While all of your professional papers should be consistent in reinforcing your personal brand, your executive biography is your best chance to put the most emphasis on your personal brand in one place. You might consider your executive profile as a marketing brochure that you can hand out to potential clients. The cover letter serves as your value proposition, and the resume or CV serves as your product specification; we’ll go over those in more detail later. 

It goes beyond just listing facts on your resume or CV and provides a chance to bring individuality into your professional narrative. If you want to be taken seriously as an executive, your executive biography should give the reader a feel of who you are as a person what it would have been want to work with you. 

Aspects of the executive biography include: 

An executive bio be between 100 and 150 words in length. Your bio should be brief, simple to read, and contain information about your experience and skills that is both intriguing and appealing to the reader. Include the key six components in your bio to ensure that it accurately represents your brand: 

1. PRESENT DUTIES 

It is important to define your existing functions and responsibilities in your first paragraph in a style that will attract the attention and interest of your audience. Begin with a concise branding statement that captures the essence of what distinguishes you from the competition. Throughout this part, be sure to emphasize your unique selling proposition, significant achievements, and industry experience. 

2. PRIOR EXPERIENCE. 

It is critical that your audience is aware of your accomplishments in your past responsibilities in addition to what you do in your present one. Make use of this part to describe your previous accomplishments, both within and outside of your previous business. Please keep in mind that you may also utilize hyperlinks and supporting material to give the audience with further information on these topics. Statistics and quantifiable accomplishments should be included throughout the document.

3. AWARDS FROM THE INDUSTRY 

If you have received recognition in your area of work, whether via prizes, honorary degrees, or other means, here is the part where you may expound on your achievements and ensure that the reader is aware of them. You may also use this part to provide information about any board seats, press interviews, or published works that you have had. 

4. COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION. 

Many CEOs, in addition to their hectic job commitments, give their time to charitable organizations in their spare time. A great executive bio should include examples of how the candidate demonstrated leadership characteristics, personal talents, and hobbies outside of the professional environment. 

5. EDUCATION. 

It is critical to include information about your educational history and credentials in your career marketing document, just as it is in any other career marketing document. Keep track of not just your educational background, but also any academic awards, certifications, and other work-related trainings that you have completed. 

6. FAMILY AND PASSIONATE INTERESTS 

After providing the reader with your professional history, many executives prefer to conclude their executive bios with information that will help them seem more personal, such as introducing their spouse and/or children, among other things. This will demonstrate to the public that you have achieved a good work/life balance via your efforts. It is possible to get the same result by talking about various hobbies and leisure activities.

The process of finding the ideal C-suite position is far from straightforward as just tidying up your CV and sending it out in reaction to job advertisements. Unfortunately, a large percentage (perhaps even the majority) of executive-level positions never make it onto job boards, which means that your chances of being informed about such opportunities are heavily reliant on your list of connections for intros and hints about such unadvertised opportunities.

Due to the above, your resume should be updated and prepared for the more advanced phases of interactions with key decision makers (which may occur sooner than you anticipate), but it may not be the most appropriate tool for getting your foot in the door with important organizational insiders. Even if you are connecting with someone who is not specifically trying to employ you, but has consented to a social meeting or informative interview with you, mailing your CV may seem a little presumptuous—and your contact may feel put on the spot as a result.

The Executive Bio is the ultimate networking tool, and it is as follows: The use of a more cautious approach when commencing exploratory talks with specific contacts is recommended.

To begin with, what precisely is an executive biography? When writing an executive bio, use conventional paragraph structure and write in the third-person narrative to describe your core value, brand qualities, and professional background and accomplishments—all of which are relevant to your present ambitions.

Here are five pointers for writing a bio that will make an impact:

  • REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH YOUR BRAND.

When writing your bio, it is vital that you convey a consistent narrative that is supported across your complete executive portfolio—including your resume or CV, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. As a result, your unique value proposition must be emphasized and “hook” the reader from the very beginning of the document. The capacity to manage successful turnarounds, promote cultural change inside your firm, break into new markets, or build organizational infrastructure are examples of this.

It is also critical to have a consistent visual identity. Create a consistent, professional appearance and feel throughout your whole career portfolio by matching the appealing, industry-appropriate font and design components from your well produced resume and cover letter. This will help to establish harmony across your complete career portfolio.

  • TAKE THE TIME TO SHINE A LIGHT ON YOUR PASSION, PHILOSOPHY, AND STYLE

Keep your bio interesting and unique by weaving your leadership style throughout the tale. This will help readers grasp the values and attitudes which have led to your key accomplishments and will help you get more interviews. 

  • DESCRIBE YOUR CAREER PATHWAY IN A STORYTELLING MANNER.

Take the reader through a light, readable—but substantive—account of your career, emphasising the overall influence you made on the companies for which you worked, either with your present position or with your early career foundation. Make sure not to get bogged down in minute specifics like as dates or reporting structures, or any other factual minutiae that, although necessary on a resume, will dull a reader who is looking for a brief, interesting story. Maintain readability by eliminating thick paragraphs and long phrases.

  • INCLUDE QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.

Describe your academic degrees, if applicable, your language abilities, and any other significant credentials, such as executive leadership experience or professional affiliations, in a paragraph. Include just the most relevant information, keeping your target audience in mind. Remember that your information, in the form of a well-crafted CV, will be reviewed by the relevant recruiting audience at a later stage. It is not appropriate to mention every training program in which you have ever attended in your bio.

  • INCLUDE A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPH AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, AS WELL AS YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

Once again, consistency is essential. Make use of the same precise, professional picture that you used for your LinkedIn page, and make certain that your contact information is consistent throughout your CV and cover letter. Include your Twitter name, LinkedIn URL, or any other web material that is related to your business, such as an online portfolio or blog, in your bio.

As soon as your on-brand executive biography is complete and properly linked with the rest of your refined career materials, you are ready to jump-start your quest by fully using your existing network of connections. You are now in a position to commence communication with the relevant individuals, secure in the knowledge that you have the necessary instrument for the job. The addition of an Executive Bio that has been thoughtfully written and visually appealing to the rest of your job search toolkit means that you are now prepared for the various stages of conversation—from conversations with insiders and well-positioned individuals to advanced discussions with selection committees and hiring agents.

The importance of Linkedin for Executives

LinkedIn has the potential to be a really useful tool for CEOs. It has the potential to be really powerful in terms of expressing your own brand if used correctly. Consider the following tips to ensure that your LinkedIn profile is flawless and that you effectively convey your unique brand in order to stand out among all the 450 million different profiles on the platform. 

  1. THE PHOTO FOR YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE AND THE BACKGROUND IMAGE 

LinkedIn profiles with images are considerably more likely to be seen than profiles without photos, according to the company. The use of a profile image is quite necessary if you really want to increase your exposure and establish your own brand on social media. However, it is essential to ensure that you choose the suitable profile image for the website, noting that more informal photographs, like those used on Facebook, are not suited for this platform. A recent picture in which you are dressed professionally and in front of a very basic backdrop would be ideal if you do not already have professional corporate headshots. Your face and shoulders typically account for around 60% of the overall picture. Utilize a relevant professional picture for your executive biography if you already have one. To promote a consistent brand, all of the photographs should be the same. 

As a result of LinkedIn’s introduction of background photographs, it is predicted that users would take use of this function, which may make your profile pop out and build your brand. As previously said, make certain that the picture you choose is professional, eye-catching, and compatible with the impression and branding that you should be attempting to establish across the website. Stay away from clichés like city skylines. The majority of individuals don’t give much care to their background picture and just select something that they like the appearance of. This is a grave error. Consider how much attention goes into the photos that firms use in their communications and on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Images are really important! As a result, choose a backdrop picture that is consistent with your company’s identity. 

2. CUSTOM HYPERLINK ALIGNMENT. 

When you establish a new LinkedIn Profile, the default URL that is generated is often comprised of the LinkedIn web link followed by your name and a jumbled sequence of letters and digits, as seen below. Create a custom URL to indicate that you are up to date while also providing a clean URL that can be used on other career papers. This may be accomplished in a single simple step by generating a custom URL (also known as a vanity URL). To set up your personalized LinkedIn URL, follow the steps outlined on LinkedIn’s website, which can be found on your profile. In an ideal situation, your custom URL would be the LinkedIn URL followed by your name, first name, followed by last name, all without any dashes. If your first and last names are already taken, you might consider adding your middle name. If it is already taken, you might add a professional certification to the end, such as MBA or CPA, to distinguish yourself from the competition. Keep it professional, just like you would with your profile photo—this is not really the place to get creative.

3. THE HEADLINE

The majority of individuals just include their current work title and the name of their firm in their headline. While this method is totally appropriate, it is important to remember that the phrases in the headline are taken into consideration by LinkedIn’s algorithm when determining how you appear in searches. When utilized carefully, the headline may also serve to establish your brand outside of your present position and firm. The idea here is to be true to your brand and to highlight just those aspects of your business that you are actually renowned for in your headline.

You don’t want to come off as gimmicky or as if you’re trying to impress too hard. Including your title in your headline is suitable if you are an author, a frequent writer, a regular keynote speaker, are recognized as a thought leader in your business, or serve on a management board in addition to your full-time position. Please exercise discretion, and if anything doesn’t seem quite appropriate, just refer to your position and business name.

4. YOUR OVERALL SUMMARY

In comparison to a traditional executive resume or CV, your LinkedIn profile provides more area for you to express your career narrative in more depth.

Despite the fact that you should be aware of keeping this part succinct, your summary is an excellent chance to describe your professional hobbies, interests, successes, and ambitions to a wider audience. It is also a fantastic chance to include industry-related keywords, which can help you emerge in more prospect searches as a result of your inclusion.

It is crucial to include your brand’s name and logo in the opening two lines of your overview. If you haven’t changed your profile since publication of this article, the first two lines of text are displayed to the reader by default, with a click to “show more” below. Because you must presume that some people will not want to see more, you must do all you can to summarize your brand in the first two lines of the video. Make reference to your core mission and draw inspiration from it to get your profile off to a solid start.

When creating your description, be sure to include examples of your core values and vision. First-person narratives and a conversational tone characterize the majority of LinkedIn profile writing. You want to make certain that you are connecting with others. Make a conscious effort to avoid establishing a sense of distance between you and the reader. Because your LinkedIn profile summary is less formal than your resume, you can feel free to incorporate some personality into your writing. Demonstrate your human side—provide a peek of your life outside work without going over the top. Make people interested in you as a person by piqueing their interest.

5. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

Often, individuals will just mention their three or four most recent responsibilities, as well as any board positions, in the experience area of their profiles, without providing any more information or description. However, as of the time of writing, the material in this area is taken into consideration by Linkedin’s algorithm, so keep that in mind as well. The chance to submit two or three bullet point successes for each job to assist strengthen your brand is also provided. Avoid using overused adjectives in your cover letter and resume.

Even if the organization is not well-known, you might add a brief description of the company to assist readers in better understanding your history.

By including relevant material in the experience area, you may also give some tangible instances of what you’ve done in the past. Was it your idea to write an important white paper or report, or were you a co-author of one? Were you the subject of a promotional film for your company? Assuming this is the case, you may provide one or two instances of media coverage for any positions you’ve had. Ensure that you remain true to your brand and provide instances of successes that you would want to be recognized for and that you would like to see continue.

6. DESCRIPTION OF SKILLS

You may also add your relevant abilities on LinkedIn, which enables your contacts to endorse the skills you have listed on your profile. The rule of thumb in this area is that quality always wins out over quantity. Make sure that, rather than producing an unending list of talents, which may include skills that are not totally related to what you do now or where you want to go, you are selective and pick your main skills from among those listed. This will allow readers to quickly recognize what you excel in and what your main strengths are at a glance, which will help them better understand you.

7. BEING A LINKEDIN PUBLISHER.

The act of writing and posting unique articles on LinkedIn is a wonderful approach to display your knowledge while also increasing followers and building your own brand.

Nevertheless, the same with blogs and other types of media, only try to use this function if you are confident in your ability to do so, or if you can afford to pay someone who can assist you in doing so. The use of this function is recommended for writers and communicators who have excellent writing skills and work with a competent editor.

Some personal branding experts and consultants also provide ghostwriting solutions, but you should exercise caution while taking use of this service. If an editor or ghost writer is aiding you, the material should ultimately come from you and be true to your brand’s voice and identity. Anyone else that is participating should simply be assisting in polishing it and making it more readable in the end.

8. GROUPS.

Getting involved in a few LinkedIn groups that fit with your interests and expertise is a fantastic idea, as is contributing material or comments when you have the opportunity.

So if you’re a CMO, you may join one of the CMO groups.

And if you’re a FinTech executive, there is almost certainly a group dedicated to your field.

9. MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND RECEIVE THEM.

It is possible to demonstrate your management style and network by posting a few recommendations for coworkers, suppliers, or subordinates. If you’re writing it for subordinates, it might highlight how you’ve created your team and assisted others in their development. For colleagues or suppliers, it may demonstrate your capacity to interact both inside and outside while also communicating cross-functional expertise in the process of collaboration.

Writing a referral for someone after they have completed a project or after they have gone on to a new position may be a rewarding experience.

Not only that, but don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions as well.

Remember to be cautious about the timing of your actions.

*Useful LinkedIn ideas

PRIVACY PREFERENCES.

Always keep track of your privacy settings and make sure you are aware of what they are. If you are actively job looking and changing your profile on a regular basis as a consequence, you may also want to turn off the notice to others when your profile is updated or changed.

CHOOSE YOUR CONNECTIONS CAREFULLY.

Don’t immediately accept invites; yet, you will most probably want to accept the majority of them. Because LinkedIn is a social networking site, it is appropriate to use the term “networking.” Look at someone’s profile before accepting their invitation to connect, but don’t be afraid to ask questions. If there is anything that signals that they are spammers or an aggressive seller, you generally don’t want to accept their offer since they may ruin your reputation in the long run.

DON’T GO OVERBOARD WITH YOUR PROMOTIONS.

Maintain a professional tone and provide your skills or ideas wherever possible, but avoid using LinkedIn as a platform to market oneself. The most effective brand marketing nowadays is built on insights and the ability to assist someone in solving a problem. Keep this in mind while you’re promoting yourself and developing your own brand online.

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR WORK BEFORE POSTING IT!

Typos may derail any efforts you may be making to promote your brand by giving the impression that you are careless or do not pay attention to detail.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO PACK CONTENTS TOO TIGHTLY INTO YOUR SUMMARY AND EXPERIENCE

Give the audience some breathing room so that they would be more inclined to want to continue reading.


This material is originally written and exclusive for