Today’s a writing day!

Materials you’ll need:

Your selling pitch from Day 1
Your updated resume or CV
Any honors or awards from Day 2
Pictures from Day 2

Here are your assignment parameters (and why):

One biographical narrative about yourself, at least 500 words
- Why: A beefy bio filled with lots of relevant information about you is great for branding purposes and is more likely to rank in search results than a thin paragraph of garbage. Who would want that for their brand anyway?
Must be written in the third-person
- Why: Google doesn’t know who “I” am but they sure as hell know your first and last name.
The reader must be able to sense your unique selling pitch you built on Day 1
- Why: You spent time crafting a smart brand for yourself. Do it justice here.
Make sure to include relevant and pertinent details that support your narrative
- Why: These details are tangible ways to contextualize your experience for the reader.

How to begin?

There are a few different paths you can take for your biographical narrative. You can use a natural timeline that explains where you started and how you eventually got to where you are today. You can start with the present and then flashback to the start of your career and build your way back up to the present.

Or you can use my favorite, which is starting with the present and going backward in time. This one is especially useful if you’re really having trouble getting started, because it’s a natural way to think about what you’re doing now and how you’ve gotten there. Check out my own bio to see what I'm talking about.

Some classic problems:

I’m transitioning into a new industry.

Start off by highlighting your experience. Being transparent about your new direction might help you find the opportunity you’re looking for.

Example:

John Smith is an entrepreneur with 10 years of experience in real estate development who is actively seeking collegiate teaching positions in the tri-state area. Smith is ready to help the next generation of real estate leaders make their mark.

I’m a recent college graduate and haven’t started a career yet.

You can still frame yourself positively by highlighting your assets and being transparent about your current direction.

Example:

Jane Doe is a recent college graduate with a BA from Terrific University. With a passion for neurology and biochemistry, Jane is actively seeking...

I’m still a college student and haven’t graduated yet.

Determine your assets and showcase them here. Be transparent about your direction if you have one.

Example:

John Smith is a current college student at Amazing College where he majors in Government with a specialization in International Politics. Smith is actively seeking a financial consulting position in the Greater New York City area. He is a proud member of the Varsity Tennis team, was recently voted co-captain for his senior year and is set to graduate with honors in 3025...

→ Spend a few minutes gathering the materials you’ll need.

→ Plan out the main bullet points you want to hit.

→ Write your bio. Go back and edit.

Picking Out Photos

Once you’re done, pick out a few pictures of yourself that you’d like to put on your website and social profiles. Try to find at least 2-3.

Optimizing Images:

Rename your picture’s file name to include your keyword.
- If your photo is named IMG913523.jpg, then you’re wasting a perfectly good place to put your name. Google checks the file name for ranking purposes, so change it to something relevant like John Smith Graduation 2015.jpg or Jane Doe New York City.jpg.
Optimize the image size
- If you upload tons of really big images, it can slow down your site for viewers. This is bad for the user’s experience and Google takes it into account as a ranking factor. Do yourself a favor and make your images as small as you can while still retaining the quality you desire.
Rename the Title
- Once you’ve uploaded the image to your website, remember to rename the title to something appropriate, preferably with your keyword in it.
Rename the Alt Text
- The Alt Text is the text that Google actually reads to figure out what your picture is about when it finds it on your website. Throw your keyword in here too: e.g., John Smith at Amazing College Graduation 2015

→ Optimize your photos.

→ When you’re done, copy and paste your bio into your website’s bio page. Insert the optimized images and you’re good to go.

Activity Recap:

→ Spend a few minutes gathering the materials you’ll need (selling pitch from Day 1, updated resume or CV, honors or awards from Day 2, and pictures from Day 2.)

→ Plan out the main bullet points you want to hit and the narrative path you want to take.

→ Write your bio. Go back and edit.

→ Pick out some photos and optimize them.

→ When you’re done, copy and paste your bio into your website’s bio page. Insert the optimized images and you’re good to go!