Nobody knows you better than yourself, but putting together a professional bio can be challenging. At WSI Connect, our website design services include creating concise bios that highlight expertise and relevant personal details. We often begin by having clients fill out a simple template.
Brainstorming Questions
Not sure where to begin with content? Scan through the questions below to brainstorm ideas. You don’t have to include all the information in your bio, and the next section in this post will help you decide what’s most important.
- What do you do?
- Which industries have you worked in, and for how many years?
- Why do you work in your field?
- What are your credentials and education?
- What’s the best part of your job?
- Who have you been affiliated with?
- What’s your greatest achievement?
- Do you have unique skills or talents?
- What are you passionate about?
- What do you want people to take away from working with you?
- How would people describe you?
- What are your hobbies and interests?
- How would you prefer to be contacted?
- Would you mind people following your social media?
- Do you have a life motto?
Content to Include in Your Bio
The purpose of your professional bio is to introduce yourself, boost your credibility, and state how you stand out from competitors. Though your bio is focused on yourself, you’re writing for people who are looking to fulfill a need or want. Each piece of information should work toward telling your audience why they should work with you.
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes as you look at your brainstormed answers. Your audience will want to know your related professional experience, what you’ve successfully completed, what they might expect from working with you, etc. Think of your past clients. Did they say why they chose you over another company? You could also take inspiration from your client testimonials on Yelp! or Google reviews.
If you communicate closely with clients, it’s beneficial to put a personal touch in your bio to show the person behind the title. For example, mentioning your hobbies or personal interests toward the end of the bio could build early rapport. You can also mention organizations for which you volunteer.
Once you’ve collected a list of information useful for your audience, you can begin structuring your bio.
Structuring Your Bio
You can start your bio by filling in the blanks of a template. Below are several templates you can copy and paste, fill out, then tweak to your liking:
Long Professional Bio Templates
As an Investment Advisor Representative, I am passionate about financial planning and investments. I fully appreciate the power of financial literacy and financial education and feel blessed to have the opportunity to educate and help shape clients’ lives.
I live in Monterey, California and enjoy cooking, traveling, hiking, and spending time at the beach with my wonderful husband and son.
Your bio can be the longest on your About page and social media accounts that have the space. Visitors are expecting a thorough description of your background and expertise. However, you don’t want to bog them down with too much information. The key is to keep it factual and relevant.
Below are three templates that approach bios from a different angle. The best fitting template will depend on your business offerings. Trim down your chosen template, adjust it per your needs, and group sentences into paragraphs. Templates are only a starting point, so don’t feel pressured to keep every element.
Technical Bio
This template is ideal for someone with an extensive, technical background. It allows for straightforward reporting of your expertise.
[Full name] is a [title] at [company] who [job description].
Prior to working at [company], [first name] was a [previous role] at [previous company], where he/she [describe what you accomplished].
[First name] has also [list professional achievements].
[First name] is [certified/trained/etc.] in [relevant subjects]. He/she holds a [degree] from [school] and a [second degree] from [second school].
Personable Bio
This template works well for someone with a sociable job, such as education and personal consulting.
[Full name] is a [title] at [company], where he/she proudly [job description].
For [first name], the most rewarding part of his/her role is [an aspect of your position that is enjoyable and provides high value].
Over his/her # years in the industry, [first name] has [list professional achievements].
[First name] is [certified/trained/etc.] in [relevant subjects] and holds a [degree] in [area of study] from [university].
Casual 1st-Person Bio
If your branding leans toward casual professionalism, you can use a 1st-person bio with friendly language.
I am a [title] from [hometown] who currently lives and works in [location].
I spent my early career [prior experience] before transitioning to [current job description].
In [year], I joined [company] to [job description].
The best part of my job? [A high-value part of your responsibilities that you enjoy].
A [brief descriptor of yourself], I enjoy [one or two activities you do in your spare time].
Short Professional Bio Templates
Short bios are ideal for social media accounts, the About section of blog posts, and About Us pages with multiple team members. You can trim your long-form bio to a few sentences, or start from scratch with one of the below templates.
Technical Bio
[Full name] has worked in the [specific area] industry for # years, helping companies [your responsibilities].
As a seasoned [title], he/she proudly [what you provide customers].
In addition to [key job responsibility], he/she also [additional job responsibilities].
He/she is certified in [training areas] and holds a [degree] from [school].
Personable Bio
[Full name] is a [title] at [company], and loves [job description].
He/she is passionate about [a high-value part of your position].
When [first name] isn’t [an unmentioned part of your job], you can find him/her [a hobby or self-interest].
Casual 1st-Person Bio
I’m [full name], an experienced [title] at [company] based in [location].
For more than # years, I’ve helped business/clients in the ___ industry with [what you provide customers].
Now, I work with [current company] to [key part of your responsibilities].
Learn more about me and what I do here: [URL or Social Media handle].
3 Tips to Write Your Professional Bio
1. Short paragraphs
Make it easy on your reader to skim through your bio. They should be able to pick up important information with a quick read.
2. Limit jargon
Use simple language and avoid overusing jargon. While your jargon might be appropriate for your industry, some readers might be unfamiliar.
3. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes
What does a prospective customer want to know from your professional bio? Are they looking for experience specific to a particular industry? Your bio should position yourself as an expert in the services or products they’re looking for.
WSI Connect can help you create a professional bio as part of a digital marketing campaign that improves the search ranking of your business. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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