How To Write A Short Bio (With Format, Tips And Examples)

Updated 5 October 2022

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Writing a short biography to summarise your professional life and accomplishments can be challenging. A genuine and well-written bio presents crucial information such as your skills, personal philosophy and professional achievements, and can attract the attention of potential employers. Learning how to write an interesting bio can improve the effectiveness of your online profile and job applications. In this article, we discuss how to write a short bio, share important tips for writing a bio and review some examples based on which you can model your own bio.

How To Write A Short Bio?

Learning how to write a short bio effectively can enable you to create engaging and informative content for a reader. Follow these steps to write a short and engaging bio:

1. Introduce yourself to the reader

Use the initial part of your bio to introduce yourself and share details of your professional profile to the readers. You can use the first or third-person voice for your bio depending on the purpose of the bio. For example, it is accepted practice for artists and creatives to write their bio in the third person, for a publication or an exhibition.

On a professional resume, it is good practice to write your bio in the first person. Consider your audience while you write your bio. Mention who your current employer is and discuss your work responsibilities very briefly. Avoid including unnecessary information and try to be precise in the first few sentences.

2. Share your professional experience

After providing a brief introduction, you can share details of your professional journey and growth with the reader. Write a few lines about what motivates you and what kind of work you are interested in. You can explain why your work is important to you and include your goals and values in this section of the bio. Establish what makes you different from other professionals in your industry. This information can highlight your unique values to a potential client or employer.

Related: What Is Relevant Experience?

3. Share your qualifications

In the next line, share your relevant education background along with your noteworthy experiences and accomplishments. Highlight accomplishments that can reflect your progress as an individual and a professional. Use common words instead of technical terms so that a wide range of readers can understand your message. This section helps potential employers evaluate whether your profile matches their requirements.

4. Conclude on a personal note with a call to action

In the last section, you can share interesting facts that reflect your personality. Sharing an interesting fact about yourself helps the reader know you better as an individual. Maintain a professional tone and do not write using informal language. You can conclude the bio with a call-to-action (CTA) for your readers. It can include your contact number, email address and relevant social media links.

Why Is Writing A Short Bio Important?

While writing a biography, being concise and to-the-point is important. Irrelevant information in a biography can be distracting and off-putting for a reader. Hiring managers and interviewers may go through numerous documents as part of a recruitment process and may only dedicate a short amount of time to each candidate's documents.

A short biography provides a concise introduction to the reader at a glance and encourages them to know more about your candidacy and professional accomplishments. Depending on the purpose of the bio, its tone and focus can vary slightly. For example, if you are writing a bio for a professional networking website, making it professional is critical. In a bio for a personal blog, the tone can be slightly informal.

Crucial Components Of A Short Bio

These are the crucial components of a short bio:

Full name, designation and company name: The first part of your bio can include your name, designation and name of your company. A reader may form their initial impression based on this information.
Role and responsibilities: In the next lines, you can include details of your job role. Here, you can list out the most prominent responsibilities associated with your role.
Personal philosophy: Next, you can explain to the reader what makes your work meaningful to you. This section can also list your values and professional goals.
Relevant work experience, qualifications and accomplishments: You can mention your work experience, professional qualifications and accomplishments. You can add important references to your progress or anything that potential readers may want to know about your professional journey.
List relevant personal details and contact info. You can provide insights into your life along with a call to action. Avoid sharing anything that is not important for the reader.

Tips For Writing A Short Bio

Here are a few tips for writing a short impactful bio:

Keep the content relevant

Be mindful of the word limit while writing your bio. Ideally, the bio summarises significant information about your professional and personal life for the readers, leading them to explore more. Avoid elaborating one section at the expense of another, and maintain the overall flow while writing. Write content that is suitable for your intended audience and highlight your unique skills.

Choose an appropriate tone

Getting the tone right in your writing is important to maintain relevance for your reader. Although both first and third person bios are useful, first person bios usually sound like a conversation and writing in the third person has the potential to make you sound more professional. Identify the right approach for conveying information and maintain consistency throughout the text. The best way to be consistent is to express yourself descriptively, authentically and professionally in your bio.

Describe your accomplishments

While adding professional achievements in your bio, focus on career highlights. Rather than making a simple list, describe achievements to give readers a better understanding of your professional practice. If you have won an award, explain its relevance to your job and specify the qualities that helped you achieve it.

Keep updating your bio

After publishing a bio, it is crucial to update it periodically. You can update your bio once every six months to ensure that it reflects your latest achievements. To stay under the word limit, you can edit the information and remove content that loses relevance over time. The additions to your bio can introduce a significant award or recognition, a new work opportunity or some personal breakthrough.

Examples Of Short Bios

Here are a few examples of short bios, in first person and third person:

1. Example of a first person short bio

I am Raghav Khatri, a video editor at WVin Studios, Bangalore. I have worked with some of the top content creators in the industry and am experienced in creating content that entertains and motivates viewers. I have a master's degree in media practices from DP University and have won the Prime Edit Award twice for my work. I am currently working on a feature-length film with Brick Studios. To look at my recent work, can visit my website raghavedits.com

I am Romesh Pillai, a marriage and family therapist based in Goa. I believe that well-adjusted and happy family units make up a prospering society. Working with couples (and individuals), I aim to help them recognise and heal from their issues to lead happy, meaningful lives. I have a doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Anand University and a diploma certificate in gestalt psychotherapy from Deccan University. You can get in touch with me at my email address: pillairamesh@email.com.

2. Example of a third person short bio

Nikita Desai is the head copywriter at Wavewood, Shimla. She manages a team of writers, creating high-engagement content while adding her unique creative touch to the content she manages. With her work experience, she's a tremendous asset to the company and a source of motivation for her team. Nikita holds a master's degree in communications and has been creating and managing content for over 20 years. Nikita likes a good meal with her team after a long day, and the best way to reach her is through her email: nikitawrites@email.com.

Nerin Varghese is a software developer at BoxCode, Bangalore. He specialises in creating high-end gaming apps and is currently working on a first-person shooter game with a unique storyline. Nerin holds a game design and development degree and has won a Best App Award for his game Miner's Duel. He is a passionate reader and likes to conduct online programming contests in his spare time. The best way to reach Nerin is through his email: nvarghese@email.com.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are associated with Indeed.