Personal
Profile is a scrapbook of
your life in words. The goal is to create
a cross-section of your life and self that
will intrigue the reader and make him/her
want to find out more about you. When you
are creating a profile in order to look
for jobs there are some basic writer's guidelines
that you will want to practice. Below given
are some tips before you start writing your
own Personal Profile in your CV:-
1. Condense and crystallize: The most insipid
and inefficient personal profiles are those
in which the YOU write every little detail
about yourself. It is vain to assume that
anyone would want to read every little thing
about you.
2. Consider your adjectives: Consult a thesaurus
if you must, so that you can select single words
to clearly state what you want to share ('optimistic'
versus 'cheerful,' 'pragmatic' versus 'down-to-earth').
3. Choose specific terms: 'Avid lacrosse player'
tells the reader more about you than 'love sports';
'repaired ignition and brakes' is more interesting
than 'mechanically inclined.'
4. Give examples not generalizations: 'Directed
the play 'Hamlet' in college' is far more engaging
than 'active in theatre.'
5. Use power words: Typically this refers to action
verbs, but be mindful in all word choices to use
direct, punchy words not lazy, dull phrases, for
example, 'design' versus 'make;' 'collaborative'
vs. 'work well with others.'
6. Say it in a short sentence: Say what you mean.
Don't dissemble, beat around the bush, vacillate,
reiterate, digress, pontificate, dwell or endlessly
explain. If questions or comments arise, you can
elaborate at that time. This is especially crucial
on the CV when you describe your work.
7. Write in outline format: An outline format is
easier to read than a narrative format. Lists give
a snapshot view of a person's life.
8. Present a 3D image of yourself: Don't just focus
on a few areas of your life. We human beings are
complex and have many facets. Use the aforementioned
tools to give information about yourself on many
subjects:
9. Share positive things, but not sugar-coated:
Everyone has problems, but no one wants to read
a bunch of negative soul-purging. You don't have
to be Pollyanna, but try not to be Scrooge either.
Don't whine, complain, or endlessly describe your
health problems, relationship dramas, kid problems,
work woes, etc. People who do this should have warning
signs on their profiles. Only use POSITIVE WORDS
10. Be honest: Don't lie or exaggerate. It blows
up in your face sooner or later. Remember
P is better than C ( Rama )
11. Take pride in who you are and what you are all
about. Speak positively about yourself. Obviously,
don't brag, but neither is it helpful to berate
or criticize yourself. It makes people uncomfortable
and it's annoying to feel that you have to build
up another person's ego constantly. Self-criticism
is really a form of manipulation over others. No
one can get close to you. The girl who says, 'I'm
fat, I'm not pretty, I'm dumb..' relentlessly will
turn people away.
12. Don't use your profile as a place to preach.
There are sects and groups who believe that their
job is to convert the world to their way of thinking.
As urgent as this may seem, the personal profile
is not the venue to use. It will not promote your
message in a healthy way.
13. Don't advertise or use a profile to sell or
promote. If you need customers, use a known business
network. The personal profile is about you and should
not be used to make money. The site you use may
put ads on, but that is how they generate funds
to keep the sites free.
Your personal profile is your own little message
to the world. If you use these tips, everyone can
enjoy the benefits.
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