread it before you send it out. Even those of us who write professionally occasionally miss an error in our own materials that another set of eyes would otherwise spot.

Stage fright

Q: I am a software technician and have recently been promoted to managing a team of eight other technicians. In that position I have to make many more presentations to the people above me and now those below me. I am much more comfortable in my technical competence than in my ability to make high impact presentations. I want to succeed in my new position, but I am getting increasingly more anxious rather than less. People tell me that the more I do presentations, the easier it will become, but so far it's not happening. How do I quiet my nerves and also make effective presentations.

A: Calabasas-based Eloqui Business Communication training firm suggests this template for reducing anxiety and structuring your content.

1. Consider your objective. What do you want to achieve? Make it a short, simple, active sentence, and keep it in mind as you present.

2. What's the tone you want to project? The calm of a trusted advisor, the pep of a motivator, or the command presence of a mobilizer?

3. Dive off a cliff. Make your opening remarks compelling and unexpected. Give your personal take on the subject or a specific example to grab people's attention.

4. Keep it simple. Write down three main talking points. The more technical the information, the more you want to use colorful examples, metaphors or similes.

5. Craft a strong close. With the theory of Primacy and Recency, people remember most what they hear last. Use either a call to action, recap, or bookend-- where you return to your opening, but with a twist. Most of all, slow down, make good eye contact and keep your energy up until the very end.

Throughout your presentation, focus on the audience, not the critic in your head. Think of how you can make it worthwhile for them, and your anxiety will be greatly reduced.

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Mark Goulston, M.D., is a Santa Monica-based business psychiatrist, executive coach and author of "Get Out of Your Own Way at Work." Question him at mgoulston@markgoulston.com. Visit him at: www.markgoulston.com

© 2008, Tribune Media Services