How to Write a Short, Professional Bio

Headshot to go with bio

Writing a professional bio on yourself can be an intimidating process, but there will be many instances where you will need to compress your entire professional life in to one clear, concise paragraph. You need to prioritize what is important about you, to let the reader know why he or she should be reading your article, book, blog, or buying your artwork, listening to your song. Throughout your career you will need to put your best foot forward, so to speak, with style and class. If you want to know how to impress your audience and make them want to know more about you, read on to learn some tips that will help you build your bio 'library.'

Instructions

1. Go out and find bios of successful people and take them apart, examining the individual elements to discover what works and why it works. You are going to be building your 'brand' with this bio, so follow the example of the experts in creating your own set of bios. Yes, I said, 'set' of bios, because you will probably need more than one, depending on the purpose of the bio, the audience you are appealing to, and the 'product' you are offering.

2. Tell the reader immediately what it is you do. Don't just start out with something like "Janie Sullivan is a writer." Big deal, so are hundreds and hundreds of people. Identify your niche, "Janie Sullivan is a leading expert in faculty training curriculum development." This immediately tells the audience that I know what I am talking about in the area of faculty development curriculum, a very specific area of writing. This also shows that more than one bio is necessary, not all the 'audiences' I serve are interested in faculty development.

3. Provide evidence that the first statement is true in the following, or even included in the first sentence. In this case, I would follow up with "She has written the entire curriculum for a 21-course online certificate in Online Teaching Strategies and currently teaches this curriculum online at a local community college." This establishes credibility by showing I have experience in curriculum writing and it identifies my audience. If you are a faculty member wanting to learn about online teaching strategies, you will continue reading my bio.

4. Give more examples showing what you have done in your area of expertise that set you aside from others doing the same thing. To continue with the example above, the next sentence would be "Janie has written articles in the art of online teaching for the Adjunct Advocate, a magazine devoted to adjunct college teachers. She has also presented training workshops on related topics at the Innovations in Community Colleges Conference and the Maricopa Community College Tech Conference."

5. Include your email, blog and/or wiki addresses, if you have them. If not, include a phone number where you can be reached. If you do not have a Web site, now might be a good time to set one up. It can be a simple blog or wiki, or an elaborate site that provides your audience with a more complete picture of who you are and what you do.

Tips & Warnings

• Include a professional headshot with your bio.

• Create more than one bio - tailor each one to the particular publication, audience, and subject area you are trying to promote.

• Keep your bio library up to date so when someone asks for one, you can peruse them and find just the right one with current information.

• Remember, first impressions are important. You want your client to remember you in a positive light, so be honest in the bio.

• Never write a bio in first person, always write it in the third person - consider it to be something written by someone else to describe you.