How To Write a Bio for Work: 9 Easy Helpful Steps

Do you need to write a professional bio for work? Learn more about how to write a bio for work with a few simple steps and examples.

If you want to put yourself and your career in the best position possible to be successful, you need to take care of your brand. That means having a short bio for work you can use in various situations. For example, maybe you want to post a bio with your professional accomplishments on a personal website. Perhaps you want to post a first-person personal bio on a social media platform like LinkedIn. You might even be asked to include a third-person bio with a job application. Regardless, it would help if you learned how to write a short bio correctly.

Take a few critical steps with professional bio examples below, and ensure you can write an excellent professional biography.

Materials Needed

Before you get started, you must ensure you have the necessary materials to construct your personal or Twitter bio. Some of the essential materials you need to have include:

• Sheets of paper you can use to jot down a few notes.
• Writing tools, such as pencils and pens.
• A computer, in case you need to look something up.
• Notes of basic information about yourself, such as your educational history, the job title of your current position, your years of professional experience, and a list of previous jobs you may have had.
• If you are applying for a specific position, you may want to know that position’s details.
• Notes of contact information for yourself as well. Make sure you have this handy, as your potential employer may want these personal details.

Once you have put together all of these materials, you can get started with your professional bio. 

Step 1: Try Out Professional Bio Templates

Before you get started, you may want to see if there is a specific template you need to follow. For example, if you are looking to post a LinkedIn summary to your LinkedIn profile, you might not need to follow a specific template. On the other hand, if you have been asked to include a bio for a graduate school or a potential job opening, they may have a template you need to follow. Sometimes, they want you to limit your bio to one page.

In other cases, they may have a specific list of information you need to include. Even though you may have a few essential points you want to include, you need to make sure it fits within the structure they require. Think about what you will do with your bio, see if there is a template you need to follow, and make sure you follow that template if you have been asked to do so. 

Step 2: Select Your Name and Title

Now that you are ready to get started, the first thing you need to do is select your name and title. Of course, you need to include your full name, but a few points you need to consider include:

• Do you want to use your given name or your nickname? Think about your target audience for the short professional bio and which one you want to use.
• Do you want to include your middle name or middle initial? There may be some situations where this is appropriate and others where it is not.
• If you have a suffix you can include, should you? This includes something like Sr., Jr., II, or III.
• Do you want to use your married name or given name? Think about who will read the bio and how they know you.
• If you have a professional title, do you want to include that in your bio? For example, if you are a medical doctor, do you want to call yourself Dr. or include MD? You need to ensure “Dr.” is not confused with another type of Dr.

These are a few key examples of questions you need to address before you start writing your bio. Of course, it would help if you were consistent with your name throughout the work. 

Step 3: Decide on First-Person or Third Person

Once you have figured out how you will refer to yourself, you need to figure out whether you want to write your bio from a first-person or third-person perspective. If you decide to write your bio from a first-person perspective, you will use the terms “I” and “Me.” If you decide to write your bio from the third-person perspective, you will use your full name throughout the bio, such as “John Smith.” 

If you are writing a biography to go on a company website, you need to reach out to your manager or editor to see which is more appropriate. Or, you may want to look at the bios that people already have on the website and do your best to match the format. Typically, a formal or professional bio is written in the third person. In contrast, an informal or personal biography (such as one on your social media profiles) is typically written using the first-person perspective. If you have questions, reach out for clarification. 

Step 4: Include Your Current Position

It will help if you put your current position at the top of your biography. If you’re creating a biography for work, you need to use your professional tagline. For example, if you are a medical device salesperson, you should include “Medical Device Sales Associate.” Or, if you are a website designer, you can include a “Web Developer.” Or, if you are a doctor, you should include not just “doctor” but also your specialty. This could include “Board-Certified Neurosurgeon” or “Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician.” Because Dr. or MD will probably be included before your title, you do not need to repeat this information.

You may want to include your most recent position if you are not currently employed. If you have spent several years at home raising children, do not be afraid to mention this. That way, people do not assume that there is a sizeable unexplainable gap on your resume. 

Step 5: Specify Your Employer

It would help if you thought about your audience. Who do you think will read your biography? If you think a future employer might come across your biography, do not forget to include your current employer. That way, the person reading your biography will get an idea of your experience and industry. It will also be easier for them to determine if you are currently available for hire.

If you are using LinkedIn, there is a convenient button you can click that will specify whether you are open to other positions. If you are self-employed, you may also want to include this in your biography. It can be a challenge to be self-employed, and it can showcase a slightly different skill set. 

Step 6: List Your Professional Achievements 

Now, it is time for you to proceed with the meat of your biography. First, it would help if you listed your professional accolades and goals. Some of the professional achievements you may want to mention include:

• Start by reviewing your educational history. You do not necessarily need to include information from high school, but you should start with college. Make sure you indicate where you went to college (if you did so), your highest level of training (such as a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctoral degree), and your major. If you graduated with honors or a specific level of Cum Laude, make sure you include that.
• If there are additional certifications you have earned, make sure to include those. For example, if you had to pass FINRA exams for the financial world, including that.
• You should also share your employment history. For example, share where you have worked in the past, your roles, and the years you spent in each position.

After this, you can include your professional goals. What do you want to do in the future? For this section, you need to think about what motivates you. Some of the goals you may have include:

• Developing strong relationships is at the core of what I do.
• Staying up-to-date on the most recent research is critical because I want to provide the best possible results for my clients.
• I strive to complete every project to the best of my ability.

You do not necessarily need to include specific goals, such as “would like to be CEO one day,” but you should think about some overarching goals that drive you daily. 

Step 7: Include Fun Details

Even though companies like to hire qualified people, they want to like the people they work with. Therefore, you should humanize your bio by including some fun details about yourself. Think about what you like to do for fun. Some of the most famous examples of fun details you may want to include in your bio are:

• Do you like to play sports? If so, what do you play? You may want to mention that you like to ski, play basketball, play tennis, or play golf.
• What are some of your favorite TV shows? You can include both new shows and reruns.
• You may even want to include details about your family life. For example, you can share whether you are married, whether you have any kids, and whether you have any pets.
• Do you play a musical instrument? If so, you may want to include that. This could include the piano, the guitar, or any other instrument that crosses your mind.
• You might even want to share a unique “fun fact” about yourself. For example, if you like to travel, you may want to mention a few of the places you have been to.
• You might even want to include information on a side hustle you might do during your free time. 

The goal is to make yourself more approachable. Your details should make you appear likable. You want people to envision a human being, not a robot. 

Step 8: Compare With Other Bios

Now, you may want to look at your biography and compare it to a few examples already out there. For example, if your bio is on the company website, you may want to look at the other bios that are already up. Again, comparing your bio to a few short bio examples on the company’s professional website is helpful. Or, you may want to compare your biography to a few LinkedIn examples if your bio is on a social media platform. Recruiters might come across your bio, and you want it to look similar to the others out there. 

Here is an example of a short bio that may go on LinkedIn: 

“John Smith is an experienced financial professional with more than 10 years of experience managing multimillion-dollar portfolios. John specializes in private equity management in the energy sector and regularly meets with clients to ensure the best possible results. He has experience valuing companies of all sizes and consistently generates positive returns on the portfolio. John can be found enjoying the newest shows on Apple TV or exploring the Caribbean during his free time.”

Step 9: Proofread Your Bio 

Before you finalize your bio, you must proofread it carefully for spelling and grammar issues. Remember that there is never a second chance to make a first impression, and you need to showcase a professional biography, regardless of whether the biography is on the company website or social media platforms. Therefore, pay close attention to the details. You may even want to have a professional copywriter or editor review your biography to ensure any mistakes are caught and corrected.