As a management consultant, you need to quickly establish your expertise and credentials. An important component of doing this is having a well-written professional biography.
A company considering hiring you needs to know that they are choosing the right candidate, one whose background and industry experience matches their need for the project at hand.
While a resume or CV used to be sufficient to establish your credibility, a well-written professional bio is now the preferred way to summarize who you are and what you can do for the company. In short, it’s a critical element of your marketing material.
Your bio should include the following:
1) Your job experience and educational background. While this obviously includes the basics (Mr. Jones has an MBA from Hawthorn University), a bio is an excellent place to showcase your continuing business education, any certifications or other qualifications, and related abilities such as mediation or operational experience. A bio is also a good place to mention any teaching or adult experience you possess, since these skills are often useful in helping work with staff.
2) Not just job experience but project experience. And not just project experience, project results. The fact that you worked for a Fortune 500 Company may be useful, but it’s far more useful to know that you created a new accounts receivable department with a collections system that increased collection of old debts by 200%. Since (in most cases) the company is not planning to hire you permanently, they want to know specifically what you can do in a given amount of time. Specific descriptions of successful projects is the best way to convey that.
3) Your unique advantage. What is it about you that set you apart from other management consultants in your field? More to the point, how are you going to save them time and money? Remember, although we are professional biography is written about you, it is written for them. Naturally, they are reading it with the attitude of “what’s in it for us?”
4) Passion for your work. Resumes tend to be rather dry and factual since the sender never knows who in the company may review it or why, and it usually has to be applicable to a wide range of possible job positions. A consultant’s bio can allow more of your personality to shine through, especially your passion for whatever type of project you’re likely to be hired to do. Your bio should sell the “product” and that product is you: someone who will immediately start solving the company’s problem.
Here is a sample bio for a management consultant.
________________________________________ applies expert knowledge, industry experience, and relentless energy to solving your company’s issues. A graduate of ____________ with a degree in __________, ______________ began his/her career at ________________ as a _______________. Within _____ (number of years) _________________ became ____________________ at __________ and assisted the company in achieving _______________.
Today, ________________ specializes in working with companies in the fields of _____________ (human resources, finances, strategic planning, marketing, acquisition and implantation of new technology, facilities management, etc.)
With more than _________ years of experience and the successful completion of more than __________ projects, _________ has the ability to work effectively with your staff, listen to their ideas and help implement the changes necessary for successful completion of the project.
Let __________ be your consulting partner, as he/she has done for companies including __________, _________, and ________. His/her expertise and experience can be an incredible asset to your company and its goals. Contact him/her at __________ and let’s talk about what you need to make your company grow.
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In today’s business climate, many companies are trying to do a great deal with limited resources, attempting to stay “lean and “mean” while still achieving their goals and objectives, often without sufficient staff who possess the necessary expertise. Whether in the area of technology, finance, sales, marketing, human resources or long-term planning, a crackerjack consultant is often what’s needed.
But in order to be hired, you need to convey to your potential client that you are exactly the crackerjack consultant they need. An effective professional biography is one of your most important marketing tools to do just that.
Need a crackerjack bio that stands out from the crowd? In a hurry? If so, go here to get a professionally written “fill-in-the-blanks” bio template that is specific to your job. You’ll have it written and ready to go in 20 minutes.