There are many fields of work where it is important for professionals to have short biographies of themselves that can be accessed by clients and other companies. This is not unusual, and it is important for your short biography to have the pertinent information others would need to be able to accurately judge your abilities. It only takes a few minutes to write an effective professional biography of yourself, and you don’t need to be a professional writer to do it.
Format And Tone
You should always refer to yourself in the third person in a work biography unless your company specifies otherwise. When you speak of your accomplishments, you should speak like someone reading a list of your accomplishments to someone else. Each company has its own formatting requirements for biographies, but most are two paragraphs that include only relevant information.
Paragraph One
The first paragraph starts off with your professional title and a very brief description of your responsibilities. You can include any industry accolades you have received and any high profile projects you have worked on with the company. If it is a sales profile, then you can mention any large seals you have closed or any pertinent statistics such as closing rates or revenue.
Paragraph Two
Paragraph two is where you recap your past including any prestigious positions you have held, your educational background, your industry accomplishments and any articles or books you have had published. Many companies enjoy including a sentence or two about your personal interests, but it is always best to try and make sure that these are somehow associated with your job. You should only mention companies that would be recognized by people in your industry and avoid mentioning companies that do not add prestige to your past.
Biography Tips
When you write a professional biography, you should only include information that puts you in a positive light. You should never give information that can mislead the reader about your abilities or accomplishments. For example, if you were part of a team that made a major contribution to your industry then mention the team and avoid trying to imply that you did the work on your own.
What Not To Include
Information such as your hometown, the name of your family members and any accomplishments associated with your hobbies or interests is usually not necessary. When you are discussing your educational background, it can be helpful to mention any organizations you belonged to that would be recognized by people in your industry. When listing your degree, be sure to be as specific as possible about the field in which you earned your credentials.
The short biography you write for your company’s website or marketing material might seem almost unimportant, but it is something all of your potential clients and business associates will read. Be sure to include information that helps to establish you as an expert in your field, and always have someone else read your biography to catch any mistakes you may have made.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!