Updating my resume

My last job interview was in 1990 so I've had no reason to write a resume in almost twenty years. Yet in that time I've provided hundreds of 'biogs' to both consulting clients and comedy promoters. There is an obvious difference between the two: -

A 'biog' is an invitation to tell a selective story about yourself whereas a resume must be comprehensive

Each of us has a variety of stories about ourselves and we're continually forced to choose which one to tell. Anyone who's ever joined an online dating site has agonised over which personal details to include in the written profile and what to exclude until first impressions have been made.

The same dilemma presents itself when I first meet a new client: what information do I offer up and in what order? My tendency has always been to keep the two broad themes of my life (comedy, consulting) quite separate; just as I don't want my pharma clients to see me as frivolous, I want to avoid coming across as too 'corporate' on stage.

I have decided that this is a mistake.

It underestimates my clients and my audience. A huge part of my ongoing attraction to pharmaceutical clients is the uniqueness of my background. Implied in my brand premise is that if you're looking for an MBA then call McKinsey. Similarly, the first rule of stand-up is 'talk about what you know'. If I leave corporate life out of my comedy then I'm left with the same list of topics (airline security, the Daily Mail, American tourists in London) as every other comic and my ability to differentiate myself is massively diminished.

Write out an unflinchingly comprehensive resume. Now look for convergence. As a small-shop consultant that's where you're most likely to find your USP.