how to write professional biography

How to Write a Professional Bio

Follow these guidelines and examples for a professional bio that stands out to hiring managers.

How to Write a Bio

Are you trying to get noticed by clients or hiring managers? A professional bio can help you stand out from the crowd by showcasing a bit about who you are and what you strive for in your work. However, writing a professional biography is easier said than done. It can feel awkward to write about yourself and express your worth fluently, so here are a few tips to help you get the process started.

Here are some essential elements in any professional bio:

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• Your name and professional title.
• What you do in your current position.
• Your branding statement.
• One to two outstanding professional accomplishments with measurable results.
• One to two personal details to describe your personality.

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You can post your professional bio on your personal website, your personal blog, your company's website, your professional portfolio, your LinkedIn "about" section, your Facebook business page and on other social media pages such as Instagram. While the length of your bio will vary depending on where you are wanting to publish it, using that outline of elements will help you create a complete bio.

For example, if you post your bio in your "about” section on LinkedIn, you are limited to about 2,000 characters; your own website could include a lengthier bio on its own page. A short professional bio would work best on your social media pages; consider including your professional title and branding statement.

How to Start a Biography

You may know who you are professionally, but it can be hard to articulate this clearly and precisely, especially in writing. To start, create an outline of what you want to include in your bio using the elements above. You can use your resume and other documents where you've tracked your professional accomplishments to help you, but avoid copying and pasting from there.

You can also look up the professional bios of successful professionals that you admire. What items do they include? What impresses you about their bios? While you don’t want to copy their bios, you can take note of the elements that speak to you and then try to emulate that in your own bio.

To help you come across authentically in your bio, think about what you would say out loud to someone if they asked you about the items on the list above. For example, how would you explain what you do for work or what your branding statement is? Write down what you would say. This can help you to “see” your voice on paper.

Keep in mind that, generally, a professional bio should be written in third person , especially if it’s for a company website. However, there are exceptions to this. For example, your “about” section on LinkedIn should be written in first person.

Your Name and Professional Title

Include your full name and your title. If you don’t have a job currently, list your last job title or what you are certified for. For example: John Doe, Marketing Director.

What You Do in Your Current Position

This helps the reader understand what you do and if you would be a good fit for their organization. For example: John specializes in all forms of digital marketing including social media marketing, online advertising and search engine optimization.

List Your Branding Statement

This is a sentence or two that reflects your professional values and how you stand out from others in the industry. For example: John is diligent and adapts seamlessly to constantly evolving processes and technologies. This allows him to provide the best service possible to his customers.

List Outstanding Professional Accomplishments

Listing a few accomplishments allows readers to understand your level of expertise and how you positively contribute to your organization or industry. Examples could include how you have helped the company save money, increased visibility or attained positive results for your clients.

List Personal Details

Listing a few personal details can help the reader connect with you on a more personal level. If they connect with you, they will be more likely to reach out to you. Examples could include hobbies , pets, a favorite movie or interesting details about your background. Of course, make sure that you feel comfortable with any personal details that you choose to share with your readers.

How to Write a Bio for Work

If your company has asked you to write a professional bio for their webpage, make sure you include the requested elements. If you are unsure, ask your supervisor for additional information. Also, check the “about” page of your company and take note of what those in higher positions have included in their bios. Try to follow that same format and order of information. This shows attention to detail on your part and also speaks to your professional worth. When you have finished your professional bio, ask someone you trust to proofread it for grammatical errors and clarity.

Professional Bio Examples

Here are a few examples of what a short professional bio could look like:

Sample 1: Empathetic family medicine physician leveraging 10+ years of experience promoting health and improving the quality of patients through changes in research, medical education and patient care across organizations and the community. Known for innovative, tactical thinking, and an authentic, influential leadership style. Skilled in building the relationships, consensus and strategic partnerships needed to move large-scale and challenging initiatives forward.

Sample 2: Certified career coach, speaker, author and national career expert with over 21 years of experience. Her company Create Your Career Path is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. She is regularly featured in the media and has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Vanderbilt University and the University of Illinois. With over 1,500 success stories, her team of coaches and resume writers help professionals find jobs that make them want to jump out of bed in the morning to go to work.

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27 of the Best Professional Bio Examples We've Ever Seen [+ Templates]

Published: August 21, 2023

Your professional bio is not only relevant when applying for jobs, seeking new clients, or networking — it also gives the world a brief snapshot of who you are and your professional ideals.

To help you author one that packs a punch, we’ll teach you how to write a professional bio, give you professional bio templates, and show you the best professional bio examples you can get inspiration from.

Skip to one of these sections if you know what you're looking for:

What is a professional bio?

Professional bio templates, how to write a professional bio, best professional bio examples, how to write a short bio.

80+ Professional Bio Templates & Examples

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A professional bio or biography is a short overview of your experience. Professional bios usually include details about education, employment, achievements, and relevant skills.

Purpose of Professional Bios

A bio tells an audience about who you are, what you've done, and what you can do. It can help potential employers, fans, or customers get a sense of your personality and what you stand for.

Writing your bio may be hard to achieve without a starting point. Below, we've included professional templates to expedite the process of writing a great bio.

With professional bios, keeping your message honest and to the point is best practice. So how do you write one that will effectively market you and your brand? You use a professional bio template.

By sticking to a predetermined format, all you have to do is fill in the blanks with your most relevant career information. These bio templates will guide you on where you should place your:

• Occupation or job title
• Passions and goals
• Skill set and expertise
• Work history

Of course, while there is no one-size-fits-all template for a professional bio, these templates are a quick way to start building your long or short bio before customizing it.

But before choosing your bio template, there are some key elements to include to ensure yours is effective.

For example, say you're looking for a job. Your professional bio should give recruiters a peek at your career accomplishments and experience.

What if you've recently published a book or are applying for a grant? In those situations, highlight organizations you support or include catchy anecdotes.

And if you’re a recent graduate? A well-written professional bio helps you communicate how your life experience makes you the best candidate for the roles you’re seeking.

Bottom line: Tailoring your professional bio to your goals and who you want to reach will make it effective.

To structure your professional bio to stay true to these objectives, try our 80+ downloadable professional bio templates — for both short- and long-form bios — to start creating a bio that hits the mark.

What should a professional bio say?

When crafting a professional bio, it is crucial to make it unique and personalized to showcase your individuality.

Your professional bio should be as unique as you.

When writing your bio, include important professional roles and achievements. Add your passions, interests, and how you bring your values to your work. Finally, your bio should give readers a chance to know you and reflect your personality.

A well-written bio allows readers to understand your professional roles, achievements, passions, interests, and how you bring your values to your work. It also provides a glimpse into your personality, giving readers a chance to know you on a deeper level. Here are some points to consider when writing a professional bio:

Professional roles and achievements: Begin by highlighting your significant professional roles and achievements. This can include your current position, previous roles, and notable accomplishments in your field. It helps establish your expertise and credibility.

Passions and interests: Share your passions and interests related to your work or industry. This demonstrates your enthusiasm and dedication outside of your professional responsibilities. It also helps create common ground with readers who may share similar interests.

Values and work approach: Articulate how you incorporate your values into your work. Whether it's a commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, or ethical decision-making, explaining your approach and values gives readers insight into what drives your professional choices.

Reflecting your personality: Your bio should provide a sense of who you are as a person. Incorporate elements that reflect your personality, such as your sense of humor, creative mindset, or collaborative nature. This helps readers connect with you on a more personal level.

By combining these elements, you can create a comprehensive and engaging professional bio that effectively communicates your expertise, passions, values, and personality. Remember to tailor your bio for different platforms and audiences, keeping it concise and impactful while highlighting the most relevant information in each context.

First-Person Bio vs. Third-Person Bio

While first-person bios are quite common, third-person bios can be more effective in formal situations.

Your decision to write your professional bio in the first or third person depends on your desire to leave a more personable or assertive impression.

Both approaches work, provided you tailor them to your goals and audience. What’s important is to be clear and tell your story in a way that connects with your reader.

Writing a First-Person Bio

Writing in the first person can be a great way to connect with your audience when building a personal brand. When you write a first-person bio, use "I" or "me" to make yourself relatable and approachable.

Here's one way to write a first-person bio:

"I’m a freelance writer specializing in small business content. I’ve worked with companies in a variety of industries like home care to fine leather goods."

By speaking in the first person here, you connect with a client or brand based on your personal experience and opinions. Put another way, writing a first-person bio is like telling your story to your audience.

Here are a few tips to make your first-person bio great:

Don’t start every sentence with "I."

Showing instead of telling is a great approach.

Let’s say you’re a writer who wants to create a short professional bio. Instead of saying, "I love to write," you can say, "Writer. Bad but enthusiastic dancer."

This portrays your writing skill, shows your personality outside of writing as a dancer, and includes a little sense of humor, which is essential for a writer.

Remember, you know yourself better than anyone.

Adding a back story to your bio helps create context for the roles and successes you write about. Think of it like a case study about who you were, what you are now, and the process that got you to your current position.

Focus on useful details.

Quick facts about you can showcase your identity and values. For example, if you're writing a bio for LinkedIn, think about how you can tie your hobby into what you do.

Let's say Animal Crossing is your hobby. Does it align with your career aspirations? If your goal is to pursue a video game career, it can be a great addition to your bio.

However, if your interests lie elsewhere, including a more relevant hobby is better.

Writing a Third-Person Bio

Third-person bios sound more authoritative and objective. So, if you’re job searching in a formal industry, applying for grants, or trying to get published, you may want to stick to the third person.

For instance, when you write a third-person bio, you may start with:

"Jasmine Montgomery is a Senior Hiring Manager at L’Oreal based in New York. She recruits across several business units to connect with the brightest talent from around the globe."

By only using your name and pronouns to speak about yourself here, you are letting your title and skill set speak for themselves.

These bios create distance between the subject of the bio (you) and the reader through a third person. This person could be anyone, but they usually speak in a tone that emphasizes their expertise.

This makes third-person bios feel aloof or overly formal sometimes.

Ideally, your third-person bio should sound friendly but polished, like a message from a close colleague at work. Here are a few tips on how to write a great third-person bio.

Write from the perspective of someone you know and trust.

It can be tough to write about yourself, so try to see yourself from the perspective of your favorite person at work or a mentor you trust. This can help you write from a position of authority without feeling self-conscious.

Show the reader why they should trust your opinion.

A professional bio often reflects a specific industry or niche. With this in mind, your text should include relevant details that professionals in your industry know. Avoid jargon whenever you can.

Remember, you're telling a story.

If you want a third-person bio, but you're used to writing in first-person, it may help to write it the way that's most comfortable for you.

Your professional bio is an important piece of writing, so edit it carefully. Edit your writing from both points of view and see which works best for your target audience.

Here's how to write a professional bio, step by step.

• Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.
• Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.
• Mention any associated brand name you might use.
• State your current position and what you do.
• Include at least one professional accomplishment.
• Describe your values and how they inform your career.
• Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.
• Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.

If you’re anything like me, you probably don't think about your professional bio until you’re suddenly asked to "send one over via email."

You have approximately one afternoon to come up with it, so you scramble together a bio that ends up reading like this:

"Rodney Erickson is a content marketing professional at HubSpot, a CRM platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers.

Previously, Rodney worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup. He graduated with honors from Columbia University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing."

To be fair, in certain contexts, your professional bio needs to be more formal, like Mr. Erickson's up there. But there are also cases where writing a personable and conversational bio is good.

Whether you choose the formal or casual route, use the following steps to create a perfect bio.

1. Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.

You need an online space to keep your professional bio. Here are a few to consider (some of these you might already have in place):

• Facebook Business page .
• Industry blog byline .
• Instagram account .
• Personal website .
• LinkedIn profile .
• Industry website .
• Personal blog .

As you'll see in the professional bio examples below, the length and tone of your bio will differ depending on the platforms you use.

Instagram, for example, allows only 150 characters of bio space, whereas you can write as much as you want on your website or Facebook Business page.

2. Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.

If your readers remember nothing else about your bio, they should remember your name. For that reason, it's a good idea for your first and last name to be the first two words of your professional bio.

Even if your name is printed above this bio (hint: it should), this is a rare moment where it's okay to be redundant.

For example, if I were writing my bio, I might start it like this:

Lindsay Kolowich

Lindsay Kolowich is a Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot.

3. Mention any associated brand name you might use.

Will your professional bio represent you or a business you work for? Ensure you mention the brand you associate with in your bio. If you're a freelancer, you may have a personal business name or pseudonym you advertise to your clients.

Here are a few examples:

• Lindsay Kolowich Marketing.
• SEO Lindsay.
• Kolowich Consulting.
• Content by Kolowich (what do you think ... too cheesy?).

Maybe you founded your own company and want its name to be separate from your real name. Keep it simple like this: "Lindsay Kolowich is the founder and CEO of Kolowich Consulting."

4. State your current position and what you do.

Whether you're the author of a novel or a mid-level specialist, use the next few lines of your bio to describe what you do in that position. Don't assume your audience knows what your job title entails.

Make your primary responsibilities known so readers can know you and understand what you offer to your industry.

5. Include at least one professional accomplishment.

Just as a business touts its client successes in the form of case studies, your professional bio should let your audience know what you've achieved.

What have you done for yourself — as well as for others — that makes you a valuable player in your industry?

6. Describe your values and how they inform your career.

Why do you do what you do? What might make your contribution to the market different from your colleagues? What are the values that make your business a worthwhile investment to others?

Create a professional bio that answers these questions.

7. Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.

Transition from describing your values in work to describing who you are outside of work. This may include:

• Your family.
• Your hometown.
• Sports you play.
• Hobbies and interests.
• Favorite music and travel destinations.
• Side hustles you're working on.

People like connecting with other people. The more transparent you are about who you are personally, the more likable you'll be to people reading about you.

8. Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.

End your professional bio on a good note — or, more specifically, a funny note. By leaving your audience with something quirky or unique, you can ensure they'll leave your website with a pleasant impression of you.

It's important to follow the steps above when writing your bio, but don't obsess over any one section. People consume lots of information daily. So ensure your bio hooks 'em in the first line, and you won’t lose them.

(P.S. Want to boost your professional brand? Take one of HubSpot Academy's free certification courses . In just one weekend, you can add a line to your resume and bio that over 60,000 marketers covet.)

Why Good Bios Are Important for a Professional

Now you may think, “How many people read professional bios, anyway?”

The answer: A lot. Though there's no way to tell who is reading it, you want it to be catchy. Done right, your professional bio will delight the right people who come across it on multiple platforms.

Professional bios can live on your LinkedIn profile , company website, guest posts, your speaker profiles, Twitter bio , Instagram bio , and many other places.

And, most importantly, it's the tool you can leverage most when you're networking.

Bottom line? People will read your professional bio. Whether they remember it, and whether it makes them care about you, is a matter of how well you present yourself to your intended audience.

So, what does a top-notch professional bio look like?

Below are a few sample bios for professionals like you and me. Later, we'll cover professional bio examples from industry leaders. 

Short Sample Bios

Sample Bio 1

"Hi, I'm Ryan, a marketing specialist with a passion for digital advertising. I have five years of experience in the industry, successfully managing up-and-coming online campaigns and improving brand visibility for companies across multiple sectors. I love analyzing consumer behavior and leveraging data-driven strategies to maximize ROI. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, photography, and exploring new hiking trails with Skipper, the best dog in the world." 

Sample Bio 2

"Jennifer Patel is a versatile graphic designer known for her creative approach and attention to detail. With a background in visual arts and five years of experience, Jennifer has worked on diverse projects ranging from logo designs to website layouts. Her ability to understand client needs and translate them into visually striking designs sets her apart. Jennifer finds inspiration in nature, music, and experiencing different cultures."

Example 3: "Michael Ramirez is a seasoned sales executive with a track record of exceeding targets and building strong client relationships. With a background in B2B sales and a natural ability to understand customer needs, Michael has consistently delivered exceptional results. His effective communication skills and strategic approach have helped him thrive in highly competitive markets. Outside of work, Michael enjoys playing basketball and volunteering at local charities."

Example 4: "Sarah Mitchell is a dedicated human resources professional with a passion for fostering positive workplace culture and employee development. With eight years of experience in talent acquisition and HR operations, Sarah has played a key role in building high-performing teams. She is known for her strong interpersonal skills and ability to create inclusive and supportive work environments. In her free time, Sarah enjoys practicing yoga and exploring new culinary experiences."

Example 5: "David Chang is a seasoned software engineer specializing in backend development. With a strong background in computer science and six years of experience, David has successfully built scalable and efficient solutions for complex technical challenges. He is well-versed in various programming languages and frameworks, constantly staying updated with the latest industry trends. In his spare time, David enjoys reading science fiction novels and playing the guitar."

Next up, we go over some of the best professional bio examples we've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the various places where you might describe yourself.

Check 'em out and use them as inspiration when crafting your own.

• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Author
• Chima Mmeje: SEO Content Writer
• DJ Nexus: DJ
• Lena Axelsson: Marriage & Family Therapist
• Mark Levy: Branding Firm Founder
• Audra Simpson: Political Anthropologist
• Marie Mikhail: Professional Recruiter
• Wonbo Woo: Executive Producer
• Chris Burkard: Freelance Photographer
• Lisa Quine: Creative Consultant
• Nancy Twine: Hair Care Founder
• Trinity Mouzon: Wellness Brand Founder
• Alberto Perez: Co-Founder of Zumba Fitness
• Ann Handley: Writer and Marketer

1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie : Author

Bio platform: personal website.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie begins her professional bio with an invitation to her roots.

In a few paragraphs, she describes when and where she was born, her family, her education, her honorary degrees, and the depth of her work, which has been translated into 30 languages and several publications.

Along with her notable writing career, Chimamanda highlights her annual creative writing workshop , which introduces readers to a well-rounded view of who she is as a professional.

From there, her bio seamlessly flows into her recent work and a glimpse into how and where she spends her personal time — the United States and Nigeria.

Finally, Chimamanda’s bio ends with a call to action to read a more detailed biography, giving the reader a choice to read the information available about her life and career.

Why We Like It

• It’s written in the third person, allowing it to show authority.
• It provides a brief but engaging account of Chimamanda’s life and experiences.
• Mentioning her honorary doctorate degrees makes readers know Chimamanda is one of the best writers in the world.

2. Chime Mmeje : SEO Content Writer

Bio platform: linkedin.

A bio with a hook will keep you reading. Chima Mmeje is a freelance SEO copywriter who’s "extremely good at one thing" — helping companies rank for their target keywords.

By leading with a powerful hook that aligns with her target audience’s marketing needs, she’s able to keep readers engaged.

What comes next is a unique differentiator in Chima’s professional bio. Instead of listing accolades, Chima shares a few wins secured for clients.

This nifty section does two things: it builds the readers’ confidence in Chima’s ability to deliver results, and it’s a practical way for Chima to name-drop some clients in her professional bio.

In the body of the professional bio, Chima briefly lists the processes that can help potential clients get a bird's-eye view of what they can expect.

The simple call to action "Drop a message" is a casual invitation to learn more about Chima's services.

• There’s clarity about who Chima serves.
• The hook is bold, catchy, and compels anyone to read further.
• Including client results make clients visualize what they can expect.

3. DJ Nexus : DJ

Bio platform: facebook.

This New England-based DJ has single-handedly captured the Likes of over 2,000 people in and beyond Boston, MA. And even if you don't listen to the type of music he produces, it's hard not to read his compelling Facebook bio.

For instance, consider his tagline, under "About" — " Quiet during the day. QUITE LOUD at night! " DJ Nexus tells you when he works awesomely. I got goosebumps just imagining a dance club in which he might play his music.

DJ Nexus's bio brilliance doesn't stop there.

DJ Nexus links his Facebook account to his personal website , where he has the space to tell the full story of his background. Here's a preview:

In this story, DJ Nexus describes how he got his name, including information about a company he founded before going to college.

This is a terrific lesson for professional bios: Customers want to learn about you. Consider how you might also lead your visitors off your Facebook page and onto your website to learn more about who you are.

• The eight compelling words in the bio pack a punch and grab attention.
• The bio gives off the feeling that DJ Nexus is great at his craft.

4. Lena Axelsson : Marriage & Family Therapist

Bio platform: industry website.

No matter where it lives, your professional bio does not differ from any other persuasive copy. One common mistake people make is thinking of it as its own beast, separate from other pieces of writing.

If you think about it that way, you’d likely write a painfully uninteresting bio.

When you sit to write your professional bio, don’t watch that cursor blinking on the screen. Instead, think about how you would introduce a blog post. You don't dive right into the meat of the thing, do you? No. You start with an introduction.

The best bios are often concise (around 200–300 words), so you don't have a lot of room to play around.

But a single sentence that sets the stage for your reader and provides a context for your accomplishments could make the rest of your bio more persuasive.

Take Lena Axelsson's bio, for instance. She's a marriage and family therapist — a job where empathy and compassion are a big part of the job description.

That's why she opens her bio with a great introductory sentence: "When human beings experience trauma or severe life stressors, it is not uncommon for their lives to unravel."

Then, she goes into why she's passionate about her job, how she helps her clients, and how she caters her approach to each patient. The necessary educational information is left for the end after the reader has been hooked.

Your bio doesn't have to be super serious, nor does it have to start with a joke. This bio shows how you can capture your reader's attention by being empathetic and showing how that empathy shapes a valuable professional.

• It summarizes Lena’s background as a therapist, including her approach to therapy.
• The tone of the bio is professional and informative, rather than overly personal or casual.
• The bio focuses on Lena’s audience. This makes readers know that Lena wants to help.

5. Mark Levy : Branding Firm Founder

Mark Levy is a small business owner. While the professional bio on his website takes a traditional approach, it still speaks to Mark’s audience.

What we love about his bio is the way he's set it up: On his business' "About" page, he's listed two biographies, which he's labeled "Mark Levy's Biography #1" and "Mark Levy's Biography #2."

Click here to see the full version .

The first biography is a "short version," which includes a combination of bullet points listing his credentials and a few brief paragraphs.

The second is the "long version," which is even more interesting than the first. Why? It reads like a story — a compelling one, at that. In fact, it gets hilarious in some parts.

The second sentence of the bio reads: "He was frightened of public school, loved playing baseball and football, ran home to watch ape films on the 4:30 Movie, listened to The Jam and The Buzzcocks, and read magic trick books."

Here's another excerpt from the middle:

Of course, the fantastic copywriting isn't a surprise, given that Mark wrote several books. But the conversational tone and entertaining copy let his quirky personality (and great writing skills) shine.

• Mark’s funny and approachable personality shows all over his bio.
• Mark writes his bio in the third person, which positions him as an expert.
• It uses storytelling to humanize Mark and pull the reader into Mark’s world.

6. Audra Simpson : Political Anthropologist

With a classic take on the professional bio, Audra Simpson crafts an overview of her career in just a couple of paragraphs.

She emphasizes the "why" behind her work in the first half of her bio before transitioning to the way she carries out that work in practice.

The second half of her bio combines her body of work and the awards she’s won. This subtle timeline gives readers a picture of her experience in political anthropology without listing her resume in detail.

• Audra’s bio shows how experts can succinctly discuss their years of experience in a few words.
• It proves Audra is an expert political anthropologist.
• It shows Audra’s interests, giving readers a sense of what she likes as a professional.

7. Marie Mikhail : Professional Recruiter

Marie Mikhail checks nearly every box that makes an excellent bio.

A professional recruiter, she expresses her "passion for recruiting" in the first sentence, while using that sentence to hook her profile visitors into a brief story of her background.

But there are a lot of recruiters out there, and Marie knows that.

So, to differentiate herself, she closes the first paragraph of her bio by explaining that she likes "getting people excited about the things [she's] excited about."

It's a well-put value proposition that sets her apart from the rest of the HR industry.

Marie concludes her bio with a smooth mix of professional skills, like her Spanish fluency, and personal interests, such as podcasting and Star Wars (she mentions the latter with just the right amount of humor).

• Straight off the bat, Marie uses a story to share her experiences of how she began as a recruiter.
• It provides a subtle pitch for readers to check out her podcast.
• The bio exudes Maries approachable, fun, and playful personality.

8. Wonbo Woo : Executive Producer

Wonbo Woo is the executive producer of WIRED's video content and has several impressive credits to his name. What does this mean for his professional bio? He has to prioritize.

With this in mind, Wonbo opens his bio with the most eye-catching details first (if the image below is hard to read, click it to see the full copy ).

Not only does Wonbo's bio start strong, but he also takes readers on a suspenseful journey through some of his most harrowing assignments — where he was when news broke and how he responded. You can see this quality below.

The accomplished journalist concludes his gripping bio as strong as it began. He mentions his experience with the states and countries he's visited in his career. Overall, it's a fantastically concise bio for as much detail as it holds.

• The first sentence of the bio leads with authority and instantly gets the reader’s attention.
• The bio dives into the many exceptional projects Wonbo Woo has executed.
• Wonbo Woo uses lots of specificity to pass points across, like WIRED's YouTube channel nearly quadrupled subscribers (+375%) and views (+391%), publishing over 100 videos annually with over a million views each.

9. Chris Burkard : Freelance Photographer

When writing your bio, you don't want to boast while showcasing your accomplishments. Chris Burkard's LinkedIn bio does this well.

Written in third-person, his bio tells a fluid story, starting with his ultimate mission — "capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature" — before diving into more tangible accolades (giving a TED Talk, publishing books, etc.).

Best of all, rather than using his bio as an opportunity to brag, he instead ties his talents into how he hopes to help others , writing, "Through social media, Chris strives to share his vision … and inspire [his followers] to explore for themselves."

I wouldn't necessarily be inclined to follow Chris if his bio had simply read, "I post beautiful images." But images that inspire me to travel? Now that's something I can get behind.

Last, he ends on a humble, sweet note: "He is happiest with his wife Breanne raising their two sons." So inject personal information into your bio — it makes you seem approachable.

• It highlights Chris’s achievement without bragging.
• The last sentence portrays Chris as a responsible man who loves his family.
• The well-written bio speaks to nature lovers who like the outdoors, surfing, and more. This gives them reasons to follow Chris.

10. Lisa Quine : Creative Consultant

Bio platform: portfolio website.

Creative professionals who specialize in visual art may find it challenging to balance the writing of their bio and displaying of their portfolio. Not Lisa Quine. Lisa has an exceptional balance of her professional bio and creative work.

Throughout her bio, you’ll notice the number of murals she’s completed and a brief timeline of her career. This helps her paint the picture of who she is as a professional.

• Lisa’s bio checks the box on nearly all of our recommendations for a great bio. She begins with her full name, her location, and what she does best.
• Lisa gets creative by mentioning the brands she’s worked with and highlighting some of her favorite projects.
• Written in the third person, this bio invites the reader behind a metaphorical door to meet Lisa as a professional, traveler, learner, wife, and mother.

11. Nancy Twine : Hair Care Founder

Bio platform: company website.

As Founder and CEO of Briogeo — a popular natural hair care line that's received rave reviews in publications such as Allure and InStyle — there are undoubtedly plenty of accolades Twine could boast about.

But she starts her bio from a humbler place, stating: "Nancy Twine is no newcomer to the beauty-sphere — in fact, she made her first foray into the world of natural product formulation at the ripe age of five."

The rest of her bio similarly focuses on Twine's strengths as someone who's able to take hair care "back to basics."

Similarly, you might use your personal bio as an opportunity to highlight your bigger purpose or vision. As Twine shows, sometimes it's best to keep it simple and let your message resonate with the right audience.

• The bio explains why Twine started her company and what ultimately drives her.
• It uses the founder’s story to connect with its audience.
• Using a video further shows the face behind the brand and helps Twine connect with her audience.

12. Trinity Mouzon : Wellness Brand Founder

From the first sentence, I gravitated toward Mouzon's bio: "I'm obsessed with leveling the playing field."

Mouzon effectively grips the reader's attention with this introduction and then dives into some of her impressive accomplishments — including a brand now sold at Urban Outfitters and Target.

The language used throughout Mouzon's bio is authentic, real, and honest.

For instance, in the second paragraph, she admits:

"While building a brand may have looked effortless from the outside, starting a business at age 23 with no resources or funding quickly forced me to realize that early-stage entrepreneurship was anything but transparent."

• It tells a story and quickly transitions into how Trinity built her brand.
• This bio highlights Trinity’s impressive background, including how she can help her readers start and scale their businesses.
• Focusing on the reader lets Trinity show that a good bio can convert new readers into leads and customers.

13. Alberto "Beto" Perez : Co-Founder of Zumba Fitness

As an avid Zumba fan, I was excited to include this one. Perez styles his LinkedIn bio as a short story, starting with his background as a hard-working teen who held three jobs by age 14.

His bio tells the fun and fascinating origin story of Zumba, in which Perez, an aerobics teacher in Florida at the time, forgot his music for class and used a Latin music cassette tape instead ... "And it was an instant hit!"

His bio continues:

"Shortly after he was connected to Alberto Periman and Alberto Aghion, and Zumba was officially created ... What started as a dream now has 15 million people in more than 200,000 locations in 186 countries who take Zumba classes every week."

Learn how to write your professional bio with more free tips, templates, and inspiring examples.

• Perez tells the story of his business, rather than list out his accomplishments.
• The bio positions Perez as both relatable and inspirational.

14. Ann Handley : Writer and Marketer

If you're a marketer, you've likely heard of Ann Handley. Her list of credentials is lengthy, and if she wanted to, she could go on and on about her accomplishments.

But when people list their accomplishments in their bios, they risk sounding slightly egotistical.

Sure, you might impress a handful of people with all those laurels, but many people who read your bio will end up feeling either intimidated or annoyed. Think about it: Is that how you want most readers to feel when they read your bio?

To minimize the egoism that comes with talking about yourself, think about how you can list out your accomplishments without sounding like you're bragging. Ann does this really well, choosing a tone in her bio that's more approachable.

Best of all, Ann focuses on her readers' challenges and motivations, rather than her own.

For instance, she writes, "Ann Handley writes and speaks about how businesses can escape marketing mediocrity to achieve tangible results. >And she will inspire you to do work you're proud of. "

Follow the link , and you'll see the page dedicated to a fuller bio, which she's divided into two parts: a "short version" (literally a bulleted list of key facts) and a "long version," which includes traditional paragraphs.

There's something in there for everyone.

• The last section of the bio shows Ann’s warm personality — “Ann lives in Boston, where she is Mom to creatures two- and four-legged.”
• Written in the third person, this bio has lots of proof (like followers), which shows Ann is a terrific marketing leader.

If you're posting a bio on a social media account or sending a quick blurb to a client, you want to keep it short and sweet while showcasing your accomplishments.

To get started, use these best practices for writing your short professional bio:

• Introduce yourself.
• State what you do.
• Add key skills or areas of expertise.
• Include a personal mission statement
• Celebrate your wins.
• Provide your contact information.
• Show them your personality.

1. Introduce yourself.

Your introduction is your first impression, so always begin by telling people who you are. You may start with a greeting like, "Hello, my name is" or "Hi! Let me first introduce myself …" when sending your bio as a message.

If you’re writing a bio for an online platform, stating your name at the beginning works as well.

Leading with your name — even as a question — is important for recognition and building relationships.

2. State what you do.

Give people an idea of what you do daily and where you work. Your job title is how the people put you into context and consider whether your profession relates to their industry.

So detail your most relevant work in your short bios, like CEO, professor, and author.

Take a cue from Angela Duckworth , who specifies what she does in her LinkedIn bio:

If your specialty is writing, your title could be "Freelance Writer," or if it's Help Desk or Information Technology, you may use "Freelance IT Specialist."

3. Add key skills or areas of expertise.

If you send a bio to a client or potential employer, highlight your most valuable skills. For instance, if your expertise is in social media marketing and content creation, like Ivanka Dekoning , list these skills.

4. Include a personal mission statement .

What do you hope to achieve through your work? Why do you do what you do? Answering these questions can help give your bio’s mission statement some direction.

For instance, Farmer Bea has a goal of helping to raise awareness about all things bees.

5. Celebrate your wins.

Your short bio can be a proud showcase of your accomplishments, so add one to two successes you’ve achieved through your skills or mission.

For instance, if you got recognition from industry leaders like Art Critic Jerry Saltz , you can list your wins like his:

6. Provide your contact information.

People who visit your profile or receive your message already know your social media account. But to take business off the app, include your email address, website, or any other professional profiles where they can reach you.

Political Commentator and Sports Correspondent, Angela Rye , shows a great example of this in her short professional bio on Instagram:

7. Show them your personality.

Don’t be afraid to add a bit of charisma to your short professional bio. “Professional” doesn’t have to mean plain. You can best portray your personality through:

• A joke. "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. At least that’s what I learned when I created…"
• Mention a hobby. "I’ll be honest: for me, tennis is life — Go Nadal!"
• A fun fact. "Every year, I watch 100 new films! I’m a cinephile and love every movie genre."
• A few emojis related to your interests. "🎶🤖🎾🎬🎭"

Whichever way you choose to get personal, give people a glimpse into who you are as an individual.

When writing a short bio, it can be tempting to pack in as much relevant information about yourself as possible — but this isn’t the most effective approach.

Instead, focus on including the details that you and your audience care about most and leave out the fluff.

Let's dive into a few examples of short professional bios.

Short Professional Bio Examples

• Corey Wainwright: Principal Marketing Manager
• Lianna Patch: Copywriter
• Precious Oboidhe: Content Strategist and Writer
• Rebecca Bollwitt: Writer
• Megan Gilmore: Cookbook Author
• Bea Dixon: Feminine Care Founder
• Tammy Hembrow: Instagram Influencer
• Dr. Cody: Chiropractor
• Larry Kim: Founder
• Dharmesh Shah: Founder and CTO
• Lily Ugbaja: Content Strategist
• Ian Anderson Gray: Marketer
• Van Jones: Political Commentator, Author, and Lawyer

1. Corey Wainwright : Principal Marketing Manager

Bio platform: blog byline.

Corey Wainwright is a Principal Marketing Manager here at HubSpot. She's written content for HubSpot's Marketing Blog for years, and her blog author bio caught my eye before I ever started working for HubSpot.

(Back then, it started with, "Corey just took a cool vacation.")

What I love most about Corey's bio is that it's a great example of how to deliver information about yourself without taking things too seriously. And in this context, that's totally appropriate.

Despite having several impressive accomplishments under her belt, she simply doesn't enjoy displaying them publicly. She prefers making her author bio a little "light."

Her bio reads, "Corey is a Bruce Springsteen fan who does content marketing, in that order."

It works in this context because, at HubSpot, our blog authors prefer to make themselves friendly and approachable — while letting their content speak for itself.

It helps that authors' social media accounts are located right below our names and above our pictures. This lets folks click the LinkedIn button and go to the author's LinkedIn page.

( You can read this blog post to learn how to create social media buttons and add them to your website.)

• It’s short and simple.
• It pitches her company’s product as the best CRM software.
• Pairing her perfect smile and the mention of a popular singer — Bruce Springsteen — adds humor to her bio, shows singing may be one of her interests, and makes her appear friendly.

2. Lianna Patch : Copywriter

Lianna Patch is a rockstar copywriter who has written for popular publications like Copy Hackers. What’s striking about Lianna’s bio is that it sums up everything you want in a copywriter.

I mean, see the first sentence of her bio — “Lianna’s greatest dream is to make your customers pause, smile, and click (in that order).”

• It’s punchy and welcoming.
• It shows the outcome companies can get by working with her.
• It has a call-to-action (CTA).

3. Precious Oboidhe : Content Strategist and Writer

I don’t check out an author's byline unless the post is interesting. My guess is you do the same. And most times, you do this because you may be interested in working with the writer.

This is where a short bio that speaks to your needs comes in. An example? An example? Precious' bio that shows off his skills as a freelance content strategist and writer.

• It states that Precious is for hire, causing interested prospects to contact him.
• It includes his website, where prospects can learn more about him.
• People can connect with Precious on social media to learn more about his work.

4. Rebecca Bollwitt : Writer

Bio platform: instagram.

Instagram is a notoriously difficult platform on which to write a good bio. Similar to Twitter, you don't have room for a professional bio that includes everything about you.

And because Instagram is primarily a mobile app, many viewers read about you passively on their mobile devices.

Instagram's limited bio space requires you to highlight just your most important qualities. Blogging icon Rebecca Bollwitt does just this in her own Instagram bio excellently.

Rebecca's brand name is Miss604, and she cleverly uses emojis in her Instagram bio to tell visitors what makes her a valuable content creator. See the screenshot below:

The rest of her bio follows suit, breaking up the text with an appropriate emoji and a perfect collection of nouns to tell me who she is as a person.

She even links out to her husband's Instagram account after the heart emoji (an adorable addition) and assures her followers that all of her pictures are authentically hers.

Take a lesson from Miss604 and show your personal side. Branding yourself as a professional shouldn’t involve discarding many things that make you human . Often, your most personal attributes make for the best professional bio content.

• Using emojis gives off Rebecca as a friendly person.
• Rebecca highlights her most important qualities in a few words.

5. Megan Gilmore : Cookbook Author

Bio platform: instagram.

Megan Gilmore is a best-selling cookbook author. She often posts healthy recipes on her Instagram page and inspires her followers to learn not to sacrifice taste for the sake of health.

You can glean most of this information immediately from her Instagram bio, which is short and to the point: "Gluten-free recipes and meal plans."

Gilmore further includes a CTA link within her Instagram bio that leads followers to free, ready-to-use recipes. You might think, " Why would she do that since it discourages people from buying her book?"

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

By giving her followers the chance to try out her recipes, she's slowly turning leads into customers. After I tried a few of her Instagram recipes and loved them, I bought her book, knowing I'd like more of what she offered.

• The bio is short and direct.
• The CTA link includes an invitation for people to join her newsletter. Meaning, she can build her email list.

6. Bea Dixon : Feminine Care Founder

Bea Dixon, Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company, efficiently uses the space on her Instagram profile to highlight who she is as a well-rounded human — not just a businesswoman.

For instance, while she highlights her girl boss attitude with a tiara emoji, she equally calls attention to her fashion interests (Free People), her pets, Boss and Sadie, and her love for ramen noodles.

• It shows who Bea is outside work.
• It includes a CTA that lets people check out everything Bea offers.

7. Tammy Hembrow : Instagram Influencer

Tammy Hembrow is a founder, fitness model, Instagram Influencer, and entrepreneur. These are a lot to fit into one Instagram profile. And this is where a summary of what you do and where people can find you take center stage.

If you wear many hats like Tammy, be sure to mention your biggest traffic driver in your Instagram profile and include a link to all you do.

• It shows Tammy’s core channel besides Instagram — YouTube.
• It includes a CTA that lets people learn more about what Tammy does.
• It links out to other pages owned by Tammy.

8. Dr. Cody : Chiropractor

Dr. Cody is a Sydney-based chiropractor. Like Tammy, Dr. Cody brilliantly uses the limited space on his Instagram profile to convey vital info to his audience.

Adding his TikTok account with almost three million followers is another excellent move.

• No one gets three million followers by doing a poor job. By including 2.9M+ TikTok followers in his bio, Dr. Cody instantly proves his expertise to his audience.
• Including his TikTok handle is a subtle pitch for people to follow his account on TikTok.
• The CTA link is great for those who want to learn more about Dr. Cody’s offers.

9. Larry Kim : Founder

Bio platform: twitter.

Forget about words for a moment. Looking at Larry’s bio, you immediately know what he prioritizes above all else — his family.

This could endear people to him. And don’t forget the inclusion of “Christian” — this instantly shows what he stands for.

• It shows what Larry takes seriously besides work — his family and his faith.
• The popular publications give people a reason to follow Larry.

10. Dharmesh Shah : Founder and CTO

Dharmesh Shah is the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot. Dharmesh’s bio is exciting because it has social proof, gives people a reason to follow him, and shows what people can expect.

• It shows what followers can expect.
• Dharmesh’s warm smile is welcoming, and his personal mission is inviting.
• It calls attention to Dharmesh’s business — HubSpot.

11. Lily Ugbaja : Content Strategist

Look no further than Lily's if you want inspiration for a Twitter bio packed with social proof.

Lily is a content strategist and writer for popular companies like HubSpot, WordPress, and more. When you read Lily’s bio, the second sentence grabs your attention immediately because it shows the result you can get by working with her.

• It has catchy social proof elements.
• It contains a CTA encouraging people to subscribe to her newsletter.

12. Ian Anderson Gray : Marketer

Details matter, especially when there’s a cap on the number of words you can use to express yourself.

For instance, the funny and impactful bio of Ian Anderson on his Twitter page reads:

"Dad & Husband. Confident Live® Marketing Podcast 🎧 & Show 🎥 Helping you level up your impact, authority & profits through the power of Confident Live Video."

What more do you need to know?

Ian doesn't take his bio too seriously but uses every character to highlight everything about him.

He includes his skill as a marketer and podcast host, who he is outside work as a dad, and what he can help you do. His smiles also give the bio a sense of humor and realness.

• It highlights everything about Ian in a few words.
• It includes a CTA to check out Ian’s podcast.
• It shows Ian’s fun personality, an important trait for podcast hosts.

13. Van Jones : Political Commentator, Author, and Lawyer

Someone known for various talents and skills may find it difficult to capture who they are in a professional bio. The feat is nearly impossible when limited to just over 100 characters on Twitter.

But Van Jones effortlessly explains who he is and why it matters to everyone who visits his Twitter profile.

He starts his professional bio with a token of personalization and prioritization of his values. By mentioning that he is a dad first, we recognize what’s important to him in his long list of successes.

As we’ve seen in other bios, sharing who we are outside of work makes us more personable and should find its way into your bio, if possible.

What’s great about Van’s Twitter bio is his ability to link valuable offerings to his readers. He invites us to check out his latest book and has his website magiclabsmedia.com linked at the top.

• It includes a CTA.
• It shows Van’s personality and what he cares about.
• It shows one of Van’s accomplishments as a 3X NYT bestseller.

Create Your Own Professional Bio

Prim and proper, relaxed, or studded with accomplishments, your bio reflects your best professional self. Your professional bio will often precede your physical presence. Before people meet you for the first time, they’ll probably read your bio.

Whether you’re creating an about page for your website or social media profile, one thing’s for sure: You’ll want to put your best foot forward with a top-notch professional bio.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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30 Professional Bio Examples and Templates to Showcase Your Expertise

30 professional bio examples and templates to help you craft a compelling and impactful bio that showcases your expertise and personal brand

Table of Contents

Your professional bio is more than just a few lines of text on a website or social media profile. It's your chance to make a strong first impression and tell your unique story to the world. Whether you're a job seeker, an entrepreneur, a freelancer, or a professional in any field, a well-crafted bio can make a significant impact on your personal brand.

But how to write a professional bio that stands out and accurately represents who you are and what you've accomplished? That's exactly what we'll explore in this blog post. We'll provide you with valuable tips and practical examples of professional bio to help you in writing a professional bio that captures attention, highlights your expertise, and leaves a lasting impression.

Let's get started.

How to write a professional bio

Writing a professional bio can be a valuable tool for various purposes, such as a website, social media profiles, speaking engagements, or professional networking. It provides a concise and compelling summary of your background, expertise, achievements, and aspirations.

Here are tips for writing a professional bio

1. Identify your purpose

Determine the specific purpose and target audience for your bio. Are you writing for a professional website, LinkedIn profile, or conference brochure? Understanding your audience and their expectations will shape the tone and content of your bio.

2. Start with a strong opening

Begin your bio with a captivating and attention-grabbing statement. This can be a notable achievement, an intriguing personal detail, or a unique selling point that sets you apart. It should quickly engage the reader and make them want to learn more.

3. Provide relevant background information

Offer a concise overview of your professional background and expertise. Highlight your educational qualifications, relevant work experience, and any specialized training or certifications you possess. Focus on the aspects most relevant to your target audience.

4. Highlight key achievements

Showcase your significant accomplishments and milestones. These could include notable projects, awards, publications, successful campaigns, or any other achievements that demonstrate your skills and expertise. Use quantifiable data whenever possible to provide tangible evidence of your success.

5. Showcase your skills and expertise

Discuss your areas of specialization, core skills, and unique abilities that make you stand out in your field. Emphasize how these skills align with the needs and interests of your target audience. Use specific examples or testimonials to illustrate your capabilities.

6. Demonstrate your value proposition

Clearly articulate the value you bring to your audience. Explain how your expertise, experience, or products/services can solve their problems, meet their needs, or provide valuable solutions. Focus on the benefits you offer rather than just listing features.

7. Incorporate personal elements

While your bio should primarily focus on your professional accomplishments, including some personal details can help humanize your profile. Mentioning relevant hobbies, interests, or volunteer work can create a connection with your audience and showcase your well-rounded personality.

8. Keep it concise and focused

Aim for a bio length of around 150-300 words, depending on the platform and purpose. Use clear and concise language, avoiding jargon or technical terms that might be unfamiliar to your audience. Make every sentence count and ensure that each piece of information is relevant and impactful.

9. Edit and proofread

After writing your bio, review it carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Ensure that it flows smoothly and is easy to read. Consider seeking feedback from trusted colleagues, mentors, or friends to get a fresh perspective and make improvements if needed.

10. Update regularly

Your professional bio should be a living document that evolves as you progress in your career. Keep it up to date by revisiting and revising it periodically to reflect your latest achievements, skills, and goals.

19 Professional bio examples

Here are five professional bio examples for different fields and purposes

1. Business professional bio example

John Smith is an experienced business strategist and consultant with over 10 years of experience in helping companies drive growth and maximize profitability. As the founder and CEO of XYZ Consulting, John has advised numerous Fortune 500 companies on strategic planning, market expansion, and organizational development. His expertise lies in leveraging data-driven insights to identify opportunities, streamline operations, and deliver sustainable results.

John holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a sought-after speaker at industry conferences. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, playing the piano, and volunteering with local business mentoring programs.

2. Creative professional bio example of graphic designer

Sarah Thompson is a passionate graphic designer and visual storyteller known for her innovative and captivating designs. With a keen eye for aesthetics and a deep understanding of branding, Sarah has worked with leading global brands, creating impactful visual identities and marketing campaigns. Her work has been featured in several design publications and has earned her multiple awards, including the prestigious AIGA Design Excellence Award.

Sarah holds a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. When she's not immersed in design projects, she can be found exploring art galleries, experimenting with new art techniques, or traveling to gain inspiration from different cultures.

3. Medical professional bio example

Dr. Emily Davis is a board-certified cardiologist with a specialization in interventional cardiology. With over 15 years of clinical experience, Dr. Davis is dedicated to providing compassionate and personalized care to her patients. She is recognized for her expertise in complex coronary interventions and has performed hundreds of successful procedures, saving countless lives.

Dr. Davis completed her medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and pursued her fellowship training at the renowned Cleveland Clinic. She actively participates in medical research and has authored numerous publications in esteemed cardiology journals. Outside of her practice, Dr. Davis enjoys spending time with her family, practicing yoga, and advocating for heart health awareness.

4. Tech professional bio example

Alex Johnson is a seasoned software engineer and technology leader with a passion for innovation and problem-solving. With over 12 years of experience in the tech industry, Alex has led cross-functional teams in developing cutting-edge software solutions for global enterprises. His expertise spans full-stack development, cloud architecture, and machine learning.

Alex holds a Master's degree in Computer Science from Stanford University and has been granted several patents for his groundbreaking work. He frequently shares his knowledge as a guest lecturer at tech conferences and mentors aspiring developers through coding bootcamps. In his free time, Alex enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and experimenting with new coding languages.

5. Academic professional bio example

Dr. Jessica Rodriguez is a renowned professor of sociology and social justice advocate. With a Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University, Dr. Rodriguez has dedicated her career to advancing research on inequality, race relations, and social change. Her scholarly work has been published in leading academic journals and has been influential in shaping public policy.

Dr. Rodriguez is a sought-after speaker at conferences and has delivered TEDx talks on issues of social justice and equity. She is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scholars and serves as a faculty advisor for various student organizations. Outside of academia, Dr. Rodriguez enjoys exploring new cuisines, volunteering at local community centers, and practicing mindfulness meditation.

6. Legal professional bio example

Elizabeth Davis is a highly accomplished attorney specializing in intellectual property law. With a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, Elizabeth has successfully represented clients in high-profile copyright and trademark infringement cases. Her expertise also extends to licensing agreements and intellectual property portfolio management.

Elizabeth is a partner at ABC Law Firm, where she heads the Intellectual Property Practice Group. She is a frequent speaker at legal conferences and serves as a mentor to young lawyers. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and volunteering with organizations that promote access to justice.

7. Marketing professional bio example

Jennifer Lee is a results-driven marketing strategist with a track record of driving revenue growth through innovative digital campaigns. With a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market trends, Jennifer has helped numerous companies expand their online presence and optimize their marketing efforts. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from New York University and is certified in Google Analytics and Facebook Ads.

Jennifer is a regular contributor to marketing publications and is often invited as a guest speaker at industry events. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, practicing yoga, and exploring new cuisines.

8. Education professional bio example

Dr. Michael Thompson is a dedicated educator and thought leader in the field of educational psychology. With a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Dr. Thompson has served as a professor at prestigious universities, where he specializes in child development, motivation, and educational policy. He is the author of several influential books on parenting and education, which have been featured on The New York Times Bestseller list.

Dr. Thompson is a sought-after keynote speaker at education conferences and has appeared as a guest expert on national television programs. In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar, hiking with his family, and volunteering with local literacy programs.

9. Finance professional bio example

Sarah Johnson is a seasoned financial advisor with over 15 years of experience in wealth management. As the founder and CEO of XYZ Financial Services, Sarah has helped countless individuals and families navigate complex financial landscapes and achieve their long-term financial goals. She holds an MBA in Finance from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).

Sarah is a regular contributor to financial publications and has been featured in Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. Outside of work, she enjoys playing golf, practicing yoga, and serving as a board member for local nonprofits.

10. Journalism professional bio example

Emily Wilson is an award-winning investigative journalist with a passion for uncovering the truth and holding those in power accountable. With a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia University, Emily has worked for leading news organizations, where she has covered a wide range of topics, including politics, social justice, and environmental issues.

Her in-depth reporting has led to significant policy changes and has earned her recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists. Emily is a regular contributor to national newspapers and frequently appears as a guest commentator on news programs. In her downtime, she enjoys hiking, reading non-fiction, and mentoring aspiring journalists.

11. Human Resources professional bio example

Michael Anderson is a seasoned human resources executive with a proven track record in talent acquisition and organizational development. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Michael has led HR teams at global companies, developing effective recruitment strategies and fostering a positive work culture.

He holds a Master's degree in Human Resources Management and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Michael is a frequent speaker at HR conferences and is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Outside of work, he enjoys playing golf, cooking, and volunteering with local career development organizations.

12. Healthcare professional bio example

Dr. Sarah Mitchell is a dedicated pediatrician committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to children of all ages. With a medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Mitchell has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating a wide range of pediatric conditions. She is known for her warm bedside manner and ability to establish strong relationships with her young patients and their families.

Dr. Mitchell is actively involved in medical research and has published articles in renowned pediatric journals. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, playing the violin, and volunteering at children's hospitals.

13. Sales professional bio example

David Turner is a dynamic sales executive with a proven record of exceeding targets and driving revenue growth. With a background in business development and relationship management, David has successfully built strategic partnerships and closed multi-million dollar deals for global corporations. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Sales and Marketing and is certified in advanced sales techniques.

David is a sought-after speaker at sales conferences and has developed training programs to help sales teams improve their performance. Outside of work, he enjoys playing basketball, attending live music events, and mentoring young professionals interested in pursuing a career in sales.

14. Nonprofit professional bio example

Rebecca Nguyen is a passionate advocate for social change and the executive director of a prominent nonprofit organization focused on community development. With a Master's degree in Nonprofit Management, Rebecca has dedicated her career to addressing issues of poverty, education, and affordable housing. She has successfully led initiatives that have transformed the lives of vulnerable populations and empowered communities.

Rebecca is a sought-after speaker at nonprofit conferences and serves on the boards of several community-based organizations. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing mindfulness meditation, exploring nature trails, and supporting local artists.

15. Entrepreneur professional bio example

Mark Thompson is a visionary entrepreneur and the founder of a successful tech startup that specializes in artificial intelligence solutions. With a strong background in computer science and a passion for innovation, Mark has developed groundbreaking AI algorithms that have revolutionized industries such as healthcare and finance. His entrepreneurial journey has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Mark is an active mentor for aspiring entrepreneurs and frequently speaks at technology conferences. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess, attending hackathons, and supporting STEM education initiatives.

16. Real Estate professional bio example

Laura Johnson is a trusted real estate agent with extensive knowledge of the local market and a reputation for delivering exceptional service. With over a decade of experience in residential and commercial real estate, Laura has helped numerous clients navigate complex transactions and achieve their property goals. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Real Estate Management and is a certified Realtor®.

Laura's commitment to excellence has earned her recognition as a top producer in her agency. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, painting, and volunteering with organizations that promote affordable housing.

17. Fitness professional bio example

Daniel Ramirez is a dedicated fitness coach and personal trainer, committed to helping clients achieve their health and wellness goals. With a background in exercise science and multiple certifications in fitness training, Daniel has guided individuals of all fitness levels to success. He specializes in weight management, strength training, and functional fitness.

Daniel's personalized and motivating approach has garnered him a loyal following and positive testimonials. He regularly conducts fitness workshops and contributes articles to health and wellness publications. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys practicing yoga, hiking with his dog, and experimenting with new healthy recipes.

18. Public Relations professional bio example

Rachel Anderson is a seasoned public relations strategist with a passion for building strong brands and fostering positive media relationships. With a Master's degree in Strategic Communication, Rachel has led successful PR campaigns for global corporations and high-profile individuals. Her expertise lies in crafting compelling narratives, crisis management, and influencer partnerships.

Rachel's strategic approach and attention to detail have earned her recognition in the industry. She frequently shares her insights as a guest lecturer at communications conferences and mentors aspiring PR professionals. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys attending cultural events, exploring art museums, and volunteering with nonprofit organizations.

19. Culinary professional bio example

Chef Alex Torres is a highly acclaimed chef with a talent for creating culinary experiences that blend innovation and tradition. With formal training at prestigious culinary institutes and experience working in Michelin-starred restaurants, Chef Torres has elevated the dining scene with his exquisite dishes. He has been featured in prominent food publications and has received numerous accolades for his culinary prowess.

Chef Torres is dedicated to using locally sourced ingredients and promoting sustainable cooking practices. In addition to his culinary pursuits, he enjoys traveling, foraging for unique ingredients, and mentoring aspiring chefs.

Ensure to customize these examples to align with your own professional background, accomplishments, and aspirations. A professional bio should reflect your individuality and showcase your expertise and impact in your chosen field.

6 Short Professional Bio templates for experienced professionals

Here are 6 short professional bio example templates for experience professionals.

Professional bio template 1

With over 10 years of experience in the field, I am a seasoned marketing professional specializing in digital strategy and brand management. I have successfully executed numerous integrated marketing campaigns for both local and international clients, driving significant growth and revenue. I am highly skilled in market research, data analysis, and customer segmentation, enabling me to develop tailored marketing strategies that resonate with target audiences. Known for my creative thinking, strong leadership abilities, and excellent communication skills, I thrive in fast-paced environments and deliver results that exceed expectations.

Professional bio template 2

As a dedicated software engineer, I have a solid background in developing innovative solutions for complex business challenges. With expertise in multiple programming languages and frameworks, I have successfully delivered robust software applications for diverse industries, including finance, healthcare, and e-commerce. I am passionate about writing clean, efficient code and staying updated with the latest industry trends. With strong problem-solving skills and a keen eye for detail, I consistently deliver high-quality projects on time and within budget, earning the trust and satisfaction of clients and stakeholders.

Professional bio template 3

With a background in finance and accounting, I am a highly skilled professional with a proven track record in financial analysis and risk management. Over the years, I have successfully guided organizations through complex financial landscapes, analyzing market trends, and identifying opportunities for growth. My expertise lies in financial modeling, budgeting, and forecasting, as well as in implementing robust internal controls. With a strong attention to detail and exceptional analytical abilities, I provide strategic insights that drive sound decision-making and contribute to long-term business success.

Professional bio template 4

With a background in human resources and talent management, I am a results-oriented professional specializing in recruitment and employee development. I have successfully sourced and placed top-tier candidates across various industries, utilizing innovative sourcing strategies and conducting comprehensive interviews. Additionally, I have designed and implemented training programs that enhance employee performance and engagement. Known for my strong interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport, I excel at fostering a positive and productive work environment.

Professional bio template 5

As a skilled project manager, I have a proven track record of delivering complex projects on time and within budget. I possess a strong understanding of project management methodologies and tools, allowing me to effectively plan, execute, and monitor projects from initiation to closure. With excellent communication and leadership abilities, I thrive in cross-functional teams, coordinating resources and ensuring seamless collaboration. Known for my problem-solving skills and ability to mitigate risks, I consistently drive successful project outcomes.

Professional bio template 6

With a background in sales and business development, I am a dynamic professional experienced in driving revenue growth and building strategic partnerships. I possess a deep understanding of market dynamics and customer needs, enabling me to identify new business opportunities and develop tailored sales strategies. I excel at building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients, utilizing strong negotiation and closing skills. With a passion for achieving sales targets and a proactive approach, I consistently exceed expectations and contribute to overall business success.

5 Short professional bio examples for freshers

Here are 5 short professional bio examples for freshers.

A results-oriented and enthusiastic entry-level professional seeking a challenging position in [industry/field]. With a strong educational background in [relevant degree/program], I possess a solid foundation in [key skills/competencies]. Eager to contribute my knowledge and learn from experienced professionals, I am a quick learner with excellent problem-solving abilities. I am committed to delivering high-quality work and thrive in collaborative environments that foster growth and innovation.

A proactive and detail-oriented recent graduate with a degree in [relevant field]. I am passionate about starting my career in [industry/field] and utilizing my strong analytical and communication skills to contribute to organizational success. With a keen eye for detail and a dedication to continuous improvement, I am eager to learn from experienced professionals and adapt to new technologies. Seeking an entry-level position that provides opportunities for growth and development.

A highly motivated and adaptable professional with a degree in [relevant field] seeking an entry-level position in [industry/field]. Equipped with strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, I am eager to apply my knowledge and contribute to a dynamic organization. With a passion for innovation and a willingness to learn, I am committed to delivering results and exceeding expectations. I thrive in fast-paced environments and possess excellent teamwork and communication abilities.

A dedicated and proactive recent graduate with a degree in [relevant field]. I am eager to kickstart my career in [industry/field] and make a positive impact. With strong problem-solving abilities and a keen eye for detail, I am committed to delivering exceptional work. Seeking an entry-level position where I can contribute my skills in [specific area] and learn from experienced professionals in order to grow and excel in my field.

A detail-oriented and ambitious graduate with a strong academic background in [relevant field]. Equipped with a solid foundation in [key skills/competencies], I am ready to embark on a successful career in [industry/field]. With a proactive and result-driven approach, I am eager to contribute my abilities in [specific area] to an organization that values innovation and growth. Seeking an entry-level position where I can apply my knowledge, learn from experienced professionals, and make a meaningful contribution.

A professional bio is a powerful tool for showcasing your skills, experience, and unique personality. By following the tips and examples we've provided in this blog post, you can create a compelling bio that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

Remember to keep your bio concise and focused, highlighting your most relevant achievements and qualifications. Use a professional tone and tailor your bio to suit your target audience. Don't be afraid to inject a bit of personality and showcase your passions and interests.

Lastly, don't forget to update your bio regularly as your career progresses and new accomplishments come your way. A well-maintained and thoughtfully written professional bio can open doors, create opportunities, and help you stand out in a competitive professional landscape.

So, take the time to craft a bio that truly represents who you are and what you bring to the table. Invest in your personal brand and watch as your professional bio becomes a powerful tool in your journey to success.

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How to Write a Professional Bio that Best Represents You

What is a professional bio, why a standout bio matters, how to write a bio that fosters connection , professional bio examples for building a personal brand, use a professional bio template, putting your best face forward.

If you want a guaranteed recipe for writer’s block, try writing a professional bio—between being taunted by a blinking cursor on a blank, white page and erasing what you’ve written about yourself 900 times—it can be a nightmare. 

What accomplishments do you list? What do you say? Do you sound too professional? Boring? Casual? Like a try-hard? 

Who knew 250 characters could be so painful?

It doesn’t have to be this way. 

When you learn how to write a professional bio, this process can be simple and easy (instead of time-consuming and intimidating).

According to a 2022 LinkedIn survey, 85% of recruiters admit that a social media profile is essential and having a strong personal brand and professional bio is more important than ever. With over 900 million users on LinkedIn alone, standing out from the crowd is critical.  

Key Takeaways

• Experts and professionals agree that personal branding, including your headline, is essential in today’s job marketplace. 
• The average professional makes judgments speedily; a standout bio is required to capture their attention.
• Candidates who stand out understand what their audience is looking for, and they write a professional bio that highlights their differentiators.
• Professional headlines that convey personal values, not merely skills, align with mission-driven companies.

A professional bio briefly describes a person and their career highlights. Bios are commonly used on social media platforms like LinkedIn, X (formally Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and personal websites.

Because the purpose and platform of a short bio might vary, it’s essential to stay flexible when writing it. No matter the differences, a person should follow a few standard guidelines. The typical elements of a professional bio include:

• Your full name
• Current job title and company
• Overview of relevant experience and credentials 
• Notable achievements or awards
• Areas of expertise or specialization

While the length and exact components may vary depending on the platform, the goal remains the same. A professional bio should quickly communicate who you are, what you do, your expertise, and the value you can provide to your target audience.

For instance, LinkedIn bios tend to be more extensive at 2,000 characters, while X bios must be limited to 160 characters. Instagram and Facebook bios are usually 1-2 sentences.

LinkedIn Bio 

Founder & CEO at SmartFocus Inc.

Driven entrepreneur building growth-stage software companies that empower teams—founded 2 venture-backed startups serving over 50,000 users globally.

• Built SmartFocus from $0 to $5M ARR in 3 years
• Raised $12M in VC funding from top firms like Accel and GGV  
• Recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 and Inc. Rising Star lists
• Passionate about scaling disruptive B2B SaaS companies
• San Francisco Bay Area

500+ connections

This LinkedIn bio quickly establishes John as a successful founder and CEO with momentum. It stands out by using metrics, awards, recognizable investors, and interests.

While understanding the fundamentals of writing a professional bio is essential, it’s just one aspect of the larger picture. To captivate and maintain someone’s attention, you need to know more than simply the basics. To truly stand out, your bio should be like a stop sign—commanding attention and preventing people from passing by without noticing you. The objective is for others to pause what they’re doing, notice who you are, and consider how knowing you could positively impact their business or life.

Leaves a Memorable First Impression

In the digital world, first impressions happen fast. It takes just .2 seconds for people to form an opinion about a website, and 2.6 seconds to find the most critical part of the page they landed on. The same holds true for professional profiles and bios.

With a generic or weak bio, you risk being overlooked or forgotten. People may quickly move on without realizing you could be an excellent fit for a job, partnership, or other opportunities.

Prevents Being Overlooked 

With a standout bio that grabs someone’s attention, recruiters may accept your profile and reach out about an exciting role or upcoming interview. New business partners and clients may also need to learn how you can add value.

For example, let’s say a hiring manager is searching LinkedIn for a new marketing specialist. They come across your profile but pass over it because your bio is vague and doesn’t communicate your expertise. As a result, you need to take advantage of the chance to land your dream job.

The right bio helps prevent you from blending into the crowd.

Conveys Your Differentiators

There is an unlimited amount of content online. To stand out, your bio must highlight your differentiators, not just basic credentials and job titles that blend in.

An engaging bio tells a story and quickly conveys why you are the best fit for a job opportunity. This may include details on notable projects, essential skills and experience, awards and achievements, satisfied clients, or measurable results you’ve driven.

• Marketing Manager at ABC Company

Improved Bio

Award-winning Marketing Manager driven to grow brands through innovative digital campaigns and influencer partnerships.

• Grew organic traffic for 3 brands by over 50% in just 6 months  
• Recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Marketing
• Founding team member at 2 successful startups acquired by larger companies   
• Passionate about mentoring aspiring marketers and volunteering with local nonprofits

Standout bios all have one thing in common—they make those running across your profile or résumé feel more connected and interested in you. For this reason, it is critical for people creating a short bio to write it with the intention of growing that connection. Find out more below about the top ways to use your words to engage people and make them want to build a relationship by hiring, working, or following you online. 

1. Know Your Target Audience

As mentioned above, a person might need to write a professional bio for many reasons. Whether you’re job hunting or looking to grow a following, there’s one important thing you need to keep in mind.

Your bio isn’t about you but about “them”—your audience. 

Including information about yourself that isn’t relevant or doesn’t build credibility and authority is a waste of words. While you might be proud of specific accomplishments in life, as famed writer William Faulkner once said, “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” 

Before you put pen to paper, think about: 

• What platform you’re using and its purpose: Social media platforms all serve different purposes. For example, a bio on X should explain to your audience why they should follow you, whereas a bio on LinkedIn is usually focused on working with that person. Not to mention, the amount of words you can use on each platform varies considerably.
• Who you’re trying to target: Write to the people you want to interact with, whether it is future employers, professional contacts, or followers looking for advice or entertainment.
• Why your profile should matter to them: Your bio is a persuasive tool. Explain to your target audience why they should know you.

2. Highlight Your Mission and Values 

Starting with your job title and what you do isn’t enough to make others feel connected to you. However, giving people more insight into who you are and why you exist allows others to resonate with you and your work. 

To write a bio that connects with people:

• Condense your mission in life down to one sentence: What are you currently doing in life that fulfills this portrait of a better future? For example, you might write, “Machine learning educator teaching free courses on AI, so the good guys outnumber the bad ones.”
• Describe your vision to your audience: This might look like sampling from your company vision statement but make it more personal. For instance, you could say, “My goal is to provide 1 million children with a free, high-quality education by 2025.” 
• Talk about your core values: Relationships grow when a person feels like their values align with someone else’s. To start forming a mutual connection, let people know what’s important for you to honor in life.
• Include a call to action (CTA): Indicate how to collaborate further and connect with you to fulfill your vision and mission with a simple CTA like “Learn More.” Then provide a link to your website, which outlines more of what you do and why. 
• Be engaging and authentic: You want your audience to feel like you’re a human being, not some carefully crafted guru designed by a marketing team. Mention your interests, unique passions, and why you want to connect with others.

3. Get Feedback on What Works and What Doesn’t

Whatever you do, don’t get married to the idea of keeping one bio for the rest of eternity. One of the keys to writing a professional bio is staying flexible. For instance, you might write a bio and keep it for a month, only to realize it isn’t gaining the kind of traction you want. Don’t be afraid to A/B test different versions of your bio to see what sticks with people.

To get started doing this:

• Reach out to your professional network, mentors, friends, and family to see what they think of your bio. 
• Let them know you are looking for constructive feedback on how to improve it. 
• After they read through it, listen to their suggestions, give them careful consideration, write a second version, and ask them to review the bio again. 
• Keep doing this until you have refined it to attention-grabbing, engaging, and inspiring content. 
• Check-in occasionally to ensure your bio still seems relevant and doesn’t need any additional changes. 

4. Use Humor… Sometimes

Depending on your personality, it might be on-brand to write a short bio that includes your sense of humor. Throughout the writing process, you want to stay true to who you are as a person. So, if you find yourself more severe and reserved, this tip may not be for you. Yet, if you’ve found humor to be a great tool for you to connect with others, give it a shot. 

There are a few guidelines for using humor in a bio, though:

• Always keep humor work-appropriate: Don’t make degrading, hurtful jokes toward yourself or others. This reads as insecure, unconfident, and mean. 
• Only use a dash of comedy: You want about an 80/20 ratio, with the 20 percent leaning toward funny. With a professional bio, you still want people to take you seriously and not perceive you as an uncredible jokester. The goal is to show people you have a personality while also demonstrating you know what you’re doing and how to provide value to your audience. 

5. Combine Your Two Best Bios 

More than likely, you already have multiple bios circulating on various media platforms. Which two have had the most success and why? For instance, do people like your personality-driven bios or the “strictly business” ones more? Is there a line that those in your audience always comment on or ask about? Combine your greatest hits to keep gaining momentum. 

When mashing together your bios:

• Remember who you want to target: Strategically pull in the crowd you’re aiming for instead of pressing copy and paste. Craft your bio to fit your platform and the type of people you want to connect with.  
• Eliminate what isn’t necessary: Because your two best bios could be for entirely different purposes, make sure they make sense together. Some of the information in both might not be crucial for the person encountering your profile to know. If it isn’t relevant, get rid of it. 
• Create bridges: The two bios don’t need to read like they were written at different times and Frankensteined together. Make sure what you write is cohesive. Adding transition words, filling in the blanks, and smoothing over any edges that seem to stick out makes the new bio feel like you specifically developed it for the purpose it’s serving. 

Website Bio

Dr. Sarah Chin

Pediatrician 

Dr. Sarah Chin is a board-certified pediatrician with over 15 years of experience caring for children from birth through adolescence. She graduated top of her class from NYU Medical School before completing a pediatric residency at Seattle Children’s, consistently ranked as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the United States.

Dr. Chin’s special interests include helping parents establish healthy routines, managing ADHD without medication, and addressing all aspects of a child’s well-being. 

Dr. Chin enjoys hiking, sailing, and volunteering with low-income schools to provide free immunizations when she’s not in the office. She is passionate about giving back to the Seattle community.

Book an Appointment  

This bio highlights Dr. Chin’s education, experience, special expertise, and personal passions. It gives website visitors confidence in her capabilities and provides a clear CTA.

A bio isn’t just a bio—it’s a strategic tool and one of the best ways to build a personal brand online. Use the examples below to find out more about how to do this. 

For Instagram:

• Clearly state your name and job title. 
• Give a one-line description of what you do and why.
• Build credibility and authority by tagging any top-tier organizations you work with. 
• If you have additional resources that help your audience get to know you, like a website, landing page, or lead magnet, add a link to these assets using a site like Social Tap or Linktree .

For Facebook:

• Explain who you are, what you do, and why it should matter to your audience. 
• Start off by describing your job title and a little information about your credentials as an expert in your field. 
• Make sure to keep building your credibility. Include a specialties section that describes some of your top skills. 
• End by driving your “why” home. Let people know why your work is relevant to them and how it can benefit their lives. 
• Mention working with recognizable names in your industry to build authority. 

For LinkedIn:

• Introduce yourself as if you were at a networking event. Tell people your name, what you do, why you do it, and what makes you unique.
• Continue growing your authority by mentioning some of your top accomplishments and skills. 
• Leverage your connections by listing some of the companies and people you’ve worked with that others will recognize. 

For Your Website:

• Practice telling a story. Don’t rehash the same short professional bio listed on your social media and networking accounts. Those visiting your website have more than likely already seen one of your online profiles and clicked a link in your bio to learn more about you. For this reason, keep engaging with them by providing more insight into your life. It’s one of the best ways to foster leads and connections early on. 
• Elaborate more on why you’re a credible source of information. Let people know about the results you’ve produced in your career and how you did it. 
• Position yourself as a problem-solver. If you are a business owner with a personal website, you are likely trying to attract leads rather than an employer. Speak directly to the problem your lead is experiencing and how you can help them solve it immediately. 
• Make sure you have a call to action, such as a “Contact Now” or “Schedule a Call” button. 

Writing the first few words is usually the most challenging part of crafting a bio. Using a bio template is a great way to start the writing process. If you’re having trouble putting pen to paper, plug and play the sentences below. With that being said, tailor these to be specific to you.

Bio for social media sites:

I help _________ do __________ (X, Y, Z), so they can _______________. 

• [What I do], [How I do it]. For example, Dr. Josh Axe’s X bio says, “Transforming health with superfoods.” It tells you exactly what he does and how. 

Speaking engagement bio:

• _____________ is a [job title] who has [top accomplishment]. 
• Write three sentences that discuss your greatest achievements in your career. 
• Include one sentence about the relevant speaking experience and why you’d be a good fit to lead a keynote speech. 

Résumé bio:

For a good positioning statement on a résumé, Kyle Weeks, founder of Business Inspo and former marketing analyst at Apple, explains, “The formula is: 

• A few adjectives to describe yourself
• What your bread and butter is
• And what value that means to the company”

Watch his whole video about creating an outstanding resume, here . 

Before you sit down to write your bio, here’s a quick recap of the most important things to consider before finalizing what you’ve written. 

• Know your target audience and tailor your bio to fit their needs. 
• Be authentic to who you are.
• Build credibility and authority by positioning yourself as an expert in your field.
• Leverage your connections.
• Invite feedback. 
• Revise, revise, revise. 
• When in doubt, use a template.

Writing a professional bio that represents your best self takes time and effort. However, its impact on advancing your career and connecting with the right opportunities is immense. Remember the following:

• Research your target audience and cater to their needs
• Establish your expertise and credibility
• Use an engaging tone and storytelling
• Highlight your differentiators   
• Include a clear call to action
• Continuously test and refine based on feedback

Investing time in a compelling bio establishes you as an industry leader, builds your brand, and accelerates your career growth.

Schedule time this week to begin drafting and experimenting with your professional biography. The first sentence is often the most challenging part, so feel free to ask colleagues for constructive feedback. With the right strategy and commitment, you can craft a compelling bio that accurately captures your essence and boosts your chances of success.

Leaders Media has established sourcing guidelines and relies on relevant, and credible sources for the data, facts, and expert insights and analysis we reference. You can learn more about our mission, ethics, and how we cite sources in our editorial policy .

• Thakkar, R. (2022, March 24). Top 100 hiring statistics for 2022. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-100-hiring-statistics-2022-rinku-thakkar/
• LinkedIn. (n.d.). LinkedIn newsroom: About us. https://news.linkedin.com/about-us  
• University of Maryland. (2012, February 16). Fear of being laughed at crosses cultural boundaries. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216094726.htm  
• LinkedIn Learning. (n.d.). LinkedIn Learning [YouTube Channel]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY4W\_lEFFar8Hlcc9qFqTYA  
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How to write a professional bio (with examples and templates)

• Rebecca Strehlow
• 11 min read

Which three words would you use to describe yourself? Most of us have been asked this question, and many of us have fumbled through it awkwardly.

Coming up with a personal description can be daunting. But there are times when it’s essential - whether we’re updating our LinkedIn profiles, blogging for Medium or creating a business website of our own.

In this post, we’ll go over how to write a bio, step by step. To help guide you, we’ve also included a handy template, along with some professional bio examples for your inspiration. With these resources, you’ll find that writing a bio, as part of making a website , is much easier than you might think.

What is a bio?

Before you learn how to write a bio, you should have a clear understanding of what it is and why you need it.

In the world of literature, a personal biography can span the length of an entire novel, like Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom or Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala . In the online world, however, a bio is a short paragraph in which you introduce yourself. Typically, people place bios on the About Us page of their professional website, as well as on their social media pages and other networking platforms.

What to include in a bio

Depending on your audience and goals, your bio can highlight your personal interests, your professional achievements or a mix of both. Here are some of the elements a bio might include:

Job title or workplace

University degree and other qualifications

Hometown or city of residence

Personal or professional goals

Mission statement and values

Skills and expertise

Interests and hobbies

The goal of writing a bio is to provide people with a snapshot of who you are. This is important for a variety of reasons, whether it’s drawing people toward your personal website or promoting your blog, attracting clients and business partners to your brand, or highlighting your achievements for job interviews.

How to write a short bio

The most effective online bios are both professional and concise. Here’s how to write a short professional bio that suits your website or brand:

Introduce yourself

State your company or brand name

Explain your professional role

Include professional achievements

Discuss your passions and values

Mention your personal interests

01. Introduce yourself

Begin your bio by stating your first and last name. If you’re writing in the third person, these should be the first two words of the paragraph. This makes your name easy for your audience to identify and remember. Your bio is a huge part of your personal branding efforts, and should start with a strong intro to make a positive impact.

02. State your company or brand name

Think about whether you want your bio to represent yourself on a personal level, or whether you’d like it to come across as more professional. If you have a personal brand or business - for example, a blog, freelance business or eCommerce site - be sure to mention your brand name at the beginning of your bio. Don’t be afraid if the name sounds simple or redundant. It’s perfectly fine, for instance, to say Mary Smith is the founder and CEO of Smith Digital.

Likewise, feel free to mention the name of another company or brand that you work for if you’d like to associate it with your professional accomplishments - e.g., Mary Smith is a consultant at Google and the founder and CEO of Smith Digital.

03. Explain your professional role

Next, briefly explain your current position. This is relevant whether you’re the founder of a company, a high-level specialist or a beginner in your field, and it can be similar to the description you have on your resume. Your website visitors won’t necessarily know what your job involves, so elaborating on your primary responsibilities helps paint a picture of who you are and what you have to offer. This can also be used, if needed for employment and recruitment opportunities. If you're a freelancer a strong bio can make all the difference in how successful sourcing work can be.

04. Include professional achievements

In addition to explaining what your job entails, highlight milestones that make you stand out. Even if you haven’t won an award or gained external recognition, you can discuss ways in which you’ve contributed to your professional role and touch on new ideas or approaches that you bring to the table.

05. Discuss your passions and values

Once you describe what you do and how you contribute to your role, you’ll need to explain the why . This is one of the most important elements to focus on as you consider how to write a bio.

Think about the values and passions underlying your work, as well as your professional philosophy. What gets you up in the morning? What’s the driving force behind what you do?

You can also think of this part of your professional bio as a kind of mission statement. Perhaps your mission is to serve others, contribute to society, grow your expertise or learn new skills. Whatever your reasons, expanding upon these ideas can help your audience get a better understanding of what truly matters to you. Don't be afraid to deploy storytelling in this part of creating your bio. Explore your narrative and then convey it.

06. Mention your personal interests

The most effective short bios will not only focus on your professional experience, but will also touch on what you like to do in your spare time. Consider mentioning:

Your family

Your hometown

Your hobbies

Side projects you’re working on

Transitioning to a more casual discussion of who you are outside of work is a great way to conclude your bio. This will present you as a more well-rounded person while making you relatable for your audience.

Professional bio template

As you go through the steps on how to write a bio, this handy template will help you get started:

Sentence 1: [Name] is a [job title] who [job description].

E.g., Lisa Green is an English teacher who teaches beginning to advanced literature courses for 10th and 11th grade students at Bloomfield High School.

Sentence 2: [Name] believes that [why you do the work you do].

E.g., Lisa believes that written and analytical skills are not only a fundamental part of academic excellence, but are also the building blocks of critical thinking in high school and beyond.

Sentence 3: [Name/pronoun] has [mention your achievements].

E.g., In addition to managing the English curriculum for the school, she runs an after school program where she works one-on-one with students.

Sentence 4: [Name/pronoun] is a [mention any relevant awards, training or honors].

E.g., She has also been nominated Teacher of the Year for two consecutive years.

Sentence 5: [Name/pronoun] holds a [insert degree] in [field of study] from [university].

E.g., Lisa holds a BA in Creative Writing and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from the University of Michigan.

Once you’ve filled in this template, put it all together into a single paragraph to create an initial framework for your professional biography. Note that you can shorten or expand upon this bio according to your unique needs.

Professional bio examples

Now that you know the basics of writing a professional bio, here are some short bio examples to inspire you. You can use these examples as additional templates for guidance as you craft your own personal biography.

Like the creators of these examples, you can place your bio on your personal or professional website and, later, revise the structure for other online platforms.

01. Bristol Guitar Making School

Of all the professional bio examples, Alex Bishop’s content exudes passion. Strategically placing the bio on the About page of his small business website , he highlights his skills and explains why he finds his work meaningful. In particular, we love his description of why he chose to pursue guitar making:

“​My passion as a guitar maker comes from a life-long obsession with making things. From a young age I have always tried to manipulate objects and materials in order to create something entirely different. I find that working with wood is a way for me to connect with nature. The simple act of shaping wood to make something functional or beautiful brings me endless satisfaction.”

He also lists his accomplishments and awards, adding credibility to his business and building trust among prospective clients.

02. Alexandra Zsigmond

As someone who has served as art director for both The New York Times' opinion section and The New Yorker , it's no surprise that Alexandra Zsigmond's bio is thorough and detailed. Providing statistics or reflections on the things she achieved in her career is a clever way to demonstrate her value without saying so directly. As she explains:

"She has collaborated with a roster of over 1000 artists worldwide and art directed over 4000 editorial illustrations. She is known for greatly expanding the range of visual contributors to the Times, drawing equally from the worlds of contemporary illustration, fine art, animation, and comics."

03. Amanda Shields Interiors

Amanda Shields provides us with another effective bio example on her interior design website. Importantly, she spices up her bio by explaining how home decor aligns with her personal life and why it’s so close to her heart as a mother and entrepreneur:

"After working as a product designer for numerous retailers over the years, and after I had my first child, I decided to take the plunge and start my own home staging business…. Coincidentally, a month later I discovered I was pregnant with my second child. I loved the new challenges I faced as a new entrepreneur and mom and it didn't take long for me to discover that this was my calling…. I felt the need to expand my business and launch Amanda Shields Interiors as its own entity to focus specifically on residential interiors and design."

By placing this content on her website’s About page, she provides potential clients with insights into her expertise and professional experience. She expands upon the choices she made along her career path, strategically making note of her achievements and acquired skills along the way.

Tips for writing a bio

As you write your bio using the professional template above, make sure to keep the following tips in mind:

Keep it concise: Your bio should be sufficiently explanatory, but it should also be short and to the point. A good rule of thumb is to keep each element of your bio - from your job description to your mission statement and hobbies - to about 1-2 sentences. That way, you’ll end up with a brief paragraph that holds your readers’ attention without rambling on.

Consider your audience: The voice and tone you choose for your biography largely depends on your audience and personal goals. If you’re looking for a job and are writing primarily for recruiters, you’ll want to use a serious, professional tone. On the other hand, if you’re creating an Instagram bio , consider using more casual, conversational language that reflects your personality.

Add humor: Relatedly, consider adding humor when appropriate. This is especially valuable if you’ve founded your own business or created your own website , as it can give you a distinct brand identity while helping your audience build a stronger sense of connection with your brand.

Link to your website: When writing a bio for a platform other than your own website - a social media page, another company page, or a guest blog or publication - remember to include a link to your website. This will help you promote your website while highlighting your professionalism and authority.

Adapt for different platforms: You’ll most likely need to adapt the length and writing style of your biography to suit different platforms. For example, you may place a longer bio on your website’s About page and a shorter one on your LinkedIn page. In these cases, use the same main principles for writing a bio while scaling down the most important elements.

By following these tips, you can create a powerful bio that helps you stand out in your field and allows your audience to get to know you better.

How to write a bio in four sentences or less

Really need to create a super short bio? We'd suggest following some of the tips above, just condensing them into less word for a short bio that still makes impact.

But if we really had to choose we'd say focus on - you, your professional role and company. That condenses everything that matters for bio into three sentences. Humor, creativity and uniqueness still all matter - just use fewer words to convey them.

Creating a bio for your website

As we’ve noted in the examples above, one of the most strategic places to put your bio is on your website - so be sure to consider it within your web design plans. Whether the goal of your site is to start and promote your business , showcase your design portfolio or display your resume, including a bio gives your audience a glimpse into the person behind your content. It can also kickstart your professional growth . Show the world what you do, how you do it and why it matters, and people will be drawn to your passion and inspired by your experience.

Pro tip: You can add a bio to many different types of websites, so using templates can help you create yours faster. For example, if you're creating a portfolio website , explore portfolio website templates to help you get started.

Creating a bio for social media

Crafting a professional bio for social media is vital as it introduces you or your brand, and it builds credibility and trust. A well-written bio establishes your expertise, attracts the right audience, and fosters engagement. It helps maintain a consistent brand image, optimizes search and discovery, and opens doors to networking and career opportunities. A compelling bio delivers a concise, informative snapshot of who you are, what you do, and the value you bring, leaving a lasting impression on visitors and potential collaborators alike.

You may need to edit your bio depending on which social media platform you plan to use it on. Some of the most popular ones include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Focus on getting your bio right on the platforms you plan to focus your personal or brand social media marketing efforts on.

Writing a bio with AI

If you're looking to write your bio fast while creating your website, consider using an AI text generator to build your draft. You'll still need to make sure it goes through. an intensive editing process, so that it really captures the essence of who you are and your professional skills. A bio is about much more than just basic information, so don't forget to include the storytelling too. Build a website with Wix and you can make use of the in-built AI text generator within its Editor .

Why good bios are important for a professional

In a world where first impressions matter, a well-crafted bio can make a significant impact in establishing trust and credibility with potential clients, employers or collaborators. It also offers insight into your personality and values, helping to forge authentic connections with your audience. It acts as a powerful tool for personal branding, allowing you to differentiate yourself in a competitive landscape and leave a memorable impression.

A strong bio also serves as a gateway to opportunities, whether it's securing new clients, landing job interviews or establishing partnerships. It acts as a professional introduction, allowing you to showcase your expertise. A polished and impactful bio is essential for you to effectively communicate your professional identity and stand out in your field.

Writing a bio without experience

Writing a bio when you don't yet have experience can be challenging, but it's an opportunity to showcase your potential and aspirations.

Begin by highlighting your educational background, skills and any relevant coursework or projects you've completed. Focus on your passions, interests and personal qualities that make you unique. Consider including volunteer work, internships or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your commitment and initiative. Emphasize your eagerness to learn and grow in your chosen field and express your future goals and aspirations. Don't be afraid to be honest about your current stage and your willingness to gain experience and develop professionally.

If you don't know what to write in your bio, start by brainstorming your key experiences, achievements, skills and personal attributes. Consider what sets you apart and what you want others to know about you. Look for inspiration from other bios or profiles in your field, and consider seeking feedback from friends, mentors or colleagues. Don't hesitate to highlight your passions, interests and goals, as well as any unique experiences or perspectives you bring to the table. Remember to keep it concise and engaging, and don't be afraid to revise and refine your bio until it accurately represents you.

How to write a bio FAQ

What is a short bio.

A short bio, short for biography, is a concise summary of a your life or professional background. It provides a brief overview of your key achievements, qualifications, experiences, and relevant details. Typically written in the third person, a short bio is often used in various contexts, such as professional profiles, social media accounts, introductions for speaking engagements, author descriptions, and other situations where a brief introduction is required. The length of a short bio can vary, but it's generally kept to a few sentences or a short paragraph to provide a snapshot of the person's background and expertise.

How do I write a bio about myself?

What should i include in a short bio, how do you write a fun bio for work, how do i make my bio stand out, related posts.

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What’s a professional bio?

How to write a professional bio, professional bio examples to inspire your own, promote with pride.

Opportunities to self-promote can arise when you least expect them. Whether you exchange LinkedIn profiles at a networking event , receive an invite to submit a resume , or share your personal website with a potential client, branded materials that effectively describe you are crucial to making a great first impression . 

A professional biography (bio) is more than a simple self-introduction or opportunity to boast — although you should promote your skills and accomplishments with pride . With such little space and so much to say, you may struggle to find the perfect words.

After all, who you are and what you do extends far beyond a couple of sentences. But conciseness is possible — it just requires a little self-reflection and guidance. 

Let’s explore different strategies for writing a bio that's engaging, adaptable, and, most importantly, encapsulates your professional values and identity. With these tips and professional bio examples to guide your process, you’ll learn how to write a bio about yourself that shows off your best side. 

A professional bio is a brief but impactful blurb that introduces who you are and what you do. Ranging from a few sentences to several paragraphs, it sums up your area of expertise, talents, and professional background. 

Think of your professional bio as an opportunity to expand your personal brand statement , which uses marketing strategies like punchy and emotion-provoking language to sell you in a few choice sentences. Your bio includes additional information and personal touches to create a fuller picture of your professional accomplishments and future aspirations . 

You never know who scans your social media profiles, company website, or resume. A thoughtful bio is adaptable and provides consistent messaging regardless of the platform and audience. Whether it’s a recruiter , client, or collaborator checking out your branded materials, your professional bio works around the clock to promote your personal brand . 

Wherever you network, job search , or show off your work are all great places to include a bio. That may include: 

The “About” section on your personal website, YouTube channel, or podcast , giving insight to visitors about the person behind the work

Your LinkedIn profile's summary section , providing a personal touch to the career achievements and skills highlighted in your work experience section

Promotional materials or event programs , like for a workshop, speaking engagement, or training webinar

On the team page of your organization’s website , showcasing your unique role and contributions to your team

In an author bio for blog posts and articles , establishing your trustworthiness and providing context to readers

In the bio sections of social media profiles used to promote your personal brand , adding personality to reflect your professional identity

Within a cover letter , letter of intent , or letter of interest , connecting your unique value to a potential employer’s needs

In a grant or proposal submission , lending credibility when applying for funding or pitching a project

On your online or physical portfolio , helping people connect more deeply with your work as a creative

On a book jacket, author page, or academic journal , highlighting your expertise, background, or focus areas

Adapting your professional bio template to fit different platforms helps you paint a consistent and engaging picture of yourself for varying audiences. You can control the narrative that surrounds your professional identity and reputation.

And clarity across platforms acts as a powerful call to action — the more your target audience understands what you represent, the more likely they’ll want to connect with you. 

A great bio shows off your unique value, reflects your goals, and displays your personality . But, despite its highly personalized nature, you can still use templates or follow frameworks to write your own. Here are a few guidelines for writing different bio types. 

How to write a short bio

A short professional bio offers your reader a quick snapshot, making it best suited for professional situations requiring brevity, like a cover letter or social media platform with character limits.

And a well-written short bio captures attention and entices your audience to follow through, carefully reading an attached resume or scrolling your LinkedIn profile. 

Here are some general guidelines:

• Start with the basics: Explain who you are, what you do, and your current work. Keep it as brief as possible and focus on essential information that reflects your identity and current professional situation. 
• Establish credibility: Share valuable professional triumphs to give readers insights about your unique value and credibility. Descriptors like “Award-winning” or “With 10 years of experience” are concise ways to express the breadth of your experience. 
• Be personal but appropriate: Add personal touches to make your bio feel more authentic and relatable , remembering to consider context. “Adventure-loving mechanical engineer” may suit an Instagram bio, whereas “ Innovation-seeking mechanical engineer” is better suited for a professional portfolio . Each conveys a sense of personality and aligns with the goals of the medium. 

How to write a long bio

A long bio offers your audience a more comprehensive understanding of who you are and what you stand for. They’re best suited for professional situations requiring a more in-depth intro, like an author page, “About Me” section, or funding proposal. 

A well-crafted long bio doesn’t just illuminate key experiences and skills. It humanizes you, showing off professional goals and personal interests that capture reader attention and build trust . 

Here are some general tips: 

Introduce yourself: Just like you do in a short bio, the first sentence should clearly establish who you are and the work that’s most important to you. Consider mentioning your current position and clarifying your responsibilities . 

Go in-depth on your values: In a long bio, you can elaborate beyond short descriptors and action verbs . Depending on the medium, tell a fuller story that adds depth to your personal values and professional pursuits.  

Mixing the personal with the professional, like mentioning your alma mater and describing your first roles, adds nuance and richness to your character representation. This creates a sense of closeness and understanding with your reader. 

Detail your professional journey: While the focus should be on your current job title and area of expertise, readers can build a deeper connection when they learn more about your professional story.

Consider highlighting career milestones, including certifications, notable successes, and work experience. But describe yourself with humility . Bragging about your skills and accomplishments may come off as arrogant instead of confident , a misunderstanding that might put the reader off.

General guidelines

Regardless of format, a successful professional bio follows a few basic rules, like: 

Keep it fresh: Your career is never stagnant, and your personal bio shouldn’t be, either. Regularly update your bio to include new achievements, professional skills , and shifts in your career focus. 

Keeping your LinkedIn bio, portfolio website, and other materials current ensures that potential employers and collaborators have access to the most relevant information about you, avoiding misunderstandings and missed opportunities. 

Provide a call-to-action: You’ve captured your target audience's attention — now what? Invite readers to connect, engage, and start a conversation . Clarity can help direct the kind of engagement you want. 

Something like “For consulting inquiries or collaborations, contact me at [email]. For copyright requests, contact my publisher at [email].” is appropriately clear and direct. 

Proofread for consistency: Like any professional communication, always double-check for grammar and spelling mistakes. Hiring managers and clients may interpret poor writing skills as a lack of clear thinking or attention to detail , discouraging them from following up with you. 

And choose a point of view (first person “I” or third person full name), staying consistent to ensure a better reading experience. You want your reader to focus on the content without bad mechanics distracting them. 

Now that you have the basic rules down, here are some bio examples to help you write yours. Pay attention to flow and content, and edit them to meet your needs. 

Short bio examples

Here’s a short bio for an events brochure for a graphic designer leading a workshop:

[name] is a speaker, graphic designer, and UX engineer who builds performant branding strategies with an eye for accessibility. [name] helps brands of all sorts, from startups to multinationals, transform how they tell stories through visual design and cutting-edge technologies that focus on sustainable, inclusive engagement. 

And here’s a data analyst’s work bio example for LinkedIn: 

I’m a certified data analyst with a natural curiosity for transforming complex data into action. With more than 10 years of experience, I’ve developed expertise in statistical modeling and predictive analysis.

Currently, I’m a project manager at TechBiz focused on enhancing business strategies through data optimization. I’ve been instrumental in driving growth for several Fortune 500 companies and was recognized in 2022 as one of “America’s Innovators” by Women in Data. 

Why they work: Both bios concisely illustrate current job roles, career focus, and unique character traits. Small details like “eye for accessibility” and “natural curiosity” show personality and professional values, illustrating what they’ll be like to work with. 

Long bio example

Here’s a freelance writer example for their portfolio website: 

I’m a Mexico City-based freelance writer by way of Louisville, Kentucky. My weekly newsletter on sustainability, policy, and culture — Sustainability Now — has been mentioned by the LA Times, The Nation, and Vogue London and has over 20,000 subscribers.

My work recently appeared in Foreign Policy, the New York Times, and Mother Jones, where I’ve written about sustainability in cities, business, and consumption. And I’ve also contributed to Politico and Dissent and won an award for my story on the history of natural wine for MOLD. 

I’m a firm believer that positive environmental change is powered by conscientious consumption. Since 2018, I’ve consulted content marketing teams of startups and branding agencies to transform how their businesses and consumers engage with our planet through storytelling. 

I have a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with a minor in journalism from Boston University. I also have completed Google’s SEO Fundamentals and UC Davis’ Content Marketing Strategy course. 

In my spare time, you can find me hiking through the national parks surrounding CDMX with my dog, Mole, when we aren’t looking for the city’s perfect vegan taco.

For business consulting, please contact me at [name]@gmail.com. For editorial inquiries and media work, please contact my agent at [name]@talentcorp.com. 

Why it works: This bio is comprehensive and focused on professional goals while listing key achievements, recognitions, and core principles to establish credibility and align the reader with her values.

And personal details and a touch of humor add warmth and authenticity that resonate and illustrate a well-rounded individual. 

A successful professional bio covers all the bases, letting your reader know what you’re about and what it’d be like to work with you. Clarity and conciseness require nuance and careful curation, but the extra work pays off.

With these tips, professional bio examples, and a little self-reflection about your accomplishments and aspirations, you’ll soon write a bio like a natural wordsmith.

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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How To Write a Professional Bio To Stand Out

To many, writing your own professional biography can feel awkward and uncomfortable. Which information should make the cut? How should it be presented? And where’s the fine line between showcasing your personal and professional accomplishments versus flat-out bragging?

The good news is, there are plenty of tips and tricks to help you decide how to write a professional bio with finesse. In this article, we’ll give you some inspiration, including best practices and examples.

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What is a professional bio? 

A professional bio is a short overview of your professional skills, accomplishments, and experience. Once you move past the general definition, you’ll see that there are many ways to write, present, and publish one. 

For example, you’ll find them in third person (he, she, they) or in first person (I). You’ll find them on personal websites and company websites. You’ll find professional bios that are several paragraphs long, or just a few sentences. You’ll find them printed in books and magazines, nestled into sidebars on a webpage, and brandished across dedicated pages. 

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It’s not an exaggeration to say that you have a whole world of options for your own professional bio.

Components of a professional bio

Start with your name in your bio, followed by your primary roles and accomplishments. Adapt it to your specific career and audience. Here are the key elements to include in a professional bio: 

Name . The foundational starting point.

Predominant roles or titles . Highlight key positions you’ve held.

Current position. Describe where you are now and your core responsibilities.

Employment history . A brief backtrack through your career milestones.

Recognized achievements . List any awards or notable publications.

Skills. Point out what you bring to the table.

Education . Mention your academic achievements and degrees.

Personal insights . Share a bit about your hobbies , family, and where you reside.

Professional bio vs. résumé: What’s the difference? 

A professional bio has many of the same elements as a résumé, but the two differ in terms of style and formatting. A professional bio provides a brief, story-like overview of your major work achievements. Meanwhile, a résumé lays out a detailed map of your entire work path, usually split into sections with bullet points.

How to write a professional bio 

While every bio will be different, there are some ground rules to follow to help make sure you’re covering the main bases.

1. Know your goals 

Before you write a bio, it’s helpful to know where it is going to be published or placed, who’s going to be reading it, and what you want them to walk away thinking after they’ve read it. When you know these details, you’ll have more direction in terms of the bio length, the types of points you want to hit, and the best tone and style to write with.

For example, when it comes to first person versus third person, there are certain places where each is more appropriate. Your company website may be better with third person, while something like a personal website bio may require a first person POV.

Similarly, something like a company website will likely be more suited for a formal, professional tone. On the other hand, a personal bio can be a place to build a personal brand , showing more personality and using a casual and colloquial tone.

2. List out your high points 

Now it’s time for the brainstorming. In this phase, you’ll write down anything and everything that might be relevant or helpful for a bio. This can include things like:

• Professional accomplishments
• Professional skills
• Any awards, recognitions, or accolades
• Current and previous job titles
• Leadership roles
• Personal details that showcase your skills, experience, and passions
• Personal interests like hobbies 

You can treat this as a “master list” of sorts—keep it handy so you can reference it every time you need to write a professional bio. That way, you can come back to it and keep using it for inspiration instead of starting from scratch.

3. Write the first draft

Once you’ve got a juicy list of potential content to include, it’s time to put it all into one cohesive piece. There’s no single right way to determine the flow and order of your key points. 

Generally speaking, you might start with your current work and activities, as well as “front-loading” your most impressive accomplishments and achievements. If you’ve won any awards or gotten special recognition, don’t be shy to brag about yourself.

After listing the most relevant and impressive details, move through to your general skills, experience, and background. Then you can finish off with personal details.

If you’re not particularly keen on writing it yourself, consider hiring an experienced writer to do it for you. You can send them resources like your résumé or CV, the list from step 2, and any bios you’d like them to model.

4. Ask for feedback

Send your draft to some trusted peers or mentors to see what comments they might have to offer. You might also consider hiring a professional, like a career coach or freelance writer to help give feedback. 

5. Proof and revise

After drafting your professional bio, it's wise to set it aside for a short interval, whether that's half an hour or overnight. This pause lets you return with fresh eyes, ensuring that your bio accurately reflects your accomplishments and matches your intended goals. 

If your narrative doesn't quite align, make the necessary adjustments. Focus on clarity and conciseness, trimming any excess information. Prioritize the most significant achievements, ensuring they take center stage. 

Remember, your bio should serve as a bridge between your past accomplishments and future aspirations. 

Professional bio examples

Let’s look at some engaging and effective bios for a fresh dose of inspiration. 

Professional bio example #1: Personal website

On her personal website, Arianna Huffington (of The Huffington Post fame) has a great example of a short professional bio written in the third person for a dedicated webpage. It cuts right to the chase, mentioning her entrepreneurial endeavors and the 15 books she’s written.

She goes on to mention her accolades, like being named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, as well as listing the books that became instant international bestsellers. 

Professional bio example #2: LinkedIn

In this example, entrepreneur Jordan Hall starts his first-person LinkedIn bio with some storytelling, explaining a university fascination that ultimately shaped his career trajectory. He mentions his roles working for and co-founding organizations that have disrupted their industries and contributed positive change. It ends with a link to his writings on Medium. 

Professional bio #3: Company website

Heifer International is an organization working to end hunger and poverty by supporting local farmers globally. In the professional bio of its president and CEO, Surita Sandosham, the company uses third person to explain her decades of leadership and experience with humanitarian organizations and nonprofits.

It goes on to list her education and more career background. It ends with a link to her Twitter account, where you can continue to learn about her and what she’s working on. 

Professional bio template ideas

Writing a bio is an essential aspect of personal branding and professional networking. Here are some bio templates to get you started, structured in different formats and styles:

Third-person short bio templates

• [NAME] is the [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY]. Passionate about ____, ____, and ____, he/she brings extensive experience from the ____ industry. During off hours, [NAME] enjoys ____ and ____.
• Based in [Location], [NAME]'s notable contributions are in ____ and ____. Leading ____ at [COMPANY], in his/her free time, [NAME] can be found ____, ____, or ____.

First-person short bio templates

• Hi, I’m [NAME], the [Job Title] at [Company] in [Location]. My day involves ____, ____, and ____. After work, I often ____ or ____. Connect with me on Twitter: @YourHandleHere.
• For many, ____ might be routine. But for me, [FIRST NAME], it's been my passion for [Number] years. Now at [Company] as a [Job Title], I work on ____, ____, and ____. I’m truly living my passion.

Third-person long bio templates

• [Name] holds the position of [Job Title] at [Company]. Before this, he/she was a [Previous Job Title 1] at [Previous Company 1] and later a [Previous Job Title 2] at [Previous Company 2]. Alongside, [Name] has collaborated with ____, ____, and ____. With a [Degree] from [School] and another [Second Degree] from [Second School], during leisure, [Name] loves to ____, ____, and ____.
• [NAME], the [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY], manages tasks like ____, ____, and ____. Aimed at ____, he/she is always on the move to improve ____ and devise ____. Previously, [NAME] worked as [PREVIOUS JOB TITLE] at [PREVIOUS COMPANY], honing skills in ____ and ____. Recognized for his/her efforts, [NAME] has been featured in ____ and ____ and has spoken at events like ____, ____, and ____.

These templates should make it easy to write your professional bio. Remember to personalize them to reflect your true essence and accomplishments.

Let your value shine through 

As we’ve discussed, writing a professional bio is an essential exercise in personal branding. The important thing is that you’re focusing on showcasing the value that you can offer, the skills and experience you can bring to the table, and the things in your personal and professional life that you’re proud of.

If you can take these key points and wrap them up into an engaging and captivating piece, you’re well on your way to getting the recognition and credibility you deserve.

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How to write a biography without biographical information

O n the first page of Sarah Ruden’s biography of Vergil, she states the problem that any biographer of the ancient poet and author of the Aeneid faces: We know almost nothing about him. “The man is like Shakespeare ,” she writes. “He disappeared into his writing.”

So, why write a biography of him, and how might one go about it if one did? The answer to the first question might be money. That was certainly Stephen Greenblatt’s motivation in writing a highly publicized biography of Shakespeare nearly 20 years ago. Greenblatt got a six-figure advance for Will in the World , which sold 150,000 copies on the first day of publication and was on the New York Times’s bestseller list for nine weeks. But only Shakespeare is Shakespeare, of course, and no other author, living or dead, comes close to generating the amount of interest he does.

KEEPING THE NOVEL ALIVE BY READING, AND ARGUING, WELL

Ruden in her preface stated that she decided to write a biography of Vergil largely out of curiosity. She is the author of an acclaimed translation of the Aeneid , and she became increasingly intrigued, she writes, as she worked on the translation by how a “mere life” could “produce such beauty”: “After much hesitation, I set off on a quest to know Vergil the man better through what probably follows from such things as his physical, social, and literary contexts and his own literary innovations.”

Thus, we have the answer to the second question. How to go about writing a biography of someone who left behind no memoir, no collection of letters, and whose entire biographical record consists of a few pages in Suetonius Tranquillus's On Illustrious Men ? Use historical contexts to speculate as to what he might have thought or could have done. Call it the Might-Have-Could-Have approach to biography.

The risk of such an approach is obvious. The subject of the biography becomes a mere object of our own projections. What we get is not Vergil himself, but the proto-fascist Vergil or the anti-imperialist Vergil, the proto-Christian Vergil or the gay Vergil. I am reminded of Daniel Mendelsohn’s article in the New Yorker a few years ago in which he presented Vergil as something of a tragic, bleeding-heart liberal, whose sympathies are on the side of the victims whom "‘empire’ leaves in its wake” but who was pressed into the service of empire nonetheless.

Ruden is aware of this risk. “We need to make our own peace with our own histories,” she writes, “and leave Vergil out of them.” She proposes to avoid it by sticking closely to what Vergil wrote and extrapolating only those biographical tidbits that seem plausible. H. L. Mencken may have been right when he wrote that criticism “is no more than prejudice made plausible.” But a biography that is no more than prejudice made plausible is no biography at all.

Problematically, Ruden proposes to compare Vergil to his modern “descendants” — that is, to modern writers — to gain insight into his life. She argues that because writers are categorically different from other people, it makes sense that Vergil might have more in common with other writers, even those who lived 2,000 years after he died, than he did with the people of his own time. After all, wasn’t Vergil, like so many modern writers, an eccentric who lived an unconventional life marked by an unwavering commitment to art? “Many things about Vergil’s life made more sense to me,” she writes, “once I dared to grasp that this shy young man from nowhere, who struggled from line to line as he composed and revised, sensed in some part of his mind that if he tried hard enough he could cause the world to welcome millions of copies of his work.” She goes on to compare him to Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf, among others.

Alas, rather than getting us closer to the “real Vergil,” Ruden’s biography simply gives another Vergil — Vergil the brooding, sensitive modern writer who sacrifices everything for his art. This leads to problems.

One thing we know about Vergil from Suetonius is that he was frequently ill and rarely “appeared in public in Rome.” We're told this was because his fame made it difficult for him to move about freely in the capital. Ruden claims (and I think she is right) that he also avoided going to Rome because he was shy and committed to his work. But she suggests that he may have even faked illness to avoid social contact and was something of a misanthrope. “I am convinced,” she writes, “that his characters tend to fall short in differentiation and believable thoughts and feelings because he did not like other people much or find their minds reliably interesting compared with his own.” Her further evidence of this misanthropy is that he wrote a lot about nature.

She wants to see Vergil as a modern artist who eschews authority and “civic and professional duty,” but she is at pains to explain how he could be one while also writing an epic poem whose primary purpose was to celebrate the Roman empire. This leads her to make muddled statements like this:

The poet’s quasi-propagandistic work remains worth reading now that all its ideological and cultural assertions but the most universal have been discredited, at least in liberal democratic nations. Modern ethics reject unquestioning religious, filial, and patriotic 'duty,' and most especially the divinely decreed 'fate' of one race to conquer and rule others. But the Aeneid is still running on its literary steam.

This divorce of content and form forces Ruden to identify Vergil’s literary accomplishment with something like verbal decoration. Ruden means it as a compliment when she writes that “Vergil was the only poet” who could “relieve and decorate” the “necessary heavy-handedness” of a “full-length epic poem about the ruling dynasty’s purported ancient foundations.” But this diminishes, rather than heightens, Vergil’s accomplishment. Immediately after this, she admits that Vergil and Augustus likely did not disagree on the work’s “major themes.” So why divorce those themes from style and prosody in the first place?

Even more problematically, Ruden suggests that several of the poems of the Appendix Vergiliana , a supposed collection of Vergil’s juvenilia that many scholars dispute, were indeed written by Vergil because it is implausible that he would not leave a record of his development. Why? Because Vergil was more of a modern poet than an ancient one. “If Vergil was, as he appears to have been,” Ruden writes, “a modern type of conspicuously isolated author with an independent, obsessive drive to perfect certain literary forms, rather than the typical ancient author who wrote for public occasions and communal edification, then a large archive makes sense.” Talk about begging the question.

Ruden even wonders whether Vergil became so obsessed with perfecting the Aeneid that Augustus became paranoid and killed him. Vergil died of heatstroke in Athens, which doesn’t make much sense according to Ruden. “If the Romans knew anything, it was how to deal with hot climates," she continues. "Did Augustus, alive to the difficulties of either controlling or sidelining the popular, well-liked author who had written the great national poem but then fled the nation, turn his mind to the advantages of Vergil’s bad health worsening to a lethal degree? ... Was treatment of Vergil’s condition withheld? Or was sunstroke a cover story for something else? Was there something in Vergil’s refreshments?”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

She quickly adds that this is all “speculative reconstruction.” A better phrase for it is “pure speculation.” The only thing she insists on is that the ancient account of his death doesn’t make sense.

Fine. But why not leave it at that? Because word counts must be met, I suppose, for book contracts to be kept.

Micah Mattix is a professor of English at Regent University.

Tags: Books , Book Reviews , Media , Literature , History , Roman Empire

Original Author: Micah Mattix

Original Location: How to write a biography without biographical information

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• university of new orleans
• campus news
• in memoriam: english professor and author carol gelderman

CAMPUS NEWS: MARCH 25, 2024

In memoriam, in memoriam: english professor and author carol gelderman.

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Carol Gelderman, former English professor and author known for her prolific writings, died March 8, 2024.

Carol Gelderman, an esteemed English professor at the University of New Orleans for more than three decades and the author of 10 books—including a biography of Henry Ford—died on March 8. She was 89.

After earning a doctorate from Northwestern University, Gelderman joined the University in 1972 and remained on the English faculty until her retirement in 2005. She was such a prolific and skilled writer that in 1993 she was named a Distinguished Professor, a prestigious title held by only five faculty members at any one time.  

Her 10 published books included two textbooks about business and professional writing. A passionate student of American politics, she analyzed presidential speech writing in “All the President’s Words: The Bully Pulpit and the Creation of the Virtual Presidency.” But Gelderman was best known for her biographies. A review of “Henry Ford: The Wayward Capitalist” made the cover of Business Week . Her biography of the writer Mary McCarthy, “Mary McCarthy: A Life,” was reviewed on the front page of the New York Times Book Review.    

She continued to write throughout her life. “A Free Man of Color and His Hotel: Race, Reconstruction, and the Role of the Federal Government,” was published in 2012 when she was 77. In it, she examined the life of James Wormley, a free Black man who owned and operated the most luxurious hotel in Washington, D.C., from the 1850s until the 1880s.

In his eulogy of Gelderman, former UNO provost, English professor and founder of the Creative Writing Workshop Rick Barton called her a “scholar and acclaimed writer, a cherished teacher, a caring colleague and a loyal friend.”

“Despite all the long hours of intellectual effort it took to research and write these amazingly dissimilar 10 books, Carol shined in other aspects of her life as well,” Barton said. “We all know university faculty who publish important books and articles but don’t bother to put the same effort into their teaching duties. Not Carol Gelderman. She was as devoted a teacher as she was a scholar.”

Before receiving master’s and doctoral degrees from Northwestern, Gelderman worked for the American Embassy in London for a year and in public television in Chicago, conducting on-air interviews of visiting VIPs for a show called “Profile Chicago.” In addition to her 10 books, she wrote dozens of articles on topics as varied as theatre, biography, politics and mutual funds.

“Carol Gelderman was a vivacious, gregarious and affable person. She had friends all over New Orleans,” Barton said. “Carol was beloved by so many of us because she never practiced self-aggrandizement. She was a literary star, but you’d never learn about that from her.”

Colleagues and friends are planning to hold a memorial for Gelderman on UNO’s campus. Those details are incomplete.

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