short biography template

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How to write a bio about yourself for work: 6 short professional bio templates

Short professional bios can be just as effective as long ones that detail your accomplishments. Whether you need to work within Twitter’s character count or you’re making career moves on LinkedIn, a well-written short professional bio gives you the chance to make an excellent first impression. Here’s how to turn this brief text into a powerful introduction to your greatest strengths and accomplishments.

What is a short professional bio?

A short professional biography is a brief summary of your career accomplishments. It provides an overview of your most relevant professional experiences, qualifications, and achievements.

Short professional bios are usually written in the third person and are limited to a few sentences or concise paragraphs. The shorter length works well as a quick introduction for resumes, professional profiles, employer websites, social media accounts, author descriptions, and speaking engagements.

Short professional bio templates for copy and paste

Wondering how to write a professional biography? Start by looking at some helpful bio samples. We’ve put together a collection of templates for some of the most popular careers to help you get started and demonstrate common bio formats.

It’s easy to copy and paste any of these bio templates into a CV, cover letter, or social media profile and customize it with your personal experiences and achievements. This bio will be an effective way to introduce yourself to potential employers, clients, and contacts.

Below, you’ll find short bio examples for Instagram users, real estate agents, artists, and teachers. But first up, here’s a general short bio template for those who don’t fall into one of those categories:

“ [Your name] is a [professional title] at [current employer] with [length of experience] helping [target audience] with [audience’s problems] . Specializing in [area of expertise] , [first name] uses that experience to [describe most important aspects of the job] . 

By focusing on [branding statement about what matters professionally] , [first name] has been able to put the [degree(s)] they earned at [college or university attended] to good use. Over the years, [first name’s or pronoun] strengths at [employer or project] have garnered some recognition for/by [major accomplishments] . [First name] may spend their days at [employer or employer location] , but it’s the [one or two aspects of the job that they’re passionate about] that gets them up in the morning.

When they’re not at [employer] , [first name] is an avid [hobby] and loves spending time [another hobby or interest] .”

Instagram bio template

Instagram bios have a 150-character maximum, so be sure to keep your description as concise as possible. Sum up your personal brand in a few key phrases to make sure it fits within the limits of a social media bio profile:

“ [Professional title] with [length of experience] . Specializing in [key skills ] to help [target audience] with [audience’s problems] . [Optional: Mention professional awards/recognition] .”

Real estate agent bio template

Real estate clients tend to choose agents they relate to and trust. That’s why this professional bio example features a balance of career accomplishments and personal details:

“ [Your name] is a [professional title] at [current employer] with [length of experience] . [First name] is known for their extensive knowledge of the [location] market, and is passionate about helping their clients find the perfect home.

While attending [college or university] , [first name] earned a degree in [field of study] . Over the years, they have earned recognition from [major accomplishments/awards] .

[First name] lives in [city] with their [family or pets] . Outside of real estate, they are an avid [hobby] and love spending time [another hobby or interest] .”

Artist bio template

As an artist, your bio description should do more than just detail your experience. It should also express the point of view and motivations behind your work:

“ [Your name] is a [type of artist] known for [type of artwork, such as performances or photography] . They use [materials or inspiration] to create works which [purpose, motivation, or intended effects] . 

[First name] graduated from [college or university] with a degree in [field of study] . Their work has been featured in [shows or galleries] and recognized through [awards and accomplishments] .”

Teacher bio template

When creating a bio as a teacher, try to clearly communicate the essential elements of your teaching philosophy. The following bio example for work in education combines professional qualifications with a few personal details:

“ [Your name] has been teaching [grade/subject] for [length of experience] . They are thrilled to be a member of the staff at [current employer] and are passionate about inspiring students through [teaching philosophy] .

[First name] has a degree in [field of study] from [college or university] and has completed [professional development courses] . Their professional honors include [awards or recognition] .

When not in the classroom, you can find [first name] enjoying [hobbies] or spending quality time with [family or pets] .”

What to include in a short bio

Now that you know how effective a short bio can be, you’re getting closer to putting the proverbial pen to paper and letting the world know more about you. Before you get started on your bio ideas, it’s important that you consider each element you want to mention in it. A correct representation of your professional work experience may become an ace up your sleeve, especially if it's narrow and global at the same time, such as bringing technical innovations to the market, proving new hypotheses in science, or digitization of processes in the healthcare industry . A good professional bio should include the following bits of information, regardless of your writing style or your goals:

• Start with who you are and what you do. The basics of a bio include your name and a brief summary of your professional endeavors and goals.
• Describe what you’re currently doing. Include quantifiable information that can show how effective you are in your most recent position.
• Share a couple of professional triumphs. If you’ve enjoyed a level of professional excellence that resulted in special recognition, share those results. This is your moment to showcase two or three key moments in your career, such as awards, special recognition, or significant accomplishments. Approach this like you would a cover letter for a job application.
• Create a branding statement . Consider your values as a professional and take some space to outline them. Think of this as an easy way to help people quickly determine what matters to you.
• Include some personal details that showcase your personality. At the end of the day, your career doesn’t completely define you. Feel free to include interests and hobbies in your bio to make you more relatable.
• Mention how to reach you. Add social media links or an email address to your bio. This one is more optional and context-dependent, but a smart idea nonetheless. 

How to write a professional short bio: 5 steps

You’ve seen how to write a bio for different careers based on our templates. In addition, you’ve reviewed the list of key details to include in your short professional bio. With all that in mind, here are the five steps for how to write a professional bio:

1. Identify the bio’s purpose and gather information. Good news — if you followed along in the previous section, then you’ve already arrived at this step. Knowing why you’re writing the bio, who you expect to read it, and how you want to present yourself to that reader is important to the bio writing process.

2. Choose either a first- or third-person perspective. Do you want to use first-person “I” and “me” language, or do you want to talk about yourself in the third person? Third person sounds as though someone else wrote your bio for you, giving it an air of objectivity. However, if you’re posting this on your own portfolio page and the rest of your content is written in first person, then you may want to stick with that style for consistency.

3. Write for the platform. Depending on where you’re posting this bio, you may have a short character limit or as much digital real estate as you want. A Twitter bio will naturally be much shorter than your website. Consider writing bios of different lengths to fit each situation.

4. Begin writing. Your bio should contain everything you collected earlier. It should start with a broad overview of who you are and what you do before ultimately diving into your background and what makes you unique. Have fun with it, but remain professional. Be thorough, but don’t overstay your welcome.

5. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Before posting your professional bio online, walk away from the finished product and then return to it with fresh eyes. Reread it and make edits. When you’re good with your edits, share your bio with a friend you trust to look it over. Once this process is complete, your short professional bio is ready for prime time.

6 catchy professional bio examples by real people

While the professional work bio examples provided above can serve as a good starting point for your own biography, it may help to check out some real bios from successful individuals in their fields. Reading through these biography examples can give you a better idea of how our templates can be customized for any career path. It’s especially helpful to see the way in which these personal bio examples create a strong impression in just a few sentences or paragraphs.

The bio : Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple and serves on its board of directors.

Before being named CEO in August 2011, Tim was Apple’s chief operating officer and was responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Prior to joining Apple, Tim was vice president of Corporate Materials for Compaq and was responsible for procuring and managing all of Compaq’s product inventory.

Previous to his work at Compaq, Tim was the chief operating officer of the Reseller Division at Intelligent Electronics.

Tim also spent 12 years with IBM, most recently as director of North American Fulfillment where he led manufacturing and distribution functions for IBM’s Personal Computer Company in North and Latin America.

Tim earned an MBA from Duke University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn University.

Why it’s good: Featured on a corporate about page and focused on one of the most important people in tech, Tim Cook’s professional bio speaks directly to his impressive professional history. This bio is a great example for someone with significant experience in their field.

Richard Branson

The bio : Founder of the Virgin Group, which has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel and transportation, financial services, leisure and entertainment and health and wellness. Virgin is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognised and respected brands. Since starting youth culture magazine “Student” at aged 16, I have tried to find entrepreneurial ways to drive positive change in the world. In 2004 we established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which unites people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world. Most of my time is now spent building businesses that will make a positive difference in the world and working with Virgin Unite and organisations it has incubated, such as The Elders, The Carbon War Room, The B Team and Ocean Unite. I also serve on the Global Commission on Drug Policy and supports ocean conservation with the Ocean Elders. I'm a tie-loathing adventurer, philanthropist and troublemaker, who believes in turning ideas into reality. Otherwise known as Dr Yes!

Why it’s good: Richard Branson’s LinkedIn professional bio just exudes his personality. Seen as an eccentric billionaire with a penchant for space travel, the Virgin Group founder meshes his professional accomplishments with the many value-driven, philanthropic passion projects he’s undertaken over the years.

Ann Handley

The bio : Ann Handley is a writer, digital marketing pioneer, and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who inspires and empowers you to create marketing that your customers will love, igniting real results for your business.

Ann Handley writes and speaks about how businesses can escape marketing mediocrity to achieve tangible results.

And she will inspire you to do work you’re proud of.

Why it’s good: Marketing guru Ann Handley's profile is short, sweet, and to the point. Perfect for most venues, such as the personal website this is posted on, Handley's bio explains what her strengths are and how she can best help you and your business.

Joaquin Duato

The bio : Joaquin Duato is the Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson and serves on its Board of Directors. As CEO of the world’s largest healthcare company, Joaquin leads a global workforce of 135,000 employees in developing and delivering transformational and innovative healthcare solutions in Pharmaceuticals, MedTech, and Consumer Health.

From his early days in Spain, Joaquin found inspiration by focusing on how healthcare improved patients’ lives. Over the course of three decades with the company, he developed a deep understanding of what’s possible at Johnson & Johnson by working in all business sectors and across multiple geographies and functions. Before being named CEO, Joaquin served as the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, where he provided strategic direction for the Pharmaceutical and Consumer Health sectors and oversaw both Information Technology and the Global Supply Chain.

Joaquin’s many accomplishments include driving the transformation of the company’s pharmaceutical business into a global powerhouse by refocusing strategy and investment around core therapeutic areas and areas of greatest unmet need during his tenure as the sector’s Worldwide Chairman. More recently, he oversaw the company’s rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic and drove coordination of global initiatives to safeguard the health of employees and ensure business and supply chain continuity, so the company’s life-saving medicines and products reached patients and communities in need.

A believer in the power of technology to accelerate progress in healthcare, Joaquin is leading Johnson & Johnson to harness data science and intelligent automation for insight generation so that teams work as a united front, with expertise and purpose, to solve the world’s toughest health challenges.

A dual citizen of Spain and the United States, Joaquin’s international perspective gives him a deep appreciation of diversity in all its forms. He is committed to building an inclusive workforce that reflects the patients J&J serves, evidenced by nearly a decade acting as Executive Sponsor for the African Ancestry Leadership Council ERG.

Joaquin earned an MBA from ESADE in Barcelona, Spain, and a Master of International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and two college-aged children.

Why it’s good: Joaquin Duato, an executive at pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, shares an extensive profile. Not only does this corporate professional bio outline his impressive career, but the long-form entry backs up his status as someone at the top of his game by listing past accomplishments.

Anne T. Madden

The bio : Anne T. Madden is Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Honeywell.

She is responsible for managing legal affairs, Government Relations, health, safety, environment, product stewardship and environmental sustainability. Anne is also responsible for Honeywell’s global M&A efforts.

Prior to taking this role in 2017, Anne was Vice President, Corporate Development and Global Head of M&A, leading acquisition and divestiture activities for 16 years. During her tenure, Honeywell made around 100 acquisitions, representing approximately $15 billion in revenues and divested about 70 businesses, representing close to $9 billion of non-core revenues.

Anne joined Honeywell’s predecessor AlliedSignal in 1996 as General Counsel of Fluorine Products. Later that year she became Vice President and General Counsel of Specialty Chemicals and then Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT).

Prior to that, Anne worked at Shearman & Sterling and KPMG Peat Marwick.

Anne earned an A.B. in English and American literature from Brown University, an M.S. in accounting and MBA in finance from the NYU Stern School of Business, and a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law, where she was Managing Editor of the Law Review.

Why it’s good: Anne Madden's corporate bio is shorter than Joaquin Duato's, but it still manages to detail her career's trajectory in a comprehensive way. Additionally, it offers quantifiable data to show how proficient she is in her field.

Ethan Klei n

The bio : Host of @TheH3Podcast

(Podcast Booking Inquiries: [email protected]) (Business Inquiries: [email protected])

Why it’s good: Not all professional bios need to be lengthy descriptions of a person's career, passions, and hobbies. Ethan Klein's Twitter bio not only highlights his current role as the host of the H3H3 Podcast, but also provides potential connections and partners with ways to get in touch. It gets straight to the point in a way that’s atypical for most professional bios, but it certainly meets the definition for short without missing any key information.

Get started on your bio

Anyone can write their own professional bio. Whether you’re looking to book additional side gigs, trying to promote past work, or currently seeking full-time employment, crafting the right professional bio for your needs can give you a leg up in achieving your goals. Through the use of tools like Namecheap Site Maker , you can put together a personal or professional site that highlights your work and showcases who you are as a person by broadcasting your bio to the internet. Likewise, if you’re looking for tips on crafting a professional bio for networking purposes, you may want to check out Namecheap’s Business Card Maker , which can help you make a great first impression with a well-designed calling card.

Ready to get your name out there and build your professional brand? It’s time to write your professional bio and use Namecheap as your source for a website and professional identity.

1. What is bio short for?

“Bio” is short for “biography,” referring to a history of someone’s life. A professional bio focuses primarily on career history, though it sometimes includes a few personal details as well.

2. What should a short bio include?

A good bio for work should include details about your professional credentials and career experience, such as relevant education and qualifications, positions at past or current employers, and awards or recognition in your field.

Other things to put in your bio, if space allows, include key skills and proficiencies and a few personal details about your location, family, and hobbies.

3. How long should a short bio be?

Short bios shouldn’t exceed around 150 to 200 words. This is typically the equivalent of 2 or 3 short paragraphs. 

In cases where you’re limited on space, such as social media profiles and article bylines, you may need to create an even shorter summary of your professional experience that is only 2 to 3 sentences long.

4. Why do I need a professional bio?

Professional bios can help advance your career. Unlike a detailed resume, a short bio allows you to showcase your experience and qualifications in a succinct and easy-to-digest way. Your bio can serve as a great icebreaker for networking events and help you attract attention on platforms like LinkedIn. You can also write a bio about yourself for work to share important awards, honors, and career milestones.

If written properly, your professional bio will make you more attractive to potential employers and clients by highlighting exactly what makes you a unique and worthwhile addition to any team or project.

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

• Rebecca Strehlow
• 13 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 short 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, some of the best business websites place bios on a designated About Us page in their website, as well as on their social media pages and other networking platforms.

What to include in a short 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.

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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.

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.

Bio for a website example:

Hi, I'm Alex Johnson, a passionate web developer with over 10 years of experience in creating dynamic and user-friendly websites. I specialize in front-end development, bringing innovative designs to life with clean and efficient code. When I'm not coding, you can find me exploring hiking trails, experimenting with new recipes, or buried in a good book. Let's build something amazing together.

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.

Bio for social media example:

🌟 Tech Enthusiast | 📚 Avid Reader | 🎨 Amateur Artist | 🌍 Explorer

Passionate about AI and its impact on our future. Sharing insights on tech trends, book recommendations, and my travel adventures. Lover of all things creative. Let's connect and inspire each other

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

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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20 of the Best Short Professional Bio Examples to Inspire You

Every working professional needs a short bio to make a positive statement about their skill set.  Whether it’s for a LinkedIn bio, Twitter account, or business website, this bio needs to be brief and striking to captivate readers and invite them to learn more about you. 

Everyone needs three types of bios, long, short, and two-liners.

• The long bio can be a page and goes on your website.
• A short bio is about a paragraph and is used as your default bio. 
• Your bio should summarize your professional qualification and experience, accomplishments, and skills.

Each of these bios should make you stand out from other professionals. They should explain why people would want to work with you. 

With that in mind, here are 20 of the best short professional bio examples. Hopefully, you can use these examples to create your engaging bio.

1. Rebecca Bollwitt

You should include a professional bio on all of your social media accounts and website. Some people craft a single professional bio template. However, each platform is different, and so it’s important to mix it up accordingly. 

LinkedIn is a professional network where you can showcase your professional background and qualifications to prospective clients. Facebook is more geared towards personal interactions, while Twitter is more concise and direct. Meanwhile, Medium requires a deeper and more detailed bio. 

2. Lena Axelsson

You should use a well-written professional bio if you publish content on industry-relevant websites. Niche websites are a great spot to share your professional experiences with people who work in your sector.. 

In this example from Lena Axelsson, she begins her bio by first connecting with the readers. She acknowledges the problems that her audience is suffering from and empathizes with them. 

She then proceeds to explain how she helps clients and the benefits they can gain from her services. More importantly, she highlights her professional skills and qualifications, how she differs from other practitioners in the field, and why she would be best suited to help the clients and their families.

The final paragraph then showcases her educational background, an important piece of information for readers. Overall, the professional bio is compassionate, empathetic, and understanding– traits that are crucial in counseling clients. 

3. Audra Simpson

Another great bio example on the professional website is from Audra Simpson, an Anthropology professor from Columbia University. Here is the bio that she uses on the University website. 

Professional bios are often written in the first person to give it a personal touch, but in this example, it’s written in the third person to give it more authority. It also allows the writer to showcase her impressive accomplishments and qualifications without sounding boastful. 

In a limited space, the professional bio shares her work experience and interests. It displays Audra’s credentials, specializations, and even her work ethic. 

4. Corey Wainwright

Corey Wainwright’s professional bio on HubSpot’s website is the definition of keeping it cute and simple. As mentioned in her bio, she is a content marketer for the company, among other things. With less than 25 words on her bio, she presents a very approachable and friendly vibe to the readers.

Even though it’s written in the third person, the bio has character due to its casual and personal content. It’s almost as if she’s giving readers a piece of her personal life. 

This professional bio connects to her social media profiles so people can learn more about Corey. This type of bio doesn’t work in every situation. Some websites require a more serious tone, so it’s important to assess the medium before crafting your professional bio template. 

5. Marie Mikhail

When companies look for recruiters, they would want to hire someone passionate and genuinely interested in the field and your product. 

Marie Mikhail makes this particularly known to the readers. Not only does she express her love for recruiting, but she also presents a relevant story about it. Telling a story is also a good tactic in professional writing. 

Some may not find talent acquisition the most interesting career path out there, but Marie does a good job turning a relatively dull topic into something exciting. This LinkedIn bio from her profile details her professional experiences and her love for the company’s products. She also includes relevant qualifications to build up her profile. 

6. Megan Gilmore

Another good example of a professional bio on Instagram is from cookbook and food writer Megan Gilmore. 

Most professionals try to establish themselves on one or two platforms first instead of selling themselves short on over five or ten other platforms. Focusing on a few platforms allows you to customize the content for each platform, which means you’ll need two different bios.

You can use these bios to cross-promote your brand on each platform. 

Megan does this by highlighting her “no fad” writing style and listing down some books she has written. After this, she uses a pointing emoji to link her LinkedIn profile where readers can access her recipes. 

This is a great way to show off her credentials to potential book buyers. 

7. Tim Cook

Tim Cook is the CEO of the multinational technology company Apple since 2011. You would think that, with such a massive title, people who visit Apple’s website already have a pretty good idea of who he is. 

Nonetheless, Tim’s professional bio on Apple’s website doesn’t assume this. It is professionally written and highlights his position as Apple’s CEO. It also includes the fact that he serves as one of its board of directors. 

Moreover, it narrates details about his earlier career and his time as COO of Apple. Even with such an impressive resume, he provides readers all the information they need to know about him.

8. Shaquille O’Neal

Most professional bios, like some of the examples above, are written in the third person. That can make it sound more professional. It also allows people to list their experience and qualifications without sounding like they’re bragging. 

Writing in the first person can also be highly effective.

This is exemplified by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s LinkedIn bio. Aside from being a famous athlete, he also has a bachelor’s, a master’s, and a doctorate. 

Since it’s something he is most known for, Shaq begins his bio with his greatest achievement as a basketball player. He then proceeds to his accomplishments and credentials outside of basketball by detailing his business ventures with some of the big brands he’s worked with and his speaking events nationwide.  

He is a man of many talents, and professional bio writing is one of them. 

9. Richard Branson

Richard Branson starts off his professional bio by introducing the Virgin Group, a British company he founded. He is a man known equally for his failures as well as his many successes. 

His bio summarizes his career, but the last few sentences are the highlight. He shifts from a professional tone to a more fun and personable one by using the term “tie-loathing adventurer” and referring to himself as “Dr. Yes.”

10. Anthony Gioeli

If not written properly, bios tend to sound boastful, making some professionals hesitant to talk about themselves and their achievements. However, highlighting these achievements and skills is important as it can attract people to do business with you.

 Anthony Gioeli holds no stops in boasting his professional accomplishments. Rather than sounding big-headed, he does it confidently and factually. One of the skills he highlights is being an expert negotiator working with multimillion firms like Vodafone. 

Notice how his professional bio has good formatting. He does this by using a series of paragraphs and bullet points to present information to readers. 

While keeping your professional bio short and concise is effective, you can also be detailed like Anthony– you just need the right format. 

11. Katrina O.

Professional bios can sometimes seem repetitive and boring, which is why putting a little spin on it can work wonders. To do this, you will need to arouse curiosity from your readers so that they’ll be encouraged to read further. 

Katrina Ortiz does this in her LinkedIn bio. The first sentence alone sparks intrigue by using a line like “caught fire coding.” It’s different and, in turn, intrigues readers. Even her name ‘Katrina O.’ catches your attention.

In just three words, Katrina could captivate readers and give them an idea of her work. As an enthusiastic software developer, she highlights both her professional and personal experiences. She also shares the programming languages she is proficient with. 

12. Karen Abbate

We love a good list. Lists are a good way to organize ideas or thoughts in an easier way for readers to grasp. While it’s an unusual method in writing professional bios, it’s probably more unusual than this example from Karen Abbate uses numbers instead of bullet points. 

In her list, she presents six important and notable things about her professional and personal details.  She uses a confident and professional tone, just enough not to sound boastful. She starts by mentioning impressive brands she’s worked with and discusses her love for everything on the web. 

The bio also details her educational background, work experience, and passions. She also shares a personal backstory and relates it to her work. All in all, it is an innovative bio. 

13. Gijo Mathew

Another good use of the list on LinkedIn bios is this example from Gijo Mathew. A list can help improve readability and organize information that, if written otherwise, can seem complicated. Appearance-wise, it also makes the bio seem more compelling. 

In this bio, Gijo uses bullet points to list information to express why clients should choose to work with him. It makes his LinkedIn profile look more interesting and easy to grasp. 

14. Genevieve McKelly

LinkedIn is one of the most important channels for promoting yourself. You will need this perspective when crafting your professional bio on LinkedIn. 

A social media marketer’s mission is to instigate engagement or start a conversation among readers or consumers. Genevieve McKelly encourages this conversation by giving readers book and podcast recommendations in the last few sentences of her bio and, in turn, asking the readers for recommendations too. It’s a great ice breaker and makes her sound friendlier.

Aside from asking for great reads and listens, she also throws in an industry-related question. She then ends it with approachable words that welcome discourse. 

15. Darrell Evans

Identifying customer pain points is important in setting up marketing campaigns or a business in general. Pain points are specific problems that potential customers may be experiencing.

In this bio by Darrell Evans, he brings up a common pain point that most businesses suffer from: spending money on marketing and not the return on investment. Darrell then gives them a solution by telling readers the kind of work he does and the benefits it offers. 

Going further, he introduces who he is and what his company does. He also gives readers some facts and figures to suggest that his professional services are the best and help them solve their marketing predicament. 

16. Fernando Silva

Professional bios almost always start with the ‘professional’ aspect rather than the bio. It’s a common formula to showcase your credentials before adding a personal touch to make it seem friendlier and more approachable. 

However, Fernando Silva mixes things up with his LinkedIn bio by starting with personal information first. He kicks things off by describing himself as a “city dweller who loves to travel” and then proceeds to more professional details like his experience in SaaS.

Although short, it is a very passionate bio because it showcases things that he loves, like traveling and meeting new people. 

17. Nikki Ivey

Being relatable is a great way to connect with potential leads and clients. Nikki Ivey does this by sharing a heartfelt story about the struggles she had to face to become the “sales coach wing-woman” she is today. 

Her story shows empathy and allows readers to relate to her. It also encourages conversation among readers who may have experienced a similar situation. With this shared history, readers can get emotionally invested in her and make them open to working with her. 

However, this approach can be tricky as it needs to be sincere and relevant enough to attract attention. 

18. Raphael Parker

You should include your professional experience in your bio. Raphael Parker shows off his experiences in a very unique, unconventional way. He uses the term ‘ex’ to refer to his work history. He then indirectly discusses his current work by presenting it as a passion instead of a career. 

Raphael’s bio leaves a lot to the reader’s imagination but builds him up as an experience career man nonetheless. That is pretty impressive, considering he only uses a few words and sentences. 

19. Allison Zia

First impressions count. Having a striking first sentence in your professional bio can hook your readers into learning more about you. 

These first sentences are typically a few words long but should have a lasting impact. Allison Zia does this with only five words: “I like to solve problems”. It’s a bold statement that makes you want to read more. 

Allison moves on to her work experience, specialities, and skills to sustain her reader’s attention. She also includes relevant examples to relate to readers. 

20. Ann Handley

Ann Handley’s bio is a great example of how even a few words can make the best impression. She is an experienced marketer and, although many can claim this to be true, she evokes this kind of credibility with her choice of words. 

She encourages readers to read more by clicking a link on her website with little information she provides. Even after clicking the about page of her website, she keeps things short and simple by dividing information with bullet points. If readers are interested to learn more, she provides a few relevant links. 

This bio used as her header highlights her achievements as a writer, speaker, and partner in a major marketing company.  

A professional bio is your opportunity to attract a potential client, customer, or employer. Some may be short, while some may be detailed. The bottom line is that they should make you stand out in a crowd.

Use these examples as helpful templates you can use in creating your compelling professional bio.

About the author

Nicholas Prins

I'm the founder of Launch Space. We work with global companies helping them scale lead generation through SEO and content marketing. Head over to the homepage to find out more.

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How to Write Short Professional Bios with Examples

• What is a Short Professional Bio

Preparing to Write Your Professional Bio

Crafting your professional bio, examples of short professional bios, short professional bio faqs.

A key aspect of growing your career is knowing how to showcase your strengths, experiences, and the value you offer a company. That includes using resume checkers , resume builders , and cover letter generators to write a top-notch professional bio and stand out in the hiring process.

The bio can be tricky when you’re only given a short space to work with and feel the need to stand out amongst others in your industry. So, where do you begin, and how do you optimize it?

We’ll guide you through the whole process in this article, covering the purpose of a professional bio, do’s and don’ts in the process, and short professional bio examples you can use as templates.

What Is a Short Professional Bio ?

Before you start writing, it’s important to understand what a short professional bio is and its purpose. If you’re wondering, “What is a bio?” or “What should a bio include?” here’s a quick breakdown of the key components and objectives.

Definition and objectives

A professional bio briefly describes your skills, education, and accomplishments. It shows your value as an employee, professional, or businessperson.

A bio’s overall intent and structure can vary depending on where it’s going. For example, a professional social media bio may need to be more compact, whereas something on a company website may provide a slightly longer description of your professional experience.

Some of the most common places to put a short professional bio will be:

• Social media: There’s a growing need for professionals to have a presence on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter. Due to the fast-paced nature of these platforms, bios are usually pretty short and to the point, and you’ll typically be given a character limit for how long they can be.
• Company “About” or “Meet the Team” pages: If you’re employed at a company that wants to have an online presence, they may need a bio for you on their About or Meet the Team page. These bios may be a bit longer than those on social media and would be focused on the value you’ll bring while assisting the company’s clients or customers.
• Resume bio: This is similar to a resume summary but will focus more on your top accomplishments and accolades. It’ll typically be a short two to three sentence description of your professional skills, achievements, and career goals.
• Professional website: Those who are self-employed or business owners may have their portfolio or services posted on a professional website. You’d want to have a brief bio explaining your skills, experiences, and the products or services you offer.

Key components

Now that you have the use cases down let’s look at the primary components that every professional biography should have.

• Your job title or the title you’re seeking: Your listed job title is a key indicator that your skills are right for a company or client’s needs. You’ll want to list your current job title to show your primary abilities. Additionally, entry-level job seekers or those wanting to advance their careers may also want to add a goal job title.
• Top skills: Listing some top industry skills is a great way to make your bio stand out. For example, accountants may want to list skills in software like QuickBooks and Excel and essential tasks like expense reporting. Or, if you lack experience, your bio could focus on transferable skills like customer service or inventory management.
• Accomplishments: Your notable accomplishments show what you’re capable of on the job. For instance, you could include some great sales numbers you achieved or how you helped boost client retention rates. Inexperienced applicants could also write about educational achievements or non-traditional work experience , such as attaining funding goals while volunteering with a non-profit.
• Your passion: What makes you passionate about your job or the industry you want to work in? Sharing aspects like how your desire to help people made you want to become a nurse will help you connect with organizations and hiring managers when they see your bio.

Before writing a bio, you’ll want to gather the correct information to present a well-rounded overview of your skills. Determining the appropriate tone and style to satisfy your intent will also be essential.

Information gathering

So, what information do you need for a top-notch professional bio?

First, you’ll want to understand your target audience and the purpose of your bio.

For example, if you’ve recently re-entered the job market and are trying to craft a great LinkedIn bio that could grab a hiring manager’s attention, you’ll want to understand the characteristics of your ideal employer and how you can show you’re a match for their needs.

It’s often helpful to research companies hiring for your job title and write down some common characteristics you notice in job posts.

Someone looking for a role as a social media manager may notice many companies want to develop a more customer-focused approach. You could tailor your bio to emphasize how your social strategy and posting style help companies connect with their customers and make them feel valued.

The next step is determining the right skills to include. In many ways, this will be similar to selecting the right resume skills . Again, looking at job descriptions for your title will be helpful. When you see trends like many companies requiring social media manager skills in Sprout Social and the Adobe Suite, take note of that to reference those abilities in your bio.

Lastly, you’ll want to find numbers you can include to specify your accomplishments. In the example of a social media manager, that could be things like how your user-generated content strategies boosted follower counts by 32% and average click-through rates by 43%.

You can tailor this process to different use cases. For instance, if you’re writing a bio for an about page on a professional website, you could tailor it to how your skills will fit your prospective customer’s primary pain points. Or, if you’re trying to gain more followers on social media, you could detail why your professional expertise makes your posts valuable for a specific audience.

Selecting tone and style

The tone of your bio will depend on its purpose and the platform you’re posting it to.

For work or resume bios, you’d often want to tailor your tone to the company. If you’re crafting a work bio for a company website where the tone is lighthearted and fun, you’d likely want to match that. The same goes if you’re crafting a resume bio for a company that uses a very formal tone in the job description. It’s a good idea to match that to show how you’ll fit their professional workplace culture.

When your bio is more personal, such as on social media or a professional website that hosts your portfolio, you can use a tone that reflects your personality while still keeping it professional or aim for a tone that you believe would connect with your target audience.

You’ll also want to consider whether you should write your bio in first-person or third-person.

Generally, the best practice is to write your bio in the third person if it’s in a more formal context or where you wouldn’t be introducing yourself. That would be when it’s for a website you don’t own (such as the company you work for), when you’ll be a speaker at a conference, or for a book or other literature.

Using the first person will be a better fit when the context is more personal or when you’re introducing yourself, such as on social media or a professional website that you own.

Now that you know the information you’ll need, let’s get into the essentials of how to write a bio and structure it appropriately. We’ll go over the introduction, how to highlight your achievements, and ways you can personalize so it stands out.

Introduction techniques

When introducing yourself in a bio, you should know if you’ll write in the first or third person since how you start will differ slightly between the two.

When writing in the third person, you should lead with your first and last name, such as “Denise Sampson is a graphic designer with over seven years of experience crafting engaging visuals for social media content.”

On the other hand, a first-person introduction would be a little different. If your name is displayed prominently elsewhere on the website or profile where your bio is hosted, you could begin it with words like “I” or “my,” such as “I’m a software developer who is passionate about helping others learn Python.”

Otherwise, if you still need to introduce your name, you could begin with something like, “My name is Todd Labowski. I’m an architect who has been leveraging 3D-printed materials in my commercial building designs for the last five years.”

As you introduce yourself, it’ll be important to emphasize your role and professional identity right away so others know what you do. This should include your current job title, any education that makes you stand out, and potentially your current employer.

Entry-level professionals like recent college graduates may also want to include a goal job title here. For example, you could say, “I’m a recent graduate from Oklahoma University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, aiming to get into a role as a sports trainer to help athletes improve their performance.”

Highlighting achievements

Once you’ve effectively introduced your name and professional identity, it’ll be time to highlight achievements that grab a reader’s attention.

Remember who your target audience is when thinking about the accomplishments you want to highlight. You’ll likely want to choose things that are as relevant as possible to your job title, industry, or the career you’re striving to get into. For example, a teacher may want to highlight how their project-focused lesson plans led to higher test scores from students.

As you’ll notice in our resume templates and resume examples , we always recommend using numbers to describe your work experience . It’s a good idea to do so here as well to showcase the exact impact you had. In the example of a teacher, you could say, “I’ve always been a big advocate of using projects to reinforce learning since I’ve seen great results from project-focused lesson plans where they increased my students’ test scores by an average of 33%.”

Also, make sure these accomplishments tie into the overall message you want your bio to convey. If this were on a school’s website introducing staff members, the goal might be to reassure parents that your teaching skills will help their children get the best possible education. So, providing results like test scores or learning retention would be ideal for that purpose.

When you don’t have as much experience, you may need to get creative with the achievements you reference. However, you’ll still have many things to choose from, like educational accomplishments, volunteer work, or relevant hobbies and interests .

For instance, you could reference time volunteering as a youth baseball coach, where you used visual learning techniques to help players improve their batting percentages by 28%. Using an achievement like that would still showcase abilities that would make you an effective teacher.

Personalizing your bio

Just like in cover letters or letters of interest where you’d want to personalize your message to better connect with a hiring manager, you should take a similar approach when writing a professional bio.

Consider why you’re passionate about your job or the field you want to get into, and try to tie that into your overall message.

For example, let’s say you’re a personal trainer. A big part of your story and why you pursued that career path is that when you started working out, you lost 30 pounds, which helped you gain confidence and a better outlook on life. So, you want to do the same for your clients.

You could phrase that in your bio by saying, “Jack’s passion for the gym started after he lost 30 pounds and noticed himself having more energy and confidence in his daily life. When he sees clients smile after beating a personal best on an exercise or start walking into the gym with more confidence, it reinforces why he works hard to set up proper programming and diet plans to help others achieve the same results he did.”

Some other ways you could personalize a professional bio are:

• Sharing your values and how they impact your career. For example, your desire for accountability in business could show why you value a role as a quality control advisor.
• Briefly describe who you are outside of work, such as detailing your favorite hobbies and interests . Maybe you’re a big chess player, which will show why you’re a great strategic manager.
• Share your personal insights. What have you noticed while working in your field that others don’t always mention? What things have led to your personal success?

Professional Bio Do’s and Dont’s

You have the basic structure down. Now, let’s review some best practices and common pitfalls to ensure your short bio is as successful as possible.

Best practices

Some best practices when writing a professional bio are:

• Keep it concise: Your bio should be a quick summary of who you are and your professional expertise. This will be between three to five sentences or 100 words or less in most cases unless otherwise specified by the organization that’ll be posting your bio.
• Include the most relevant information: Consider your intent and the audience reading your bio, such as if it’s for a job application, professional networking site, or conference. Then, include the most relevant details, such as why your expertise in agile methodologies will make your speech at a conference valuable for project managers.
• Highlight achievements over responsibilities: Listing responsibilities sounds too bland and won’t grab attention. So, rather than saying you’ve been in charge of quality assurance for the last seven years, you should emphasize key accomplishments, such as using failure testing to identify 58% more product errors before launch.
• Update regularly: Just like you should refresh your resume as you advance your career, do the same with your bio. Regularly add new expertise you gain that’ll be more relevant, especially as technology changes with updates to the software you use or more efficient techniques are developed. Plus, update your job title and any other relevant information as it changes.

Common pitfalls

Some common pitfalls professionals run into with bios are:

• Sharing too many details: You don’t need to list all the top skills you put on your resume or every notable achievement you’ve had in your bio. Instead, focus on a couple of skills and one or two achievements that will relate to the audience reading it.
• Being too vague: Many professionals end up with bios that sound too generic when they don’t list specific skills or achievements. Rather than saying, “Beth Lancaster has extensive experience in the business world,” try for something like, “Beth Lancaster has been managing mergers and acquisitions for 12 years, using change management strategies to make new policy development 57% more efficient and effective.”
• Overloading with jargon: While you want to share your expertise, using too many technical terms that only someone in your role will understand will confuse an audience that doesn’t have the same knowledge. This is especially common when you’re in a highly technical field like a software engineer or medical researcher. So, aim for simple explanations with impacts that anyone can understand.
• Grammar errors: A bio full of grammatical errors will detract from your professional image. So, always proofread before you post or submit it.

To help you put it all together, here are some short bio examples for different platforms and professions. You can use these examples as a professional bio template that you customize with your own details.

Bios across platforms

When learning how to write a bio about yourself, you must consider the platform on which it will be posted. Here are some biography examples for the most popular places where you might post one.

LinkedIn Bio Example

In your “About” section on LinkedIn, you’ll be given a maximum character limit of 2,600 to write your bio. That comes out to a maximum of about 400-500 words. However, you’ll generally want it shorter than that to ensure those who come across your profile read your entire bio. Somewhere between 75-150 words is a good range on LinkedIn.

Generally, writing in the first person will be best for LinkedIn since it’s less formal, and you usually don’t need to introduce your name since it’s displayed prominently on your profile.

Here’s an example:

“I’m a driven software engineer at CodeCraft with over 13 years of experience using Javascript to create interactive webpage designs.

The main reason I started learning Javascript is I noticed that a company’s website can make or break my feelings about them and whether I’ll make a purchase. This made me want to create designs that bring a business owner’s vision to life.

My techniques have yielded great results. Using dynamic content, animation, and progressive web apps tailored to each page visitor, I’ve increased consumer engagement by an average of 55% and repeat visitors by 39% for our clients at CodeCraft.

I’m eager to connect with others in the tech industry and share how we can use software design to level up business performance.”

Twitter Professional Bio Examples

Your bio on Twitter will need to be very concise since you’ll have a 160-character maximum on that platform. You’ll need to quickly introduce yourself and show why someone should trust your expertise, look through your profile, and follow you.

Here are a couple of examples:

Twitter Bio Example #1:

“Developmental editor who has reviewed over 2 million words, including working on 3 NYT bestselling novels. Follow for tips to make your writing shine.”

Twitter Bio Example #2:

“Ex hairstylist turned beauty brand manager. You can call me the brand stylist. I’ll show you how I use design and messaging to increase sales.”

Personal Website Bio Example

When you own a business or are self-employed, you may have a personal website where you need a bio about yourself. You’d typically have a short personal bio introducing yourself on your website’s homepage or in a dedicated “About Me” section.

“I’m Kim Li, a dedicated real estate agent passionate about helping clients sell their homes and get into their dream property. I’ve always enjoyed presenting elements that turn a house into a home for the right buyer, and I know just how important it is to come home to a property you love after a long day of work.

With my 97% positive customer satisfaction score and track record of selling properties an average of eight days faster than industry standards, I’m confident my property marketing and negotiation skills will get you the results you’re seeking.”

Example of a Work Bio for a Company Website

When writing a work bio for your employer’s “Meet the Team” page, you’ll typically want to ensure it’s formal and in the third person. Usually, these will be 100 words or less, but make sure you tailor it to the specific guidelines your employer gives you.

“Jessica Martin is the junior financial account manager at Peak Performance. As a recent grad from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance, she’s ready to apply up-to-date loss prevention strategies, like internal cost control, to ensure businesses remain profitable. Accountability is one of the biggest things she values. That value has especially grown over the three years she managed the finances as a volunteer for Pet Support, a local animal shelter. She quickly realized how expenses rack up for an organization and the importance of proper management. You can trust Jessica will put forth the same detailed effort for your business.”

Bios across professions

Now, let’s look at how you can tailor your bio based on your industry’s needs. Here are some short professional bio examples across industries.

Example Bio for IT/Tech

Creating a bio in information technology presents unique challenges due to the highly technical nature of many of your daily tasks. You’ll often need to simplify your bio to make it easy to understand for a wide audience with different levels of expertise.

Here’s an example of a cybersecurity engineer bio that makes the impact of complex tasks like cryptography easier to understand:

“Connor Blake is a cybersecurity engineer with five years of experience in external threat prevention. His passion for digital security started at age 16 when his mom’s bank account was hacked, and he saw the hardships it caused. Since then, he’s been growing his skills, having received his master’s degree in computer science from Michigan State University and working on a specialization in cryptography techniques that mask business passwords and data access points so only internal employees can access them. His efforts have reduced company data leaks by an average of 67%.”

Example Bio for Construction/Trades

Construction and trade resumes must be updated often, as modern techniques and materials are continuously evolving, such as the growing use of raised access flooring. You’ll need to make it understandable for any customer or client seeking help on a project.

Here’s an example of a commercial flooring installer bio:

“Sam Peterson is a commercial flooring installer with Elite Flooring Solutions. She’s passionate about helping businesses achieve the right flooring aesthetics and sturdy installations to ensure a standout experience for all customers who frequent local stores in our community. With four years of experience installing raised access flooring to reduce installation costs by 35% and 98% satisfaction from our clients, you can trust that her expertise will result in an accurate job that gets done right the first time.”

Example Bio for Culinary

Foodservice has many health codes and standards you must uphold, so it’s essential for culinary pros to show their responsible expertise in professional bios.

Here’s an example of how a restaurant manager could do this effectively:

“Jake Kensington is the restaurant manager for Bella Cucina Ristorante. He’s always appreciated how a high-quality dining experience can help others connect and enjoy some of life’s biggest moments. Not to mention his love of pasta and risotto, which brought him to Bella Cucina Ristorante to serve up some of the best Italian dishes in New York. Using his seven-step quality assurance process and employee health training protocols, he’s helped maintain grade-A health code ratings and reviews averaging 4.9 stars out of 5 throughout his eight-year tenure.”

Example Bio for Sales/Marketing

Every sales pitch that you want to stand out needs to be relevant to your target audience. Do the same with your bio by listing some top industry skills and accomplishments showing your sales expertise.

“Bella Richardson is a sales lead with New Marketing Solutions. Having always had an entrepreneurial mindset, she’s had a growing interest in helping startups succeed and finding intricacies that make businesses stand out amongst the competition. She’s been using a solution-selling approach for the last five years at New Marketing Solutions to better connect with prospective clients’ needs and lead an average annual growth in sales of 27%.”

Example Bio for Health

Presenting expert knowledge and the ability to comply with regulations is essential in fast-paced health jobs. Whether you’re new to the field or have advanced experience, you’ll want to present those relevant abilities in your bio.

“Matt Keyser is a recent grad of the Medical College of Washington. Matt received his MD after completing his residency at Seattle Memorial Hospital and is now aiming to get into the geriatric care sector. He decided to pursue a career in medicine after working as a resident assistant at a nursing home in high school and seeing the diligent work the medical care team did to provide a better quality of life. He aims to use his patient care and diagnostic evaluation skills to do the same for every patient he works with.”

The best ways to make a bio stand out are to include personal elements and ensure the skills and achievements you list are relevant to your audience. For example, someone seeking a job as a police officer could detail how they want to use their crisis management and community awareness skills to provide a safer community for everyone. This will stand out to police precincts seeking skilled and compassionate candidates.

When you don’t have much professional experience, you may need to get creative with how you present skills and accomplishments in your bio. Things like educational achievements, volunteer work, participating in school clubs, or your hobbies and interests can all provide relevant information. For instance, you could detail how your time in your school’s math club has given you precise abilities that will translate into jobs like data entry.

If you aren’t sure whether your bio should be in the first or third person, try reviewing the website where it’ll be posted to get an idea of how others have structured theirs. After that, if you’re still unsure, you can always ask your employer or the organization you’re writing the bio for to clarify.

Your professional bio should include your name, job title, relevant education, top skills, and an accomplishment or two that will stand out. You may also want to include your current employer’s name to give readers a better idea of who you are. Try to research things like top industry skills beforehand to narrow in on the most important details to write about.

In general, around 100 words or less is a good length for short professional bios. Typically, you’ll want it to be about three to five sentences to keep it concise and highly relevant to your audience. However, the right length can differ depending on the platform. For example, Twitter bios are restricted to a max of 160 characters. If it’s a work bio for your employer, you may also want to ask how long it should be.

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47 Biography Templates & Examples (Personal, Professional)

A biography is simply an account of someone’s life written by another person. A biography can be short in the case of few sentences biography, and it can also be long enough to fill an entire book. The short biographies explain a person’s basic life facts and their importance, but the long biographies would go an extra mile and include more details to make an interesting read. You may find yourself in a situation which requires you to write a biography of a famous person, a close friend or a relative. For this reason, it pays to know how to come up with a biography and the important details that you should include in it. The lives of many people have interesting bits of information, but you ought to know what to capture in the biography and what to leave out.

Table of Contents

• 1 Biography Examples
• 2 What to include in a biography
• 3 How to write a good Biography
• 4 Steps in writing a biography;
• 5 Biography templates
• 6 A professional Biography Template
• 7 Personal Biography Template

Biography Examples

What to include in a biography

The length of a biography depends on the type of information that should be included. The length will determine the nature of information and how extensively it will explain the life of a person. For instance, if you are to write a short paragraph about a person it will mostly capture the important details that identify the person compared to a pages-long biography that may even include the person’s childhood experiences and achievements shaping their life.

For a short biography, maybe a paragraph or two long, the following details should be captured:

• A person’s date and place of birth, at times with the date and place of death as may be applicable
• The person’s major achievements in life
• Their educational background and notable awards
• Work facts of a person and their contribution to that field if any
• A brief account of the significance of an individual in the community

A lengthy biography will bring out more details of a person’s life making it a bit more complex. His/her history will be brought out more clearly especially the details that shaped them to be the persons they turned out to be.

The target audience will also dictate the nature of the information that is to be included. The relation of the audience to an individual will have an impact on how the information is presented and the important details that they could be interested in. In a case where the audience is unknown, more details will have to be included. This mostly happens in the case of a several paged biography. You will have to scrutinize the person in a more detailed way and establish more people relating to the person. Focusing on the uniqueness of an individual can do wonders in this case and this might turn out to be inspirational to many people. The field that the person has majored in or had majored in ought to influence the direction that the biography will take as this will help to bring out the contribution of the individual to their field of study.

How to write a good Biography

A biography is meant to analyze a person’s life and interpret it as well. A good biographer will try to join the dots and explain certain actions and events that a certain figure was involved in. This will help in clearly bringing out the significance of a person’s life through their accomplishments or remarkable deeds.

Biographies are usually written in a chronological order. Some biographers could also draft them in a themed order that is early life, educational background, a person’s achievements or accomplishments. But some especially the short ones will focus on one area in a person’s life.

There are several sources of information that could aid one in writing an astounding biography. These sources of information can be grouped into either primary sources or secondary sources. The primary sources of information include materials like letters, newspaper accounts or diaries. A biographer can also make an arrangement to interview an individual they want to write about. This is also considered as a primary source of information. The secondary sources are reference books, other biographies or historical records that are related to the subject being written about.

Steps in writing a biography;

• Select the individual you want to write about
• Search for the basic facts that relate to a person’s life. The encyclopedia or almanac could be handy at this.
• What’s the most interesting bit about the person?
• What is the significance of the individual to the society and the world in general?
• What qualities or adjectives will be best suited for the description of the individual?
• What actions or life events bring out the qualities or adjectives chosen above?
• What life events or world events shaped the individual or brought out the best in them?
• Did they face obstacles or take some risks in life? How did they handle the obstacles and did they happen to be lucky?
• What impact did they have in the world? Did they add value to the way people view certain aspects of life? Did they come up with a thing, idea or way of action that transformed the way things are handled or rather done in their societies or world in general?
• Carry out some additional research on the internet to answer some of the questions mentioned above. Ensure that you find information that will help you tell a story that many will love.
• After getting everything in order, you can proceed to write the biography. We have provided sample biographies in this site that you could check out in order to get the drift.

Biography templates

A biography template is meant to specifically aid a writer come up with an excellent biography. For this purpose to be achieved the writer needs to get his/her hands on a high-quality biography template, just like the ones provided on this site.

The best biography templates should provide clear instructions, and this should be in great detail to avoid the risk of the writer missing out some important facts. The templates available on this site will help you capture all of the details.

The biography templates should also be precise and avoid beating around the bush. Going round one idea or item will make the biography boring to read and it is prudent for the writer to be straight to the point. By doing this it will be easier for the readers to skim through and find the details they might be interested in with lots of easy. The writer will also save his/her time and concentrate on writing other things.

The general sections of any biography as outlined by our sample biographies will have;

• The name of the person
• A picture of the person
• An account of their early life
• The person’s family life
• The major achievements of the person
• The three main interesting qualities or facts about the individual

A professional Biography Template

A professional biography is a statement that could either be short or long that is written about a person, business or company. It should be engaging, informative and interesting for the readers to identify with the person or business entity being talked about. It has a sales pitch that is a little bit different. A professional biography template is meant to ease the process of generating printed professional biographies especially for an individual who wants to reach a lot of people or institutions.

Elements that should be captured in a professional biography are:

• A summary of one’s early life in a sentence or two, make it interesting
• Then information touching on your education, mention any academic awards or the clubs and societies that you were part of. Any work experience while in school.
• Talk about how creative and innovative you are with coming with solutions to the problems that you have faced as an individual, mention any situation that you were self-reliant in coming up with solutions
• Mention qualities that make you stand out for instance, being independent, principled or discerning to increase your trustworthiness.

The following tips will enable you to come up with the best professional biography;

• Be brief and precise to the point. This is to enable the reader to easily and quickly get to know about you.
• Be spontaneous in your writing
• Be as expressive as possible and avoid too much of self-editing while drafting the professional biography in the initial stages to capture as much information as possible
• Be friendly but not too informal
• Be as interesting as you could in order to get the attention of many people out there
• Write it in third person. Talk about your life as if someone else were describing it.

This site offers you a professional biography template that could aid in making the generation of professional biographies an easy and less time consuming task. You can also check out sample bios to figure out how to go about the whole process of coming up with a professional biography.

Personal Biography Template

A personal biography is a short account of who you are, your credentials and your notable accomplishments in life. Personal bios ought to be short, precise and relevant to your target audience. The use of personal statistics such as hobbies or family should be avoided. A personal biography template will help one to easily and conveniently come up with personal bios.

The key elements in a personal biography are;

• Give an introduction of yourself. Remember to write it in third person and include the year that your professional career started to be relevant. You could give a list of any relevant specializations in your field.
• State your educational facts and credentials. Mention the degrees that you have pursued and the respective institutions. Add any relevant experiences you have that are required for your career and mention the name of the society that you are legally a member of.
• Proceed to outline any notable achievements or awards you have earned in your practice. Remember that the information ought to be relevant to the audience being addressed. If you happen to be an author you could mention the magazines or any publishing house that has recognized your works.
• Your conclusion should mention any upcoming projects or works in progress that people should lookout for in the near future. Don’t forget to mention your current place of residence .

As you age, it is good to keep on updating your biography to reflect who you are at present time. You can make use of the personal biography template offered by this site to easily and in a more convenient way generate your own biography without missing out on the important details.

We also provide sample biographies to give you a feel of what your end draft should look like. If you have kids and you want to let them in on famous historical figures, this site offers biographies for kids. These will help them know the notable people who help shape the world to what it has become to be.

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8 Free Biography Templates for Professionals

A biography is a detailed account of a person's life, highlighting their experiences, achievements, and overall impact on the world. It provides readers with insights into the individual's personal and professional journey. Utilizing biography templates offers the benefit of helping users structure this information in a coherent and professional manner, ensuring that all essential details are covered.

Written by:

Dr. Moina Rauf

Dr. Moina Rauf, fluent in English and Dutch, is a distinguished writer and editor with a PhD in Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Economics. With extensive experience in both academia and industry, she excels in elucidating complex concepts about business management, human resources policies, legal documentation, employee leaves, appointments, contracts, and workplace culture. Her proficiency in analyzing and simplifying intricate documents ensures comprehensive understanding for her audience. Published in academic journals, Dr. Rauf’s authority in her field is well-established.

Whether on LinkedIn, a company website or during networking events, your professional bio can be a conversation starter. It provides a concise summary of your career, making it easier for others to understand your background and engage with you meaningfully​.

A well-crafted professional biography helps establish and reinforce your personal brand. It communicates your professional identity, values, and expertise and makes you memorable to colleagues, potential employers, and clients. You can use it to distinguish yourself in a competitive job market.

In this blog, you’ll find multiple templates tailored to various professions so that you have the perfect starting point to craft a bio that truly represents you. At the conclusion of this post, you will find some helpful advice about adding some personal anecdotes to your bio.

• Where Can You Use a Professional Bio?
• LinkedIn Profiles: A detailed bio on LinkedIn can enhance your professional presence and attract networking opportunities.
• Company Websites: Many organizations feature employee bios on their websites to showcase their team’s expertise.
• Conference Speaking Engagements: If you are presenting at a conference, your bio can provide attendees with a snapshot of your qualifications and accomplishments.
• Author Pages: For writers , a bio on your author page helps readers connect with you personally.
• Portfolio Sites: Artists, designers, and other creatives use bios to tell the story behind their work and attract potential clients.
• Resumes and Cover Letters: A short bio can complement your resume and cover letter and provide a quick overview of who you are.

Write in the active voice to make your bio more engaging and dynamic. Active sentences are typically clearer and more direct. For example, “I led the project” is stronger than “The project was led by me.”

• Free Biography Templates

The suite of biography templates provided below serves a broad spectrum of professionals, from business leaders and board members to educators and artists. It ensures a versatile resource for constructing detailed, personalized biographies. Each template is thoughtfully designed with placeholders that will guide you through the process of detailing your professional achievements, philosophical approaches, and personal journeys. These placeholders prompt you to insert specific details such as career milestones, personal values, educational backgrounds, and notable accolades. They are designed with high graphic quality, ensuring that each biography is not only informative but also visually appealing.

The layout of each template is crafted to provide a logical flow of information, making it easy for readers to follow and understand the narrative being presented. The professional design elements are used to enhance the visual impact of the biographies, which is particularly beneficial for printed materials or digital presentations.

The templates are available in multiple formats, including AI (Adobe Illustrator), Google Docs, DOTX (Word Template), and PowerPoint. This range of formats ensures flexibility and accessibility for different preferences for software or platforms.

Avoid overused terms like “hardworking” or “results-driven.” Instead, use specific examples and achievements to illustrate your skills and strengths.

Business Leader Biography Template

Overview: This template is thoughtfully designed for senior executives and business leaders, such as CEOs, CFOs, and managing directors. It’s crafted to convey a comprehensive portrait of a leader’s career trajectory, leadership style, and their pivotal role in driving corporate strategy and innovation.

Usage: It is best used for company websites, investor relations materials, or professional networking platforms where detailing a leader’s vision and achievements is crucial.

Key aspects

• It includes a detailed exposition of the individual’s leadership philosophy and how it aligns with corporate goals.
• It provides a chronological summary of key business achievements and their impact on the industry.
• The template incorporates personal accolades and recognitions to underscore industry stature.

Board Member Biography Template

Overview: This template is tailored for individuals serving on corporate or non-profit boards, and highlights their governance roles, strategic contributions, and advocacy in board decisions.

Usage: It is ideal for annual reports, organization websites, and professional profiles where it’s essential to outline governance expertise and board contributions.

Key Aspects

• The template includes a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities within various board committees.
• The emphasis is placed on strategic goals and how the board member has influenced organizational direction.
• It includes a reflection on personal governance philosophy and its application to board activities.

Teacher Biography Template

Overview: This template is specifically for educators, including school teachers, university professors, and academic administrators. It focuses on pedagogical methodologies, educational achievements, and philosophical teaching approaches.

Usage: It is useful in academic portfolios, institutional websites, and educational conference materials where showcasing educational credentials and teaching philosophy is essential.

• The template highlights innovative teaching strategies and their effectiveness in student engagement and learning.
• It provides a comprehensive look at the educator’s career progression and specializations.
• It emphasizes contributions to educational reforms and curriculum development.

Personal Biography Template

Overview: This versatile template serves to narrate the comprehensive life story of an individual, merging personal milestones with professional achievements. It’s suited for those whose careers intertwine closely with their personal life philosophies, such as artists, freelancers, or public speakers.

Usage: This template is perfect for personal blogs, memoirs, or motivational speaking portfolios where personal touch and storytelling are key.

• The template effectively conveys the early experiences and how they influenced both the professional and personal trajectories.
• A discussion of core values and how they manifest in professional undertakings and community involvement is mentioned.
• The template illustrates life’s pivotal moments and their transformative impact on the individual.

Professional Biography Template

Overview: Designed for professionals across all sectors, this template offers a structured format to detail one’s expertise, key accomplishments, and industry impact comprehensively. Usage: It is suitable for LinkedIn profiles, professional websites, or industry conference materials where a detailed professional background is crucial.

• The template includes spaces for an exhaustive listing of skills, certifications, and professional milestones.
• Expertise and leadership can be shown by using the template’s space to analyze important projects and their results.
• The template fields include areas to outline professional memberships and affiliations, as well as industry involvement.

Military Service Biography Templates (Army, Air Force)

Overview: These templates highlight the leadership experiences, career highlights, and honors unique to each branch of the military because they are specifically designed for each one.

Usage: This template is ideal for military transition resumes, service recognition ceremonies, or veteran association publications.

• It includes a detailed recount of military deployments, roles, and commendations.
• It focuses on leadership roles and their impact on team performance and mission success.
• It includes space to include an overview of military training, education, and personal dedication to service principles.

Artist Biography Template

Overview: Created for artists and professionals in the creative industry, this template emphasizes the artistic journey, key influences, and notable achievements within their medium.

Usage: This template is best used for gallery introductions, artist statements for exhibitions, or portfolio websites where articulating artistic vision and career highlights is fundamental.

• It includes a detailed exploration of artistic themes, techniques, and the evolution of style.
• It provides spaces to include a listing of significant exhibitions and reviews, spotlighting the artist’s public reception.
• It offers a discussion on artistic philosophy and inspirations, which offers insights into the creative process.

When writing your professional bio, strategically incorporate power words to make your accomplishments and skills stand out. Power words are impactful and persuasive terms that convey strength, dynamism, and confidence.

• Tips on Sharing Personal Anecdotes and Interests in a Professional Bio

Integrating personal anecdotes and interests into your professional bio can make it more engaging and relatable. By carefully selecting and crafting personal anecdotes and interests, you can create a professional bio that is not only informative but also engaging and reflective of your unique personality and values. This approach helps to build a more relatable and memorable professional image. However, it’s essential to ensure that these personal elements enhance your professional image rather than detract from it. Here are some tips on how to do this effectively:

Keep it relevant

Select anecdotes and interests that complement your professional story. The personal details you share should add depth to your professional persona and illustrate qualities or skills relevant to your career.

“A passion for solving complex puzzles since childhood led me to pursue a career in software development, where I enjoy tackling challenging coding problems.”

Highlight transferable skills

Use personal interests to demonstrate skills that are applicable to your professional life. For example, if you enjoy running marathons, this can highlight your determination and commitment.

“An avid marathon runner, I bring the same level of dedication and perseverance to managing large-scale projects and meeting tight deadlines.”

Showcase your values

Share anecdotes that reflect your core values and principles. This can help readers understand what motivates you and how you approach your work.

“Volunteering at local shelters has taught me the importance of community and empathy, values I incorporate into my role as a customer service manager to build strong client relationships.”

• Be brief and purposeful

Keep personal anecdotes concise and directly related to your professional narrative. Avoid lengthy stories that can divert attention from your key professional highlights.

“During my travels, I’ve developed a keen eye for design, which I now apply to create visually compelling marketing materials.”

Maintain a professional tone

Even when sharing personal anecdotes, maintain a professional tone. Avoid overly casual language or details that might be seen as inappropriate in a professional context.

“As a chess enthusiast, I enjoy strategic thinking and planning, skills that are crucial in my role as a financial analyst.”

Connect to your career path

Use personal interests to explain career choices or shifts. This can make your professional journey more relatable and understandable.

“My fascination with technology started with building computers as a teenager, which naturally progressed into a career in IT management.”

Use Humor Sparingly

A touch of humor can make your bio more engaging, but it should be used sparingly and appropriately. Ensure that any humorous anecdotes still reflect positively on your professionalism.

“In addition to being a project manager, I’m also the unofficial office barista, known for brewing the best coffee to fuel our team’s productivity.”

A compelling professional biography is more than just a summary of your career—it’s a powerful tool for personal branding. Whether you’re showcasing your leadership as a business executive, your creative journey as an artist, or your educational impact as a teacher, a well-crafted bio helps you stand out and connect meaningfully with your audience. You can use these diverse templates to create a personalized, detailed, and visually appealing biography that tells your unique story.

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30 Personal Biography Examples & Free Templates

In today’s competitive job market, understanding the skill and art of writing a personal biography that captures your target audience’s attention is essential. A professionally written and optimised biography defines your brand and creates a great first impression anytime your potential employer, client, or someone at a networking event googles you online.

However, writing a personal biography is probably the most difficult task you will ever have. This is simply because it requires you to have polished and developed writing skills as well as intricate self-analysis skills. Mastering the art of writing a great biography also demands that you have a professional and effective self-analysis presentation.

Nonetheless, this should not scare you much, as this article is specifically written to help you understand the importance of writing an effective personal biography that sells your brand out there without being too self-promotional or too flat. Continue reading to find out more about personal biographies.

What is a Personal Biography?

A personal biography is a concise introduction that provides a summarised version of an individual’s professional accomplishments, educational and professional qualifications, as well as any other additional information that makes them who they are.

Personal bios are often used when seeking employment, on professional websites, and during networking events to give people a clear insight into what you are and what brand you represent.

Personal Biography (Examples & Templates)

Biography Vs. Autobiography

A biography, an autobiography , and a memoir both tell a person’s life story. Distinguishing between these three formats can be challenging as they both have some common similarities. However, there are some distinct differences between these three formats, as is discussed in the section that follows:

A biography is the life history of an individual, authored by someone else.

On the other hand;

An autobiography is the story of an individual’s life, written by themselves.

One major distinguishing factor between a biography and an autobiography is that the author of a biography is not the subject. The biographer writes about the subject’s life history and the events that shaped their lives from various research sources such as reference books, essays, photographs, diaries, letters, interviews, etc. In an autobiography, the author is the subject, and he/she is the main character of the story. Thus, autobiographies tend to be more subjective.

A biography is usually written to inform and establish context. In contrast, an autobiography is written to inform and describe the motivation and thoughts behind the author’s actions and decisions. An autobiography offers access to the personal thoughts and feelings of the author as they are the subject. At the same time, a biography has restricted access to the subject’s thoughts and feelings since the author is not the main character of the story.

A biography is written in the third person format, while an autobiography is written in the first person. The final difference between a biography and an autobiography is that a biography can be written anytime, while in the case of an autobiography, the account is written later in the subject’s life.

6 Steps to Write a Personal Biography

Now that you have already understood what a personal biography is and you are better positioned to distinguish between a biography and an autobiography, the next thing you should understand is how to effectively draft a professional biography. When writing a personal biography, you should have a few important things at the back of your mind. These items are usually standard, and they apply to almost all professional bios.

Follow these simple steps to craft your personal biography as a pro:

• Write a proper self-introduction
• Make your personal biography brief
• Write it in the third person format using third-person pronouns
• Include a well-planned story

Provide your contact information

• Before submitting your biography, review it thoroughly

These points are elaborated below :

Write a proper self introduction

Knowing how to introduce yourself properly is the first step of writing a great personal biography. I know you might be wondering how to introduce yourself properly . It is simple- Write your name first! Your readers need to know who you are before they proceed reading to find out what you do. Remember that your most important details, such as your education, accomplishments, and certifications, should be written in the first sentence.

After writing a nice introductory paragraph that sparks interest, write your passions, values, and general outlook on life professionally and humanly. You can achieve this by highlighting your key skills, the attributes that make you exceptional in whatever you, your personal values that helped shape what you are currently, and the goals that you have in your professional life.

Keep your personal biography brief

Determining the length of the bio before finishing it might seem like a daunting thing. But you must narrow down your information to make the entire biography brief. Depending on your primary focus and purpose of the biography, your word count can vary.

Suppose you are writing your personal bio from an SEO perspective. Then the more the words, the better. If you are writing your personal biography on a resume or job-search site such as LinkedIn, keep your word count between 300-600 words. You should use either a single paragraph or a few short paragraphs to explain precisely who you are. Keeping your bio concise helps you capture your audience’s attention and encourage them to read the rest of your bio.

While writing a bio for your professional website, the total word count should be 1500 -2000 words . In this scenario, include as many details as possible but don’t be too detailed either.

When writing your personal biography, it is very important that you include your purpose for writing the given bio. You should be able to answer the “ wh y” and “ what ” questions properly to the reader. After providing the reader with the purpose for your writing the bio, talk about the professional goals you have accomplished so far, the kind of awards and accolades you have received, if any, and whether or not you have exceeded your job goals and responsibilities- especially if your reader is a potential employee or client.

The next thing to include in your bio should be your background history. Give a brief but detailed explanation of your history, considering the aspects of your personal background that contributed to who you are today. While writing this section, highlight the events of your personal life that shaped your career line.

After that, talk about your educational background and the credentials that you have. In this section, you can write about where you schooled, what you studied for, and include educational awards or certificates you received from the various schools you attended.

If you have much information that you feel should be part and parcel of your biography, remember to organize this information, starting with the most important to the least important to encourage your reader to keep on reading. While at it, don’t forget to remove any irrelevant information that does not align with your bio’s purpose to guard your credibility.

Write your biography in the third-person format

As seen earlier, biographies are usually written in the third person. This makes them sound more objective and unbiased. While writing in the third person is difficult for most people- I mean, how do you talk about yourself in the third person? It is very beneficial to do so- especially informal settings.

From an SEO perspective, writing in the third person allows you to include your full names. This is very useful as it helps tell the reader that the piece provided is about you. However, avoid overusing your name as it makes the whole thing unnatural. Your name in a bio should come out as a natural inclusion. Only include it when it is appropriate.

Write a well-planned story

When drafting your personal bio, it is easier to find yourself talking more about your accomplishments instead of anything else. In as much as it is important to write about your achievements, avoid over mentioning them. Your bio should go over and beyond your awards and get to the core of who you are and what your brand is about. This might seem challenging, but if you plan your list well, you will achieve this. While writing this part, ask yourself questions like, who is your audience? What lesson do you want to convey? Which life events in your life best illustrate those main points? Convert your biography to a compelling story that engages the reader and draws their attention to want to know you more.

Once you master the art of writing your personal biography as a story, you are allowing yourself the chance to differentiate yourself from others and connect with the reader. Remember to focus only on accomplishments that relate to a variety of professional skills or the ones that relate to your proficiency and competence.

Your contact information should appear in the last sentence of your personal biography and should be easily visible. This is especially true if you are writing a bio that you will later publish on your website. Providing your contact information encourages your readers to communicate with you as it makes you appear like an open-minded and approachable person. You can include your email address, a link to your professional social media pages such as LinkedIn and Twitter, or a link to your contact page. However, you should be aware of online scammers.

Edit thoroughly

Your bio needs to reflect you in the best way possible. Therefore, it should be updated regularly and edited every time you achieve something new. A well-written, regularly updated personal biography is like a well-optimized search engine. As you gain more experience or, rather, whenever you shift your professional focus, you should always update those changes in your bio.

Writing a personal biography is a continuous process. The work is never truly finished. Therefore, after drafting your longer version of the personal bio that you intend to use on your website or for job-searching reasons, keep in mind that you will have to update it later and edit it where necessary.

After writing your bio, make sure to edit it thoroughly to ensure that it is grammatically correct and well-punctuated. This way, you will write a great personal bio that keeps your readers engaged and glued to your story. You can edit your work using online editing software such as Grammarly. You can read your work out loud to identify areas that need grammatical improvement, and you can ask a friend or family member who is objective to go through your piece and provide honest feedback on areas that need to be improved. It is also important that you avoid editing your work as you write. Instead, edit the entire document once it is complete to achieve a smoother flow.

Tips to Appear Professional in Personal Biography

To write a personal biography that will make you different from the rest of the crowd, you must understand how to make an all-important human connection while creatively showcasing your major accomplishments. It would be best if you do not come out as all-boastful to your readers.

Here are some of the best tips to make your personal bio noticeable:

Use humor where it is appropriate

Using humor in your personal biography is a great way of connecting with your audience. While you should maintain a professional tone throughout your piece, it is a good idea to include a humorous note upfront or at the end of your bio. However, you should first understand your target audience and know what type of joke is appropriate. Making your audience laugh as they read your story helps create a lasting impression on them, thus setting you apart from your peers.

Provide a link to your portfolio

The primary goal of writing a personal bio is to showcase yourself out there and to tell your readers what you have done. Nevertheless, you cannot fully achieve this goal if you fail to include links to examples of your best work in that given field. The links that you provide should anchor and illustrate what you’ve already described yourself. They should not contradict the main thrust of your personal narrative or be a distraction to your readers.

If you have a lot of work and accomplishments to choose from, just pick what you feel is most important, impressive, relevant, or one that tells your story in a way that makes you feel proud. While providing the links to your work, ensure that you use relevant anchor text. The words you choose to use should tell your readers what to expect when they click on the links you’ve provided.

Utilize search engine optimization

Your personal biography should be search engine friendly. This means that you have to watch your word count and make it longer. Your content should also be original, and you should write in the third-person format using third-person pronouns. Search engines value diversity. So, if you use the same bio for many sites, the chances are that only one of them will pop up on the first page of your search results, which most readers tend to overlook.

If you use various personal bios across different sites, then it is most likely that several of your bios will appear on your search engine results, meaning that you will end up with a wider online presence.

Other approaches that you can use to improve your SEO include; using relevant keywords that are related to your field or industry, including links to your social media pages such as Twitter and LinkedIn, adding a professional photo of you that is High-Definition quality, and including internal links to your website or outside work where applicable. All these methods are aimed to promote and market your brand to your readers.

Manage your online presence

Personal biographies are essential, but they only form part of your personal brand. The rest of your online presence should connect with your personal biography rather than contradicting it. This means that you have to find ways to manage your online presence.

First, you need to ensure that all the photos and posts posted on your websites, portfolios, and social media sites are professional. Secondly, countercheck the skills and tone across all your channels online to make sure that it is consistent. Lastly, consider googling yourself online to check for inappropriate or incorrect information about you or your brand.

By doing this, you are allowing yourself an opportunity to convey a consistent and compelling message that you want your readers and prospective employers to come away with.

Do not write in list form

A bio is not a resume. Therefore, avoid writing it in list form. You should not just give a list of your jobs and career awards and recognitions. Rather, present your professional life as a story using story-telling techniques.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on the purpose of the biography. If you are writing a bio for your social media page or for a job-searching site, keep it short. Your word count should be somewhere between 200-300 words . From an SEO perspective, the length of your bio should be longer. The word count should be around 1500-2000 words . The same applies to when you are writing a personal biography for your official website. In these scenarios, you should include more details while remaining relevant to the scope of your work.

Biographies portray the experiences and events that have occurred in a person’s life. Therefore, they are written chronologically, starting with the person’s early life, educational background, personal achievements, and professional accomplishments. However, shorter bios tend to focus more on one specific area in a person’s life.

A personal biography is a well-written short account of who you are, your academic qualifications and your most notable accomplishments in life. Personal biographies shouldn’t be too wordy. They should focus more on what is most important. Personal biographies should not portray you as being too boastful. Instead, you should use your bio to showcase your achievements creatively and tell your story in a good and compelling way that leaves a lasting impression on your potential employers and readers. This way, you will differentiate yourself from your peers and have a better chance of getting your dream job in today’s competitive job market.

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Free Editable Biography Templates

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Customize  Biography templates online . Use Edit.org to customize your biographies for schools, bookstores, and libraries. Create biographies about characters from a novel quickly and in a structured way.

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At Edit.org, we have created a collection of editable biography templates that can be used by students, writers, journalists, and anyone who needs to create a biography of famous people, whether they are scientists, athletes, politicians, or singers. They contain predefined sections and fields that you can fill in as easily as in a Word document, including:

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Using our template library will save you time since you won't have to start from scratch as you will have a predefined structure. Create didactic activities in your classroom and organize biographical information in a clearer and more coherent way. Just select one of the templates we offer in this article or the final cascade, customize it with your educational proposals, and print it in high resolution.

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Why is it a good idea to make a Biography as a school activity?

There are many reasons, but here are the 4 main ones:

• Researching someone's life and gathering information about their accomplishments, personal and professional challenges, as well as their contributions, will help students develop research skills and curiosity .
• Working on a biography improves writing skills, organization of ideas, and structuring information in a clear and coherent manner.
• Promotes critical thinking : students will learn to analyze different aspects of a public figure's life and develop their objective thinking about that person, history, and society in general. It also promotes empathy.
• Learn about the lives of influential people in different fields , such as science, politics, or art, and understand how their contributions have affected the world at large.

In short, doing a biography as a school activity is a great idea! It encourages research and understanding towards different life experiences and perspectives.

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Posted on Jun 30, 2023

How to Write a Biography: A 7-Step Guide [+Template]

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Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Dario Villirilli

Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.

From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

1. Seek permission when possible 

2. research your subject thoroughly, 3. do interviews and visit locations, 4. organize your findings, 5. identify a central thesis, 6. write it using narrative elements, 7. get feedback and polish the text.

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While you technically don’t need permission to write about public figures (or deceased ones), that doesn't guarantee their legal team won't pursue legal action against you. Author Kitty Kelley was sued by Frank Sinatra before she even started to write His Way , a biography that paints Ol Blue Eyes in a controversial light. (Kelley ended up winning the lawsuit, however).  

Whenever feasible, advise the subject’s representatives of your intentions. If all goes according to plan, you’ll get a green light to proceed, or potentially an offer to collaborate. It's a matter of common sense; if someone were to write a book about you, you would likely want to know about it well prior to publication. So, make a sincere effort to reach out to their PR staff to negotiate an agreement or at least a mutual understanding of the scope of your project. 

At the same time, make sure that you still retain editorial control over the project, and not end up writing a puff piece that treats its protagonist like a saint or hero. No biography can ever be entirely objective, but you should always strive for a portrayal that closely aligns with facts and reality.

If you can’t get an answer from your subject, or you’re asked not to proceed forward, you can still accept the potential repercussions and write an unauthorized biography . The “rebellious act” of publishing without consent indeed makes for great marketing, though it’ll likely bring more headaches with it too. 

✋ Please note that, like other nonfiction books, if you intend to release your biography with a publishing house , you can put together a book proposal to send to them before you even write the book. If they like it enough, they might pay you an advance to write it.  

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Once you’ve settled (or not) the permission part, it’s time to dive deep into your character’s story.  

Deep and thorough research skills are the cornerstone of every biographer worth their salt. To paint a vivid and accurate portrait of someone's life, you’ll have to gather qualitative information from a wide range of reliable sources. 

Start with the information already available, from books on your subject to archival documents, then collect new ones firsthand by interviewing people or traveling to locations. 

Browse the web and library archives

Put your researcher hat on and start consuming any piece on your subject you can find, from their Wikipedia page to news articles, interviews, TV and radio appearances, YouTube videos, podcasts, books, magazines, and any other media outlets they may have been featured in. 

Establish a system to orderly collect the information you find 一 even seemingly insignificant details can prove valuable during the writing process, so be sure to save them. 

Depending on their era, you may find most of the information readily available online, or you may need to search through university libraries for older references. 

For his landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow spent untold hours at Columbia University’s library , reading through the Hamilton family papers, visiting the New York Historical Society, as well as interviewing the archivist of the New York Stock Exchange, and so on. The research process took years, but it certainly paid off. Chernow discovered that Hamilton created the first five securities originally traded on Wall Street. This finding, among others, revealed his significant contributions to shaping the current American financial and political systems, a legacy previously often overshadowed by other founding fathers. Today Alexander Hamilton is one of the best-selling biographies of all time, and it has become a cultural phenomenon with its own dedicated musical. 

Besides reading documents about your subject, research can help you understand the world that your subject lived in. 

Try to understand their time and social environment

Many biographies show how their protagonists have had a profound impact on society through their philosophical, artistic, or scientific contributions. But at the same time, it’s worth it as a biographer to make an effort to understand how their societal and historical context influenced their life’s path and work.

An interesting example is Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World . Finding himself limited by a lack of verified detail surrounding William Shakespeare's personal life, Greenblatt, instead, employs literary interpretation and imaginative reenactments to transport readers back to the Elizabethan era. The result is a vivid (though speculative) depiction of the playwright's life, enriching our understanding of his world.

Many readers enjoy biographies that transport them to a time and place, so exploring a historical period through the lens of a character can be entertaining in its own right. The Diary of Samuel Pepys became a classic not because people were enthralled by his life as an administrator, but rather from his meticulous and vivid documentation of everyday existence during the Restoration period.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on as many secondary sources as you can find, you’ll want to go hunting for stories first-hand from people who are (or were) close to your subject.

With all the material you’ve been through, by now you should already have a pretty good picture of your protagonist. But you’ll surely have some curiosities and missing dots in their character development to figure out, which you can only get by interviewing primary sources.

Interview friends and associates

This part is more relevant if your subject is contemporary, and you can actually meet up or call with relatives, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors, or any other person related to them. 

In writing the popular biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson interviewed more than one hundred people, including Jobs’s family, colleagues, former college mates, business rivals, and the man himself.

🔍 Read other biographies to get a sense of what makes a great one. Check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time , or take our 30-second quiz below for tips on which one you should read next. 

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When you conduct your interviews, make sure to record them with high quality audio you can revisit later. Then use tools like Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe them 一 it’ll save you countless hours. 

You can approach the interview with a specific set of questions, or follow your curiosity blindly, trying to uncover revealing stories and anecdotes about your subject. Whatever your method, author and biography editor Tom Bromley suggests that every interviewer arrives prepared, "Show that you’ve done your work. This will help to put the interviewee at ease, and get their best answers.” 

Bromley also places emphasis on the order in which you conduct interviews. “You may want to interview different members of the family or friends first, to get their perspective on something, and then go directly to the main interviewee. You'll be able to use that knowledge to ask sharper, more specific questions.” 

Finally, consider how much time you have with each interviewee. If you only have a 30-minute phone call with an important person, make it count by asking directly the most pressing questions you have. And, if you find a reliable source who is also particularly willing to help, conduct several interviews and ask them, if appropriate, to write a foreword as part of the book’s front matter .

Sometimes an important part of the process is packing your bags, getting on a plane, and personally visiting significant places in your character’s journey.

Visit significant places in their life

A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story. 

In researching The Lost City of Z , author David Grann embarked on a trek through the Amazon, retracing the steps of British explorer Percy Fawcett. This led Grann to develop new theories about the circumstances surrounding the explorer's disappearance.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with jaguars and anacondas to better understand your subject’s environment, but try to walk into their shoes as much as possible. 

Once you’ve researched your character enough, it’s time to put together all the puzzle pieces you collected so far. 

Take the bulk of notes, media, and other documents you’ve collected, and start to give them some order and structure. A simple way to do this is by creating a timeline. 

Create a chronological timeline

It helps to organize your notes chronologically 一 from childhood to the senior years, line up the most significant events of your subject’s life, including dates, places, names and other relevant bits. 

You should be able to divide their life into distinct periods, each with their unique events and significance. Based on that, you can start drafting an outline of the narrative you want to create.  

Draft a story outline 

Since a biography entails writing about a person’s entire life, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can pick where you want to end the story, depending on how consequential the last years of your subject were. But the nature of the work will give you a starting character arc to work with. 

To outline the story then, you could turn to the popular Three-Act Structure , which divides the narrative in three main parts. In a nutshell, you’ll want to make sure to have the following:

• Act 1. Setup : Introduce the protagonist's background and the turning points that set them on a path to achieve a goal. 
• Act 2. Confrontation : Describe the challenges they encounter, both internal and external, and how they rise to them. Then..
• Act 3. Resolution : Reach a climactic point in their story in which they succeed (or fail), showing how they (and the world around them) have changed as a result. 

Only one question remains before you begin writing: what will be the main focus of your biography?

Think about why you’re so drawn to your subject to dedicate years of your life to recounting their own. What aspect of their life do you want to highlight? Is it their evil nature, artistic genius, or visionary mindset? And what evidence have you got to back that up? Find a central thesis or focus to weave as the main thread throughout your narrative. 

Or find a unique angle

If you don’t have a particular theme to explore, finding a distinct angle on your subject’s story can also help you distinguish your work from other biographies or existing works on the same subject.

Plenty of biographies have been published about The Beatles 一 many of which have different focuses and approaches: 

• Philip Norman's Shout is sometimes regarded as leaning more towards a pro-Lennon and anti-McCartney stance, offering insights into the band's inner dynamics. 
• Ian McDonald's Revolution in the Head closely examines their music track by track, shifting the focus back to McCartney as a primary creative force. 
• Craig Brown's One Two Three Four aims to capture their story through anecdotes, fan letters, diary entries, and interviews. 
• Mark Lewisohn's monumental three-volume biography, Tune In , stands as a testament to over a decade of meticulous research, chronicling every intricate detail of the Beatles' journey.

Finally, consider that biographies are often more than recounting the life of a person. Similar to how Dickens’ Great Expectations is not solely about a boy named Pip (but an examination and critique of Britain’s fickle, unforgiving class system), a biography should strive to illuminate a broader truth — be it social, political, or human — beyond the immediate subject of the book. 

Once you’ve identified your main focus or angle, it’s time to write a great story. 

While biographies are often highly informative, they do not have to be dry and purely expository in nature . You can play with storytelling elements to make it an engaging read. 

You could do that by thoroughly detailing the setting of the story , depicting the people involved in the story as fully-fledged characters , or using rising action and building to a climax when describing a particularly significant milestone of the subject’s life. 

One common way to make a biography interesting to read is starting on a strong foot…

Hook the reader from the start

Just because you're honoring your character's whole life doesn't mean you have to begin when they said their first word. Starting from the middle or end of their life can be more captivating as it introduces conflicts and stakes that shaped their journey.

When he wrote about Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild , author Jon Krakauer didn’t open his subject’s childhood and abusive family environment. Instead, the book begins with McCandless hitchhiking his way into the wilderness, and subsequently being discovered dead in an abandoned bus. By starting in the middle of the action  in medias res, Krakauer hooks the reader’s interest, before tracing back the causes and motivations that led McCandless to die alone in that bus in the first place.

You can bend the timeline to improve the reader’s reading experience throughout the rest of the story too…

Play with flashback 

While biographies tend to follow a chronological narrative, you can use flashbacks to tell brief stories or anecdotes when appropriate. For example, if you were telling the story of footballer Lionel Messi, before the climax of winning the World Cup with Argentina, you could recall when he was just 13 years old, giving an interview to a local newspaper, expressing his lifelong dream of playing for the national team. 

Used sparsely and intentionally, flashbacks can add more context to the story and keep the narrative interesting. Just like including dialogue does…

Reimagine conversations

Recreating conversations that your subject had with people around them is another effective way to color the story. Dialogue helps the reader imagine the story like a movie, providing a deeper sensory experience. 

One thing is trying to articulate the root of Steve Jobs’ obsession with product design, another would be to quote his father , teaching him how to build a fence when he was young: “You've got to make the back of the fence just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know. And that will show that you're dedicated to making something perfect.”

Unlike memoirs and autobiographies, in which the author tells the story from their personal viewpoint and enjoys greater freedom to recall conversations, biographies require a commitment to facts. So, when recreating dialogue, try to quote directly from reliable sources like personal diaries, emails, and text messages. You could also use your interview scripts as an alternative to dialogue. As Tom Bromley suggests, “If you talk with a good amount of people, you can try to tell the story from their perspective, interweaving different segments and quoting the interviewees directly.”

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These are just some of the story elements you can use to make your biography more compelling. Once you’ve finished your manuscript, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

If you’re going to publish your own  biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and edit your own manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. 

Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.”  

In addition to structural editing, you may want to have someone copy-edit and proofread your work.

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Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style, but you can easily create one by using tools like EasyBib . Once the text is nicely polished and typeset in your writing applications , you can prepare for the publication process.  

In conclusion, by mixing storytelling elements with diligent research, you’ll be able to breathe life into a powerful biography that immerses readers in another individual’s life experience. Whether that’ll spark inspiration or controversy, remember you could have an important role in shaping their legacy 一 and that’s something not to take lightly. 

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Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More

She wants to protect the right to abortion nationally. Here’s what else to know about her positions.

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By Maggie Astor

• Published July 21, 2024 Updated Aug. 24, 2024

With Vice President Kamala Harris having replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket, her stances on key issues will be scrutinized by both parties and the nation’s voters.

She has a long record in politics: as district attorney of San Francisco, as attorney general of California, as a senator, as a presidential candidate and as vice president.

Here is an overview of where she stands.

Ms. Harris supports legislation that would protect the right to abortion nationally, as Roe v. Wade did before it was overturned in 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

After the Dobbs ruling, she became central to the Biden campaign’s efforts to keep the spotlight on abortion, given that Mr. Biden — with his personal discomfort with abortion and his support for restrictions earlier in his career — was a flawed messenger. In March, she made what was believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a president or vice president.

She consistently supported abortion rights during her time in the Senate, including cosponsoring legislation that would have banned common state-level restrictions, like requiring doctors to perform specific tests or have hospital admitting privileges in order to provide abortions.

As a presidential candidate in 2019, she argued that states with a history of restricting abortion rights in violation of Roe should be subject to what is known as pre-clearance for new abortion laws — those laws would have to be federally approved before they could take effect. That proposal is not viable now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe.

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