Writing a Captivating Personal Bio

A well written bio is a not only a great vehicle to quickly communicate who you are and what you do, it is a brilliant opportunity to introduce yourself within a captivating story that showcases your personality alongside your professional achievements. As it's becoming more likely that your first impression will be made via Google search, you would be wise to grab hold of the reins, using these five tips to inspire a bio that does your personal brand proud.

1. Identify your mission – who do you want to reach?
Who are you trying to reach with this bio? Take some time to think about your audience and how you would like them to think about you. Is this strictly a professional bio geared to access potential employers or clients, a fun bio filled with witticism for your friends or a bio for your literary career or blog site? Before you begin writing try to identify the top three things you want your audience to know about you, then build from there.

2. Know yourself - what makes you unique?
This is your chance to show the person behind the accomplishments, so don't be afraid to share some quirks and spice it up with unique facts about yourself. What are your values? What are your superpowers? I find most clients I speak with don't realize how interesting they really are until we do a little digging. You can weave pieces of the big picture to tell the story about how and why you entered into your profession; showing that you are more than your work history and education.

3. Be sincere - what would your family, friends and past employers say about you?
It's not always easy to write about yourself, especially if you're trying to sound objective. Ask one of your previous employers to write you a recommendation. Ask friends or family members which three words describe you best. These are good methods to get the ball rolling and gather information for inspiration.

4. Take them on a journey - and lead them to what's next.
Link the content to ways of contacting you like your email, website and your LinkedIn profile, and end with your contact details. 

5. Add intrigue - leave them wanting more.

​​"I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." –Maya Angelou

Be transparent and authentic, share tidbits of adventure, magic and a dash of emotion. Your biography is the story that paints your personal brand, and a good story always leaves the reader wanting more.

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