If the idea of summarising your work history, your skills, and your aspirations in a handful of sentences fills you with dread, you’re not alone. A professional bio can mean different things to different people, but typically it’s a short introduction to give someone an overview of your professional life.

But deciding what to include and what to leave out can cause anyone to break out in a sweat. Luckily, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide and included short professional bio examples, so you can create a professional bio you can be proud of.

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What is a professional bio?

A professional bio is a summary of your working experience and any relevant skills that you might use in your career. Typically, your bio is a snapshot of your current position, and may be one of the first things clients, contacts, or potential employers see.

What you include is also up to you, for example, some people choose to include skills (especially when relevant to their careers). Likewise, some choose to inject personality into their bios with witty or entertaining comments. Though this tends to depend on the industry, as this might not always be appropriate.

Many struggle with what to cover in their professional bio because, unlike a CV, you don’t want to include the entirety of your job history. Instead, focus on what’s important to you now – you can always update your bio if things change. It can also be good to include past achievements, if you won awards for your previous work or the qualifications you have, for example.

While these bios are intended to be short, their length is subjective. If you’re writing a short professional bio for a cover letter, you might want to include more than the bio on your LinkedIn profile.

When to use a professional bio.

You should use your bio to introduce yourself in a professional setting. This could be reaching out to prospective clients and including your bio to add legitimacy and a personal touch. Or it could be used on a digital portfolio to make it easier to find you.

Common places to see professional bios include:

1. Company websites. Many businesses feature an ‘About us’ page that includes headshots and bios of the team.
2. Personal websites. If you’re a freelancer, self-employed or have an online portfolio, a professional bio can be a great way to introduce yourself to people looking to work with you.
3. Social media. Similar to a personal website, many people find business through their social media accounts, especially if they actively post about their work online.
4. Networking sites. LinkedIn is a popular place for people to reach out to professionals to network and discuss opportunities. A short professional bio can make it easier for the right people to reach out to you.

Take a look at some of our short professional biography samples below.

5 professional bio examples.

Whatever you choose to include, your professional bio needs to reflect you and your career. We’ve provided five short professional biographies as examples that you can use to plan your own bio. Notice how the tone of voice and the words used change depending on the context of the bio.

1. First person professional bio.

As a senior software engineer, I have over five years of experience working in tech. I am proficient with software languages such as CSS, JavaScript and C#. I have worked across a variety of industries including healthcare, travel, and marketing. I work well in demanding environments and have led teams of over 10 people when working on large-scale projects. I am just as confident reporting to clients and senior decision makers in the business as I am managing and mentoring junior staff members.

2. Third person professional bio.

Joe Bloggs is a freelance cinematographer who works on large-budget film and television productions. With a strong eye for composition, lighting and a technical know-how, Joe is capable of working across a variety of genres and at scale. His experience working on both low-budget shorts and blockbuster features makes Adrian a flexible team member who works well under pressure. Adrian is also a great communicator, having worked closely with a number of directors and producers to complete shooting in a strict time frame.

3. Student professional bio.

Jane Smith is a third-year economics student at the University of Leeds. Having studied modules ranging from behavioural economics to the economics of corporate strategy, Jane is on track to earn a first-class degree. Jane enjoys the analytical side of her degree, especially when exploring the effects of governmental economic policies. Outside of her degree, Jane sings in the Leeds A Capella Society and is the women’s captain of The University of Leeds Cross Country Club. She hopes to work in a role that will allow her to continue working with economics.

4. Creative professional bio.

Hi, I’m Asif and I’d like to welcome you to my portfolio!

Here you’ll find a real mix of the content I create, from graphic design and photography to video content. In my day job I work as a graphic designer for a boutique clothing brand based in the UK. In my spare time I’m either designing new and exciting websites, watching my team get relegated, or taking photos of local wildlife.

If you’d like to commission work, chat about my current projects, or simply find a shoulder to cry on after the latest score, you can find me here.

5. Professional bio for social media.

Vegan chef creating plant-based food without the fuss 🥑

Add some heat to your dishes with my latest book 🌶 Spice Gals 🌶

Find my FREE recipes and more at the link below 👇

How to write your own professional bio in 7 easy steps.

If you’re unsure where to start, breaking down a professional bio can make things easier. We’ve taken the core components of a short professional biography and broken them down into easily digestible chunks.

1. Name. Always a good place to start, your name should be one of the first things the reader sees. After all, they need to know who this bio relates to.
2. Level of Education. This might not always be relevant, especially if your education doesn’t relate to your role. However, if you’re a student, an academic or if you’ve recently qualified, you might want to include it.
3. Experience in Field. While this won’t be as in-depth as your CV, it’s a great way to sum up your experience. Think of this as a highlight reel, mention the things that are most important or impressive.
4. Current Career Title. This is the role you have at the moment. If you’re currently unemployed or between roles, you don’t have to include this.
5. Major Accomplishments. If your work has won awards, or if you’ve been shortlisted at industry events, consider including major accomplishments. You might also want to include personal accomplishments, such as running a marathon or other impressive feats.
6. Experiences/Skills/Expertise. Here you can include the specific skills that are relevant to your career and the roles you may be looking for.
7. Career Goals. If you have a clear target you’re working towards, you might find it useful to include your career goals.

Not all of these will be necessary, so consider the context of your bio, who will read it and where it’s going. You might also find it better to swap the order around.

For example, if you’re an artist working on a project where you paint something every day for a year, it might make sense to include a reference to it in your career goals. However, if you’re creating a professional bio for your LinkedIn profile that your colleagues and employer might see, you probably won’t want to include any career goals that involve you quitting your job.

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Good to know.

How do I write a short bio about myself?

Begin by considering what you want to say about yourself then think about where your bio will sit. A professional bio on your cover letter will look different to the bio on your Instagram profile. The general rule of thumb is to include your name, your current role and a brief description of your career experience.

How do I make my bio more attractive to UK employers?

You can make your professional bio on LinkedIn more attractive to employers by writing concisely. Only include the highlights. If they’re interested, they can contact you for more details, or they can read your CV – just make sure your personal summary aligns with your professional bio. Likewise, staying authentic and writing something that’s unique and personal to you can show you’re sincere and approachable.

Is Adobe Express free?

Yes. The basic version of Adobe Express includes everything you need to start working creatively. Adobe Express offers thousands of design templates, images, videos and royalty-free photos, quick actions for processing images, as well as much more. You can boost your professional profile, for example, by creating a thank you card to send to clients, a banner for LinkedIn, or by updating your CV.