Many people don’t realise this, but the ‘About Me’ page or section on your website is essential to your brand. Even if you don’t officially recognise yourself as having a brand, you will have a reputation for something in terms of what you do and how you do it.
You know, the thing that makes you, you in relation to your work or purpose.
The second biggest mistake you can make—and this sounds counterintuitive—is using your ‘About Me’ page or section to only talk about yourself. (We’ll elaborate on this later).
In this article, we’re focusing on using your ‘About Me’ section as a tool to leverage your job search. Regardless of whether or not you’re actively seeking a job, it’s always a good idea to have a well-written ‘About Me’ section for job platforms. Especially since it demonstrates your knowledge and experience within your industry.
So, if you want to position yourself as an authoritative brand and thought leader within your specific industry, you’re going to have to learn how to write an effective About Me section.
Read on to find out more.
What is An About Me Section and Why Is it Important?
So, if an about me section isn’t meant for you to simply talk about yourself, then what is it—and why does it make such a difference?
Here’s the deal:
An about me section is the most important page or section on your website. It’s where your visitors or readers go to learn more about what you do with a side of who you are. It tells your story, or your journey of how you got to where you are now, highlighting some of your greatest achievements that reflect upon why you’re a thought leader within your industry.
Once again, positioning yourself as an authoritative source within your industry is critical to your success. It’s also important to note that achieving this “authoritative” status is no easy feat—which is why you need to cultivate this view within your audience in every way possible, starting with your about me page.
Here are the benefits of having a well-written ‘About Me’ section for job platforms in a nutshell:
- Tells your official and unique story, which is what separates you from the other “thought leaders” in your industry
- Gives people an insight into your past, which helps to create trust by showing the human struggles or journey behind the success
- Lets people know why they should choose your over your competitors
- Gives your visitors and followers an insight into your future, in terms of what your goals are and what they have to look forward to regarding your work and how it can change their lives
- Highlights your support system and your ability to work as part of a team.
- Appeals to human emotions. It shows that you’re relatable and can deliver your promises
Whether you’re trying to attract employers or customers, your About Me section should grab recruiter’s attention. It should make them want to follow you, hire, or invest in your products or services.
What Should an About Me Section Contain?
There’s a lot of misinformation circulating around the internet as to what your ‘About Me’ section for job platforms should include—or not include.
The simple consensus is that your about me page should include the very details that trigger a response from employers, potential leads, and followers.
However, your ‘About Me’ section for job platforms is not an all-access autobiography of your life. In other words, no one cares about how much you just love gardening in your spare time—unless it’s directly related to what you do, why you’re visitors are here, and how it’s going to impact their lives.
In other words, you want to include some personal stuff, but only if it relates to the conclusion of your journey, as in, how you became so experienced and successful in what you do. More importantly, the focus needs to be on how you can solve everyone’s pain points.
Here’s an overview of what needs to be included in your about me section:
Your Value
This one’s incredibly important, which is why we cannot stress enough why you need to share with the world what it is exactly that you have to offer them. Sure, potential employers and leads want to learn a little more about you as an individual, but more so, they want to know how you’re going to make their lives better.
So, before you start attacking your about me description, it’s a good idea to get a clear view of what it is about you or your work that offers an irrefutable value to others.
Who Your Site is for
You need to write your about me section with clear intentions and purpose. That means defining exactly who it is you’re trying to reach—and be specific.
When people read your about me page, they need to know immediately that you’re talking to them. Otherwise, they may read a few lines and think “Alright, well this person (or products or services) isn’t for me,” and click out of your webpage, never to return.
So, it’s a good idea to start off by writing to your audience, about your audience.
For example:
“Starting in 2010, this website was introduced as a creative platform for small business entrepreneurs to come together and swap ideas. Now it has grown into an exclusive community of serious small business owners who believe it working together as a referral network rather than strictly competitors.”
Notice how something like this turns an about me section into an about you section, identifying with those who think of themselves as entrepreneurs with a collective mindset to help others. It also gives off an “exclusive” vibe, which provokes the desire to become a part of this specific community.
A Specific Tense
Depending on your industry, you need to choose a specific tense to write in. ideally, since you want to connect with people on a personal level, you’d use the first person I and you.
However, for more formal pages, such as an ‘About Me’ section for job platforms or educational platforms, you’ll want to come off as more professional. So, using the third person would be essential here.
Include a Headshot or Relevant Image
Humans are visual creatures by nature, therefore they don’t just want to read about who you are—they want to see who you are. It’s another way to connect and build trust. It’s also non-negotiable for the more formal pages.
So, make sure to take a well-lit and clean headshot to include in your about me section. Depending on the industry you’re in, you may or may not want to “dress up” for the photo, or simply include a relevant image such as the office, your team, your lab, etc.
Your Site or Career Bio
Depending on your target audience, you also need to include a description of how you came to do what you’re doing.
Here are a few questions you can answer to help with this:
- Why should potential employers consider you or follow you?
- Why should anyone read your blog?
- What value will people get from the work you’re doing or the content you’re creating?
- What makes you a credible source? (This is where you want to include your experience, accolades, achievements, skill set, education, etc.)
- How you got started. Feel free to get a little personal here, i.e., your inspiration for choosing this specific career (especially if it was a life-changing career switch), or what event led you down this path—name your passion as it will appeal to your audience
Remember to keep this portion of your about me section business-oriented, yet also lighthearted as the goal here is to inspire and connect.
Some Personal Strengths
Now it’s time to talk about yourself—bearing in mind that you’re not on a first date where the person sitting across the table wants to hear about your hobbies, hopes and dreams, or what your family was like growing up.
Think of your ‘About Me’ section for job platforms and potential leads as an interview. You wouldn’t go to an in-person interview and talk about random things that don’t relate to why you’re there, so don’t do it here.
Keep this portion of your about me section mostly in line with the things about you that relate to what you do, why you do it, how you got there, and why you’ll continue to innovate within your industry. This is where you can display your passion for your work, and if it involves a funny anecdote, then add it in—just don’t ramble on.
For example, you could say sometime like:
“After spending some time studying Spanish abroad in South America, I realised that I wanted to be a part of something bigger, a solution, rather than someone who exploits another country’s natural resources. And so [insert company name here] was born.”
Avoid talking about your hobbies and interests outside of what you do, unless it’s something you contribute to, such as a cause that you donate to or physically help with.
A CALL TO ACTION
One thing people often forget to include in their ‘About Me’ section for job platforms is a call to action (CTA)—which is why we highlighted in all capitals.
Your CTA is important because it encourages your audience or potential employer or followers to engage with you. After all, if you don’t leave your contact information, how will they get in touch with you if they want to schedule a meeting or contract you for work?
It’s a good idea to include your CTA in several places throughout your about me page since people tend to skim over your content, sometimes never even reaching the end.
How to Write an Effective About Me Section for Your Industry
Now that we’ve given you the overview of what to do and what not to do, it’s time to get more specific. So, we’re going to highlight the following industries: Writing, tech, government/academia, creative, and service-oriented.
Here we go:
The Writing Industry
If you’re a writer, then it’s critical you talk about what your writing can do for potential clients or employers.
The most specific points you need to hit include:
- An introduction of who you are, i.e., your name and your niche
- Talk about your experience—how long you’ve been writing and where your work has been published. If you’ve worked for any high-profile clients, this is a good time to name drop
- Mention how you became knowledgeable and experienced in your niche, i.e., educational background, work, volunteering, other credentials etc.
- Include the services you provide and what it can do for a client’s bottom line
It’s perfectly fine to include an interesting fact about yourself if you feel it’s relevant, but keep in mind that if your visitors want to know more about you, they’ll reach out and ask.
Here’s a good example to follow.
👉 Browse Jobs in the Writing Industry
The Tech Industry
If you work in the tech industry, then you know it’s critical to be clear and concise about the scope of your work and your most relative experiences. It’s especially important to frequently update your ‘About Me’ section for jobs platforms since you’ll likely be working on evolving projects.
Here are the most important points to include:
- Your name and professional title
- Your relevant qualifications and skills
- The most recent and relevant projects you’ve worked on
- Your career goals—these will let potential employers understand how you’ll fit into the role they’re looking to fill and it shows your passion for your work
Aside from being specific, you always want to be interesting and unique—like this example here.
👉 Browse Jobs in the Tech Industry
Government and Academia
When it comes to government and academia, you want your about me page to read as professional as possible while still coming off as personable. Therefore, you’ll follow the same rules as the tech industry:
- Introduce yourself by name and professional title
- Include your relevant credentials, rankings, degrees, qualifications, skills, accolades, nominations, honors, and so on
- Your relevant work and volunteer experiences
- What you’re currently doing professionally and what your career goals are
Since federal work leaves little room for creativity, you want to stay away from sounding informal or talking about your hobbies. Depending on your level of academia and subject of expertise, the same rules may or may not apply—so here’s some extra advice for writing a personal statement for government work and academic work.
👉 Browse Government Jobs and Academia Jobs
Service-Based Industries
- A brief introduction or just your name and what you do
- Your experience, credentials, and current job or project
- Any important achievements and notable professionals you’ve worked with
- The services you provide
Creative Industries
Creative industries provide more room being creative with your about me section. You’ll also want to capitalise on your most notable work experiences.
Here’s what you’ll need to include:
- Your name and the type of “creative” you are, i.e., painter, sculptor, novelist, short story enthusiast, etc. This is also a good time to include the subject matter of your work if it’s geared towards something specific, such as painting landscapes, writing stories about life lessons, and so on
- How you became the type of creative you are today
- The most notable work you’ve commissioned as well as your most impressive collaborations
- Any credentials or qualifications you have in your creative field
- Any projects you’re currently working on
If you have social media pages that demonstrate your creative process or finished works, it’s a good idea to link to them. Here’s a great example of an artist’s about me page.
👉 Browse Jobs in the Creative Industry
Concluding Thoughts
Your about me page should leave a good impression on your visitors. It should make them want to get in touch with you to learn more. It’s a good idea to look through as many about me sections as you can find within your industry to get a feel on how your competitors work.
You’ll be able to spot what fits and what doesn’t right away. And by using this guide, you’ll be able to avoid some common mistakes that turn potential opportunities into missed ones.
