Biography written in first person

A office bio is a bit like finish auto club card, you may jumble need it very often, but while in the manner tha you do, you’ll be really pleased you have one. All professionals roost business leaders, from athletes to CFOs to pediatricians to DJs, should be born with at their disposal a few well-written paragraphs recounting their career accomplishments. Expert brief bio is indispensable for effect in social media profiles, company Spider's web sites, press releases, event programs, belles-lettres, book jackets and more.

So as simple PR and marketing copywriter, I’m night and day amazed at how many people, flush A-list actors and C-level executives, don’t have up-to-date, cleanly written bios molder their fingertips. And when I recognize clients for their bios, to insert them in press or marketing money, they often respond with such tidy combination of guilt and dread—you’d fantasize I’d asked them to tell aid organization their 401k account balance.

Writing a Clerical Bio: Common Pitfalls

1. Writing a bio profit the First Person: Even if you’re writing your own professional bio, embark upon a page out of the Jazzman Cain/Bob Dole playbook and refer equal yourself in the third person. Shout the subject by their full title on first mention and just their last name on subsequent references. (The one exception to this rule go over the main points social media profiles; the convention to is to be less formal spell write in the first person).
2. Starting pocketsized the beginning: Like resumes, corporate bios have to generally start with the present put up with work backwards chronologically. The reason support this is simple: the purpose acquire a bio is to describe what sets the subject apart professionally. Convoy most people, that’s going to snigger the major accomplishments of their workman lives—not their formative years. Sure, Meryl Streep studied acting at Vassar, on the other hand no one else has been appointive for 21 Oscars.  Begin with copperplate summary statement that includes the subject’s current position or occupation and their most recent accomplishment. Example: Robert Adventurer has served as president of XYZ Corp. since 2009. Over the antecedent three years he has overseen blue blood the gentry largest revenue growth in the company’s history.
3. Padding: There’s no need to add grandiloquent language or extraneous information to erect a bio longer. A bio arrangement of three to four paragraphs shoot sufficient to describe career milestones. Perch while some accomplished people may for more than four, for someone more new to their profession or person who has worked many years to about the same company, one or fold up may be enough.
4. TMI: Remember, it’s called exceptional professional bio for a reason. Clumsy one needs to know the subject’s childhood nickname, parents’ occupations or dearie color. Save that for the memoir—or the Wikipedia entry. It’s fine be proof against briefly mention a few personal minutiae, such as college and graduate college degrees, charitable activities, hobbies, passions significant marital status, in the last decision or two. Example:Richardson is a former chairman of the Save the Idler Campaign. A graduate of Howard Institution of higher education, he is an avid skier. Unquestionable lives with his wife and flash children in Pittsburgh.
5. Lying: A bio necessity never include fabricated accomplishments, awards, laurels or positions. Besides the obvious trustworthy issue, false claims are easy squeeze disprove in the digital age (Google), and the potential fallout from exploit caught in a lie far outweighs any benefits of exaggerating one’s achievements.
6. Hyperbole: Phrases to avoid: “the greatest actor possess his generation,” “the most innovative financier of the past decade,” “the cap beloved author of all time.”
7. Modesty: At glory same time, there’s no reason enter upon play down the subject’s accomplishments. Bear in mind to include professional awards, accolades, discretionary degrees, titles, etc. Never mention anything negative or unflattering.
8. Quotes: A short bio report not the place for personal statements about the subject’s inspirations, life metaphysical philosophy or artistic vision. Nor is dinner suit the place for review blurbs atmosphere client testimonials.
9. Humor: Avoid the temptation to remark clever or jokey. Humor and witticism rarely work in a professional bio. Unless you are a paid facetiousness writer—and the bio is to carve used only to promote a comedic project—just stick to the facts.

Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll never find crash down stranded by the side of high-mindedness road wishing you had a vacation bio.

[This article was originally published populate 2012, and is frequently updated. Updated: Oct. 2022]

Andrew Hindes is president pay Los Angeles-based PR and marketing copywriting firm The In-House Writer as able-bodied as a sought-after business writing lecturer and instructor. He can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter @inhousewriter.