Professional Bio Templates and Tips

A professional biography is a short blurb that succinctly covers who you are professionally. Professional bios typically include your professional accomplishments, skills, certifications, education, experience, and any other relevant information based on the platform you’re sharing your bio with. These bios are used in various ways, including on professional networking platforms, on your resume, and on personal and professional websites. The goal of a professional bio is to give the reader a glimpse into your professional feats and experience and to attract attention from potential employers and recruiters.

The following are steps you can follow to create a strong professional biography:

1. Start with an introduction. The first step to writing a professional blurb is to introduce yourself in a way that shows who you are and your current profession. This doesn’t have to be fancy — just ensure that the reader clearly knows who you are and what you do.
2. Mention the brand you want to be associated with. If you are writing a professional blurb to represent an organization you work for or if you have a business name you use when advertising to clients, be sure to include that in your bio.
3. Include a sentence about what you do. In addition to including your current job title, you should also include one or two sentences related to your primary responsibilities. This gives the reader an idea of your day-to-day duties and what you’re capable of.
4. Discuss your accomplishments. Your accomplishments can include your level of education, experience, and any professional accolades you’ve achieved. What have you accomplished that makes you valuable to employers?
5. Close with your values. End your bio with a description of your values that informs the reader why you do what you do. Think about what motivates you or what you are passionate about and how that relates to your career, and include a sentence or two about this.

Learn more: 16 Tips for Building an Online Personal Brand for Growing Your Career

There are several different platforms you can include your professional bio on. These include your personal or professional website, a personal or professional blog, an industry website, a Facebook Business page, and your LinkedIn profile. The following are a few different templates you can use depending on the platform you plan to put your bio on:

Personal/professional website

[Welcome to [first and last name]’s website. If you’re familiar with the [specific industry], you’ve likely heard of [first name] before. She/he is a [accomplishment], [accomplishment], and [current job title] at [organization name where you currently work]. [First name] is a [certified/experienced/trained] [certification name, relevant awards, or trainings] and holds a [degree] in [area of study] from [university or college].

Instagram

[First and last name]

[Top accomplishment]

[Current job position] with/at [company name]

[Another accomplishment, certification, training]

[One piece of personal information]

Professional website

[First and last name] is a [current job title] who works at [organization name] and specializes in [specialty or area of focus in your professional life]. [First name] spends much of his/her day [a sentence or two about the most important duties you have in your current position]. [First name] has received/secured/worked at [your most prominent accomplishments, experiences, or professional wins].

[First name] is a trained/awarded/certified [insert title of certification, award, etc.] She/he has a [type of degree] in [area of study] from [college or university].

[First name] is passionate about [one or two things you’re passionate about that directly relate to your professional career].

[Optional: Include a concluding sentence with one piece of personal information readers would find interesting.]

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when crafting your professional blurb:

• Use the third person. While this may feel odd to write about yourself in the third person, writing in the third person comes off as more professional and is a better search engine optimization strategy.
• Write for your audience. Each professional biography you write should be catered to the specific audience who will be reading it. For example, if you creating a bio for your LinkedIn profile, you likely want to address a highly professional audience that includes both recruiters and other professionals in your industry.
• Don’t forget to edit. Having an error in your bio can lead to readers not taking you seriously, so be sure to edit your bio several times before publishing it. You can also have someone else read your bio and provide feedback as to what can be improved upon.
• Include contact information. Including your email address, professional platforms, and other professional contact information ensures you come off as approachable and that others can communicate with you.