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Q&A Referring to oneself in first vs. third person in online profiles

I think a major difference is: do you want to give the reader the sense that you are speaking to him, or do you want to give him the sense that he is reading about you? First person can feel more ...

posted 13y ago by Standback‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-12T20:05:57Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/3389
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T01:46:55Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/3389
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T01:46:55Z (almost 5 years ago)
I think a major difference is: do you want to give the reader the sense that **you are speaking to him** , or do you want to give him the sense that **he is reading about you**?

First person can feel more personal, more informal, as if an actual person is standing in front of the reader - "Hi, I'm Ray!". Third person is a description of the profile owner - generally aiming for a neutral, factual/descriptive tone ("Ray is an experienced software developer") that can feel more professional and matter-of-fact. Sometimes, this can be humorously subverted ("Ray's core competencies include vast expertise in software developement and ingenious placement of whoopie cushions when his co-workers aren't looking").

So in general, first-person is great for feeling like a personal introduction; third-person is great for a straightforward, professional description of yourself.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2011-07-20T19:32:53Z (over 13 years ago)
Original score: 6