What’s one tip for writing a compelling personal bio in 3 lines or less?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.
1. Add a Personal Touch
Make sure your bio has some flair or personality. Throw in a mention of a hobby, or make a joke. Something like, “Computer programmer, entrepreneur and connoisseur of donuts” will make your bio memorable.
– Jared Brown, Hubstaff
2. Include a Link
It’s hard to squeeze all your story and validation of your work into three lines. And chances are if people are interested in learning more about you, they’ll want somewhere to go to read more. Including a link to your personal website (or at minimum your LinkedIn profile) where people can see examples of your work or testimonials is a more important part of a personal bio than ever before.
– Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.
3. Generate Curiosity
Your bio should pack a punch, and at the same time, it should stay relevant and interesting for the user. It’s like tweeting an article with a headline and a link. The headline has to be interesting enough for the reader to click on the link. Similarly, the bio should generate enough curiosity for the reader to explore more.
– Rahul Varshneya, Arkenea LLC
4. Name Drop
You only have a few sentences to establish your credibility and authority on the topic, so cut straight to the juicy stuff. Don’t be afraid to name drop or use dollar amounts. Did you have a leadership role at a big company? Can you boast an impressive revenue figure or a past acquisition? What about traction or a seed round for your current gig? Anchors like these establish credibility fast.
– Ronnie Castro, Porch
5. Leave Something Out
In most cases, the goal of a bio is to generate interest from people who’d like to meet you. To accomplish this, you should ignore the urge to fully encapsulate your entire self, and leave room for questions. If a reader of your bio is interested but has further questions about what you’ve done, he or she is likely to contact you for a follow-up.
– Brennan White, Watchtower
6. Emphasize the ‘Why’
A “regular” bio should have two components — the person’s name and title and his or her educational and professional background. However, a “compelling” bio should have three — the two components above, and most importantly, why they matter.
– Fabian Kaempfer, Chocomize
7. Make It Unique
So many bios are full of boring credentials like which college you went to. You want to grab people’s attention in the same way you would if you were describing your product or startup in three lines or less: by letting us know quickly, clearly and confidently why this is something worth paying attention to.
– Danny Boice, Speek
8. Focus on the Solutions You Create
Use a tried-and-true recipe such as this: I help (people you serve)(achieve what goal you achieve) so that they can overcome (their challenge or struggling point). Keep it simple, and focus on what ideal outcomes you create for your customers.
– Cody McKibben, Digital Nomad Academy
9. Don’t Exaggerate
Be real about who you are and what you’ve accomplished. A lot of people beef up their bio in an effort to seem more significant and accomplished. Remember, however, that your friends, family, co-workers and even former employers see this as well. You lose credibility among the people who already know you when you exaggerate your talents and accomplishments. Don’t be a poser.
– Heidi Allstop, Spill