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.
Your professional bio is one of the most important pieces of your personal branding. It’s often the first introduction someone has to you and your work. A good bio tells people who you are highlights your credentials and convinces them to learn more.
In this article, we’ll look at bio examples from different fields and guide you through crafting the perfect profile. Follow these tips and you’ll have a short, compelling bio ready for your website, resume, social media, and beyond.
Elements of a Strong Professional Bio
Let’s break down the key components that make up an engaging, informative bio:
Lead With Your Name
Start off by clearly stating your full name. This may seem obvious, but it’s an important piece of info you don’t want to bury.
Add Your Current Job Title
After your name, share your current job title and company. This gives context around your role and expertise.
For example:
John Smith, Digital Marketing Manager at ABC Company
Share Career Facts and Stats
Next, highlight impressive facts about your career like:
- Years of experience in your field
- Notable companies you’ve worked for
- Major clients/projects in your portfolio
- Revenue generated, campaigns run, etc.
Backing up your expertise with statistics and data makes your bio more persuasive.
List Key Skills and Areas of Focus
Share your main skills, knowledge areas, and specialties. This gives people a clearer picture of your strengths.
For example:
Skilled in SEO, social media marketing, project management, and brand development
Note Major Accomplishments and Awards
Don’t be afraid to brag a little! Mention major accomplishments like degrees earned, professional awards received, or high-performing projects delivered.
Add Personality With Hobbies or Interests
Consider closing your bio by briefly sharing a unique hobby, talent, or interest outside work. This makes you more relatable. Just keep it professional.
Formatting Tips for Different Uses
How you format your bio depends on where it’s being used. Here are some top tips:
Website Bio Pages
- 200-500 words
- Paragraph format
- Can include some personal details
- Add headshot
Website bios let you flesh out your full credentials. Share your background, career path, skills, and passions.
Resume Bio Sections
- 4-6 bullet points
- Concise, results-focused
- No personal information
- Position below header at top of resume
Resume bios need to be snappy and skimmable. Use bullet points to highlight your best qualifications.
Social Media Bios
- 1-3 sentences
- Piques interest to click for more
- Includes branding keywords
- Links to website/blog/portfolio
Social bios must be crazy short to fit platforms like Twitter. Link out to fuller profiles elsewhere.
Email Signature Bios
- 2-4 lines
- Name, title, company
- Shows expertise
- Links to social profiles
Email signature bios are perfect for branded one-liners about your role. Add links to connect.
Speaker/Event Bios
- 50-150 words
- Boasts credentials to establish credibility
- Written in third-person
- Sets context around upcoming talk
Speaker bios need to sell your authority and expertise to sway event hosts.
Examples of Strong Professional Bios
Still not sure what makes a good bio? Here are some excellent real-world examples to inspire your own:
Marketing Expert Bio
Jane Smith is an experienced digital marketer with over 15 years growing brands online. She currently leads marketing at 123Tech, managing SEM, SEO, email campaigns, social media, and design projects. Jane has an MBA from Stanford and is an influential speaker at marketing conferences across the country.
This bio highlights the most impressive facts about Jane’s marketing career. Her credentials are front-loaded to establish authority.
Designer Bio
Lisa Chen is an award-winning graphic designer and AD at BCD Agency, where she oversees branding projects for major clients like XYZ Corp. Her work has been recognized by AIGA, Print Magazine, and HOW. Lisa has 10+ years experience in visual identity design, packaging design, and publication design. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from UCLA.
For designers, it’s important to feature your style, relevant design experience, and accolades. Lisa does this effectively in a compact paragraph.
Engineer Bio
Angela Robinson – Chemical Engineer
B.S. in Chemical Engineering – UC Berkeley
5 years experience in process engineering for petroleum industry
Skills: Data analysis, Six Sigma, AutoCAD, thermodynamics
Engineers should highlight technical expertise, data skills, major projects, and key software knowledge. Angela uses bullet points to organize her credentials.
Executive Bio
Justin Reyes, CEO of XYX Tech
Justin Reyes is CEO and founder of XYZ Tech, a software firm revolutionizing supply chain management. He has grown the company from 3 to over 300 employees and expanded nationally since 2015. Justin speaks frequently at tech conferences like Dreamforce and SXSW. He holds a Computer Engineering degree from UT Austin.
Executive bios must immediately establish leadership credentials. Justin’s bio paints him as an innovator and founder, secured with impressive growth stats.
Student Bio
Emily Davis, Sophomore at Syracuse University
Studying Marketing and Economics, GPA 3.8
Social Media Intern for ABC Inc.
Skills: Event planning, Microsoft Office, content writing
For students and recent grads, list your major, GPA, relevant coursework, internships, and transferable skills. Emily does this in just a few compact lines.
Tips for Writing Your Own Bio
Now it’s your turn! Follow these tips to craft a powerful, memorable professional bio:
-
Highlight your best assets – Feature your strongest credentials up top.
-
Quantify achievements – Use numbers and stats to establish credibility.
-
Spotlight skills – Emphasize niche expertise, technical knowledge, and thought leadership.
-
Adjust for audience – Cater language and details to who’s reading it.
-
Revise and refine – Keep tightening your bio as you progress in your career.
-
Use consistent voice – Maintain the same tone across all bios.
-
Make it skimmable – Employ bullet points, short sentences and paragraphs.
-
Link out – Embed links to portfolio pieces, social profiles and published work.
Your bio is an advertisement for your personal brand. Craft yours carefully to make the best first impression and highlight exactly why people should work with you!
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:
0 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.
How To Write A Short Professional Bio – PERSONAL Bio Example
How do I write a professional bio?
Before you go through the steps of writing out a full professional bio, you need to jot down some important information that you’d like to include. Consider your past accomplishments, your future goals, as well as what sets you apart from other people. Here are some tips to keep in mind: Start with your educational background.
Is there a template for a professional bio?
Of course, while there is no one-size-fits-all template for a professional bio, these templates are a quick way to start building your long or short bio before customizing it. But before choosing your bio template, there are some key elements to include to ensure yours is effective. For example, say you’re looking for a job.
What is an example of a professional bio?
Here are some examples of short professional bios: Here’s an example of a professional bio for an aspiring pediatric nurse: Denise’s bio is concise, but gives readers a good idea of their educational background and professional goals. It also shows that Denise is a compassionate person, and gives a little insight into their hobbies outside of work.
Why should you write a professional bio?
Whether you’re looking for a new job or trying to improve your online professional profile, expressing your skills, experiences, and goals is essential. That’s where your professional bio comes in. Writing a professional bio is one of the critical steps in creating a personal brand that enhances your job search.
