A biography (or bio) is a great way to give potential clients, customers, or employers a quick snapshot of who you are. It’s a chance to show off your experience in the industry and share whatever it is that makes you different. In PR, biographies are essentially used for pitching purposes but can be edited slightly and used as a branding tool on other platforms such as on your website or social media pages.

A good bio should be a summary of your resume/CV, consisting of approximately four to eight sentences that read in a creative fashion. As readers are usually short on time, your biography needs to be concise and able to pack a punch.  Here are four things to include when writing a good biography:

Start with the basics

Start your biography with your name along with your current job role or profession. Think of this as the title of your biography.

List your experience

A good way to start your biography is to list the experience you have had in your industry and how it has led you to where you are today. A brief history tells readers where you’ve come from and allows you to list your biggest accomplishments.

Your current role

Once you’ve managed to fit your past work experience into a couple of creative sentences, it’s time to fast forward to the present. Let readers know what your current job role is and how long you’ve been there. You do not have to follow this format. Feel free to start with your current role and work backwards if you prefer. However, it’s important to show readers what makes you special and what it is that you offer your industry that others may not.

End with some personality

Although this part is optional, ending your biography with some personality is a great way to stand out amongst the crowd. Feel free to mention a fun fact about yourself such as ‘speaks five languages, or ‘is a karate blackbelt’. Unlike resumes/CVs which are usually quite formal, you can be a little more flexible when writing your biography.

If you’re still stuck on how to write a good biography, here is an example from Jessica Morgan, founder of Carnsight Communications:

Jessica Morgan

In 2016, after 15 years of working with high-profile clients at TEQUILA\, Craik Jones and Proximity and then as Director of PR agency Pumpkin, where she worked with M&C Saatchi among other global brands, Jess founded PR consultancy, Carnsight Communications.

Passionate about the benefits well-executed PR brings to businesses big and small, Jess loves working directly with Carnsight clients and the media to create campaigns that resonate and deliver beyond expectation. 

Since setting up Carnsight, Jess and her family moved from London to the West Country where she is the proud owner of a lively cockapoo (Clifford) and a burgeoning vegetable plot.