No matter how good of a writer you are, writing about yourself is difficult. Knowing
what to say, and what not to say, to give the impression you want to give can be
tricky.
Twenty-five years ago the people we were being introduced to were people who lived
nearby and the groups of people we expected to meet in life was fairly limited by
geographical limitations. When we did meet new people we met them in person and
took a few minutes to make a first impression. With computers and the internet making
it possible for our social circle to expand we have had to adapt the way we make
our first impressions as well.
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Be Brief: One paragraph isn't much space to try to sum up your
whole life. A small description with the highlights is all you need to have covered.
A quick description giving a picture of your life and who you are no is all you
want to share in your self description summary. Don't try to put your whole
life into that space.
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Leave Something to the Imagination: If you tell your life history
in your self-description you are likely to push more people away than draw them
in. If you pique the curiosity of others your description will work for you and
draw attention from others.
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Be Honest: Don't pretend to be someone you are not. If you want
to meet people who are going to enjoy being your friend you are going to have to
let them know who you are, not who you wish you were. If you haven't gone
to med school then don't say you have. You will most likely not get along
well with the group of those who have.
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Be Creative: Showing creativity and making your profile interesting
to read is a huge plus. Remember you are writing a description of yourself and don't
exaggerate or turn it into a commercial, but have fun with it.
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Provide Relevant Information: Whatever information you feel is important
should be provided. Any vital information that is tied to the group you are posting
your self-description to that might be group specific should be included.
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Check Spelling and Grammar: If you want to make a bad impression right
away then fill your self-description will spelling and grammar errors. It is alright
to use acronyms that are specific to the site you are posting the self-description
to, but don't use rare, unknown, or made-by-you acronyms in your self-description.
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Keep it Simple: Start simple, don't overdo it with too many
details or too much creativity or too many words. Keep your self-description simple
so you have something to talk about later.
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Don't Complain: Nobody wants to deal with people who make them
feel bad and who complain constantly. If you want people to get to know you put
on your happy face while you write your self-description. Don't use this as
a place to air your dirty laundry or to discuss how horrible your ex is and how
you struggle with life.
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Mention Happy Things: Along with skipping the complaints you should
keep the profile upbeat and fill it with things that make you happy and your accomplishments
instead of your challenges.
Using these simple tips and a little common sense will help you write an effective
self-description that gets results.