It’s time to write something most of us dread – a professional bio. Whether you’re writing a bio for LinkedIn, a side gig or your resume, it’s important to keep it professional. Professional doesn’t mean boring but a professional bio must have certain qualities that draw potential employers or businesses to you. You want to take the opportunity to paint the best picture of yourself without coming off as braggy or unprofessional. Therefore, here are some tips for writing a professional bio.
1. Identify Your Purpose
A professional bio could be for any occasion. Therefore, you need to identify who will read your bio. Is it a potential employer, an investor or a client? The most important thing to bear in mind is what you want them to think about you. A bio that will be addressed to a CEO should not have the same tone as one that will be addressed to your social media followers. Your audience should be at the back of your mind when deciding how to write your professional bio.
2. Pick Your Point Of View
Picking how to address yourself in a professional bio can cause a huge conflict. Though there’s no right or wrong way to address yourself, it’s recommended that you use the third person for a company bio so that whoever reads it appears like you’re being introduced to them. On social media platforms and CVs, it’s better to write in the first person as it’s more personal and you’re perceived as the publisher. However, as mentioned, there’s no right or wrong when addressing yourself.
3. Explain Why You Do What You’re Doing
Most people stop at what they do but don’t explain why they do it. Your professional bio should give people an understanding of you as a whole. There must be motivation behind your career choice. Talk about that. Additionally, you can talk about who you do it for. Sharing this can bring much-needed clarity not only to yourself but your job.
4. Keep It Short And Sweet
You can start by writing a draft then weed out the unnecessary information. Remember that if you’re applying for a position, the recipient has to read through dozens of other applications. So, try to capture your strongest attributes in the least number of words. Your professional bio should include your qualifications, achievements and contacts. If need be, share something personal that brings out your personality. However, this should come at the end.
5. Be Yourself
A bio is simply a summary of yourself. Even in a professional bio, you should express yourself in the most natural way possible. If you’re the funny guy, include a bit of humour in it. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable as this shows the recipient that you’re a human being and makes them relate to you even more. Talk about what excites you the most, your morning routine or an interesting fact about you.
Also, check out these tips – How to Write a Badass Professional Bio for Every Platform.
Check out 7 Tips To Improve Your Job Hunting Process. Also, check out these tips to make your cv better – 4 Tips To Make Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) Stand Out From The Rest
