Why you need a professional bio

Your bio or "About me" can be used for everything from your Facebook/MySpace/Website or blog to job registries and professional networking sites like LinkedIn. It can also come in handy when you start your job search and you need to email someone a brief summary of yourself.

 

Your bio is NOT your resume.

Bio = short  Biography = long

 

Think of your professional bio as an advertisement for you. It should address four questions:

1. Who you are

2. Your expertise

3. Your interests

4. Contact info

 

*Write your biography and bio in first person. Write your short short bio in third person.

 

 

Your assignment is to write three "about me." You should start by writing your biography. Then cut your biography down to a bio and a short short bio with only two to three sentences. Include at least two links in your biography and at least one link in your bio. You do not need a link for your short short bio.

 

1. Add your short short bio to your Blogger profile "About Me".

 

2. Post your biography to your Blogger blog as an entry on your blog.

3. Email your bio to your instructor (staci@girljournalist.com)

4. Bring printed copies of all three to class on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

 

 

Examples

Short short bio (50-90 words)

 

Staci Martin Wolfe is a multimedia specialist with more than ten years experience working with information technology.  A project manager for E.W. Scripps, Staci began her career in 1997 as a technical support specialist. Prior to moving to Knoxville, Staci worked as a Multimedia Coordinator for MSN Money in New York. Staci offers multimedia project management skills and hands-on experience developing stories for television, radio, print and online. To contact Staci, please visit her weblog at http://www.girljournalist.com.

 

 

 

Bio (100-150 words)

 

The possibilities for journalism and journalists are endless; especially for someone with a slightly technical background and a taste for breaking the rules and living on the edge. I work for the innovations team at E.W. Scripps Newspaper Interactive. Although my “official” title is project manager, I really do more than manage timelines and milestones. We take ideas for new businesses from employees at our newspapers and help them put together business plans and implement their ideas using available technology and resources. This fall, I'm teaching online journalism at the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!). Before settling in Knoxville, I lived in New York City and worked as a multimedia manager for MSN Money. Want to know more about my education, professional experience, awards and recognition then take a look at my resume.

 

 

 

Biography (250-300 words)

 

I got my first official full-time job selling computers at a store in Kansas City, Kans. After several months of ground-breakingly low sales they finally "promoted" me off the sales floor to a contract technical support position at American Century Investors.

 

 

Seven years later, I was living in Seattle and working as a systems analyst for a small biotech. It was this job and a family tragedy, that made me realize that I wanted to return to my roots, both physically and mentally.

 

There's no place like home...

 

 

When I returned to Kansas I decided to apply for the graduate journalism program at the University of Kansas. Why not try the journalism thing again?

 

A lot has changed. The possibilities for journalism and journalists are endless; especially for someone with a slightly technical background and a taste for breaking the rules and living on the edge.

 

Now I work for the innovations team at E.W. Scripps Newspaper Interactive. Although my “official” title is project manager, I really do more than just manage timelines and milestones. We take ideas for new businesses from employees at our newspapers and help them put together business plans and implement their ideas using available technology and resources.

 

This fall, I'm teaching online journalism at the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!).

 

Before settling in Knoxville, I lived in New York City and worked as a multimedia manager for MSN Money.

 

Want to know more about my education, professional experience, awards and recognition then take a look at my resume.