27 of the Best Professional Bio Examples I've Ever Seen [+ Templates]
Published: December 20, 2023
As a writer, I have to let readers and potential clients know my expertise, my skills, and why they should work with me or be interested in what I say. So, a professional bio is a must in my industry.
Though I'm definitely familiar with professional bios, I can admit they can be challenging. What do I include? What do readers need to know?
As daunting as writing a professional bio can be, professional bios are crucial when applying for jobs, seeking new clients, or networking. A professional bio also gives the world a brief snapshot of you and your professional ideals.
If you‘re at a loss for how to write a professional bio that packs a punch, I’ve got you covered. In this journey, tools like HubSpot’s user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder can be instrumental in showcasing your professional bio online with ease and style.
I will walk you through how to write a professional bio that you can proudly publish, provide professional bio templates, and show you the best professional bio examples you can get inspiration from.
![→ Download Now: 80 Professional Bio Examples [Free Templates]](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/53/4eb63650-d315-42e5-9ac7-8d0fcba29324.png "biography with sentence examples")
What is a professional bio?
Professional bio templates, how to write a professional bio, best professional bio examples, how to write a short bio.
.webp "biography with sentence examples")
80+ Professional Bio Templates & Examples
Create a compelling professional narrative for a proper, attention-grabbing introduction.
- LinkedIn Summaries
- Speaker Intros
- Website Bios
- Professional Profile
Download Free
All fields are required.
You're all set!
Click this link to access this resource at any time.
Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today:
A professional bio or biography is a short overview of your experience. Professional bios usually include details about education, employment, achievements, and relevant skills.
Purpose of Professional Bios
A bio tells an audience about who you are, what you've done, and what you can do. It can help potential employers, fans, or customers understand your personality and what you stand for.
Writing a bio without a clear starting point is challenging — believe me, I've tried. To ease the process, here are some templates I put together to get you started.
I‘ve found it’s best to keep your professional bio honest and to the point. Too long of a bio, and you risk losing your audience's attention. After all, audiences will only read a web page for less than a minute before clicking elsewhere.
And honesty is key because most consumers and clients won‘t invest in someone or something if it doesn’t seem trustworthy. In fact, 67% of consumers say they must trust a brand before investing in its products or services.
Download free, editable short and long professional bio templates.
What should a professional bio say?
No one wants to work with a clone — your professional bio should be as unique as you.
When writing your bio, include important professional roles and achievements. Add your passions, interests, and how you bring your values to your work. Finally, your bio should let readers know you and reflect your personality.
Here are the elements I recommend including when writing a professional bio:
Professional Roles and Achievements
It's essential to highlight your career roles and achievements in your bio. This can include your current position, previous roles, and notable accomplishments. It will help establish your expertise and credibility and start your bio on the right note.
Passions and Interests
This might be less essential, but it will help humanize you. Remember: Bios are shared via an impersonal medium, like a screen, and can sometimes feel distant if we don't take the proper steps.
Share your passions and interests, whether or not they relate to your work or industry. That way, you can show enthusiasm and dedication outside your professional life.
Plus, you could find common ground with readers — which is always beneficial.
Take a look at this short bio by HubSpot staff writer Erica Santiago.
"Plus," she adds, "I'm always happy to talk about my cats at any given moment. You never know when a fellow cat mom could be reading."
Values and Work Approach
Your values can sometimes show your work ethic more effectively than your career path. It can also help you endear yourself to employers and colleagues who want to work with people with similar values.
So don‘t be shy: Share how you incorporate your values into your work. Whether it’s a commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, or ethical decision-making, explain what drives you and be enthusiastic about it.
Your Personality
Remember: Your bio should always include a taste of your personality! Your sense of humor, creativity, or collaborative nature could all give readers a sense of who you are. This helps readers connect with you on a more personal level.
Remember to tailor your bio for different platforms and audiences. Also, keep it concise and impactful while highlighting the most relevant information in each context.
First-Person Bio vs. Third-Person Bio
While first-person bios are common, third-person bios can be more effective in formal situations.
Your decision to write your professional bio in the first or third person depends on your desire to leave a more personable or assertive impression.
Both approaches work, provided you tailor them to your goals and audience. What’s important is to be clear and tell your story in a way that connects with your reader.
How to Write a First-Person Bio
Writing in the first person can be a great way to connect with your audience when building a personal brand. When you write a first-person bio, use "I" or "me" to make yourself relatable and approachable.
Here's one way I’d write a first-person bio:
"I'm a freelance writer specializing in small business content. I've worked with companies in a variety of industries like home care to fine leather goods."
Speaking in the first person here connects you with a client or brand based on your experience and opinions. Put another way, writing a first-person bio is like telling your story to your audience.
Here are a few tips to make your first-person bio great:
Don’t start every sentence with "I."
Showing instead of telling is a great approach.
Let’s say you’re a writer who wants to create a short professional bio. Instead of saying, "I love to write," you can say, "Writer. Bad but enthusiastic dancer."
This portrays your writing skill, shows your personality outside of writing as a dancer, and includes a little sense of humor, which is essential for a writer.
Remember, you know yourself better than anyone.
Adding a back story to your bio helps create context for the roles and successes you write about. Think of it like a case study about who you were, what you are now, and the process that got you to your current position.
Focus on valuable details.
Quick facts about you can showcase your identity and values. For example, if you're writing a bio for LinkedIn, think about how to tie your hobby into what you do.
Let's say Animal Crossing is your hobby. Does it align with your career aspirations? It can be a great addition to your bio if you want to pursue a video game career.
However, if your interests lie elsewhere, including a more relevant hobby is better.
How to Write a Third-Person Bio
Third-person bios sound more authoritative and objective. So, if you’re job searching in a formal industry, applying for grants, or trying to get published, you may want to stick to the third person.
For instance, when you write a third-person bio, you may start with:
"Jasmine Montgomery is a Senior Hiring Manager at L’Oreal based in New York. She recruits across several business units to connect with the brightest talent from around the globe."
By only using your name and pronouns to speak about yourself here, you are letting your title and skill set speak for themselves.
These bios create distance between the subject of the bio (you) and the reader through a third person. This person could be anyone, but they usually speak in a tone emphasizing their expertise.
This makes third-person bios feel aloof or overly formal sometimes.
Ideally, your third-person bio should sound friendly but polished, like a message from a close colleague at work. Here are a few tips on how to write a great third-person bio.
Write from the perspective of someone you know and trust.
It can be challenging to write about yourself, so try to see yourself from the perspective of your favorite person at work or a mentor you trust. This can help you write from a position of authority without feeling self-conscious.
Show the reader why they should trust your opinion.
A professional bio often reflects a specific industry or niche. With this in mind, your text should include relevant details that professionals in your industry know. Avoid jargon whenever you can.
Remember, you're telling a story.
If you want a third-person bio, but you're used to writing in first-person, it may help to write it the most comfortable way for you.
Your professional bio is an essential piece of writing, so edit it carefully. Edit your writing from both points of view and see which works best for your target audience.
Here's how to write a professional bio, step by step.
- Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.
- Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.
- Mention any associated brand name you might use.
- State your current position and what you do.
- Include at least one professional accomplishment.
- Describe your values and how they inform your career.
- Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.
- Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.
If you’re anything like me, you probably don't think about your professional bio until you’re asked to "send one over via email."
You have one afternoon to come up with it, so you scramble together a bio that ends up reading like this:
"Rodney Erickson is a content marketing professional at HubSpot, a CRM platform that helps companies attract visitors, convert leads, and close customers.
Previously, Rodney worked as a marketing manager for a tech software startup. He graduated with honors from Columbia University with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing."
To be fair, in certain contexts, your professional bio needs to be more formal, like Mr. Erickson's up there. But there are also cases where writing a personable and conversational bio is good.
Whether you choose the formal or casual route, use the following steps to create a perfect bio.
1. Create an 'About' page for your website or profile.
You need an online space to keep your professional bio. Here are a few to consider (some of these you might already have in place):
- Facebook Business page .
- Industry blog byline .
- Instagram account .
- Personal website .
- LinkedIn profile .
- Industry website .
- Personal blog .
As you'll see in the professional bio examples below, the length and tone of your bio will differ depending on the platforms you use.
Instagram, for example, allows only 150 characters of bio space, whereas you can write as much as you want on your website or Facebook Business page.
2. Begin writing your bio with your first and last name.
If your readers remember nothing else about your bio, they should remember your name. Therefore, it's a good idea for your first and last name to be the first two words of your professional bio.
Even if your name is printed above this bio (hint: it should), this is a rare moment where it's okay to be redundant.
For example, if I were writing my bio, I might start it like this:
Lindsay Kolowich
Lindsay Kolowich is a Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot.
3. Mention any associated brand name you might use.
Will your professional bio represent you or a business you work for? Ensure you mention the brand you associate with in your bio. If you're a freelancer, you may have a personal business name or pseudonym you advertise to your clients.
Here are a few examples:
- Lindsay Kolowich Marketing.
- SEO Lindsay.
- Kolowich Consulting.
- Content by Kolowich (what do you think ... too cheesy?).
Maybe you founded your own company and want its name to be separate from your real name. Keep it simple like this: "Lindsay Kolowich is the founder and CEO of Kolowich Consulting."
4. State your current position and what you do.
Whether you're the author of a novel or a mid-level specialist, use the following few lines of your bio to describe what you do in that position. Refrain from assuming your audience knows what your job title entails.
Make your primary responsibilities known so readers can know you and understand what you offer to your industry.
5. Include at least one professional accomplishment.
Just as a business touts its client successes through case studies, your professional bio should let your audience know what you've achieved.
What have you done for yourself — as well as for others — that makes you a valuable player in your industry?
6. Describe your values and how they inform your career.
Why do you do what you do? What might make your contribution to the market different from your colleagues? What are the values that make your business a worthwhile investment to others?
Create a professional bio that answers these questions.
7. Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work.
Transition from describing your values in work to defining who you are outside of work. This may include:
- Your family.
- Your hometown.
- Sports you play.
- Hobbies and interests.
- Favorite music and travel destinations.
- Side hustles you're working on.
People like connecting with other people. The more transparent you are about who you are personally, the more likable you'll be to people reading about you.
8. Use humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio.
End your professional bio on a good or, more specifically, a funny note. By leaving your audience with something quirky or unique, you can ensure they'll leave your website with a pleasant impression of you.
Following the steps above when writing your bio is important, but take your time with one section. People consume lots of information daily. So ensure your bio hooks 'em in the first line, and you won’t lose them.
(P.S. Want to boost your professional brand? Take one of HubSpot Academy's free certification courses . In just one weekend, you can add a line to your resume and bio that over 60,000 marketers covet.)
Why Good Bios Are Important for a Professional
You may think, "How many people read professional bios, anyway?"
The answer: A lot. Though there's no way to tell who is reading it, you want it catchy. Your professional bio will delight the right people coming across it on multiple platforms.
Professional bios can live on your LinkedIn profile , company website, guest posts, speaker profiles, Twitter bio , Instagram bio , and many other places.
And most importantly, it‘s the tool you can leverage most when you’re networking.
Bottom line? People will read your professional bio. Whether they remember it or it makes them care about you is a matter of how well you present yourself to your intended audience.
So, what does a top-notch professional bio look like? Let‘s review a few sample bios for professionals like you and me. Then, we’ll cover bio examples from some of the best people in the industry.
Short Sample Bios
Your bio doesn't have to be complicated. Here are five samples to glean inspiration from.
Example 1: Friendly Sample Bio
"Hey! My name is Ryan, and I'm a marketing specialist passionate about digital advertising. I have five years of experience managing various online campaigns and improving brand visibility for clients across multiple verticals. I love analyzing consumer behavior and leveraging data-driven strategies to maximize ROI. Outside work, I enjoy traveling, taking funny photos, and exploring new hiking trails."
Example 2: Mid-Career Sample Bio
"Jennifer Patel is a versatile graphic designer known for her creative approach and attention to detail. With a background in visual arts and eight years of experience, Jennifer has worked on diverse projects ranging from logo designs to website layouts. Her ability to understand and translate client needs into visually striking designs sets her apart. Jennifer finds inspiration in nature, music, and pop culture."
Example 3: Sales Sample Bio
"I'm a seasoned sales executive with a track record of exceeding targets and building strong client relationships. With a background in B2B sales, I've built a natural ability to understand customer needs and consistently exceed quota every month. I pride myself in my communication skills and strategic approaches, which have helped me thrive in highly competitive markets such as SaaS sales. Outside work, I enjoy playing basketball and volunteering at local charities."
Example 4: HR Sample Bio
"I am a dedicated human resources professional with a passion for fostering a positive workplace culture and facilitating employee development. With eight years of experience in talent acquisition and HR operations, I've played a key role in building high-performing teams. I'm known for my strong interpersonal skills and ability to create inclusive and supportive work environments. In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga and exploring new culinary experiences."
Example 5: Software Engineer Sample Bio
"David Chang is a senior software engineer specializing in backend development. With a strong background in computer science and six years of experience, David has successfully built scalable and efficient solutions for complex technical challenges. He is well-versed in various programming languages and frameworks like C++, Java, and Ruby on Rails. In his spare time, David enjoys reading science fiction novels and playing the guitar."
Below, we've curated some of the best professional bio examples we've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the various places you might describe yourself.
Check 'em out and use them as inspiration when crafting your own.
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Author
- Chima Mmeje: SEO Content Writer
- DJ Nexus: DJ
- Lena Axelsson: Marriage & Family Therapist
- Mark Levy: Branding Firm Founder
- Audra Simpson: Political Anthropologist
- Marie Mikhail: Professional Recruiter
- Wonbo Woo: Executive Producer
- Chris Burkard: Freelance Photographer
- Lisa Quine: Creative Consultant
- Nancy Twine: Hair Care Founder
- Trinity Mouzon: Wellness Brand Founder
- Alberto Perez: Co-Founder of Zumba Fitness
- Ann Handley: Writer and Marketer
1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie : Author
Bio platform: personal website.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie begins her professional bio with an invitation to her roots.
In a few paragraphs, she describes when and where she was born, her family, her education, her honorary degrees, and the depth of her work, which has been translated into 30 languages and several publications.
She can keep readers engaged by leading with a powerful hook that aligns with her target audience’s marketing needs.
- There’s clarity about who Chima serves.
- The hook is bold, catchy, and compels anyone to read further.
- Including client results makes clients visualize what they can expect.
3. DJ Nexus : DJ
Bio platform: facebook.
This New England-based DJ has single-handedly captured the Likes of over 2,000 people in and beyond Boston, MA. And even if you don‘t listen to the type of music he produces, it’s hard not to read his compelling Facebook bio.
For instance, consider his tagline, under "About" — " Quiet during the day. QUITE LOUD at night! " DJ Nexus tells you when he works awesomely. I got goosebumps just imagining a dance club where he might play music.
The second is the "long version," which is even more interesting than the first. Why? It reads like a story — a compelling one, at that. In fact, it gets hilarious in some parts.
The second sentence of the bio reads: "He was frightened of public school, loved playing baseball and football, ran home to watch ape films on the 4:30 Movie, listened to The Jam and The Buzzcocks, and read magic trick books."
Here's another excerpt from the middle:
It's a well-put value proposition that sets her apart from the rest of the HR industry.
Marie concludes her bio with a smooth mix of professional skills, like her Spanish fluency, and personal interests, such as podcasting and Star Wars (she mentions the latter with just the right amount of humor).
- Straight off the bat, Marie uses a story to share her experiences of how she began as a recruiter.
- It provides a subtle pitch for readers to check out her podcast.
- The bio exudes Maries approachable, fun, and playful personality.
8. Wonbo Woo : Executive Producer
Wonbo Woo is the executive producer of WIRED's video content and has several impressive credits to his name. What does this mean for his professional bio? He has to prioritize.
With this in mind, Wonbo opens his bio with the most eye-catching details first (if the image below is hard to read, click it to see the full copy ).
I wouldn‘t necessarily be inclined to follow Chris if his bio had simply read, "I post beautiful images." But images that inspire me to travel? Now that’s something I can get behind.
Last, he ends on a humble, sweet note: "He is happiest with his wife Breanne raising their two sons." So inject personal information into your bio — it makes you seem approachable.
- It highlights Chris’s achievement without bragging.
- The last sentence portrays Chris as a responsible man who loves his family.
- The well-written bio speaks to nature lovers who like the outdoors, surfing, and more. This gives them reasons to follow Chris.
10. Lisa Quine : Creative Consultant
Bio platform: portfolio website.
Creative professionals who specialize in visual art may find it challenging to balance the writing of their bio and displaying of their portfolio. Not Lisa Quine. Lisa has an exceptional balance of her professional bio and creative work.
Throughout her bio, you'll notice the number of murals she's completed and a brief timeline of her career. This helps her paint the picture of who she is as a professional.
The rest of her bio similarly focuses on Twine's strengths as someone who’s able to take hair care "back to basics."
Mouzon effectively grips the reader's attention with this introduction and then dives into some of her impressive accomplishments — including a brand now sold at Urban Outfitters and Target.
The language used throughout Mouzon's bio is authentic, real, and honest.
For instance, in the second paragraph, she admits:
"While building a brand may have looked effortless from the outside, starting a business at age 23 with no resources or funding quickly forced me to realize that early-stage entrepreneurship was anything but transparent."
As an avid Zumba fan, I was excited to include this one. Perez styles his LinkedIn bio as a short story, starting with his background as a hard-working teen who held three jobs by age 14.
His bio tells the fun and fascinating origin story of Zumba, in which Perez, an aerobics teacher in Florida at the time, forgot his music for class and used a Latin music cassette tape instead ... "And it was an instant hit!"
His bio continues:
"Shortly after he was connected to Alberto Periman and Alberto Aghion, and Zumba was officially created ... What started as a dream now has 15 million people in more than 200,000 locations in 186 countries who take Zumba classes every week."
There's something in there for everyone.
- The last section of the bio shows Ann’s warm personality — "Ann lives in Boston, where she is Mom to creatures two- and four-legged."
- Written in the third person, this bio has lots of proof (like followers), which shows Ann is a terrific marketing leader.
If you're posting a bio on a social media account or sending a quick blurb to a client, you want to keep it short and sweet while showcasing your accomplishments.
To get started, use these best practices for writing your short professional bio:
- Introduce yourself.
- State what you do.
- Add key skills or areas of expertise.
- Include a personal mission statement
- Celebrate your wins.
- Provide your contact information.
- Show them your personality.
1. Introduce yourself.
Your introduction is your first impression, so always begin by telling people who you are. You may start with a greeting like, "Hello, my name is" or "Hi! Let me first introduce myself …" when sending your bio as a message.
If you’re writing a bio for an online platform, stating your name at the beginning works as well.
Leading with your name — even as a question — is important for recognition and building relationships.
2. State what you do.
Give people an idea of what you do daily and where you work. Your job title is how the people put you into context and consider whether your profession relates to their industry.
So detail your most relevant work in your short bios, like CEO, professor, and author.
Take a cue from Angela Duckworth , who specifies what she does in her LinkedIn bio:
3. Add key skills or areas of expertise.
If you send a bio to a client or potential employer, highlight your most valuable skills. For instance, if your expertise is in social media marketing and content creation, like Ivanka Dekoning , list these skills.
- A joke. "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once. At least that’s what I learned when I created…"
- Mention a hobby. "I’ll be honest: for me, tennis is life — Go Nadal!"
- A fun fact. "Every year, I watch 100 new films! I’m a cinephile and love every movie genre."
- A few emojis related to your interests. "🎶🤖🎾🎬🎭"
Whichever way you choose to get personal, give people a glimpse into who you are as an individual.
When writing a short bio, it can be tempting to pack in as much relevant information about yourself as possible — but this isn’t the most effective approach.
Instead, focus on including the details that you and your audience care about most and leave out the fluff.
Let's dive into a few examples of short professional bios.
Short Professional Bio Examples
- Tristen Taylor: Marketing Manager
- Lianna Patch: Copywriter
- Precious Oboidhe: Content Strategist and Writer
- Rebecca Bollwitt: Writer
- Megan Gilmore: Cookbook Author
- Bea Dixon: Feminine Care Founder
- Tammy Hembrow: Instagram Influencer
- Dr. Cody: Chiropractor
- Larry Kim: Founder
- Dharmesh Shah: Founder and CTO
- Lily Ugbaja: Content Strategist
- Ian Anderson Gray: Marketer
- Van Jones: Political Commentator, Author, and Lawyer
1. Tristen Taylor: Marketing Manager
Bio platform: blog byline.
Tristen Taylor is a Marketing Manager here at HubSpot. She's written content for HubSpot's Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service blogs; her blog author bio is one of my favorites.
What I love most about Tristen's bio is that it’s a great example of how to deliver information about yourself that is relevant to your work while also sharing fun details that audiences will find relatable.
Her bio reads:
"Building from her experience with GoCo.io and Southwest Airlines, Tristen's work has been recognized by Marketing Brew and BLACK@INBOUND. She lives in Washington, DC, attending anime conventions and painting in her free time."
Gilmore further includes a CTA link within her Instagram bio that leads followers to free, ready-to-use recipes. You might think, " Why would she do that since it discourages people from buying her book?"
But that couldn't be further from the truth.
By giving her followers the chance to try out her recipes, she's slowly turning leads into customers. After I tried a few of her Instagram recipes and loved them, I bought her book, knowing I'd like more of what she offered.
- The bio is short and direct.
- The CTA link includes an invitation for people to join her newsletter. Meaning, she can build her email list.
6. Bea Dixon : Feminine Care Founder
Bea Dixon, Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot Company, efficiently uses the space on her Instagram profile to highlight who she is as a well-rounded human — not just a businesswoman.
For instance, while she highlights her girl boss attitude with a tiara emoji, she equally calls attention to her fashion interests (Free People), her pets, Boss and Sadie, and her love for ramen noodles.
10. Dharmesh Shah : Founder and CTO
Dharmesh Shah is the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot. Dharmesh’s bio is exciting because it has social proof, gives people a reason to follow him, and shows what people can expect.
What more do you need to know?
Ian doesn't take his bio too seriously but uses every character to highlight everything about him.
He includes his skills as a marketer and podcast host, who he is outside work as a dad, and what he can help you do. His smiles also give the bio a sense of humor and realness.
The 17 Best Free Resume Builders We've Ever Discovered
40 Free Resume Templates for Microsoft Word (& How to Make Your Own)
Portfolios vs. Resumes — The Complete Guide
40 Interests That Deserve a Place on Your Resume
Making the Most of Electronic Resumes (Pro Tips and Tricks)
How to Write a Simple, Effective Resume (+20 Examples)
How to Write the Perfect Project Manager Resume
How to Write the Perfect Resume for Internships
Maximize Your Impact: 205 Action Verbs to Use on Your Resume
How Far Back Should a Resume Go? Everything You Need to Know
Create a compelling professional narrative for your summary, bio, or introduction.
Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform
How to Use biography in a Sentence
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Can you solve 4 words at once?
Word of the day.
See Definitions and Examples »
Get Word of the Day daily email!
How to write a strong one-line biography (with examples!)
As a blogger or content marketer, you’re spreading your content across the internet to build your name as a thought leader and to drive traffic back to your (or your client’s) website.
One of the best ways to do this is via a strong biography, where sites will often allow you to also link back to somewhere. But you need to get their interest to learn more, so you need a strong one-line biography as most sites will only allow a short biography.
Here’s how you write a strong one-line biography for your blog author page:
Write in 3rd person
Highlight your role/profession.
- Keep it short
Include a call to action
Biographies should be written in third person. Instead of “I am a serial entrepreneur…” you should write “John is a serial entrepreneur…”
Some publications may have different guidelines, in which case you should follow them, but as a general guideline always write your bio in 3rd person.
Your bio should tell readers who you are and what you do, so be sure to highlight your role or profession.
“John is a serial entrepreneur and digital marketing veteran who…”
This gives people more information about you, why you are qualified to be talking about the topic you are bylined on, and helps them decide if they want to click your link to learn more.
Don’t be afraid to brag a little bit! In our world of fake humility, finding someone who is willing to state what they’ve done can be refreshing and encourage them to click to learn more about you.
Don’t overdo it though. A quick interesting fact is usually more than enough to get them interested.
For example:
“John is a serial entrepreneur and digital marketing leader who via his company Credo has generated over a quarter billion dollars in leads for agencies since 2015.”
The lead value number is a brag, but it’s also true and lets people know that John knows what he’s doing.
Have some fun!
In today’s social media world, people want to connect with the person behind the account.
So don’t be afraid to use emojis or a bit of humor.
This advice does not carry over to a professional website like LinkedIn where people are more professional and you should present your best face to the world.
Keep it short, but readable
If you’re required to keep your biography to just one sentence, you have just 15 to 20 words on average to get your point across. You need to be succinct and make every word count.
As such, remove superlatives and flowery language that could make it harder to read. This is not the place to be cute or show off – it’s the place to communicate effectively.
Include a backlink/hyperlink
Most websites where you publish will allow you to link back to a site of your choice from your biography. Don’t be spammy and try to link back to multiple places – link to a place where people can find out more about you or your company easily.
Finally, include a call to action (CTA) if you have enough space and can work it in. At minimum, make sure you follow the above advice and include a hyperlink back to your main website where people can learn more about you or your business.
Some examples
Here are some examples of great bios.
Dan Martell (Instagram)
Dan Martell is a coach to software founders, an entrepreneur with 3 business exits, an award-winning angel investor, and a proud dad and husband.
How do we know this? Because he says so in his Instagram bio. Short and effective.
Kimberly Bryant
Kimberly Bryant is the founder of Black Girls Code , a company that “build[s] pathways for young women of color to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators by introducing them to skills in computer programming and technology.” Here is her Twitter biography, which clearly states what she does and gives insight into who she is.
Chris Ducker
Chris Ducker is a UK-based entrepreneur who “helps midlife leaders and entrepreneurs build future proof businesses around their expertise” with his Youpreneur coaching program.
Pat Flynn is a serial entrepreneur, dad, and husband who also has a physical product and a Pokemon card side hustle with over 100,000 YouTube subscribers. Here’s his Instagram profile:
Rand Fishkin
Rand is also a serial entrepreneur and currently the CEO of Sparktoro, an audience insight software tool. He’s formerly the cofounder and CEO of Moz, an SEO software suite. His LinkedIn bio says succinctly what he does, and also adds a bit of personality to let you know what he believes.
John Doherty
John is the founder and CEO of Credo and EditorNinja. (Hi, I’m John writing this!). His bio tells you what he cares about (his family and Colorado), what he does and the various projects he works on as well as his accomplishments.
Publishing on the internet?
Are you publishing on the internet and care about the correctness and quality of your content?
Click here to schedule a free editorial assesssment to learn about how EditorNinja can solve your copy editing and proofreading problems.
English Grammar Here
5 Example of Biography, Biography Samples and Formats
Table of Contents
Biography appears as a genre of literature. There are different types. Biography in general means telling about a person’s life. In our article, you will find answers to the questions of what is a biography and how to write it.
What Should Be Considered When Writing A Biography? How To Write A Biography?
Biography means writing about a person. Therefore, a person must be determined first. Usually, biographies are written for well-known people. Shakespeare, for example, could be an example. So what should be considered while writing? Chronology is important when writing a biography. We have to give the events in order.
So what do we need to talk about? We can talk about the person’s place of birth, place of residence, education, business life, marriages, and children. Apart from these, we can add important events in the person’s life to the biography. Biographies can consist of five different types and these are as follows.
- Popular biography
- Historical biography
- Literary biography
- Reference biography
- Fictional biography
Why Are Biographies Written?
The purpose of writing a biography is not always just to do literature. They can be written to help us learn from the lives of important people. They can also serve as a guide for us. This is not the case with fictional biographies. Those works are written for literary purposes only and are delightful to the reader.
Examples Of Biography
Below you will see different examples of the biography. Biographies are long works. We offer you some snippets. The names mentioned below are purely fictional.
- Emily Anderson is a very successful writer born in 1991. She herself completed her education at Cambridge University. His works are always published in the horror category. She has received many awards and appeared in different magazines so far. She is now married and has 3 children. He has 5 works in total, but she declared that he will continue to write.
- Mark Merlin appears as a Nobel prize-winning physicist. He was born in 1960 and died in 2005. He actually started his education in Spain but studied university in America. The university he graduated from is Harvard University. The reason for his Nobel Prize winner is his discovery of a previously undiscovered physics rule. He was married 3 times but has no children. His main profession is teaching. He did his work in his spare time.
- Coming from a very poor family, Matthew Wesley is a self-help professional who has improved a lot over time. A person who has devoted his life to learning and teaching. He was born in 1985 and has analyzed our age very well. His main profession is software engineering. The reason it does not do its job is that enough software is already in progress. His purpose is to inspire and motivate people. He gives seminars every week. His seminars are famous around the world and she goes to different countries. You can also attend these seminars online if you wish.
- Would you like to meet a very famous photographer? You will be surprised to see why he became famous. Jack Brown is a blind photographer. So how does he take pictures of it? Thanks to his mother, who is always beside him. He has not received any training. When asked, he said that he was very impressed by the sound of the camera. He cannot see himself, but he makes people’s memories immortal. Despite not seeing it, he decides where the photos will be taken and the poses and tells people. He won an award for some of the landscape photographs he took. She tells her mother what she wants a picture and her mom tells her to press the shutter when the time is right. This turns out to be a complete success story.
As you can see in the examples, we talked about different characteristics of people. You don’t always have to talk about education or anything else. Specifically, a biography can be written by mentioning 2 features. First of all, you need to determine the features you want to focus on. You can also choose to write in much more detail while writing. However, you usually have to pay attention to the chronological order.
Related Posts
What is Independent Clause? Independent Clause Examples and Definition
Signs & Symbols List
What is Proverb? Proverb Examples and Definition
About the author.
Literary Devices
Literary devices, terms, and elements, definition of biography, difference between biography and autobiography, common examples of biography, significance of biography in literature.
The genre of biography developed out of other forms of historical nonfiction, choosing to focus on one specific person’s experience rather than all important players. There are examples of biography all the way back to 44 B.C. when Roman biographer Cornelius Nepos wrote Excellentium Imperatorum Vitae (“Lives of those capable of commanding”). The Greek historian Plutarch was also famous for his biographies, creating a series of biographies of famous Greeks and Romans in his book Parallel Lives . After the printing press was created, one of the first “bestsellers” was the 1550 famous biography Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari. Biography then got very popular in the 18th century with James Boswell’s 1791 publication of The Life of Samuel Johnson . Biography continues to be one of the best selling genres in literature, and has led to a number of literary prizes specifically for this form.
Examples of Biography in Literature
And I can imagine Farmer saying he doesn’t care if no one else is willing to follow their example. He’s still going to make these hikes, he’d insist, because if you say that seven hours is too long to walk for two families of patients, you’re saying that their lives matter less than some others’, and the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world.
Tracy Kidder’s wonderful example of biography, Mountains Beyond Mountains , brought the work of Dr. Paul Farmer to a wider audience. Dr. Farmer cofounded the organization Partners in Health (PIH) in 1987 to provide free treatment to patients in Haiti; the organization later created similar projects in countries such as Russia, Peru, and Rwanda. Dr. Farmer was not necessarily a famous man before Tracy Kidder’s biography was published, though he was well-regarded in his own field. The biography describes Farmer’s work as well as some of his personal life.
On July 2, McCandless finished reading Tolstoy’s “Family Happiness”, having marked several passages that moved him: “He was right in saying that the only certain happiness in life is to live for others…” Then, on July 3, he shouldered his backpack and began the twenty-mile hike to the improved road. Two days later, halfway there, he arrived in heavy rain at the beaver ponds that blocked access to the west bank of the Teklanika River. In April they’d been frozen over and hadn’t presented an obstacle. Now he must have been alarmed to find a three-acre lake covering the trail.
A commanding woman versed in politics, diplomacy, and governance; fluent in nine languages; silver-tongued and charismatic, Cleopatra nonetheless seems the joint creation of Roman propagandists and Hollywood directors.
Stacy Schiff wrote a new biography of Cleopatra in 2010 in order to divide fact from fiction, and go back to the amazing and intriguing personality of the woman herself. The biography was very well received for being both scrupulously referenced as well as highly literary and imaginative.
Confident that he was clever, resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, [Louie] was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him.
( Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand)
I remember sitting in his backyard in his garden, one day, and he started talking about God. He [Jobs] said, “ Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don’t. I think it’s 50/50, maybe. But ever since I’ve had cancer, I’ve been thinking about it more, and I find myself believing a bit more, maybe it’s because I want to believe in an afterlife, that when you die, it doesn’t just all disappear. The wisdom you’ve accumulated, somehow it lives on.”
Test Your Knowledge of Biography
2. Which of the following scenarios qualifies as a biography? A. A famous person contracts a ghostwriter to create an autobiography. B. A famous author writes the true and incredible life story of a little known person. C. A writer creates a book detailing the most important moments in her own life. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #2″] Answer: B is the correct answer.[/spoiler]
3. Which of the following statements is true? A. Biographies are one of the best selling genres in contemporary literature. B. Biographies are always written about famous people. C. Biographies were first written in the 18th century. [spoiler title=”Answer to Question #3″] Answer: A is the correct answer.[/spoiler]
Biography in a Sentence 🔊
Definition of Biography
a person’s life story as told by another person
Examples of Biography in a sentence
It took me years to shape the president’s life story into an engaging biography. 🔊
Since the actress never asked you to write about her rise to stardom, your book isn’t an authorized biography. 🔊
The popular author will recount the singer’s upbringing in a biography. 🔊
In order for the writer to pen my biography, he’ll need to ask me numerous questions about my life. 🔊
Using my grandmother’s diaries, I was able to mesh her stories into a biography. 🔊
Other words in the Books and Reading Material category:
Most Searched Words (with Video)
Voracious: In a Sentence
Verbose: In a Sentence
Vainglorious: In a Sentence
Pseudonym: In a Sentence
Propinquity: In a Sentence
Orotund: In a Sentence
Magnanimous: In a Sentence
Inquisitive: In a Sentence
Epoch: In a Sentence
Aberrant: In a Sentence
Apprehensive: In a Sentence
Obdurate: In a Sentence
Heresy: In a Sentence
Gambit: In a Sentence
Pneumonia: In a Sentence
Otiose: In a Sentence
Definition of Biography
Common examples of biographical subjects, famous examples of biographical works, difference between biography, autobiography, and memoir, examples of biography in literature, example 1: savage beauty: the life of edna st. vincent millay (nancy milford).
One of the first things Vincent explained to Norma was that there was a certain freedom of language in the Village that mustn’t shock her. It wasn’t vulgar. ‘So we sat darning socks on Waverly Place and practiced the use of profanity as we stitched. Needle in, . Needle out, piss. Needle in, . Needle out, c. Until we were easy with the words.’
Example 2: The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens (Claire Tomalin)
The season of domestic goodwill and festivity must have posed a problem to all good Victorian family men with more than one family to take care of, particularly when there were two lots of children to receive the demonstrations of paternal love.
Example 3: Virginia Woolf (Hermione Lee)
‘A self that goes on changing is a self that goes on living’: so too with the biography of that self. And just as lives don’t stay still, so life-writing can’t be fixed and finalised. Our ideas are shifting about what can be said, our knowledge of human character is changing. The biographer has to pioneer, going ‘ahead of the rest of us, like the miner’s canary, testing the atmosphere , detecting falsity, unreality, and the presence of obsolete conventions’. So, ‘There are some stories which have to be retold by each generation’. She is talking about the story of Shelley, but she could be talking about her own life-story.
Post navigation
How to Write an Interesting Biography
- Homework Tips
- Learning Styles & Skills
- Study Methods
- Time Management
- Private School
- College Admissions
- College Life
- Graduate School
- Business School
- Distance Learning
- M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
- B.A., History, Armstrong State University
A biography is a written account of the series of events that make up a person's life. Some of those events are going to be pretty boring, so you'll need to try to make your account as interesting as possible!
Every student will write a biography at some point, but the level of detail and sophistication will differ. A fourth grade biography will be much different from a middle school-level biography or a high school or college-level biography.
However, each biography will include the basic details. The first information you should gather in your research will include biographical details and facts. You must use a trustworthy resource to ensure that your information is accurate.
Using research note cards , collect the following data, carefully recording the source for each piece of information:
Including Basic Details
- Date and place of birth and death
- Family information
- Lifetime accomplishments
- Major events of life
- Effects/impact on society, historical significance
While this information is necessary to your project, these dry facts, on their own, don't really make a very good biography. Once you've found these basics, you'll want to dig a little deeper.
You choose a certain person because you think he or she is interesting, so you certainly don't want to burden your paper with an inventory of boring facts. Your goal is to impress your reader!
Start off with great first sentence . It's a good idea to begin with a really interesting statement, a little-known fact, or really intriguing event.
You should avoid starting out with a standard but boring line like:
"Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774."
Instead, try starting with something like this:
"Late one afternoon in October, 1809, Meriwether Lewis arrived at a small log cabin nestled deep in the Tennessee Mountains. By sunrise on the following day, he was dead, having suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
You'll have to make sure your beginning is motivating, but it should also be relevant. The next sentence or two should lead into your thesis statement , or main message of your biography.
"It was a tragic end to a life that had so deeply affected the course of history in the United States. Meriwether Lewis, a driven and often tormented soul, led an expedition of discovery that expanded a young nation's economic potential, increased its scientific understanding, and enhanced its worldwide reputation."
Now that you've created an impressive beginning , you'll want to continue the flow. Find more intriguing details about the man and his work, and weave them into the composition.
Examples of Interesting Details:
- Some people believed that Lewis and Clark would encounter elephants in the western wilderness, having misunderstood the wooly mammoth bones discovered in the United States.
- The expedition resulted in the discovery and description of 122 new animal species and subspecies.
- Lewis was a hypochondriac.
- His death is still an unsolved mystery, although it was ruled a suicide.
You can find interesting facts by consulting diverse sources.
Fill the body of your biography with material that gives insight into your subject's personality. For instance, in a biography about Meriwether Lewis, you would ask what traits or events motivated him to embark on such a monumental exercise.
Questions to Consider in Your Biography:
- Was there something in your subject's childhood that shaped his/her personality?
- Was there a personality trait that drove him/her to succeed or impeded his progress?
- What adjectives would you use to describe him/her?
- What were some turning points in this life?
- What was his/her impact on history?
Be sure to use transitional phrases and words to link your paragraphs and make your composition paragraphs flow . It is normal for good writers to re-arrange their sentences to create a better paper.
The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim about your subject. It should point out your main points, re-name the person you're writing about, but it should not repeat specific examples.
As always, proofread your paper and check for errors. Create a bibliography and title page according to your teacher's instructions. Consult a style guide for proper documentation.
- Famous People for Biography Topics
- How to Design a Book Cover
- How to Help Your 4th Grader Write a Biography
- Character Traits: Ideas for Your Short Story
- 5 Tips on How to Write a Speech Essay
- 10 Tips for the SAT Essay
- Writing a Paper about an Environmental Issue
- Writing the Parts of a Stage Play Script
- How to Use Libraries and Archives for Research
- Questions to Ask a College Representative
- How to Write a Graduation Speech as Valedictorian
- Tips to Write a Great Letter to the Editor
- How to Write a Film Review
- How to Write and Structure a Persuasive Speech
- 18 Ways to Practice Spelling Words
- How to Give an Impromptu Speech
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Learn how to use "biography" in a sentence with 441 example sentences on YourDictionary.
Your professional bio gives the world a brief snapshot of you and your ideals. Learn how to write a powerful bio and find inspiration from these examples.
How to Use biography in a Sentence. biography. noun. Definition of biography. Synonyms for biography. The title comes from short biographies Nichols and May wrote for the back of one of their comedy albums. Dwight Garner, New York Times , 27 May 2024.
How do you write a strong one line biography? Here are examples from some of the world's most recognized names in tech.
Examples Of Biography. Biography appears as a genre of literature. There are different types. Biography in general means telling about a person’s life. In our article, you will find answers to the questions of what is a biography and how to write it. What Should Be Considered When Writing A Biography? How To Write A Biography?
Definition and a list of examples of biography. A biography is a description of a real person’s life, including factual details and stories.
Biography in a Sentence. Definition of Biography. a person’s life story as told by another person. Examples of Biography in a sentence. It took me years to shape the president’s life story into an engaging biography.
A biography is an informational narrative and account of the life history of an individual person, written by someone who is not the subject of the biography. An autobiography is the story of an individual’s life, written by that individual.
But there is also a kind of melancholy that sweeps over me when I read the biographies of persons who did not finish the race. I think it's like the whole history of Italian art in the biography of one person. Or for drawing on her own biography. Writing his biography feels like a huge responsibility.
By Grace Fleming. Start off with great first sentence. It's a good idea to begin with a really interesting statement, a little-known fact, or really intriguing event. You should avoid starting out with a standard but boring line like: "Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774." Instead, try starting with something like this: