Use this guidance and its sections to improve your UF biography.
- Finding and editing your UF Health profile
- Best practices for making a strong impression
- Professional suffixes and academic titles
- The long and short of a good biography
- Peoplesoft, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook profiles
Your professional image depends largely on how you appear in digital media. So, it’s important to ask yourself, “What happens when someone tries to Google my name?” (Brace yourself and try it now).
If you’re a faculty member, one of your top hits will likely be your UF Health Directory biography. This biography is duplicated in at least two places and has two different URLs: from the directory, and from the HOBI website. Access the HOBI version by visiting the faculty directory and selecting your name.
As the first impression many people will have of you and your work, this profile deserves to be up-to-date and accurate. In this article, we’ll give you all the information and tools you need to make sure your best foot is forward.
Finding and editing your UF Health profile
Your photo and UF profile are housed and managed in the UF Health Directory, where you are encouraged to log in and update your profile on a regular basis. Once updated, any changes will appear soon afterward on the HOBI website and on any other UF or UF Health website that pulls this information, such as the UF Health Bridge.
For more information on using and updating your UF Health profile, visit the UF Health IT Support directory guide.
Best practices for making a strong impression
The good news is that you maintain control over your professional identity at UF, but that approach also means it is your responsibility. Many faculty members fail to update their profiles on a regular basis.
How often should you update your profile? Our team recommends entering important updates as soon as possible, such as receiving a grant, promotion, or other noteworthy accomplishment. At a minimum, follow the academic calendar and review your content before each semester for any necessary updates.
The first impression most people will take from your profile is your photograph. This should be a professional headshot, representing how you look right now. Avoid using outdated pictures. Use your best judgment and consider using the same photo across multiple platforms.
Uploading your CV is optional, and users will download this document from the UF Health Directory. If included, be sure to update at least annually.
If you’re unsure how you want to represent yourself, look into various examples of profiles that are appealing. What do you like or dislike about these examples?
Professional suffixes and academic titles
The use of suffixes and titles varies greatly, and some users may simply avoid them. Still, they are very useful shortcuts to identify your skills and level of expertise, and you should consider their impact on how the world interprets your online presence.
The UF Health Directory offers an entry for professional suffixes, and anyone who holds a doctorate should include “PhD,” without the periods. The more traditional abbreviation of Ph.D. is acceptable as well, although scientific writing tends to drop the periods.
Other important suffixes to include are MD, EdD, MBA, and MPH (only include master’s degrees that are considered terminal). Try to avoid any acronym that is not widely understood—this rule of thumb applies across all types of communication. Avoid acronyms—spell it out.
What are your academic or job titles? Include your highest-level title and perhaps one more. Too many titles will give the appearance that you work part-time or in limited capacities. Additional titles are better for your biography.
The long and short of a good biography
A professional biography is a useful tool for summarizing career highlights. Unlike a CV, it does not include everything. It is highly edited form of “bragging.” Yes, you should be able to brag about real accomplishments and accentuate your positive points! Avoid false humility.
Should your UF directory biography be written in first or third person? If you are the author, you may use “I” statements to discuss your work. If you prefer formality, use “he/she/they” statements.
A long biography may include several paragraphs and 600 words or more. A short biography is usually one paragraph, and it may serve as a useful start for your UF profile. You may follow this structure, per paragraph:
- Top-level summary of expertise and roles
- Titles, certifications, and major affiliations
- Major awards, publications, or achievements
- Educational background
Instead of starting a biography with your job titles, consider an active opening sentence about your expertise and areas of interest. For example:
“An expert in health intelligence, Dr. Doe researches the endocrine system and applies AI to international data sets. He teaches research methods as a Professor in the Department of ….”
Use active verbs as much as possible. Instead of stating “I am the director of X,” consider what you do: “I direct the X Institute, and I mentor students in X Department.”
Include several keywords or buzzwords in your biography to support search engines. For example, an aging researcher may want to include terms such as the elderly, retirement, gerontology, and Medicare.
Updating ONE.UF, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook profiles
Your electronic identity within UF also depends on Peoplesoft (https://my.ufl.edu/). The related profile photo can be changed at https://myaccount.microsoft.com/
To make other edits, visit the ONE.UF portal. You can also access ONE.UF via myUFL under your “My Account” menu then “Update My Directory Profile.”
For additional information and guidance, visit the HOBI Communications Toolkit.