Professional biographies are important. They are used as a primary engagement tool professional to professional.  Think of them as the abstract of your curriculum vitae or that awesome short story that makes everyone want to be you when they read your LinkedIn profile. More often, a bit more formally and important to the day-to-day clinical environment, they are also used by providers as a gateway to create rapport, build trust and gain the confidence of patients.

Many practitioners find the task of creating a professional biography daunting. After all, it can feel difficult to create an interesting story where you are the main character. The good news is that following a simple interview format will make it much easier to create or refresh your bio for the new year!

Professional biographies come in different shapes and sizes, the length and voice depend on the target audience and where they are going to be utilized. The first step is to determine who will be reading it and what will they be interested in learning. Next, create a longer biography first. This way, editing for the mid-size to mini formats is easy – because all the information is already on the page. This isn’t always necessary to write out the long bio, but it can help if you’re struggling with what to add or delete from your story.

• Long Bios can be 600 – 800 words, or even more robust, depending on the placement, for instance, as seen in some LinkedIn® profiles.
• Mid-size Bios are 150 – 200 words – like profiles used for public speaking.
• Mini-Bios can be as small as 5 words, as seen in a Twitter profile to 20 – 30 words, as viewed at the end of a publication.

 The framework is outlined in 3 sections

1. Who are you? This information forms the foundation of the story. What positions have you held (i.e., clinician, pediatric audiologist, manager), what are your present and past titles (Lead Clinician, Director of Audiology, Practice Administrator, Physician Partner) and where have you worked?
2. What credibility do you have? This element is the “prove it” part and outlines items like education, accomplishments, awards, experience, association affiliations, etc.
3. What makes you unique? Here you get to sing your praises. This question lifts up the special attributes that make you stand out from the crowd. This can be anything from listing attributes (caring, focused, dedicated), to success stories, testimonials, and personal interests (avid kayaker, dedicated wife, father of 2 boys).

The final step is to combine the three elements into one message. A biography should follow the simple rules of any good story: there is a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning should grab the reader’s attention. What message do you want them to remember? The middle should mention a few of your highlights, for instance your highest degree, professional award or internship. The wrap up should end with a dash of your unique and personal information.

 Remember, don’t try to include every little thing – your professional biography is often just your highlight reel! 

If you want to avoid the scramble of trying to quickly update that bio in an afternoon, in between calls and patients, when someone sends you that dreaded email with the “shoot me your bio via email” request – don’t worry.  We have your back.