Getting a job? You may be asked to write an autobiography. To whom and why it is needed, as well as how to compose it, read the article.
An autobiography is not a duplicate of a resume or a questionnaire. And a document in which a person in an arbitrary form describes the main stages of his life from the moment of birth to the present moment. It’s like a mirror showing how much a person has succeeded, what he has achieved, whether he has climbed the career ladder.
It is an autobiography along with other documents necessary for applying for a job that your employer may require from you. Why he needs it, in what cases, what are the most common rules for compiling an autobiography, Work.ua understood.
Why and to whom
Autobiography is not required everywhere and not at all. As a rule, it is necessary for joining a large commercial firm or government agency. Employees of law enforcement agencies, government officials, teachers, doctors and even cooks most often ask about themselves from A to Z.
An autobiography is not just a document with which the personnel services of an enterprise staff the personal file of a newly made employee. It provides an opportunity for the employer to become more familiar with the newcomer.
From this story, the employer learns:
- who is the future employee;
- about the marital status, the environment from which he emerged;
- about his education;
- about experience and achievements;
- interesting facts from his life;
- about the advantages and disadvantages;
- about hobbies;
- about the ability to express thoughts.
And this, you see, is valuable material for compiling the psychological characteristics of a person. And since autobiography is a biography document, then you should present yourself from the best side.
How to write an autobiography
There are no clear standards and templates for creating an autobiography. It is written in any form, by hand, on a sheet of A4 format, focusing on the requirements of a particular employer. Choose a storytelling style that you feel is most suitable for the company where you are going to work – formal business, art or a mix of two styles.
But nevertheless, a certain tradition has developed in writing this document. There are 8 points that you need to consistently include in your autobiography.
NB! The following is a list of items that are usually described in an autobiography. But you do not need to include their name in the main text. Conduct a first-person story, narrate logically, arranging all the facts in chronological order.
- Title
At the top of the sheet, in the middle with a capital letter, you should write: Autobiography. - Name
Next, introduce yourself, indicate your last name, first name, middle name, and also date and place of birth. Your story will begin with the words: I, last name, first name, middle name, was born … - Education
Indicate when and what school you graduated from. This will be enough. But dwell on education after school in more detail – the period of study, the name of the university, faculty, specialty, and so on. - Labor activity
Talking about your career, indicate the years of work in the same place, the name of the company or structure, the position you held there. Describe your responsibilities, business achievements, reasons for dismissal. Feel free to enter information about promotions, rewards, awards. Information about patents, inventions, scientific works and publications in periodicals will also characterize you on the positive side. - Marital status
Tell us briefly about your family, husband or wife, children, if any. - Military service
Men must provide information about where and when their military service, rank took place. - Relatives
Often, employers are asked to include information about parents, brothers and sisters, their year of birth, professional activity, and place of study in the autobiography. These data are given at the end of the autobiography after the main text. - Signature and date
An autobiography is signed and dated by the author, that is, by you. Date is put on the left, signature – on the right under the text.
Useful Tips
There are a few more subtle points associated with compiling an autobiography:
It is possible that you may be asked to write an autobiography in the presence of personnel officers. Therefore, if you are looking for work, make it in advance. In addition, a prepared story about yourself will become good helpers during the interview.
Also, some employers are asked to fill out a job application form. It already has graphs with questions, the answers to them just need to be entered in an empty space. Instead of an autobiography, modern companies may offer you to write a story about yourself, which is later posted on a corporate blog, accessible only to team members.
Focus more on the personal accomplishments you have achieved in your life than on events. Gather all the information that characterizes you positively, and do not include negative information at all.
Do not write a lot, try to fit your autobiography on one sheet.