When writing a short description about yourself – for example, for a resume, Facebook page or networking event – it can be challenging to come across as professional while still conveying personality.
A good self-introduction sticks with the reader and gives a taste of your strengths: your honesty, values and individuality.
This article offers sample descriptions for you to draw on, so that you can encapsulate who you are succinctly and interestingly.
Types of short description about yourself
A paragraph describing yourself has to be adjusted to the specific context and audience. Here are the ways to describe yourself and the typical purposes for which they are used:
1. Professional Description
It’s an elevator pitch or snapshot of your career story and expertise. It is sometimes used in a resume or LinkedIn profile, or at a networking event to make a formal introduction.
You’re marketing the work you do because you want to be hired as an expert or to be asked to collaborate with others in your field.
About me examples:
"I am an experienced digital marketer with over 7 years of expertise in brand strategy, content and community management. I have successfully run cross-channel campaigns for multiple clients which increased online visibility by 30 per cent. I pride myself on SEO, social media strategy and data-driven proposition. I have the proven expertise to create modern digital marketing solutions for a growing business."
"Having spent the last five years building web applications for a range of contexts, I excel in creating full-stack web applications in JavaScript. I am enthusiastic about expanding my skills and experience in advanced UX, and agile project management. I have multiple examples of successful mission-critical delivery in this highly competitive and exciting area."
A professional profile describing yourself should be short (100 words or less) and concise. Write it as if you were representing yourself on a job application. Keep it as an overview of your skills and work history that clearly communicates what value you bring to your roles.
2. Personal Bio
Personal bio is a paragraph-length self-narrative that introduces yourself by describing your personality, interests and life history.
While this short description about yourself is attached to a blog, you have the freedom to include a mix of professional and personal information to make your bio more interesting.
Describe yourself examples:
Creative Specialist:
"Hi, I am a graphic designer keen on translating thoughts into visual narratives. When I’m not working on corporate and branding projects, I am hiking on trails or polishing my latte art. I love to be creative not only at work but outside of it as well: I feel inspired by nature, architecture and street art."
Blog Bio:
"Travel addict. Reader. Coffee snob. Keen learner. Revelling at mastering new recipes and podcasts."
In the end, your bios should be about you and provide some insight into who you are beyond your professional life. They should have a light, conversational tone, and be a launching-off point into your personal corner of the world.
3. Academic or Student Bio
It is a short introduction that describes your educational background and areas of academic interest, with a summary of future plans and goals. It is commonly used for applications, portfolios, student profiles or to connect with others online.
The point is to illuminate your trajectory and major fields of study, as well as your experience and personal or intellectual ambitions.
How to describe yourself professionally:
Undergraduate Student:
"I am a junior at NY University with a major in environmental science, and my research interests concern agri-environmental sustainability. I am keen to apply principles of science to crack the global environmental issues. Besides devoting myself to develop an ecologically sustainable food-production system, I am also serving as a member of the campus sustainability club. I plan to work in ecologic conservation after I graduate."
Graduate Student:
"I am a data science master’s student. My primary work right now involves using machine learning in healthcare via design and analysis of predictive models. My most recent project data-mined US hospital records to aid in the prediction and improvement of patient outcomes."
This bio is the best way to demonstrate and highlight your thirst for knowledge, existing achievements, and future aspirations. For that reason, this type of brief description of yourself is excellent for showing what your ongoing scholarly goals are.
4. Creative or Artistic Description
This is a short description of you as an artistic person and lover of arts creativity (drama, dance, music, poetry, writings etc).
It should be used for your portfolio, your artist website and social-media profiles to both show your style and express the central themes you bring to craft.
How do you describe yourself:
Visual Artist:
"I’m a mixed-media artist who creates abstract works exploring the tension between nature and human feeling. Texture and colorful brushstrokes help capture movement in the canvas and convey shifting light and mood. Inspired by nature, my works – featured in galleries in the area – capture the ephemeral and the magical, form and chaos. I’m always experimenting with new techniques to challenge myself."
Writer:
"I’m a fiction writer. My characters frequently question and puzzle over things that smack of the supernatural, but which could just be products of their minds. They grapple with mythic elements that borrow their power from all the folktales. I’ve had short stories published in some small literary journals, and I’m working towards my first novel."
Photographer:
"I am a black-and-white portrait photographer. My work explores raw emotions and hidden human expressions associated with lust, despair, loneliness. My aim is to engage with the viewer on an abstract level, presenting challenging expressions, moods and fragile moments with a cinematic look. You can see more of my work on my website."
A description about yourself such as this is a chance for your voice as an artist to shine; letting a potential client, collaborator, or fan get a sense of your artistic vision and what makes your work distinctive.
5. Social Media Bio
A social media bio is a short concise paragraph about yourself, which is usually used to express your personality or your interests, or sometimes even your profession, on platform such as Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
This is something you need to write in a short and concise way, because sometimes you have very limited characters available.
Short description about yourself sample:
Instagram Bio:
"📸 Photographer | 🌎 World Traveller | ☕ Coffee Addict | Capturing life’s moment one shot at a time. | 📬 DM for collabs."
Twitter Bio:
"👽 Tech geek | 📈 Data analytics | 📚 Bookworm | Thinking out loud on AI, startups & future tech | 🧐 Opinions mine."
Personal Twitter Bio:
"Writer ✍️ | Cat person 🐱 | Podcast addict 🎧 | Obsessed with murder and coffee that’s not hot. Keep up with the next story."
A bio on social media must be readable, quotable and, if possible, memorable, all in a space not exceeding 100 characters. This often requires a motley combination of emojis, humor or bluntness in order to fit.
6. Networking Elevator Pitch
A networking elevator pitch is a short introduction to you – who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for – that you can deliver in 30-60 seconds.
It’s designed to be easy to remember and leave a favorable impression. It is ideal if you’re attending a networking event, interviewing for a role or simply introducing yourself casually in a professional context.
Describe yourself in a few words:
For a Job Seeker:
"Hello, this is Sarah here. I like to refer myself as a marketing specialist with 5 odd years of experience under my belt. I’ve been instrumental in guiding organizations to upsize organically through targeted campaigns and high SEO-friendliness. Currently I am looking for an opportunity to bring my skills to an energetic team where I can aid in driving engagement and growth."
For a Freelancer:
"Hello, I’m James, freelance developer of responsive websites and e-commerce shops. My work is usually with businesses that have a small in-house development team and need something polished and attractive. I can also work on the back end to ensure everything runs smoothly. I love working with new projects that are taking off, so if you’re looking to scale, get in touch!"
For an Entrepreneur:
"Hi, my name is Lisa, the founder of EcoBright. We create a sustainable packaging that allows food and retail industries to reduce their ecological footprint. Let’s go green together! I’m currently searching for partners."
A compelling brief description of yourself can frost your introduction and open further doors in one’s professional circle.
Short description about yourself samples
Technology
Professional Description:
I am a software engineer with 6 years of experience developing scalable web applications using JavaScript frameworks and cloud computing. I have proudly led projects to improve the user experience and increase efficiency.
Creative Style:
I’m a code wizard by day and a tech nerd by night! Enthusiastic about developing innovative software to solve problems and to build amazing user-friendly applications to make the world a better place!
Marketing
Professional Description:
I am an experienced digital marketing strategist with over four years of experience. My expertise lies in developing data-driven campaigns that boost brand visibility and engagement through social media and email marketing.
Conversational Style:
Hi! I’m a marketing strategist, ideas person, and conceptualize and execute effective campaigns and strategies. I develop and execute engaging content and access and analyze data trends. I leverage and bridge brands with customers. I work with words.
Healthcare
Professional Description:
I am a pediatric registered nurse, holding an undergraduate degree, with five years of experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. I offer patient- and family-centred care in a dynamic and fast-paced setting while also adhering to evidence-based practices.
Personal Touch:
I have a big heart for children and I’m excited to come to work because of this. I love being a paediatric nurse and will continue to be so as long as I have this burning passion to work with people.
Education
Professional Description:
I am an elementary school teacher with more than eight years of experience in public school. I love making learning fun and I aim to ensure that every student I teach deliberately and intelligently.
Inspirational Style:
I am a teacher from the bottom of my heart who encourages kids to explore the world around them. My classroom is an exciting place where there is plenty of inquisitiveness from kids who all have a bright future ahead of them.
Finance
Professional Description:
I’m an analyst with seven years of experience researching market trends to develop an investment strategy to optimize a company’s resource allocation.
Confident Tone:
I’m a numbers and analysis person at heart. I love the volatility of market moves. I want to provide financial insight that creates business opportunity.
Creative Arts
Professional Description:
I am a graphic designer with a five-year experience in branding and visual storytelling. I utilize my skills in communicating impactful visual story with human emotional-filled narratives while promoting brands.
Artistic Style:
Visual storyteller turned graphic and branding enthusiast! I bring illustrations to life to turn ideas into beautiful, memorable works of art!
Hospitality
Professional Description:
I have over 10 years of experience in hotel operations and guest services with emphasis on anticipating needs, exceeding guests’ expectations, and achieving repeat business through the provision of excellent hospitality.
Friendly Tone:
I had a passion for hospitality! I was a seasoned hotelier after a decade of providing guest services of unparalleled excellence so that my clients would always remember to call home, not to us.
Non-Profit Sector
Professional Description:
I am a program coordinator with 6 years of experience in community outreach and development. Working to build thriving communities through knowledgeable advocacy and strategic initiatives.
Empathetic Style:
Every day I try to pair people up with the resources they need. Every day, I use my position to work philanthropically within communities to help people improve their quality of life through our programs.
Sales
Professional Description:
I am a sales representative with 5 years experience in B2B sales. I am proven to leverage long-standing customer relationship management to enhance revenue generation by utilizing strategic selling techniques.
Dynamic Style:
Sales enthusiast and social butterfly! A problem is an opportunity and I love building relationships between businesses and solutions that drive them forward.
Real Estate
Professional Description:
Real estate agent, licensed for 8 years and specializing in residential sales; endeavoring to help my clients to both the purchasing or selling homes with ease and assurance.
Approachable Style:
Real estate matchmaker. Whether you want to purchase a home or sell your property, I can provide you personal assistance and exclusive knowledge of the market.
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Examples:
- I’m a coding geek who loves building cool apps and figuring out how to make tech work for everyone.
- I’m a fashion enthusiast who loves experimenting with styles and helping people find outfits that make them feel confident.
- I’m a fitness coach who’s all about helping others crush their goals and find joy in staying active and healthy.
- I’m a foodie and aspiring chef who loves whipping up delicious meals and exploring new cuisines around the world.
- I’m a photographer who enjoys capturing life’s beautiful moments and telling stories through my lens.
- I’m a gaming fanatic who loves exploring virtual worlds and sharing my adventures with friends online.
- I’m a travel junkie always planning my next adventure, eager to explore new cultures and share my experiences with others.
- I’m a logistics coordinator who enjoys keeping things running smoothly and making sure products get where they need to be on time.
Conclusion
Crafting an one-to-two sentence description about yourself is an important skill that can help you connect more with others in your professional life.
Whether you’re preparing a bio for a resume, networking event, or media platform, a good structure for your self-description can help you convey your personality in a way that others can understand, remember and relate to.
With these examples and guidelines in mind, you are now better equipped to communicate who you are, in a way that will stay long for others.