An autobiography is a short story about yourself, which allows you to find out general information about a person. It is used in many situations: when hiring, entering a university, etc. In the presented article, we will tell you how to properly draw up this information in order to make a positive impression of yourself.

○ What is an autobiography?

An autobiography is a document that indicates detailed information about a person, written by him personally. In other words, this is a brief biography, which indicates the basic information about study and labor activity.

Further, the document is signed by the citizen who wrote it and stored together with his personal file.

○ Basic rules for writing an autobiography.

In order for the autobiography to help you as much as possible to get the desired job or place in an educational institution, it is important to take into account the subtleties of drawing up a document. Let's see what exactly you need to pay attention to.

✔ Contents of the autobiography.

The law does not establish a strict form of drawing up this document. On the one hand, this gives a certain freedom, allowing you to write in an arbitrary form, and on the other hand, it complicates the writing of an autobiography - after all, not everyone knows what facts need to be indicated and how to do it.

Here is the minimum information that you must prescribe in the document:

• Full name.
• Date of birth and/or age.
• Place of birth and/or residence (if not the same).
• Education received: it is necessary to indicate both basic and special, including advanced training courses.
• Labor activity: where, in what period and by whom they worked, the reasons for changing jobs.
• Marital status and brief information about the closest seven members (husband/wife, parents, children).
• Hobbies, achievements, awards, etc.

You can add some items at your discretion, but you must take into account that the information must be submitted in a concise form. An essay painted on several pages is unlikely to cause positive emotions among employers.

✔ Order of filling.

When making an autobiography, you need to adhere to the chronological order. Also, do not forget that this is an official document, so the information should be submitted in concise sentences.

Follow these steps:

1. At the top of the document, the title is written in the middle, after which no period is placed, and the next sentence begins with a new paragraph.
2. The autobiography is written in the first person, singular. It begins with the pronoun "I", after which a comma is placed and the full name is prescribed.
3. The date and place of birth are indicated, you can write the type of activity of the parents (born in a family of doctors, teachers, etc.).
4. Next, information about the education received, starting from school. The name of the educational institution is written, on the contrary - the years of study and the qualifications assigned. Don't forget to include all the courses, trainings and seminars you attended in the format name/date.
5. Work experience (if any): begins with the first place of work, indicating the period of stay at this place and a brief description of their duties. Other places of work are also indicated, each begins with a new line.
6. Scientific works, publications and other achievements indicating the name and year of implementation.
7. Additional responsibilities (if any). For example, to indicate that they successfully performed the duties of their manager while he was on vacation (on sick leave), to write what they were able to achieve during this period.
8. A hobby, especially if it is associated with professional activities and there are achievements in it.
9. Information about personal life: marital status, the presence / number of available children, the occupation of the husband / wife.

The information should be clearly divided into information blocks, each of which begins with a red line. At the end, an indentation is made downwards, on the left the date (the number year in numbers, the month in words), on the right is the signature of the compiler of the document.

○ Autobiography at work.

The general principle of drawing up a document when hiring is standard. But here it is necessary to focus on the following points:

• Write down the personal qualities that are required for the work you are getting a job for - this will not only save time when processing the document, but will also allow you to evaluate you as a candidate as objectively as possible.
• Pay attention to the projects you have worked on - this will show your ability to work in a team.
• Describe the education received, but focus on professional success.
• Reflect your wishes for work: the form of work (for example, if you like to work independently, write about it), the desired amount of wages, the possibility of business trips, etc.

✔ How do I create an autobiography for a student?

The general rules for drawing up a document are the same as when applying for a job. But since there are no professional achievements in this case, you should focus on the baggage of knowledge accumulated during the training (successful completion of practice, participation in seminars at different levels, completion of additional courses, knowledge of foreign languages, etc.).

✔ How to compose a person who is looking for a job for the first time?

If you do not have professional experience, you need to make maximum emphasis on your personal qualities, which are similar to the job you want to get a job. It should be borne in mind that if you can present everything in a favorable light, it will characterize you in a special way and the lack of experience will not be an obstacle to hiring.

○ Difference between an autobiography and a resume.

Both documents help to form an impression of the person who wrote it. But the resume is quite concise information, you can specify a minimum of information. And autobiography gives you the opportunity to tell about yourself in more detail.

In addition, the resume is usually printed, and the second document is written by hand, which also matters, allowing you to evaluate such qualities as concentration, concentration of attention, the ability to give out maximum information in a minimum period of time.

○ Nuances and features.

Although the candidate is given relative freedom in the matter of drafting this document, some subtleties should be taken into account:

• Conciseness is the official business language without the use of artistic turns.
• Volume – it is desirable to fit all the text on one page, because, as a rule, there are a lot of candidates, and there is no time for careful processing of information. Therefore, give a potential employer the opportunity to evaluate your qualities without applying unnecessary efforts.
• Form of compilation – you can print your autobiography in advance and attach it to other documents. But be prepared that you will most likely be asked to write it by hand. Therefore, you need concentration and the ability to instantly concentrate on what is important.

Thus, the compilation of an autobiography is not very difficult, if you correctly approach the design of the document. If it is correctly compiled, the probability of a successful outcome of the interview is significantly increased.

○ Lawyer's advice:

✔ Where might an autobiography be required?

Usually, this document is required when applying for a job in state bodies (in educational or medical institutions, for example), as well as when entering secondary and higher educational institutions.

✔ Can I send my CV along with my resume?

This is not forbidden, but such a move can play against you. The specificity of the autobiography is that it is compiled on the spot, in the presence of the employer or his representative. At the same time, not only the content of the document is evaluated, but also the behavior of the candidate in the process of its registration.