Keep your tone formal for academic and resume summaries, such as applications for jobs, fellowships, grants, or biographies featured in academic conferences or publications. For an informal blurb such as a bio for a personal website, social media, or non-academic publication, add a bit of personality by using a fun, conversational tone. For a LinkedIn summary or a bio listed in a company directory, strike a balance between formal and conversational. Mention unique details about yourself, but don’t overshadow your experience and professional accomplishments.
For instance, a job application, author bio, or company directory listing may call for 100 to 300 words. Your bio might need to be longer for a grant proposal or bio for your professional website. In addition to length, your description may need to follow a set order, such as name and title, education history, research focus, and achievements.
Examples of professional accomplishments include “Revamped purchasing protocols to cut the company’s costs by 20%” or “Recognized as the company’s top-grossing salesperson for fiscal year 2017. ” Avoid simply writing a list of personal characteristics, like “enthusiastic” or “hardworking. ” Focus on including specific skills, awards, and achievements that make you unique.
Industry-specific keywords are especially important for online job profiles and resume summaries. Employers and recruiters use search engines and software to scan profiles and resumes for keywords related to a job posting.
In a personal blurb, you might mention that you love your miniature schnauzers, brag about your kids, or add that you have a passion for raising pitcher plants. Use a note app on your smartphone or a word document to keep a running list of accomplishments, interests, and fun facts so you can easily add to the list when you come up with a new idea.
Unlike formal writing, you can use contractions, exclamation points, and other informal elements in a blurb. However, you should still ensure your writing is grammatically correct and avoid using slang, such as “gotta” or “woulda. ”
You could write, “Jacqueline Page is a coach and motivational speaker with over 10 years of experience. She loves helping her clients to live their best lives. When she’s not inspiring others, you can find her cuddling her 2 cats or hiking with her husband, Dan. ”
If you’re writing an author’s blurb for an article you wrote about cooking, you could include a detail like, “I fell in love with cooking when my grandmother began teaching me her old family recipes. From then on, I realized that food is all about family, history, and tradition. ” While you do want to reference your credentials, make most of the details you include in an informal blurb personal so the focus is on who you are as a person.
If you’re not sure about the right length, see if there are guidelines, or check for past examples to use as templates. For instance, if you published a magazine article and need to write a blurb, use other authors’ blurbs as examples.
If you’re writing a professional bio for an online job profile, such as LinkedIn, the first person is best. Using “I” allows you to tell your story more naturally. Additionally, writing in the third person on social media profiles can feel a little insincere. In general, listings on company directories and professional bios for academic conferences should be in the third person. If you’re presenting at a conference or seminar, for instance, the person who introduces you might read your bio out loud, so the third person is best. [4] X Research source
Write, for example, “Jackie Mula is an associate professor of philosophy at Ritter College. ” If you don’t have a professional title or much experience, put your education front and center. For instance: “Noelle Poremski recently earned a BFA in dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. ”[5] X Research source
Examples include, “For nearly a decade, she has managed the daily operations of the company’s 7 Northeast regional branches,” and “Her research focuses on the early detection of reproductive cancers through the development of novel blood testing techniques. ”
For instance, write, “In 2016, Sophie received the prestigious Breeder of the Year award from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America. Additionally, she’s a renowned trainer of K9 and commercial security dogs. Since 2010, has run a charity dedicated to finding forever homes for rescued working dogs. ” Suppose you’re writing a profile for your company’s directory or website, and you’re trying to narrow down your list of achievements. Mentioning that you oversaw the organization’s rebranding is more relevant than writing about winning employee of the quarter at another company.
Recall that, if you’re short on professional experience, you should put your education up front. [7] X Research source If you don’t like the look of putting education on a separate line, don’t skip an extra space after the main body. If ending with your education feels unnatural, consider including it earlier in text. Just keep in mind it’s better to call attention to professional accomplishments than education.
You could write, “In his spare time, Albert enjoys hiking and rock climbing, and he has scaled 3 of North America’s top 5 highest peaks. ” Note that, for formal descriptions, you can include professional interests or hobbies that are related to your industry or discipline. For example: “In addition to her clinical research in obstetrics, Dr. Lutz avidly studies childbirth customs and practices in cultures throughout history. ”
For instance, instead of writing, “Glen coordinated at least 5 installations per month, and he increased the company’s productivity by 20%,” you’d write “Coordinated at least 5 installations per month and increased the company’s productivity by 20%. ” There’s limited space on your resume, so limit your summary to 2 to 3 sentences, or about 50 to 150 words.
Write, for example, “Product application specialist with over 5 years of experience in computer-aided design and office systems installation solutions. ” If you’ve already written a longer professional bio, copy and paste the first 2 sentences. Then, revise these sentences to create your resume summary.
For instance: “Served as senior development officer for an international nonprofit. Revamped fundraising campaign strategies and generated a 25% year-over-year increase in donations. ” Review the key skills listed in job descriptions, and include them in your resume summary. Employers and recruiters want to see how you’ve honed the specific skills the job requires. [11] X Research source
Consider the example, “Senior development officer with over 10 years experience at an international nonprofit. Revamped fundraising campaign strategies and generated a 25% year-over-year increase in donations. ” The first sentence summarizes experience, while the second follows up with a specific accomplishment. To make smooth transitions, write “I have 10 years of experience as a music teacher at the secondary level. Additionally, I’ve maintained a private practice teaching vocal and piano lessons for 2 decades. When I’m not working with my students, I enjoy community theater, gardening, and needlepoint. ”
Make sure you’ve used strong verbs and the active voice. For instance, go with “Developed a new bookkeeping system” instead of “Was in charge of making a new bookkeeping system. ”[13] X Research source Reading your text out loud can also help you smooth over any awkward-sounding sentences. You should also avoid using words such as “very” or “really. ” If you’re writing a formal description, nix contractions, slang, and other informal expressions.
Ideally, ask 3 people to offer feedback: a mentor or supervisor, a peer or coworker, and someone in your target audience. For a resume bio, your target audience would be a hiring manager or recruiter. If you run a business and wrote a blurb for your website, your target audience would be people who use your product or service.
