Does your professional bio make a statement? In this article, we have great professional bio examples you should compare yours to — and a series of free bio templates you can use to make it perfect. If you’re anything like me, you probably don't think about your professional bio until you’re suddenly asked to "shoot one over via email." You have approximately one afternoon to come up with it, and that's when you scramble, and the bio ends up reading like this: "Rodney Erickson is a content marketing professional at HubSpot, an inbound marketing and sales 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." Woof, that was dull. Are you still with me? I swear, not even adding a tidbit about his cats would liven that bio up. → Download Now: 80 Professional Bio Examples [Free Templates] To be fair, in certain contexts, your professional bio does need to be more formal, like Mr. Erickson's up there. But in many cases, writing a readable bio — even conversational — is a really good thing. That means dropping that traditional format of listing your accomplishments like a robot and cramming as much professional-sounding jargon in there as you can. Here, let's dive into how you can create your own professional bio (with templates for both long and short bios). Then we'll dive into the best professional bio examples we've ever seen. Skip to one of these sections if you know what you're looking for: Professional Bio Templates How to Write a Professional Bio Best Professional Bio Examples Short Bio Examples How to Write a Short Bio FREE DOWNLOAD Professional Bio Templates Tell us a little about yourself below to gain access today: Open form Hi ???? What's your name? First Name John Last Name Smith Hi null, what's your email address? Email Address john@smith.com And your phone number? Phone Number 111 222 3333 What is your company's name and website? Company HubSpot Website www.hubspot.com How many employees work there? How many employees work there? Get Your Free Templates! Professional Bio Templates editable short professional bio pdf template Download a free, editable short professional bio template. free editable long professional bio pdf template Download a free, editable long professional bio template. Writing a professional bio that captures your brand and what you offer to your audience can help you grow better. But doing it right is just as important. Here's how to write a bio, step-by-step. How to Write a Professional Bio 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. Consider adding humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio. 1. Create an 'About' page for your website or profile. Before you can publish your professional bio, you need a living space for it. Here are a few to consider (some of these you might already have in place): Facebook Business page LinkedIn profile Instagram account Personal website Personal blog Industry website Industry blog byline As you'll see in the professional bio examples below, the length and tone of your bio will differ depending on which of the above platforms you choose to be on. Instagram, for example, allows only 150 characters of bio space, whereas you can write virtually as much as you want on your personal website — or even your Facebook Business page. But once created, this bio should represent who you are in the eyes of your audience. 2. Begin writing your bio with your first and last name. If your readers don't remember anything else about your bio, make sure they remember your name. For that reason, 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 own 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 yourself, or a business you work for? Make sure the brand you want to be associated with is mentioned in your bio. If you're a freelancer, perhaps you 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 you want its name to be separate from your real name. Don't be afraid to keep it simple: "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 next few lines of your bio to describe what you do in that position. Don't assume your audience will naturally know what your job title entails. Make your primary responsibilities known to the reader, helping them paint a picture of who you are during the day and what you have to offer the industry. 5. Include at least one professional accomplishment. Just as a business touts its client successes in the form of case studies, your professional bio should let your own audience know what you've already 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 than your colleagues? Better yet, what values do you and your colleagues share that would make your business a worthwhile investment to others? Start to wrap up your professional bio by simply explaining what gets you up in the morning. 7. Briefly tell your readers who you are outside of work. Transition from describing your values in work to describing 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 the people reading about who you are professionally. 8. Consider adding humor or a personal story to add flavor to your professional bio. End your professional bio on a good note — or, more specifically, a funny note. Leaving your audience with something quirky or uniquely you can ensure they'll leave your website with a pleasant impression of you. It's important to follow the steps above when writing your bio, but don't obsess over any one section. Remember, the people reading your bio are suffering from information fatigue. If you don't hook 'em in the first line, you'll lose them quickly. (P.S. Want to give your professional brand a boost? Take one of HubSpot Academy's free certification courses. In just one weekend, you can add a line to your resume and bio that's coveted by over 60,000 marketers.) Why Good Bios Are Important for a Professional Alright, I know what you may be thinking ... So what? It's just a bio. I mean, how many people read professional bios, anyway? The answer: A lot of people. More importantly, though, there's no way to tell exactly who is reading it — and you always want it to be ready for when the right people come across it. And when they do, you want it to catch their eye. In a good way. You see, while your resume is only useful for when you're actively applying for specific positions, your professional bio is much more visible. It can live on your LinkedIn profile, your company's website, your guest blog posts, your speaker profiles, your Twitter bio, and many other places. And, most importantly, it's the tool that you can leverage most when you're networking. Bottom line? People will read your professional bio. Whether they remember it, and whether 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? Below, we've curated some of the best real professional bio examples we've ever seen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the various websites where you might describe yourself. Check 'em out, and use them as inspiration when crafting your own. Best Professional Bio Examples Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chima Mmeje DJ Nexus Lena Axelsson Mark Levy Audra Simpson Marie Mikhail Wonbo Woo Chris Burkard Lisa Quine Nancy Twine Trinity Mouzon Alberto Perez Ann Handley Rebecca Bollwitt Corey Wainwright Megan Gilmore Van Jones Sarah Haskins Bea Dixon The Best Professional Bio Examples We've Ever Seen 1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Bio Platform: Personal Website Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie begins her professional bio with an invitation into her world. In just one sentence, she describes the depth and breadth of her body of work as it has been translated into thirty languages and several publications. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Professional Bio Example Along with her notable writing career, Chimamanda showcases her speaking career which introduces readers to a well-rounded view of who she is as a professional. From there, her bio seamlessly flows into her recent work and a glimpse into how and where she spends her personal time – the United States and Nigeria. Finally, Chimamanda’s bio ends with a call-to-action to read a more detailed biography, giving the reader a choice to read the information available about her life and career. 2. Chime Mmeje Bio Platform: LinkedIn A bio with a hook is sure to keep you reading. Chima Mmeje is a freelance SEO copywriter who’s “extremely good at one thing”: helping companies rank for their target keywords. https://www.youtube.com/