Write a Captivating Bio in 10 Easy Steps.

by Kathy Seaton

In our current situation today its more important than ever to develop a compelling and aggressive biography (formerly the cover letter). And it must accompany your resume. In fact, it’s something that you just have to do if you’re hoping to land a new job.

People are losing their jobs every day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, we can make the assumption that there is a glut of professionals desperately trying to find a new job. I can’t stress enough the importance of your bio. Trust me, it has the potential to differentiate yourself amongst an ever growing population of job seekers. 

I’ll be honest with you—this is a huge undertaking and certainly an arduous task. However, your bio, if written with intent and passion, will yield significant results.

In a competitive job market, HR managers read bios first and base their initial perception of your abilities, and importantly, your accomplishments on this prized document.

The important thing to do is engage the reader and customize it to the requirements of the position. Meaning that you may need to create several versions of your bio (as well as your resume) to really communicate how you’re a fit for the job. 

A bio is extremely useful in many ways—networking, personal/professional website, professional directories, articles and publications, public speaking engagements, public relations, blogs, emails, and social media.

Here are some tips and examples to get you started.

1. Identify yourself and your purpose immediately. This needs to be a short and very concise statement. Don’t overwrite this section—no one wants to read a dissertation. Also, don’t forget to include a high-resolution headshot of yourself.
2. Develop an elevator pitch. This is your way to present yourself in an elevator—in as little time as a ride from the 1^st to the 5^the floor. It’s the 30-60 second persuasive discussion that positions you as a pro. You may use your elevator pitch as the introduction to your bio.
3. Tell your story. Establish your professional vision and beliefs. Then lead into situations where you have overcome adversities and challenges and how you came out on the other side.
4. Think about yourself as a brand. This is your opportunity to really market yourself, to be viewed as an influencer, and a thought-leader.
5. Quantify leadership, strategies, and initiatives where you led change, instituted new processes, efficiently used resources to save time and money, and successfully created big returns. Include statistics.
6. Write sentences in an active voice. Use verbs and communicate action. And feel free to use conjunctions and sentence fragments to lighten it up.
7. Use a conversional tone. Don’t use a bunch of industry lingo because it makes you look like you’re “showing off.”
8. Use humor—you want to add personality—something unexpected. Don’t be standard or boring. It will read like a “snoozer.”
9. Keep your paragraphs short. You don’t need to write a long paragraph—two sentences are more than enough.
10. Create three different versions of your bio. Micro (one sentence), short form (100-150 words), and long form (250 words.)

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” ― Steve Jobs