The majority of job seekers think their resume is the most important tool in landing a job. While critical to your job search and meeting your goals, the bio resume can be what lands you your next gig. A bio resume can be especially useful for veterans who might not have enough civilian job experience for a complete resume. However, combining a biography with a resume allows employers to see more about your military experience and how your life has contributed to the skills you’ve learned.
A resume is best for applying for a specific job and showcasing certain skills, while a bio is best used as a short summary of your background.
Today, many are hired through networking events which can be too informal for a resume. The bio resume shares more of your background than a traditional resume. Biographies, written in third-person is more friendly, easy to read, and less time consuming than going over an entire resume.
Resumes are synonymous with job hunting, and while networking events will hopefully lead to a job, that isn’t always the case. During networking events, the short bio resume will leave an impression and give company representatives an idea of who you are and what you can bring to the table. Another reason for not providing a resume during networking sessions is because networking partners may get sidetracked wanting to provide you with resume feedback.
You might be wondering how to write a bio resume. Here is an example from Forbes:
Alex Honeysett is a Brand and Marketing Strategist who partners with CEOs, executives and solopreneurs to grow their personal and professional brands, human-to-human. After spending nearly a decade working in PR and marketing for multimillion dollar brands and startups, Alex knows what truly drives conversions, sold-out launches and New York Times interviews—and it’s not mastering the marketing flavor of the week. It’s how well you connect with the heart-beating people you’re trying to help and communicate your understanding back to them.
Alex has landed coverage in print and broadcast outlets around the world, including the Today Show, Wall Street Journal, Mashable, BBC, NPR and CNN. Her own articles have been featured in The Muse, Forbes, Inc., Mashable, DailyWorth and Newsweek. In addition to her extensive PR and marketing experience, Alex is a trained business coach.
Alex holds a BA in communications and journalism from the University of Delaware.
This template can easily be applied to a variety of fields and experiences, especially the military.