Image from Wikipedia

Before we get into how to write a bio too deeply, let’s get some perspective:

1. It’s your bio, so do what you want.
2. There’s no right, but there are some wrongs.
3. There’s lots of conflicting advice. For example, Pete Kistler’s post about how to write a professional bio gives some advice that’s different from what you’ll read here.
4. So do what you want, after thinking about the repercussions…

Let’s start at the beginning: why do you need to learn how to write a bio? Here are some reasons – and note that some of them imply that you need different versions:

• You need a really short bio for social networking sites – you know, things like Twitter.
• If you do a blog, you need two bios – a very short “About” on your blog’s landing page, and a longer version for your “About” page.
• You’ll frequently need some kind of bio if you speak somewhere, guest blog, or otherwise volunteer your services.
• A bio is a great adjunct document to use in your job search.

I bet you can think of others as well. You can see right away that some need to be more condensed than others. Contrary to advice you’ve received from others, some are better written in first-person, and some in third-person. (“I am a blogger” vs “Feigenson is a blogger”).

It’s really pretty easy to do several versions if you start with the longest one first. Then you can prune it down for the shorter versions, and change the voice of the bio from first- to third-person easily. Just to be clear, if you’re obviously talking about yourself, it’s more natural to write in first-person. But if the bio is going to be used by others, then third-person is more natural.

How long should different versions be? There’s no hard and fast rule, but here’s what I’d suggest:

• The shortest version is your personal branding statement. I’ve written about this topic several times, and here’s a good starting point. Let’s just say that your PBS should be able to fit on a single line on your business card.
• Tiny version should be under 50 words.
• Short version should be about 100 words.
• Long version should be one page (but leave room for your picture).

Here’s why this is way less confusing than it seems: space constraints and/or requests from people who’d like your bio will dictate how long they should be. So you may end up with even more versions…

There are other posts on this site that provide more nuts and bolts instructions for how to write a bio (see “8 Tips to Write a Professional Bio” and “How to Write a Short, Professional Bio on Yourself”). Well, actually do a search for the word “bio” and you’ll find still more posts. And since these are pretty comprehensive, I’m going to finish up with some things people don’t normally write about on this topic.

First, everything you write should support your Personal Branding Statement. This focus is essential to promote the brand, or image, you’ve decided on. Everything you do or say needs to support that effort. For example, a fellow I know posted a status message on LinkedIn: “xxx is a Compentent Comunicator…” Some of you may recognize this as an announcement that the writer had just attained the level of competent communicator at Toastmasters. I hope you will all realize he spelled both competent and communicator wrong. So if you make a claim, please be sure to support it!

So, your bio – any length – starts out with your Personal Branding Statement. Then be sure to include the things you’ve done that support your PBS. And please – whether you write in first- or third-person – include something about who and what you are. When people read bios, they want to get some feeling about you, they’re looking for a personal connection.

Finally, you should consider making a single-page document about yourself – your personal bio – that will compliment your resume. It should be clean, well-designed, and interesting. There are times when this bio will be more effective than a resume in your job search, especially as you advance in your career.

Check out Brand-Yourself’s other articles on how to write a bio, see which tips work best for you, and get started on your own bio.

• How to Write a Bio: 8 Tips
• How to Write a Short, Professional Bio

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Need to know how to write a professional bio on yourself? You’re not alone. Bio writing is difficult. It forces you to prioritize what’s most important about you. It’s an intimidating task to boil down your entire professional life into one paragraph that’s clear, concise, and works for you.

Luckily, you don’t have to start your bio from scratch. Before writing your bio, let’s dissect Dan Schawbel’s. If someone is already doing things right, why not learn from them? Personal branding guru Dan Schawbel’s short bio is an excellent example of a brand-building, professional bio that works for him. I’m going to break it down piece by piece to show you what you can learn from it.

Learn by Example

Dan Schawbel’s Bio:

“Dan is the leading expert in personal branding for the generation-y audience, with an award winning and world recognized Blog, a TV podcast series that he directs, Awards that he gives out, and a Magazine that benefits the American Cancer Society. He has written over 20 publications for major magazines and online resources and has been featured in Fast Company Magazine and Yahoo! Finance and is EMC’s social media expert. He is also establishing the first 360 degree personal branding website, DanSchawbel.com, creating a new standard for career development. Recently, he has redefined personal branding by establishing a collaborate wiki, which he is using to acquire knowledge from all the leading experts to establish a single definition for personal branding.”

Analysis of Dan’s Bio

Let’s break down Dan’s bio now, one piece at a time.

“Dan is the leading expert in personal branding.” This immediately tells you Dan’s niche, without hesitation and without confusion. When you’re writing your own bio, be crystal clear about what you do from the get-go. Your first sentence should have people nodding their heads along with you… ahh okay, so that’s what you do.

“…for the generation-y audience.” This makes it very clear who Dan’s audience is. Personal branding focuses on achieving success by making you the best solution for a particular audience. It would be difficult for Dan to say he’s the leading personal branding expert in the entire world. It’s much easier to be an expert for a certain group of people – for Dan, that’s Generation Y (today’s twenty year olds). Who is your ideal audience? It could be individuals (the disabled, the elderly, women in their twenties, etc.) or groups (cancer researchers, failing not-for-profits, green startups, etc.). Choosing an audience helps you attract more ideal opportunities that better align with your long-term goals. That way, everybody wins.

“…with an award winning and world recognized Blog, a TV podcast series that he directs, Awards that he gives out, and a Magazine that benefits the American Cancer Society.” This sentence highlights Dan’s professional accomplishments. What have you done that directly backs up your first “what I do” sentence? Include your most important achievements, but be picky because you don’t have too much space.

“…He has written over 20 publications for major magazines and online resources and has been featured in Fast Company Magazine and Yahoo! Finance and is EMC’s social media expert.” This showcases Dan’s “credibility boosters” – items that build a strong argument for his authority in his field. What credibility boosters (awards, certifications, memberships, etc.) might make you a more attractive job candidate in your bio?

“…He is also establishing the first 360 degree personal branding website, DanSchawbel.com, creating a new standard for career development.” This shows what Dan is doing to stand out in his area of expertise. What things (side projects, past work, etc.) have you done that differentiates you from your peers?

“…Recently, he has redefined personal branding by establishing a collaborate wiki, which he is using to acquire knowledge from all the leading experts to establish a single definition for personal branding.” This demonstrates how Dan is contributing to his niche. Are you doing anything novel or innovative in your niche that might make you more memorable to readers of your bio? If so, be sure to include it.

Create a Remarkable Web Presence at Brand-Yourself.com

Once you’ve got your bio up to snuff, it’s time to create a visible web presence where you can use it! Did you know that more than half of employers are more likely to hire you if you’ve spent time developing your personal brand across social networks? To help you do this, we built a platform to manage your online reputation from one central hub. Create your Brand-Yourself account today and see how our tools can help you build, optimize and promote a remarkable web presence that gets you hired.

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