If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.
Every small business owner wants their professional bio to make a statement, but the task is sometimes easier said than done. How do you summarize your entire professional career in a few sentences?
How do you highlight your professional skills and accomplishments in a way that quickly captures readers’ attention? One way to compose an outstanding professional bio is by referencing business bio examples from fellow professionals.
Professional Bio Examples
Professional bios come in all shapes and forms. Some are brief and to the point, while others tell lengthy stories. What do you want to tell profile visitors or a potential employer, nd what platform do you want to use? From an entrepreneur Instagram bio to a Twitter bio, you have more options than ever. The following professional bio examples will help you write a business bio that engages readers.
1. Chima Mmeje
Bio Platform: LinkedIn Profile
In her LinkedIn bio, freelance writer and content strategist Chima Mmeje impresses readers with a lengthy list of accomplishments. While many users’ LinkedIn Page looks more like traditional resume with lists of positions held, Mmeje’s LinkedIn summary focuses more on what she can do for clients and less on her every career move.
2. Van Jones
Bio Platform: Twitter Profile
Because of its character limit, Twitter can be a difficult profile on which to build an effective business bio. When writing a Twitter bio, professionals should focus on the keywords they want other users to know about them. A catchy tagline can be used to grab ahold of readers’ attention. In his Twitter profile bio, CNN’s Van Jones clearly and succinctly tells users who he is, and what he’s done.
3. Lena Axelsson
Bio Platform: Industry Website
Many industry professionals know their professional bios are how many clients are introduced to them and their services. In her business bio at Psychology Today, marriage and family therapist Lena Axelsson introduced her practice with a core belief rather than a personal statement. She then explains how that belief impacts her passion for healing sufferers of trauma.
4. Rebecca Bollwitt
Bio Platform: Instagram
Like on Twitter, Instagram bios can be a challenge to write because the platform limits the number of characters that can be used. How do you write a short business bio that adequately interests readers? Author Rebecca Bollwitt expanded the ideas she could communicate in her brief Instagram bio by infusing emojis into her statements, each expressing ideas in a single character.
5. Chris Burkard
Bio Platform: LinkedIn
People are naturally drawn to stories, and storytelling is an effective tool for engaging readers with a business bio. In his LinkedIn bio, photographer Chris Burkard tells the story of his career and accomplishments rather than listing them in just another a monotonous wall of text.
6. Tim Cook
Bio Platform: Company Website
Apple CEO Tim Cook‘s professional bio on his company’s website is a great example of a traditional yet still effective business profile. Audiences can put a name to the face thanks to a large profile photo, and the brief bio clearly illustrates the history of Cook’s career.
7. Lisa Quine
Bio Platform: Personal Website
A business bio is an important component of any online portfolio. Whether it’s showcasing visual arts, written work or another craft, website visitors want to know the creator. Artist and creative consultant Lisa Quine‘s personal website features a portfolio of her work and an effective business bio that introduces her to audiences.
Professional Bio Template
You don’t need to be a skilled writer to create an effective professional bio. Most business bios, even most of the best examples, follow a certain formula. The following can serve as a template for writing your own professional bio:
(NAME) is a (JOB TITLE) at (COMPANY NAME), where (NAME) (VERB – include an action verb that describes what you do) (NOUN – include a noun that describes what you produce) for the past (NUMBER) years, including (TASK1), (TASK2) and (TASK3).
(NAME) has (ACCOMPLISHMENT1) and (ACCOMPLISHMENT2), among other industry distinctions. (NAME) can help you meet your target goals in the (INDUSTRY TYPE) industry. (NAME) currently resides in (PLACE), where (s)he enjoys (HOBBY) and (INTEREST).
Short Bio Examples
Many platforms require professionals to list short bios, falling below a set number of characters. Other professionals opt for a shorter bio in order to most efficiently describe themselves to readers. The following short bio examples will help when writing your own brief professional synopsis.
8. Audra Simpson
Bio Platform: Company website
Professional bios are an important component of a company website. Who represents your organization? In her business bio for Columbia University, anthropology professor Audra Simpson clearly communicates her professional biography and research interests.
9. Corey Wainwright
Bio Platform: Company Website
It’s possible to capture readers’ attention and describe a professional career in just a couple of sentences. In her short business bio for Hubspot, blogger Corey Wainwright tells audiences the two most important things to know about her, covering personal interests and career accomplishments in just a few words.
10. Megan Gilmore
Bio Platform: Instagram
When you only have a few characters to compose your professional bio, it’s important to make every word count. Cookbook author Megan Gilmore effectively describes her career in just a few short words on her Instagram profile. She helps communicate ideas using emojis and strategically directs readers to her website, where they can learn more details.
11. Ann Handley
Bio Platform: Personal Website
Author and professional content marketer Ann Handley knows how to make a statement. Her professional bio, listed on her professional website, uses bold and colorful text to capture readers’ attention. Website visitors quickly can grasp her accomplishments and her personal interests.
12. Sarah Haskins
Bio Platform: Twitter
Sarah Haskins‘ Twitter profile boasts one of the shortest and sweetest business bios found on any platform. In just five words the writer lets users know who she is and what she does. You can’t get much clearer than that.
Longer Bio Examples
There are plenty of reasons to write short bios, but some situations call for greater detail. If a platform provides enough space, a longer business bio can include information about professional philosophy, personal life and professional accomplishments.
The following longer bio examples demonstrate how a busienss profile can tell a greater story than simply writing resumes.
13. Mark Levy
Bio Platform: Company Website
Consultant Mark Levy lists his own bio twice on his company website, each version highlighting different aspects of his own business and his person. In the first entry, Levy lists his credentials in just a few short paragraphs. The second business bio on Levy’s website tells a more detailed and engaging story of the small business owner’s career, and it even employs elements of humor.
14. Wonbo Woo
Bio Platform: Personal Website
You might expect a unique personal brand and professional bio from a content producer, and WIRED’s Wonbo Woo doesn’t disappoint. He includes a longer bio on his personal website. In it, he tells the story of his impressive career, and he doesn’t fail to drop plenty of names of the celebrities with whom he’s worked.
Creative Business Bio Examples
An effective business bio doesn’t have to come from a template. In fact, if you’re a skilled at creative writing, you can grab a reader’s attention and impress potential clients with a creative business bio on your company page or various social media platforms. The following creative business bio examples can serve as a guide.
15. DJ Nexus
Bio Platform: Personal Website
An effective bio can come in a variety of forms. On his website, DJ Nexus dedicates an entire page to the story of his career. The New England-based DJ doesn’t just list professional details, however, he also provides enough personal information to tell readers who he is.
16. Pei Jung Ho
Bio Platform: Personal Website
You might expect a unique and creative professional bio from an artist, and Pei Jung Ho definitely meets that expectation. The professional designer doesn’t simply boast a website with some accomplishments and job description. Ho’s personal website opens with an animated statement in colorful and bold lettering, before transitioning to a more traditional short bio and an engaging photo of the artist.
17. Nancy Twine
Bio Platform: Company Website
Briogeo Hair Care founder Nancy Twine‘s professional bio immediately grabs hold readers’ attention with her signature and photo, before telling Twine’s story. The entrepreneur’s business bio doesn’t end there. It also highlights a quote from Twine, which illustrates her professional philosophy, and it even features video content.
18. Trinity Mouzon
Bio Platform: Personal Website
Entrepreneur Trinity Mouzon‘s professional bio tells far more about her than her job title and primary responsibilities. Mouzon makes a strong personal statement in the first sentence of her bio, which she presents in first person, telling her own story. In just a couple of paragraphs, Mouzon captures her professional essence and offers unique insight into her success.
19. Alex Bishop
Bio Platform: Company Website
In his professional bio, guitar maker Alex Bishop exudes the passion he has for his craft. Beneath an artistic and engaging video, Bishop includes a business bio that speaks to his intended audience and provides more than mere professional experience. Bishop’s story make’s potential clients trust his passion for guitars, as well as his brand name and small business.
Author Bio Examples
Authors have been impressing their readers with professional bios centuries before anyone heard of the World Wide Web. Today, it’s not uncommon for authors to have websites and social media profiles promoting their works, complete with creative business bios that might or might not mirror the bios printed in their books.
20. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Bio Platform: Personal Website
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s personal website speaks to her target audience with a traditional business bio. In it, Adichie tells the story of her background, including her childhood in Nigeria and her educational journey. Her bio then goes on to describe her work and specific accomplishments.
21. Michael Siemsen
Bio Platform: Amazon
A common place to find online author’s bios is on Amazon, where a writer’s business bio can be found on pages featuring their books for sale from the eCommerce giant. In his professional author’s bio on Amazon, Michael Siemsen details his interests, accomplishments and popular works in a few brief sentences.
What are the essential components of professional bios?
While an effective professional bio is often more creative than a traditional resume, you can write a short bio using much of the same information, including work history, new skills and professional accomplishments.
The following are six essential elements of an effective business bio:
- Name and job title
- Educational background
- Work history
- Professional accomplishments
- Interests and hobbies
- Location or contact information
How do you make your bio interesting?
How do you make your professional bio more interesting? After all, no one is going to be impressed by yet another series of monotonous bullet points. You can add some extra pizzazz to your bio by including a more personal side, as well.
Want to make your bio interesting by including information not found on your resume? Be sure to include features such as your professional philosophy or a personal statement about your professional passions. Make your bio unique by highlighting who you are outside of the workplace, and don’t forget to tell potential clients and potential employers what you can offer their companies.
Should I write a bio in the third person?
A professional bio can be written in first person or in third person. Professional and more formal bios are often written in third person, while personal and more casual bios typically use first person.
It’s vital, however, that the chosen tense is consistent throughout the bio. For example, if the bio starts off in third person, referencing the subject by name and using pronouns such as “he,” “she” and “they,” then it’s important to continue using third person throughout the entire entry.
If, however, you start your bio by referencing yourself as, “I,” or using first person, then that should remain consistent, as well.
Save money on shipping costs for your Amazon purchases. Plus, enjoy thousands of titles from Amazons video library with an Amazon Prime membership. Learn more and sign up for a free trial today.
Image: Depositphotos
