I confess. I hate writing my own bio. But I actually like writing someone else’s. I think a lot of people have trouble writing their own bio and it shows. I have been editing speaker bios for an upcoming foodservice conference over the past few weeks. As interesting as the speakers are, for the most part, the bios would put you to sleep. They read like resumes, or worse. Now, I understand that a bio should contain certain facts, but who said a bio should be devoid of personality? Bios I see on websites aren’t much better. And it’s too bad, because I always like reading bios and I think others do too. As a content writer I often write bios for websites. Here are my suggestions for writing bios that excite rather than sedate. 1) Don’t feel obligated to include every job you ever had. Put the focus on your current position, as that is what is most relevant to your audience. Only include past positions if they had a significant influence on your career. 2) Explain how it was that your work became your passion. Why do you like it? When did you know you found the right career? 3) Let your voice shine through. In a post on Grammar Girl, Julie Wildhaber calls a well-defined voice “the bridge between you and your audience: It helps your readers understand who you are, and it helps you engage them and keep them coming back for more.” What do you want to say about yourself? Are you serious, light-hearted, ambitious, determined? What adjectives describe you? To what do you attribute your success? Do you have a mantra? Inserting a quote can be a great way to let readers hear your voice. 4) Include something personal or unexpected. When we wrote bios for the accounting firm Lipschultz, Levin & Gray, we asked the top executives to share a “stand-out memory” of their accounting career, as well as some advice. Who knew that we would learn about counting meat carcasses or working by flashlight? It’s proof that there are interesting stories to be found in every career. 5) Common convention calls for writing your bio in the third person; so if you are submitting a bio for a speaking engagement you definitely want to use that format. For bios on the web, remember to keep paragraphs and sentences short for easy reading. It’s true that we are often our own worst promoters, so why not hire a professional writer and take writing your bio off your “to do” list. A professional writer can tell your story in a way that will make customers want to do business with you. Now for today’s special. Tell us why you hate writing your own bio and enter to win a complimentary 200-word bio written by Content for Biz. Email me at jcostin@contentforbiz.com or use the comment box below.
