how to do a professional biography

How to Write a Short Professional Bio (With Examples and Templates)

3 key takeaways

• What a short professional bio is and where to use one
• How to write your professional bio (plus short professional bio examples and templates)
• How to use the Teal  AI Resume Builder  to write a short, professional bio

Your professional bio is one of the most important things you'll write about yourself.

In a world where just about everyone is represented online in some capacity, your professional bio will often serve as your first introduction to your intended audience. It can help influence whether someone invites you to connect, interview you, or simply move on.

But how does your professional bio work in tandem with your resume to tell your unique story? And what are some short professional bio examples you can reference to craft your own—helping you strike the perfect balance between informative and engaging?

What is a short professional bio? 

A short professional bio is exactly what it sounds like — a short professional biography that introduces yourself and gives a brief overview of your career and accomplishment examples . A short professional bio gives future employees, colleagues, and anyone else you're networking with a more well-rounded picture of who you are.  

We recognize that “short” is a vague term and can mean many different things. But the good news is, unless you're dealing with a certain character or space limit, there is no magic length that your bio has to be. Most short bios tend to run anywhere from one to four paragraphs, but feel free to make yours whatever length you think would work best for you. 

Your short professional bio can be displayed many different places, including but not limited to: your website, LinkedIn profile, Twitter profile, in press features, and your resume. 

What should I include in a short professional bio? 

Before you sit down to write your bio, it might be helpful for you to think of it as not only a bio, but also an elevator pitch for your target audience. You want to produce a compelling professional bio. Your bio should answer the question: what would you want someone who doesn't know you at all to know about your career so far? 

Below are some thought-starters to set you up for success. 

As a working professional

Whether you've been working for six months or 15 years, consider including these in your bio: 

• Where you're based
• Where you're from
• What university, trade school, or bootcamp you attended (if any)
• Your current or former career titles
• Your career goals
• Relevant awards, accolades, or press features you've garnered
• Your professional experience, skills, and area(s) of expertise
• What you like to do in your spare time (personal interests, hobbies, side hustles, etc.) 

To make sure you're providing the most relevant skills to a potential employer, use Teal's Skills Database in the free  Skills Workbook  to identify your current skills and potential skills that you want to acquire. Once you've identified those, enter them into Teal's Skills Identifier.

As a student

Even if you're still in school, there's plenty of information you can include in your bio, like: 

• What university, trade school, or bootcamp you're attending
• Your area of study or intended major
• Any clubs, teams, volunteering, or other extracurriculars you're a part of 
• Any internships you've completed
• Your career goals 
• Your availability

How to write a short professional bio

If you're ready to begin writing your professional bio, we commend you. We've listed a few things here that you might find helpful to consider, but again, there is no steadfast formula. You can feel free to follow or ignore these suggestions however you see fit. 

‍ Choose your voice

You have the option to write your bio using either first or third person. When using first person, you will be utilizing the pronouns "I, me, and my". When using third person, you would refer to yourself using your name and preferred pronouns.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. However, as a general rule, using third person is typically considered more formal, while using first person is more casual.

First person example: "I am a bestselling author. My work has been published in XYZ publication."

Third person example: "Zane Smith is a bestselling author. His work has been published in XYZ publication."

If you want to have multiple versions of the same bio on hand, like a first person version and a third person version, our tools are designed to make this easy for you. Write as many versions of your bio as you need and rotate which one you use in which situation as your career evolves. 

Generate your professional bio with AI

You can also use our AI Resume Builder to generate multiple versions of your short professional bio. Your bio will be tailored based on the details and achievements you've included about your recent work experiences.

Try it yourself for free.

Choose your tone

Written words, like spoken speech, can embody many different moods and tones. Depending on the context and your  personal brand , you might decide your bio should sound more buttoned-up, or more relaxed, or even a little bit silly. 

These two sentences describe the same person but showcase very different tones and writing style: 

“A recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Sally is currently a consultant at XYZ Consulting based out of their New York office.” 

“A recent UPenn grad, Sally swore off econ after years of hard classes only to end up as a consultant at a major firm — but don't worry, she loves it.” 

Start with your name and your current or most recent role

This is not a hard and fast rule, but to get your bio started, it's usually easiest to start with your name and current professional title or role. 

Example:  “Zane Smith is currently the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company.” 

If you're transitioning between roles or switching industries , you can list your most recent role and use your first sentence to say what you're looking to become.

Example 1:  “Previously the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company, Zane Smith is actively pursuing new opportunities in marketing management.” 

Example 2 : “Previously the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company, Zane Smith is now an aspiring 2nd grade teacher.” 

Add any former titles and list relevant achievements

Once you've introduced yourself and your current title or aspirations, you can flow into your professional background, former job titles, and what you did previously. Together, the first two sentences of your bio could read something like this: 

“Zane Smith is currently the Demand Generation Manager at ABC Tech Company. Previously, he was a Marketing Specialist at FGH Tech Company where he grew paid traffic to their website by 500% year over year.” 

How can you ensure your bullet point achievements reflect your qualifications? In addition to using Teal's free Achievement Assistant tool within the AI Resume Builder , try leveraging ChatGPT for this part of the process. Just remember to copy and paste ChatGPT-generated resume achievements back into your AI Resume Builder.

Remember to personalize your bullet point achievements by proofreading and editing them, tweaking as needed using the Achievement Assistant tool.

Consider adding the “why” behind your story

Self-promotion can feel incredibly uncomfortable, but it's important to really make sure you don't undermine your own value. Your “why,” the  reason that you do what you do everyday , can be powerful and meaningful. Adding what gives you the spark to start each workday can set your own professional bio apart from others. 

Example:  “Claire was inspired to pursue a career in elder law after volunteering in a nursing home throughout high school and college.” 

Close with some personal details, if appropriate

Even though your bio will be used in a professional capacity, it's okay to list a few personal details. We're more than just our jobs, and adding a few personal facts can help illustrate who you are outside of the office. 

Example:  “When he's not working, Martin can be found tending to his spice garden and going on nature walks with his golden retriever.” 

Short professional bio do's and don'ts 

Even though there are no official rules for writing a bio, there are still some things you should try to strive for as well as steer clear of if you want to make the best possible impression. 

Be real:  Your bio is not the place to fudge the truth about who you are. Be honest about what you've done and where you're heading. Not telling the truth could bar you from achieving your goals and land you in hot water. 

Be concise:  We really hate to be the one to tell you this, but unfortunately, most people do not have the time or patience to read a five-paragraph essay about your life story. Sorry to break it to you! 

Try to keep things brief and avoid run-on sentences. We recommend running your bio through a  free clarity reader grammar-checking tool  to make sure your bio isn't too wordy or hard to understand. 

Be relatable:  No matter how lofty your accomplishments are, staying grounded may help you establish stronger connections with others. This is where adding personal details and highlighting your personal brand can serve you well. Whether that's with a  hobby, interest , or other role outside of work, being relatable can let others understand and get to know you better and determine if you would be a good fit for a company.  

Don't: 

Be arrogant:  It's both appropriate and expected for you to talk about your professional skills and accomplishments in your short bio. That being said, there's a fine line between talking about your achievements and sounding too braggy. These two examples talk about the same accomplishment but come across very differently: 

“An accomplished pianist, Ryan was selected out of nearly 7,000 applicants to perform at the annual New York State School Music Association festival last spring.” 

“An accomplished pianist, Ryan was the obvious choice to perform at the annual New York State School Music Association festival last spring (because he's the best).” 

Be spiteful:  This is especially relevant if you're revising your bio  after a lay-off  or termination. As tempting as it might be, avoid making any negative statements or accusations in your bio. Positivity and a good attitude will get you much further.

Short professional bio examples

Seeing real professional bios in the wild might help you craft your bio more so than a set of guidelines will. For that reason, we rounded up four real-life short bio examples on different platforms that you can draw further inspiration from. 

Personal website bio: Audree Kate Lopez

"AUDREE KATE LOPEZ IS A FASHION STYLIST, EDITOR, INDUSTRY EXPERT AND INFLUENCER BASED IN NEW YORK. Audree began her professional career in the fashion departments at Glamour, O, the Oprah Magazine, Editorialist and Redbook magazines. She launched Audree Kate Studios in 2017 and worked on freelance projects at Marc Jacobs, Alice + Olivia, J.Crew and Club Monaco, joined the styling team at Alice + Olivia and became a contributing fashion editor for StyleCaster.com. Over the past few years Audree has styled for various publications, celebrities and retail brands. In 2016, Audree founded a digital course and community for fashion students called Fashion Fundamentals and has hosted workshops and classes around the country, and wrote an ebook titled Fashion Fundamentals."

Why we picked it:  Audree's professional bio does a great job at telling and humbling her story. Taking her career from her dorm room all the way to major magazines is impressive and gives readers the right impression that she's ambitious and driven. It also gives a strong overview of all of the different yet relevant accomplishments she's checked off, ranging from styling, to editing, to creating her own course. 

LinkedIn bio: Christen Nino De Guzman 

"Latina creator. Speaker. Tech Mentor. Christen is the Founder of the newly launched app Clara, a community that empowers creators through transparency, brand reviews, and discoverability. An industry vet, Christen has almost a decade of experience working with top content creators at social networking companies such as Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. She is a motivational speaker and mentor in the tech space who is passionate about helping people break into the industry through career advice and actionable content."

Why we picked it:  Christen's professional bio is punchy, concise, and gives her credibility. The short few sentences at the very beginning are a creative and clever way to describe who she is right off the bat. She also mentions how many years of experience she has, which at this stage in her career, is a wise move and shows that she brings a high level of expertise to her pursuits. The decision to put her social media profiles makes sense and feels true to her, given her engaged following. 

Twitter bio: Dulma 

"Founder of Makelane, a private community for female DTC founders. 70K followers on TikTok where I analyze consumer brands"

Why we picked it:  Twitter only gives you 160 characters for your bio, truly keeping it a short bio, but Dulma does an excellent job maximizing what little space is given. Dulma's professional bio clearly and succinctly states her two main pursuits: being a founder of an online community and creating content for a large audience on TikTok. 

Company website bios: Teachable

"Meet our wonderful team We're a tight-knit group of curious creatures, always learning, and constantly seeking out new perspectives and ideas. Get to know our team—they're what makes Teachable, well, Teachable."

Why we picked it : Having a short professional bio on a company website can be beneficial for many reasons. Each of the four bios featured on Teachable's company site show individuality and make the company more relatable to customers or clients. It provides an opportunity for the individual to showcase their experience, skills, and achievements, which can help build trust and confidence in potential clients or customers. These bios, with full names and pictures, allow the reader to learn more about the individual's expertise and background and can encourage networking opportunities.

Short professional bio templates

If you prefer to plug and play or need a professional bio in a pinch, don't worry, we've still got you. Here are three short bio templates to get you started:

Short professional bio template for working professionals

[First name last name]  is  [currently/formerly]  a  [insert most recent job title]  at  [most recent company name] . A proud graduate of  [school or university] , they were inspired to pursue a career in  [field]  after  [explain what led to your decision to work in your industry] . Prior to working at [most recent job title], they were the  [previous title]  at  [previous company]  where they were responsible for  [insert professional accomplishments here] . In their free time, they can be found  [insert your favorite hobbies] . 

Short professional bio template for students

[First name last name]  is a current  [year]  at  [institution]  majoring in  [area(s) of study] . On campus,  [First name]  is actively involved in  [activity name] , for which they  [insert details about what you do for the activity you're involved in] . They most recently  [interned/worked]  at  [organization name] , where they had the opportunity to  [insert details about what you did on the job] . They intend to work in the  [insert field name or industry]  after graduation to follow their passion of  [insert what you are passionate about] . In their spare time, they can be found  [insert your favorite hobbies] . 

Short professional bio template for someone with a gap in employment

[First name last name] is a [position/job title] with [number] years of experience in [specific skills or industry] . Following [briefly mention the reason for the employment gap] , [he/she/they] took some time off to focus on [briefly mention what they did during the gap, e.g., personal development, family obligations, health reasons] . During this time, [he/she/they] also [briefly mention any relevant skills or achievements acquired during the gap] . [Name] is now eager to return to the workforce and is excited to bring [specific skills/accomplishments] to [his/her/their] next role. With a proven track record of [list specific achievements or skills] , [Name] is confident in [his/her/their] ability to contribute to [specific industry/profession] and make an impact in [his/her/their] next position.

If you decide to use any of these templates, we strongly recommend you tweak it ever-so-slightly. We don't mean diving into creative writing and rewriting it entirely; just add a little bit of personal flair once you've finished plugging your details in. Add some adjectives, remove anything that doesn't quite fit with your vibe or experiences, or append some more personal details as you see fit. Feel free to work off of any one of the bios from our resume examples to get feel for how different styles can be used across roles.

Remember, as cheesy as it sounds, there's only one you. Even if you use a template, your bio should still have a small sprinkle of personal flair, if possible. 

Create your professional bio with Teal

Crafting a professional bio that effectively showcases your unique skills and accomplishments can be a challenging task. It's important to keep in mind that your bio should be concise and focused on the most relevant details of your career. If you're struggling with what to include, consider starting with the basics and keeping it simple and factual.

Remember, your bio can evolve over time along with your career, so don't be afraid to make updates as you gain more experience and achieve new accomplishments. By taking these steps, you can create a friendly and professional bio that effectively represents your personal brand.

Ready to create a full set of professional bios to get to your next career goal faster? Sign up to start using the AI Resume Builder to generate professional your professional bios directly within the platform.

Once you have your professional bio, don't forget to use Teal's free AI Resume Builder  to update your resume with your skills, latest experience, and work achievements! The job of your resume is to get you in the door. Optimizing it will help you land interviews for the next opportunities that excite you.

Use the AI integration feature within Teal's AI Resume Builder to generate achievements. To get quality, metric-driven achievements, make sure to attach a job description to incorporate relevant keywords.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of a short professional bio.

An example of a short professional bio is: "Katie is a seasoned marketing professional with over 10 years of experience in digital advertising strategies. She has helped numerous brands achieve their online marketing goals, leading to increased visibility and 3x revenue YoY."

How do you write an impressive short bio?

To write an impressive short bio, focus on your most significant achievements, relevant skills, and experiences that set you apart. Keep it concise and tailored to your audience to engage and leave a memorable impression. You can also use the Teal  AI Resume Builder  Generative AI to craft a bio that highlights your unique professional journey and skills in an engaging way.

What is a short biography about yourself?

A short biography about yourself should concisely summarize your professional background, major accomplishments, and skills. For example, "I'm an innovative software developer with 5 years of experience in creating scalable applications, known for my ability to troubleshoot complex issues and my commitment to delivering high-quality software solutions."

Emily Polner

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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:

Getty Images

• 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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BUSINESS STRATEGIES

How to write a professional bio (with examples and templates)

• Rebecca Strehlow
• 11 min read

Get started by: Creating a website →  | Getting a domain →

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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How To Write a Professional Bio (With Templates & Examples)

So, you’ve been asked for your biography. As a professional, you almost surely recognize the need for a resume , and maybe you even have an up-to-date resume ready to be used with very little notice (if you don’t, you should!). But a biography ? If you are like most of the professionals we work with at Distinctive Career Services , you didn’t even know you needed one until you were asked for it.

While C-suite executives and board candidates might be called on to provide a biography more frequently, even new college graduates can benefit from a professional biography. Just some of the situations in which a bio might be needed include the following:

If you are a public speaker or presenting in any capacity, you may be asked for a bio

If you are an author, you will often need a bio

Entrepreneurs and business owners will often need a bio for bid packages, proposals, and when seeking investors or other funding

Independent consultants and freelancers can stand out to prospective clients with a well-crafted bio

Consultants working in a larger professional services firm will often be asked for a bio

Any professional service provider such as lawyers and financial advisors

People seeking a seat on a board of directors (both for-profit and nonprofit boards)

Executives and other business leaders will often be asked for a bio

Really, when you consider that biographies can be used for networking purposes , as an interview leave-behind , when you publish anything, when you are speaking or presenting, on a website (for example, an “About Me” page or a business page introducing key employees of your employer), as part of a conference program (as a presenter or attendee), as a download from social media accounts , and much more, you begin to realize that almost any professional will benefit from having a well-written biography as part of their career marketing portfolio.

What Is a Professional Bio & How Is It Different From Your Resume?

Simply put, a biography is a narrative document, almost never longer than one page, that is written in the third-person perspective.

A well-written biography provides an attention-grabbing and meaningful introduction to you by telling your story in a way that illustrates your professional value.

But, isn’t that what a resume does ? And your LinkedIn profile?

The answer is yes. Your biography, your resume , and your LinkedIn profile are all marketing pieces intended to sell you as THE person capable of meeting the needs of your target audience. They all should articulate your personal brand and tell your career story .

Still, there are significant differences and each serves its own purpose (although there is overlap and all complement the other). For a detailed comparison, see the infographic on this page.

The Best Biography is a Focused Biography

Your biography is not meant to be everything to all people. Consider it more of a living document that can be customized and edited for various situations .

Many people mistakenly refer to executive biographies, board biographies , and professional biographies as if they are three different documents. They are not.

Sure, they are different in wording, but that difference has to do with the way they are focused and the audience to whom they are written to appeal. Regardless of whether you are writing your resume , your LinkedIn profile, or any type of professional biography, it is essential that you know your audience and what will interest them and engage them.

For example, the biography of a CEO seeking a public company board position is going to be different than the bio of a sales executive who is speaking at an industry association’s annual conference. The bio that an independent consultant provides to prospective clients will be different as well. Consider even that the biography of a consultant who is targeting engagements with startup companies will be very different than the biography of a consultant targeting engagements with Fortune 500 companies. The reason? Simple. The CEO of a startup is facing very different challenges than the CEO of a Fortune 500. Your biography should be written to speak to the needs of the audience you are targeting .

The bottom line: know your focus, know what your audience is looking for, and then craft the story conveyed in your bio to speak to those needs. The value that your audience perceives in you is directly tied to your story and your story is one of the most important factors in getting people to know you, like you, and trust you.

7 Expert Tips For How to Write Your Professional Bio

First, think about the purpose for which you are writing your biography. Who will be reading it? What are your target audience’s challenges, problems, goals, and/or needs? What type of information will likely appeal to them?

Take a look at your entire career from a holistic perspective and mine for the stories. Think about each of your employers and how you added value. What are the common threads or “themes”? These themes will often help you pinpoint your  unique value proposition . How will your unique value proposition be meaningful and  solve the problems /meet the needs of your target audience? You must know the answer to this question before sitting down to write your biography.

Don’t just repeat the details in your resume . Facts are stepping stones to your personal story, they are not the end goal. It is okay to leave out your early career details or other roles that don’t help you tell your story. It is okay to structure and order your biography in whatever order makes the most sense for your story. While the overall message and branding should match, your biography should be written to tell a more personally revealing and narrative story in which your unique style shines through, and your voice is heard.

You need to hook the reader right from the beginning. There are a variety of writing strategies that you can experiment with in your own bio to capture the readers’ attention immediately. Here are a few ideas:

Try leading with a sentence that makes it immediately clear to the reader that you understand their problems, challenges, and needs and are the ideal person to solve them . Here is an example from the bio of an executive who was targeting leadership roles with small and mid-size companies:

“Leading small-to-mid-size companies to a better tomorrow than today. That is the motivating goal that drives Nelson Turner’s executive leadership. Combined with his overarching belief that so-called business problems and challenges are just opportunities in disguise, requiring strategic and visionary leadership to recognize and capitalize on those opportunities, his career record is one of repeated and continuous success…”

Other techniques might include leading with a quote of something you have said that reflects your value proposition. Here is another professional bio example from the opening of a healthcare industry executive  biography:

“With more than 20 years of executive leadership in healthcare, Leslie Blanco offers a time-tested and proven record of innovation, inspirational leadership, and growth. Recognized as a visionary strategist who passionately energizes the organizations she leads, Leslie has a special talent for engaging stakeholders at all levels and driving through internal and external barriers to exceed corporate objectives where others have failed before. “My definition of ‘No’ is different,” she explains. “No is just an opportunity to invite more people into the conversation, to find your way to Yes.”…”

A quote that another person has said or written about you can sometimes be an attention grabber. Here is an example of this strategy in action (this was the opening of a biography professionally written for a hospitality industry executive ):

“Often referred to as a hospitality “Renaissance Woman” by her friends and colleagues, Janice Griffin has dedicated her life to the craft of developing and managing top-rated boutique resort and hotel developments in business, vacation, and experiential destinations….”

If you have an especially compelling “origin” story that explains what has shaped you into the leader you are today, you could try leading with that, as in this example executive’s professionally written biography :

“A first-generation American of immigrant parents, Omar Khalil grew up believing that with hard work and perseverance, no dream was beyond reach. His father came to America with just $50 borrowed dollars and a desire to pursue the American Dream. Working two full time jobs while he took classes and earned his master’s degree, Omar’s father became a pharmacist and a real estate investor. Omar explains that it was from watching this journey that he was inspired to pursue his own career with such fervor, a career that has taken him in even more uncommon directions than his father’s mix of the pharmaceutical industry and real estate….”

Avoid using jargon ; especially unsubstantiated jargon. Tell a story that shows you are an “outside the box” thinker rather than stating it. The same is true of words and phrases such as results-driven, go-to person, innovative, team player, proactive, etc. It isn’t that you should  never  use these words if you believe they best convey the message that will appeal to your audience. Rather, you should not use them without using a story to  demonstrate  how these are true of you and how they will benefit the reader.

For example, you can state that you are a change agent, or you can show it through the stories of your career . Imagine how much less credibility this example executive biography for a financial services industry executive  (this is an excerpt from the middle) would be without the stories demonstrating HOW she is a “change agent”:

“Recognized as a high-energy, dedicated change agent, most recently as the COO of Xxxxx Advisors, Joan is credited with transforming the established $1.4B AUM wealth management firm, significantly raising the firm’s valuation and positioning it for acquisition by Xxxxxx Group. After pinpointing considerable cultural and process barriers to achieving strategic goals, Joan took over the operational reins of the firm and led development and implementation of a turnaround plan that included a substantive talent refresh, deep cultural change, and process re-engineering, while simultaneously scaling Xxxxxx’s primary differentiator—behavioral wealth management—a holistic offering that combines wealth and investment management with human behavior science. As results, Xxxxx’s operations were completely streamlined and empowered to do much more with less while cementing an edge within the competitive wealth management market….”

Sharing a little bit of personal information that shows who you are outside of work can help infuse your biography with personality, making the content seem more authentic, genuine, and uniquely yours. Unless it relates to your target in a direct way, it is a good idea to steer away from information that reveals religion, politics, or other associations that might be the cause of conscious or unconscious bias. However, including some information about your interests, hobbies, travels, charities you support, brand values, personal vision, and sometimes even your family can be conversation starters and help make you more relatable to the reader, establishing connections.

Here is an example of this from the board biography of an executive in an  investment firm :

“Aligned with her recent leadership in the socially responsible investing (SRI) space, Kathy is a dedicated and passionate advocate for sustainability, environmental, and social justice causes. In recent years, this has included traveling to North Dakota with a coalition of EMA, First Peoples, Oneida Foundation, and members of the press to raise awareness for the Standing Rock cause, and Kathy authored the Xxxxxxx corporate resolution regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline. In 2016, Kathy spoke at the Environmental Media Awards in Los Angeles, and in 2015, at the High-Water Women conference. Through her work at Xxxxx, Kathy had the chance to partner with activist nonprofit organizations such as Xxxxxx Foundation, Environmental Xxxxxx Association, Xxxxxxx Foundation, Xxxx Affirmative, and others. Kathy presently lives in City, State and can be reached at 000.000.0000.”

Here is another very different example from another executive board biography:

“Martina Hartford currently resides in Xxxxxxxxx. She is an avid world traveler and in her personal time she enjoys seeking out new adventures internationally. Her charitable interests center primarily on international humanitarian efforts that benefit impoverished people around the world, particularly those that seek to better the lives and education of children.”

Edit, edit, and then edit again. When you think your biography is perfect, set it down overnight and then read it again.

Edit some more.

Your goal is to be as succinct as possible; to tell your story and get your message across with as few words as necessary.

Don’t try to “wow” your reader with fancy language and obscure words that will require them to read with a dictionary. Use clear language that is formal yet conversational. Break up long sentences into shorter sentences. Break long, dense paragraphs into multiple shorter, easier-to-read paragraphs.

What Should Your Professional Bio Look Like?

As explained earlier in this article, biographies can take many forms and be used in many different ways. The recommendations here apply to more traditional, one-page narrative biographies.

Do include a professional headshot photograph of yourself. While you should never include a photograph of yourself on your resume , it is expected that you will do so on your biography. For consistency and branding, it is a good idea to use the same photo (or a slight variation of the same photo) that you are using on your LinkedIn profile.

Do create a professional-looking letterhead and document design that matches the style and branding of your resume, cover letters, references, and any other career marketing documents you use. Modern resumes are often eye-catching and use color and design element s to make them stand out. Your biography should be designed similarly. The template collections shown below from Distinctive Resume Templates illustrate how this can be done. Use a coordinating design for each document you include as part of your career marketing portfolio.

It isn’t necessary, but it has become common to include some sort of sidebar or other callout box to bring attention to key highlights. These sidebars and callout boxes can be used in a variety of ways, such as:

• To list the industries you have experience in
• To list key qualifications that you bring to the table
• To highlight 3-5 major career achievements
• To provide a brief chronology of employment
• To include a “testimonial” quote of something nice someone has said about you
• To list board positions you have held
• To list educational credentials
• To list technical skills

If you don’t have the design skills to create a professional document, there are professional bio templates available at a very low cost. If you do decide to use a template for your bio, make sure you redesign your resume to match the design. Distinctive Resume Templates are arranged in collections that make this easy. Choose the design that catches your eye and purchase the entire collection with templates designed to make it easy for you to give your bio, resume, and other career marketing documents a modern facelift. The biography templates shown below are just a sampling of what is available.

Of course, if you hire Distinctive Career Services to help you with your biography and other career marketing documents, in addition to writing the content, we will also create attractive, on-brand designs for all your documents.

Ready To Get Started?

Your biography tells your personal story and promotes your personal brand in a way that no other document can do. It provides the chance for you to introduce yourself and make a polished first impression , using stories to create chemistry and connection with the reader.

An up-to-date biography is an important tool to add to your career marketing portfolio, no matter whether you are an executive or a new graduate fresh out of college . To get professional help writing your biography or any other career document, reach out today . Distinctive Career Services is here to help!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a professional bio.

A professional bio is a narrative document, usually no longer than one page, written in the third-person perspective. It provides a meaningful introduction to you by telling your story in a way that illustrates your professional value.

How is a professional bio different from a resume?

While both a professional bio and a resume are marketing pieces intended to sell you as the ideal person for your target audience, they serve different purposes. A resume typically lists your work experience and skills, while a professional bio tells your story in a more narrative and personally revealing way.

Who needs a professional bio?

Almost any professional can benefit from having a well-written biography. This includes public speakers, authors, consultants, executives, and business leaders. A professional bio can be used for networking purposes, as an interview leave-behind, when you publish anything, when you are speaking or presenting, on a website, as part of a conference program, and much more.

How should I start writing my professional bio?

Begin by thinking about the purpose of your biography and who will be reading it. Consider the challenges, problems, goals, and needs of your target audience. Look at your entire career from a holistic perspective and identify the common threads or “themes” that highlight your unique value proposition.

What should I avoid when writing my professional bio?

Avoid using jargon and unsubstantiated claims. Instead, tell a story that shows your unique qualities and skills. Also, avoid trying to “wow” your reader with fancy language and obscure words. Use clear, formal yet conversational language.

Can I include personal information in my professional bio?

Yes, sharing a bit of personal information can help infuse your biography with personality. This can include information about your interests, hobbies, travels, charities you support, and sometimes even your family. However, it’s best to steer away from information that reveals religion, politics, or other associations that might cause bias.

How should my professional bio look like?

Your professional bio should include a professional headshot photograph of yourself and should have a professional-looking letterhead and document design that matches the style and branding of your resume and other career marketing documents. It’s also common to include a sidebar or other callout box to highlight key points.

Do I need professional help to write my professional bio?

While it’s possible to write your professional bio on your own, getting professional help can ensure that your bio is well-written, engaging, and effectively communicates your professional value. Professional services can also help with creating attractive, on-brand designs for your bio and other career marketing documents.

About the Author: Michelle Dumas

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

Published: December 20, 2023

As a writer, I have to let readers and potential clients know my expertise, my skills, and why they should work with me or be interested in what I say. So, a professional bio is a must in my industry.

Though I'm definitely familiar with professional bios, I can admit they can be challenging. What do I include? What do readers need to know?

As daunting as writing a professional bio can be, professional bios are crucial when applying for jobs, seeking new clients, or networking. A professional bio also gives the world a brief snapshot of you and your professional ideals.

If you‘re at a loss for how to write a professional bio that packs a punch, I’ve got you covered. In this journey, tools like HubSpot’s user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder can be instrumental in showcasing your professional bio online with ease and style.

I will walk you through how to write a professional bio that you can proudly publish, provide professional bio templates, and show you the best professional bio examples you can get inspiration from.

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

Create a compelling professional narrative for a proper, attention-grabbing introduction.

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You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today:

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 understand your personality and what you stand for.

Writing a bio without a clear starting point is challenging — believe me, I've tried. To ease the process, here are some templates I put together to get you started.

I‘ve found it’s best to keep your professional bio honest and to the point. Too long of a bio, and you risk losing your audience's attention. After all, audiences will only read a web page for less than a minute before clicking elsewhere.

And honesty is key because most consumers and clients won‘t invest in someone or something if it doesn’t seem trustworthy. In fact, 67% of consumers say they must trust a brand before investing in its products or services.

"Plus," she adds, "I'm always happy to talk about my cats at any given moment. You never know when a fellow cat mom could be reading."

Values and Work Approach

Your values can sometimes show your work ethic more effectively than your career path. It can also help you endear yourself to employers and colleagues who want to work with people with similar values.

So don‘t be shy: Share how you incorporate your values into your work. Whether it’s a commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, or ethical decision-making, explain what drives you and be enthusiastic about it.

Your Personality

Remember: Your bio should always include a taste of your personality! Your sense of humor, creativity, or collaborative nature could all give readers a sense of who you are. This helps readers connect with you on a more personal level.

Remember to tailor your bio for different platforms and audiences. Also, keep 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 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.

How to Write 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 I’d 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."

Speaking in the first person here connects you with a client or brand based on your 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 valuable details.

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

Let's say Animal Crossing is your hobby. Does it align with your career aspirations? It can be a great addition to your bio if you want to pursue a video game career.

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

How to Write 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 emphasizing 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 challenging 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 most comfortable way for you.

Your professional bio is an essential 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 asked to "send one over via email."

You have 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. Therefore, 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 following few lines of your bio to describe what you do in that position. Refrain from assuming 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 through 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 defining 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 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.

Following the steps above when writing your bio is important, but take your time with 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

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 catchy. Your professional bio will delight the right people coming across it on multiple platforms.

Professional bios can live on your LinkedIn profile , company website, guest posts, 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 or 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? Let‘s review a few sample bios for professionals like you and me. Then, we’ll cover bio examples from some of the best people in the industry.

Short Sample Bios

Your bio doesn't have to be complicated. Here are five samples to glean inspiration from.

Example 1: Friendly Sample Bio

"Hey! My name is Ryan, and I'm a marketing specialist passionate about digital advertising. I have five years of experience managing various online campaigns and improving brand visibility for clients across multiple verticals. I love analyzing consumer behavior and leveraging data-driven strategies to maximize ROI. Outside work, I enjoy traveling, taking funny photos, and exploring new hiking trails."

Example 2: Mid-Career Sample Bio

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

Example 3: Sales Sample Bio

"I'm a seasoned sales executive with a track record of exceeding targets and building strong client relationships. With a background in B2B sales, I've built a natural ability to understand customer needs and consistently exceed quota every month. I pride myself in my communication skills and strategic approaches, which have helped me thrive in highly competitive markets such as SaaS sales. Outside work, I enjoy playing basketball and volunteering at local charities."

Example 4: HR Sample Bio

"I am a dedicated human resources professional with a passion for fostering a positive workplace culture and facilitating employee development. With eight years of experience in talent acquisition and HR operations, I've played a key role in building high-performing teams. I'm known for my strong interpersonal skills and ability to create inclusive and supportive work environments. In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga and exploring new culinary experiences."

Example 5: Software Engineer Sample Bio

"David Chang is a senior 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 like C++, Java, and Ruby on Rails. In his spare time, David enjoys reading science fiction novels and playing the guitar."

Below, we've curated some of the best professional bio examples we've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the various places 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.

She can keep readers engaged by leading with a powerful hook that aligns with her target audience’s marketing needs.

• There’s clarity about who Chima serves.
• The hook is bold, catchy, and compels anyone to read further.
• Including client results makes 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 where he might play music.

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:

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 ).

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.

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

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."

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."

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:

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.

• 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

• Tristen Taylor: 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. Tristen Taylor: Marketing Manager

Bio platform: blog byline.

Tristen Taylor is a Marketing Manager here at HubSpot. She's written content for HubSpot's Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service blogs; her blog author bio is one of my favorites.

What I love most about Tristen's bio is that it’s a great example of how to deliver information about yourself that is relevant to your work while also sharing fun details that audiences will find relatable.

Her bio reads:

"Building from her experience with GoCo.io and Southwest Airlines, Tristen's work has been recognized by Marketing Brew and BLACK@INBOUND. She lives in Washington, DC, attending anime conventions and painting in her free time."

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.

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 skills 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.

Don't forget to share this post!

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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  
• LinkedIn Learning. (2021, March 23). How to use LinkedIn to find a job [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XLhiwW0HK0&t=60s  

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How to Write a Professional Bio – and 6 Great Examples

• Carolyn Manion Kinnie
• March 25, 2024

Table of Contents

 If you care about your personal brand , you care about how to write a professional bio. Regardless of your position and industry, learning how to write a good professional bio is non-negotiable. Even if you just need a short paragraph for your company’s website,  That’s why we’ve compiled this guide for how to write a professional bio. Today we’ll talk about why your professional bio matters, share a rough template for your bio, and share six professional bio examples for several situations that might be applicable to your own needs. Get ready to learn how to write the best professional bio of any length, for any reason! 

Why your Professional Bio Matters

Many professionals don’t focus on building a personal brand until they need a new job, are trying to win over a customer, or decide to start their own business. But waiting until you’re in a jam isn’t the way to go about building your personal brand! Rather, you should start building it once you’re comfortable in your career. That way, no matter where you go and what goals you strive for, you are always putting your best professional foot forward. Learning how to write a great professional bio now will save you time later and create a foundation for a consistent brand. 

Whether you’re content in your profession, or considering a career pivot, writing a great professional bio will help you meet your goals. First impressions matter a lot–recruiters and potential employers will see your professional bio and make a snap judgment about you if anything seems “off.” For established professionals, a good bio helps represent you and your company. Clients or anyone else for whom you are the “face” of the company will read your bio and decide whether they want to work with you. And if you’re thinking of shifting into a new industry or launching a speaking business, a professional bio will help others learn about your personal brand. 

Ultimately, your personal brand is the story you tell on and offline. Your professional bio is the vehicle for putting that story into words. It’s worth putting in extra effort to polish and perfect–whether it’s on your website, LinkedIn profile, company directory, or your speaker one sheet . 

How to Write a Professional Bio

We’ll cover several different bio examples for all kinds of professionals today, but they have a few key elements in common. Mastering how to write a professional bio comes down to communicating the essential information about yourself while interesting the reader in your business, product, or personal brand!

There are five non-negotiables for any good professional bio. You can use these as a template, but keep in mind every situation is different! Sometimes, it might be expedient to leave out one of these elements, especially if you have a word limit. However, in general, you should strive to include them all! They are: 

1. Your name and title. It’s very important that people know who they’re reading about–this could mean having “CEO” next to your name on a company directory, or it could mean describing your entrepreneurial ventures succinctly and clearly at the start of your LinkedIn profile. Even if the person reading your bio closes the tab after the first sentence, at least they will remember who you are and where you work! 

2.Where you work or serve currently (even if it’s your own business!). If you’re writing a professional bio for work, this means elaborating on the role you play at your company. If your bio is for an event program, social media, or personal website, this means mentioning your place of work and position or the services you or your company offers. In the latter case, if you’re a photographer, speaker, or another kind of “solopreneur,” you should explain what you do and who you serve in more detail–especially for unique professions. 

3. Your expertise or experience (certifications, degrees, other roles served, etc.). This is the part where you summarize your resumé, but make it interesting! Trace the path from the start of your career (or even earlier!) to where you are today. List past jobs, military service, volunteer experiences, or anything else that shaped your professional life.  

4. Career highlights (awards, recognition, accomplishments, companies founded). We can’t commend bragging all the time, but your professional bio is one place you should brag! Remember, this bio is an integral part of your personal brand that could affect future job opportunities, client relationships, and your overall journey to success. Mention as many career highlights, awards, and big achievements as you can. You can leave out accomplishments unrelated to your current field of work if you are writing a shorter bio, but those “irrelevant” facts can add color and expansiveness to the impression of your expertise. If you’re one of the “solopreneurs” we described above, you should also include testimonials from past clients here. 

5. A personal touch (family, hobbies, or fun fact). Many people struggle with integrating their personal life into a professional bio. After all, how does your dog’s name, your marathon time, or how many grandchildren you have factor into your business endeavors? The truth is, your bio is being written for people to read. And humans like reading about other humans! Where appropriate, reminding the audience of your bio that you are just like them, a person with personable interests, will engage and create a positive first impression. 

Audience targeting tips

While you should always maintain these five critical elements as much as possible, the audience of your bio will determine exactly how you implement them. Whether your bio appears on your company site or on an event program will drastically affect how you structure it and what details you include or exclude. Before you write a professional bio for any purpose ask: what does the reader already know about me? Why are they looking at this bio? What are they hoping to find out? What do they need from me? Then, write a bio that answers those questions. Knowing your audience is the key for how to write a professional bio that really stands out from the crowd!

Feeling overwhelmed by the many possible variations of your professional bio? We always recommend maintaining a “master bio” that you can tweak for any audience. In your “master bio,” you can include the maximum amount of information that might belong in a professional bio. Then, you can edit, update, or rearrange for various contexts. Now, we’re going to move on to professional bio examples from leaders, entrepreneurs, and world-transformers. As you read through them, take note of elements that you can add to your “master bio.” By the time you get to the end, you’ll have a well-rounded sampling of all the amazing forms a professional bio can take!

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Professional bio examples

Dominique luster.

For a great example of a short professional bio, we’ll start with TSL alum Dominique Luster. (You could say we’re biased, but Dominique is really cool!)Dominique is a historian and DEI speaker who helps  In this bio for a program at a university employee conference , Dominique introduces her unique platform in one powerful sentence. While this might seem challenging, you can and should learn how to do the same. Even if you have carved a unique career for yourself, it’s important to figure out how to communicate it in as few words as possible. If you’re an entrepreneur, doing so can help you verbalize your Expert Positioning Statement , one of the most important assets in your marketing toolkit. 

Dominique’s bio goes on to describe how her professional experience illuminated the historical realities that inspired her to educate others. Finally, she finishes strong with her mission . If you are a speaker, entrepreneur, or founder, try to include your mission in even the shortest of bios. 

Since her keynote is being delivered in a fairly formal academic setting, it makes sense to avoid personal details. Furthermore, her bio is clearly oriented to pique interest in the subject of her talk. As we’ll discuss in more detail further on, a bio for an event usually serves the double purpose of informing audience members about who you are and marketing your talk. Dominique uses the limited space allowed to her to vividly describe a historiographical problem and her solution for it, so the audience knows exactly what they’re getting into. Sounds pretty fascinating, right? Good news–you can listen to Dominique tell her story of becoming a DEI speaker on our Podcast here .

Dan Martell

Dan Martell’s bio for SaaS academy is another great example of using just a few words to convey a lot of useful information. In just over 100 words, he supplies all the information that someone wanting to learn more about SaaS Academy would need to be assured of the company’s credibility. In the first paragraph he describes his relationship to the company, what the company does, and what he does outside of the company. Then he dives in deeper with the professional qualifications of himself and the business. Finally, for readers interested in Dan the person rather than SaaS Academy, he directs them to his personal site where you can read his much longer professional bio.

Unlike Dominique, Dan introduces a personal touch at the very beginning of this bio. In a company founder’s bio, personal details are extremely helpful to the audience. The founder’s personal brand significantly affects the perception of their company. details like “father” and “triathlete” remind readers that behind this business are normal people who do interesting things. Even if you have a strict word limit, try to include “fun facts” in any professional bio where humanizing the brand might make a difference. 

Learning how to write a short professional bio (~100 words) is incredibly useful for situations like event programs , social media profiles that aren’t LinkedIn, the author section of an article you write, and anywhere else with limited verbal real estate. These bios should include all the relevant information without going into too much detail. That doesn’t mean to just summarize your resume and hope for the best. Instead, you should strive for the same intentionality as you would with a long professional bio. List the information that most accurately communicates who you are, what you do, and how you can help whoever is reading the bio. We had Dan on the TSL podcast last year–listen to his branding tips here. 

Nancy Duarte

Nancy Duarte’s CEO blurb on the site for Duarte, her communications firm, is an incredible example of an executive professional bio. When you’re an executive, all eyes are on you. Even more so when your company is named after you! It’s normal to base your opinion of a company on what you know of the executive team. Nancy caters to this perception with a bio that emphasizes her professional qualifications as well as various interesting facts. It makes you think: “wow, I’d trust a company with her at the helm!”

When you have as many amazing achievements as Nancy Duarte, you can pick and choose what you open your bio with. She goes with her six books and her position within the company, establishing her brand as an author and executive. Her bio develops her brand with the added connotations of consultant, speaker, and University Lecturer. 

Notice the list of media organizations who have featured her takes up a lot of space. This kind of name-dropping plays a big role in professional bios, especially for executives. Keep in mind that people perusing the Duarte website are thinking about making what could be a very expensive investment in professional training or consulting. Whenever money is involved, well-established credentials are of utmost importance. Nancy isn’t just showing off–she’s letting potential customers know her methods are well-attested. 

After her long list of accomplishments, Nancy explains what her company does that is so unique in one simple sentence. Explaining your area of expertise in a single mission-oriented statement brings readers back to the why of your bio. Why are they reading about you? Because you have something to offer them. What do you do that other people don’t and what drives you? Always try to squeeze this information into your bio. Career highlights are and credentials are essential, but so is expressing what makes you different. We’ve got an amazing podcast episode about storytelling with Nancy Duarte that you can listen to right here . 

Anne Marie Anderson

Anne Marie Anderson is a woman of many talents. After a successful career in broadcasting, she started applying sports coaching expertise to corporate leadership. Her methodologies led her to become an incredibly successful speaker. Her professional speaker bio for a women’s leadership symposium is a great example of how to communicate the arc of your career alongside your expertise. Even if you’re not a motivational speaker , you likely have made or plan to make a career pivot at some point in your life. When that happens, your qualifications in one field may not seem immediately relevant to the next. If you simply list off bullet points from your resume, readers of your bio could turn skeptical. Your professional bio should solve this problem by connecting the dots.

Because Anne Marie’s bio is oriented toward a speaking presentation, she focuses on the subject of her talk. She describes the transformation her keynote offers the audience in simple but inviting terms. This kind of “teaser” makes people excited for her talk and interested in how they too can achieve that transformation. Then she explains how “Building an Audacious Mindset” rests on the methodology she learned behind the scenes of her sports broadcasting career–connecting the dots between her two career fields.

If you want more insights into making this kind of career pivot, we’ve got you covered! Anne Marie talked to our team about her amazing career and “building an audacious mindset” on the podcast right here.  

The next two professional bio examples we’re covering today are applicable to your personal website or LinkedIn profile. (LinkedIn profiles have a generous allowance of 2,600 characters or about 370 words.) In these situations you can really let the creative juices flow and tell your story. You also have the comfort and confidence of knowing your reader wants to know all about you. They aren’t looking to learn about your company, or an event, or somebody else whose name is on the same page. They want to know about you and how you can help them. 

Our first exemplar, Ty Bennett, has a personal website oriented toward his speaking and leadership training services. He begins with prestigious qualifications that showcase the variety and extent of his entrepreneurial career. When you’re a solopreneur who offers a service like speaking or consulting, it’s important to back up your qualifications. Testimonials are a straightforward way to do just that. Ty somewhat humorously arranges his at the top of his bio. He goes into more details about his past clients in the second paragraph after explaining the impact of his groundbreaking leadership methodology. 

He finishes off with a quick descriptor of his personal life and a short explanation of his mission. This rounds out his longer bio with a reminder of what’s important. When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to end your bio on a more personal, engaging note. No matter how many amazing awards you’ve won, your audience wants to know what really drives you. In Ty’s case, that’s clearly his family and a passion for cutting-edge leadership strategies. 

Ty has been a guest on our podcast a couple times before. We highly recommend his tips for speaking 100 times a year !

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Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday’s personal website is oriented toward his career as a writer. Unsurprisingly, it reads like a story–from his college dropout experience to his ranch in Texas. You’ll notice right away he talks a lot about his blog and his email list in his bio. These are his main way of connecting with readers…and potential customers.

If you have one product or platform that generates most of your followers or customers, emphasize it in your bio. Remember, your bio is probably the first touchpoint the reader has with your personal brand. You shouldn’t turn it into a sales pitch, but emphasize whatever one thing it is you want someone to do after reading your bio. For Ryan, that’s signing up for his email list! He makes this call to action easy peasy by including a newsletter form below this bio. 

Ryan is a speaker as well as a writer, and he talked about merging these two occupations On Our Podcast. Give it a listen if you’re interested in becoming a multifaceted entrepreneur!

Conclusion 

Writing a professional bio is an important skill for executives, mid-level employees, and entry-level professionals alike. With the help of these professional bio examples, you can craft your own stellar bio for any occasion. The most important advice we can give? Keep your audience in mind and tell a story. Stories are almost always a surefire way to make a good first impression. And most importantly, they help your personal brand remain fixed in your readers’ memory. 

• Last Updated: March 26, 2024

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3 stand-out professional bio examples to inspire your own

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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.

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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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