More Than a Summary
- Saturday, September 10 2011 @ 08:13 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 1,587
When people sit down to construct an online profile, they’re often hung up by two little words: self-summary. How do you condense a person into a few paragraphs? How do you condense yourself, when you know yourself best of all? What’s white noise, and what makes you “you”? It’s a daunting task for even the most self-assured, and nine times out of ten we wind up with a dry resume about our jobs, our location, and our Friday nights spent watching TV - even if none of those things are actually important to us.
So how can we go about livening up a profile, making it better reflect who we are? Well, there’s definitely more than one approach - there’s nothing that says you have to conform to a one-size-fits-all format when it comes to an online profile.
Let’s say you’re a creative person who writes well. Why not think of fiction as you write your profile? Oh sure, keep it honest, but insert a little fun and imagination. Maybe instead of your 9-to-5 job you’ve got a daily battle avoiding zombies and vampires (metaphorically, of course). The trick here is to add whimsy, but not so much that you seem like you’re literally living in a fantasy world. If you can pull it off, you’ll come up with a profile that sticks in someone’s mind - who else has zombies and vampires?
If fiction isn’t your forte, go honest and conversational. Instead of thinking of your profile as a resume, think of it as the first letter you write to a pen-pal, or a friend. Ask questions, include anecdotes. By making the profile a little more personal, the reader will feel as though you’re speaking right to them, and that you’re acquainted already.
Perhaps you feel these styles are a little advanced, but you’d like to liven up your profile just the same. Well, as you sit down to write, remember that what makes you “you” doesn’t have to be defined by your job or even your hobbies. Maybe you’re the only person you know who likes to take your shoes off and walk in the rain. Maybe you make it a point to hit every tourist trap you can on road trips and buy a magnet. Include the little details, the reasons your friends and family love you.
Your profile can be entertaining and even fun to read; it doesn’t have to be a dry resume. However you decide to spice it up, remember to edit as well - that it hangs together, that spell-check didn’t auto-correct something embarrassing. It might not win a literary prize - but it could catch the eye of someone interesting. That’s not a shabby reward either!
So how can we go about livening up a profile, making it better reflect who we are? Well, there’s definitely more than one approach - there’s nothing that says you have to conform to a one-size-fits-all format when it comes to an online profile.
Let’s say you’re a creative person who writes well. Why not think of fiction as you write your profile? Oh sure, keep it honest, but insert a little fun and imagination. Maybe instead of your 9-to-5 job you’ve got a daily battle avoiding zombies and vampires (metaphorically, of course). The trick here is to add whimsy, but not so much that you seem like you’re literally living in a fantasy world. If you can pull it off, you’ll come up with a profile that sticks in someone’s mind - who else has zombies and vampires?
If fiction isn’t your forte, go honest and conversational. Instead of thinking of your profile as a resume, think of it as the first letter you write to a pen-pal, or a friend. Ask questions, include anecdotes. By making the profile a little more personal, the reader will feel as though you’re speaking right to them, and that you’re acquainted already.
Perhaps you feel these styles are a little advanced, but you’d like to liven up your profile just the same. Well, as you sit down to write, remember that what makes you “you” doesn’t have to be defined by your job or even your hobbies. Maybe you’re the only person you know who likes to take your shoes off and walk in the rain. Maybe you make it a point to hit every tourist trap you can on road trips and buy a magnet. Include the little details, the reasons your friends and family love you.
Your profile can be entertaining and even fun to read; it doesn’t have to be a dry resume. However you decide to spice it up, remember to edit as well - that it hangs together, that spell-check didn’t auto-correct something embarrassing. It might not win a literary prize - but it could catch the eye of someone interesting. That’s not a shabby reward either!
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