How to write a Bio – IDEA Board Experience Pilot

Identify your purpose and audience.
Before you get started writing, you need to know whom you’re writing for. Your bio is your first introduction to your audience. It should quickly and effectively communicate who you are and what you do.

Look at examples directed toward your target audience.
One of the best ways to understand what your audience will expect from your bio is to look at the bios others in your field have written. Good places to look for professional bios could be professional websites, Twitter accounts, LinkedIn pages, and annual reports of listed companies. Narrow down your information. Keep your details relevant and informative.

Write-in the third person.
Writing in the third person will make your bio sound more objective – like someone else has written it – which can be useful in a formal setting. Mention your most important accomplishments, if applicable. If you have earned achievements or awards that are relevant, include them. A bio is not a CV. Do not simply list your accomplishments; describe them.

Include personal, humanising details.
This is an excellent way to invite the reader to care. It’s also your chance to get some of your personality across. Ideally, these personal details will serve as conversation-starters should you meet your audience in real life.

Conclude by including information on any projects you have in the works.
For example, if you’re a writer, state the title of the new book you’re working on. This should be kept to a sentence or two.

Aim for 250 words.
This is just enough to give the reader a taste of your professional life and personality. Avoid a bio that is longer than 500 words.

Proofread and revise.
Please have a friend read your bio and give you their feedback. This is important because they can tell you if all the information you want to get through is coming across clearly.

Keep your bio up to date.
Every once in a while, go back and update your bio. By putting in a little work frequently to keep it up to date, you’ll save yourself a lot of work when you need to use it again.