5 Important Elements of a Professional Bio

So you’ve been asked to provide a professional bio on yourself. Aaaah, where do you start? Writing about yourself is probably one of the hardest tasks one can do – and especially if you’re not a professional writer!

You might be agonizing over what to include in the bio. How much can one brag without sounding arrogant? What should you leave out that’s not too important?

In today’s age of technology and brevity, the professional bio has become an important calling card in business. Whether you’re in the job market hunting for a new position, or an entrepreneur seeking a partner for a new venture, a well-written bio can tell your career story in a way that a resume cannot.

Professional Bios: Be Engaging and Informative

We’ve outlined 5 important elements of a strong bio that you should keep in mind when starting to write the bio:

1. Keep in mind the intended market of the bio. Who will be reading this document — potential employers? Partners in a new business venture? The directors of a board? Whoever the audience, the bio should engage and share . What information would these people want to know that they wouldn’t get from a resume? Maybe it’s their mission or purpose that drives them in their work, or it’s a specific example of how they became the go-to person in their role as head director or leader.
2. What is the personal perspective of the subject? This is something you cannot get from a resume, and very important to include in a bio. This can highlight the vision of the subject, and provide greater meaning on their career trajectory and how they arrived at where they are today.
3. Highlight key awards or achievements. While you may not be able to list every single award earned, you can highlight the achievements that connect to key points in the person’s career, or that contribute to the image you are trying to portray.
4. Remember that you are telling a story. A well-written story engages the reader from beginning to end. So, keep the tone conversational.
5. Throwing in some personal information at the end of the bio also creates a nice picture. Brief information about hobbies or family is always a nice touch, and again engages the reader. Adding this is in works great for a one-page bio, but not needed for a shorter, executive bio.

Remember, the goal of a professional bio is to enlighten the reader with information they wouldn’t be able to gather from a resume. It should show a little bit of your personality, while at the same time sharing what makes you interesting and an asset for a project or position (or whatever goal you have in mind).

Get more tips and sample bios in our bio writing ebook, “Just Add a Smile and a Handshake — A Starter Guide to Writing Your Bio.” In our comprehensive guide, you’ll learn:

• Should a professional bio be written in first person or third person?
• What is a social media bio?
• How long does the professional bio have to be?
• What is a good length for a short bio?
• What achievements should be included in the professional bio?
• Should hobbies be included in the professional bio?

Learn more about our bio writing ebook in this short video!

Read an excerpt below!

This handy bio writing guide will inspire and get you on the path to crafting a well-written bio that can be used for company websites, social media, and much more!

Learn more about WeWriteBios.com and how we help our clients shine!