How to Write a Short Biography for Work
Whether it is called a work or business bio or a personal profile, the important difference between now and the past is that your bio will be read online. eHow spoke with Kathleen Weiss, SPHR (certified Senior Professional in Human Resources), a small business Human Resources consultant who specializes in employee handbooks as well as Director of Human Resources at SWK Technologies.
eHow: What is the purpose of a work bio?
Kathleen Weiss: In any context, the purpose of a work bio is to advance your career in whatever venue it will be seen. It can be used during the application or interview process, posted on professional social media sites or to highlight a team’s expertise in the framework of business proposals. You should have a full bio and a mini bio for different circumstances.
eHow: How do you grab a reader and make your bio stand out?
KW: First, you have to know who your audience is and understand that in reality, most people will not take the time to read your entire bio, so it’s important to begin with the most impressive and important things first. For a general professional bio on a site such as LinkedIn, specific work expertise -- are you a subject matter expert or have an impressive number of years in your field or have you spearheaded an innovative approach in your field -- should be at the top of your bio. If your bio will be used as a sales tool as part of a proposal or as a vehicle to obtain a job, I’d recommend tailoring the first paragraph to your specific prospective client or employer and highlight what would be most impressive to them. Lastly, remember to write your bio in the third person.
eHow: What are the elements that must appear and do you prefer a specific order to the work bio?
KW: The basic elements should come from your resume, but there is no right or wrong order as long as you know your audience, it’s logical and flows. Make sure you edit and re-edit. It’s a good idea to have another person give you feedback on your bio, preferably a writer or editor or someone in communications -- not a relative or best friend who would think anything you wrote was great.
eHow: Is there anything one should not say or that is a red flag when you see it in a work bio?
KW: Just remember that a bio is not normally done chronologically as a resume would be so put your best experience in the foreground: what will “sell” you as a professional and what represents the direction you want to go. As far as the humor, you are writing a summary of your work life and unless you are a humorist, and a good one, I’d leave the humor out of your bio.
eHow: How should people address certain gaps or weaknesses in their employment history?
KW: Quite frankly, they shouldn’t in a bio. Again, you will not be writing this as you would a resume, so explaining gaps in your work history should not be an issue. If you are a parent that removed yourself from the workforce to raise a family, don’t mention it; just focus on your strengths and eliminate any items that raise questions. Remember, this is a summary of your experience, knowledge, skills and abilities.
eHow: There are many creative ways of getting your work bio online. With all the flood of materials and formats, what’s the best place to post your work biography?
KW: In our age of information, your online presence is vitally important, especially if you are a professional person looking for career advancement. For example, if I’m hiring for a sales position and they don’t have an online profile, they pretty much don’t exist. Although LinkedIn is currently the most popular, there are others such as Plaxio, Ryze or having your own webpage that are options that shouldn’t be overlooked. Don’t overlook such sites as Meetup.com. They have just as many business groups as they do for social activities. If you do business abroad, you might want to have a profile on Xing. Lastly, don’t overlook industry specific websites that allow intra-website networking and messaging.
eHow: What about using keywords?
KW: Keywords are significant in your profile, but in reality, the important keywords will be found organically in your bio anyway. Keep in mind that your keywords will probably work within that particular website, but not necessarily in a Google search, so understand the limitations.
