how to write a leadership autobiography

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8 Tips for Writing a Compelling Executive Biography

Who are you? What makes you stand out from your professional peers? Take a moment out of your day and learn how to link your soft skills to your value proposition in order to create a compelling executive biography that solidifies your personal brand. This blog removes the pain points we all face when tasked with creating our own executive biography.

Oftentimes, as individuals, the most difficult product to market is ourselves. This post provides key insights into creating a persuasive executive biography, thus minimizing the procrastination that paralyzes us on a topic that every one of us knows best!

An executive biography represents a distinctive one-page document that speaks to your current position, unique value proposition, quantifiable accomplishments, and a small glimpse into your personal passions. An executive biography doesn’t constitute a resume, which provides a chronological, often bulleted list of your career path, relevant skills, and measurable achievements. 

Before we get to the tips on writing a compelling executive biography, we’re going to provide you with a comprehensive list of the elements needed to create an exciting executive biography.

• Relevant facts and examples to support your skills
• Core values and principles
• Current employment status that includes an engaging job description
• Professional experience
• Awards and acknowledgements
• Community involvement
• Any publications, if applicable
• Professional headshot and/or link to a video portfolio/profile

There’s a good chance you’re still feeling overwhelmed regarding what to write. First, take a breath, you’re not alone. As we said initially, marketing ourselves is one of the most difficult tasks for people. Take your time reading through the tips below. Each tip will slowly chip away at any anxiety you’re working through.

• Organize – Before you start writing, have clarity on your target audience and decide what to tell them about yourself. Focus on what sets you apart.
• Capture the reader’s attention – It’s important to hook a reader immediately. Generally, a reader will give you ten seconds. Start with a clear and creative branding statement .
• Let your passion, philosophy, and style shine through – Include the values, attitude, and skills that led you to some of your major professional successes. 
• Convey your value – You might have skill sets standard for your profession, but this is the time to convey your unique value proposition , i.e. what are some things that set you apart. 
• Don’t be chronological – Remember that your executive bio is not your resume. Talk about your current position instead, along with the relevant experiences that led you to this position, and your vision for your future. 
• Validate your successes – While listing your achievements and accomplishments, validate those with supporting facts or data. If possible, use substantial numbers or percentages that make it easy for your readers to follow the significance of the current results. Make sure to highlight any recognition or accolades received for your accomplishments.
• Include a small glimpse into your personal passions – You want to keep your executive biography light and conversational. A great way to do this is to let your personality shine through by including some information about your hobbies and interests. This can be especially compelling if your hobbies directly relate to your professional endeavors.
• Contact Details – Conclude the executive biography with your contact details so your reader can connect with you when they want additional information. Include a headshot, your email address, and a link to your professional network of choice.

Your executive biography provides a human touch to the story that represents your career, while also serving as a wonderful document to use when you’re creating an elevator pitch for your SucceedSmart profile.

For additional information on how to craft a persuasive executive biography please check out the article below.  Forbes – How to Write a Killer Executive Bio

1. What is the meaning of executive biography?

An executive biography is a brief narrative that showcases an executive’s career history, accomplishments, leadership qualities, and expertise. It effectively highlights their qualifications and personal brand, making it a valuable tool for networking, business proposals, and company websites.

2. How to write an executive biography?

To write an executive biography, start with a strong introduction highlighting the executive’s current role and company. Include their career achievements, leadership experience, and key responsibilities. Mention any significant contributions to their industry, awards, or recognitions. Provide educational background and any relevant certifications. Keep the bio concise, professional, and focused on achievements that demonstrate their leadership and expertise.

3. What is the rule of writing executive biography?

When crafting an executive biography, it’s crucial to balance professionalism with a personal touch. Ensure the information is accurate and objective, emphasize key accomplishments and leadership traits, and keep the narrative engaging without being overly self-promotional.

4. What is the framework for writing a executive biography?

Writing an executive biography involves the following structure:

1. Introduction: Include the executive’s name, title, and role. 2. Professional Background: Outline their career history and notable achievements. 3. Education and Credentials: List degrees and certifications. 4. Leadership and Skills: Highlight key skills and provide examples. 5. Conclusion: Summarizing their impact and future aspirations.

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Resource – Leadership Autobiography

Leadership autobiography.

To inspire others to get 100% on board with you, you need to let others in and have them learn more about you. To know is to understand and to understand is to trust.

In order to let others learn about you, your philosophies, your values and leadership, you need to be aware of these yourself. You want to understand what drives you, how your experiences have shaped your views, your core beliefs, your strengths, your weaknesses, and so on. If you’re not clear on how these look for yourself, you certainly can’t describe them to others.

Here is a Leadership Autobiography to support you in gaining clarity about and commitment to your unique leadership style and purpose.

I’ve used this in many programs for leaders at all levels, and here’s what a few of them had to say:

“I use this leadership autobiography to help me write the context for every communication I write. So helpful!”

“After completing this leadership autobiography, all decision-making is easier.”

“This process has helped me feel more confident and authentic as a leader.”

Write yours today!

Get the Leadership Autobiography template here.

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How to Write a Professional Bio for Any Situation—Without the Stress

How many times have you sat in front of a blank screen staring at the pesky cursor, wondering why it’s so hard to write about yourself? I’ll bet it’s more than once. Contemplating who you are as a human being is an exercise in mental (or existential?) gymnastics. And if you’re trying to write a professional bio, you’re trying to distill who you are and what you do in a way that’s compelling to recruiters, hiring managers, colleagues, potential clients, and other contacts all at once—so it can feel ramped up to Simone-Biles-floor-routine-difficulty levels.

SEARCH OPEN JOBS ON THE MUSE! See who’s hiring here , and you can even filter your search by benefits, company size, remote opportunities, and more. Then, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll deliver advice on landing the job right to you.

Your professional bio is, arguably, the most important text you’ll ever write about yourself. It’s the first introduction to who you are, what you do, and what you’re interested in—whether it’s for a social media platform, a personal website , or company team page. What you choose to highlight may play a role in others deciding to follow you, call you in for an interview, or invite you to participate in an event. It’s an opportunity for you to—in a few lines—showcase your work, competence, and areas of expertise. So you’d better stick the landing.

But don’t worry too much: You don’t have to be the Simone Biles of LinkedIn to write a professional bio. We’ve gathered the steps, template, examples, and bonus tips you’ll need to write a bio for any occasion.

How to get started on your professional bio

We’ll get to the good stuff shortly (read: the template and examples), but before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, there are a few things you should know—about yourself.

Your bio shouldn’t be a laundry list of accomplishments, but a window into the person behind the accolades. You’re more than your most recent position (especially if you have a trendy startup title; I’m looking at you, ninjas and rock stars), so think about the strengths that make you good at what you do and the qualities that make you unique. These are what you want the person reading your bio to come away knowing.

If you’re drawing a blank, try to answer these questions before you start writing:

• How have you personally helped your company, department, or clients?
• Which of your accomplishments would be most impressive to your entry-level self?
• What makes you most valuable in your role?
• What’s one thing not in your job description that relates to why you’re so successful? Maybe you want to include a line about volunteering, about writing in your free time, or about a previous role.
• Why do you do what you do? What do you believe about your field that drives you to do the work you do each day?

Once you’ve got all that down, you’re ready to get it into your professional bio.

Professional bio template

The template below is designed to help you write a “master” professional bio that you can then tweak for different situations. This template is meant to offer you a general framework only—if you find that you need to add an extra couple of sentences or determine that a section we’ve included doesn’t feel relevant to how you wish to present yourself, feel free to tweak it.

[Name] is a [role] who [how you help clients, customers, or your employer] by [something unique about your process or output]. [First name] [knows/believes] [what you know/believe about the work you do].

[First name] has [landed/secured/garnered/worked at/supported/mastered] [insert your most compelling experiences, accomplishments, and skills]. Currently [he/she/they] is/are [working toward/studying/planning to] [your next professional goal or some way you’re developing as a professional].

[First name] is [trained/certified/awarded] in [relevant trainings, awards, honors, etc]. [First name] holds a [ degree] in [area of study] from [University].

When [he/she/they] is not [brief phrase that describes what you do], [First Name] [can be found/enjoys] [brief description of compelling interests or hobbies you’d like to share].

Here’s an example of how this template could look filled in:

Matthew Chang is a social media manager who excels at creating campaigns and posts for nonprofits that make followers take action by combining strong writing and design with insights about the org’s  audience. Matthew believes that the right post, seen at the right time, can inspire people who believe in a nonprofit’s mission to help the causes they care about and ultimately allow that org to make a bigger impact.

Matthew has driven more than 10,000 social-influenced donations to three different nonprofits, with over $200,000 raised for important causes. Currently they’re working with GoodBoyGirl dog rescue to inspire not only donations, but also pet adoptions through Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok posts. (Matthew is always happy to share pictures of dogs they’ve helped find forever homes!)

Matthew holds a HubSpot Social Media Certification, and has taken several graphic design courses through The New School. They hold a bachelor’s degree from UCLA where they double majored in marketing and English.

When they’re not crafting social media campaigns, Matthew can be found biking around the city with their chihuahua Kyra on their back (don’t worry, the pup has a tiny helmet!) or taking in a Broadway show.

How to adapt your bio for different situations

Now that you have your “master professional bio,” you’ll want to tweak it for different situations.

For each iteration of your bio, imagine a specific reader and what they’d want to know about you, and then write for them. For instance, let’s say you’re on an alumni panel for your college. Student attendees will want to know what they should be doing now to get the career you have. In this case, your bio should reflect less of your day-to-day work responsibilities and more of the past campus activities, classes, and early-career internships and jobs that led you to where you are.

We’ve outlined specific advice for some of the most common scenarios where you’ll need to write a professional bio below—along with examples.

1. Your LinkedIn summary

Start by identifying how you use—or would like to use— LinkedIn . Are you content with your job, but looking to expand your network? Are you trying to attract recruiters?

Whatever you’re seeking, your LinkedIn summary should support your activity on the site; a profile focused on networking within the industry will read differently than that of someone aggressively hunting for a new job. Once you’ve identified your purpose, it will be much easier to tweak the above template for your LinkedIn summary. You’ll still want to lead with your position and other info from the first paragraph of the bio template. Then move onto whatever skills or accomplishments are most relevant to your LinkedIn goals. Last, share those goals.

Here’s an example of a LinkedIn summary that follows this strategy:

As a field sales manager with over eight years of experience driving market share growth in designated territories, I have mastered the ins and outs of pharmaceutical sales and territorial prospecting. After honing and executing these specialties to reach numerous company goals, I was honored with an invitation to join the National Marketing Council. Now, I spend the majority of my time brainstorming sales strategies and connecting with other industry professionals who are interested in talking shop.

You can always add supporting content on either side of this skeleton paragraph, such as a personal anecdote, previous positions, or a mission statement. If you need a bit more inspiration, look to your recommendations for outside opinions on what makes you special.

Read More: 5 Templates That’ll Make Writing the Perfect LinkedIn Summary a Total Breeze

2. Your Twitter bio

Even a snappy, 160-character bio can help set you apart. To write a great bio for social media, grab the first two sentences of the bio we just drafted. We’ve crammed a lot of great info in there: who you are, what you do, who you do it for, how you do it, and what you believe about the work you do. Then make sure you’re stating it as succinctly as possible. Finally, squeeze in your pizazz. Key word: squeeze. Don’t focus on unrelated quirks or superfluous details.

For example:

Software engineering whiz @Belly spreading nuggets of coding gold related to mobile applications. 8-year member of @IEEEorg, aspiring member of The Avengers.

If you’re looking to create a more serious social presence, though, you may choose to leave out the pizazz while including all the same important info:

Proud 8-year member of @IEEEorg and lead software engineer @Belly. Passionate about innovations in coding and mobile applications.

3. Your company website blurb

A bio for your company website (like on a team or staff page) is where you can opt out of some standard details, such as your title, in favor of things that distinguish you as a pro (or a person). After all, anyone reading this knows where you work and your job title will likely be listed by default. So you can use the second and third paragraph of the template to craft a bio focused on what makes you unique.

Margot has exceeded every Clarabridge sales goal by at least 84%, which landed her in the top CEM-seller spot and prepared her for the challenging position of strategizing sales tactics for the National Association of Sales Professionals. Her keen and innovative insights in the areas of forecasting and sales force development have enabled Clarabridge to emerge as a national leader, with a sharp and qualified team in tow to maintain the standard she helped set.

If that’s too formal for the culture of your office, and all your colleagues mention their favorite food trucks, you can aim for a 50-50 split between the professional and personal—or whatever balance suits the company’s brand.

Margot tops the sales charts at Clarabridge. In fact, she’s beat every goal by at least 84% without ever missing a practice as the coach of her son’s (undefeated) soccer team. Fueled by loaded nachos, she landed the top CEM-seller spot and took on a position brainstorming sales tactics for the National Association of Sales Professionals. Not only is she a pro when it comes to forecasting and sales force development, but she can also advise a team on where to find the best free events in the city on any given weekend.

4. Your personal website or portfolio “About Me” page

Here’s where you want to lay it all on your audience. You can use as much of the bio you wrote from the template above as you see fit and feel free to expand on whatever sections you’d like. Craft your “About Me” page so potential partners or employers understand what you can do for them and why you’re the person they should hire .

Chad Wilborn takes complex technical ideas and distills them into user-friendly visuals to improve digital marketing campaigns for companies along the West Coast. He has an education in traditional advertising and a background loaded with marketing and graphic design projects, centered around modernizing the consumer experience. Chad’s portfolio demonstrates his ability to capitalize on every pixel for the overall benefit of startups or established enterprises trying to reach consumers. His services have won multiple design and branding awards, and he is excited to help add your company to his list of successes.

But don’t forget your brand ! If you want to showcase yourself in a more unique or quirky light, opt for a first-person version with more light-hearted language.

I am a modern magician, except I transform complicated technical ideas into user-friendly images before the eyes of your company’s customers. I believe in telling relatable stories through graphics, so I studied the basics of traditional advertising before working my magic on corporate marketing projects for companies along the West Coast. My portfolio showcases a lineup of my most recent tricks, which range from visual startup campaigns to Fortune 500 projects—each of which have won design and branding awards. I’m always ready for new design opportunities and have plenty of room up my sleeve for a few more award-winning performances.

A few more tips

Keep these in mind as you write your professional bio, no matter where it’s going to end up:

• Know your limits: Just as your resume is best when it fits on one or two pages, your bio likely also requires a certain length. Whether it’s two sentences, two paragraphs, or 160 characters, respect the limit or risk it being arbitrarily chopped down.
• Avoid jargon and buzzwords: When you spend nearly a third of your life at work, it’s easy to forget that the rest of the world doesn’t speak your industry’s (or company’s) language. Use your bio to share facts and impact in terms everyone will understand.
• Use your own voice: Write about what you know best and write the way that you talk. If your bio readers ever meet you in person, they should feel as if they already know you.
• Write more than one draft: Don’t just throw something together and send it off. Write it, sleep on it, then come back to it and ask: “Would I want to meet me?” Or better yet: “Would I want to hire or work with me?”
• Don’t forget to update your bio: Your bio should evolve as you do. If you start looking for jobs in different industries, have a new and exciting accomplishment to note, or just feel ready for a refresh, go for it. Now that you’ve got this draft down, it’ll be easy to rework your professional bio.

Alex Honeysett , Adrian J. Hopkins , and Regina Borsellino also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

When You Write

How to Write an Autobiography in 9 Steps

You might not have figured it out yet, but people love to know about the “behind the scenes” of other people’s lives, especially of the rich and famous.

Generally, people want to know everything there’s to know about everyone.

So it comes as no surprise to me that many autobiographies (by famous actors, musicians, politicians, and sports stars) have made it on the bestsellers list.

And for the writer, an autobiography offers a chance to share the happenings in their life with the world.

Do you want to pen your own biography and don’t know how to go about it? You don’t know how to start telling your life story? Don’t know what should be part of that story and what shouldn’t?

If you’re worried about these things, then this article has been made for you!

I’ll cover everything you need to know about writing an autobiography—the differences between an autobiography and other biographies, the main elements of an autobiography, how to go about writing an autobiography, and other things.

What is an Autobiography?

It is a non-fiction story of a person’s life, written by the person whose life is told in that biography.

So, an autobiography is a biography written by the subject himself, which is not the case with other subgenres of the broader genre of biographies.

Standard biographies are written by someone other than the subject, making autobiographies more appealing because the story is being told firsthand.

Since the subject is telling his own life story in an autobiography, the story usually covers the most meaningful moments, people, and events in the subject’s life from birth up until the time of writing or publishing.

Biography vs. Autobiography vs. Memoir

Well, let’s get the broader biography out of the way first. Since an autobiography is a subgenre of biographies, they are one and the same. The only difference—as I have already briefly explained— is that other biographies are written about the subject but by someone other than the subject, while autobiographies are a person’s life history written by that person.

Biographers are good at learning and researching their subject; on the other hand, an autobiographer already knows the subject.

Now, you ought to know that an Autobiography and a Memoir are a bit identical, but a Memoir is different from an Autobiography in this way:

A memoir is used to elaborate a larger theme or idea and—instead of telling the writer’s life story in a chronological narrative—a focus on personal experience and emotional truth to tell a good story with a theme behind it.

The Main Elements of an Autobiography

Now that you have a good idea of what an autobiography is, let me introduce you to its main features.

As a genre, an autobiography has some technical elements. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Every author has a purpose for writing a book. You don’t just wake up one day and say, “I’m going to write a book for the sake of writing, with no purpose or message.”

Obviously, the purpose of an autobiography is to give an account of the writer’s life up to that point.

Well, it is nonfiction and the events have already happened, so—usually—it’s written in the past tense.

However, most biographies end in the present tense, and—in certain cases—the tense changes into the future tense toward the end of the book.

This feature of an autobiography isn’t always the same with every book, but most of the books in this genre have a similar structure.

One of the features under “structure” is chronology order. Since the book chronicles major events in the writer’s life, it’s usually written in chronological order. And, to show this chronology, the author uses time connectives like “after that,” “before,” “then,” “finally,” and among others.

An autobiography—just like all biographies—tells a true story, so the author usually uses the names of real people, places, and events. In addition to that, the book is—more often than not—specific about times, dates, places, and other similar details.

Includes personal memories and specific details and descriptions.

A well-written autobiography doesn’t just unload stories on the reader, the author also offers some observations and analytical reflections on how the events mentioned in the book shaped them. The author also uses the autobiography to share his feelings, thoughts, and plans for the future.

Some autobiographies include important photographs that give the readers a visual representation of the story.

Writing an Autobiography isn’t that complicated, but you need to know how to go about it, so this is the most important section of this article, especially if you’re clueless about the autobiography writing process.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing an autobiography:

1. Brainstorm

This is the stage where you sit down and try to pick the most relevant events in your life—you compile all life experiences that you think might be worth a read. First, you list all the exciting or life-changing experiences from childhood up to that very moment (from playing in your background as a little child, to high school memories, up to your first day at your first workplace), then select the cream out of that list.

Although most of the initial events won’t make the final list, write them down anyway—it’s better to have too many to choose from than to have less.

These are some of the things you can include in your initial list are:

• The most substantial events and experiences in your life.
• Significant individuals or entities that have made an important impact in your life.
• Things you have achieved, the challenges you have overcome to achieve the listed achievements, and the most significant failures.
• The lessons all your life experiences have taught you (life-changing or not).

2. Organize Your Lists

You have written down all those important events, places, and people, what do you do next?

Put your lists in order.

The things in your lists have to be organized into subsets of the biography and items in the same subset have to be similar or in the same category—create subsets for significant events, significant people, life lessons, challenges, successes, et cetera.

This order helps you with the next chapter: creating the outline.

3. Conduct Some Research

The thing about brainstorming on your own is that you only write down the things you can remember.

But… Some forgotten memories could make your autobiography a lot more exciting or engrossing.

That calls for research! You need third parties to help you recall some useful information (whether completely new or additional information).

It’s your life story, so you don’t really have to go any farther than your friends and family. Ask the people close to you about all the details from the moments you’ve listed and others that you might’ve forgotten.

Just like you, the people you ask won’t have all the details or your full life story, but if you piece together the bits from their narratives, you’ll have a better story.

4. Decide on Themes, Message, the Questions your Autobiography Will Answer

After getting all the bits and pieces in one place, comes the unenviable task of laying down the purpose of your autobiography and the content that is going to help you achieve that.

Decisions, Decisions!

An autobiography is not mere personal history written reeking of subjectivity and with no substance, so you have to choose and write down the questions your autobiography is going to answer.

Autobiography readers are interested in getting to know the person behind the curtains and for an autobiography to be good, you need to fuse the raw stories with a little bit of mature perspective on your experiences (with an edifying touch if you think your life story can have that much of an impact on a reader’s life).

Use the dominant themes of your life to unify the stories together, connecting different stages of your life. Past and present always have some thematic consistencies, so try to analyze themes that have been consistent throughout your life. It might be a place that you traveled to over and over, your childhood sweetheart who eventually became the love of your life, an ever-present crush, your spiritual journey life, etc.

Whatever theme connects different stories or stages in your life is useful as long as you are creative with your storytelling, they’ll work.

5. Create an Outline

The next step involves organizing the pieces from your brainstorming stage. You’re telling your life story, and it still is just that: a story.

Therefore, crafting an outline has to consider things like logical flow and pace—a good pace through your life’s most interesting or significant events using logical flow is likely going to keep your readers interested from beginning to end.

You might want to tell the story in chronological order, but you can also spice it up by going back and forth or interrupting the chronological narrative with some important/interesting events that may or may not relate to the part of that chronological narrative.

6. Telling the Story

You have sorted everything out, you have your autobiography outlined, and it’s time to tell the story.

Underline story, because after all, it’s just a story.

The story needs to have some sort of structure, your autobiography needs a great plot. It has to have all the points that make a great story, things like conflict, goals, tension, a climax, and ultimately a resolution or—at least—a hint of a resolution.

I’ve already talked about the need for the story to flow logically, this is not something you brush aside—it’s a must.

While sorting out such important elements of the autobiography, you also have to remember that you’ll have to use your voice in writing the book—readers are interested in your life story, told by you!

If you’ve never written anything as large as a book, you can hire a ghostwriter to work with; otherwise, it takes time and lots of writing practice to discover an authentic writing voice.

7. Write Your First Draft

Now you are ready for the most important part of the autobiography crafting process: writing it!

Anybody who’s ever written a book will tell you that it’s almost impossible to write a perfect finished book on your first go.

Remember you’re just trying to attempt a first draft.

You don’t have to be perfect, but make sure you write a good one—it doesn’t really matter if your first draft looks like a chicken footprint in the mud, as long as it has content, you are going in the right direction.

8. Take a Break, Then Proofread

You have finished your first draft, your mind is exhausted (your body too, probably), you need to take a few days off.

Or you might not be tired at all, you might even be full of energy, you still need a break.

Apart from reenergizing your mind and body, a break gives you a fresh perspective, and you can easily spot some imperceptible mistakes from your first draft.

After the respite, begin proofreading. You can hire a professional proofreader or do it yourself. A professional proofreader is likely going to look for grammar mistakes , typos, etc.

They are also going to look at mistakes in the narrative and offer constructive tips.

If you decide to go it alone (which, I think, is the right way to go about proofreading your first draft), you might want to use tools like Grammarly or ProwritingAid to help you with grammar and other errors in your draft.

9. Write the Second Draft, and then Another

When proofreading the first draft, take some notes. Those notes will prove useful and particularly directional when you start writing the second draft.

I’m sorry to break your heart, but your second draft won’t be perfect either.

What I’m saying is: you’ll have to repeat steps 7 and 8, in most cases the cycle you’ll have to be repeated more than once.

When you feel like the drafts are becoming riper, you can show your writing to others and request feedback.

This feedback will help you perfect the autobiography and your writing skills in general. Just remember that in all these rewrites, the most important thing is giving the reader bits of your life and revealing your truth.

Things you can’t leave Out of your Autobiography

Well, you could leave out some of these things, it’s your story after all, but what’s an autobiography without the most important details of your life?

I’m not saying that it should contain every significant detail in your life; certain moments in your life pick themselves and others are what your readers are looking for.

• Significant experiences : Not all of them, just the experiences that shaped your worldview and changed your life in some way.
• Your background story : Sort of describe your personal history, which has things like your family history, hometown, siblings, parents, other key family members and friends, and moments in your career and education.
• Conflict and Drama : Your readers are looking for honesty and a bit of fun, and who’s ever lived a life without conflict and drama? No one? They want your life story told as it happened and if there were some conflicts and dramatic events along the way, they’re hungry for that too!
• Failure and Success in your professional life : You have to give recollections of your professional life, and it has to have some richness in detail. If you’ve achieved something in your professional life, there will be one or two people looking for inspiring moments in your story. When you serve them these moments, it will be good for both you and them.

Three Best Autobiographies of all Time

1. long walk to freedom by nelson mandela.

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By telling the full life story of this legend, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography tells the world how great a man and a leader he was. The book narrates his story from his childhood , young adult, dealing with apartheid and becoming a freedom fighter, his 27-year incarceration, and the pivotal role he played in building a new and democratic South Africa.

This is the book you read if you think you have some purpose to fulfill in life.

2. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

After reading this autobiography, you realize that this is the greatest teenager that ever lived.

Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl, who, along with millions of other Jewish people, died at the hands of a moronic Nazi regime, gave us this beautiful piece.

In 1942, a thirteen-year-old Anne and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland.

She narrated her experiences during this period in a thoughtful, moving, and humorous manner. The book gave the world her views on human courage, frailty, friendships, and loneliness.

The Nazis might have taken such a beautiful soul sooner than every good person would have wished, but her legacy lives on through this autobiography.

3. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

Who wouldn’t want to demystify the story behind the Queen of mystery?

Different from Mandela and Anne Frank, Christie is actually one of the world’s most influential and fascinating novelists and you already know that the story is going to be ingeniously told.

In this book, readers get to know Agatha Christie’s life story, told in her own words—from her childhood, her relationship with her mother and her mother’s death, the tragic events that had an impact on her, her two marriages, her first husband’s adultery, and most especially, about her writing.

You can write an autobiography whichever way you like, but you have to remember that an autobiography is a story.

A lot of focus has to be on the narrative. The book will be as good as the writer’s storytelling skills.

Your autobiography has to have all the necessary elements of a story, i.e., a plot (which is easier to come up with since you already know the whole story), a cast of characters, conflict, resolution, et cetera.

With all these things involved, the secret ingredient is still honesty. After all, people want to read a real-life story.

Recommended Reading...

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© 2024 When You Write

Leadership / CEO Biography Sample

Executive career biography, how to write an executive, career bio for your job search.

In the competitive world of senior-level executive positions and CEO roles, a well-crafted executive career biography can be a powerful tool in your job search arsenal.

While resumes and LinkedIn profiles are essential components of your professional branding, an executive career biography adds depth, personality, and a compelling narrative to your professional story.

Let’s explore further why it’s important to have an executive career biography, how it differs from your executive resume and what aspects of your career history you should include to make it a standout document.

Why an Executive Career Bio Matters

1. Showcasing Leadership and Vision : An executive career biography allows you to highlight your leadership journey and vision. It provides an opportunity to communicate not just what you’ve done but who you are as a leader.

Potential employers and stakeholders want to know your story, values, and what drives you.

2. Creating a Memorable Impression : In a sea of resumes and LinkedIn profiles, a well-written executive career biography can set you apart.

It engages readers on a deeper level, making them remember you and your unique contributions.

3. Building Trust and Credibility: A well-crafted biography demonstrates transparency and authenticity.

It shows that you’re willing to share your career journey openly, building trust with those who are evaluating you for senior positions.

4. Tailored Messaging : Unlike a resume, which often follows a standardized format, a career biography allows you to tailor your message to align with the specific role and organization you’re targeting.

This customization of your career story and career progression can help you better connect with potential employers.

Your Executive Career Bio vs Your Executive Resume

1. Introduction : Start with a captivating opening paragraph that grabs the reader’s attention and provides an overview of your career journey.

This should include your name, current role (if applicable), and a brief statement about your leadership philosophy.

2. Career Highlights : Highlight key milestones, achievements, and turning points in your career.

Focus on accomplishments that are relevant to your target positions and quantify your achievements whenever possible to provide context.

3. Leadership Style : Share insights into your leadership style and philosophy.

Discuss the principles and values that guide your decision-making and how these align with the organization’s mission and vision.

4. Challenges and Solutions : Describe challenges you’ve encountered in your career and how you addressed them.

Highlight your problem-solving abilities, adaptability, and resilience.

5. Vision and Goals : Offer a glimpse into your future aspirations and goals as an executive.

Discuss how you plan to make an impact in your next role and contribute to the organization’s success.

6. Personal Branding : Weave your personal brand into the narrative.

Emphasize what sets you apart from other executives, whether it’s your innovative mindset, commitment to diversity and inclusion, or exceptional team-building skills.

7. Testimonials and Endorsements : Consider including quotes or endorsements from colleagues, mentors, or industry leaders who can vouch for your leadership capabilities and character.

8. Education and Credentials : Provide a concise summary of your educational background and relevant certifications.

Emphasize how your academic and professional qualifications have shaped your career.

9. Community Involvement : Highlight any philanthropic or community involvement that reflects your commitment to social responsibility and community building.

10. Conclusion : Wrap up your career biography with a strong conclusion that reinforces your qualifications and eagerness to take on new challenges. Include your contact information for easy reach.

Crafting Your Executive Career Biography

Writing an executive career biography is an art that requires careful thought and precision.

It’s worth investing the time and effort to ensure it accurately represents your unique journey and resonates with your target audience.

Consider seeking the assistance of a professional resume writer or career coach to help you create a compelling biography that enhances your job search efforts.

Remember, your executive career biography should evolve over time to reflect your changing career and leadership experiences. Regularly update it to stay relevant and competitive in your job search.

When done right, your career biography can be a powerful tool that not only helps you secure senior-level positions but also leaves a lasting impression on those who encounter your professional story.

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Shaping Your Legacy: How to Write a Compelling Autobiography

• The Speaker Lab
• March 12, 2024

Table of Contents

Ever thought about how your life story would read if it were a book? Writing an autobiography is like creating a map of your personal journey, each chapter representing milestones that shaped you. But where do you start and how can you ensure the tale holds interest?

This guide will help unravel those questions by delving into what makes an autobiography stand out, planning techniques to keep your narrative on track, writing tips for engaging storytelling, and even ethical considerations when revealing private aspects of your life.

We’ll also touch on refining drafts and navigating publishing options. By the end of this read, you’ll be equipped with all the insights you need to create a compelling autobiography!

Understanding the Essence of an Autobiography

An autobiography provides a comprehensive view of one’s life journey from birth to the present day. Imagine climbing into a time machine where every chapter represents different eras in your life. The goal of an autobiography is to allow readers to explore a factual, chronological telling of the author’s life.

Autobiographies aren’t merely catalogues of events, however; they need soulful introspection too. Think about why certain episodes mattered more than others and how those experiences influenced your perspectives or decisions later on.

You’ll also want to infuse emotional honesty, allowing yourself vulnerability when recalling both triumphant milestones and painful obstacles. Authenticity creates connections between authors and their audience, so let them see real human emotions behind every word written.

Distinguishing Features Of An Autobiography

The unique thing about autobiographies is they are first-person narratives . This allows readers to experience everything through your eyes, as if they’re living vicariously through you. From triumphs to trials, each page unravels another layer of who you are.

While memoirs are also first-person narratives of a person’s life, there are different from autobiographies. In a memoir, the author focuses on a particular time period or theme in their life. If you’d rather skip the details and dates needed for an autobiography and focus more on emotional truths, you might consider writing a memoir.

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Pre-Writing Stage: Planning Your Autobiography

The planning stage is a crucial part of writing your autobiography. It’s where you map out the significant events in your life, establish a timeline, and identify who will be reading your story.

Selecting Key Life Events

To start, you need to pinpoint key moments that have shaped you. While you will include plenty of factual details in your autobiography, you won’t include every single one. Rather, you’ll be spending the majority of your autobiography focusing on the transformative experiences that defined your life journey. After all, an autobiography is not just a catalogue of events; it’s also an exploration into what these experiences meant to you.

Establishing A Timeline

Next up is establishing a timeline for your narrative flow. Since you’re writing an autobiography, it’s important to first map out your story chronologically so that you can keep your events straight in your mind. MasterClass has several suggestions for key elements you might want to include in your timeline.

Identifying Your Audience

Finding out who’ll read your book helps shape its tone and style. Self-Publishing School says understanding whether it’s for close family members or broader public can guide how personal or universal themes should be presented.

While this process might feel overwhelming initially, take time with this stage. Good planning sets solid foundations for creating an engaging autobiography.

Writing Techniques for an Engaging Autobiography

If you’re on the journey to pen down your life story, let’s dive into some techniques that can help transform it from a simple narrative into a riveting read. An engaging autobiography is more than just facts and dates—it’s about weaving your experiences in such a way that they captivate readers.

Incorporating Dialogue

The first technique involves incorporating dialogue. Rather than telling your audience what happened, show them through conversations. It lets the reader experience events as if they were there with you. As renowned author Stephen King suggests , dialogue is crucial in defining a the character of a person (including yourself).

Using Vivid Descriptions

Vivid descriptions are another effective tool in creating an immersive reading experience. But remember: overdoing it might overwhelm or bore the reader, so find balance between being descriptive and concise.

Narrative Techniques

Different narrative techniques can also enhance storytelling in autobiographies. For instance, foreshadowing creates suspense; flashbacks provide deeper context; and stream of consciousness presents thoughts as they occur naturally—a powerful way to share personal reflections.

All these writing tools combined will give you a gripping account of your life journey—one where every turn of page reveals more layers of depth and dimensionality about who you are as both character and narrator.

Structuring Your Autobiography for Maximum Impact

Deciding on the right structure for your autobiography is essential to ensure your book captivates readers and keeps them engaged.

The first step towards structuring your autobiography effectively is deciding whether to organize it chronologically or thematically. A chronological approach takes readers on a journey through time, letting each event unfold as you experienced it. On the other hand, a thematic approach revolves around central themes that have defined your life—think resilience, ambition or transformation—and might jump back and forth in time.

Creating Chapters

An effective way to manage the vast amount of information in an autobiography is by dividing it into chapters. Each chapter should be structured around a specific time frame (if you’re opting for chronological order) or theme (if taking the thematic approach). The key here isn’t necessarily sticking rigidly to these categories but using them as guides to help shape and direct your narrative flow.

Crafting Compelling Beginnings and Endings

A strong beginning pulls people into your world while an impactful ending stays with them long after they’ve closed the book—a little like how memorable speeches often start with something surprising yet relatable and end leaving audiences pondering over what they’ve heard. So consider starting off with something unexpected that gives insight into who you are rather than birthplace/date details right away. For endings, look at wrapping up major themes from throughout the book instead of simply closing out on latest happenings in your life.

Remember, structuring an autobiography is as much about the art of storytelling as it is about chronicling facts. Use structure to draw readers in and take them on a journey through your life’s highs and lows—all the moments that made you who you are today.

Ethical Considerations When Writing an Autobiography

When penning your life story, it’s important to respect privacy and handle sensitive issues well. Because let’s face it, writing about others in our lives can be a slippery slope. We need to tread carefully.

Respecting Privacy: Telling Your Story Without Invading Others’

The first thing we have to consider is the right of privacy for those who cross paths with our narrative journey. While they might play crucial roles in our stories, remember that their experiences are their own too.

A good rule of thumb is to get explicit consent before mentioning anyone extensively or revealing sensitive information about them. In some cases where this isn’t possible, anonymizing details or using pseudonyms could help maintain privacy while keeping the essence of your story intact. Author Tracy Seeley sheds more light on how one should handle such situations responsibly.

Navigating Sensitive Topics With Care

Sensitive topics often make for compelling narratives but dealing with them requires tact and empathy. You’re walking a tightrope, balancing honesty and sensitivity, a fall from which can lead to hurt feelings or even legal troubles.

An excellent way around this dilemma would be by focusing on how these experiences affected you personally rather than detailing the event itself. Remember, your autobiography is an opportunity to share your life experiences, not just a platform for airing grievances or settling scores.

Maintaining Honesty: Your Authentic Self Is the Best Narrator

Above all else, stay truthful when writing your autobiography, both when you’re writing about sensitive topics and even when you’re not. While it can be tempting to bend the facts so that your audience sees you in a more positive light, maintaining honesty is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Editing and Revising Your Autobiography

Your initial draft is finished, but the job isn’t done yet. Editing and revising your autobiography can feel like a daunting task, but it’s essential for creating a polished final product.

The Importance of Self-Editing

You may feel that you have written your autobiography perfectly the first time, but there are always ways to make it better. The beauty of self-editing lies in refining your story to make sure it resonates with readers. You’re not just fixing typos or grammar mistakes; you’re looking at structure, flow, and consistency. Essentially you’re asking yourself: does this piece tell my life story in an engaging way?

Inviting Feedback from Others

No matter how meticulous we are as writers, our own work can sometimes evade us. Inviting feedback from others is invaluable during the revision process. They provide fresh eyes that can spot inconsistencies or confusing parts that may have slipped past us.

Hiring a Professional Editor

If you’re serious about publishing your autobiography and making an impact with your words, hiring a professional editor can be worth its weight in gold. An editor won’t just fix errors—they’ll help streamline sentences and enhance readability while respecting your unique voice.

Remember to approach editing and revising with patience—it’s part of the writing journey. Don’t rush through it; give each word careful consideration before moving onto publication options for your autobiography.

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Publishing Options for Your Autobiography

Once you’ve spent time and energy creating your autobiography, the following challenge is to make it available for others. But don’t fret! There are numerous options available for releasing your work.

Traditional Publishing Houses

A conventional path many authors take is partnering with a traditional publishing house . These industry giants have extensive resources and networks that can help boost the visibility of your book. The process may be competitive, but if accepted, they handle everything from design to distribution—letting you focus on what matters most: telling your story.

Self-Publishing Platforms

If you want more control over every aspect of publication or seek a faster route to market, self-publishing platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), offer an accessible alternative. With this option, you manage all aspects including cover design and pricing ; however, it also means greater responsibility in promoting your book.

Bear in mind that both options have their own pros and cons, so consider them carefully before making any decisions.

Marketing Your Autobiography

Now that you’ve crafted your autobiography, it’s time to get the word out. You need a plan and strategy.

Leveraging Social Media

To start with, use your social platforms as launching pads for your book. Sites like Facebook , Twitter, and especially LinkedIn can help generate buzz about your work. And don’t underestimate the power of other platforms like Instagram and TikTok when trying to reach younger audiences. Whatever social platform you use, remember to engage with followers by responding to comments and questions about the book.

Organizing Book Signings

A physical event like a book signing not only provides readers with a personal connection but also generates local publicity. Consider partnering up with local independent stores or libraries, which are often open to hosting such events.

Securing Media Coverage

Contacting local newspapers, radio stations or even bloggers and podcasters in your field can provide much-needed visibility for your work. It might seem intimidating at first, but who better than you knows how important this story is?

FAQs on How to Write an Autobiography

How do i start an autobiography about myself.

To kick off your autobiography, jot down significant life events and pick a unique angle that frames your story differently.

What are the 7 steps in writing an autobiography?

The seven steps are: understanding what an autobiography is, planning it out, using engaging writing techniques, structuring it effectively, considering ethics, revising thoroughly, and exploring publishing options.

What are the 3 parts of an autobiography?

An autobiography generally has three parts: introduction (your background), body (major life events), and conclusion (reflections on your journey).

What is the format for writing an autobiography?

The usual format for autobiographies involves chronological or thematic structure with clear chapters marking distinct phases of life.

Writing an autobiography is a journey, a trek exploring the unique narrative of your life. Together, we’ve covered how to plan effectively, select key events, and set timelines.

Once you’re all set to write, you now have the techniques you need for engaging storytelling, including vivid descriptions and dialogues. You also learned about structuring your story for maximum impact and navigating sensitive topics while maintaining honesty.

Last but not least, you learned editing strategies, publishing options, and effective ways of promoting your book.

Now you know more than just how to write an autobiography. You know how to craft a legacy worth reading!

• Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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What Your Professional Bio Needs to Get Noticed

• Meredith Fineman

How to make that little blurb work harder.

A professional bio is something that everyone needs, but not everyone bothers to write one. Or they write one once, and then never update it. Or they wait until a conference organizer asks them to send one in, and just jot down the first few things that occur to them.

• Meredith Fineman is the founder of FinePoint , a company that empowers leadership through public relations tactics. Her latest program is a bootcamp called Do You (But Better) , a primer for personal brand and professional confidence via PR practices. You can read more of her writing here .

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More From Forbes

How to write a killer executive bio.

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Picture this.

A recruiter calls you and asks for your executive bio.

You aren’t actively looking, but the desire to move on has been nagging at you. Plus, the role sounds intriguing.

Unfortunately, no such executive bio exists.

Time is ticking, so you quickly download a template from the internet, fill in the blanks and send it to the recruiter. Fingers crossed it’s good enough.

No callback.

We’ve all been there; maybe it wasn’t good enough after all?

You pore over said templated executive bio and recognize its cookie-cutter existence. Nothing unique or compelling passed go.

And then it hits you: You can do better, simply by crafting an executive biography for yourself, by yourself — precisely what I’ll cover in this article.

But first, I want to address a question I’m asked frequently, because the answer will aid in your writing process. How does an executive bio differ from a résumé or LinkedIn profile summary? I’ll answer by defining all three within the context of the executive job search .

Executive Bio Vs. Résumé Vs. LinkedIn

• Your résumé is a fact-based, chronological document used to convey employment experience, relevant skills and measurable achievements. It should be targeted to a specific role while communicating your unique value to your prospective employer. In general, you're required to submit a résumé when applying for a job online — even if you’re after the CEO role.

• Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to share your story and your personality — and to build your network. And since LinkedIn is an ideal platform to post your own thought leadership content, it’s fairly common for profile summaries to be written in the first person . You’re the publisher, so it makes sense.

• Your executive biography is a succinct, stand-alone version of your professional story’s narrative highlights, making it the ideal complement to your résumé and LinkedIn profile. It could even populate the “about” page of your personal website. Executive bios are also natural networking tools, even if you’re not hunting for a new role. In classical biographical format, executive bios are usually written in the third person.

Now let’s get writing.

How To Write A Killer Executive Bio: Six Tips

1. Get big-picture. Take a holistic look at your existing career marketing materials (i.e., résumé, LinkedIn, personal website) and online presence. What does a Google search of your full name dig up? Is there a consistent storyline? What are the positives and negatives? Too much or too little information? How can your executive biography fill in the gaps?

2. Articulate your value. In reviewing your existing online brand, consider these elements of your value proposition: experiences you’ve had that are unusual or unique, why you love what you do, what drives you, what you offer to your target audience that no one else does. If you get stuck, the essence of these questions should be lurking somewhere in the assets from tip one.

3. Go with the flow. Start with the present (who you are and what you’re doing right now), and end with a personal passion or personal fact(s). Milestones to hit along the way: How have you added value in each experience you’re highlighting? What is the common thread that ties your nonexecutive and executive roles together? Each step in your career should appear as an intentional phase of your journey.

4. Know your audience. Assume a short attention span. Yes, you need to begin with your full name. But how else might you draw your reader in right away? An updated study by Ladders reveals that recruiters spend an average of 7.5 seconds looking at your résumé. Chances are, your bio will receive the same treatment — even if it’s requested. Be sharp. The majority of executive bios are short one-pagers.

5. Be yourself. Sure, you’ve reviewed samples of executive bios online. Challenge yourself not to imitate too closely. Let your language reflect your personality. Experiment writing your profile in several different styles. Write as though you’re having a networking conversation with the reader. How do you want to show up for that chat? Take it a step further, and include a professional headshot.

6. Edit ruthlessly. As you’re trying out different writing styles, read each aloud in your own voice. Does it feel true to who you are? Your professional bio is one of the most important pieces of career content you’ll craft. Ask someone you trust to read it and offer input. If you feel your draft executive bio is moving away from the person you are, edit ruthlessly. Don’t be afraid to start anew.

Final Thoughts On Your Executive Bio

One last piece of advice: Show your accomplishments — don’t just tell. Ensure whatever gems you choose to feature are quantifiable, lest they come across as generic fluff.

Easier said than done, I know. And yes, I realize you’re not a professional writer. But my closing quote from Chekov should help you channel one as you prepare to tackle your executive bio: "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

Happy writing.

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20 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We’ve Ever Seen [+ Templates]

• Share This: Share 20 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We’ve Ever Seen [+ Templates] on Facebook Share 20 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We’ve Ever Seen [+ Templates] on LinkedIn Share 20 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We’ve Ever Seen [+ Templates] on X

Lindsay Kolowich Cox | HubSpot | October 13, 2022

Your professional bio is not only relevant when applying for jobs, seeking new clients, or networking — it also gives the world a brief snapshot of who you are and your professional ideals.

To help you author one that packs a punch, we’ll teach you how to write a professional bio and leverage professional bio templates with the best professional bio examples we’ve ever seen to draw inspiration from.

What is a Professional Bio?

A professional bio or biography is a short overview of your experience. Professional bios usually include details about education, employment, achievements, and relevant skills.

Purpose of Professional Bios

A bio tells an audience who you are, and what you’ve done, and also hints at what you are capable of doing. It can help potential employers, fans, or customers get a sense of your personality and what you stand for.

That may be hard to achieve without a starting point. Below, we’ve included professional templates to expedite the process of writing a great resume bio.

Read the full article and access templates here .

Why Every Principal Should Write a Racial Autobiography

What Is a Racial Autobiography?

From reflection to action, 1. increasing awareness of race, 2. building community within and beyond the school, 3. taking antiracist action to change structures, vigilant, curious, and courageous.

Premium Resource

I have a commitment to ensuring that our students are immersed in positive images and concepts of people of color, and also hold an expectation for my staff to practice cultural responsiveness in their lessons with the children. It is a strong part of our school culture, and after doing my own racial autobiography, it helped me to understand why [taking antiracist action] is such a strong component of my leadership.

A Warm-Up Activity

Reflect & discuss.

➛ Are you ready to commit to writing a racial autobiography? Outline the steps required to get started.

➛ Why do you think educators are often apprehensive about writing racial autobiographies?

.css-191dech{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;} .css-12z0wuy{margin-right:8px;} • 1 Gooden, M. A., & O'Doherty, A. (2015). Do you see what I see? Fostering aspiring leaders' racial awareness. Urban Education, 50 (2), 225–255.

• 3 Radd, S., Generett, G. G., Gooden, M. A., & Theoharis, G. (2021). Five practices for equity-focused school leadership . Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Mark Anthony Gooden is the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Professor in Education Leadership, Teachers College, Columbia University. He serves on and is President-Elect of the Executive Committee for University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA).

Gooden was a secondary math teacher and spent 17 years in higher education developing and teaching courses in leadership, diversity, law, and research methods. His research focuses broadly on culturally responsive school leadership with specific interests in antiracist leadership, the principalship, urban educational leadership, and legal issues in education.

His research has appeared in Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal , Education and Urban Society , and The Sage Handbook of African-American Education .

ASCD is a community dedicated to educators' professional growth and well-being.

Let us help you put your vision into action., related articles.

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From our issue.

Standout Professional Bio Examples (And Why You Need One)

• Compelling examples of bios in multiple contexts

The difference between a resume and a professional bio

Who needs a professional bio.

A professional bio is one of the most important pieces of writing you have in your toolkit.

What career and business opportunities will yours open up?

Effective examples of bios in multiple contexts

When crafting a professional bio, be intentional about the content you include and tailor it according to your objectives.

You want to adjust it accordingly based on where it appears and what type of organization and industry you work for.

The purpose of a professional bio is generally to:

• State who you are and what you do
• Provide examples of your work experience that bolster your credibility
• Tell your story

How you go about accomplishing these three goals, however, will vary.

We compiled a variety of professional biographies and explain why they are effective to give you an idea of how to structure yours.

Company Website

If you are a senior executive, you may have a professional bio on your company’s website: this is the most common request we receive.

John Hartman | Equifax

John Hartman put together a classic example of an executive bio for the Equifax website.

His writing is clear, concise, and follows the standard structure for an effective bio by providing:

• Name and current role at Equifax
• Previous experience at Equifax
• Early career history
• Education summary

If you’re looking for a conventional executive bio, you’ll want to follow this format.

It’s perfectly acceptable to use the bio you have on your company’s website for LinkedIn.

However, don’t forget that LinkedIn is still a social media platform, so it’s okay to infuse a bit more personality into it !

Jay Shetty | Personal Brand

Jay Shetty's profile headline and introduction quickly grab the reader's attention: “Meet the former monk who is making wisdom go viral.”

He further builds his credibility by explaining that he has 200 million views on social media, over one million followers, and was selected for Forbes 30 Under 30.

His bio also includes information about his education and career history while infusing elements of his story (we’ll forgive him for grammar errors and focus on content – because it is quite strong).

At the end, he also provides a preferred method of contact.

You should consider including your email address or a link to your LinkedIn profile as well – especially if your bio doubles as a marketing tool.

Need help crafting a compelling executive bio? Learn more  about our professional bio writing service!

Personal Website

We’re increasingly seeing freelancers and even professionals in the corporate sector building personal websites that serve as an online resume, so to speak.

If you are a freelancer or run your own business, think carefully about your copy and what kind of message you are sending to your readers.

• What kind of impression will they have of you and your business after reading your bio?
• Does your bio leave them inspired and wanting to talk to you further?
• What is the image you are trying to convey? Do you want to come off as polished and professional, engaging, fun, or simply vanilla? 

Melanie Everett | melanieeverettco.com

Melanie Everett runs an independent real estate firm in Chicago.

Coming from a journalism background, she has leveraged her writing skills to drive her real estate business. She currently ranks in the top 1% of real estate agents in Chicago.

Conference or Event Pamphlet

If you are speaking on a panel or delivering a keynote speech, you may have the opportunity to provide a bio to be featured in the event’s print materials.

For these types of communications, you’ll want your bio to be shorter than what you might include on a company page or LinkedIn summary.

These executive bios build credibility for you and your company while positioning you as an expert on the topic you will be speaking about.

Vera Manoukian | Hilton

Hilton’s Vera Manoukian provided this bio when she spoke on a panel titled “The Rebirth of Full-Service Hotels,” effectively demonstrating her leadership experience in the hospitality sector.

Nonprofit Bio

Executive bios for nonprofit organizations often employ a storytelling approach to introduce readers to the organization’s mission and impact.

Ben Justus | EGBOK Mission

In his bio, Ben explains why he started EGBOK, the work his organization does, and how it has grown.

When you contribute to an industry blog, you may have the opportunity to include additional information that showcases why you are an authority on the topic.

In this context, your bio can also serve as publicity for your company.

Arianna Huffington | THRIVE Global

Brian X. Chen | The New York Times

Other times, you may have very limited space to work with, making it especially important to consider how each word is adding value.

A resume and professional bio are both personal marketing documents, but they are used in different contexts.

Resumes are generally used to apply for a job. They are written in third person, follow a conventional structure, and are predominantly based on facts and achievements .

Professional bios , on the other hand, provide a more informal narrative that serves as a compelling elevator pitch.

Professionals of all experience levels can benefit from a bio.

As an executive, you should have a long and short version of a professional bio to use on:

• Corporate or personal websites
• Company marketing brochures
• Conference materials

If you are a student , you can use yours as a LinkedIn summary or on the webpage of a campus organization you are a part of. You never know who might come across it!

We hope these examples have given you inspiration and an understanding of what to include in your bio.

When writing yours, remember to keep the following in mind:

The best bios are written thoughtfully and intentionally, so it’s not something you want to leave to the last minute!

Need a compelling executive bio? You can order our professional bio writing service here !

About resume pilots.

Resume Pilots is an award-winning executive resume writing firm and a proud member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches. Our previous clients include CEOs and senior executives at the world's leading companies.

As a professional services firm, we take your reputation seriously. We are committed to delivering writing excellence and superior service while operating with integrity and discretion. Recruitment firms we partner with also trust us to consistently deliver quality documents for their clients.

Our writers have studied in the Ivy League and other top-tier universities and have strong writing backgrounds coupled with industry experience.

Here's how we can help you:

Resume, Cover Letter, and LinkedIn Writing Services : If you are looking for end-to-end support, hire one of our professional resume writers to rewrite your documents from the ground up.

Executive Resume Template Downloads : If you plan to prepare your own resume, consider using one of our classic, ATS-friendly resume templates for Microsoft Word.

To learn more about our services, book an introductory call with our founder here or email [email protected] .

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About the Author Matt Glodz

Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Resume Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer. After studying business communication at Cornell University, Matt worked within Fortune 500 companies, where he noted that qualified candidates were frequently denied interview opportunities due to poorly written documents. At Resume Pilots, Matt combines his business and writing background - which includes prior work for a Chicago Tribune publication - to craft resumes that give his clients the best chance of landing interviews. He works with clients ranging from CEOs to recent graduates and has been writing resumes for over 10 years. He has been quoted on numerous business and career-related topics in outlets including Business Insider, CNBC, Fortune, Glassdoor, The Ladders, and Thrive Global.

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How to Write an Autobiography: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing one's own biography may seem like an overwhelming task with uncertainties as to how or where to commence the process. While engaging a professional biographer might seem like an ideal solution; however not all possess sufficient funds for it.

Yet fear not for creating one's self-account has never been more achievable; given appropriate guidance offered within our guide here. It offers insightful tips on choosing the theme that resonates with your life's journey, implementing an effective outline, weaving-in captivating writing techniques, and refining your manuscript perfect to keep readers engaged till the very last page. With these guidelines in hand, anyone can tell their unique story in an inspiring and captivating manner.

Ask yourself why and for whom you're writing

Writing an autobiography invites readers on a personal journey through one's life experiences. To craft something impactful for others to enjoy - It starts by considering two fundamental elements: Why write such a memoir? And who should read it? Your motivation: What drives the desire to do so? Is it about providing guidance through lessons learned over time or sharing powerful experiences that have meaning for future generations? Identifying these underlying reasons serves as invaluable sources of inspiration when crafting your unique narrative.

Knowing WHO will primarily connect with these memories also provides powerful clues on storytelling tactics most likely resonate deeply with readership while still being true unto oneself. Whether personal reflections or narratives aimed at community groups - recognize this direction is crucial when telling someone's life story. To summarize; your autobiography provides readers with an intimate look into your personal narrative. To create something that resonates, reflect upon why you write the memoir, and who should read it to best connect with all who engage with it.

Choosing a Focus for Your Autobiography

Crafting an enthralling autobiography hinges on selecting a suitable focus. The initial step is to record names of influential people, places, or occasions that left an indelible impression in your life's tapestry. Such an exercise helps zero in on the overriding theme for your memoirs. Once you have identified the dominant motif within your story, concentrate on spotlighting significant events or transformative junctures which made you who you are presently- including not just wins but losses too as they add genuine depth and relatability to your narrative. By homing in on these critical points within your tale, readers can imbibe profound insights into how these incidents shaped who you are.

Decide on a theme

If sharing one's life story through written word is on the cards, identifying a theme truly makes for a more impactful read. Begin by pinpointing which values matter most at this stage of life—what challenges have been faced up until then? This clarifies things when connecting with potential audiences; then select autobiographical approaches that prompt reader engagement while maintaining originality as well as uniqueness down its plotline structure or core message--one way might be by showcasing success AND failings side-by-side throughout said journey within one dominating text format!

Structuring Your Autobiography

To effectively share your story in an autobiography, it's crucial to determine which structure will work best - whether chronological or thematic - depending on what you're looking to convey as an author. A chronological structure follows events over time whereas using themes highlights specific ideas across various stages of life; both options require clear formatting for ease-of-reading continuity. Adding flashbacks and memories is an excellent way to provide additional depth while improving reader insight into pivotal personal experiences - make sure they seamlessly populate a relevant plotline without becoming excessively distracting.

Additionally, including historical and cultural context can deepen a story's overall meaning while painting a more immersive picture of the times covered in your narrative.

Start by brainstorming and outlining your life story, including significant events and turning points.

Set out writing an autobiography through introspection about notable moments in existence. Craft a catalogue of instances that molded the personage inherent within and ponder how they influenced thinking processes as well as behavioural patterns. These could encompass significant milestones such as graduation ceremonies from universities or wedding ceremonies alongside smaller instances like meeting people who leave lasting impressions or exploring unfamiliar locales. Ponder upon each circumstance carrying memories about how it affected emotional states and how these reverberate till today. Did any of them revolutionize perceptions of living? Or did they foster personal development by teaching valuable lessons? Weighing their consequences will enable selecting impactful anecdotes resulting in a narrative that grips reader attention.

Highlight your achievements and failures

Here's a fictional example :

My life has indeed been shaped by various incidents and people over time, leading up to moments of ultimate pride such as graduating from college with honors - an achievement marked by immense dedication and perseverance invested along the way.

Additionally, one particular milestone that stands out was embarking alone on a journey to Japan for the first time - an experience that taught me independence while boosting self-esteem. Whilst there have been many high points in life so far worth noting it would be remiss not to acknowledge some challenges faced head-on: one particularly tough chapter unfolded during senior year involving depression with each day proving more challenging than the last until finding solace through therapy-led progress towards recovery.

Furthermore, after graduation securing employment proved challenging due perhaps significantly less experience than employers much preferred. In hindsight, those hardships were vital experiences that offered powerful life lessons. Through it all, I learned the importance of persistence in challenging times and resilience that have willingly prepared me for future professional development as well as personal growth goals.

Free Outline

This will assist you in organizing your thoughts into the major sections of your book. These are as follows:

• The difficulties you have overcome.
• The lessons you've learned.
• The people who had the greatest influence on you.
• The most significant events and experiences in your life.
• Your accomplishments and successes.

I find that asking myself specific questions while brainstorming helps to activate my imagination. So I've compiled a list of compelling questions to assist you in putting your thoughts on paper or on your screen.

• The most significant accomplishments
• The Worst Mistakes
• The best moments
• What event influenced your life?
• Who influenced your life?
• What places have had an impact on your life?
• Worst instances
• What have you discovered?
• How have you evolved?

In each section, write three questions to be answered.

You've already done the bulk of the work. You've organized and outlined the major sections. Next on your autobiography to-do list is to select and write down three questions for each section. You can record your questions in the "boxes" provided for each section of the template outline (or on another piece of paper).This is simpler than it appears. Simply select one of the following sample autobiography questions or create your own: Questions allow you to write quickly and clearly.

• What made me select this person/event?
• What is this person/event significant to me?
• How did I come across this person?
• Where did it take place?
• When did it occur?
• What caused it to happen?
• What caused it?
• What is the most intriguing aspect?
• What was my reaction to this person or event?
• How do I feel right now?
• Why is this person or event important to me?
• How has this person or event influenced my life?
• What is the most difficult part?
• What went wrong?
• How did I do it?
• What did I discover?

Decide on a chronological or thematic structure

As you consider how best to shape your autobiography, it's vital to contemplate whether employing a chronological or thematic structure will better suit your aims. Are you motivated by the desire to preserve a record of your existence for posterity's sake or do you hope to excite and inspire readers with an enthralling account?

Depending on what drives you, one approach may be more effective than another; using chronological sequencing could provide readers with comprehensive insight into events over time while focusing on key themes can emphasize their importance throughout our lives. Deliberating about what life experiences have had substantial effects or have transformed us is essential when deciding on the scope of our stories - these experiences serve as key anchors in both types of structures. Additionally worth pondering are how such themes are connected culturally or historically which amplifies their significance within our narratives- adding depth which enriches any approach we choose.

Use flashbacks and memories to add depth

In creating a memoir about yourself, be thoughtful about selecting flashbacks or memories that contributed to who you become. An impactful moment may define certain aspects of your character or changed the course of your life experiences; aim for those types of memories when writing autobiographically.Use blended tenses between the present and past when narrating flashback scenes creates an effect that positions readers within those poignant moments alongside you.By describing each scene vividly ,you make it all easier for readers to visualize,the more immersive story-telling becomes.

Weave in relevant historical and cultural context

Autobiographies are not just mere chronicles detailing one's personal experiences; they act as mirrors reflecting back the society we inhabit in its various stages. To give depth to your memoirs, weaving significant historical events that took place during your lifetime could help ground readers about the choices you made along the way. It would be prudent when incorporating personal stories into wider societal changes to mention political, social and economic factors that impacted you directly since this gives texture to these pivotal moments in life.

Furthermore highlighting distinctive cultural influences like art forms such as music or literature adds another dimension highlighting how they shape one's identity, or even how religious traditions passed down from one generation to another brought their own transformative impact. Bringing together these different contexts into your narrative would allow readers a more profound insight into what inspired and influenced some of the most momentous times in your life.

Writing Techniques to Engage Your Readers

Writing an autobiography might cause some trepidation – after all, sharing personal stories can expose vulnerabilities- nonetheless it’s this emotional honesty that makes an inspiring read: one that imparts valuable lessons and memories upon its audience . Fortunately it does not have to be difficult ! By following some guiding principles, this task can become an engrossing journey that leaves both the author and audience fulfilled. In crafting a remarkable memoir , we offer a few suggestions: firstly, captivate readers through rich imagery created through descriptive language consisting of adjectives or metaphors that evoke characterizations of people , places , or events so vivid they seem tangible .

Additionally , prioritizing dialogue or actions over reciting emotions as they occur ‘flatly’ enables emotional engagement amongst readers as if they are experiencing life alongside the author's memories . Creating brilliantly depicted characters acts as integral piece of enhancing reader investment in the narrative . Try including distinct personalities for each primary character even if covering many members connected with shared/family stories this offers perspective from various viewpoints combining into an unforgettable cast capturing reader attention until all chapters have been perused.

Use colorful and descriptive language

It's important to remember that when telling our personal stories through an autobiography, the choice of words we use plays an instrumental role in driving our message across effectively. Captivating our audience requires us to select dynamic vocabulary choices filled with rich descriptions; using intense adjectives that illuminate key moments while using sensory details allowing us as storytellers to transport our audience right into these moments in time as we present them with figurative language like similes or metaphors - giving deeper meaning behind each experience shared.Here are some tips for making your autobiography more vivid:

• Choose strong adjectives that evoke emotions: Instead of saying "I had a nice time," try "I had an exhilarating experience" or "I felt euphoric."
• Use sensory details: Bring the reader into the moment by describing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. For example: "The salty ocean breeze whipped through my hair as I gazed out at the endless expanse of turquoise sea."By utilizing these techniques and others like them throughout your autobiography, you can create an immersive reading experience that will captivate any reader from beginning to end.
• Incorporate metaphors or similes: These figures of speech create memorable comparisons that add depth to your writing. For instance: "My heart was like a wildfire burning out of control" or "His laughter bubbled up like champagne."

By utilizing these techniques and others like them throughout your autobiography, you can create an immersive reading experience that will captivate any reader from beginning to end.

Show, don't tell

Crafting an autobiography that really captures the attention of readers requires utilizing the "show not tell" approach as one of its critical techniques.Specific examples which emphasize your point give the reader something tangible which make them interested.Integrating illustrations clearly displaying personality attributes throughout along with plainly presenting character’s conversations give extra dimensions making for insightful reading.

Trying out elaboration of physical responses in place of direct representation insinuate emotional experience providing room for stronger connections.Characterization is accomplished by employing colorful and descriptive language.Your account will effectively hold the interest if you focus on these core elements throughout its development process.

Create vivid characters, including yourself

Make your characters memorable and captivating by using descriptive language that brings them to life. Give each character unique traits that readers will remember, like twirling hair or pen chewing. It’s crucial to let the reader into every character’s motivations so they can see a fully realized person come off the page. This technique applies whether you are writing an autobiography or not.

Editing and Polishing Your Autobiography

One of the primary stages of crafting a compelling autobiography is thoroughly refining and editing one's work. It's essential to allow for some time away from writing once you've finished drafting it before delving into the editing process for fresh perspective. When you receive feedback from others concerning ways to enhance your autobiography during revision, it can be greatly beneficial.

Enlisting loved ones or close associations as beta readers might enable them to give their constructive criticism without feeling personally attacked by utilizing tactful language that highlights areas for potential growth.

It's also crucial while going over each page repeatedly during revisions always making sure there is logical continuity between dates, facts and names throughout each chapter so readers can make sense of everything smoothly progressing towards clarity about the unique path of yours.

Take a break before editing

Before beginning to edit your autobiography, it is essential to take some time away from it so that when you come back to it after refreshing yourself fully, giving yourself plenty of time away- whether through immersing oneself in nature where possible like walking along trails outside; sitting down quietly reading an inspiring book; spending time conversationally engaged over lunch meetings amongst friends– there will be much tussle for revising worthy additions once more review!When you do come back to your writing, try these tips:

• Read through the entire manuscript without making any changes.Take notes on areas that need improvement or clarification.
• Pay attention to consistency of style and voice throughout.

By taking breaks before editing, you'll find it easier to spot errors and create an engaging story that captivates your readers.

Get feedback from others

Jotting down memories about one's life journey feels overwhelming at first glance yet becomes an effortless process once supportive resources are found promptly. To begin drafting meaningful stories that will resonate with readers worldwide, reach out to dependable friends or family who can offer helpful feedback and unbiased critique of the narrative. Constructive criticism ensures that the memoir's ending leaves a lasting impression.

Alternatively, consider joining a writers' group like-minded peers who could explore how your story resonates while providing objective feedback. Sharing parts of your story with this community extends support, helps distil complex concepts and guarantees an efficient delivery.

Finally, writers seeking professional input from an editor or proofreader may benefit from insight into structuring their manuscript for maximum impact. Attention to detail on matters like coherence, flow and grammar helps identify areas of synchronicities across the narrative thread. These steps ensure filling more pages with captivating life experiences that impact and leave a lasting mark on readers.

Check for consistency and accuracy

Making sure that your autobiography is consistent and accurate throughout the entire book is crucial to keeping your readers engaged. Small discrepancies can cause confusion or distract from the overall story. Here are a few things to keep in mind when checking for consistency and accuracy:

• Double-check all names, dates, and factual information mentioned in the text.Ensure that there is consistency in tone, style, and language used throughout the book.
• Verify any quotes or references mentioned in your story.

By taking these steps to review your work thoroughly, you can feel confident that you have created a compelling autobiography that accurately reflects your life experiences.

⚠️ What Not To Include In an Autobiography

Crafting an autobiography should be approached with caution as not every detail needs mentioning. Though there may be a desire to share everything, some details are better left unsaid. When writing one's memoirs, consider what should be left aside such as:

• Confidential Information - Though it is acceptable to mention notable persons,is is always advisable not to disclose sensitive information concerning them without their consent.
• Negative experiences or individuals - You must mandate acknowledging rather than overemphasizing difficult moments as this could distort public perception leading it away from gaining proper meaning clarity.  Instead focus on positive things in order for others to draw inspiration from and how you triumphed over adversity.
• Sensitive or Controversial issues – While honesty is essential while writing an autobiography, considering any possible repercussions might due care need surrendering some of oneself up willingly giving way for sensitivity intervals where appropriate expressing respect for others who come after us who seek knowledge about our past experiences but also preserving dignity .
• Irrelevant material- Making sure that your autobiography only includes information relevant to the overall narrative is essential. Be precise, direct and concise so that readers can engage well with your story. Anything deemed redundant is better left out.

By providing the best of all worlds in terms of clarity, readability and relevance, an impactful and memorable autobiography can be published that strikes a balance between being engaging while highlighting one's personal journey without deviating unnecessarily off-topic at any point. Remember to leave out anything irrelevant and emphasize only positive aspects while holding caution before sharing any sensitive or controversial storylines or sentiments embedded within your personal account of life experiences at large.

5 autobiographies to read for inspiration

The following are five remarkable autobiographies that describe the experiences and journeys of influential individuals:

• "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Malcolm X and Alex Haley is a profound memoir about the life of a civil rights activist who emerged as one of the most influential figures in the African American community after being imprisoned for his beliefs.
• "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou is a powerful autobiographical account of her childhood in the American South during 1930s and 1940s. Angelou shares her experiences growing up and how they shaped her later life as an accomplished writer and activist.
• Trevor Noah's autobiography, "Born a Crime," tells his personal story growing up in apartheid-era South Africa. He candidly narrates his challenges as being a son born from different races – white Swiss father and black Xhosa mother.
• In "Bossypants," Tina Fey presents an intriguing look at her life journey, from childhood in Pennsylvania to becoming an acclaimed writer and performer on shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock." Her autobiography is not just humorous but also insightful.
• In Jeannette Walls' memoir, "The Glass Castle," she narrated her unconventional upbringing by parents who struggled with poverty and addiction while moving frequently with their family around America's Southwest region.

Writing your autobiography requires a fair amount of preparation, thought, and effort. Much like writing any book. And for many, it is indeed their first one. While many start this work, few make it to the end. That's why we developed life-story.ai: to assist you in this task and to greatly facilitate this work.

Don't wait to preserve your family's memories

Telling your story in a book has never been so quick and easy.

How To Write an Autobiography 2024 (Tips, Templates, & Guide)

Your life story has value, merit, and significance. You want to share it with the world, but maybe you don’t know how .

Here’s how to write an autobiography:

Write an autobiography by creating a list of the most important moments, people, and places in your life. Gather photos, videos, letters, and notes about these experiences. Then, use an outline, templates, sentence starters, and questions to help you write your autobiography .

In this article, you are going to learn the fastest method for writing your autobiography.

We are going to cover everything you need to know with examples and a free, downloadable, done-for-you template.

What Is an Autobiography?

Table of Contents

Before you can write an autobiography, you must first know the definition.

An autobiography is the story of your life, written by you. It covers the full span of your life (at least, up until now), hitting on the most significant moments, people and events.

When you write your autobiography, you write an intimate account of your life.

What Should I Include In an Autobiography?

If you are scratching your head, baffled about what to include in your autobiography, you are not alone.

After all, a big part of how to write an autobiography is knowing what to put in and what to leave out of your life story. Do you focus on every detail?

Every person? Won’t your autobiography be too long?

A good way to think about how to write an autobiography is to use the Movie Trailer Method.

What do movie trailers include?

• High emotional moments
• The big events
• The most important characters

When you plan, organize, and write your autobiography, keep the Movie Trailer Method in mind. You can even watch a bunch of free movie trailers on YouTube for examples of how to write an autobiography using the Movie Trailer Method.

When wondering what to include in your autobiography, focus on what would make the cut for a movie trailer of your life:

• Most important people (like family, friends, mentors, coaches, etc.)
• Significant events (like your origin story, vacations, graduations, life turning points, life lessons)
• Emotional moments (When you were homeless, when you battled a life-threatening condition, or when you fell in love)
• Drama or suspense (Did you make it into Harvard? Did your first surgery go well? Did your baby survive?)

Autobiography Structure Secrets

Like any compelling story, a well-structured autobiography often follows a pattern that creates a logical flow and captures readers’ attention.

Traditionally, autobiographies begin with early memories, detailing the writer’s childhood, family background, and the events or people that shaped their formative years.

From here, the narrative typically progresses chronologically, covering major life events like schooling, friendships, challenges, achievements, career milestones, and personal relationships.

It’s essential to weave these events with introspective insights.

This allows readers to understand not just the what, but also the why behind the author’s choices and experiences.

Towards the end, an effective autobiography often includes reflections on lessons learned, changes in perspective over time, and the wisdom acquired along life’s journey.

Example of the Structure:

• Introduction: A gripping event or anecdote that gives readers a hint of what to expect. It could be a pivotal moment or challenge that defines the essence of the story.
• Childhood and Early Memories: Recounting family dynamics, birthplace, cultural background, and memorable incidents from early years.
• Adolescence and Discovering Identity: Experiences during teenage years, challenges faced, friendships formed, and personal evolutions.
• Pursuits and Passions: Describing education, early career choices, or any particular hobby or skill that played a significant role in the author’s life.
• Major Life Events and Challenges: Chronicles of marriage, parenthood, career shifts, or any significant setbacks and how they were overcome.
• Achievements and Milestones: Celebrating major accomplishments and recounting the journey to achieving them.
• Reflections and Wisdom: Sharing life lessons, changes in beliefs or values over time, and offering insights gained from lived experiences.
• Conclusion: Summarizing the journey, contemplating on the present state, and sharing hopes or aspirations for the future.

How To Write an Autobiography Quickly: Strategies & Templates

Want the quickest way to organize and write your autobiography in record time? You can literally write your autobiography in 7 days or less with this method.

The secret is to use done-for-you templates.

I have personally designed and collected a series of templates to take you from a blank page to a fully complete Autobiography. I call this the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

And it’s completely free to download right from this article. 🙂

In the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint, you get:

• The Autobiography Questions Template
• The Autobiography Brainstorm Templates
• The Autobiography Outline Template

Here is an image of it so that you know exactly what you get when you download it:

How To Write an Autobiography: Step-by-Step

When you sit down to write an autobiography, it’s helpful to have a step-by-step blueprint to follow.

You already have the done-for-you templates that you can use to organize and write an autobiography faster than ever before. Now here’s a complete step-by-step guide on how to maximize your template.

• Brainstorm Ideas
• Order your sections (from medium to high interest)
• Order the ideas in each section (from medium to high interest)
• Write three questions to answer in each section
• Choose a starter sentence
• Complete a title template
• Write each section of your by completing the starter sentence and answering all three questions

Brainstorm Your Autobiography

The first step in writing your autobiography is to brainstorm.

Give yourself time and space to write down the most significant people, events, lessons, and experiences in your life. The templates in the How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint provide sections for you to write down your brainstormed ideas.

This will help you organize your ideas into what will become the major sections of your book.

These will be:

• Y our most significant events and experiences.
• The people who impacted you the most.
• The challenges you have overcome.
• Your achievements and successes.
• The lessons you have learned.

The “other” sections on the second page of the Brainstorm template is for creating your own sections or to give you more space for the sections I provided in case you run out of space.

As I brainstorm, I find asking myself specific questions really activates my imagination.

So I have compiled a list of compelling questions to help you get ideas down on paper or on your screen.

Order Your Sections (From Medium to High Interest)

The next step is to order your main sections.

The main sections are the five (or more) sections from your Brainstorm templates (Significant events, significant people, life lessons, challenges, successes, other, etc). This order will become the outline and chapters for your book.

How do you decide what comes first, second or third?

I recommend placing the sections in order of interest. Ask yourself, “What’s the most fascinating part of my life?”

If it’s a person, then write the name of that section (Significant People) on the last line in the How to Write an Autobiography Outline Template. If it’s an experience, place the name of that section (Significant Events) on the last line.

For example, if you met the Pope, you might want to end with that nugget from your life. If you spent three weeks lost at sea and survived on a desert island by spearfishing, that is your ending point.

Then complete the Outline by placing the remaining sections in order of interest. You can work your way backward from high interest to medium interest.

If you are wondering why I say “medium to high interest” instead of “low to high interest” it is because there should be no “low interest” parts of your autobiography.

But wait, what if you met the Pope AND spent three weeks lost at sea? How do you choose which one comes first or last?

First of all, I want to read this book! Second, when in doubt, default to chronological order. Whatever event happened first, start there.

Here is an example of how it might look:

Order The Ideas in Each Section (From Medium To High Interest)

Now, organize the ideas inside of each section. Again, order the ideas from medium to high interest).

Within your “Significant People” section, decide who you want to talk about first, second, third, etc. You can organize by chronological order (who you met first) but I recommend building to the most interesting or most significant person.

This creates a more compelling read.

Keep in mind that the most significant person might not be the most well-known, most famous, or most popular. The most significant person might be your family member, friend, partner, or child.

It comes down to who shaped your life the most.

So, if your “significant people list” includes your dad, a famous social media influencer, and Mike Tyson, your dad might come last because he had the biggest significance in your life.

Write Three Questions to Answer in Each Section

Ok, you’ve done the heavy lifting already. You have the major sections organized and outlined.

Next on your autobiography to-do list is to choose and write down three questions you are going to answer in each section. You can write your questions down in the provided “boxes” for each section on the template outline (or on another piece of paper.

This is easier than it might seem.

Simply choose one of the sample autobiography questions below or create your own:

• Why did I choose this person/event?
• What does this person/event mean to me?
• How did I meet this person?
• Where did it happen?
• When did it happen?
• Why did it happen?
• How did it happen?
• What is the most interesting part?
• How did I feel about this person or event?
• How do I feel now?
• Why does this person or event matters to me?
• How did this person or event change my life?
• What is the most challenging part?
• How did I fail?
• How did I succeed?
• What did I learn?

Questions are the perfect way to write quickly and clearly. I LOVE writing to questions. It’s how I write these blog posts and articles.

Choose a Starter Sentence

Sometimes the hardest part of any project is knowing how to start.

Even though we know we can always go back and edit our beginnings, so many of us become paralyzed with indecision at the starting gate.

That’s why I provided sample starter sentences in your How to Write an Autobiography Blueprint.

Here are the story starters:

• I began writing this book when…
• Of all the experiences in my life, this one was the most…
• I’ve been a…
• My name is…
• Growing up in…
• It wasn’t even a…
• It all started when…
• I first…
• I was born…

Keep in mind that you do not need to begin your book with one of these story starters. I provide them simply to get you going.

The key is to not get bogged down in this, or any, part of writing your autobiography. Get organized and then get writing.

Complete a Title Template

At the top of the How to Write an Autobiography Outline is a place for you to write your book title.

Some authors struggle forever with a title. And that’s ok. What’s not ok is getting stuck. What’s not ok is if coming up with your title prevents you from finishing your book.

So, I provided a few title templates to help juice your creativity.

Just like the story starters, you do not need to use these title templates, but you certainly can. All you need to do is fill in the title templates below and then write your favorite one (for now) at the top of your outline. Presto! You have your working title.

You can always go back and change it later.

How to Write an Autobiography Title templates:

• [Your Name]: [Phrase or Tag Line]
• The [Your Last Name] Files
• Born [Activity]: A [Career]’s Life
• The Perfect [Noun]: The Remarkable Life of [Your Name]

Examples using the Templates:

• Christopher Kokoski: Blog Until You Drop
• The Kokoski Files
• Born Writing: A Blogger’s Life
• The Perfect Freelancer: The Remarkable Life of Christopher Kokoski

Write Your Autobiography

You have your outline. You have your title, templates, and sentence starters. All that is left to do is write your autobiography.

However, you can use tools like Jasper AI and a few other cool tricks to craft the most riveting book possible.

This is the easy way to remarkable writing.

Check out this short video that goes over the basics of how to write an autobiography:

How To Write an Autobiography (All the Best Tips)

Now that you are poised and ready to dash out your first draft, keep the following pro tips in mind:

• Be vulnerable. The best autobiographies share flaws, faults, foibles, and faux pas. Let readers in on the real you.
• Skip the boring parts. There is no need to detail every meal, car ride, or a gripping trip to the grocery store. Unless you ran into the Russian Mafia near the vegetables or the grocery store is perched on the side of a mountain above the jungles of Brazil.
• Keep your autobiography character-driven . This is the story of YOU!
• Be kind to others (or don’t). When writing about others in your story, keep in mind that there may be fallout or backlash from your book.
• Consider a theme: Many autobiographies are organized by theme. A perfect example is Becoming . Each section of the book includes “becoming” in the title. Themes connect and elevate each part of the autobiography.
• Write your story in vignettes (or scenes). Each vignette is a mini-story with a beginning, middle, and end. Each vignette builds. Each vignette should be described in rich sensory language that shows the reader the experience instead of telling the reader about the experience. Each vignette is immersive, immediate, and intimate.
• Include snippets of dialogue. Use quotation marks just like in fiction. Show the dialogue in brief back-and-forth tennis matches of conversation. Remember to leave the boring parts out!
• Choose a consistent tone. Some autobiographies are funny like Bossy Pants by Tina Fey. Others are serious such as Open by Andre Agassi. Your story (like most stories) will likely include a mix of emotions but choose an overall tone and stick with it.
• Don’t chronicle, captivate . Always think about how to make each section, each chapter, each page, each paragraph, and each sentence more compelling. You want to tell the truth, but HOW you tell the truth is up to you. Create suspense, conflict, and mystery. Let drama linger until it becomes uncomfortable. Don’t solve problems quickly or take away tension right away.

How Do I Format an Autobiography?

Most autobiographies are written in the first person (using the pronouns I, me, we, and us).

Your autobiography is written about you so write as yourself instead of pretending to be writing about someone else.

Most autobiographies are also written in chronological order, from birth right up to your current age, with all the boring parts left out. That doesn’t mean you can’t play around with the timeline.

Sometimes it’s more interesting to start at a high moment, backtrack to the beginning and show how you got to that high moment.

Whatever format you choose, be intentional, and make the choice based on making the most compelling experience possible for your readers.

How Long Should an Autobiography Be?

There are no rules to how long an autobiography should be but a rough guideline is to aim for between 200 and 400 pages.

This will keep your book in line with what most readers expect for books in general, and will help get your book traditionally published or help with marketing your self-published book.

How To Write a Short Autobiography

You write a short autobiography the same way that you write a long autobiography.

You simply leave more out of the story.

You cut everything down to the bones. Or you choose a slice of your life as you do in a memoir. This often means limiting the people in your book, reducing the events and experiences, and shrinking your story to a few pivotal moments in your life.

How To Start an Autobiography

The truth is that you can start your autobiography in any number of ways.

Here are four common ways to begin an autobiography.

• Start at the beginning (of your life, career or relationship, etc.)
• Start at a high moment of drama or interest.
• Start at the end of the story and work backward
• Start with why you wrote the book.

Good Autobiography Titles

If you are still stuck on titling your autobiography, consider going to Amazon to browse published works. You can even just Google “autobiographies.”

When you read the titles of 10, 20, or 50 other autobiographies, you will start to see patterns or get ideas for your own titles. (HINT: the title templates in the Autobiography Blueprint were reverse-engineered from popular published books.

Also, check out the titles of the full autobiography examples below that I have included right here in this article.

Types of Autobiographies

There are several different kinds of autobiographies.

Each one requires a similar but slightly nuanced approach to write effectively. The lessons in this article will serve as a great starting point.

Autobiography Types:

• Autobiography for School
• Autobiography Novel
• Autobiography for a Job
• Short Autobiography
• Autobiography for Kids

Therefore, there is actually not just one way to write an autobiography.

Memoir vs. Autobiography: Are They The Same?

It’s common to feel confused about a memoir and an autobiography. I used to think they were the same thing.

But, nope, they’re not.

They are pretty similar, which is the reason for all the confusion. A memoir is the story of one part of your life. An autobiography is the story of your full life (up until now).

What Is the Difference Between an Autobiography and a Biography?

An autobiography is when you write about your own life. A biography, on the other hand, is when you write the story of someone else’s life.

So, if I write a book about the life of the President, that’s a biography.

If the President writes a story about his or her own life, that’s an autobiography.

What Not To Include In an Autobiography

Autobiographies are meant to be a snapshot of our lives that we can share with others, but there are some things that are best left out.

Here are three things you should avoid including in your autobiography:

1) Anything That Readers Will Skip

Your life may not be filled with non-stop excitement, but that doesn’t mean you need to include every mundane detail in your autobiography.

Stick to the highlights and leave out the low points.

2) Character Attacks on Others

It’s okay to discuss conflicts you’ve had with others, but don’t use your autobiography as a platform to attack someone’s character.

Keep it civil and focus on your own experiences and how they’ve affected you.

3) Skipping Highlights

Just because something embarrassing or painful happened to you doesn’t mean you should gloss over it in your autobiography.

These are the moments that shape us and make us who we are today, so don’t skip past them just because they’re uncomfortable.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your autobiography is interesting, honest, and engaging.

How To Write an Autobiography: Autobiography Examples

I have always found examples to be extremely instructive. Especially complete examples of finished products. In this case, books.

Below you will find examples of published autobiographies for adults and for kids. These examples will guide you, motivate you and inspire you to complete your own life story.

They are listed here as examples, not as endorsements, although I think they are all very good.

The point is that you don’t have to agree with anything written in the books to learn from them.

Autobiography Examples for Adults

• A Promised Land (Autobiography of Barack Obama)
• If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won’t) (Betty White)
• It’s a Long Story: My Life (Willie Nelson)
• Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography (Rob Lowe)
• Becoming (Michelle Obama)

Autobiography Examples for Kids

• This Kid Can Fly: It’s About Ability (NOT Disability) (Aaron Philips)
• Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid (Mikaila Ulmer)

Tools to Write Your Autobiography

Here are some recommended tools to help you write your autobiography:

Final Thoughts: How To Write An Autobiography

Thank you for reading my article on How to Write an Autobiography.

Now that you know all of the secrets to write your book, you may want to get it published, market it, and continue to upskill yourself as an author.

In that case, read these posts next:

• Can Anyone Write A Book And Get It Published?
• The Best Writing Books For Beginners 2022 (My 10 Favorites)
• Why Do Writers Hate Adverbs? (The Final Answer)
• How To Write a Manifesto: 20 Ultimate Game-Changing Tips

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