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Writing a brief description of yourself can be tough. Fortunately, there are a few tricks that can make it easier to write everything from formal bios to informal blurbs. Brainstorm beforehand, and come up lists of key accomplishments and personal details. The right length and format vary, but personal descriptions of any type should be brief, direct, and engaging. As with any writing project, be sure to proofread and revise carefully to ensure you’ve done your best work.
Steps
Sample Short Biographies
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Identify your target audience. Think about why you need your short bio. Is it for a personal website, work profile, or fellowship application? Knowing who will read your description can help you figure out how to achieve the right overall tone. [1] X Research source
- Keep your tone formal for academic and resume summaries, such as applications for jobs, fellowships, grants, or biographies featured in academic conferences or publications.
- For an informal blurb such as a bio for a personal website, social media, or non-academic publication, add a bit of personality by using a fun, conversational tone.
- For a LinkedIn summary or a bio listed in a company directory, strike a balance between formal and conversational. Mention unique details about yourself, but don’t overshadow your experience and professional accomplishments.
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Review any requirements that your description must meet. Check any guidelines for the bio provided by your (potential) employer, publication, or other organization. When in doubt, find out if there’s a contact person, and ask any questions you may have about specific requirements. [2] X Research source
- For instance, a job application, author bio, or company directory listing may call for 100 to 300 words. Your bio might need to be longer for a grant proposal or bio for your professional website.
- In addition to length, your description may need to follow a set order, such as name and title, education history, research focus, and achievements.
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Make a list of your accomplishments. Short bios typically list your most important awards and accomplishments. Write down your academic degrees, awards, and professional achievements, such as major work project, publications, or certifications. Depending on the nature of your description, list personal accomplishments, too, such as running marathons or visiting every state capitol building.
- Examples of professional accomplishments include “Revamped purchasing protocols to cut the company’s costs by 20%” or “Recognized as the company’s top-grossing salesperson for fiscal year 2017.”
- Avoid simply writing a list of personal characteristics, like “enthusiastic” or “hardworking.” Focus on including specific skills, awards, and achievements that make you unique.
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Create a bank of keywords if you’re writing a professional bio. Incorporate skills specific to your industry or discipline into your bio, such as “inventory management,” “network security,” or “research design.” To come up with keywords, check job descriptions for positions you’ve held or are applying to, as well as entries on your resume or CV. [3] X Research source
- Industry-specific keywords are especially important for online job profiles and resume summaries. Employers and recruiters use search engines and software to scan profiles and resumes for keywords related to a job posting.
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Jot down relevant hobbies and interests, if necessary. If you’re writing a blurb on your website, a social media page, or a non-academic publication, make another list of personal details, hobbies, and interests. Including your interests and hobbies paints a more comprehensive picture of who you are outside of work.
- In a personal blurb, you might mention that you love your miniature schnauzers, brag about your kids, or add that you have a passion for raising pitcher plants.
- Use a note app on your smartphone or a word document to keep a running list of accomplishments, interests, and fun facts so you can easily add to the list when you come up with a new idea.
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Use a conversational tone to add a little personality. In terms of format, an informal blurb is similar to a professional bio. The key difference is language. In an informal description, showcase your personality with humor, quirks, and colorful words.
- Unlike formal writing, you can use contractions, exclamation points, and other informal elements in a blurb. However, you should still ensure your writing is grammatically correct and avoid using slang, such as “gotta” or “woulda.”
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Introduce yourself and your story. As you would in a formal bio, write who you are and share key information about yourself. See if there are guidelines on whether you should write in the first or third person. If it’s up to you, go with whichever you find more natural. Keep it mind it’s usually better to write in the first person on social media profiles.
- You could write, “Jacqueline Page is a coach and motivational speaker with over 10 years of experience. She loves helping her clients to live their best lives. When she’s not inspiring others, you can find her cuddling her 2 cats or hiking with her husband, Dan.”
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Share a quirk or unique detail. Include interests, hobbies, or other details that help readers get to know you. You could write about your pets or family, bring up a special talent, or mention an experience related to the blurb’s purpose.
- If you’re writing an author’s blurb for an article you wrote about cooking, you could include a detail like, “I fell in love with cooking when my grandmother began teaching me her old family recipes. From then on, I realized that food is all about family, history, and tradition.”
- While you do want to reference your credentials, make most of the details you include in an informal blurb personal so the focus is on who you are as a person.
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Stick to 100 to 200 words, as a rule of thumb. You’re not writing an essay or personal memoir, so try to keep your blurb brief. In most cases, a short paragraph of 3 to 5 sentences or around 100 to 200 words should be enough for you to sketch out key details.
- If you’re not sure about the right length, see if there are guidelines, or check for past examples to use as templates. For instance, if you published a magazine article and need to write a blurb, use other authors’ blurbs as examples.
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Create first and third person versions of your description. Using the third person is best in most cases, but it’s wise to have both first and third person options available. If you’re writing a professional bio for a specific purpose, double check your guidelines for a preferred format.
- If you’re writing a professional bio for an online job profile, such as LinkedIn, the first person is best. Using “I” allows you to tell your story more naturally. Additionally, writing in the third person on social media profiles can feel a little insincere.
- In general, listings on company directories and professional bios for academic conferences should be in the third person. If you’re presenting at a conference or seminar, for instance, the person who introduces you might read your bio out loud, so the third person is best. [4] X Research source
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Include your name and title in the first sentence. Tell readers who you are and what you do right off the bat. Use the basic template, “[Name] is a [title] at [employer, institution, or organization].”
- Write, for example, “Jackie Mula is an associate professor of philosophy at Ritter College.”
- If you don’t have a professional title or much experience, put your education front and center. For instance: “Noelle Poremski recently earned a BFA in dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.” [5] X Research source
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Write a sentence that sums up the work you do. Concisely explain what you do and why your contribution is important. You could give a bird’s-eye-view of your career or, if you’re in academia, sum up your research focus. It’s also helpful to describe how long you’ve been active in your field with phrases such “over 5 years as a” or “a decade of experience.” [6] X Research source
- Examples include, “For nearly a decade, she has managed the daily operations of the company’s 7 Northeast regional branches,” and “Her research focuses on the early detection of reproductive cancers through the development of novel blood testing techniques.”
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Mention your top achievements, awards, and certifications. Choose around 3 of your most compelling accomplishments, and detail them in 2 to 3 sentences. Refer to your list of accomplishments, and choose the top honors that are most relevant to your purpose.
- For instance, write, “In 2016, Sophie received the prestigious Breeder of the Year award from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America. Additionally, she’s a renowned trainer of K9 and commercial security dogs. Since 2010, has run a charity dedicated to finding forever homes for rescued working dogs.”
- Suppose you’re writing a profile for your company’s directory or website, and you’re trying to narrow down your list of achievements. Mentioning that you oversaw the organization’s rebranding is more relevant than writing about winning employee of the quarter at another company.
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Put education at the end, unless you don’t have much experience. If you have tons of professional experience and you’re running out of room, it's okay to leave out education. Otherwise, skip a line after your bio's main content and add something like, “Madison holds an MFA in photography from the Rhode Island School of Design.
- Recall that, if you’re short on professional experience, you should put your education up front. [7] X Research source
- If you don’t like the look of putting education on a separate line, don't skip an extra space after the main body. If ending with your education feels unnatural, consider including it earlier in text. Just keep in mind it's better to call attention to professional accomplishments than education.
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Wrap up with a personal detail, unless your bio is formal. Don’t include personal information in formal descriptions, such as an academic bio or a grant proposal. On the other hand, for a bio listed on your company’s website or directory, mentioning a unique hobby or interest can showcase who you are outside of work.
- You could write, “In his spare time, Albert enjoys hiking and rock climbing, and he has scaled 3 of North America’s top 5 highest peaks.”
- Note that, for formal descriptions, you can include professional interests or hobbies that are related to your industry or discipline. For example: “In addition to her clinical research in obstetrics, Dr. Lutz avidly studies childbirth customs and practices in cultures throughout history.”
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Omit personal pronouns and use sentence fragments. Use the same active language as you’d use throughout a resume. In addition to keeping your language consistent, skipping personal pronouns and using sentence fragments can make your summary as concise as possible. [8] X Research source
- For instance, instead of writing, “Glen coordinated at least 5 installations per month, and he increased the company’s productivity by 20%,” you’d write “Coordinated at least 5 installations per month and increased the company’s productivity by 20%.”
- There’s limited space on your resume, so limit your summary to 2 to 3 sentences, or about 50 to 150 words.
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Introduce yourself in the opening sentence. As with other types of descriptions, start by stating who you are and what you do. Use the template: [Professional title] with [length of time] of experience in [2 to 3 specific skills]. [9] X Research source
- Write, for example, “Product application specialist with over 5 years of experience in computer-aided design and office systems installation solutions.”
- If you’ve already written a longer professional bio, copy and paste the first 2 sentences. Then, revise these sentences to create your resume summary.
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Highlight your experience and key skills in 1 to 2 sentences. After the introductory sentence, add context to your experience. Provide specific examples of how you’ve put your skills into practice. Call attention to professional accomplishments that show potential employers what you bring to the table. [10] X Research source
- For instance: “Served as senior development officer for an international nonprofit. Revamped fundraising campaign strategies and generated a 25% year-over-year increase in donations.”
- Review the key skills listed in job descriptions, and include them in your resume summary. Employers and recruiters want to see how you’ve honed the specific skills the job requires. [11] X Research source
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Make sure your sentences flow logically. Read your text, and ensure each sentence leads to the next one. Structure your bio so that a sentence continues or elaborates on an idea in the previous one. If you need to make a transition, use words such as “additionally,” “likewise,” or “similarly” to keep your sentences from sounding choppy.
- Consider the example, “Senior development officer with over 10 years experience at an international nonprofit. Revamped fundraising campaign strategies and generated a 25% year-over-year increase in donations.” The first sentence summarizes experience, while the second follows up with a specific accomplishment.
- To make smooth transitions, write “I have 10 years of experience as a music teacher at the secondary level. Additionally, I've maintained a private practice teaching vocal and piano lessons for 2 decades. When I'm not working with my students, I enjoy community theater, gardening, and needlepoint.”
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Proofread your brief description. Set aside your bio for a few hours or overnight, then tackle it with fresh eyes. Read it out loud to yourself, correct typos or errors, and tweak any spots that need clarification or streamlining. [12] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source
- Make sure you've used strong verbs and the active voice. For instance, go with “Developed a new bookkeeping system” instead of “Was in charge of making a new bookkeeping system.” [13] X Research source
- Reading your text out loud can also help you smooth over any awkward-sounding sentences.
- You should also avoid using words such as “very” or “really.” If you're writing a formal description, nix contractions, slang, and other informal expressions.
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Ask other people to check your text and offer feedback. Give your bio to a mentor, coworker, friend, or relative who has excellent writing skills. Ask them to point out any errors and to offer feedback. Ask in particular about your bio’s tone, and if your text balances self-promotion and humility.
- Ideally, ask 3 people to offer feedback: a mentor or supervisor, a peer or coworker, and someone in your target audience. For a resume bio, your target audience would be a hiring manager or recruiter. If you run a business and wrote a blurb for your website, your target audience would be people who use your product or service.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat is a brief description?Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.Generally speaking, a brief description of oneself can vary from about three sentences to half of a page.
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QuestionWhat is a blurb about yourself?Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.A "blurb" generally refers to a 3-sentence (or so) biographical sketch of yourself. Blurbs tend to include things like profession, education, and interests.
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QuestionHow do you write an essay about yourself?Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.A personal or autobiographical essay will include more detail than the short descriptions discussed in this article. Consider framing your autobiographical essay around a significant event and explain how that event shaped you into the person you have become.
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Tips
- Keep in mind you want to be brief, which means your language should be simple and direct. Choose engaging, precise words, and avoid using specialized jargon unless it’s absolutely necessary.Thanks
- If you have any doubts about the format, look for bios and blurbs you can use as examples. For instance, review other authors’ blurbs for the website you write for, or check bios on your company's website or in previous versions of its directory.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.su.edu/career-services/career-services-students/career-education/professional-biography/
- ↑ http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~sfinger/advice/advice.html#biosketches
- ↑ https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/linkedin-best-practices/2016/7-linkedin-profile-summaries-that-we-love-and-how-to-boost-your-own
- ↑ https://phdlife.warwick.ac.uk/2017/02/01/how-to-write-an-academic-bio-for-conferences/
- ↑ https://www.su.edu/career-services/career-services-students/career-education/professional-biography/
- ↑ https://phdlife.warwick.ac.uk/2017/02/01/how-to-write-an-academic-bio-for-conferences/
- ↑ https://www.su.edu/career-services/career-services-students/career-education/professional-biography/
- ↑ https://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/resources/how-write-resume-profile-or-summary-statement
- ↑ https://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/resources/how-write-resume-profile-or-summary-statement
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/how-to-write-a-personal-statement-for-your-cv
- ↑ https://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/resources/how-write-resume-profile-or-summary-statement
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/reading-aloud/
- ↑ https://www.careers.govt.nz/job-hunting/cvs-and-cover-letters/how-to-describe-skills-in-your-cv/
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Article Summary
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To write a brief description of yourself, start with a sentence that includes your name and title, like "Jackie Smith is a professor of philosophy at Ritter College." Then, write a sentence that briefly summarizes the kind of work you do and how long you've been doing it. Next, use 2-3 sentences to detail your top 3 achievements, awards, or certifications. If you don't have a lot of experience or achievements to include, focus on your education instead. Finally, wrap up your description with a short personal detail. To learn how to come up with a description of yourself for your resume, scroll down!
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