About55

When asked, most people like to talk about themselves.

When I used to train people in the corporate world, one of the first things I would ask my students to do is  ‘fess up.  Who are they? Why did they choose this as a profession?  Why this company in particular?  And what do they bring to their careers that will help catapult them into success?

Dena Kouremetis

Most spill their answers out with no hesitation, offering considerably more than a short glimpse into their personalities and experiences.  So why is it such a monumental task for people to write their own professional profiles?

Truth be told, the ‘disconnect’ between spoken and written words is not imaginary for a lot of people.  And the frustration you may feel about writing your own profile, whether for a press kit, a resume or a web site is very real too.

Here’s the thing: Think long and hard about whether you want people to read about you having been described in the first person or the third person.  Which sounds better?   “I have 5 years experience’  or “Joanne is a five-year veteran” –?

True, it may feel like old home week to blog about yourself, but if you look at the most well-written  professional profiles, they tend to read more like press releases than individuals expounding on their own virtues.

Still want to say something more up-close-and-personal?  Use a quote, as if you were a reporter writing about yourself:  “I believe in giving back to the community,” says Joanne, when talking about her volunteer work at the Children’s Home. “There is nothing more rewarding than knowing I have contributed in some small way to putting a smile on the face of a child.”

Words are important.  They can move us, inspire us, inform us, pique our collective curiosity, change our minds and, for us writers, anyway, help create our legacies.  The way you sum yourself up is just as important for something that will become your semi-permanent brand in print or online, so I encourage you to give some forethought to how this portrait of you will sound, feel and appeal to others who would read it.