A professional bio is a bit like a public resume. They typically take the form of a website page - this could be a page on a company website or a dedicated professional bio website. The purpose of a professional bio is to provide a background as to who you are and win over the trust of clients, suppliers or investors. They can be used by jobseekers trying to win over employers, but are more commonly used by those who are self employed.
When it comes to creating an impressive professional bio, there are a few key ingredients that you’ll want to include. This post lists those ingredients.
Choose a warm and professional photo
Adding a picture of yourself to your bio is essential for building trust by showing that you’re a real person. Of course, you need to look both professional and approachable in your photo. This typically involves a smiling portrait of you dressed in your workwear and looking ready for business. A ‘headshot’ is typically viewed as the most professional option - this should contain your head and shoulders with minimal distractions in the background. It’s worth hiring a professional photographer to take a headshot. This photo should be displayed at the top of your bio. You can learn more about taking a professional bio photo in this guide from Jennifer Dell.
Write in the third person (but include some first person quotes)
You can write a professional bio in first person, however third person bios typically come across more formal and professional. This is because they feel like they were written from someone else’s perspective, which can make you come across more renowned and important. Of course, first person quotes can still be great for sprinkling throughout a bio to give people a better idea of your personal beliefs - a prime example being this bio from Raj Kalyandurg. Just make sure to isolate these quotes in quotation marks.
Use your full name – but only at the beginning
It’s important to include your full name in a bio for SEO purposes. This should be included towards the beginning of your bio, however you may want to switch to referencing yourself by your first name later on in the bio. Using your full name throughout could come across as too formal - as the reader learns about you, switching to a first name can provide a more friendly and relaxed tone. Of course, there may be cases where you prefer to refer to your surname such as if you’re a doctor or a politician.
List your certificates and awards
You should use your bio to gain credibility by listing some of your professional achievements. Certificates and awards are particularly strong credentials that you don’t want to leave off your bio. This could include degrees, licences, professional body memberships, previous high ranking job titles and professional awards. Make people aware of these credentials at a glance by highlighting them in bold, putting them in bullet points or adding trust badges.
Tell an inspiring story
A professional bio that inspires people is great for generating business. One way to do this is to tell a story throughout your bio in which you overcome obstacles to obtain success. Obviously, avoid mentioning any obstacles that could damage your professional reputation (such as scandals, professional mistakes, addictions or criminal charges). Instead focus on things like economic challenges growing up, previous wrong career choices or ability to overcome things like disabilities or discrimination.
Share your future goals
To show that you’re still motivated to succeed further, consider ending your bio by sharing some of your future goals. These don’t have to be concrete goals and could be something as simple as ‘wanting to help more people’. The most important thing is to show that you’re still blossoming and that you haven’t passed your peak - especially if many of your achievements listed are from years ago.
Keep it snappy
A professional bio doesn’t need to be lengthy. If it’s a small section of an ‘about us’ page, then you want to keep it no longer than three to four pages. If you’re dedicating an entire page to a bio, then it is worth making it slightly longer so that the page feels more fleshed out. Try to write in relatively simple sentences that highlight the key facts and use plenty of paragraph breaks so that it doesn’t feel like a wall of text - this will encourage people to actually read your bio
