How To Write A Professional Bio: With Real Examples and Templates
Ever thought about the power of your bio? It’s your personal marketing advocate, your digital handshake, your chance to make a killer first impression. Whether it’s gracing your LinkedIn profile, your personal website, or your company page, a well-written bio can make all the difference.
So, if you’re ready to leave your mark, let’s figure out how you can write a bio that truly captures your professional essence and stands out.
What makes a professional bio
A bio is essentially a summary of your career, skills, and achievements. But a professional bio is more. It is a story about you, and like you, it is unique. A standout bio gets you noticed. It’s your chance to shine, putting your name on the map for potential employers, clients, and industry peers.
Think of what sets you apart from the sea of professionals in your field. Your bio should establish your credibility, showcase your originality, and leave potential partners wanting to know more.
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How to write a professional bio
Follow these steps and you’ll have a professional bio that not only introduces you properly but also leaves a lasting impression:
1. Know your reader
First things first, figure out who’s reading your bio. Are you speaking to potential employers, clients, or industry peers? Tailor your content to resonate with their interests and needs.
2. Introduce yourself
Kick off with your name and your current position. It sets the stage and gives immediate context. As you go further, prune your sentences for too many “I.” It may sound selfish. Instead of writing, “I love analytics and art,” say something like, “Analyst. Passionate about painting but still bad at it.” A little humor won’t hurt if your business field allows informal language.
3. Highlight professional milestones
Give a brief rundown of your career path. Highlight major milestones, roles, and the companies you’ve worked with. This offers a snapshot of your professional background.
4. Mention achievements
Now, it’s time to shine! Focus on key accomplishments that highlight your expertise and impact. Whenever possible, use metrics to quantify your successes.
5. Add personality
You want to be noticed, don’t you? Including a personal detail makes your bio more relatable and memorable. Share a hobby, a personal interest, or a short story. Remember to keep it professional, no dark humor.
6. Update regularly
Thinking of switching gears? Your bio is your best ally, highlighting your transferable skills and experiences, and making your career shift smooth and convincing. We recommend regularly updating your bio with new achievements and career changes. A stale bio can make you seem inactive in your field.
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Professional bio templates
Creating a professional bio from scratch can be daunting. Here are three templates to get you started:
Template 1: short and sweet
50-150 words
- Start with your name and current role.
- Summarize your expertise and key achievements in one or two sentences.
- Include one tiny detail about you to make your bio relatable.
- End with your contact information or a link to your portfolio.
Template 2: chronological
150-300 words
- Start with your name, current position, and company.
- Outline your educational and professional background in chronological order.
- Highlight your key achievements and notable projects. With numbers, if possible.
- Include a personal element such as hobbies or volunteer work.
- End with a CTA or a statement of your current focus.
Template 3: value proposition
300-500 words
- Introduce yourself and your current role.
- Explain what makes you unique in your field.
- Provide evidence of your skills through examples and accomplishments.
- Discuss your future goals and how you plan to reach them.
- Add a personal touch with a friendly joke or interest.
Professional bio examples
Here are awesome bio examples we’ve found around the web for your inspiration, showcasing a variety of styles.
Tim Cook, Apple
Tim Cook’s Apple bio is a masterclass of a powerful formal bio. It is rather strict and omits personal details, but Tim’s fascinating achievements as the CEO of Apple and prior need no additional embellishments.
Source: https://www.apple.com/leadership/tim-cook/
Richard Branson, Virgin Group
If you’re looking for examples of a longer bio, check out Richard Branson’s. It is engaging and includes personal anecdotes that illustrate his entrepreneurial spirit. For example:
Richard has challenged himself with many record breaking adventures, including the fastest ever Atlantic Ocean crossing, a series of oceanic balloon journeys and kitesurfing across the Channel.
Source: https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson
Oprah Winfrey, Oprah Winfrey Network
Oprah’s bio reflects her diverse career in media, philanthropy, and personal growth.
Oprah Winfrey is a global media leader, philanthropist, producer and actress. She has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world, making her one of the most respected and admired people today.
This is already enough to have a good understanding of Oprah’s professional journey, but if you want more, read on, because Oprah’s LinkedIn bio describes her outstanding career in luscious detail.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owinfrey/
Arianna Huffington, Thrive Global
Arianna Huffington’s bio showcases her accomplishments in media and wellness, along with her mission at Thrive Global.
Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
Details about personal and educational background like these help to draw a clearer picture of what contributed to Arianna’s entrepreneurial achievements.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/ariannahuff
Satya Nadella, Microsoft
Satya Nadella’s Microsoft bio highlights his achievements within the company, especially his role in driving innovation, as well as details about his prior experience, education, and childhood. The bio also includes his photos for the media, speech transcripts, and recent LinkedIn activity, which is an excellent PR move.
Joining Microsoft in 1992, he quickly became known as a leader who could span a breadth of technologies and businesses to transform some of Microsoft’s biggest product offerings.
Source: https://news.microsoft.com/exec/satya-nadella/
Bill and Melinda Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
If you’re working on a bio for a shared project, take inspiration from Bill and Melinda Gates. Their bio tells an incredible personal story and highlights work in philanthropy. It is followed by a scrupulously-detailed timeline of the foundation’s activities through the years, from 1994 to 2023.
Source: https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/our-story
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Let's talk!Andrew Huberman, Stanford School of Medicine, Huberman Lab
Apart from your previous work experience, the accolades that contributed to your career growth are always worth mentioning, like Andrew Huberman does in his outstanding bio:
Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. Huberman is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award in 2017, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision.
Source: https://www.hubermanlab.com/about
Brené Brown, University of Houston
Brené Brown, the author of six #1 New York Times bestsellers and podcast host, talks about her academic achievements and best-selling books in her bio. Brené also shares a personal life story with the help of chronologically sorted photos. Great highlights from her bio:
The official line: I’m a research professor at the University of Houston, where I hold the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair. The bottom line: I believe that you have to walk through vulnerability to get to courage, therefore…embrace the suck. I try to be grateful every day, and my motto right now is “Courage over comfort.”
Source: https://brenebrown.com/about/
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Writing an impactful short bio
Short bios are typically used on social media profiles, bylines, or as brief introductions. If long bios usually include more details about your career path, short bios can be even more challenging to compose. Every sentence counts. Here’s how to make a bio both short and memorable:
- Focus. Don’t tell the story of your whole life. Include only the most important aspects of your professional life, such as your current role, main achievements, and primary skills.
- Be short. Keep it brief, ideally under 75 words. Use clear and simple language to convey your message to a diverse audience.
- Add a pinch of you. Loving art and outdoors? Even in a short bio, a personal touch can add warmth and excitement.
Example of a short bio you could use as a template:
“Jane Clark is a digital marketing specialist at the Imaginary Corp with a passion for data-driven strategies. With over five years of experience, she has helped numerous brands increase their online presence. In her free time, Jane enjoys hiking, playing with her two dogs, and writing about tech trends.”
Wrapping up
A solid bio can be a game-changer, catapulting your career to new heights by increasing visibility, establishing credibility, facilitating networking, supporting career transitions, and enhancing your branding. Now, go ahead and pour your inspiration into a well-composed bio that highlights your unique value 💫
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