Do you have a professional bio you’re proud of?
Can you produce it quickly, without having to worry about if it’s a good fit for an opportunity should it arise?
Every business professional should have a strong, well written, professional bio they can provide for potential employers and other business-related opportunities when asked.
Most of us don’t think much about our professional bio until we’re asked to provide it, and then we scramble, do a few Google searches, and throw together something we aren’t really happy with.
Not good.
At the base level, you want your professional bio to be an easy to produce, strong representation of who you are as a business professional. The form, or forms—because there’s no rule that says you can only have one professional bio—it takes can vary, while there are some pieces of information that it should always include, there is room for creativity.
You want the tone of your bio to match who you are as a professional while also fitting well with the situation it will be used for. You want to ensure that it is accurate while also providing a few personal details to humanize you for those eager to learn more. You also want to make sure you leave a little to the imagination, while also ensuring it’s professionally comprehensive and informative.
No matter what tone, format, style, and content you choose to go with when it’s time to write your professional bio, it’s important that you have one, that it includes the pertinent information, and that you make it memorable, at least to those you’re trying to reach
Why Your Professional Bio is Important
A professional bio is as important to your career as your resume—it can be used as an introduction to potential employers, clients, or business connections in much the same way, but it also accompanies your work in public forums.
It’s more than just a tool to help you secure business opportunities. Your professional bio tells the world what you want them to know about you as a business professional—what kind of experience you’ve had, what your values are, what you’ve accomplished, and why you’re an expert and asset in your field.
Your professional bio is basically your opportunity to share why you’re kind of amazing, in an acceptable, not at all boastful, way.
In terms of personal branding, your professional bio is the storytelling piece that helps tie your resume together with your personality, background, ambition, and drive.
What Your Professional Bio Should Include
A quick Google search of “professional bio samples” will bring back a plethora of examples demonstrating that there is no one right way to write a professional bio. Depending on your industry, your goals, and your personal brand, your bio could be a traditional, straightforward listing of your experience and accomplishments. But, it can also be so much more.
Take a peek at this bio written by our Digital Marketing Specialist for her personal lifestyle blog:
Dude Mom is a humor, lifestyle blog written by the best mom in the world. In her free time she enjoys losing weight easily, looking like a soap star the moment she rolls out of bed, and riding around town on her unicorn. Also, she may be slightly delusional. In addition to having a loose grip on reality, Dude Mom enjoys traveling to far off lands (or, not so far off lands) with her family, and helping moms up their style awesome by sharing easy, affordable, and stylish wardrobe tips. In addition to working as a spokesperson for national brands like Motrin, Invisalign, and more, Dude Mom helps businesses design and manage effective social media campaigns and works as a community manager, social media strategist, copywriter, and content developer for brands and businesses. A former middle school language arts and social studies teacher, DudeMom resides in Maryland with her husband and three Dudes where she laments leaving the California sunshine on a daily basis.
It’s engaging, informative, and entertaining to read, and it’s meant to reflect the tone and purpose of her website.
Aside from its awesome factor, though, this bio does include a few things that every bio should include.
Writing Your Professional Bio
Now that you’ve seen a good example, it’s time to put together your own professional bio. We’re going to work through an example with someone most of us know.
Start with your full name: Stephen Curry.
And your title: Professional American basketball player with the Golden State Warriors
Give some information about what you do: Plays point guard, has a 47.7 field goal percentage, a 43.3 free throw percentage, and a 90.5 free throw percentage. Plays an average of 34 minutes per game and scores about 23.3 points per game.
Throw in some awesome: In 2016, Steph Curry became the first person in NBA history to be named MVP by unanimous vote and only one of eleven players to ever be named in MVP two years in a row. Curry set the NBA record for three-pointers made in a regular season in the 2012-2013 season. Curry went on to break that record twice and is currently third in all-time made three-pointers in NBA history.
Share some values: Steph Curry supports several charitable causes and has been known, on several occasions, to donate shoes he’s worn or auction shoes he’s created to good causes. He is a supporter of children’s causes Nothing But Nets, Partnership for a Healthier America, and NBA Cares.
Talk about some personal elements: Steph Curry married his long-term girlfriend, Ayesha Alexander in 2011. Together they have three children. Curry’s father, Dale Curry, is a former NBA player and his brother, Seth Curry, currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks.
Add something fun: Steph likes to spend his time with his friends and family and enjoys making YouTube videos where he has fun in the kitchen with his wife, Ayesha.
Once you do this, you have the makings of a pretty decent bio…
Sample Bio for Stephen Curry: Stephen Curry is a professional American basketball player with the Golden State Warriors. As point guard, Curry has a 47.7 field goal percentage, a 43.3 free throw percentage, and a 90.5 free throw percentage. Curry plays an average of 34 minutes per game and scores about 23.3 points per game. As one of the most celebrated players in the league, Steph Curry became the first person in NBA history to be named MVP by unanimous vote in 2016. He is only one of eleven players to ever be named in MVP two years in a row. Curry set the NBA record for three-pointers made in a regular season in the 2012-2013 season. He went on to break that record twice and is currently third in all-time made three-pointers in NBA history. Steph Curry supports several charitable causes including Nothing But Nets, Partnership for a Healthier America, and NBA Cares, among others. In 2011, Steph Curry married his long-term girlfriend, Ayesha Alexander. Together they have three children. Curry’s father, Dale Curry, is a former NBA player and his brother, Seth Curry, currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks. In addition to having fun on the court, Steph likes to spend his time with his friends and family and enjoys making YouTube videos where he has fun in the kitchen with his wife, Ayesha.
Your turn!
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.