Third-Person vs First-Person Bio: Which to Use and When
The choice between writing about yourself as 'I' or 'she/he/they' isn't just a style decision — it depends on where the bio will appear and who's reading it.
Artagers GrigoryanBoth types of professional bios work. But they work in different contexts, and using the wrong one creates a small but noticeable friction that makes the bio feel off. Here's when to use each.
When third person works better
Speaker and conference profiles. Event programs use your bio to introduce you to an audience that doesn't know you. The third person works here because it reads like an introduction — which is exactly what it is. "Dr. Chen is a behavioral economist who has spent fifteen years..." sounds right coming from an emcee. "I am a behavioral economist..." does not.
Press kits and media pages. Journalists and editors use bios verbatim in articles and broadcasts. A first-person bio creates an awkward problem: do they rewrite it, or do they quote you saying things like "I have built teams across four continents"? Third person saves them the edit.
Author bylines in publications. Publications standardize their contributor format, and it's almost always third person. "Sarah Chen is a senior product designer at Figma" is a byline. "I am a senior product designer" is not.
LinkedIn "Featured" bio panel. The optional panel that appears at the top of LinkedIn profiles can go either way, but third person gives it the feel of a formal introduction rather than a social post.
When first person works better
Personal website about pages. You're speaking directly to a visitor who came to your site specifically to learn about you. First person is warmer and more direct. "I design onboarding flows for B2B SaaS companies" reads like someone talking to you; "Jane designs onboarding flows..." reads like someone describing a third party.
Social media profiles. Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok bios are first-person by convention. Third-person bios on social platforms read as either affected or accidental.
Personal portfolio sites. Same as personal websites — the first person fits the conversational, direct tone of a portfolio.
Email signatures and "About me" sections in newsletters. You're already communicating in first person through the email or newsletter; switching to third person for the bio creates a jarring tonal shift.
The hybrid approach
Some professionals use third person for formal, published contexts (speaker profiles, press kits) and first person for their own digital properties (website, newsletter). This is the most practical approach if you need bios in multiple places.
Keep the content consistent across both versions — just change the pronoun. Your speaker bio and your about page should describe the same person with the same positioning, even if one says "she" and the other says "I."
The version you should write first
If you're writing from scratch, write the first-person version first. It's easier because it's how you'd actually talk about yourself. Then convert it to third person for the contexts that need it. Going the other way — third to first — often produces stiff-sounding prose.
The Personal Bio Generator produces a third-person bio by default (most people need it for speaker profiles and press kits), but the structure is clean enough to adapt to first person in thirty seconds.